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Annan dismisses resignation calls
‘Bezhti’ may be staged
in London
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Another son rises in South Asian politics
Musharraf lays stress on quality education
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Annan dismisses resignation calls
United Nations, December 22 “On the question of my resignation, let me say I have quite a lot of work to do,” Annan said citing preparation for the next years summit and the report he intends to release in March reviewing the Millennium Development Goals and giving his views on the UN reforms in the context of the report of the high-level panel appointed by him. He said the issue had “cast a shadow” over the UN and its relations with the USA. There are no personal allegations against Annan but some American Republican lawmakers had demanded his resignation as he was head of the organisation when alleged corruption took place which, they contended, showed lax control. Addressing reporters yesterday at the end of annus horribilis, Latin phrase for horrible year, Annan said “There’s no doubt that this has been a particularly difficult year and I am relieved that this annus horribilis is coming to an end.” He said he has the confidence of the 191-member states and the Bush administration has neither demanded his resignation nor raised the issue during the talks he had with Secretary of State Colin Powell and his successor Condoleezza Rice as late as last week. Asked about criticism of some Republican lawmakers, Annan said, current criticism and attacks have not been helpful for the relationship between UN and USA, regardless of which quarters they came. But we need to find a way of putting those acrimonious discussions behind us and move on. We have a very important agenda to tackle for the next two years and so and I think it is important that everyone focuses on that. Replying to a question about US-UN relations, he said they have gone through tense periods periodically. But the USA needs UN and the UN needs the USA. And we need to find a way of working together. However, he did not support his son, Kojo, who during an interview with CNN described the attacks on the programme as witchhunt from day one as part of a broader Republican political agenda. I
don't agree with that, was Annan terse reply when asked about Kojos remarks. Kojo is under investigation by Volcker for his relations with a Swiss firm which had got a contract from UN to ensure the goods ordered by the Saddam Hussein regime reached their destination. Annan declined to answer specific questions about allegations advising that everyone should wait for the report of the independent inquiry under former US Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, he has established and said the findings would help to clear the air. Asked if some mistakes had been committed and he wished he had done things differently, Annan said, “When you run this sort of operation, it is inevitable that there may some mistakes and things that could have been done differently and things could have been done better.”
— PTI |
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‘Bezhti’ may be staged
in London
London, December 22 Royal Court Theatre bosses told BBC last night that it had obtained a copy of the play with a view to possibly staging it in the city in the new year. “Irrespective of the quality of this play I think we have to see it,” Ramin Gray from the Royal Court Theatre said. The play had its run cancelled in Birmingham after five police officers were injured when 400 demonstrators protested outside the theatre last Saturday. Protestors said the play depicts sex abuse and murder in a Gurdwara, portraying the Sikh faith negatively. Braham Murray, co-artistic director of the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester told reporters that Sikh playwright Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti was in a shock and had gone into hiding after receiving threats of abduction and murder. “There were death threats. It came out of the blue and nobody had any clue that the play was going to cause this kind of controversy.” Another friend, who did not wish to be named, said the playwright had gone into hiding on the advice of the police. Birmingham’s Repertory Theatre, which cancelled the play on health and safety grounds, said the “ugly” violence had caused free speech to be curbed. Another acting company in Birmingham had yesterday offered to stage the play. Neal Foster, the founder of the Birmingham Stage Company, said if the Birmingham Repertory Theatre would not stage the play, his company would offer to take over the production. The Repertory’s decision to cancel the play, amid claims that it demeans Sikhism by showing rape and murder within a Gurdwara has been heavily criticised within the theatre world. “I hope Birmingham Repertory will be able to reconsider the decision and stage the event at a later date,” Foster said. “I think it was a wrong decision, and I hope the Rep will reconsider. If they cannot, I feel it is incumbent on theatres to produce the play elsewhere, and I have offered to do that. “There is so much at stake. The alternative that violence has won is so appalling, and has such consequences, I think freedom of expression is more important than health and safety.” Foster said talks with Birmingham Repertory about taking on the play were at an early stage and he had yet to talk to the author. He said rather than stage the production at his stage company’s home, the Old Repertory Theatre, he would look to perform it at a community venue. Nicholas Hytner, director of the National Theatre, said the law should protect people’s rights to artistic expression. “The western theatre was invented in Athens to put on stage feelings which were too dangerous to express in real life,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Britain’s Minister for Race Equality Fiona Mactaggart said both the theatre and the Sikh protesters had a right to free speech which should be respected.
— PTI |
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Zardari granted bail
Islamabad, December 22 Two judges at the Sindh High Court in Karachi granted bail to Mr Zardari in the sum of Rs 3 lakh and ordered his release from the house arrest. Mr Zardari was arrested yesterday at the airport here after flying from Karachi as an anti-terrorism court (ATC) had revoked the bail granted to him earlier and issued arrest warrant against him for failing to appear before it for a hearing of a 10-year-old case of a murder of a judge and his son, one of the 17 cases faced by Ms Bhutto’s husband. The police guard outside Bilawal House, Mr Zardari’s Karachi residence which was converted into sub-jail yesterday, has been withdrawn, his Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) sources said here. After his arrest, Mr Zardari, who was earlier released on bail last month following eight years of imprisonment, was flown back to Karachi and kept under house arrest. The Sindh High Court, which heard an appeal by PPP, granted him bail on grounds that he was entitled to a notice before cancellation of the bail by ATC judge Pir Ali Shah, his lawyer Babar Awan told reporters in Karachi, adding Mr Zardari was now free to move around.
— PTI |
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Another son rises in South Asian politics
Dhaka, December 22 Joy was received and hugged by his parents — Sheikh Hasina and Wajed Mia, a scientist, at the VIP lounge of the Zia International Airport. Hasina also accepted her American-born daughter-in-law, Christina, by placing a bunch of gold bangles on her hands as per Bangladeshi custom. Joy and Christina, who arrived here from the US, were then escorted in a carcade from the Zia International Airport to Sudha Sadan, the residence of his parents, in Dhaka’s upmarket Dhanmondi residential area. Marking a political debut of sorts, he told the media soon after his arrival that Bangladesh was currently passing through a bad phase, obviously referring to conditions prevailing under the regime of current Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. “The country is passing through a bad time now. I think democracy is absent here,” Sajib said, adding that his plans included helping his mother to restore democracy in the country. Sajib said he would do whatever the nation needs for its betterment. Asked whether he was making his political debut any time soon, he said: “I have not decided yet. This time, I came here to introduce my wife to my motherland.”
— ANI |
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Musharraf lays stress on quality education
Peshawar, December 22 Addressing a function marking the golden jubilee celebrations of the Khyber Medical College here on Tuesday, the President said, "We have had a weak education foundation at the primary level whereas education facilities at the top level are satisfactory. "To correct this problem at the national level we will have to go for a national primary education with more emphasis on top quality education at the primary level." In order to achieve this end, he said, the present curriculum would have to be modernised and teachers trained on a priority basis. The President said apart from hundreds of formal schools, colleges and universities, over one million students were enrolled in madressahs and students of these institutions would have to be brought into the mainstream by imparting them top education in all branches of contemporary knowledge so that they could become good bankers, doctors and engineers, besides being top Islamic scholars. To ensure quality education, he said, the government had amended the University Ordinance and converted the University Grants Commission into Higher Education Commission to give impetus to efforts of spreading higher education. Referring to pathetic health facilities in the country, the President said, "In the past the primary and secondary sectors used to be ignored with the result rural and small towns could not get modern health facilities. Due to lack of proper medical facilities in rural areas, the load kept on increasing on city hospitals." The President urged young doctors not to shy away from working in the rural areas since they belonged to the noblest profession. He also advised them not to prescribe expensive medicines which were out of reach of the common man, but try to find cheap alternatives. In a lighter vein, the President asked doctors to charge the rich patients more and provide inexpensive treatment to the poor. He also urged them to learn English as it was a prerequisite for development. |
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Peshawar, December 22
