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Chronology of Pakistan
January 2003
Islamabad, Delhi exchange N-data
Jan 1: Pakistan and India exchanged information on their nuclear installations and facilities through diplomatic channels. According to an announcement made by the foreign office, pursuant to Article-II of the Pakistan-India Agreement on Prohibition of Attacks Against Nuclear Installations and Facilities, both countries are required to exchange information on the first working day of every year. A source familiar to the issue said exchange of information on nuclear installations and facilities was a routine matter.
NWFP PA flays US Madressah attack
Jan 1: The NWFP Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the US aircraft attack on a Madressah in South Waziristan Agency and demanded of the federal government to register a strong protest with the US government in this regard. The resolution was moved by MMA legislator from Mardan and deputy speaker of the NWFP Assembly, Ikramullah Shahid. Speaker Bakht Jehan Khan earlier relaxed the relevant rules to allow the mover to move his resolution.
Dr Ibad acquitted, Younus arraigned
Jan 1: The provincial government withdrew a criminal case against Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad. The case (FIR No 528/92) against the newly-appointed governor and others was registered in 1992 by the New Karachi police under sections 147, 148, 149, 163, 427 and 342 of PPC and section 17 (3) of the Enforcement of Hudood Ordinance on the complaint of Husain Ahmed, son of Mohammed Umer.
Dr Ibad and eight others were shown absconders in the final charge-sheet of the case submitted before the court in 1993.
Pakistan takes UNSC seat as non-permanent member
Jan 1: Pakistan took its seat as non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for two years. This is for the sixth time that Pakistan has been elected to serve on the Security Council. Pakistan's earlier terms were in 1993-94, 1983-84, 1976-77, 1968-69 and 1952-53. Pakistan was elected to the 15-member Security Council on September 27, 2002. Other countries elected to serve on the Council along with Pakistan were Angola, Chile, Germany and Spain.
Four Pindi Bench LHC judges transferred
Jan 1: In the wake of the manhandling of journalists and harassing of lawyers after the demolition of under-construction library in Lahore High Court, (LHC) Rawalpindi Bench premises on yesterday, all the four judges of the bench have been transferred to Principle Seat. President of Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA), Mohammed Ikram Chaudhry has demanded that all those LHC officials who were involved in storming a LHCBA Press conference in High Court auditorium on Tuesday should be dismissed from service.
'India wanted to disintegrate entire Pakistan in '71'
Jan 1: The US had feared that India wanted to disintegrate entire Pakistan, disclosed the documents about the 1971 war between India and Pakistan, released by the British government in London, reports the BBC. “The then US President Richard Nixon feared that India not only wanted the separation of East Pakistan but also wanted to disintegrate entire Pakistan through war,” revealed the documents, saying “the US authorities said the US with the help of the then USSR and the movement of its (US) Seventh Naval Fleet refrained India from going ahead with its plan.”
US spy plane crashes near Jacobabad
Jan 1:American spy plane crashed at village Juma Khan Dashti near Jacobabad. The plane fell down on the rice crop with a big bang.
15-member Sindh cabinet sworn in: Muttahida gets major share
Jan 2: A 15-member Sindh cabinet, including a woman minister, was sworn in at a ceremony on the lawns of Governor's House. Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, who arrived at the ceremony along with Chief Minister Ali Muhammad Mahar, administered the oath to the ministers.
No-trust against Nazimeen stopped: Ordinance amended
Jan 2: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi approved an amendment to the Local Government Ordinance, 2001, disallowing no-confidence motion against district Nazimeen till June 30. The amendment is being introduced in line with a decision by the previous federal cabinet which was taken during its November 6 meeting. The Musharraf government had earlier disallowed the no-confidence against the Nazimeen for one year.
US says it could pursue attackers into Pakistan
Jan 2: The US military said in Kabul: "US forces acknowledge the internationally recognized boundaries of Afghanistan, but may pursue attackers who attempt to escape into Pakistan to evade capture or retaliation. This is done with the express consent of the Pakistani government... We continue to operate, and have the freedom to operate where we choose." The statement said last weekend's operation, in which a US soldier was wounded when he was shot in the head by a Pakistani border guard, was "in response to attacks made by hostile forces." "Coalition forces will defend themselves from attack," it said.
NWFP PA seeks abolition of Riba
Jan 2: Through a unanimous resolution, the NWFP Assembly asked the provincial government to abolish interest-based system, exempt taxes on residential houses, personal vehicles, and weapons according to the Islamic Ideological Council's recommendations. It also approved a resolution with majority recommending the federal government to restore Friday as weekly off instead of Sunday.
Changes in FPSC rules not in public interest
Jan 2: A recent amendment to the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) Function Rules 1978 is admittedly an arrangement evolved to regularize the services of irregular appointees in the government. Informed sources confided to The News that the latest amendment to the FPSC (Functions) Rules 1978 was not introduced in the public interest, but was subjective to favor a selected class of irregular employees.
Pakistan gets 300 US vehicles to patrol Afghan border
Jan 2: The United States donated 300 vehicles to Pakistan to patrol the border with Afghanistan that is the focus of the hunt for al-Qaeda and Taliban remnants. US Ambassador to Pakistan, Nancy Powell, handed over 300 vehicles along with 750 radios to Inspector-General Frontier Corps NWFP Maj-Gen Taj-ul-Haq. This equipment are part of the US Embassy's $73 million programme to help Pakistan enhance its security, will give the Frontier Corps NWFP the ability to communicate over long distances, to patrol more safely the rugged terrain, to man check posts and barricades, and to ensure that law and order extends to even the most isolated areas, said a USIS news release.
Ex-secretary Passco gets 14 years RI
Jan 2: Accountability Court in Lahore awarded 14 years' rigorous imprisonment to ex-secretary Passco Major (retd) Muhammad Nawaz Malik in a corruption reference against him. The accused was on bail and after the announcement of the judgment was arrested by the police.
25-member Punjab cabinet takes oath
Jan 3: A 25-member Punjab cabinet was sworn in at a ceremony held at the Governor's House in Lahore. Four MPAs were appointed special assistants and an equal number advisers to the chief minister , putting the strength of the provincial cabinet at 33.
Musharraf clarifies quotes
RAWALPINDI: President General Pervez Musharraf clarified media reports, which misquoted him about his remarks over the "unconventional" war with India during the recent military stand-off and termed it "malicious". Musharraf stated that he was in fact talking in context of Kashmir and had said that if any one tried to cross the Line of Control (LoC), then there would be a guerrilla warfare.
US downplays nuclear threat
Jan 3: The United States said that it could not confirm reports that Pakistan was ready to use nuclear weapons against India during the border crisis last summer. Several major US newspapers have reported earlier this week that Pakistan had threatened to use nuclear weapons in the summer when India brought hundreds of thousands of additional troops to the border following a terrorist attack on the parliament building in New Delhi. When asked at a briefing to comment on the report, US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said he had no information about it.
Washington insists on right to hot pursuit
Jan 3: US military officials in Afghanistan have once again said that they reserve the right "to cross into Pakistan" in pursuit of Al Qaeda and Taliban fugitives. The affirmation follows a statement in Islamabad by the Foreign Office spokesman that Pakistan was not aware of this development. "US forces reserve the right to pursue enemy attackers across the border to evade retaliation," Capt Alayne Cramer, a spokeswoman for the US forces at the Bagram Air Base near Kabul, said.
Pindi Bench-Bar dispute resolved
Jan 3: The dispute between the Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court and the Bar association over the construction of a library was resolved after Justice Ali Nawaz Chowhan intervened into the matter and assured the lawyers that the library would be constructed and the officials responsible for aggravating the situation would be taken to task.
Pak, US forces exchange heavy fire
Jan 3: Pakistani and US-Afghan forces on the Pak-Afghan border near Angoor Adda of South Waziristan Agency exchanged heavy machinegun fire on the night between Thursday and Friday. Local sources and government officials said that a rocket launcher shell, fired from across the border, fell into the Pakistani territory. The fire was returned, which resulted in the exchange of heavy machinegun fire from both sides for more than one hour.
MMA stages anti-US rallies country-wide
Jan 3: The six-party religious alliance, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, on Friday staged country-wide rallies to protest the expected United States attack on Iraq. The biggest procession was taken out from Madani Masjid, Malgu Mandai, after Juma prayers in Peshawar, which was addressed by the top MMA leadership including MMA Secretary-General, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Jamat-e-Islami President, Qazi Hussain Ahmed. Maulana Fazlur Rehman, addressing an anti-US rally in Peshawar, announced: "We declare jihad against America that has stationed its forces in Pakistan to do away with our sovereignty".
Seminar marks "100 years of Development of Urdu"
Jan 3: "The Urdu language will not wither away or die because it had 'come into being' after drinking the "Aab-e-Hayat" (Elixir of Life)". Jameeluddin Aali, a prominent Urdu scholar and academician, stated this at the opening session of the 'Century of Development of the Urdu language' held at the Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology in KarachiThe seminar was organised by the "Anjuman Tarraqi-e-Urdu, Pakistan" and the Aligarh Muslim University's Old Boys Association in Karachi. The purpose of marking 100 years of development of Urdu in the region is to highlight the role the language has played in paving the path of the independence movement of the Indian Muslims. According to the organizers, it is also meant to prove how the language had played its key role in reviving the awareness of education and knowledge in the Muslims of pre-partitioned India.
Pakistan, US agree on closer liaison: Pursuit of Al Qaeda men
Jan 4: President Pervez Musharraf and US Secretary of State Colin agreed that the last week's clash between their forces on the Pakistan-Afghan border might have been due to a "misunderstanding", Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri said. Kasuri said that Colin Powell telephoned President Pervez Musharraf and "both agreed that the incident of Dec 29 may have occurred due to some misunderstanding at the operational level on the ground". "They reiterated the need to further strengthen co-ordination to ensure that such incidents do not happen in future," Kasuri said.
Judges get extension
Jan 4: The retirement of chief justice of Pakistan and two other Supreme Court judges, scheduled earlier for 2003, has been stretched to 2006 , following the enforcement of an amendment on Jan 1, prescribing three-year extension in the retirement age of both Supreme Court and high court judges. Article 179 of the Constitution was amended through the Legal Framework Order (LFO) on Oct 10, 2002, under which the retirement age of SC Judges was enhanced from 65 to 68 years. However, the amendment was not enforced on the same date. Following the enforcement of the amendment, Chief Justice Sheikh Riaz Ahmad who was to attain the age of retirement on March 8, 2003, under the previous law would now retire in 2006. Two other SC judges - Justice Munir A. Sheikh and Justice Qazi Mohammad Farooq - would now retire on July 1 and Jan 5, 2006, respectively.
School education in Punjab made free
Jan 4: In its first meeting, the Punjab cabinet decided to provide free education up to secondary school level in all the provincial and district government schools from the next academic session. Giving details of the cabinet decisions, Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi told a news conference that all public schools would stop charging fees from the next academic session beginning from April.
$2.3bn remittances received last year
Jan 4: Pakistan received ever highest foreign remittances of $2.389 billion from expatriates during the year 2002, well-informed sources from Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) told Dawn. The sources hoped the remittances were likely to increase to over $3 billion by the end of the current financial year. However, in 2001 the total amount of remittances received were $1.022 billion.
Pak economy improving: World Bank
Jan 4: Pakistan has turned around a deteriorating macroeconomic situation of a few years ago to the one which is rapidly improving. Inflation has remained below five per cent. The current account deficit in the balance of payments has turned into a surplus (and before interest expense, a large surplus). Exports have begun to grow again, after years of stagnation. This was stated by the World Bank in its report on "Pakistan Country Update" issued in Islamabad.
Governor can change seniority of govt servants: SC
Jan 4: Supreme Court of Pakistan has observed that the Punjab Governor has powers to change seniority of a government servant, according to principle of equity, good conscience and justice. A three-judge SC Full Bench comprising Chief Justice Sh Riaz Ahmad, Justice Mian Muhammad Ajmal and Justice Muhammad Nawaz Abbas further ruled that the governor could assign seniority to any civil servant even in the presence of Section 7 of the Civil Servant Act, which provides that 'the seniority in the government of Punjab is a vested right.'
443 Al Qaeda suspects handed over to US
Jan 5: Pakistan has handed over 443 suspected Al Qaeda operatives to US authorities till to date. Defence sources told Dawn that Pakistan authorities arrested more than 500 Al Qaeda members since the launch of US-led anti-terror campaign in Afghanistan. Of these, 443 have been remanded to the custody of US authorities, they said.
Hot pursuit to continue quietly
Jan 5: President Gen Pervez Musharraf and United States Secretary of State Colin Powell have agreed that hot pursuit of the Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters across the Pakistan-Afghan border will continue but quietly , diplomatic sources in Washington told Dawn. The two leaders have spoken twice since Dec 29, when a clash between US and Pakistani troops in North Waziristan strained relations between the two allies.
F-16s meant for Pakistan given to US forces
Jan 5: The 28 F-16 planes that Pakistan bought in the 1980's from the United States but never received, because the US Congress withheld them to punish Pakistan for secretly developing nuclear weapons , are now being transferred to the United States Navy and Air Force, said the New York Times.
S. Arabia to supply oil worth $1.3bn
Jan 5: Saudi Arabia has reached an agreement with Pakistan to supply oil worth $1.3 billion, with the deferred payment facility, to help it build its oil reserves, the OPEC news agency reported. Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali during his just concluded three-day visit to the Kingdom had requested for continuing the facility of deferred payment for another financial year. As a gesture of goodwill and in view of strong relations between the two countries, Saudi Arabia agreed to extend the financing facility.
Pakistan, allied commanders meet to defuse tension
Jan 5: Military officials of Pakistan and the allied forces in Afghanistan met at Angoor Adda in South Waziristan to defuse tension on Pak-Afghan border and to boost efforts to counter activities of Taliban and al-Qaeda operatives in the area.
Pakistan alone to conduct operations: FO rejects hot pursuit deal
Jan 6: Pakistan said that India's official statement about nuclear weapons last week signalled an "important extension of Indian policy of using nuclear weapons". Foreign ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmad Khan told a press briefing that the statement was "a further evidence that nuclear weapons and their use is very much part of Indian strategic policy".
NCA to decide on use of N-weapons
Jan 6: The National Command Authority headed by President Gen Pervez Musharraf is authorized to take a "unanimous decision" for using nuclear weapons unlike India where the prime minister has been given powers to take similar decisions. Official sources said that Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali attended a special session of the NCA where he was informed that the Authority was empowered to take a joint decision to use nuclear weapons and not any individual, including the president.
LFO not part of Constitution, says PBC
Jan 6: Pakistan Bar Council, the apex body of legal practitioners, said that Legal Framework Order 2002, was not part of the Constitution , and three years' extension in the retirement age of superior courts judges was a "dubious gift from the military rulers" to the judiciary.
12 countries rescheduled $6.2bn debt in 2002
Jan 6: Pakistan managed to get its debt amounting to $6.2 billion rescheduled under the Paris Club bilateral agreement with twelve countries during the year 2002. The rescheduling has provided a considerable relief in repayments of loans and now these would be repayable over a period of 38 years, including 15 years' grace period, starting from May 31, 2017.
Pakistanis not to get dual Indian citizenship
Jan 6: India declared Pakistan as among the countries whose nationals would not be entitled to claim the proposed dual citizenship for people of Indian origin, news reports said. "The grant of dual citizenship won't be automatic and will be confined to a few countries - which had a similar provision - on the basis of reciprocity," Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kirshan Advani said.
Support price system for crops restored
Jan 6: Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali has reversed the military government's decision of scrapping support price system for eight agricultural crops and has asked the authorities concerned to restore the old system to arrest the fall of agriculture sector, The News reported. The previous government had taken the decision to abolish the support price policy in 2001, on the recommendation of the Finance Ministry that had signed a series of agreements with the international donor agencies, the IMF, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, to secure loans in the name of projects to stabilize the balance of payments position.
US forces agree not to cross border
Jan 6: Top officials of the US forces based in Afghanistan at a meeting with officers of the Pakistan Army at Angoor Adda agreed not to cross over Pakistan border while chasing wanted people but asked for taking more steps to seal the long porous border completely and stop unfrequented routes of hidden attackers, the News reported.
FBI arrests an Arab, others from Multan
Jan 6: Personnel of Pakistani intelligence agencies and FBI conducted a joint operation at religious schools and office of a Jihadi organisation 'Al-Dawah' in Khanewal, Chichawatni and Jehanian in Multan division and arrested an Arab, identified as Muhammad Fahad (45) and four others.
NAB convicts enjoying comforts of hospitals VIP rooms
Jan 6: Most of the private rooms in Peshawar city's major hospitals have been serving as 'living rooms' for over a two dozens of the accused undergoing trials in the National Accountability Bureau, NWFP on charges of corruption and misuse of power. At the moment a total of about 65 people, most of them under trail, are in NAB custody in Peshawar and Haripur jails. Interestingly, out of this number, 27 'corrupts' instead of going through the ordeals of prison houses have been living in well-furnished VIP private rooms of Lady Reading Hospital, Khyber Teaching Hospital and Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar and Ayub Medical Complex, Abbottabad.
Cold war between MPAs, Nazims starts
Jan 6: A cold war between MPAs and Nazims has started in the NWFP after local government system came under fire in the provincial Assembly. It was already predicted that a tug-of-war would start between the members of assemblies and district, town, tehsil and union councils Nazims over powers share. According to the government formula Nazims and councillors would look after development work while the members of assemblies would work for legislation.
Sindh govt bans transfers, postings by Nazims
Jan 6: The Sindh government has imposed a ban on transfers and postings in all district, town and tehsil councils directing the concerned Nazims that there will be no transfer and posting without prior permission from the local government department.
Bar terms govt move attack on judiciary's independence
Jan 6: President Lahore High Court Bar Association Rawalpindi Bench Muhammad Ikram Chaudhry said the three years' extension in the retirement age of the judges of the superior judiciary was an attack on the freedom and independence of the judiciary.
NAB tells President, PM about cases against ministers
Jan 6: National Accountability Bureau (NAB)’s Chairman Lt. Gen. Muneer Hafeez, said that he has intimated Prime Minister and the President about the Bureau’s views over the controversy involving the inductions of Ministers investigated and tried for misuse of official authority in the past.
Senate elections put off until Feb 24
Jan 7: The Election Commission of Pakistan postponed the Senate elections until Feb 24 and 27, for the provinces, and the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas and the federal capital, respectively. Earlier on Dec 31, the president had approved Feb 4 for polling while the process was to start with the submission of nomination paper from Jan 8.
Shujaat elected party chief
Jan 7: Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Salim Saifullah Khan returned unopposed as president and secretary-general of Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-i-Azam) respectively.
India threatens to wipe out Pakistan
Jan 7: Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes warned Pakistan that it would be completely wiped out if it ever launched a nuclear attack against India. "We will suffer a little but there will be no Pakistan when we respond," Fernandes said at an international meeting organized by a business club in the southern city of Hyderabad. Fernandes was referring to a recent comment by President Pervez Musharraf in which he had warned India against launching a conventional attack, saying that Islamabad would respond with unconventional means.
Inspection of Pak N-assets ruled out
Jan 7: Defence Minister Rao Sikander has said that Pakistan would not allow inspection of is nuclear assets and the cooperation between American forces in Afghanistan and the Pakistani forces is limited to exchange of information.
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