Pak President Zardari signs bill stripping him of his key powers
( Omer Farooq Khan )
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday signed into law the constitutional reforms, relinquishing his key powers to sack the prime minister, dissolve the parliament and appoint the chiefs of armed forces, at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and opposition leader Nawaz Sharif. The 18th constitutional amendment has been hailed as an enormous triumph for President Zardari, a key US ally in the war against al-Qaeda and Taliban but an unpopular president in Pakistan, where the government is under pressure from the superior judiciary to re-open graft cases against him. Under the law, the president would no longer have the power to dismiss the prime minister, dissolve parliament — as enacted multiple times in the past — or appoint the heads of the country’s armed forces. The amendment transferred greater autonomy to the provinces and renamed North West Frontier Province as Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa. Addressing the gathering, President Zardari termed the signing of the bill as an important milestone that aimed at undoing the constitutional changes made by the undemocratic forces. "With the signing of this bill, the doors for dictators had been closed forever", Zardari remarked. Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said, "This crowning achievement will be remembered for all times to come". Let’s uphold the democratic values, he added. Senator and chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Constitutional Reforms (PCCR) Raza Rabbani praised all the members of the committee for what he said their "political maturity and political sagacity" for making possible the finalization of the 18th amendment. Raza Rabbani said the 18th amendment bill is unique in three ways. First, it is for the first time that a duly elected president is giving his powers willingly to the prime minister and the parliament. Secondly, it removed he the name of Zia-ul-Haq from the constitution besides bringing the 1973 constitution to its original form. Former military rulers mutilated the constitution with to perpetuate their power.
( Courtesy : Times Of India )
Sunday, 18 April 2010
Prabakaran mother's name was on ‘Warning Circular' list
CHENNAI: The immigration authorities at the Chennai airport were surprised to see Parvathi, mother of slain LTTE leader Prabakaran, when she landed from Malaysia with a valid medical visa at the airport here on Friday night.
The reason: her name was on the ‘Warning Circular' list of the Union government. Whenever a person's name finds a place in the list, the visa issuing authorities must obtain the approval of, or consult, officials of the Home Ministry before issuing him or her a visa.
Though Ms. Parvathi's name was on the list, she got a medical visa.
Sources in the Immigration said both Velupillai and his wife Parvathi were living in Tiruchi till 2003.
Soon after they migrated to Colombo, the Tamil Nadu government requested the Centre, in the same year, to ban their return.
Accordingly, the Union government banned their entry into the State and put their names on the list.
Ms. Parvathi was sent back to Malaysia by the same flight.
( Courtesy : The Hindu )
CHENNAI: The immigration authorities at the Chennai airport were surprised to see Parvathi, mother of slain LTTE leader Prabakaran, when she landed from Malaysia with a valid medical visa at the airport here on Friday night.
The reason: her name was on the ‘Warning Circular' list of the Union government. Whenever a person's name finds a place in the list, the visa issuing authorities must obtain the approval of, or consult, officials of the Home Ministry before issuing him or her a visa.
Though Ms. Parvathi's name was on the list, she got a medical visa.
Sources in the Immigration said both Velupillai and his wife Parvathi were living in Tiruchi till 2003.
Soon after they migrated to Colombo, the Tamil Nadu government requested the Centre, in the same year, to ban their return.
Accordingly, the Union government banned their entry into the State and put their names on the list.
Ms. Parvathi was sent back to Malaysia by the same flight.
( Courtesy : The Hindu )
Saturday, 3 April 2010
Justice Dinakaran asked to go on leave
New Delhi: The Supreme Court collegium headed by Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan has advised Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P.D. Dinakaran to go on leave. Since December last, Justice Dinakaran has not been performing judicial work. In his place, the acting Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Justice Madan B. Lokur, is being appointed Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court.
According to highly placed sources, the decision to advise Justice Dinakaran to go on leave was taken by the collegium on Thursday, following representations that in the absence of the Chief Justice at the helm of affairs, judicial work in Karnataka suffered to a great extent.
It was felt that the three-member committee headed by Justice V.S. Sirpurkar might take at least a year or so to complete the probe into charges against Justice Dinakaran and till then the High Court could not remain idle without a regular Chief Justice.
Madan B. Lokur
After Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari admitted a motion seeking his removal on charges of corruption, land-grab and abuse of judicial office, Justice Dinakaran has not been performing judicial functions.
It all started in August 2009 with the collegium recommending the elevation of Justice Dinakaran as Supreme Court judge along with four others. The Chennai-based Forum for Judicial Accountability, in September 2009, furnished a list of charges against Justice Dinakaran, including allegations of land encroachment at Kaverirajapuram in Tamil Nadu.
After this allegation was confirmed by the Tiruvallur Collector in two reports, the collegium dropped Justice Dinakaran's name for elevation. Thereafter on a complaint from 76 members of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha Chairman admitted a motion for the removal of Justice Dinakaran. Pending the completion of enquiry, he is now being asked to go on leave.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court collegium headed by Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan has advised Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P.D. Dinakaran to go on leave. Since December last, Justice Dinakaran has not been performing judicial work. In his place, the acting Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Justice Madan B. Lokur, is being appointed Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court.
According to highly placed sources, the decision to advise Justice Dinakaran to go on leave was taken by the collegium on Thursday, following representations that in the absence of the Chief Justice at the helm of affairs, judicial work in Karnataka suffered to a great extent.
It was felt that the three-member committee headed by Justice V.S. Sirpurkar might take at least a year or so to complete the probe into charges against Justice Dinakaran and till then the High Court could not remain idle without a regular Chief Justice.
Madan B. Lokur
After Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari admitted a motion seeking his removal on charges of corruption, land-grab and abuse of judicial office, Justice Dinakaran has not been performing judicial functions.
It all started in August 2009 with the collegium recommending the elevation of Justice Dinakaran as Supreme Court judge along with four others. The Chennai-based Forum for Judicial Accountability, in September 2009, furnished a list of charges against Justice Dinakaran, including allegations of land encroachment at Kaverirajapuram in Tamil Nadu.
After this allegation was confirmed by the Tiruvallur Collector in two reports, the collegium dropped Justice Dinakaran's name for elevation. Thereafter on a complaint from 76 members of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha Chairman admitted a motion for the removal of Justice Dinakaran. Pending the completion of enquiry, he is now being asked to go on leave.
(Courtesy : The Hindu)
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