Apr2008

Apr30-2008--BLA guns down two MI officials...
Apr309-2008--three policemen killed in grenade attack in kohat as three officials kidnapped in nohmand
Apr30-2008--talks continue in dubai
Apr30-2008--PPP-mqm agreement finalized
Apr29-2008--talks on judges reinstatements and removal of musharaf and other constitutional amendments moved overseas to dubai...as asif zardari insisted that a civilian president with routine powers was much more important than just merely restoring judges...PMLn also more interested in removing musharaf..PPP also working on CJ tenure as in some circumstances a CJ could be in position for an abnormally long term..such as Justice Iftikhar who is supposed to retire in 2013...how amendments can make a judiciary work within the constitution and not abuse its powers due to the influence of the military or the establishment is difficult to imagine...the judiciary is usually subdued by the military establishment while it tries out its independent stances on civilians...PMLn, establishment and zardari negotiators in Dubai according to press reports...
Apr29-2008--two new senators from NWFP Haji Adeel and Zafar Iqbal jhagra reflect coalition cooperation as they donot reflect new nwfp assembly
Apr29-2008--The PPP is forcing itself into an unnatural agreement with the mqm which refuses to evolve into a peaceful party...MQM blackmails PPP into eight ministers/advisors in sindh and two ministers at the center...whether the PPP gets the governorship in return is still up in the air...firing reported at PPP leaders house in karachi
Apr29-2008--Baitullah mehsud apparently stops negotiations as government demands freedom of army movements and stoppage of militant acticivities...
Apr29-2008--Shah Mahmood qureshi says cooperation on terror with US to continue as anti american forces also active against pakistan...
Apr29-2008--railway track near quetta blownup twice in 24 hours by the BLA
Apr29-2008--retired sepoy beheaded near tank
Apr29-2008--fourth polio case reported in sindh...polio cases down to 18 this year from last years 32
Apr29-2008--Bail granted to maulana aziz in four cases...maulana aziz denies being involved in the activities in the lal masjid and is only accused of abettment and incitement...?
Apr29-2008--military, judiciary and their politicians contrived to rig AJK elections says PPP AJK president...
Apr28-2008--Shabaz also moves to dubai to take part in thorough constitutional reform discussions with asif zardari
Apr28-2008--Taleban executed an outlaw in mohmand agency...about 1000 taleban besiged the area with armed vehicles...taleban show scant regard for islamic principles and the rights of peopel and accused...shooting a person to death is unislamic...
Apr28-2008--gas supply interrupted in southern punjab due to pipeline blasts in balochistan...gas supply to uch power plant and and two power plants in punjab remains suspended due to blast
Apr28-2008--Yusuf raza gilani succumbs to imran khans charms and contributes 3 crores to namal college built by imran khan in mianwali...
Apr27-2008--army moves to lift seige of mehsud areas and opens roads for freedom of movement
Apr27-2008--Oil prices tobe raised further says ishaq dar as prices of crude reach $120..he said subsidies at Rs150 billion were unmanageable and hoped people enjoyed his new roti at Rs5...
Apr27-2008--offices of an intelligence agency and EDO health bombed in dera bugti
Apr27-2008--Nawaz Sharif urges people to break musharafs hand if he dissolves parliament...he also suggested that the man who abrogated the constitution, dismissed assemblies, imprisoned judges should be tried and sentenced by the courts...?
Apr27-2008--three more ministers inducted into baloch cabinet as ruqiya hashmi of the PMLq becomes Raisanis special assistant
Apr26-2008--Sho's and SPO's enjoying special allowances of Rs15000 and Rs25000 initiated by pervez elahi ...no wonder that police supported them so much...
Apr26-2008--pakistan and india reach agreements on two gas pipelines from iran and turkmenistan...while iran also imports from turkmenistan there are fears that gas supplies might not be enough...there have been gas shortages in iran this winter...india not reciprocating pakistani attitudes on problems that it is creating on river waters...on kashmir just more CBM's and killing of kashmiris continues..removal of indian security apparatchiks from occupied kashmir slow.....although many CBm's seem like protecting the status quo such as allocations for families to return from azad kashmir and india...india too must adopt a peaceful approach and start negotiating on a future for kashmir...
Apr26-2008--china says pakistan provdies vital intelligence against muslim seperatists even though there is no organization in paksitan named the east turkestan islamic movement or uighar seperatist movement...pakistani support for chinese occupation of tibet is also controversial as it is an issue almost similiar to kashmir...
Apr26-2008--bomb attack in mardan kills a police officer and two civilians..an explosive car exploded near a police station...there has been a lull since the suicide bombings in lahore and rawalpindi...as the government negotiates with TNSM, baitullah mehsud and holds fort in swat...
Apr26-2008--delays in judges reinstatement causes doubts to emerge on PPP positions...
Apr26-2008--WB to raise $9 billion for pakistans controversial dam projects...bhasha too will take off in 2009-10 while two run of the river schemes might also go ahead...doubts still over kalabagh
Apr26-2008--four advisors in balochistan raise the cabinet to a 41 member size...
Apr26-2008--three workers of a cement factory in Hub killed as their bus fired upon
Apr26-2008--mqm h leader afaq ahmed given bail
Apr26-2008--Salman Bashir new foreign secretary as riaz mohd khan quits
Apr26-2008--In sindh karachi nazim and chief minister at odds on status of KWSB and KBCA...nazim says the powers of both have been devolved while sindh government appoints minister to oversee them...nazim says the directors of both organiizations are now district officers...why the organizations continue to exist is beyond reason and why their directors have been appointed as district officers after almost 3-5 years.....
Apr26-2008--five cops booked in sialkot on killing a former a UC nazim...
Apr26-2008--Kharian tehsil audit carried out three times by pervaiz elahi as it a had a PPP nazim...?
Apr26-2008--State bank to supply $250000 to each licensed money changer as rupee falls to teh 65 level...
Apr26-2008--PPP commutes deaths sentences as there are over 9000 prisoners on death row...
Apr25-2008--situation being eased in balochistan as raisani allows bugtis to return to family homes and removes guards from bugti grave..cases against bugtis tobe reviewed...
Apr25-2008--musharaf and PMln ministers appear at yusuf raza gilani dinner...
Apr25-2008--11 year old killed in surjani town while returning from school...
Apr25-2008--accord on turkmenistan pipeline as turkmenistan says that a british consultant can verify supplies
Apr24-2008--punjab seals local government records for a audit
Apr24-2008--clash with afgans at border checpost kills one FC and ten militants
Apr23-2008--Asif Zardari says army arrested him from governor house lahore om the instructions of Farook Leghari
Apr23-2008--Coalition unable to agree on follow up to judges restoration...whether both CJ's should be retained, term for CJ and whether new judges should be fired too...
Apr23-2008--musharaf ready to move SC for a stay against any national assembly resolution on judges restoration...iftikhar chaudhry from balochistan and abdul hamid dogar probably from sindh evoke different support levels from PPP and PMln...as do new judges...what the SC will do with 27 judges is anybodies gusess...
Apr23-2008--sufi mohammed released by nwfp government after six point agreement with TNSM of malakand...fazlullah refuses to give up armed fight...agreement with mehsuds the main tribal troublemaker also on the cards...
Apr23-2008--load shedding to increase as government refuses to fill main dams...mangla can be filled by end mid may...
Apr23-2008--balochistan varsity official Dr.safdar kiyani killed by BLA...blamed as an intelligence agent they probably killed him because he was a punjabi/kashmiri...BLA has to realize that intelligence activity is not a crime nor is policework...
Apr23-2008--sindhi members up in arms in national assembly at the mere mention of kalabagh dam...as far as sindh is concerned whether it is kalabagh or bhasha it hardly matters...
Apr23-2008--punjab cabinet takes oath almost two months after elections...PPP influentials get ministries...PMLn brings in two without being elected...balochistan cabinet yet to take oath
Apr23-2008--pakistan which has been over spending on defence to reduce F-16 order to 18 planes from 36...
Apr23-2008--In pakistan almost 77 million people face food insecurity due to rising prices...
Apr23-2008--Asif Zardari to stand from the difficult constituency of NA 55 rawalpindi-6...aitezaz ahsan, nawaz sharif might stand from here too...javed hashmi had won here by a huge margin literally obliterating sheikh rashid...
Apr23-2008--mqm demanding 40% ministries in sindh while PPP offering them 25% in relation to their general popular support base...many regard the inclusion of the mqm as little more than trouble as the mqm never wants to honestly become part of a coalition
Apr22-2008--SC removes BA educational qualification for participation in elections as discriminatory...uneducated legislators who can hardly even use computers of little use these days however everybody should have the right to participate whatever their religious beliefs and education ...it should also remove needless religious conditions as everyone is almost a muslim these days...
Apr21-2008--Zardari tries another tack on balochistan and forms PPP committee for an APC
Apr21-2008--three security men killed in Hub as gunmen fired on an FC vehicle...one killed in dera bugti in a landmine explosion
Apr21-2008--draft on judges ready and possibility of new PCO judges tobe retained as negative signals start emanating from the presidency on the illegality of army chiefs Nov3 actions...
Apr21-2008--The mqm apparently involved in firing on Bilawal house as two mqm workers killed in landhi...the new security plan for karachi envisages cooperation between police, rangers, mqm's notorious terrorism inclined/minded sector incharges and PPP's tehsil presidents...Mqm differs on who was killed in the tahir plaza fire and literally country wide reports on the mqm's involvement in political terror...mqm threatens reporters on the issue..mqm known to avoid responsibility by creating conflicting viewpoints
Apr21-2008--can raja pervaiz ashrafs brother call a meeting of Iesco electricity officials...?having a ministry does not grant a brother such rights...
Apr21-2008--pictures appear in press of a demo of maulvi types asking for release of benazir assassination accused and allowing parents to meet the supposed imprisoned associates of the killers
Apr21-2008--BBC says kidnappers of tariq azizuddin have asked for release of 12 including benazirs three asassination associates, five afghan taleban, lal masjid chief, mullah sufi mohammed of malakand all supposedly lnked to baitullah mehsud...
Apr21-2008--khawaja saad rafik says coalition has ended operations in swat and are pulling troops out of waziristan
Apr21-2008--washington embassy very in with PPP as at least three of its officials given senior positions by yusuf raza gilani...
Apr21-2008--mqm which got very few votes in punjab to stop its activities in punjab...some suggest that they were involved in multan violence which the mqm regarded as its next bastion...they say five mqm workers killed in karachi over last few days
Apr21-2008--pirkoh gas pipeline ruptures...
Apr21-2008--shiite women madrassa fired at in kot lakhpat
Apr20-2008-- zardari says judges movement had nothing todo with democracy but they did want some aspects of constitutionalism tobe applied to their jobs...pakistani judges have consistently made strange decisions about coups and militarism and have had to suffer for even mild opposition to governments civil or military...even iftikhar mohammed chaudhry was victimized as he suggested that he replace musharaf's lota's as interim administrator to conduct elections...the musharaf regime frightened by a possible decision to ban musharaf from presidential elections decided to torpedo iftikhar chaudhry but it resulted in almost the entire judiciary supporting iftikhar chaudhry a rare event in pakistani history...PPP reluctantly supporting reinstatement of judges...a retired army chief cannot participate in polls for two years...however the judiciary might not go after musharaf after reinstatement given the almost total support that musharaf is still getting from the PPP
Apr20-2008--Zardari who is apparently not standing in elections says he could get elected and become primeminister if need be...
Apr20-2008--tribal militants want a taleban leader mullah obaidullah released in exchange for kidnapped ambassador tariq azizuddin kidnapped on Feb11
Apr20-2008--Yusuf Raza Gilani wants the one sided MQM to support the government on an issue to issue basis in sindh...mqm which wants powerful ministries in teh sindh government does not want to share power inits local body domain...
Apr20-2008--three publicly executed in waziristan by baitullah mehsud men for murder...
Apr20-2008--while the military has been testing relatively smaller range older type missiles yusuf raza goes for a 2000km solid state missile as his first missile propaganda test...pakistani missile tests are a joke...after one SSG commander when queried what should the government do to gain the peoples confidence replied by suggesting a missile test...many suggest that pakistani missiles burnup in outer space as their landing is never achieved or filmed...
Apr20-2008--while teh US is coming around to the suggestion of peaceful resolution of disputes the yusuf raza government is starting to get worried at teh continuance violence in teh tribal territories and suggestions being aired in military dominance style are that nobody is going tobe allowed to take the law into their own hands...the first step arrest of arbab rahim's shoe thrower...
Apr20-2008--weekly inflation readings go up by 25%
Apr20-2008--Faryal Talpur guardian of Benazirs children...
Apr20-2008--Fatima Bhutto who has written books of poetry and earthquake stories preparing to write another on the bhutto dynasty...fatima who is generally unkind to her aunt Benazir seems to be politically as naive as her mother who has not been able to achieve much apart from being reknown as the lebanese belly dancer a cutting or supposedly insulting remark from benazir
Apr20-2008--a taleban leader killed near peshawar in a police shootout...responsible for killing 16 american commandos and bringing down a chinook
Apr20-2008--Qaim ali shah wants teh 1994 water accord while teh previous government wanted the 1991/1998 accord...Yusuf Raza to initiate a similar policy in all provinces...chief ministers should sit together to resolve inter provincial problems...every sindh government always has two problems irrigation water distribution and NFC...new local body elections possible
Apr20-2008--firing at Bilawal house in karachi
Apr20-2008--Nawaz Sharif to compensate or accommodate Lt General Ziauddin at an appropriate time...musharaf one of the few army chiefs who fired two lt generals...
Apr20-2008--PPP to commute all death sentences and impeach musharaf when a consensus and two third majority is available..?
Apr19-2008--interior advisor warns militants of stern action
Apr19-2008--china says that turkmenistan islamic movement in its xinjiang province trying to harm relations with pakistan
Apr19-2008--shah mahmood qureshi pledges foreign policy of self respect
Apr19-2008--Dost mohd khosa gets a vote of confidence in the punjab assembly
Apr19-2008--PPP terms garaduation condition for election as hostile discrimination
Apr19-2008--torkham highway reopens as LI and kukikhel tribesmen declare a ceasefire
Apr19-2008--two security men die in landmine explosion in dera bugti as policemam is shot dead in quetta
Apr18-2008--the Fakhruddin Ibrahim package apparently suggests a resolution in the national assembly that says the NA does not validate the Nov 3 actions of the army chief of staff and the judges are hereby restored, old judges go back to their previous positions and new judges stand unappointed...any other judicial measures would have to be part of a later constitutional amendment...one suggested by many is that only former CJ's get appointed to the supreme judicial council as subordinate judges cannot sit in judgement of their peers...that would create a legitimate avenue for investigating a sitting judge...fakhruddin says the PPP 's grievances have been resolved on the matter...
Apr18-2008--Harbyar marri and and faiz baloch who had been arrested by london on musharafs urging being released on bail
Apr18-2008--shah mahmood qureshi also gets into rhetoric on china relations and says childishly that outside interests damaging relations...chinese are being viewed suspiciously as they have been found involved in activities immoral in pakistan,trying to become more friendly with india viz pakistan, funding and supplying arms to militants in tribal areas and balochistan,.. handling muslim movements in areas bordering pakistan and tibets attempts to gain independence with harsh brutal force and not moving with the times ...a muslim women was held in prison for 25 years on the charges of inciting/leading a muslim revolution
Apr18-2008--as oil prices jumped to $115 PPP government followed salman shah's suggestion and upped prices by Rs3 with the aim to get per litre prices around Rs100 in a years time...petrol and diesel now priced at Rs65.81 and Rs41.59....subsidies on kerosene and diesel are Rs20/19...and lesser on petrol...yusuf raza moving to quickly raise prices on utilities, atta, petrol which will obviously effect transportation and industrial pricing......
Apr18-2008--yusuf raza said that there would no victimization as abdul kadir jatoi blamed urban jagirdars/fuedals for kidnapping four polling agents and killing and cutting to pieces two of them...mqm retaliated by saying an mqm policeman in hyderabad had his hands and feet broken for trying to control election irregularities..
Apr18-2008--kashmala tariq extremely upset at faisal saleh hyat teh PMlq parliamentary leader chairing a PMlq meeting...she seems opposed to teh chaudhries attempt at dictatorial control and not appointing someone from the smaller provinces.....
Apr18-2008--tense calm in jamrud after fighting between vigilantes and a tribe armed to the teeth...
Apr18-2008--molasses tank explodes at a sugar factory killing seven in tando mohd khan
Apr18-2008--US softens stand towards pakistan tribal areas and will not carryout air strikes without pakistani approval...musharaf has been approving strikes whenever teh US asked for them...The US has the attitude of either support or point of view or go to hell...democrats plan on offering $7 billion in aid during their four years expectation of power
Apr18-2008--leading rice brands at Rs.90-110 while Irri selling at Rs35 while basmati tota is at Rs44..
Apr18-2008--Doxiadis Associates the original planner of the small hillside city of islambad which supposedly was to encircle rawalpindi to review CDA plans on expansion and how to deal with problems such as sewage, rainwater, roads , water supplies and other infrastructure..islambad limits now touching grand trunk road on one side with sector 17 and banigala, simly, chak shezad and barakahu areas on the other...uncontrolled expansion in barakahu cause of concern to water supplies and scenic beauty...
Apr18-2008--cabinet forming a problem in balochistan as independents oppose ministries to PMlq who already have the teh speaker and governors position while JUI apparently has bagged six positions of health, forestry , planning and development, deputy speaker, BDA, and labour...
Apr18-2008--rice eating bengalis to focus on eating potatoes instead of rice and wheat
Apr18-2008--three cops killed in swat and balochistan...
Apr18-2008--Aslam Bhotani says he torpedoed PMlq attempts to form a government in balochistan as they did not feel free to even talk openly...
Apr18-2008--$2.5 billion earthquake funds still not utilized as effectees given small amounts totalling less than two laks to build earthquake protected homes which is difficult in the terrain..erra corruption cases referred to standing committe by NA...effectees should be given more to rebuild houses......
Apr18-2008--oil prices heading towards $125 says T. Boone Pickens who made 1 billion dollars by betting on rising oil prices......
Apr18-2008--IMF says privatization does not stop budget drains by PIA, army, KESc and wapda...country has to spend on energy needs especially and tax money will inevitably be spent on core needs such as defence, repayments and energy...reforms have only pushed prices higher , expanded the monetary base but not solved the major problems and are not effective as a means of reducing budget deficits or the peoples problems...IMF should focus more on government spending directions such as helping industry, infrastructure or aid the poor...tax money should be spent rather than evading responsibility for problems by shifting onus onto the private sector...
Apr17-2008--mqm returns to sindh assembly without even being asked...
Apr17-2008--asif zardari acquitted in another murder case as shirazis of teh PMlq get pre arrest bail on land grabbing case and Altaf Unnar remanded in police custody for firing on Azra Pechuho and munir solangi murder..a zardari cousin accused in land grab case
Apr17-2008--FFC investigates why wheat was imported so late that it has still not arrived..last portion of 1.7 million ton imports to arrive on April 27...
Apr17-2008--clashes in jamrud between lashkar islami and kukikhels...20 killed
Apr17-2008--six rioters arrested in multan at random...
Apr17-2008--remittances and rice exports only bright things in pakistan economy...
Apr17-2008--dost mohammed khosa goes five up on pervez elahi...while pervez elahi had reduced atta bag prices by Rs.one dost mohammed khosa the big charitable chief minister reduces atta price to Rs.375 by five.
Apr17-2008--BLA say no talks yet..balochistan package and truth and reconciliation commission on the cards...raisani says establishment hindering his initiatives on militancy...
Apr17-2008--ahmed mukhtar takes additional charge of textiles, shah mahmood of planning and development and khurshid shah now also religious affairs minister...naek says all missing people tobe released by intelligence agencies...
Apr17-2008--SC studies BA qualification for MNA's
Apr17-2008--Arbab Rahim says assassins already hired for his killing...
Apr17-2008--militants capture nine officials in khyber
Apr16-2008--the judges issue tobe resolved by April 22
Apr16-2008--two security men gunned down in quetta while another two die in dera bugti landmine explosion
Apr16-2008--Arbab Rahim on exit control list
Apr16-2008--replacing sindh and punjab governors on the cards...several names reccommended by PPP in sindh and PMLn/PPP want sardar khosa/ kharal in punjab...replacing military era governors essential for change many say...governors in balochistan and nwfp from PMlq
Apr15-2008--National assembly requests UN to assume charge of investigating Benazir's assassination...The UN in hariris case said that a local mafia was involved...the musharaf regime had quite deliberately refused to investigate the sources of the investigation despite having intelligence reports about who ordered it...and started to confuse people by questioning how she died...The PMLq benefited by the musharaf regimes attitude as many regard PMlq leaders to be involved in murders in the lal masjid and akber bugti cases as well...unless a free investigation is allowed into whether senior leaders of teh PMlq and army were directly or indirectly involved teh Un investigation too will become meaningless...
Apr15-2008--seven banks fined for looting depositors...
Apr15-2008--Punjab to withdraw all political cases...and health and education sectors will be improved...?
Apr15-2008--yusuf raza gilani suggests that an amendment to the constitution is on the cards to reduce presidential powers directly related to governance...
Apr15-2008--multan became a fan of karachi violence as a peaceful protest against 18 hour daily electricity shutdowns turned into a riot in which Mepco cars and buildings were burned including a nadra office and bank...mepco security guards finally opened fire as they attempted to raid the residential areas...some partcipants openly using double barrelled guns..Mepco head tarik rasool was suspended who said that the power supply to them was controlled by the national power control centers
Apr15-2008--pakistani and afghan troops clash at chaman over checking of wheat smugglers...
Apr15-2008--10 million energy savers tobe distributed free by PEPCO
Apr15-2008--by elections in which nawaz sharif, zardari, shahbaz and aitezaz ahsan are contesting to take place on Jun3...
Apr15-2008--Bilawal a very influential person as he comes in at number 20 in the Times magazines annual list...
Apr15-2008--journalist gunned down in Hub
Apr15-2008--The PCB appellate committee judge Aftab Farukh accuses PCB of running a VIP thana culture while shaoib akhter accuses PCB officials of heavy drinking and visiting nightclubs as well as being biased against him....he also seemed to suggest that once Younis Khan flew off to bombay for a pleasure trip leaving the team..The PCB seems tobe extraordinarily heavy handed against shoaib as under no law can a player be banned for 13 matches and fined Rs3.4 million or banned for five years......
Apr15-2008--Dr. Asim Rehman Siddiqui a zardari doctor being tipped as a negotiator for PPP-MQM talks and future governor of karachi...jets of to london to see altaf hussein..
Apr15-2008--Shoaib suddle tells Ibad that police work in karachi will not create negative perceptions of an anti mqm bias or seem like an operation to control rioting terrorists......the previous government did not arrest anybody involved if they had mqm comnnections
Apr14-2008--mqm says it can not be partners in a PPP coalition as PPP does not need to offer them any major ministries...mqm which seems to have deep internal divisions seems unable to notice that governments can be formed without them and their gestures are meaningless...probably teh PPPappointment of shoaib suddle suggests that they might go after teh mqm's troublemakers...who seem to have a group of rioters just ready to go all the time...they seem to think that they are not being given proper esteem in interior sindh...teh mqm and PMlq did not attend Benazirs funeral and when farook sattar finally reached naudero four months later he thought they were not being given a good enough welcome...the PPP workers remember the hundreds of workers killed by the mqm and also their ongoing vendetta with other groups such as ST and ANP/PMln...The PPP government in sindh however continued to urge them to join in and asif zardari the reconciliation warrior said he would see altaf in london and try to work it out...mqm is also seen by sindhis as opposing tooth and nail development in interior sindh of any significant nature...mqm wanted a 35% share in the sindh government and four ministries at the center...
Apr14-2008--Erra doling out funds to people who have been certified as having no houses...
Apr14-2008--ceasefire in kurram agency...
Apr14-2008--many are suggesting that Naeem Bokhari might be involved in the lahore incident while the arbab rahim incident was a brawl with a former servant...the mqm and PMlq did not wait for the investigations to even start...
Apr14-2008--long lines at utilitry stores as government unable to control market prices in many important edibles...
Apr14-2008--three arrested for involvement in suicide bombing of surgeon general...
Apr14-2008--Dr shamshad akhter who developed a good reputation at the SBP unable to explain why she allowed the government to borrow Rs422 billion against a target of Rs80 billion...ishaq dar to sell $1 billion of bonds to raise funds...SBP governor probably fell into a trap by developing a pro military regime mindset and could not put her foot down...
Apr14-2008--PPP sindh government decides to withdraw all Dec27 riot cases, provide 40000 jobs and say that shoaib suddle is a hero for the police...
Apr14-2008--Pervaiz Elahi who has been asked to return a bullet proof vehicle of the punjab governments says he will initiate cases against nawaz sharif if they are attacked or killed...says sharif should donate own land for IT and not government property..nawaz sharif said that our daughters will study in the IT university...seemed to justify lavish expenditure on teh CM secreatariat by suggesting that they had Rs150 billion more to spend than Nawaz sharif...there is no particular extraordinary development in punjab during pervaiz elahis term...he should now seek security from the federal government and obvioulsy is rich enough to buy his own bullet proofs and security...
Apr13-2008--The PPP-PMLn government makes its most controversial appointments yet...Shoaib Suddle made IG sindh...as DIG karachi he handled the anti mqm operations and apparently refused to budge from sitting in his garden while police mowed down murtaza bhutto in clifton...he was later made IG balochistan...a PHd in criminology he did not suffer for apparently killing the primeministers brother...Tariq Khan Lodhi made Director IB...Wajid Durrani one of the karachi DIG's now..Hussein Haqqani made envoy to US while Maj gen (r) Mahmood Ali Durrani made advisor to primeminister on national security...! Durranis a pukhtun tribe have long been associated with intelligence and police work in pakistan...Asif Zardari backs down from removing the numerous retired faujis in ambassadorial assignments...PPP reappointing beaurocrats they have worked with in the past..
Apr13-2008--PMLn says salim shehzad heads mqm's karachi terrorist operations which go out to pillage and burn whenever things get tense...PMLn ready to accept altaf hussein if he ends terrorism...
Apr13-2008--five more killed in kurram fighting
Apr13-2008--cabinet body to formulate policy on judges reinstatement
Apr13-2008--Dost mohd khosa assumes the stopgap position of cm punjab...Raja Riaz of the PPP also took a stumbling oath as senior minister...
Apr13-2008--new punjab CM house built at a cost of Rs620 million with Rs120 million spent just on on furniture to become a womens IT university...pervaiz elahi had gathered 16 VVIP cars at a cost Rs1.02 billion with 9 bullet proof ones...with CM secretariat having 137 cars...most of these cars and numerous police DIG vans were usually stationed at the CM's gujerat residences...PMLn which was pilloried for building the luxurious raiwind sharif residences to reduce CM spending of Rs350 million by 70%...Pervez Elahi had a security staff of 460 and 827 of the CM secretariat staff came from gujerat...?
Apr13-2008--8 PMLq senators form balochistan group....
Apr13-2008--Yusuf Raza gives extension to Pervez Elahi man Kamran Rasool as secretary defence...? PPP shying away from promoting juniors and succumbing to tendency to rely on old men...?
Apr12-2008--chicken prices to also rise with higher fuel, feed costs..prices hovering around Rs100kg for live chicken
Apr12-2008--coalition partners nearing the nitty gritty on lawyers issue...with musharafs indemnification by the PCO court the national assembly has to either reject all constitutional actions after Nov2 or bringin a constitutional amendment..many regard that with the state of the judiciary it hardly matters who is the CJ...The judiciary would only be independent if it appplied constitutional provisions on coups which it never has...however the reinstatement of the judges would be a popular measure and confident judges are better than subordinate ones...
Apr12-2008--Irregularities found in KESC privatisation with the financial advisor paid more than double what was due and getting more than the pakistani government got out of it...Pakistani government reinvested Rs17 billion in KESC after selling it for Rs.15 billion...KESC has not improved much yet and is still unable to pay its bills...present government has asked Pepco to increase supply to karachi
Apr12-2008--Altaf hussein submitted his fourth resignation from the mqm and withdrew it half an hour later amid literally sad faces of mqm workers...?
Apr12-2008--Dost mohd khosa elected as chief minister punjab
Apr12-2008--21 member sindh cabinet takes oath...as mqm tries to decide whether it supports the PPP or the PMlq...? six mqm members to take oath soon...! makhdoom jammilzaman whose name had been mentioned as a minister designate upto yesterday did not take oath...probably the amin fahim conflict has forced jamil to stay out of the sindh cabinet or their is a controversy over choice of portfolio..?
Apr12-2008--Pemra ordnance amendment tabled...which created some problems for the TV media operators..
Apr12-2008--intelligence official shot dead in charsadda..9th since 2001
Apr12-2008--pakistan now has a governance styled onits kashmir policy...starkly differing viewpoints dont matter and try to get along just as musharaf meekly accepts indian subjugation/harassment on kashmir and chinese dictates on tibet/chinese muslims..india has the view that trade and transport openings will defuse the kashmir problem and has as yet refused to move or talk on kashmir...which is also acceptable whether anyone likes it or not...one day zardari wanted to set aside the kashmir issue for the next generation... the next he wanted a tougher approach on it...probably trying out the view points of different potential foreign ministers...shah mahmood qureshi probably is more hardline on the handling of kashmir than say the ANP's asfandyar wali...?
Apr12-2008--Sindh police take charge of karachi university after 19 years as KU remained closed for four days after rangers professor brawl...
Apr12-2008--kurram agency clashes continue as four die...
Apr12-2008--rangers compensation on death increased to 9 lakhs as advisor rehman malik urges rangers to deploy quickly to asist in riot torn karachi...Rangers and the mqm have failed badly in karachi over the past year...
Apr12-2008--country facng a record deficit in foreign trade of Rs14.486 billion upto march.....Exports stand at 13.476...while exports are higher and near expectations imports have skyrocketed due to higher oil prices..pakistani exporters suffering from greater competition and higher input costs...last year the deficit was around Rs10 billion..
Apr11-2008--The mqm which is again being blamed for violence in karachi which could have been orchestrated by the anti lawyer movement groups such as the mqm, MI and the presidency...The brutality witnessed is comparable to May12 and many argue that the MQM is useless since it cannot even ensure/guarantee peace in karachi which it dominates politically...many suggest that the mqm might have again attempted to demonstrate its street power to get ministries from teh PPP..maybe Yusuf Raza should consider a full time interior minister...PPP might go for a coalition with the mqm with upto seven ministries in sindh and two at the center but the mqm not able to provide the recquiste quid pro quo...mqm had already threatened violence...many question whether the government maybe involved in crushing the lawyers amid reports about their various thoughts on the judges restoration
Apr11-2008--Inflation in march reached an all time high of 14.125...the highest inflation of 19.15 was recorded in nawabshah...many cities in the internal parts of the country are showing abnormal inflation
Apr11-2008--seven killed in cylinder blast in misri shah, lahore...
Apr11-2008--seven more major generals return to army duty after serving in NAB and NHA
Apr11-2008--gas pipeline blownup in pirkoh as BLA attacks army in sibi...
Apr11-2008--army captures imam dheri in swat amid renewed reports of militant activities...
Apr11-2008--government says AQ Khan issue over...many say that AQ khan was in iran during the time helping them develop their newer faster centrifuge...
Apr11-2008--government unable to control prices...wheat,petrol and electricity tariff hikes likely...
Apr11-2008--punjab fires all rehired employees of civil, police and army...unless there is some technical expertise involved rehiring retired officials is just a political gimmick...
Apr11-2008--aitezaz ahsan not resigning as head of SCBA as reports of how government aims to handle the restoration emerge...if musharaf refuses to accept iftikhar the PPP might reinstate and than retire iftikhar chaudhry or clip his powers...PMln's Nisar says any deviation on judges issue not acceptable...sherry says one month starts after installation of all provincial assemblies...
Apr11-2008--Yusuf Raza Gilani starts to differntiate between musharaf and dictatorship...pro dictators responsible for creating situations in karachi and lahore he says...groups supporting dictatorship included the PMlq, mqm, army, intelligence, iSI, MI...chaudhry shujaat apparently urged musharaf to instantly use article 58-2b as he thought they had made severe errors in the elections and could do better...musharaf however went off on a junkett trip to china
Apr11-2008--musharaf has suddenly realised that he wants more nuclear power from china while the new minister for water and power says that not single MW of power production has been increased by the previous military regime...
10Apr-2008--Balochistan chief minister raises controversial issues regarding gwader where he opposes outsiders settling and threatens to refuse them democratic rights...within a country or even thru out the world movement of populations for economic reasons cannot be restricted nor can their rights be cancelled...baloch live in karachi and all over sindh and punjab and they should not restrict economic migrants from other provinces...however they should see to it that baloch get government jobs in gwader and other areas...terrorism whether from the army, intelligence, troublemakers, mountain fighters or the BLA is equally regrettable...rights can be achieved by force but they can also be delayed by the same mechanisms...u accept pukhtuns, afghans, sindhis in balochistan but not mohajirs and punjabis..these are not logical positions even if they effect baloch politics...
10Apr-2008--In what is being seen as a clear attack on the lawyers movement after the lahore incident violence took place in karachi after mqm and other opposing lawyers clashed...violence which seems to have been mqm orchestrated included rioting, burning of cars and setting ablaze a building killing seven and burning the malir bar offices...mqm and PMLq using the niazi and arbab incidents to inflame passions..mqm wants to protest with the opposition as well as be in the government...the lawyers who were mounting a peaceful challenge to the military regime are clearly being undermined and probable opposing groups which could possibly include the pro musharaf intelligence agencies as well as other elements are retaliating for their year long humiliation...the mqm and pmlq which had presided over one of the worst law and order situations are walking out of the assemblies on relatively minor incidents...the slow pace of the handover and a situation of no governance in the interim probable cause of incidents..with the emergence of relatively mild to moderate governments who will have to move fast to get the police in the right places at the right time to pre empt such incidents...mqm also showing a strange face...u cannot cooperate and fight at the same time...in a democratic dispensation a period of calm is necessary for a smooth handover which the PMLq is deliberately undermining...
10Apr-2008--asif zardari exonerated from involvement in 1996 murtaza murder who was killed in a police shootout...while the police involved were not held responsible and given further senior assignments zardari had to undergo a six year jail...it was alleged that zardari associated police officers had been behind the incident and had been sent to arrest murtaza after a public meeting...on the face of it.. it seemed as if police opened fire after the murtaza party refused to surrender...
10Apr-2008--353 punjab asembly members took oath...members passed a resolution condemning musharafs military rule and another urging UN investigation into Benazirs assassination before signing...opposition announced a boycott
10Apr-2008--in swat taleban reappearing as nwfp govt takes soft approach and army holds fire...the jirga system causes claims and counter claims and could undermine the areas peace unless a comprehensive agreement on non violence and interfernce in peoples lives is reached...
10Apr-2008--Aslam Raisani urges reconciliation, release of missing persons or endure civil war, end of indiscriminate military and intelligence usage and controls, dialogue and refusal to accept blowing up of rail line, power pylons and gas pipelines...a difficult position to be in as he supports fight for baloch rights and aspirations...
10Apr-2008--The fiscal deficit is set to double from Rs.450 billion to around Rs950 billion after what can be termed as the worst financial management due to circumstances as well as attitude...government has doubled almost all spending with a decline in revenues of just Rs35 billion...ishaq dar aims to reduce the deficit from 9.5 % to 6 % by the year end...government target was 4%...
10Apr-2008--sectarian clashes continue in kurram agency for a fifth consecutive day
10Apr-2008--Hakim Zardari who had been at odds with benazir over the treatment of his son visits benazir grave
Apr9-2008--Sher Afghan Niazi who supported every negative thing done by the military regime and was a PPP lota gheraoed near LHC and thrashed by lawyers...as police and senior lawyers attempted to remove him from the scene...Aitezaz Ahsan resigns as head of SCBA...
Apr9-2008--nwfp sets up committee to negotiate with swat militants
Apr9-2008--gas leakage at khushab heavy water plant kills two...area evacuated
Apr9-2008--power plants new and old given further tax breaks despite already getting much higher tariffs...tax breaks do not seem necessary as power plants are financially viable entities...government should look into doing away withall taxation on power supply not to increase the profits of producers but to reduce electricity tariffs..
Apr9-2008--Qaim gets confidence vote in sindh as mqm boycotts..shujaat playing dirty game in sindh many say.....offers 2 lakh jobs and only love and affection to the mqm...raisani elected in balochistan
Apr9-2008--hindu factory worker lynched in karachi by co workers for blasphemy
Apr9-2008--milk strike ends in karachi with two types of milk being introduced with lower fat content...7% fat content tobe sold at Rs42 and 5% fat content at Rs34...?
Apr9-2008--musharaf unlikely to seek a vote of confidence from national assembly or address a joint session for the present
Apr9-2008--15% budget hike out of the question says ishaq dar...
Apr9-2008--arbab rahim supporters rough up opponents in diplo, kaloi and chachro..five arrested...
Apr9-2008--FIA to get back anti crime and economic wings after disbanding of NAB...?
Apr9-2008--reports of further restrictions on AQ khan amid signs of possible release
Apr9-2008--musharaf who had victimised anybody who opposed him in balochistan was critisized by everyone in BA with a PPP member critising teh PMLq for their somersault in joining PPP coalition just for ministries since they had supported musharaf's ruthless suppression...
Apr08-2008--at lest 50 killed in karachi since Feb18 in mqm gang war...two more killed from the mqm and mqmh
Apr08-2008--karachi in milk crisis as milk sellers strike and CDGK captures milk trucks...
Apr08-2008--sharifs working on a supportive beaurocratic setup in punjab while PPP seems slow in beaurocratic reshuffling at the center
Apr08-2008--Sardar Yar mohd rind only opposition member in BA as Aslam Bhotani becomes the speaker...The PMLQ which split in balochistan on the chaudhries dictatorial attitude on appointment of CM has now completely joined the Raisani coalition...Rind has a personal feud with the raisanis...
Apr08-2008--In sindh qaim ali shah was elected the chief minister as the mqm animosity towards the PPP became clear after they boycotted the session after arbab rahim had problems with teh crowds...reports suggest that it might have been arbab rahim orchestrated although the opposition suggest it was PPP workers...arbab rahim wanted extra security...the PPP workers have been upset with the arbab rahim run PMlq after they killed numerous PPP workers during the elections and fraudelently wom elections on several seats...obviously visitors to the assembly should be restricted and security enhanced..arbab rahim exited teh assembly and did not take part in the sessions...PPP only willing to offer one important ministry to teh mqm while teh mqm seemed to think that reconciliation means that they could dictate terms...
Apr08-2008--ishaq dar says economic situation precarious...manufacturing and agricultural which had shotup have stagnated and there seems tobe no hope for furher increases in agricultural yields...revenues are falling although FDI might improve..ishaq dar will have to micro manage and not let the economy slide...junket foreign trips and useless spending will have tobe controlled...in the xtreme prices of petroleum products could be raised to world levels...
Apr08-2008--25 new members in BA with only 11 surviving
Apr08-2008--judges tobe restored and their tenures notbe reduced say PPP
Apr08-2008--Shah mahmood qureshi says tha AQ Khan should have freedom of movement and will not be handed over to the IAEA as AQ Khan says he confessed under pressure from musharaf to save pakistan...
Apr08-2008--person who hit arbab rahim with a shoe had been his servant for four years...shoe thrown at arbab rahim from gallery when he was taking oath...after he left protestors shouted at him and threw stones at his car...
Apr08-2008--In balochistan assembly protests at oath in balochi, JUI walks out...assembly resolutions asks for release of akhter mengal and UN investigation into murders of Benazir, akber bugti and balach marri...resolutions also asked for the end of the army operation and disbanding of the levies and police
Apr7-2008--Raisani again plugs a new constitution as he says we have initiated reconciliation with militants without response as magsi says musharaf's use of force over teh last five years has not been successful...
Apr7-2008--Nisar Khoro and shehla raza elected as speakers unopposed in sindh
Apr7-2008--land mine explosion in dera bugti as militant is killed in turbat
Apr7-2008--agricultural sector unable to increase wheat yields beyond 20 million tonnes despite increasing prices...lame excuses being offered by cultivators...government should be ready to import 3-5 million tons of wheat and not offer any more incentives to the agricultural sector as it is expected to fail for the second year in a row..government should urge restricted use/conservation of wheat as they do in electricity......?
Apr7-2008--mqm continues to squabble for ministries...mqm attitude little more than a front...governorship of sindh should be enough many say for them to cooperate...but they want more than that...if they want ministries than they will probably have to accept a PPP governor...PPP might ask for karachi nazim slot in return...
Apr7-2008--musharaf spreading vile rumours to control PPP government...many say amongst rumours started by musharaf are that his stepping down will cause americans to attack fata and capture aq khan...mqm too he says will start violent actions and refuse to cooperate despite their newfound love for democracy...how AQ Khan can be captured by the americans is difficult to imagine as is an invasion of FATA...gwadar is a twenty years old project and not initiated by musharaf regime...PPP and pak chinese relations also said tobe much older than musharaf...these things are not musharaf dependent and it is only the flexibility and coolness/avoidance of trouble by the PPP that will save musharafs hide...
Apr7-2008--Pepco says that power crisis to persist to 2010 as power projects to overcome shortages started very late by the previous government... 2200MW they say to be added this year and 2868MW by 2010 which seems inadequate according to general demand projections...
Apr7-2008--ministers to meet people openly in reemergence of ZAB era kutcheries...says gilani and parliament to solve judicial crisis
Apr7-2008--blast damages six shops in bajaur
Apr7-2008--hussein haqqani who now regards himself as an american expert and wajid shamsul hasan tobe rewarded with ambassadorships to US and UK
Apr7-2008--six seminary students killed by avalanche in mansehra
Apr7-2008--Aitezaz Ahsan says he disagreed with zardari but he did not snub him at CEC meeting of PPP...reportedly zardari egged him to go for a lawyers long march that he had been threatening...
Apr7-2008--Shehla Raza karachi based PSF and PPP worker/leader
Apr7-2008--one MQM man shot dead on saturday
Apr7-2008--one MQM-h man shot dead in karachi
Apr6-2008--sindh assembly enthusiastically takes oaths amidst vociforous slogan chanting...arbab rahim roughed up by PPP toughs...
Apr6-2008--sindh assembly declares ZAB a victim of judicial murder and seeks apology...fateha for Benazir and nawabshah renaming to benazir bhutto district resolution
Apr6-2008--PPP and PMLn divide ministries in punjab on 22-13 basis
Apr6-2008--mqm seeking ministries for its cooperation...
Apr6-2008--three FC men amongst eight killed in dalbandin clash against militants operating in iran...
Apr6-2008--eighteenth amendment to clip powers usurped by musharaf, amend working of CCI and shift concurrent list responsibilities to provinces...if musharaf than works normally than there will be no need to have him replaced say PMLn and PMLq...
Apr6-2008--Finance ministry seeking to increase taxes rather than reduce prices...government should reduce loans and subsidies to agriculture rather than seek to bring them into the tax net...atta prices rising at a much faster rate after increase in procurement rate...
Apr6-2008--gas pipeline to uchh power plant blown up
Apr6-2008--clashes in parachinar after convoy ambush kills two..main highway between thall and parachinar blocked for three weeks and entire region without electricity for the last month
Apr6-2008--PMLf and PMLq to sit on opposition benches in sindh
Apr5-2008--Nawz Sharif insists judges should be reinstated in 30 days and farook naek says it will happen within thirty days
Apr5-2008--PPP_mqm discuss power sharing in sindh
Apr4-2008--controversial proposals on judges reinstatement surfaces...aitezaz ahsan suggests that a package prepared by the anti iftikhar musharaf suggests that the judges be reinstated and than their conduct be scrutinized by a parliamentary committee...obviously that would not be possible...scrutinizing conduct of serving judges is not possible and a procedure in place should be changed to have their conduct examined by a committee of previous CJ's as subordinate judges become compromised as happened in the iftikhar case...future judges being considered for appointment should however be scrutinized by parliament before being reccommended for appointment...as presidents or primeministers routinely appoint people who are either unfit or little more than political supporters..proposal migh be a presidential ordinance that might remove all judges and they would be reinstated one by after scrutiny by parliament...zardari irritated by aitezaz's lawyer politics at CEC meeting and suggests that iftikhar accept balochistan governorship...?
Apr4-2008--musharaf schedules an unnecessary china visit which PMLn ministers refuse to join
Apr4-2008--mockery of teh PAF acquisition of the tiny SAAB 2000 turboprop aerial surveillance system at an extremely high cost...The US and british systems have much bigger antennas and are housed in huge planes..surveillance potential questionable...pakistan gets first of five planes..
Apr4-2008--swiss allow export of military hardware already ordered by pakistan...pakistan has on order 24 anti aircraft batteries
Apr4-2008--zulfikar ali bhutto who was literally ostracized by press and army governments becomes an acceptable figure again...!
Apr4-2008--lahore gets eight 250cc motorcycle riding women traffic wardens/cops with a 15 day training...amongst 84 men...
Apr4-2008--new pakistani anti terror strategy under preperation...
Apr4-2008--22 political workers killed in karachi in march of them only three belong to the mqm while all the others are from anti mqm parties..most blame the mqm which is probably angered by losing a government that it controlled... karachi again voted for the mqm despite its poor record in controlling violence.....
Apr4-2008--gas pipeline blownup between pirkoh and sui
Apr4-2008--baloch CM designate to hold talks with all troubled groups...supports mqm position of a constitution which considers provinces as almost independent states...center working on releasing akhter mengal
Apr4-2008--contractors ask for increase in project costs as prices have goneup since september 2007...cement..25%, petrol..18%..steel..60%..labour..62%.. diesel..14%..
Apr4-2008--bomb blasts in dera allahyar and mastung
Apr4-2008--ishaq dar says PMLq ruined economy while salman shah says stable economy being handed over...
Apr4-2008--banks have formed a cartel against consumers to charge high fees and small profits...
Apr3-2008--COAS briefs cabinet and political leaders on defence related matters and policy in tribal areas
Apr3-2008--nwfp cabinet takes oath
Apr3-2008--major general mohd asif new DG MI
Apr3-2008--zardari visits 90 azizabad to reconcile with the mqm... eight member negotiation team formed
Apr3-2008-- two die as donkey cart hits landmine in sohbhatpur, nasirabad
Apr2-2008--Amir haider hoti gets 113 votes in nwfp assembly...makes a spirited good speech calling for fiscal and political autonomy...
Apr2-2008--if russia succeeds in becoming the nato route for supplies to the US in afghanistan pakistan could benefit from a descalation by militants...
Apr2-2008--shoaib akhter banned from cricket for five years
Apr2-2008--coalition considering a constitutional amendment to eliminate 58-2b, allowing a third time PM, reducing judges age and other judicial and constitutional reforms...
Apr2-2008--couple stoned to death in Fata...
Apr2-2008--two tribal elders killed in militant attack in swat
Apr2-2008--milk, atta prices on the rise in karachi
Apr1-2008--cabinet takes upside down position on wheat price increases...price increases are never good...if wheat price increases are good than what price increases can be bad...Rs6000 min wages tobe incorporated in labour laws...forms comittees on FCR and judges issue...
Apr1-2008---24 ministers take oath with PMLn wearing black bands...PMLn ministers refuse to stand on musharafs entrance...11 first time ministers..most take charge in the afternoon..five ministers from almost one area of narowal, sialkot, gujrat, and mandi bahauddin...two ppp ministers from gujrat...
Apr1-2008--SBP states that economy to slow down to about 6% with small gains in LSM and a larger than expected fiscal deficit with payments to oil companies being made against bank guarantees which will effect later..
Apr1-2008--thousands greet former CJ in quetta
Apr1-2008--Three more belonging to the anti mqm groups killed in karachi...mqm's brutality/ animosity towards sunni tehreek and mqm-h knows no bounds of law or morality...
Apr1-2008--musharaf regime wrote off Rs54 billion in loans of allied bigwigs in 2002 says the SBP...SC to study why ordinary small people with small loans have to suffer when big loans are written off...