I Went to SC Before, I'll Go Again: PM Cornered Govt May Review POL Prices
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LHR 03-02-2012_Layout 1 2/3/2012 5:36 AM Page 1 rs15.00 Vol ii no 218 22 pages lahore — edition pakistantoday.com.pk Friday, 3 February, 2012 rabi-ul-awal 10, 1433 g SC summons PM on February 13, says his counsel failed to convince court that president has immunity g Gilani can still save himself by apologising and implementing court’s orders ISLAMABAD deeper into a crisis that could force early elections within months. MASOOD REhMAn The bench, also comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany, Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice Ijaz RIME Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani stands in the Ahmed Chaudhry, Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Muhammad dock to face contempt of court charges as the Ather Saeed, decided to indict Gilani after Ahsen failed to convince seven-member special bench of the Supreme Court it that President Zardari enjoyed complete immunity under Article ruled on Thursday to indict him on February 13, 248 of the constitution. It has been a clear position of the govern - after the judges did not agree to his counsel Aitzaz ment that it would not write the letter against its own president, APhsen’s arguments that contempt had not taken place. who is also co-chairman of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party The bench, headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk, on Thursday sum - (PPP), which - the president had himself announced - had decided moned Prime Minister Gilani on February 13 to indict him with against writing the letter. “The party has decided not to write the contempt of court for not implementing its orders in the National letter, come what may,” the president had said in a TV interview. Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) case, requiring the government to After the court decision, the coalition government is in a diffi - write a letter to the Swiss authorities to reopen graft cases against cult political situation which may end up in a crisis in case Gilani is President Asif Ali Zardari. convicted. This may push other political parties to call for fresh It is the second time in the country’s history that the SC has brought contempt charges against an incumbent PM. According to Continued on page 19 constitutional experts, the move plunges a fragile government aitzaz will appeal pM’S indiCtMent | page 22 I went to SC before, Cornered govt may review POL prices ISLAMABAD tion increasing the prices of petro - sion of Pakistan,” he said. STAFF REPORT leum products. It stated that the He termed the justification given increase would have a serious im - by the government for the increase I’ll go again: PM Under tremendous pressure from pact on the common man and also in the petroleum prices “absurd”, as the opposition as well as its allies, suggested that a House committee the revision in the international ISLAMABAD Responding to Opposition Leader Chaudhry Nisar the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) make the necessary recommenda - prices had not been reflected in the IRFAn BukhARI Ali Khan’s concerns over the 20th Constitutional government on Thursday supported tions to bring down the prices in a domestic prices. Nisar said the peo - Amendment, Prime Minister Gilani said the gov - a resolution for the reversal of the week’s time. ple had been subjected to fraud by Asking all state institutions to work within their ernment was trying to strengthen all institutions. recent increase in the prices of pe - Earlier, National Assembly Op - the economic managers of the coun - constitutional limits, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza He said the government would welcome the Pak - troleum products. position Leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali try for the last 10 years by raising the Gilani announced on Thursday that he would ap - istan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)’s recom - The National Assembly unani - Khan said if the government was prices of oil products. “In the last 10 pear in the Supreme Court on February 13 to face mendations for the 20th Amendment. He also said mously adopted a joint resolution to aware of the woes of the people then years, the oil prices saw upward re - contempt of court proceedings. all state institutions were answerable to parliament. that effect, tabled by the largest op - it should support the resolution. vision 200 times, whereas only on a “I was summoned earlier and I appeared before On the recent increase in prices of petroleum position party - the Pakistan Muslim “First we should do legislation on few occasions were the prices the court… now the court has summoned me again products, the premier said a select committee of League-Nawaz (PML-N) - with the the matters concerning the public brought down,” Nisar said, adding and I will appear before it,” he said during his ad - the House should be formed to have negotiations support of all parliamentary groups and then go for the 20th Constitu - that the figures presented by the dress in the National Assembly. He said if all insti - with Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh. in the House. tional Amendment to give legal government were completely bogus. tutions worked within their ambit defined in the The resolution called for im - cover to by-elections during the time Constitution of 1973, they would earn no criticism. SC right to indiCt gilani: legal expertS | page 03 mediate withdrawal of the notifica - of the incomplete Election Commis - Continued on page 04 LHR 03-02-2012_Layout 1 2/3/2012 5:36 AM Page 2 02 News friday , 3 february 2012 lAHOrE nEwS fOrEIGn nEwS Today’s World must help Pakistan repatriate Afghan refugees: PM Facebook friends Wall Street with planned $5b IPO Quick Look Story on Page 07 Story on Page 05 Story on Page 17 ‘Pakistan needs to ratify two conventions to get Aafia released’ ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT The repatriation of Aafia Siddiqui could only take place if Pakistan could become a party to either the Conven - tion on the Council of Europe Convention on Transfer of Sentenced Persons (CEO Convention) or the Inter- American Convention on Serving Criminal Sentences Abroad (OAS Convention). This was disclosed by Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar in a written reply to the Senate on Thursday. Giv - ing the present status of Aafia’s case, she said that the Pakistani consul general in Houston, US visited the FMC Carswell Prison on April 15, August 8 and Novem - ber 22, 2011 to meet Aafia. During those visits, he dis - cussed the inmate’s various concerns about her condition of detention with prison authorities, who took appropriate action to allay most of these concerns. The Pakistani Embassy and the consulate general were also able to arrange telephone calls between Aafia and her family in Karachi, Khar said. She told the House that Aafia’s brother Ali Siddiqui was able to meet her on November 5, 2011. During the consul general’s visits to FMC Carswell, Aafia men - tioned to him that she was suffering from poor health. The consul general conveyed the concerns to prison authorities who responded that they tried to provide medical attention to Aafia but she refused to cooper - ate. Pakistani Ambassador to the US Sherry Rehman received Aafia’s lawyer Tina Foster on 26 January and assured her full cooperation. Gilani, PPP core group discuss SC order in contempt case ATTOCk: Pakistan Railway employees demolish encroachments on Railways land during a campaign on Thursday. ONLINE ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT The senior leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party No early respite from power cuts (PPP) on Thursday reviewed the situation following the Supreme Court verdict to indict Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani for contempt of court, discussing g Hydroelectric generation increased but 8-10 hours of outages persist g PEPCO fails to increase all possible options available to the government. The core group of the party met here in the prime power generation from IPPs g Payments to IPPs only solution to end outages minister’s chambers at Parliament House, with Gilani in the chair. Aitezaz Ahsen, the party’s senior leader and counsel for the premier in the contempt L AHORE February. Although PEPCO held 200MW. However in the previous tion, as canals had been opened and case, briefed the meeting on the court order, its nAuMAn TASlEEM the decreased hydel generation re - year, the power generation was hydel generation was more than political and legal implications and all legal and sponsible for load shedding, but the more than the current level in the enough. “If you compare last year’s political options available to the government to avert HE current wave of load company had in fact failed to en - same period. hydel generation with the current disqualification of the chief executive of the country. shedding could continue hance power generation from IPPs It remained 11,085MW with a year’s statistics, it is evident that A source told Pakistan Today that during the even in the ongoing and thermal resources leading to shortfall of 1,355MW as thermal fault is with PEPCO’s management meeting, Prime Minister Gilani said he had appeared T month, as PEPCO has massive outages. sources gave 1,888MW, IPPs of the IPPs,” he said, adding that in court in the recent past and would do so again on failed to enhance electricity produc - The Hydel generation has in - 5,330MW, hydel generation last year load shedding during the February 13. “Unlike past governments, we have tion from thermal generation creased, but 8-10 hours of outages 3,803MW and rental plants 62MW. same period was not more than of respected the court orders and would do so in sources and Independent Power are still being carried out.