London, July 3
The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) on Sunday demanded resignation of Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz by July 31, “failing which a vote of no-confidence shall be moved against the Musharraf regime”.

The demand was made in a resolution adopted at the concluding session of a day-long meeting of the alliance, the first of the ARD in more than five and a half years attended by Benazir Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif.

In his speech in the inaugural session, the PML-N chief had proposed a no-trust resolution against the prime minister and impeachment of the president.

However, in the resolution, which was prepared after consultations between the two former prime ministers, the matter was left vague by using the term ‘Musharraf regime’. When a reporter asked for a clarification, Ms Bhutto said a committee was being constituted which would decide whether both options — impeachment of the president and no-confidence motion against the prime minister — would be exercised. Also, she pointed out, it would be decided by the committee whether to take along parties outside the ARD fold.

Mr Amin Fahim and Iqbal Zafar Jhagra are members of the committee who will hold talks with parties in the ARD and outside. The Supreme Court’s decision in the privatisation case of Pakistan Steel Mills has been made the basis for the demand. “The Supreme Court’s decision in the matter of the privatisation of the Pakistan Steel Mills has vindicated the position of the ARD on the issue,” the resolution said, adding that the “indictment against the military regime is complete”.

Ms Bhutto said the ARD’s move would expose the corruption of the present government. She said if there was any law in Pakistan, those behind the privatisation should be arrested.

The PPP chairperson, ostensibly, ruled out cooperation with the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, saying: They have their own programme, and we are going to activate the ARD”. She had been asked if the ARD could go along with the MMA which had already announced a programme of protests against the regime.

Mr Sharif, answering a question, said that if Gen Musharraf tried to get himself re-elected by the present assemblies, all ARD legislators would quit. Asked whether the ARD would take part in elections under the supervision of Gen Musharraf, he said: “We’ll not walk into the trap laid by the general to get legitimacy for himself”.

Free and fair elections under the general were not possible, he said, adding that the opposition alliance would mobilise the masses to frustrate his plans. In reply to a question about the US presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, Ms Bhutto said the ARD would like to negotiate with the governments of the two countries to create conditions for withdrawal of foreign troops. Both the leaders made it clear that they would not allow the ‘turncoats’ to rejoin their parties.

Mr Sharif, however, said that people who had not joined hands with the dictatorship but had kept silent could be taken back.

Both the leaders said they would be returning to Pakistan before the elections. They said any attempt by rulers to block their return would be resisted by people.

The signing of the Charter of Democracy by all parties of the ARD was the major objective of the meeting. Heads of the parties signed it one after the other.

ARD Information Secretary Syed Zafar Ali Shah requested the two former prime ministers to give him the pens with which they had signed the charter. The request was accepted.

Toronto, July 3
Canada has decided to deport Babbar Khalsa International terrorist Bachan Singh Sogi, accused of plotting to assassinate former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, his son Sukhbir Badal and former state DGP K P S Gill.

Canada’s Public Security Minister Stockwell Day has rejected Sogi’s plea chal enging a court order for his deportation.

Sogi was removed from a detention centre in Montreal yesterday. “We know that he’s been removed from the prison and that’s all we know,” his family members said.

The Federal Court of Canada had on June 23 refused to put Sogi’s removal order on hold. Sogi is a member of the BKI, a group fighting for an independent Sikh homeland in Punjab, the police said.

The court passed the order despite a request from the United Nations committee against torture to delay the deportation while it examines the case.

The BKI terrorist has denied the charge that he was involved in a plot to assassinate senior Punjab officials and contended he woulld be tortured if sent back to India.

The police said Sogi, 45, arrived in Toronto on May 8, 2001, and claimed refugee status, later moving to Montreal.

The police said there were reasonable grounds to believe he was actually Gurnam Singh, alias Piare Singh, a member of the Babbar Khalsa.— PTI 

Jerusalem, July 3
An Israeli military official today rejected a one-day deadline imposed by Palestinian militants holding an Israeli soldier demanding that the Jewish state free Palestinian prisoners.

“We are studying the statement and for the moment are sticking to the official position expressed by the prime minister rejecting any negotiations with the kidnappers or giving into any blackmail,” the official said.

Three Palestinian militant groups that abducted the teenage Israeli serviceman eight days ago today set a deadline of 8.30 am IST tomorrow for Israel to meet their demands to free Palestinian prisoners, warning of unspecified consequences.

“Faced with the Zionist enemy’s persistence in taking military measures and aggressions, we give it a delay expiring tomorrow,” said a statement issued by the Popular Resistance Committees, the armed wing of the governing Hamas movement and the Army of Islam in Gaza.

“If the enemy does not meet the demands we laid out in our previous statement... we will consider the matter closed and the enemy will be responsible for all results,” the statement added.

Spokesmen for Hamas’s armed Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades and the Popular Resistance Committees confirmed they had sent the statement.

“If the enemy does not meet our demands before the ultimatum expires, it will be the enemy’s responsibility and we will close the file,” Hamas military spokesman Abu Obeida told AFP. — AFP

London, July 3
A new research has revealed that men try to attain new heights of machismo by trying to make little of their pain, even if they are seriously hurt, just in case women think that they are wimps.

The research confirms suspicions that men change their behaviour dramatically in the presence of women and struggle to resist showing off in front of them.

The study at Stirling University's psychology department examined the pain thresholds of 64 male and female students while increasing levels of pressure were applied to their chests.

When the men were tested by a male researcher dressed in jeans and a T-shirt they were able to withstand nearly a third more pain than their female 
counterparts.

But when the volunteers were tested by a 21-year-old female dressed in a skirt and high heels "to emphasis her gender role", the men reported pain thresholds much higher than in the tests with the male researcher.

Dr Karel Gijsbers, who conducted the study, claims that the male students displayed typical macho behaviour in front of the female researcher.

He also believes the physical appearance of the female researcher may also have helped to "distract" the men.

"A macho effect or inadvertent distraction could explain the experimental results. Distraction is a common form of mentally coping with pain," he was quoted by the Scotsman, as saying However, the research has a serious point. Gijsbers believes it has highlighted a serious problem for hospital staff as male patients may under- report their levels of pain if a female doctor or nurse is examining them. — ANI