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Chronology of Pakistan
December 2003
Musharraf offers troop pullout from LoC
Dec 1: President Pervez Musharraf said that Pakistan was ready to withdraw its 50,000 troops from the Line of Control provided India pulled back its 700,000 troops from occupied Kashmir. The president was replying to a question in a BBC Radio's programme "Talking Point" which was broadcast live to millions of Hindi and Urdu listeners. When asked would Pakistan withdraw its troops from the Line of Control in Azad Kashmir, the president said: "Pakistan has just 50,000 troops in Azad Kashmir compared to India's massive buildup in occupied Kashmir." The president said that Kashmir was a political dispute and there should be a political solution of the dispute, acceptable to Pakistan, India as well as Kashmiris.
WB asks govt to make Ogra independent
Dec 1: The World Bank has criticized Pakistan for setting up a toothless Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) which could not regulate the petroleum sector independently. The bank said Ogra had conflict of interest with the government, had no powers to regulate the oil and gas sector independently and its functions overlapped with that of the government. In a report on Pakistan's oil and gas sector available with Dawn, the bank said: "Ogra has not been granted full powers in core areas that are normally within the domain of regulatory agencies."
Pakistan lags behind in achieving goals: Unesco: Higher literacy rate
Dec 1: Pakistan is on the right track to meet all six goals of Education for All (EFA), but is lagging behind in achieving higher literacy rate by 2015, Unesco representative Ingeborg Breines said in Islamabad. Quoting EFA Global Monitoring Report 2002, 'Education for All: Is the World on Track', Ms Breines said the report which was formulated by researchers and educationists had stipulated that Pakistan might not reach these goals by the end of 2015. "But, we are asking the government to prove these evaluations wrong by intensifying efforts to achieve the commitments held in Dakar for the EFA," she said during a media- EFA meeting.
Tauqir Zia quits as PCB chief
Dec 1: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Lt Gen (retd) Tauqir Zia announced his resignation. Tauqir insisted that his resignation had no link with the controversy that erupted between Geo and PTV.
Tax ombudsman’s 100 verdicts set aside
Dec 1: The president has set aside nearly 100 decisions made by the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) in favor of appeals against tax payment, sources told The News. President Pervez Musharraf set aside these decisions over the past couple of years on representations by the Central Board of Revenue. The plea taken by the CBR in almost all such instances has been that in none of them maladministration was involved.
Woman meets her children after 45 years
Dec 1: A 77-year-old Sikh woman, Herbans Kaur, who had separated from her two children in 1955, met them after 45 years in Muzaffarabad. At the partition time her Sikh husband, who was the native of Patika village near Muzaffarabad, had migrated to occupied Kashmir and Herbans was left in Muzaffarabad where she embraced Islam and married Hadayatullah Awan. She gave birth two children Manzoor and Zeenat. She had to go to India in the wake of an agreement between Pakistan and India, she rejoined her previous Sikh husband in Ahmedabad and gave birth to two children a daughter, Manmohan Singh, and son, Dilweer Singh. Dilweer Singh and her daughter-in-law are accompanied with her to attend a marriage ceremony of their separated brother and sister.
Musharraf wants end to bias against Muslims
Dec 2: President Gen Pervez Musharraf urged the immigration authorities of developed nations to avoid discriminating against Muslims. "In the post-9/11 period, while regulating international migration, immigration authorities of the developed countries should not target Muslim migrants as a group," a foreign ministry statement quoted Gen Musharraf as saying during a meeting with officials of the International Organization for Migration.
Senate chief defends decision
Dec 2: Senate Chairman Mohammadmian Soomro defended his action of rejecting opposition's resolution regarding constitution of a commission on the Kargil issue. Though he could not cite the rules under which the resolution tabled by PPP's Farhatullah Babar in the senate was disapproved by him, he said the member must have been informed under which rule his motion was rejected.
Trilateral meeting sees progress : War on terror
Dec 2: Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States are making progress in the war on terror, an Afghan government spokesman said after a tripartite meeting held in Kabul to discuss border security
Tripartite body renews pledge to combat terror
Dec 2: The US, Pakistan and Afghanistan renewed mutual commitment to strategic cooperation to combat terrorism and to further improve security situation in the Afghan-Pakistan border regions. The renewed mutual commitment by all the three countries was expressed in the 5th meeting in Kabul of the Tripartite Commission comprising Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States. The commission is composed of senior military and diplomatic representatives of the three countries jointly fighting the war against terrorism. The meeting took place at the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul.
Pakistan not meddling in Afghan affairs: UN
Dec 2: A fact-finding mission of the United Nations Security Council’s permanent representatives for Afghanistan has rejected the allegation by certain disgruntled elements about Pakistan’s involvement in the internal affairs of Afghanistan. The mission, who conducted a detailed visit to Kabul recently, has submitted its report to the Security Council in New York. The report has no mention of Pakistan’s interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan.
NAB arrests PS to secretary education NWFP
Dec 2: The National Accountability Bureau arrested Iftikhar Ahmad Bhatti, private secretary to secretary education NWFP, for alleged accumulation of assets through unfair means in Peshawar. The NAB while giving details of the assets of Iftikhar Bhatti revealed that the accused has three plots in Hayatabad worth Rs 1500,000, one plot in Shiekh Maltoon Town worth Rs 540,000 and saving certificates worth Rs 102,20,000.
Al-Akhtar’s accounts frozen ‘in country’s interest’
Dec 2: The freezing of accounts of the Al-Akhtar Trust International has been effected keeping in view the interests of the country and on receipt of information from a friendly country that the activists of the trust were linked to the Taliban and Al-Qaida network. This was stated in the para-wise comments filed on behalf of federal ministry of finance on the petition questioning seizure of accounts of the Al-Akhtar Trust by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on the directives of the ministry.
Bank accounts of banned groups frozen
Dec 3: The State Bank has asked all commercial banks and development finance institutions to freeze the accounts of three religious groups banned by the government on Nov 15 for their alleged involvement in extremism.
Gwadar housing plans dropped
Dec 3: In a surprise move, the Balochistan government has scrapped all its housing projects, including the prestigious Sangar Housing Project, in Gwadar district by cancelling the allotment of all the plots granted to general public, defense personnel and other federal agencies.
India offers maritime security links
Dec 3: India formally proposed setting up a hotline between the Indian and Pakistani coast guards and twice-yearly meetings between officials. An Indian external affairs ministry statement said Pakistan has been told the link could start on January 1. The move was designed to prevent the frequent arrests of fishermen by the authorities on both sides.
Two Pakistanis sent home from held Kashmir
Dec 3: Two Pakistani brothers who were arrested after accidentally crossing into held Kashmir were sent home as part of peace moves between the two countries. "Sikender Ahmed, 18, and Rashid Ahmed, 16, strayed into our territory on Monday and were arrested," said Border Security Force (BSF) officer, Rajesh Gupta. "After interrogation they were found to be innocent and as part of the peace initiative between the two countries the two brothers were handed over to Pakistan security personnel."
Musharraf vows to root out extremism: Banned outfits won't be allowed to resurface
Dec 4: President Gen Pervez Musharraf said that the government was committed to root out extremism and made it clear that the banned militant organizations would not be allowed to resurface under any new name. Speaking at a gathering of about 80 ulema and Mashaikh at the Aiwan-i-Sadr, the president said the recent decision to ban extremist groups promoting militancy was taken in the national interest after thorough consultations. "It was not taken under any foreign influence," he stressed.
Pakistan, India to cut duties on 500 items
Dec 4: At a meeting at the Saarc secretariat in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu, India and Pakistani officials agreed to reduce duties by 10 to 25 per cent on a list of some 500 tariff lines, Press Trust of India news agency reported. It did not elaborate on the goods covered under the agreement, but said the concessions will be extended to other Saarc members, if they’re not already available to them. India already has a free trade pact with Sri Lanka and a preferential trade arrangement with Nepal.
Human conditions not improving in Pakistan: report
Dec 4: Pakistan Human Condition Report 2003 has urged the government to double the development spending and enhance investment if the goal of poverty reduction and human development is to be achieved. The Centre for Research on Poverty Reduction and Income Distribution (CRPRID), established at the Planning Commission, released this report in Islamabad. The report has used three different poverty numbers, including Human Poverty Index (HPI) of UNDP that estimates poverty at 40 per cent, 39 per cent estimated by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) and 32.1 per cent claimed by the government. However, in all three estimates, there is one common finding that poverty is rising in Pakistan, and social neglect has aggravated the human conditions.
Offices of banned outfits sealed in AJK
Dec 4: Azad Kashmir Police shut down nine offices of Khuddam-ul-Islam, the reincarnation of Jaish-e-Muhammad and one office of Jamaat-ul-Ansaar, formerly known by the name of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. The two groups were among six outfits President Pervez Musharraf outlawed last month as part of his anti-extremist drive. The other groups were Millat-e-Islamia Pakistan, Islami Tehreek Pakistan, Jamaat-ul-Furqan and Hizbut Tahreer.
India steps up fencing of Kashmir border amid truce with Pakistan
Dec 4: The Indian army said it was taking advantage of a truce with Pakistan to step up fencing of the divided border in Kashmir to prevent militants from crossing. An Indian Military officer said Indian forces had fenced 190 kilometres of the 460-kilometer Line of Control, and that fencing would be complete by mid-2004.
Cases filed against 14 armymen, Senate told
Dec 5: The Senate was informed that cases were initiated against 14 military personnel working in civil departments under NAB Ordinance during the year 2002-03. The Senate was informed that three references were pending against Chairman of Karachi Port Trust (KPT) Rear Admiral Akbar Hussain Khan (retd) in an accountability court in Karachi. The KPT chairman has been charged with misuse of authority. A similar reference is pending adjudication in an accountability court in Karachi against former Director of Ship Management of Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) Commodore Ashfaq Baig Mirza (retd). The Senate was informed that references for misuse of authority were pending against former PNSC chairman Rear Admiral Javaid Ali (retd) and former naval chief Mansoorul Haq. Former director-general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Major Mushtaq Ahmed (retd) is also facing charges of keeping assets beyond his known means of income and a case is pending in an accountability court. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is investigating cases against former Wapda Chairman Lt-Gen Zahid Ali Akbar (retd), former secretary of Lahore Cantonment Cooperative Housing Society Brig Karrar Ali Agha (retd) and former secretary Services and General Administration Capt Muhammad Yunas Jafar (retd) for having assets beyond their known means of income. References are also under process against former deputy commissioner of Multan Major Shakeel Ahmed (retired) and deputy director of housing department Capt Mohammad Saeed (retired) also for having assets beyond their known means of income and against Commodore Tayyab Naqvi of Fisheries and former managing director of Pakistan Steel Mills Ilyas Shamim for misuse of authority. The Senate was also informed that a case on charges of corruption was under process against former administrator of Evacuee Trust Major Muhammad Rasheed Ahmed and Capt Syed Naseer Ahmed (retired) whose designation was not mentioned.
Islamabad, Kabul to curb border movement
Dec 5: Pakistan and Afghanistan have decided to impose restrictions on free movement of their nationals from tomorrow across the Torkham border town - a step meant to tighten security on both sides of the border. Sources said that senior officials from both sides, in a meeting, agreed to adopt more precautionary measures to regularize movement of their nationals, using the Torkham crossing and discourage illegal human trafficking.
Taliban cross into Pakistan as DPs, says UN body
Dec 5: The Al Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committee (ATSC) of the United Nations believes that Taliban have entered Pakistan in good numbers posing themselves as refugees and settled at the refugee camps set up in border areas, a source in the interior ministry told Dawn. The seven-member committee called on Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat and gave him a detailed briefing on why it believed that a significant number of Taliban had entered Pakistan from Afghanistan, the source said. The committee is headed by Heraldo Munoz, Ambassador of Chile to the UN. Other members included Madame Traore (Guinea), Haider Shah (Pakistan) and Carla Serrazi (Chile) along with the Deputy Permanent Representative of Russian Federation and a representative of the US Mission in Pakistan. The committee is visiting Pakistan to monitor the activities of Al Qaeda and Taliban and their nexus in Pakistan.
Pakistan advised to buy liquefied gas to avoid shortfalls
Dec 4: Pakistan will begin facing gas shortfalls to the tune of 839mmcfd (million cubic feet per day) in 2010, which is expected to reach the 6,708 mmcfd mark by 2025. Quoting these estimates from the government documents, officials of the ABN-Amro bank advised Pakistan's top energy and financial authorities to go for the liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports and restructure electricity tariffs to attract LNG investors because cross-border gas pipeline imports carried a lot of political and economic risks.
10 offices sealed in AJK: Two banned organizations
Dec 4: In a major crackdown, authorities in Azad Kashmir have sealed at least 10 offices of two militant groups outlawed by Islamabad last month. Official sources in Muzaffarabad said police shut down nine offices of Khuddamul Islam and one office of Jamiatul Ansar. The Pakistan government last month banned Islami Tehreek Pakistan, Millat-i-Islamia Pakistan, Khuddamul Islam, Jamaatul Furqan, Jamiatul Ansar and Hizbul Tahreer under the Anti Terrorism Act, 1997. Another group, Jamaatul Dawa, was placed under observation under the provisions of the same act. The new bans imposed in Azad Kashmir were the latest in a series of confidence-building measures taken by Pakistan and India to improve strained relations.
38.1pc people living below poverty line: report
Dec 4: Pakistan Human Condition Report, 2003 reports a further increase in the proportion of people living under the official national poverty line to stand at 38.1 per cent. This percentage is based upon official definition that accepts 2,350 calories per day as the minimum caloric requirement at prices of the year 2000-01. The first such report issued last year had shown the poverty line as 30.6 on the same basis. Produced jointly by the Centre for Research in Poverty Reduction and Income Distribution (CRPRID), UNDP and UNOPS, the report noted that as markets and prices often fail to produce the desired outcomes, "government intervention through its redistributive role is needed to achieve economic stability, reduce poverty and inequality, improve human development conditions and reduce vulnerability of the marginalized, the destitute and the poor by creating sustainable livelihood opportunities".
Commonwealth keeps Pakistan out
Dec 5: The 54-nation Commonwealth decided not to lift suspension of Pakistan and Zimbabwe at its summit in Abuja, Nigeria. "There will be no change on Pakistan at this meeting," Prime Minister New Zealand Helen Clark told reporters at a reception. She and others said the Commonwealth would not readmit Pakistan until Musharraf steps down as head of the armed forces and addresses other Commonwealth demands for democratic and judicial reforms.
Super Basmati: EU scraps duty exemption
Dec 5: Pakistan’s rice exports to the European market have virtually stopped as the European Union (EU) has removed Super Basmati from the approved list of items exempted from duty. The Cereal Experts Committee (CEC) of the EU met in Brussels to discuss a draft amendment to a regulation governing import of brown rice into Europe. The committee approved the draft according to which Pakistani Super Basmati rice and Indian Pusa variety have been dropped off the list, sources in Brussels told The News. The decision is estimated to cause a loss of $50 million a year.
C'wealth spells out terms for re-entry
Dec 6: The Commonwealth is unlikely to re-admit Pakistan until President Pervez Musharraf gives up his military title and his powers to sack parliament, the group's secretary general said. "Both these issues are in contravention of Pakistan's constitution," said Don McKinnon, explaining a decision by a Commonwealth summit in Abuja, Nigeria, to ratify Pakistan's exclusion due to democratic shortcomings.
Amendment to Qisas, Diyat ordinance demanded
Dec 6: At the concluding session of the three-day consultations on the Qisas and Diyat Ordinance, speakers in Karachi continued to criticize the law and called for an amendment so as to make it in conformity with the spirit of Islam. The gathering for consultations is part of a series of such events being held in different cities under the auspices of the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW). The speakers suggested that the institution of Ijtehad be revived so that people could be able to enlighten themselves with clear, correct and right approach towards various problems. In this regard, they maintained that values and approach did change with the passage of time.
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