LAHORE: A leader of the defunct outfit Sipah-e-Sahaba spoke at the gathering organized by Governor Punjab Salaman Taseer, Geo news reported.

A footage, released by DGPR in this connection, showed that the Deputy Secretary of defunct Sipah-e-Sahaba Punjab group Rao Javeed Iqbal was making announcement to join PPP at an electioneering rally in presence of Governor Salman Taseer.

That rally being part of election campaign was organized by Governor Salman Taseer at Fort Abbas.

According to DGPR, the Deputy Secretary of defunct outfit Sipah-e-Sahaba Punjab Rao Javeed Iqbal addressed the electioneering gathering on March 8 at Fort Abbas wherein he announced to support PPP’s candidate Kashif Naveed in elections.

Meanwhile, Salman Taseer talking to Geo news denied recognizing Javeed Iqbal, adding that the above-mentioned man did not introduce being associate of a defunct outfit, if it were so, he would be thrown out from the gathering.

He said the government of Punjab wants to malign him in order to conceal its sins.

Punjab government spokesman Pervez Rasheed said Governor was trying to become innocent.

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday expressed the hope that with the finalization of Constitutional reforms package by the end of current month, the 1973 Constitution would be restored to its original shape.

Addressing the award distribution ceremony of All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Tuesday night the President said it was basically for Mian Raza Rabbani led constitutional reforms committee of the parliament as to when it submits its report but hoped that this would be done within this month.

Besides a large number of APNS representatives, newspaper owners, journalists, columnists, writers and Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira, the ceremony was also attended by federal ministers, parliamentarians and senior officers of the Ministry of Information.

The President hoped that the task of constitutional reforms would be carried out unanimously in a spirit of reconciliation.

President Zardari said they were determined to rid the Constitution of all undemocratic articles introduced into it by successive dictatorships.

The President noted that during his address to the parliament last year he himself had asked the parliament to reform the Constitution.

WASHINGTON: The White House Tuesday condemned Israel’’s approval of 1,600 new settler homes in east Jerusalem and said the timing of the move was not helpful with Vice President Joe Biden in the country.

“The United States condemns the decision today by the government of Israel,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said, adding that Biden, who is in Israel, would shortly make a statement.

He said that neither the substance nor the timing of the announcement were helpful.”

ISLAMABAD: Former Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Aitzaz Ashan has said that involvement of lawyers, judges and Parliament in judges’ appointment was necessary.

He was addressing a seminar at National Press Club.

He pointed out that judges like Moulvi Mushtaq who issued biased verdicts were appointed according to 1973 Constitution.

Lawyers’ movement has given a lot and it was launched for institutions’ strength and it was not the time to talk about ‘March’, he added.

He was of the view that though the judiciary is independent but has not learned to work with other state organs.

About President Zardari he said that he has come through Constitutional way and should not be removed unconstitutionally.

KARACHI: Three bogeys of Quetta-bound Bolan Mail derailed near Kotri Railways Station on Tuesday.

The incident caused fear and panic among the passengers, who started reciting the Kalma.

The train was heading to Quetta from Karachi when three of its bogeys derailed near Kotri railways station.

According to sources, after half-an-hour of the incident, the railways staff reached the scene and started relief efforts.

ISLAMABAD: A meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and Chief of Army Staff Ashfaq Parvez Kayani held a meeting here Monday and discussed current security situation.

Earlier today, President Zardari and and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani also met here.

Spokesperson to the President former senator Farhatullah Babar said that issues relating to the constitutional reforms package and the President’s forthcoming address to the Parliament came under discussion during the meeting.

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif warned that the construction of Kalabagh Dam without having consent from the people of Sindh would undermine the country’s foundation.

He said this while speaking to Sindhi students, who called on him at the Chief Minister House on Tuesday.

The chief minister said that the Kalabagh Dam was beneficial for agri-based economy, but the issue had been politicized. He urged the need to persuade other provinces about the project.

“The institutions are strong in India as compared to Pakistan, where these have been devastated,”

The PML-N chief said that judiciary was restored on March 16 with the people struggle. “We will have to tolerate the judicial activism if the system is strong,” said Sharif.

On this occasion, the Sindhi students also expressed their point of view on various issues.

The Punjab CM also directed the authorities to make arrangement for sending the students on a trip to Murree on their desire.

ISLAMABAD: The lawyers have strongly rejected the proposed role of a Parliamentary Committee to appoint judges in the top judiciary.

The lawyers have made this announcement at a convention entitled “Day of Judges’ Independence” hosted by the Supreme Court Bar Association at the Supreme Court Auditorium today (Tuesday).

They also announced to file a petition in the Supreme Court to ensure the implementation of NRO verdict.

The convention was addressed by SCBA President Qazi Anwar and other leading lawyers, who came from other parts of the country.

Rashid A Rizvi said that if the government tried to implement the recommendations of CRC committee the Supreme Court would strike it down.

ISLAMABAD: ISI Director-General Ahmad Shuja Pasha has been given extension whose tenure was ending on March 18 and a notification to this effect was issued, Geo News reported Tuesday.

PARIS: Israel unveiled plans Tuesday to work with its Arab neighbours to build a nuclear power plant in a project aimed at meeting the region’’s energy needs and promoting peace.

Israel has already chosen a site for the nuclear reactor — the first to be put to civilian energy use — in the northern part of the Negev desert, said Israeli Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau.

“Nuclear energy can be an area of regional cooperation with the objective of promoting peace,” Landau told a Paris conference on the civilian use of nuclear power.

Israel has two nuclear reactors, one near the southeast city of Dimona that is widely believed to be used to produce atomic weapons, and a second research reactor at Nahal Soreq near Tel Aviv.

The Jewish state is widely reported to have nuclear weapons but refuses to confirm or deny this, pursuing a policy of “nuclear ambiguity.”

Israeli officials said on Monday that the new plant would be a joint project between Israel and Jordan and that France would supervise and provide technology.

“Naturally any nuclear power plant to be built in Israel will be subject to all the international safeguards,” said Landau.

President Nicolas Sarkozy opened the 65-nation conference in Paris on Monday by offering French know-how to build nuclear reactors to be a safe and efficient source of clean energy all over the world.