 |
| Saturday, August 5, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
|
UNCHR snubs Pak
on J & K rights Window on Pakistan UK grants visa to Sharif’s son Lanka Cabinet refers Bill to SC Bush promises drastic tax cuts Queen Mother turns 100 2 Russian Colonels in Chechnya beheaded |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
UNCHR snubs Pak on J & K rights GENEVA, Aug 4 (UNI) — The UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) today snubbed Pakistan for raking up the issue of human rights violation in Jammu and Kashmir, when Islamabad’s senior diplomat was stopped from articulating his country’s position and concern on the situation in the troubled state. Ms Lulia A. Motoc (Romania), chairperson of the plenary session for the UN Sub-commission for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, told the Pakistani diplomat not to violate the rules of the forum by raising the issue of human rights of an other country. This was contested by the Pakistan diplomat, who pleaded that he was not speaking on human rights violation taking place in India, but in Kashmir, which is a disputed territory. He cited the UN Security Council resolutions to this effect. But a number of sub-commission members, including Ms Jane Hampson (Britain), Mr Louis Joinet (France) Mr Asbjorn Eide (Norway) and Mr Paulo Pinheiro (Brazil), opposed the Pakistan Government’s stand on this issue, stating that the “commission is not here to decide the maps and boundaries” of the member countries. They clarified that the commission has no “interest in the Kashmir question” and hence no permission should be granted to the diplomat to air his government’s view on the issue. They said as things stood today, Pakistan “does not administer that territory and as such has no right to speak on human rights violations that take place in another country.” The UNCHR had passed a resolution during the previous session which forbids a member country to speak on human rights violation taking place in another country. The two-week long sub-commission meeting is attended by NGOs from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and over 120 other countries, besides senior officials of the member nations. Several Kashmiri separatist and human rights groups are also attending the session. The commission’s ruling has been a major setback to Pakistan as it can not raise the Kashmir issue in the current session. Indian diplomats and officials did not intervene on the issue, but allowed delegates and members from other nations to contest the Pakistani claim. However, the rule does not prevent NGOs to raise the human rights issues of other countries. In fact, some representatives of the pro-Pakistan NGOs spoke against “systematic violation of human rights by the Indian government in the state.” |
|
Window on Pakistan NO one is sure which way the talks with the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen will finally lead to. If the peace in Jammu and Kashmir is the real motive, the talks may produce some tangible results. How do the newspapers in Pakistan view these developments and how informed are they? Here is what a leading daily of Pakistan, The Frontier Post, said, “The offer of ceasefire by the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen was unilateral, but not unconditional. The Hizb leaders made it absolutely clear that if the ceasefire offer was not matched by an adequate response, the Hizb reserved the right to resume active struggle. It must be stated that the Hizb move was a masterpiece. It put the Indians in a bind and on the defensive. At the same time, it put the Hizb on high moral ground. After some serious thought, the Hizb’s Azad Kashmir chapter extended well considered support. The Government of Pakistan kept its decent distance from these developments, leaving the Kashmiri leadership with all authority and discretion to formulate their perceptions and moves. “Islamabad has taken an eminently wise line. It should persevere with it. New Delhi has made another move. This again puts a lot of strain on belief. It is said that orders have gone out from the Indian capital to the army command to cease military operations. At the moment the Indians maintain more than 7,00,000 troops in Kashmir. These have been waging war against the freedom movement, having already killed more than 60,000 Mujahideen. What does the stoppage of military operations mean? How far is it genuine and how much of it is for the consumption of the world opinion? There cannot be much doubt that the Indians have found their hands tied by the Hizb’s courageous initiative. What next in Kashmir? Only time will tell. For Pakistan the best policy is to wait and watch, with eyes wide open, ears alert to the weakest whisper.” Explosive comments and twisted figures to feed the gullible Pakistani readers are not new to The Frontier Post and yet it went so wrong on the peace initiative. It was no sudden development though it could look as one. The Indian government’s several outfits knew something about these efforts. In fact, negotiations with major militant groups had been going on quietly for some time. Americans were making their kind of contribution and Pakistan’s military ruler, Gen Pervez Musharraf, was certainly in the know of these developments. The series of massacres in the valley and the Jammu region by militant groups, excluding the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, were certainly aimed at sabotaging this effort. And yet the Post claimed that the Indian government was caught off guards. The Post has not disclosed how much did it really know about these developments. In fact, the entire Pakistan media is watching these developments very closely. Some papers are making their own kind of sober assessments and wish that Kashmir should not be the central issue in the process of improving India-Pakistan relations. Dawn, Pakistan Times, the Friday Times can be included among such papers. Dawn and Pakistan Times have been devoting a good deal of attention to the economy that has been going down the hill despite efforts by the military regime. Facts given in the columns of these newspapers present a very gloomy picture. Pakistan has now offered to sell nuclear material to pay back a part of the huge foreign debt — $ 38 billion. This is what a former army chief, Gen Mirza Aslam Beg, would like everyone to believe. Let facts, as reported in Dawn, tell their own tale. External debt today has a share of 51.7 per cent of the GDP while the domestic debt share is 45 per cent. The sustained devaluation of the rupee makes debt increase every day. The Debt Reduction Cell set up by the government has calculated that the total debt is to the tune of Rs 3,000 billion — both foreign and domestic put together. This Cell has estimated that at least 96.7 per cent of the GPD is debt. Since revenue is static, Pakistan would fall deep into the debt trap in the next few years. The government has scaled down the target of revenue collection from Rs 380 billion to Rs 360 billion. But the actual collection may not cross Rs 240 billion. It is now knocking at the doors of the IMF and the World Bank to reschedule the debt repayment. One wishes the two world financial institutions could tell Pakistan to mend its economy and let peace prevail in the blood-soaked valley. — Gobind Thukral |
|
UK grants visa to Sharif’s son LONDON, Aug 4 (PTI) — Hasan Sharif, younger son of Pakistan’s deposed and jailed Premier Nawaz Sharif, has been granted a visit visa by the British Government. Hasan, who is in Abu Dhabi, however, said he did not wish to make an asylum application as “I consider Pakistan my home and indeed hope to return when it is personally safe for me to do so”. He said a visa was finally granted to him and he would be “coming back” to Britain in a day or two. A statement by lawyers on his behalf here said Hasan’s multiple entry visitor visa to Britain expired while he was in Doha in early May to meet government officials, who might be helpful in trying to resolve Pakistan’s conflict. He sought to obtain a new visa from the British Consulate in Doha, Hasan said, adding that after several interviews at the Consulate in Doha, his visa application was refused on the basis that there was already existing correspondence from me to the Home Office in which I had requested that I be allowed to stay in the UK under compassionate circumstances as I had been living in London as a student at the time of the military coup and could not return to my home in Pakistan”. He also refuted impression in reports that by initially refusing him re-entry into Britain, the British Government appeared to be supporting Gen Parvez Musharraf’s regime. “On the contrary I recognise that the British Government has taken a strong stance against the military coup in Pakistan. They made it absolutely clear that they will not accept the death penalty for my father whatever the offence was”, he said. |
|
Lanka Cabinet refers Bill to SC COLOMBO, Aug 4 (PTI) — Undeterred by mounting opposition from right wing Sinhalese parties and Buddhist monks, the Sri Lankan Cabinet today referred to the Supreme Court the new electoral reforms Bill, approved by it yesterday, to establish its constitutional validity. The Cabinet decided to present the new electoral reforms proposal as 17th Amendment to the present Constitution, to be tabled in Parliament on August 7, and referred it to the Supreme Court to establish its constitutional validity. The new structure will replace the existing proportional representation system and provide for increasing the strength of Parliament from 225 to 298 seats, an official press note said. The court had earlier ruled that the government should get the Bill for a new Constitution passed with two-thirds majority in Parliament and hold a national referendum before turning it into law. Like in the case of the new draft Constitution Bill, the court has to decide whether the proposed amendment also needed a two-thirds majority followed by referendum or not. Official sources believe that an amendment of this nature need not be referred for referendum. Sources said the government has not included the new electoral system in the Constitution Bill, presented yesterday in Parliament to circumvent the referendum clause. The new electoral system assumes significance as the Constitution Bill proposes to change the present presidential system of governance to parliamentary democracy. Reuters adds: The Sri Lankan Government is confident of mustering enough votes in Parliament to push through its new Constitution aimed at ending the ethnic war even without support from the main opposition United National Party (UNP). “We have the numbers and there is no way the Constitution is not going to be passed in the House next week”, a senior minister told Reuters on Friday. The minister, who declined to be identified, said the UNP’s full support was not needed in next week’s vote as several of its lawmakers were ready to break away and back the government. The new Constitution aims to devolve powers to the regions, including one administered by minority Tamils, in an effort to give a political alternative to the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebel group. President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s ruling People’s Alliance needs 150 votes in the 225-member Parliament. While the government is believed to be about 10 seats short of the two-thirds majority, politicians said the backing of smaller mainline Tamil parties and the UNP’s breakaway faction would see its ambitious, Constitutions sail through the House. The new Constitution, which is opposed by influential Buddhist clergy and Sinhala nationalist groups, is to be debated for three days before a vote is taken on August 9. |
|
Bush promises drastic tax cuts WASHINGTON, Aug 4 (PTI) — Texas Governor George W. Bush has accepted the nomination of the Republican Party to fight for the presidency in November and stressed on the theme of “compassionate conservatism” to give equal opportunities to all races and strata of society. With domestic issues dominating most of his 52-minute speech yesterday at the 37th Republican national convention, Mr Bush promised a strong military and national missile defence system, drastic tax cuts, and restoration of “character and integrity” to politics. Conscious of the charge that the Republican Party had become essentially a rich White man’s party, he took special care to surround himself with people of all races. The convention ended with the release of 150,000 balloons — the largest such celebration in any convention so far. Mr Bush warned the Republicans that it would be “a tough race down to the wire”, but said “we are ready.” “We are facing something familiar but they (Democrats) are facing something new.” Two words he used most in his speech were that he would bring to the White House “character and responsibility,” implying that they are lacking in the Clinton-Gore administration. Meanwhile, the Bush-Cheney ticket faced a charge of double standards today when it became know that one of the vice-presidential candidate, Mr Dick Cheney’s daughters was a Lesbian. Mr Cheney has opposed gays and Lesbians in the armed forces and equal rights for gays. The Republican election manifesto, already adopted, was critical or gays and conservative Republicans said they would not allow any change. CHICAGO (Reuters): Al Gore pumped up the suspense for his announcement of a Vice-Presidential running mate next week by saying that he had cut his list of contenders to six, plus a “wild card”. Mr Gore’s “wild card”, described by source as a “potential dark horse” seventh contender, was a mystery. “I just don’t know,” one senior adviser said. Democratic sources identified the four senators as on the Gore list as Mr John Kerry (56) of Massachusetts, John Edwards (47) of North Carolina, Evan Bayh (44) of Indiana and Joseph Lieberman (58) of Connecticut. |
|
Queen Mother turns 100 LONDON, Aug 4 (Reuters) — Die-hard fans of Britain’s royal family braved overnight rain to take their places around Buckingham Palace for celebrations marking the Queen Mother’s 100th birthday today. The vanguard of an expected crowd of thousands gathered along the short route which Britain’s most famous centenarian, along with her grandson Prince Charles will take through central London for the festivities. The resilient matriarch will wave at well-wishers from a palace balcony before joining her daughters Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret and other relatives for a celebrations lunch. “Even at 100, she is quite unstoppable,” Prince Charles said of the woman who, as consort of King George VI, survived German bombing raids on Buckingham Palace in World War II. Shortly before midday a royal band will march past her official Clarence House residence playing happy birthday and a postman will deliver the congratulatory card which her daughter Queen Elizabeth sends to all centenarians on their birthday. At the stroke of noon of Queen Mother will head slowly in an open horse-drawn carriage towards Buckingham Palace, just a few hundred yards away. She will then appear on the balcony for a 41-gun salute and a wave to the crowd. Britons have already been celebrating the birthday for months with church services, tributes and pageants — including a bash at Windsor Castle in June and a London parade last month. Gifts have been sent from all over Britain and thousands of cards a day have been flooding in for the Queen Mother. Royalty-obsessed tabloid newspapers marked the occasion with a trademark mixture of reverence and affection. The Sun offered readers free gin and tonic — the Queen Mother’s regular tipple — to toast her health. The daily mail covered its front page with a 78-year-old picture of the then aristocrat lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, one year before she married into royalty. It offered readers a nine-page supplement titled “why we love her.”. The Royal Mail has issued a special set of stamps of honour her birthday, along with a poem by Poet laureate Andrew Motion. |
|
2 Russian Colonels in
Chechnya beheaded MOSCOW, Aug 4 (DPA) — The decapitated bodies of two Russian officers who went missing in Chechnya this week have been found near an army camp in the region, Itar-Tass news agency reported today, quoting sources at the Russian FSB (domestic intelligence) service. The two Lieutenant-Colonels went missing near Vedeno in southern Chechnya two days ago. They had reportedly been planning to attend the wedding of a Chechen friend. Russian soldiers later found the bodies, the report said. |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 120 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
