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Entire Capital turned into Red Zone
Posted on January 20, 2012
ISLAMABAD (INP): The Islamabad administration including Capital Police closed almost entire Islamabad during the appearance of Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani at the Supreme Court on Thursday creating lots of difficulties not only for the commuters but also seriously ill patients.
While the Supreme Court building is next to the Prime Minister Secretariat, the PM House is also not more than one kilometer. Prime Minister Gilani almost daily attends the National Assembly session without any extraordinary security but his appearance in the Supreme Court was treated by the administration as an occasion of extraordinary security as traffic came to a standstill from 8:00am till the prime minister left the court.
Exits at the security picket near the Saudi-Pak tower were closed for some time and then only one exit was opened where the traffic moved at snail’s pace that caused massive traffic jam at Faisal Avenue crossing. Ayub Chowk signal was completely closed and the motorists had to switch off their vehicles for two hours.
The situation was not different at Zero Point, Aabpara, police picket near Islamabad Club and Dhokri crossing. This was the time when office goers drive to the capital but the priority for the police was to ensure complete security of the prime minister who was in no way to pass through these areas.
If the administration had just closed the Constitution Avenue, it would have been more than enough to prevent any movement but making Islamabad from Zero Point, Rawal Chowk, Faisal Avenue upto the Supreme Court was testing the patience of the citizens.
People stuck up in the traffic jams were seen grumbling and some ladies evening abusing the administration for misusing the authority and questioning whether there was none to make people accountable. Several lawyers who use public transport to appear in the Supreme Court were seen walking in their black coats towards the apex court while others had to wait in their cars as they could not leave the vehicles in the midst of the road and in traffic jam.
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Group Chairman: Mir Javed Rahman
Founded by: Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman
Editor-in-Chief: Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman
Gilani contempt case hearing chronology
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani is due to appear in the Supreme Court (SC) shortly to face contempt of court charges, Geo News reported Thursday. He will be accompanied by senior Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leaders along with Aitzaz Ahsan who will be defending him in the court.
08.24 am: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan reached the court and said the leadership of PPP is appearing before the SC to enhance the honour of the august court.
She was addressing the media inside the SC building after entering into the premises via advocates' gate.
08.31 am: Awami National Party (ANP) Chief Asfandyar Wali Khan arrived at the SC building and addressed the media. He said it is our tradition that we have never abandoned our allies.
08.41: Information Secretary of PPP Qamar Zaman Kaira said the democracy is restored after many sacrifices and the prime minister is appearing before the court today.
08.46 am: Law Minister Maula Bux Chandio reaches.
08.50 am: Hina Rabbani Khar, Khursheed Shah and Nazar Mohamnad Gondal arrive.
09.00 am: Punjab Governor Latif Khan Khosa, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Barrister Masood Kausar, National Food Security and Research Minister Israrullah Zehri, PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, CM Sindh Qaim Ali Shah and Federal Minister for Commerce Makhdoom Amin Fahim arrive at the SC.
09.10: Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Chairman NAB Admiral Fasih Bukhari (retd) arrive.
09.14 am: Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq reaches SC.
09.23 am: Presidential Spokesman Farhatullah Babar arrives.
09.25: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani reaches at the SC building. The PM drove himself to the court.
09.35 am: The proceedings begin.
09.50 am: CM Balochistan Raisani arrive.
10:30 am: This is not a normal case need time to prepare, Aitzaz pleaded.
10:50 am: The proceedings were adjourned till Feb 01.
11.03 am: PM leaves SC building.
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Unprecedented in Kuwait but common in Pakistan
How to start, what to pen and why to pen? I am truly proud to be a Pakistani which in turn quite naturally binds me to be always pro Pakistan and to that I not only truly believe in but also practice alike but, at the same time, unquestionably I do have moral conscious too and therefore as and when my patriotism clashes with morality I am really perplexed, dumbfound tinged with baffling situation and find myself at a cross road and fail to understand what to do next.
On Monday 16th January, 2012, Supreme Court of Pakistan, Islamabad issued contempt of court notice to Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani obliging him to appear in person before SC on Thursday 19th January and defend himself. SC has asked PM to appear before its bench at 0930 and therefore as per newspaper reports PM drove himself instead of a driver on the day and reached SC at 0925 and left SC at 1105 which is quite fine and fair. However, as per the newspaper reports published on Friday 20th instant it is noticed that whole of Islamabad was declared as red zone on 19th instant meaning by that all type of traffic was stopped to enter or leave the capital simply because PM had to appear before SC. It is reported in the newspapers that as early as 0800 all type of traffic had come to standstill and people had no option but to suffer for many long hours which is really not only very much annoying, uncalled for, insulting but also too much condemnable to be honest.
I am in Kuwait since 1978 and since then till even today I have never ever seen here that the whole city is blocked for hours at a stretch. In all fairness I shall have not only to shed some light about the type of governments being practiced in both the countries but also to talk about population structure of the two countries so that it becomes quite crystal clear to understand as to who errs and why. Since many long decades, Kuwait is ruled by Al Sabah family and therefore under all circumstances none but someone from Al Sabah family rules the country hence history proves that Head of State (Amir); Crown Prince (2nd in command) and Head of Government (Prime Minister) are always from Al Sabah family. In Pakistan both head of the state (President) and head of the government (Prime Minister) are elected by the people of the country whereas the two are nominated so far as Kuwait is concerned. Academically speaking, elected is ought to be more popular than nominated and hence the top brass of my beloved country must have an edge over the top brass of the country I am residing for over three decades. As regards population, 95% are Pakistanis in my country whereas in Kuwait 40% are Kuwaitis and rest 60% are expatriates so from security point of view, top brass of Pakistan should not be afraid of their own people but the situation is quite other way round so far as Kuwait is concerned and hence here the rulers must be duly scared of the foreigners.
Coming back to the ground realities of both the countries, I am more ashamed than shocked to pen that my Prime Minister was so scared of his life that the whole capital city of Islamabad was sealed for when he had to appear before SC but it does not happen alike in Kuwait. I am an eyewitness to the routes from where Amir, Crown Prince and Prime Minister have passed since I am here and each time it is noticed that complete traffic is stopped for about 15 minutes on the roads from where the VVIP is to pass through and it may be unthinkable and unbelievable in Pakistan that the traffic continues passing through on the other side of the road from where VVIP is not the pass through. It will again not only surprise but even leave you open-mouthed to know that any ordinary person can pass through metal detector and enter the Grand Mosque to offer Eid prayers in the 1st row where Amir accompanied by other VVIPs also pray on the annual event. If the traffic is blocked as reported in Islamabad then my question will be as to how worshippers can offer Eid prayers in the Grand Mosque.
Since 1978, only once some Iranian national unsuccessfully attempted on the life of Amir but, still he is neither scared not deterred to move around freely in the country without sealing the areas for hours and hours as is the case with Pakistan where almost each and every President had been attacked at least once if not more. It is not people from elite police force or, for that matter, commandos who can guarantee life safety for the leaders but on the contra their own personal deeds will in turn guarantee safety of their lives.
It is not only very high but ripe too for my Pakistani leaders to amend themselves if they want to live peacefully and honorably not only now when in power but also after once they are dethroned.
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With my honest prayers Sincere Iqbal Hadi Zaidi / Kuwait
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