Chronology of Pakistan
October 2003 (Continued III)
Hudood cases domain of Shariat Court
Oct 12: The Federal Shariat Court (FSC) has ruled that high courts have no jurisdiction to interfere with cases relating to Hudood laws as those fell into the exclusive jurisdiction of the Shariat Court. The FSC which, apart from examining the laws to bring them in conformity with Islamic injunctions, sits as an appellate court in criminal cases covered by Hudood laws, held that high courts' writ jurisdiction under Article 199 could not be invoked in respect of matter falling within the jurisdiction of the FSC.
PML-N observes black day
Oct 12: The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) observed October 12 as 'black day' and held a protest to mark the removal of its government about four years ago. The PML workers set up a protest camp near Rawalpindi- Islamabad Press Club. A large number of PML-N local leaders and workers gathered at the site to register their protests. These included Siddiqul Farooq, Chaudhry Tanvir, Akhtar Mehmood, Sardar Naseem, MPA Malik Ibrar, Sardar Tariq, Haji Pervez and Anwar Abbasi. In Lahore, PML-N Punjab president Sardar Zulfiqar Khan Khosa said the four-year term of a dictator - a reference to President Musharraf — has given nothing to people except unrest and despondency. Addressing Alliance for Restoration of Democracy workers at a protest camp set up at the residence of former ARD chief Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, he said power hungry generals always suspended the elected government on one or the other pretext but when their turns come up, they tried to find excuses to perpetuate their rule.
Mansoor elected PDP chief
Oct 12: Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan's son Mansoor Khan was elected unopposed president of the Pakistan Democratic Party in Lahore. Rana Nazur Rehman, party's acting president who presided over a meeting of the national council, proposed that the former revenue minister be chosen as successor to his late father.
Tribesmen hand over two suspects
Oct 12: The hitherto defiant tribes in the semi-autonomous South Waziristan tribal region are showing signs of buckling under pressure by handing over two of the 12 fellow tribesmen accused of sheltering Al Qaeda militants in their area. Officials in the regional headquarters Wana told Dawn that Shudiaki, Malak Shahi, Khuniakhel and Sperkai tribes in Shkai tribal region handed over two fellow tribesmen to the authorities. Jumma Afzal and Shawa Khan of Malak Shahi and Khuniakhel sub-tribes of the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe surrendered to the administration to face questioning on sheltering Al Qaeda militants.
ARD issues white paper on govt
Oct 12: The Alliance For Restoration of Democracy’s Deputy Information Secretary Munir Ahmad Khan issued ARD’s white paper on four-year performance of the Musharraf government. Addressing a news conference in Lahore, he blamed the government for worsening law and order and what was happening to the country on economic, political and constitutional fronts.
Lawyers stage anti-LFO long march
Oct 13: Lawyers started their long march from Lahore to Rawalpindi to protest against the constitutional amendments effected through the Legal Framework Order.
The lawyers from all over the country, led by Hamid Khan, the president of Supreme Court Bar Association, reached the Rawalpindi District Bar Association offices at 5.30pm and held a protest meeting there. Addressing the participants of the meeting, Hamid Khan said the lawyers of the country had rejected all the so-called amendments to the Constitution through the LFO, and saw them as attempts at subverting the Constitution. He said the lawyers community had rejected what he called the "farcical referendum" of April 30, 2002, and demanded presidential elections as prescribed by the Constitution. The lawyers of the country, he said, wanted the revival of the Constitution as it stood at the time of the military takeover on Oct 12, 1999.
Durand Line termed an administrative adjustment
Oct 13: The former federal minister and chief of the Pukhtunkhwa Qaumi Party (PQP), Mohammad Afzal Khan Lala, has said the Durand Line is an administrative adjustment made during the British period and it has no importance in the current international politics. Talking to Dawn in Magora, Swat, the PQP president said that the rulers had always tried to take a cover of religion and divide Pukhtuns on both sides of Pakistan and Afghanistan. He predicted that a change in the region was expected soon, but the Pukhtuns should get closer and forge unity for a bright future.
MMA wants NWFP cinemas closed during Ramazan
Oct 13: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal's district executive council proposed to the NWFP government that the cinema houses and video shops in the city should be closed during Ramazan.
Musharraf calls for revamping OIC
Oct. 13: Calling for revamping the Organizatiopn of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to tackle future challenges, President Pervez Musharraf has asked the Ummah to reject extremism and urged the world to understand true spirit of enlightened Islam."We need to change the structure of the OIC so that it is dynamic and result oriented," Musharraf told the largely circulated "News Straits Times" of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia host of the 10th OIC Summit.
Newsmen boycott NA proceedings
Oct 14: In a rare show of unity, journalists completely boycotted the proceedings of the National Assembly to record their protest against the government's failure to arrest the killers of a newsman , Amir Bakhsh Brohi, who was murdered in Shikarpur on Oct 3. Opposition parties also staged a walkout along with journalists and some of their leaders visited the press lounge to express their solidarity with journalists.
Missile test-fire series complete
Oct 14: Pakistan test-fired a medium range missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads, ending the series of missile tests. An ISPR statement said Pakistan had carried out another successful test-fire of its indigenously developed medium range Hatf IV (Shaheen-1) missile.
’Controversial’ Inspector Zeeshan Kazmi found dead
Oct 14: An unidentified body found near the Hockey Stadium situated in the PECHS, Block II, in Karachi and placed in Edhi morgue last night, was identified today as that of police Inspector Zeeshan Kazmi, a suspect in the Mir Murtaza Bhutto murder case, police confirmed. Zeeshan Kazmi, who was a dismissed police inspector and a main but controversial figure of "Karachi Operation". He was alleged to have arrested hundreds of wanted people and killed dozens of them in fake police encounters. Kazmi was nominated co-accused in the Mir Murtaza Bhutto murder case in 1996. However, he was never arrested and later a court declared him as proclaimed offender. On September 3, 2003, he was dismissed from services due to his long and wilful absence, by the orders of police authorities.
US cracks down on Pak-based charity
Oct 14: The US government moved to financially paralyze a Pakistan-based charity, Al Akhtar Trust International, that it suspects has raised money for terrorists in Iraq and for al-Qaeda. The charity, however, said it was involved only in humanitarian and relief work. The Treasury Department named the Trust as a global terrorist organization, a step aimed at cutting the group off from the nation’s financial system.
CEC suspends six lawmakers
Oct 15: The Chief Election Commissioner barred a ruling party MNA, Ishaq Khakwani, and four Punjab MPAs from "functioning" as public representatives for their failure to submit yearly statement of their assets. According to a notification issued by the Election Commission, Ishaq Khan Khakwani (NA-168 Vehari-II), Haji Qaiser Amin Butt (PP-142 Lahore-VI), Malik Jawad Kamran Khar (PP-255 Muzaffargarh-V), Dr Waseem Akhter (PP-271 Bahawalpur-V ) and Mrs Lubna Malik have been barred from functioning as public representatives till they complied with mandatory provisions of law.
India wants repatriation of fugitives
Oct 15: Indian Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishan Advani told Pakistan that repatriation of 20 Indian fugitives he insists are being sheltered by Islamabad could become the touchstone of its sincerity to improve ties with New Delhi.
MMA team barred from entering into tribal areas
Oct 15: Administration of the South Waziristan Agency stopped a seven-member parliamentarian team from entering the tribal region, citing a law which bans political activities in the federally administered tribal areas. The group, comprising MMA parliamentarians and led by Liaquat Baloch, was stopped at Jandola near Tank, about 290km from Peshawar.
Musharraf, Jamali greet China
Oct 15: President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali on Wednesday felicitated the president and prime minister of People's Republic of China, on the successful and historic launch of China's first manned space mission.
Shaukat Aziz declares assets
Oct 15: Federal Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz has filed a declaration of his assets and liabilities with the Election Commission of Pakistan. The minister submitted the declaration on the last day of the grace period allowed by the commission.
NCSW wants repeal of Hudood Ord: Majida
Oct 15: The National Commission on Status of Women (NCSW) has recommended the repeal of Hudood Ordinance as being anti-women because any law that permits injustice to any person or section of society cannot be Islamic. This was stated by the NCSW chairperson, Justice Majida Rizvi, while speaking at a seminar in Islamabad, organized by Sungi to observe the world day for rural women. Justice Rizvi said it was not a question of policies and laws alone but at the root of maltreatment of women was the feudalism. Often, the police is involved in crimes against women, she alleged.
Notables' group suggested to reshape OIC
Oct 16: President Gen Pervez Musharraf proposed a commission of eminent persons drawn from OIC member states to develop a plan of action to help the Ummah meet challenges of the 21st century. The commission, he suggested, should evolve recommendations for the restructuring of the OIC system to infuse dynamism in its working. Addressing the 10th session of the Organization of Islamic Conference, in Putrajaya, Malaysia, the president called on Muslim leaders to pressure New Delhi to move ahead with peace talks over Kashmir.
CEC restores MPA's status
Oct 16: Haji Qaiser Amin Butt, a PML-Q MPA from Punjab, regained his position as a public representative after he submitted declaration of assets and liabilities. He had earlier been barred from holding public office for not complying with the relevant law in this regard.
'Law needed on army men, judges' assets declaration'
Oct 16: There is no law in the country which requires judges and armed forces personnel to declare details of their assets and liabilities, said a spokesman for the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Islamabad. He said a new legislation was required for bringing judges and armed forces personnel under the law of assets declaration. Under the existing laws, only politicians and bureaucrats are required to declare their assets, he said, adding that only the politicians' assets were made public because being the public representatives, they were obliged to pay a price for their position.
84pc farmers in Pakistan live at subsistence level
Oct 16: Nearly 84 per cent farmers in Pakistan live at the subsistence level in spite of surpluses achieved in wheat, cotton, sugarcane, rice, etc. , and the country having graduated from dependence on imports to the ability to export wheat, a World Food Day seminar was informed in Islamabad.
Wazir tribesmen hand over wanted man
Oct 16: Tribal elders from the Dasikhel sub-tribe of Wazirs handed over one of the wanted persons to the political administration of South Waziristan Agency amid protests by the MMA leaders against not allowing a fact-finding mission to probe into the incident, which left nearly a dozen people killed including two soldiers of the Pakistan Army.
Banks unofficially put MPs on negative list
Oct 16: Some banks engaged in car leasing business have unofficially added MNAs, Senators and MPAs to their negative list containing different categories of professionals and government servants, whose requests for leasing facilities are not entertained, The News said.
PPP MNA endorses loyalty to party
Oct 16: The PPP MNA Sher Muhammad Baloch has said that he is loyal to the party and Chairperson Benazir Bhutto and would remain loyal and dedicated worker of the party. The MNA had been suspended from the party for 15 days for violating party discipline by attending the National Assembly proceeding although the party had boycotted the session on the issue of LFO and revival of the Constitution.
MMA wants generals' assets made public
Oct 17: The combined opposition in the National Assembly demanded that returns of assets of all the serving and retired generals/senior army officers along with the members of parliament be made public within a week's time. Speaking at a joint news conference of combined opposition after staging a walkout from the National Assembly, Maulana Fazlur Rahman said the members of army generals should take cue from Gen Musharraf who had taken credit of submitting his assets returns when he assumed the office of the chief executive.
President should set date for giving up uniform: Qazi
Oct 17: MMA's parliamentary leader Qazi Hussain Ahmed has said that the alliance does not want to enter into a direct confrontation with the armed forces which is why it has so far avoided giving a deadline for reaching an agreement with the government on the LFO and the president's uniform. However, he made it clear that any agreement which "does not make a clear mention of the date on which the president would give up his uniform" would not be acceptable to the religious parties' alliance.
Indian Underworld member Dawood not in Pakistan
Oct 17: Pakistan denied that member of the Indian underworld Dawood Ibrahim is living in Karachi. "He is neither a Pakistani citizen, nor does he live in Karachi," Information minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said. "If somebody is aware of his whereabouts, we will receive and act on that information," the minister said while underlining that "the government has nothing to do with the people being identified as members of the underworld".
PPP wants generals, judges to declare assets
Oct 17: The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has condemned the assertion of the NAB spokesman that generals and judges would not make their assets and liabilities public as there was no law in this regard. "If the law requires the legislators to declare and make public their assets, why its reach should not be extended to the generals, judges and senior bureaucrats," PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar said in a statement.
Repeal of Hudood Ordinance opposed
Oct 17: The women wing of Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Karachi, organized a literary dialogue on "Hudood Ordinance in the light of Qur'an and Sunnah", in Karachi. In the dialogue, which was attended by around 500 women, a resolution was unanimously approved that no amendment or revocation of the Hudood Ordinance would be accepted. The resolution demanded of the government to reject the report of Women Commission in this regard.
US rules out FTA with Pakistan
Oct 17: The United States ruled out the possibility of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Pakistan. Ashley Wills, Assistant US Trade Representative (USTR), said this in Islamabad, clearly rebuffing official hopes to get trade benefits from the United States. "I want to be very honest with you, I do not see this (FTA) as a proximate possibility." He said that this was not going to happen in the next few years.
Murder plotters get 10 years in jail
Oct 18: An anti-terrorism court in Karachi awarded 10-year term each to three top leaders of the banned Harkatul Mujahideen Al-Aalmi for plotting to assassinate President Pervez Musharraf. The Aalmi leaders Mohammed Imran, Mohammed Hanif, Mohammed Ashraf, and workers Waseem Akhtar and Sharib were found guilty of having made an abortive attempt on the life of the president. They had hatched a conspiracy to blow up the president's motorcade in Karachi in April last. The proceedings took place at the Central Jail Karachi.
US lauds Pakistan's support
Oct 18: US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Christina Rocca told reporters in Washington that the United States appreciates the support it received from Pakistan during a recent debate on Iraq in the United Nations. The Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Oct. 16 aimed endorsing a US request for more troops and money to help stabilize Iraq, a diplomatic victory for Washington. Pakistan was among those 15 Security Council members who voted for the UN resolution.
EC restores MPA's membership
Oct 18: Dr Syed Waseem Akhter, member of Punjab Assembly, who was barred from working as public representative, has regained his official status after submitting yearly statements of assets and liability to the Election Commission of Pakistan. An announcement by the Election Commission said Dr Akhter submitted the statements and the chief election commissioner rescinded his earlier notification to the extent of allowing him to function as MPA. Dr Akhtar was one of the five legislators, including a ruling party MNA from Punjab, who were barred from 'functioning' as legislators for their failure to submit the statements of their assets and liabilities.
NAPP parts ways with National Alliance
Oct 18: The National Awami Party Pakistan (NAPP) announced in Peshawar that it was parting ways with the National Alliance. A press release issued by the party says this decision was taken at a meeting of the central working committee presided over by party central president Arbab Ayub Jan.
Employer has right to terminate worker: LHC
Oct. 18: The Lahore High Court has held that there is no check on the rights of an employer to terminate the services of his employee on the basis of his personal evaluation, decision and wisdom. "Even if the termination is in violation of a contract, the court cannot annul such action, and compel the employer to keep the employee. Likewise, an employee cannot be forced to serve his employer against his will. However, if an employer terminates the services of his employee in violation of a contract, the only remedy available to the aggrieved party is to sue him for damages," observed the court accepting the appeal of ABN Amro Bank.
Saudi Arabia increases funds for projects
Oct 19: Saudi Arabia has decided to enhance its development assistance to Pakistan from the current level of $65 million to $100 million as a token of its appreciation for Pakistan's impressive economic performance over the last four years. Finance Minister of Saudi Arabia Dr Ibrahim and vice-chairman and managing director of the Saudi Fund for Development, Eng Yousuf Al-Bassam called on Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz in his office and discussed raising of Saudi Arabia's development assistance to Pakistan and also signed a $25m assistance for Makran Coastal Highway Project. Projects in the areas of water, health, education, and roads and highways will also be funded by Saudi Arabia.
'Expatriates' $250bn asset base to benefit country'
Oct 19: Pakistanis living in the United States and Canada have an annual income of about $55 billion, almost 75 per cent of Pakistan's total GDP. They also save up to $20 billion a year, twice the national saving in Pakistan, said Shahid Javaid Burki, a prominent Pakistani economist and former World Bank official. Speaking at a seminar at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington, disregarded the concept of "brain drain," Mr. Burki said that manpower was "the richest exportable commodity Pakistan had and the government should focus "on educating, training and sending abroad" skilled workers.
Three cops shot dead on Sindh-Balochistan border
Oct 19: Three policemen died and six others sustained injuries, when gunmen attacked their vehicle on the Sindh-Balochistan border in Jaffarabad district. Police sources said that a police party was on a routine patrol on the border when some 20 outlaws opened fire on it at the RD-238 near Village Nodhan Bugti.
Violation of fundamental rights rampant: SHC CJ
Oct 19: Chief Justice Sindh High Court (SHC) Sayed Sayeed Ashhad, addressing the lawyers and judges at the Circuit House Khairpur, said the masses want justice and there is no doubt that violation of fundamental rights was rampant in the country.
Armymen, judges to be made accountable: Opposition to introduce bill in parliament
Oct 20: The combined opposition in the National Assembly decided to introduce a bill in parliament under which army officers/personnel and judges of superior courts would also come under the purview of the accountability laws of the land. Speaking at a joint press conference at the Parliament House cafeteria after an en bloc walkout from the lower house, the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) leaders were also joined by those of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) in demanding an end to the protection being provided to the generals and judges from the laws applicable to other citizens of the country.