DAILY BRIEF NEWS UPDATE: 11.01.2012

Confrontation delayed

ISLAMABAD: The short order that came on Tuesday afternoon was expected to cause fireworks but in reality it simply delayed a confrontation till next week. The curtain that was predicted to fall on the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government did not move.
The Supreme Court was the focus of attention all morning as people waited with bated breath for the judgment of a five-judge bench on the NRO implementation case.
Lawyers, government officials and journalists crowded the building on Constitution Avenue though it was not Courtroom One (where the chief justice usually presides in) they all made a beeline for. Instead they all headed for the bench presided over by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa.
But the order, when it came, simply passed the buck to a larger bench it suggested be set up to hear the case next week.
However, this did not stop observers and journalists from going into a tizzy and predicting yet another conflagration between the government and the judiciary.
Unprecedented in its tone and form, the order provided no judgment; instead it laid out six options in front of the court of which one could possibly be a part of the final judgment.
It referred the matter back to Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, suggesting that a larger bench hear the matter on January 16.
Apart from that, it is noteworthy that the language of the order is hard hitting and it takes to task the prime minister in particular. `In such a case of a brazen and blatant failure or refusal of the federal government to obey the buck stops at the office of the chief executive of the federation i.e. the prime minister, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa said while reading out the judgment.
Justice Khosa asked Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq to get instructions from the government before arguing why the court should not exercise any of the six options.
Disqualification on the basis of Article 62: In the first option, the order said, the apparent persistent, obstinate and contumacious resistance or refusal of the chief executive to obey and carry out the court`s directions reflected, on the face of it, that he (prime minister) may not be an `honest` person as he was not honest to the oath of his office.
It then went on to warn that the court had the option of handing down a declaration in terms of Article 62(1 f) of the Constitution that could affect prime minister`s qualification to be a member of parliament.
It then, in a less cursory manner, pointed out that the behaviour of the PPP co chairperson (President Asif Ali Zardari) and the law minister could also fall in the same category.
It criticised the ruling officials for making it clear that their loyalty to their party outweighed their loyalty to the state and their `inviolable obligation` to obey the Constitution.
Disqualification on the basis of committing contempt of court: Option two outlined the possibility of initiating contempt proceedings against the prime minister, the law minister and the secretary law for persistently resisting implementing the directions in the NRO judgment.
Once again the order pointed out that this could once again lead to disqualification from being elected or chosen as member of parliament.
Formation of a commission: The third option suggested the appointment of a commission under Article 187 of the Constitution and Rules 1 and 2 of Order 32 of the Supreme Court Rules 1980 to execute relevant parts of the NRO judgment.
Opportunity to hear affected people: The fourth was not an alternative ruling, but instead it said that the opportunity could be provided to any affected person to be heard before exercise of any of these options. As this option referred to the president`s immunity, it could be interpreted as an opportunity for the court to discuss the legal aspects of the immunity enjoyed by the president.
Removal of NAB chairman: In option five, the order trained its guns on the NAB chairman who was censured for his alleged failure to attend to the appointment of Adnan Khawaja as Managing Director of the Oil and Gas Development Company Ltd (OGDCL) in disregard of merit and the promotion of Ahmed Riaz Sheikh as Additional Director of the Federal Investigation Authority at a time when both of them were convicted.
It also castigated him for not initiating any action against former attorney general MalikMohammad Qayyum.
The order pointed out that the chairman`s inaction, on the face of it, amounted to misconduct that could lead to him being removed.
Let the people decide:The last option focused on the court exercising judicial restraint and leaving the matter to the better judgment of the people of the country or their representatives in parliament. In this option the court conceded that the constitutional balance was delicately poised and insistence on the implementation of the judicial verdict and thereby running the risk of bringing down the constitutional structure the court could exercise restraint, the verdict said.
The ruling drew a mixed reaction from legal experts as the country was forced to another bout of endless debates on a possible con-frontation between the government and the judiciary in which the supporters of both institutions thundered against the other. However, all it revealed was the political polarisation present instead of a nuanced debate on the legal positions of either.
Barrister Zafarullah of the PML-N said the court had shown judicial restraint.
`The court has provided a last opportunity to the government to act because defiance on part of it against the Supreme Court order would lead to chaos in the country, he said. However, Roedad Khan, one of the petitioners against the controversial NRO, openly expressed disappointment over the order and questioned why the court was not punishing the delinquents. He regretted that the court had shifted the entire responsibility to the larger bench, despite the fact that it was being maligned and it was being held in contempt by the government.
However, the PPP stuck to a defiant note with the statement of former law minister Dr Babar Awan: `Who is popular and who is not is a question that rests with the people of Pakistan.` He pointed out that President Asif Ali Zardari and former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had been elected by the people of Pakistan.

NA session on Thursday to discuss crisis

ISLAMABAD, Jan 10: Coalition partners went into an emergency meeting on Tuesday night to review the situation arising out of the Supreme Court’s ruling in the NRO implementation case and decided to convene a session of the National Assembly on Thursday evening to chalk out a future course of action.
The meeting was held immediately after arrival of President Asif Ali Zardari from Karachi. The president chaired the meeting which was also attended by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
“Before the National Assembly session a joint meeting of parliamentary parties will be held in the Parliament House to work out a strategy to be adopted during the assembly session,” president’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.
The president and the prime minister also chaired a meeting of the PPP core committee to discuss various challenges faced by the government, including early general elections, ‘memogate’ scandal and the court verdict on the NRO implementation case.
“The heads of allied parliamentary parties suggested that a session of the National Assembly be urgently called to discuss political issues,” Mr Babar said, adding that it would be held at 4pm on Thursday.
The apex court gave six options to the government to implement its verdict on the NRO. Some TV channels quoted President Zardari as telling the coalition partners that he had been the president only because of their support and that he could not stay in the office without it.
The president’s arrival in Islamabad trashed rumours that he was leaving for Dubai. He first held a meeting with Prime Minister Gilani in the Presidency. The president and the prime minister later met leaders of coalition parties and discussed with them measures to overcome the prevailing crises.
The coalition partners’ meeting was attended by Pakistan Muslim League-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Awami National Party chief Asfandyar Wali Khan, Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Farooq Sattar, Afrasiab Khattak, MirIsrarullah Zehri, Babar Khan Ghauri, Munir Khan Orakzai, Khursheed Shah, Babar Awan, Raja Pervez Ashraf and Farhatullah Babar.
Farhatullah Babar said: “The meeting discussed the current political situation with particular reference to the latest developments.”
Meanwhile, Chaudhry Shujaat suggested after a meeting with PPP leader Raja Pervez Ashraf that all persons concerned should sit together and find a way to resolve the memo issue which, according to him, had really got on people’s nerves.

Business News

  

Wed, 11 Jan 2012
-	CNG closed for third day in Multan region MULTAN: Multan region is facing CNG closure for the third consecutive day today (Wednesday) under the gas load man
-	Euro down ahead of Spain, Italy debt auctions TOKYO: The euro eased against other major currencies in Asia on Wednesday amid caution ahead of debt auctions by s
-	Asian shares mostly higher on Wall Street rally HONG KONG: Asian shares were mostly higher Wednesday, tracking gains on Wall Street where US stocks closed at thei
-	Oil lower in Asia on profit-taking SINGAPORE: Oil prices slid in Asian trade Wednesday as traders took profit from recent gains, with weak US energy
-	Hedge funds lock horns with IMF on Greek debt LONDON: Hedge funds are taking on the powerful International Monetary Fund over its plan to slash Greece s towerin
-	Samsung confident of outselling Nokia in 2012 LAS VEGAS: Samsung Electronics Co is confident it will become the world s largest cellphone maker in 2012, ending
-	KSE loses 107 points KARACHI: Share prices at Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) fell on Tuesday, as investors remained concerned about the p
-	Euro stable in Asia after French-German talks TOKYO: The euro was stable against major currencies in Asian trade Tuesday as investors focused on European reacti
-	US data, Iran fears send oil higher in Asia SINGAPORE: Oil prices rose in Asian trade Tuesday with buoyant US consumer data and heightened worries over Iran s
-	Asian shares up on US data HONG KONG: Asian shares rose Tuesday, following a lead from Wall Street after more upbeat US data, although a meet
-	Swiss central bank chief quits over wife''s currency deal BERNE: Swiss National Bank Chairman Philipp Hildebrand resigned with immediate effect on Monday, saying he could n
-	KSE sheds 85 points, ends at 11,040 KARACHI: The Karachi Stock Exchange s (KSE) benchmark 100-share index ended 0.76 percent, or 85.05 points, lower a
-	Rupee dips to new low but trims losses before close KARACHI: The rupee fell sharply on Monday to hit a record low of 91.28 to the dollar, but recovered most of the lo
-	Oil down in Asian trade SINGAPORE: Oil prices were down in Asian trade Monday on concerns the European debt crisis could worsen, analysts
-	Euro dives below $1.27 in Asia SINGAPORE: The euro dived below $1.27 in Asia on Monday as traders flocked to the dollar following a slew of posit

LATEST/BRIEF NEWS:

·       Sindh mourns Pir Pagara s death

·       Rumour has it: ‘OBL’s Abbottabad hideout to be razed

·       Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that the government has implemented party manifesto and Charter of Democracy to resolve problems facing the country.

·       A meeting of Parliamentary Heads of allied parties chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani in Islamabad discussed current political situation with particular reference to the most recent developments.

·       Order to have serious consequences: experts

·       Kayani consults senior military officials

·       PPP, allies to proceed through Parliament

·       SC constricts NROed govt

·       President Zardari, Aitzaz discuss NRO verdict

·       Todays N meeting to discuss post-SC options scenario

·       I recall East Pakistan tragedy today: Babar

·       Malik makes public Mush-Nawaz deal

·       Ghazal maestro Mehdi Hassan hospitalized

Mohammed Saleem Mansoori