Pakistan’s Supreme Court yesterday leveled a veiled threat to remove the new prime minister from office, like his predecessor, unless he agrees to pursue corruption cases against the president.
It appears the judiciary is unwilling to end a showdown with the coalition government, which could force elections before Feb.2013 when it would become the first in Pakistan to complete an elected, full five-year mandate.
Judge Asif Saeed Khosa said Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf was “bound to implement the relevant directions of this court,” just like his predecessor, whom the court last month dismissed for contempt for refusing to obey its order.
The judiciary has been trying for years to force the administration to reopen multi-million-dollar corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari, which its critics have likened to a personal vendetta campaign.
After dismissing Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on June 19, it gave Ashraf two weeks to indicate whether he would write to the Swiss authorities to reopen the cases, which were shelved in 2008 when Zaradri became president.
Yesterday, Kohsa rejected government stalling tactics and ordered Ashraf to submit a report on July 25 “regarding compliance... failing which this court may initiate any appropriate action under the constitution and the law.”
Taleban kill nine policemen
In a surprise attack, the Taleban attacked and killed at least nine police personals in Lahore and claimed responsibility, declaring it revenge of brutal attitude against their colleagues in the Khyber Pakhtanwakh prisons.
Police personals belong to Khyber Pakhtaunkhawa province and staying in a private residential hostel in Lahore where they on official anti terrorism training mission.
Nearly 10 militants on stormed the premises and by using grenades and automatic weapons killed 9 policemen on the spot injuring scores of others and escaped without any resistance.
This is a second attack in a week upon security personals since the NATO supplies were restored in the country despite strong opposition from the religious and opposition parties.
While accepting the responsibility of attack, TTP spokesman Ihsanullah Ihsan said “We killed those as revenge of their inhumane and brutal attitude of police against our jailed colleague.”
Many in Pakistan feared hard days ahead as aftermath of NATO supplies restoration which seems proving as since last week terrorist activities have on the rise in recent days.
Pakistan army also facing militant’s attacks in Bajour region bordering with Afghanistan and in another attack on Thursday morning killed 6 miscreants during clash.
City police Chief Aslam Tareen informed media that Policemen from KPK were on training mission and living in privately hired building secretly that was targeted early morning attack.
11 militants killed
In another development, dozens of militants from Afghanistan crossed the border into Pakistan and attacked a village yesterday, Pakistani military officials said, an incident likely to increase tensions between Islamabad and Kabul.
Eleven militants were killed in the skirmish, which lasted several hours, in the tribal region of Bajaur, officials said, and two Pakistani soldiers were wounded.
Local military officials said the militants took up positions in the village of Katkot in the Mamund area, and retreated after Pakistani forces brought in reinforcements.
Bajaur is one of the Pashtun tribal regions near the Afghan border. The Pakistan military has mounted recent offensives there against the Al-Qaeda-linked Pakistani Taleban, which is considered Pakistan’s biggest security threat.
Last month, Pakistan accused NATO and the Afghan military of failing to act against militant safe havens in Afghanistan, following a cross-border attack that killed 13 Pakistani troops.
The attack followed years of calls by the United States for Pakistan to eliminate safe havens for militants on its side of the border.
