Islamabad, 31 January 2005: Coordinator of the Economic Committee of the PPP and former federal Minister and MNA Naveed Qamar has issued he following statement today.

"The financial assistance following the events of September 11 had enabled Pakistan to temporarily say "goodbye" to the IMF. However, the Party cautioned that the long term future of Pakistan had been "mortgaged" through rescheduling of debts.

"Rescheduling on its own can be beneficial if the interest payments deferred are used to reduce the capital debt and invest in human resources. However, in the present reckless and irresponsible financial climate, the interest monies saved through deferred interest payments are being squandered on white elephant projects such as building a new General Headquarters and new military bases.

"The regime may claim to have said good bye to IMF but the fact is that we are still being monitored by the IMF in critical areas. Moreover, the regime still begs and borrows from other international lenders as well as from the open market which is far more expensive and detrimental to national economy as is evident from the floating of bonds".

"By spending more than we earn on the basis of the September 11 financial windfall, Islamabad was endangering the future of the unborn children of the land.

The PPP leader said that the monies should be invested in reduction of capital debt as well as on improving education and health. The PPP is committed to producing an educated manpower equipped to deal with the modern technological world so that the country could create jobs, increase productivity and growth and allow its citizens to lead prosperous lives, he said.

Syed Naveed Qamar said that without a representative and democratic government, the basic needs of the people were being ignored. Joblessness, inflation, hunger, economic suicides were creating misery and suffering and the future of the country was being mortgaged.

"An independent and sovereign Pakistan could be built only when debt was cleared which the present regime was ignoring".

The PPP noted that without the financial assistance of September 11 events and saddled with a Moeen Quereshi IMF agreement for fiscal control, it had achieved a great victory for the Nation by becoming the first government to pay off capital debt.

It may be recalled that PPP paid off one billion dollars of expensive debt during its tenure. However after its overthrow the fascist regime of Farooq Leghari once again borrowed one billion dollars at the most expensive rates to compromise Pakistan's independence and self reliance.

The need of the hour was to make Pakistan a democratic country, giving respect to its people by investing in its youth and preparing to meet the challenges of the new world with dignity and enlightened moderation, he said.

Barrister Sultan Mehamood addressed the PPP Canada luncheon meeting
 

Islamabad, 31 January 2005: Former prime minister of AJK and PPP leader Barrister Sultan Mehmood spoke on the luncheon meeting organize by PPP Canada at the Suhaag banquet hall today where he praised the courageous leadership of Shaheed Bhutto who gave his life but gave Pakistan nuclear capability and his brave daughter Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto developed missile technology to make Pakistan strong enough of her neighbor. Present military regime in Pakistan is weakening our stance on the issue of Kashmir which will not serve any good to the cause of Kashmir, said Barrister.

He also demanded of the international community to settle the issue of Kashmir according to the UN resolutions adopted by the world. Kashmir is for Kashmiries and the Kashmiries are the ones to have the right to decide their future course. Leadership of both sides of Kashmir are to be included in negotiation process and we believe that since US is taking interest to solve the Kashmir issue, I also think US should take the role of mediator. Said former prime minister of AJK.

Barrister Sultan stressed that Canada may also could play important role and the Kashmiri and Pakistani Canadians should highlight the cause of Kashmir with their MP's. He thanked PPP Canada president Saleem Janjua to organize such impressive event in short time notice. President PPP Canada Saleem Janjua and Aftab Malik PRO PPP Canada also spoke on the occasion and thanked Sardar Zahoor Khan member executive PPP Canada for hosting the luncheon meeting

Islamabad January 29, 2005: Former Prime Minister and Chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto has condemned that murderous attack on the house of PPP MNA Qurban Ali Shah and the death of a Party worker Abu Bakr Panwer in police custody and asked the regime to bring to book those responsible for the attacks.

On Wednesday January 26 the house of PPPP MNA Mr. Qurban Shah in Mirpur Khas in Sindh was savagely attacked by the members of the present regime. When the PPP workers protested the police baton charged and arrested them resulting also in the death in custody of Abu Bakr Panwer, a loyal Party worker.

In a statement today the former Prime Minister called for an investigation into the murder of Abu Bakr Panwer and arrest of the culprits.

Mohtarma said that the murder of Abu Bakr Panwer and the attack on the house of Parliamentarian Qurban Ali Shah went against the declared policy of Mr. Musharaf to seek national reconciliation. The former Prime Minister said that if the regime was sincere about national reconciliation it must take action against elements in the government who were involved in unlawful acts such as murder and arson of innocent persons and their offices on political grounds.

This was the second murder following that of PPP official and Union Council Nazim Jamote of Malir earlier this month. Earlier MPA Dr. Asad Moazam was arrested from the Party office and Former MNA Bajwa faced threats from Speaker of the Punjab Assembly.

Following the announcement of a reconciliation policy, observers say that PPP officials have been targeted more brutally. It seems that the velvet glove is to hide the iron fist where four PPP Mayors were removed, four PPP strongholds gerry mandered through redistribution, the seat of former Prime Minister bifurcated into two separate districts as well as other actions denying political space to PPP.

"The deteriorating law and order situation and state terrorism as was witnessed in the attack on the house on a PPP MNA and the killing of a PPP worker in police custody on Mirpur Khas is most reprehensible and is condemned in the strongest terms".

It appeared that the regime was deliberately targeting the PPP workers and crating a law and order situation just before the forthcoming local bodies elections, she said.

The former Prime Minister demanded a judicial probe into the incident and the registration of FIR of the murder of the PPP worker in police custody. Failure to do so would fan suspicion that some people in the regime planned to trigger ethnic riots in the province to suit their own political agenda, she said.

She said that the regime was pursuing a deliberate course to shrink the political space for the opposition. It was bent upon achieving its objective through all means including resort to state terrorism, she said.

She also urged the human rights bodies to take note of the state brutality and raise their voice against it.

The PPP would not be deterred by such strong-arm tactics and would not succumb to show of force, she said.

Mohtarma Bhutto also expressed sympathy with the families of victims of state brutality.

Islamabad January 28, 2005: A spokesman of the PPP has contradicted reports in a section of the press that the regime has offered to allow Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto to return to the country, holding of fresh elections, share in the interim government and withdrawal of cases against her.

It is clarified that reports to this effect are not correct and no such offer has been made.

Further reports in a section of the press that that the PPP is ready to accept MMA as a protest partner are also not correct.

It is true that there are pressures for forming a grand alliance. However, after the MMA gave political support to General Pervez Musharraf for the 17th amendment the PPP is hesitant to enter into another alliance for the time being.

Mohtarma Bhutto concerned about water issues

Calls for lining canals and building small dams
 

Islamabad January 28, 2005: Pakistan Peoples Party Chairperson and former Prime Minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto has expressed reservations about bypassing the constitutional provisions for the settlement of water issues between the provinces.

According to press reports the federal government has decided to set up Water Council under the chairman ship of Prime Minister and comprising of chief ministers of all four provinces and experts from provinces and Water and Power ministry to resolve water related disputes between the provinces.

In a statement today Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto said that Article 153 of the Constitution already provided for a mechanism in the shape of council of Common Interest (CCI) for addressing such issues. The Water Council would be helpless as it is not a constitutional body and its decision would not have the force of a constitutional body like the CCI, she said.

The former Prime Minister said that water issue was closely linked to the issue of electricity also which as a subject on the Concurrent Legislative List fell within the purview of the CCI for formulating and regulating policies. Whereas the CCI is responsible to the Parliament the new proposed Water Council is responsible to the Prime Minister or federal government, she said and added that this fact alone would make the new body suspect in the eyes of many.

She said that Article 155 of the Constitution also provided that if the interest of a province in water from any natural sources of supply was affected prejudicially by any executive or legislative action the matter would be taken up in the Council of Common Interest which shall either give its decision or request the President to appoint a commission of experts on whose report the Council shall record its decision.

She said that the best course therefore would be to seek a resolution through the mechanism provided in the Constitution. She said that bypassing the Constitutional mechanisms in place was jeopardizing national interest and eroding the sanctity of the law and constitution. She said that adherence to Constitution would provide the framework to resolve the bread and butter issues relating to the common man who was suffering untold miseries due to the interruption of the constitutional process.

The former Prime Minister that tinkering with the constitution on water related issues in the backdrop of water shortage in the country would harm the federation by allowing mistrust to fester.

She noted that the Peoples Government had drawn up an ambitious plan to increase water resources of the country. These plans included lining of all canals between 1996 and 2006. The lining of the canals would have produced two and a half times the water projected for Kalabagh Dam every year bringing millions of acres under cultivation.

The former Prime Minister wanted the regime to explain what it had done about the small water dams that were being constructed by PPP government from Khyber to Karachi with a view to providing clean drinking water as well as agricultural water for the people.

She said that water was being politically exploited under dictatorships for cheap purposes of divide and rule. She called upon the regime to revive the PPP polices and immediately start lining the canals and building of small dams".

Islamabad January 26, 2005: Ms Sherry Rehman PPPP Member of the National Assembly and President, Central Policy Planning, Pakistan Peoples Party has issued the following statement today.

"The regime’s recent reported decision to reduce the number of Union Council seats for the next round of Local Body polls reflects its clear intention to use both the electoral process and structure as a political tool.

"Without a doubt, the new anti-devolutionary plan to reduce the total number of Union Council seats from 21 to 13 comes as a severe blow to women, labour, peasant and minorities candidates particularly, as this will translate into a huge cut in their representation at the local level. If these anti-people reforms go through, local institutions will revert back to a process of control by traditional tribal and clerical forces.

"The reasons for this quite cutting back of local representation is obvious. After a few years of chaotic district government, where only a handful of the councilors understood their role or their responsibilities, many who have come in for the first time, particularly on reserved seats, are posing a threat to the local establishment through a shift in their articulated interests. The first signs of democratic organization by these marginalized groups at a local level has challenged entrenched interests and elites who are finding it increasingly difficult to manipulate a class that is beginning to slowly articulate its needs and demand its entitlements. Groups of women and labour networks have been indicating their intention to contest the next local bodies polls on an organized party-affiliation standard, which gives them political protection, even if the regime insists on non-party polls, and candidate applications have been pouring into the PPP’s district offices all over the country for these slots.

"The total number of Union Councilors will go down from 114,418 to 66,220. Peasant and labour seats will be reduced from 24, 088 to 12,044, while minorities, who have one reserved seat in every Union Council may be deprived of representation altogether in most councils. Women councilors who have been undergoing training from political parties as well as NGOs and are now asking for an end to tribal justice, remuneration for their offices, pose a challenge to the male-domination of the district assemblies. Political activists, NGOs and unions have calculated that only on the women’s seats, the cut will bring down their representation from 36,132 to 18,066.

"Local elites who have been lobbying against the erosion of their powers by these councilors have been given more concessions by the regime through its promise to curtail the numbers that form the Electoral College for the seat of District Nazim. For a district of one hundred union councils, for instance, the Electoral College will be reduced from 2,100 to 140, which really amounts to a massive cut in the democratic base of the nazims, whose election it will now be easier to manipulate.

"The anti-democratic bias of the whole decentralization process has been clear from the start, but becomes even more pronounced after the violation of all earlier promises to conduct these elections on a party basis. Local elections on a non-party basis for a second time will not just render party programmes and policies ineffective by creating a pool of local leaders responsible directly to the military government, but will promote a retrograde political culture of kin-based, feudal and anti-democratic forces. An elite consensus that bypasses the provinces and weakens the federation is dangerous in a multi-ethnic, heterogeneous country like Pakistan. Given the insurgency in Balochistan, and the discontent in both Sindh and the Frontier province over resources, it is clear that another military government is taking the country into a calamitous situation because of its inability to reconcile competing interests through the pluralism inherent in a genuine democracy. It is also disturbingly clear that the military government has not learnt any lessons form the 1971 division of the country where the interests of one province were consistently ignored by a military regime determined to govern Pakistan as a centralized unit.

"General Musharraf has already embarked on a suicidal course for democracy in this country by forging a parliamentary system into a quasi-military presidency. By reducing the emerging power of groups that form the support base of popular, mainstream political parties with roots in the rural and urban impoverished masses, this regime is hitting out at more than one-third of the country that lives below the poverty line. Pakistan is not a country that has ever welcomed military dictatorships, and political forces like the PPP will continue to challenge this attempt to concentrate all powers at the top. The PPP has always fought hard for the rights of marginalized groups, and will continue in its struggle to represent the interests of those groups that find their voices muzzled by a military regime. We condemn this latest move of the regime as anti-people, non-participatory and disempowering".

PPP not to participate in Muttahida round table

Islamabad January 27, 2005: Spokesman of the Pakistan Peoples Party has issued the following statement today.

"The MQM has invited the PPP to a round table on Baluchistan which the Muttaheda plans to hold in Quetta on Friday January 28.

"The PPP wishes to reiterate its commitment to the people of Baluchistan and to find a peaceful political resolution to the simmering problem and unrest in the province accentuated by the gang rape of a lady doctor allegedly by personnel of the security forces.

"That is why the Party has already submitted appropriate Parliamentary instruments including adjournment motion and a call attention notice to discuss the Baluchistan situation in the forthcoming Senate session scheduled from February 2.

"The PPP however feels that the MQM being part and parcel of the government should use its influence and power within the government to redress the genuine grievances of the province of Baluchistan which responsibility it seems to have abdicated.

"The PPP finds it difficult to participate in a Muttahida sponsored round table on Baluchistan. On Wednesday January 26 as the MQM was inviting the PPP for participating in the round table, its workers were attacking the house of PPPP MNA Mr. Qurban Shah in Mirpur Khas in Sindh. When the PPP workers protested the police baton charged and arrested them resulting also in the death in custody of one Party worker.

"The Party therefore has decided not to participate in the MQM sponsored round table and to pursue its own course along with the opposition parties to address the Baluchistan issue".

Islamabad January 25, 2005: Mian Raza Rabbani leader of the Opposition in the Senate has issued the following statement today.

"The arrest, harassment and maltreatment of Dr. Asad Moazzam, MPA Punjab Assembly belonging to the PPPP is condemned in the strongest terms.

"The PML (Q) government is following an agenda of political victimization in which the voice of political opposition is being crushed by the use of state apparatus. The cloak and dagger style adopted in raiding the house of Dr. Asad Moazam is typical of a police state. The police officials who acted as Party workers of the ruling Party must be suspended immediately and a judicial inquiry by a Judge of the High Court be ordered.

"The Government in the province of Sindh has on the basis of political motivation created new districts and dismissed without lawful authority four PPPP nazims. This has been done to further curtail the political space for the opposition and is condemned.

The government is also considering bifurcating Hyderabad to carve out another district for achieving its narrow political ends. This act of the government is condemned and the Party will take appropriate action under the law.

"The Government continues to target the Opposition, curtail its political space and deny it legitimate political role.

"Be it known to the rulers that no matter what it does the Opposition will not be deterred. The Opposition will continue to conduct accountability of the rulers inside and outside the Parliament.

"Our struggle for the restoration of the Constitution, supremacy of the Parliament and against the 17th Amendment will continue till final victory.

"Let there be no doubt or mistake about it. The forces of truth, justice and parliamentary supremacy are fated to succeed".

Hearing in Case against PPP workers today
 

Islamabad January 26, 2005: The case against PPP activists accused of attacking the Parliament House in April 1998 will be heard in the court of senior civil judge Islamabad on Thursday January 27.

The case was adjourned till today at the time of last hearing on December 21 coinciding with the arrival of Asif Zardari in Islamabad and his deportation to Karachi.

Raja Abbasi Defence Council then deposed that dozens of activists named in the FIR could not appear before the court because of the swoop on Party workers a night before who were preparing to accord welcome to Asif Ali Zardari. He also an application on behalf of the workers who could not attend December 21 proceedings because of the late night arrests.

About fifty activists of the Party including Ms Naheed Khan MNA, Nayyer Bokhari MNA, Shahzadi Kausar Gillani MLA Azad Kashmir, Senator Farhatullah Babar, Qazi Sultan Mahmood, Syed Ibrar Rizvi, Babar Minhas, Syed Ibn-i-Rivi, Shahnawaz, Shabbir Babar, Jehangir Akhtar, Majeed Niazi and Sohail Rumi besides others have been charged with storming the Parliament building in 1998 and threatening the Speaker National Assembly.

The case was registered on April 22, 1998 when PPP activists staged a protest rally outside the Parliament House against the anti-terrorism legislation, which gave sweeping powers to the executive. The demonstrators were forcibly dispersed when the police resorted to baton charge resulting in injury to many Party workers and activists.

The protestors were demanding review of the law. Later the Supreme Court struck down various provisions of the proposed legislation including the one relating to the setting up of military courts to try terror cases.

A large number of protestors were arrested on the spot and sent to jail. All were initially booked under the anti-terror law against which they were protesting. Later however the government withdrew the terrorism charges and booked the protestors under eight different sections of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Defence Counsel Raja Shakeel Abbasi has asked all the Party workers named in the FIR in the case to appear before the court of senior civil judge Islamabad on time.

PPP Warns of Impending Economic Crash Claims of Breaking Begging Bowl Belied by Borrowings Through Bonds

Islamabad, 19 January 2005: Former federal Minister and PPP leader Syed Naveed Qamar MNA has said that the botched up wheat policy had made a net importer of the main staple and warned that the situation would further worsen due to this year’s sowing conditions.

In a statement today he said that trade deficit had tripled to $2.4 billion in the first half of this year as compared to $723 million in the same period last year. This along with rising inflation, unemployment and poverty will further compound the miseries of the people.

"While the regime boasts of economic take off, all the indicators pointed towards a crash landing of the economy", said Naveed Qamar who is also the convener of the economic coordinating cell of the Party.

He said that the figures of the first half of the year indicated that the annual deficit was expected to exceed $5 billion as against the target of $3 billion. According to the latest figures released by the government, the gap between imports and exports of the country was widening and there was no choice but to resort to large scale borrowing, he said.

The PPP leader said that the much trumpeted "12-billion dollar" reserves, gained as a windfall due to post 9/11 remittances had started depleting. The failure of the government to boost exports to meet the country’s foreign exchange needs has been exposed.

He said that the benefits of bumper cotton crop this year would not be reaped because of the failure of the government to prepare itself for new WTO-based "quota – free" trade regime.

"Lack of incentives for the oil and gas exploration industry has exposed us to the vagaries of fluctuating world oil market. Were it not for the Oil and gas policy of the PPP given in the mid-nineties, the economic situation would have been grimmer".

He said that at a time when government is boasting of breaking the begging bowl, it is ironic that we are forced to borrow in the open market through Islamic bonds and other market instruments at interest rates much higher than the IMF’s rates. As the rupee comes under pressure due to the deficit, the remittances sent by overseas Pakistanis will also be affected negatively, he said.

Opposition Demands Joint Session of Parliament for National Consensus on Provincial Autonomy and Baluchistan

Islamabad January 19, 2005: Leader of the opposition in the Senate Mian Raza Rabbani has demanded convening of a joint session of the Parliament to discuss what he said the ‘grim and volatile situation’ in Baluchistan. In a statement today Mian Raza Rabbani asked the ruler to heed the writing on the wall and not take the situation in Baluchsitan lightly. The regime must find a political solution through dialogue rather than hurling threats and warnings like ‘it is not 70’s’, he said and added "Joint sitting of the Parliament is the best forums to evolve national consensus on issues of provincial autonomy and unrest in a federating unit, Baluchsitan". Brute force has never solved complex political issues. Hurling threats will only exacerbate an already volatile situation. "If the rulers are shy of convening a joint session it should at least summon sessions of the two houses separately. As representative of the federating units the Senate session must be convened soon after Eid. "Urgent session is all the more important as the Parliamentary Committee on Baluchsitan had become ineffective due to the withdrawal of the Baluchistan National Party (Mengal) from it". "The feelings of deprivation in the province were accentuated recently by feelings of helplessness and voicelessness due to the unfortunate incident of gang rape of a lady doctor and the ruler’s deafening silence over it until the booming rockets forced them to heed the cries of protestors. "Therefore in case the rulers do not summon the Senate session the opposition in the Party House will requisition the session".

Mohtarma Bhutto felicitates Mian Raza Rabbani

Islamabad January 12, 2005: Former Prime Minister and Chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party Mohtarma Benazir has welcomed the notification of Senator Mian Raza Rabbani as leader of the opposition in the Senate.

In a statement today she noted that although the Upper House remained without opposition leader for nearly two years due to the delay in the notification, it was a positive development for the moderate opposition that its leader was notified as the leader of the opposition in the senate by the Senate Chairman.

It may be recalled that under the Senate rules the nomination of opposition leader is to be made on the basis of the majority of the opposition members supporting an opposition senator. The PPPP nominee Senator Mian Raza Rabbani had the support of 22 senators belonging to the democratic opposition parties, which constituted the largest opposition group in the Senate. As such the PPPP nominee as the joint candidate of the Opposition should have been nominated as opposition leader earlier on merit. However, Mohtarma said that it is "never too late to take the steps that can ultimately help develop a healthy democratic spirit in the country".

Mohtarma Bhutto said that Senator Mian Raza Rabbani is an accomplished parliamentarian with Senatorial experience having been elected thrice to the Senate. He is "informed on issues, a good debater and hard working political activist with a commitment to Federalism, Democracy, Provincial Autonomy and Egalitarianism. In defense of freedom, he has suffered head injuries as well as other challenges. His appointment will add further substance to the parliamentary proceedings".

Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto thanked the senators from the allied democratic opposition parties including the PML(N), ANP, JWP, BNP(M),BNM, PkMAP who with the PPP Parliamentarians formed the joint group that led to the nomination of Senator Raza Rabbani as Senate opposition leader.

The former Prime Minister wished Raza Rabbani well in his new role as the opposition leader.

Mian Raza Rabbani thanks democratic opposition