Chronology of Pakistan
March 2004 (Continued VI)
Over 85 Muttahida candidates return unopposed in LB by-polls
March 26: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement has said its more than 85 out of 354 candidates fielded for the councillors’seats, Nazims, and Naib- Nazims have been elected unopposed all over the province.
Musharraf vows to rout terror: No issue of Muslims or non-Muslims
March 27: President General Pervez Musharraf said Pakistan will continue to act strongly against terrorists in Wana and would not allow them to damage the country. Addressing the closing ceremony of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Cadet College Hasan Abdal, the president asserted that what is happening in Wana has nothing to do with Islam and nor it is a matter concerning Muslims or non-Muslims.
Musharraf vows to eliminate al-Qaeda
March 27: President Pervez Musharraf has vowed to eliminate al-Qaeda and said that the terror network’s second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was on the run. Musharraf spoke during an interview with ABC News, one day after an audiotape - attributed to Zawahiri - urged Pakistan’s military to support al-Qaeda and sweep Musharraf from power.
Musharraf met Mullah Omar to seek Osama's expulsion: report
March 27: President Pervez Musharraf met Taliban ruler Mullah Omar in April 2000 to convince him to expel Osama bin Laden but failed, says an official US report. The report, released by a commission investigating the Sept 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States , says the meeting took place on the request of the former US President Bill Clinton. When Mr Clinton visited Pakistan on March 25, 2000, he raised the Osama bin Laden issue in his meeting with President Musharraf. "The Pakistanis asked for evidence that bin Laden had really ordered the US embassy bombings (in East Africa) a year and a half earlier. In a follow-up meeting the next day with Under Secretary of State Thomas Pickering, President Musharraf argued that Pakistan had only limited influence over the Taliban," says the report. Despite these reservations, "President Musharraf did meet Mullah Omar and did urge him to get rid of bin Laden," the report said.
Clarification sought from IAEA
March 27: Pakistan sought clarification from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) spokesperson regarding her remarks about a request for inspection of Pakistan's nuclear facilities, Dawn learnt through diplomatic sources. The Pakistan Mission in Vienna contacted the IAEA spokeswoman, Ms Melissa Fleming, to seek clarification on the remarks attributed to her in a press report, the sources said.
Army never allowed democracy to flourish: PDF seminar
March 27: Most of the participants of a seminar, held in Karachi, were of the view that there was a facade of democracy in the country while the military leadership was the actual ruler, although it had no such rights. People of Pakistan, and not the military, had the right to govern, they told the seminar which deliberated upon the question whether or not parliament was supreme. The event was organized by the Pakistan Democracy Forum (PDF). Deputy chief of Jamaat-i-Islami Senator Ghafoor Ahmad was of the view that the parliament had never been supreme as outsides flouted law of the land and will of the people. In this context, he referred to the military operation in Wana, South Waziristan, and the issue of nuclear scientists. The issues were not discussed in the parliament on the plea that they were 'too sensitive', he said, and added that the parliament was helpless.
Sajid Naqvi released
March 27: Chief of the banned Islami Tehrik-i- Pakistan (ITP) Sajid Ali Naqvi was released from the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. The Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi bench, yesterday had granted bail to Mr Naqvi in Maulana Azam Tariq murder case.
No clue to missile attack on Peshawar, say officials
March 27: Investigators looking into March 25 missile attack on Peshawar were still groping in the dark as to the launching site despite the passage of four days , Dawn interviews with senior police officials revealed. They were also unable to say whether the missile attack had any connection with the ongoing operation against militants in South Waziristan tribal region.
Senior Uzbek al-Qaeda member wounded
March 27: A senior Uzbek al-Qaeda member was wounded in recent fighting with Pakistani forces on the border with Afghanistan and is on the run, the military said."Sources have confirmed that Tahir Yuldashev, one of the top al-Qaeda leaders...was also injured in that operation and is now hiding," the military said in a statement. Yuldashev is the leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and was accused of a series of bomb blasts in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, in 1999. He was known to have taken refuge in the semi-autonomous Pakistani tribal areas.
Pakistan, India ink pact to curb border smuggling
March 27: Pakistani and Indian military officials signed an agreement aimed at curbing cross-border smuggling, drug trafficking and illegal immigration, officials said. The agreement was reached during three days of talks in Lahore between the Inspector General of India’s Border Security Force (BSF), JS Gill, and his Pakistani counterpart Major General Hussain Mehdi of the Pakistan Rangers.
68 candidates elected unopposed in Hyderabad dist LB by-polls
March 27: As many as 68 candidates, including two Nazims 46 women and seven minorities members, of eight Talukas of Hyderabad districts have been elected unopposed in recent by-elections of local bodies to be held today (March 28).
Musharraf not involved in proliferation: Rumsfeld
March 28: US Secretary of Defence, Donald Rumsfeld said that there is no evidence or proof that President Pervez Musharraf knew or was in any way involved in the proliferation activities of scientist Dr A. Q. Khan. Responding to charges, that nuclear proliferation could not have taken place without the knowledge of top officials of Pakistan army including Gen Musharraf, Mr Rumsfeld maintained in an interview with ABC news program "This Week" he is convinced that Gen Musharraf was unaware of Dr Khan's proliferation activities. He added that he also believed neither Pakistan army nor the government helped Dr Khan's proliferation network and blamed individual scientists for the proliferation activities.
Operation ends in Kaloosha: Militants release 11 hostages
March 28: The government announced that it was winding up its operation in Kaloosha in the South Waziristan region after militants freed 11 of the 14 hostages. Brigadier Mahmood Shah, Fata's security chief, said major objectives of the operation Kaloosha-II had been achieved and security forces had smashed dens of foreign militants and their tribal protectors in Azam Warsak.
Special status to Pakistan: India was not informed
March 28: The United States did not inform India it was giving Pakistan an elite military status as it did not know if Islamabad was "interested", the US envoy in New Delhi was quoted as saying. Pakistan was designated a "major non-NATO ally" during a South Asian tour earlier this month by US Secretary of State Colin Powell, making it eligible for priority delivery of military supplies.
By-elections marred by allegations of rigging
March 28: The by-elections for 118 local body seats that were held in Karachi were marred by accusations of misuse of government machinery and rigging in favor of the government-backed candidates. Pakistan People's Party and Jamaat-i-Islami, in their separate statements, said that armed men belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement had harassed candidates and their agents affiliated with the Awam Dost and Al Khidmat groups, respectively.
Defeat in cricket 'engineered'
March 28: A conference of religious parties in Lahore declared the defeat of Pakistan's cricket team in One-dayers at the hands of India as 'engineered' and said it was done to help Prime Minister Vajpayee in his election campaign.
Govt to bear expenses on Mehdi Hasan's treatment
March 28: The government is ready to bear all expenses on singer Mehdi Hasan's treatment. Responding to ghazal maestro's press talk yesterday, a spokesman for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the government acknowledged the contribution and services of Mr Mehdi Hasan.
Condition of Pakistani children the worst in South Asia
March 28: It’s no fun to be a kid in Pakistan. Pakistan offers worse conditions for children than any other country in South Asia, partially because the government has failed to implement legislation and international conventions which would improve conditions for children, according to a study by several children’s rights organizations in Islamabad. Poverty, bad drinking water, physical and sexual abuse and child trafficking are among the areas where society and the government have failed to establish good conditions for children, according to the study. Statistics substantiate the study’s claims. Nearly 8 million children, or 40 percent of the total population of children under the age of 5, suffer from malnutrition.
President okays Bab-i-Pakistan construction
March 29: President Gen Pervez Musharraf approved the construction of Bab-i-Pakistan on Walton Road, a monument being built to commemorate the sacrifices rendered by the Muslims of the subcontinent during their struggle for a separate homeland for themselves.
SAF games get off to a colorful start
March 29: It wasn’t just a spectacular show; it was an experience of a lifetime. The 9th SAF Games got off to a colourful and vibrant start at the Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad. President General Pervez Musharraf declared the biggest extravaganza of South Asia open amidst thunderous applause of the capacity crowd.
242 Muttahida-backed candidates win in Sindh LB by-elections
March 29: Some 242 Muttahida Qaumi Movement-backed candidates have won yesterday’s local bodies by-election across the province, according to unofficial results released by the party. Out of total 115 vacant seats in Karachi, some 91 Muttahida-backed councillors, who contested election from Haq Parast Group, were elected from different constituencies including nine Nazims and seven Naib Nazims out of total 11 and seven seats of Nazim and Naib Nazim respectively.
Al Qaeda chief spy among dead: 166 captured in operation - ISPR
March 29: Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan, Director-General of the Inter-Services Public Relations, confirmed that the chief of the Al Qaeda intelligence network, Abdullah, had been killed in the recent operation launched by the Pakistan army against wanted foreign militants and other terrorists in South Waziristan. Speaking at the weekly Foreign Office news briefing, he said that Abdullah's death had been confirmed by 'independent sources' but his nationality and further personal information and particulars were not yet available.
Militants held in Wana not to be treated as POWs
March 29: Militants arrested in the recent Wana military operation in Waziristan Agency will not be treated as Prisoners of War (POWs) Acting Foreign Secretary Tariq Usman Haider told The News. They are criminals and would be tried under the law of the land since they were arrested in anti-terrorist operation.
Displaced families return home
March 29: A day after the Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps troops’ pullout, hundreds of displaced families returned to their deserted homes in the Azam Warsak area in South Waziristan with many complaining that they were unjustly punished.
Al Qaeda can't provoke Pakistani soldiers: US
March 30: The United States has rejected the suggestion that an Al Qaeda tape provoking Pakistani soldiers to revolt against President Pervez Musharraf could have a negative impact on the Pakistan Army. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told a briefing in Washington that the army, the people and the Pakistani government were all united in their desire to rid the country of religious extremists.
Two Tehsildars found dead
March 30: The decomposed bodies of the two tehsildars who were made hostage by the militants during the recent fighting in South Waziristan were recovered from a well. Intelligence sources said that 35-year Matiullah Burki, the Tehsildar of the border tehsil of Birmal, and Mir Nawaz Marwat, who was a year older and held the same position in Wana, were shot in the head and chest. Both had joined government service seven years ago and were married.
Army to pursue terrorists: ISPR
March 30: More operations could be launched anywhere in the country after reports that certain wanted terrorists might have "escaped" to others parts of the country during the Wana operation, warned DG ISPR Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan, while briefing a select gathering of parliamentarians in Islamabad.
Lower judiciary may be tried for corruption
ISLAMABAD: The subordinate judiciary that include district and session judges, additional district judges, senior civil judges, civil judges of all three classes and judicial magistrates may be tried for the offences of corruption practices as provided in the National Accountability Ordinance-NAO by the National Accountability Bureau-NAB. Excluding judges of the Supreme and High Courts a panel of legal experts from the NAB interpreted from the judgment of Supreme Court in the case of Khan Asfandyar Wali verses the Federation of Pakistan to the scribe that, "NAO nor in the judgment made by Chief Justice Arshad Hasan Khan in the case of Khan Asfandyar Wali verses the Federation of Pakistan wherein constitutionality of National Accountability Ordinance was adjudicated, expressly exclude the judges of subordinate judiciary from the ambit of NAO. Therefore, it can be said that the judges of subordinate judiciary may be tried for offenses of corruption practices as provided in NAO."
8 Muslims of Pakistani origin arrested in UK
March 30: London Police arrested eight Muslims believed to be of Pakistani origin with a cache of explosives during raids at dawn in Britain’s biggest anti-terror operation since the September 11 attacks of 2001. With Europe already on a high state of alert after the Madrid bombings, British police pounced in 24 separate raids, seizing more than half a ton of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, which is prime bomb-making material.
No Pakistani govt involved in N-transfer: US
March 31: No previous or present Pakistani governments were involved with the network that sold nuclear technology to other countries, the US administration told a powerful Congressional committee. "The issue is the extent to which, if at all, the top levels of the government of Pakistan were involved in (these) activities. And...we have no evidence to that effect," said John R. Bolton, undersecretary of state for arms control and international security.
Qazi Hussain re-elected Jamaat chief
March 31: Qazi Husain Ahmed will begin his fifth consecutive term as Amir of the Jamaat-i-Islami in April with more determined efforts to evolve a consensus among political parties of all shades of opinion, including the ruling PML, to confine the role of the armed forces to the one mentioned in the Constitution and make the parliamentary system impenetrable for future "interventionists". Talking to Dawn and then other reporters after being declared elected by more than 80 per cent of the voting members at Mansoora, he said there was a dire need for a political consensus at this juncture.
MQM seeks amendments to Hudood laws
March 31: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has submitted four bills to the National Assembly Secretariat seeking amendments to Hudood laws, informed sources told Dawn. Through these bills, the MQM MNA had sought amendments to the clauses which, according to the source, were "discriminatory against women." In the first bill, regarding amendment to the Prohibition Order 1979, the MNA said the Section 9 dealt with the "proof of drinking liable to Hudd" and clause (b) of the said section required the testimony of "at least two Muslim adult male witnesses" to prove the commission of the offence of drinking. Due to inclusion of the word "male" in this clause, women have been excluded from appearing as witnesses to prove the offence. In the second bill on the Offence of Zina, the MNA stated that the Clause (b) of Section 8 required that at least four Muslim adult male witnesses should testify the commission of the offence and women had been specifically excluded from giving evidence. The third bill is regarding amendment to Section 6 of the Offence of Qazf and its clause (c) requires the testimony of "at least two Muslim adult male witnesses". Similarly, the MQM MNA has sought amendment to Section 7(b) of the Offences Against Property which required again the evidence of two Muslim males to prove the commission of theft. This clause again excludes women even if they are witnesses to it.
Immediate halt to Wana operation demanded
March 31: Demanding an immediate halt to the military operation in Wana, South Waziristan, the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal has said that the elements trying to pit ordinary people against army would never succeed in their nefarious designs. "The US and its allies have become a symbol of oppression and hatred throughout the world," MMA leaders told participants of a protest rally held outside the Karachi Press Club.
Russian team ready to help Pakistan Steel expansion
March 31: A Russian business delegation called on President General Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad and expressed its readiness to help in the expansion of Pakistan Steel Mills. The Russian delegation, led by president of Tyazhpromexprt Nikolay V. Ulyanon, was of the view that expansion of the Pakistan Steel would increase its efficiency, optimise the production capacity and increase profitability.
Army officials in civil depts stop wearing uniform
March 31: All army officials deputed in civil departments stopped wearing uniform, a GHQ notification said.The Army Dress Regulations 1989 (Rule 4-h) bars army personnel in civil departments from displaying car flags, stars and army number plates on their vehicles unless attending state and ceremonial functions. The GHQ's orders said only those army officials working with National Accountability Bureau could continue wearing army uniforms and displaying army flags, stars and number plates on their vehicles. According to an establishment division report, about 1,027 military officers have been inducted on civilian posts in different ministries, divisions and Pakistani missions abroad after the Oct 12, 1999 military takeover.
Arif Nizami re-elected APNS president
March 31: Arif Nizami of the Nawa-i-Waqt Group and Mohammad Aslam Kazi of daily Kawishwere re-elected president and secretary-general of the All-Pakistan Newspapers Society by the newly-elected executive committee in Karachi.