THE LATEST COMMENTS ARE ON THIS PAGE.AFTER THIS TRY PAGES 34 , 33 ,32 and 31. OR CLICK THE NEXT PAGE LINK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE TO SEE THE PRECEDING PAGE.THERE ARE THIRTY-five PAGES IN ALL. THE OTHER PAGES CONTAIN COMMENTS ON EVENTS SINCE MAY 1997.THERE ARE LINKS TO INDEXES FOR 1999,1998 AND 1997 AT THE BOTTOM OF EACH PAGE

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Pakistan and Politics

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

by ikram ul haq

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EXTRA JUDICIAL KILLINGS, STRIKE,OPPOSITION ALLIANCE-JI

DGMO PROMOTED, GST STRIKE SUCCESSFUL

WASIM RAJA,ATLANTIC,GST,NISHANE HAIDER,GOVERNORS,UAE BAN,F-7MG, AGOSTA,AL KHALID

CAPTAINS TOPPLED, 16TH AMENDMENT,IMF SHENANIGANS, MQM, CELEBRITY SUICIDE, NO PROFITS FOR THE POOR

EXTRA JUDICIAL KILLINGS, STRIKE, OPPOSITION ALLIANCE-JI ---8TH SEPTEMBER 1999

• Najmuddin Sheikh the seniormost foreign ministry official retired after being an OSD for 30 months. He was the foreign secretary in the Benazir Bhutto govt and regarded as competent and capable
• Despite fulfilling IMF demands the FP opines that the IMF has tabled further demands for reform in the agricultural sector , GST on POL products and concerns at GOP's attitude towards NGO's ,IPP dispute, defence budget funding, and devaluation
• The pakistan army has asked India to return the bodies of over two hundred mujahideen which it has reportedly buried on mountain tops
• Ansar Burney whom some suspect to have been an MQM coordinator says family members are troubled by police, reports the FP. Ansar Burney has been issuing statements against the GOP from Washington
• 21 were injured as two bombs went off outside a religious madressah in Karachi
• The JI held a very well attended anti nawaz sharif rally in rawalpindi
• The PAI, ANP,PTI,PAT and MQM have reached an understanding on a one point remove Nawaz agenda.
• The traders boss Omar Sailya will call a three day strike from September 17 if the GOP does not accept demands
• Two Christian lovers were murdered in Lahore after they eloped
• Maulana Fazlurrehman was released after protests started to gain momentum
• MQM is to organize a combined opposition rally on the 11th in Karachi
• Electricity supply to areas around the Punjab University in Lahore were disrupted after a fire broke out in an electricity grid
• Two mqm workers who had been in hiding were shot dead by police. Jamal Hussein and Mohd Nasir were wanted by police.MQM has called for a strike on the 9th with the support of the opposition alliance. The MQM says that police have killed over forty people in recent months of whom 24 were their workers. Their previous report suggested that only 12 of their workers had been killed
• Press reports suggest that GST will be reduced to 10% and registered traders problems viz tax audits will be solved amongst other relaxations

DGMO PROMOTED, GST STRIKE SUCCESSFUL ---5TH SEPTEMBER 1999

• Newsreports suggest that the ad hoc committee ON CRICKET is suggesting only one new player ie fast bowler shabbir ahmed for the pakistan oneday team. The captainship might go to amersohail, waqar younis or moin khan. Shaid afridi is being dropped and akhter sarfraz, hasan raza and arshad khan will be brought in
• A cabinet reshuffle is said tobe in the offing. However given current PMLn behaviour it could take months before a decision is arrived at. Ministers in trouble include Gohar Ayub, Sartaj Aziz, Mushahid Khan.The problem seems to be on who to induct.However the govts problems with the opposition and a kargil backlash could also see the removal of the entire cabinet. The army chief is moving around the country at a fast pace some suggest to calm disquiet amongst the army at the kargil decision while others think that a consensus maybe building in the army to replace the pro Indian nawaz sharif for good. Others suggest that the army chief is trying to portray the haphazard withdrawal as a great victory
• The GOP which had earlier ended the September 6th holiday commemorating the 1965 war has reinstated it after a rethink on the new aggressive Indian attitude following the kargil war
• The benchmark price of mutton has reached Rs 120-130 while CNG prices have risen by 25%
• The tribal territories pay only Rs5-7 million for electricity worth ten times that amount and have built up arrears of Rs3billion which Wapda has no way to recover
• A bomb blast rocked the residence of the Afghanistan ruler Mullah Omar killing ten people. Reports suggest that it might have been a retaliatory measure initiated by Nawaz Sharif , the USA, the afghan opposition, iran or a an attempt to gain sympathy for the taliban
• The Supreme Court has suspended a Sind High Court judgement in which the Chief EhtesaB Commissioner was found guilty of bad practices in a KPT plot allotment case and the accused were allowed to seek compensation
• An AJK minister Chaudhry Yasin was arrested for being under the influence of alcohol while traveling on a PIA flight from england and subsequently removed from the cabinet
• PPP workers clashed with police in hyderabad leading to a baton charge and teargas
• An mqm rally at the pucca qila in hyderabad was sabotaged by the police as it surrounded the venue and forced the mqm to abandon its plans.The mqm said that the police was planning a bloodbath.Sind Police rounded up several hundred PPP and MQM workers.However the MQM organized a complete shutdown in hyderabad on the 27th
• The GOP has raised taxes on lottery winnings to 10%
• The Punjab PMLn has removed a dissident Mian Azhar from the position of Senior vice president and appointed Mian MirajDin to the position who was earlier forced to resign as minister( for electricity theft). It is being suggested that current Punjab secretary general Rana Nazir will be be appointed the Punjab PMLn head. Mian Azhar was earlier projected as the Punjab governor but differences cropped up with nawaz sharif
• Drug baron ayub afridi has been rearrested on arrival in pakistan after he was released by the USA
• India has released eight Pakistani soldiers captured recently during the Kashmir kargil conflict
• The Gop has made several changes to the Anti terrorism bill. Now pasting handbills and wall chalkings are allowed while rallies, strikes, spreading terror, snatching vehicles,damaging property,stopping officials from work,using firearms etc are banned
• Sind home secretary wajid rana has been replaced by nisar siddiqui
• Pakistan offers the import of 41 items under Atta to Afghanistan
• The longtime DG Operations of the pakistan army who negotiated the defacto surrender in kargil Tauqir Zia(probably a mohajir?) has been promoted to Lt general while ex ISI and Afghanistan handler (probably an ahmadi?) maj general anis bajwa and maj general mohd amjad have been superceded
• An amendment has been made in the countries electoral laws which forbids comments against the army and judiciary by candidates
• fast bowler Ata Ur Rehamn has withdrawn allegations of match fixing against wasim akram
• After the cancellation of bail in the Murtaza case several SHO's involved were allowed to flee from the court premises
• Gulf investors have bought Naseem Saigols Union Bank and appointed a board of directors led by former finance secretary Moeen Afzal while Muneer Kamal of the faisal bank will be the new CEO
• A twenty man Sind Advisory Council has been named which consists of Ishtiaq Azhar, Shah Fareedul Haq, Hanif Tayyab, Ismail Rahu etc.
• The SBP has sacked and had arrested the mangement of privatized Bankers Equity Limited and appoimted Majeedudin Khan as the CEO
• VCR and Dish antenna license fees have been abolished
• A massive combined opposition rally was held in Lahore on 1st September despite a curfew type atmosphere on all roads leading to Lahore
• According to a press report nawaz sharif has indicated to his kashmiri supporters that the pakistan army needs tobe strengthened if any realistic attempt is tobe made to free occupied Kashmir
• The GOP has apparently sold the Duty Free Shops to a Swiss concern for a paltry Rs 12.5 million
• Two Indian soldiers were captured during an Indian assault in the shyok sector in kashmir
• The balochistan minister for Revenues Malik Sarwar Kaker was removed for criticizing nawaz sharifs policies viz balochistan
• Police raided mqm offices during the night of Sept 3rd
• Two motorcycle riders who refused to stop when ordered were shot dead by police who said they carried pistols and Molotov cocktails. Police literally shutdown Karachi and hyderabad on Sept 3rd to prevent an Mqm rally however a few hundred participants still manged to reach the Burns road venue
• Robert Englund the fomer UN resident coordinator in pakistan suggests that Pakistanis have over $50 billion in foreign banks. He says that schools are lying empty which is obviously a false assessment as most schools are literally overflowing at the seams. He also suggests that there is a lack of interest in UN recommended development
• Three BNP activist were killed in police firing as they blocked the RCD highway in balochistan to protest a raid on the house of a party sympathiser
• Traders held a complete countrywide strike against the imposition of 15% GST on retail sales on 4th September despite extensive repressive measures. The PMLn's top leaders issued statements stating that the strike was a failure but were upset at their staunch supporters protests and are moving to settle some of the issues raised by the immensely successful strike.
• Maulana Fazlurrehman was placed under house arrest and released after a few days. He irritated the govt with threats to the USA and US citizens
• The driver and guard of Frontier Post editor Rehmat Afridi who were arrested along with their employer for smuggling heroin have been released and have suggested that they were arrested in a conspiracy and that no contraband was recovered from the editors mercedes

WASIM RAJA, ATLANTIC, GST, NISHANE HAIDER, GOVERNORS, UAE BAN, F-7MG, AGOSTA, AL KHALID --- 23 AUGUST 1999

• India expels another staffer from the pakistan embassy
• MQM only organization in pakistan which opposes anti terrorist courts
• The ad hoc cricket boards two members have been supplemented by another two namely Hanif Mohammed and Hafiz Manzoor as treasurer. In other moves a junior selection committee comprising Ejaz Fakih, Masood Anwer, Mohsin Kamal and Qasim Baloch was named. Wasim Raja was named the new coach at a cost of $60000 annually while south African Richard Pybus has been retained as the trainer. Wasim who teaches English in England has no real coaching experience.
• The State bank plans ro provide Rs 119 billion in credits to the private sector during 1999-2000. Forex reserves are at 1.62 billion, inflation 7%, growth 3.1% and money supply grew at 7.1%
• JUI's Fazlur Rehman has warmed the USA that further hostile actions against the Taliban or ossama will result in retaliations
• The Frontier Post reports that pakistan has started pilot production of its indigenous tank in cooperation with China after prototype trials were completed
• The Pakistani Foreign minister has suggested that pakistan might push for an open Kashmir solution in which a Vatican type Kashmir would come into being accessible to both India and Pakistan but independent inits own affairs
• Two Indian migs intruded into Pakistani territory and shot down a surveillence plane killing all sixteen on board near Badin in sind. Pakistan did not retaliate to this aggression showing the GOP's new cowardice oriented policy. The Indians later tried to salvage the debris but by than the Pakistanis had reached the site and fired at the intruding helicopters which escaped
• Pakistan expelled an Indian embassy staffer in retaliation for an earlier expulsion by India
• The GOP has levied a 15%general sales tax on electricity, POL products,gas, pharmaceuticals and packaged food products such as milk, meat, yogurt, chillies as well as restaurants and caterers. Earlier sales taxes will be removed and the effect on consumers according to govt sources will be minor
• An ANP mpa was arrested for protesting against the employment of outsiders in the Pehur High Level Canal Project and restricting the use of project machinery
• Qatar TV has claimed that a US plane landed in pakistan with commandos on board who are going to mount an operation against Ossama however it was denied by official sources
• The vice chairman of the Lahore Zila council was gunned down by eight armed intruders
• Altaf Husseins political secretary and one of MQM's top terrorist coordinators Nadeem Nusrat has resigned from the MQM
• Captain Karnal Sher and havaldar Lalik Jan have been awarded the Nishan i haider for bravery beyond the call of duty in the Kargil conflict
• A PPP rally largely attended by women was held in Islamabad against honour killings
• The SC has released the former Punjab chief minister on bail due to medical reasons but has barred his travel abroad
• Seven people were killed and 14 injured near Dina as a bomb blasted a passenger van going from mirpur to jhelum
• Another bomb went off about a kilometer from the parliament house where nawaz sharif was making a speech
• 21 people drowned picnicking on karachis beaches on the independence day holiday
• Hundreds of mqm workers were arrested as the MQM and jamaat held protest rallies in Karachi to mark independence day
• The UAE has placed a ban on unskilled manpower from pakistan as jobless numbers increased
• MQM has demanded the removal of rubber stamp judges, halt to raids and arrests of its workers, restoration of the democratic process in sind and an end to extra judicial killings
• In a surprise move the GOP replaced two governors and transferred a third. Shahid Hamid and Arif Bangash were sent packing as having ties to opponents and Balochistan governor Gul Aurangzeb was transferred to NWFP. Zulfikar Khosa was appointed governor Punjab and Fazal Agha was appointed in Balochistan. Indications are that Nawaz is distancing himelf from the military in political matters even though he continues to appoint military officials in govt organizations.Usually provinces donot agree to federal suggestions in matters of appointing governors and generally retired military officials who are amenable to orders from the center get appointed. The appointment of Gul Aurangzeb who was not too successful in Balochistan shows that Mehtab does not get along with PMLn's top leadership in NWFP
• An mqm activist kamran alias tanki reportedly involved in 33 criminal cases was shot dead in an encounter with police in karachi
• LPG prices have risen by 15% causing problems to consumers in outlying areas and the govt is to remove a 15% subsidy on electricity that will cause concern to most consumers
• The Frontier Constabulary was called out in DI Khan as the ssp went on a rampage ransacking Shiite owned shops as an SSP supporter died due to injuries resulting from sectarian violence
• A JUI leader maulana Ubaidullah Chitrali was killed in chitral. One report cites the killer was a nephew who committed suicide while another report cites five ismailis as the killers. All ismaili institutions were reportedly closed in chitral to avoid any sectarian incident.
• A 20% gas price increase has come into effect for consumers due to GOP decisions . It is said that nobody was willing to buy the gas distribution companies if prices were not raised
• Pakistan has finally decided to buy 100 F-7MG fighter aircraf from china
• A pakistan embassy guard was shot and wounded in Tehran
• Concerns are being expressed that the GOP is attempting to sell KESC for $600 million against an estimated actual price of $2.5 billion to the Sharifs backed Daewoo which is facing bankruptcy proceedings in Korea
• Two mqm workers have been sentenced to death by an ATC for the murder of four union texas employees. One of the accused stated that he was having an appendix removed when the murder took place. Two other participants are absconding
• Chairman Federal Lands Commission Mohd Zaman has been sworn in as a federal minister in the same position as rumours about a long delayed cabinet reshuffle gained ground
• Newspaper reports suggest that pakistan has achieved the capability to manufacture submarines

PAGE INDEX

CAPTAINS TOPPLED, 16THAMENDMENT,IMF SHENANIGANS, MQM, CELEBRITY SUICIDE,NO PROFITS FOR THE POOR --- 05 AUGUST 1999

• The cricket captains of england, pakistan, srilanka, kenya and india have all lost due to bad performances in the world cup and have been replaced or are about to. Nasser Hussein, Moin Khan , Tendulkar, and Jayasuria are some of the new captains The new look england team has already lost to New Zealand, Nasser Hussein broke his finger and Mark Butcher who is still unsure of his position in the England side was made the stand in England captain
• The 16th amendment to the Pakistan constitution was passed with relative unanimity with Nawaz Sharif refusing to even vote despite being in the assembly building. The amendment extends the provincial quota system for another twenty years . MQM was the only group opposed
• Nawaz Sharif continues to harp on his cowardice at having averted a war over kashmir and now wants unconditional talks with no objective.Nawaz seems to have become Pakistans soft underbelly which cannot bear even a few punches.
• Seven people were killed in a bus due to a bomb blast in Kotli, AJK . Indian saboteurs are suspected tobe behind the blast
• The GOP has revised an earlier decision and reintroduced flat rates for agricultural tube wells
• The PMLn has decided not to hold counter rallies on the kargil issue due to widespread negative sentiments about Nawaz Sharifs controversial role during the crisis
• Yawar Saeed a tendentious garrulous gutter fighter has been appointed a long term manager of the Pakistan cricket team
• The army has taken over the running of the Ghazi Barotha power project which has been marred by construction delays due to labour troubles without any parliamentary approval
• Pakistan has rejected the suggestion that Pakistan turned tail on the kargil issue after they were frightened by the might of the indian navy and army. The army now suggests that they were in a position to retaliate effectively had Nawaz not backed out There seems tobe a wide divergence between the views of the army leadership and the GOP
• A largely successful ‘Go nawaz Go “ rally was held on rawalpindis murree road under the new combine of tahirulqadri and imran khan. Imran khan always looks for the strangest of partners. The country now has several opposition groups, PAT-PTI, JI, PPP, MQM and the pro GOP ANP
• Police ransacked the MQM hunger strike in karachi on Tuesday night and the MQM retaliated with violence by killing a policemen, injuring three others and burning vehicles which continued into thursady with car burnings, gun toting mqm wokers firing into the air and arrests by police
• The World bank has delayed a $110 loan to Pakistan forcing it to comply with IMF conditions.The IMF too delayed its$280 million tranche to September while it is suspected that the GOP will raise taxes in the fuel and energy sector
• Four doctors and twenty staff were transferred from Swabi district HQ hospital after protest demos at the rape of a poor teen aged girl in the residential quarters of the hospital in active cooperation with certain staff members
• The London club of lenders to pakistan agreed to reschedule $877 million loans over four and half years at a slightly enhanced interest rates says Ishaq Dar
• 27 passengers drowned as a rashly driven coach plunged into the the raging nullah dek near Muridke
• The under arrest editor of the Frontier Post has threatened the GOP with dire consequences
• Tension continued in Karachi and Hyderabad as a student was killed by a stray bullet in Hyderabad and a haqiqi activist Ashraf Kalia was shot and killed in Karachi
• Six people were shot dead in Peshawar over a land dispute
• Seven people were killed in Jaranwala over a matrimonial dispute
• PMLn offers to rename NWFP as khyber pukhtunkhawa or abasin pukhtunkhwa. Others suggest that a name on the basis of all varieties of people living in NWFP be derived such as hazpukhswakodich
• Munawwer Talpur PPP mpa from umerkot’s 20 year old son Mir Sarwar committed suicide in karachi.He was Benazir Bhutto and Asif Zardaris nephew.
• Seven MQM leaders considred tobe the parties terrorist group parted ways with the MQM in London. Later on they started negotiations with the party leader. It could be an indication that the MQM was prepared to eject its terrorists to renter a coalition with the PMLn
• Eight people including six children were gunned down in a property dispute at Burki near Lahore
• A lackadaisical unconvincing trio in Naushad, Rameez and Raqeeb have been named the new selectors of the Pakistan cricket team.All three lack pizzazz and aggressiveness which is necessary for high level appointments in cricket. Naushad a retired army colonel and untested cricket umpire played as a wicketkeeper opening batsman for a few tests. Has been in several failed selection committees and was instrumental with Saleem Altaf in trying to destroy the present pakistani team by bringing in untested juniors. Rameez an opening bat too who early on tried to copy Majid Khans style was a relatively successful opener, a failed captain and a not too great commentator. Abdul Raqueeb was a left arm spinner who never made it too test cricket. It is obvious that the selectors are all yes men who will probably obey someones orders
• UBL not to pay profits to accounts having deposits less than Rs 5000. UBL and HBL are both waging a campaign against small depositors
• The GOP has decided to impose a 15% GST on petroleum, gas and electricity which could lead to higher prices
• 68 US embassies have been temporarily closed in a runup to what could possibly be a cruise attack on afghanistan or preperation against possibly threatened or retaliatory terrorist attacks
• The PPP launched its heavily attended remove Nawaz campaign from Karachi with a huge rally and jaloos
• The PMLn has severely critisized the media policy of Mushahid Hussein during the Kargil crisis in which the countries stand was unknown, the armies briefings ran counter to govt announcements and the world supported India, indian views swamped the foreign medias and ministers were harassed and abused by BBC interviewers

PAGE INDEX

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