ISLAMABAD PAKISTAN : Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Wednesday called on President Asif Ali Zardari here, Aaj News reported.

According to the report, Foreign Minister gave briefing on foreign policy to the President.

President Asif Ali Zardari on the occasion said that peace in Afghanistan will bring positive impacts on Pakistan.

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Sargodha Court has convicted all the five US terror suspects being held for plotting terrorist activities in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The court charged the suspects with eight crimes: violation of the Foreign Act, declaration of war against the ally countries and terror plotting against Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The case has been adjourned till March 17.

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ISLAMABAD Pakiistan: National Accountability Bureau Chairman Naveed Ahsan has gone on long leave and Deputy chairman has taken over his responsibilities.

Earlier, on February 24 NAB Chairman Naveed Ahsan tendered his resignation but was asked by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to continue till the appointment of his successor.

It is learnt that the NAB chief had been under tremendous pressure since the Supreme Court declared the National Reconciliation Ordinance unconstitutional.

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Displaced people of South Waziristan will start returning back to their homes in the first week of April. Corps Commanders have finalised the schedule.
The meeting of Corps Commanders held at General Headquarters in Islamabad under the chairmanship of COAS General Kayani.
The meeting mulled over the war against terrorism, professional affairs of the military and return of IDPs of South Waziristan.

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Lahore High Court has reserved the decision on transfer of Mumbai attack’s accused Zakiur Redman Lakhvi’s case from Rawalpindi to an anti-terror court in Lahore.
Federal and provincial governments assured the court of Chief Justice Khawaja Sharif to provide full security to accused Lakhvi and his lawyer Khawaja Sultan. Advocate Sultan told the court that the government was pressursing the judge in Pindi court. He maintained that Indian intelligence agencies are following them so their lives are under threat.
The high court upheld the verdict and the decision would be announced tomorrow.

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Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Tuesday extended service of Director General Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), Lieutenant General Shuja Pasha, for one year. Summary in this regard was sent to the Prime Minister 15 days ago which was accepted.
He had informed the viewers about his extension one month ago. Pasha was scheduled to retire from service on March 18, 2010.

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President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday expressed the hope that with the finalization of constitutional reforms package by the end of current month, the 1973 Constitution would be restored to its original shape.
Addressing the award distribution ceremony of All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Tuesday night the President said it was basically for Mian Raza Rabbani led constitutional reforms committee of the parliament as to when it submits its report but hoped that this would be done within this month.
Besides a large number of APNS representatives, newspaper owners, journalists, columnists, writers and Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira, the ceremony was also attended by federal ministers, parliamentarians and senior officers of the Ministry of Information.
The President hoped that the task of constitutional reforms would be carried out unanimously in a spirit of reconciliation. President Zardari said they were determined to rid the Constitution of all undemocratic articles introduced into it by successive dictatorships. The President noted that during his address to the parliament last year he himself had asked the parliament to reform the Constitution.
The President said the Government firmly believes in freedom of the media and has taken a number of measures for the purpose. He said he welcomes the constructive criticism as it helps improve performance and serve people in a better manner. The President said an independent media has a crucial role to play in keeping a check on the executive and the strengthening democratic institutions.

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JHELUM PAKISTAN: British boy kidnapped in Pakistan nearly a week ago is alive and police are making progress in the investigation, a police official said on Tuesday.

Sahil Saeed, who is of Pakistani origin, was abducted last Thursday after gunmen barged into his grandmother’s house, held the family at gun-point for hours and then left with some valuables and the boy.

“The child is safe. We made some progress and hopefully, we’ll sort out this case soon,” Khalid Mehmood, police superintendent for investigations in the city of Jhelum, told Reuters.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Sunday that police were closing in on the kidnappers and that the abductors appeared to be close to the boy’s family.

Kidnapping is a major problem in Pakistan and many of the crimes go unreported. Police have said Taliban militants use ransoms from kidnappings to fund their insurgency against the U.S.-backed government.

No sign has emerged that the abduction of the boy, who is from the English town of Oldham, was linked to militants.

Police have said the gunmen took away 150,000 rupees ($1,750) and some gold and later demanded a 10 million rupee ($118,000) ransom.

Police said the kidnappers had been tipped off that the boy and his father were planning to fly home to Britain last Thursday after visiting relatives in Pakistan.

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Prime Minister Gilani has claimed that the state economy is getting stable, which has resulted into return of the investors’ trust.
The PM stated these views during the Economic Coordination Council (ECC) meeting, which was held in Islamabad today.
Sources said the meeting deliberated upon the imposition of regularity duty on chemical products, Port Qasim Navigation Channel’s extension and establishment of polythene plant. It is the first ECC meeting after the resignation of former finance minister Shaukat Tarin.
Addressing the meeting, the PM said that the implementation of the cabinet decision would be ensured, adding that all the decisions would be taken in country’s larger interests. He assured that significant uplift goals would be achieved within two years, adding that the reserves are at satisfactory level.

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Lahore High Court has sought reply from Interior Secretary vis-a-vis extradition of seven Taliban leaders to the US on March 15.
Chief Justice Khawja Sharif has heard the case. The petitioner Khalid Khawaja argued that Taliban leaders Alam Mehsud, Mohtashim Agha, Hakimud Din Mehsud, Tayyab Agha, Abdul Qayyum, Mullah Tayyab and Abdul Hayee have been arrested from Pakistan and as such the trial should be conducted under law of the land. He added that the terrorists should not be extradited to the US.
During the hearing, the CJ remarked that blasts were being taken place across country and as such relief could not be given to the culprits.

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