Page 11 - Pakistan Link - October 20, 2017

PAKISTAN OCTOBER 20, 2017 – PAKISTAN LINK – P11
US Sends High-Level Delegation Imran to Appear Voluntarily

in Move to Repair Relations before ECP on October 26

non-bailable arrest warrants for the
PTI chief for “repeatedly failing to
appear for the hearing and for failing
to send a written apology to the ECP
for his absence in court”.
Earlier on September 14, the
ECP had issued bailable arrest war-
rants for Imran Khan following his
failure to show up for the contempt
of court proceeding, which were
later suspended by the IHC on a PTI
petition.
In August, the ECP had issued a
second show-cause notice to Imran
Khan aft er he failed to reply to the
earlier notice regarding contempt of
court proceedings against him.
Imran Khan had initially chal-
lenged the maintainability of the
contempt petition and raised objec-
tions over ECP’s jurisdiction to ini-
tiate contempt proceedings against
him; the commission, however, de-
Lisa Curtis, US Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Council Director for South Asia, and other offi cials hold clared on August 10 that it had the
talks with Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua in Islamabad last Thursday—White Star Islamabad: Pakistan Tehreek-i- legal right to hear the contempt case.
Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan has
Th e media statement issued by
n By Iftikhar A. Khan US. curity situation, including Afghanistan, decided to voluntarily appear be- PTI also reiterated the party’s earlier
Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and how Pakistan has positively contrib- fore the Election Commission of mantra that the ECP had failed to
Islamabad: Strains in the Pak-US rela- led the Pakistani side during Th ursday’s uted to peace and stability in the region. Pakistan (ECP) on October 26, the perform its basic function: to ensure
tionship appear to be disappearing fast talks at the Foreign Offi ce. Th ose who as- According to the Inter-Services party’s central media wing said in a free and fair elections. It said that the
as the two sides last Th ursday agreed sisted her in the meeting included senior Public Relations, the COAS highlighted statement on Monday. ECP had not learned anything from
to continue bilateral engagement at all offi cials from the Ministry of Foreign concerns of Pakistan regarding peace Th e announcement came af- the fi ndings of the judicial commis-
levels and reinvigorate relationship to Aff airs and other relevant departments. and stability in the region. He reiterated ter senior PTI leaders met at Khan’s sion formed in 2015 to investigate
achieve the common objective of defeat- “Th e two sides reviewed the state that Pakistan had done its best despite Bani Gala residence in Islamabad to PTI’s allegations that the PML-N had
ing terrorism. of play in the relationship in wake of the constraints and would continue its ef- discuss the party strategy regarding rigged the 2013 general elections.
Th e consensus was reached when US strategy on Afghanistan and South forts for the sake of the future of Paki- the ongoing contempt of court case Th e statement further claimed
an interagency US delegation led by Lisa Asia and agreed to continue discussions stan and in line with aspirations of the in the ECP. that the Chief Election Commis-
Curtis, deputy assistant to the president on all matters of mutual interest”, a state- Pakistani people. Th e delegation appre- Th e party also decided to chal- sioner had failed to act against the
and National Security Council senior ment issued by the Foreign Offi ce said. ciated and acknowledged the Pakistan lenge the arrest warrants issued ear- PML-N’s illegal activities in NA-120
director for South Asia, held talks with Reiterating Pakistan’s stance for a Army’s contributions and Pakistan’s sac- lier by the ECP for the PTI chief in and 122 by-polls.
Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and politically negotiated settlement owned rifi ces in the war on terror. the Islamabad High Court. Accord- It added that the ECP should
Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General and led by the Afghans, the foreign sec- Th e US embassy in Islamabad had ing to the statement, the party main- consider the damage it is causing
Qamar Javed Bajwa. retary reaffi rmed Pakistan’s constructive planned a media interaction with the US tains that the body does not have the the party due to its ‘hyper activity
Th e US delegation included the participation in all regional and bilateral delegation on Th ursday evening, but the authority to issue arrest warrants. in some cases and inability to act in
acting assistant secretary of state, Am- mechanisms aimed at pursuing a peace- event was cancelled by the aft ernoon. Last week, the ECP had issued others’
bassador Alice Wells, acting Assistant ful solution to the Afghan confl ict. Th e
Secretary of Defense David Helvey and US delegation was also informed on the Deepak Perwani among Captain Safdar, Ayesha Gulalai among
other senior offi cials from the Depart- recent visit by Pakistani offi cials to Kabul
ments of State and Defense. with a view to intensifying engagement New MQM-P Members 261 Lawmakers Suspended by ECP
In a surprising ‘coincidence’ a Ca- and addressing mutual concerns partic-
nadian citizen, his US national wife and ularly border management and repatria- Karachi: Th e Islamabad: Th e Election Commis-
their three children were recovered from tion of refugees. M u t t a hid a sion of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday
the custody of terrorists by the Pakistan Highlighting Pakistan’s ongoing Qaumi Move- suspended membership of 261 par-
Army on Th ursday — some fi ve years law enforcement and counterterrorism ment-Pakistan liamentarians over their failure to
aft er their abduction in Afghanistan. campaign, the foreign secretary apprised (MQM-P) held a submit statements of assets and li-
Th e recovery was instantly hailed by the the US delegation of Pakistan’s eff orts in press conference abilities to the electoral watchdog.
White House. eliminating terrorism from the country’s on Sunday to an- Th e ECP had earlier issued
Th is was the fi rst high-level US soil. Pakistan’s concerns on continued nounce the ad- circulars to the lawmakers under
delegation’s visit to Pakistan aft er US attacks from across the border were also dition of new faces to the party, in- Sub-Section 42A of the Representa-
President Donald Trump unveiled a new shared. cluding renowned fashion designer tion of People Act (RoPA) to submit
strategy on South Asia and Afghanistan. Th e US delegation was informed Deepak Perwani and other members their fi nancial details by September
Allice Wells last visited Pakistan in about the atrocities and human rights of the civil society. 30 or face the music.
August. She was scheduled to visit Paki- violations being committed by Indian “Th ese individuals have their Presently, there are a total of such members with immediate ef-
stan again on Aug 28 to follow up on forces in held Kashmir resulting in hun- own standing in the fi elds of fi ne arts, 1,174 parliamentarians. fect and till such statements are sub-
President Trump’s policy review of the dreds of casualties. It was noted that fashion, civil services,” said MQM-P According to details, seven out mitted by them”.
region, but Pakistan had refused to re- persistent Indian refusal to engage with leader Dr Farooq Sattar. “We will use of 104 senators, 71 of 342 MNAs, 84 Under RoPA, all parliamentar-
ceive her delegation in what was widely Pakistan despite Pakistan’s repeated their services in diff erent domains of of 371 MPAs from Punjab, 50 of 168 ians are required to submit details of
seen as a snub to the US at a time when overtures for a comprehensive dialogue the party [...] and to help train our MPAs from Sindh, 38 of 124 MPAs their assets, including those of their
the relations between the two countries was adversely impacting regional stabil- workers.” from K-P and 11 of 65 MPAs from spouses and children, to the ECP by
were hitting a new low. ity. Introducing the designer, Sattar Balochistan failed to submit their September 30.
“At the request of the government Noting that the US had a long track joked, “Having him [in the party] will fi nancial statements. Section 42A of the RoPA, 1976,
of Pakistan, the visit of the US delega- record of cooperation with Pakistan, solve the Rabita Committee’s prob- Th ree seats are vacant in the states: “Every member shall, on a
tion has been postponed until a mutu- the US delegation emphasized the im- lems on Eid.” Senate, three in the National Assem- form prescribed under Clause (f)
ally convenient time,” the Pakistan’s For- portance of reinvigorating the bilateral Th e new members joining bly and two in the Punjab Assembly. of Sub-Section (2) of Section 12,
eign Offi ce had stated in a diplomatically relationship in order to achieve the com- MQM-P include Perwani; retired Of the total 1,174 parliamen- submit statements of assets and li-
worded brief press release. mon objectives of peace and stability bureaucrat Javed Hanif; Khurram tarians, 905 or 77.09% have submit- abilities of his own, his spouse and
Th e US Embassy had also con- in Afghanistan and the region. Th e two Rasool, Alamgir Feroz, Imtiaz M. ted their yearly statements. Th ey dependents annually to the com-
fi rmed that the meetings were deferred sides agreed to continue bilateral en- Ali and Saman Laiq Abbasi from the included 94 senators, 268 MNAs, mission by the thirtieth day of Sep-
on Pakistan’s request. gagements at all levels. business community; Taufeeq Kochin 285 MPAs from Punjab, 118 from tember each year.”
Earlier, Foreign Minister Khawaja Th e US delegation also paid a cour- from the Memon community; and Sindh, 86 from K-P and 54 from Pakistan Muslim League-
Asif postponed his visit to the US. He tesy call on Foreign Minister Khawaja TV personality Nazia Ali. Balochistan. Nawaz’s Capt (retd) Safdar, Pakistan
was scheduled to meet US Secretary of Asif. “It’s easy to sit in your home or An ECP notifi cation named Tehreek-e-Insaf’s estranged MNA
State Rex Tillerson on Aug 25. Another Meeting with COAS: Th e US del- comment on social media through those members of the National As- Ayesha Gulalai, Interior Minister
visit — that of a delegation led by senior egation comprising Lisa Curtis, Ambas- your computer, and not understand sembly, the Senate and the provin- for State Talal Chaudhry, Religious
White House National Security Council sador Alice G. Wells, Ambassador David what is actually happening [in the cial legislatures “who have failed to Aff airs Minister Sardar Yousaf and
offi cial Lisa Curtis — had also been re- Hale and others also called on General city],” said Perwani at the press con- fi le statements of assets and liabili- former National Assembly speaker
scheduled. Qamar Javed Bajwa on Th ursday. Th e ference. “We all live in Karachi, we ties of themselves, their spouses and Fehmida Mirza are among the sus-
Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif lat- delegation briefed the COAS on con- are all part of Karachi — it’s impor- their dependents”. pended lawmakers.
er visited the United States and Interior tours of US strategy in South Asia. Th e tant that we take responsibility for the Th e notifi cation said the law- Moshin Shah Nawaz Ranjha,
Minister Ahsan Iqbal is currently in the discussion focused on the regional se- city.” makers “shall cease to function as LAWMAKERS, P24
www.PakistanLink.com