27-07-2013
Journalist arrested for creating Hina-Bilawal love scandal
According to Bangladeshi news reports, the Journalist who fabricated the love affair scandal between Pakistans FM Hina Rabbani Khan and Presidents Son, Bilawal Bhutto has been arrested by the Bangladeshi authorities.
In late Spetember this year, a news scandal surfaced on the internet and reached the eyes of millions through social media, alleging FM Hina Rabbani Khar of having an extra-marital affair with the Presidents son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
According to the entertainment tabloid Blitz Weeklys owner Salahuddin Chaudhry, the reports of the love affair between Hina and Bilawal came from a western intelligence agency.
Sources in Bangladesh say that the owner Salahuddin Chaudhry was an infamous character who had been arrested previously over charges on spying for Israel.
He was also arrested during FM Khars visit to Bangladesh where she went to invite the Bangladeshi Prime Minister, Haseena Wajid to join her in the D-8 conference in Pakistan. According to sources, Salahuddin was arrested for creating panic in the country and for his blasphemous acts.
The Race for the new Army Chief gets hot
By: Arshad Sharif
ISLAMABAD: In the first hundred days of his third stint as the Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif has to take an important decision of making three new four star appointments, including those of the Army Chief, Naval Chief and Chairman Joints Chief of staff Committee.
Holding the additional portfolio of defence minister, PM Nawaz Sharif will also be considering approving a major reshuffle in army top brass in the first week of October as CJCSC, General Khalid Shamim Wyne, and two Corp Commanders, Lt General Khalid Nawaz Khan and Lt General Muhammad Alam Khattak prepare to call farewell to arms.
This will set in a major reshuffle in the top military brass and lead to promotions for the posts of CJCSC and atleast five Corps Commanders before the retirement of General Kayani.
In a couple of detailed background meetings with journalists, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani has ruled out taking any more extensions when his six year tenure as Army Chief comes to an end in November this year.
General Kayani is the only COAS who was given an extension of three years by a civilian government five months prior to his retirement in July 2010.
Aides close to PM Sharif believe the decision will be taken on merit and seniority,giving enough leeway to the government to pick the next COAS from amongst the top generals by considering the two criterions to judge the professional competence of the officer.
Sources in the PM Office say the matter of appointment of service chiefs is highly sensitive and all cards are being kept close to the chest by the PM.
However, discussions have taken place on the issue in close door quarters of the Sharif camp.
Considering the way key appointments have been made in the civilian bureaucracy, it is doubtful if the PM has learnt any lessons of preferring loyalty over merit, with loyalty still being the top most priority for the Sharif brothers.
Loyalty was among one of the factors PM Sharif considered when his brother Shahbaz Sharif and trusted lieutenant Chaudhry Nisar advised him to overlook the seniority principle and appoint General Musharraf as the COAS in October 1998. The Sharif family had to pay heavily for the decision just a year later when his hand-picked general staged a coup d146233tat in October 1999 and put the then Prime Minister in the 16th century Attock Fort.
If the PM adheres merely to the seniority principle in appointing the next Army Chief, there is very little left to guess as to who will be the next Army chief.
If the seniority principle is applied sensu strictu, Lt General Haroon Aslam would be the senior most in October, followed by Lt General Rashid Mehmood. Technically, any of the Lieutenant Generals could be appointed as the COAS but practically that is not possible. The decision to appoint the COAS gets complex when seniority, career progression, professional competence, command abilities, general reputation and loyalty factors are considered in picking the next COAS.
Moreover, it might be under consideration if officers who have only five or six months left for retirement should be given three more years as COAS or officers who still have atleast a year of service left should be appointed so that a new battle hardened cadre of officers run the affairs of the Army.
To better understand this decision making, following are the brief profiles of atleast the top five senior most Lieutenant Generals, with the hope that the PM does not throw another surprise by going beyond the list of top five senior most three star generals in picking his next chief. If he follows such a course, it would set in a number of early retirements even for officers who have a few years of service left as they may not prefer to serve under someone junior to them.
1- Lt General Haroon Aslam: Lt General Haroon Aslam is a commando of the Special Services Group (SSG) of the Army who joined the Azad Kashmir Regiment in 1975 and the SSG in 1981.
Lt Gen Aslam enjoys a good professional reputation in the army. As GOC SSG in 2009, Lt Gen Aslam was amongst the first group of soldiers to land at the highest battle ground of Swat amidst heavy gunfire from militants. Leading from the front, Gen Aslam and his commandoes managed to regain control of Taliban strong hold of Peochar in Swat after battles which could serve as lesson in worlds military history in high altitude mountain warfare.
Promoted as a Lt General in April 2010, he commanded the Bahawalpur Corps and was posted as Chief of Logistic Staff (CLS) in January this year.
His appointment CLS raised a few eyebrows in the drawing rooms where the most favourite past time of a few officers is to speculate about promotions and postings. CLS is generally considered to be an unimportant position to be elevated as the COAS, especially for someone who has been enjoying the limelight in all the important positions throughout his career, especially after October 1999.
In October 1999, the then Brigadier Haroon Aslam was serving as Director Military Operations and was part of the earlier meetings and plans to secure the PM House and the President146s House.
Like other officers who were instrumental in implementing the counter-coup, General Musharraf promoted Brigadier Haroon Aslam to the rank of a Major General in January 2005. Major General Aslam served as GOC Quetta and in April 2007 was given the important task of DG Rangers Punjab by Musharraf. As DG Rangers Punjab, Lt Gen Aslam was instrumental in reaching a number of agreements with his Indian counterparts for release of prisoners and issues related to human and drug smuggling and coordinated patrolling of the international border.
If the decision to make CJSC or COAS is made purely on seniority principle, Lt General Haroon Aslam would top the list after retirement of Lt General Khalid Nawaz Khan and Lt General Muhammad Alam Khattak in first week of October.
However, the final decision will be made by PM Nawaz Sharif who is likely to hold the portfolio of the Defence Minister atleast till high level appointments are made in the defence forces.
Lt General Haroon Aslam is due to retire on 9th April 2014, approximately six months after October when the incumbent CJSC is due to retire.
2- Lieutenant General Rashid Mehmood: As far as promotions are concerned, Lt General Rashid Mehmood has been sharing the glory with Lt General Haroon Aslam on two important occasions, on the same day.
The then Brigadier Rashid Mehmood was serving in the United Nations when General Musharraf decided to promote him as a two star General in January 2005. Lt General Rashid and Lt General Haroon Aslam also shared the glory once again when General Kayani promoted both as three star generals in April 2010. However, similarity between the two top generals, who are being tipped to be the senior most in October for appointment as CJCSC and COAS, ends there.
Lt General Rashid is said to enjoy good reputation with the Sharif family, courtesy the former President Rafiq Tarrar and his stint as Corps Commander Lahore when he interacted with the Sharif brothers in official capacity. Lt General Rashid, who also served as Military Secretary to ousted President Tarrar, was given the strategically important post of Chief of General Staff (CGS) earlier in January.
Belonging to General Kayani146s Baloch Regiment, promotion of Lt General Rashid as CGS is being considered as Army Chief146s choice by the incumbent COAS as many an army chief was promoted from the same post including General Yahya Khan, General Mirza Aslam Beg, General Asif Nawaz and General Jahangir Karamat, to name just a few.
One of the reason given for Lt General Rashid being a hot favourite for the post of COAS is his stint prior to being the CGS as Corps Commander Lahore. The tenure as Corps Commander Lahore helped to create a good impression in the mind of Sharif brothers as junior Sharif frequently interacted with Lt General Rashid in his capacity as Chief Minister.
Prior to this, in the crucial and active phase of the war against terror, the then Major General Rashid Mehmood served as Deputy DG ISI to coordinate intelligence operations while some of his contemporaries were active on the war front and leading the troops from the front.
However, it is said that giving the important portfolio of CGS to Lt General Rashid, General Kayani has stacked the deck of cards favourably for an officer of his own regiment by giving him the prized position of looking after both military operations and military intelligence. In view of this, it is not difficult to guess the institutional recommendation might favour Lt General Rashid.
But it remains to be seen if PM Nawaz Sharif would decide to go by General Kayani146s choice and appoint Lt General Rashid as the COAS or pick his own chief for some other considerations of merit and professional competence other than the seniority principle alone.
Moreover, the PM will also have to consider the political fallout of appointing someone who served as Corps Commander Lahore when the same criticism is being faced in political and bureaucratic appointments.
Also, it is rare that two successive Chiefs are appointed from the same regiment. Till the PM takes the final decision, all the analysts are putting their bets on Lt General Rashid as the next successor to General Kayani or atleast to be the CJCSC. Lt General Rashid would still have five months of service after retirement of General Kayani on November 28, 2013.
3- Lt General Raheel Sharif: Third in the seniority list post October retirements, Lt General Raheel Sharif is younger brother of Nishan-i-Haider Major Shabbir Sharif Shaheed.
Promoted as a Lt General in October 2010, he was first entrusted to command the Gujranwala Corps and later appointed as Inspector General Weapons, Training and Evaluation. As a two star general, he commanded the 11th division in Lahore and was later posted as Commandant Pakistan Military Academy Kakul.
It was a surprise for some when Major General Raheel Sharif was promoted as a three star general as it was thought he had already reached the peak of his career.
However, some sources say, Lt General Raheel Sharif is known to Lt General (retired) Abdul Qadir Baloch, a close confidante of PM Nawaz Sharif.
If the PM consults his cabinet for the suggestions, Lt General (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch is said to be favourable to an officer who served under him and is known as a simple career officer.
However, this relationship would not be given much weight when the PM takes the final decision based on considerations of merit, professional competence and dynamism to tackle the challenges of militancy and withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan. He is expected to retire in October 2014.
4- Lt General Tariq Khan: Winner of Sword of Honour in 55 PMA, Lt General Tariq Khan was promoted as a three star general in October 2010. An officer of Armoured Corps, he was serving as Inspector General FC Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before taking over as Mangla Corps Commander. Since his days as a Brigadier, Lt General Tariq Khan has an illustrious track record as a fighting commander.
Belonging to Tank in South Waziristan tribal Agency, Lt General Tariq Khan is credited with making significant gains in the war against militants in the restive tribal areas and making FC a fighting force to reckon with. He has tried to remodel the FC into quick reaction force commando units.
Officers and men hold him in high esteem for being with them on the battle fronts and his ability to quickly take decisions.
Anyone visiting the tribal areas and talking to army soldiers hears tales of valour of Lt General Tariq Khan, especially in routing out the militants from Bajaur, South Waziristan, Dir, Mohmand, Swat and Buner.
From 2008 onwards, when 14th Division was moved under his command from Okara to fight militants in Waziristan, the military made significant gains to reclaim the territory lost to militants.
Commanding the FC in the difficult operations to clear militants from Bajaur, Lt General Tariq Khan was found leading the operation from the front lines, standing with young Captains and Majors to clear Loi Sam and other areas in the militant strong hold on Pak-Afghan border.
In South Waziristan, he broke the myth of invincibility of militants and re-established the lost credibility of Army and FC as a fighting force in the area.
Prior to that, Lt General Tariq Khan commanded the First Armoured Division in Multan in 2006-2007 where he was posted following a successful stint as Pakistans representative in US Central command in 2004-2005.
Lt General Tariq is the only Pakistani Army officer in addition to General Kayani who was awarded the US Legion of Merit for his outstanding performance in joint Pak-US Operation Enduring Freedom. Prior to that, two Pakistani naval chiefs, Admiral Shahid Karimullah and Admiral Afzal Tahir had also received the prestigious award.
When it comes to pure merit, operational command, battle experience and professional work for uplifting the units, Lt General Tariq may be considered as a powerful choice by PM Nawaz Sharif.
If the PM decides to opt for Lt General Tariq, he would be able to ward of allegations and criticism of giving all important political and bureaucratic posts only to those who have some linkage with Lahore. Moreover, as the US and international forces withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014, it would be beneficial to have a COAS who has hands on operational field experience of formulating policies to effectively deal with the menace of militancy and the larger issues involved in Afghanistan146s transition.
5- Lt General Zaheer-ul-Islam: Belonging to a politically well-established Janjua clan of Punjab, Lt General Zaheer-ul-Islam is currently the eyes and ears of the Army chief and the PM in his role as DG ISI. He has already served as Corps Commander Karachi before taking up the current assignment. Before being as Corps Commander Karachi,Lt General Zaheer-ul-Islam had served twice in ISI and also as Chief of Staff in Army146s Strategic Forces Command. Belonging to Punjab Regiment, Lt General Zaheer-ul-Islam would be fifth in the seniority list after the first week of October. It is doubtful if PM Nawaz Sharif would again appoint another ISI Chief as the Army Chief. However, the reports of his organisation may play an important role in helping the PM reach the important decision of appointing the new Army Chief.
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23-07-2013
Malik Riaz let off over alleged tax evasion worth Rs119.4bn: report
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari dismissed the report submitted by the Suddle Commission in the Arsalan Iftikhar case, and has given property magnate Malik Riaz Hussain a clean chit in a suspected tax evasion of Rs 119.4 billion, according to a Daily Times report by the Daily Times Monitor.
The president accepted Malik Riaz146s representation, and dismissed the much questioned December 4, 2012 decision made by the federal tax ombudsman (FTO), the Monitor stated in its article citing reports containing references to official Presidency documents.
The Suddle Commission had been formed by the Supreme Court in order to probe an alleged Rs 342 million business deal between Malik Riaz and the son of Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Dr Arsalan Iftikhar.
The commission had incriminated Malik Riaz in a colossal tax evasion that amounted to Rs 119.4 billion, and proposed that a penalty for concealment of assets in wealth statements filed with income tax returns be enforced on the property tycoon in its interim results.
The documents cited by the Daily Times Monitor also stated that a joint representation questioning a suo motu order passed by the FTO had been filed by Malik Riaz and the principal officer of Bahria Town (Pvt.) Ltd, under Section 14(I) of the Federal Ombudsman Institutional Reform Act 2013. This was concurrently corroborated by the presidential order, which suggested that the representation had indeed been filed.
The notice and the representation explained that the suo motu case concerning an alleged business deal between Malik Riaz and Dr Arsalan Iftikhar 150 an attempt to influence the judicial process was disposed of by the Supreme Court on June 14, 2012, and the attorney general of Pakistan was subsequently directed to set the state machinery in motion in order to ensure that all those who may have committed any illegal acts, including Malik Riaz, Dr Arsalan Iftikhar and Salman Ali Khan, are pursued and brought to book with full force and rigour of the law.
The attorney general wrote to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman regarding the matter on June 18, 2012. Subsequently, Dr Arsalan Iftikhar filed CRP No 167/2012, which was allowed by the apex court on August 30, 2012. The FTO was appointed as a one-man commission, who was expected to hold an inquiry into the matter.
According to the documents, the commission had submitted three interim reports. After the third report was received, it was noted that it was no longer necessary for the commission to proceed further in the inquiry, and the matter was therefore disposed of.
According to the FTO Ordinance of 2000, the FTOs responsibility is to identify, examine, compensate and correct any injustice done to a person through the maladministration by functionaries that oversee the laws of taxation. Referring to the law, the main objection raised in the representation was that the federal tax ombudsman did not have any authority to commence suo motu proceedings and issue notices to the petitioners.
The Presidencys letter further argued that the term maladministration has been defined in Section 2(3) of the afore-mentioned ordinance, while Section 9(1) gives the tax ombudsman the authority to investigate any charges of maladministration on the part of the Revenue Division or any tax employee, and this he can inter alia do on his own motion.
When the Law and Justice Division sought the FTO146s comments, the FTO Secretariat reported on March 16, 2013 that the proceedings had only been taken against the maladministration committed by the FBR, adding the board would be responsible for taking any action prescribed by the Income Tax Ordinance 2001.
Section 32 of FTO Ordinance, 2000 states, The Revenue Division or any person aggrieved by a recommendation of the federal tax ombudsman may, within thirty days of the recommendation, make a representation to the president who may pass such order thereon as he may deem fit.
Formerly, the petitioners had filed an application that challenged the said order, with the FTO issuing a subsequent notice. The Law and Justice Division dealt with the matter, thus arriving at the conclusion that the action was ultra vires and void.
The representation, therefore, is competent at this stage... This secretariat agreed with the said conclusion, the report affirmed, referring to the Presidency documents.
It appears that the FTO has taken upon himself to continue with the proceedings conducted as a one-man commission, which is beyond the ambit of the FTO Ordinance 2000, the letter stated. The proceedings initiated and the notice issued, therefore, is without jurisdiction. The FTO Secretariat has not filed any comments despite notice. In its response to the earlier petition, the FTO Secretariat had given out that the case is only against maladministration of the FBR... Accordingly, the president has been pleased to accept representation and to set aside impugned decision of FTO commencing proceeding against the petitioners on the basis of third interim report.
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Herald exclusive: Petroleum ministry should be abolished, says Balochistan CM
MAQBOOL AHMEDUntil recently, Balochistan would always look towards the federal government for financial support in order to balance the provincial books at the time of budget-making. At the same time, almost every politician in the province, and sometimes even the provincial government, would blame Islamabad for plundering Balochistan146s natural resources. The situation, however, changed after the 7th National Finance Commission (NFC) Award was announced, in 2009, and the 18th constitutional amendment was passed in 2010, allowing greater provincial autonomy and better access for the provinces to national financial resources.Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, the chief minister of Balochistan, was part of the parliamentary bodies that made these landmark developments possible. He is also a strong advocate of decentralisation of power from the federal government to the provincial ones. Here, the Herald discusses with him the past, present and the future of the 18th amendment and whether the NFC award has changed financial management at the provincial level. Excerpts follow:
Q. After the passage of the 18th amendment you had hoped, in an earlier interview with the Herald, that along with the NFC award, the amendment would provide more financial resources to Balochistan. Now that you have made the provincial budget for 2013-14, how would you describe the impact of the two developments?
A. By and large, the 18th amendment and the NFC award indicate a positive change of the mindset we identify as centralist. It was, however, unfortunate for Balochistan that it had a government [in 2008-2013] that did not show interest in the implementation of the 18th amendment. We complain about Balochistan146s natural resources but how many people who had been at the helm of affairs know that the 1973 Constitution gave the provinces complete control over their mineral resources (even prior to the passage of the 18th amendment). The previous Balochistan government first handed over the Sandak [gold and copper mining] project to the federal government and then, last year, it extended the Chinese mining companys contract [for working on the project] for another five years instead of taking over the project.
Q. Will your government end the agreement with the Chinese company and take over the Sandak project?
A. After the 18th amendment, the provinces are bound to abide by international agreements. In the case of Sandak, an extension was granted with the consent of the provincial government. But, I shall look into the agreement and do what is best for Balochistan.
Q. What about the NFC award? Has it been good for Balochistan?A. The NFC award has certainly helped improve the financial condition of Balochistan. Unfortunately, the federal government has not stopped playing its tricks. Though the province146s share in the NFC has been increased, its share in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) has been reduced. Last year, 40 billion rupees were allocated for Balochistan [in PSDP] but only nine billion rupees were released. I have asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to allocate whatever amount of money he likes for Balochistan [in PSDP] but I also want him to ensure that all the allocated money is released to the province.
Q. Balochistan has always cried foul over what politicians in the province call the plundering of its natural gas and crude oil resources by the federal government. The 18th amendment gives joint ownership of the state-owned exploration and distribution companies to the provinces. What has Balochistan done to get its share in the ownership of such companies?A. According to my interpretation of the relevant clause of the 18th amendment, the federal petroleum ministry should have been abolished soon after the 18th amendment became part of the constitution. In its place, there should have been a directorate for facilitating the provinces which are producing gas and oil. A large chunk of Balochistan146s gas and petroleum resources are being explored by the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and the Pakistan Petroleum Limited.The ownership of these corporations should have been automatically transferred to Balochistan proportionate to the provinces share in oil and gas production, but that did not happen. We shall raise this issue in the Council of Common Interests (CCI). It is no use seeking only jobs in these companies for Balochistan146s people. The 18th amendment gives Balochistan much more than that and we shall raise our voice for what we deserve.
Q. The current federal government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), which is your coalition partner in the province, has endorsed the previous government146s decision of handing over Gwadar Port to a Chinese company. How do you see this decision in the context of provincial autonomy?A. You know, I was not ready to sign the 18th amendment because the federal government was keeping the subject of big ports with it. But the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) convinced the representatives from Balochistan in the parliamentary committee which was drafting the amendment, which specified that control of the Karachi port and Port Qasim will fall into the hands of undesirable146 people if big ports were given to the provinces.The PPP government gave us a signed commitment that it will give control of Gwadar Port to Balochistan through special legislation. A board for Gwadar Port was to be formed under this special legislation, giving 51 per cent representation to Balochistan; the chief minister, by virtue of his office, would have been the chairman of that board. But the PPP did not keep its promise. Now we shall raise this issue in the CCI.
Q. But big ports are a federal legislative subject nowA. You are right. But we shall ask Prime Minister Sharif to do what is needed, even though he is not responsible for what happened in the past. We do not want to indulge in a constitutional conflict, but the port cannot become operational if Balochistan does not provide its land for various port-related activities.I have asked for a copy of the federal governments agreement with the Chinese company. If it is in the interest of Balochistan, then we shall have no objection to it. Otherwise, we shall strive for rectifying the situation and resolving the issue amicably, and not through confrontation.
Q. What about road and rail links from Khanjrab to Gwadar, which Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has announced to build and the IranPakistan gas pipeline?A. We shall see what benefit Balochistan can have from road and rail links. If Balochistan benefits from these projects, we shall not oppose them but if they are designed ignoring our interests we shall raise our voice in appropriate forums for safeguarding the provinces interests. If they prove disastrous for Balochistan, then we shall oppose them. As far as the Iran150Pakistan gas pipeline is concerned, it has to be seen where the money will come from for its completion. We shall give our response when Pakistan starts laying down the pipeline.
Journalist arrested for creating Hina-Bilawal love scandal
In late Spetember this year, a news scandal surfaced on the internet and reached the eyes of millions through social media, alleging FM Hina Rabbani Khar of having an extra-marital affair with the Presidents son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
According to the entertainment tabloid Blitz Weeklys owner Salahuddin Chaudhry, the reports of the love affair between Hina and Bilawal came from a western intelligence agency.
Sources in Bangladesh say that the owner Salahuddin Chaudhry was an infamous character who had been arrested previously over charges on spying for Israel.
He was also arrested during FM Khars visit to Bangladesh where she went to invite the Bangladeshi Prime Minister, Haseena Wajid to join her in the D-8 conference in Pakistan. According to sources, Salahuddin was arrested for creating panic in the country and for his blasphemous acts.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Race for the new Army Chief gets hot
By: Arshad Sharif
ISLAMABAD: In the first hundred days of his third stint as the Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif has to take an important decision of making three new four star appointments, including those of the Army Chief, Naval Chief and Chairman Joints Chief of staff Committee.
Holding the additional portfolio of defence minister, PM Nawaz Sharif will also be considering approving a major reshuffle in army top brass in the first week of October as CJCSC, General Khalid Shamim Wyne, and two Corp Commanders, Lt General Khalid Nawaz Khan and Lt General Muhammad Alam Khattak prepare to call farewell to arms.
This will set in a major reshuffle in the top military brass and lead to promotions for the posts of CJCSC and atleast five Corps Commanders before the retirement of General Kayani.
In a couple of detailed background meetings with journalists, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani has ruled out taking any more extensions when his six year tenure as Army Chief comes to an end in November this year.
General Kayani is the only COAS who was given an extension of three years by a civilian government five months prior to his retirement in July 2010.
Aides close to PM Sharif believe the decision will be taken on merit and seniority,giving enough leeway to the government to pick the next COAS from amongst the top generals by considering the two criterions to judge the professional competence of the officer.
Sources in the PM Office say the matter of appointment of service chiefs is highly sensitive and all cards are being kept close to the chest by the PM.
However, discussions have taken place on the issue in close door quarters of the Sharif camp.
Considering the way key appointments have been made in the civilian bureaucracy, it is doubtful if the PM has learnt any lessons of preferring loyalty over merit, with loyalty still being the top most priority for the Sharif brothers.
Loyalty was among one of the factors PM Sharif considered when his brother Shahbaz Sharif and trusted lieutenant Chaudhry Nisar advised him to overlook the seniority principle and appoint General Musharraf as the COAS in October 1998. The Sharif family had to pay heavily for the decision just a year later when his hand-picked general staged a coup d146233tat in October 1999 and put the then Prime Minister in the 16th century Attock Fort.
If the PM adheres merely to the seniority principle in appointing the next Army Chief, there is very little left to guess as to who will be the next Army chief.
If the seniority principle is applied sensu strictu, Lt General Haroon Aslam would be the senior most in October, followed by Lt General Rashid Mehmood. Technically, any of the Lieutenant Generals could be appointed as the COAS but practically that is not possible. The decision to appoint the COAS gets complex when seniority, career progression, professional competence, command abilities, general reputation and loyalty factors are considered in picking the next COAS.
Moreover, it might be under consideration if officers who have only five or six months left for retirement should be given three more years as COAS or officers who still have atleast a year of service left should be appointed so that a new battle hardened cadre of officers run the affairs of the Army.
To better understand this decision making, following are the brief profiles of atleast the top five senior most Lieutenant Generals, with the hope that the PM does not throw another surprise by going beyond the list of top five senior most three star generals in picking his next chief. If he follows such a course, it would set in a number of early retirements even for officers who have a few years of service left as they may not prefer to serve under someone junior to them.
1- Lt General Haroon Aslam: Lt General Haroon Aslam is a commando of the Special Services Group (SSG) of the Army who joined the Azad Kashmir Regiment in 1975 and the SSG in 1981.
Lt Gen Aslam enjoys a good professional reputation in the army. As GOC SSG in 2009, Lt Gen Aslam was amongst the first group of soldiers to land at the highest battle ground of Swat amidst heavy gunfire from militants. Leading from the front, Gen Aslam and his commandoes managed to regain control of Taliban strong hold of Peochar in Swat after battles which could serve as lesson in worlds military history in high altitude mountain warfare.
Promoted as a Lt General in April 2010, he commanded the Bahawalpur Corps and was posted as Chief of Logistic Staff (CLS) in January this year.
His appointment CLS raised a few eyebrows in the drawing rooms where the most favourite past time of a few officers is to speculate about promotions and postings. CLS is generally considered to be an unimportant position to be elevated as the COAS, especially for someone who has been enjoying the limelight in all the important positions throughout his career, especially after October 1999.
In October 1999, the then Brigadier Haroon Aslam was serving as Director Military Operations and was part of the earlier meetings and plans to secure the PM House and the President146s House.
Like other officers who were instrumental in implementing the counter-coup, General Musharraf promoted Brigadier Haroon Aslam to the rank of a Major General in January 2005. Major General Aslam served as GOC Quetta and in April 2007 was given the important task of DG Rangers Punjab by Musharraf. As DG Rangers Punjab, Lt Gen Aslam was instrumental in reaching a number of agreements with his Indian counterparts for release of prisoners and issues related to human and drug smuggling and coordinated patrolling of the international border.
If the decision to make CJSC or COAS is made purely on seniority principle, Lt General Haroon Aslam would top the list after retirement of Lt General Khalid Nawaz Khan and Lt General Muhammad Alam Khattak in first week of October.
However, the final decision will be made by PM Nawaz Sharif who is likely to hold the portfolio of the Defence Minister atleast till high level appointments are made in the defence forces.
Lt General Haroon Aslam is due to retire on 9th April 2014, approximately six months after October when the incumbent CJSC is due to retire.
2- Lieutenant General Rashid Mehmood: As far as promotions are concerned, Lt General Rashid Mehmood has been sharing the glory with Lt General Haroon Aslam on two important occasions, on the same day.
The then Brigadier Rashid Mehmood was serving in the United Nations when General Musharraf decided to promote him as a two star General in January 2005. Lt General Rashid and Lt General Haroon Aslam also shared the glory once again when General Kayani promoted both as three star generals in April 2010. However, similarity between the two top generals, who are being tipped to be the senior most in October for appointment as CJCSC and COAS, ends there.
Lt General Rashid is said to enjoy good reputation with the Sharif family, courtesy the former President Rafiq Tarrar and his stint as Corps Commander Lahore when he interacted with the Sharif brothers in official capacity. Lt General Rashid, who also served as Military Secretary to ousted President Tarrar, was given the strategically important post of Chief of General Staff (CGS) earlier in January.
Belonging to General Kayani146s Baloch Regiment, promotion of Lt General Rashid as CGS is being considered as Army Chief146s choice by the incumbent COAS as many an army chief was promoted from the same post including General Yahya Khan, General Mirza Aslam Beg, General Asif Nawaz and General Jahangir Karamat, to name just a few.
One of the reason given for Lt General Rashid being a hot favourite for the post of COAS is his stint prior to being the CGS as Corps Commander Lahore. The tenure as Corps Commander Lahore helped to create a good impression in the mind of Sharif brothers as junior Sharif frequently interacted with Lt General Rashid in his capacity as Chief Minister.
Prior to this, in the crucial and active phase of the war against terror, the then Major General Rashid Mehmood served as Deputy DG ISI to coordinate intelligence operations while some of his contemporaries were active on the war front and leading the troops from the front.
However, it is said that giving the important portfolio of CGS to Lt General Rashid, General Kayani has stacked the deck of cards favourably for an officer of his own regiment by giving him the prized position of looking after both military operations and military intelligence. In view of this, it is not difficult to guess the institutional recommendation might favour Lt General Rashid.
But it remains to be seen if PM Nawaz Sharif would decide to go by General Kayani146s choice and appoint Lt General Rashid as the COAS or pick his own chief for some other considerations of merit and professional competence other than the seniority principle alone.
Moreover, the PM will also have to consider the political fallout of appointing someone who served as Corps Commander Lahore when the same criticism is being faced in political and bureaucratic appointments.
Also, it is rare that two successive Chiefs are appointed from the same regiment. Till the PM takes the final decision, all the analysts are putting their bets on Lt General Rashid as the next successor to General Kayani or atleast to be the CJCSC. Lt General Rashid would still have five months of service after retirement of General Kayani on November 28, 2013.
3- Lt General Raheel Sharif: Third in the seniority list post October retirements, Lt General Raheel Sharif is younger brother of Nishan-i-Haider Major Shabbir Sharif Shaheed.
Promoted as a Lt General in October 2010, he was first entrusted to command the Gujranwala Corps and later appointed as Inspector General Weapons, Training and Evaluation. As a two star general, he commanded the 11th division in Lahore and was later posted as Commandant Pakistan Military Academy Kakul.
It was a surprise for some when Major General Raheel Sharif was promoted as a three star general as it was thought he had already reached the peak of his career.
However, some sources say, Lt General Raheel Sharif is known to Lt General (retired) Abdul Qadir Baloch, a close confidante of PM Nawaz Sharif.
If the PM consults his cabinet for the suggestions, Lt General (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch is said to be favourable to an officer who served under him and is known as a simple career officer.
However, this relationship would not be given much weight when the PM takes the final decision based on considerations of merit, professional competence and dynamism to tackle the challenges of militancy and withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan. He is expected to retire in October 2014.
4- Lt General Tariq Khan: Winner of Sword of Honour in 55 PMA, Lt General Tariq Khan was promoted as a three star general in October 2010. An officer of Armoured Corps, he was serving as Inspector General FC Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before taking over as Mangla Corps Commander. Since his days as a Brigadier, Lt General Tariq Khan has an illustrious track record as a fighting commander.
Belonging to Tank in South Waziristan tribal Agency, Lt General Tariq Khan is credited with making significant gains in the war against militants in the restive tribal areas and making FC a fighting force to reckon with. He has tried to remodel the FC into quick reaction force commando units.
Officers and men hold him in high esteem for being with them on the battle fronts and his ability to quickly take decisions.
Anyone visiting the tribal areas and talking to army soldiers hears tales of valour of Lt General Tariq Khan, especially in routing out the militants from Bajaur, South Waziristan, Dir, Mohmand, Swat and Buner.
From 2008 onwards, when 14th Division was moved under his command from Okara to fight militants in Waziristan, the military made significant gains to reclaim the territory lost to militants.
Commanding the FC in the difficult operations to clear militants from Bajaur, Lt General Tariq Khan was found leading the operation from the front lines, standing with young Captains and Majors to clear Loi Sam and other areas in the militant strong hold on Pak-Afghan border.
In South Waziristan, he broke the myth of invincibility of militants and re-established the lost credibility of Army and FC as a fighting force in the area.
Prior to that, Lt General Tariq Khan commanded the First Armoured Division in Multan in 2006-2007 where he was posted following a successful stint as Pakistans representative in US Central command in 2004-2005.
Lt General Tariq is the only Pakistani Army officer in addition to General Kayani who was awarded the US Legion of Merit for his outstanding performance in joint Pak-US Operation Enduring Freedom. Prior to that, two Pakistani naval chiefs, Admiral Shahid Karimullah and Admiral Afzal Tahir had also received the prestigious award.
When it comes to pure merit, operational command, battle experience and professional work for uplifting the units, Lt General Tariq may be considered as a powerful choice by PM Nawaz Sharif.
If the PM decides to opt for Lt General Tariq, he would be able to ward of allegations and criticism of giving all important political and bureaucratic posts only to those who have some linkage with Lahore. Moreover, as the US and international forces withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014, it would be beneficial to have a COAS who has hands on operational field experience of formulating policies to effectively deal with the menace of militancy and the larger issues involved in Afghanistan146s transition.
5- Lt General Zaheer-ul-Islam: Belonging to a politically well-established Janjua clan of Punjab, Lt General Zaheer-ul-Islam is currently the eyes and ears of the Army chief and the PM in his role as DG ISI. He has already served as Corps Commander Karachi before taking up the current assignment. Before being as Corps Commander Karachi,Lt General Zaheer-ul-Islam had served twice in ISI and also as Chief of Staff in Army146s Strategic Forces Command. Belonging to Punjab Regiment, Lt General Zaheer-ul-Islam would be fifth in the seniority list after the first week of October. It is doubtful if PM Nawaz Sharif would again appoint another ISI Chief as the Army Chief. However, the reports of his organisation may play an important role in helping the PM reach the important decision of appointing the new Army Chief.
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23-07-2013
Malik Riaz let off over alleged tax evasion worth Rs119.4bn: report
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari dismissed the report submitted by the Suddle Commission in the Arsalan Iftikhar case, and has given property magnate Malik Riaz Hussain a clean chit in a suspected tax evasion of Rs 119.4 billion, according to a Daily Times report by the Daily Times Monitor.
The president accepted Malik Riaz146s representation, and dismissed the much questioned December 4, 2012 decision made by the federal tax ombudsman (FTO), the Monitor stated in its article citing reports containing references to official Presidency documents.
The Suddle Commission had been formed by the Supreme Court in order to probe an alleged Rs 342 million business deal between Malik Riaz and the son of Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Dr Arsalan Iftikhar.
The commission had incriminated Malik Riaz in a colossal tax evasion that amounted to Rs 119.4 billion, and proposed that a penalty for concealment of assets in wealth statements filed with income tax returns be enforced on the property tycoon in its interim results.
The documents cited by the Daily Times Monitor also stated that a joint representation questioning a suo motu order passed by the FTO had been filed by Malik Riaz and the principal officer of Bahria Town (Pvt.) Ltd, under Section 14(I) of the Federal Ombudsman Institutional Reform Act 2013. This was concurrently corroborated by the presidential order, which suggested that the representation had indeed been filed.
The notice and the representation explained that the suo motu case concerning an alleged business deal between Malik Riaz and Dr Arsalan Iftikhar 150 an attempt to influence the judicial process was disposed of by the Supreme Court on June 14, 2012, and the attorney general of Pakistan was subsequently directed to set the state machinery in motion in order to ensure that all those who may have committed any illegal acts, including Malik Riaz, Dr Arsalan Iftikhar and Salman Ali Khan, are pursued and brought to book with full force and rigour of the law.
The attorney general wrote to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman regarding the matter on June 18, 2012. Subsequently, Dr Arsalan Iftikhar filed CRP No 167/2012, which was allowed by the apex court on August 30, 2012. The FTO was appointed as a one-man commission, who was expected to hold an inquiry into the matter.
According to the documents, the commission had submitted three interim reports. After the third report was received, it was noted that it was no longer necessary for the commission to proceed further in the inquiry, and the matter was therefore disposed of.
According to the FTO Ordinance of 2000, the FTOs responsibility is to identify, examine, compensate and correct any injustice done to a person through the maladministration by functionaries that oversee the laws of taxation. Referring to the law, the main objection raised in the representation was that the federal tax ombudsman did not have any authority to commence suo motu proceedings and issue notices to the petitioners.
The Presidencys letter further argued that the term maladministration has been defined in Section 2(3) of the afore-mentioned ordinance, while Section 9(1) gives the tax ombudsman the authority to investigate any charges of maladministration on the part of the Revenue Division or any tax employee, and this he can inter alia do on his own motion.
When the Law and Justice Division sought the FTO146s comments, the FTO Secretariat reported on March 16, 2013 that the proceedings had only been taken against the maladministration committed by the FBR, adding the board would be responsible for taking any action prescribed by the Income Tax Ordinance 2001.
Section 32 of FTO Ordinance, 2000 states, The Revenue Division or any person aggrieved by a recommendation of the federal tax ombudsman may, within thirty days of the recommendation, make a representation to the president who may pass such order thereon as he may deem fit.
Formerly, the petitioners had filed an application that challenged the said order, with the FTO issuing a subsequent notice. The Law and Justice Division dealt with the matter, thus arriving at the conclusion that the action was ultra vires and void.
The representation, therefore, is competent at this stage... This secretariat agreed with the said conclusion, the report affirmed, referring to the Presidency documents.
It appears that the FTO has taken upon himself to continue with the proceedings conducted as a one-man commission, which is beyond the ambit of the FTO Ordinance 2000, the letter stated. The proceedings initiated and the notice issued, therefore, is without jurisdiction. The FTO Secretariat has not filed any comments despite notice. In its response to the earlier petition, the FTO Secretariat had given out that the case is only against maladministration of the FBR... Accordingly, the president has been pleased to accept representation and to set aside impugned decision of FTO commencing proceeding against the petitioners on the basis of third interim report.
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Herald exclusive: Petroleum ministry should be abolished, says Balochistan CM
Q. After the passage of the 18th amendment you had hoped, in an earlier interview with the Herald, that along with the NFC award, the amendment would provide more financial resources to Balochistan. Now that you have made the provincial budget for 2013-14, how would you describe the impact of the two developments?
A. By and large, the 18th amendment and the NFC award indicate a positive change of the mindset we identify as centralist. It was, however, unfortunate for Balochistan that it had a government [in 2008-2013] that did not show interest in the implementation of the 18th amendment. We complain about Balochistan146s natural resources but how many people who had been at the helm of affairs know that the 1973 Constitution gave the provinces complete control over their mineral resources (even prior to the passage of the 18th amendment). The previous Balochistan government first handed over the Sandak [gold and copper mining] project to the federal government and then, last year, it extended the Chinese mining companys contract [for working on the project] for another five years instead of taking over the project.
Q. Will your government end the agreement with the Chinese company and take over the Sandak project?
A. After the 18th amendment, the provinces are bound to abide by international agreements. In the case of Sandak, an extension was granted with the consent of the provincial government. But, I shall look into the agreement and do what is best for Balochistan.
Q. What about the NFC award? Has it been good for Balochistan?A. The NFC award has certainly helped improve the financial condition of Balochistan. Unfortunately, the federal government has not stopped playing its tricks. Though the province146s share in the NFC has been increased, its share in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) has been reduced. Last year, 40 billion rupees were allocated for Balochistan [in PSDP] but only nine billion rupees were released. I have asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to allocate whatever amount of money he likes for Balochistan [in PSDP] but I also want him to ensure that all the allocated money is released to the province.
Q. Balochistan has always cried foul over what politicians in the province call the plundering of its natural gas and crude oil resources by the federal government. The 18th amendment gives joint ownership of the state-owned exploration and distribution companies to the provinces. What has Balochistan done to get its share in the ownership of such companies?A. According to my interpretation of the relevant clause of the 18th amendment, the federal petroleum ministry should have been abolished soon after the 18th amendment became part of the constitution. In its place, there should have been a directorate for facilitating the provinces which are producing gas and oil. A large chunk of Balochistan146s gas and petroleum resources are being explored by the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and the Pakistan Petroleum Limited.The ownership of these corporations should have been automatically transferred to Balochistan proportionate to the provinces share in oil and gas production, but that did not happen. We shall raise this issue in the Council of Common Interests (CCI). It is no use seeking only jobs in these companies for Balochistan146s people. The 18th amendment gives Balochistan much more than that and we shall raise our voice for what we deserve.
Q. The current federal government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), which is your coalition partner in the province, has endorsed the previous government146s decision of handing over Gwadar Port to a Chinese company. How do you see this decision in the context of provincial autonomy?A. You know, I was not ready to sign the 18th amendment because the federal government was keeping the subject of big ports with it. But the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) convinced the representatives from Balochistan in the parliamentary committee which was drafting the amendment, which specified that control of the Karachi port and Port Qasim will fall into the hands of undesirable146 people if big ports were given to the provinces.The PPP government gave us a signed commitment that it will give control of Gwadar Port to Balochistan through special legislation. A board for Gwadar Port was to be formed under this special legislation, giving 51 per cent representation to Balochistan; the chief minister, by virtue of his office, would have been the chairman of that board. But the PPP did not keep its promise. Now we shall raise this issue in the CCI.
Q. But big ports are a federal legislative subject nowA. You are right. But we shall ask Prime Minister Sharif to do what is needed, even though he is not responsible for what happened in the past. We do not want to indulge in a constitutional conflict, but the port cannot become operational if Balochistan does not provide its land for various port-related activities.I have asked for a copy of the federal governments agreement with the Chinese company. If it is in the interest of Balochistan, then we shall have no objection to it. Otherwise, we shall strive for rectifying the situation and resolving the issue amicably, and not through confrontation.
Q. What about road and rail links from Khanjrab to Gwadar, which Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has announced to build and the IranPakistan gas pipeline?A. We shall see what benefit Balochistan can have from road and rail links. If Balochistan benefits from these projects, we shall not oppose them but if they are designed ignoring our interests we shall raise our voice in appropriate forums for safeguarding the provinces interests. If they prove disastrous for Balochistan, then we shall oppose them. As far as the Iran150Pakistan gas pipeline is concerned, it has to be seen where the money will come from for its completion. We shall give our response when Pakistan starts laying down the pipeline.
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