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Sunday,
April 14, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Powell, Arafat meeting called off; fresh raids
3 PML factions agree to unite
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Court rejects anti-referendum plea
PM’s visit cements ties with Cambodia
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Powell, Arafat meeting called off; fresh raids
Jerusalem, April 13 Following the bomb explosion yesterday in a crowded market place, the US authorities scrapped the first round of Powell-Arafat talks and reports from territories said Israeli forces rolled into West Bank villages and curfew was imposed in two villages of Burqeen and Arabeh on the outskirts of Jenin where fierce fighting took place. Meanwhile, Israeli tanks and troops swept into two Palestinian towns and a village today, witnesses said. The witnesses said 60 army vehicles entered Arabe, south of the city of Jenin, where the army imposed a curfew. The army also declared curfew in Hashmiyah, northwest of Jenin, and Birqin village. Though doubts were raised whether Powell would at all meet Arafat, a bishop who met Powell here was quoted as saying that the U S Secretary of State had told the group he planned to see Arafat before the end of his peace mission. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the meet may take place in the coming days if “circumstances permit”. In response to yesterday’s bombing, the White House once again said that Arafat denounce terrorism in no uncertain words. Palestinian officials said the meeting had been postponed at the US request. Expressing regret that Powell had postponed meeting with Arafat, Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat told CNN he hoped the meeting would go ahead, as scheduled for tomorrow. “It was wrong to postpone the meeting. Time is of the essence and in the deteriorating situation the meeting should take place because the road map to be finalised is clear,” Erakat said in the first public response of Palestinian Authority to the US decision. Meanwhile, the USA was examining a statement by President Yasser Arafat condemning terrorism and a suicide bombing that prompted Powell to put talks with Arafat on hold, a senior State Department official said. “We’ve got the statement and we’re looking at it. We expected him to condemn terrorism. We expected him to do so. Now he’s made a statement and we’re looking at it,” the official said. Bethlehem: Christian leaders proposed to Powell today that Israeli troops leave this West Bank town for three days and allow about 200 armed Palestinians inside the Church of the Nativity to put down their weapons and go home. The proposal described by Christian leaders as a “possible solution” is part of efforts to end the church standoff, in its 13th day, at one of Christianity’s holiest sites. United Nations: Calling the situation in West Asia “appalling”, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has suggested the establishment of an international force to help create a secure environment, end killings and give time for negotiations and diplomacy to work.
PTI, Reuters, AP |
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3 PML factions agree to unite Islamabad, April 13 The PML-N (Nawaz), PML-J (Junejo) and PML-F (Functional) have agreed to become one, also inviting the new breakaway faction, the PML-QA (Quaid-e-Azam), to help steer a joint PML into the October elections. After getting nod from PML-F chief Pir Pagara, PML-J chief Hamid Nasir Chattha held a two-hour meeting with PML-N chairman Raja Zafar-ul-Haq on Friday to finalise the unification. A PML-N leader said the two leaders agreed in principle to unite. Mr Pagara was chief of the league, when the then Prime Minister Muhammad Khan Junejo formed his own faction of the party in 1986. After Junejo’s death, Mr Sharif headed the PML, but in 1993 Mr Chattha had a dispute with Mr Sharif and formed a separate wing of the PML, called the Junejo group. “This is a welcome and positive development,” Mr Chattha told IANS. He said it would be a milestone in Pakistani politics. He said all three factions had appointed two-member committees to work out the modalities of the unification, which may be formalised in the next week. Mr Chattha hoped that the Quaid-e-Azam group too would join hands. “Together we can become a formidable political force which will have a greater role in strengthening a democratic Pakistan,” said Chattha, adding that the presidency of the party was not a big issue for him. PML-N chairman Haq said it was a dramatic political development. When asked how soon the unification could formally take place, Mr Haq said, “It is a matter of days.” Political analysts say a united PML can be a real threat to the military regime of President Pervez Musharraf, who seized power in a coup in 1999. The PML-F has a large following in Sindh province while the PML-J clinched seven Parliament seats in the last general election, mainly from the upper Punjab province.
IANS |
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Pervez regime
to name PM Islamabad, April 13 “After referendum, non-party elections to Parliament will be held and the President will nominate the leader of the House,” The News said quoting sources. “The person nominated to the post might not be the one elected to the House. The regime will keep its option to nominate an un-elected figure, who would be asked to get elected in a stipulated period after taking oath of office,” the sources said. Politicians who will participate in the elections in their individual capacity will not be allowed to function as agents of their party in the house.
UNI |
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Court rejects anti-referendum plea Islamabad, April 13 The Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court yesterday dismissed a petition filed by Mr Azmat Qureshi, challenging the holding of referendum on the plea that General Musharraf, a serving government servant as the Chief of the Pakistan Army, was not entitled to hold the referendum, the ‘Dawn’ newspaper reported today. Mr Qureshi’s advocate Mr M. Sharif, said the petition was heard by Mr Justice Mian Jehangir for a few minutes after which the judge told him that the admissibility of it would be decided later after going through the application. The Reader of the Court informed him that the petition was dismissed. The same newspaper, meanwhile reported that the Supreme Court, which received several petitions has no immediate plans of hearing the petitions. The main petition questioning the legality of the referendum as well as the constitutionality of General Musharraf holding the Presidency has been filed by the main religious party the leader of the Jamat-e-Islami, Mr Qazi Hussain Ahmed. The petition in support of the referendum was filed by Moulvi Iqbal Haider of Awami Himayat Tehrik party which supported the referendum plan.
PTI |
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PM’s visit cements ties with Cambodia A resurgent, independent India in 1947 under the leadership of Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru was set to re-establish India’s ancient ties with the countries of South-East Asia and the Far East. As part of its policy, Nehru visited Cambodia in 1954 and received a tumultuous welcome for he came from the land of Buddha, and the land of Hindu dharma so much a part of Cambodian life. When the then Prince Norodom Sihanouk (now king) visited India, Indians were struck by his national dress which was culturally alike India’s. Almost half a century later when Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee set his foot on the soil of Cambodia, there was no dilution in the warmth of his welcome with his counterpart, Hun Sen, present at the airport. Streets were lined with men, women and children waving flags to usher in the Indian Prime Minister. Cambodia, during the interregnum between Nehru and Vajpayee visits, has undergone a test of fire suffering not only the direct onslaught of the cold war but, going through hell of Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot. It was during that period that India lost one of its brave TV news cameramen in Cambodia. Khmer Rouge killed Ramnik Lekhi just outside Phnom Penh. Now a member of Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Cambodia is working hard to catch up with its neighbours. It has found in India a reliable and time-tested friend. When the king received the Prime Minister, he went out of his way to assure the visiting Indian leader of the warmth and friendship of his country for India. The king got the best Indian chefs from Singapore flown over to Phnom Penh to prepare the lunch he hosted. The king described Vajpayee’s visit as historic and continuation of the nearly 1,000 year-old relationship that Cambodia has with India. To create right mood, the Royal Cambodian Music Academy band played Hindi film songs. India, on its part, reaffirmed to Cambodia the steadfastness of its friendship that would “always remain so”. India has gratefully acknowledged the help given by Cambodia in bringing into sharp focus the relationship that India seeks with ASEAN. And to assure of its full support, India is assisting the country in offering functional cooperation in projects that may enable Cambodia to catch up with its co-partners in ASEAN. A large number of Hindu temples spread all over the country reflect the relationship that India has had with Cambodia. India is involved in helping restore the pristine glory of Angkor Wat temple, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The country’s archaeologists worked on it from 1986 to 1992. They are now set to start work on Ta Prohm, the most difficult task ever undertaken by them. With no drainage in the area that once housed over 50 bustling temples and huge trees that have engulfed and virtually eaten into the structures, India has sought 12 years to do the job, which will cost Rs 25 crore at present prices. This country is keen to have a larger number of tourists from India. To assure Cambodians of its sincerity, the Indian Prime Minister brought along the country’s Director-General of Tourism. A leading Indian hotel chain has shown interest in setting up a hotel at Siem Reap, where Angkor Wat temple is situated. India is at present providing a limited amount of economic and military aid to Cambodia. China’s presence here is huge. They edged India out during the cold war struggle and today dominate the scene with their cheap goods and motorcycles on the streets. India is training small number of Cambodian Air Force men in telecommunications and artillery. The country is also extending a credit line of $ 10 million apart from a gift of 10,000 tonnes of rice. The three agreements signed during Vajpayee’s visit may provide a fillip to the growing bilateral ties. In his interaction with the Prime Minister of Cambodia and other leaders, Vajpayee has managed to establish a rapport that should strengthen the relationship. The most important interaction will be during the India-ASEAN summit in Cambodia in November. In this context, the Prime Minister’s trip has cemented the age-old relationship that India has with Cambodia.
ANI |
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