Daily Urdu media briefing – Thursday 6 January 2011

HEADLINES
Geo Jang Ausaf BBC Urdu
Investigation underway, Zardari: Governor's killing Taseer buried with state Taseer case: Special Court
number of guards halved at attempt to terrorise honours moved to Islamabad
time of democratic forces

Qadri to be presented before PML-Q decides not to join, Zardari: It remains to be Taseer laid to rest
Anti Terrorist Court support govt seen whether murder wasn't
political conspiracy in guise
of religion

Hearing of spot fixing case
begins in Doha
Law minister: Taseer
assassination was death in
custody; Information
minister: Punjab govt
responsible for security
Chief Justice: NAB ordinance 'First Benazir Bhutto, now
date suggests there may Salman Taseer'
have been tampering

Supreme Court orders Taseer laid to rest in Lahore Politicians, deputy speaker, Governor's murder
compensation to affected ministers: Taseer's murder condemned
Hajj pilgrims damage to country

INTERNATIONAL

AfPak envoy State Department spokesman PJ Crowley tells the media in Washington that Obama
administration's new AfPak envoy Frank Ruggiero, who is to arrive in Islamabad today, will
continue the work of Richard Holbrooke and work for peace in the region. (ARY)
UK/Taseer The youngest Muslim councillor in the UK, Raza Anjum, has condemned the assassination of
Salman Taseer. Anjum, who is compiling a report on the role of minority groups living in Pakistan
for the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the EU, held an official meeting with Taseer
less than a week ago. (Daily Asia)
Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Op-ed: Taseer – Champion of
secular democracy. (Daily Asia)
UK politics Andrew Mitchel appeals to the Oldham community to elect the Tory candidate Kashif Ali for the
welfare and development of the nation. Addressing an electoral meeting Mitchel says the UK has
always helped Pakistan in the times of need, appeals to the Asian and especially Pakistani
community to support the Tories in the elections. (Ausaf)

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 PAKISTAN
Taseer murder Mumtaz Qadri is produced before the Special Court set up in Islamabad's G7 sector under tightest
security. Qadri was brought in an armed vehicle. Media are not allowed in. (Geo)
The investigative committee to present the initial report to Shahbaz Sharif. It emerges there were
only 16 bodyguards deployed for Taseer's protection instead of 32. Nasir Han Durrani is heading
the committee. It was Taseer's private decision to have lunch at Kohsar Market and it should not
have happened (Geo)
Due to security threats the Anti Terrorist Court hearing of Mumtaz Qadri has been shifted to
Islamabad. It was previously attempted at three different locations in Rawalpindi, but due to
crowds of lawyers gathering in front of the buildings it was not possible. (Geo)
No Punjab govt representative is present today to mourn the killed governor. The wreath from the
chief minister was laid on the grave by his representative. Only relatives and PPP activists arrive.
(Geo)
Twenty-four days before the murder of Taseer Rawalpindi police chief was ordered to carry out
security vetting of police officers deployed for VVIP security. The order was never carried out.
Mumtaz Qadri was banned from VVIP service on the basis of holding extremist views, but the
decision was not implemented. The Elite Force, created in 1997 to deal with terrorism, has been
mostly used to protect prominent politicians. Out of 1,100 functionaries about 700 are used for this
purpose. The screening of 1,700 policemen deployed on VIP security duties is under way. (Geo)
PPP President in Punjab Imitiaz Safdar Waraich says there were irregularities in the security
arrangements around Taseer; the investigation of political motives of the killing is taken into a
different direction now. (Geo) Federal Law Minister Babar Awan says the murder was political.
(ARY)
PPP Information Secretary Fauzia Wahab says that the motivations behind the killing of Benazir
Bhutto and the killing of Salman Taseer were the same. (BBC Urdu)
Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah speaking to ARY says nobody should comment on Taseer's
murder before results of the investigation emerge; the event took place outside of Punjab; PPP did
not provide Taseer with support in Punjab; a Rangers unit could have been allotted to his
protection had a request been made. (ARY)
Sources say Pakistan Day Parade on 23 March has been cancelled. (Geo)
Ausaf: Sherry Rehman has said that she is ready to sacrifice her life for the Honour of the
Prophet. She has also clarified that she only wanted to propose an amendment to the Blasphemy
Bill in order to stop its misuse. A lot of people have reservations on her proposal. It is the courts'
role to examine whether a law is being implemented appropriately. We have an independent
judiciary now, so nobody should be afraid that the law will be used against innocents. We advise
Mrs Rehman to withdraw her proposal and trust in the courts. We think that the best way of
showing your love for the Prophet is to act in the way which will make the world understand that
Islam is the solution to all the problems of the modern world.
Politics PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain speaking to a party conference said his party would
keep supporting the PPP chief minister in Balochistan, but has no intention to support the
'drowning boat' of the federal govt. He called for a halt to 'meddling' with the blasphemy law.
Shujaat demanded that the govt immediately withdraw the increase of petrol prices and deal with
the growing corruption (Jang)

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 PML Hamkhayal Group chief Senator Saleem Saifullah says the current govt has broken all
records of corruption; announces that his group would not support the federal government as that
would be a 'suicide'. (Jang)
Hajj scandal Supreme Court hears the Hajj scandal case and orders payment of compensation to affected
pilgrims. Speaking in front of the Supreme Court JUI-F leader Azam Swati calls PM Gilani the
most corrupt man in the history of Pakistan. (Geo) Swati says he caught PPP members red handed
in his own ministry during his tenure and the traces invariably lead to Multan (PM's home town).
(ARY)
Police recruits Footage of general knowledge exams of Karachi police recruits reveals they lack basic orientation in
current affairs as they respond saying Hoti is Balochistan's chief minister and Gilani Sindh's interior
minister. Some of them, graduates of computer courses, said Jinnah's Mausoleum is in Lahore and
Badshahi Mosque in Saudi Arabia. (Geo)
Govt relief Health Department establishes a medical camp in Multan's Zakaria Town following the recent death
of nine children from infectious disease. The camp also administrates vaccinations. (Geo)
Provincial govt of Balochistan decides to build a colony of 1,000 houses in Rakhshani, Quetta
PM Gilani summons an important meeting of political leaders on the petrol prices issue. (ARY)
Missing case Supreme Court settles the case of persons who went missing from Adiala Central Jail after the
representatives of the ISI and other agencies assures the court that the relatives of the persons in
custody can meet them at any time. (ARY)

INDIA RELATED
India trade Traders in Lahore and Gujranwala stage protests after Ministry of Commerce bans export of onions
to India. The ministry is said to have stopped the export of the vegetable via Wagah border due to
strong customer pressure in Pakistan and the export via the sea route to Mumbai is also being
monitored. India is facing a shortage of onions this year driving prices up and causing shortage in
Pakistan's domestic market. (Geo)

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