W O R L D

Pak disqualifies over 80 pc parliamentarians
Islamabad, July 5
More than 80 per cent of the parliamentarians elected in the past 15 years will not qualify for elections to the Senate, the National Assembly and the four provincial Assemblies under the proposed new eligibility criteria of legislators.
In video: Pakistan's Information Minister Nisar Memon says Gen Pervez Musharraf will consult politicians on his controversial plans to acquire sweeping powers to dictate country's affairs. (28k, 56k)

Gang-rape victim threatens suicide

Islamabad, July 5 A gang rape victim in Pakistan has threatened to commit suicide if she is denied justice. Begum Attiya Inayatullah, Pakistan’s Women’s Affairs Minister, tries to comfort a crying mother whose daughter committed suicide after being raped by two tribesmen in Muzaffargarh, near Multan, on Thursday. Another victim of gang-rape sits on right. She was raped as a punishment for the victim’s family after her 11-year-old brother was seen walking with a girl from a higher class tribe. — AP/PTI photo

WINDOW ON PAKISTAN
Middle class unhappy with Musharraf
THE middle class was particularly happy when Gen. Pervez Musharraf threw out Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a coup in October 1999. But it is the most disillusioned today with the military dictator’s failure to deliver the goods.

Fireworks explode over the East River in New York as part of Independence Day celebrations on Thursday. Americans marked the first Independence Day holiday since the September 11 attacks as military jets patrolled the skies above several major cities and security officials watched over crowds. — Reuters

Bomb blast in Nepal PM’s party office
Kathmandu, July 5
At least seven persons were injured, four seriously, when a bomb exploded today at the office of Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s new party, a government minister said.

30 die in Algeria blast
Algiers, July 5
A bomb explosion ripped through a market outside Algiers today, killing at least 30 persons and wounding many others, hospital and government security sources said. It was the worst killing of civilians in one attack in strife-torn Algeria this year, they said.

5 US choppers to monitor border
Islamabad, July 5
The USA has sent five helicopters and modern surveillance equipment to Pakistan to monitor the infiltration of Al-Qaida militants on its border with Afghanistan but delayed the delivery of three fixed wing aircraft.

Vatican Swiss guard Dhani Bachmann (R), 21, stands at attention during the changing of the guard at the Vatican on Friday. Bachmann, who was born in India and adopted at the age of 5, is the first non-white member of the Pope's Swiss Guards. — Reuters

Pak disqualifies over 80 pc parliamentarians

Islamabad, July 5
More than 80 per cent of the parliamentarians elected in the past 15 years will not qualify for elections to the Senate, the National Assembly and the four provincial Assemblies under the proposed new eligibility criteria of legislators.

“Over 80 per cent of those elected to the federal and provincial legislatures since 1985 will not make it this time round because they have not repaid bank loans, have had those written off or have defaulted on their utility bills,” a senior government official was quoted by ‘The News’ as saying.

“Also not making it to the national and provincial legislatures will be former parliamentarians who have either faced or are currently facing charges of abuse of office or embezzlement of funds in the past 15 years,” the official said.

Those disqualified would also include persons who had obtained a loan of Rs two million or more from any bank, financial institution, cooperative institution in his or her name or their dependants, which had remained unpaid for more than one year from the due date or had been written off.

Also disqualified would be any such persons and their dependants that had defaulted in payment of government dues such as phone, gas, power and water for over six months.

“The Credit Information Bureau of the State Bank of Pakistan is currently processing detailed information on all bank defaulters that fall under the proposed new eligibility criteria and our information is that most parliamentarians and several political heavyweights of the past 15 years are disqualified,” the official added.

The newspaper, quoting an official of the State Bank of Pakistan, said there were over 28,000 persons who had loans worth Rs 30 billion written off since 1985.

According to the figures compiled by the Credit Information Bureau, it was during the two tenures of Nawaz Sharif — 1990-93 and 1997-99 — that major chunks of these loans had been written off.

Two-thirds of the total loans — Rs 22.35 billion — had been written off during the two stints of Nawaz Sharif. In his first tenure, a total of Rs 2.39 billion had been written off and during his second, the amount had gone up to a staggering Rs 19.96 billion.

The loans written off during the two tenures of Nawaz Sharif constituted approximately 74.5 per cent of the total of Rs 30.018 billion written off between 1986 and 1999.

During Benazir Bhutto’s two terms in power, a total of Rs 7.23 billion loans had been written off, constituting 24.2 per cent of the loans written off — Rs 494.97 million in her first tenure and Rs 6.74 billion in the second. UNI

WINDOW ON PAKISTAN
Middle class unhappy with Musharraf
Gobind Thukral

THE middle class was particularly happy when Gen. Pervez Musharraf threw out Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a coup in October 1999. But it is the most disillusioned today with the military dictator’s failure to deliver the goods.

General Musharraf is not known to keep his promises. He got himself elected as the President in a fake referendum; he now wants a dummy prime minister in October when elections are expected to be held.

Pakistan’s mainline newspapers are full of criticism. Newspapers like Dawn, Nation, Pakistan Today, Frontier Post and, of course, The Friday Times are dead set against General Musharraf.

They want a return to democratic governance and speedy economic development. These newspapers are full of ire against the move to amend the 1973 Constitution.

On July 5, Dawn summed up the situation thus: “It is difficult to be sure whether the consultations President Musharraf wants to have with politicians and other sections of opinion on the political and constitutional changes proposed by the National Reconstruction Bureau will serve any useful purpose. For one thing, with barely four months to go before elections are scheduled to be held in the country, the time available for the purpose is too short to allow for any thorough and meaningful consideration.”

Qazi Faez Isa, writing in Dawn, said, “The political horizon is now the exclusive preserve of the graduate. Pakistan has had its fair share of crooks and scoundrels and most have been graduates. Now this does not mean that all graduates are crooks, just as it does not follow that not being graduate handicaps a parliamentarian.”

“As a result of Zia’s overhauling of the Constitution, Pakistan was supposed to have incorruptible saintly legislators. Article 62 of the Constitution was amended to ensure that Parliament becomes the exclusive preserve of those who possess adequate knowledge of Islamic teachings, practiced obligatory duties prescribed by Islam, abstain from major sins, were sagacious, righteous and non-profligate and honest.”

“These were only some of the requirements that had to be fulfilled by aspirants to public office. Did we get some of the most devious, corrupt and ‘sagacious’ hypocrites or veritable saints by kicking the Constitution? Let us not add to the list of woes contained in Article 62. So what happened?”

According to Nation, it was not the first time that the President is holding parleys on a vital issue. He had called politicians, lawyers and journalists before finalising the devolution plan. Again meetings were held with them before going to Agra in July 2001 and soon after September 11.

Similar exercises were undertaken before the President’s addresses to the nation on January 12 and May 27, and before holding the April 30 referendum.

It said: “There were widespread complaints that the meetings remained confined to the government side putting forth its point of view.”

“Those who dissented were either not listened to or their opinions were ignored. A number of political parties consequently boycotted the meetings, complaining that the government merely wanted passive listeners for its briefings.”

Writing in The Friday Times, Ejaz Haider urged, “This move, therefore, must be opposed. If it requires a political strategy, so be it, but such a strategy now cannot begin by accepting the old framework. The political parties must be very clear that if the present package goes through, they will be no more than the military’s serfs regardless of the sales pitch in making for his document. Fortunately for the parties, though, the regime seems to be getting caught in its own contradictions.”

The devolution plan has failed. It was supposed to give General Musharraf a local government constituency, which it couldn’t as was obvious during the bogus referendum. The transition costs from the old system have been high and while the old system is dead, the new seems stillborn.

The pro-Musharraf parties are slowly but surely becoming despondent. Imran Khan has opposed the package, and he is out criticising General Musharraf’s policy shifts on Afghanistan and Kashmir. The PML (like-minded) has gone to the court challenging the graduation condition.

The MQM is biding its time and even Farooq Leghari is not comfortable with the idea of a national security council that puts “too much premium on the President.”

Gang-rape victim threatens suicide

Islamabad, July 5
A gang rape victim in Pakistan has threatened to commit suicide if she is denied justice. “I will be forced to commit suicide if justice is not served in the next few days,’’ Ms Mukhtaran Bibi was quoted as saying by ‘The Nation’ today.

She said she felt like an “alien’’ after extensive media exposure and a flood of official inquiries into the trauma she underwent on June 22. She demanded an exemplary punishment for the accused.

Pakistan Supreme Court has taken serious note of the incident with Chief Justice Sheikh Riaz Ahmed describing it as the most blatant violation of “human rights and human dignity’’ in the 21st century. Four persons of the Mastoi tribe gang-raped the young girl at Jatoi village on June 22 in the presence of hundreds of people following a decision of the Panchayat to punish her for the alleged illicit affair of her brother with a girl of the Mastoi tribe. The culprits are absconding. Taking suo motu notice of the issue, the Supreme Court yesterday issued summons to Punjab Advocate-General, IG police, DIG, DPO and the SHO concerned. UNI

Bomb blast in Nepal PM’s party office

Kathmandu, July 5
At least seven persons were injured, four seriously, when a bomb exploded today at the office of Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s new party, a government minister said.

Physical Planning and Public Works Minister Chiranjibi Wagle said he was on the first floor of the building in Kathmandu when the bomb exploded “with a loud noise”.

He said four persons were seriously injured while three others received minor injuries. The Prime Minister was not present in the office when the bomb went off, he said.

“A young man was seen rushing out of the building covering his face after throwing the powerful bomb,” Mr Wagle said.

Immediately after the explosion, a security team rushed to the scene and cordoned off the area, party sources said. Nobody has been arrested so far, they added.

The ruling Nepali Congress (NC) party recently split into two factions after a rift between Mr Deuba and a former party president Girija Prasad Koirala.

Mr Deuba had recently opened a new office for his faction of the party ahead of elections due to be held in November.

His supporters said Maoist rebels could be behind the incident. AFP

30 die in Algeria blast

Algiers, July 5
A bomb explosion ripped through a market outside Algiers today, killing at least 30 persons and wounding many others, hospital and government security sources said.

It was the worst killing of civilians in one attack in strife-torn Algeria this year, they said.

The Algerian official news agency APS reported that the blast killed 29 persons and wounded 37.

The bomb exploded at a market in the town of Larba, 25 km south of Algiers, early today when markets were usually packed with shoppers, the sources said.

Today is a weekend day in Algeria where more than 100,000 people have been killed since 1992 when the oil-producing north African nation plunged into violence shortly after the cancellation of a parliamentary elections that radical Islamists were poised to win. Reuters

5 US choppers to monitor border

Islamabad, July 5
The USA has sent five helicopters and modern surveillance equipment to Pakistan to monitor the infiltration of Al-Qaida militants on its border with Afghanistan but delayed the delivery of three fixed wing aircraft. A huge transport plane of the USA carrying the surveillance equipment landed at the Islamabad international airport yesterday, a report in the local daily ‘Dawn’ said.

“The equipment reached on Wednesday afternoon did not include three fixed-wings planes. These planes will be delivered later” it quoted officials as saying.

The consignment was part of $ 75 million grant given by USA to step up monitoring facilities at the Afghan borders as well as to modernise the equipment of the immigration officials at various Pakistani airports to identify fake travel documents. Pakistan has decided to set up an air wing under the Ministry of Interior to step up surveillance on the Afghan border.

While the USA will supply equipment for the air wing, manpower including pilots and technicians will be drawn from the Pakistan army who would be imparted training in Quetta under the supervision of the US experts, the report said.

The proposed air wing would assist Frontier Constabulary, Balochistan Levy and Coast Guards in keeping a close watch on the borders and check any illegal movement and drug trafficking. PTI

PAKISTAN BRIEFS

PAK TO PROVIDE TRANSIT FACILITY TO INDIA
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has agreed to provide transit facility for movement of 10,000 tonnes of Indian biscuits to Afghanistan, a facility that was denied to Indian wheat a few months earlier. President Pervez Musharraf allowed the movement of Indian biscuits through Pakistan on the intervention of the World Food Programme Executive Director James Moris, “The Frontier Post” said. The permission has come with a rider that only carriers of the National Logistic Cell were used for transportation, Food and Agriculture Minister Khair Mohammad Junejo said. UNI

ARD PUBLIC MEET CANCELLED
ISLAMABAD: The first one-day meet convened by the 15-party umbrella group Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) on July 15 at Quetta to formally launch political activities ahead of the proposed general elections in October has been postponed. The convention, being held to revive the public awareness campaign against the military government, have cancelled as ARD chief Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan and other leaders of the alliance’s component parties could not reach Quetta on Friday due to disruption of flights owing to poor visibility. PTI

SHARIF AND BHUTTO MAY MEET
ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistani Prime Ministers in exile Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif are in regular touch with each other and there is a possibility of a meeting between the two in Jeddah. Mr Sharif is in exile in Jeddah and Ms Bhutto, Chairperson of Pakistan People’s Party, reached there from Dubai on Wednesday evening along with her children to perform Umrah. Family friends of Sharifs quoted by ‘The News’ claimed that both Prime Ministers were in regular touch with each other and frequently discuss the country’s fast-changing political scenario. UNI

POLL CODE APPROVED
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Election Commission has approved a code of conduct for October general elections that bans speeches inciting hatred against other countries and puts a limit on spending. “No one will create hatred against a foreign country, its leaders and policies, which ultimately affect Pakistan’s relations with that country,” according to the code of conduct, which was approved Thursday, said. UNI

3 AFGHANS DIE IN MISHAP
PESHARWAR: Three returning Afghan refugees were killed Thursday when their bus overturned near the Torkham border crossing point between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the police said. The bus overturned and crashed into a ditch inside Pakistan territory, hardly a kilometer from the border, the police said. The bus was carrying 16 Afghan families from the Pakistan capital Islamabad. They had opted to return home under a United Nations-sponsored voluntary repatriation programme. AFP