THE LATEST COMMENTS ARE ON THIS PAGE.AFTER THIS TRY PAGES 30 , 29 ,28 and 27. THE OTHER PAGES CONTAIN COMMENTS ON EVENTS SINCE MAY 1997.

IF YOU WANT TO BUY A BOOK CLICK, ON THE AMAZON

LinkExchange Member

Free Home Pages at Geocities

Pakistan and Politics

Events,Policies,Views,,Leaders,Reactions,Comments,News,Politics

by ikram ul haq

PAGE INDEX click on any link
RIAZ BASRA ALIVE, CRICKET TEAM,TROOPS

RIAZ BASRA KILLED, AFRIDI INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

EXPORTS FALL, LENDING RATES REDUCED, AFRIDI ARRESTED

DISQUALIFICATION,BHOJA AIR, MISSILES,EDHI, KASHMIR

KASHMIR, FIA, ELECTRICITY,WHEAT,BENAZIR,JUDGES ETC

NAWAZ FAMILY LOOSES 12 FACTORIES ,EXERCISE IN VERBOSITY>

HAS PUNJAB DECLARED INDEPENDENCE

CHAIRPERSON FOR LIFE

MINFAL WASTES Rs2.25MILLION, ALTAF RUNS OFF WITH 70 CRORES

RIAZ BASRA ALIVE, CRICKET TEAM,TROOPS--8 APRIL 1999

• Sunnis in the country heaved a sigh of relief on learning that Riaz Basra one of the most feared killers in the country is still alive and the police in their haste gunned down two ordinary outlaws on a false tipoff
• There was a clash between police and illegal kiosk owners at Bari Imam in Islamabad as CDA moved in to remove the mushrooming illegal kiosks.Three CDA vehicles were burnt and police had to resort to teargasing as the kiosk walas resorted to firing and burning shops and vehicles
• The pakistan team for the world cup was announced with the recall of the aging Salim Malik to bolster the middle order , the out of form and injury prone Mushtaq Ahmed and Waqar Younis.Unlucky not to be in the side were Arshad Khan and Mohd Wasim while Abdul Razzak was preferred over Shahid Nazir. Another young hopeful Imran Nazir was dropped on a poor performance in India and Wajahatullah made the team over many objections
• The Frontier Post reports that Nawaz Sharif these days is running from the shadow of Riaz Basra. After exiting lahore worried at the false reports of Basra's death and without completing his engagements he was racing towards islamabad on the motorway when police informed him on a tipoff that Riaz Basra was planning to attack him on the motorway. He immediately turned around and headed back to lahore. Such is the paranoia generated by the fearsome name of Riaz Basra
• Pakistan has offered ground troops for Kosovo.This is in the light of reluctance from NATO to use ground troops to stop the genocide .

PAGE INDEX

RIAZ BASRA KILLED, AFRIDI INVESTIGATION CONTINUES--6 APRIL 1999

• The jamat e islami says that it is not against the usa and india. Does that imply that it is against pakistan?
• The TJP a shiite terrorist cum religious grouping has disassociated with the PMLn. The TJP has avoided being targetted for terrorism by allying itself with the PMLn. The PMLn had benefited from shiite support in the last elections.The TJP and the SSP are involved in a sectarian based retaliatory/ revenge war.
• The legendary lashkar e Jhangvi chief Riaz Basra has been killed in a police shootout in Sorgodha. He was involved in many anti shiite killings and was according to reports on the trail of Nawaz Sharif. With a huge price on his head it was only a matter of time before he was eliminated. It is said that police was forced into action as he had apparently made two attempts on Nawaz Sharif He had earlier escaped from police custody and been reported killed in several encounters
• The owner of the Frontier Post who was arrested for smuggling hashish has been remanded into police custody for further investigations. The defence argued that he had been arrested for opposing the GOP and maligning the ANF and Army. However given links to the tribal areas involvement in hashish smuggling cannot be ruled out. However the Frontier Post has in the past been accused of providing secret information to indian intelligence and has been in the forefront of an anti punjabi campaign orchestrated by anti pakistan elements

PAGE INDEX

EXPORTS FALL, LENDING RATES REDUCED, AFRIDI ARRESTED--4 APRIL 1999

• The GOP has made a hash of exports again as they are expected to total $8.2 billion as compared to the target of $10 billion. Export earnings have fallen slightly or remained static during the current nawaz govt whereas they had been rising before
• GOP is following a policy of reducing taxes on imports and increasing taxes on local products. Sales tax has been increased from 12.5 to 15% on local products and maximum taxes on imports have been brought down to 35% except on cars.
• Foreign Exchange can now be released from banks for travel, education and health. All three reasons have been used for swindling foreign exchange from banks in the past
• The four arrested by police for the murder of Asif Bhoja have been ordered released by the Joint Investigation Unit which raises suspicions that the governor, govt agencies or police might be involved. The four had been arrested after tracing their calls
• A pretty confused picture emerges from the recent tariff rationalisation announced by NEPRA. While there seem to be only minor decreases for domestic consumers there is a reduction of 18% for industrial consumers and an increse of around 13% for agricultural consumers and no change for those using 50 units, commercial users and FATA users. Overal it works out to a 6.7 % increse in rates for a total WAPDA income of over Rs 140 billion
• The five state or partially state owned banks have reduced lending rates by two percent to a maximum of 19%. This is in response to a reduction in various rates charged by the State bank which will now charge a maximum of 14%
• The indian foreign minister says there is no difference between the simla and lahore declarations. He also rejected mediation to tackle indias intransigence on kashmir and also refused to restrain indian brutality and atrocities in dealing with kashmiris
• The PONM manifesto demands conversion of all provinces into semi independent states, the creation of seraikistan, greater powers to the Senate, transfer of all natural resources to provinces and disbanding of all govt corporations
• Rehmat Shah Afridi the owner of the Frontier Post was arrested in lahore for hashish smuggling which was recovered from his mercedes. The ANF said it took the action after months of monitoring, bugging and filming the suspects activities.They suggest that he is the head of an international smuggling cartel

PAGE INDEX

DISQUALIFICATION,BHOJA AIR, MISSILES,EDHI, KASHMIR --24 MARCH 1999

• Duty drawback rates have been increased on 300 items to improve exports and divided into four groups. Rs 17 billion were paid as duty drawbacks in 1996-7 and Rs24billion in 1997-8. The current raise will cost Rs5.7 billion
• There was a low turnout of 35% in the balochistan local polls dues mainly to the 2267 unopposed candidates. Elections took place to the other 1830 seats
• As govt indications of disqualifying Benazir Bhutto from politics increase she says that a conviction will not end her career as other politicians such as Wali Khan, Mufti Mahmud , Indira Gandi,Srimavo Bandranaike also came back to win elections after disqualifications.
• PMLn's open kutchery incharge Riaz Mahmoodhas stated that all police encounters are justified as killers should not be allowed to live. The PMLn came to power on an agenda which included opposition to police excesses
• Just days after an attempt to sabotage the primeministers meeting at ratta was discovered eight mutilated bodies were discovered from different areas in rawalpindi
• In a major blow to peace efforts in karachi Asif Farook the son of Bhoja Airlines chief was kidnapped and apparently killed in cold blood by two motorcycle riders after talks for a Rs50million ransom were broken off. Press reports the involvement of two policemen and several MQM workers.The army chief regards it as a one of event which is not tobe regarded as a serious aggravation
• Pakistan displayed its Ghauri and Shaheen missiles in the 23rd march parade. They look a bit better than the earlier rudimentary tin versions and are now mounted on real mobile launchers . Some people regard them as mere rockets which donot seem to have the attached explosive or nuclear warheads
• The army chief has come out in defence of his inexperienced primeminister who is being regarded as a novice at handling negotiations with india and has said that kashmir is an issue seperate from other problems and that no talks have as yet taken place on the issue.
• Abdul Sattar Edhi who runs a reknown charity organization has called the primeminister , president and judiciary as dummies and that 1500 traitors are running the country towards disintegration

PAGE INDEX

KASHMIR, FIA, ELECTRICITY,WHEAT,BENAZIR,JUDGES,MURTAZ MURDERERS RELEASED ETC --21 MARCH 1999

• Managing Director PIA Arif Abbasi has been removed after failing to get along with PIA chairman Khaqan Abbasi. Both were running PIA by dividing areas of responsibility which is a bad management process.Chairman CBR Iqbal Farid has been appointed secretary of the newly formed Civil Aviation Division in anticipation of a major reshuffle in CBR.Others suggest that the primeministers secretary Saeed Mehdi has been appointed to the post
• The winter surplus in electricity generation has risen to 3000 MW . Pakistan expected to export surplus power to india but a rate could not be agreed upon as india offered an unprofitable 2cents/kwh while pakistan suggested 7cents/kwh
• A local bodies councillor was gunned down in khanpur
• Mother of social affairs minister Tehmina Daultana was fined for electricity theft
• Nawaz Sharif refuses to accept kashmiris as an entity in negotiations on kashmir
• The TFT reports that DG FIA Ch. Iftikhar was replaced for his inability to stop the distribution of jang newspapers in three cities when ordered todo so by Ehtesab Bureau Chief Saif Ur Rehman.It also reports that Nawaz Sharif made 28 direct appointments in FIA which included relatives of Nawaz Sharif, his wife and Rafiq Tarar!
• Nawaz Sharif has rejected the proposed increase in wheat procurement prices from Rs260 to Rs 320/40kg requested by Sind
• Armed Forces owe Wapda Rs 4 billion while the GOP owes Rs10 billion and provincial govts Rs19 billion
• Benazir Bhutto had a verbal clash with a pro PMLN judge of the ehtesab bench who refused to allow her to produce witnesses in her defence. The judge is a brother of a PMLn MNA and according to Benazir follows the orders of Saif Ur Rehman.The judge than ordered a summary end to the trial. Benazir appealed to the Supreme Court which ordered the judge to reopen the trial and allow the defence to present its case
• In another event Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor an MNA of the PMLn called Benazir a beghairat sister for not filing an FIR when her brother was murdered. After a serious ruckus was raised in the national assembly the PMLn and Chaudhry Ghafoor apologized. In related news the the policemen involved in the murder of Murtaza Bhutto have been released on bail. The only two left in jail are asif zardari and SSP wajid durrani.A few of the accused are also absconding. One of the accused who was SHO Clifton was murdered in police custody immediately after the event.The Sind Govt is obviously not pursuing the case and in so doing is denying justice to the Murtaza family. Maybe Nawaz Sharif should take notice of this case as there is no doubt asto what happened and the identity of all involved is also known.
• The pakistan and indian govts continue to play ring around the problem and have again decided to keep meeting without discussing anything of substance. They have been doing this since 1973 and are continuing todo this. There foreign ministers have now endorsed their prime ministers after meeting in Colombo
• Nawaz Sharif after being informed of sabotage attempts cancelled visits to inaugurate a girls college in the ratta area of rawalpindi which houses rawalpindis poorest . The inauguration was than taken care of by Sheikh Rashid who obviously is much braver. The alleged conspirators have apparently been arrested.
• GOP is now attempting to backtrack on attempts to increase electricity rates. According to the press Wapda has modified its petition to NEPRA to increase rates by 11% and now wants to reduce rates due to a surplus of capacity . Reduced rates are expected to spur productivity and lower prices
• There seem tobe opposing noises from Nawaz and Vajpayee on kashmir. Nawaz says that India wants to solve the kashmir problem while Vajpayee has asked pakistan to get out of kashmir and stop aiding the kashmiris. Apparently the indian understanding is that the pakistanis are so happy at the acceptance of the 1947 division of India by the BJP that they should be willing to give up occupied kashmir. Vajpayee also says that indian territory has been under foreign occupation referring to Azad kashmir. One wonders what Nawaz has been talking to the indians about. What he is saying and what the indians are saying is poles apart
• Local Body polls are taking place in Balochistan on the 21st
• There are reports that Foreign Secretary Shamshad Ahmed is being replaced by ambassador to China Inamul Haque after a lacklustre performance.He is than expected to become Pakistans UN representative

PAGE INDEX

NAWAZ FAMILY LOOSES 12 FACTORIES ,EXERCISE IN VERBOSITY, TEN KILLED IN KARACHI POLICE CUSTODY --13 MARCH 1999

• The Governor SBP has asked bankers to reduce lending rates by bringing down the difference between what banks pay for deposits(around4-10%) and lending rates to around 4%. Bank lending charges are exorbitantly high(upto25%)
• Two MQM activists Shamim Shamoo and Farid Ganja were killed when in police custody by unknown persons as they were trying to locate the hideout of their gangleader Naumi Butt in Liaqatabad, Karachi.The deceased were hardcore terrorists involved in many killings,arson and firing incidences. The MQM suggests that the killings were carried out by the Anti Terrorist Wing which has offices in the Corp HQ
• Sartaj Aziz has told the senate that no deal has been reached on Kashmir.Pakistan is not responding to Vajpayees aggressive stance on pakistani involvement in kashmir and accusations of terrorism in kashmir. The GOP is silent on vajpayees version that pakistan will end its involvement in kashmir as it falls within the purview of terrorism
• Wapda's army chief has stated that cases against 2456 people have been lodged for electricity theft and default which includes two senators, 26 MNA's,and 33 MPA's. Wapda under army management has only been able to recover Rs3.5 billion out of a total defaulting amount of Rs67 billion
• Tax evasion was the highest ever in 1998 and was put at Rs123.6 billion
• The Supreme Court has decided that hanafi Muslims donot have to pay zakat. Zakat collection has become a contentious issue and the GOP must step in and make it voluntary
• The Punjab High Court has relieved the Nawaz Sharif family of around 17 factories by directing that the Sharif factories be divided equally between the families of the seven brothers. Nawaz Sharifs father had usurped the family fortunes of all his six brothers and refused to give them anything which caused them to resort to legal action
• Viagra is tobe made available over the counter all over pakistan
• The interbank rate on the dollar has tumbled to around Rs49.50 as compared to the open market rate of Rs52. The banks need for dolars is declining due to the continuous freeze on FCA's and the GOP's allowance to exporters to sell 95% of export proceeds in the interbank market.
• The opposition led by Benazir Bhutto continuously booed the president in his annual address to parliament
• The army chief says talks with india were only an exercise in verbosity and that talks on kashmir will be useless.
• Jamil Ahmed an MQM activist died in police custody of kidney failure. This is the tenth case of death in confinement recently
• Two tableeghi workers shot dead in karachi
• The Frontier Post offices were raided by the army to collect defaulted electricity dues a day after it printed the news that Nawaz sharif might be replaced by Shahbaz Sharif

PAGE INDEX

HAS PUNJAB DECLARED INDEPENDENCE --08 MARCH 1999

• The punjab chief minister has been on another unexplained visit to the USA . While meeting officials of the State dept he also met the FBI chief.Speculation surrounding the visit suggests that the USA is treating the punjab province chief minister as a defacto head of state. However others suggest that he is being used by the GOP as a negotiator and liason perhaps on kashmir, pakistan usa problem areas such as military supplies and the nuclear area. Some suggestions lead one to believe that he might also be a behind the scenes instruction seeker as what todo next. Reports from india suggest that pakistan has agreed to adopt the indian position on matters nuclear and wants now tobe considered a nuclear power.Still other reports suggest that Shahbaz is less hawkish on kashmir and might be behind US suggestions that Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh be divided on the same pattern as the division of India ie muslim areas going to pakistan and hindu areas to india however Shabaz denied the report.The Frontier Post an english language newspaper suggests today that Nawaz Sharif might make way for Shabaz as the less controversial of the two brothers. They also hint that Nawaz might be jailed or... on corruption or illegally amending the constitution and Shabaz would than become the prime minister. Opposition sources suggest that Shahbaz is acting like a Foreign Minister and that it is illegal for a chief minister to adopt center responsibilities.However others point out that Benazir herself took one or two chief ministers on visits to the USA.
• Ten miners died in a coal mine blast in Quetta
• Fourteen peopel perished in the Dadu area as rains played havoc

PAGE INDEX

CHAIRPERSON FOR LIFE --06 MARCH 1999

• The PPP, the countries opposition political party has appointed Benazir Bhutto as its chairperson for life. The reasoning is seen tobe twofold, to end internal party opponent attempts to replace her as well as show the GOP and PMLn that she will still be running the party whatever happens. She is now expected to reorganize the party which has stagnated in the face of corruption allegations against the Benazirs. At the moment her top appointees are seen as a bit low key with an inability to attract support, organize and galvanize in the face of opposition from the press and GOP.
• The GOP faced with dwindling resources has imposed a Rs3000 duty on imported edible oils which has caused a Rs3 per kilo rise in ghee prices.The support price of onions has been fixed at Rs140 per40 kg which is way below market rates of onions which are in the Rs10-20 per kilo range
• The GOP has collected Rs154.9 billion in seven months against the revised annual target of Rs318 billion which points to an approximate annual collection of around Rs 290 billion. The shortfall of around Rs 28 billion is expected to literally stop all development projects with the GOP attempting to recoup losses by new taxes such as an additional tax on utilities.

PAGE INDEX

MINFAL WASTES Rs2.25MILLION, ALTAF RUNS OFF WITH 70 CRORES--04 MARCH 1999

• MINFAL the ministry of forestry/food,agriculture and livestock has apparently disposed off 32000 tons of urea at the price of Rs 200 per ton when the market price is a round RS350 per ton. According to the PPP the Minister and Nawaz have benefited themselves and a crony despite there being a higher bid of Rs270.A loss to the GOP of Rs 2.25 million
• The GOP suggests that they have reduced the Wheat import bill by around $524 million. The shortfall after a harvest of around 19 million tons is expected tobe around 1.6 million tonnes though the Frontier Post suggests that the GOP has already imported 2.5 million tonnes
• Nasrullah Khan the PAI chief has alleged that the GOP has given Altaf Hussein the absconding MQM chief Rs70 crores. Altaf Hussein was recently declared a proclaimed offender by courts in karachi and all his property has been confiscated
• The GOP inits latest anti Benazir ad reaveals that Asif Zardaris total wealth stands at Rs5billion while Benazir has a net worth of Rs 235 million.The entire net worth of Benazir and her 31 cronies stands at a paltry Rs22billion($423 million).The Surrey mansion which the Benazirs allegedly bought for 2.5 million pounds is now valued by the GOP at 13million pounds.
• In continuing sectarian violence the MPA from Leiah was shot dead by motorcycle riding gunmen and a policeman shot dead two other policemen in Kairpur Tamewali 370 miles south of lahore
• Rafik Tarrar the newly reformed/closet democrat on pleas for the removal of Nawaz Sharif has stated that the primeminister is not responsible to him but to parliament

PAGE INDEX

Links to other sites on the Web

Informationtimes
The News International
World Bank's Pakistan Country Brief
News About Pakistan
One World Organization
Government of Pakistan

USA Online

This site has been visited times

1999 Index Page-Detailed listing of 1999 events

1998 Index Page-Detailed listing of 1998 events

1997 Index Page-Detailed listing of 1997 events

To See a list of Pakistans leaders

Next Page

© 1999

EMAIL ADDRESS OF THE SITE: ihaq@paknet2.ptc.pk

If U WANT TO WRITE DIRECTLY TO THE AUTHORCLICK HERE

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page