A meeting of six religious component parties of dysfunctional MMA held here under Allama Sajid Naqvi, chief of Millat-e-Jaffria at Jamul Kausar.

They met to resuscitate the MMA but their talks ended without yielding positive results. However, five religious parties made it clear on JUI-F that revival of MMA will stand ruled out unless the former parts ways with the government and on the other hand Maulana Fazlur Rehman sought 25 days to take any decision with regard to separation from the government.

The meeting was attended by JI Amir Syed Munawwar Hassan, JI former Amir Qazi Hussain Ahmad, chief of Jamiat-e-Ahl-e-Hadith professor Sajid Mir and heads of JUI-P and JUI-F. The meeting reviewed the matters related to military operation in Fata, drone attacks, raids on madaris, blasts in Data Darbar and arrests of Ulema.

Talking to mediapersons after the meeting chief of Millat-e-Jaffria, Allama Sajid Hussain Naqvi said progress had been made on certain matters with regard to restoration of MMA. All the component parties of MMA were in contact with each other, he added. MMA had a clear role in the national politics and we want to play this role again, he underlined.

Condemning the attack on Data Darbar, he said this incident be not given sectarian colour. Terrorists had no relevance with the religious parties, he added. Expressing his concern over Afghan transit trade pact, he said India alone would be the beneficiary of this treaty. India would reap the whole benefit of the agreement, as it would be able to get trade corridor to Middle East.

Slamming the widespread corruption in the country and target killings in Karachi, he said government had failed fully. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said he would hold consultations with other leaders of his party and the party will come up with the final decision to quit the government after deliberation. He said the next meeting of the religious parties would be hosted by Dr Abu-al-Khair Muhammad Zubair, adding that he would inform about the time and place of the next meeting.

Denouncing the Afghan transit trade pact, he said India was being accorded dominance in the region through this treaty. JUI-F chief said the civil administration was failed to bring the circumstances under control in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and there was an unannounced martial law in the province.

To a query regarding the fake degrees, he said that why the issue of fake degrees was not raised in the past, adding holding a fake degree was a crime. JI leader Qazi Hussain Ahmad said many points had been agreed upon with regard to revival of MMA, adding that the final decision could come in this respect following the decision of Majlis-e-Shoora of all the parties. “I hope nation will get a good news on this count in the next meeting,” he underlined. All the leaders condemned acts of terrorism and demanded of the government to apprehend the culprits and disclose the real facts behind the terror attacks. http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=30248

2. Sindh not giving Balochistan its share of water, says Irsa
ISLAMABAD: In an unusual move, the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) has openly accused the government of Sindh of not providing to Balochistan its full share of water despite improved river flows.

“Irsa is continuously asking the Sindh province to provide the share of water to Balochistan released from Chashma barrage but the shortage of supplies is still continuing,” Irsa said in a statement.

The allegation came only a week after the governments of Sindh and Punjab had settled a dispute over the opening of Chashma-Jhelum link canal with the intervention of the political leaderships. And this has happened at a time when water availability in almost all rivers and reservoirs has improved.

On Thursday, the Kabul River was in medium flood at Nowshera as flows rose to 71,500 cusecs from 55,000 cusecs on Monday. The Indus was in low flood at Kalabagh and Taunsa. The Chenab also was in low flood at Khanki.

The total river flows improved by more than 70,000 cusecs to 592,000 cusecs on Thursday from 519,000 cusecs early this week.

Sources told Dawn that Balochistan had written a protest letter to Irsa early this week over short water supplies. It reported a 34 per cent shortfall in Irsa-approved quantities at Khirthar — the point from where Sindh releases water to Balochistan. It sent a similar letter to the Sindh government.

The water regulator also accused Sindh of not implementing recommendations of an inter-provincial committee and decisions of Irsa. It may be mentioned that a committee of three Irsa members had been constituted by the minister for water and power in 2004 to settle such issues.

“The recommendations of the committee are still pending for implementation with Sindh. Irsa believes that the issue could be easily resolved by implementing the recommendations of the committee with the participation of both the stakeholders.”

The Balochistan government has been accusing Sindh of stealing its water. “The water dispute between Sindh and Balochistan is an old issue. The job of Irsa is to release indented supply to the provinces at Chashma barrage and it then becomes the responsibility of the provincial irrigation departments to further distribute the water in their system,” Irsa said.

During the ongoing Kharif season, it said, Sindh was of the view that certain pond level was required to feed the right side channels of the Sukkur barrage, although Irsa believed that Khirthar canal could be fed even at a lesser discharge. However, as a special consideration, Irsa agreed to release unprecedented discharge of 240,000 cusecs (full indent) for Sindh, so that the required pond level at Sukkur barrage could be attained.

“As of today, the pond level required to feed the NW (North-West) Canal in full has been attained at Sukkur barrage,” the regulator said and expressed the hope that Sindh would provide full indented supply to Balochistan.

Irsa also asked the irrigation authorities of Sindh to make necessary arrangements at Sukkur barrage through rehabilitation or revamping to ensure that right bank channels could be fed easily even at low discharge to meet the indented supply of Balochistan canals. It said Balochistan had no direct access to Indus system and received water from Sindh canals through Guddu and Sukkur barrages. http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/16-sindh-not-giving-balochistan-its-share-of-water%2C-says-irsa-370-hs-06

3. India, Pak Fail to Agree on Kishanganga
Islamabad, July 22: The stalemate between India and Pakistan over the Kishanganga hydel power project continues to linger on, as both countries have failed to decide over the names of officials for the Court of Arbitration that will decide on the dispute.
After rejecting each other’s proposed nominations for the Court of Arbitration, both India and Pakistan have now decided to draw lots to select the three officials who will select separate referees for three different categories- chairman, legal member and engineer member, The Dawn reports.
Last week, India and Pakistan had exchanged the names of members for the court.
The Pakistani side was led by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Water Resources and Agriculture Kamal Majidullah, while Chairman of the Central Water Commission A.K. Bajaj represented India.
During the July 13 meeting, although both sides failed to agree on any of the names, they decided to set up a panel comprising a chairman, a legal member and an engineer to select the umpires. The panel will be chosen by drawing lots.
Islamabad has been opposing the Kishanganga project in Kashmir, saying that it will reduce the capacity of the 969 MW Neelum-Jhelum power project by 16 per cent.
Pakistan maintains that the hydel project would result in the loss of energy equivalent to six billion rupees annually.
It also argues that the diversion of the river water by India would also reduce river flows near the Line of Control (LoC), on the Pakistan side, for at least six months and cause heavy loss to the environment, particularly the Musk Deer Gurez Park and reduce the Neelum valley’s attraction affecting the tourists inflow. www.kashmirobserver.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5002:india-pak-fail-to-agree-on-kishanganga&catid=4:world-news&Itemid=5

4 U.S. to oppose Chinese reactor sale to Pakistan
By Eli Lake in The Washington Times
The Obama administration’s point man for countering arms proliferation said Thursday that the administration will vote against China’s sale of nuclear reactors to Pakistan in the international Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

The announcement follows the visit of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to Pakistan, where she said the United States would be willing over time to discuss the prospect of U.S.-Pakistani nuclear cooperation.

Pakistan, India and Israel are the only three countries that have never signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, a pact that promises nuclear cooperation in exchange for a pledge to forgo nuclear weapons. All three of those states have nuclear weapons, though Israel has not declared its nuclear arsenal.

During a hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Vann H. Van Diepen, the acting assistant secretary of state for international security and nonproliferation, said the United States will vote against any exemption for China to sell two civil nuclear reactors to Pakistan.

In response to a question from Rep. Ed Royce, California Republican, asking whether the United States would vote against the exemption for China, Mr. Van Diepen said, "Yes sir, by definition, we do not support any activity that goes against the guidelines."

The 46-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group is an international forum designed to limit sales of nuclear technology.

Earlier, Mr. Van Diepen said, "Based on the facts we are aware of, it would occur to us that this sale would not be allowed to occur without an exemption of the NSG."

However, Mr. Van Diepen added that while the United States can vote against an exemption, it cannot stop China if that nation decides to sell Pakistan the reactors without special permission from the NSG.

In 2008, India and the United States signed a nuclear cooperation agreement that would give India access to reactors and other nuclear technology without having to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Pakistan and India are archrivals.

Earlier this week in Pakistan, Mrs. Clinton told Pakistani journalists, "In our dialogue with the Pakistani government, we have clearly said we will work with them on civil nuclear energy."

She added, "It took years to do it with India. But we are committed to pursuing it and trying to overcome the obstacles that might stand in the way, because we think it is important to get as much of a varied source of energy all connected to the grid."

China last spring signed a $2.4 billion agreement with Pakistan to supply two 340-megawatt reactors to Pakistan. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jul/22/us-to-oppose-chinese-reactor-sale-to-pakistan/print/

5. Kayani to stay on as COAS till 2013: The night of the quiet general
By Iftikhar A. Khan IN Dawn, July 23
ISLAMABAD, July 22: It was the night of the general by all accounts. A quiet Thursday evening sprang a major political surprise when Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani appeared on the television screens to announce in a brief speech that he, after consultations with President Asif Ali Zardari, had decided to relax the rules and grant an extension of three years to Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

Gen Kayani, who was scheduled to retire on November 28, 2010, will hence stay on to command the army for another full term.

With this development came to an end the speculations rife since last year that he could win an extension. But more importantly, last night’s announcement also made Gen Kayani, the upright soldier who has to date not stopped winning accolades for his professionalism and for keeping a distance from politics, has become the first army chief in decades to be given an extension by a democratically elected civilian government.

At the same time, the current government has become the first civilian government to forgo its right to choose a chief of army staff and instead decided to continue with the one chosen by its predecessor, a military man.

However, it’s noteworthy that a former PPP prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, had also offered an extension to Chief of Army Staff Gen Waheed Kakar in 1996 but the latter had refused to accept it.

The three extra years means that Gen Kayani will prove to be the longest lasting player of all the faces currently holding centre stage in Pakistan — he will be here to bid farewell to President Zardari whose term ends on September 2013 and Prime Minister Gilani whose tenure will last till March 2013. www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/kayani-to-stay-on-as-coas-till-2013-the-night-of-the-quiet-general-370

6. ‘Kidnapper’ minister set for comeback in KP Cabinet: the Nation, July 23
PESHAWAR – Former Provincial Minister for Prison Department Mian Nisar Gul Kakakhel is likely to resume his ministry in the provincial cabinet of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, TheNation learnt through reliable sources.
Mian Nisar Gul earlier quitted the ministry after Supreme Court took suo moto action in the case of a kidnapped girl from Kohat in which the former minister was alleged for having hand in the case by sending for police personnel to help kidnap the girl from his home.
After the incident, Mian Nisar resigned from the prison ministry.
However, sources said that the former minister was likely to resume his duties as the case filed against him by the Advocate General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the directives of the Supreme Court for cancellation of bail of the minister has been taken back. Sources said that the former provincial minister is likely to be handed over the said ministry again. It was learnt that after the return of ANP provincial president and Senator Afrasiyab Khattak from his visit to China, Mian Nisar Gul would be sworn in again as a provincial minister for prison. http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online//Politics/23-Jul-2010/Kidnapper-minister-set-for-comeback-in-KP-Cabinet