Chronology of Pakistan
May 2003 (Continued III)
'Muslim United Army' claims responsibility for Karachi blasts
May 17: After a passage of two days, a relatively unknown organization - the "Muslim United Army" -- has claimed responsibility for the blasts at the petrol pumps of two oil companies and warned the government that if it continued to take anti-Mujahideen-e-Islam steps, then the outfit will launch massive attacks.
Ord giving PM power to sack officials flayed
May 17: The People's Party Parliamentarians and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) have criticized the promulgation of the Removal from Service (Special Powers) (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2003 , under which the powers to sack government employees have been transferred to the prime minister.
Balochistan frees 20 Indians
May 17: The Balochistan government released 20 Indian nationals, including 14 fishermen, from the Central Jail Mach and Quetta who were arrested from Gwadar and other areas of the province.
Rangers, army officials be punished for land-grabbing
May 17: The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) has demanded that all generals and other officers of the armed forces and Rangers involved in land grabbing be tried for tarnishing the image of the armed forces. The demand was made by the PML-N information secretary, Siddiqul Farooq, while issuing a fact-sheet on Okara military farms incidents at a press briefing in Islamabad. He said previous military regimes had "authorized unbelievable perks for serving and retired military officers, including 50 acres of valuable agricultural land for every general promoted from the rank of major general.
'Muslim United Army' claims responsibility for Karachi blasts
May 17: After a passage of two days, a relatively unknown organization - the "Muslim United Army" -- has claimed responsibility for the blasts at the petrol pumps of two oil companies and warned the government that if it continued to take anti-Mujahideen-e-Islam steps, then the outfit will launch massive attacks.
No military operation in Balochistan: Jamali
May 19: Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali has refuted the impression that any military operation was being launched in Balochistan. He told journalists in Quetta that a meeting on law and order was held in Islamabad to review the over all situation in the country and not aimed at discussion on military operation anywhere.
Kashmir won't be sidelined: commanders
May 20: The military leadership declared that Pakistan wanted resolution of all issues with India but would not "sideline" the core issue of Kashmir. A corps commanders meeting held at the General Headquarters discussed the Indian prime minister's offer of friendship and declared that Pakistan wanted resolution of all outstanding issues with India through a meaningful dialogue but would not compromise on its honour and dignity or "allow itself to be coerced." President Gen Pervez Musharraf presided over the meeting.
Islamabad denied re-entry into Commonwealth
May 20: Commonwealth foreign ministers welcomed steps towards democracy in Pakistan, but upheld its exclusion from the group until parliament wins "full sovereign authority". Speaking after a meeting in London, the ministers said democratic institutions had continued to develop in Pakistan since President Musharraf held parliamentary elections in October.
MPs have 'consumed Rs160m for nothing'
May 20: A sum of Rs160 million has so far been spent on salaries and other benefits of MNAs and senators who, however, have not been able to come up with any significant piece of legislation for the good of the masses. Punjab Millat Party information secretary Imran Riaz, Millat Labour Bureau chief Chaudhry Zaheer and others made this statement at a press conference they had arranged in Lahore to "expose the Opposition's performance" during the last six months.
Sikandar calls for Kashmir division
May 20: The prime minister of Azad Kashmir called for the partition of disputed Kashmir along religious lines as a way to resolve its standoff with India over the territory. Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan said Kashmir's Muslim-majority areas should go to Pakistan and Hindu areas accede to India."This solution is the closest to the 1947 partition plan under which India and Pakistan came into being," Mr Khan told Reuters in a telephone interview.
Afghan war caused $1bn loss to Pakistan: report
May 20: The US operation in Afghanistan has had an adverse affect on Pakistan's economy, causing it to suffer a loss of $10 billion, says a recent report displayed at the official website of the US Central Command. As many as 57,800 sorties were also flown into Afghanistan either from Pakistan's air space or soil, the report says. The US-led operation, the report says, adversely affected the already fragile economy of Pakistan. "Major losses were caused to the civil aviation, tourism, investment and shipping due to rise in the rates of insurance. Besides this, Pakistani exports also suffered adversely and foreign investments experienced a visible decline."
C'Wealth keeps Pakistan suspended
LONDON: Commonwealth foreign ministers said in London that Pakistan needs to make more progress to restoring democracy before it is readmitted to full membership. The 54-nation grouping of Britain and its former colonies suspended Pakistan from its decision making councils following the military coup in 1999 led by Gen. Pervez Musharraf, now the country's president. The Ministerial Action Group is composed of foreign ministers from Australia, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Botswana, India, Malta, Nigeria and Samoa.
Four govt allies oppose NSC
May 20: Four major coalition partners of the Jamali government have sought deletion of the National Security Council from the Legal Framework Order and also opposed the president's powers to dismiss the assemblies, The News said. However, the Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians Patriots, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, the Pakistan Muslim League (Functional) and the National Alliance have backed President Pervez Musharraf as the Army chief as long as he wants and proposed powers for the president to dismiss the prime minister and the cabinet.
Chemical inspections went smoothly: OPCW
May 20: A top official of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has acknowledged that the recent first-ever visit of international chemical inspectors to Pakistan was conducted "very smoothly." Acting Director-General of the OPCW Brian Hawtin in a meeting with Foreign Secretary of Pakistan Riaz H Khokhar during Khokhar’s visit to the OPCW headquarters in The Hague also appreciated Islamabad's cooperation towards the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of Chemical Weapons.
'Pilot error caused Mushaf's plane crash'
May 21: Pakistan Air Force declared that pilot's mistake, and not sabotage, was the cause of the air crash that killed chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir, his wife and other senior officers in Kohat on February 20 this year.
NWFP will raise force to prevent 'vice'
May 22: The NWFP cabinet approved the draft 'Hisba Act' with the stated objective of enforcing the Islamic principles of promoting virtue and preventing vice. The draft act is to be presented before the NWFP Assembly, whose session has been convened on May 27, Information Minister Asif Iqbal Daudzai told a news briefing after the cabinet meeting.
Rural poverty up by 4.3pc
May 23: The Planning Commission, in its papers to be discussed in a pre-budget inter-provincial meeting to finalize new development plan has disclosed that poverty in rural areas went up by 4.3 per cent and in urban areas 2 per cent in 1998 to 2001. The commission has also put fresh official calculation of poverty at 39 per cent in rural and 22.67 per cent in urban areas in 2000-2001. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) in a recent report had claimed that poverty in rural areas had gone up by 50 per cent.
SC rejects bail plea of Mansur
May 23: The Supreme Court in Islamabad rejected bail application of Mansur-ul-Haq, former Chief of Naval Staff allegedly involved in taking commission on sales by Pakistan Navy.
Over 500 deported Pakistanis reach home
May 24: As many as 530 Pakistani laborers who had illegally emigrated to Oman sailed back to Karachi after authorities in Omani capital Muscat deported them. Before they were deported, Muscat's government had detained them in jails for several months.
Expatriates in US advised to obtain exit stamp
May 25: Pakistan American Democratic Forum (PADF), a leading American Pakistanis organization, has advised the Pakistani students and US work-visa holders not to leave the country without an exit stamp on their passports , otherwise they will be denied re-entry. Ms Samina Faheem, coordinator of the PADF hotline for those affected by the INS Special Registration, said that this rule applies to all Pakistanis who are required to register under the special registration program. She said a number of Pakistanis had been denied re-entry into US because they failed to get the exit stamp.
Musharraf's threat frustrated move to admit India to OIC
May 25: The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) was on the verge of admitting India as a full-fledged member state last year but a forceful personal intervention from President General Pervez Musharraf prevented what would have been an unprecedented foreign policy disaster for Pakistan, a senior official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told The News. "The OIC conference of foreign ministers held in Khartoum, Sudan, in the last week of June 2002 in a closed door meeting began discussing the possibility of admitting India as a member of the OIC considering its massive population of Muslims," the official said. "Several of the Arab countries agreed to the proposal and were ready to admit India (to the OIC)," the official revealed. "Seeing the situation, Nisar Memon, who as minister for information of the then government was representing Pakistan at the conference in the absence of the foreign minister, immediately rang up President Musharraf who Memon to contact the OIC secretary-general as well as the key Arab states in favour of the move to admit India and convey to them that if a resolution is passed, Pakistan will immediately withdraw from the OIC," he said.
Delhi to resume bus service, free prisoners
May 26: India has decided to resume bus service between New Delhi and Lahore as part of a peace initiative between the two countries, the Indian foreign ministry said. The Indian government has also decided to release 70 Pakistani fishermen and 60 civilian prisoners from Indian custody. Foreign ministry officials said the decision was taken to improve people-to-people contact between the two countries. The Delhi-Lahore bus service was closed down in December 2001. It had begun auspiciously in 1999 with an historic ride by Vajpayee in a peace and goodwill gesture that inaugurated this bus service, the first of its kind since independence, to Pakistan.
Kabul frees 66 Pakistanis
May 26: Afghanistan released 66 Pakistani prisoners who had fought alongside the Taliban and Al Qaeda, a spokesman for Afghan Deputy Defence Minister General Abdul Rashid Dostam said. They had been handed over to a Pakistani non-governmental organization, which transported them in buses from Shebergan, capital of northwestern Jozjan province, to Kabul and on to Pakistan, he said.
Award for Amrita Pritam
May 26: The World Punjabi Congress in Lahore decided to give a lifetime achievement award to Amrita Pritam. This was decided by the congress in a meeting presided over by it chairman Fakhar Zaman. He said the congress had decided to reward national and international Punjabi writers and their work and Amrita Pritam was the first to be honored.
Rumpus in Punjab Assembly
May 26: The Punjab Assembly witnessed one of the worst rumpus on the opening day of the session, after the combined opposition staged a protest against LFO, denying development funds to its members and deteriorating law and order situation in the province. Two women members of the opposition, Nishat Afza of the PPPP and Parveen Masood Bhatti of the PML-N, received bruises on their backs when they were pushed down the Speaker's dais onto the stairs by another woman member from the treasury, Shehla Butt. Tempers rose high when several members of the PML-N and the PPPP wrestled with those of the treasury benches in an attempt to push the others away from around the Speaker's pedestal, however, nobody was seriously hurt.
Accountability law for white collar crime infirm: LHC
May 26: An Appellate Bench of Lahore High Court has observed that accountability ordinance is infirm in several ways therefore it cannot meet the multiple situations arising out of white collar crimes. The bench further observed: "We are not disturbed at this because this is a growing law and it shall improve through legal realism. But we do recommend a recurring study of the ordinance and dissemination of its purpose as per the promise made in its section 33 (c). We were also unable to lay hands on any report about NAB's performance as required under section 33 (d) of ordinance for updating our own information."
PPPP launches protest against LFO
May 26: The Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) launched a country-wide protest against the LFO and set up hunger strike camps where hundreds of party leaders and workers observed token hunger strike. The Punjab chapter of the party set up a hunger strike camp at Faisal Square in front of the Punjab Assembly building whereas in the province other hunger strike camps had been set up at divisional level where party workers and leaders protested over the LFO.
22 Punjab PA members held, released
May 27: Police detained 22 opposition members of the Punjab Assembly, including their leader Qasim Zia and deputy leader Rana Sanaullah Khan, for around six hours when they insisted on attending the assembly proceedings despite the Speaker's orders barring them from taking part in the proceedings of the ongoing session. Speaker Afzal Sahi had barred 27 MPAs of the PPP and the PML-N from attending the current session for "obstructing and hampering the proceedings" yesterday.
Khwaja brothers acquitted: Remain in security detention
May 27: An anti-terrorism court Lahore acquitted Dr Ahmad Javed Khwaja and his brother Ahmad Naveed Khwaja of charges of firing on police and possessing illegal passports. The court, which had already granted bail to the accused in January, justified its judgment with the observation that "there were visible dents in the story of the prosecution resulting in its failure to prove the case".
Pre-historic site in Dera discovered
May 27: A Bahauddin Zakariya University PhD intern has discovered an archaeological site at Vohawa in Dera Ghazi Khan. The intern, Zubair Shafi Ghauri, is doing research on 'Early and mature Harappan settlements along the dry bed of Bias'. The site that he claims to have discovered is Bugiwala in Basti Kutani, some 4km away from the ruins of Dhera in Mauza Dagarwali. The ruins of Dhera are already on the list of Federal Archaeological Department as belonging to a period around 5000BC. The pottery found in the ruins is identical to that found in Mehargarh in Balochistan.
LFO impasse: European Parliament envoy postpones visit
May 27: Owing to the LFO impasse, Pakistan has missed another opportunity to re-establish its niche in Europe as the rapporteur of the European Parliament has postponed his scheduled visit to Pakistan, which could have given new hope for ending the stalemate in Pakistan-EU relations. Talking to The News in Brussels, the former chief election observer to Pakistan and presently holding the office of the rapporteur to the EP foreign relations committee, John Cushnahan confirmed that he was scheduled to visit Pakistan in the first week of June, but he had to postpone his visit because of "the political deadlock on the issue of LFO, prevailing in that country".
Permanent Indus Commission meets
May 27: Annual meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) between India and Pakistan began in New Delhi on various concerned matters, including finalization of arrangements regarding communication of flood data to Pakistan during the coming flood season.
Achakzai demands single province for Pakhtuns
May 27: Chairman Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Mehmood Khan Achakzai has stressed the need for new social contract ensuring equal rights to Pakhtuns, Punjabis, Sindhis, Baloch and Seraikis. Addressing a meeting in in Kheshgi Bala, NWFP, the PMAP chief called for a single province of Pakhtuns under the name of Pakhtunistan, Pakhtunkhwa or Afghania. He said that present division of Pakhtuns was unnatural and unjustified adding that the move for unity of Pakhtuns was not aimed against any other nationality but rather it was necessitated to make a viable federation.
MQM headquarters demolished amid high security, tension
May 27: The headquarters of Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM), Bait-ul-Hamza situated in Landhi area was demolished amidst tightened security, by a team of Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA). Though the government claimed that it had just taken action against an illegal construction, political pundits observed that it was for the first time in the history of the country, that the head office of a political party was demolished. "Bait-ul-Hamza became a victim of politics of revenge," commented a witness.
Opposition MPAs denied entry into assembly again
May 28: The trouble at the Punjab Assembly continued for the second consecutive day as the police bundled away 36 opposition legislators and 25 political workers when they tried to enter the assembly building. The police manhandled some of the MPAs and tore up clothes of one of them. Journalists covering the event were also thrashed and abused by the police. The detained MPAs, including Qasim Zia, Rana Sanaullah Khan and 10 women, were released later in the afternoon on the directions of the government.
HR abuses worsened in Pakistan, India
May 28: In the name of combating "terrorism", governments stepped up the repression of their political opponents, detained people arbitrarily, and introduced sweeping and often discriminatory laws that undermined the very foundations of international human rights and humanitarian law in several countries, including Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, the Republic of Korea and Australia, Amnesty International said in its annual report. In Pakistan, the AI said that human rights abuses committed in the context of the government's continued support for the US-led "war on terrorism" included the arbitrary detention of hundreds of people suspected of having links with "terrorist" organizations and their transfer to the custody of US officials.
Punjab PA backs president in uniform
May 28: The treasury benches in the Punjab Assembly adopted a resolution in support of the president while police continued swooping upon the opposition MPAs and activists of their parties on The Mall to prevent them from entering the assembly premises. The few opposition members allowed to enter the assembly too left the chamber to join their colleagues struggling to enter the assembly premises, leaving no-one to oppose the resolution. The resolution says that it is essential for prosperity, solidarity and continuity of development program that General Pervez Musharraf remains in uniform.
MMA's interpretation of Islam is not proper: Rashid
May 28: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sheikh Rashid Ahmad has said the way Islam is interpreted by the Mutahidda Majlis-e-Amal in the NWFP is not proper. "Not only the Frontier province but the whole of Pakistan supports Islamic system. I do not think the interpretation of Islam they are making is proper," the minister told BBC Radio. He said Pakistan is an ideological Islamic, liberal and progressive state, and is well aware of the meaning and essence of Islam.
Opposition in NWFP PA rejects Shariat Bill
May 28: Opposition parties in the NWFP Assembly rejected as eyewash a bill seeking to enforce Shariat in the province, which the MMA-led provincial government claims would bring a silent revolution. Opposition deputies and jurists said the bill was a half-hearted attempt similar to one made by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 1991. Senior lawyer Bacha Khan said there was nothing new in the document and the MMA move was in line with attempts by successive governments "to exploit people in the name of religion". He said people wanted solution to their economic woes and the bill offered no solution.
Pak judge quits international court job
May 28: A Pakistani judge, Justice Mansoor Ahmed, who had recently joined the International Court in Rwanda, has quit his job and is back in Pakistan, a Law Ministry official said.The official cited the ailment of Justice Mansoor's mother as the reason for his resignation, but speculations are rife the judge was disallowed to sit on the court's bench. Pakistan had won the seat in the 16-member court after quite an ordeal.
Cases registered against 13 opposition MPAs: Qasim, Sanaullah, others detained, freed
May 29: Police have registered cases against 13 opposition MPAs, including leader of opposition in Punjab Assembly, Qasim Zia, and deputy leader, Rana Sanaullah Khan, and 21 workers of the PPP and the PML-N , who were arrested from outside the Punjab Assembly and other nearby places. The arrested MPAs and workers were charged with creating a law and order situation, obstructing public order and raising slogans against the government. The legislators were set free at about 7pm. However, the opposition workers were in police custody till the filing of this report.
Journalists boycott PA proceedings
May 29: Journalists boycotted the Punjab Assembly proceedings for the second consecutive day and staged a demonstration to protest against the beating up of some reporters by police yesterday.
Shariat Bill termed replica of old one
May 29: The NWFP Shariat Bill, 2003, tabled by the provincial government in the NWFP Assembly is a reproduction of the Enforcement of Shariat Act, 1991, enacted by the then Nawaz Sharif's government, claimed legal circles. The bill was introduced in the assembly with slight modification, keeping in view the powers of the NWFP government, as the Shariat Act of 1991 was meant for the entire country and the proposed bill, if passed by the assembly, would be applicable only to the province. Instead of the words "Pakistan" and "federal government" used in the 1991 Act, the provincial government has used the words "NWFP" and "provincial government" in the proposed law. Moreover, unlike the 1991 Act which is in English, the Shariat Bill is drafted in Urdu. "Even the preambles of the Shariat Act and the proposed law are almost identical," said a local lawyer in Peshawar.
77pc women work under poor conditions: report
May 29: As many as 77 per cent of working women are employed in the informal employment sector of Pakistan and getting meagre salaries. This information was shared at the launching of International Labour Organisation's (ILO) global report on "Time for Equality" in Islamabad. In his welcome address, Country Director of ILO in Pakistan Mr Lokollo said, "In the context of Pakistan, we all are aware that the status of women in employment sector still needs a lot of improvement in order to meet the level of other countries in the region and even in South Asia."
NWFP Madaris receive Rs30m
May 29: An amount of Rs30 million was distributed among the religious seminaries of the province from the Zakat fund at a ceremony held at Nishtar Hall Peshawar.
MMA links LFO acceptance to Islamization
May 30: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal reportedly raised the "issues" of Islamization, "demanding" the government to make its demand to implement Shariat part of a package deal on the Legal Framework Order and divestiture of the president's uniform. Sources told Dawn that the demand was made by secretary general of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal Maulana Fazlur Rehman during a meeting with the government representatives.
27 members denied entry into assembly: Punjab PA session prorogued
May 30: The deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly rejected the combined opposition's plea to withdraw the order barring 27 PPP and PML-N MPAs from attending proceedings of the eighth session of the assembly. Speaker Afzal Sahi had barred the MPAs, including opposition leader Qasim Zia and deputy leader Rana Sanaullah Khan, under rule 210 of the rules of procedures of the provincial assembly for hampering and obstructing proceedings of the house.
Khwaja brothers' release ordered
May 31: The federal review board refused to extend the preventive detention of Dr Ahmad Javed Khwaja and Ahmad Naveed Khwaja, and ordered the state to set them free if they were not required in any other case. The three-member board examined the incriminating material against them and turned down the interior ministry's request for further extension in detention under the Security of Pakistan Act, 1952. The board declared the grounds for extension in detention insufficient.
MMA to table Shariat bill in Balochistan Assembly
May 31: The provincial chief of the Muttahida Majlis- i-Amal and MNA, Maulana Mohammad Khan Sherani, has said Shariat bill will be tabled in the Balochistan Assembly within the parameter of the Constitution and recommendations of the Islamic Ideology Council. Talking to Dawn at the MPA hostel he said that tabling a Shariat bill was part of the agreement signed between the PML-Q and MMA leadership on the eve of formation of a coalition government in the province.
Army holds farmers responsible: 'Trouble' at Okara military farms
May 31: Pakistan Army said that the "miscreants" of Anjuman-e-Mazarain Punjab (AMP) responsible for turbulence at the Okara Military Farms , and said there was massive distortion of facts about the on-ground situation in the troubled farms. This was stated by Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Maj-Gen Rashid Qureshi and Director General RV&FC Maj-Gen Mehmood, while briefing a group of journalists about the Okara situation. Maj-Gen Mehmood told the briefing that 11 people, including some national leaders, have been identified to be patronising this movement for the sake of their vested interest.
Five hurt in Hyderabad bomb blast
May 31: Five people were injured when a bomb exploded in a passenger coaster at Sabzi Mandi Chowk in Hyderabad. The sound of the blast was so loud that it was also heard in places far away from the scene and people ran for cover.
Supreme Court orders release of Khawajas
May 31: The Supreme Court ordered the release of doctor Ahmed Javed Khawaja and his brother Ahmad Naveed jailed in December on charges of having links to the al-Qaeda, court officials said. A three-member Lahore bench of the Supreme Court declined a provincial government request to extend the detention of the Khawaja brothers for another month. The provincial government officials said the detainees would be freed after completing formalities at the jail where they have spent nearly 21 weeks in detention after their arrest in December in a joint police and FBI raid at their residence in Lahore.