Germany pledges €93.5m for health, education and energy in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle on Saturday revealed that the German government had pledged €93.5m for development in education, health and energy sectors in Pakistan.
Addressing a joint news briefing at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs with Adviser to Prime Minister on National Security Sartaj Aziz, Westerwelle said his government was serious in Pakistan’s economic stability and had pledged €93.5m for the development of education, health and economic sectors.
He said negotiations with the Pakistani administration remained successful during which his government offered friendly constructive cooperation amid enhancing the bilateral ties.
Westerwelle said a number of new ideas was also discussed during his engagement with top Pakistani officials and it was decided that an investment conference be held in Pakistan to attract more investors here.
He said the joint Pak-German forum would be transformed into the Pakistan-Germany Chamber of Commerce that would promote the economic activities between the two countries.
Westerwelle stated that high turnout in the recent Pakistani elections was a big success of the Pakistani people and was an encouraging sign for democracy.
He said his country wanted the South East Asian region to be stable, and welcomed good ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He added that a stable Afghanistan was directly connected to the stability of the Pakistan.
The visiting foreign minister also welcomed good ties between Pakistan and India, saying that it was in the better interest of regional stability.
To a question, he said nuclear disarmament had also been a part of the agenda during the sittings with the Pakistani leadership, “as Germany supports the non-proliferation in the region as shared by US President Obama in his ‘Global zero approach’”.
He said the German government considered the issue of drone strikes important and sensitive for the people of Pakistan.
Neither condemning nor openly supporting drone attacks, the German foreign minister expressed deep sympathies with the families of UN soldiers killed in Afghanista.

Drone attacks simply unacceptable: Nawaz

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Saturday categorically said that the drone attacks must stop as they were violating the country's sovereignty and international laws.

“Drone attacks must stop. We have protested many a time. This is simply unacceptable,” he commented in a meeting with German Foreign Minister Dr Guldo Westerwelle who called on the prime minister along with a six-member delegation at the Prime Minister's House.

During the meeting, the German Foreign Minister discussed with Sharif bilateral relations as well as the prevailing regional situation.

He conveyed his best wishes and on behalf of German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the prime minister.

Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan regarded Germany as a close friend and as the prime minister it would be his endeavor to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

He hoped that Pakistan would benefit from the technological advancement and economic development of Germany.

Libya:25 dead in clashes in Benghazi

BENGHAZI:At least 25 people have been killed and 70 injured in clashes between protesters and armed militiamen in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, Libyan officials say.

On Saturday, about 200 demonstrators, some armed, gathered outside the headquarters of the Libya Shield Brigade demanding the disbanding of militias, residents and officials said.
"A group of protesters started protesting against the presence of militias. They were calling for the disbanding of groups to rebuild the army," said a Benghazi resident.
"As I was leaving, I saw protesters throwing stones and the other side fired back."
Since the overthrow of long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the Libyan government has been struggling to tackle the presence of armed militias, such as the Libya Shield Brigade, which is made up of militants who fought against forces loyal to Gaddafi.
The members of the Libya Shield Brigade, who claim they are operating with Defense Ministry’s approval, have so far refused to lay down their weapons.
The protesters demanded the brigade vacate its premises and lay down its weapons.
The militiamen clashed with the protesters, who were largely unarmed but a few had weapons, according to a witness. "When I was there I didn't see any of the people use them," he said.
After several hours of clashes, Special Forces were called in and restored order and took over the compound, a military official said.
He added that the military lost five of its men in the operation.
The fighting left 25 people dead and between 70 and 80 wounded, said a doctor, who had counted the victims at central Benghazi's al-Jalaa hospital.
Libyans rose up against Gaddafi’s four-decade rule in February 2011 and deposed him in August 2011. He was slain on October 20 of the same year.
Benghazi was the birthplace of the 2011 uprising. It is largely governed by militias in the absence of unified Libyan security and military forces.
The former rebels refuse to lay down their arms, despite efforts by the central government to impose law and order.
Benghazi has been the scene of numerous attacks and assassinations over the past year as the power struggles between militiamen have intensified.

Portfolios of cabinet members announced

ISLAMABAD: The Cabinet Division Friday issued a notification containing the portfolios of the members of the federal cabinet who sworn in earlier on the day. The Cabinet Division has issued notification of portfolios of sixteen federal ministers and nine ministers of state. According to the notification, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has been assigned the portfolio of Interior and Anti-Narcotics, Khawaja Muhammad Asif Water and Power, Zahid Hamid, Law and Justice and Human Rights, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Petroleum and Natural Resources, Abdul Qadir Baloch, SAFRON, Senator Ishaq Dar, Finance, Revenue and Finance Division, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Railways, Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi, Industries and Production, Birjees Tahir, Kashmir and Gilgit Affairs, Senator Pervez Rashid, Information and Broadcasting, Kamran Michael, Ports and Shipping and Pir Sadarud Din Rahidi, Overseas Pakistanis.

As per notification, Mian Baleegh ur Rehman has been appointed as minister of state for Education, Khurram Dastagir Khan Science and Technology, Usman Ibraheem Housing and Works, Sheikh Aftab Ahmed Parliamentary Affairs, Jam Kamal Khan Petroleum and Natural Resources, Abdul Hakeem Baloch Railways, Anusha Rehman Khan Information Technology and Telecom, Saira Afzal Tarar Health Sciences Regulation and Coordination and Pir Muhammad Amin ul Hasnat Religious Affairs.
The Cabinet has also notified the appointment of Sartaj Aziz as Advisor to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs and Captain (retd) Shujaat Azeem as Advisor on Aviation.
Moreover, Sanaullah Zehri and Tariq Fatmi have been appointed Special Assistants to the Prime Minister.

(APP)

US Marines deployed along Jordan border with Syria

US Marines have reportedly been deployed along Jordan border with Syria as the Syrian Army continues to inflict heavy losses on foreign-backed militants.

Over 1,000 US troops, who had arrived in the Jordanian port of Aqaba via Israel earlier in the week, have headed toward the kingdom's border area with Syria under heavy Jordanian military escort, Israeli sources reported on Friday.
The troops are reported to be members of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Force.
Washington and Amman have imposed a news blackout on the deployment of US troops on Jordanian soil.
US sources have confirmed that the presence of the Marines in Jordan has nothing to do with military drills set to be held between American and Jordanian troops later this month.
In April, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Washington is sending 200 troops to Jordan to help contain the violence in Syria, increasing speculation that US is setting the stage for intervention in the Arab country.
At the time, Russia criticized the deployment of US troops to Jordan over the Syrian crisis, describing the move as an unconstructive step that threatens to expand the conflict.
Jordan’s opposition party, the Islamic Action Front, also denounced the presence of American troops in the kingdom and asked the government to review its decision to authorize the deployment of foreign troops on Jordan’s soil.

US drone kills 7, first since Pakistan PM Sharif sworn in

A US drone aircraft fired two missiles at a compound in a remote area of northwest Pakistan, killing seven people Friday night, according to reports. Pakistani officials who spoke about the strike say it killed seven militants.
"The missiles reportedly hit the remote village of Shokhel in the Shawal valley, some 100km  southwest of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan," .
North Waziristan, a mountainous tribal area along the border with Afghanistan, is seen as a stronghold for al-Qaeda and Taliban militants.
The strike comes two days after Pakistan's new prime minister, , was sworn in — an occasion Sharif used to voice his displeasure, shared by many Pakistanis, with US strikes in the country.
"We respect the sovereignty of others, but others don't respect our sovereignty. These daily drone attacks must stop," Sharif said, as .
Friday's attack is the second since President Obama spoke in late May of aiming for a new balance of priorities in America's fight against terrorism, promising a new emphasis on capturing suspects, instead of killing them.
"America is at a crossroads. We must define the nature and scope of this struggle, or else it will define us," , "mindful of James Madison's warning that 'No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.'"
The president also said that military incursions such as the one that resulted in Osama bin Laden's death "cannot be the norm." But US officials have privately said that specific rules will apply to Pakistan and Afghanistan for as long as US troops are in that area, reports .
On May 29, a US drone strike was credited with killing the No. 2 leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Wali ur-Rehman, along with several other people. Like Friday's strike, that attack also took place in the North Waziristan tribal region.

Democrats, liberals and the AK Party

By  Suat KINIKLIOGLU


The Gezi Park protests are still continuing. All of us are trying to digest
what happened and what it means for our society, politics and future. One
of the highlights reflecting pro-government thinking occurred during the
height of the protests. Taha Ozhan, the head of the pro-government think
tank SETA, tweeted the following: "State employees' Kemalism that
mismanaged the republic rallies has been upgraded to lumpen Kemalism
through the enabling of liberal duplicity."

Ozhan expressed his frustration with Turkey's democrats and liberals, who
by and large supported the protests from the outset. This is rather
understandable as Turkey's democrats and liberals had been supporting the
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) agenda from 2003 to 2010. After
all, the AK Party was then clearly the most progressive force in the
country. Confronted with daunting challenges from the Kemalist deep state,
the AK Party was the primary force in transforming civil-military
relations, bringing Turkey to the negotiating table with the EU and
facilitating impressive economic growth. I myself was in the ranks of the
AK Party, defending it at every platform, foreign and domestic, most
forcefully when it was faced with the absurd closure case in 2008. In 2010
a crucial constitutional amendment was passed by 58 percent of voters in a
hard-fought referendum due to a comprehensive coalition that included the
AK Party, democrats, liberals, Kurds and many Nationalist Movement Party
(MHP) supporters.

What has happened since 2010? First, in 2011 the parliamentary group was
radically overhauled. A massive purge of those who were seen as more
centrist and liberal occurred. Many who were critical in shaping the
perception that the party was moving to the center in 2007 were expelled.
Then the party congress in September 2012 completed the job by purging
similar elements from the party's executive organs. The Turkish media
initially reported that it was a purge of people close to President
Abdullah Gül, but there was more to it.

In April of this year, Aziz Babuscu, the powerful chairman of the İstanbul
party organization, openly said the party was parting ways with Turkey's
liberals. In the bluntest manner, he said that there was no longer a need
for liberals with whom the AK Party cooperated to dissolve the first
republic. Babuscu said: "Those with whom we were stakeholders throughout
the past 10 years will not be our stakeholders in the coming decade. ... Let
us say the liberals, in one way or another, were stakeholders in this
process, but the future is a process of construction. This construction era
will not be as they [liberals] wish. Hence, they [liberals] will no longer
be with us. ... The Turkey that we will construct, the future that we will
bring about, is not going to be a future that they will be able to accept."
Babuscu denied his comments the next day, but the quotes came from the
Anatolia news agency, and many in the hall confirmed to me that he actually
uttered them.

Given the harsh response to the peaceful Gezi Park demonstrators on Friday
morning, the inflammatory statements by the prime minister as well as many
other mistakes, why was it such a surprise that Turkey's democrats and
liberals chose to side with the protesters? Babuscu's comments confirm the
AK Party intended to part ways long ago. Lumping democrats and liberals
together with Kemalists is not only unjust but also demonstrates a lack of
cognition of what actually happened in Taksim and elsewhere in the country.
Blaming democrats and liberals for the blatant mistakes the government made
throughout this crisis is irresponsible. Liberals are not engaged in
duplicity. They still stand for the freedoms and ideals they defended from
2003 to 2010. If any party in this coalition has changed it was not the
liberals.