Dr Qadeer Khan bids farewell to KRL
April 1: Eminent nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan expresses his heartiest gratitude to all his co- workers for their cooperation in translating his dream into reality. In his  farewell message to all the workers of Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) in Kahuta, he remembered the time when he left the comfortable life in Europe and stepped on the soil of Pakistan with a pledge to work hard for making Pakistan a full- fledged nuclear power. He recollected how he was informed on behalf of the government of Pakistan of the decision to establish the institution of KRL. He expressed his deepest thankfulness to Almighty God that  notwithstanding the difficulties, KRL had achieved a remarkable success in uranium enrichment in the nuclear and strategic defence spheres, nuclear explosions and the successful experiments in the field of missile technology.
Dr Khan concluded with the hope that all their senior colleagues would continue to work hard on the road to progress and development under the able, sincere and patriotic leadership of Dr Javed Arshad Mirza with the purpose of inspiring the nation and the country for greater achievements.

Attack on power house caused Rs 30m loss
April 1: Chief Executive of Quetta Electric Supply Company (Qesco) Brig Agha Ahmedgul says the attack on Power House Gwadar has caused a loss of Rs 30 million to Wapda. He told a press conference in Quetta that over 3,000 armed men cordoned off the Gwadar power house and torched six of the eight generators. The miscreants also set the power house records on fire. He regretted that two Coast Guard personnel were injured and a Navy vehicle was also set ablaze.

Army acquires prime land in NWFP
April 2: After twenty years of using some twenty thousand acres of Nowshera's prime land on a lease of ten paisa per acre per year, the Pakistan Army has finally acquired it permanently for its artillery firing range. But three years after the acquisition, three-fifth of the owners still await disbursement of their share, thanks to a series of litigation, and the inability of the acquisition staff  to expedite documentation of individual sale deeds.
The land --some 19,311 acres, five kanals and nine marlas in all-- was acquired by the Pakistan Army in 1999 on rates determined as far back as 1977. Initially, the owners  refused to part with their land at such unjust prices, but afterwards a rush on the revenue department by a section of the owners took the steam out of resistance. However, a substantial number of owners were still trying to  get a better price for their land. About 200 references were pending in the courts of civil jurisdiction in Nowshera as well as in the Peshawar High Court, challenging the acquisition of land on rates determined twenty years ago. The land constitutes 30 per cent of the total cultivable land of  Nowshera district. Revenue officials say that a judicious evaluation would put its price at anywhere between Rs 150,000 to Rs 200,000 per acre.

Ex-member PQA jailed for 7 years
April 2: An accountability court in Karachi, headed by Riaz Ahmed Phulphoto,   convicted Abdus Sattar Dairo, former member Port Qasim Authority (PQA), and sentenced him to  seven years' rigorous imprisonment in a corruption reference pertaining to accepting a bribe of Rs1.5 million for awarding three tenders of the Big Water Supply Scheme of the PQA. Mr Dairo was also disqualified from seeking public office for 21 years.

Pakistanis losing jobs in Britain due to 'Islamomania'
April 2: UK-based Prof Muhammad Anwar says that the Pakistanis had been fast losing their employment in Britain because of 'Islamomania'. Speaking at a round-table  conference on 'Future of British Pakistanis', organised by the Institute of Overseas Pakistanis (IOP) in Lahore, he said the Pakistanis spent time for ablution and prayers, during office hours, annoying their employers. Besides Pakistanis did not tend to assimilate British culture and traditions, he added. "These factors are contributing to rising unemployment among the overseas Pakistanis and affecting their socio-economic position. Pakistan and  Muslim identity was strong in England."

Decision to write off Rs 10-15 bn sales tax
April 3: The federal tax authorities decide to write off a massive sum of Rs 10-15 billion in sales tax after businessmen refused to pay up in the nine months of the current  financial year. The beneficiaries of this mega write-off, called "liquidation" in CBR terms, would include more than 10,000 businessmen who owe tax amounts of up to Rs 1 million. The total tax arrears payable by  businessmen amounted to Rs 30 billion by the end of March 2001. The Central Board of Revenue had previously issued notices of payment to more than 100,000 taxpayers who disputed these arrears in appellate benches, tax tribunals and courts of law, both high courts and Supreme Court of Pakistan.

WB opposes induction of retired civil, army officials
April 3: The World Bank expresses concern about the induction of retired civilian and army officers in bureaucracy which contradicts government commitment towards  rightsizing. The Bank believes this process of inducting highly paid retired officers would undermine the structural reforms introduced by the present regime. It is pertinent to note that many retired bureaucrats and army officers have been inducted in various departments by the government. The slots of chairman CBR, MD Sui Northern, MD Pakistan Steel Mills, railways chief and many more departments at the federal level are with retired government servants. Same is the case with provincial bureaucracy.

Over 25,699 people elected in March 21st polls
April 3: Over 25,699 people were elected in 1,459 union councils in 20 districts on March 21, according to the Election Commission. Of these, 3,396 were elected unopposed, while 1,544 seats remained vacant, on which there will be bye-elections by August this year. Details of the results are as under: Punjab: 18,268 (Elected through contest); 1,361  (Unopposed); 426 (Vacant seats); Sindh:  4,272 (Elected through contest); 870 (Unopposed); 297 (Vacant seats); NWFP: 2,628  (Elected through contest); 476 (Unopposed); 634 (Vacant seats) (Vacant seats);Baluchistan: 531 (Elected through contest); 689 (Unopposed); 187 (Vacant seats)

SC orders retrial of Benazir, Asif
April 6: The Supreme Court sets aside the conviction of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and her spouse Asif Ali Zardari in corruption case and ordered a retrial by a court of competent jurisdiction.  "For reasons to be recorded later in the detailed judgment, we accept the two titled appeals, set aside the impugned judgment recording convictions against and awarding sentences to the  appellants and send the case to a court of competent jurisdiction for retrial," the short order said. Benazir Bhutto and Asif Zardari had challenged their convictions awarded on April 15, 1999 by the two-member Ehtesab Bench of the Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi, for awarding pre-shipment inspection contract to SGS Switzerland. According to the prosecution the contract was awarded in consideration of 6% commission of total amount received by the company from the Government of Pakistan. The commission was paid to offshore company Boomer Finance Inc, owned by Asif Ali Zardari, through his agent Jens Schlegelmilch. Benazir and |Zardari were awarded five-year simple imprisonment each and a fine of $8.6 million besides disqualification as members of the Parliament and confiscation of the property. Apparently the seven-member bench set aside the verdict of Ehtesab bench against Benazir  Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari unanimously.

BB, Zardari facing nine corruption cases: Chairman NAB
April 6: Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Lt. General Khalid Maqbool said  that there were total nine cases filed against the corruption of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari. "Five relate to kick back of amount totaling up to 23 million. Two relate to the assets of both these which amount to $ 1.5 billion and two cases relate to misuse of her  authority", Chairman NAB told BBC.

New PAEC chairman takes charge
April 6: Engineer Pervez Butt takes over as chairman Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC). He replaced Dr Ashfaq Ahmad who was appointed as advisor to the chief executive for science and technology. Pervez joined Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission in 1964. His last stint as member power saw the installation, commissioning and operation of the nuclear power plant at Chashma. He did his master's degree in  Nuclear Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto in 1965. He worked at Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd Laboratories at Chalk River where he made a significant contribution to the design and development of the critical  fuel handling system for KANUPP. For this, the Government of Canada awarded him a merit certificate.

SGS seeks $329m in damages
April 7: The Swiss company, Societe Generale de Surveillance (SGS),  files a counter-claim against the government of Pakistan, demanding $329 million in damages on account of a  premature termination of the pre-shipment inspection (PSI) contract and damage caused to its reputation. In response to the federal government application, pending before an Islamabad civil court, seeking appointment of  arbitrator for the recovery of $187 million from the SGS, the Swiss company denied that any kickback or commission had been paid to Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari for procuring the contract. The SGS filed its response a  day after the Supreme Court bench set aside the convictions awarded by the Lahore High Court's Ehtesab bench to Ms Bhutto and Mr Zardari on the charge of awarding the PSI contract in consideration of commission.

Saif touches Asif's knees, begs pardon
April 7: Saifur Rehman, the former chief of the Ehtesab Bureau, touches the knees of Asif Zardari to express regret and apology. "I know you are very angry with me for the excesses I committed against you, but I ask your forgiveness," Saifur Rehman said as he entered the Accountability Court I in Rawalpindi, where Mr Zardari was sitting, surrounded by friends and newsmen, after a hearing in  the Pakistan Steel Mills reference.

Only 39pc seats for minorities contested
April 7: Minorities once again reject the system of separate electorate by 'successfully' boycotting the recent local bodies elections. This was the result drawn by the  National Commission for Peace and Justice from its study of 20 districts during the recent polls.
"Despite all propaganda and misinformation to lure the religious minorities, elections could only be held on 39 per cent  of the 1,459 seats reserved for minorities.

Ex-provincial minister jailed for 14 years
April 7: The Accountability Court, Attock Fort,  convicts former Punjab labor minister Sheikh Ejaz Ahmed to 14 years rigorous imprisonment on charges of corruption. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 47.7 million on the former minister besides forfeiting his Mitsubishi Pajero worth Rs 3.8 million. Ejaz Ahmad, who was a twice elected MPA from Sialkot, has also been disqualified from holding  any public office for 21 years. The former minister, according to the prosecution, indulged into corrupt practices and accumulated assets in his own name and in the names of his dependents and associates.
His bank transactions, properties and other transactions, for which he could not account for, include. foreign exchange bearer certificates worth Rs 24.17 million, purchase of US dollars 290,730, a plot measuring one kanal 13 marlas  valuing Rs5.0 million, bank transactions of Rs 40 million and Mitsubishi Pajero worth Rs. 3.8 million.

Asfandyar allowed to pass through Punjab
April 7: The Lahore High Court (LHC) allows President Awami National Party (ANP) Asfandyar Wali to pass through the province of Punjab to appear before the Supreme Court on a petition challenging the externing of the petitioner from the province of Punjab. The petition filed by Asfandyar Wali said that he has the right under Article 15 of the Constitution to go anywhere in the country. He submitted that he was in Lahore on March 21 last to attend the meeting of the leaders of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) inside the house of Tehmina Daultana, when the Punjab police arrested him and a externed him from the province of Punjab u/s 5(1)(a) and (c) of the West Pakistan MPO 1960. The petitioner contended that he has to pass through the Punjab even to go the federal capital where his case for the hearing was fixed before a  seven-judge bench of Supreme Court for April 9.

'Population to reach 320m in 25 years'
April 8: Chief Executive, General Pervez Musharraf, expresses concern over the increase in population and has asked to cut the growth from its current rate of 2.2 - 2.4 per cent  to a more sustainable 1.9 per cent by 2003. Despite a slight decline in growth rate, current estimates show that Pakistan's population will double (320 million people) within 25 years. Experts maintain that the doubling of the  population is unavoidable. With just over half of Pakistan's population of 140 million under the age of 20, they say a baby boom is inevitable.

Tribal Jirga demands Shariah, abolition of FCR
April 8: A Jirga of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and adjoining Frontier Regions (FRs) convened by the Jamaat-e-Islami demands immediate abolition of the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) and imposition of Shariah in the tribal belts of NWFP and Balochistan. The Jirga met in Peshawar to discuss the impacts of FCR introduced by the British colonial rulers in 1901 to suppress the Pukhtuns and Baloch tribes. It was attended by representatives of Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Kurram, Orakzai, North Waziristan and South Waziristan agencies and five Frontier Regions. Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Qazi Hussain Ahmed, who was the chief guest on the occasion, in his critical address termed the FCR a provocative and derogatory law. He said the FCR is a unique set of laws in this civilized world, which is specifically made for suppressing only two nationalities the Pukhtuns and Balochs. He blamed the successive administrations of the country for perpetuating the system in the tribal belt and said: "Qabail are still slaves as the system, which  the British framed for controlling them, is still in vogue."

'Provincial autonomy must for stable Pakistan'
April 8: The leaders of political and religious parties, representatives of professional organisations, technocrats and experts were unanimous that without provincial autonomy Pakistan could not be stable. They suggested amendments in 1973 constitution for more autonomy to the provinces. The consensus emerged at a seminar organized by the Center for Development and Democracy (CDD) in  Karachi. The title of the seminar, chaired by the chairman CDD Nafees Siddiqi, was 'Quantum of provincial autonomy in future'. The representative proposed that senate should be given more powers, independence in financial  affairs, powers to the provinces to appoint its governor and equal representation of the provinces in federal services.

Deoband moot urges Muslims to unite
April 9: The three-day international Deoband conference, organized by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F), opens at Taro Jaba, near Peshawar. The patron-in-chief of Darool Uloom Deoband  (India) Maulana Marghoobur Rehman presided over the inaugural session attended by a large number of ulema and JUI(F) activists. Two advisers to the Iranian president Khattami, Said Muhammad Rizvi and Maulana Ishaq Madani,  Taliban's deputy minister, Mohammad Ahsan, governor Badghais (Afghanistan) Wali Jan and delegates from India, Saudi Arabia and Libya attended the first day's proceedings. Amir Jamaat-i-Islami, Qazi Hussain Ahmad, JUI(S) central amir Maulana Samiul Haq, Amir Tanzim Islami Dr Israr Ahmad, former director general ISI Lt. Gen (R) Hamid Gul and provincial minister for religious affairs Qari Rohullah Madani also participated. The organizers of the three-day  event claimed that some 800,000 participants, mainly JUI workers, from across the country have arrived and some 600,000 were on their way to Taroo Jaba. They accused the administration of stopping thousands of JUI workers near Kohat.  In his inaugural speech the JUI (F) central amir Moulana Fazalur Rehman said that Darul Uloom Deoband was a beacon house, which had been enlightening the Muslim world over the years. He said that the conference was  organized to pay tributes to those personalities who established this great seat of learning in the subcontinent. He warned the West, particularly the US to stop hatching conspiracies against the Muslims. He said that they were  aware of the situation in Kashmir, Afghanistan, Kosovo and Palestine and these atrocities should be stopped.

Palijo, over 100 SAT activists arrested during water protest
April 9: At least 102 people, including Sindh Awami Tehrik (SAT) chief Rasool Bukhsh Palijo as well as women and children, protesting against a general water shortage in Sindh, were arrested in Karachi after repeated baton-charge and tear-gas shelling failed to stop them from proceeding towards the Governor House. A spokesman for the Awami Tehrik, which had started its long march on March 21 from Bhit Shah, near Hyderabad, said that the organization had faced numerous difficulties and arrests at several places in Sindh, before reaching the Governor House. Meanwhile, in a memorandum presented to the Governor staff the SAT said: "Sindh is passing through a period of grave economic, social and political crisis, which has been further aggravated by the disastrous policies pursued by the government in Sindh and the  military government in the centre. Sixty per cent of the Sindh population depends on agriculture for its livelihood. The crisis created by the shortage of irrigation water in the River Indus has literally devastated the agriculture sector, causing immense pain and impoverishment of the people of Sindh. All talk of natural water shortage falls flat before the fact that one province has harvested a record wheat crop, followed by a bumper cotton  crop, while throughout the length and breadth of Sindh, people are seen clamoring for drinking water. All talk of the 1994 ministerial understanding and the continued and uninterrupted flow of water through Chashma-Jhelum and Taunsa Punjnad link canals, despite reported overall shortage, are indications of brazen and shameless acts of stealing waters from Sindh. Sindh has become impoverished not only by the theft of irrigation water, but also by stealing finances from every possible avenue and by throwing thousands of people out of jobs from the government and autonomous departments."

Sindh to get more water: Accord with Punjab reached
April 9: Sindh and Punjab reach an agreement over supply of more water to the former from the Indus than its quota alloted under the Kharif plan. The agreement was  reached between the irrigation secretaries of the two provinces in Islamabad at the chief executive's secretariat after day-long deliberations. The secretaries had been called to the secretariat after the failure of their talks held earlier at the Punjab House.

90-day detention power 'very harsh', says CJ
April 9: Chief Justice Irshad Hasan Khan, heading the five-member bench hearing petitions challenging the NAB Ordinance, observes that, prima facie, the power of detaining  people in NAB custody for 90 days without registration of case was "very harsh." The chief justice  termed the NAB Ordinance as "draconian". He said the 90-day period appeared to be "very harsh" and "unreasonable", and added that liberty of the citizens have to be zealously guarded and it was the duty of the courts to protect the rights of the people.

Jihad Council rejects India's talks offer
April 9: The Muttahidda Jihad Council (MJC), an alliance of Kashmiri freedom fighters' groups, rejects a talks offer by India as "unrealistic and mala fide.  "This offer is beyond our comprehension because India is refusing to hold talks with Pakistan, which is the main party to the issue(of Kashmir)," said the MJC spokesman said in Muzaffarabad.

Musharraf planning to replace Tarar as next president: report
April 10: General Pervez Musharraf is planning to replace President Rafiq Tarar as the next president of Pakistan as part of his long-term strategy to  legitimize army's role in any future government , reports Jane's Defence Weekly.The weekly says that "it has been argued that this would not only ensure continuity of the policies initiated by the military regime, but would also formalize the army's role in the future government, as well as giving the military rulers protection from any future political action against them by a successor government." The magazine says:  "Furthermore, independent intelligence reports suggest that Musharraf is considering amending the Constitution to assume more presidential power. There are already indications that the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution  - which gives discretionary powers to the president to dismiss the government and dissolve the National Assembly - may be revived in a modified form."

MQM, JSQM leaders held to foil their bid to stage hunger strike
April 10: Top leaders of Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, protesting against what they termed "unjust distribution" of water from the Indus river, were arrested by the police before they could begin their hunger strike outside the Karachi Press Club. The law-enforcement agencies, who had cordoned off the entire locality since early morning, nabbed senators Aftab Ahmad Shaikh and Nasreen Jaleel of the MQM, and Shafi Muhammad Karnani and Sarai Qurban Panwar of the JSQM, even before they could reach the venue of the hunger strike.

IMF asks govt to carry out strict economic reforms
April 10: The IMF has lays down a strict economic performance criteria to offer $2 to $2.5 billion poverty reduction growth facility (PRGF) that also includes more allocations for social sectors in the next budget and implementing a structural reform program in CBR, banks, Wapda, KESC, and deregulating the whole petroleum sector. Sources in the multilateral agencies said in Islamabad revealed that the government had been asked to carry out certain effective reform program in the budget for 2001-2002 to qualify for the three-year PRGF after the expiry of $596 million standby arrangement (SBA) in September  this year.

EU urges end to honour killings
April 10: Governments worldwide must take urgent action to end harmful traditional or customary practices, including so-called honour killings of women, the European Union told the United Nations Human Rights Commission this week.  Johan Molander, Swedish envoy to Geneva and current EU spokesman, said the 15 nation bloc was determined to combat all crimes committed in the name of honour that threaten the health and dignity and even lives of women and girls. The EU was firmly convinced that social, cultural or religious factors could not be invoked as a justification for violating the human rights of women and girls, Molander told a UN meeting.

NAB recovers Rs. 50.542 billion since its inception
April 10:National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has recovered since its establishment an amount of Rs.50.542 billion according to detailed chart submitted by its counsel in the Supreme Court. The details were submitted under the direction of the Apex Court asking Federation to submit the detailed chart of the under investigation, tried, plea-bargained and loan default cases.

Iran wants change in Pak policy on Afghanistan
April 10: Pakistan must work with Tehran and New Delhi to resolve the Afghanistan situation says Iran's foreign minister, Kamal Kharazi, after welcoming Indian Prime  Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. "Experience has proven the Afghan crisis has no military solution and that the warring sides in Afghanistan should sit down at the negotiating table," Kamal Kharazi said.

Development budget cut by 10-15 per cent
April 10: The government imposes a 10 to 15 per cent cut on the development and current (civil administration) budget for the fiscal year 2000-2001 owing to Central Board of Revenue (CBR)'s failure in meeting its revenue target and because of financial constraints.

WB places Pakistan with Congo, Ethiopia
April 10: The debt indicators for Pakistan have worsened and it has joined the severely indebted group of low-income countries, according to the Global Development Finance report of the World Bank. The report has included 33 countries in the category of severely indebted low-income countries (SILICs), of which debt indicators only for Pakistan, Benin and Kyrgyz Republic have deteriorated further. The  report shows that Pakistan's debt burden has increased from $30 billion in 1997 to $34.4 billion in 1999, but the gross national product (GNP) had declined from $63.5 billion in 1997 to $58.8 billion in 1999.

11 of a family slaughtered in Vehari
April 10: Eleven members of a family, including four women and three children, were slaughtered over a vendetta in a village eight kilometres from Vihari.  Police said that  they had arrested three relatives of the victims. The assailants armed with daggers and hatchets raided the home of 80-year-old Fateh Sher. Police said the murders, in which the victims appeared to have been first drugged with sleeping pills before being attacked with large butchers' knives, appeared to be related to an old family feud and a dispute over property.The attack was apparently to avenge the eight-year-old murder, police said, adding three  of the assailants had been arrested and had "confessed".

Fazal denies Osama's message
April 10: Reacting to reports that Osama bin Laden has sent a message of solidarity to the Deoband conference held near Peshawar, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) leader Maulana Fazlur Rahman said no such communication had reached him or any other organiser of the event. "I am surprised by reports that a message by Osama bin Laden was read out and distributed at the conference. We haven't received any message  from him so there is no question of reading it out from the stage," he stressed. He added: "Someone said a pamphlet containing bin Laden's message is also in circulation at the conference. However, we have no concern  with that because no such message has reached us." According to the Maulana, it was possible that bin Laden sent a message to coincide with the Deoband conference to express solidarity for its objectives. But he said his party neither invited bin Laden to the conference nor sought a message from him. Meanwhile, there was confusion regarding bin Laden's message even among some of the JUI organisers. A few said the message had been received and read at the conference Monday night but stage secretaries Dr Khalid Mahmood Soomro and Qari Abdullah said they didn't read out any message from bin Laden.  It was said that bin Laden's message was faxed to the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera Television. It was then picked up by wire services and flashed by newspapers.

Deoband moot ends condemning US hegemony
April 11: The three-day international Deoband Conference in Peshawar concludes after adopting resolutions challenging the hegemony of US and its allies in world; demanding end  to UN sanctions against Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya and early withdrawal of US-led Western troops from Arab lands. The conference called for formation of a united Muslim block outside the "pro-Jewish" UN to liberate Al-Quds and rest of Palestine from Israeli occupation and protect the rights of Muslims. Another resolution urged the political leadership of India and Pakistan to find a peaceful and just solution to the Kashmir problem to  save the subcontinent and Asia from a nuclear confrontation. The Deoband moot accused international media of being biased and anti-Islam and called upon the Muslim Ummah to establish its own information network to break free  from the Jewish-controlled medias.

Admiral Mansoor held in US
April 11: Admiral (retd) Mansooul Haq, former Chief of Naval Staff, was arrested  arrested by US authorities  on request of Government of Pakistan. Admiral (retd) Mansoor was one of the most wanted accused on charges of huge corruption. He had escaped to the United States along with some top bureaucrats and a few politicians. Arrested former chief of Pakistan Navy Admiral Mansoorul Haq received kickbacks  and bribes totalling over $3.57 million in several deals including purchase of minesweepers, SM-39 missiles, naval equipment from Thompson CSF and in Bahria Town, documents filed by Pakistan in the US court in Texas have revealed.

UK court releases Benazir, Zardari asset papers
April 11: Bow Street Magistrate London turning down Asif Ali Zardari's request reviewed its decision of providing 22,000 documents to the Government of Pakistan. It released the documents to the government of Pakistan through UK High Commission in Pakistan.These documents contain the evidence regarding assets/accounts of Asif Ali Zardari/Benazir Bhutto and their cronies, according to the National Accountability Bureau.

SC Shariat Bench issues notices in Riba case
April 11: A Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court issues notices to Attorney-General of Pakistan and respondents on a petition of the United Bank Limited, seeking  review of the apex court judgment declaring all kinds of interest-based banking as Riba.
The UBL had filed the review petition about a year ago soon after the Supreme Court bench upheld the Federal Shariat Court judgment passed in 1991.

Palijo rejects Kalabagh dam, slams Punjab
April 11: Sindh Awami Tehreek Chairman Rasool Bux Palijo says: "Sindh is being squeezed from all sides to make it accept the Kalabagh Dam as a fait accompli for meeting its water needs. But the rulers must not forget its 5,000 years' history which bears it out that Sindh had never surrendered to any aggressor without a fight and this time too its people would rather die than to give up their  opposition to the project.
Addressing a press conference in Karachi, he made a passionate appeal to all the conscientious people of Pakistan, particularly the intellectuals and those who "quench their thirst from the River Indus" to raise their voice against stoppage of water to Sindh which, he said, was a bid to strangulate the province.

Attachment of NLC assets ordered: Accident case
April 11: The Sindh High Court orders attachment and sale of movable assets of the National Logistics Cell (NLC) in suit pertaining to fatal accident case. Justice Mushir Alam ordered for attachment of movable assets of the NLC, including the transport fleet and office articles in an Execution Application seeking implementation of a decree awarded in an accident case filed for recovery of compensation by a widow of the person who was killed in a traffic accident on December 5, 1989. The decree was earlier issued in November 20, 1998 by the then Justice Shaiq Usmani for a sum of Rs 1.55 million along with cost  and interest @ of 15% per annum from the date of filing of suit till realisation in favour of Mst. Aisha Bibi, widow of Ali Muhammad Brohi.

Nepal expels detained Pakistani diplomat
April 12:  Nepal expels Muhammad Arshad Cheema, first secretary at the Pakistan Embassy, who was detained in connection with the seizure of explosives from a house in  Kathmandu. Police said they had recovered 16.2 kg of powerful explosives from a house in Kathmandu and detained Cheema and his wife. "Since it is incompatible with his diplomatic duties and inconsistent with the Vienna  Convention on diplomatic relations HMG (His Majesty's Government of Nepal) has decided that Mr Cheema should leave the country within 24 hours," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Call to ensure identity of Punjabi language
April 12: The Punjabis living on both sides of the border love each other and it is their ultimate desire that they should have more opportunities to interact and help promote peace in the region. This was expressed by the participants of a four-day World Punjabi Conference, on its inaugural session , in Lahore. The inaugural session, was presided over by Malik Meraj Khalid, former Caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan, and attended by a large number of Punjabi lovers, intellectuals, poets, artists , showbiz celebrities and politicians from Pakistan, India, Russia and many other countries of the world. Malik Meraj  Khalid while inaugurating the conference, said that both Pakistan and India should benefit from the universal teachings of love presented by the Punjabi mystic poets to live like good neighbors. He said that practical steps  should be taken for the promotion of Punjabi language as the holding of moots, seminars and poetic sittings alone would not work.

Benazir has 26 bank accounts
April 12: In a "Special report: Pakistan", the British daily, The Guardian reports that the military regime in Pakistan is to extend its investigation of corruption allegations  against the former prime minister Benazir Bhutto after the release by a British court of 22,000 pages of documents detailing her bank accounts and assets. The National Accountability Bureau prosecutor general for corruption,  Raja Bashir, told The Guardian that, "Ms Bhutto has 26 bank accounts, 14 properties and total assets of one billion sterling pound abroad. We are very glad that other countries are cooperating with us."

Police beat Muttahida, JSQM protestors again
April 12: The campaign of joint hunger strike by Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) entered the fourth day and the leaders and activists again  attempted to gather at the Karachi Press Club. However, the police and law enforcement agencies failed the bid and arrested 21 activists including six women who were trying to protest against the water shortage and alleged  excesses being meted out to the province.

China asked to withdraw guarantee condition: Laying of oil pipeline
April 12: Pakistan asks China to withdraw the condition of $45 million sovereign guarantee that its company has sought for laying of a $500 million  Karachi-Multan white oil pipeline. The federal secretary for petroleum, M. Abdullah Yousaf, raised this issue with the Chinese vice-minister for trade and economic cooperation, An Min, during a meeting in Islamabad. The 800km  white oil pipeline from Karachi to Mehmoodkot near Multan is being financed by China Exim Bank with $120 million for the $317 million contract to the Chinese Petroleum Corporation. The corporation had demanded of the government  of Pakistan to provide a $45 million sovereign guarantee before it signed the Letter of Intent (LoI) for the construction of the project.

Pakistan joins rank of poorest nations: World Bank
April 13: The economies of Pakistan and Ukraine have declined so much during the past decade that they are now among the world's poorest nations, while China has surged out of the lowest-income category , according to the World Bank. In the World Bank's estimation, Pakistan joins countries like Rwanda and Nicaragua, which are so impoverished they are eligible to have hundreds of millions of dollars in loans forgiven by the World Bank and other creditors. How to resolve the dilemma of being poor and yet seeking not to be formally declared as such so that Pakistan does not lose its eligibility for international loans confronts the country's economic decision-makers with their biggest challenge. Pakistan's $26-billion debt burden reflected what World Bank chief economist Nicholas Stern had called the country's "lost decade" of the 1990s, when, according to him, poor policies, political instability and corruption stalled the economy. 

Usman Farooqui sentenced to 7-year RI
April 13: An accountability court in Karachi sentenced Mohammed Usman Farooqui, a former chairman of the Pakistan Steels Mills, to seven years' rigorous imprisonment for causing a loss of more than Rs5.5 million to the national exchequer. The court also fined the former Pakistan Steel chief Rs100 million. Farooqui, prosecuted for committing gross irregularities in the purchase of five level indicators, the equipment used in furnace, at an extremely exorbitant price, was also disqualified from holding any public office for 21 years. The former Pakistan Steel chairman was convicted of gaining illegal benefits and causing a loss of more than Rs5.5 million to the national exchequer through the deal.

Govt paid Rs14.8m as fee in Ms Bhutto, NAB cases
April 13: The Supreme Court was informed  that an amount of Rs 14.8 million was spent in the form of legal fee in two cases before the Supreme Court -appeals of Ms Benazir Bhutto-Asif Zardari , and petitions challenging NAB ordinance.

Close aide to JUI(F) chief arrested
April 13: A close aide to Maulana Fazlur Rehman and leader of JUI(F), Haji Ghulam Ali, was arrested in Peshawar by the Regional Accountability Bureau (RAB) on charges of amassing  wealth through corruption. The chairman of the National Accountability Bureau, Lt-Gen Khalid Maqbool, had issued an arrest warrant for Ali who twice worked as councillor of the Peshawar Municipal Corporation. Ali was the first  leader of any religious party arrested during the accountability drive under the National Accountability Bureau Ordinance 1999. RAB has charged the accused with possessing assets to the tune of Rs40 million which are  disproportionate to his known sources of income and claimed that the accused had made fortune through the local bodies system introduced by the government of the late Gen Ziaul Haq.

Expelled Pakistani diplomat leaves Khatmandu
April 14: Pakistan embassy's first secretary Mohammad Arshad Cheema and his wife Rubina Cheema left Khatmandu for home after Nepalese government expelled the diplomat on  the charge of keeping powerful explosives in his house.

APA of Kurram Agency shot dead
April 14: The assistant political agent (APA) of Upper Kurram Agency, Masoodur Rehman Khattak, was shot dead in front of his office in Parachinar. Some unidentified armed men fired at  APA when he was standing in the balcony of his office.  Officials said that one of the accused has been arrested from the scene of crime with the weapon of offence.

Surplus employees to be absorbed: Arbitrary dismissal law amended
April 14: President, Rafiq Tarar, promulgates an ordinance which allows absorption of a civil servant rendered surplus by either placing him in the  same pay and scale or even posting him on a lower post retaining his earlier higher emoluments. The services of surplus civil servants have been protected through the ordinance, titled Civil Servants (Amendment) Ordinance,  2001, which came into force with immediate effect.  According to the ordinance, a civil servant, rendered surplus as a result of re-organization or abolition of a division, department, office or abolition of a post in  pursuance of any government decision, may be appointed to a post, carrying basic pay and scale equal to the post held by him before such appointment, if he possesses the qualifications required and fulfils other conditions  applicable to that post. Moreover, in case no equivalent post is available he may be offered a lower post but the pay being drawn by him in the higher post immediately preceding his appointment to a lower post will remain  unchanged.

107 Pakistanis held as POWs by Masood group in Afghanistan
April 15: The Northern Alliance forces of Ahmad Shah Masood in Afghanistan are holding at least 107 Pakistani nationals as prisoners of war (POWs), reveals a  list of foreign POWs released by the Committee for Free Afghanistan recently.  These POWs include 44 pro-Taliban fighters from Punjab, 24 from the North West Frontier Province, 23 from Sindh and 16 from Balochistan. In  addition, Masood holds one Kashmiri national, and one UK citizen of Pakistani origin. In all, there are 113 foreign POWs in northern Afghanistan, including a Yemeni Arab, recruited by Hizb-i-Jihad, and two ethnic Uighurs from  the Chinese province of Xinjiang who entered Afghanistan via Pakistan and were captured by Masood's troops north of Kabul in August 1999. A majority of these prisoners were caught on frontlines north of Kabul, such as in the  areas of Bagram, Charikar, Jabalus Seraj and Ghorband, but some also fell into enemy hands in areas north of the Hindukush, like Mazar-i-Sharif and Darra-i-Souf. The list was compiled by Julie Sirrs, a known Afghan analyst and  consultant who was a regular visitor to both Taliban and non-Taliban areas since 1997.

India opens dialogue in held Kashmir
April 15: The Indian government announces the beginning of the first round of a political dialogue in held Kashmir to resolve the separatist violence which has claimed more than 34,000 lives in the region since 1989. India's chief negotiator for Kashmir Krishna Chandra Pant made the announcement after sending invitations to regional groups as well as the APHC. Mir Qasim, a former Kashmir state chief  minister, was the first to respond and reached Pant's New Delhi residence for the talks. Pant, the head of Indian government's policy-making Planning Commission, said the talks were in line with New Delhi's April 5 invitation to all Kashmiri groups to join the dialogue, which aims to restore peace in the Indian zone of Kashmir. The Indian negotiator said he had invited Kashmiri parliamentarians, regional legislators and an array of local leaders with "representative capacity" to participate in the first such government-sponsored dialogue. Political representatives from Kashmir's Buddhist-dominated Ladakh region as well as leaders from Kargil, were also sent invitations.

Curfew clamped on Parachinar
April 15: The authorities clamped curfew for indefinite period on Parachinar after the murder of assistant political agent of lower Kurram Agency, Masood-ur-Rehamn Khattak.

Niazi removed as JUP president
April 15: Maulana Abdul Sattar Niazi, the ageing president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP), was expelled from the party's presidentship by his close associate and brother-in-law Ghulam  Sarwar Niazi. The showdown was witnessed in JUP after Ghulam Sarwar Niazi announced Abdul Sattar Niazi expelled in a fashion strikingly similar to that in which Engineer Salimullah Khan was expelled by Sattar Niazi last year. Confusion still prevails as both the leaders claim to have expelled each other from the party. But one thing was clear, a fifth group with Ghulam Sarwar Niazi as president has broken away from what was once the largest  political party of Ahle Sunnat (Barelvi school of thought) in the country.

Sindh denies accepting construction of Kalabagh Dam
April 15: The Sindh province rejects the impression that it has agreed to the construction of Kalabagh Dam and termed the report in the regard as "confusing". A spokesman for Irrigation Department Sindh said that the word "carry over" in fact caused confusion. He said that the secretary Irrigation had told newsmen that "in years of surplus water, we may construct carry-over dams keeping in view that environmental requirement and other needs below Kotri are met."

Govt detects 23,000 ghost pensioners in PR
April 15: The government detects about 23,000 pensioners in Pakistan Railways, who were either non-existent or getting the allowance on fake entries. Out of the total 123,000  pensioners in the department, an enquiry showed that about 100,000 of them were genuine, the minister for communication and railways, Javed Ashraf, said in Lahore.

No more soft Chinese loans for Pakistan
April 15: A major policy shift takes place in Chinese government's economic assistance policy towards Pakistan as its form of cooperation has changed from 'concessional state loans to the suppliers credit' due to Beijing's policy of modernization and economic expansion. The economic assistance from China which started in the 60s, currently stood at $1.8 billion (RMBY 3.244 billion), according to a member of the Chinese official trade delegation which ended its visit to Pakistan last week. The 20 member Chinese trade delegation headed by the deputy trade minister had come to Pakistan to discuss ways and means to enhance  cooperation in different sectors of the economy in the changed economic environment at the global level.

Maladies hit $8 billion SAP working: study
April 15: The US$8 billion worth of Social Action Programme (SAP) was suffering from poor planning and budgeting, lack of trained staff, absenteeism, inadequate and  unreliable supplies of key inputs needed to maintain service quality, faulty construction, and weak monitoring, a mid-term final review report of SAP-II reveals. The report, financed by the United Kingdom Department for International Development, had also identified a number of problems in the social sectors like deficiencies in implementation, flaws in the design, poor governance, and insufficient efforts in social services. The SAP is a national programme launched in 1992-1993 which was redesigned to coincide with the Eighth Five Year Plan. Seventy-five per cent of the total amount for SAP was to be provided locally and remainder from foreign assistance. According to a report of SAP-II mid-term review, analysis of the performance of the SAP shows mixed results. "Overall progress has been limited in comparison with the large amount of effort and resources that have been allocated to the SAP."

IMF demands market-driven gas, power prices
April 15: The government agrees to follow formula-based periodic adjustments in gas and electricity prices with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). "To pave the way for privatisation and foreign direct investment (FDI) in the production and distribution of natural gas, the authorities have decided first to achieve and then to maintain parity of gas prices with the world market prices through biannual adjustments," says the latest IMF report. In this regard, the first adjustment of 14.4 per cent in gas prices, which was also a prior action for the release of second tranche under Standby arrangement, was implemented in Mid-March 2001. Similarly, an automatic fuel price adjustment clause in electricity tariff has been inserted, paving the way for two back-to-back increases of 4.9 per cent in January and 4.5 per cent in March  2001, in average tariff of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda). In case of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC), increase was 9.5 per cent.

Pakistan's break-up could destabilize region: report
April 16: "Should the (United States) military be tailored to seize and occupy nations, such as Pakistan, whose disintegration could destabilize a region,"  asks The Los Angeles Times in its April 15 edition. The report mentions this as one of the concerns that the Pentagon has while reshaping its global military strategy. It says that the new Pentagon management team assembled by Defense Secretary Donald H Rumsfeld has completed a sweeping strategic analysis that is expected to recommend a new approach to America's military strategy. What should be a matter of concern for Pakistan is that the fears about a nuclear war between India and Pakistan and about Pakistan's breaking up are being increasingly mentioned in American media as well as strategic reports. In fact, one of the favorite themes of war-gaming among Pentagon officials is about Pakistan's disintegration. This was mentioned in Pentagon's 'Joint Vision 2020', the core planning document of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the excerpts of which were leaked by The Washington Post some time  ago. This was one of the many reports that have come out of the US establishment, painting doomsday scenarios for Pakistan. The war games are used to ask how the US military might respond to some of the biggest questions it faces: "Will Pakistan and India engage in nuclear war-or, perhaps even worse, will Pakistan break up, with its nuclear weapons falling into the hands of Afghan mujahideen"? The Pentagon, it said, is looking at Asia as  the most likely arena for future military conflict, shifting away from its traditional focus on Europe.

Five accords signed with Morocco
April 16: in Islamabad, Pakistan and Morocco sign five agreements of co-operation to strengthen their relations in the fields of economy, shipping and tourism. The visiting Moroccan  Prime Minister Abderrahaman Youssoufi and Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf were present on the occasion. The five agreements inked between the two countries included agreement on establishment of Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) between the governments of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Kingdom of Morocco. Commerce Minister Abdul Razzak Dawood and Moroccan Minister for Economy and Planning Abdel Hamid Aouad signed the agreement on JMC on behalf of their countries.

Six hurt, 7 vehicles burnt as police, rioters clash in Karachi
April 16: Rangers and police fired gun shots in the air and rained down tear-gas shells after a heavy baton-charge fell short of preventing boisterous,  stone-throwing demonstrators to reach the heavily-guarded Governor House in Karachi. The demonstrators, belonging to Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM), were protesting against shortage of water in the  Sindh province. At least six people including three cops were wounded in the tear-gas shelling that followed a heavy baton-charge during which police chased the protesters in the labyrinth of narrow lanes near Zainab Market and arrested 40, according to police, and 60, according to the Muttahida and JSQM.

MQM, JSQM hold rallies against water shortage in Hyderabad
April 16: Activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) bring out a march from the premises of the district court and  stage a protest demonstration outside the Hyderabad Press Club against the shortage of water in Sindh. They carried empty pitchers, banners and placards and raised slogans of 'Sindhi Mohajir Bhai Bhai'. Addressing the rally, a member of the suspended Sindh Assembly, Zafar Rajput, accused the establishment of withholding the water supply to Sindh and said the establishment should learn a lesson from its past mistakes which had disintegrated Pakistan.

Water rally baton-charged, 22 held in Nawabshah
April 16: Twenty-two activists of MQM and JSQM, including a former MPA, were arrested for organising a protest procession over the issue of shortage of irrigation water  in Nawabshah. The activists of both the parties were holding earthen jars and were shouting slogans for water. They also raised slogans of Sindhu Desh and Jeay Mohajir.

AJK Ehtesab Bureau halts action against politicians
April 16: The Ehtesab Bureau, Azad Kashmir, decides to halt proceedings on the alleged corruption cases against politicians till a decision on the forthcoming general elections is made. The Chairman, Ehtesab Bureau, Justice (retd) Basharat Ahmed Sheikh is opposed to holding of the elections and supports the formation of an interim government, so that the accountability process could be carried out without any hindrances, press reports said.
However, the top political leaders, including prime minister Sultan Mahmood and leader of the main opposition Muslim Conference, Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan were  stressing for holding of the polls on time.

Mullah Omar's deputy dies in Rawalpindi
April 16: The second most powerful figure in the Taliban, Mullah Muhammad Rabbani, died at the Rawalpindi Combined Military Hospital, after a long battle with cancer. Rabbani, 45, was the chairman of Taliban's Council of Ministers and next in command after Mullah Omar. His body was flown to his home in Kandhar for burial.

China backs Indian move on Afghanistan
April 16: China announces that it welcomes all international efforts, including that of India, that could bring peace to Afghanistan. "China welcomes and supports all the efforts that are conducive to peaceful resolution of the Afghanistan issue," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said in Beijing while commenting on India's role in resolving the Afghanistan issue. Iran suggested  during the visit of Indian prime minister A.B. Vajpayee to Tehran last week that Islamabad should work with New Delhi and Tehran to resolve the Afghan issue. But, Pakistan Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar ruled out any role for  India in Afghanistan. "The world community has identified eight countries which have a role to play in bringing peace to Afghanistan, and India is not among them," he said.

Rangers officers occupy KU staff houses
April 16: Seven out of eight residential units in Karachi University were occupied by those officers of the rangers who were not even deputed in the KU while a large number of  university teachers were waiting for the grant of accommodation facilities for years. There has been a great resentment among the teachers and students over the deployment of ranges at the campus. The Rangers are deployed at the KU campus since 1989 when the then governor of Sindh, Fakhruddin G. Ibrahim, being chancellor of the KU, called them following a clash between two students' groups in which three boys were killed.
Observers say that judging by the elaborate arrangements made for their accommodation, it is fairly evident that the rangers have no plans to move out any time soon. The president of the Karachi University Teachers' Society, Rashida Qasim, demanded withdrawal of the rangers who have become a burden the university financial resources.

Donors want orderly transition to Riba-free system
April 16: International donors express concerns over easygoing mood of the authorities in development of Riba-free products to pave the way for transformation of the financial system. A latest report of the International Monetary Fund says that little has been done in developing new financial instruments, and the progress is very slow in educating bankers and their clients on the broad  modalities of the Islamic Financial System (IFS), which was an important requirement before full transformation could take place. The government is required to eliminate interest from all financial transactions to comply with  Riba judgment of the Shariah Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court. Though, United Bank Limited had filed a review petition yet legal experts believe that the Court order cannot be repealed under the Constitution. The only relief the government can get is some more time, provided it has a program and intentions to do so. The IMF had also extended technical assistance to the State Bank of Pakistan by advising the government to launch a Riba-free bond in small amount as a first step to test the market, and get the needed experience.

Traders observe strike in Quetta
April 16: The shopkeepers and commercial establishments observe a shutter down strike on the call of the Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party in Quetta and northern Balochistan.
The call for strike was given by the PMAP to protest against an incident involving some Frontier Corps personnel and Nawab Ayaz Khan Jogezai, the chief sardar of Kakar tribe.

Pre-strike violence: 34 vehicles set afire in Karachi
April 17: Thirty-four vehicles were set on fire during the pre-strike violence in Karachi. About 150 activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Jiye Sindh Qaumi Movement were taken into custody in various parts of the city. Both parties had called for a strike to protest against the water shortage in the Sindh province.

World Bank curtails $100 million soft loan to Pakistan
April 17: The World Bank curtails $100 million soft loan to Pakistan's $785 million National Drainage Programme (NDP) due to slow-paced institutional reforms and  some unapproved schemes. A bank mission that spent around three weeks in Pakistan for the mid-term review (MTR) of the project has conveyed its decision to the relevant authorities. The bank refused to accept Punjab's Rs3  billion scheme for canal lining besides a couple of small dams both in Punjab and NWFP costing over a billion rupees. It also refused to involve Azad Kashmir in the drainage program because the three issues were not directly covered by the World Bank approved plan of action. The bank expressed concern over unilateral alteration in the investment priorities taken up by the Punjab government despite its repeated warnings.

ABL management embezzled Rs 2bn against employees interests
April 17: A thorough probe conducted by internal auditors of Allied Bank  establishes the connivance of bank's top management into a shady deal for  transfer of bank's majority shares to a private concern by using the bank money. A report submitted to the State Bank of Pakistan by the finance ministry, estimated that the amount embezzled was around Rs 2 billion and was  being used by the private concern to buy the bank's majority shares thus depriving the employees of their present management rights. Those who have been identified to be involved in the shady deal, initially unearthed by the  State Bank, include the then president ABL, two of it's senior vice presidents/directors, executive vice president/provincial chief Sindh and many others. Last year the SBP had detected an underhand deal between the management of the ABL and M/S Fateh Textile Mills, Hyderabad for the transfer of Bank's majority shares (belonging to its employees) to the party. The timely unearthing of the deal, however, allowed the SBP to halt the transfer of management to Fateh Group.

Complete shutdown in Sindh cities: Two blasts rock Karachi
April 18: A complete shutdown was observed in almost all cities and towns in Sindh  in response to a call given by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the  Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz. The strike turned violent in Karachi, where a man was killed and two others were wounded in three bomb blasts. Violent protests were reported from other towns. The MQM and the JSQM had given the strike call to protest against what they alleged an artificial shortage of water and injustices being perpetrated against the province and its people. Despite heavy deployment of the police and rangers throughout Karachi, five more vehicles were set on fire in the morning, bringing the figure to 42 during the last 36 hours. The police arrested about 600 people for their alleged involvement in violence.

MQM, JSQM heads pledge brotherhood
April 18: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief, Altaf Hussain, says that "our Sindhi brothers ought to realize now who their true friends are those serving the interest of the establishment of Punjab in the name of Sindh and pitting Sindhi and Urdu-speaking people against each other, or those who are offering sacrifices by raising their voice over water shortage and other excesses against the province of Sindh." Altaf Hussain, in a telephonic conversation with the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz chairman, Bashir Qureshi, pointed out that the MQM had not only raised its voice, but had jointly struggled with the JSQM, and its leaders, workers, elders, sisters and mothers had faced oppression and excesses and suffered arrests and detention for the rights of Sindh. On his part, Bashir Qureshi said, "The joint voice raised for the rights of Sindh, with MQM efforts, would give a new turn to Sindh politics. The eyes of the people of Sindh have finally opened and there is a realization among them who their true friend is in striving practically for the rights of  Sindh." The JSQM chief said that those who tried to pit the permanent residents of Sindh against each other were loyal of the Punjabi establishment, which wanted to continue to rule over Sindh, by making the Urdu and  Sindhi-speaking people fight each other.

SC says Justice Qayyum showed bias towards Benazir's trial in SGS case
April 18: The Supreme Court rules that the conviction of Benazir Bhutto was the result of Justice Qayyum's bias against her, who had a close liaison with her political opponents. In its detailed judgement in the SGS case, the seven-member bench unanimously observed: "We are convinced that the trial in this case was not fair and on account of bias of the Ehtesab  Bench, the case of the appellants stands vitiated." The element of bias in the present case was floating on the surface of the record, it further observed.  The SC ruled that "undisputed material was made available which made it clear that Justice Malik Muhammad Qayyum had moved an application for grant of diplomatic passport(s) for himself and his wife on April 17, 1998, before freezing of the assets of the appellants. "It was the case of the appellants that Justice Qayyum had frozen their assets for getting undue favours from their political opponents." The court held that the appellants' assets were frozen by the bench headed by Justice  Qayyum on April 27, 1998. The then prime minister approved the grant of diplomatic passports to Justice Qayyum and his wife on April 30, 1998. The court held that Attorney-General Aziz A. Munshi had conceded that no judge of superior courts was entitled to grant of a diplomatic passport except the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
"The unchallenged document in respect of the grant of diplomatic passports not only goes a long way to suggest that Malik Muhammad Qayyum, J. had acquired a personal interest in the case by deriving an out of the way favour of grant of diplomatic passport to him and his wife but also divulges a close liaison between the learned Judge, Senator Saifur Rehman and Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, the then Prime Minister whose political rivalry with Ms. Benazir Bhutto is a matter of common knowledge."
The court stated that there was yet another undisputed circumstance from which inference of partiality of the judge and his liaison with the then prime minister Mian Nawaz Sharif could be safely drawn. "It is that Malik Parvez, real brother of Malik Muhammad Qayyum J., was a sitting Member National Assembly of PML (N) having been elected unopposed through a bye-election against a seat vacated by Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. "This fact also stands admitted that Ehtesab Reference No. 26/1998 was  temporarily entrusted to the Bench headed by Malik Muhammad Qayyum, J." The court held that the connection of Justice Qayyum with Nawaz Sharif, diametrically opposed to Ms Bhutto, could not be denied. It held that there was judicial consensus that "a Judge having pecuniary or proprietary interest or any other personal interest in the subject matter of a case before him cannot hear the case."

Justice Qayyum says he'll not resign
April 19: Justice Malik Abdul Qayyum of Lahore High Court says neither he does not intend to resign in view of the Supreme Court verdict that he showed biased towards former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and her spouse Asif Ali Zardari in SGS Cotecna case. "However, if the judiciary feels that it does not require his services any more, then he will take the decision in the light of both the national  and judiciary's interest" he added.

National Accountability Bureau freezes Mansur's property
April 18: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB)  freezes the movable and immovable property of Admiral Mansur-Ul-Haq former chief of Naval Staff and his  family members. Admiral (R) Mansur Ul Haq was arrested by the US authorities in USA on April 12 following request by the government of Pakistan on his alleged involvement in massive corruption. The frozen property includes 14 residential plots of various measurements situated in different cities of the country besides an expensive limousine car.

WB seeks recovery of embezzled SAP funds
April 18: The World Bank in an unprecedented move decides to recover from the government of Pakistan a sum of Rs500 billion released for Social Action Program (SAP-II) during  the last four years, but embezzled according to the report of the Auditor General of Pakistan. The government of Pakistan was given 15 days to 'update the analysis of observations related to fraud, massive corruption and ineligible expenditure' in the execution of SAP-II as pointed out in the AG financial audit reports for the years 97,98 &99. 'By the end of April, the donors will seek recoveries keeping in view the audit report observations,' revealed a letter written by WB to government of Pakistan. Earlier, AGP in its audit reports covering the period of funding between 1997-2000 sent to the World Bank, had revealed that against the actual releases  of approximately Rs18 billion ($350 million) during the last four year period by SAP donors, approximately Rs12 billion were embezzled by the government functionaries and project staff.

Lahore High Court moved for Justice Qayyum's removal
April 19: Advocate Mian Hanif Tahir moves the Lahore High Court for the immediate removal of justices Malik Muhammad Qayyum and Rashid Aziz Khan in view of the  Supreme Court observations in its detailed judgment on the Benazir-Zardari appeals.
In his application, the lawyer argued that the continued hearing of cases by the two judges amounted to contempt of (the highest) court. Every state institution and functionary was bound to act in aid of the Supreme Court. There was no need of any inquiry at least for their suspension, he maintained.

Writ against Punjabi moot organizers
April 19: The Lahore High Court was moved for action against the organizers of the World Punjabi Conference "where speakers talked against partition of the province and the  Islamic identity of the state of Pakistan". Advocate M.D. Tahir pointed out that the government extended all facilities for the conference and its officials actively participated in it. He said the first Punjabi conference was held in 1986, the second in 1992 and the third in Chandigarh in the year 2000. Why the fourth conference was held so soon after the third and another was planned after some months? he asked, requesting the court to prohibit  official patronage for such gatherings.

100 workers arrested in crackdown on MQM, JSQM
April 19: About 100 workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz were rounded up in a major crackdown in Hyderabad. The crackdown was launched to arrest those workers of the MQM and the JSQM who were said to be wanted in different cases.  The arrests followed a protest rally by the MQM and the JSQM in the city against the water shortage on April 16 and a province-wide strike call given by the two parties to protest against the water shortage, use of batons against their workers and leaders outside the Karachi press club and the arrests of several other workers the same day.

Karamat's son, two others allowed bail
April 19: The special judge (offences in banks) allowes bail to three people, including son of the former chief of the army staff Gen Jehangir Karamat, Farrukh Karamat, in  connection with the Emirates Bank scam. The two others were Al-i-Shafi and Dr Tafweez. Farrukh was allowed bail against a bond worth Rs10 million and two sureties.
The applicants were involved in a case for allegedly availing a finance facility of Rs208 million from the Emirates Bank on the basis of forged letters of guarantee. Two cases were registered in March on the basis of two letters of guarantee.

ADB suggests cut in defense spending
April 19: Pakistan should cut defense and other current expenditures to make up for revenue slippages, suggests the Annual Development Outlook (ADO) of Asian Development Bank. For financial sector reforms, the ADB report recommended privatization of state-owned banks, improvement of legal and judicial process for enforcement of financial contracts, centralizing the regulatory authority in the State Bank  of Pakistan, reducing interest rates on National Savings Schemes (NSS) and improving environment for prudential regulations and supervision of financial institutions, so as to meet international standards.

Punjab's division created Kashmir, water crisis: Bilour
April 20: Former federal minister and senior leader of the Awami National Party (ANP) Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour says that the division of the Punjabi nation  created the "Kashmir" and "water crisis" in Pakistan. Talking to reporters in Peshawar, Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour said that if the Punjabis had not been divided, Kashmir would have been a part of Pakistan.  The ANP leader said: "It was the Pakistani bureaucracy and army, which signed Sindh Tass Agreement with India in 1961 and agreed on the apportionment of not only the country's five major rivers but also Indus River." The Sindh Tass Agreement, he believed, was an act of injustice with the Pakistani nation. "The waters of five rivers constitute 60 per cent of the total waters of Pakistan and 40 per cent of river Indus was divided among four provinces, with NWFP getting only 10 per cent of the total. On the other hand, India was awarded half of the total waters from five major Punjab's rivers and river Indus," he added. "Punjab had to take water from river Indus after the creation of Pakistan. Three major barrages were constructed to divert water of Sindh to the Punjab." he concluded. 

Elections have to be held before Oct 12, 2002: CJ
April 20: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Irshad Hasan Khan reiterates that the elections to the Senate, National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies have to be held  before October 12, 2002 and democratic institutions revived. In the foreword of report issued by Supreme Court on projecting healthy and encouraging figures of disposal of cases during last year, the Chief Justice emphasized  that Supreme Court is firmly committed to the governance of country by the peoples' representatives. "We reiterate the definition term 'democracy' to the effect that "it is Government of the people, by the people and  for the people" and not by the Army rule for an indefinite period," the Chief Justice stated.

47 million living below poverty line, says report
April 20: Forty to 47 million people are living below the poverty line in the country, says a latest study conducted by the Asian Development Bank. It adds that the  incidence of poverty increased from less than 20 per cent in the late 1980s to more than 30 per cent in the late 1990s. The report says 31 per cent of the population lived on one dollar a day during that period.

Ex-minister sentenced to 5 years, fined Rs6 million
April 21: The Accountability Court Quetta  sentences Faiq Ali Jamali, ex-Minister for Labour and Manpower, Balochistan, for five years in jail and fined Rs6  million on charges of corruption. Hafeez Ur Rehman, Secretary Labour and Manpower, Balochistan, and Chaudhry Muhammad Ramzan, former Deputy Commissioner, Jaffarabad, co-accused in the case, were also convicted for two years of rigorous imprisonment, and fined Rs0.5 million each.
And they have been disqualified from holding any public office for 21 years. The convicts were charged with misappropriating Rs10 million that was allocated for the  construction of a Labour Colony and Hospital at Jaffarabad.

PAEC classified budget slashed by 10 pc
April 21:  The federal government imposes a 10 per cent cut on the "classified" budget of the country's supreme nuclear body, the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, a spokesman for PAEC confirms. A 15 per cent cut was ordered on the "open budget" of the PAEC under finance ministry's general directions for slashing of developmental and civil government's total allocations under the approved budget for the year 2000-2001. The 10 per cent cut on the "classified" budget was meant for country's nuclear and missile research program.

Villagers killed by police in 'fake' encounter: HRCP
April 21: A three-members 'facts-finding' team of the Special Task Force (STF) for Sindh of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), terms the police encounter in Ghotki district in which three people were killed, as fake.The team visited Village Badal Shar, near Daharki, Ghotki district and met the officials concerned, relatives of the victims and the Sindh and Punjab police officials. The villagers accused the police of cold-blooded murder of three people. The SSP Ghotki Waliullah refused to meet the HRCP team. Police claimed that a police party from Sindh and Punjab, conducted raid on the village to arrest  two persons wanted by the Punjab police in a murder case. On seeing the police, the accused started firing, and during the exchange of fire three persons were killed and many others were injured.

New party launched with pledge of 'secular' Pakistan
April 22: Dr Abdul Hakeem Lehri, a veteran Baloch politician, launches a new political party, Balochistan National Congress (BNC), and announces that the  office-bearers of the party would be elected in its first convention on August 11, 2001. He told a news conference in Quetta, Dr Lehri said the BNC's foremost task will be to secure the rights of Balochistan as one of the autonomous and 'sovereign' units of the Federation of Pakistan with equal rights and opportunities. He pledged that the BNC would never renounce 'national' rights of Balochs as other political parties, belonging to the  province, did in the past. He added that his party would establish working relationship with other political parties outside Balochistan so that they might "reshape" Pakistan as a modern progressive, prosperous and a  'secular' federation.The BNC founder said that the party would ensure that all the national, ethnic and linguistic groups in Balochistan--Baloch, Pashtoon, Hazara, Sariki, Sindhi and Punjabi and others--would be equal before  the law and enjoy all the human and democratic rights.

Restriction on minor currencies gives SBP access to $2bn forex
April 22: The State Bank of Pakistan's restriction on money changers to send minor currencies abroad for conversion into dollars gives it access to $ 1.4-2.1 billion forex. The central bank, on April 18, withdrew the permission to the licensed money changers to send abroad their currencies for conversion which were not dealt in by the local banks. The SBP authorized the  National Bank of Pakistan to accept these currencies and convert them into Pak rupee. This order had taken the money changers by surprise as they were denied access to $ 4-6 million per day which they reportedly brought back into the country by converting the minor currencies into dollar at Dubai. The flow of some minor currencies into the country was very high. These included Saudi Rial, UAE Dirham or Kuwaiti Dinar.

30 hurt in Islamabad bomb blast
April 23: At least 30 people were injured when an explosive device, believed to be placed under a cart, went off in the fruit market in Islamabad. The explosion also caused damage to a pickup van parked near the cart. The sound of the blast was also heard in the 10-Corps Headquarter, Chaklala. An explosive expert said the device was about 1.5 kg in weight.

Taliban refuse to hand over wanted men
April 23: The Taliban authorities refuse to hand over 21 wanted Pakistani "terrorists" to Islamabad, saying the fugitives were not on their soil, according to a senior  government official. Pakistani authorities, however, believed that these criminals, involved in sectarian terrorism continued to live in the Afghan capital, Kabul. "The Taliban refuse to acknowledge the presence of these people but they are very much there enjoying their hospitality," said the official. Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider visited Kabul and Kandahar in March last and among other things discussed with Kabul authorities the issue of extradition of Pakistani fugitives. Taliban declined to sign an extradition treaty with Pakistan but had promised to search and surrender most wanted men. Topping the list of wanted persons is the chief of  Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, Riaz Basra, who, like the others on the list handed over to the Taliban, carries a handsome reward on his head.

Pak-Afghan border closed in Kurram
April 23: Pakistan closes down its border with Afghanistan in Kurram Agency as tension mounted between the two countries over the detention of a Pakistani security personnel by the  Taliban in Khost province of Afghanistan. Officials said that a private car carrying the security personnel crossed into Afghanistan without proper documents and might have been detained by the Taliban authorities there. The  officials included an inspector of the Intelligence Bureau, two naib subedars, a header, and a sepoy of Tall Scouts.

Supreme Court orders changes in National Accountability Bureau Ordinance
April 24: The Supreme Court issues guidelines to the government to amend the National Accountability Bureau Ordinance, preferably within two  months, for bringing the accountability process under the existing judicial system. Announcing its judgment in petitions challenging the vires of the NAB Ordinance, the apex court reduced the maximum period of remand from 90  days to 15 days and directed that the accused should be produced in the accountability court within 15 days of his arrest. If sufficient and reasonable cause is available for further remand, after the expiry of first 15 days, the accused should be brought before the court for appropriate order and in no case, each remand should be for a period of more than 15 days at a time, it said. The court also ordered the federal government to amend the NAB  Ordinance's clause that provided for the disqualification from contesting election or holding public office for a period of 21 years as it was too excessive. The court directed the government to amend the Ordinance reducing the disqualification period to 10 years to be reckoned from the date the convict is released after serving his sentence.The court ruled that from April 24, 2002, the accountability courts (ACs) would be under the discipline of high courts instead of federal government. The court held that all the judges of accountability courts should be serving district and session judges, qualified to be appointed as judges of the high court. They should be appointed for a period of three years in consultation with chief justice of the high court concerned.  The ACs judges should not be transferred to any other place or removed from service except on ground of misconduct, or physical  or mental infirmity. It was held that special package given to the AC judges should be withdrawn and they should be paid salary equal to what their colleagues working as district and sessions judges were drawing.  The existing judges of the ACs who were not serving district and sessions judges shall be given an option to serve as such on the last pay drawn at the time of their retirement as district and sessions judge for reminder of their  term of three years. About the accountability of judges, the court held that judges of superior courts were not immune from accountability but only under the mechanism provided under the Article 209 of the Constitution and nothing else. The court held that chairman NAB could not assume the role of the prosecutor and judge. "The powers of judicial review and the matters relating to the administration of justice solely vest with the judiciary  and such powers cannot be entrusted to the NAB being violative of the very concept of independence of judiciary." The court said that placing of burden of proof on an accused was not an unfamiliar concept in legal parlance as there was a large number of statutes wherein the burden of proof had been placed on an accused. The court maintained that the provision of the NAB law allowing the accountability courts to dispense with any provisions  of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) was not ultra vires to the provisions of the Constitution. However, the court said that the NAB law was promulgated competently.

Bomb blasts rock Quetta
April 24: Two powerful bomb explosions rocked  of Quetta city. No casualty or major damage was reported but the blasts shattered windowpanes of the buildings near the explosion sites.

Capital population crosses 700,000
April 24: The population of federal capital  exceedes over 700,000 inhabitants, according to a report of the Capital Development Authority (CDA). The report said the total population of Islamabad was 652,249 at the beginning of the year 2000 and it was likely to increase by 875,208 by the year 2005 with an increase of six percent per annum.

World Bank links future aid to good governance
April 25: The World Bank asks the government to change its "governance strategy" to rebuild the existing faulty federal and provincial administrative structure.  According to a Dawn report  major international donors, especially the World Bank, has linked its future assistance with good governance and advised the government to urgently change its development and governance strategy.  The World Bank has committed $45 million (Rs2.7 billion) Technical Assistance (TA) separately for bringing improvements in all the major economic ministries, divisions and the provincial governments to ensure  good governance.

Crackdown launched on Tanzim Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi activists
April 25: The administration launches a crackdown on the activists of Tanzim Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM) in Mingora in order to stop them from participating in a public meeting  at Zafar Park Batkhela, Malakand Agency. The action was taken after the Amir of the TNSM, Maulana Sufi Muhammad, rejected all requests of the administration for postponement of the meeting. Maulana Fazalullah and son of Sufi Muhammad were arrested at Chakdara Dir lower while taking loudspeakers to the venue of the public meeting.

Sindh High Court Bar Association slams raid on Benazir lawyer's office
April 25: The Sindh High Court Bar Association deplores the raid by an Army monitoring team and KESC officials on the office of Farooq H. Naek, advocate, who was appearing in cases of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari. At an emergency meeting, the SHCBA noted that the raid on April 23 was without any
show-cause notice, especially when the lawyer was not in arrears of any KESC dues. "Such a raid by the military personnel was nothing short of calculated attempt to harass those lawyers who were conducting cases of politicians opposed to the military regime, said the SHCBA President  Rashid Rizvi.

Nationalists vow to fight for rights: G. M. Syed's 6th death anniversary observed
April 25: The sixth death anniversary of the founder of the Jeay Sindh Tehrik, G. M. Syed, was observed in his native village, Sannh. Thousands of followers of G. M. Syed from various parts of province, including Larkana, Sukkur, Nawabshah, Hyderabad, Sanghar, Shikarpur, Mirpurkhas, Mithi, Naushahro Feroze and Dadu, arrived in Sannh. They raised slogans of "Tunjho Desh, Munjho Desh, Sindhu Desh, Sindhu Desh and Sindhu Desh Mqqadar Aa, Sain G. M. Syed Rehbar Aa". Speaking to the workers, the JSQM chief  Bashir Khan Qureshi said the province had been facing many  hardships due to water shortage as Punjab had been stealing its water.

Taliban release Pakistani officials
April 25: The Pak-Afghan border remained closed for the third consecutive day though Taliban authorities released six detainees including five personnel of Tall Scouts and a driver  of a private car. The officials, however, did not disclose the names of the arrested persons and their ranks. The officials also refused to comment as to why the Pakistani security personnel were in Afghanistan and under what  conditions their release was secured from the Taliban administration.

Pakistan among top ten arm purchasers: US report
April 25:Pakistan was the tenth biggest arms purchaser in the world, spending $4.4 billion on defence equipment during the eight years from 1992 through 1999. A US  Congressional report, titled "Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 1992-1999," says Pakistan, despite its impoverished conditions, is slightly behind Iran at ninth position ($4.7b) and China at eighth ($5.9b). Importantly, this figure excludes the money allocated for the F-16 deal. How much of this $4.4 billion was siphoned off in kickbacks is anybody's guess. If the going rate for commissions was what former admiral Mansurul Haq took in Navy purchases, observers place the kickbacks to be around at least half a billion-dollar figure.The study shows that India does not figure among the top ten arms purchasers in the developing world despite its steep hikes in defence spending. Saudi Arabia ranks first with its whopping $66.1 billion defence spending, followed by Taiwan ($20.6b), Egypt ($9.7b), South Korea ($8.8b), United Arab Emirates ($7.8b), Kuwait ($7.6b) and  Israel ($7.2b).

Police officers shy to work under brigadier as IB chief
April 25: Senior police officers are shy to join the Intelligence Bureau (IB) after military government's move to appoint a junior military officer as its chief, according to a the News report. The government sources said that after the appointment of a serving Brigadier (BPS 20) as director IB, none of the senior police officer in BPS 21 was ready to join the intelligence agency. As a  consequence, all the Grade 21 posts in the IB that are specified exclusively for the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) were lying vacant.

1,500 held in Sindh to pre-empt ARD rally
April 26: Over 1,500 political and labour leaders, workers and activists were arrested in the past 24 hours in one of the biggest crackdowns in the Sindh province to pre-empt the May Day rallies in Karachi and interior of Sindh. The ARD chief, Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, and PML acting President Javed Hashmi were taken into custody soon after their flight from Multan landed at the Karachi airport in  the morning. After an eight-hour detention they were expelled from the province and sent to Lahore. The ANP chief, Asfandyar Wali, who was picked up last night was also expelled. nother central leader of ANP Haji Ghulam Ahmed  Bilour and Hasil Bux Bizenjo of Balochistan National Party, were also taken into custody.

Lahore High Court asks govt not to destroy its credibility
April 26: The Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench, askes the government not to destroy its credibility for some amount of money, and cautioned it that, while privatizing its units, rules of propriety and fairness must be kept supreme. In its judgement on a petition filed by the Petrosin Group, the LHC directed the Privatization Commission not to hand over the LPG assets of SNGPL to the Shell, the highest bidder at the second auction, before the Petrosin group, the highest bidder at the first auction, was given hearing by the Cabinet Committee on Privatization (CCOP). The Petrosin Group was the highest  bidder for LPG assets, with a bid of Rs 121 million. When the matter was placed before the CCOP, it did not approve. At the second auction, the bid by Shell Gas (Pakistan) Ltd was of Rs 142 million.

Land-based property tax illegal: LHC
April 26: Justice Jawad S Khawaja of the Lahore High Court declares as illegal the collection of property tax according to the Land-Base System on a petition by a citizen Jamshed Waheed. The judge also revoked the notification in this regard observing the property tax collection should be based on the actual rental value of a property. The petitioner had contended his property fetched him Rs 1,000 rent  per month and he had been paying Rs 2,500 tax before the implementation of new system. He submitted that after the introduction of the new system, the Excise and Taxation Department had asked him to pay Rs 43,000 as tax, which far exceeded the annual rent of the property. Agreeing with the petitioner's counsel, Justice Jawad observed that tax should not be based on the value of a property.

11 judges retired, dismissed
April 27: The Lahore High Court dismisses a district and sessions judge and four civil judges and compulsorily retired six additional district and sessions judges. The court's  administrative committee, comprising its senior most judges and headed by Chief Justice Falak Sher, decided that the Hafizabad DSJ, Mujahid Husain Sheikh, currently posted as officer on special duty in the Lahore High Court, should be dismissed from service with immediate effect for misconduct and for "having reputation of being corrupt". Six ADSJs, namely Mehr Ahmad Raza (Multan), Syed Irshad Husain Abidi, (Rahim Yar Khan), Shabbir  Husain (Talagang), Muhammad Siddique Sikandar (Bahawal-pur), Nazar Muham-mad Fatyana (Sahiwal) and Raja Abdul Qayyum (Lahore High Court, Lahore) should stand compulsory retired from service the first five on the basis of bad entries touching on integrity in their service record and the last-mentioned for misconduct and having reputation of being corrupt. Four civil judges, too, was sacked from service. Aftab Asghar Ali Warraich, the Sheikhupura civil judge, was dismissed for misconduct, having remained associated with the illegal and immoral activities of Kayja Guest House, Lahore. Nawabud Din Saingal, the Rahim Yar Khan civil judge, and Syed Ali Abbas Zaidi, the  Gojra civil judge, were awarded the penalty of compulsory retirement because of poor record touching on their integrity. Jamil Ahmad Khokhar, the Rahim Yar Khan civil judge, was compulsorily retired on the charge of misconduct and for having reputation of being corrupt.

Supreme Court returns plea for expunging remarks
April 27: The office of Supreme Court  returns the application requesting the court to expunge remarks against many judges including Justice Malik Qayyum, made by  the Supreme Court in SGS case. The application was filed by Dr Abdul Basit, an advocate of Supreme Court, who had requested the court to expunge remarks against Justice Qayyum and Justice Rashid Aziz Khan. An official of the  Supreme Court in his order said that the application was not entertainable after the final disposal of criminal appeals of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Zardari. However, if any of the parties is aggrieved by the judgement of the court, may seek proper legal remedy as provided under Supreme Court Rules, by filing a review petition, if so advised."

Foreign investment declines by 74%
April 27: The inflow of foreign investment in Pakistan declines by a drastic 74 per cent during the first nine months (July-March) of the current fiscal year. Total foreign investment in the first nine months has touched a 10-year low of $104 million compared with $393 million same period last year, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) figures revealed. The foreign direct investment (FDI) that amounted to $232 million in the first nine months, 36 per cent lower than $360 million same period last year, was further reduced due to $128 million outflow of portfolio investment. The stock market had attracted $32 million during the first  nine months of the last fiscal year but this year $128 million worth of outflow took place.

Farooquis return Rs234 million assets: Settlement with National Accountability Bureau
April 28: Dr Usman Farooqui, former chairman of the Pakistan Steel,  returns more than Rs234 million assets to bargain the  release of himself, his wife and daughter, facing the charges of corruption before two accountability courts. The Farooquis had applied to the chairman of the National Accountability Bureau for a settlement under Section 25 (a) of the NAB ordinance, offering to return the entire assets and property involved in two different corruption references against them. The former chairman of the PSM was charged with obtaining undue pecuniary advantage by using  his official position and authority and investing an amount of Rs39.5 million in National Saving Schemes certificates in the names of his wife and daughters. The money was allegedly obtained by Usman Farooqui through corrupt, dishonest and illegal means.

Ex-minister sentenced to three years RI
April 28: Special judge Accountability Court No.1 Quetta convicts former provincial minister Mir Faiq Ali Jamali and two ex-deputy commissioners of Jafarabad in a reference pertaining to construction of a house on state land. The court awarded three years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs6 million to Mir Faiq Jamali, a former provincial labour minister. The court said that the Mr Jamali illegally constructed a house on the state land in Dera Allahyar with the collaboration of two deputy commissioners of Jafarabad district and thus caused a loss of Rs59,40,888 to the provincial government.

Pakistan's external debt crosses $34billion
April 29: Pakistan's total external debt had risen from $20.66 billion in 1990 to $34.42 billion in 1999, according to the World Development Indicators issued by the World  Bank in Washington on the occasion of the IMF/WB spring meetings. Defence expenditure as a percentage of the Gross National Income (GNI) had come down to 5.7 per cent in 1997 from 7.4 per cent in 1992 and as a percentage of central government expenditure had declined from 27.9 per cent to 24.2 per cent during the same period. But it was still higher than India's, which spent 14.3 per cent of its government expenditure on the military in 1997.  Public expenditure on health in Pakistan in 1998 was an abysmal 0.9 per cent of GDP and on education 2.7 per cent of GNI or (GNP).

Frontier Corps demolishes nine houses
April 29: The Kurram Agency administration and the Frontier Corps bulldozes nine houses in Nasti Kot area and arrested 56 more Maliks in their crack down against the Tori tribe which was allegedly protecting the murderers of an assistant political agent of the Agency. However, the accused were able to flee the area during the operation. More than 100 Tori tribesmen had been arrested since the crack down which began on 28-4. The officials said according to the tribal norms murderer's family was punished by demolition of house and collection of Rs 5 million fine if the crime was committed in the area where the government  had no writ and the jirga decides the case. After the enforcement of the punishment, the killer or killers are absolved of the charge.

Sindh unveils city govt plan for Karachi
April 30: The Sindh government  announces a 'spontaneous division' "Karachi Kee Mantaqi Taqseem" under the new city government plan, scheduled to come into force on August 14, 2001 abolishing the present five districts of Karachi. The decision was taken at a Sindh cabinet meeting under the chairmanship of Governor Mohammadmian Soomro. The cabinet approved the city government plan for  Karachi which would have 18 Towns and 178 Union Councils, under the government's previously announced Devolution of Power Plan, Sindh Minister for Local Government Dewan Mohammad Yousuf told a press conference after the  meeting. He said the cantonment areas had not been included in the city government plan. The minister said the city government's house would comprise 255 elected members including Nazims of Union Councils 178; 33 percent women seats (59), five per cent workers and peasants (9) and five percent minorities (9). The Towns are: Keamari Town (Union Councils) (UC) [08] population 3082 lakh; SITE Town UC [09], population 4.67 lakh; Baldia Town (UC) [08],  population 4.6 lakh; Orangi Town (UC) [13] population 7.23 lakh; Lyari Town (UC)[11]; population 6.07 lakh; Saddar Town (UC) [11] population 6.16 lakh; Jamshed Town (UC)[13]; population 7.33 lakh (highest population);  Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town (UC) [13] population 6.25 lakh; Shah Faisal Town (UC) [07] population 3.35 lakh; Landhi Town (UC) [12] population 6.66 lakh; Korangi Town (UC) [09] population 5.46 lakh; North Nazimabad Town (UC) [10] population 4.96 lakh; New Karachi Town (UC) [13] population 6.84 lakh, Gulberg Town (UC) [08] population 4.53 lakh, Liaquatabad Town (UC) [11] population 6.94 lakh; Malir Town (UC) [07] population 3.98 lakh; Bin Qasim (UC) [07]  population 3.16 lakh; Gadap Town (UC) [08] population 2.89 lakh (lowest population).

Another bombs haul in Capital
April 30: Seven live hand-grenades and some small but lethal explosive devices were found, lying in the green belt along the Capital Park F-9, hardly half-a-kilometre off the F-8 telephone exchange in Islamabad. A civilian, who spotted the explosives during his morning walk, informed the police about the devices. This was the fifth incident in the last couple of months in which Islamabad police, helped by civilians, had recovered explosives, which could have caused destruction, if not seized on time.

US report accuses Pakistan of sponsoring terrorism
April 30:The United States accuses Pakistan of increasing support to Taliban, lambasting Islamabad for continuing the previous level of support to militant groups  active in India-held Kashmir "some of which engaged in terrorism". The State Department report on "Patterns of Global Terrorism 2000,"  noted South Asia as the focal point for terrorism directed against the United States during 2000. The Taliban, according to the report, continued to provide safe heaven for international terrorists, particularly Usama bin Ladin and his network, in the portions of Afghanistan it controlled. UN  Security Council resolution imposing additional sanctions on the Taliban was described as a major victory for international cooperation against terrorism. The report says the United States remains concerned about reports of  continued Pakistani support to the Taliban's military operations in Afghanistan. "Credible reporting indicates that Pakistan is providing the Taliban with material, fuel, funding, technical assistance and military  advisers, "says the report, adding that Pakistan has not prevented large numbers of Pakistani nationals from moving into Afghanistan to fight for the Taliban. Islamabad also failed to take effective steps to curb the activities of certain Madrassas that serve as recruiting grounds for terrorism, it said while noting that Pakistan has publicly and privately assured that it intends to comply fully with the UN resolution imposing an arms  embargo on the Taliban. Regarding Kashmir, the report said Pakistan supports the insurgency and Kashmiri militant groups who continue to operate in Pakistan, raising funds and recruiting new cadre. Several of these groups were responsible for attacks against civilians in India-held Kashmir and the largest of the groups, the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, claimed responsibility for a suicide car-bomb attack against an Indian garrison in Srinagar in April. The report further alleges that the Harkatul Mujahidin (HUM), a group already designated by the United States as Foreign Terrorist Organization, continues to be active in Pakistan without discouragement by the government of Pakistan. Its members were associated with the hijacking of an Indian plane which resulted in the release of Maulana Azhar who has since founded his own Kashmiri militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammad, and publicly has threatened the United States.

Famine drought kill 400 in Cholistan
April 30: About 400 people were reported dead  due to famine in Cholistan. A large number of animals were also perished due to lack of fodder and grass. Mansoor's accounts  frozen, property seized April 30: Accountability Court Rawalpindi No. 2 orders freezing of bank accounts worth Rs. 2 billion and some 14 properties in the name of former Naval Chief Admiral (Retd) Mansoor-ul-Haq, his wife Najma Mansoor and daughter Huma Mansoor. The court was told that Mansoor-ul-Haq had amassed wealth which was beyond his known means of income and he had also taken kickbacks in the defence deals. The NAB prosecutor submitted the  details of the bank accounts which were opened in ANZ Grindlays Bank branches in London in the name of fake companies which were being operated by the accused and his wife. The other properties in the name of family of Admiral  (Retd) Mansoor-ul-Haq included bungalow No. A/2 Naval Housing Scheme Zamzama Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Karachi, plot No. 62 Khayaban-i-Babar Phase 8 DHA Karachi, Plot No. 19 ML&Z Cooperative Housing Society Hyderabad, Plot No. 29-C ML &Z Cooperative Housing  Society Hyderabad, House No. 4/2 Khayaban-i-Tanzeem DHA Karachi, Plot No. 6 Khayaban-i-Tanzeem Phase-5, DHA Karachi, House No. 338/D St. No. 17 Phase 8 DHA Karachi, House No. B-28 DHA Karachi, Plot No. 31 DR Welfare Housing Scheme Morgah, House No. 1, St. No. B PN Housing Scheme Sehala Islamabad, Plot No. 17 Circular Housing Scheme Islamabad and two kanal of land at Greater Lahore Cooperative Housing Society, Lahore.

© Eagle Enterprises - All Rights Reserved