Chronology of Pakistan
November 2003 (Continued V)
Swiss court orders payment of $2.4m
Nov 22: A Swiss court has ordered the restitution of about $2.4 million to the Pakistan government from the frozen accounts of an offshore company of which former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari were alleged beneficiaries. An announcement by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) said that these accounts of DARGAL Associated SA, Geneva, were seized by the Swiss government in response to a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) request made by the Pakistan government. These accounts were allegedly laundered for commissions and kickbacks to Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari in the Ursus Tractor case.
WB agrees to extend $3bn for water projects
Nov 22: The World Bank agreed to extend around $3 billion to Pakistan for the development of water and irrigation sector projects over the next 10 years, a senior government official told Dawn. An understanding to this effect was reached in Islamabad at a meeting presided over by Power Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao and attended by a high-level delegation of the World Bank.
Govt accused of human rights violations
Nov 22: The recently concluded extradition treaty between Pakistan and the United States of America is considered "absolutely unjust and lopsided" by human rights activists The News reported. According to the provisions of the treaty, a Pakistani citizen, wanted by the US administration in connection with any crime, anywhere in the world, will be handed over to the US authorities by the Pakistani government without any investigation into the nature of accusation. The Pakistani courts will have no jurisdiction whatsoever in such cases. Commenting on this a human rights activist said that this amounted to trampling the fundamental rights of Pakistani citizens and an affront to the judiciary of the country. The treaty does not oblige the US administration to extradite any accused wanted by Pakistani courts, he added.
Pakistan declares ceasefire along LoC unilaterally
Nov 23: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali announced a unilateral ceasefire along the Line of Control and expressed his willingness to start a bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, ferry service from Mumbai to Karachi, and to revive air links and open Khokhrapar-Munabao route. In his address to the nation on completion of the first year of his government, Prime Minister Jamali said: "Our armed forces deployed on the LoC have been ordered to observe a complete ceasefire with effect from Eid day." "We expect India would give a positive response because without this our action will remain incomplete."
Bank accounts of banned groups frozen
Nov 23: The government has frozen bank accounts of six organizations recently banned for their alleged involvement in extremism, the interior ministry said. A ministry spokesman told Dawn that the finance ministry had been informed about the decision to freeze bank accounts under section 11-E of the Anti-Terrorism Act, while the provincial governments had been directed to check the printing of any publication of the banned groups. The banned groups are: Islami Tehrik-i-Pakistan (formerly Tehrik-i-Jafaria Pakistan), Millat-i-Islamia Pakistan (formerly Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan), Khuddam-ul-Islam (formerly Jaish-i-Mohammad), Jamiat-ul-Ansar, Hizb-ul-Tehrir and Jamaat-ul-Furqan.
Karzai asks Pakistan to stop Taliban terrorism
Nov 23: Afghan President Hamid Karzai criticized Pakistan in an interview published in Germany for not doing enough to combat Taliban terrorism and urged his neighbor to round up Taliban leaders on its soil. "We cannot stop this terrorism as long as Pakistan doesn't cooperate," Mr Karzai told Der Spiegel news magazine. "That is the key issue." Mr Karzai said he had urged President Pervez Musharraf in conversations to help clamp down on the Taliban.
11 Mujahideen, released from Guantanamo Bay, finally set free
Nov 23: After a passage of more than four months, the local authorities have finally released 11 Mujahideen, who were earlier released by the US authorities in July 2003 from Guantanamo Bay, Karachi police sources said. On July 17 this year, the US authorities set free 11 Pakistanis from its notorious prison at Gunatanamo Bay, who were held in 2001 by the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan, after what the US information set-up termed the fall of the Taliban. Sources said that three of the 11 detained persons hailed from Karachi; one from Hyderabad and seven belonged to Gujranwala, Sargodha, Malakand Agency and districts Chaghi and Osta Muhammad in Balochistan. All these Pakistani nationals had gone for Jihad and were later arrested by the Northern Alliance (NA) and then handed over to US authorities, who took them to Guantanamo Bay.
Pakistan to build indigenous nuclear power plants: Atta
Nov 23: Pakistan has decided to build nuclear power plants indigenously by removing foreign dependence in this regard, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Dr Attaur Rehman said. In an interview with a foreign paper, he said: "We have the capability to build local nuclear power plants and if France can manufacture and export such plants why not Pakistan, as there cannot be two yardsticks in this regard."
Four Pakistanis at Guantanamo Bay face trial
Nov 24: US authorities are believed to have decided to try four Pakistani prisoners at Guantanamo Bay prison camp in special military courts, diplomatic sources in Washongton. The Pakistan Embassy in Washington estimates that so far about 20 Pakistani prisoners have been released from Camp X-Ray while more than 50 Pakistanis are still there.
Pakistan must check infiltration: Karzai tells ANP delegation
Nov 24: The Awami National Party chief Asfandyar Wali Khan, who returned from Afghanistan on Sunday after a three-day visit, said that Afghan president Hamid Karzai believed that Pakistan is unable to effectively check infiltration of terrorists from its tribal areas to Afghanistan. Speaking at a press conference Peshawar, the ANP chief gave details of his party's five-member team's visit to Afghanistan. President Karzai, said Mr Wali, appeared disturbed over Pakistan's inability to effectively monitor and control infiltration of undesirable elements to inside Afghanistan from its tribal regions and parts of Balochistan bordering with Afghanistan.
Pakistan welcomes Indian response
Nov 24: Pakistan welcomed India’s positive response to Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali’s latest confidence building measures and hoped that it would also respond positively to Islamabad’s unilateral proposal of complete ceasefire across the Line of Control from Eid day. Islamabad had asked New Delhi not to miss this historical unilateral gesture from Jamali. India while responding to the prime minister’s initiative said it will respond "positively" to Pakistan’s proposal for a ceasefire along the Line of Control but said for it to become durable there must be an end to "infiltration" from across the border. India also proposed a ceasefire along the "Actual Ground Position Line" (AGPL) in Siachen. Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said, "We will respond positively to this initiative. However, in order to establish a full ceasefire on a durable basis, there must be an end to infiltration from across the LoC," he said.
Punjab gets 15 more ministers, 13 sworn in
Nov 24: The much-hyped third extension in the Punjab Cabinet was finally completed after 15 more ministers including five female members were inducted and 13 of them were sworn in.
New airspace system
Nov 24: The country’s airspace is switching over to a new system called Reduced Separation Vertical Minima (RVSM) from the existing Standard Vertical Separation Minima (SVSM) from November 27 onward reducing the vertical separation from 2000 feet to 1000 feet between the opposite direction aircrafts flying between flight level 29,000 feet and flight level 41,000 feet, The News reported.
NWFP schoolchildren to get free textbooks
Nov 24: The NWFP government plans to spend Rs 135 million to provide free textbooks and uniforms to schoolchildren up to the primary level from the next academic year. This was revealed in the first quarterly review meeting of the Annual Development Programme (ADP), held at Civil Secretariat Peshawar under the chairmanship of Provincial Senior Minister Sirajul Haq.
10 Pakistanis detained in Latvia
Nov 25: Police in Latvia have detained 10 Pakistani citizens, fearing they might have been preparing a terrorist attack targeting the visiting Israeli basketball team, a police spokeswoman in Riga said. She said authorities became suspicious after the 10 entered the Baltic state to participate in an international martial arts tournament, and only one took part. She said scrutiny of the Pakistanis' airline tickets showed they were planning to leave Latvia aboard the same plane as the Israeli basketball players from a Tel Aviv club.
Benazir's counsel withdraws plea
Nov 25: The Sindh High Court dismissed as withdrawn PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto's plea for quashment of an accountability reference against her involving 1393 illegal appointments, postings and promotions in the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation during her second tenure as prime minister from 1993 to 1996. A division bench passed the order after the petitioner's counsel, Abdul Hafeez Lakho, sought to withdraw the petition. He gave no reason for the withdrawal besides citing "technical grounds".
Pakistan, India cease fire in Kashmir
Nov 25: Pakistan and India agreed to implement the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC), the Working Boundary and the Line of Actual Contact in Siachen sector from midnight between Nov 25th and Nov. 26th, Islamabad and New Delhi confirmed. A spokesman of the Pakistan Armed Forces said in Rawalpindi that director-generals of military operations (DGMOs) of Pakistan and India made a hot-line contact and worked out the modalities on enforcing the ceasefire. The Indian External Affairs Ministry also said in a statement both the armies have agreed to observe a ceasefire in Kashmir. The ceasefire, the first in at least 14 years, will cover the 230-kilometre section of the working boundary, the 760-kilometer Line of Control and the northern Siachen Glacier.
President ready to give up uniform by Dec 2004
Nov 25: After extensive negotiations between the government and the opposition, President General Pervez Musharraf seems agreed to give December 2004 as the cut-off date for leaving the office of chief of the army staff, The News said. In this regard, Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali has given a verbal understanding to the leadership of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal. "All the three remaining contentious issues have been resolved," said an MMA leader.
NWFP bureaucracy ignores PA
Nov 25: Top NWFP bureaucracy in violation of the constitution ignored the provincial assembly while submitting comments on behalf of the government to the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) for the constitution of National Executive Services (NES) — a new service cadre at federal level, The News reported.
Two more detainees return from Afghanistan
Nov 25: Two Karachiites, detained in Afghanistan by the Northern Alliance and later handed over to the US forces at Balgram Air Base, arrived back home. But the unfortunate detainees are not allowed to visit their homes to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr among their loved ones as they are in the custody of Nabi Bux Police Station for clearance by the local authorities.
Tragedy averted as 6 rockets misfire in Kohlu, Balochistan
Nov 27: A major tragedy was averted when six rockets fired by unidentified saboteur could not explode in the Balochistan town of Kohlu on the second day of Eid. The police took possession of all the six rockets and informed that they were Russian made107 MM caliber rockets.
Two injured as fun goes sore at Clifton
Nov 26: Two persons were wounded in firing and Police used tear gas shells to disperse protestors following disturbance in an entertainment program near Funland in Clifton area of Karachi on the second day of Eid. The protest was reportedly triggered by scuffle and firing in the entertainment program in Funland area, which followed stampede and blocking of the roads around the Shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi Mazar as well. Angry mob set a private car and two police motorcycles on fire and also pelted stone at the police as a seek and hike continued for a long time in the area.
'8.8m affected by type-2 diabetes'
Nov 28: About 140 million people worldwide and more than 8.8 million in Pakistan are affected by Type-2 Diabetes, a recent study said.
First liver transplant carried out at SIUT
Nov 28: A team of Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), in collaboration with the King's College Hospital, London, has successfully carried out the first liver transplant operation in the country's history. The landmark, nine-hour-long operation was carried out during which a part of a six-month boy's liver was transplanted. The part that was planted had been donated by a living donor, the infant's maternal uncle.
Jihad fund collected on Eid
Nov 28: Despite President Musharraf’s strict orders to take action against those collecting donations in the name of jihad, the Karachi police failed to check the activities of Jihadi organizations, as they collected huge money on Eid day, The News said. It is reliably learnt that some Jihadi outfits particularly Jamaatud Dawa (JD), the hitherto Lashkar-e-Taiba, set up their makeshift camps outside different mosques and Eidgahs throughout the city in order to collect Zakat, Fitrana and other donations. They claimed that through these donations, they would support the Mujahideen waging Jihad against Indian rule in Occupied Kashmir.
Father surrenders and confesses killing daughter
Nov 28: Afsheen Musarrat’s father Musarrat Hussain has confessed to the murder of his 20-year-old daughter in the name of honor. Musarrat Hussain had earlier surrendered to the Multan Police.
Islamabad rebuts Karzai's remarks
Nov 29: Pakistan has taken strong exception to the statement of Afghan President Hamid Karzai about the presence of Taleban leader Mullah Omar in Quetta. Officials said that by making such statements, the Afghan government was squandering Pakistan's goodwill. President Karzai is reported to have told The Times, a British newspaper, that he had information about sighting of Mullah Omar in a mosque in Quetta, adding that the city was a stronghold of anti-coalition forces.
3m to get jobs in a year, says minister
Nov 29: Industries and Production Minister Liaquat Jatoi said in New York that at least three million jobs would be created in the public and private sectors within a year. Talking to Dawn, he conceded that the government had not been able to compile the data of the unemployed people but said he would seek to create such a database in cooperation with the relevant departments.
Pakistan rejects reports about IAEA probe
Nov 30: Pakistan dismissed news reports about an ongoing probe by the International Atomic Energy Agency about potential nuclear links between Iran and Pakistan. "There is no such investigation going on," the Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan. He was responding to a question regarding a news report in the Saturday edition (Nov 29) of the US daily Los Angeles Times, that claimed the IAEA was investigating potential links between the atomic program of Iran and Pakistan. The LAT report suggested that the IAEA probe was initiated after discovering similarities between Iran's clandestine uranium enrichment program and the technology used by Pakistan to develop its nuclear bomb.
Kabul seeks check on infiltration
Nov 30: The Afghan government has said it would continue to draw Islamabad's attention to the problems posed by the Taliban and Al Qaeda terrorists operating from Pakistan as long as such activities continued. In a statement distributed by the Afghan Embassy in Washington over the weekend, the Afghan government said in the past it had commended Pakistan's actions "when warranted by its deeds." "But as along as Afghanistan's security is endangered by cross-border terrorism, we will keep reminding authorities in Pakistan, as friends who share security-related matters, of our shared responsibilities and the most appropriate course of action," it added.
Pakistan agrees on over-flights: Musharraf
Nov 30: In yet another major peace initiative, President General Pervez Musharraf announced resumption of over-flights with India. He said the recent thaw between the two countries should lead to the resolution of all disputes including Kashmir. "As a goodwill gesture to settle all disputes, we will agree to resume all flights with India at the meeting beginning in New Delhi December 1st," announced the president.