The Tribune – Pakistan minister coming, new visa pact set to be operationalised

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 7. A new visa regime between India and Pakistan is set to be operationalised on November 22-23 even as India told its neighbour that infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir was continuing unabated despite assurances by Islamabad.

The visa regime is likely to be operationalised when Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik visits India on November 22-23. Malik had indicated the dates of his visit to India when he met his Indian counterpart, Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde as the two met in Rome on the sidelines of the Interpol General Assembly. Rehman could also be visiting Agra to see the Taj Mahal.

Even as the two countries are headed for a new visa regime, Shinde told his Pakistani counterpart that the promises made by Pakistani leaders have not been implemented on the ground while infiltration from across the border to Jammu and Kashmir continues to thrive. Shinde and Malik met on sidelines of the Interpol General Assembly in Rome, official sources said here today.

Promises to check infiltration have not been realised and Islamabad must take immediate action to rectify the situation, Shinde said.

The visa agreement was signed by former Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and Malik in Islamabad on September 8. This will ease restrictions on issuing visas to traders, elderly people, tourists, pilgrims, members of civil society and children.

The new Indo-Pak visa pact replaces a 38-year-old visa agreement, paving the way for time-bound visa approval and greater people-to-people contact and trade.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20121108/main4.htm

The Tribune – Pakistan to declare Hasan Abdal [Panja Sahib] a holy city: Bar Association chief

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 8. The Pakistan Government has agreed to declare Hasan Abdal, where Gurdwara Punja Sahib is located, as a holy city for the Sikhs after a delegation of the All-India Bar Association visited Pakistan and met its Interior Minister A Rehman Malik last month.

The delegation was led by Dr Adish C Aggarwal, chairman of the All-India Bar Association, and the Additional Advocate-General of Punjab in the Supreme Court.

“Malik accepted the request of the delegation members and issued a letter to the concerned department in this regard,” Aggarwal said.

He said Malik had written a letter to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, inviting them to Pakistan to be part of the “historic declaration”. The letter reads:“I cordially invite you and your noble son Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, to visit Pakistan to be part of the historic declaration of Hasan Abdal as ‘Holy City’ at your convenience, preferably in this month.

“I am sure, you will appreciate our respect for Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji and the entire Sikh community.”

Aggarwal was honoured by the Delhi unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal today.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20121009/punjab.htm#5

Dawn – Afghan camps for Baloch militants shut: Malik

Kalbe Ali

Islamabad, 5 March 2012. Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Sunday that Afghanistan had closed the training camps of Baloch separatists in that country, adding that this was done at the intervention of Afghan President Hamid Karzai who had admitted recently that some of the troubles in Balochistan were originating from his country.

“After we approached the honourable President of Afghanistan with facts and figures he was kind enough to look into the matter by promising to stop infiltration of miscreants from his side of the border,” the interior minister told newsmen during a visit to the National Press Club.

During his recent visit to Islamabad President Karzai was informed about infiltration of militants into Balochistan. Mr Malik said “President Karzai had promised to stop the infiltration from Kandahar into Balochistan”. And now Kabul has formally given an assurance that infiltration of militants into the border town of Chaman will be stopped.

The minister said: “There was a training camp of 5,000 people in Kandahar but it has been dismantled now and its operators have moved out of the area.”

He said the Afghan government had promised that insurgents would not be allowed to operate in Pakistan from Afghanistan.

“We are monitoring the situation and those playing in the hands of foreign forces to destabilise the country will not be spared.”

At the same time, he said, the government was creating an environment conducive for talks with disgruntled Baloch leaders.

Mr Malik said that 135 cases had been registered against Baloch nationalists, but a number of cases were withdrawn when the Aghaz-i-Haqooq-i-Balochistan Package was launched and the process to quash the remaining cases was under way.

He said the interior ministry had written a letter to the Balochistan chief secretary to withdraw the cases.

“The relevant letters must have been dispatched to the commissioners for withdrawal of politically-motivated cases,” he said. “However, the cases filed by private citizens and families of a deceased will have to be settled in court.”

The minister said all disgruntled Baloch leaders would be welcome in Pakistan and he himself would receive them at the airport.

Mr Malik said that although the phenomenon of missing persons was a serious issue, it had been blown out of proportion.

He offered an in-camera briefing on the matter to a group of media persons.

“However, speaking on record I want to tell everybody that 6,000 persons had gone missing initially but now the Chief Minister’s office has estimated that around 800 were missing after some progress has been made on the issue. The Balochistan Liberation Army claims that 900 persons are missing and the list compiled at the Supreme Court indicates that 400 persons are missing.

The minister said two judicial commissions had been established, one said that 48 persons were missing while the other was still to complete the inquiry.

http://www.dawn.com/2012/03/05/karzai-acted-against-separatists-malik-afghan-camps-for-baloch-militants-shut.html

The Tribune – Memogate; Probe panel sets Feb 9 deadline for Mansoor Ijaz

Islamabad, January 24. The Pakistani judicial panel probing the memo scandal today gave the controversial American businessman Mansoor Ijaz a final opportunity to depose before it on February 9 after the star witness failed to appear for the second time citing security concerns.

The three-judge commission appointed by the Supreme Court issued the direction after Interior Minister Rehman Malik appeared before the commission this afternoon and gave an assurance that full security would be provided to the businessman, the central figurer in the memo scandal that sparked a political crisis in the country.

In messages sent through this lawyer Akram Sheikh, the Pakistani American cited security concerns as his reason for not coming to Pakistan.

After Malik’s assurance, the panel gave Sheikh 30 minutes to consult Ijaz and ascertain whether he would come to Pakistan. Sheikh subsequently informed the panel that Ijaz had said he would not come to the country due to security concerns.

Sheikh said Ijaz had “no confidence” in Malik and allegedly feared that he would be killed at the Interior Minister’s hands.

Ijaz has blamed the Pakistani government of orchestrating a memo, which he delivered to the US last year, seeking American help to stave off a possible military coup following the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in May last year.

Reacting to Sheikh’s claims, Balochistan HC Chief Justice Qazi Faez Eesa, the head of the commission, said if Ijaz was not in the mood to come to Pakistan, the panel too would not “run after him”. (PTI)

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120125/main5.htm

The Tribune – 26/11: Pakistan panel arriving on February 3

Islamabad, January 20. A judicial commission from Pakistan would visit India from February 3-6 to interview officials who were involved in the investigation of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said today.

Malik announced the dates for the commission’s visit during a meeting with Indian High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal at the Interior Ministry this afternoon, official sources said. India had earlier suggested to Pakistan that the judicial commission should visit in the first half of February.

Malik announced the date for the visit after the completion of various technical formalities, including the selection of the officials who would be a part of the panel, the sources said. (PTI)

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120121/main5.htm

Dawn – Government denies talks with Taliban

12 December 2011

Islamabad: Pakistan’s interior minister and prime minister have both denied the government is holding peace talks with its homegrown Taliban, according to media, saying it would do so only if the militants first disarmed and surrendered.

The deputy commander of the Pakistan Taliban, who have been waging a four-year war against the government in Islamabad, said on Saturday that the two sides were holding talks, a move that could further fray the US-Pakistan relationship.

But both Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Interior Minister Rehman Malik denied the reports.

“Categorically, I’m telling on behalf of the government, no dialogue,” Malik told reporters in Islamabad.

Gilani left the door open to negotiations. “Whosoever surrenders and denounces violence, they are acceptable to us,” Gilani said in an interview with the BBC.

At the end of September, Pakistan’s government pledged to “give peace a chance” and talk with its home-grown militants.

Maulvi Faqir Mohammad, the deputy commander of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, told Reuters on Saturday that talks for an end to the insurgency were under way.

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/12/pakistani-government-denies-talks-with-taliban.html

Dawn – Shahbaz Taseer [Salman Taseer's son] kept near Pakistan-Afghan border: Malik

17 October 2011

Islamabad: Minister for Interior, Rehman Malik on Monday said the abductors have kept Shahbaz Taseer near adjoining areas of Pakistan-Afghanistan border and he is alive.

“As per intelligence information, the kidnappers have kept the son of late Governor Salman Taseer in Pakistan-Afghan border areas, but I want to tell the terrorist that their coward action cannot weaken the government’s commitment against extremism and terrorism,” he said.

Shahbaz Taseer was kidnapped from Lahore few months ago when he was proceeding to his office.

The Minister was talking to mediamen at a ceremony organized here by workers of National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) at its Headquarters.

Replying to a question, Rehman Malik said VIPs in the government were facing threats from the banned outfit, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and al Qaeda.

There was an information about two weeks back that both the banned organizations had also planned to abduct Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

“All necessary steps are being adopted to foil their nefarious designs,” he added.

The minister appreciated Islamabad Police, which under the leadership of Inspector General, Bani Amin have averted many terrorist threats in Capital.

Answering another query, the Minister clarified that he has nothing to do with Black Water, a US based private security agency.

Earlier, addressing a ceremony, he read out a notification that services of all contract employees of NADRA in different categories have been regularized.

He also announced a housing scheme for more than 14,000 employees of the organization under which 50 per cent finances would be provided by NADRA as advance while the remaining would be arranged through banks.

The advance amount would be deducted from the employee’s salaries.

The Minister highlighted manifesto of PPP which is to ensure employment for unemployed people.

He said President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani faced jails to fight for the rights of people.

“Provision of employment is our priority and PPP government will continue its policy to facilitate people,” he added.

He also appreciated performance of NADRA and said this organization had achieved a lot since its inception.

Chairman NADRA, Ali Arshad also spoke on the occasion.

http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/17/shahbaz-taseer-kept-near-pak-afghan-border-rehman.html