Chronology of Pakistan
January 2004 (Continued II)
Police have no right to interfere in religious matters: LHC
Jan 6: Justice Sakhi Hussain Bukhari of the Lahore High Court has said the police have no right to interfere in the religious matters of the citizens and if police do so, then the courts can take action against it. The court gave these observations on a petition of Yousaf Masih filed against the police harassment.
FC man killed in rocket attack
Jan 6: A Frontier Constabulary official was killed in a rocket attack on a van by dacoits near Sui, officials said. The official was going to Sui from Jaffarabad when some dacoits fired rockets on the van near Habibani Rangers picket.
PML-N rejects, PPP hails joint statement
Jan 7: Serious differences seem to have surfaced between the People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-N, the two component parties of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD), following their respective responses to the Musharraf-Vajpayee joint statement. The PPP has welcomed the statement while the PML-N has rejected it. Speaking at a news conference here on Tuesday, PML-N chairman Raja Zafarul Haq accused the Musharraf regime of taking a U-turn on the Kashmir issue and neglecting the people of Kashmir in its efforts to normalize relations with India. On the other hand, welcoming the continuation of the peace process between Pakistan and India, PPP senator Farhatullah Babar termed it a "continuation of the Simla Agreement of 1972."
Pakistan denies aiding Libya's N-plan
Jan 7: Pakistan denied a US newspaper report that some of its scientists may have provided Libya with technology to enrich uranium for use in its nuclear weapons. "The report is groundless," Information Minister Sheikh Rashid told AFP, in response to yesterday’s New York Times report. Mr Rashid said Pakistan was a responsible nuclear power and had a foolproof export control regime in line with its non- proliferation obligations. He said Pakistan had already started a process to investigate allegations some scientists may have indulged in passing on sensitive technology to Iran in their individual capacity.
World powers welcome talks
Jan 7: Major world powers have welcomed the outcome of the 12th Saarc summit and the joint statement by Pakistan and India to resume composite dialogue next month as historic and momentous. The foreign ministers of China, UK and Canada have called their Pakistani counterpart, Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri, and congratulated him on the joint statement and on the signing of SAFTA agreement.
Altaf hails peace talks
Jan 7: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain welcoming the meeting between President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Mr Hussain said that the biggest achievement of the Saarc conference was the beginning of talks between the neighboring rival countries towards peace and a peaceful negotiated settlement of bilateral disputes, including resolution of the longstanding issue of Kashmir in accordance to the aspirations of Kashmiris.
Rs 5.7bn allocated for Madaris reforms
Jan 7: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved 33 projects worth Rs 185.6 billion, including Rs 5.7 billion Madarssa Reforms Programme and Rs 100 billion water-related projects.
Faisal invites Advani to Pakistan
Jan 7: Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat has invited Indian Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani to visit Pakistan for structured dialogue on modalities of a bilateral extradition treaty and other priority issues related to the internal security of both the countries. In a telephonic interview from his Lahore residence, Faisal told The News correspondent in Brussels that he was extending invitation to LK Advani through media and would send the same to him formally through diplomatic channel.
CBR clueless about over 11,000 registered taxpayers
Jan 7: Tax authorities are unable to trace more than 11,000 businessmen who are registered as taxpayers but paid nothing for couple of years, The News said. They have left tax authority clueless on how to get to them. Authorities are desperate as they have committed to IMF recently that such delinquent people would be tracked down successfully.
Salahuddin rejects Indo-Pak peace moves as ‘paperwork’
Jan 7: A top Kashmir guerrilla leader rejected as "paperwork" a move by India and Pakistan to reopen talks, saying it would not stop a 14-year insurgency. "Tuesday’s development is nothing but paperwork," Syed Salahuddin, supreme commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen group, said of the landmark deal by India and Pakistan to resume dialogue to solve issues, including Kashmir.
Kashmiris' consent must to any accord: Musharraf meets leaders
Jan 8: President Gen Pervez Musharraf assured Kashmiri leaders that they would be taken along in the quest for peace in South Asia, saying Pakistan would accept no solution to the Kashmir dispute, which was unacceptable to Kashmiris. In his meeting with the Kashmiri leadership, the president expressed the hope that Pakistan-India peace process would move forward, achieving durable peace and sustainable progress in South Asia. An official statement, released after the meeting, stated that leaders of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir and representatives of the All-Parties Hurriyet Conference reposed their trust in President Musharraf's peace initiatives for the resolution of outstanding disputes with India, including Kashmir.
Libya denies nuclear links with Pakistan
Jan 8: The Libyan president's son Saiful Islam Qadhafi has denied reports that Pakistan or its nuclear scientists were involved in transferring nuclear technology to Libya. In a statement, he said the question of acquiring nuclear technology did not arise as Libya, due to sanctions, was compelled to even purchase ordinary commodities from black market.
PTI rejects 17th Amendment
Jan 8: The Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI) has rejected the 17th amendment in totality and termed it to have been brought about in clear violation of the basic principles of the Constitution, parliamentary form of government and the rule of law. It observed that through this constitutional act army dictatorship has been strengthened, extended, and precedence provided for any other "adventurer" to usurp power. Briefing newsmen after presiding over his party's steering committee meeting the PTI chairman, Imran Khan, said that Gen Pervez Musharraf was still an illegitimate president and no person who usurps power through unconstitutional means can be legitimized under any justification and under any circumstances.
Gujrat trader taken to Rawalpindi: Attack on president
Jan 8: A trader, Abdul Shakoor (45), was picked up by a joint raiding team of police and intelligence agencies from his house in Gujrat allegedly for his involvement in the second blast attack on President Pervez Musharraf, Dawn reported.
India seeks extradition of most wanted man
Jan 8: India is seeking the extradition of its "most wanted man" from Pakistan, who allegedly committed crimes in India in 1981 and fled the country, revealed a Foreign Office official in New Delhi. India had given a list of 20 wanted men to the Government of Pakistan in early 2002 after the attack on its parliament on December 13, 2001. The source said Pakistan and India, who are once again in the process of reviewing and updating their old lists of wanted criminals, are likely to exchange the lists of wanted people after preliminary talks on the issue of extradition entered into a crucial phase.
Army launches operation against al-Qaeda in Wana
Jan 8: Elite Pakistani troops swooped on a village in South Waziristan tribal agency bordering Afghanistan while searching for al-Qaeda suspects but no arrests were made after a nine-hour operation. Three homes owned by tribesmen wanted by the government for allegedly harbouring "foreign terrorists" were demolished under the locally prevalent tribal custom. The owners, Maulvi Abbas, Nek and Sharif, belonging to the Yargulkhel section of the Wazir tribe, had been served notices to surrender or face the consequences. The three men had evaded arrest despite efforts by some tribal elders to secure their surrender.
Mansoor, co-accused sentenced to 7-year RI
Jan 8: Karachi Accountability Court-IV Judge, Parkash Lal Ambvani, convicted Admiral (retd) Mansoorul Haq, former chief of naval staff, and commodore (retd) Mirza Ashafq Baig, former director shipping management of Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC), and sentenced them to serve rigorous imprisonment for seven years and to pay fine of Rs 2 million each. The judge also sentenced the third accused in the case, rear admiral (retd) Javed Ali, to three years in absentia.The prosecution alleged that the accused misused their authority and dishonestly or fraudulently caused huge loss to the PNSC. Three ships - Apolonia, re-named as Sawat, was purchased for US$ 14.82 million; Ora Bhum, re-named as Shalamar was purchased for US$ 15.55 million and Independent Voyager, re-named as Lalazar was purchased for US$ 16.77 million. All these prices were much higher than the prevailing market price of the ships of the same specification and condition, as at the relevant time the average price of the ships of the same capacity and conditions in the world market was US$9.37 million but they were purchased at an exorbitant price with the difference of US$ 19 million. Thus they caused a loss of over Rs 1.8 billion to the PNSC.
President rules out LoC as border
Jan 9: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has assured the Kashmiri leadership that the Line of Control (LoC) will not be accepted as an international border as being advocated by some Indian quarters. "We have neither accepted the idea of making the LoC a permanent border before nor is there any question of accepting it in the future talks with India," the president was quoted as having said during his two-hour meeting with the Kashmiri leaders.
Four soldiers die in Wana attack
Jan 9: At least four Pakistan Army soldiers were killed and seven others wounded when their camp in a remote tribal region bordering Afghanistan came under attack from suspected militants last night, official sources told Dawn. An official said the Pakistan Army brigade camp at Zari Noor Colony outside Wana, headquarters of South Waziristan agency, came under a hail of rockets around 10.20pm, killing four soldiers of the 23rd Baloch Regiment besides wounding seven including a Khasadar.
PPP debunks ex-ISI chief's allegations
Jan 9: The Pakistan People's Party has dismissed the former ISI chief's claims about Libyan help in making nuclear bomb as false and malicious and demanded an inquiry into the matter through parliament. The PPP spokesman, Senator Farhatullah Babar, in a statement, dismissed as false and malicious claims by Gen Hameed Gul that Libya gave Bhutto family millions of dollars for nuclear technology. The claim that Libya helped finance Pakistan's quest for a nuclear bomb was first made by a journalist in a BBC documentary called the "Islamic Bomb", the spokesman said.
Indian flights resume
Jan 9: The first regular Indian Airline flight (IC- 846) arrived in Lahore from New Delhi carrying nine passengers. It was the first flight of any Indian airline for Lahore after airlinks between the two countries resumed after a two-year-long break. The first PIA flight from Lahore had left for New Delhi on Jan 2.
'Police Order will stand excluded after six years': Sixth schedule of Constitution
Jan 9: The Police Order, 2002, will stand excluded from the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution after six years, claimed legal experts. Following the enactment of the 17th Constitution (Amendment) Act, along with the four local government ordinances promulgated by the provincial governments, the Police Order, 2002, is also placed in that category of laws which would stand excluded from the sixth schedule after six years.
Presently, due to the presence of the Police Order in the Sixth Schedule no amendments could be made either by the parliament or by the provincial assemblies without the prior approval of the president of Pakistan. Under Article 268(2) of the Constitution, the laws specified in the sixth schedule shall not be altered, repealed or amended without the previous sanction of the president accorded after consultation with the prime minister.
Offenders to get 10 years jail: Terror funding made non-bailable act
Jan 10: The cabinet approved amendments to the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 and increased the minimum and maximum punishment for financiers of terrorism, besides making it a non-bailable offence. Briefing reporters about the cabinet decisions, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said the decision to amend the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 had been taken in the light of the UN Security Council resolutions.
Muttahida's Dr Brohi wins Senate seat
Jan 10: Dr Mohammed Ali Brohi of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, who was a joint candidate of the ruling coalition in Sindh, won the by-election for the Senate seat by a margin of 39 votes. He bagged 98 votes against his rival PPP candidate Karim Khwaja who secured all the 59 votes of his party. The seat had fallen vacant after the death of Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani, the president of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal.
Saarc leaders condemned
Jan 10: The recently-concluded Saarc moot failed to represent the wishes and aspirations of the over 1.3 billion downtrodden and oppressed masses of the region. At a media briefing, Bloristan Labour Party chief organizer Ahsan Ali advocate told journalists in Gilgit that the moot was a pack of lies and hypocrisies churned out by the ruling elite of the South Asian countries.
Two French journalists get 6-month jail term
Jan 10: Two French journalists, Jean-Paul Guilloteau and Joel Marc Epstein, were convicted of violation of the Foreigners Act 1946 and sentenced to undergo six months rigorous imprisonment each by Additional District and Sessions in Karachi. The trial court, however, suspended the sentence handed down to them for seven days to enable them file an appeal against their conviction. The two, who were convicted after they pleaded guilty, were arrested in mid December last for travelling to Quetta without permission. They claimed to have visited a group of Taliban in Kandahar, where they also interviewed a local commander. The French journalists, who had visas only for Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore, were charged with visiting Quetta and its adjoining areas without permission.
JUP parts ways with MMA in NWFP
Jan 11: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (Noorani) announced to dissociate itself from the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal in the NWFP while requesting its central council to part ways with the alliance at the federal level. Citing reasons for disassociating itself from the alliance, party's provincial chief, Owais Ahmad Qadri accused two major MMA components of betraying smaller component parties, both at the provincial and federal levels. The JUP was angry with the MMA for not inducting its MPA, Akhtar Nawaz, into the provincial cabinet.
Punjab seminaries raided; 35 held
Jan 11: Widening their scope of investigation into attacks on President Pervez Musharraf, law enforcement and intelligence agencies raided several seminaries in Punjab and picked up about three dozen suspects. The raids were carried out on seminaries at Lahore, Faisalabad, Sargodha and Bahawalnagar.
PPP-SB leader shot dead
Jan 11: A leader of the Pakistan People's Party (Shaheed Bhutto group), Ali Mohammad Sonara, and one of his associate were shot dead by unknown gunmen in Kharadar, Karachi. Police said unidentified motorcyclists opened fire.
22 Indian fishermen arrested
Jan 11: Pakistan arrested 22 Indian fishermen and impounded their four boats for illegally entering into its territorial waters in the Arabian Sea, officials in Karachi said.
Vajpayee sees new chapter in ties: India wants to walk with Pakistan
Jan 11: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee expressed the confidence that the Islamabad agreement would be implemented in its true spirit , besides heralding a new chapter in ties between the two neighbors, promoting trade and ushering in a new era of peace. Speaking at a public meeting at Hyderabad attended by thousands of supporters, marking the opening day of two-day meeting of the BJP's national executive committee, he said: "We want to resolve ... our disputes through negotiations and dialogue," he expressed adding, "We are absolutely ready to fulfill the needs of the neighbor and I am confident that the new year would bring peace and harmony."
78,000 cases of HIV/AIDS in Pakistan
Jan 11: Pakistan is a low prevalent but high risk country in South Asia regarding HIV/AIDS and comes after India with 78,000 - including 16,000 women and 2,200 children- estimated cases of people living with the syndrome. This statistic was mentioned in a report, 'Time to act: HIV/AIDS in Asia', released in Islamabad by ActionAid Pakistan. According to the study, about 20 per cent of the reported cases in the country are due to infected blood while most of the vulnerable groups and risk factors are intravenous drug users, casual sex and commercial sex workers.
India asked to halt LoC fencing
Jan 11: Pakistan called India to prove sincerity and stop fencing of the Line of Control (LoC), dividing the two parts of Kashmir region. Talking to IRNA, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Shaukat Sultan said Indian Army has taken advantage of the on-going ceasefire at the LoC.
NWFP minister opposes family planning
Jan 11: NWFP Law Minister Zafar Azam has opposed the family planning policy and said he stood by his views expressed at a Geo TV programme "Choti Khabar" in which he had termed the family planning or population control policy anti-Islamic, quoting sayings of Holy Prophet (PBUH) in support of his arguments. Talking to The News Zafar Azam stood firm on his statement and said the booming population was not a problem. He termed the population control policies a conspiracy hatched by infidels against Muslims.
Jamali, Karzai pledge to fight terror together
Jan 12: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali said in Kabul that security along the border with Afghanistan would be further strengthened to stop militants from crossing back and forth. "We want to ensure... that there is no criss-cross from Afghanistan into Pakistan, or from Pakistan into Afghanistan," Prime Minister Jamali told a news briefing after his meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the heavily-guarded Presidential Palace. Mr Jamali also pledged to join hands with Afghanistan in combating terrorism and help in the reconstruction of the war-ravaged country.
Turncoats planning to hijack PPP: Fakhar's message to Benazir
Jan 12: Mr Fakhar Zaman, a member of the PPP's central executive committee, has sent an urgent message to Ms Benazir Bhutto informing her that some 'turncoats and renegades' are planning to hijack the party by setting up a parallel "Bhutto Forum". Having failed to get accommodated in the mainstream party, Mr Zaman said, such people were out to exploit the name of the late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto for their own interests.
US launches $14m plan for legislative governance
Jan 12: The US government has launched a $14 million project to strengthen legislative governance, media and civil society over a period of three years. The was stated by the US ambassador, Nancy Powell, during a meeting with Senate chairman Mohammadmian Soomro at his chamber in the Parliament House. Ms Nancy said that a consortium of six civil society groups has been awarded contract to run the program and added that the US was keen to strengthen the democratic system in Pakistan.
SHC frees French journalists
Jan 12: A Sindh High Court (SHC) bench reduced the six-month rigorous imprisonment awarded to the French journalists, Jean-Paul Guilloteau and Joel Marc Epstein, to the imprisonment they have already undergone as under-trial prisoners and directed the FIA to return their passports on payment of fine by them. "There will be no justification to keep them in jail for the said period," wrote Justice Zawwar Hussain Jaferi while disposing of their appeals. The court, however, increased Rs 0.1million fine imposed on each of the appellants to Rs 0.2million each. In case of default in payment of the fine, each of the appellants will have to undergo simple imprisonment for 15 days.
Musharraf’s help sought to regulate ISI appointments
Jan 12: Appointments against officer grade posts in the Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) bothers the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) and it has sought President Pervez Musharraf’s intervention to regulate the recruitment process in the leading spy agency in the country, The News said. The FPSC has formally told the president through its annual report 2002 that the recruitment being made in the directorate general of the ISI is not in line with the law. The commission has objected that the directorate general of the ISI is making appointments unilaterally in officer grades and without involving the FPSC.
Lawyers to continue struggle for restoration of 1973 Constitution
Jan 12: National Lawyers Convention in Islamabad vowed to continue struggle for restoration of the 1973 Constitution as it was on October 12, 1999. Participants of the convention held at the Supreme Court Bar in Islamabad after lawyers’ long march from Peshawar to Islamabad resolved that military rule is repugnant to the supremacy of the constitution, rule of law and democratic traditions and norms. They demanded return of the military to its barracks, holding of Presidential election under the constitution and transfer of power to a civilian elected government.
Punjab minister goes missing in NWFP
Jan 12: The government has launched a widespread search for Punjab Sports and Culture Minister Naeemullah Shahani, who went missing after travelling unannounced to Miranshah in North Waziristan tribal agency. Brigadier (Retd) Mahmud Shah, Secretary (Security), Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), told The News that Shahani had gone incognito to Miramshah. "There is no entry of the minister and his car at the entry points to the North Waziristan tribal agency," he said. Official sources said Shahani visited the showroom of Shawal Motors in Miranshah on January 10 and made a payment of Rs 100,000 to the dealer apparently to buy a vehicle. On the orders of NWFP Governor Syed Iftekhar Hussain the owners of the Shawal Motors have been arrested and are being interrogated.
Nazim held for plotting Musharraf’s murder
Jan 12: A special team of police and elite force raided the residence of a Union Council Nazim of Bahawalgarh, Lodhran District and arrested Malik Ghulam Mustafa Arain under suspicion of his involvement in plotting to kill President Pervez Musharraf. Earlier his younger brother, Ghulam Yasin, was arrested because of having close contacts with Maulana Masud Azhar and other leaders of banned Jaish-e-Muhammad.