[Dawn] Minister for Interior, Rehman MalikPak politician, current Interior Minister under the Gilani administration. Malik is a former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) intelligence officer who rose to head the FIA during Benazir Bhutto's second tenure. He later joined the Pak Peoples Party and was chief security officer to Bhutto. Malik was tossed from his FIA job in 1998 after documenting the breath-taking corruption of the Sharif family. By unhappy coincidence Näwaz Shärif became PM at just that moment and Malik moved to London one step ahead of the button men.
on Monday said the abductors have kept Shahbaz Taseer near adjoining areas of Pakistain-Afghanistan border
...also known as Pashtunistan, home of ignorance, poverty, and automatic weapons...
and he is alive.
... though it's doubtful he's well...
"As per intelligence information, the kidnappers have kept the son of late Governor Salman Taseer in Pak-Afghan border areas, but I want to tell the terrorist that their coward action cannot weaken the government's commitment against extremism and terrorism," he said.
... no matter how hard it is on the unfortunate Shahbaz...
Shahbaz Taseer was kidnapped from Lahore few months ago when he was proceeding to his office.
The Minister was talking to mediamen at a ceremony organized here by workers of National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) at its Headquarters.
Replying to a question, Rehman Malik said VIPs in the government were facing threats from the banned outfit, Tehrik-e- Taliban Pakistain (TTP) and al Qaeda.
There was an information about two weeks back that both the banned
...the word
bannedseems to have a different meaning in Pakistain than it does in most other places. Or maybe it simply lacks any meaning at all...
organizations had also planned to abduct Chairman of Pakistain Peoples Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
"All necessary steps are being adopted to foil their nefarious designs," he added.
The minister appreciated Islamabad Police, which under the leadership of Inspector General, Bani Amin have averted many terrorist threats in Capital.
Answering another query, the Minister clarified that he has nothing to do with Black Water, a US based private security agency.
Earlier, addressing a ceremony, he read out a notification that services of all contract employees of NADRA in different categories have been regularized.
He also announced a housing scheme for more than 14,000 employees of the organization under which 50 per cent finances would be provided by NADRA as advance while the remaining would be arranged through banks.
The advance amount would be deducted from the employee's salaries.
The Minister highlighted manifesto of PPP which is to ensure employment for unemployed people.
He said President
Asif Ali President Ten PercentZardari
... sticky-fingered husband of the late Benazir Bhutto ...
and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani
... Pakistain's erstwhile current prime minister, whose occasional feats of mental gymnastics can be awe-inspiring ...
faced jails to fight for the rights of people.
"Provision of employment is our priority and PPP government will continue its policy to facilitate people," he added.
He also appreciated performance of NADRA and said this organization had achieved a lot since its inception.
Chairman NADRA, Ali Arshad also spoke on the occasion.