By Baqir Sajjad Syed in Dawn, July 30

ISLAMABAD, July 29: Britain’s High Commissioner is likely to be summoned to the Foreign Office amidst a growing diplomatic spat over Prime Minister David Cameron’s remarks about Pakistan’s role in the war against terrorism.

Diplomatic sources revealed on Thursday that Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi would hand over a demarche to High Commissioner Adam Thomson seeking a full explanation on Mr Cameron’s comments. Prime Minister Cameron, speaking at a press conference in India on Wednesday, warned Pakistan against “promoting the export of terror” and being allowed to “look both ways” on the issue.

Foreign Minister Qureshi said the “comments are surprising”.  “Pakistan’s achievements and successes against terrorism cannot be negated or belittled…We take serious exception to any suggestion that falsifies facts and tends to put the entire onus of terrorism on Pakistan. This is totally unacceptable,” he said in a statement.

Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit, at his weekly media briefing, described David Cameron’s remarks as biased and unrealistic.

Speculations swirled in Islamabad that the presidential visit to the United Kingdom might be called off, but officials decided after a prolonged debate at the Foreign Office to only summon the high commissioner. “The visit is on and the president will go to the UK as planned,” an official said.

Although no official announcement has been made as yet, President Zardari is scheduled to reach London on Aug 3 after completing his visit to France.

Sources said the People’s Party intended to use the visit to formally launch Bilawal Bhutto as its chairman.

The president’s sister Faryal Talpur, her aide Rizwan Qureshi and PPP-UK leader Chaudhry Riaz are overseeing the arrangements.

According to the sources, discussions were also held at Pakistan’s High Commission in Britain on calling off the visit, but the decision was left to the Foreign Office.

“There was definitely pressure on President Zardari to call off the UK trip, but the president insisted on going ahead with the plan,” diplomatic sources said, without specifying where the pressure came from. http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/uk-envoy-to-be-summoned-over-cameron-remarks-070

2. Attique sworn in as AJK premier

MUZAFFARABAD, July 29: Muslim Conference chief Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan was sworn in as the 10th prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir here on Thursday after the Legislative Assembly elected him as Leader of the House by a thumping majority, less than 19 months after his removal from the office.

Mr Khan, who was the only candidate for the post, bagged 39 votes — 21 of his own party, seven of the AJK People’s Party, six of the ‘Friends Group’, three of the People’s Muslim League (PML) and two of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. PML chief Barrister Sultan Mahmood abstained.

Before the voting, outgoing prime minister Raja Farooq Haider objected to the holding of the session which, he said, was unconstitutional because the president had convened it ignoring the advice of the prime minister.

He then led a walkout by his seven supporters, including Speaker Shah Ghulam Qadir.

The later proceedings were presided over by Deputy Speaker Mehrun Nisa.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/attique-sworn-in-as-ajk-premier-070

3. ECP, HEC in row over focal person: By Saadia Khalid in the News, July 30

ISLAMABAD: The appointment of a focal person in the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has raised yet another controversy as the HEC officials say they have not received any notification as yet while the ECP claims that it had handed the same over to the HEC two days ago.

According to sources in the HEC, the ECP has not sent any written notification to hire a focal person to deal with the ECP officials under the directives of the Supreme Court (SC).

“ECP Joint Secretary (JS) Mohammad Afzal Khan, during the meeting with the HEC officials two days ago, promised that he would send the formal letter to appoint a focal person the very next day but it never happened,” the source revealed.

Talking to The News, HEC Adviser Quality Assurance Dr Mahmood Raza confirmed that the ECP had not sent any written notification so far, which according to the rules of business was mandatory to implement some orders.

On the other hand, ECP JS Mohammad Afzal Khan said that he, in person, delivered the letter to HEC Chairman Javed Laghari’s office. “We have also obtained a receipt from the Chairman’s office,” he said.. http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=30383

4. ECP finds itself in a limbo, no matter what the HEC does

By Tariq Butt in The News, July 30

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is unable to proceed against the fake degree holders unless it is duly constituted with the induction of four retired high court judges as its members.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (retd) Hamid Ali Mirza will take a decision about the action against counterfeit degree holders only after the approval of the properly formed ECP, an internal letter of the commission, a copy of which is available with The News, said.

It quoted excerpts from the two recent Supreme Court judgments and delineated the modalities in detail that it would follow in dealing with the fake degree holding MPs. However, there would be no instant action by the ECP on the mere receipt of report from the Higher Education Commission (HEC) that a certain MP or a set of MPs hold fake degrees.

The previous four ECP members, who were serving high court judges, were rendered redundant by the 18th Amendment, which provided for inclusion of retired judges. According to the letter, even after the approval of the duly constituted ECP to proceed against a bogus degree holder, the case would be sent to the returning officer (RO), who had originally received the nomination papers of the alleged cheat before general elections or by-polls. If that RO found the charge to be true, he would become a complainant in that case, which he would file with the sessions judge concerned as directed by the Supreme Court, who could impose a three-year sentence on the accused.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=30384

5. SC concerned over ‘end’ to PM’s role in judges’ appointment

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry observed on Thursday that the 18th Amendment had enhanced the prime minister’s role in the affairs of the state, but had reduced the same in the issue of judges’ appointments.

The CJP noted that the PM’s role as a leader of the House had been reduced merely to that of a post office.

A 17-member full court, headed by the CJP, was hearing identical petitions challenging certain provisions of the 18th Amendment with particular reference to the formation of a judicial commission for the appointment of judges of the superior courts.

The court expressed concerns over the insertion of Article 175-A by the 18th Amendment, which provides for the constitution of the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms and the judicial commission. www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010730story_30-7-2010_pg7_1

6. Extensive damage by flood in AJK, GB: report in Dawn, July 30

GILGIT / MUZAFFARABAD: At least 15 people lost their lives when flash floods triggered by heavy rain battered Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir on Thursday.

Houses and bridges were damaged, farmland inundated, landslides blocked several roads and rivers continued to swell to alarming proportions.

According to official sources, five girls were among eight people killed on Wednesday night in Gilgit-Baltistan.

The administration declared an emergency in Gilgit and called in troops for rescue and relief work.

Five people drowned when a bridge collapsed and their vehicle fell into a river in Baltistan, sources in the regional Disaster Management Authority told Dawn. The car was going from Skardu to Gultari.

Two girls were swept away by hill torrents in Tangir valley of Diamer district. A boy was killed in Gahkooch area of Ghizer district.

Landslides in Ghizer, Hunza-Nagar, Astore and Baltistan blocked roads linking the districts with the rest of the country.

Gilgit River burst its banks and entered the premises of the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly in Chinar Bagh, the Grand Continental Hotel and Canopy Nexus lawns. The flood inundated roads leading to the assembly and about 300 houses in Basin on the outskirts of the city.

Chief Minister Mehdi Shah suspended an assembly session, visited the affected areas in Basin and ordered the departments concerned to arrange relief for people.

Torrential rains damaged the Karakoram Highway at three points between Gilgit and Hunza-Nagar and the Gilgit-Skardu road at two places.

Boat service in the Hunza lake was suspended, adding to the hardship of the people of Hunza-Gojal.

The regional capital and nearby towns have been without electricity for three days because the main channel of the local power house has been swept away.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/extensive-damage-by-flood-in-ajk%2C-gb-070

7.Majority of Pakistanis call India a threat, US enemy

WASHINGTON: Though terror groups continue to strike in their country, a majority of Pakistanis still consider India as a major threat, view America as an enemy and are far less concerned about Taliban and al-Qaida.

While Pakistanis express serious concerns about the US, they have also deep worries about neighbour and long-time rival India than extremist groups within Pakistan, according to the prestigious Pew Research Centre opinion poll carried out inside Pakistan.

"When asked which is the greatest threat to their country – India, the Taliban or al-Qaida – slightly more than half of Pakistanis (53 per cent) choose India, compared with 23 per cent for Taliban and just 3 per cent for al-Qaida," it said.

However, despite the deep-seated tensions between India and Pakistan, most Pakistanis want better ties with India.

Roughly seven-in-ten (72 per cent ) said it is important for relations with India to improve and about three-quarters support increased trade with India and further talks between the two rivals, it said.

Inspite of pumping in billions of dollars in economic and military aid, the US image in Pakistan was at its lowest ever among the 22 nations included in the poll. Fifty-nine per cent of the respondents described America as an enemy and only eight per cent trusted President Barack Obama.

The Pakistanis saw little threat from Taliban and al-Qaida and only 25 per cent of the people said it would be bad for Islamabad if Taliban takes over again Afghanistan.

While 18 per cent said it would be good for Pakistan 57 per cent were not concerned.

State Department spokesman P J Crowley conceded that there is a huge trust deficit between the US and Pakistan.

"We understand – and the Secretary (of State) in her recent trip and also in her trip last October – understand that there’s a deficit in trust in our relationship. There are those in Pakistan who recall and sense that they were abandoned by the US and the international community, going back 20 years or more," he said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6236494.cms?prtpage=1