Britain’s Labour party under fire over Pakistan ‘visa sham’

October 3rd, 2009 Brown agrees to televised British election debateLONDON — Prime Minister Gordon Brown has agreed to take part in Britain's first televised election debate among party leaders. Brown, who has been accused of dithering on a host of issues, had been reluctant to participate in U.S.-style election debates even though his two main rivals had agreed.

September 30th, 2009 LONDON - Britains most popular tabloid newspaper Wednesday said it was backing the opposition Conservative Party at the next election, but Prime Minister Gordon Brown insisted that it was the "people that decide elections. The newspaper, part of the News Corporation media empire owned by Rupert Murdoch, declared on its front page: "Labour's Lost It".

September 30th, 2009 UK's Brown downplays Sun tabloid switch to ToriesLONDON — Prime Minister Gordon Brown is downplaying the decision of the Sun tabloid to switch its allegiance from the Labour Party to the opposition Conservatives. Brown told the BBC during an interview at this week's Labour Party conference that the British people will decide the election, not a newspaper.

September 30th, 2009 The Sun newspaper backs Britain's ConservativesLONDON — The Sun newspaper has backed Britain's opposition Conservative Party for the first time since the ruling Labour Party took power more than a decade ago. The influential tabloid's political editor says it is now endorsing the Tories because Labour has "failed the country" and let his readers down.

September 29th, 2009 LONDON - The flagging popularity of Britain's ruling Labour Party was highlighted Tuesday by an opinion poll that showed that the party led by Prime Minister Gordon Brown had slipped to third place in the estimation of the voter. The Ipsos Mori poll, published on the day Brown is due to give a keynote speech to the annual Labour Party conference, put Labour at 24 percent, the opposition Liberal Democrats at 25 percent and the bigger opposition Conservative Party at 36 percent.

September 10th, 2009 LONDON - Pakistan-based terrorists are exploiting Britain's shoddy visa system to come to the country. Pakistan is considered by Britain as the No.1 base for Islamic extremists brainwashing potential terrorists.

July 26th, 2009 LONDON - A senior Labour MP has said that Prime Minister Gordon brown needs to seriously consider his position over the summer amid fresh rumblings about his leadership. Barry Sheerman, the chairman of the Commons education committee, said Brown needed to rethink his strategy after the party's disastrous performance in the Norwich North by-election.

July 26th, 2009 LONDON - After a disappointing by-election defeat in Norwich North and the continuing questioning of his role as party leader, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for discipline in the new Labour Party. Brown appealed to both ministers and MPs headed off for summer break that there was work to be done during the summer.

July 13th, 2009 LONDON - Several MPs of the Labour Party have claimed that Prime Minister Gordon Brown is as ruthless and intimidating as a mafia boss. A senior Labour women has even claimed that Brown sends in brutal hitmen to 'bump off' colleagues standing in his way.

June 8th, 2009 LONDON - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is facing a new challenge to his leadership, as his party came third behind the Conservatives and the UKIP in the European elections. The British National Party won its first two European seats.

June 8th, 2009 LONDON - Britain's ruling Labour Party appeared Sunday to be heading for a mauling in the elections for the European Parliament as first results showed a sharp fall in support compared with 2004. Results in the North-East region, a Labour stronghold, were down by nine percent, compared with 2004.

May 23rd, 2009 RAWALPINDI - Slack visa policies and lack of watchfulness by the concerned Pakistan authorities may be utilized by the pro-Taliban elements to enter the country, Pakistan High Commissioner to Britain, Wajid Shamsul Hasan has warned. According to the Dawn, Hasan has already informed the concerned authorities in Islamabad that the on-going military offensive in the Swat Valley may see the foreign based Taliban operatives sneak into Pakistan to offer help to their counterparts.

May 21st, 2009 KARACHI - With India tightening its visa norms specially for Pakistan citizens after the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has incurred heavy operational loss, as it is running half-empty flights to India. The PIA presently operates six flights a week to India with only 45-52 percent utilization of capacity which was over 70 percent before 26/11.

April 21st, 2009 LONDON - Students of Pakistani origin are being granted British visas on the basis of a telephone interview, even as investigation teams probe different aspects of a crackdown involving twelve alleged Pakistan 'student' terrorists. The Telegraph reports that British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has admitted that some visa applications are being decided over the telephone.

February 26th, 2009 LONDON - Lord Nazir Ahmed, a Pakistani-origin Labour politician, faces expulsion from his party after being jailed for 12 weeks for reckless driving that killed a man. Ahmed was driving his Jaguar when he hit a stationary car in the outside lane of the highway in December 2007, killing 28-year-old Martyn Gombar.