Window on Pakistan
Pak turmoil: military on the sidelines
HOW serious is the threat of military takeover in Pakistan? Fairly serious or rather imminent, if an American warning issued on September 22 is to believed. This has, of course, been denied by the military top brass in Pakistan. But, then, how do newspapers and politicians react in that country, which has lived through a lot many dictatorships and at times these were blessed by the West?

Pak denies India sugar payment
ISLAMABAD, Sept 30 — Pakistan has refused to pay over $ 2 lakh for 25,000 tonnes of sugar it imported from India in early 1997 on the plea that the shipment was delayed.

Shia leader shot dead
LAHORE, Sept 30 — Gunmen shot and killed a Shia Muslim leader today in eastern Punjab province, the second religiously motivated killing to target Shia Muslims this week, said police.

US President’s salary doubled
WASHINGTON, Sept 30 — The annual salary of future Presidents of the USA has been doubled to $ 400,000 under a legislation signed into law by President Bill Clinton at a White House ceremony yesterday.

Russian troops enter Chechnya

MOSCOW, Sept 30 (PTI) — Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin today assented to the state Duma’s call for talks with the elected Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov amidst imminent ground operation by Russian troops against the breakaway Chechnya province.

Mr Putin told reporters in St. Petersburg that the Russian Lower House resolution could prompt him to meet Mr Maskhadov, Radio ‘Ekho Moskvy’ reported.

Angry protestors had yesterday foiled the meeting of Chechen President Maskhadov and Daghestani leader Magomadaliyev by preventing them from reaching the venue of talks. Mr Putin had blessed that meeting.

In a resolution adopted yesterday besides an appeal for political negotiations, the Duma also had backed the tough and decisive steps taken by the government to crush terrorism and urged President Yeltsin to set up a state committee on the problems of Caucasus involving both Houses of the Russian Parliament.

Responding to questions about reports of the federal troops crossing into Chechnya and taking positions on key dominant heights, Mr Putin declared: “Chechnya is part of the Russian federation and the army has right to take any convenient position for its operations’’.He upheld the Russian army’s right to move into Chechnya.

According to Interfax, the federal troops have crossed into Chechnya in two sectors from Dagestan and taken position on dominant heights facing Chechen villages of Zanak and Galaity.

Several Russian dailies including ‘Nezavisimaya Gazeta’ and ‘Sevodnya’ quoting Russian defence headquarters sources unveiled the plans to slowly push the Islamic militants into the high mountains in south Chechnya by the onset of winter in November and let them ‘freeze to death’ without food and other supplies.

Meanwhile, the Russian jets continued their strikes at alleged terrorist bases and installations inside Chechnya, NTV reported.

Meanwhile, the Defence Minister of self-declared independent Chechnya, Magomed Khambiyev, has cautioned that the event of land operations against Chechnya the rebels will shift hostilities on Russian soil, saying that Chechnya could mobilise upto 50,000 well-trained soldiers, Itar-Tass reported from Grozny.

E. Timor guerrillas hand over arms

DILI (East Timor), Sept 30 (Agencies) — Pro-independence guerrillas in East Timor today handed over weapons to foreign troops charged with restoring peace to the territory.

The guerrillas emerged from the mountains where they had waged an almost 24-year campaign against Indonesian rule and entered Dili, surrendering a truckload of weapons and negotiating further handovers, witnesses and military officials said.

“Any move by any of the factions here to enter the mainstream of life is to be applauded”, said the head of the UN-approved multinational force, Major-Gen Peter Cosgrove. “I similarly urge the militias to do the same”.

Three vehicles crammed with Falintil guerrillas drove into Dili today to talk with commanders of the multinational force, which will eventually number about 7,500 troops.

JAKARTA: US Defence Secretary, William Cohen after conferring with Indonesian President B.J. Habibie and the army chief, General Wiranto, expressed the hope today that the country’s leaders were committed to peace in East Timor.

Mr Cohen, who had frank exchanges with the two leaders, said he believed they would take all possible measures to curb anti-independence militias there.

There are fears that the militias, aided by the military, will destabilise East Timor for years to come from the sanctuary of West Timor and other neighbouring parts of the archipelago.

Mr Cohen also said the Indonesian military chief had indicated there should be and investigation into the collusion between troops and militias an that he and Mr Habibie wanted the militias to be disarmed.

Washington would not restore normal defence ties with Indonesia until its military respected human rights, he added.

WASHINGTON: The USA has announced a $ 5.1 million contribution to humanitarian work in East Timor and called on the Indonesian Government to identify soldiers who killed nine persons there last Saturday.

The International Red Cross will receive $ 1 million and UN agencies the balance of $ 4.1 million, including $ 2.6 million for the refugee agency UNHCR and $ 1 million for the world food programme, the State Department said on Wednesday.

USA provoking war with Taiwan: Zhu

BEIJING, Sept 30 (Reuters) — Chinese Premier Shu Rongji lashed out at the USA over Taiwan today, saying its support for the estranged island had emboldened President Lee Teng-Hui and was making war inevitable.

Using harsh language, Mr Zhu surprised a gathering of top foreign business executives by saying US policies had encouraged Mr Lee to declare in July the island would only deal with Beijing as a political equal.

“Sooner or later it will lead to an armed resolution of the question because the Chinese people will become impatient”, one participant quoted Zhu as saying.

China, a bitter rival of nationalist-ruled Taiwan since the two split at the end of a civil war in 1949, saw Mr Lee’s declaration as “dangerous” lurch towards independence.

Chinese leaders, including President Jiang Zemin, have repeatedly made clear that China reserves the right to use force to prevent the island from formally breaking away.

The USA has been equally insistent that the Taiwan issue must be resolved peacefully. Any Chinese action on its threats would be of grave concern to Washington, it said.

Diplomats said they did not believe Mr Zhu’s comments represented a tougher new policy, but they were startling because the Premier, whose main job is to tend the economy, rarely makes pronouncements on Taiwan and foreign policy.

In addition, they were delivered on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the people’s republic of China.

The statements came in the unusual contest of the Fortune Global Forum, which brings together some of the biggest corporate names from the USA and other countries.

“We got to the end and Mr Zhu went into a long and somewhat passionate tirade about Taiwan and said the USA has to quit emphasising that it must be settled by peaceful means and implying that it would help defend Taiwan”, said the participant, who declined to be identified.

Diplomats said they were puzzled by the timing. “Perhaps they decided this was the moment to send a message to the USA”, said one western envoy.

“Perhaps he has been chosen to give this tough message because Jiang Zemin wants to play the nice guy and does not want to give these tough messages.”

The second diplomat speculated that Mr Zhu may be trying to talk tough on Taiwan to gain leverage in talks on China’s entry to the World Trade Organisation, now at a crucial point.

Window on Pakistan
Pak turmoil: military on the sidelines

HOW serious is the threat of military takeover in Pakistan? Fairly serious or rather imminent, if an American warning issued on September 22 is to believed. This has, of course, been denied by the military top brass in Pakistan. But, then, how do newspapers and politicians react in that country, which has lived through a lot many dictatorships and at times these were blessed by the West?

Here is what the leading daily Pakistan Times, commenting on the issue on September 26, said,” It is sad to note that democracy could not take roots in the country despite the lapse of more than five decades as is evident from the latest series of clarifications issued one after the other by army and government spokesmen. What made them offer these explanations is in itself a slur on the face of democracy. Are our democratically elected regimes, particularly those established on the basis of heavy public mandate, still facing the danger of toppling in the midst of their tenures by the armed forces?

“If that is the case, then certainly democracy is a shambles. If that is not the case, and rumours are being spread by design by certain quarters, even then it presents a bleak picture of democracy in Pakistan.

It is time all the institutions took a firm, unified stand on this delicate issue. Their representatives should sit together and deliberate seriously to redefine their parameters that some of them have transgressed in blatant violation of the constitution and its spirit that stood in conformity with the vision of our forefathers”.

It went on to say, “Things are pointing out towards a conspiracy that has been hatched at external and internal levels by certain destabilising elements. Their first step in the direction of achieving their targets being the project of imaginary rifts among out national institutions. Obviously, these quarters may not remain contented with this strategy alone. They might have worked on a series of contingency plans; for example, transforming the imaginary rift into a real one and then firing at their set targets one by one’’.

One could draw any meaning. But, then, the real threat looms large and there in no point in blaming the USA alone. What has been the track record of Pakistan’s democracy, or rather the rule by the rich landlord and military bureaucracy? Mrs Benazir Bhutto is now camping in Washington to save her husband as also to evade arrest. She was the other day faced with a difficult question raised by the Pakistan Times and Nawa-e-Waqt. “If your analysis that Nawaz Sharif is on his way out is believed, who in the present scenario can be an alternative to him?” The question was asked at the offices of Mark Seigal and Associates in downtown Washington. “It’s me, only me,” she said. The glint in her eyes showed she actually believed that.

But how will this happen? “I believe in miracles,” she replied again. Realising that this could be misconstrued, she explained the context: “You see, when Zia was there nobody believed we could pull him down. Then a miracle happened. Again, my becoming Prime Minister was not less than a miracle. Then, I was in the wilderness in 1993 and everybody said it was over for me. Yet again, a miracle happened. I believe it will happen again”.

But this time she does not want just the power but two-thirds majority in both Houses of parliament, and, of course, Mr Asif Zardari out of jail, to get this country “back on the rails”.

Is BB, as she is called by the English Press, itching for a military takeover? Some believe it. Getting rid of Mian Nawaz Sharif at all costs seems to be her sole aim. She is being helped by the newly formed Grand Alliance of most of the opposition parties.

But, then, the Pakistan army confused after the Kargil fiasco, fretting and fuming at the political leadership and yet happy that it has succeeded in engaging the second largest army in the world in Jammu and Kashmir where it costs less to Pakistan and hurts India more — is watching from the sidelines as politicians fight their dirty games.

Currently Pakistan is in turmoil, both politically and economically and it offers an excellent opportunity to the military to have a direct taste of power yet again. Newspapers are full of stories but then it shall not help the people of Pakistan or India, now wishing to have peace in the region.

— Gobind Thukral

Pak denies India sugar payment

ISLAMABAD, Sept 30 (PTI) — Pakistan has refused to pay over $ 2 lakh for 25,000 tonnes of sugar it imported from India in early 1997 on the plea that the shipment was delayed.

The Trading Corporation of Pakistan imported sugar through the State Trading Corporation of India (STC) at a time when the country was facing a sugar scarcity, reliable sources here said.

The total Indian sugar export to Pakistan during 1996-97 was 2.32 lakh tonnes worth Rs 308 crore, according to official figures available here.

The STC spokesman in New Delhi said: "The matter was taken up with the appropriate authorities at different levels at that time".

Shia leader shot dead

LAHORE, Sept 30 (AP) — Gunmen shot and killed a Shia Muslim leader today in eastern Punjab province, the second religiously motivated killing to target Shia Muslims this week, said police.

They said Ijaj Rasoul Nagri a lawyer and leader of the Tehrik-e-Jafria Pakistan (the Movement for Shia Law in Pakistan) was shot by gunmen in his hometown of Gujranwala some 60 kilometres north of Lahore.

US President’s salary doubled

WASHINGTON, Sept 30 (DPA) — The annual salary of future Presidents of the USA has been doubled to $ 400,000 under a legislation signed into law by President Bill Clinton at a White House ceremony yesterday.

The increase is the first for the nation’s chief executive since 1969 and does not take effect until January 20, 2001.

Salaries of Senators and representatives, raised last year, will increase this January by $ 4,600 annually to $ 141,300 — A 3.4 per cent increase.

The Vice-President and members of the Cabinet will also receive a 3.4 per cent raise starting January, bringing their annual pay to $ 181,400 and $ 157,000, respectively.

Meanwhile, the White House has confirmed that Mr Clinton sent a secret letter to Iranian President Mohammed Khatami asking for help in chasing down those responsible for the 1996 bombing of a US military housing complex in Saudi Arabia.

“The President sent the letter, But I’m not going to get into the details of it,” White House Spokesman Joe Lockhart said on Wednesday during a news briefing.

Setback for Suharto
JAKARTA: Former Indonesian President Suharto’s efforts to sue Time magazine for defamation have been set back after the police said the country’s courts had no authority to hear any criminal case on the matter. National police spokesman, Brigadier-General Togar Sianipar, cited several reasons why no criminal case could be heard, including the fact that the alleged defamation did not originate in Indonesia. — Reuters

A late divorce
TEHERAN: An Iranian woman has finally decided to divorce her husband 43 years after he left her, a newspaper reported. “We had a quiet life, but seven years after our marriage he just disappeared,” Sobhe Khanevadeh daily quoted 68-year-old Sakineh as telling a court divorce hearing on Wednesday. — Reuters

CIA agents recalled
WASHINGTON: The USA has recalled three CIA agents at Germany’s insistence after they were accused of using false pretences to recruit German citizens for unspecified economic espionage, the Washington Post reported on Thursday. It said the three Americans were described as a married couple and their supervisor working under cover out of the US consulate in Munich. — Reuters

Quake in Indonesia
JAKARTA: An earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale struck Indonesia’s eastern Spice Islands, but no casualties were reported, the official Antara news agency reported on Thursday. The tremor hit close to the island of Ternate, 2,300 km east of Jakarta, on Wednesday. — Reuters