ISLAMABAD: Former DG ISI Lieutenant General Javed Ashraf Qazi has disclosed that Pakistan had foiled an attempt of a CIA official to steal documents of Pakistan N-secrets with the help of a Pakistani military officer.

Talking to a private TV channel here on Saturday, the former ISI head said that in 1994-95 secret agencies had foiled a theft attempt of Pakistan’s nuclear secrets and arrested several CIA officials as well as a major.

Qazi said he was informed about such a case at that time when he was working as DG ISI. He said that the CIA officials and Pakistan Army major were immediately arrested in a covert operation. He said the major was court martialled while the CIA agents were deported from the country.

The former ISI chief said that Western secret agencies have a double standard about Pakistan. On the one side, they appreciate Pakistan’s role and on the other hand defame the ISI on the international level. He alleged that in the name of cooperation, Western secret agencies are trying to steal nuclear secrets. http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=30419

2. Pak, Iran and Turkey to launch freight train 

LAHORE: The first freight train between Pakistan, Iran and Turkey will start operation on Aug 12. 

“The Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) container train will be running between Islamabad and Istanbul through Tehran on the first Thursday of every month,” an official of the ministry of railways told Dawn on Saturday. 

The first trans-country and the fourth international train to be operated by the Pakistan Railways would be leaving Istanbul and Islamabad simultaneously. 

 The demonstration run of the freight train from Islamabad to Istanbul through Tehran began on Aug 14 last year. It will now start its return test run from Istanbul on Aug 2 and reach Zahedan on Aug 9. Afterwards, it will operate between the three cities. 

At a meeting in Tehran in March last year, the transport ministers of the three countries had finalised modalities to run a container train between the three cities. 

The test run on the newly-laid track between Kerman and Zahedan was carried out. The trilateral ministerial meeting discussed the possibility to also run a passenger train on the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul route. 

“An ECO passenger train is already operating between Istanbul and Tehran and its service will shortly be extended to Ashkabad (Turkmenistan). The modalities to extend its operation to Pakistan are being considered,” the official added. 

The Pakistan Railways has been operating three international passenger trains – Samjhota Express between Lahore and Amritsar, Zahedan Mixed Passenger between Quetta and Zahedan and Thar Express on Karachi-Mirpur Khas-Zero Point route. http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/pakistan%2C-iran-and-turkey-to-launch-freight-train-on-aug-12-180

3. Low turnout at Qalandar’s Urs

DADU, July 31: The relatively less turnover of devotees at the first day of three-day annual Urs celebrations of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar this year is being linked to recent inclement weather and terrorist threats. 

Tight security was seen in Sehwan town with disciples estimated at half the number as against the last year. 

The claims of excellent arrangements by Mela committee and Jamshoro district administration were negated by the pools of rainwater creating hurdles for devotees in putting up their tents. 

A disciple Haji Mohammad of Multan said that suicide bombing incidents at Data Darbar have instilled fear in people and we are visiting the shrine in groups with every group maintaining some distance from each other. 

Shaukat Hussain of Kamalia also expressed fear of terrorism but then he came to Sehwan because of the pledge he had made of visiting the shrine of Qalandar every year during Urs celebrations. 

Ali Asghar of Gujranwala went to the shrine only once during the whole day as against three or four visits he used to make earlier because of terrorism fears. http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national

4. Shrine renovation remains incomplete after 15 years 

HYDERABAD, July 31: Thousands of devotees once again found renovation and repair work at the shrine of Qalandar Lal Shahbaz incomplete when his 758th Urs began in Sehwan on Saturday. 

The project was launched 15 years ago, but it remains incomplete while according to secretary Aquaf Iqbal Zaidi its phase-III costing Rs1.8 billion is part of the Public Sector Development Programme (PDSP) 2010-11. 

The Sindh Aquaf department has never been on board regarding the development work exclusively got executed by the National Construction Limited (NCL), according to an Auqaf official. 

It is quite disturbing to see that the project remains incomplete and the work carried out has proved substandard. 

For phase-III, which is designed for development in the outer limits of the shrine in three years, Rs1.8 billion is earmarked under the PSDP and the Sindh government is reported to have released Rs500 million as bridge financing for acquisition of land, the secretary Auqaf confirms. 

A project cost (PC-I) of Rs47 million has been prepared for rectifying faults in the dome which leaks due to substandard quality of work. 

Similarly, the work for Dhamal court was substandard and Senate’s standing committee on housing and works has even recommended an action by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against the officials responsible. 

The president was given a presentation on the project on Nov 25, 2009, by the chief secretary, chief engineer buildings, chief administrator of Sindh Auqaf, Nespak’s managing director and other people concerned. 

The renovation project was approved in 1994 after seven people died and several others injured due to collapse of a portion of the dome. Cost of phase-I was revised at Rs221.476 million and work was awarded to the NCL. 

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/shrine-renovation-remains-incomplete-after-15-years-180

5.. Another mega container scam likely: The Business Recorder, Aug 1

 Another mega container scam appears looming large following the two identical scams in Karachi customs over the last two years. The first scam took place at Qasim International Container Terminal (QICT) when a customs clearing agent created fictitious and bogus Bills of Entry, No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) of National Logistic Cell (NLC), and used manual customs system to clear over 180 containers, without payment of duties and taxes.

Since the contents of the containers were not known, it cannot be said whether liquor or explosives were loaded. Yet it is certain that the public exchequer was deprived of hundreds of millions of rupees. In the process, QICT employees, customs and Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL) gate staff, who were in collusion with the clearing agent and had released all the containers over several months without being detected, were clearly enriched.

The mega scam was detected many months later by customs intelligence staff, identifying defaulting customs and PRAL staff behind it. FIRs were lodged and clearing agents were arrested, but as soon as action against customs staff was initiated they went on strike, and intelligence had to back down under pressure from Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). A new inquiry was held, which diluted, and confused, the matter and moved the blame away from customs and PRAL (FBR’s own private limited company). The customs staff, clearly identified in the case, continue to serve the public at the same posts where they colluded against the public.

The findings of customs intelligence were categorical that the mega container scam had been made possible due to the basic critical weakness in the manual customs system which relies on paper documents and its acceptance is at the discretion of colluding customs officials. Since paper documents can be forged, the scam was made possible.

In the Pakistan Automated Customs Computerized System (PaCCS), such scams are not possible as the customs server is directly connected to the shipping lines, agents, banks and the terminals. Thus, in case duties and taxes are not paid in the bank, the computers do not clear the consignments and do not send electronic release. As no paper documents are involved, they cannot be forged and since no customs officials are involved in the release of containers, they cannot collude.

The second mega container scam took place since clearing agents had again forged documents of customs and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and cleared hundreds of containers undetected over many months, using discretion of colluding customs officials who chose to accept fictitious and forged documents, for their own benefit, and depriving public exchequer of hundreds of millions of rupees in revenue. The case has again been detected by customs intelligence. FIRs have been lodged, and clearing agents had been arrested. Yet, as soon as action against customs officials was initiated, they went on strike. Chairman of FBR has risen to defend the customs officials, as also the manual customs system of PRAL that makes all such scams possible. Intelligence is again on the defensive. New enquiries will have to be held and again irrelevant factors would be blamed to protect the system and the officials.

www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=1086637&currPageNo=1&query=&search=&term=&supDate=

6.CEC meets CJ amid fake degree controversy

ISLAMABAD: As the controversy over the verification of degrees of legislators rages, Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Hamid Ali Mirza called on Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on Saturday.

Although an official handout said it was a courtesy call during which they discussed judicial and institutional matters, legal observers are attaching great significance to the meeting, especially in the wake of a recent Supreme Court’s verdict directing the Election Commission to deal with the matter under Section 78 of the Representation of People’s Act (RPA) 1976.

Only the other day, the apex court had ordered initiation of proceedings against a legislator from Balochistan under the law laid down in the cases of Rizwan Gill and Mian Najeebuddin, which required the ECP to deal with the matter under Section 78 of the RPA 1976.

The commission is likely to send cases of fake degree-holders to district and sessions courts through registrars of high courts.Earlier, the ECP had taken the position that it could not take action against any lawmaker unless the Senate chairman or speakers of the national and provincial assemblies sent a reference against lawmakers. http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/cec-meets-cj-amid-fake-degree-controversy-180

7.Rana Sanaullah caught in yet more fraud

LAHORE: The PPP Punjab has demanded Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif immediately remove provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah from office due to his involvement in financial irregularities, having underground connections with terrorists and patronising drug dealers and land grabbers.

PPP Punjab Information Secretary Dr Fakharuddin Chaudhry on Saturday demanded that the CM should initiate an inquiry against the minister, adding that Sanaullah even had a share in the Rs 65-million embezzlement in the name of bogus development projects.

Dr Fakhar revealed that Sanaullah had received $10,000 as commission in his Bank of Punjab account no 517396 from a Canadian bank. He said Sanaullah was also involved in land grabbing in Faisalabad and had grabbed a piece of land owned by Mian Idrees, as well as almost 100 kanals of land in Faisalabad city.

He said Sanaullah had also managed to get the inquiry report stopped from being made public in which he was accused of land grabbing. He demanded the CM make the report public.

Dr Fakhar also pointed out that Sanaullah had made money from a bogus development project of construction of a road in PP-70 worth Rs 4.5 million in collaboration with a government contractor. www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=201081story_1-8-2010_pg1_6

8.Sindh against shifting projects to provinces: By Mehtab Haider, The News, Aug 1

ISLAMABAD: Sindh has protested against Center’s plan to shift incomplete development projects worth Rs238 billion to the federating unit from the list of Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), stating that additional resources obtained through the NFC Award would be utilized for completion of these development schemes and granting salaries increase to the public sector employees, it is learnt.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has written a letter to Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Reza Gilani for registering protest at the Center’s plan to rationalize the PSDP and termed this exercise as violation of the decision taken by the National Economic Council (NEC) as well as against the approved PSDP document by the elected parliament. The Sindh government has asked the premier to intervene into this situation and stop this exercise on the name of rationalization of PSDP. http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=254168

8.Pakistan floods kill more than 800
NOWSHERA— The death toll in the massive flooding in Pakistan surged past 800 as floodwaters receded Saturday in the hard-hit northwest, an official said. The damage to roads, bridges and communications networks hindered rescuers, while the threat of disease loomed as some evacuees arrived in camps with fever, diarrhea and skin problems.
Even for a country used to tragedy — especially deadly suicide attacks by Taliban militants — the scale of this past week’s flooding has been shocking. Monsoon rains come every year, but rarely with such fury. The devastation came in the wake of the worst-ever plane crash in Pakistan, which killed 152 people in Islamabad on Wednesday.
In neighboring eastern Afghanistan, floods killed 64 people and injured 61 others in the past week, while destroying hundreds of homes and huge stretches of farmland, according to Matin Edrak, director of the Afghan government’s disaster department.
As rivers swelled in Pakistan’s northwest, people sought ever-shrinking high ground or grasped for trees and fences to avoid getting swept away. Buildings simply crumbled into the raging river in Kalam, a town in the northern part of the Swat Valley, Geo TV showed Saturday.
Reports coming in from districts around the northwest, where such flooding has not been seen since 1929, showed at least 800 people had died, said Mian Iftikhar Hussain, the region’s information minister. The U.N. estimated that some 1 million people nationwide were affected by the disaster, though it didn’t specify exactly what that meant.
Floodwaters were receding in the region, and many people remain missing, Hussain said.
Over 30,000 Pakistani army troops engaged in rescue and relief work had evacuated 19,000 trapped people by Saturday night, said army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas.
"The level of devastation is so widespread, so large," he said. "It is quite possible that in many areas there is damage, deaths, which may not have been reported."
In the Nowshera area, scores of men, women and children sat on roofs in hopes of air or boat rescues. Many had little more than the clothes on their backs.
"There are very bad conditions," said Amjad Ali, a rescue worker in the area. "They have no water, no food."
A doctor treating evacuees at a small relief camp in Nowshera said some had diarrhea and others had marks appearing on their skin, causing itching. Children and the elderly seemed to have the most problems, Mehmood Jaa said.
"Due to the floodwater, they now have pain in their bodies and they are suffering from fever and cough," Jaa told The Associated Press.
In the town Charsadda, Nabi Gul, who estimated he was around 70, looked at a pile of rubble where his house once stood.
"I built this house with my life’s earnings and hard work, and the river has washed it away," he said in a trembling voice. "Now I wonder, will I be able to rebuild it? And in this time, when there are such great price hikes?"Another resident of Charsadda complained of what he considered a lackluster government response.
"Nobody has offered us for help. We have got no help," said Awal Sher, 60. "Everything is destroyed. Inside, outside — everything is broken."
In eastern Afghanistan, Edrak said floods destroyed about 800 homes and hundreds of acres (hectares) of farm land, damaged hydropower dams and partially destroyed more than 500 other houses. Most of the flooding was in eight provinces, including Kabul, he said.
Rescuers were using army helicopters, heavy trucks and boats to try to reach flood-hit areas. Thousands of homes and roads were destroyed, and at least 45 bridges across the northwest were damaged, the U.N. said.
Flooding has already affected some of those regions, with more than 20 people dying in Kashmir.http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jul/31/more-800-dead-pakistani-floods/print/