ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari today advised the government to prepare a comprehensive plan for jail reforms in light of reports of Parliamentary Committees and national and international human rights bodies from time to time.

The President said this while chairing a presentation on jail reforms in Sindh province, which was attended among others by Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Chief Minister Sindh, Senator Rehman A. Malik, Interior Minister, M. Salman Faruqui Secretary General to the President, Kamal Majidullah SAPM on Water Resources, Haji Muzaffar Ali Shujra Minister for Prisons Sindh, Fazal-ur-Rahman Chief Secretary Sindh, Arif Ahmad Khan Home Secretary Sindh, Mushtaq Ahmad Shah IG Prisons Sindh and other senior government officials.

The President also directed for providing legal aid to destitute prisoners, training and education and improved service structure for jail officials.

Special attention must be accorded to improve the conditions in women and juvenile prisons, the President said.

The President also advised that the reports of the concerned committees of the parliament and human rights bodies on the subject of jail reforms be analyzed and their recommendations be kept in view while undertaking prison reforms.

The President while taking the presentation asked for Public-Private Partnership to improve the condition of jails particularly jail accommodation and the quality of food and other facilities provided to the prisoners.

The President also directed for devising such a mechanism in prisons to make the prisoners responsible and useful citizens of the society after their release from jails.

KARACHI: Four people were killed and two others wounded on Thursday by unknown assailants in Gulzar Hijri area of Karachi, SSP Gulshan Javed Mahar told Geo News.

The deceased were later identified as Mufti Saeed Ahmed Jalalpuri, his son Mufti Huzaifa Jalapuri, Mufti Qamar Zaman and Mufti Atiq ur Rheman.

The SSP Javed said that Mufti Saeed Ahemd and his three accomplices were attacked by the gunmen near Gulzar Hijri. The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they succumbed to the injuries.

The real motive behind the killing was not yet clear.

According to police sources, two people were arrested following the firing incident.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Thursday said Pakistan will continue making efforts for a stable and peaceful Afghanistan, and stressed for fulfilling the “joint responsibility” of removing dangers inhibiting development in both countries.

“It is the responsibility of our two governments that for the future generations, we remove the dangers and work towards stability and peace in both countries,” Gilani said in a press conference jointly addressed along with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, at the PM House.

The two leaders who earlier held a one-on-one meeting besides the delegation-level talks, spoke of diverse issues mainly enhancing brotherly bilateral ties, cooperation on trade and technical projects and not letting their territories against each other.

Karzai termed Pakistan as it’s “conjoined twins” with “linked destinies” and said his country would not allow use of its territory against any of its neighbours, particularly Pakistan.

Responding to a question about Indian interference in Pakistan from Afghan soil, he said “Afghanistan does not want proxy war between Pakistan and India,” adding similarly he does not want any other such wars on its soil between any other countries.

He said Afghanistan was “hand-in-hand and shoulder to shoulder for the prosperity of Pakistan” and mentioned the fruitful discussions that covered transit trade, scholarship offers, reconstruction, technical cooperation and other areas.

He agreed with Prime Minister Gilani on strengthening and firming relations between the two countries.

Karzai mentioned the recent spate of terrorist strikes inside Pakistan and said it was reminder that the two countries were facing similar problems. He said sufferings in one country would inevitably and definitely lead to the other and there was a need to jointly work against the menace of terrorism.

Reiterating that Pakistan-Afghanistan ties were important for regional peace, security and development, the two countries agreed to develop communications network, boost trade to 15 billion by 2015 and enhance cooperation in education, agriculture and energy sector.

A Joint Declaration issued at the end of two-day visit of President Hamid Karzai on “Next Steps in Afghanistan-Pakistan Comprehensive Cooperation” expressed determination by the two sides to realize the full potential of their vast human and natural resources for the progress and prosperity of their peoples.

Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to evolve joint strategies for early implementation of trans-Afghan energy projects, with particular focus on CASA-1000 and Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Gas Pipeline.

The Joint Declaration signed by the two foreign Ministers Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Dr. Zalmai Rassoul agreed on developing a roadmap for strengthening road, rail and air connectivity and upgrade existing facilities.

The two countries agreed to attach priority to undertaking completion of Peshawar-Jalalabad Expressway and completing feasibility study of Peshawar-Jalalabad rail link.

Pakistan and Afghanistan also agreed to undertake joint studies on promotion and facilitation of multi-modal transport to operationalize transport corridors on mutually agreed routes and to expand aviation links and extend bus services to additional destinations.

They also agreed to develop plans of action for customs harmonization and trade facilitation to facilitate bilateral trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan and to optimally utilize the natural comparative economic advantage of the two countries so as to enhance bilateral trade to $ 5 billion by the Year 2015.

The two sides also agreed to establish a Silk Route CEOs Forum, and establish Pakistan-Afghanistan Reconstruction Consortium, pool public and private corporate resources for reconstruction and development.

It was also decided to explore establishment of a Joint Investment Company to undertake joint development projects, including initiatives to develop region’s vast mineral and hydel wealth and also to consider setting up Economic and Industrial Zones.

The two countries decided to enhance the number of scholarships for Afghan students in Pakistani educational institutions from the current 1000 to 2000 and to make special arrangements for female Afghan students.

It was also decided to set up an Institute on Management, Business Administration and Faculty Training in Afghanistan.

Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to cooperate closely in capacity building of institutions. In this context, Pakistan offered extending assistance to Afghanistan, in setting up new capacity building institutions and upgrading the existing ones, in Afghanistan.

On agricultural sector the two agreed to focus on food processing, consider creation of a Pakistan-Afghanistan Food Bank to strengthen food security, initiate joint research in agriculture and crops substitution programmes.

They also decided to initiate comprehensive dialogue on environmental protection and mitigating impact of climate change.

Pakistan and Afghanistan also agreed to further strengthen people to people contacts, and promote exchanges among intellectuals, parliamentarians, journalists, academia and students.

It was agreed to establish close links among the media including print, radio and television of the two countries and to promote cultural exchanges.

The joint declaration acknowledged the special bond “grounded in history and geography and spiritual, cultural, and civilizational affinities that impart a compelling sense of shared destiny.”

The two countries also reaffirmed their mutual commitment to respect each other’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, consolidate good neighbourly relations, and uphold the principles of the United Nations Charter.

The statement also recalled the Kabul Declaration on Good Neighbourly Relations of 22 December 2002 and the Joint Declaration on Directions of Bilateral Cooperation signed between Pakistan and Afghanistan on 6 January 2009 in Kabul.

KARACHI: Four people were killed and two others wounded on Thursday by unknown assailants in Gulzar Hijri area of Karachi, SSP Gulshan Javed Mahar told Geo News.

According to police, two people were arrested following the firing incident.

The motive behind the killing was not yet clear.

The deceased were identified as Mufti Saeed Ahmed Jalalpuri, Mufti Huzaifa Jalapuri, Mufti Qamar Zaman and Mufti Atiq ur Rheman.

KARACHI: One pistol and many bullets have been recovered from the luggage of two passengers during screening at Karachi airport, Geo reported Thursday.

According to ASF sources, bullets were recovered after the baggage of two passengers was being screened.

Both passengers were taken into custody by the ASF.

ISLAMABAD: The Parliamentary Committee for Constitutional Reforms has agreed that not only the federation but the provinces also have rights on underground and undersea resources.

The committee met here under chairmanship of Mian Raza Rabbani here on Thursday.

According to sources, the committee reviewed the clause 172 of the Constitution that relates to natural resources.

The Constitutional Reforms Committee was unanimous on the point that the provinces be given rights to share the underground and undersea resources with the federation. However, it clarified that the provinces’ rights will have no bearing on the agreements made with the foreign companies involving petroleum and gas reserves.

KARACHI: The Supreme Court has directed the police to remove every kind of industrial waste from Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) of Karachi in a week time.

The court also ordered the police to collect all data about the children affected by the poisonous industrial waste.

Three-member SC bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry today heard a case about the death of a boy and other injured children due to poisonous industrial waste.

The court remarked that either money or political influence prevail everywhere.

In addition, an affected boy, Sheraz Ali, was also brought to the court. He lost his both legs and hands due to the chemical waste.

The court was told that the Sindh Environmental Agency was not doing anything despite several requests.

The Supreme Court ordered the SITE SHO to gather data about affected children and present it to the court.

ISLAMABAD: Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said that the elected members of parliaments of Pakistan and Afghanistan can play a pivotal role in improving the bilateral relations.

The members of National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs led by its chairman Asfandyar Wali Khan today met with Afghan President Karzai in Islamabad.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Farah Naz Isfahani also attended the meeting.

“We will have to jointly face this challenge of terrorism, which badly dented the economy of two countries,” said Qureshi.

NA Committee Chairman Asfandyar Wali said peaceful Afghanistan would guarantee peace in Pakistan.

BARA: Two persons including a child were killed and 23 others injured in a bomb blast occurred at the junction of Khyber Agency’s tehsil Bara Qadeem and Peshawar district while two terrorists were also killed.

According to police sources, the blast took place near a check post from where a convoy of Frontier Constabulary was to pass.

The blast occurred when 3 terrorists were planting a land mine. Two of them were killed instantly at the scene while the third one managed to escape. Two passersby including a child were also killed in the incident while 23 others were injured.

The injured were rushed to three main hospitals of Peshawar – Hayatabad Medical Complex, Lady Reading Hospital and Khyber Teaching Hospital – where four of the injured are said to be in critical condition.

Later, the security forces cordoned off the area.

LAHORE: The Election Commission of Punjab has released the unofficial results of National Assembly constituency NA-123 in Lahore.

Returning Officer Zafar Iqbal told Geo PML-N candidate Malik Pervaiz has been declared winner after bagging 44, 146 votes followed by Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf candidate Mian Hamid Meraj, who got 9192 votes.

While Hafiz Salman Butt of the Jamat-e-Islami has secured 3257 votes and stood third in the election.