Dawn – Gilani trashes perception of ‘creeping coup’

Davos, 27 January 2012. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani rejected on Thursday a suggestion that democracy was under threat and a ‘creeping coup’ was taking place in Pakistan, asserting that the parliament, the civil society, media, intelligentsia and, above all, the nation wanted democracy to continue.

In an interview to the BBC’s Nik Gowing at the World Economic Forum, Mr Gilani spoke on a wide range of issues being faced by the country.

He described as unfortunate the deaths of over 100 heart patients in Lahore from faulty drugs and said the Punjab government was already holding an inquiry into the case, adding that he would not like to comment on that before the inquiry report came when asked about the update on what was happening in Lahore. He said the interior ministry was also looking into the matter.

Gowing: Mr prime minister, I have listed some of the tensions and confrontations that you are now facing back home in your country. Many observers believe that a creeping coup was somehow taking place in your country with the army tightening its grip on the levers of power. Are you really in charge?

Gilani: Certainly yes and therefore what you have hinted that the army wants to bring a coup that is not true.

Gowing: Are you in charge? Do you feel under challenge from the military still?

Gilani: No. Not at all.

Gowing: There are those who fear that Pakistan is now a failing state with democracy under threat.

Gilani: Democracy is not under threat. The people, the civil society, the intelligentsia and the parliament and the media everybody wants democracy and even the military wants democracy. Therefore, there is no threat to Pakistan vis-à-vis democracy is concerned.

Gowing: You had a meeting with the military leadership just before you came here to Davos. What guarantees did they give you and what guarantees did you give them?

Gilani: No. They called on me. The foreign minister, the chief of the army staff and the ISI DG called on me. We discussed the security situation in Afghanistan and that was the agenda.

Gowing: Do you control the military as the elected government and the prime minister of the elected government?

Gilani: I follow the Constitution and everybody has to abide by the Constitution.

APP adds: Later, talking to reporters, the prime minister rejected talk of a clash among state institutions and said all stakeholders backed democracy.

Mr Gilani said since several things were happening at the same time, it was being felt that there was some kind of a clash.

He recalled his statement to a foreign channel earlier this month which led to speculation that there were some differences between the army and the government. He, however, said that all institutions were working within the ambit of the Constitution.

Mr Gilani recalled that following his statement the person who was responsible was removed, alluding to the sacking of the defence secretary on Jan 11. “And since he has been removed I have nothing against them.”

About his meeting with Chief of the Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Director General of ISI, Lt General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, before his departure for the World Economic Forum, Mr Gilani said it focussed on security matters related to Afghanistan.

In reply to a question about Mansoor Ijaz’s refusal to visit Pakistan, Mr Gilani said he was summoned by the court and he was not in a position to offer any comment on the matter as the issue was sub judice.

Answering a question about Imran Khan, Mr Gilani said he (Mr Imran) did not contest the general election in 2008 and never succeeded in even by-elections. It seemed that his party line was not to contest elections.

About holding of general election after the Senate election, Mr Gilani said it was the prerogative of the government and the era of 58-2b had gone, adding that the government would hold Senate elections before presentation of the budget in May.

http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/27/interview-in-davos-gilani-trashes-perception-of-creeping-coup.html

The Hindu – Watchful EC the winner in Punjab

Sarabjit Pandher

Chandigarh, 27 January 2012. If the accolades it receives from the people across the State are any indicator, the Election Commission of India has already emerged as a winner of sorts in Punjab, where the elections to the 117-member Assembly are scheduled for January 30.

While searches of vehicles and premises by the police and security forces are reminiscent of the days of terrorism, the people in general exude confidence that the Commission had almost succeeded in ensuring that money, muscle and narcotics would not be able to influence voting this time. A cross-section affirms that while a level playing field has been provided to the candidates, the citizens are not being harassed in the run-up to the polls.

The crackdown has so far led to the seizure of almost Rs. 32.47 crore of unaccounted cash, 25 quintals of ‘bhukki’ (poppy husk), 12,136 litres of illicit liquor, 4.72 lakh bottles of country liquor, 82 quintals of lahan (molasses to brew country liquor), 10 kg of opium, 6.3 kg heroin and 2 kg of smack. While the citizens voluntarily deposited 2,05,515 licensed arms, the authorities seized 65 unlicensed arms and 244 cartridges. So far, 20 cases had been registered, while 8,982 non-bailable warrants were executed and 6,488 persons bound down under various sections of law.

The Commission has spared none. An FIR was registered against the first woman president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Bibi Jagir Kaur, and her family for attempting to distribute liquor. Kaur is an Akali Dal candidate from the Bholath constituency. A similar case was registered against Rajinder Beri, a Congress candidate from Jalandhar Central. The premises of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s staunch supporters were also searched.

Media houses have been served notices for alleged violations of the model code of conduct.

However, this correspondent found that women, especially in remote villages, are a relieved lot. Septuagenarian Bachan Kaur aka ‘Badi Bibi’ in the remote Barnala village says: “Unlike in the previous elections, men do not return drunk and harass the families. On earlier occasions, they would throw a tantrum, throw away fresh ‘chappatis’ on the pretext that they were not warm enough, smash utensils and even beat up the wives.”

Charanjit and his friends at Kotkapura are relieved that the candidates they supported could not deploy them to “force” people to sport their party flags and posters on the houses in their vicinity. Jeevan Jumar in Dhuri says attempts by parties in the past to ensure that the maximum number of flags fluttered led to bad blood.

Businessmen and traders of Barnala said tight arrangements had spared them the din of electioneering. They wondered how the slack administrative machinery could become so efficient and driven under the Commisssion. “The same officials at the cutting-edge, delivering much better results, indicates that those at the helm need some conviction, and good governance would no longer be a dream.”

Interestingly, candidates of different hues are also relieved that they can cite the strict enforcement of the model code of conduct as a valid excuse for washing their hands of any allurement to voters. But people believe that most contestants had made arrangements to fund their “routine” campaigns. With the Commission tightening the noose, the “expenses” have fallen drastically, which would translate into major “savings,” the results notwithstanding.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2835116.ece

Vilvoorde Gurdwara, Shahidi Smagan, 11 December 2011

Paris Singh
I know this Singh and he knows me, but I have forgotten his name

Sikh Channel camera man

Sangat TV camera man 

Sadh Sangat

Kavishari Jatha

Gurdwara Guru Nanak Dev Ji  
Lange Molenstraat 14
B-1800 Vilvoorde (near Brussel)

To see more Netherlands and Belgiun pictures go to:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622147381380/

More Belgian pictures to follow  
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

The Hindu – Activists shocked at gallantry award for Chhattisgarh cop

Aman Sethi

Raipur, 26 January 2012. Gender and rights activists have protested against the Union government presenting a gallantry award to a Chhattisgarh cadre police officer who allegedly supervised the torture of Soni Sori, a school teacher accused of assisting the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist).

On Republic Day, the officer, Ankit Garg, was awarded the Police Medal for Gallantry for his role in an October 9, 2010 counterinsurgency operation, in which about 250 members of the State’s Special Task Force and district police ambushed Maoist guerrillas in Mahasamund district. Six Maoists were killed and two civilians, including a deaf and mute manual labourer, died in controversial circumstances. The police maintained that the civilians were caught in the crossfire in the course of a fluid operation.

Mr. Garg was subsequently appointed Superintendent of Police of Dantewada when Ms. Sori was arrested in October 2011 and accused of acting as a Maoist courier.

In a series of letters submitted to the Supreme Court, Ms. Sori says Mr. Garg verbally abused her and directed police personnel to torture her. She alleged that Mr. Garg watched as junior police personnel stripped her naked, administered electric shocks and assaulted her. According to her lawyers, a medical examination found two stones in Ms. Soni’s genital tract and another in her rectum.

“Is this, then, the gallant behaviour of our Dantewada police under the able guidance of SP Ankit Garg, which the government is now felicitating? Is this an award for ruthlessly torturing people? Does the government approve of these methods? Is this an accepted way of carrying out war against their own people in the name of anti-Naxal operations?” asks a press note circulated by Women Against Sexual Violence and State Repression, a national network of women’s and rights organisations.

Mr. Garg has, however, categorically denied the allegations. “I can only say that the accusation has been made in the Supreme Court and the court has taken a decision on the 25th [of January]. More than two months have passed [since these allegations were first made.],” said Mr. Garg, who has subsequently been recalled to the police headquarters in Raipur.

“The final hearing is yet to begin,” said Colin Gonsalves, Ms. Sori’s lawyer, disputing Mr. Garg’s assertion that the court had come to a decision.

Vishwa Ranjan, Director-General of Police (Home Guards), said: “The Police Medal for Gallantry is for a specific instance … it is not like the award for Meritorious Service … Ankit Garg led one of the teams in the Mahasamund [encounter].” He added the Soni Sori case was a separate issue that was now sub judice.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2834675.ece

Dawn – President, PM felicitate India

Islamabad, 27 January 2012. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani felicitated India on its Republic Day on Thursday.

In a letter to his Indian counterpart Pratibha Devisingh Patil, President Zardari said: “On the occasion of the Republic Day of India, I wish to convey to Your Excellency and the people of India warm felicitations and good wishes of the people of Pakistan. I am confident that our two countries would continue to endeavour to develop friendly, good neighbourly and cooperative relations. We wish the people of India progress and prosperity.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.”

In his message to his Indian counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister Gilani said: “Pakistan is fully committed to developing friendly relations with India on the basis of sovereign equality, mutual respect and commonality of interest. We believe that the development and wellbeing of our peoples and our common goal of peaceful and prosperous South Asia can be achieved through the resolution of all outstanding bilateral issues between us.” (Agencies)

http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/27/president-pm-felicitate-india.html