Obviously i am sad i cannot see this happening in my life time.

This is the age of media; its my request to all journalists and
writers that please show better side of Pakistan, be positive, think
positive & help the world to think positive about Pakistan,
Be optimistic & make our nation optimistic. You have the power. The
greatest power of the world is PEN.

Thanks & Regards
Muhammad Minhaj Rais
Karachi.

“General Kayani is a patriot and he does not wish to destabilise the system and wants Pakistan to prosper,” the defence minister said while responding to a question at a press conference.

When asked whether the Army chief sought permissionfrom him before meeting the leader of the opposition, he said: “The Army chief took permission from President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani before meeting Opposition Leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.”

Answering another question about the capability of JF-17 aircraft to shoot down drones, he said the newly-inducted aircraft into the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) had the capability to hit drones.

“A drone flies at a height of 52,000 feet but if a JF-17 aircraft follows it, it can hit the drone with a missile,” he said. He observed that the JF-17 aircraft would be the backbone of the PAF and more aircraft would be produced.

Ahmed Mukhtar also clarified his position on the inclusion of his name in the list of NRO beneficiaries, saying he would quit if it were proved that he had taken any benefit from this ordinance. “I am not the beneficiary but victim of the NRO,” he said.

Taking strong exception to the inclusion of his name in the NRO beneficiaries list released by the Law Ministry, Ahmad Mukhtar sought an unqualified apology from them, saying that otherwise his legal advisers reserved the right to take action against all those responsible for initiating this defamatory and slanderous campaign against him.

He said he also met the prime minister and the law minister on Monday on this issue. He said the prime minister told him that there should be a mechanism which could be applied to exclude names which had wrongly been included in the list.

He said that a particular media group was active against him and the same group had constantly been made the government a target of its criticism. The minister said that no sugar case had ever been registered against him while he had already been acquitted in two NAB cases.

He said in the case at the Lahore’s Accountability Court No 1 pertaining to the ‘Textile Export Quota’, he was acquitted of charges on September 9, 2007. He said in this case, no irregularity or illegality, no misuse of power as the commerce minister was proved on record.

In the case, in which he was accused of selling rice at much lesser price, causing a loss of Rs 67,801,335 million to the national exchequer, the former commerce minister and now the defence minister said the accountability court acquitted him on March 18, 2002. An appeal against his acquittal was dismissed by the Sindh High Court, Karachi, on August 7, 2007.

Ahmad Mukhtar said he came to know about the sugar inquiry, thanks to the press conference of the minister of state for law, saying it was a bogus case which was under inquiry for the last 14 years. “How can I be a beneficiary of the NRO on the basis of a pending inquiry about which I have no knowledge,” he questioned.

He said that he would tender resignation even if the sugar quota case is pending against him in the court of law. Asked if he would advise President Zardari to resign, since he was the main beneficiary of the NRO, Ahmad Mukhtar said: “I cannot force anybody to step down.”

He said the real beneficiaries are the NAB and the Law Ministry who failed to scrutinize and close such bogus cases. He pointed that the NAB law provides maximum 90 days for a remand and after that a NAB case is to be decided within 30 days.

Responding to a question on the Kerry-Lugar Bill, the minister said: “I personally feel some harsh language has been used in the text of the bill,” he said.

APP adds: Ahmad Mukhtar said the PPP government was facing no threat to its existence while steps are in hand to help PIA in overcoming its financial crunch.

He told another questioner that since the matter of corruption in the submarine deal with France had already been probed by the NAB thus there was hardly any need left to conduct another enquiry into the scam.

This will not carry on…. This Government is its own enemy and time will tell how incompetent this Gov was.

Having said that Shahid Massod sometime goes overboard with his allegations against the Gov. Like last weekend or two ago he was telling his viewers that Zardari days a numbered and it is the matter of a day or two… BUT that daako Zardari is still sitting where he was. So, Pakistani media should not become too emotionally attached with the events and must not spread rumors without any authencity.

There are other programs, which are repelling Dr. SM’s view constantly e..g., “Coloumn Kar” of express. Similarly there are many others with more balanced views.