ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has said that all the parliamentary leaders will be taken into confidence over the issue of National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

Addressing the National Assembly, PM Gillani said the democratic system will not let be led astray.

He said decision is yet to be made on whether to present the NRO before the National Assembly and consultations in this regard are underway. The government is consulting with parliamentary coalition parties and the leaders over NRO, he added.

The Premier said that government will not take any action that is detrimental to the democratic system or the country’s interests.

“All the political parties have rendered sacrifices for democracy, and their forfeit will not go in vain,” he asserted.

The PM stressed that democratic system must stay in place for survival of Pakistan and democracy.

ISLAMABAD: Four ordinances passed in 2007 will be tabled in the National Assembly today, however; National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) has been omitted from presentation in the assembly despite being approved by the standing committee for law and justice.

National Assembly’s 17th session to be held this evening will deal with 4 ordinances passed by former president Pervez Musharraf in 2007 which include ERRA ordinance; Defense Housing Authority Islamabad Ordinance, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (Amendment) Ordinance, and National Command and Authority ordinance.

These ordinances, after being reviewed in the Parliament, will be sent to the relevant standing committees.

Issuance of more than specified number of SIMs on a single National Identity card will be brought to the parliament’s attention, besides inclusion of QA round during the session.

The bill related to work place harassment of women will also be presented before parliament.

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari will be chairing an important tonight where he will take coalition parties of the government in confidence over the issue of National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

The meeting is scheduled at 8:00 pm at the Presidential House, however; ongoing National assembly session can cause a delay.

The coalition parties in the government have been notified about the meeting and banquet to be hosted by the President, the sources told.

The president is likely to seek all out support of coalition partners on NRO by declaring it critical for inculcating culture of reconciliation in domestic politics.

The invitees of the meeting include various leaders of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami National Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) and Baloshistan National Party (BNP) along with few other leaders from FATA.

The sources said that Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani along with federal ministers and all parliamentarians of PPP will also be participating in the meeting.

KARACHI: Sindh government, breaking the ice over the issue of embezzlement reported in connection with contractual employees in Sindh, has taken notice, issuing notification after 24 hours since the reports came in media, Geo news reported.

CM Sindh spokesman said a high-level committee has been formed to review the appointments of contractual employees on top provincial posts and those will not fit merit will be thrown out of posts.

The notification was issued after Geo news aired a report featuring the misappropriation found in the appointments of contractual employees on key provincial posts including secretaries and director generals in Sindh province, sources said.

QUETTA: Balochistan Assembly, condemning the potential US drone attacks into the province, Tuesday demanded the government to apprise US ambassador in Pakistan Anne W. Patterson of the reservations of people here over the issue.

Provincial Labour Minister Maulvi Ghulam Sarwar Musakhel tabled the resolution on the apprehensions regarding potential US drone attack in Balochistan.

Commenting on the resolution in the session with Deputy Speaker Mutiullah in chair, the MPAs said Kerry-Lugar Bill stands in confrontation with national esteem; accordingly, the federal government is urged against signing the Bill.

Lakhs of people would raise their weapons in their defence in the event of US drone attack, the MPAs said.

Balochistan Assembly session then was adjourned till Thursday October 15.

Two incidents in two different parts of the country exploded onto the political stage with telling implications for regional and national level politics.
In the first instance a loose comment by the COngress UPCC chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi against UP CM Mayawati has triggered an all out war for the dalit vote between the congress and the BSP in the state. In fact Mayawati in a symbolic show of power threw Joshi into judicial custody immersing the two parties into an all out no holds barred political free for all.
The second incident was reported from West Bengal. There rampaging congress workers set public property ablaze to protest an attack on 8 congress MLAs allegedly by CPM workers in Burdwan district.

UP Chief Minister Mayawati on Thursday (July 16) jumped on the opportunity to regain lost Dalit votebank and turned the slur row into a pro-Dalit or anti-Dalit issue. Accusing Congress of having an “anti Dalit” mentality, the BSP supremo said, “Had they not be having anti Dalit mentality and not been a victim of inferiority complex towards Dalits, it would have made similar provision for women of Sarva Samaj (all sections), who face such crimes as well..”
Referring to a book “Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna” penned by Joshi about her father, Mayawati said that in her book she had used very strong terms against Gandhi family and alleged that Sonia Gandhi ignored all this for “political opportunism” and made her the party chief for UP.
She said that there was strong resentment among BSP workers over her comments and they wanted to hold protests across the nation but she intervened to stop them as she didnot want public to suffer beacuse of law and order problems.

BSP supremo Mayawati on Thursday (July 16) questioned Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s “silence” over the UPCC President Rita Bahuguna Joshi’s alleged derogatory statement against her and alleged that it was done at the instruction of Congress High Command.”The most painful thing is that Sonia Gandhi has remained silent over the issue. She has neither condemned this humiliating, uncivilised and derogatory statement nor has she taken any action against her at the party level.
“This clearly shows that the humiliating statement by Joshi was made at the instance of Congress High Command,” the UP Chief Minister said at a press conference adding the comments were “not at all pardonable”.
Denying that her party workers were involved in the attack on Joshi’s house in Lucknow, Mayawati said, “there is a doubt of the hand of Congress itself in the incident”.The government has ordered an impartial enquiry into the incident, she said.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani Friday said Prime Minister or President has nothing to do with the appointment of administrators in Local Bodies; instead, this is at the discretion of provinces to either appoint the administrators or hold fresh elections.

Talking to media after addressing a foundation laying ceremony of building of Ministry of Science and Technology here, he said the government has to take difficult decisions for national integrity.

The PM Gilnai said he did not take up any measure to scrap the Local Bodies or appoint the administrators; instead, chief ministers of all the provinces and chief executive of Northern Areas have been taken into confidence, as they were consulted over the issue.

The PM said the recommendations based on proposals from the provinces would be sent to the President, terming the step by former President Pervez Musharraf of bringing the Local Bodies system under the federation as unconstitutional, undemocratic and against provincial autonomy.

He said Pakistan Muslim League-N is PPP’s ally and it has always showed support to the government and hoped it would continue to do so in future.

Pressure is building on Gujarat CM Narendra Modi to act. With the death toll from the Hooch tragedy now crossing 100, opposition parties are accusing the state govt of a cover-up over the issue and have been upping the ante in the state assembly as well demanding answers from the CM.