The amendments to the Defence Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2012 were moved by Representative Ted Poe, a Republican from the state of Texas.

The first amendment proposed slashing $1 billion from the funds that the US government gives countries that have partnered in helping the US in the war against terrorism. That amendment failed in a 131-297 vote.

The second amendment to the defence appropriations act moved by Poe proposed a cut of $1 billion in funds that the US gives Pakistan for its efforts in counter-insurgency activities.

Various members of the Senate and House have in the past called for a new look at aid being given to Pakistan after the Abbottabad raid in May that led to Osama Bin Laden’s death.

Amendments to money bills are frequently proposed by several members of the  435-member US House of Representatives, but most do not pass. Under the US political system, most of the deliberations and debates over specific bills takes place within the committees, both in the House and the Senate, where the bills originate.

Poe is not a member of any of the House committees that would be involved in drafting the defence budget, or even the overall US budget. He is also not a member of the Congressional leadership of the Republican Party.

Ted Poe holds the same seat in the United States Congress that was once held by Charlie Wilson, the congressman who was instrumental in securing US financial support for the mujahideen against the Soviet Union in the 1980s war in Afghanistan. Wilson’s efforts were chronicled in a book by George Crile titled “Charlie Wilson’s War”, which was also made into a movie by the same name.

The US government has halted the release of money under the Coalition Support Fund, as relations between the two countries have been marred by mistrust. US officials believe Pakistan overstates the expenses it incurs in the war against terrorism.

The fund was set up by the US Congress after the September 11, 2001, attacks to reimburse allies for costs in supporting the US-led war on militancy. Until May, Pakistan had received $8.8 billion from this fund since the attacks.

Last month, reports had emerged that the US has threatened that it will cut off civil and military aid to Pakistan after the country launched a crackdown against the “Central Investigation Agency (CIA) network” and expressed reluctance to go after the deadly Haqqani group based in North Waziristan Agency.

That the amendment was introduced by a Republican in Congress should worry policymakers in Islamabad, who have traditionally relied on support from that party since Democrats, the other major party in the United States, has historically been more hostile towards Pakistan.

While Republican leaders did not back the amendment, several influential lawmakers, such as Senator Lindsay Graham (Republican from South Carolina) and Senator Carl Levin (Democrat from Michigan) have questioned the US alliance with Pakistan and have begun to use increasingly hostile language about what they perceive to be Islamabad’s deceptive behaviour.

At a meeting held at the Presidency in Islamabad on Friday night, senior officials from both the federation and Sindh – including President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah – convened to discuss the situation in Karachi and agreed upon a series of steps to help stem the violence.

The government has decided to change the way the country’s largest city is governed by bringing in a local government system that will be a hybrid between the one dominated by elected officials (introduced in 2001) and the one dominated by unelected federal civil servants (the system that had been in place between 1979 and 2001), according to sources familiar with the matter. The president’s spokesperson, Farhatullah Babar, said that it has been left to the Sindh government to decide on whether to proceed with the changes through legislation in the provincial assembly or through an ordinance promulgated by the governor.

However, according to sources familiar with the matter, the government appears to have decided to consult both the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Awami National Party (ANP), the two parties with strong political bases in Karachi, before finalising its decision.

The restoration of an elected local government system has been a long-standing demand of the MQM, which ran the last such government in Karachi and Hyderabad between 2005 and 2009. The Pakistan Peoples Party, which is in office in both the federal and Sindh governments, has been dragging its feet on the restoration of the system, even though it has at least formally committed to elected local governments.

The difference stances of the two parties are reflected in the differing advantages of the two systems. The pre-2001 system was dominated by district commissioners who were federal civil servants from the powerful district management group. The only elected officials who had any sway over local governments then were the provincial and national legislators, which suits the PPP since it has traditionally been able to dominate the Sindh legislature.

The MQM, meanwhile, prefers the system that gave power to elected local officials. While the party has never won a majority in the Sindh Assembly, it can dominate Karachi and Hyderabad, allowing it to serve its constituents directly without having to rely on the largess of the PPP as a senior coalition partner.

The elected local government system was introduced by the Musharraf administration in 2001 and expired in 2009, following which it could have been revived (with or without modification) by the provincial assemblies, none of which has thus far chosen to do so.

Meanwhile, the government has also decided to improve its own ability to prosecute those most directly responsible for the violence in Karachi by filling vacant judges’ positions on anti-terrorism courts and by increasing the staff of the public prosecutor’s office.

Controversially, the government may also decided to bring back former Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza, who had been removed from his position after strong pressure from the MQM. It is not yet clear what capacity Mirza will be returning in, though it appears that he may not get the home ministry back. .

Several reports on Friday night suggested that Manzoor Wassan of the PPP might be brought in as Sindh home minister but government officials refused to confirm or deny these reports.

“The provincial government will announce these administrative changes,” said the president’s spokesperson.

KARACHI: Seven people were killed in different incidents across Karachi as normalcy slowly started to return to the city after shops and markets reopened in different areas, Express 24/7 reported on Saturday.

One person was killed in PIB Colony and miscreants burnt down a store in Shah Faisal Colony. The death toll from five days of violence has risen to 108.

Traders have announced shops and markets will remain open today. Petrol pumps in the city are also open.

All Karachi Traders Union Chairman, Attique Mir has said all markets and business centres will remain open. He said that daily wage workers were suffering due to closure of businesses.

Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry President, Saeed Shafique has said that traders and industrialists will go on an indefinite strike if the government does not control the situation in the city.

Karachi Transport Union President, Irshad Bukhari has also announced that there will be no strike today, but any serious incident might affect their decision.

The MQM had earlier called for a ‘day of mourning’ to mark the killing of the victims of the previous three days of violence. Karachi’s transportation union also declared a strike, effectively paralysing the city.

Rangers enter Qasba, suspects arrested

Rangers and police are carrying out an operation in Qasba Colony to hunt down miscreants and to rescue and evacuate residents trapped in the violence hit area, Express News reported on Saturday.

Sindh Rangers had earlier received a written notification for taking charge of the troubled areas, to conduct operations and take all ‘necessary’ actions to restore peace.

Over a dozen miscreants were arrested after a large number of police and Rangers cordoned off different sectors of Qasba Colony after midnight.

Express 24/7 correspondent, Shaheryar Mirza reported the operation was not a door-to-door one but Rangers personnel were targeting houses that had been identified as having criminal elements inside.

Firing had reportedly stopped after law enforcement personnel took control of the area.

Rangers Spokesman Major Bilal has said that forces did not face any retaliation during the operation.

Stranded people were evacuated in ambulances and armoured vehicles after Rangers entered the area.

Rangers have rescued at least 50 families from the area.

Those being evacuated from the area have started moving to homes of relatives nearby.

Earlier, Rangers had also taken control of Kati Pahari and Orangi Town. Heavy contingents of rangers and police reached Katti Pahari and Orangi town and shifted women and children to safety in armoured vehicles.

Although a large number of people have been moved to safer places, many people are still trapped in their houses without medicines and food supply.

More than 100 people have been killed during the last four days in an ongoing wave of violence that has hit Karachi and paralysed life in the port city.

At least 490 people were killed in targeted killings in the first six months of 2011, compared to 748 in 2010 and 272 in 2009.

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Raza Haroon has submitted an application for a Sindh Assembly session to discuss the current law and order situation in Karachi and topics of mass interest, Express 24/7 reported Saturday.

Speaking to the media in Karachi, Raza thanked the political parties who had joined the MQM to submit the requisition in the assembly.

“PML-F leader Jam Madad Ali has also submitted the application, backing MQM in this cause”, he said.

He said that MQM will continue to raise its voice against the ills taking place in Karachi.

Raza condemned the rioting and civil unrest during the last four days and asserted that MQM will continue to carry out “peaceful” and “democratic” protests.

“MQM peacefully marked a ‘mourning day’ as a means to raise voice against the deteriorating security conditions in Karachi”, Haroon said.

He praised the media for vigilantly covering the riots and giving real-time updates on the Karachi riots.

“All of the coverage is kept as a record with MQM”, he said,” We will come prepared with it in the Sindh Assembly session”.

The MQM leader said that the party will continue being a part of the opposition and that it is the duty of an opposition party to remind the government of its responsibilities. He said that the opposition is the ‘voice of the masses’.

“Together we will fulfill the duty of opposition”, he said.

Furthermore, he said that apart from the security conditions of Karachi, MQM will discuss energy crisis which is not only hampering the industry and business, but is also worrying the citizens of Karachi.

Union dispute will also be discussed in the session to find a resolution to the issue. Other concerns of the public will also be discussed.

More than 100 people have been killed during the last four days in an ongoing wave of violence that has hit Karachi and paralysed life in the port city.