Chronology of Pakistan
April 2004 (Continued III)
Over Rs20m spent on investigation into Murtaza murder case
April 19: The state has so far spent more than Rs20 million on the investigation into the Mir Murtaza Bhutto Murder Case yet it has failed to substantiate its allegations against Asif Ali Zardari. This argument was advanced by Barrister Azizullah K Shaikh, counsel for principle accused Asif Ali Zardari, during hearing of a plea in which quashment of proceedings against Asif Zardari in the case had been solicited.
PBC rejects verdict against Hashmi
April 19: The Pakistan Bar Council rejected the court verdict against Pakistan Muslim League stalwart Javed Hashmi, saying, it is "appalled over the manner in which through secretive jail trial he has been convicted and sentenced to such long term imprisonment and heavy fine."
Asif refuses to leave for Switzerland
April 20: Mr Asif Ali Zardari, the husband of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, has refused, on medical grounds, to go to Switzerland to attend an inquiry being conducted by a Swiss magistrate into a case of money laundering. Senator Farhatullah Babar, a PPP spokesman, told Dawn that Mr Zardari was not bound to appear before the Swiss magistrate in person according to the notice received by him (Mr Zardari).
Pakistan has disrupted Al Qaeda network: US
April 20: Top US military commander in Afghanistan has credited Pakistan for successfully disrupting the Al Qaeda network in tribal areas bordering Afghanistan , saying it had significantly affected its ability to support a suspected Taliban insurgency across the border in Afghanistan. The Commander of the US-led forces in Afghanistan, Lt-Gen David Barno, made these remarks in an interview in Kabul that appeared in New York Times (NYT). Notably these remarks from the US Commander came just a day after a statement by the US Ambassador to Afghanistan, Mr Zalmay Khalilzad, that "Pakistan should do more" on this front.
Gas pipeline blast affects supply to many cities
April 20: The supply of Sui gas to Karachi, Hyderabad, Larkana, Shikarpur, Sukkur, Nawabshah and several cities in the Punjab was affected when the main gas pipeline from Sui to Shikarpur on the Sindh-Balochistan border was damaged by a bomb attack. Local authorities described it as the latest in a series of attempts by saboteurs to create problems for gas companies and disrupt their operation.
Another PPP MPA resigns
April 20: PPP MPA from constituency PP-276, Bahawalpur, Dr Mohammad Afzal has resigned from his seat. He tendered his resignation personally when he called on Speaker Afzal Sahi in his chambers. He gave no reasons in his written resignation but he had announced at a press conference around a couple of months ago that he would resign as Punjab Assembly member in protest against the attitude of the PPP top brass towards workers.
Committee told verses not removed from curriculum
April 20: The national committee on curriculum in its first meeting said the controversy about deletion of Quranic verses concerning Jihad from the curriculum was a conspiracy to divide the nation. A source who attended the meeting told Dawn that Qari Abdul Rasheed, the author of the textbooks for Islamiat, during the meeting showed his surprise at the allegations leveled by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) that the Quranic verses regarding Jihad had been deleted from the textbooks.
EU regrets Hashmi’s conviction
April 21: Less than twelve hours prior to the European Parliament’s scheduled discussion and voting on resolutions related to Pakistan, the EU current presidency chose to formally express its "concerns" and "regrets" over the conviction of Pakistan Muslim League-N acting President and Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) President Javed Hashmi to a sentence of 23 years in prison for treason and mutiny.
Petition for switch-over to Urdu as official language
April 21: The National Language Authority (NLA), which was established in 1979 with the task of making arrangements for enforcement of Urdu as the national language, had submitted a comprehensive report in March 1981 in which it had suggested a phased program for adoption of Urdu in all spheres of life by 1983. This was stated in a five-page reply of the NLA submitted in the writ petition seeking enforcement of Article 251(1) of the Constitution. The article guaranteed adoption of Urdu as national language by 1988. Petitioner Tehseen Ahmed has pleaded that this constitutional requirement has not been fulfilled as yet.
Shahbaz to return before May 10
April 22: PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif will return to Pakistan any time before May 10, ending his exile of four years. Mr Sharif announced at the end of four-day consultations with party elders at London that he would be with his people before May 10.
Swiss judge resumes probe into Benazir case
April 22: A Swiss judge resumed hearings into accusations of money laundering against former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto and her husband, but both were absent for medical reasons. Last year, the couple appealed against a higher court conviction and order to pay nearly $12 million to the Pakistan government and magistrates were instructed to begin the case again.
Musharraf wants return of money stashed abroad
April 22: President Gen Pervez Musharraf called for an international legislation to help return the looted wealth of developing countries stashed away in banks of the developed world by corrupt leaders, politicians and businessmen. "We must stop this loot money laundering in Western banks through legislation and UN resolutions. This is the biggest relief that the developed world can give to the developing countries," he said. Speaking at the concluding session of a three-day international conference on UN Convention Against Corruption, the president said the biggest chunk in corruption in every developing country was looting the country's wealth and stashing it away in foreign, particularly, the Western banks.
EU approves trade pact with Pakistan
April 22: The European Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of a new trade and cooperation agreement with Pakistan, giving a vital boost to Islamabad's relations with the European Union. The vote ends almost three years of uncertainty in Islamabad's relations with an increasingly influential and rapidly-expanding EU which will include 25-member states as of May 1.
Shuttle diplomacy prevented Indo-Pakistan war: Bush
April 22: President George Bush has said that America's shuttle diplomacy prevented a war between India and Pakistan three years ago. "2001 was the year that we had shuttle diplomacy to convince Pakistan and India not to go to war with each other," said Mr Bush while addressing the Newspaper Association of America's annual convention in Washington.
600 Pakistanis studying in Chinese varsities
April 22: Over 600 Pakistani students are studying at various universities in China and the number is expected to increase further in the near future, the leader of a visiting Chinese delegation said in Karachi.
‘US expects Pak Army to do more against al-Qaeda fugitives’
April 22: Lieutenant-General David W Barno, the commanding general Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan (CFC-A), has said the United States expects Pakistan Army to continue the operation in South Waziristan to hunt down Taliban and al-Qaeda fugitives holed up in its tribal region to do away with this threat.
Pakistan opposes US resolution on WMDs
April 23: Pakistan led the opposition to a key US-drafted resolution banning the transfer of unconventional weapons to terrorists, saying the measure could be used to justify military action. Ambassador Munir Akram, speaking in the UN, said the UN Security Council was not the most appropriate body to oversee non-proliferation because its five permanent members all retained nuclear arms.
Swiss court indicts Benazir's agent
April 23: Swiss examining Magistrate Mrs Chrishne Junod indicted Jens Schelgelmilch, the agent of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari, for "aggravated money laundering", in Geneva. Jens Schelgelmilch is a co-accused with Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari in the SGS/Cotecna money laundering case which is under trial in Switzerland.
NWFP can't give refuge to Shahbaz, says Faisal
April 23: Interior Minister Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat said the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) government was not empowered to provide refuge to former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif. He was commenting on Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) leader Qazi Hussain Ahmed’s statement that Shahbaz Sharif could land in Peshawar if the latter feared that he would be deported on landing in Lahore.
Gwadar port project opposed
April 23: Sardar Attaullah Khan Mengal, the chief of the Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement, opposed the Gwadar port project, saying it was not meant for the local people. The project, he claimed, would benefit only a particular class of Punjab. Sardar Mengal was speaking at Ponam's first public meeting in Peshawar at Nishtar Park, as part of the movement's mass mobilization campaign.
Any change in US not to affect ties: Shaukat
April 23: A political change in the United States will not affect Pakistan's relationship with America as it is based on mutual national interests and not personal friendship, says Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz. At a briefing at Washington's Brookings Institution, the minister said:"The relationship is in the interest of both the countries and not just a personal thing between two people."
Inspector shot dead in Karachi
April 23: Inspector Taufiq Zahid, a key figure in the Karachi operation launched by Gen (retd) Naseerullah Babar, was shot dead inside a mosque in the city's Federal B. Area in Karachi. The killing came about six months after Inspector Zeeshan Kazmi's bullet-riddled body was found in Ferozabad, on October 14, 2003. Police and eyewitnesses said that Taufiq Zahid was listening to the sermon in the Mohammadi Masjid in Godhra Society, F.B. Area Block-17, when an armed man opened fire at him and fled.
EU to seek information on Pak nuclear tests
April 23: As Pakistan Government is engaged in celebrating the ratification of the EU-Pakistan trade pact, the European Union (EU) is preparing to send a message to Islamabad through diplomatic channels, seeking further information into Pakistan’s nuclear tests, The News reported.
Five militants pardoned for peaceful life
April 24: The government pardoned the five most wanted tribal militants in return for their pledge to live peacefully and not use Pakistani soil against any other country.
The Corps Commander of Peshawar, Lt-Gen Safdar Hussain, however, gave foreign militants until April 30 to turn themselves over and 'register' themselves with the government and furnish guarantees of good conduct from their tribal hosts.
Sajid Naqvi indicted in murder case
April 24: Allama Sajid Naqvi, central leader of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), and former MNA Amanullah Sial were indicted in the murder case of Maulana Azam Tariq, by the Anti-Terrorist Court No. I in Rawalpindi.
SHC bans all trials under Jirga system
April 24: A single bench of the Sindh High Court in Sukkur has banned all trials conducted under the Jirga system throughout Sindh and ordered that those found violating the SHC orders , will be charged under the contempt of court law, irrespective of their status or influence.
US wants moderate Pakistan, says Rocca
April 24: US Assistant Secretary of State, Ms Christina Rocca said the US goal is a Pakistan that is secure, prosperous and a moderate democracy, contributing to growth and stability in the region.
50 militants freed in Wana agreement
April 25: Fifty men were freed as part of an agreement between the Pakistan Army and the Islamic militants in South Waziristan but one of the militants’ commander Maulvi Muhammad Abbas expressed his unhappiness over the statements by two federal ministers in which they claimed the wanted tribals were forced to surrender. "We didn’t surrender to anyone. The agreement doesn’t use the word surrender. It was reconciliation as mentioned by Corps Commander Lt Gen Safdar Hussain in his speech at Shakai," Maulvi Abbas said.
Factions trying to get registered as PPP
April 26: The PPP (Patriot group) and the PPP (Sherpao group) are reported to have informally inquired the chief election commissioner about the possibility of registering the new entity as 'Pakistan People's Party' after the merger of the two parties, Dawn reports.
Democratic Alliance seeks parliamentary probe into Kargil war
April 26: Members of the opposition belonging to the Democratic Alliance submits two separate resolutions seeking formation of a parliamentary commission on the Kargil war and a debate on the Hamoodur Rehman Commission report in the forthcoming Senate session.
Access-to-justice plan being politicized, ADB told
April 26: The National Coordination Committee of district public safety commissions tells the program adviser for law and governance of the Asian Development Bank , Mohammad Sarwar Khan, that the $350 million program was not being implemented in letter and in spirit because the government was amending the police order by inducting MNAs and MPAs into the non-political district public safety commissions (DPSCs).
SAARC Minority rights watch group arrives
April 26: A four-member regional group on the minorities' rights has arrived in Karachi as a part of their 10-day visit, meant to review the conditions of the minorities in the country. The group, comprising Dr Devendra Raj Pandey (Nepal), Meghna Guhathakurta (Bangladesh), Javid Yusuf and Shirani de Fontgalland (Sri Lanka), belongs to the South Asian People's Commission for the Rights of Minorities (SAPCROM). The SAPCROM is an independent commission, established by the South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR), at its meeting held in Delhi in November, 2003.
Who orchestrated Rs 3bn profits for wheat hoarders?
April 26: The rejection of 15 lakh tonnes of Australian wheat by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (MINFAL) — a decision that skyrocketed the flour prices in Sindh to Rs 20 per kg and earned at least Rs three billion profit to wheat black marketers in late February — is now shaping into a major scandal for the Jamali government, according to interviews with related officials, informed sources and documents available with The News.
I never met Osama, says Nek Mohammad
April 26: Nek Mohammad, commander of the tribal Islamic militants who made peace with the army a couple of days ago after months of armed confrontation in South Waziristan, has said he had never met Osama bin Laden, Dr Ayman al-Zawahiri and Mulla Mohammad Omar and was unaware of their hideouts. He told The News that there were no al-Qaeda suspects in the area and all reports about presence of foreign terrorists there was propaganda.
Pakistan to reduce army size by 50,000
April 27: The Pakistan Army is reducing its numerical strength by about 50,000 men which will cut its 'long tail' and, at the same time, sharpen its teeth in a cost-effective way. A decision to this effect was taken at the Formation Commanders' conference which continued at the General Headquarters for a second day with President Gen Pervez Musharraf in the chair.
Corrupt have no right to represent people: CJ
April 27: The Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui, observed that corrupt people who plundered the national wealth had no right to public representation. "The plunderers of wealth should not be elected to represent people and voters should also not encourage characterless candidates," observed the chief justice while disposing of an election matter concerning the local government.
Relations with Pakistan gain importance in Indian polls
April 27: Relations with Pakistan surged centre stage in India's general elections after the main opposition Congress Party accused the government of playing politics with people-to-people contact and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee assured his supporters in Lucknow that ties with Islamabad were on the mend.
Police called as Naib Nazims, TMO’s supporters clash
April 27: Police were called after a clash between some Naib Nazims and councillors and the Sukkur Taluka Municipal Officer and his supporters. Some of the Naib Nazims and councillors tried to forcibly occupy the office of the TMO Mehdi Hassan to dislodge him for his alleged corruption.
MMA's concern over US base near border
April 28: A leader of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal expressed concern on reports about a new airbase built by US forces in Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan. "The US military build up in Paktika is a matter of concern not only for Pakistan and Afghanistan but also for other countries of the region," MMA leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said.
Decision to downsize army criticized
April 28: The MMA has criticized the decision to 'downsize' the Pakistan army and alleged that it has been done under the US pressure. Talking to Dawn, MMA's deputy parliamentary secretary Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said: "The US had formally demanded of the government of Pakistan more than once to cut down its defense expenses to which the rulers have now responded positively".
Amnesty does not cover leaders
April 28: Pakistan's amnesty offer to Al Qaeda and Taliban-linked fighters hiding near the Afghan border does not apply to their leaders, Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat said.
Students protest against curricula changes
April 28: The Muttahida Tulaba Mahaz staged a protest rally in front of the Governor’s House in Peshawar against changes in textbooks. Earlier, the Muttahida Tulaba Mahaz (MTM), held a seminar on "Tahafuz-e-Pakistan Conference" at the Peshawar Press Club. Speaking at a seminar the central president of Imamia Students Organization (ISO), Syed Nasir Abbas Sherazi strongly condemned elimination of Qurranic verses regarding jihad from textbooks and called it attempt towards implementation of secular syllabus in the country.
Mohammad Khan Hoti quits PPPP
April 28: Provincial President of PPPP, Khwaja Mohammad Khan Hoti has confirmed his resignation from the party and said that political line in future would be decided soon after consultation and deliberations with friends, relatives and workers.
N-assets inspection unacceptable, UN told
April 29: Pakistan has declared that it will continue to develop its nuclear, missiles and related strategic capability to maintain the minimum credible deterrence vis-a-vis India.
Speaking at the UN Security Council following approval of the Resolution on Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations Munir Akram asserted that Pakistan would "not accept any demand for access, much less inspections, of our nuclear and strategic assets, materials and facilities."
'Coalition troops enter Pakistani village'
April 29: Troops of coalition forces in Afghanistan entered a Pakistani village in the North Waziristan tribal region and distributed leaflets offering rewards for information about Taliban commander Maulvi Jalaluddin Haqqani and his aides. Some local people, claiming to have received the leaflets, said these were distributed among the Madakhel sub-tribe of the Wazir tribe.
Major power breakdown in Punjab
April 29: The Water and Power Development Authority's distribution system suffered a major breakdown, affecting power supply to a vast area, spanning from Islamabad to Okara.
Troop reduction cosmetic: India
April 29: Pakistan's decision to cut the strength of its armed forces by 50,000 troops was only an administrative measure that would not impact on its fighting ability, India's Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Madhvendra Singh said.
US absolves Pakistan of terror-related charges
April 29: The US State Department absolved Pakistan of all charges of supporting terrorism and praised the country as "one of America's most important partners" in the war against terror. The report on Pakistan, released with the "Patterns of Global Terrorism" report for 2003, does not have a single negative observation and generously acknowledges the difficulties the country faces in fighting terrorism. "Pakistan continues to be one of the United States' most important partners in the global coalition against terrorism. President Pervez Musharraf has himself been the target of terrorist violence, narrowly escaping two assassination attempts in late 2003," it points out.
Media stopped from carrying ads on Sharif, alleges PML-N
April 29: The PML-N alleges that the government has directed the print media not to carry advertisements regarding return of party's president Shahbaz Sharif. Provincial secretary-general Saad Rafiq and Mr Sharif's spokesman Farrukh Shah alleged at a joint press conferencein Lahore that government officials had directed newspaper editors neither to carry the ads nor news items in this regard.
US outlines $701m aid package
April 29: The United States has outlined $701 million aid package for Pakistan for the next US fiscal year, beginning October 1, 2004. According to the senior officials of the Ministry of Finance, details of the package were discussed in Washington between Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz and US Treasury Secretary John Snow and Assistant Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Alan P Larson. The amount would include: $22.15 million for Child Survival and Health Programme Fund; $29 million for Development Assistance; $300 million for Economic Support Fund (ESF); $300 million for Foreign Military Financing (FMF); $2 million for International Military Education/ Training; $40 million for International Narcotics Control/Law Enforcement; $6 million for NADR (Anti-Terror); and $1 million for NADR (Export Control/Border Security.
PM Sectt barred from cutting FPSC chairman/members’ term
April 29: The Prime Minister Secretariat has shelved its initiative to cut the tenure of chairman/members Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) after the Presidency informally conveyed its displeasure to this move. Sources told The News that the Prime Minister Secretariat had been barred from proceeding further on the matter.
NAB seeks action against lawyers
April 30: The National Accountability Bureau moved an application before the Supreme Court seeking 'appropriate' action against senior counsel Abdul Hafeez Pirzada and Farooq H. Naek for allegedly misleading the court and the Press during the hearing of an assets case against PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari.
Riyadh will honor govt's accord with Sharif family'
April 30: In case PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif is arrested upon landing in Pakistan and is deported to Saudi Arabia, the Saudi government would honor and respect the 'agreement' it brokered between the government of Pakistan and the Sharif family, said Abdul Aziz Mirza, the Pakistani ambassador in Riyadh.
US Congress notified about MNNA status for Pakistan
April 30: The US Congress has been formally informed about President George W. Bush's decision to grant Pakistan the Major Non-Nato Ally (MNNA) status, diplomatic sources in Washington told Dawn. "After completion of the inter-departmental consultations, the US State Department formally conveyed the presidential decision to the Congress last week," an informed source confirmed.
40 Pakistani Guantanamo inmates to be freed
April 30: The United States has agreed to hand over 40 Pakistanis detained at Guantanamo Bay to Pakistan. "We have been negotiating their release with our American counterparts and they have agreed to let them go," Pakistan's deputy chief of mission in Washington, Mohammed Sadiq, told Dawn when asked to comment on the reports.
General Abizaid wants Pak troops in Iraq
April 30: The general in charge of US military operations in Iraq appealed to Pakistan, Morocco and Tunisia on Friday to send troops to join American-led forces in Iraq, saying "this needs to be less of an American occupation." Gen John Abizaid, who as head of US Central Command is responsible for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, told reporters at the Pentagon from Qatar, said the withdrawal of about 1,400 Spanish troops from US-led occupation forces in Iraq, along with the loss of soldiers from the Dominican Republic and Honduras, compelled him to use US troops to take their place amid rising violence. "I do favor the inclusion of more international troops, especially more Muslim troops," Abizaid said. "For example, Morocco, Pakistan, Tunisia — they all have very capable and very professional forces..," Abizaid said.