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Wednesday,
October 16, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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TRIBUNE SPECIAL
Pervez tells EU to mind own business US Congress hails J&K poll success Aboard PM’s ‘palace on wings’
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US, British jets
strike Iraqi command centre Swraj Paul set to visit Jalandhar
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TRIBUNE
SPECIAL There may be sharp and vital differences between the opposition parliamentary parties — Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarian (PPPP), Muttahidda Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) and the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) — on foreign policy and domestic issues but they all seem committed not to accept the constitutional amendments introduced by Gen Pervez Musharraf. These constitutional amendments, made under the Legal Framework Order 2002, among other things, seek to institute a supra-parliament body, national security council, which may recommend the President to dismiss elected Assemblies and enforce emergency in the country. The military government has achieved from the elections what it had wanted to: a fragmented mandate and a hung Parliament. What it now desires is a docile coalition led by king’s party, the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q). The party needs the support of either of the two other large parliamentary groups, the PPPP and the MMA, to form the government at the Centre. The coalition will be required to take oath under a mutilated Constitution to keep General Musharraf in office for five years and make the army a permanent shareholder in political power. Incentives are being offered to those ready to become bedfellows of the king’s party. As the PML(Q) has no presentable candidate from a smaller province for the post of the Prime Minister, the attractive slot too has been put on the bargaining counter. The temptations are great for the two other large parliamentary groups – the PPP and the MMA. So far, these parties have shown reluctance to accept the coalition offers because backing out of their commitment to oppose the Legal Framework Order 2002 for a few ministries would amount to a betrayal of the popular mandate. Qazi Hussain Ahmed, chief of the Jamaat-i-Islami and a central leader of the MMA, has announced that the members of his front will not take oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order. The PPPP also seems inclined to sit in the Opposition instead of becoming part of the coalition government by ratifying General Musharraf’s constitutional order. As long as the three opposition parties hang together it will not be possible for the offstage manipulators to knock together a government of quislings. They will have to either bargain with the Opposition and make concessions on constitutional amendments as was done by Zia-ul-Haq in 1985 or call for fresh elections, the later course being the harder one as it is rife with uncertainties for the powers that be. With General Musharraf’s constitutional amendments in place, any party agreeing to enter into coalition with the king’s party (PML-Q) would be doing this at its risk for it could be shoed out any time by those operating from behind the stage and its rivals brought in. A firm stand taken by the main Opposition parliamentary groups on the issues of constitutional amendments and the presidency of General Musharraf may lead to some hard bargain between the military regime and the Opposition. The Opposition may accept General Musharraf as President of the country and help him elect through constitutional procedure in the Parliament but General Musharraf will have to abandon his constitutional amendments in quid pro quo. Elections 2002 are a vote of no confidence against General Musharraf. This is borne out by the fact that the parties opposing his ‘reforms’ have won the largest number of seats in the National Assembly. Despite all manipulations the three parties i.e. the PPP, the PML-N and the MMA which dismissed the constitutional amendments for being against the federal and parliamentary structure of the Constitution and rejected the presidential referendum as a fraud won a total of 121 seats in the National Assembly while the PML(Q) and the National Alliance which supported General Musharraf and his reforms ended up with no more than 90. Even if various factions of the PML (Functional, Junejo, Jinnah and Zia) as well as PPP (Sherpao) are included, the pro-Musharraf tally falls short of the seats won by his opponents. This has happened despite the pre-poll rigging earlier reported by the press and now being corroborated by independent sources. European Union election observers chief Cushnahan has pointed out in a press conference that he had solid proofs that state resources and government machinery were used to support parties favoured by the military government. Among the beneficiaries were the PML(Q), Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, Sindh Democratic Alliance and the National Alliance. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has confirmed that post-poll manipulations have been resorted to. It has also been widely suggested that there was a link between the unusual delay in the announcement of results and the consequent reversal in the fortunes of a number of opposition candidates.
ANI |
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Pervez tells EU to mind own business
Islamabad, October 15 “Mr Cushanan should have confined his remarks to the holding of the national elections,” General Musharraf was quoted as saying by the state Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) at the end of a three-day trip to Istanbul. “He had no business to interfere in the international affairs of Pakistan,” he said. The EU observers team chief, Mr John Cushnahan, released a scathing report on Saturday of last week’s general elections, calling them “deeply flawed” and attacking constitutional changes announced by General Musharraf in August. AFP
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UK to monitor Pak power transfer London, October 15 |
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US Congress hails J&K poll success Several US Congressmen have hailed the successful conclusion of the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir as proof of India’s dedication to democracy in contrast to Pakistan. In interventions in the House of Representatives last week, they also spoke of the growing relationship between the world’s two largest democracies which, they said, would prove to have a long-lasting and deep value for both countries. Congressman Frank Pallone noted that residents of Jammu and Kashmir, who faced potential death by heading to the poll over the past four weeks, courageously cast their votes. He thought this democratic will and exercise on the part of the Indian Government and its people must be appropriately commended. Mr Pallone called the elections in Pakistan a “sham” and said President Musharraf had single-handedly emasculated the leadership of all major political parties that opposed him. Mr Gary Ackerman said despite efforts by terrorists from Pakistan, the elections in Jammu and Kashmir had been completed successfully. “The fact that the state government will peacefully change hands as the result of an election is but further evidence that India’s democracy is not only alive and well, but thriving”, he said. Mr Benjamin Gillman welcomed the Indian Government’s commitment to holding an election that was free and fair and perceived as such internationally and within India, and said the courage of the voters who had chosen to participate in the elections in Jammu and Kashmir, despite the threats and violence from terrorists must be applauded. Mr Gilman spoke extensively on the growing cooperation between the USA and India on the issues of security, defence and counter-terrorism, urging the Bush administration and the Congress to continue to strengthen US-India ties and to turn the blueprint outlined at the joint meeting between President Bush and Prime Minister Vajpayee last year into a “sturdy and enduring structure” that would benefit the people of both nations. |
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J&K poll free, fair: Russia Moscow, October 15 “Moscow positively assesses the election to the legislative assembly of Jammu & Kashmir conducted from September 16 to October 8. Long standing democratic traditions of India and well-oiled election mechanisms determined the free and fair character of polling process in the state,” Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement here yesterday.
PTI |
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Aboard PM’s ‘palace on wings’ LONDON: “Your palace in the sky” is emblazoned on the 22-year-old Boeing 747 Krisnadevaraya that became the Prime Minister’s “palace on wings” during his five-day visit to Cyprus, Denmark and the UK. This aircraft was remodeled to accommodate the Prime Minister and his entourage which includes his daughter, son-in-law and grand-daughter. Also aboard were the official delegation, security personnel, including SPG, separate baggage security, doctors, including two physicians and a physiotherapist, an army of assistants and 34 mediapersons The Air India staff manning the entire operations keeps changing in size and composition at every leg. Twentyseven Air India personnel fly at all times in this huge aircraft and do not have a moment to rest during the flight, unlike in commercial flights. The drill for the remodelling of the aircraft begins 10 days prior to the VVIP visit. A bedroom is made for the Prime Minister in the centre of the aircraft. The front is occupied by the delegation and the back by the media and the SPG. The security drill begins seven hours before the boarding takes place. In Air India jargon, its called D minus 7. Led by Rajesh Pathak, six security personnel guard the aircraft at all times from the outside. SSO D.S. Bhandari and his team of three go through the unlocked baggage of all those who climb aboard. This procedure takes seven to eight hours. The New Delhi-Cyprus sector and the Denmark-London-New Delhi sector security was looked after by AIG Sandhu and his team of five, known as the close protection group (CPG). The CPG for the Cyprus-Denmark sector had AIG P.K. Nayak and his team of five. The CPG works in coordination with the local security at airports and other locations where the Prime Minister is going. The SPG, of course, is always with the Prime Minister. The aircraft security is tight at all times. In 1995, there was a bomb scare at the New Delhi airport when Mr Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister. Ever since, no chance is taken at any point. The dining aboard the flight is an epicure’s dream come true. The Prime Minister has a team from Taj which cooks whatever he wishes to eat. Rarely does the Prime Minister have a special request. He enjoys whatever is served to him. Solomon and Sadiq, his chefs, know what he likes best. Rest of the team has Air India chefs pampering them. From caviar to the choicest wine, it is the finest. Lalit Joshi, in charge of catering hunts for ingredients at every stop. And so the meal offers a choice of local and Indian specialities. Danish pastries, Malabar mutton, smoked salmon, toor dal, Danish rolls, figs, ben and jerry ice cream, Belgian chocolates, champagne..... the list is endless. It makes one wonder why none of this is available on commercial flights. The inflight
attendants are at their charming best. At a moment’s notice, they can whip up a microphone and organise an on-board press conference. They organised a “top of the world” birthday party for the Prime Minister’s grand-daughter Neharika, which was perfect in all ways but one — everyone at her party was at least three times her age! This Air India aircraft will now go to Mumbai and prepare for the next VVIP trip which, according to plans, is in the first week of November to Laos and Cambodia. The details of the trip are already being worked out by the ground staff.
ANI |
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US, British jets
strike Iraqi command centre
Washington, October 15 The US Central Command, which controls military operations in the Gulf area, said in a statement from its headquarters in Tampa, Florida, that the jets attacked the command and control centre near Al Kut, 160 km southeast of Baghdad, at 2.15 p.m. Iraq time). All walanes left the area safely and damage to the target from guided weapons was being assessed, the Pentagon said.
Reuters
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Swraj Paul set to visit Jalandhar
London, October 15 Lord Paul, who leaves for India tomorrow heading a British delegation for the India-UK Round Table, will spend three days in Jalandhar. Lord Paul and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission K.C. Pant are Co-chairmen of the Round Table. His itinerary includes a tour of the former Paul residence, which has now been converted into a school — Apeejay School, a tour of Apeejay College of Fine Arts and a visit to a Red Cross Deaf and Dumb School on Monday. He will start the next day with an interview to Doordarshan, before visiting Apeejay School in Jawahar Nagar, started by his brother Satya Paul where he will address the students. He will then visit Doaba (Primary) School and Apeejay School, Rama Mandi, before inaugurating Apeejay Institute of Management. After attending a lunch hosted in his honour by the Mayor, Municipal Corporation of Jalandhar, he will meet journalists, visit the main Doaba school and Devi Talab Mandir. Then he will deliver the convocation address at Doaba College from where he had graduated in 1949 and release the diamond jubilee issue of the college magazine before leaving for Delhi.
PTI |
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In video: Hardline Islamic
parties which emerged as potential coalition partners after Pakistan
elections said they would seek to impose Islamic law in the country
and ask US troops to leave.
