23rd March, Pakistan Day, Celebration 2010

On the directive of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, the joint services parade of 23rd March, commonly known as Pakistan Day Parade, will not be held due to current security situation in the country.
The day will dawn with a 31-gun salute in the federal capital and 21-gun salute in the provincial capitals. Special prayers will be held for the country’s progress, strength and solidarity.
The national flag will be hoisted on important public and private buildings throughout the country and all Pakistani missions abroad.
The day is a general public holiday, as people from all walks of life will take part in different programmes to mark the occasion befittingly.
Seminars and functions will be organised to pay homage to the Father of the Nation Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and poet philosopher Allama Muhammad Iqbal. Speakers will highlight sacrifices rendered by the people for the creation of a separate homeland for the Muslims.
President Asif Ali Zardari will confer awards on outstanding civil and military personalities in recognition of their meritorious services at an investiture ceremony.
Newspapers will bring out supplements to underscore the significance of the day and the ideals of Quaid-i-Azam, under whose leadership Muslims passed Pakistan Resolution in Lahore on March 23, 1940, a momentous milestone in the history of Pakistan movement. On this day in 1940, the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent had pledged to create an independent homeland, where they could live in accordance with their religious and cultural values.

A pair of twin girls, who were born connected at the head, in Sahiwal, brought to Islamabad

Pakistani newly born conjoined twin girls, not named yet, are admitted at a local hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan on Monday, March 15, 2010.


ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani neurosurgeon said that doctors were studying a pair of twin girls who were recently born connected at the head to determine whether they can separate them.

The infants were brought to a hospital in Islamabad on Monday from the city of Sahiwal in Punjab province where they were born a few days earlier.

The two are connected at the head facing opposite directions.

Khaleequz Zaman, a neurosurgeon at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, said doctors will decide this week whether they can operate on the twins.

Quetta : Baby born in Rickshaw! Feb 25 2010

According to news reports today on 25 February 2010 a pregnant woman in Quetta who was being taken in a rickshaw to a city hospital gave birth in the same rickshaw because the Airport Road was closed due to President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit. They were stopped at Askari Park section of the same road and despite their pleas with the security forces they were not allowed to continue their city-ward journey.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time that a baby was born in a rickshaw. In May last year (2009) another poor woman was caught up in the traffic jam of Quetta and she had to give birth inside the ‘tiny’ rickshaw. No president, prime/chief minister or any foreign dignitary was visiting Quetta then, yet it happened. The only difference between the two situations is that the recent birth in a rickshaw was caused by the closure of a very important and busy Quetta Airport Road just because our president with his cavalcade of ministers and heavy contingent of security forces were to use that raod while the one who was born in May last year was due to badly traffic jam.

Lessons should be learnt from the embarrassing and life threatening ordeal of the concerned family and next time round when a major road is closed for any political figure’s safety then first by putting in place necessary emergency measures the safety of the ordinary people should be ensured.

Today, the security forces who were patrolling the Airport road should have used their common sense and compassion and helped her out in getting to the nearest hospital/clinic or any place where she could comfortably deliver the baby. The security forces are well equipped with modern communication system, at least they should have called an ambulance (there are now many in Quetta!). One can only regret recurrence of such incidents and hope there will not be a repeat of these kinds of scenarios in the future.

The Dawn.com’s news headline is incorrect when it says ‘Stuck in Quetta traffic jam …’. In this case there was no traffic jam but the road was crystal clear and completely deserted due to its closure – the rickshaw could have been driven at its maximum speed and in no time they would have been at the hospital. The bottom line is the security forces need to learn to distinguish between a bomb and a baby, and, mothers only carry babies.

Islamabad. Feb. 26. President Asif Ali Zardari has apologised about yesterday’s incident in Quetta when a baby girl was born in a rickshaw and has anounced Rs 500,000.00 for child’s well being. I hope the apology and the financial aid would help the family to look after their new born baby.

Muhammad Nawaz Sharif

Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was born in Lahore on December 25, 1949. He is the eldest son of Muhammad Sharif, a joint owner of the Ittefaq Group of Industries.


Nawaz Sharif got his schooling from Saint Anthony's High School. After graduating from Government College Lahore, he obtained his Law Degree from the Punjab University.

Nawaz Sharif remained a member of the Punjab Provincial Council for some time. He joined the Punjab Cabinet as Finance Minister in 1981. He was able to raise the allocation of funds for the development of rural areas to 70 percent of the Annual Development Program in the Province. He also held the portfolio of Sports and was able to reorganize the sports activities in the Province.

In the general elections of 1985, Nawaz Sharif won with an overwhelming majority, both in the National and Provincial Assemblies. On April 9, 1985, he was sworn-in as Chief Minister of Punjab. On May 31, 1988, he was appointed caretaker Chief Minister, after the dismissal of Assemblies by General Zia. Nawaz Sharif was again elected as Chief Minister after the 1988 general elections. A massive uplift of Murree and Kahuta was undertaken during his term as Chief Minister of Punjab.

On November 6, 1990, Nawaz Sharif was sworn-in as Prime Minister of the country, after his alliance, I. J. I. won the October 1990 elections. However, Nawaz Sharif could not complete his term of five years, and was dismissed by the President in April 1993. He was reinstated by the superior Judiciary, but had to resign along with the President in July 1993.

During his tenure as the Prime Minister, efforts were made to strengthen the industries with the help of private sector. Projects like Ghazi Brotha and Gawadar Miniport were initiated. Land was distributed among landless peasants in Sindh. Relations with the Central Asian Muslim Republics were strengthened and E. C. O. was given a boost. In an attempt to end the Afghan crisis, the "Islamabad Accord" was reached between various Afghan factions. His most important contribution was economic progress despite American sanctions on Pakistan through the Pressler Amendment.

Pakistan Muslim League again won the elections held in February 1997, and Mian Nawaz Sharif was re-elected as Prime Minister with an overwhelming majority.

Taking advantage of his absolute majority in the National Assembly, he added a landmark in the constitutional history of Pakistan by repealing the controversial Eighth Amendment. This Thirteenth Constitutional Amendment stripped the President of his powers, under Article 52(b) of the Eighth Amendment, to dismiss the Prime Minister and dissolve the National Assembly. He added another milestone to the Constitution when his Parliament adopted the anti-defection Fourteenth Amendment Bill. His development venture of the Lahore-Islamabad motorway has also been appreciated by a segment of the society, while others have criticized it for being an extravagance for a developing country.

On October 12, 1999, the civilian Government headed by Nawaz Sharif was overthrown by a military coup.

Qadri issues fatwa against terrorism

Maulana Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri has issued a global ruling against terrorism and suicide bombing, reported BBC on Tuesday.
Dr Qadri, an influential Pakistani scholar, said his 600-page judgement, known as a fatwa, completely dismantles Al-Qaeda’s violent ideology. The scholar describes Al-Qaeda as an 'old evil with a new name' that has not been sufficiently challenged. The scholar’s movement is growing in the UK and has attracted the interest of policymakers and security chiefs.
In his religious ruling, delivered in London, Dr Qadri says that Islam forbids the massacre of innocent citizens and suicide bombings.
Although many scholars have made similar rulings in the past, Dr Qadri argued that his massive document goes much further by omitting “ifs and buts” added by other thinkers. He said that it set out a point-by-point theological rebuttal of every argument used by Qaeda-inspired recruiters.
The populist scholar developed his document last year as a response to the increase in bombings across Pakistan by militants.


‘HEROES OF HELLFIRE’
The basic text has been extended to 600 pages to cover global issues, in an attempt to get its theological arguments taken up by Muslims in Western nations. It will be promoted in the UK by Dr Qadri’s organisation, Minhajul Quran International. Dr Qadri spoke for more than hour to an audience of Muslims, clergy, MPs, police officers and other security officials.
“They [terrorists] can’t claim that their suicide bombings are martyrdom operations and that they become the heroes of the Muslim Umah [global brotherhood].

PPP to back 'N' in PP-111 by-election

ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has assured Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif that Pakistan People’s Party would support Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) candidate in PP-111 by-election in the light of the Charter of Democracy signed between the two parties. The decision was taken after taking everybody on board including Ch Ahmed Mukhtar, Minister for Defence, and Qamar Zaman Kaira, Minister for Information and Broadcasting.