WELLINGTON: The New Zealand parliament in central Wellington was evacuated and surrounding streets cordoned off Thursday after a suspicious package was found near the building, police said. Police said a suitcase was found in bushes near the distinctive building, known as the Beehive, early Thursday afternoon. “Specialist police are currently travelling to the scene to examine the package,” police said.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira told the media after the cabinet meeting that the package would be utilised for repair and rehabilitation of 145 locomotives, improvement of
ROME: Italian police were Tuesday investigating whether an attempted parcel bombing at the Greek embassy in Rome might have been carried out by an anarchist group that targeted two embassies last week. Investigators said Monday the device at the Greek embassy in Rome bore the hallmarks of a similar attack by anarchists on the Chilean and Swiss missions last week. The package was “similar to those that exploded last week in the Chilean and Swiss embassies,” Italian police spokesman Salvatore Cagnazzo told. “The mail worker at the embassy opened it but it didn”t go off,” he said, adding that the package was then defused by bomb disposal experts. The explosive device was contained in a large padded yellow envelope with a CD case inside and was intended to detonate when opened. “There’’s an anarchist group, a terrorist group that wants to send a signal on an international level,” the mayor of Rome, Gianni Alemanno, told reporters, adding that the city was now on “maximum vigilance.” The interception of the parcel bomb for the Greek embassy was followed by around 10 false alarms at other foreign embassies around Rome. Greece’’s ambassador to Italy, Michael Cambanis, was quoted by La Repubblica daily on its website as saying that the parcel bomb had “arrived on Friday but no one opened it because of the Christmas holidays.” A police source in Athens told that cooperation between Italian and Greek police was “closer” after the discovery of the package, while a justice ministry source said: “Italy’’s judicial authorities have sought Greece’’s help to determine possible links between Italian and Greek militant groups.” Last Thursday two parcel bombs exploded at the Chilean and Swiss embassies in Rome, injuring a Swiss mail worker and a Chilean diplomat. Prosecutors on Monday said that their inquiry for suspected “terrorism” over last week’’s bombs would now include the Greek embassy package. Last week’’s blasts were claimed by an Italian anarchist group calling itself the Informal Federation of Anarchy, or FAI under its Italian acronym. Investigators have said they believe the claim is “reliable”. “We have decided to make our voice heard with words and deeds. Let us destroy the system of domination… Long live anarchy,” read a charred note found at the scene of the Chilean embassy blast. The statement was signed by the “Lambros Fountas Cell” — a reference to a Greek far-left activist killed in a shoot-out with police in March 2010. In a suspected anarchist far-left plot in Greece last month, bombs were sent to foreign embassies in Athens and European government leaders. More than a dozen packages containing explosives were sent in that plot, prompting Greece to suspend international mail for two days. At least four of the packages ignited or exploded, slightly injuring one person. But the head of Italian police, Antonio Manganelli, on Monday said there was no apparent link between the attacks in Greece and the ones in Rome. “So far no elements of material links between the wave of parcel bombs in Greece last month and the recent action in our country have emerged,” Manganelli was quoted by ANSA news agency as saying. The United States meanwhile said it was reviewing security at its embassies worldwide and had told its staff to be vigilant when opening mail. “In Rome, we are monitoring the situation with local law enforcement,” said US State Department spokesman Mark Toner. The FAI has claimed around 30 low-key attacks in Italy in recent years, starting with two small bombs set off in a rubbish bin outside the home in Bologna of then European Commission chief Romano Prodi in 2003. The targets have been mainly police, prison authorities, immigrant detention centres and European Union institutions. Last week’’s bombs are believed to be the first attack claimed by the FAI to have injured someone.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani Thursday highly appreciated the untiring efforts of Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms (PCCR) and announced highest civil award for it. Speaking in the Senate after passage of the bill, he congratulated Chairman of the Committee Raza Rabbani and its members over unanimous passage of the bill from parliament. Acknowledging the efforts of Raza Rabbani in ”Balochistan Package” he said Raza Rabbani has already played an important role in ”Balochistan Package” and I will request him to head the implementation cell to ensure the implementation of 18th amendment bill.” He also requested the Committee to supervise the implementation cell so that the people could get the benefits of the amendment bill at the earliest.
ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Thursday unanimously approved constitutional reforms stripping President Asif Ali Zardari of the power to dissolve parliament and sack the prime minister. The package reverses sweeping powers amassed by former military dictators Pervez Musharraf and Zia ul Haq and could ease political instability in the country. Ninety lawmakers present in the 100-member Senate voted in favour of the package of amendments and there was no vote against it. “It is a victory of democracy today,” Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told the assembly after the vote. “Approval of this constitutional amendment is a landmark in the constitutional history of Pakistan,” Gilani said. The lower house of parliament last week approved the 102-clause bill that reverses moves by successive military rulers to weaken 1973 parliamentary constitution. It will now go to President Zardari to be signed into law. The amendments will effectively make the president a titular head of state who can only formally appoint heads of the armed forces, dissolve the National Assembly and appoint provincial governors on the advice of the prime minister. The bill’’s passage has been hailed as a rare feat of cross-party consensus in the fractious and bitter world of Pakistani politics, but analysts warn that it has little practical benefit in a country crippled by problems. “We have to now demonstrate to the nation that we are capable of resolving problems confronting the country and the problems that our future generations may face,” Gilani acknowledged. The 18th amendment also renames North West Frontier Province, a throwback to the British colonial era, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
PESHAWAR: The NWFP Government has announced to extend financial assistance to the victims of Hazara protests. Announcing the package, Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said today families of those killed in Abbottabad protests would get Rs300, 000 each while the injured will be paid Rs100, 000 each. It may be reminded that nine people were killed and dozens others wounded when police opened direct fire on the enraged protestors in Abbottabad against the renaming of NWFP as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Following the death of innocent people, tension prevails in Abbottabad and other districts of Hazara division.
LAHORE: Federal Minister for Railways and senior leader of ANP Ghulam Ahmad Bilour called on the Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani here at the PM residence on Monday morning. Both the Prime Minister and ANP leader discussed the Constitutional Reforms Package as well as important national political issues. PM Gilani and Ghulam Ahmad Bilour appreciated the performance of the parliamentary committee on constitutional reforms led by Senator Raza Rabbani. The Premier said the committee had drafted its recommendations in consultation with all the political parties in parliament including PML-N. He said that the package would be tabled in the parliament after evolving consensus among all the political forces soon. The Prime Minister assured the Federal Minister that all national issues including Constitutional Package would be resolved soon with the consultation and consensus of the political parties. He said the government believed in politics of reconciliation and it would resolve all issues through reconciliation process, he added. The Federal Railways Minister briefed the Prime Minister about the working of his Ministry. The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over the Railways ministry performance and stressed to improve Railways infrastructure to provide better travelling facilities to the public. He asked the Minister to evolve a comprehensive strategy for the welfare of employees, especially the regularization of contractual workers.
LAHORE: Quaid Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) Mian Mohammed Nawaz Sharif has said the news regarding early presentation of constitutional package in National Assembly triggered panic and tension, Geo news reported. He said the 17th amendment should be repealed first of all while consensus upon selection of a new name of NWFP province will soon be reached. In an interview, he said he pays respect to ANP and Pakhtoon people. He linked dispense of provinces’ autonomy through consent of all provinces. My party and I believe in provincial autonomy, he said. “Democracy is the solution to all plights”, he added.
ISLAMABAD: The Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms (PCCR) will meet again on Wednesday to resolve the differences over renaming of NWFP, Geo News reported. Senator Raza Rabani told media men after the meeting that all issues including renaming of NWFP will be solved amicably. The committee met today with Raza Rabbani in chair. PML-N Senator Ishaq Dar was reported to come under fire from other members of the committee during the meeting after PML-N chief took a U-turn on constitutional reform package. The signing ceremony of the final report of the PCCR was postponed on Thursday due to reservations of the PML-N over the constitutional amendments.
ISLAMABAD: The Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms (PCCR) met again today to resolve the differences over judges” appointment and renaming of NWFP. The meeting is currently underway with Raza Rabbani in chair. PML-N Senator Ishaq Dar was reported to have been under fire from other members of the committee during the meeting after PML-N chief took a U-turn on constitutional reform package. The signing ceremony of the final report of the PCCR was postponed on Thursday due to reservations of the PML-N over the constitutional amendments. With the delay in the finalisation of the recommendations of the Rabbani committee, the presentation of the report in both the houses of parliament, due today, was put on hold. Federal Minister Dr Babar Awan had announced on Wednesday that the government was summoning the joint session of parliament on Friday in which the 18th Amendment would be tabled following the address of President Asif Ali Zardari to the joint session. However, the signing ceremony was postponed, as the PCCR in its ”last” meeting, held here on Thursday, failed to reach a consensus on the renaming of the NWFP – the only contentious issue on which the ANP and the PML-N have locked their horns. The PCCR held two meetings here on Thursday, with Senator Raza Rabbani in the chair, to discuss the issue. However, the differences between the ANP and the PML-N remained unresolved, compelling the government to postpone the draft-signing ceremony by the committee members. Consequently, the joint sitting of parliament and the president’’s address to the joint session would also not be held today.