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The Rediff Interview/Benazir Bhutto
 

May 2005

Open Violation of basic human rights

Benazir condemns violence against citizens’ rally in Lahore

Islamabad: Former prime minister and chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Benazir Bhutto has criticised use of force against participants of a run organised to raise awarness about crime and violence against women.

Ms Bhutto particularly condemned brutal treatment by male police officers who according to her tried to tear the clothes of Asma Jehangir, a United Nations Rapporteur and former chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).

She said the police action showed tyrannical means being employed to deny citizens their constitutional right to freedom of movement, association and expression.

She said the police had also tortured PPP workers to disperse a peaceful airport reception for Asif Ali Zardari last month. She demanded that the federal administration condemn police action ordered by the Punjab administration to improve its credibility.

A citizens rally organised by the HRCP and the Joint Action Committee of the People’s Rights on Saturday in Lahore was violently dispersed by law enforcement agencies who arrested dozens of activists and whisked them off to police stations.

Ms Jehangir and Iqbal Haider, the HRCP general secretary, were among those who were brutally tortured. Others who were detained included Hina Jillani, Shahtaj Qazalbash, Tahseen Ahmad, Farooq Tariq and Joseph Francis.

The police claimed that they had received information of an impending assault on the citizens rally by activists of the Shabab-i-Milli, the youth wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami.

Ms Jehangir had received a threatening phone call from someone claiming to be the president of Shabab-i-Milli, Ahmad Salman, but later it was found that the police had made a fake phone call from a tyre shop.

Ms Bhutto said that the incident had distorted claims of enlightened moderation and demonstrated that the Punjab administration was secretly in contact with the extremist elements.

The former prime minister said that the pictures of Ms Jehangir and other women being roughed up by male police and with their clothes torn had brought shame on the government.

Ms Bhutto called upon the judiciary to protect people’s right and take suo moto action against those responsible. She also urged lawyers, the media and human rights organisations to raise their voice against state violence.

She also sympathised with Ms Jehangir and other activists. “You have suffered humiliation and torture at the hands of state agencies for exercising your fundamental human rights,” she said. online

Mohtarma Bhutto rejects auctioning of fishing rights in Sindh as unjust
Voices support to All Parties Conference against contract system

Islamabad May 31, 2005: Former Prime Minister and Chairperson Pakistan Peoples Party, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto has rejected the plans for auctioning fisheries rights in Sindh province as unjust and amounting to depriving the local fisherman of their traditional source of living and trade.

The provincial government has announced a two month schedule of contracting all the fishing grounds in the province during May and June 2005.

The new system deprives the fishermen of their due share of catch and does not allow them to sell their catch in open market. It also degrades the fishing grounds by using chemicals to enhance fish catch threatening to irreversibly deplete the fish species from the fishing grounds.

Tens of thousands of fishermen in Sinhd and their families have come on roads against the abolition of decades old license system and introduction of exploitative contract system. The regime retaliated by arresting the protesting fishermen and sealing the offices of their representatives.

"The demand of the Sindh fishermen not to abolish the existing license system is lawful, in accordance with past practices and consistent with the Sindh Fisheries Act 1980".

Arresting fisherman demanding restoration of their rights was adding insult to injury, she said.

"The forcible ejection of tenants of Okara and other military farms in the Punjab, the uprooting of fisherman in Sindh and the sacking of labour and civilian employees showed how dictatorship hurts the rights of a people".

She also demanded the release of the leaders of Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) and other fishermen.

She said that what was happening at the military farmlands in the Punjab, in the fishing grounds in Sindh and the induction of armed forces personnel on civil posts only increased the isolation of the security personnel from the people.

This is detrimental to the morale of the security forces, she said.

The former Prime Minister said that the PPP will continue to support the historical struggle of the fishermen of Sindh. She said that the PPP will also participate in the All Parties Conference against Contract System in Fisheries scheduled to be held in Karachi on June 8, 2005.

Mohtarma Bhutto condemns assault on press freedom by military dictatorship

Islamabad may 29, 2005: Former Prime Minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto has expressed concern over the continued assault on the freedom of information by the military dictatorship in Pakistan.

She was commenting on reports that the military regime is continuing with its ban on state-sponsored advertising in two newspapers owned by a leading media company, the Urdu-language daily Nawa-i-Waqt and the English-language daily The Nation.

The Musharaf dictatorship imposed this ban to financially squeeze the paper as revenge for an April ad that both dailies ran from the opposition Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).The ads were taken out to inform the public about the arrival of Opposition leader Asif Ali Zardari. Most of the ads by the opposition were not carried by the major media due to the government threats for the entire campaign. However, after the Nation group ran the ads, some others also got the precedent to run the ads too.

The PPP Chairperson said that the policy to crush freedom of press by the Musharaf dictatorship was contrary to the public statements of building an enlightened society. She said that intolerance and immoderation fuelled extremism. The action against the newspaper company was an action that could only damage the standing of the country in the international community while usurping the fundamental rights of the people.

The former Prime Minister noted that the regime has ruthlessly crushed the newspapers and media. They are not allowed to report on the corruption of the ruling men in uniform or their families. Those who carry news that the dictatorship does not like get summary punishment. They are intercepted at traffic lights pulled out of cars and beaten or their cars are robbed.

She welcomed the statement by Committee to Protect Journalists which has issued a statement in the matter. She said that it was disappointing to see how the rulers bent backwards when foreign organizations took up issues but ignored domestic critics when they said the same thing. The former Prime Minister said that ignoring domestic criticism while bending backwards to please foreign organizations has given rise to ridicule the most recent example being of the cartoon showing a dog running up to a foreign soldier to deliver goods. She said it would be much wiser for the regime to listen to the voice of the people so that matters could be resolved internally instead of Islamabad's dirty linen being washed internationally.

She said that the ban on ads to the Nawai Waqt group was all the more sinister coming as it does on the eve of the Budget session. The Budget is expected to be yet another anti people measure in a country that has seen the worst economic deterioration. Today twenty percent richest people are richer than they were in the seventies whereas the twenty percent poorest people are much poorer than they were then.

The windfall of reschedule of loans where Pakistan got cash in its hand was squandered. Instead of paying off capital debt to make the country self reliant and self respecting, the money was wasted on white elephant expenses like building a second General Headquarters costing three billion dollars as well as an army of ministers and cars for party leaders.

Mohtarma Bhutto said that it was shocking that more debt had been incurred when there were no repayments to be made due to reschedule. She said that had PPP been in power it would have taken advantage of the economic generosity of the international community to build Pakistan into a prosperous and modern nation free of unemployment and misery. She asked the people of the country to unite for the restoration of democracy in which lay their economic and social salvation.

Musharraf's 'Honest' General, Rattled by Exposure of His Corruption
By Senator Farhatullah Babar

ISLAMABAD, May 29: Lately the Fauji Foundation, a trust for the welfare of ex-servicemen, has been in the news. The Foundation's response to the strident criticism of its performance in Parliament and in the media, however, has been at best deafening silence and at worst jeering at the protesting MPs by rejecting through newspaper ads the information about it placed on the floor of the house by the government itself.

During question hour in the National Assembly last month, a member belonging to the ruling coalition, Mrs Shamim Akhtar, had asked the defence minister as to why the Khoski Sugar Mill belonging to the Foundation had been sold. The written reply was a masterpiece of contradiction.

In his written reply the defence minister stated that the Sugar Mill was incurring heavy losses and therefore sold for Rs300 million to the highest bidder in a transparent manner after completion of all formalities.

The matter would have ended but, intriguingly, it also stated, "It has been sold at the low price in any case." (Whatever that means.)

The claim of selling the mill to the highest bidder on the one hand and the admission that it had been sold at a low price was offensive to the meanest intelligence. There was uproar. In unison with the MPs' demanded truth and nothing but the truth.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Tanvir Hussain then admitted to what came like a bombshell: the sugar mill had been sold at Rs300 million, against the highest bid of 387 million.

Some intrepid press reporters then chased the parliamentary secretary to his chamber. A number of facts were revealed: the transaction had taken place during the tenure of the present boss of the Foundation, who was previously chairman of the National Accountability Bureau. A high-level inquiry had already been ordered by the Defence Ministry. The entity to which it was sold had not even participated in the bidding process.

Initially the Foundation did not respond but after two weeks rejected the information given to the MPs through quarter-page advertisements in national dailies. The ads titled "Fauji Foundation Rejects" not only dismissed allegations but also claimed that the Khoski Sugar Mill was sold "in the best interest of the Foundation" and in keeping with the "established corporate norms and business practices."

"We have received no government assistance in cash or kind," the ads announced, and vowed to "jealously guard its reputation for impeccable conduct."

The MPs took the Foundation's ads, which rejected the official information placed before them a few days before, as an affront and breach of their privilege. Parliamentary Secretary Major Tanvir also bemoaned that the Foundation had breached the privilege of Parliament.

One is indeed puzzled by the Foundation's claim that it had not received government assistance in cash or in kind. Under SRO No 395, issued in March 1972, all the properties of the Post War Services Reconstruction Funds of the former West Pakistan were vested in the federal government, which in turn transferred these properties to the Fauji Foundation under the Charitable Endowments Act. With such a kick start from day one, how can the management today claim that it has not received from the government "any assistance in cash or in kind"?

According to the Scheme of Administration under the SRO, the Fauji Foundation is also authorized"to receive from government or other bodies or person any contribution to the Foundation."

Why would the SRO authorize the Foundation to receive contributions if it was not intended that it actually received contributions?

When the opposition demanded that the sale of the sugar mill be investigated by the NAB, apologists for the Foundation claimed that its income wasn't covered under the definition of "public fund," and therefore the NAB had no jurisdiction to probe, much the same way as it cannot probe the financial decisions of any other private undertaking.

Several hundred private housing societies functioning in the country operate private and not public funds. If the NAB has been probing the housing societies, why can't it probe the Foundation's dealings, particularly when as a charitable trust, the Foundation, is supposed to serve the welfare of ex-servicemen? The Taj Company also did not operate public funds but was not spared by the NAB.

According to the Scheme of Administration of the Foundation, its administration is in the hands of a committee whose chairman is the defence secretary and its members include four principal staff officers of the GHQ and two senior officers of the Pakistan Navy and the Air Force, all paid out of the public funds. The assertion defies logic that the Foundation's funds should not only be treated as private but also kept beyond the purview of the NAB.

It has also been asserted that no government tribunal has legal authority to probe the affairs of the Foundation and that the administrative committee alone is competent to initiate proceedings against any wrongdoing in a manner it deems appropriate. It amounts to saying that the committee shall sit in judgment on the propriety of its own financial and administrative decisions. Heads I win, tails you lose. Isn't it?

The claim by the Foundation's management through press ads paid out of funds meant for the welfare of servicemen, instead of categorically stating its position on allegations of underbidding, is a most cavalier attitude, to say the least. The issue will not die down by weaving around it a complex web of legal terminologies. When foundations are shaken it beckons men of courage to save the structures from collapsing. Individuals and institutions which have great strengths approach their criticism and weaknesses with a sense of confidence and condor.

It will do the Fauji Foundation and its boss (Lt. General Syed Mohammed Amjad, Pix Top, Left), who is known for personal integrity, enormous good if it volunteered to dispel the misgivings about the sale of the sugar mill before the appropriate Parliamentary Committee, admitted that it erred in placing the costly ads to rebut parliamentary criticism, and returned to the Foundation's account the money meant to be spent on the welfare of ex-servicemen misspent on ads.

Apart from his reputation of integrity, the present head of the Foundation has spent a lifetime in a profession which must have taught him what collateral damage is. One hopes that he will demonstrate courage and condor. and save the institution he served so ably for several decades from colossal collateral damage.

The writer, a PPP Senator, is a member of the Senate Committee on Defence. This article was written for "The News"

PRESS BRIEF ON PIA’s DECISION TO SELL A-300 B4

On May 27th 2005 at Karachi Press Club By Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians Senator Rukhsana Zuberi, Senator (R) Rashid Rabbani & Engr. Muhammad Rafiq MPA & Mr.Zafar Khan.

PIA is leasing aircrafts for passenger and freight operations from MNG and Fly Air soon after inception of the present regime. PIA is now selling MNG six A300 aircraft for a partly sum of $ 10.1 million.

Mind you , these aircraft were advertised as airworthy and JAR 145 compliant. The PIA stand, that the six A300s had completed their life and were no longer safe for flying as such there was no point in keeping the aircraft when they were not airworthy is distortion of facts.

Facts:
If these aircraft are not airworthy then why PIA has offered 18 sets of pilots and flight engineers to MNG to fly these aircraft for them.

Are these aircraft safe for the PIA crew and unsafe for passengers ?

If A300 has completed its life in 22 years then why PIA is still risking the lives of passengers by commuting them in their 21 years old B-737s and 50 year old F-27s. The fact is that no aircraft is young or old; it has to be AIRWORTHY with Certificate of Airworthiness & Certificate of Maintenance. The 6 A300s being sold have both certifications!!!

Should all aircraft with an age of 22 years and above be grounded immediately??

CERTAINLY NOT!! AS THEY ARE SAFE

Also PIA is leasing similar or older aircrafts on lease. Given are details:

Questions that you may like to ask:
Why PIA leases older or almost same age planes as of its own age during Haj Umra Season? Is the safety not a consideration then? Is it that PIA’s engineering has the capability of reducing a flying machine to junk in just 20 years or is it?.

Each A300 that PIA contends that it has been sold on “as is where is basis” have the following items on board .

1. 2 GE engines. Cost of one engine 3 to 4 million US dollars.

2. 2 main landing gears and one nose landing 7 million US dollars gear , in serviceable condition.

3. APU in serviceable condition. 3 million US dollars

4 JAR 145 compliant navigation systems. two years before 2 millions

Also the planes being sold are being refurbished as per the requirements of the buyer. The

nation whose liabilities have been increased has a right to an explanation from those allowing

this sale despite an effective interjection by the PPP Senators.

One week earlier PIA advertised for the sale of one A300B4 Aircraft on “as is where is basis” Tail No

AP - BAZ; you need to verify by your self that what it technically means by “As is Where Is Basis”

You must compare it with the fleet being sold. This plane has no engines, no landing gear, no APU, no cabin

Furnishings, no avionics. It is a bare metallic skeleton!!!

The bidders offer is evident that they are taking planes to fly; as they are asking PIA to provide maintenance & technical support, crew etc. Does this mean that International Aviation agencies will allow an unsafe aircraft to fly in their airspace?

The sale of 6 airworthy aircrafts for a partly sum of $ 10.1 million and leasing of aircrafts at 2.2 times higher cost is not sound judgment and seems to be based on other considerations!!!

The economic comparison of flying PIA owned planes with the leased ones is given here to give you an idea that after taking 10.1 Million Dollars as sale proceeds we will be paying almost 80 Million Dollars extra every year. Meaning, more money to the lenders, the banks, whose representatives are at the highest echelons….. to safe guard their Principal’s interests.

It’s a Test case for us both; as we need to work together, to put a stop to this blatant plundering of People’s money. Also put an end to the dilution of National Assets and increasing liabilities on our future generations.

May God help us!!

PAKISTAN PAINDABAD
In case of query please contact:
Senator Engr. Rukhsana Zuberi
Phone:  0333-2285058
E-mail: rkzuberi@hotmail.com

PPP protests closing of NADRA office in Rato Dero in Larkana

Demands it immediate opening

Islamabad May 27, 2005: Pakistan People Party has protested the closing of the sub office of the National Database and Registration Authority

(NADRA) in Rato Dero and demanded its immediate re-opening.

The NADRA registration sub office in Rato Dero in Larkana district was closed down last week for no apparent reason leaving people in a quandary as to where to get themselves registered.

In a letter to NADRA Chairman today the President of Sindh PPP and former Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that the shifting of the office was a "malicious attempt to deprive the residents of the area to obtain national identity cards and thus reduce the number of voters of Mohtarma Bhutto’s constituency".

He said that Rato Dero Office of NADRA was located in NA-207 which is Mohtarma Bhutto’s constituency and its shifting had affected the residents of a large number of villages. The villages whose people were affected by the decision, he said, included Garhi Khuda Baksh Bhutto, Nau Dero, Bhai Khanm Ghanghro, Khan Wah, Juma Agham, Waris Deno Mashi, Bosan, Wasoo Bhutto Azit-Ji, Bangul Dero and Bando Qubo.

"Politics should not be involved with administrative units", he said and asked the NADRA chief, "NADRA should remain neutral and should not fall prey to political gimmicks of the current administration".

"You are therefore requested to reopen the sub-office at Rato Dero immediately to enable the residents of the area to obtain NICs and get registered as voters", the letter said.

Pre Budget Seminars of the PPP

Islamabad May 27, 2005: The Economic Coordination Cell of the Pakistan Peoples Party will hold a series of seminars on the state of Pakistan’s economy on the eve of the 2005-06 Budget.

This has been stated by the Coordinator of the Economic coordination cell of the PPP former finance Minister and sitting MNA Syed Naveed Qamar today. He said that the seminars will highlight the issues being faced by the people and also suggest ways how to overcome their problems.

A large number of noted experts and intellectuals will address these seminars.

The first seminar in the series will be held in Karachi PC on May 30 to be followed by similar seminars in Islamabad at the Marriott on June 2 and in Lahore at the Avari Hotel on June 4, he said.

PPP does not accept Musharaf as legitimate President

Islamabad May 27, 2005: "It is incorrect to say that the PPP-P has shown its willingness to accept Musharraf in uniform on condition of forming a government of national consensus by holding general elections within a specific time frame".

This has been stated by Deputy Parliamentary leader of PPP-P in the National Assembly Raja Pervez Ashraf in a statement today in response to a report published in a Lahore based newspaper purported to be based on an interview given by Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar former Commerce Minister. The report said that the Party was willing to accept Musharraf in uniform in return for forming a government of national consensus by holding general elections.

The PPP-P position is quite clear; General Musharraf has not entered upon the office of the President in a legal and constitutional manner. The democratic opposition parties opposed the 17th Amendment that was designed, among other things, to make General Musharraf sneak into the Presidency through the back door. The PPP-P did not accept General Musharraf as legitimate President let alone as President in uniform.

Raja Pervez Ashraf also clarified the remarks in the same report about the Swiss investigations against Mohtarma Bhutto.

The PPP believes that the these investigations were triggered after Islamabad filed malicious allegations against Mohtarma Bhutto before Swiss authorities and also filed cases against her in Pakistani courts, he said. The allegations however fell to the ground after the tape recorded conversation of the judges proved the murder of justice as was evident from the SC observations "Bias of the trial judge floated on the surface of the record".

The Swiss investigations are being used to serve a collateral political purpose at home case and have no basis in law and morality, Raja Pervez Ashraf said.

He said that the Party workers had full faith in the leadership of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto who was in constant touch with the workers. It was a measure of the bond between the leader and the workers that several workers in the recent past attempted self immolation to protest the victimization of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and Senator Asif Ali Zardari.

He said that the views expressed in the interview may be that of an individual but were not the Party’s views.

Mohtarma Bhutto condemns mayhem in Barri Imam

Islamabad May 27, 2005: Former Prime Minister and chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto has expressed deep shock and anguish over the mayhem on Friday in Barri Imam near Islamabad killing dozens of people and injuring many more some of them seriously.

In a statement today she said she was grieved beyond measure over this senseless act of terror and frenzy murdering innocent devotees who had gathered at the shrine as part of religious festival.

Mohtarma Bhutto said that lawlessness, terrorism and sectarianism had increased manifold during the dictatorship. One of the reasons for this was that the rulers spent time and resources on hounding political opponents and had no time to address the real issues and problems facing the country.

She asked the rulers to provide emergency medical aid to the injured on a priority basis.

Mohtarma Bhutto also prayed for those who had lost lives in the gory incident and for the speedy recovery of those injured. She said her thoughts were with those who had lost their near and dear ones in the gory incident.

The Party Chairperson also asked the Party leaders and workers to provide succor to the bereaved families and those injured.

Mohtarma Bhutto also called upon the rulers to pay compensation to the families of those killed in the blast and also to those injured.

Bhutto welcomes Amnesty report

ISLAMABAD Thursday, May 26, 2005 : Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto welcomed the annual Amnesty International human rights report, which said the government ‘used the war on terror to arrest political protesters.’

In a report released on Wednesday, the organisation said the military-led government used emergency powers to arrest journalists and political protestors. Continued violence against women, including a spate of honour killings had been approved by quasi-judicial tribal councils, the report added.

Meanwhile, Bhutto expressed grief over the death of renowned Indian actor and politician Sunil Dutt who died on Wednesday. “Mr Dutt will be remembered by all who knew him. He worked for every thing he did whether it was his profession as a film personality or whether it was his political life. For us in Pakistan he had a special connection,” she said.

PPP seeks reduction of tension with India

Islamabad May 25, 2005: A spokesman of the PPP has issued the following statement today.

"Reports in a segment of the press give the impression that the Pakistan Peoples Party objects to the peace process with India. This is incorrect. The PPP has been the foremost party seeking reduction of tension with India and conflict management over the Kashmir Dispute.

"As a matter of fact it is under pressure of the PPP that the present military regime has finally reviewed its policy and adopted the PPP formula for safe and open borders. The recent redeployment of troops in the Siachin area was also a plan drawn up under the PPP government in 1989 with Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

"However, PPP has reservations on the legitimacy of the process under a military dictator. It is concerned about continuity of policies in the absence of taking the people of Pakistan and of Kashmir into confidence.

"While PPP supports the peace process it does it without prejudice to the position of the parties concerned with regard to the UN resolutions. As such it has reservations on new formulas such as the seven point one recently proposed by General Musharaf without taking Parliament in Pakistan or Azad Kashmir into confidence.

"The PPP believes that one should proceed on confidence building towards the goal of safe and open borders and common trading market as opposed to discussing controversial formulas".

Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Condoles the Death of Sunil Dutt

Islamabad, 25 May 2005: Former Prime Minister, Chairperson Pakistan Peoples Party Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto has expressed her grief and sorrow over the death of renowned Indian actor and politician Sunil Dutt who died on Wednesday.

Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto in a condolence letter addressed to Sunil Dutt’s son Sanjay Dutt expressing her sadness over the death of Sunil Dutt also a minister in Man Mohan Singh’s Cabinet, wrote, "I had the privilege of meeting with the Minister during my last visit to New Delhi. I found him fully dedicated to serving the people, in particular the poor. Mr. Dutt was a symbol of communal understanding. He had kindly attended my wedding in Pakistan in December 1987. He offered to help in what way he could when my husband was facing the difficult days of political incarceration. There was much sorrow in my family upon hearing the sad news that he had suffered a heart attack and left this world."

Paying rich tributes to Sunail Dutt, she further wrote, "Mr. Dutt will be remembered by all those who knew him. He worked wholeheartedly for every thing he did whether it was his profession as a film personality or whether it was his political life. That he won his Mumbai seat five times in a row is an expression of the trust that the people of his area had in him. For us in Pakistan Mr. Dutt had a special connection. He was born in Jhelum and although he left in 1947 after Partition, the people of the country continued to follow his rise to celluloid glory and to power."

"Mr Sunil Dutt may have left this world but he will live on in the hearts of those who knew him, in his many films where he gave much admired performances, the people of India whom he served as a Cabinet Minister and the people of South Asia who respected him for his talent and for his tolerant views towards religious harmony and interfaith understanding", Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto concluded.

Mohtarma Bhutto felicitates PPP Gilgit

Islamabad May 26, 2005: Former Prime Minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto has felicitated the PPP Gilgit on the vindication of Party candidate Aftab Haider through court decision.

Aftab Haider PPP candidate for NA-1, Gilgit-3 had filed an appeal in the court against the election results. The court granted the appeal Wednesday.

In a letter to Mehdi Shah Coordinator PPP Northern Areas the former Prime Minister said that she was happy with the news of court decision in favour of the PPP candidate Mr. Aftab Haider who had appealed against the result in NA 1.

"It is a great vindication for the Party that Mr. Haider has been declared the successful candidate".

"I take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Aftab Haider and all the members, workers and officials of the PPP in the Northern Areas who made this victory possible by canvassing for Mr. Haider during the elections", she said.

Opposition Leader in Senate apprises Christiana Rocca of political situation in Pakistan

Islamabad May 26, 2005: Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Mian Raza Rabbani apprised US Assistant Secretary of State Cristiana Rocca of the political situation in the country when she met him and representatives of the government in the Parliament House today.

Mian Raza Rabbani apprised her of the absence of democracy in the country and how the democratic political opposition was continually being denied level playing field.

General Musharraf, Mian Raza Rabbani said, claimed that he believed in democratization, modernity, tolerance and giving same level playing field to democratic opposition parties as had been allowed to the alliance of religious parties the MMA and ruling coalition PML(Q). But in actual practice what he preached was different from what he practiced.

Party workers were not allowed to welcome Senator Asif Zardari at Lahore airport on April 16 on return from Dubai. Thousands of Party workers were arrested and beaten up. After the workers were bailed out by courts, the rulers, exploiting the war on terror, charged them with terrorism for no other crime but to welcome their leader Asif Zardari. Many workers are still in jails and have not been released just because they wanted to go to the airport to receive their leader

He said that General Musharraf had still not distanced himself from the incident either through public statement or by suspending the officials involved in it.

Mian Raza Rabbani also apprised the US Assistant Secretary of State of the sentiments of the Muslims over the desecration of Holy Quran in Guantamano Bay and said that it had upset the Muslims not only in Pakistan but throughout the world.

Attention of Christina Rocca was also drawn to the deterioration of human rights situation in the wake of 9/11. He said that the rulers in Pakistan were using the war on terror to victimize the political opponents in the country. This he said had been acknowledged by the Amnesty International also in its latest report which was published on Wednesday.

Explaining how the PPP was denied level playing field Raza Rabbani said that a massive rigging plan had been drawn up by the rulers to rig the general elections whenever they are held by first rigging the forthcoming local bodies elections. As a first step the elected mayor of her home district of Mohtarma Bhutto in Sindh was dismissed, her constituency was broken and registration office located in her home district was closed so that voters could not register themselves for voting. This was followed by the breaking of other districts where the voters are predominantly PPP sympathizers.

He said that the rulers had decided to dismiss the elected mayors in all the districts and replace them with handpicked administrators to be appointed by the chief ministers of provinces from bureaucracy.

With such massive rigging already underway for the local and general elections and the talk of denying Mohtarma Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif any role in the elections the Party would be forced to consider whether it would be worthwhile participating in the elections at all, he told Rocca..

Raza Rabbani said that Musharraf had said just two days ago that he wanted to invite the democratic political parties for dialogue but that such dialogue would take place without their leaders. This amounted to dividing the political parties, Raza told Rocca and added "This did not work in the past; it wouldn’t work now also"..

Raza Rabbani said that the ARD had made it clear that if Musharraf wanted to talk to the political parties he should write letters to the two former Prime Ministers Mohtarma Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif. Actually Musharraf did not want to talk with the democratic political parties and he only wanted to divide the political parties, Raza Rabbani told Rocca.

He said that the party believed that a solution to the country’s political problems lay in fair and free elections at the earliest. Elections will have no legitimacy without the participation of the two former Prime Ministers, Raza Rabbani told her. He said that elections minus the two former Prime Ministers were held in 2002 but those elections did not give political stability to the country as they lacked legitimacy.

Mian Raza Rabbani said that Musharraf claim of wanting to have a dialogue with PPP was a hoax. He said that every time the PPP refused to give up its demand for free and fair elections in which Mohtarm Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif and their parties were allowed to participate freely the regime activated the so called Swiss investigations. This had happened in 2003 and in 2004 and happened just two days ago also, he told her.

Mian Raza Rabbani said that the PPP had noted US concerns about democracy in the Central Asian states. People in Pakistan expected that the US will shoe the same degree of concern for democracy in Pakistan also.

Rocca was also informed about political leaders still held in jails including Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani, Makhdoom Javed Hasmi, Bismillah Kakar, Pir Mukarram and others.

ARD rejects talks with "undemocratic" Musharraf

IslamabadMay 25, 2005:The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) has rejected Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's offer for talks saying that no such offer could be accepted unless two main political leaders - Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif - were also invited.

The Alliance leadership said that they had no intentions of holding meetings with "undemocratic forces".

ARD Secretary General Zafar Iqbal Jhagra said that no offer of talks sans Benazir and Nawaz would be accepted.

He added that before such an offer is accepted by the ARD, the Federal administration must "resolve all issues" with it.

"Issues should be sorted out first and invitations sent to Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto for such meetings. Only they could decide whether or not to attend these meetings," The News quoted Jhagra as saying.

He said the ARD would not allow holding of any election in the country sans Benazir Bhutto. "The ARD will not accept any election if held without the popular leadership of the country as these would not be election but selection and no one would accept them," he added.

The ARD head also claimed that the federal government could not keep Benazir and Nawaz out of the country for long.

 Hundreds of PPP activists reportedly still in jail

WASHINGTON Wednesday, May 25, 2005: “Scores, possibly hundreds, of activists of Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) remain in detention after a massive crackdown launched last month by the US-backed military regime of Pervez Musharraf,” according to a commentary published on Monday by an online news and analysis service.

The World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) in a commentary by Vilani Peiris points out that some of those detained have been charged under Section 7-A of Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act, when their only “crime” was to seek to organise peaceful anti-government protests. The article takes the view that the “attack on the PPP is part of a wider campaign of repression.” In this context, it refers to the observation made by the National Assembly speaker that legislators who criticise Musharraf for serving as both President and chief of Pakistan’s armed services could be barred from participating in the assembly. It also notes that police attacked journalists who were marking World Press Freedom Day with a demonstration outside the Prime Minister’s official residence. The beating up of women and human rights marchers who were part of a marathon race is also cited as evidence of the government’s increasing intolerance for dissent.

Writes Peiris, “Following a longstanding practice of the Pakistani military, the Musharraf regime has actively promoted the Islamic fundamentalist right as a bulwark against the working class and the traditional ruling class parties, most notably Bhutto’s PPP and the section of the Pakistan Muslim League that has remained loyal to the elected prime minister whom Musharraf deposed, Nawaz Sharif … The state repression against the PPP points to the authoritarian character of the Musharraf regime - a regime the Bush administration has repeatedly praised for its contributions to the war on terrorism and commitment to building democracy … The mass arrests also underscore the increasing nervousness of Musharraf and the civilian government that he and the Pakistani military have constructed from defectors from the PPP, the Muslim League of Nawaz Sharif, and other members of the country’s business and political elite. Musharraf is rightly seen by broad sections of the Pakistani people as a pliant ally of the Bush administration in its policy of neo-colonial aggression in the Middle East and Central Asia.”

The analysis stresses that while the President and his Prime Minister “boast” about the economic progress made in Pakistan, it is “widely conceded in the press that the privatisation and retrenchment policies of the regime have resulted in growing poverty and social inequality and that these have been compounded in recent months by a spurt in inflation, which is currently running at an annual rate of more than 10 percent.

Peiris writes that the regime released Asif Ali Zardari as a sop to PPP but adds, “even if the PPP leadership has bent over backwards to demonstrate its readiness to deal with Musharraf and repeatedly affirmed that the military is the bulwark of the Pakistani state, so isolated is the regime that it dare not allow the PPP to make any public display of its popular support. To thwart the April 16 PPP welcome rally for Zardari, the Punjab provincial government, which is led by the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-e-Azam (PML-QA), invoked Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Designed by the British colonial authorities, Section 144 makes gathering of four or more persons illegal.” khalid hasan

Musharraf renews dialogue offer to Bhutto's PPP

Islamabad, May 24: Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf today renewed his offer for dialogue with the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) headed by former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

The PPP is welcome to meet me in the presidency, the General said in an interview with the 'Daily Times.'

General Musharraf's statement has triggered speculations in the country on a possible role of the PPP in the future political dispensation. The opposition has been demanding fresh elections describing 2002 polls as rigged and manipulated .

Responding to a query about his recent meeting with the PMLQ members, he said, they wanted a meeting and I met them. If the PPP wants to come, they are more than welcome, he added.

When asked about his expectation from possible talks with the PPP, General Musharraf said, “I look at the future.”

PML and PPP are among the major political parties in the country and they ought to play a vital role in the functioning of the nation, Geneal Musharraf said.

He emphasised that the moderates should be strengthened and extremists weakened in the near future. The President also said that he was looking forward to free and fair elections in the country.

About the stability of the government, he asserted, the government is very stable and things are going on well.

Women in Business conference looks at economic development issues
Reforms, education, transparency emphasized in first international event of its kind held in Damascus
By Rhonda Roumani
Special to The Daily Star

Monday, May 23, 2005 DAMASCUS: Syrian first lady Asma Assad opened the country's first international women's business conference with a message on the importance of reforms, education and transparency for building a stronger economic market for Syria and opportunities for women.

"We need to see more far-reaching political and institutional reforms," Assad told a crowd of more than 1,000 at the Omayyad Conference Palace just outside Damascus.

The two-day conference, organized by Women in Business International with the cooperation of the British-Syrian Society and Modernizing and Activating Women's Role in Economic Development (MAWRED) - a Syrian non-profit women's organization, brought over 1,000 delegates from across the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the United States to participate in panels and networking events aimed at empowering women in business and the workplace. This is the first year that it is being held outside of the U.K.

Egyptian first lady Suzanne Mubarak; Emine Erdogan, the wife of the prime minister of Turkey; and former Pakistani Prime Minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto also gave speeches at the opening ceremony on Saturday morning.

Bhutto's address delighted the crowd, which erupted into applause numerous times.

"Women have a long way to go, especially Muslim women," said Bhutto, pointing to problems of domestic violence, female genital mutilation and sexual assault.

While outlining the challenges facing women in Muslim societies, Bhutto also talked of the influence of her father in her education and her personal journey to become prime minister.

"My message to delegates, to career women, to business women is don't take no for an answer," said Bhutto. "This conference in Damascus on women in business this morning gives me great confidence. The number of women in business, in politics is increasing. I have great hope for the future."

In a session titled Muslim women in business, former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahatir Mohamad warned against the immodesty that has accompanied the rights gained by Western women.

Other sessions during the conference included starting a business, banking and financial planning, marketing and branding, and international business perspectives.

Pakistan: US-backed military regime mounts new wave of repression

By Vilani Peiris
23 May 2005

Scores, possibly hundreds, of activists of Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) remain in detention after a massive crackdown launched last month by the US-backed military regime of Pervez Musharraf.

Some of the PPP detainees are facing charges under Section 7-A of Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act. Yet their only “crime” was to seek to organize peaceful anti-government protests.

In a statement issued last Wednesday, PPP Senator Mian Raza Rabbani and Naheed Khan, the political secretary of PPP Life Chairperson Benazir Bhutto, accused the government of trying to stifle the opposition with a view to rigging local body elections planned for this summer.

The attack on the PPP is part of a wider campaign of repression. The speaker of the National Assembly, the lower house of Pakistan’s parliament, warned this week that legislators who criticize Musharraf for serving as both president and chief of Pakistan’s armed services could be barred from participating in the assembly. On May 3 police attacked journalists who were marking World Press Freedom Day with a demonstration outside the prime minister’s official residence. According to a report in the Dawn, the police attack all but turned “press freedom day into a police freedom day” and “was probably the roughest-ever physical handling of the press in Islamabad.”

A demonstration mounted by human rights activists May 14 to draw attention to the lack of women’s rights in Pakistan and the government’s failure to stand up to the religious right’s attempt to impose rigid sexual segregation was broken up by police, with several dozen protesters manhandled and arrested. Recently the Punjab provincial government responded to a mob attack, led by an Islamic fundamentalist legislator, on a men’s and women’s marathon by proscribing further mixed sports events.

“Forcibly preventing participation in public events by women can only act to encourage extremism, and send a message to orthodox elements that their actions are condoned by the state,” declared the non-governmental Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, in a statement deploring the police attack on the May 14 protest.

Following a longstanding practice of the Pakistani military, the Musharraf regime has actively promoted the Islamic fundamentalist right as a bulwark against the working class and the traditional ruling class parties, most notably Bhutto’s PPP and the section of the Pakistan Muslim League that has remained loyal to the elected prime minister whom Musharraf deposed, Nawaz Sharif.

The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), an alliance of six Islamic parties which has been able to garner increased support by appealing to popular opposition to the US occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq, has repeatedly come to the aid of Musharraf, most infamously in December 2003, when it helped secure parliament’s adoption of a series of constitutional amendments that legitimized Musharraf’s 1999 coup and his remaining president, with significantly augmented powers, until 2007.

Many of the PPP activists were detained a month ago, when Pakistani security forces took tens of thousands of PPP members and leaders into custody so as to prevent an April 16 rally to welcome Bhutto’s husband, Asif Zardari, on his return to the country. Others were arrested May 4, when the police mounted a second wave of arrests to prevent the PPP from mounting a march the next day from the Lahore High Court to the Punjab governor’s house.

The state repression against the PPP points to the authoritarian character of the Musharraf regime—a regime the Bush administration has repeatedly praised for its contributions to the war on terrorism and commitment to building democracy. As the Asian director of Human Rights Watch said in an April 20 statement, “Democracies don’t use force to prevent peaceful gatherings.”

The mass arrests also underscore the increasing nervousness of Musharraf and the civilian government that he and the Pakistani military have constructed from defectors from the PPP, the Muslim League of Nawaz Sharif, and other members of the country’s business and political elite.

Musharraf is rightly seen by broad sections of the Pakistani people as a pliant ally of the Bush administration in its policy of neo-colonial aggression in the Middle East and Central Asia. The policy reversals Musharraf has been compelled to make by Washington, including withdrawing support for the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and opening peace talks with India, have also rankled much of the country’s elite, because they cut across their traditional interests and ambitions.

Musharraf and his prime minister, former Citibank official Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, routinely boast that Pakistan’s economy is taking off. But it is widely conceded in the press that the privatization and retrenchment policies of the regime have resulted in growing poverty and social inequality and that these have been compounded in recent months by a spurt in inflation, which is currently running at an annual rate of more than 10 percent.

In an attempt to shore up his rule, Musharraf has for months been conducting secret negotiations with the PPP leadership. Bhutto and Zardari have reputedly offered to endorse the general remaining president for two more years in exchange for his agreeing to the staging of new elections this year, rather than in 2007.

To facilitate a reconciliation, the authorities arranged for Zardari, who faces a number of corruption and other criminal charges, to be released last November on bail after eight years in jail. Then they permitted him to leave the country to visit his family and consult with Bhutto, who, for fear of herself being hauled before the Pakistani courts on corruption charges, has taken up residence in Dubai.

But even if the PPP leadership has bent over backwards to demonstrate its readiness to deal with Musharraf and repeatedly affirmed that the military is the bulwark of the Pakistani state, so isolated is the regime that it dare not allow the PPP to make any public display of its popular support.

To thwart the April 16 PPP welcome rally for Zardari, the Punjab provincial government, which is led by the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q), invoked Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Designed by the British colonial authorities, Section 144 makes gathering of four or more persons illegal.

Beginning on April 14, large numbers of PPP leaders and party workers were taken into police custody. More than 25,000 police and paramilitary forces were mobilized in Lahore, the capital of the Punjab and the country’s second largest city, to detain PPP activists. Travel in much of the country was disrupted, as all trains to Lahore were cancelled, flights diverted and the Punjab’s borders temporarily sealed.

The government admits that 5,000 people were taken into custody, including many PPP National Assembly members and provincial legislators. Other accounts put the number of arrests in the tens of thousands. Zardari, who was himself briefly taken into custody on his arrival at Lahore airport, told the BBC that as many as 70,000 PPP members had been detained and that a significant number were physically abused. PPP provincial assemblywoman Azma Bokhari was so badly roughed up she had to be admitted to hospital.

The legislators and other top PPP leaders were released in the days immediately after April 16. But this has not put an end to the incarceration and harassment of PPP supporters.

The government crackdown has been condemned by the entire opposition, including the MMA. In a rare show of anti-government unity, all opposition legislators walked out of the Senate April 22 to protest the attack on the PPP.

The PPP leadership has contrasted the repression of its welcome rally for Zardari with the hands-off approach the government took to a recent “million man” series of rallies the MMA held to demand that Musharraf give up at least one of his two key state posts.

While there is no doubt that the government has frequently given a boost to the MMA, the PPP is no more capable than the Islamic right of mounting a consistent and genuine popular struggle against the Musharraf regime. The PPP looks to the military to defend the property and privileges of the ruling elite against Pakistan’s toiling masses and appeals to the US and other imperialist powers for support in loosening the military’s grip on political power.

If Bhutto and Zardari have not come to a deal with Musharraf, it is because the general fears parting with any real measure of power and because his plans to cut a deal with the PPP have triggered a quasi-revolt in the ranks of his own “court” party, the pro-military PML (Q).

Speaking two weeks after the beginning of the anti-PPP crackdown, Zatdari tried to put some distance between himself and the military regime, saying the PPP had no interest in gaining power through the “backdoor.” But his comments pointed to the true rule of the PPP as a party that uses populist appeals to garner mass support, but speaks for a section of the Pakistani bourgeoisie. According to the Dawn, the PPP leader “said the ‘establishment people’ were in a mess and the PPP wanted to open for them a door out of this situation.”

PPP Flays Government for Failure to Give NFC Award

Islamabad, 20 May 2005: Senator Raza Rbbani, leader of the Opposition, Senate of Pakistan has issued the following statement:

The PML(Q) Government is strongly condemned over its failure to evolve a consensus on the NFC Award, thus continuously violating Article 160 of the Constitution. This will be the 3rd Budget that will be presented without any decision on the NFC Award.

It will be recalled that the last NFC Award was negotiated in July, 1997. Since then in violation of the Article 160 of the Constitution which provides that not more than 5 years will intercede between the two consecutive Awards. The Government has been extending its life by way of Presidential dictates.

It is a matter of grave concern that the last formal meeting of the National Finance Commission was held over one year ago on or about the 30th March, 2004. This shows the lack of interest by the Government of Prime Minister Mr. Shaukat Aziz has in developing a consensus on the question of resource distribution between the Provinces and the Federation. It is also a matter of concern that informal meetings of the Commission have held by the Advisor on Finance to the Prime Minister, Dr. Salman Shah, who under Article 160 is not its member. Further until recently he was the Financial Advisor to the Government of one of the Federating Units, thus hardly a fair arbitrator.

The question of resource distribution between the Federation of the Provinces is causing grave intra-provincial and Province Federation strain. Ticklish questions as the direct transfer of gas development surcharge to the Federal Government, which has been introduced in place of excise duties on well heads of gas, is working to the detriment of gas producing Provinces producing gas. Similarly Provinces are not being given their due share of net profits in violation of the agreed formula agreed by the Council of Common Interest.

The lack of consensus between the Provinces and the Federation on the question of resource allocation is causing severe strain to the fibre of the Federation. The Federal Government with 3 Provincial Governments belonging to its own party, failing to arrive on an agreed formula gives rise to serious questions and raises a number of doubts. The 3rd Budget without a new NFC Award is sufficient reason for the Federation Government to resign.

PPP is for Women Emancipation
Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto

Islamabad, 21 May 2005: Former Prime Minister and Chairperson Pakistan Peoples Party Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto today addressed the International Women Business Conference in Damascus on the invitation of the First Lady of Syria Madam Basharul Asad. It was the first ever conference of its kind in the Middle East organised by the First Lady of the host country. The opening session of the conference was addressed by Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto from Pakistan, Suzan Mubarik the First Lady of Egypt and the first lady of Turkey besides the First Lady of Syria.

Addressing the conference Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto said "I believe in life women have nothing to fear but fear itself. Women still have to go a long way, especially Muslim Woman. But we derive support from our religion. The Prophet of Islam (Peace Be Upon Him), condemned the practice of killing the girl child practiced in pagan times. The killing of the girl child was a symbol of violence against women. Violence is wrong. Yet violence against women continues in different ways. It continues through honour killings and genital mutilation as well as domestic violence and sexual assault."

Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto said that she owes here success to her father, a special man who insisted that I have a university education even though his sisters said, "don’t do that because no man will marry an educated woman". She said, "Education is the first step to success and to independence as well as a satisfying life enabling a person to lead a stimulating, interesting and instructive life."

Former Prime Minister said that her life is not the simple life she dreamt as a student at Harvard and Oxford. She said "I have lost my father when he was fifty years old. I lost two of my brothers. Many thought that as a woman, I would break. I did not because I believe that leadership irrespective of whether it is in politics or professions is born of a passion. It is a commitment and it becomes life’s mission. Women often have to make difficult choices. Sometimes choices that men do not have to make. Yet we make them because we must. While I was at Oxford University, the British Conservative Party nominated Margaret Thatcher as their Prime Ministerial candidate. She became a role model for me, an example of a woman in the world of politics who had the courage to take on the mantle of leadership. Women need role models for moral suppor, especially women in leadership positions. At Oxford, I was the first female foreigner to win the presidency of the prestigious Oxford Debating Society."

She said, "This new century of ours must, for once and for all, be a century that values the girl child, that respects the woman, and protects its daughters, mothers and sisters in peace and in war, that honours and dignifies its women with economic freedom and allows us to be judged by our individual achievements."

Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto said that as prime minister of Pakistan, she took several steps to enable womenfolk to compete with men creating Women Bank, guaranteeing small business loans to women entrepreneurs and appointing women as judges in the higher judiciary of the country. She said, "It is ironic that most Muslim societies have women who face discrimination in one form or another. We need to stand up to this discrimination and reverse it. It is a gender bias dictated by tradition." She further said, "As Prime Minister of Pakistan I used my office to try to reverse centuries of discrimination against women. The government I led instituted a new program of hiring women police officers to investigate crimes of domestic violence against the women of Pakistan. We condemned, as state police, of women who had been raped. We lifted the ban on women taking part in sporting events."

"I see great progress looming as the forces that shape the new century and the new millennium come together around the world. It is a confluence of ideology that must shape a world free from gender exploitation, free from poverty, hunger and disease. In the new global community none of us can be free if some of us are enslaved. We are not free if children cannot read, for a child who cannot read has no future. I wonder how many of you know that in every hour, one thousand children starve to death on this planet. As long as these basic violations of human rights are allowed to continue, none of us -- regardless of where we live, regardless of how elegant or civilized our life-styles, regardless of our own personal circumstances and comforts -- none of us are free. But I do not despair. As I see women attaining rights, moving forward, making a success in business, politics and professions, I have great hope for a better world than the one bequeathed our generation. The solutions may not be quick or simple. But history teaches us that ultimately the forces of justice triumph", she concluded.

PPP says nothing new in the Swiss investigations story
Such pressures failed in the past; they will fail now as well

Islamabad May 21, 2005: Responding to the official spokesman’s claim that the Swiss examining magistrate has summoned Mohtarma Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari on June 15 a spokesman of the PPP has issued the following statement today.

"According to the Pakistan government’s spokesman the Swiss investigation magistrate has summoned Mohtarma Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari on June 15 for investigations in the SGS case.

"Although neither Mohtarma Bhutto nor Asif Ali Zardai have yet received the said summons there is nothing new or surprising in what the official spokesman has said.

"Whenever the rulers in Islamabad feel frustrated with their inability to convince the PPP and its leadership to give up its demand for democracy and free and fair elections, they try to agitate investigations in the Swiss case with a view to putting pressure and tarnish the public image of Mohtarma Bhutto.

"The lawyers are paid huge sums from public exchequer to agitate the matter before investigation officials in Switzerland to create yet another opportunity for the media trial of Mohtarma Bhutto.

"There is nothing new in the farce which is all too familiar to the people.

"Such tactics have not deterred in the past the Party from giving up the demand for the democratisation of the polity. It will not deter it in the future as well.

"Mohtarma Bhutto and Asif Zardari have not received the notice. They will consult their lawyers on how to respond if and when such a notice is served on them.

"Meanwhile the official spokesman would be well advised not to draw any comfort by regurgitating the old and worn out clichés of summons, investigations, indictment and the rest.

"They failed to give any comfort to Bhutto detractors in the past; they will not give any comfort now or in the future".

PPP demands probe against Aamir Liquat Hussain

Islamabad, 22 May 2005: Pakistan People Party has asked the National Accountability Bureau to probe into the allegations of fake degrees submitted by the minister of state for Religious Affairs, Aamir Liquat Hussain.

In an application to the Chairman National Accountability Bureau, advocate Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam on behalf of Pakistan People Party has said that it is alleged by an Urdu daily that Aamir Liquat Hussain purchased fake degrees to be able to contest general election 2002. Several other articles have also been published in the national newspapers alleging that Aamir Liaquat Hussain submitted documents knowingly to be forged.

The application says that submitting or tendering a document knowingly to be a forged documents amounts to a criminal act and is punishable under the law of the land.

NAB Should stop harming Pakistan by its vilification campaign against PPP leadership Naheed Khan

Islamabad, 22 May 2005: Naheed Khan, member national assembly and the political secretary to the chairperson Pakistan Peoples Party, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto has warned the regime of serious consequence of its new media campaign against PPP Quaid Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.

Naheed Khan said that the myopic rulers are trying to discredit the most popular democratic leadership of the country and in process is harming Pakistani interests. She said that whenever the regime fails in its efforts to compel the PPP leadership to accept the sham democratic system, it starts a new media trial of the PPP leadership. The recent statement issued by the NAB claiming that the Swiss Investigation Magistrate has summoned Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari, is a part of vilification campaign just to malign the peoples’ leader. Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto or Asif Ali Zardari has received no notices yet in this regard. Mohtarma Benazir would consult her lawyers, if and when any notices are received, she said.

Naheed Khan said that this regime has not only out of court settled the issue of pre-shipment inspection with SGS but also has awarded a new contract to the company which is a proof of vindication of the PPP leadership. Naheed Khan said that if the NAB is so keen to investigate then it should probe against the human rights violators and corrupts in the regime. Naheed Khan said that the Chief Minister Sindh is on record to admit that he had been running private jails and committing atrocities to the people of Tharparkar. His former minister was dismissed on the corruption charges by no other than Chief Minister himself. Both the chief minister and his former revenue minister should be behind bars but as NAB is a tool of political victimisation, its eyes are closed from looking into the regimes wrongdoings. Naheed Khan advised the NAB to stop its efforts to discredit the most popular leadership of the country and in process damaging Pakistan’s interests.

PPP apprises Commonwealth of Sham Democracy Introduced by General Musharraf

Islamabad, May 2, 2005: Pakistan Peoples Party has apprised the Commonwealth of sham democracy introduced by the military regime and has called for fresh, transparent and impartial elections in the country.

Fauzia Wahab MNA, Central Coordinator Human Rights Cells, PPP in a letter addressed to Donald McKinnon, Secretary General Commonwealth wrote, "PPP draw your attention to the recent statement of the sitting Chief Minister Sindh admitting the military's overbearing role in the province. In an interview, to an Urdu Daily "Khabrain", the Chief Minister Ghulam Arbab Rahim has confessed that he owed his election as Chief Minister to the military and not to the Parliament or to the people. Chief Minister Sindh, Ghulam Arbab Rahim according to Khabrain of May 10, 2005 has conceded that former Vice Chief of Army "General Yousuf made him CM". The Chief Minister also added that prior to the Musharraf era, "people accused him of running private jails and carrying out atrocities in Thar", a desert area controlled by him for the last one decade."

Giving the background of the political situation of Sindh, Fauzia Wahab wrote, "Sindh is the second largest province of Pakistan and a stronghold of the PPP. In the 2002 General Elections, despite severe and blatant rigging, and careful gerrymandering by the Military establishment, the PPP came out as the majority party in the provincial assembly, but instead they gave the government to the ruling party the PML-Q, a party which had only fifteen members in a house of 164 members. Consequently, in a span of two and a half years and after shuffling of two chief ministers, the Sindh government has remained in perpetual crisis of political confidence. Kidnapping, dacoity, thefts, terrorism and incompetence are the order of the day. Nobody's life is safe. Even session judges are kidnapped and are released after paying a handsome amount of ransom. In this backdrop, economic development and investment have remained an illusive dream for this province. During the last eight years, the unfortunate province has remained deprived of its rightful share of development expenditure. They are even denied of their share in the various Poverty Reduction Strategy Program projects."

Regarding the mis-governance of the Chief Minister, she wrote, "With a crumbling infrastructure and a fast deteriorating law and order, the Chief Minister has failed to establish his government's writ, even amongst his own cabinet ministers. It came as no surprise, when he and his Revenue Minister were trading corruption charges that should see both of them behind bars under the National Accountability laws."

"In the light of the statement of the Chief Minister, the Pakistan Peoples Party calls for fresh transparent elections with an accurate vote count to restore democracy in the country as the admission of the Chief Minister is itself enough to cast a shadow on the "free and fair elections" of 2002", Fauzia Wahab concluded.

Irresponsible Statements by Officials: PPPP blasts government officials

Islamabad, 19 May 2005: PPPP’s Members of the National Assembly, Naveed Qamar and Ms. Fauzia Wahab have demanded that officials, holding senior positions in the government, stop giving statements or speaking to media even casually about the privatization process, as the variance in statements given at different points in time, is giving a bad name to the state in the eyes of foreign and local investors while at the same time, it is increasing speculation in the stock markets.

The legislators were commenting on a number of statements that have come in the media during the last 2 and half months especially from Dr. Hafeez Shaikh, Minister for Privatization and Investment; Chairman, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and officials in the Privatization Commission. They said that indicative prices have been given to the media, which caused undue speculation at the stock market, causing the prices to rise beyond expectations and then rebound when not proven true.

She referred to contradictory news items in which dates related to privatization of PTCL, NRL and PSO have been given by the Minister for Privatization. These include at least three dates of May 28, June 10 and June 30, 2005 being referred to as possible bidding dates for PTCL by Dr. Shaikh. At the same time, speculation is rife about the reference price that may be set by the Privatization Commission after approval by the Cabinet Committee on Privatization.

Naveed Qamar and Ms. Wahab said that on May 17, 2005, the Minister of Privatization in an interview to the Wall Street Journal, which has been published by an English daily, has indicated a range of $1.5 billion to $2.5 billion as possible proceeds from PTCL’s privatization while at the same time $600 million to $700 million has been indicated as possible proceeds from PSO’s privatization.

They were also critical of the Prime Minister’s address to the Annual Plan Coordination Committee in which he has claimed that Pakistan’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) had achieved a growth of 8.35 per cent during the current fiscal year owing to a 7.5 per cent growth in agriculture, 15.4 per cent in large-scale manufacturing (LSM) and 7.9 per cent in the services sector. At the same time, the data given to the audience showed great variance in the figures being told by the PM. The ministry of food and agriculture has apparently also informed the government that the growth rate in the agricultural sector will remain below 5 percent, which is far less than the calculation of the ministry of finance, which has predicted a 7 percent growth. The ministry has said the lower growth rate is because of revised target of wheat, which slipped from the 22 million tons to somewhere around 21 million tons after rains during harvesting season.

Such statements depict a sorry state of affairs in the country, which is trying to attract foreign investment and create a healthy and balanced business environment. Irresponsible statements would create mistrust in the officials, which will shun the attractiveness of Pakistan.

They also demanded that all officials of the ministries in which privatizations are taking place as well as ministers be restrained from making any statements till the actual transactions have taken place to ensure the highest level of transparency in the process.

Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Supports Fisherman Rights

Islamabad, 19 May 2005: Former Prime Minister and Chairperson Pakistan Peoples Party, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto criticised the regime for auctioning fisheries rights to deny Fisherman their traditional trade.

Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto said arresting fisherman protesting the seizure of their fishing rights was adding insult to injury.

The PPP Chairperson deplored the anti people policies being followed since the dismissal of the PPP government. She said that systematically the vested interests were exploiting the poor and underprivileged and usurping their economic rights. She said that the plight of the tenants on Okara and other military farms as well as the plight of the coastal fisherman and the retrenchment of the labour class were some examples of how dictatorship hurts the rights of a people.

Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto said that PPP believes that democracy and development go together. It is to safeguard the rights of the underprivileged as well as the people of Pakistan, that the PPP leadership was raising its voice and its workers and leaders were offering sacrifices.

Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto said that PPP leaders like Yusuf Reza Gillani, Bismillah Kakar and Pir Mukkaram were in prison while other leaders were in exile because of their commitment to a Federal, Democratic and Egalitarian Pakistan.

Chairperson PPP demanded the release of the leaders of Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) and called the regime to allow the fisherman their right to economic opportunity which was being seized under the pretext of a so called auction.

It may be recalled that the Pakistan Fisherman Forum staged a peaceful sit-in in front of Fisheries Department office on Monday against awarding of fishing contracts on over 1200 fresh water grounds in Sindh.

PPP vows to continue its struggle against tyranny

Islamabad, 18 May 2005: Senator Mian Raza Rabbani, leader of Opposition, Senate of Pakistan and Naheed Khan MNA the Political Secretary of Chairperson PPP Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto in a joint statement said that the political victimization of the Pakistan Peoples Party continues unabated by the Government. This is crude attempt by the ruling party to stifle the voice of the Opposition and lay the foundations for a rigged Local Bodies election.

In a statement issued today they said that Mr. Qamar Zaman Qaira, MNA, belonging to the PPPP along with his entire family are being harassed and victimized for their political opposition to the present Government. His brothers including Mr. Nadeem Qaira, UC Nazim, Kharian have been implicated in false and fabricated cases by the Punjab Government.

They further said that earlier, Mr. Ghulam Qadir Chandio, MPA was falsely arrested in a case of kidnapping by the Government of Sindh. Mr. Chandio is also the District President of the Party from Nawab Shah. It was only after the said abductees made a statement in Court that Mr. Chandio was not involved in his kidnapping, he was granted bail. Sindh Government is now seeking to involve Mr. Chandio in a false and fabricated murder case.

Party workers belonging to Mirpurkhas who had gone to receive the District Nazim were arrested by the Government of Sindh. Delaying tactics are being adopted in Courts of law to prevent their release. Party workers arrested on the 16th of April, 2005 still continue to languish in Faisalabad, Sahiwal and Sialkot jails, they said.

Senator Raza Rabbani and Naheed Khan said that this wave of State terrorism against political workers particularly belonging to the People Party is condemned. It cannot deter the Party workers from carrying on their struggle for the restoration of democracy, supremacy of Parliament and against the 17th Constitutional Amendment under leadership of the Party Chairperson Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.

MPA Hafizullah Khan Alizai Joins PPP

Islamabad, 18 May 2005: Hafizullah Khan Alizai, Member Provincial Assembly, NWFP today joined Pakistan Peoples Party reposing his full confidence in the leadership of the party Chairperson Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.

Hafizullah Khan Alizai joined Pakistan Peoples Party in a gathering at the Central Secretariat PPP, Islamabad. Senator Raza Rabbani, the leader of Opposition in the Senate, Naheed Khan MNA, Political Secretary to the party Chairperson Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, Senator Safdar Abbasi, Rahim Dad Khan, Acting President PPP, NWFP, Najamuddin Khan Secretary General PPP, NWFP and Member Provincial assembly NWFP Zahir Shah were present at the occasion.

Announcing his decision to join PPP, Hafizullah Alizai said that Pakistan is passing through difficult times and Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto is the only leader who can save the country. He said that the federation is under threat because of the continued dictatorship in the country. He said that only Pakistan peoples Party under the leadership of Quaid Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto is the federal party with its roots in the masses. He condemned the continued state terror meted out to the party workers by the despotic regime. He saluted the workers of the party who have proved themselves as the most courageous and committed workers of a political party in the world.

Senator Raza Rabbani, Naheed Khan MNA, Senator Dr. Safdar Abbasi. Rahim Dad Khan, Najamuddin Khan and Zahir Shah welcomed Hafizullah Alizai’s decision to join the party and said that party is united under the leadership of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. They expressed their resolve to have Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto as prime minister of Pakistan, the third time with the help of the masses.

Pakistan being turned into ‘Onefortyfourville’

WASHINGTON Wednesday, May 18, 2005: Senator Akbar Khwaja of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has said that “misuse of public funds” is being made to organise Gen Pervez Musharraf’s PML meetings.

In a statement issued here on Monday, the PPP legislator who is in the States on a short visit, described the “misuse of taxpayer’s money” as a “serious political mistake” on the part of the General, apart from the fact that it was highly irregular and a violation of clearly laid-down government rules. What sort of example is Gen Musharraf setting, he asked? He said he had brought it to the attention of the Senate Chairman that invitations for the recent PML gathering in Multan were issued by the office of the district coordination officer (DCO). “There is a common knowledge that PML’s gatherings organised for Gen Musharraf in various cities are being funded by the respective DCOs and nazims. “That is not what p ublic funds are for,” he pointed out.

Sen Khwaja said, “Gen Musharraf is confident that he would be able to paper over the cracks that have appeared in the “King’s party, That does not seem likely and in any case he should not be free to do so at public expense. He is willing to address these officially-organised gatherings where people are bussed in form near and far, but he does not have the confidence to face the people’s elected representatives in parliament. His ministers are making lame excuses in the meanwhile to delay his constitutionally obligatory address to the joint parliamentary session. “To achieve social justice, the leadership must move to provide economic security and opportunity for all people, but instead of investing in the masses, state resources are being frittered away to satisfy the insatiable yen for power of a single individual,” he added.

The PPP leader said, “In the name of good governance, human rights are being blatantly viol ated. The law and order situation in the country has worsened and the state machinery is being employed to crack down on spontaneous manifestations of public dissatisfaction. The Punjab government has been particularly brutal in this respect. It is also ironic that the Punjab government has turned its leader’s avowed mission of “enlightened moderation” into a kind of joke. Women and peaceful citizens have been beaten up and jailed for no other “sin” than that of wishing to march peacefully for a good cause. He said if the present rulers do not change their ways, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan might come to be known in the world as “Onefortyfourville.” khalid hasan

Benazir Bhutto rails Bush
By Paul Imbesi

BOSTON - Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto said that if President George W. Bush's administration does not support tyrannical countries, then they should not support Pakistan, which she said is ruled by a military dictatorship.

"The principles of the Bush doctrine must be applied across the board," Bhutto said. "Not just when it is politically convenient... Pakistan should not be an exception."

Bhutto spoke in Boston on May 2. She was the guest speaker for WorldBoston, a non-profit group that invites world leaders to Boston to speak about international affairs.

Bhutto became the first woman to be elected prime minister of an Islamic state in modern times in 1988.

She was deposed in a coup 20 months later, but was reelected prime minister in 1993. Bhutto, who was educated at Harvard University and Oxford University, is the head of the People's Party of Pakistan, her political group. But Bhutto lives in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in a self-imposed exile since 1999. Bhutto is believed to have left Pakistan to avoid being arrested over corruption charges.

During her speech, Bhutto said that there were historical events in the past few months: Bush's reelection, the Palestinian elections, the Iraqi assembly and Syrian troops leaving Lebanon. She said Pakistan needs to be a part of these events by becoming a democracy instead of a "military dictatorship."

The military dictatorship Bhutto was referring to is Gen. Pervez Musharraf's, who is the current president of Pakistan. Musharraf gained control of the country during a coup in 1999.

Although Pakistan is a close ally of the United States during the war on terror, Bhutto said that the Bush Administration and other nations should not treat Musharraf lightly, since he did not come to power democratically.

"In Pakistan," she said, "The roots of democracy must be cultured and nurtured."

Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, Jehangir Karamat, also spoke at a WorldBoston event a month earlier.

Bhutto said that the international community needs to help Pakistan become a democracy. One way in which they can help is in the next elections, which take place in 2007.

Bhutto's political party will be participating, though she will probably not be in Pakistan for the elections, since she said that Musharraf said she is "not free to go back (to Pakistan)."

Bhutto's husband, Asif Ali Zardari, who is also a member of his wife's political party, was taken into custody in April when he returned to Pakistan.

Mary Boyle Dougherty, an interior designer who owns Castle Builders, attended Karamat's and Bhutto's speeches and said that the two speeches were from the head and the heart respectively.

"(Karamat) is coming from the head and (Bhutto) is coming from the heart," she said. Dougherty said that Bhutto was approaching Pakistan's problem in a humane way.

"She's a strong individual," she said. "She presented her case very well."

Bhutto also talked about Pakistan's relationship with India.

She said that she supports Musharraf's recent visit to India, and she is encouraged by the new bus service between the two countries in Kashmir.

Bhutto added that Pakistan can catch up to its economically upstart neighbors, China and India, especially as the middle class continues to grow in Pakistan. But she believes that extremist religious parties and a shortage of security are keeping investors away.

"(Bhutto) really detailed the stakes of her country today. The hopes and challenges of the future and the paths to achieve success," said Cheryl Lefman, who works for the Department of Health at Wellesley, Mass.

"She's an inspirational leader." Bhutto is expected to meet with U.S. state department officials in Washington, D.C. later this month.

PPP moves reference against former ISI chief

Apart from financial bungling Javed Nasir also compromised national secrets

Islamabad May 14, 2005: The Pakistan Peoples Party has asked Chairman NAB to investigate press reports that former ISI chief Lt General Javed Nasir defaulted on bank loans, committed financial irregularities and compromising national secrets which attract the mischief of NAB Ordinance.

Giving grounds for the loan default and other cases against Javed Nasir the PPP reference filed by Advocate Shah Khawar says that the former ISI chief was investigated for unpaid loans and alleged involvement in drugs by the then Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau but the investigations were stopped by General Musharraf.

According to press reports, the PPP reference said, Lt. Gen. (Retd) Javed Nasir as Chairman of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) was involved in transferring Rs. 4 billion to Sharif Medical and Educational Complex. He was involved in the bungling of Rs.3 billion through sale of precious ETPB lands situated at Ferozepur Road, and two plots at Karachi at rock bottom prices and in the Board's building in Islamabad.

Further that according to news reports Lt. Gen. (Retd) Javed Nasir, as ISI Chief, leaked secrets of Pakistan while narrating his achievements. As a result, in April 1993, USA threatened to declare Pakistan as a terrorist State.

The above facts have been taken from following References (copies enclosed for ready reference):-

- South Asia Analysis Group Papers - Paper No. 143 : "PAKISTAN'S NORIEGAS:

An open letter to US Congressmen" (1) http://www.saag.org/papers2/paper143.html

- "Ex -ETPB chief flees country with Rs. 3bn in pocket"
http://www.Paknews.org/php/PrintPage?id=248&date1=2002-08-23&news2=flash1

- "ISI brags about role in Punjab, Bosnia" by Seema Mustafa,

Publication: The Asian Age, Date December 27, 2002

http://www.hvk.org/hvk/articles/0103/34.html

Based on the above facts and grounds, the respondent has shown wilful indulgence in corrupt practices under Section 9 of the NAB Ordinance. Such persons are subject to punishment under Section 10 of the Ordinance.

The petition says that the respondent in a petition before a terrorist court in Lahore had bragged about national secrets which had compromised national security.

Lt. Gen. Nasir confirmed before the Pakistani courts the ISI role in Afghanistan, Bosnia and in Punjab. In the process he exposed the role of Pakistan's intelligence agency in neighbouring countries, including India.

Javed Nasir admitted setting up the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee to wrest control from the Indian intelligence agency and gained control festival management for the first time. He also disclosed that Pakistan defied a United Nations ban on the supply of arms to Bosnian Muslims and airlifted sophisticated anti-tank guided missiles to help the Bosnians fight the Serbs, the PPP petition says.

The respondent is reportedly guilty of corruption and corrupt practices as defined in Section 9 of the Ordinance and as such are subject to punishment under Section 10 of the Ordinance, said the reference filed by the PPP through Shah Khawar advocate.

Taj Haider criticises Sindh government’s decision

Islamabad, 14 May 2005: Taj Haider, Information Secretary of Pakistan Peoples Party has expressed disappointment and surprise over the provincial government's resolution asking for domicile and PRC restrictions on jobs in the private sector passed by the Sindh Assembly. In a press statement he said that the private sector gave jobs on merit considerations. If applicants from Karachi which since independence has had a much higher level of educational and other facilities have to seek quota protections in the private sector jobs instead of relying on their merit, then this situation is the direct outcome of provincial government's senior partner MQM's policy of giving Kalashnikovs instead of books in the hands of the youth of Karachi. A policy, which even today has turned educational institutions of Karachi into battlefields. He pointed out that protections and quotas would further erode the capabilities of Karachi's youth. The need was to foster education conducive atmosphere in educational institutions and to root out the prevailing gun culture.

Taj Haider said that instead of erecting new boundaries and walls of linguistic hatred between the urban and rural Sindh, the need of the hour was to strengthen bonds of love, understanding and cooperation between the two. Seventy percent of our population lived in rural areas and sixty percent of our rural population had been pushed below the poverty line. We should understand that the urban areas are dependent on the sweat and toil of the peasantry not only for their daily needs but also that industry and markets in the urban areas cannot progress, nor new employment opportunities created or unbearable pressure on urban facilities controlled till such time there was a marked increase in the purchasing power of the peasantry, rural poverty was eradicated and social sector facilities commensurate with he modern times were set up in rural areas.

The resolution moved by Nisar Khuhro. leader of opposition in the Sindh Assembly addresses the need of protecting the genuine employment opportunities of the people of entire Sindh, rural as well as urban. The clear objective of the Opposition resolution is to discourage the uncontrolled migration of population into Sindh from other provinces and other countries. Eighty percent of those who are coming to Sindh from other provinces and countries do so for seeking employment. The population of Sindh continues to grow annually by 5 or 6 percent on account of the migration of these employment seekers. Employment opportunities both for the rural as well as urban Sindh are diminishing. There is unbearable pressure on the social sector infrastructure of the province. Migration from other provinces and other countries has nullified whatever small progress had been made in the province. Sindh continues to plunge in a deep abyss of poverty, unemployment and breakdown of the social infrastructure.

Taj Haider pointed out that the division of Hyderabad district on linguistic basis and the resolution asking for putting domicile and PRC restrictions on private sector employment was part of the old MQM plan to break up Sindh. Every conscious citizen understood that the break-up of Sindh was the first half part of the imperialist plan of breaking up Pakistan. Sindh and its people were indivisible. The problems as well as the interests of rural and urban Sindh were identical in nature. The provincial government should realize that the higher social and political consciousness of the people of Sindh has put an end for ever to the onslaught of sentimental prejudice and hatred that had been drummed up seventeen years back. No conspiracy to divide us can ever succeed.

People will not tolerate exclusion of Benazir from politics
PPP USA and Holland

Islamabad, 14 May 2005: Pakistan People Party, Holland and the United States have declared that the people would not tolerate any policy to exclude the PPP chairperson from the political arena. President PPP Holland Raja Riaz, Nasir Nizami and Saifullah Saify have rejected Gen. Musharraf’s claim that former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has no role in the national politics. They, in a statement said that the statement of Gen Musharraf was violative of the goal of an enlightened society as well as the values of democracy and was of the view that the statement of Gen Musharraf merely reflected his fear of the popularity of the PPP leader and his stand in this regard was not representative of the will of the people.

PPP Holland said that Gen Musharraf’s statement that he wanted reconciliation with the PPP was at odds with his statement seeking to undemocratically exclude Benazir Bhutto. If General Musharraf wanted reconciliation with the PPP, he would need to address the PPP’s concerns which included the return of Benazir Bhutto as well as a transition to democracy and respect for Human Rights.

They said that Gen Musharraf’s Minus Benazir policy was tested in October 2002. It had miserably failed to provide good governance or restore the writ of government. In fact, they said the political structure was such a mockery of the people’s will that even Gen Musharraf lacked the confidence to take off his uniform.

They said that the people would not accept another engineered election or another unrepresentative regime. Nobody could stop the leaders of the masses from returning to the country and from taking part in political activities to restore democracy and rule of law. Any elections without the participation of all political parties and their leaders would be an exercise in futility.

PPP Holland said that the rulers kept saying off and on that Benazir Bhutto would not be allowed to return only to keep the motley crowd of ruling coalition parties together. The rulers knew that the coalition would collapse like a house of cards the moment they learnt that the genuine leaders of masses would return to the country. This is an indication that the whole political structure was sham and rested on unsure foundations.

They said that Gen Musharraf would have to decide which path he wished to pursue and in so deciding, he should look at the fate of other past dictators.

As for the PPP, its base was the people and it would continue the struggle for the Quaid-e-Azam’s and Quaid-e-Awam’s federal, democratic, and Awami Pakistan under the dynamic leadership of Benazir Bhutto, they concluded.

Pakistan Peoples Party USA held a meeting yesterday. The meeting passed a resolution demanding of the Pakistani regime to restrain itself from any effort aimed to stop Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto form taking part in politics because the people of Pakistan want to see their Quaid Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto to become the prime minister the third time so that hunger, poverty and unemployment could be eliminated and human and basic rights of citizens are restored.

Mohtarma Bhutto expresses concern about children’s health in Pakistan

Islamabad, 15 May 2005: Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was concerned at the lack of good governance in the country which was affecting the fate of the children.

Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto said that the children of Pakistan are the future of Pakistan. She said that it was due to the responsibility taken by Pakistan Peoples Party to safeguard the children of Pakistan that an anti polio drive was launched by the PPP government to eliminate polio forever from Pakistan.

However, Mohtarma said that after the overthrow of the PPP government, good governance and childcare were unfortunately neglected. In this connection she cited the report prepared by a team of the World Health Organisation and UNICEF.

The doctors of this team, according to the local press, has highlighted alarming lapses in the anti-polio campaign by investigating parts of the country.

The report on Larkana complied by Drs Yahya Mustafa, Mohammad Sami and Rahul states that almost 15 per cent of the children that were to receive the anti-polio vaccine were not given the drops. This means almost 80, 000 children were not administered polio drops in Larkana.

Mohtarma said that development and democracy go together. The PPP was struggling to restore democracy to take care of the children of the country as well as people at large.

Mohtarma said that the report on Larkana was symbolic of what was happening across the country due to inner power struggles and constitutional deviations.

Mohtarma reaffirmed the determination of the PPP to help the children of Pakistan and to continue with the campaign of restoring true democracy in the country.

Mohtarma Bhutto condemns violence against citizens’ rally

Says torn clothes of women activists was lasting shame for claimants of enlightened moderation

Islamabad May 15, 2005: Former Prime Minister and chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto has condemned the state violence against women and men of a citizens rally to protest against the rising incidents of crime and violence against women. She particularly condemned the brutal manner in which the male police tried to tear the clothes of a lady United Nations Rapporteur and former Chairperson the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Mohtarma said that instant punishment was meted out by vigilantes dressed up as Police by humiliating women activists, beating male activists and dragging them to a van.

Mohtarma said that the manner in which the Secretary of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan was treated was another indication of the tyrannical means being employed to deny citizens their constitutional right to freedom of movement, freedom of association and freedom of expression.

The Punjab Police brutality was the second incident following the barbaric means used to break up the peaceful airport reception for Senator Asif Ali Zardari last month.

Mohtarma said that it was that the Federal administration should condemn the illegal and unconstitutional police brutalities ordered by the Punjab administration to give credibility to its slogans of enlightenment and to prevent a disconnect between stated policies and ground realities.

A citizens rally organised by the HRCP and the Joint Action Committee of the Peoples Rights on Saturday in Lahore was violently dispersed by state agencies who swept dozens of activists to waiting police vans and whisked them to police stations.

Asma Jehangir the Chairperson of the HRCP and Iqbal Haider the Secretary General of the HRCP were among those who were brutally tortured. Others who were roughed up and detained included Hina Jillani, Shahtaj Qazilbash, Tahseen Ahmad, Farooq Tariq and Joseph Francis.

The police claimed that it had received information of an impending assault on the citizens rally by activists of the Shabab-i-Milli, the youth wing of Jamat i Islami.

Earlier in the day Ms Asma Jehangir had received a threatening call on her cell phone from someone claiming to be the president of Shabab-i-Milli, Ahmad Salman but later when returned the call to check its authenticity, the person at the other end told her that the police had come to his tyre shop and called her from there.

One police woman was heard telling Asma Jehangir, "We have orders to strip you in public and teach you a lesson". However, Ms. Asma Jehangir is a strong woman and was not intimidated by the threats and the use of force.

In a statement today the former Prime Minister said that the incident exposed the hollowness of claims of enlightened moderation and demonstrated that the Punjab administration was covertly in contact with the extremist elements.

The former Prime Minister said that the pictures of Asma Jehangir and other women being roughed up by male police and with their clothes torn was a lasting shame for the claimants of moderation and tolerance. This should also convince the world about the true agenda of the rulers she said.

Mohtarma Bhutto called upon the judiciary to protect the rights of the citizens and to take suo moto note and action against those responsible for this barbarism. She also urged the legal fraternity, the media and the human rights organisations to raise voice against state violence against women stifling the voice of dissent.

The former Prime Minister also sympathised with Asma Jehangir and other activists. "You have suffered humiliation and torture at the hands of state agencies for exercising your fundamental human rights", she said and added, "in doing so you have done a great service in opposing oppression and standing up for human dignity".

PPP Overseas slates brutalities against HR activists

Amsterdam: The Pakistan People’s Party Overseas has expressed contempt and disgust over the Punjab Police brutalities against human rights activists in Lahore, attempting to hold a marathon to highlight the rising violence against women in Pakistan and to promote enlightened moderation in society.

In their joint statement, Former Coordinator of Religious Affairs to former Prime Minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, Alhaaj Mehr Mohammad Yousuf Chand, President PPP UK Khawaja Shafique, President PPP Holland Raja Riaz, Saifullah Saify and others alleged that government trying to crush the civil society by torturing people who render their services of human rights. They condemned the arrest, humiliation and torture of Chairperson Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Asma Jehangir, Secretary General Iqbal Haider and other activists at the hands of Punjab Police.

They demanded the immediate release of the detained political leaders and human rights activists and action against those responsible for victimisation of the participants of the rally.

They said the government had arrested the activists who had brought out a peaceful protest demonstration against the policies of the government regarding violation of human rights in Pakistan. "The government which claims to be liberal and enlightened showed its true colours by arresting Iqbal Haider, Hina Jilani and other protesters”. The Punjab Police brutality was the second incident following the barbaric means used to break up the peaceful airport reception for Senator Asif Ali Zardari last month. Earlier, the government had victimized journalists as well which refuted the claims of General Musharraf that he and his companions were more enlightened and liberal.

They lamented that although the constitution guaranteed our fundamental rights, and Islam safeguards the dignity of all women, the police ruthlessly battered and pummelled women activists, subjecting them to grave indignities.

They mourned this incident as a mockery of the values on which the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was created, saying that the land of the pure can no longer be called thus when such patently impure acts are rampant.

They said PPP was with all democratic forces, human rights activists and journalists’ organisations in their struggle and condemns ‘state terrorists and ruler’s cruelties’.

Issued by: PPP Holland Media Office

Saifullah Saify
Information Secretary
Tel: +31- 621 58 64 76 / +31-20 - 6209123
Email: saifullah@home.nl

URL: www.pppholland.homestead.com

Desecration of the Holy Quran PPP Calls for early inquiry and action

Islamabad May 16, 2005: Pakistan Peoples Party has strongly condemned the action by those U.S. soldiers who flushed the Holy Quran down the drain at Guantanamo Bay Prison and called for early inquiry and action.

In a statement today the Party called upon US authorities for an early inquiry and swift action against those responsible for the desecration of the Holy book of the Muslims. The reports of the desecration had inflamed the sentiments of the Muslim people, he said.

According to Newsweek magazine, some US soldiers desecrated the Holy Book as part of the campaign to mentally torture prisoners at Gautanamo Bay.

US Secretary of State, Condeleeza Rice, used an appearance before the Senate Committee to promise a full investigation.

PPP condemns arrest of union council nazim in constituency of provincial chief minister
Demands immediate release and end to political victimisation

Islamabad May 16, 2005: Pakistan Peoples Party has denounced the arrest of union council nazim Mohan Lal Meghwar in Tharparkar and demanded his immediate release and an end to political victimisation.

Mohan Lal Meghwar is the only Awam dost nazim in Tharparker in the constituency of provincial chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim. Lal Meghwar is also the elder brother of PPP leader Engineer Gianchand and leader of Awam Dost Nazims in Tharparker District Assembly.

Mithi police arrested him on Saturday on trumped up charges.

In a statement today the President PPP Sind Syed Qaim Ali Shah while condemning the arrest said that it was clear case of political victimisation. He said that the Party would not take it lying down and agitate the matter at all forums for his release.

Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that the Party would also write letters to diplomats in Islamabad and the human rights bodies to bring to their attention how the regime continued to victimize its political opponents despite claims of moderation and reconciliation.

The PPP leader asked the provincial chief minister not to take the political differences with opponents to the level of personal enmity.

Mohtarma Bhutto has not telephoned Musharraf

Islamabad May 17, 2005: Federal Minister Dr. Sher Afgan Niazi has in an interview with an English language daily claimed that Mohtarma Bhutto has telephoned at least a dozen time to General Musharraf after the release of Senator Asif Ali Zardari.

Ordinarily the PPP does not take notice of the statements of Minister Sher Afgan that are best ignored.

However, since this lie of Dr. Niazi has been reproduced by other papers the PPP wishes to re-state for record that Mohtarma Bhutto has not called General Musharraf even once let alone over a dozen times as claimed by the Federal Minister.

Perhaps the federal minister compulsively manufactures lies and untruths to keep the motley crowd of King’s Party together and to appear more loyal than the King.

Corrupt Musharraf's Generals, Exposed by Musharraf's Generals
By Shaheen Sehbai

WASHINGTON, April 29: General Pervez Musharraf cannot, and does not, publicly claim that he has eliminated corruption altogether in Pakistan but he frequently boasts about cleaning up the top levels of his military cum civil administration.

Now his own trusted men are exposing these tall claims by pointing fingers and naming the military regime’s big guns who are turning out to be the really big thieves. A few most glaring examples:

When a prominent cabinet minister who was visiting Washington a few months back, revealed quietly to me and a friend, the horrifyingly ugly scale of land grabbing and fake land sale scams going on in Pakistan, especially in Punjab, we frankly did not believe him.

We thought the minister was trying to get even with his uniformed masters for not fulfilling the tall political promises made to him. But the magnitude of the scams was such that the minister genuinely felt concerned and wanted us to write about them, although as a politician he was not going to raise his voice publicly and was prepared to serve those very Generals in every top position.

The minister has now been proved right. Thanks to one of the more upright Generals in the present lot, the Corps Commander of Lahore, Lt. General Shahid Aziz, details of the massive land scams are emerging.

Our ministerial source says Corps Commander Aziz, has started a serious investigation against his predecessor, the last Corps Commander of Lahore, currently posted in the GHQ, Lt. General Zarrar Azim, known in the real estate world of Lahore as General Zarrar Zamin (land).

Early results of this fight between the top military bulls has revealed that General Zarrar was so deeply involved in the scam of Lahore Defence Society that in the price of every plot of land allotted in the society, a fee of Rs 600,000 (US$10,000) had to be built-in, almost automatically, meant for the Corps Commander’s office.

In this scam, it is now being found by the detectives of the new Corps Commander, that not only the out-going CC was involved, he was using a junior officer, Major Lodhi as a front man. This major is related to General Musharraf’s coup partner and now retired General Aziz of Kargil fame.

The details of these Defence Society scams are mind boggling. Thousands of plots of lands are designated in official files as Defence Society land and these plots are then sold and re-sold on files. More paper Housing Societies are registered and approved and they claim vast tracts of land without owning a square yard.

According to our source, in Lahore alone there are 12,000 files of plots for Sectors 7, 8, 9 and 10 for which there is no land actually available on the ground. How many thousands of more such plots have been sold is not yet known but the probe ordered by Lt. Gen. Aziz will bring out some facts.

According to a going joke in the Army Mess Circuit, the last request General Musharraf made to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Delhi was to give him 8,000 acres of land from the Indian territory across the Wagah-Atari border, 30 miles from Lahore, in return for Kashmir and Siachin, because “my boys have already sold this land in the files.”

Lahore is not the only Land of Land Scams. What has happened in Gwadar and Rawalpindi is of no less import.

The ministerial source said in the Bahria Town of Rawalpindi and Lahore, thousands of non-existent plots have been sold by the scheme managers. In Bahria Town of Lahore for 7,000 available plots 28,000 applications were accepted with deposits. But in Bahria Town Islamabad/Rawalpindi 77,000 plots have been sold which require land equivalent to 16 built-up sectors of Islamabad.

“What we are getting into is the Mother of all Scams because billions upon billions of people’s money has been collected by these project sponsors while there is no land to be allotted. How many of these buyers get back their deposits and when, is the 50 billion rupees question,” the source said.

Incidentally official records of the Ministry of Defence presented before the National Assembly show that Pakistan Army has Defence Housing Societies in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad on an area of only 179,308 Kanals, or 22,500 acres. Pakistan Navy and Air Force have two housing societies each covering an area of 712 and 536 acres of land respectively.

Another of Musharraf’s top commanders, Lt Gen. Tariq Wasim Ghazi, former Corps Commander of Karachi became notoriously famous in Karachi for similar land scams in Defence Society, Karachi, including Creek City and allotment to two special people, Humayun Butt and Fareed Veerani. Who are these specials and what is their involvement is being investigated by South Asia Tribune and will be revealed soon.

The Gwadar land scam has already infuriated the Baloch leadership and one reason why they are so violent and non-compromising is how their mother land is being sold and resold to outsiders after it was fraudulently bought from them for peanuts. In Gwadar the Generals and their front men were quietly told to buy the land from locals much in advance of announcement of mega projects. Once this mopping up operation was completed, the projects were announced and trading of this real estate began, multiplying the prices by 20 or even 40 times.

The ministerial source said the bigger scandal in Gwadar has started just recently when Government has ordered all its banks and State-owned Corporations to buy land in Gwadar at market prices. Middlemen have already sold and resold these plots many times over to different parties to perk up the market price. “The tax payer will now end up paying the premium to these land mafias,” the source said.

In a much quieter operation in Lahore the City Government of Nazim (Mayor) Mian Amer Mahmood claimed on Sunday, April 24, that it had succeeded in vacating 3,000 kanals (375 acres) of land belonging to schools from a land mafia, but interestingly he did not name the mafia. Most of those who read the small story or who were present when the announcement was made understood who was involved.

While Corps Commanders of Musharraf are involved in perpetuating or dismantling these land scams, one of his pillars of accountability, the former head of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Lt. General (Retd) Amjad Hussain was himself accused of massive corruption in the corporation he has been heading.

This charge of corruption was leveled in the National Assembly of Pakistan and involved the Fauji Foundation, undeniably the largest corporate body of Pakistan, now waiting to take over the largest public sector company, Pakistan State Oil.

The National Assembly was told last week that a high-level inquiry had been ordered against the management of the Fauji Foundation after detection of huge financial bunglings. General Amjad was facing the inquiry for selling a sugar mills in a non-transparent manner at less than the highest bid to a business enterprise which did not even participate in the bidding process.

The Assembly was told that the Khoski Sugar Mills was sold at Rs300 million against a previous bid of Rs387 million offered by a private party. Defence Minister Rao Sikandar ordered the inquiry to fix responsibility on those who violated the financial procedures and rules by going out of the way to benefit a favorite firm.

While the above details show that in-service Generals and Corps Commanders were being investigated for corruption, another officially announced corruption case was against the management of the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games, interestingly consisting of all military officers headed by Lt. General Arif Hassan.

The management of SAF Games has been found involved in financial irregularities to the tune of Rs201 million, which among other charges, include giving undue benefit to private organizations through "verbal agreements," Daily Dawn said quoting an audit report .

The ninth SAF Games management included Chairman Lt. Gen. Arif Hassan, Chief of staff and chief coordinating officer Brig. Amjad Javaid, Information and media director Lt. Col. Syed Mujtaba Tirmizi, Administration Director Brig. Ahmad Riza Siddiqi, Communications Director Brig Abid Hussain Bhatti, Technical Director Lt. Col. (retired) Muhammad Yahya, Procurement Director Lt. Col. Mansoor Abbas, Information Technology Director Lt. Col. Umer Farooq, Finance and Marketing Director Lt. Col. Azhar Dean, Ceremonies Director Brig. Arif Rasul Qureshi, Protocol Director Brig. Khalid Rasheed Lodhi and Chief Engineer Lt. Col. Usman Saeed.

The question being asked in all relevant circles was that even to organize an sporting event, none of the very well qualified civilians was found to be suitable and from top to bottom all army men had been inducted as if it SAF Games were military exercises. And now these sacred cows have been found to be involved in irregularities and corruption.

In a military regime, obviously the Corps Commanders and senior Generals are the top level of Government and if scams and scandals involving these top men are officially exposed, some in the National Assembly and others by leaks to the media by his own people, how would General Musharraf explain his claims of eliminating top level corruption.

Elections without Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto threatens federation Naheed Khan

Islamabad, 13 May 2005: Naheed Khan, member national assembly and the political secretary to the chairperson Pakistan Peoples Party, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto has warned the regime that any exercise to hold elections in which Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto is not allowed to participate would be a threat to the federation.

Naheed Khan in a statement out rightly rejecting general Musharraf’s assertion that the two former Prime ministers Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif would not be allowed to take part in the next elections said that the despots in the past had also expressed similar prejudices against the popular leadership of the country. But all these dictators are rotting in the dustbin of history today whereas the popular leaders are still living in the hearts and minds of the people. Dictator General Zia had tried his level best to eliminate Pakistan Peoples Party but he could not, rather he himself was disintegrated in air. Naheed Khan advised general Musharraf to learn lessons from history and act accordingly otherwise he will have to face people’s wrath.

Naheed Khan said that it is the prerogative of the people to choose and reject any leader or the party and no usurper of power can take away this right of the people. Pakistan Peoples Party symbolises with the struggle for the peoples’ rights and it is the party, which has a long history of fighting dictators. The party with the help of people has won all the battles with the dictators and once again under the guidance of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto; it will succeed in defeating the current dictatorship. People, time and again, have reposed confidence on the leadership of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and no despot has the right to keep her out of politics. Naheed Khan said that it would be wise for general Musharraf to stop ridiculing the public and accept the peoples’ verdict and people want Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto to become prime minister the third time.

Naheed Khan said that Pakistan Peoples Party is a federal party and warned that any effort to manipulate elections and government and keeping Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto out of politics by the regime would certainly threaten the very base of the federation.

PPP Will Consider Boycotting Any Elections Minus Mohtarma

Islamabad: May 12, 2005: The Pakistan Peoples Party spokesperson rejected General Musharaf's statement denying a political role to former Prime Minister Mohtarma Bhutto. He said the statement merely reflected the General's fear of the popularity of the former Prime Ministers and was unrepresentative of the will of the people.

The spokesperson said that the statement of General Musharraf was violative of the goal of an enlightened society as well as the values of democracy. In a democracy, the Spokesperson pointed out, the people chose their rulers, not the incumbent in office.

The spokesperson said that any policy aiming to exclude the PPP leader, who was the country's most popular leader, is unacceptable to the people and to the PPP.

The spokesperson said that General Musharaf's statements that he wanted reconciliation with the PPP was at odds with his statement seeking to undemocratically exclude Mohtarma. If General Musharaf wanted reconciliation with the PPP, he would need to address the PPP's concerns which included the return of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto as well a transition to democracy and respect to human rights.

The spokesperson said that General Musharaf's Minus Mohtarma policy was tested in October 2002. It had miserably failed to provide good governance or restore the writ of government. In fact, the political structure was such a mockery of the peoples will that even General Musharaf lacked the confidence to take off his uniform. The spokesperson said that the people would not accept another engineered election or another unrepresentative regime. The spokesman said that no body can stop the leaders of the masses from returning to the country and from taking part in political activities to restore democracy and rule of law.

Any elections without the participation of all political parties and their leaders would be an exercise in futility, he said. The PPP would consider boycotting such an exercise in futility.

The spokesman said that the rulers kept saying off and on that Mohtarma Bhutto would not be allowed to return only to keep the motley crowd of ruling coalition parties together. He said that the rulers knew that the coalition would collapse like a house of cards the moment they learnt that the genuine leaders of masses would return to the country.

This is an indication that the whole political structure was sham and rested on sandy foundations, he said.

The spokesman said that a ruling coalition which cannot even maintain quorum in the Houses of Parliament and is defeated on bills is seeking to keep its MPs inline by claiming that neither Mohtarma Bhutto nor Nawaz Sharif would be allowed to return.

The spokesman said that the people were facing unemployment and inflation while General Musharaf's slogan of enlightened moderation was a mask under which the religious parties were thriving.

The spokesperson said that General Musharaf would have to decide which path he wished to pursue and in so deciding he should look at the fate of other dictators. As for the PPP, its base was the people and it would continue the struggle for the Quaid e Azam and Quaid e Awam's Federal, democratic and Awami Pakistan under the dynamic leadership of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.

COMMENTARY
Pakistan's Chips in a Shady Game
By Bernard-Henri Levy

Let's recap: The Pakistani special forces squad arrested Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Al Qaeda's third in command, on March 1, 2003, a few hours before informing the Americans that Pakistan would not back a resolution in favor of the war in Iraq.

They arrested Yasser Jazeeri, another key Al Qaeda operative, in March 2003, a few months before Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf visited Camp David, where he was promised foreign aid to the unprecedented tune of $3 billion.
In March 2002, they collared Abu Zubeida, Al Qaeda operations chief, and they did this during a big U.S. congressional debate on the question of foreign aid to Pakistan, as well as on delivering the F-16 fighter jets that had been held back by the Pentagon because of Pakistan's nuclear ambitions. (The delivery of the jets was even more hotly debated because it was at the top of the list of demands made by Daniel Pearl's kidnappers.)

Months later, on Sept. 11, the Pakistanis chose the first anniversary of the destruction of the twin towers in Manhattan to announce the arrest of Ramzi Binalshib — one of the conceivers and coordinators of the 9/11 attacks — in a residential neighborhood in Karachi where he had been living almost openly.

And now it's Abu Faraj Farj, also known as Abu Faraj Libbi, another high Al Qaeda commander. He was captured under mysterious circumstances, but at a time charged with meaning. It is the moment, according to the Pakistani media, when the Americans have decided to make delivery of the F-16s contingent on American agents getting the right to interrogate Abdul Qadeer Khan, father of the Islamist bomb and godfather of a whole network of nuclear weapons trafficking that involves Iran, North Korea and, perhaps, Al Qaeda's laboratories near Kandahar, Afghanistan. But Musharraf stubbornly continues to deny the U.S. the right to take over the investigation into what is becoming the most enormous nuclear terrorism affair of this era. Pakistan instead hands over another Al Qaeda operative.

So, we can look at the timing in these instances several ways.

In each case, we can find a reason for this series of coincidences between the lightning-raid operations of the Pakistani armed forces and the political needs of the U.S. president.

Still, I can't get it out of my mind that we have, even more than coincidences, a recurrence, or a law, or even something that looks a lot like a test of strength between the two countries.

It is as if the Pakistani powers that be have had, ever since Al Qaeda's retreat from Afghanistan and their withdrawal into Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi, a precise idea of where the chiefs of Al Qaeda could be found. It is as if Pakistan's formidable intelligence service, the ISI, had not only localized but kept these public enemies of the U.S. — and theoretically of Pakistan — under observation, handy for periodic culling.

It is as if these people were bargaining chips, with the Pakistanis drawing from their reserves of terrorists and cashing them in one by one, depending on the needs of their relationship with the great American "friend."

Optimists will be delighted to learn that there is a country where people know a little about the hiding places of Osama bin Laden's lieutenants, as well as about Bin Laden himself, perhaps.

Pessimists, however, will remember that before giving asylum to the Taliban, the Pakistanis invented them, ruled Afghanistan through them and, in the space of 20 years, contributed no fewer than 200,000 recruits to the international jihad — and pessimists will be worried about this fresh indication of Pakistani double-dealing.

For my part, I know where I stand. Having had the chance, during my investigations into journalist Daniel Pearl's murder, to observe close up the nature of the ties between the ISI and a number of Islamist groups, such as the Jaish-e-Muhammad and the Lashkar-e-Taiba, linked to the "sacred" cause of Kashmir, I don't have many illusions as to the sincerity of the Islamabad leaders when they present themselves as the best students in the anti-terrorist class.

I just hope that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice doesn't have any more illusions than I have, and that when she thanks the Pakistanis for "the difficult work they've done," she knows that she's trifling with us, and she knows what she's doing. I hope that when, in order to break the "axis of evil," the Americans ally themselves with one of the regimes that has at its disposal both weapons of mass destruction and the ideology capable of putting them into action, they are fully aware that they're playing with fire. And that they're playing the craziest, most paradoxical and — if they're not careful — most dangerous diplomatic poker game in contemporary history.

Bernard-Henri Levy's most recent book is "War, Evil and the End of History" (Melville House, 2004). This article was translated from French by Charlotte Mandell.

Minus Benazir and Nawaz formula a recipe to weaken federation and increase miseries of people

Islamabad May 13, 2005: Commenting on a press report that the Western diplomats support General Musharaf's strategy to deny the two former Prime Ministers the right to contest the General Elections a spokesman of the PPP has issued the following statement today.

"The PPP does not know whether this report is accurate in reflecting the sentiments of the western governments. However, in the event that it is accurate, the PPP would call upon those Western governments supportive of the Musharaf stand to review its decision.

The experiment to "promote new leadership" minus the two former Prime Ministers was already carried out in October 2002. That experiment has miserably failed. It produced a political structure that has increased poverty, unemployment and hunger. It has created weak civil institutions and witnessed the rise of the religious parties as well as the Garrison state.

The spokesman said that political institutions hold countries together. The rise of militancy in Balauchistan and Waziristan as well as the alienation in the provinces of Sindh and Frontier pose a grave threat to the unity of the Federation.

The spokesman recalled that General Zia, another military tyrant, also physically eliminated the country's leadership claiming that he was throwing out the "rotten eggs" to bring in "fresh faces". However, all General Zia succeeded in doing was bring anarchy, chaos, armed militias, kalishnikov and drug culture.

Failed experiments are never repeated, the spokesman said.

Pakistan Peoples Party remains committed to a Federal, Democratic and Egalitarian structure. If the next elections are going to be minus the two former Prime Ministers, the parties of the ARD, including the PPP, will have to seriously consider whether there is anything to be gained from participating in elections where the popular leadership is denied a place.

Any elections without the inclusion of the two former Prime Ministers would make a mockery of the elections. Therefore the PPP calls upon all those who believe in excluding the popular leadership of the country from the electoral race to study the October 2002 elections as well as the consequences of the Zia dictatorship and review their decision.

The PPP will continue to support its policy of fair, free and impartial elections, open to all parties and personalities, with an accurate vote count that empowers the people of Pakistan and enables them to determine their own future.

Musharraf's Relative Lands Another Super Duper Project of the Future

By M A Siddiqi

KARACHI, May 12: Pakistan has taken a gigantic leap into the 22nd Century, (yes the 22nd Century), and Karachi has moved overnight from a town which shut down even its archaic Circular Railway to a Metropolis which will soon boast of the World’s first Magnetic Levitation (Maglev) Commercial train. All this thanks to a close relative of General Pervez Musharraf

This miracle has been possible not because General Musharraf wants Karachi to become modern or overcome its public transport problems but because Brig (Retd) Aftab Siddiqi, the father-in-law of First Son Bilal Musharraf, wanted the US$298 million Maglev contract and got it.

The beauty of the deal is that by building the golden three miles of super fast Maglev Track, Musharraf’s relative would not just have pocketed almost 300 million dollars, he would have pushed Pakistan into the Guinness Book of Records for launching a project which even the pioneering countries France and Japan are reluctant to launch on a commercial basis. In Virginia US it is being run on an experimental basis in a University in Old Dominion (Pix Left).

Three days ago, on May 9, 2005 South Korea held a trial run for reporters. The train was an improved version used by 120,000 people at the 1993 Daejeon Expo. It has a peak speed of 110 kilometers per hour and can carry 135 people per compartment. Korea is planning to start Maglev trains for people In spring 2007 and will become the third nation to run train, after Germany and Japan.

German company Siemens is operating a high-speed Maglev train on a 32 kilometer track from downtown Shanghai, China to the Airport, and Japan is running an urban-style Maglev train on a 9-kilometer track within the Nagoya Aichi Expo site, similar to Korea. Both are experimental runs.

Korea's top company Rotem, which has been developing Maglev trains for 17 years from the days of its antecedent, Hyundai Motor Service, is deeply troubled. This is because as local governments pursue LRT subways, they are reluctant to select domestic Maglevs because it has never been operated before.

But for doing Karachi and Pakistan this huge favor, a series of rewards have been offered to this retired lucky Brigadier related to General Musharraf.

He will also get as part of the overall package colossal benefits. The Maglev Project given to him is not on Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis but on Ownership basis. He has been sanctioned one 450 MW [gas]-fired Power Plant. A Real Estate Development Commercial Loan of $100 million to his company will be guaranteed by Pakistan Government. A Non-Refundable Bank Guarantee of $60 million will be paid to his company to compensate for losses in the first 6 years of Maglev Project at $10 million per annum.

Above all, whatever he imports will be exempted from Customs or other duties and taxes. Whatever money he makes will be free of Income Tax.

It is another matter that even after such a platinum package, 99 per cent of Karachiites would still be hanging dangerously to diesel-emitting over-packed buses or waiting endlessly in traffic jams in the world’s most polluted environment.

The story of how Brig Siddiqi has landed another multi-billion contract, this time beating the friendly Chinese out of the race, is not just intriguing but fascinating and reminds analysts of the historic statement of Sheikh Yousuf, Chairman of Husnain Construction, the company which first hired Brig Siddiqi who used the Musharraf connection and turned his construction business into a gold minting machine. Yousuf achieved this just by paying a two per cent commission to this talented father-in-law of General Musharraf’s son.

On September 25, 2002, Yousuf talked to reporters at the site office of M-3 at Ghartal, Faisalabad According to a report in Daily Dawn, he was asked as to how much his company had been helped by Brig Aftab Siddiqi the useful father-in-law of Bilal Musharraf. Yousuf admitted that the gentleman had worked with his company as a consultant. Click to Read Full Dawn Report

Then he said: “It was originally agreed that he would get two per cent of the profit from the project for 25 years, but since the project had been converted to a government funded plan, Aftab Siddiqi was no longer with his company. The cost of M-3 is Rs7 billion.”

Yousuf also revealed that Mr Siddiqi “had been paid for the 'services' which he rendered,” but refused to give more details. “Everything was documented, and the payments to Mr Siddiqi had been made through checks, the copies of which had been provided to a number of government departments," he said.

Exactly at that moment his smart son rushed to the stage and asked Yousuf not to answer more queries on the subject, according to the Dawn report. He was obviously revealing State secrets and could get into serious trouble and the son realized that more than the father.

That was 2002 but Brig Siddiqi and Husnain Construction have never looked back. Already in the first years of General Musharraf's rule, this construction company, according to its Chairman, had acquired at least 12 sick mills from the Government.

But Siddiqi’s biggest catch has been in Karachi. The story of Maglev started with the City District Government of Karachi inviting Tenders on BOT Basis in October 2003 from the private sector to undertake the Karachi Mass Transit, Priority One Corridor.

Two tenders were received in November 2003, one from M/s American Maglev Technologies and other from a Chinese Company. The Chinese Company Tender was on finance cum construct basis for US $570 million, with long term credit on easy term made available by the Government of China.

But M/s American Maglev Technologies which did not submit even the required Bid Bond of US $1 million was awarded the Contract in December 2004. This was done by a Special Committee headed by a retired bureaucrat, Dr Akram Sheikh, the man planted for the job by the master-mind behind this manipulation, the father-in-law of the son of the President of Pakistan.

Siddiqi had contacted Dr Akram Sheikh who had retired as Federal Secretary. Sheikh is well known for his dubious past as he was suspended from service three times but was always able to work, or pay, his way out of the black hole.

Among the many examples of his reputation as a “Chaloo” officer (shrewd person) was the case of obtaining a 1000 square yards residential plot at half a million rupees from Karachi Port Trust in 1999. when the market price of this piece of land was Rs30 million.

Siddiqi reached a deal with Sheikh that he will be made Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission if he promised to award the contract of the Maglev Train to M/s American Maglev Technologies. The deal was done and Siddiqi got the orders of his appointment from General Musharraf.

But before the contract could be awarded, Siddiqi moved in as a partner of M/s American Maglev Technologies. All other partners were replaced with Siddiqi’s company M/s Infrastructure Development.

The contract winners had turned into the sons-in-law of the State of Pakistan by virtue of Siddiqi’s relationship with Musharraf. So much so that the $1 million Bid Bond which was to be submitted with the tender, was submitted 13 months late and that too neither by M/s American Maglev Technologies nor by M/s Infrastructure Development Company but by two Pakistani Contractors, M/s Techno Engineering Services (Pvt.) Limited and M/s Saadullah Khan & Brothers.

Siddiqi was promised and given concessions which experts quantified in dollar terms as horrendous. Adding all exemptions and $160 million Government and bank guarantees, this project will cost Pakistan over $900 million. In short, thanks to Siddiqi, poor Karachiites and the State of Pakistan will end by getting 3 miles of Maglev Train for $900 million.

On the face of it, the Maglev contract to Siddiqi would be of $300 million but these hidden costs would push the price to $900 million. As against this huge cost, China would have done the same job for around $500 million and that too on easy loans. But then how would Mr Siddiqi earn his millions.

According to the latest information, Siddiqi has again defaulted to sign the Contract Agreement within the time limit, which expired in March 2005, but thanks to you-know-who, he has managed to get another indefinite extension.

Not knowing how the wheels in Islamabad work and who was doing what behind the wheels, the innocent Mayor of Karachi Naimatullah Khan announced that the first phase of Corridor I Karachi Mass Transit Program (KMTP) would start by December 31, 2006 with a Magnetic Levitation Train.

Experts were aghast at the announcement as suddenly instead of improving the smoke detectors of Karachi buses, the Nazim had thrown Pakistan into the unknown future, while he himself is unable to determine whether he belongs to the past, present or the future.

The total length of the Maglev Train track is said to be 17 kilometers, from Sohrab Goth to Mereweather Tower. But is such a short stretch of rail worth deploying a super-technological invention which was still in its embryonic stages of development in the countries where it was invented.

There are no answers and no details available to the media or the Parliament but what is clear is that a contract of $300 million has been awarded to a Musharraf’s relative and he has been showered with a lot more concessions. Why all this generosity is yet to be determined.

PPP clarifies press reports of Dialogue with Musharraf regime

Islamabad. May 11, 2005: Commenting on media reports that PPP has submitted names for a national government to the present regime, a spokesman of the party said that these reports are incorrect. The Musharaf regime has not made an offer of national government to the PPP. Neither has the PPP given any names. Media reports in this connection are baseless. The PPP remains committed to its demand for fair, free and impartial elections to be held this year.

Arbab Confession Army Elected Him CM Proof of Undemocratic Rule—Says PPP

Islamabad, 10 May 2005: Pakistan Peoples Party took notice of the statement by Chief Minister Arbab Rahim confessing that he owed his election as Chief Minister by the military and not to the Parliament or to the people.

The former Chief minister Sindh and the president PPP Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah in a statement termed this as important evidence from the horse’s mouth that democracy in Pakistan was not restored through the October 2002 elections.

Chief Minister Sindh, according to Khabrain of May 10, 2005 confessed that former Vice Chief of Army "General Yousuf made him CM". The Chief Minister also added that prior to the Musharraf era, "people accused him of running private jails and carrying out atrocities in Thar".

Syed Qaim Ali Shah said it was shocking that a man facing serious charges of human rights violations was picked to run Sindh solely due to connections with the military.

He said that this was, "not democracy".

President PPP Sindh said that it was calling for early elections because it believed in peoples mandate and it believed that democracy and development went together.

He said that the confession by the Sindh Chief Minister was proof that Sindh, as well as the rest of the country, was being governed by non representative and unconstitutionally constructed governments. It recalled that parliamentarians were bussed to the ISI headquarters and ordered to vote for the Central Government, a fact reported in the national press in November 2002.

Moreover, Syed Qaim Ali Shah said the Assembly session to elect the new government was indefinitely postponed to prevent the ARD from forming the government and to facilitate horse trading. Ten members of the PPP were broken to form the undemocratic and unrepresentative regime. Late Maulana Tariq Azam, from a banned group, was released from jail to allow the regime to win with a one-vote majority.

Keeping in view these facts, the President PPP Sindh said that it was unsurprising that the present structure was collapsing and peoples’ problems were increasing. The central government was unable to keep quorum despite an army of ministers. It was being defeated on bills. The Punjab administration was resorting to worst human rights excesses to prevent people from exercising their freedom of movement because it feared its unpopularity would be manifested. The Sindh Chief Minister and his Revenue minister were trading corruption charges that should see both of them behind bars under the National Accountability laws. The ruling PML Q was factionalised with a Shujaat group, a Hamayum group and a Jamali/Pagara group.

Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that under the present regime led by Mr. Shaukat Aziz poverty has increased by one third of its previous number. Unemployment and inflation have reached sky high levels. The only growth is in money laundering where illicit monies are being laundered through the stock exchange, where thousands of investors lost a trillion rupees earlier this year, and through the housing market.

He said that corruption scandals of the last five years have been covered up despite the national press and the PPP raising them from time to time. Syed Qaim Ali Shah noted that one Federal Minister justified suicide bombers whereas another Federal Minister had a fake degree.

Syed Qaim Ali Shah deplored the immorality, corruption, nepotism and horse-trading that has flourished eroding the basic foundations of civil society.

He said that the cure for this immorality was transfer of power to the elected representatives through fresh elections in 2005 that are transparent and where the vote count is accurate and immediate. The PPP has called for Pakistan Human Rights Commission to hold the next elections.

PPPP Criticize Inadequate Budget Controls
Budget Transparency and Accountability Must to Fight Corruption
Budget under Corruption Umbrella

Islamabad May 8, 2005: "Inadequate budget controls and corruption is the greatest obstacle to social development. To ensure better allocation of resources and effective implementation, there is need for improved controls over financial flows, transparency, and financial accountability, Senator Dr. Akbar Khawaja said in a statement issued today.

"PPP is concerned that Regime will camouflage facts and the new budget yet again will lack sound budgeting principles, adequate transparency,

and realistic revenue estimates. "There must be realistic revenue and

expenditure estimates, Dr. Khawaja demanded.

He said that Bureaucrats under military regime have been enjoying a free hand for budget allocation causing inefficiencies, partially due to poor governance and weak structures in audit institutions.

"Citizens have been concerned about the poor quality of public sector development spending and dissatisfied with the pace of implementation of development projects. Rs 202 billion development budget last year brought no tangible benefits to the people.

Senator Khawaja criticized that resources targeted to reduce poverty are being channelled through the government’s cronies and not reaching those for whom they are intended. "There has been a strong dissatisfaction within the general public, especially the poor, with quality and quantity of public services, he added.

"Delivery of most public services remains poor due to massive corruption and capacity constraints. Extent of embezzlement of public funds at provincial and district levels is going unchecked. Senator Khawaja asked Auditor General’s office to investigate allegations of fraud and corruption under the Devolution set up.

He said that governments at all levels need improved oversight and effective control procedures to enhance productivity and increase accountability. The key challenge is to make budget development and execution process more meaningful with closer tracking and reporting of actual funds usage.

"It is regrettable that despite setting performance targets for the individual Cabinet members last year, Finance Ministry has failed to have consensus among provinces on NFC award that was due three years back. Provinces are loosing faith in the Federation role as Funds in divisible pool are being misused without any audit trails.

"PPP Senator welcomed good news that due to a good crop season there will be additional fiscal space due to a positive growth in the Agriculture sector that could be utilized for social development. He asked Regime to go beyond marginal adjustments and address issues of poverty and unemployment.

Senator Khawaja demanded that the government must provide a detailed breakdown of revenues and expenditures in an electronic form to help parliamentarians in the budget analysis.

"Dr. Khawaja encouraged Citizens and Parliamentarians to play their roles to expose corrupt elements and identify discrepancies and gaps in budget plans and implementation.

Taj Haider Criticises enforcing of Sales Tax regime

Islamabad, 7 May 2005: Secretary Information Pakistan Peoples Party, Taj Haider has expressed serious concern on the news that the government was going to abolish excise duty in next year's budget with a view to "effectively enforcing the sales tax regime" and in order to "avoid double taxation". In a press statement issued today he said that the move was nothing but a cheap trick to cheat and deprive the gas producing provinces of their constitutional share of revenue collected on the production of natural gas.

Taj Haider said that Article 161 (1) of the Constitution explicitly provided that "the net proceeds of the Federal duty of excise on natural gas levied at well-head and collected by the Federal Government, and of the royalty collected by the Federal Government, shall not form part of the Federal Consolidated Fund and shall be paid to the Province in which the well-head of natural gas is situated."

The spirit of Article 161, which also provides for direct transfers of profits on hydro-electric generation to the province in which these were located is that the revenues and incomes collected as a result of mobilization of natural resources should go to he province where the resource was situated and NOT to the Federal Government. Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had introduced this article in the Constitution in order to set aside the feelings and fears of exploitation in the smaller provinces at the hands of the Federal Government. It was one of those key articles which were instrumental in bringing about a broad consensus on the Constitution, thereby strengthening the Federation itself. Any jokes played with this article and other such articles only serve to weaken mutual trust and the Federation.

Taj Haider said that it was a pity that besides denying the Pakhtoon Province of its rightful profits on hydro-electric generation according to profit calculation formula evolved by the Federal Government itself, a new tax by the name of gas development surcharge was introduced by the Federal government to deny Baluchistan and Sindh of directly receiving the net proceeds of taxes collected at natural gas well-heads. This new tax was levied in order to circumvent the constitutional provision by giving the tax a name other than excise duty.

The correct course of action should have been abolishing the gas development surcharge and merging its collections with the excise duty to be paid directly to the provinces. Instead it is the excise duty which is being abolished, thus depriving the gas producing provinces of whatever small part they were getting as direct transfers out of the huge revenues collected by the Federal Government on the production of natural gas.

Taj Haider said that the contemplated move to abolish excise duty was nothing but a further breach of trust. He demanded that the government should come out clearly on this issue. In keeping with the spirit of the constitution, not only the excise duty should not be abolished but the gas development surcharge should henceforth be merged with the excise duty and paid to the gas producing provinces as a direct transfer.

Naheed Khan demands end of political victimization of PPP workers

Islamabad, 07 May 2005: Naheed Khan MNA, the political Secretary to Chairperson Pakistan Peoples Party, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto has demanded end of political victimization of PPP workers, withdrawal of false cases against them and their immediate release.

In a statement Naheed Khan said that the regime is telling lie in claiming that it has released all the PPP workers who were arrested while exercising their legal and constitutional right to receive its leader at the Lahore airport. In reality, over a hundred workers are still languishing in jails dispersed all over Punjab province. The workers were responding to the call of their leader Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto to extend a grand reception to PPP leader Senator Asif Ali Zardari in Punjab. The workers displayed their respect for the leader who was illegally incarcerated for eight long years. Now they have been dispersed to deny them their right to get bail from concerned courts. Naheed Khan said that the regime is hell bent to punish the PPP workers for expressing their loyalty to the party leadership but the workers proved to be the brave soldiers of the army of Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Naheed Khan said that the party workers had planned the reception of Senator Asif Ali Zardari and announcement in this regard was made weeks ago but the administration using naked force stopped the workers from reaching airport and thousands of workers were beaten up, dragged on the streets and arrested including women and children. The regime even did not spare the women parliamentarians who were severely beaten and a few had to be admitted in hospitals. She said that it is an act of fascist regime to keep them still in prisons. The regime that allows holding rallies and attack marathon race to the religious parties and arrests democratic people cannot be called enlightened and moderate, Naheed Khan said.

She warned the officials who are acting illegally against the PPP workers and said that the time is not far when they will also be held responsible for conniving with the regime in unleashing brutal force on the innocent men, women and children. She demanded immediate release and withdrawal of cases against them.

PPP denounces continued imprisonment of workers

Warns administration not to bend over backwards

Islamabad, May 06, 2005: Makhdoom Amin Fahim vice chair PPP has condemned the victimisation of PPP workers by the Punjab government and demanded their immediate release.

In a statement today Makhdoom Amin Fahim said that the rulers were propagating that the arrested workers had been released but the fact was that hundreds of workers were still in jails and denied bail. The workers were shifted to different jails in the province so as to maliciously deny them access to justice. Those arrested have been kept in dungeons and given sewerage water to drink.

He said that 22 PPP workers were still in Sahiwal jail, 5 in Adiala Jail Rawalpindi (including Agha Riazul Islam and Muhammad Shahid), 1 in Faisalabad, 9 in district jails in the province besides some in jails in Gujranwala and Jehlum, he said.

He said that those workers who were given bail by courts were rearrested on terrorist charges. After the lawyers tried to get their powers of attorney, several hundred were shifted to prevent powers of attorney being signed.

Makhdoom Amin Fahim warned the over zealous members of Punjab administration not to bend over backwards in pleasing their masters. Time change and no body should harbour the illusion that he will not be held accountable he said.

The PPP leader said that Mohtarma Bhutto who was out of Dubai was constantly being kept informed of the situation.

He said that such brutal measures instead of deterring the workers exposed the rulers’ fascist tendencies.

Makhdoom Amin Fahim said that the Party saluted the valiant spirit of the PPP supporters. "Their sacrifices will not go in vain", he said.

The PPP leader also appealed to the Secretary General of Commonwealth and other international bodies to raise their voice against the inhuman treatment of political workers and for their immediate release.

He said that the regime never reacted to some political parties when they attacked women taking part in sports. Such elements have been allowed to hold rallies, public meetings and agitation in all the four provinces.

The harsh measure have been reserved only for the PPP and other democratic opposition parties he said

PPP seeks discussion on Military’s corporate interests
Says armed forces should not be burdened with industrial, commercial and real estate activities

Islamabad May 06, 2005: Pakistan Peoples Party Friday moved a motion and a resolution in the Senate seeking a debate on the business, commercial and real estate interests of the armed forces and pleading that such activities be regulated for the sake of professionalism.

A motion moved by the PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar says, "This House may discuss the impact on professional preparedness of the armed forces of increasingly burdening them with running industrial, commercial and real estate enterprises".

The resolution moved says, "This House is of the view that in interest of professionalism and defense preparedness the armed forces should not be increasingly burdened with industrial, commercial, real estate and other non-professional activities".

The PPP had earlier submitted the motion and resolution in March last but were returned to the Party by Chairman Mianmuhammad Soomro on the ground that "subject matter of the resolution (and motion) is too general". However the mover as asked to "make it specific for it admissibility under the rules’.

Responding to it the PPP resubmitted the motion and resolution along with explanatory notes to ‘remove ambiguity’.

Explaining the motion and the resolution the PPP pointed out, "when the armed forces are increasingly engaged in industrial and commercial activities it adversely impacts on their professional preparedness. The purpose of the motion was just to discuss whether time had come to reconsider the excessive engagement in such activities".

Further, if there appeared to be ambiguity in the subject matter of the motion or resolution or these were found ‘too general’ attention is invited to the reply to un-starred question # 3 on April 26, 2005, PPP's explanatory letter said.

The armed forces are also engaged in the running scores of commercial and industrial enterprises in the country, besides a large number of educational institutions, the letter said and added, "reply by the defence ministry itself should help make the motion specific and focused on one single issue namely whether such extra professional activities do not impinge on the professional preparedness of the armed forces".

The PPP also expressed the hope that the purpose of the motion and resolution had become "quite clear" to the Senate Secretariat.

The PPP drew attention to the rules of procedure and said that the armed forces increasing engagements in commercial and industrial activities was ‘substantially one definite issue’ under Rule 121 (3) and the resolution was precisely in the ‘form of a declaration of opinion’ and to ‘convey a message’ as provided for the in Rule 121 (1).

Elaborating further the PPP said that the British High Commissioner in Islamabad Mark Lyall Grant had publicly remarked that during the past 28 years the military’s corporate business interests had increased manifold and that this was hampering poverty reduction efforts and the efficacy of the judiciary and bureaucracy in the country.

A leading English newspaper editorial of March 4 also wondered "to what extent all this commercial activity is compatible with the armed forces’ professionalism is anybody’s guess", it said.

Giving details of military’s commercial activities the PPP letter attached a list of projects/units under the control of armed forces which he said had raised concerns about the diversion of defence forces attention and energy to non professional activities.

Pakistan needs rule of law —Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto

Islamabad, 5 May 2005: "I used to think, naively, that an election alone could change things for the better. Now I realize that a country needs more than democratic elections, it needs the rule of law." This was said by the former Prime Minister and Chairperson Pakistan People Party Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto while speaking at Oxford Union Debating Society in England today.

She said, "Democracy is not just a process for elections; it is a process of governing. An election can bring in a new Parliament and a new government. It cannot, however, bring in a new Judiciary or bureaucracy or intelligence system. It cannot give acknowledgement, to the victims of tyranny -- those who lost their lives, their livelihoods, their families, their peace of mind, who were tortured, imprisoned or forced to flee to foreign lands. The suffering is not of one person, not of one family, not of one political party, but of an entire nation."

Regarding Pakistan’s political situation, she said, "Issues of poverty, gender equality and minority rights are calling for attention, as are the issues of unemployment and inflation. But the anti-democratic forces don’t respond to the cries of the people. The story of Pakistan did not have to turn out this way, and I am convinced that ultimately things will be very different. The democratic government I led did its best to create a new, modern Pakistan. With the mandate and support of the people we marketed the country as a crossroads to the Gulf, Central and South Asia. But military hard-liners that had fought the Afghan Jihad and were sympathetic to the Taliban idea of repression against women destabilised my government. It is such times that test the mettle of real leadership. Ironically, but repeatedly, history tells us that the best of leadership is constructed in the worst of times. Crises create qualities that otherwise lie dormant. The question before my nation is how many will suffer imprisonment, deprivation, discrimination, poverty and even death before justice and the forces of history restore the democratic order? And although I know not the answer to that question, I know it is my obligation to lead this battle, no matter what the personal price, to restore a democratic Pakistan."

Regarding challenges facing Pakistan, the former Prime Minister said, "My country Pakistan is an example of a Nation where the forces of tyranny, terrorism, proliferation and a militant interpretation of Islam by the margins mingle to create a difficult challenge. The international community decided to throw its weight behind Pakistan's military dictator following the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centres. There are worries though that the inability of the international community to facilitate Pakistan's transition to civilian and democratic rule could undermine its objectives in the long run. Pakistan's present military ruler vested the Presidency with enormous constitutional powers. These constitutional changes amounted to creating a civilian dictator. It was argued that an all-powerful President would help facilitate the withdrawal of the army to the barracks and prevent the recurrence of Martial Law in the country. This has not happened."

Highlighting the threats posed by dictatorship in Pakistan, she said, "Even as political freedoms were denied, economic and social successes remained a distant dream. While the elites thrived, the large masses of people lived in poverty and backwardness eking out a miserable life hindered by disease, malnutrition and infant mortality. This embittered generation must be rescued with a political system that is representative and accountable to the people. The fight for freedom is a fight for values that can build a pluralistic world free of discrimination on the basis of race, religion or gender. It worries me when I see Islamabad turn a blind eye to crimes against women. Immediate, stern action is needed by the regime to signal disapproval when a crime against a woman is committed. Yet the regime acts slowly, and only when prodded by public outcry. This year An Army Captain reportedly took part in the gang rape of a lady doctor. It took weeks of public protest before he was finally arrested. And even after his arrest, the regime sided with the rapist, claiming he was innocent, rather than with the victim. It is this inability to distinguish between the exploiter and the exploited that best highlights the difference between a dictatorship and a democracy."

Emphasizing the need for fresh elections in Pakistan, she said, "A military dictatorship in Islamabad exploits the war against terror to keep itself in power at the cost of the constitutional rights of its people. It is nine years since democracy in Pakistan was destabilised with the murder of my brother in 1996. Since then Pakistan has since electoral manipulations that are disheartening the people. Many now refuse to vote believing that irrespective of how they vote, the result will be doctored. This is dangerous for Pakistan's democratic future. It is also a danger for the world community when people lose hope in influencing policies through peaceful, electoral means. The controversial October 2002 elections have failed to combat poverty, reform the judiciary or empower Parliament. Those elections failed to bring in mainstream political parties. A dangerous political vacuum yawns across society. While parties that defend Al Qaeda and the Taliban are permitted full political freedom, democratic leaders are imprisoned, exiled or hamstrung from reaching the public with their message of modernity and progress. When elections in Ukraine were rigged, the international community supported fresh elections. The European community and human rights observers called Islamabad's 2002 elections flawed. Human Rights Watch declared that the "decks were stacked against the democratic" forces. When elections can be re-held in Ukraine, they can be re-held in Pakistan. And they must be held as urgently and fairly as possible to restore the usurped rights of the people back to them. Two assassination attempts on General Musharaf demonstrate the thin thread on which the alliance with Islamabad is built. In the war against terrorism, the greatest protection of freedom from terrorists comes from replacing dictatorships with governments responsible to the people, governments based on the values of democracy and liberty".

"The stakes are high. The long-term implications are great. Pakistan today stands at the crossroad. One road leads to salvation which is the road of empowerment. The other road is the road of usurpation and usurpation causes the very frustrations that destroy", she said.

Press Freedom in Pakistan: The Statistics of Shame—PPP

Islamabad, 3 May 2005: "Despite the Musharraf regime’s repeated pronouncements on promoting democracy, human rights and press freedoms, its record over the last five years in curbing independent media has been nothing but harsh and repressive. Last year itself presents a harrowing catalogue of shame". This was said by Sherry Rehman MNA while issuing a fact sheet titled "Press Freedom in Pakistan: The Statistics of Shame."

The fact sheet reads, "Pakistan is now one of the few countries in the world where journalists continue to be killed for expressing their views. In 2005, two journalists were killed in cold blood when attempting to break the government black-out on the military operation in the Tribal Areas bordering Afghanistan. They were shot in broad daylight in Wana town, barely fifty yards from the army’s regional headquarters. Despite tall claims from the Governor of the province, killers of Amir Nawab Khan, Associated Press TV, and Allah Noor Wazir, Khyber TV and The Nation, have not been arrested to this day. The cameras and videotapes of these reporters, which were seized by the military on June 12, 2004 in an attempt to prevent them from covering what they had declared a media blackout zone, have never been recovered. Since then, only ‘embedded journalism’ was allowed as long as the military conducted its operations. Khawar Mehdi became famous as the journalist who was detained in the tribal areas in the line of duty while their foreign counterpart was allowed to go."

It further reads, "Over just the last year, twenty-six were injured in assaults, which includes a woman reporter. Others were kidnapped and beaten, one had his house bombed, one was placed under house arrest to prevent him filing a story, while over a 100 journalists were prevented from reporting the arrival of two opposition political leaders at Lahore airport, namely Shahbaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari. In the last incident, several journalists were coercively detained to prevent coverage, while two electronic media journalist were severely beaten and warned against coverage of the PPP reception for Asif Ali Zardari in Lahore. In fact, contrary to the government’s claims, more journalists and media offices were attacked this year than the last, when 120 journalists were attacked over last year’s shameful record of 70. In the forefront of the attackers and intimidators line-up is the government, followed closely by the military, police, intelligence agencies and religious and ethnic political groups."

Regarding use of draconian laws against journalists, the fact sheet says, "While all old criminal and civil laws to arrest and intimidate journalists remained in use, such as the infamous MPO, the government introduced harsher laws to add to the list of sedition, treason, disclosure of official Secrets, and public nuisance. Journalists were not only tried in anti-terrorism courts, but also subject to the punitive Defamation Ordinance, 2002, despite objections from the media and opposition the National Assembly of Pakistan. Prison terms upto five years were added to harsh fines for libel or slander, while one journalist, Afzal Nadeem, Daily Awam, was actually booked under the draconian Official Secrets Act, which carries a death penalty, for reporting the contents of a letter which should have been available to him under any Freedom of Information Law. On March 15, 2005, the government introduced before the National Assembly a set of amendments to the PEMRA [Paksitan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority] ordinance, which belied all its claims of opening up media freedoms to the host of new license-holders of FM radio and TV channel operators. If approved, this Bill will make it even easier for the government to arrest broadcasters and reporters, cancel radio and TV licenses, enhance control over news content and impose punitive fines on broadcasters, among other controls."

Highlighting coercive acts against journalists in Pakistan, the fact sheet says, "At the same time the Contempt of Court Ordinance has been re-promulgated and a shame Freedom of Information Ordinance bulldozed without debate by the government, rejecting the PPP’s genuine FOI Bill which was welcomed by the media and Human Rights bodies. Newspaper organisations remain subject to government manipulation through traditional levers such as advertisement flows, press advice and other controls. As a tribe, journalists remain economically and physically vulnerable to pressure from all quarters, unable to even claim full employment benefits and the implementation of the Seventh Wage Board Award. Eighty five percent of print journalists remain outside the ambit of employment benefits and appointment letters, often on contract employment, where they are not protected from arbitrary terminations under government or employer pressure."

"All local and international reports show that the Musharraf government uses token gestures and speeches such as pronouncements on human rights and press freedoms to signal to the international community that General Musharraf is indeed running the country on the path of the promised ‘Enlightened Moderation’. Yet the truth is as far from the claim as democracy is from a President in uniform", the fact sheet concludes.

PPP moves resolution in Senate for repeal of DHA Islamabad Ordinance

Islamabad May 5, 2005: The Pakistan Peoples Party has moved a resolution in the Senate calling for the repeal of the Defense Housing Authority Islamabad (DHAI) Ordinance 2005.

The resolution moved by PPP Senators Mian Raza Rabbani and Farhatullah Babar states "Under sub paragraph (ii) of paragraph (a) clause 2 of Article 89 of the Constitution this House disapproves the Defense Housing Authority Islamabad Ordinance 2005 (Ordinance No II of 2005)".

The Ordinance to set up Defense Housing Authority in Islamabad similar to those existing in Karachi and Lahore was issued on February 22 last barely a few hours before the session of the National Assembly.

Declaring that "Whereas it is expedient to establish Defense Housing Authority Islamabad", and reasoning that "Whereas the National Assembly is not in session", the Ordinance went on to state that President "pleased to make and promulgate the ordinance".

Under Article 89 of the Constitution an Ordinance has the same force and effect as that of a law passed by the Parliament. However, under the Constitution Article 89 clause (2) sub clause (ii) an Ordinance stands repealed if within four months of its promulgation a resolution disapproving it is passed by either House.

The resolution has been moved under Rule 132 (2) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 1988.

Press Statement by Senator Dr. Akbar Khawaja

Musharraf’s Economic Team Can’t Hide High Inflation Unemployment and Poverty Pose major Challenges

Islamabad May 5, 2005: "Rising CPI to 10.3 percent with Inflation running at its highest annual rate since 1997 can not be masked by Musharraf’s Economic Team. This dangerous trend will further effect country’s worsening unemployment and poverty concerns, Senator Dr. Akbar Khawaja said in a statement issued today.

The PPPP senator, said that last week, International Financial institutions have warned Pakistan to improve its monetary policy and control its high rate of inflation to avoid systemic risk on government’s claims of economic growth.

"Although SBP last month projected overall inflation for next fiscal year to 8.8 percent and for food items exceeding 13 percent, -- prices of basic necessities have almost doubled since the overthrow of the PPP government in November 1996.

"Despite government’s claims of economic growth and external assistance to the military regime in past few years, joblessness and increasing poverty pose serious challenges to the country.

"Unemployment has emerged as an extremely serious challenge for the

military regime. The scale of unemployment and underemployment is such

that the pursuit of full employment is unrealistic. The increase in unemployment is greatest among graduates.

"Sluggish investment, demographic pressure and weak government policies have been a major cause of chronic unemployment, which has increased to dangerous levels in past few years.

"Although government does not publish real statistics on rural and urban unemployment, independent estimates suggest that it affecting around 35 percent of the population.

"Regime has also failed to make any inroads in cracking down on poverty: almost 40 percent of the population still remains below the poverty line while 60 percent of the population lives marginally at two dollars per day.

Senator Khawaja criticized that resources targeted for poverty do not necessarily reach those for whom they are intended and there is bureaucratic wastage. Senator rejected government claims that poverty has been reduced during Musharraf ‘s regime. It seems that much of the money used to reduce poverty is being channeled through the government’s cronies which is not leading to any measurable decline in poverty rates.

Senator Khawaja said Pakistan’s growth indicators had done little to enhance the credibility or the governance structure of the regime. "There is no recovery for working Pakistanis or for those seeking jobs so that they can feed and clothe their families," he added.

Senator Khawaja pointed out that the information required for poverty targeting is wholly deficient, as is the administrative capacity to reach such populations. Decisions would need to be made to prioritise specific beneficiaries among target populations.

"PRSP approach has not been participatory. Parliamentarians on opposition benches are kept away from the donors community and are never invited to Pakistan Development Forum meetings.

"Growth has been too reliant on external sector assistance. Senator Khawaja said in the event of any decline in external sector support, the economy would have to rely on the domestic sector. However, so far, the government had not taken any concrete steps to encourage private investment. "Investors remain discouraged by widespread corruption in the judicial

system. There have been transparency concerns in the Privatization of

KESC and number of banks.

"Law and order situation and internal security has deteriorated significantly. Democratic and liberal political parties are being crushed under the slogan of ‘war on terror’ which remains a significant

deterrent to investment. The common citizen was facing severe hardship

in gaining access to basic necessities under crippling price hike. Senator Khawaja cautioned that if the correct monetary makhawpolicies were not followed to control higher inflation, it may further give a rise to the fiscal and trade deficits. He demanded that Budget 2005-06 must address remedies to the increasing poverty and rapid increase in inflation in the economy.

Words of Shaheed