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Sunday,
November 3, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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USA has
‘no plan’ to solve Kashmir issue Quake
injures 42 in Indonesia
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PML (Q)
stakes claim to form govt Pervez summons National Assembly
WINDOW ON PAKISTAN Lanka,
LTTE agree on de-escalation
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USA has ‘no plan’ to solve Kashmir issue
Islamabad, November 2 “The USA does not hold in its pocket any secret plan or a framework for the solution of the Kashmir issue and it really has to be worked out among India, Pakistan and the people of Kashmir, “Mr Richard Haass, Director Policy Planning, US State Department said in an interview to state-run PTV channel yesterday. “The USA wants the resolution of the Kashmir issue through diplomatic and peaceful means. The principles of the Simla Accord provide for a framework for the peaceful resolution of the issue, said Mr Haass, an adviser to US Secretary of State Colin Powell. The interests and perspectives of the people of Kashmir have to be taken into account, he said. Mr Haass, who arrived in Pakistan two days ago after a brief visit to New Delhi during which he held talks with top Indian officials, met Pakistan Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Inamul Haq and top military officials during his stay here. Referring to the elections in Jammu and Kashmir he said both India and Pakistan had divergent stands on the poll in the valley. “Even if India and Pakistan are not ready to hold talks at the highest level, it will be healthy for both countries to begin interacting positively,” he stated. In this connection, he referred to resumption of diplomatic relations, air and bus links, increase in trade activity and sports competitions between the two countries. Welcoming the decision by India and Pakistan to withdraw their troops to peacetime locations, Mr Haass said, “This is a healthy development, but obviously there are still big disagreements between the two countries including, the Kashmir issue. This mutual announcement of redeployment of forces provides a breathing space and an opportunity.”
PTI |
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Quake injures 42 in Indonesia
Banda Aceh (Indonesia),
November 2 Seismologists in Singapore said there was a high risk of tsunami — powerful waves caused by seismic activity — in western Sumatra. Indonesia’s Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said the intensity of the morning quake was 5.3. However, Australian scientists said it was much stronger, registering 7.7, capable of massive damage and loss of life. The Hong Kong Observatory and the US Geological Survey both recorded the quake at 7.5. Another earthquake with a magnitude of 4.8 struck the same region in the evening, Indonesian seismologists said. More aftershocks were expected. At least 42 persons, including two women, a six-year-old girl and a man in coma, were hospitalised on Simeulue island, 400 km from Sumatra’s northern tip, Simeulue hospital chief Dr Hanif said. Four government buildings and dozens of shops were damaged, said the island’s deputy leader, Ibnu Aban.
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PML (Q) stakes claim to form govt
Islamabad, November 2 Pakistan Muslim League (Quid-e-Azam), which has the highest number of 122 seats in the 342-member National Assembly, has got enough support to gain the 172-seat majority, the party’s parliamentary leader Chaudhry Sujat Hussain was quoted as saying. The PML(Q), which has been accused of being the “King’s party” backed by the military regime, has the support of the National Alliance, which won 16 seats in the October 10 poll, and it hopes to make up for the rest of the seats with the support of independents and regional parties, including the Sindh-based Muthahida Quami Movement (MQM), media reports said. The party chose Mr Jamali, who was the caretaker Chief Minister of north-west Baluchistan in the past, as the prime ministerial candidate to provide representation to the country’s smallest province. A bulk of the party members were elected from the Punjab province. Mr Jamali’s name was proposed last night by Mr Hussain, who has been assigned the task of working out a compromise with Genera; Musharraf over his constitutional amendments by the main political parties Soon after Mr Jamali’s nomination, he along with other party leaders called on President Pervez Musharraf. Their meeting lasted for three and a half hours, the reports said. During the meeting, General Musharraf told the PML(Q) delegation that the session of Parliament would be convened shortly as the electoral process had been completed after the notification of women and minority seats. They discussed the post-election scenario, the current political situation and the overall situation regarding the formation of governments at the Centre and in the provinces.
PTI |
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Pervez summons National Assembly
Islamabad, November 2 Gen Musharraf has summoned the National Assembly to meet on Friday November 8. The newly elected members of the parliament would take oath in the first session of the Assembly.
PTI |
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WINDOW ON
PAKISTAN The October elections were entirely different from the previous such exercises in Pakistan, at least in one way. The polls under the Musharraf regime have sent to the National Assembly as many as 69 women, a record so far. This includes nine women elected against the general seats and 60 against the seats reserved for them. Their names have been notified by the Election Commission, a statutory condition. This means paving the way for convening the House on November 6 as reported by The News, a Jang group English daily. In that case, the National Assembly can be expected to elect the Prime Minister on November 12. It is interesting to note that among the names frequently finding mention in discussions among politicians is that of Ms Zubeda Jalal, elected on the PML (Q)—also known as the king’s party—ticket from Baluchistan, a predominantly tribal province. If she really succeeds is trouncing the other claimants to the post, it will amount to making history. It will be for the first time that a representative from the tribal province bordering Afghanistan will get an opportunity to head the government in Islamabad. She will also be the first Prime Minister coming from a little known background, belonging to a disadvantaged section of society. She seems to be quite articulate and knowledgeable. Ms Benazir Bhutto, the first woman Prime Minister of her country, had a famously feudal family background. But her greatest asset was her being the daughter of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the hanged Prime Minister of Pakistan. Yet she did very little for the emancipation of those belonging to the weaker sex. During her two stints as Prime Minister she could not revive the quota for women in the National Assembly which had lapsed after 1990. In the absence of reservation, the number of women representatives in the House was very negligible. There were only six women in a House of 217 in 1997. Though women’s issues have been highlighted in the media off and on, they could not find the attention they deserved during electioneering. But Ms Jalal’s victory, not an easy task though, may bring the problems of the fair sex in sharp focus. She may put her foot down in case any provincial government takes measures hurting the interests of women either in the name of religion or any other pretext. She seems to be conscious of such an expectation from her. This impression one gathers from her appearances in TV current affairs programmes. The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), the six-party grouping of religious organisations, is reported to have reviewed its stance on women-related issues. The MMA, which has captured power in Baluchistan, Ms Jalal’s home province, and is likely to be a key player in government formation at the federal level, has 12 women members in the House. It has been at the centre of a controversy when one of its leaders, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, announced to do away with co-education and set up a separate university for women. Asserting that he has been misquoted by the media, the Qazi has sought to dispel the impression about the MMA. The other day he said what was never expected of him. The Qazi, who heads the Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest constituent of the MMA, declared that his alliance would work for equal job opportunities for women, enacting new laws on violence against the fair sex and banning the tribal practice of killing girls when they marry against the wishes of their families—the heinous honour killings. According to Dawn, “The special committee on the Hudood Ordinance set up by the National Commission on the Status of Women has just completed its deliberations. It should be possible for the committee’s report to be thoroughly discussed in parliament with inputs from the newly elected women members, particularly the clauses relating to ‘zina’ that have led to instances of unjust crucifixion of women.” The daily hopes the women members “may be able to play a crucial role in promoting a more tolerant climate in the country. They are also in closer touch with economic realities, and may be better able to expose the smug jugglery of figures by finance ministers and finance departments, forcing changes in budget priorities in favour of education, health, population control and social welfare.” |
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Lanka, LTTE agree on de-escalation
Nakhon Pathom (Thailand), November 2 On the penultimate day of the Norway-sponsored four-day negotiations here, the two sides also agreed to set up another committee to oversee development of areas ravaged by nearly 20 years of ethnic conflict. “We are giving highest importance” to the 19-member panel, which would include nine military officials from each side and a Norwegian member to work on the process of de-escalation, said G.L. Peiris, Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator. The panel would also look into the withdrawal of government troops from “high security zones,” besides tackling demining. While the government team would be led by Defence Secretary Austin Fernando, the LTTE would be headed by S.P. Thamilselvan, a former guerilla commander. The panel is expected to hold its first meeting at Omanthai in Sri Lanka’s northern province. Peiris said the appointment of Fernando to head the team reflected the government’s seriousness in approaching the issue of de-escalation. He said there had been growing tension between the government troops and the LTTE over implementation of the ceasefire that went into effect on February 23. The key rehabilitation committee will be in charge of developing north and east Sri Lanka. The committee panel would report to the negotiating delegations and would have a secretariat based in Kilinochi, the Tigers’ headquarters in the north. A US-based Tamil academic is expected to be the director of the panel, a government official said, adding that his name would be disclosed once he accepts the post. The committee would meet later this month to identify projects that required funding from international donors. LTTE chief negotiator Anton Balasingham said he was very optimistic about peace as “there is some remarkable progress in the discussions” held so far. Peiris said, “We achieved much more than we considered possible.” Making quick progress in the talks, the two sides yesterday reached an agreement to set up structures of key peace committees in the north and east provinces to improve security. They evaluated the Ceasefire Agreement and decided on measures to improve the security situation, inter-ethnic cooperation and respect for human rights in the north and eastern provinces, said a statement issued by the talks facilitator Norway. The two sides also agreed on a framework to seek millions of dollars in foreign aid for rebuilding the country.
PTI |
WOMAN
GIVES BIRTH TO SEXTUPLETS ARD-MMA
TO FIELD REHMAN FOR PM’S POST |
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As the stalemate over the formation
of a new administration continues in Pakistan, pro-Musharraf PML(Q)
party has staked its claim to form the government and named Mr
Zafarullah Khan Zamali its prime ministerial candidate.
In video
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