Chronology of Pakistan
April 2003 (Continued II)
LHC verdict on LFO challenged in SC
April 16: The Pakistan Lawyers Forum challenged before the Supreme Court the verdict of the Lahore High Court on an appeal against the Legal Framework Order (LFO).
A division bench of the Lahore High Court had on April 10 dismissed the intra-court appeal of the PLF for lack of its jurisdiction to review the LFO. The bench observed that parliament, being the supreme legislative body, should decide the fate of the LFO.
Pak, Afghan border guards trade fire
April 16: Situation was tense at the Pak-Afghan border in North Waziristan Agency as security guards from both the countries exchanged machinegun fire over the dispute on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Eyewitnesses told The News from Miramshah, headquarters of North Waziristan Agency that Afghan soldiers accompanied with US special troops crossed deep into the Pakistani territory at Ghulam Khan, the border check post between the two countries and tried to lure the local tribals towards Afghanistan by offering them developmental schemes and other incentives. The presence of the alien forces, the sources said, was reported to the Pakistani authorities and the personnel of the Tochi Scouts were sent to the area to control the situation.
NWFP Speaker rejects LFO
April 17: NWFP Assembly Speaker, Bakhat Jahan Khan, has claimed that the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal will not accept the controversial clauses of the Legal Framework Order which negate the parliamentary form of democracy. Speaking at a "Meet the Press" program of the Peshawar Press Club, Mr Khan said the NWFP government endorsed the stance of MMA leadership on the LFO.
Uneasy calm prevails at Pak-Afghan border
April 17: An uneasy calm prevailed on the Pak-Afghan border for the second consecutive day. Soldiers on both sides of the Durand Line were holding positions, but no firing incident was reported from the troubled area in North Waziristan Agency. Eyewitnesses told The News from Miarnshah that hundreds of troops have been deployed by Pakistan and Afghanistan over the heights on their respective sides in anticipation of any attack from either side. "As many as 120 Afghan soldiers and a number of US troops had crossed into Pakistan's side of the border on Wednesday and were conducting a survey to supply water to the tribesmen," said Assistant Political Officer (APO) Miaranshah, Zaheerul Islam. The Afghan and their US allies were invited by one local tribal named Bahadur Khan to his village to conduct the survey for the scheme, but they were forced to leave the area after our forces challenged them. "No direct firing took place between the two sides. The issue has now been resolved after the Afghan authorities realized that the area belonged to Pakistan," said the APO.
Adiala jail mates meet at Saifur Rehman's residence
Apri 17: The infamous political, military and business personalities, who had remained in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) during three years of military rule, met at the residence of former Accountability chief Saifur Rehman in Islamabad to choose a secretary general of "Adiala Jail Association," The News reported. Former chairman CBR Iqbal Farid, who also remained in the custody of the NAB and stayed in Adiala jail, was being tipped as the first secretary general of the unique association. Once the mighty Saeed Mehdi, former principal secretary to the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif was one of the biggest attractions at the political-cum-family gathering of the NAB detainees who had been picked up on charges like corruption and misuse of powers. Another big attraction at the dinner was the presence of former chief minister of NWFP Sardar Mehtab Abbasi, who was specially invited to attend the dinner despite the fact that he had remained in the Attock Jail.
Protests block NA, Senate proceedings
April 18: The crisis over presidential powers deepened as protesting opposition parties blocked both houses of parliament while the government only promised dialogue to end the impasse. The opposition first stalled the National Assembly for the second day running with slogan-chanting against President Pervez Musharraf and the Legal Framework Order (LFO), forcing Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain to adjourn the house until April 21. But they reserved their real talent for protest for the start of a Senate session in the afternoon where they did not allow any proceedings for hours with the same chants as in the National Assembly - "No LFO, no", "Go Musharraf, go".
Kasuri welcomes Vajpayee's statement
April 18: Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri has welcomed the statement of the Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, saying it has been Pakistan's stated desire for long to resolve all the disputes between India and Pakistan through negotiations. In an exclusive discussion with Dawn on the issue in Riyadh, Mr Kasuri said, in view of the very shrill statements from the Indian leadership in the recent weeks, he was "pleasantly surprised" by Mr Vajpayee's statement.
Anti-LFO protest cripples Senate, NA
April 18: The Senate session was prorogued and the National Assembly session adjourned after both the houses were paralyzed by the continuous opposition protest against the Legal Framework Order (LFO). The combined opposition staged an unprecedented 5-hour long protest against the LFO creating pandemonium in the upper house. The Senate Chairman prorogued the Senate amid slogans of 'No LFO No and Go Musharraf Go'.
Pak soldiers in Afghan border village: US military
April 18: A US military spokesman confirmed in Kabul that Pakistani soldiers were in the eastern border village of Ghulam Khan where they had clashed earlier. "There is a small group of Pakistani regular army troops in the area and a group of Afghan militia and there has been some firing," said US military spokesman Col Roger King at Bagram Air Base. He said the border was "ill-defined" and added that shooting had been in the air rather than a firefight. "There are different interpretation of the exact border," he said adding: " Afghan government draws the line on one place and Pakistani government draws it somewhere else." The village Ghulam Khan is in Afghan territory, very close to the Pakistani border according to international maps," he said. Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said, "Our troops have not crossed into Afghan territory.
3 US soldiers injured
April 19: Three American soldiers were injured when a United States military helicopter was struck by ground fire while on a reconnaissance flight in Balochistan, security officials told AFP. The incident occurred in the Loti mountains, 450km south of here on Friday evening, they said. The helicopter returned to Shahbaz air base at Jacobabad.
Anti-defection law not to affect PPP Patriots
April 19: Members of the People's Party Parliamentarians Patriots are not threatened by the anti-defection law, as they severed their relations with the PPP before it came into effect and now the group has been registered as a political party with the Election Commission, sources said in Islamabad. They said the group was no longer a part of the PPP and legal proceedings against it could not succeed as it had severed its links with the party before the Constitution was fully revived.
Wapda tower blown up in Shabqader
April 19: Power supply to a large area of Mohmand Agency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) was disrupted after miscreants blew up a Wapda tower near Shabqader. The miscreants used explosives to destroy tower number 19 on the 66kv Shabqader-Ghalanai transmission line. This was the fourth such incident during the last few months in which Wapda's towers on the Ghalanai-Shabqader transmission line were blown up in Shabqader - a tribal area falling under the jurisdiction of the NWFP government.
Undeclared war with Pakistan continuing for 20 years: Advani
April 19: Indian Vice Prime Minister, L.K. Advani said that undeclared slow war with Pakistan is continuing over last 20 years.
Pak, Afghan armies settle border row
April 19: Pakistan and Afghanistan resolved a four-day-old territorial row between their forces in an area on the border with the help of US army's mediation, officials said in Islamabad. An interior ministry spokesman told AFP a misunderstanding that had developed between Pakistani militia and the Afghan national army and US forces in the past few days "has been amicably resolved today".
US Credit card companies targeting Pakistanis
April 20: Credit card companies are canceling cards issued to legal Muslim residents in the United States because of their religious affiliations, says a report published in a New York magazine. The monthly has found 12 cases in which Muslims, nearly all Pakistani-Americans, with good credit, all of whom claim they made no unusual or exorbitant charges or late payments, had their credit cards cancelled. The magazine found no cases of non-Muslims' credit cards being cancelled outright, or even non-Muslims who were asked to send in paperwork for existing accounts. The report says that for Pakistani proprietors of small businesses, maintaining access to credit and other financial services is a matter of survival.
Musharraf says LFO part of Constitution
April 21: President Pervez Musharraf indicated in Lahore that he would not address the joint session of parliament while the current situation in the two houses lasted. He also stated that the LFO was a part of the Constitution and it would never be changed. Reply to reporters' questions after addressing the ninth convocation of the National College of Arts, the President said: "I will address only a civilized assembly because I do not want the world to develop the perception that we are not civilized (people). The president was obviously referring to the disturbances that have marred recent proceedings in both houses of parliament.
Opposition protest turns louder
April 21: Opposition protests against presidential powers turned harder and louder in the National Assembly despite fresh government offers for talks to settle a row that has paralyzed parliament. It was another day of opposition shouting against President Pervez Musharraf and the Legal Framework Order as the 342-seat lower house met for its current session's third sitting, which lasted only 35 minutes. But the shouts of "No LFO, no", and "Go Musharraf, go" by opposition members were accompanied by louder thumping of desks with leather-bound folders or notebooks - a trick first used by their counterparts in the Senate with a telling effect.
Opposition demands referendum on LFO
April 21: Opposition leaders in the National Assembly urged the government to hold a referendum to know the nation's opinion on the Legal Framework Order (LFO). "This is the suitable time for holding referendum as in current circumstances, it is the best possible way to break the deadlock," People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP) leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi said while talking to reporters.
Lt-Col to head NAB prosecution wing
April 21: An army official of the rank of lieutenant-colonel has been appointed head of the National Accountability Bureau's Punjab prosecution wing, which had been previously controlled by the civilians, to speed up the preparation of the NAB references. Sources told Dawn that the decision to place the prosecution wing under the supervision of an army man for the first time had been taken keeping in view the NAB's failure to hire deputy prosecutor general despite a lapse of more than two months. Previously, the DPG used to head the prosecution wing and coordinate with the investigation wing in this capacity.
Pakistan agrees to UN inspections
April 21: Pakistan has agreed to an urgent UN inspections for prohibited chemical weapons and the first UN team would arrive on April 29, to begin its search in Karachi, The News has learnt. The inspection will be first of its kind, whose main focus will be to enforce the UN's Chemical Weapon Convention (CWC) Treaty that binds its signatories to destroy their chemical weapons and open their sites to the UN inspectors to ensure that they are not producing chemical weapons. Pakistan, being a signatory to the CWC Treaty, is bound to open up its chemical industrial sites for the inspectors to show that it is not making chemical weapons. The treaty was signed in 1993 and enforced in 1994.
Plant's visit a routine affair: FO
April 22: Pakistan said on Tuesday that the inspection of a fertilizer plant in Karachi by a UN team later this month was a "routine matter" and not a chemical weapons inspection.
Referring to news reports about Pakistan's consent to "urgent UN inspections" for the prohibited chemical weapons, a statement by the foreign office spokesman said: "Contrary to the impression conveyed by certain news reports, this was not a chemical weapon inspection as Pakistan was not a chemical weapon state." More than 150 countries by virtue of their membership of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) had agreed to allow verification of their chemical industry, the spokesman said.
Shujaat says Beg offered him massive funds
April 22: Leading politician Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has reopened the controversy over Army's role in politics by admitting that he and his cousin Chaudhry Pervez Elahi were offered millions of rupees by the then Army chief General Mirza Aslam Beg in 1991 for political purposes from Mehran Bank accounts. Mehran Bank scandal had cost Rs 9.92 billion to the national exchequer. Chaudhry Shujaat is the first politician to openly confirm that he was offered massive money for political purposes by a sitting Army chief in 1991 for political purposes.
Opposition protest in NA continues
April 22: The opposition did not show any signs of budging on the issue of Legal Framework Order (LFO) as it kept up its vociferous protest in the National Assembly, forcing the speaker to adjourn the House. After the recitation from the Holy Qur'aan, all opposition members stood up thumping their desks and chanting slogans 'No LFO, Go Musharraf Go' with more vigour in reaction to President General Pervez Musharraf's statement on the validity of the LFO.
MPs refuse to attend Nancy's lecture
April 22: The USAID-funded orientation program on democracy could not be
held here on Tuesday as the organizers were compelled to postpone the event after majority of parliamentarians refused to listen to US Ambassador Nancy Powell.The organizers, however, claimed that the program has been delayed due to the ongoing National Assembly session that coincided with the timing of the event. However, when the media personnel reached the venue, a postponement notice welcomed them.
Afghanistan offered industrial zone near border
April 22: Pakistan has made an offer to Afghanistan to establish a free industrial zone near Torkhum and Chaman border for manufacture of different items which will trigger economic development in Afghanistan. The industrial zone will also attract Pakistani entrepreneurs to set up industries in textile, pharmaceuticals, leather, carpet and in other related fields. Pakistan Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz made this offer during a joint meeting of Pakistan and Afghan ministers at the Finance Ministry.
Karzai presents terrorists' list
April 23: Afghanistan has begun submitting lists of wanted "terrorists" to Pakistan in a bid to crush the Taliban suspected of regrouping along the mountainous border, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in Islamabad. "In a meeting with Prime Minister Jamali, we spoke of some people, in general terms," Mr Karzai told reporters, referring to his hour-long discussion with Mir Zafarullah Jamali. "We are going to come up with a more specific list of names who will be considered criminals of war against the Afghan people. There are people who are definitely terrorists."
Vajpayee spells out terms for peace talks
April 23: Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee reiterated that Pakistan can "open the doors for talks" on Kashmir by ending the "infiltration" of militants into the held state. "Stopping cross-border infiltration and destruction of terrorist infrastructure can open doors for talks. Talks can take place on all issues, including that of Jammu and Kashmir," he told the Lok Sabha.
Musharraf says he will stay in uniform
April 24: President General Pervez Musharraf categorically turned down calls from a part of the opposition demanding that he steps down as the chief of army staff as a condition for accepting the Legal Framework Order (LFO), but said there could be some "flexibility" on the country's future constitutional arrangements. In a wide-ranging interview with leading columnists and newspaper editors, General Musharraf said Pakistan had arrived at a crucial point in its history, close to a take off stage where it was important to maintain national solidarity under his own leadership.
NAB withdraws case against Pakistan Steel chairman
April 24: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has withdrawn the case against the chairman of Pakistan Steel, Lt Col (retd) Muhammad Afzal Khan, on the grounds that sufficient proof was not provided about the misappropriation of funds.
Daughter of Pakistani diplomat seeks asylum
April 24: The daughter of a Pakistani diplomat stationed in Norway has sought asylum in the Scandinavian country, Norwegian media said. The 20-year-old woman, whose name was not disclosed, is the daughter of an embassy counselor and has diplomatic status, daily Aftenposten said. According to Aftenposten, the embassy counselor belongs to the Shia community and is a Pakhtoon from the NWFP. The newspaper's sources described him as "very religious".
Beg's rejoinder to Chaudhry Shujaat
April 24: Former army chief Mirza Aslam Beg, in a rejoinder to Ch Shujaat's assertion that Beg offered him massive funds for election campaign against the PPP in 1990, said: Chaudhry Sahib alleged that during 1990 elections, I had offered to pay him political bribe with money illegally taken out of Mehran Bank. For his information there was no existence of Mehran Bank in 1990 and as such, drawing of money from the bank was out of question.
Record of cases against Sindh governor being collected, NA told
April 24: The Sindh government is collecting details of criminal cases and charges against Governor Ishratul Ebad and soon the relevant record would be placed before the National Assembly, although President Pervez Musharraf denies existence of any case against him. This information was provided to the National Assembly through a written reply to a question raised by Opposition MNA Aitezaz Ahsan.
SHC passes order against shifting of accused wanted by US to foreign country
April 25: The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed the federal interior ministry and other respondents not to shift Haris Hasan, an accused wanted by US law enforcing agencies, to any foreign country till April 30.
Benazir issues guidelines for PPP's revitalization
April 25: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairperson Benazir Bhutto has issued policy guidelines to party workers for revitalizing the party in line with consistent struggle for democracy, civil liberties, employment, education and liberalism" and to make it more vibrant to meet the future challenges. In a letter addressed to the coordination committees, she said that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had established the PPP, which was not only a political party but also a movement.
Akram Lahori, two others get death sentence
April 26: An anti-terrorism court sentenced the chief of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and his two associates to death for three times on three counts of sectarian killings. Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5, who conducted the trial inside the Central Prison, Karachi, handed down the capital punishment for two times to Mian Mohammed Ajmal, better known as Akram Lahori, Mohammed Azam alias Sharif and Attaullah alias Qasim in a double murder case.
Bureaucracy's powers trimmed, claims NRB
April 26: National Reconstruction Bureau Chairman Daniyal Aziz says that the district government system will in no way infringe upon provincial autonomy. "In fact, the system has curtailed the autonomy of bureaucracy which is now creating trouble by engaging Nazims and ministers in a dispute over division of powers," he said at the "Hal-o-Ahwal" programme of Quetta Press Club.
Powell rules out US military action in subcontinent
April 26: US Secretary of State Colin Powell said that he did not envision any military action in the Indian subcontinent to root out "terrorism". "The United States is committed to fighting terrorism and we demonstrated in Afghanistan that we are prepared to use military force if necessary, but I cannot envision any circumstances in which any US military forces might be used in the subcontinent," Powell told India's Star TV in an interview.
ACE grills Nawabzada's son
April 26: Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) has initiated an inquiry against ARD chairman Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan's son Nawab Israr Ahmad Khan, Tehsil Nazim Muzaffargarh, for financial irregularities. ACE sources told The News that the inquiry was initiated on a complaint received by Multan ACE Additional Director Khurshid Alam Bokhari from a contractor Ghulam Akbar on behalf of Chohan Construction Company.
Fire breaks out in Jacobabad air base
April 27: A fire, which broke out in the Shahbaz air base in Jacobabad, was controlled within half an hour by the fire fighting squad deputed there, police officials said. No cause of fire was revealed immediately.
Four billion rupees found bungled in Wapda: AGP report
April 27: The Auditor-General of Pakistan, in its report to President Pervez Musharraf, has pointed out Rs 4.660 billion irregularities in Wapda during 2000-2001. In its report, the auditor-general printed 118 paras (audit objections) amounting to Rs531.061 million misappropriation. Another 393 paras containing misappropriation of Rs4129.438 million have been referred to the Departmental Accounts Committee. This is in addition to Rs45.019 million that was recovered at the instance of the audit.
Situation remains tense in Gulistan
April 27: Situation remained tense in Gulistan area, some 90 kilometres from Quetta, as death toll rose to five in the gun battle between the law enforcement agencies and armed tribesmen resisting the government operation to destroy poppy crop in the area. The cross-firing has, however, stopped. Official sources confirmed that four more persons, all tribesmen, succumbed to their injuries.
Advani reiterates old conditions
April 27: India appeared to distance itself from the rush of enthusiasm for talks with Pakistan it had itself generated, saying that Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's offer of friendship with Islamabad was not new and that New Delhi's old conditions to resume a dialogue still applied. "What Vajpayeeji has said in Kashmir or in parliament is not different from what we have been saying all along as far as talks with Pakistan is concerned," Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishan Advani said in an interview with the Times of India.
Mulla Omar hiding in Pakistan: Abdullah
April 27: Afghan Foreign Minister Dr Abdullah Abdullah has called on Pakistan to act against Taliban leaders he said were operating from its territory. The head of the Taliban, Mulla Muhammad Omar, topped a list of those thought to be taking refuge in Pakistan, he said ahead of a visit to Afghanistan by US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Anything that went against US-led efforts to improve security in Afghanistan was a cause for concern, Abdullah said.
Fazl warns of Durand Line dangers
April 28: Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the MMA's secretary-general, has warned of India's spreading political and military influence in Afghanistan, saying this could create problems for Islamabad. In a Dawn Dialogue interview, the Maulana, who is also chief of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, said problems could arise with the expiry of the Durand Line agreement.
Musharraf 'be tried for treason', PLF plea
April 28: The Pakistan Lawyers Forum moved the Lahore High Court, pleading it to issue directions to the federal government for the trial of President Gen Pervez Musharraf on high treason charges under Article 6 of the 1973 Constitution. PLF president A K Dogar based his petition on the recent press statement of the president, saying he would continue to hold offices of the COAS and the president simultaneously since in this manner he could manage the state affairs quite easily.
India rejects international patrolling of LoC
April 28: India rejected the proposal of the Pakistan Foreign Ministry about joint international patrolling along the Line of Control in Kashmir. "After the prime minister's (Atal Behari Vajpayee) offer of dialogue, there is an expectation that there will be a new approach and new language," an external affairs ministry spokesman said in New Delhi.
Heavy exchange of fire between poppy growers, FC personnel
April 28: Fresh clashes took place between para-military troops and poppy growers in Killi Naik Muhammad and Killi Gul Muhammad, some 70 kilometres north-west of Quetta during the 12th day of the operation against poppy cultivation. The supporters of the poppy cultivators opened indiscriminate fire with sophisticated weapons including machineguns, Kalashnikovs, mortars and rocket launchers on the Frontier Corps (FC) personnel, said a senior official of the FC. More than 200 tribesmen took positions in the hilly areas of these villages.
Nasim Wali elected ANP provincial president
April 28: Nasim Wali Khan was elected through show of hands provincial president of the Awami National Party (ANP) for the fourth time for next four years term at electoral meeting of the party held at Bacha Khan Markaz in Peshawar. She had resigned from the office after conceding party's defeat in October 2002 elections.Former provincial minister Farid Toofan was also elected for the second time as Provincial General Secretary.
Inspectors visit fertilizer plant
April 29: A three-member team of inspectors of the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) conducted an inspection of a fertilizer plant in the outskirts of the city. They carried out day-long inspection of the joint venture FFC Jordan Fertilizer company but the media was not allowed access to them or to go inside the plant during their visit.
New Delhi test-fires Prithvi
April 29: India test-fired a medium range surface-to-surface Prithvi missile from a site in Orissa, an India defense ministry spoksman said. He said the missile had a range of 150 kilometres. The Prithvi missile has three separate versions for the army, navy, and the air force. Prithvi's navy and air force versions have an extended range of 250 kilometres.
Sherpao indicted in illegal exit case
April 29: A Peshawar court indicted Federal Minister for Water andPower, Aftab Ahmad Sherpao, for illegal exit from the country in early 2000. The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge and decided to stand trial. The court has already exempted the defendant from personal appearance and the charge was framed through his counsel, Tariq Afridi.
PA demands gas to be utilized by NWFP
April 29: The NWFP Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution asking the provincial government to move the federal government to ensure utilization of gas deposits found in the province for the benefit of people of southern districts of the province instead of supplying it through a pipeline to Punjab.
Missiles a reality in S Asia: FO
April 29: A Foreign Office spokesman said the Prithvi test was simply a reconfirmation that missiles were now a reality in South Asia. "It comes in the wake of continuing reports about India's acquisition of missile technology from abroad," he said when asked to comment on latest missile test by India.
Muttahida men acquitted
April 29: Provincial minister Local Bodies, Muhammad Hussain Syed and two other Muttahidda activists were acquitted in three linked-cases of murder, attempt to murder, and arson, by the Additional District and Sessions Judge.
Widow's arrest: CJ takes suo motu notice
April 30: The Chief Justice of Pakistan termed the arrest of Shamim Alim, wife of former Dawn staffer late Alimuddin Pathan, "shocking" and directed the NAB to submit a report before the court on May 5. The chief justice took suo motu action on the daily Dawn report which said that Shamim Alim, widow of Alimuddin Pathan, was arrested from her home in Karachi on April 28 at 2.35am.
National Assembly sent into recess
April 30: President Pervez Musharraf sent the National Assembly into a peace recess as the ruling and opposition parties set May 5 to begin detailed talks to resolve their bitter row over his sweeping powers. After Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain read out the presidential order proroguing the lower house indefinitely, an opposition spokesman said rival negotiating teams would hold talks from May 5 to May 15.
6 Al Qaeda suspects arrested
April 30: Pakistan has arrested six "high-profile" Al Qaeda suspects who were allegedly planning a terror attack in Pakistan, the interior ministry said. "During a raid on Tuesday in Karachi we arrested six Al Qaeda suspects including Waleed Mohammad bin Attash," the spokesman said. "They were planning a terrorist attack in Pakistan that has been foiled."
Lahori, 2 others acquitted in Shaukat Mirza murder case
April 30: An anti-terrorism court acquitted chief of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and two others in the Shaukat Mirza murder case. Judge Khan Pervaiz Chang, who pronounced the judgment around inside the Central Prison, Karachi, exonerated Akram Lahori, Mohammed Azam and Ataullah from the charges, giving them benefit of doubt. Lahori and his alleged associates were sentenced on April 26 to death by the ATC-5 in two separate murder cases. The police have, so far, submitted charge-sheets in as many as 17 cases against Lashkar men, who are stated to be involved in over 30 sectarian murder cases in Karachi alone.
OPCW inspectors give all-clear
April 30: Arms inspectors of The Hague-based Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) have expressed satisfaction after inspecting the usage of imported chemicals in FFC-Jordan Fertilizer Company (FJFC). Brigadier Tipu Sultan, chief of the National Authority for Chemical Weapons Convention and Director General Disarmament, stated this while talking to newsmen at the rest house of FJFC.
Pakistan among top five TB-riddled countries
April 30: Pakistan ranks fifth among countries with the highest incidence of tuberculoses and accounts for 43 per cent of the cases in the Eastern Mediterranean region, ccording to Dr Nadeem Rizvi, President Pakistan Chest Society, Sind.