Chronology of Pakistan
October 2003 (Continued V)
9/11 probe body's visit kept under wraps
Oct 27: Three professional staff members of the United State's Independent National Commission investigating the Sept 11 terrorist attacks to draw possible linkages are currently in Pakistan but their visit has been kept under wraps, Dawn has learnt. This is the first visit by staff members of the high-profile commission to Pakistan since it was formed in late 2002. The members of the commission have already received some official briefings in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, and have been travelling all over Pakistan. The members of the commission are said to have been given full access to certain classified information, documents, institutions and individuals in different parts of the country. They have also been granted permission to go to the tribal areas.
Inclusion of minority leader's name in ECL flayed
Oct 27: Former prime minister and chairperson of the Pakistan People's Party Benazir Bhutto has condemned the government action in barring All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) chairman Shahbaz Bhatti from traveling abroad by placing his name on the Exit Control List.
Altaf backs reopening of Khokhrapar route
Oct 27: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has put his weight behind the demand for the reopening of Khokhrapar-Monabao rail link between Pakistan and India and said that integrity of the people and leaders of Sindh should not be questioned on making such a demand. He was addressing members of the Legal Aid Committee of his party Sunday night. Members of the Adhoc Committee were also present on the occasion. Mr Hussain's remarks came a few days after the 12-point Indian peace proposals, which included revival of Khokhrapar route, were announced.
Pro-Kalabagh, Musharraf campaign launched
Oct 27: Workers of the Pak Fauj Himayat Tehreek staged rallies outside the offices of different newspapers to express their support to President General Musharraf and the Kalabagh Dam project. Chairman of the Tehreek Mushtaq Ahmad Qureshi, office-bearers Niaz Muhammad Hashmi and Abdus Sattar Haqqani and other leaders said that they had started a two-month campaign to highlight importance of the dam project through rallies and demonstrations.
India cancels broadcaster's visa
Oct 27: The Indian high commission has denied a Pakistani broadcaster an opportunity to attend an award ceremony to be held in New Delhi under the auspices of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association. Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation Senior Producer Zahir Afridi was to receive the United Nations Children's Fund's award on girls' education at the British Council in Delhi. "The Indian high commission gave the visa but then cancelled it at the last moment," Mr Afridi said showing the passport with 'cancelled' stamped on the visa showing the date of issue as Oct 24 and the expiry date as Nov 15.
Hashmi demands explanation for keeping forex in foreign banks
Oct 27: Parliamentary Leader of the ARD in the National Assembly Makhdoom Javed Hashmi has accused that $9.5 billion out of the $11 billion reserves of the country are lying in foreign banks. Addressing a news conference at the cafeteria of the Parliament House, the ARD leader asked the federal finance minister to explain the real position and satisfy the masses, who have become seriously concerned on these reports.
IMF grants waivers, approves $247m
Oct 28: The International Monetary Fund has granted waivers on three structural performance criteria while approving the disbursement of two tranches amounting to $247.54 million (special drawing rights or SDR 172.28 million) to Pakistan under Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility. The IMF executive board, which met in Washington, also stressed the need for further reforms to improve governance and reducing corruption besides broadening the GST to the services sector, said an IMF statement.
'Delhi, Islamabad making N-arms'
Oct 28: India and Pakistan are making nuclear weapons and missiles at an "accelerated" pace and the race is fuelled by their mutual fear of being left behind by the other, says a US Congressional report. "Indian and Pakistani strategic programmes continue to be driven by the perception of the other's effort," and the two countries are "in a period of accelerated nuclear weapons and missile development" that may be termed a "slow-speed" arms race, says the report quoting from a US Defence Department's review of arms proliferation in South Asia.
Two fishing boats seized
Oct 28: Two Pakistani fishing boats, Al- Shaina and Al Kabootar, were seized along with their 11 crewmen by Coast Guard vessels, about 60 kilometres west of Dwarka port in Gujarat , for allegedly fishing in Indian maritime zone, an Indian Coast Guards spokesman said in Okha.
Computerized ID must to get passport
Oct 28: The National Assembly was informed that the condition of presenting Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) for renewing or getting a new passport would not be waived. Interior Minister Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, in reply to a call-attention notice, informed the house that certain people had been misusing the old identity cards for preparing fake documents.
Legislators support repeal of Hudood laws
Oct 28: Parliamentarians representing various political parties except for MMA unanimously agreed with the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) that the Hudood Ordinances must be repealed. In this regard a discussion with the parliamentarians on "Discriminatory Laws Against Women" was organised by the Aurat Foundation, an NGO, in Islamabad. The participants of the discussion unanimously agreed that Hudood Ordinances were the brain-child of former military dictator Ziaul Haq, which he had promulgated to please a certain constituency.
MPAs may be empowered to inspect police stations
Oct 28: The Punjab government has agreed to authorize all MPAs to inspect police stations falling in their respective constituencies. Law Minister Raja Basharat told the Punjab Assembly, amid thumping of desks by both the treasury and the opposition benches, that the government wanted to improve thana culture and was ready to empower elected members for alleviating problems of masses.
UNDP withdraws financial support
Oct 28: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has decided to withdraw its financial support from the Northern Areas Development Project (NADP) due to mismanagement of the project. Official sources said that the project was launched in 1998 with a financial support of Rs1,170 million, sponsored by the UNDP, the IFAD and the government of Pakistan for the development of livestock and agriculture in the Diamer district.
IMF asks Pakistan to reduce corruption
Oct 28: Pakistan needs to reduce corruption and improve governance to stimulate private sector investment, says International Monetary "To further accelerate growth and reduce poverty, the authorities need to pursue forcefully the planned structural reforms intended to create an environment more supportive of private sector investment," said Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chairman Agustin Carstens, after the Board meeting in Washington.
No pact at gunpoint: FO
Oct 28: Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan criticized Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes’ statement, telling Pakistan to either accept Delhi’s 12 peace proposals or get ready for war, saying no pact could be signed at gunpoint.
Cleric rejects govt offer to fund Madaris
Oct 28: A council of clerics running thousands of seminaries in the country rejected a government offer to fund their schools, a setback to President Pervez Musharraf’s hopes to reform madaris curricula. "We do not need any government or foreign financial assistance to run our madaris. We have enough funds for this purpose," Hanif Jalandhri, the head of Wafaq-ul-Madaris-il-Arabia, told a news conference in Multan. It was the first authoritative response by Jalandhri’s organisation, which controls more then 8,000 madaris, to a government offer to help fund the schools.
Punjab Assembly waives interest on small loans
Oct 28: Punjab Assembly unanimously passed a resolution, which recommended the federal government that interest of the defaulters, who have taken loan up to Rs 300,000 from the Small Business Finance Corporation (presently SME), be written off.
Washington help in Pukhtunistan issue sought
Oct 29: Pakistan is believed to have asked the Bush administration to prevent the Afghan government from reopening the Pukhtunistan issue, sources told Dawn in Washington.
"Some Pakistanis see Washington's dark influence behind new agitation for the creation of Pukhtunistan " an attempt to unite the Pukhtun tribes divided by the Afghan-Pakistan frontier," writes Washington-based British journalist Martin Walker in a recent column published in several US newspapers. The sources say that Pakistan's complaints began after a new map published in Kabul showed NWFP and Balochistan, including the cities of Peshawar and Quetta, incorporated into Afghanistan. Mr Walker's column also mentions "secret talks" with American blessing, between Afghan leader Hamid Karzai and Khan Abdul Wali Khan. Diplomatic sources in Washington say that while the Americans deny any involvement in the Pukhtunistan issue, they are not averse to the re-emergence of Pukhtun nationalism in Pakistan's Pukhtun belt. "They believe that a secular, nationalist ideology can effectively counter the growing influence of religious parties in Pukhtun areas," said a senior Western diplomat based in Washington.
Saudi Arabia agrees to continue oil facility
Oct 29: Saudi Arabia has agreed to continue the special oil facility to Pakistan for the next few years, an official of the petroleum ministry told Dawn. "A broader consent was given by Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz during his recent visit here to continue the special oil facility to Pakistan over the next few years", said the official.
Pakistan accepts Indian proposals
Oct 29: Pakistan accepted nearly all twelve Indian proposal of October 22, partially rejecting one, adding conditions to some and offering four fresh ones for confidence building measures (CBMs) between the two countries. Addressing a crowded press conference in Islamabad, Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs Riaz Khokhar said that India’s were piecemeal proposals and were not real issues. Giving examples, he said that resumption of air, bus and rail links were not real problems as they flowed from India, who unilaterally terminating them. Regarding India’s proposals of shipping between Mumbai and Karachi and bus links from Khokrapar, he said these were terminated in 1960s and suggested that these could be discussed once a composite dialogue resumed.
Forex reserves touch $11.5bn mark
Oct 29: Federal Minister for Finance Shaukat Aziz says that the foreign exchange reserves had reached $11.5 billion and the government had invested a big chunk in the foreign banks.
PA passes Punjab Privileges (Amendment) Bill
Oct 29: The Punjab Assembly passed Provincial Assembly of the Punjab Privileges (Amendment) Bill, 2003, by bulldozing all the amendments moved by the opposition. All the legislators are now entitled to display an official plate with MPA marks to be issued by the government.
Hashmi urges armed forces not to indulge in politics
Oct 29: President of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) and PML-N acting chief Makhdoom Javed Hashmi has urged the armed forces not to indulge in the politics. Addressing a news conference in Islamabad, Hashmi observed Armed Forces as an institute has its own dignity and honor and it is better for them to pay only attention towards the defense of the country instead of doing politics. He criticised the formation of cases against him in accordance with the law of 150 years old. He disclosed a case is being registered against him as per same law, which was registered in 1914 against Maulana Muhammad Ali Johar, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and other leaders at that time.
Hashmi arrested for 'defaming govts'
Oct 29: President of Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) and Acting President PML (N) Makhdoom Javed Hashmi was arrested from Parliament Lodges tonight. The FIR against the PML-N leader was registered under Sections 131-PPC, 124-A, 468, 469, 471, 500 and 505-A. He has been charged with 'defaming the federal and provincial governments', creating 'hatred against Pakistan Army in the public' and forgery. A press note issued by district magistrate Islamabad at 1 am stated that Hashmi has been arrested in a case FIR registered on the statement of a citizen namely Khurshid Ahmed. The press note added that Hashmi's arrest arises out of the press conference addressed by him and his associates on October 20, 2003, at the National Assembly Cafeteria, where Hashmi and his associates read out the content of the letter and circulated the same.
Five-day remand of Javed Hashmi
Oct 30: A judicial magistrate and civil judge in Islamabad issued a five-day physical remand order for PML-N acting president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Interior Minister Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat told Dawn. The minister said Mr Hashmi, who is also president of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy, was produced before the court of Judicial Magistrate Aslam Gondal on the premises of the Islamabad District Court.
Pakistan to train Iraqi diplomats
Oct 30: Ten Iraqi foreign service officers arrived in Islamabad last week to attend the first-ever 'specialized diplomatic course for Iraq' at the Pakistan Foreign Service Academy (FSA) in Islamabad, Dawn has learnt. The request for the course was made under the US-appointed Iraq's provisional government, formed as a result of America-led invasion and occupation of Iraq.
723 deported from Oman
Oct 30: As many as 723 worn-out job-seekers, deported from Muscat, reached in Karachi by a launch. Except for the emergency passports, issued by the Pakistani mission in Oman, the deportees had no personal belongings or luggage. According to the immigration authorities, they had been smuggled into the Gulf state through Taftan, crossing the Pakistan-Iran border illegally near Mand Ballu. The job-seekers paid different amounts, ranging from Rs10,000 to Rs25,000, they said.
US Congressman demands plebiscite
Oct 30: A key US Congressman and ranking member of the House Committee on International Relations has urged New Delhi to give the people of Kashmir the right to choose whether they want to live with India or Pakistan. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, a Republican from California, also admonished the Bush administration for its "inaction in Kashmir." The strong expression of support for the Kashmir cause from a lawmaker, who also professed to "like the people of India better than the people of Pakistan," took everyone by surprise. Even Pakistani diplomats, worried at the presence of a former RAW official B. Raman among the witnesses, were taken by surprise, Dawn reported.
Al-Qaeda suspect held in Rawalpindi
Oct 30: Pakistan’s law-enforcement agencies have arrested a suspect from Rawalpindi having links with al-Qaeda group. A senior official of the Ministry of Interior told The News that al-Qaeda suspect, who has been identified as Tariq Mahmood, a British-born Pakistani, is being interrogated by the Pakistani agencies.
Pak cooperation for war against terrorism excellent: Rocca
Oct 30: Pakistan’s cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts "has been excellent" since Sept 11, 2001, US Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca said. Despite sceptical public opinion and bitter criticism from a coalition of opposition parties, she said President Musharraf has maintained Pakistan’s policy of supporting US operations, with practical results. Rocca said this in a testimony before the House Committee on International Relations’ Subcommittees on Asia and the Pacific, and on International Terrorism, Non-proliferation, and Human Rights. In the past two years, she said there have been significant counter-terrorism advances in the South Asia.
NA opposition protests against Javed Hashmi’s arrest
Oct 31: The entire opposition leadership after raising slogans of "Go Musharraf go" and "one brave man Javed Hashmi", the opposition leadership walked out of the National Assembly to hold a demonstration outside the Parliament building against Hashmi’s arrest. The ARD president was picked up by security agencies from the Parliament Lodges on Oct 29 but since then has not been seen either by his kith and kin or assembly or party colleagues.