Chronology of Pakistan

1998
Jan. 1:
Mohammad Rafiq Tarar is sworn in as President.

Jan 9:
The New York Times reports that the Bhutto family and their associates generated more than $ 1.5 billion "in illicit profits through kickbacks in virtually every sphere of government activity" -- from rice deals to sell of government land, airplanes deals with Dassault Aviation, even rake offs from government welfare schemes.
* The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP), in a statement before the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly, calls for a review of the "one line budget system in vogue for defense services grant."

Jan. 12:
A five-member bench headed Chief Justice Ajmal Mian asks the government to ensure that no provision of the Contempt of Court Bill was violative of the independence of the judiciary. The bench observed: "It will be desirous that the concerned functionaries should examine the contents of the Bill in order to see whether the proposed Act contains any provision which may be violative of any provision of the Constitution or which may tend to interfere with the independence of judiciary."

Jan. 13:
Government rejects Awami National Party's demand for renaming NWFP as Pakhtoonkhwa.

Jan 17:
A statutory audit of the accounts of 627 units and formations of defense services finds irregularities to the tune of Rs 2.15 billion in the fiscal year 1993-94, according to a report of the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly.

Jan 22:
The Sargodha police took a special court judge, Javed Iqbal, hostage in the district jail after he convicted three police officials and magistrate of "faulty investigations" in the murder case of a former commissioner, Tajammul Abbas. When the judge asked the jail administration to handcuff the four, police personnel present in and outside the jail warned him that they would not let the judge leave the premises if anybody tried to arrest the officials. They snatched keys from the driver of the judge's car and parked official vehicles on the main gate. The siege was lifted after the four officials safely left the jail. On Jan. 28, the Lahore Court suspended the judgment of the Sargoha Special judge and released on bail the police officials and magistrate concerned.

Jan 27:
National Assembly Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Syed Zafar Ali Shah supports the idea that the defense expenditure should be debated in parliament so that the nation could know how the defense budget was spent.

Other major events of January:
* Khan of Qallat dies of heart attack.
* Baluchistan rejects NFC award.
* Arrest warrants against the MQM leader Altaf Hussain withdrawn.
* Jumat-ul Wida (the last Friday of Ramadan) declared an official public holiday.

Feb 4:
The federal government amends the Ehtesab Act, replacing the name, "Ehtesab Cell", with "Ehtesab Bureau", and provided powers of an SHO to the chief of Ehtesab Bureau or any other official designated by him for the purpose of investigation. The amended law provides indemnity to officials of the Ehtesab Bureau on acts deemed to have been done on "good faith". The amendments were introduced into the Ehtesab Act through a presidential ordinance, the first by President Rafiq Tarar, under clause 1 of Article 87 of the constitution.

Feb 6:
A division bench of the Sindh High Court acquitted Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain and 18 other top leaders in the Major Kaleem kidnapping case and overturned Altaf Hussain's 27-year jail sentence ordered by a special Suppression of Terrorist Activities (STA) court. The Major Kalim kidnapping case took a new turn, on Feb. 4, when a prosecution witness confessed that the name of MQM chief Altaf Hussain had been belatedly inserted in the FIR. The officer who had conducted the initial investigation into the case, told the court that Mr Hussain's name was included in the challan against him after the start of the army operation against the MQM.

Feb 7:
President Rafiq Tarar signs the Contempt of Court (Amendment) bill. The Bill was pending for assent since Nov 20, 1997, when a three-member bench headed by the then chief justice Sajjad Ali Shah had directed the president not to assent it. The contempt law provides right of appeal to a person convicted under the contempt law under the Supreme Court's original jurisdiction, and mere filing of an appeal against the conviction will mean automatic stay. The law was passed by parliament when the Supreme Court headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah had initiated contempt of court proceedings against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and seven other legislators.

Feb 9:
The Lahore High Court accepts the constitutional petition filed by Rafiq Tarar against his disqualification by the (former) Acting CEC and declared him qualified to contest for and hold the office of President. The acting CEC, Justice Mukhtar Ahmed Junejo of the Supreme Court, had found Mr. Tarar, a former Supreme Court Judge, guilty of propagating views prejudicial to the integrity and independence of the judiciary at the time of his nomination as a presidential candidate under Article 63(G) of the Constitution and debarred him from the December, 1997 contest.

Feb 25:
* ANP quits government as talks fail.
* Squardan Leader Farooq Ahmed Khan of the PAF, who was arrested last year in a sting operation selling drugs to FBI agents, is sentenced by a Manhattan Federal Court in New York for one year and one day. Sqr.Ldr Farooq was arrested in Manhattan on April 9, 1997 after he brought two kilograms of heroin from Pakistan on a PAF cargo plane which came to pick up the arms released by the US under the Brown Amendment.

Other major events of February:
* Lahore-Islamabad motorway leased out to a UK firm for 25 years.
* Bill banning student involvement in politics passed.

March 2:
Census begins after 17 years under army supervision.
* Lahore High Court dismissed a writ petition seeking a direction against the government for settling along the motorway the Pakistanis residing in the refugee camps in Bangladesh. Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramaday also prescribed a cost of Rs. 5,000 to petitioner Advocate M.D. Tahir for indulging in frivolous litigation. The court said what was the guarantee that agents of the Indian intelligence agency RAW had not entered the ranks of these people. It also said that it required a lot of money for settling these people in Pakistan when there was already a lot of poverty here.

March 18:
Two civil judges were manhandled by the Vehari (Punjab) police when they visited the police station to check irregularities and misuse of powers. There had been reports of the illegal detention of some people at the police station and the judges asked for the reasons for their detention and wanted to examine the daily register. The SHO responded by resorting to violence.

March 19:
The Supreme Court dismissed as "frivolous" a constitutional petition challenging the 13th Amendment and ordered the petitioner to pay Rs. 10,000 as court expenses. The 13th Amendment had stripped the president of the power to dissolve the National Assembly and dismiss a government.

April 6:
Pakistan pardons a local employee of the US Drug Enforcement Agency, Ayaz Baloch, who had been sentenced to 10 years' hard labor for persuading Sq. Ldr. Farood to carry drugs to the United States.

April 12:
About 1.5 million people are addicted to heroin in Pakistan and most of them belong to middle class society, according to a report of the UN Drug Control Program. These addicts are between 20 and 30 years of age and their number is constantly rising in the country.

April 30:
Jaranwala Police registers a case under Hudood Ordinance against an eight year old child who was sent to Faisalabad District jail.

Other major events for April:
* Ghauri missile tested: US condemns the test.
* LHC rules that Ehtesab Commissioner has unlimited powers.
* Sindh Chief Minister Liaqat Jatoi says all cases against the MQM legislators withdrawn.

May 6:
The bishop of Faisalabad, Dr. John Joseph, commits suicide in protest for awarding death sentence to a Christian under the Blasphemy Law.

May 15:
The Supreme Court declares 12 provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) as invalid, and brought special courts on par with ordinary courts working within the existing judicial system. The court ruled that the power to law enforcement agencies to open fire on suspicion of terrorism and accepting a confession before a DSP as valid piece of evidence, were untenable and needed to be suitable amended.

May 18:
The Supreme Court, in a majority (6-1)decision, upheld the 14th Constitutional Amendment that bars members of parliament to vote against their party's line or abstained from voting. The court held that Article 63(a) would bring stability in the polity of the country as it would be instrumental in eradicating floor crossing. However, the court ruled that an elected member should not be disqualified if he opposed the party's policies in public. In his dissident judgment, Justice Abdul Mamoon Kazi held that Article 63(a) was violative of fundamental rights and thus was not enforceable.

May 28:
Pakistan conducts five nuclear tests at Chagai, Balochistan in response to Indian nuclear tests.
* President promulgates emergency under Article 232.
* Freeze imposed on withdrawal of foreign currency accounts (FCAs).

May 30:
Pakistan tests sixth nuclear device.

Other major events of May:
* US blacklists Qadeer Khan's Kahuta laboratories.
* Japan imposes economic sanctions on Pakistan for conducting nuclear tests.
* PIA Fokker hijacked near Gwadar.

June 10:
A resolution ratifying the president's proclamation of emergency was passed by the joint sitting of parliament with 166 votes in favor and 50 against it.

June 24:
A Swiss investigating judge rejects an appeal seeking review of the June 2 indictment orders passed against three Swiss nationals involved in money laundering allegedly on behalf of Ms Benazir Bhutto and her husband Asif Ali Zardari. Admitting that Pakistan was a "damaged party", Judge Danial Devaud ruled that the offences these people were charged with could have inherently caused considerable financial loss to the state of Pakistan. The government of Pakistan had made a request to the Swiss government that Ms Benazir Bhutto and her husband Asif Zardari had received huge amounts in kickbacks and commissions in several cases including ARY Gold, submarines deals, Cotecna, SGS, Awami Tractor scheme, rice exports and textile quota management.

Other major events of June:
* Nawaz Sharif announces a "national agenda" for construction of Kalabagh Dam.
* PM defers Kalabagh Dam construction after opposition from three provinces.
* Islamabad declares moratorium on nuclear tests and asks New Delhi to sign accord for outlawing such tests.
* US announces sanctions against Pakistan and India.

July 8:
Government announces the census results. According to the census figures, Pakistan's population rose to 130.5 million from 64.2 million, as recorded in 1981.

July 9:
Sindh nationalist groups reject the census results.

July 28:
A seven-member bench of the Supreme Court unanimously upholds the imposition of emergency on May 28. However, it set aside the fundamental rights' suspension order of the same date.

Other major events for July:
* Two Ehtesab references against PM dropped.
* Alam Channa dies in New York.

Aug. 4:
Education budget slashed in austerity measures.

Aug. 14:
The MQM quits the federal government in protest against the on-going killings in Karachi.
* Ex-President Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari launches Millat Party.

Aug. 20:
Pakistan receives the news of US attack on Afghanistan with shock as the US missiles fly over the Pakistani territory.

Aug 28:
The 15th Amendment Bill proposed. The amendment is passed by the NA body concerned.

Other major events for August:
* Six bodies of Pakistanis dead in US strikes on Afghanistan arrive in Miran Shah.
* Pakistan complains to the UN against US violation of its air space.

Sept. 6:
Borrowers of 19 financial institutions were given the benefit of loans write off amounting to Rs. 4.64 billion from Jan. to Sept. 1997, according a State Bank report.

Sept 15:
The National Assembly rejects by voice vote a resolution moved by ANP's Wali Mohammad Khan, urging the government to take steps to check adulteration and fraudulent measurement of patrol at filling stations. During the debate, the parliamentary secretary for petroleum opposed the resolution.

Sept. 24:
The National assembly passed Foreign Exchange Temporary Restriction Bill 1998 to provide legal cover to the freezing of the foreign currency accounts following nuclear detonation. The Senate was by-passed as the bill was treated as a money bill. The bill was passed in the absence of the PPP members who walked out in protest.

Sept. 27:
The British newspaper, Observer, says PM Nawaz Sharif has siphoned off millions.

Sept. 28:
Government denies the Observer report and lodges complaint with Britain's Press watchdog over the report.

Sept. 27:
Police registers a murder case against the officers of rangers in connection with the killing of two Shiite activists in Karachi. Two minority Shiite youths were killed when paramilitary rangers opened fire during the funeral of a slain local Shiite leader and his son when an unruly mob attacked the law enforcement personnel.

Other major events for September:
* Nawaz Sharif seeks help to counter opposition to CA-15 bill.
* Opposition parties boycott CTBT debate in parliament.

Oct. 2:
Nationalists from Sindh, the NWFP, Balochistan and the Seraiki belt of Punjab, formed an alliance, named Pakistan's Oppressed Nations Movement (PONAM) to wage a struggle to attain provincial autonomy. The movement issued an eight-point agenda, known as Islamabad declaration, calling for re-naming the country as Multinational Federal Republic of Pakistan. It also asks for carving out a fifth province of "Saraikistan", declaring all provincial languages as national languages.

Oct. 5:
In a speech at the Navy War College in Lahore, the Army Chief of Staff, General Jahangir Karamat, said that Pakistan could not afford political unrest or "the destabilizing effect of polarization, vendettas and insecurity-driven expedient policies. He said that the political mandate needed to be translated into institutional strength or else "we would have a permanent election campaign environment in the country" He proposed setting up of a National Security Council to act as an empire over and supreme arbiter of the nation's affairs.

Oct. 6:
General Karamat's proposal about formation of National security Council to institutionalize decision making evokes mixed reactions from political leaders. Some politicians have termed it a supra-constitutional measure which will mar the democratic process while others termed it a positive development to overcome the situation created due to the failure of political leadership, leading the country economically and politically isolated.

Oct. 7:
General Karamat was summoned by Nawaz Sharif to account for his public and scathing attack on the government. After the meeting, General Jehangir Karamat resigns. Lt. Gen. Pervez Musharraf is appointed the new chief of army staff. General Musharraf superceding two Lt. Generals, Ali Quli Khan, the Chief of General Staff and Khalid Nawaz Quarter Master General of the army. Lt. Gen. Nawaz resigned immediately after Gen. Musharraf was appointed the new army chief.

Oct. 9:
The National Assembly passes CA-15 bill.

Oct. 10:
Pakistan ranked fifth in the list of countries notorious for kidnappings for ransom, according to the London newspaper, The Independent. The report said that the annual pay-outs on this count amounts to more than $10 million in direct contravention of government's policy which is against paying any ransom to the kidnappers. The average ransom paid in Pakistan is around $50,000 (Rs. 3 million).

Oct. 12:
The Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Ali Quli Khan submitted his resignation after having been superseded by Lt. Gen. Pervez Musharraf who was appointed new Chief of Army Staff.

Oct. 17:
Hakim Saeed, his associate shot dead in Karachi.

Oct. 27:
The government repealed the Contempt of Court Act 1976 and promulgated an ordinance, widening the scope of fair comment on the judgements of court. The new law has empowered the courts to prohibit the publication of any proceedings through a written order. It has also allowed the publication of substantially accurate account of what has transpired in a court. Personalized criticism of judge or judges will constitute judicial contempt.

Oct. 28:
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif accused an MPA and seven other activists of his coalition partners, MQM, of being involved in the murder of Hakeem Saeed, and gave them three days to hand over the accused, failing which there would be a parting of ways. He told a news conference in Karachi, that he had "credible and incontrovertible evidence based on the statements of Aamirullah and others.

Oct. 29:
The MQM, alleging that prime minister was a central character in the conspiracy to kill Hakeem Mohammad Saeed, announced that they had decided to scrap their alliance with the PML and quit the government. MQM Chief Altaf Hussain asks his workers to immediately go into hiding to save their lives as the government had launched another clean-up operation against his party.

Oct. 30:
The federal government imposes governor's rule in Sindh under emergency provisions of article 232 ( c ) of clause (2) of the constitution. Provincial cabinet was also disbanded but the Sindh Assembly was not dissolved.

Other major event for October:
* An NWFP minister disqualified for floor crossing.

Nov. 4:
The Advocate General, M. Iqbal Raad, told the Sindh High Court that Sheikh Mohammad Aamirullah, accused in the murder of Hakeem Mohammad Saeed, has snot so far given his confessional statement which is required to be given before a magistrate under Section 164 CrPC. He added that the accused has only confessed to having had a part in the murder before the police and notables. Qazi Khalid, a former minister, submitted that there were contradictory versions of Aamirullah's "confessional statement" given by the prime minister and the advocate general. He said the prime minister had been on record as having told a countrywide audience that Aamirullah had confessed to murdering Hakeem Saeed. He then observed that the prime minister has misled the nation on the television network by claiming that Aamirullah had confessed to the whole thing, thus maligning the MQM in the eyes of the public throughout the country through print and electronic media.
* Britain rejected a request from Pakistan government for the arrest and extradition of former additional director general of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Rehman Malik, who was living in self-imposed exile in London. Malik had upset Pakistan government when he released "documentary evidence" of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family's corruption in banking frauds to a British newspaper as well as disclosed the details about Nawaz Sharif's properties in London.

Nov. 5:
Karachi police detains two teenaged boys for being in possession of a toy pistol. The release of these two teenagers came only after the area Sub Divisional Magistrate threatened to raid the police station to find out for himself how much lethal was the "weapon" seized from the boys.

Nov. 10:
Jamhoori Watan Party Senator M. Zafar introduces in the Senate the 16th Constitutional Amendment Bill envisaging maximum provincial autonomy as provided in the 1973 constitution. It seeks amendment in at least 45 articles of the constitution.

Nov. 16:
A session of the Sindh Assembly, summoned by MPAs belonging to the Pakistan's People Party and the MQM could not take place as the local administration had taken the unprecedented measure of sealing off the assembly premises and blocking all approaches with water tankers, armored personnel carriers and barbed wires.

Nov. 20:
The government gives sweeping powers to the armed forces to arrest, interrogate and summarily try terrorists in Sindh, by invoking Article 245 of the constitution.

Nov. 20:
Muttahida Qaumi Movement MPAs Shoaib Bokhar and Wakil Jamali arrested with three party activists in a raid on the MPA's Hostel in Azizabad.

Nov. 23:
The Supreme Court declines to take notice of the imposition of governor's rule on Sindh and observed that the federal government had the powers to impose governor's rule under Article 232 of the Constitution. "Restoration of peace in Karachi is of paramount importance and court cannot declare it (governor's rule) illegal as some individual or a party wants to do so," observed Chief Justice Ajmal Mian.

Nov. 26:
The federal government notifies that armed forces will have the power to conduct investigation of "appropriate cases" of terrorism. By virtue of the amendment to the Pakistan Armed Forces (Acting in Aid of Civil Power) Ordinance, the armed forces have now been empowered to investigate and collect evidence through their own intelligence agencies as per the Army Act.
* Pakistan climbs to the 14 th position from the bottom on the list of world's most corrupt nations for 1998, released by Transparency International. After attaining the 2nd spot during Benazir Bhutto's government, Pakistan was overtaken in the last years by 12 countries including, Cameroon, Paraguary, Honduras, Tanzania, Indonesia, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Russia, Vietnam, Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria.

Nov. 26:
The residence of Idrees Bakhtiar, a senior staff reporter of Herald monthly and BBC correspondent was raided by CIA police. The police harassed the family and also arrested his 28-year old son, Moonis, who was later released.

Nov. 27:
The Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court, Justice Amir-ul Mulk Mengal, was stopped at the Frontier Corps check-post at Bushki. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ordered transfer of the FC check-post in-charge, Captain Butt.

Nov. 28:
Mubashir Ali, who was suspected by police for arranging the travel abroad of two of the suspects in Hakeem Saeed case, died in police custody.

Other major events for November:
* List of 580 MQM men given to police.
* Two MQM MPAs held.

Dec. 13:
A man condemned to death for murder by an 'Islamic Court' in Orakzai Agency was publicly executed by his brother and uncle.

Dec. 22:
The extra-judicial killing of alleged outlaws in Punjab continued throughout 1998 -- on average, one person being killed every fourth day. A total of 88 people died in 55 'encounters,' according to press reports.

Dec. 25:
Some 78 people were killed and over 80 injured in 36 incidents of sectarian violence in the Punjab in 1998.

Dec. 31:
Over 650 people were killed in political and sectarian violence during 1998 in Sindh (mainly in Karachi) , according to press reports.
* The national assembly is informed that the nationalized banks have recovered a little over Rs. 17 billion from their debtors during 1998, whereas Rs. 91 billion is still outstanding against the defaulters.
* A military court convict, Ashraf Chakar Irani was executed in Karachi Central Prison after amendments were made by the governor of Sindh in the Pakistan Prisons Rules, allowing the prison authorities to carry out an execution during Ramadan. Ashraf Chakar was convicted and sentenced to death by a military court in Karachi on Dec. 17.

Other major events for December:
* Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and US President Bill Clinton hold summit in Washington.
* US tells Pakistan to take concrete steps on CTBT, FMCT and Osama bin Laden for removal of sanctions.
* Three summary military courts start functioning in Karachi.
* Law enforcement agencies carry out operation in Liaquatabad and Gharibabad: six cops, a ranger sustain injuries in exchange of fire with unidentified gunmen.
* FIA raids Rawalpindi offices of dailies Jung and The News.
* Military Court in Karachi sentences two youths to death in separate cases of gang-rape and killing of a policemen.
* Three armed forces men found dead in a car in Karachi.

1999
Jan. 3:
Three people were killed and two policemen injured when a powerful bomb planted underneath a bridge on Raiwind Road exploded.

Jan 16:
The NWFP government promulgated Islamic laws in the Malakand Division and Kohistan districts of Hazara Division.

Jan 13:
The National Assembly amid protests and walkout by the combined opposition and independent members adopts a motion for convening a joint sitting of parliament to pass eight outstanding bills. These bills had been passed by the National Assembly but not yet by the Senate.

Jan. 27:
Lahore High Court declares void Section 2 of the Foreign Exchange (Temporary Restriction) Act, 1998, freezing foreign currency accounts and ordered their immediate restoration.

Jan. 28:
The Additional District and Sessions Judge Hyderabad acquitted six persons in a case of keeping 349 peasants in illegal confinement. The peasants, including women and children, had been freed in a raid on, what had been described as a 'private jail' of Raees Ghulam Hussain Khokhar (a feudal lord) in November 1992. The raid was conducted jointly by police and army in a locality of Chambar town. The peasants had claimed that some of the female victims were subjected to gang rape by certain henchmen of the feudal lord during the captivity. The judge observed that the peasants lacked sufficient evidences to prove the allegations leveled against the accused.

Jan 25:
The Federal Shariat Court questions the validity of several provisions of the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, 1961, relating to inheritance by orphaned grandsons, registration of marriage, divorce notice, effectiveness of divorce after 90 days and procedural curbs on bigamy and polygamy.

Jan 28:
Sedition cases are registered against three Urdu dailies of Karachi, Jang, Aman and Parcham, for publishing an advertisement of Muttahida's Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation on January 1, which according to the police, was aimed at inciting people against the state.

Jan. 30:
The federal government amended the Pakistan Armed Forces (Acting in Aid of the Civil Power) Ordinance, 1998, providing that military courts can be established in the whole of Pakistan.
* Three activists of the Lashkar-I-Jhangvi allegedly involved in the Raiwind bomb blast were shot dead in police custody.

Feb 7:
The federal government suspends work on issuing an ordinance to amend the present procedure of treating the government officials nominated for involvement in corrupt practices, and for their speedy trial resulting in the confiscation of the unlawfully acquired property and arrest/sentence of those found guilty.

Feb. 9:
Former Punjab Chief Minister Manzoor Ahmed Watto was arrested by the anti-corruption establishment from the Lahore High Court premises on a charge of misappropriation of Baitul Maal funds shortly after he was allowed bail by the court in another case.

Feb. 11:
Six military courts were set up in Lahore division to try cases of power thefts.

Feb. 13:
Three persons, including Senator Abul Hayee Baloch and a lady worker from Lahore, were injured when the police baton-charged, used water cannons and threw bricks on a peaceful procession of the Pakistan Awami Ittehad in front of the parliament house. The marched, organized by the PAI for the freedom of the press, was led by PAI president Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, opposition leader Benazir Bhutto and secretary general of the alliance Hamid Nasir Chatta, besides a number of sitting and former PPP MNAs and senators.

Feb. 17:
A nine-member bench of the Supreme Court unanimously declared the setting up of military courts for trial of civilians in Karachi as unconstitutional. However, the court clarified that its decision would not affect the sentences and punishment awarded and executed by the military courts as the cases would be treated as past and closed transactions. Two people convicted by the Military Courts were executed.

Feb. 19:
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in a televised speech, said the government would respect the Supreme Court decision of setting aside the military courts as it was binding on him under constitution. However, he indirectly accused the judiciary for delay in the dispensation of justice to the common man. "Delay in justice had emboldened the terrorists to the extent that they had killed a personality like Hakeem Saeed," he pointed out.

Feb 26:
The annual state Department Human Rights report for 1998 criticizes the government in Pakistan for its human rights record, specifically its moves to restrict the freedom of the press, using accountability for political purposes and condoning police brutalities.

March 1:
The Supreme Court indicts seven persons including six ruling party legislators on the charges of contempt of court for storming the court building on November 28, 1997. The court however, withdrew show cause notices issued to the executive and police officers of Islamabad.

March 8:
Two handcuffed MQM activists were shot dead in an alleged police-terrorists encounter in Liaquatabad, Karachi.

March 9:
19 years after the Zakat and Ushr Ordinance was promulgated by General Ziaul Haq and nine years after the Sindh High Court had struck down its Zakat provisions as manifestly discriminatory, the Supreme Court upheld that landmark judgement and rejected the appeal of the federal government. The Supreme Court ruled that members of all "Fiqahs" were entitled to exemption from Zakat deduction from their holdings, and the government had no power to reject the declaration on the ground that he/she did not belong to Fiqah-I-Jafria.
* The Sindh government concedes that at least two incidents of extra-judicial killings had taken place in Karachi since the imposition of governor's rule.

March 15:
The National Assembly is told that different federal and provincial government departments owe almost Rs. 29 billion to Wapda, with army topping the list of defaulters with Rs. 3.4 billion.
* Pakistan owed a total of $26.9 billion as of December 1998 in external debts, according to a joint report of the IMF, the World Bank, OECD and Bank for International Settlements.

March 18:
The federal government tells the National Assembly that the MQM had been patronizing terrorism in Karachi during its 20 months ruling alliance with the Pakistan Muslim League.

March 19:
The London High Court orders Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, his brother Abbas Sharif and father Mian Mohammad Sharif to jointly pay a sum of $32.5 million to Al Towfeek Company for Funds Ltd., the investment Company from which they had taken a loan for Hudabiya Paper Mills Ltd. The Queen's Division Bench of the London High Court passed the ex-parte order , as the defendants had not defended themselves in the court.

April 2:
The owner of the Frontier Post, Rehmat Shah, was arrested in Lahore by the army-run Anti-narcotics Force on charge of possessing 20 Kgs of charas and three guns.

April 10:
Syeda Abida Hussain, Minister for Population Welfare and Science and Technology, resigns, while Sikandar Hayat, a retired major general and chairman of the PM's monitoring and implementation cell, was sacked for alleged involvement of corruption practices. General Hayat was the architect of the Khidmat Committees.

April 13: Tanzeem-I-Islam chief Dr. Israr Ahmad resigns from the chairmanship of the Ulema Committee set up by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to restore sectarian peace to the country. His resignation came in the wake of a rift in the committee after its meetings on April 7 and 8. The 10-member committee suggested two bills to combat sectarian violence. On of the proposed laws envisaged severe punishment to any person or sect which publishes or propagates anything against the Khulfai Rshideen and Ahle Bait.

April 14: Pakistan successfully test-fired a 2,000 km range ballistic missile, Gauri-II to match India's testing of Agni-II.

April 15: An Ehtesab Bench of Lahore High Court convicts Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari on corruption charges and sentences them to undergo five years' imprisonment each, and to pay a fine of $8.6 million. The court also ordered their disqualification as members of parliament, as well as confiscation of their property.
* Pakistan successfully conducts a flight test of its Hatef-IV (Shaheen) ballistic missile, employing a solid fuel motor, with a range of 600 kms. The missile was fired from Sonmiani base near Karachi and covered a distance of 750 kms before striking its target in Baluchistan.

April 19:
The outgoing chief Justice of the High Court of Sindh and judge-designate of the Supreme Court told a full court reference held in his honor, that confidence of the people in the judiciary had been shaken. He said it was a matter of concern that with the continuing degeneration of the moral fabric of society, the malady of corruption had afflicted the power judiciary too, which had been made the task of dispensation of justice all the more difficult and "has shake the confidence of the people in the courts."

April 23:
The government places before the Senate names of 49 parliamentarians, majority of them belonging to the ruling PML, against whom Wapda had lodged cases of electricity pilferage and defaults. The list of MNAs and Senators and MPAs included the names of Interior Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Deputy Speaker National Assembly Chaudhry Jaffar Iqbal and Syeda Abida Hussain.

April 25:
Chief Ehtesabe Commissioner Justice Ghulam Mujaddi Mirza dropped three references against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as they have either no substance and merit or they don't pertain to the period with which the Ehtesab Act deals. In a fourth reference the CEC excluded the prime minister as respondent but referred the matter for inquiry and investigation to the Ehtesab Bureau. The other respondent in the case was NWFP Chief Minister Mehtab Ahmed Khan Abbasi.

April 28:
The President promulgates an ordinance on making it possible for the Anti-Terrorist courts to function in the light of the Supreme Court decision on military courts. The ordinance called as (Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Ordinance 1999, was promulgated on the official holiday of Ashura (10th of Moharram).

April 30:
Karachi is treated separately from the rest of the province in matters of jurisdiction for hearing civil suits. In Karachi, senior civil judges are barred from hearing suits valuing more than Rs. 500,000. Civil suits valuing more than half a million rupees can only be filed in the High Court and not before the senior civil judges.
* The ANP rejects government move that the NWFP should be renamed Afghania. ANP Provincial Chief, Nasim Wali Khan warned that if NWFP was named Afghania, it would provide a better chance for Afghan displaced persons to declare it as their territory as the province situated right on the Afghan border and 1.6 million Afghan refugees were already living here.

May 1:
The government amends the schedule of the Anti Terrorism Act, expanding its application to the 'unnatural' offences committed with a child under the age of 12 years.

May 2:
The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry reveals that only 17 influential families/groups account for 40 per cent of the defaulted loans.

May 4:
Hussain Haqqani, Chairman of Urban democratic Front, is arrested. He is later handed over to the Federal Investigating Agency. A hasty decision by the Ehtesab Bureau in the detention of Hussain Haqqani, had caused some serious concern among the FIA circles to justify his arrest. All was done in such a hurry that even the complaints against Haqqani from the relevant government agencies were sought after his arrest. He was produced before a court for remand in a year old case in which his name was never mentioned before.

May 6:
The government move to let the ordinance on punishment for electricity theft lapse evokes widespread condemnation by political parties. Some political leaders said the government's decision clearly shows that it wants to protect the big thieves of electricity who belong to the Muslim League. At least 49 PML legislators were reportedly among the major defaulters.
* The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) decides to submit a reference to the president to direct the Supreme Judicial Council for removal of a Sindh High Court judge for passing remarks against a Quranic law of inheritance. In an inheritance dispute case, Justice Shaiq Usmani remarked that law of inheritance as pronounced in verses No. 11-14 of Al Nisa was mutable and liable to amendment. According to the judge, the reason behind the concept of immutability of these laws was only male chauvinistic attitudes.

May 8:
Several dozen officials of ISI stormed into the house of Najam Sethi, Editor of The Friday Times, Lahore and dragged him out of his room. Before leaving the house with Mr. Sethi, they tied his wife Jugnoo's hands with a rope and locked her up in a dressing room. Later the federal government confirming the arrest said that Mr. Sethi had been taken into custody for interrogation by ISI for his alleged connection with he Indian intelligence agency, RAW (Research and Analysis Wing).

May 9:
The Punjab government dissolves 1,941 of the total 5,967 non-government organizations (NGOs) registered with the social welfare department, frozen their bank accounts and seized their assets and records because of their alleged involvement in corrupt practices and undesirable activities, misuse of funds, blackmailing and working against their charity.

May 11:
The Council of Islamic Ideology declares lucrative prize schemes launched by major nationalized and private banks as un-Islamic and said these schemes fell into the category of Riba and gambling. The CII informed the Ministry of Finance that the Crorepati Scheme of the Habib Bank and the Maala Maal Price Scheme of the Muslim Commercial Bank were un-Islamic and instigated the people to become millionaires overnight.

May 14:
The Supreme Court acquitted all ruling party legislators who were indicted on the charges of contempt of court for attacking the court building when proceedings against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif were underway in 1997. The three-member bench, which decided the case, observed that though flagrant contempt of court was committed but showed its inability to convict the accused as the people had not given specific evidence against them.

May 15:
Lahore Bar Council leaders expressed their disappointment at the outcome of the contempt of Court case against the ruling party legislatures. They said that the contemners have admitted their guilt in their apologies. A conviction could have been based on their admission and the video film of the Supreme Court's own cameras. They said the SC verdict sets back the process of restoration of public confidence in the superior judiciary set in by the apex court judgements on emergency and military courts.
* A 14 year boy, Moahmmad Saleem, who was sentenced to death by a military court and later acquitted by the military appellate court for being minor was re-arrested by police to be tried in the newly established anti-terrorism court under the same FIR.

May 16:
The Chief Ehtesab Commissioner, Justice Ghulam Mujaddad Mirza rejected two identical complaint made jointly against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Ehtesab Bureau Chairman Senator Saifur Rehman on charges of causing the exchequer a loss of Rs. 13.697 million by evading duties and taxes in import of BMW cars. It was alleged that the Estesab Bureau Chairman Senator Seifur Rehman (whose company, REDCO Pakistan Ltd is the sole agents for BMW cars in Pakistan), in connivance with the-then prime minister Mian Nawaz Sharif had imported 25 BMW cars in September 1992 at a lower value in a bid to evade customs duty amounting to Rs. 1.369 million.

May 17:
The Social Welfare Department of Sindh cancels the registration of 273 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for violating government rules. The Social Welfare Secretary, Abdul Waheed Pirzada said that the action was initiated against those NGOs which were involved in anti-state activities and corruption.

May 18:
Senator Asif Zardari suffers serious injuries in CIA custody. Police said that Zardari tried to commit suicide but Zardari himself said that interrogators had tortured him to extract from him confessional statements, implicating his wife, Benazir Bhutto in various cases. At the order of the Sindh High Court, Zardari was shifted to Agha Khan Hospital, next day, with blood oozing from his lacerated tongue.

May 19:
The Supreme Court reserves judgment on the petition of Air Marshal (retired) Asghar Khan regarding the distribution of funds by ISI among the political parties in 1990 elections. The case had originated from the letter of Asghar Khan which he had sent to the then Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah for appropriate action after reading the statements of General Naseerullah Khan Baber. Gen. Baber had informed the National Assembly that ISI had collected Rs. 140 million from Habib Bank which were distributed among different politicians before 1990 elections. Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif is one of those politicians who received money from ISI in 1990 polls. However, the Supreme Court observed that it would confine itself to laying guidelines for the operation of the political cell of the ISI within the legal framework. About the distribution of the funds by the ISI, Justice Saiduzzaman Siddiqui, head of a three-judge bench, observed that it was "history" and the court was not concerned with it.

May 20:
Cyclone hits southern areas of Pakistan causing heavy casualties and material damage. More than 200 people were dead and hundreds of fishing boats were missing. In Thatta, 300,000 people were affected whereas in Badin 400,000 were displaced. At least 152,000 acres of farmland was damaged in Keti Bander and Shah Bandar alone.

May 26:
Indian fighter jets and helicopter gun-ships launch operation against the Mujahideen in Kargil. Pakistan calls the air strikes a "very very serious" provocation because the armies of both nations normally limit their hostilities to regular cross-border exchanges of artillery and small-arms fire.

May 27:
Pakistan shot down two Indian fighter planes as they intruded into the Line of Control in Kashmir. One of the pilot, Squardon Leader Ajay Ahuja was killed while the other pilot, Flight Lt. K. Nachiketa is captured alive. The Indian planes were involved in operation against the militants in Kargil area. The wreckage of Nachiketa's MiG-27 plane was found 12 kms inside Pakistan.
* Army formally takes over management of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation and banned trade union activities in the organization for two years.

May 28:
Pakistan marked the first anniversary of nuclear tests. The government has named May 28 as "Youm-e-Takbeer." Speaking on this occasion, Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan's nuclear tests gave the nation a new confidence to counter any enemy attack on equal basis. However, opposition factions of Balochistan decided to observe this day as a "black day" to highlight plight of the country's least developed province. Nationalist parties and students organization organized protest rallies. The nationalist leaders criticized the rulers for conducting the nuclear tests and said a poor country like Pakistan did not deserve to conduct such blasts. Police in Quetta reported that they had found and defused a bomb near the residence of Balochistan Governor.
* The Supreme Court directs the Federal government to take administrative and legislative steps for the enforcement of fundamental rights in the Northern Areas. The Court ruled that the people there should be allowed to be governed by their elected representatives within a period of six months.

June 1:
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, a press freedom organization, says that it is conducting an investigation into a "hit list" prepared by the Pakistan government that contains 35 prominent journalists of Pakistan. According to reports received by the CPJ, the federal government had decided to establish a special media cell comprising officials from the police, Intelligence Bureau and the Federal Investigation Agency to punish the journalists who have been writing against the government. Ehtesab Bureau Chairman, Senator Saifur Rehman Khan would head this cell which would function simultaneously at Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi and Peshawar with its head office in Islamabad.
* Anti Terrorism Court in Lahore sentenced to death two activists of Lashkar-e-Jhangwi Sunni group accused of killing 25 Shiites. Mohammad Aziz Gujjar and Haroon Rashid were found guilty of opening fire on a Shiite gathering at Mominpura graveyard in Lahore in January 1997. The indiscriminate firing left 22 people dead on the spot while three others died later in hospital.

June 2:
Editor of Friday Times Najam Sethi is released after three weeks when the government cancelled the FIR and withdrew charges of treason against him.

June 3:
Senate approves by over two-thirds majority, the Constitution (16th Amendment) bill providing for quota for all regions and areas for 40 years. The bill was opposed by only one MQM Senator Aftab Sheikh at all stages of the consideration and passing the bill. Both Senators Aftab Sheikh and Jamiluddin Aali staged walk out from the House to register their protest on what they called the killing of principle of merit.
* Pakistan freed the captured Indian fighter pilot, Flight Lt. K. Nachiketa. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had ordered his release as a gesture of goodwill to ease border tensions with Indian in the disputed Kashmir region.

June 8:
The Lahore High Court released on bail a person accused in a blasphemy case. Sheikh Muhammad Yousaf Ali was arrested in March 1997 but never produced in any court for trial. It was alleged that the petitioner claimed himself to be a prophet. However, the petitioner filed an affidavit in the high court that he believed in the oneness of God and the finality of the prophet-hood of the Holy prophet (PUH). He also said that any person claiming to be a prophet was an imposter.

June 12:
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz visits New Delhi and holds talks with his Indian counterpart, Jaswant Singh. The talks ended in a deadlock as India refused to discuss the Kashimir issue and insisted on withdrawal of what it called Pakistani infiltrators from Kargil.

June 14:
The Supreme Court reopened the rowdy-ism case and issued fresh notices to the Pakistan Muslim League, Attorney General and seven alleged contemners who were first indicted and later acquitted by a bench of the apex court. A five-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by outgoing Chief Justice, Ajmal Mian, converted a criminal original petition filed by Shahid Orakzai, a journalist, into an appeal against the decision of the three-member bench of the SC.

June 15:
President Clinton asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to withdraw Pakistani troops from the Indian part of Kashmir, in a telephone conversation between the two leaders. Clinton called the prime minister as part of his continued efforts to reduce tensions and prevent the situation from escalating into a full fledged conflict between the two countries. On June 14, Clinton telephoned the Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee and praised him for the restraint shown by him in the current tense situation.

June 16:
The Stockholm-based International Peace Institute (SIPRI) says: "The risk of nuclear proliferation by Pakistan and India in Kashmir is increasingly significant. The greatest risk of nuclear war in South Asia arises from Pakistan's long-standing strategy of using the threat of early first use of nuclear weapons to deter conventional war."

June 17:
The federal appoints Mamnoon Hussain, President of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is appointed new Governor of Sindh to replace Lt. General Moinuddin Haider. Education Minister, Syed Ghous Ali Shah was also appointed adviser to the prime minister on Sindh affairs with powers of the chief minister. Syed Ghous Ali Shah has been asked to muster support of the disgruntled elements in the PPP and independent MPAs in the Sindh Assembly in order to setup a Muslim League government in the Sindh. The PML has only 15 MPAs in the 100-member provincial assembly.

June 18:
The Supreme Court accepted the government's plea that the country is not in a position now to honor its legal obligation of allowing free operation of FCAs. The Court held that Section 2 of the Foreign Exchange (Temporary Restriction) Act, 1998 was lawful of the constitution, subject to the declaration that the same did not confer any power on the federation or the State Bank to compel FCA holders to convert their foreign exchange holdings into Pakistani rupees at the officially notified rate of exchange, or to compel the said account holders to liquidate their FCA accounts in Pakistani rupees which foreign exchange holdings had been accepted by the respective banks as security against any loan or other facilities extended to them. The court expressed its concern on the improper utilization of foreign exchange deposits of the FCA holders by the successive government in breach of the solemn commitment given by the legislature.

June 20:
Leaders of the Group of Eight industrial nations, in Cologne, Germany, call on Pakistan and India to end hostilities immediately and resume talks. In a statement, the G8 leaders, including US President Bill Clinton and Russian leader Boris Yeltsin, voiced "deep concern" over the continuing military confrontation in Kashmir, repeating their earlier charge that the fighting was the result of "the infiltration of armed intruders which violated the Line of Control."

June 23:
The federal government suspended five articles ( 120, 122, 123, 124 and 125) of the constitution pertaining to the presentation of a provincial budget so that the Sindh Province budget could be announced outside the Sindh Assembly. This brought to 12 the number of articles suspended by the federation government after the imposition of the governor's rule in Sindh. Earlier the government had suspended articles 130 and 136 regarding the powers of the speaker. Prime Minister's advisor on Sindh, Syed Ghous Ali Shah, announced the Sindh budget at a press conference and by passed the Sindh Assembly.

June 24:
The Commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), General Anthony Zinni, meets the Chief of the Army Staff, General Pervez Musharraf, to defuse the Kargil situation. In Washington, the US state department cautions that things could "get bad" for Pakistan. "That's for sure," a senior official said without denying that Gen Anthony Zinni had extended some kind of an implied "warning" to withdraw from Kargil.

June 25:
The European Union called for the immediate withdrawal of the infiltrators and urged both countries to work for the immediate cessation of fighting, to fully respect the line of control and to prevent further cross border infiltration.

June 27:
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif sends a special envoy to New Delhi in an apparent effort to ease the tension in Kashmir. The emissary, former foreign secretary Niaz Naik, met with Indian PM Atal Behari Vajpayee and his National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra.

Jun 28:
Prime Minister Sharif visits Beijing and hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Zhu Rongji. The China Daily reporting on the meeting between Nawaz Sharif and Premier Zhu Rongji, said that China had sincerely hoped that Pakistan and India would alleviate tensions in Kashmir through talks and return stability to the region soon.
* Pakistan and China signed four agreements following a meeting between the delegations of the two countries. These agreements were about cooperation in the development of Super-7 aircraft, cooperation in the cultural sector, cooperation in electronic media and consular cooperation under which the counselor in Hong Kong would look after Pakistan's interests in Macao when it returns to China in December.

June 29:
China called upon India and Pakistan to resolve all their disputes through dialogue, a Foreign Office spokesman told newsmen after an hour-long meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chairman of the Committee of the Chinese People's Congress, Li Peng, in Beijing at the Great Hall.

July 2:
Pakistan suffered a setback in the US Congress when the House Foreign Relations Committee adopted a resolution calling for suspension of IMF, World Bank and Asian Bank loans to Pakistan until the Mujahideen occupying Kargil withdraw across the LoC.

July 4:
President Bill Clinton and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif reached an agreement under which the freedom fighters who crossed into certain parts of occupied Kashmir would withdraw. Clinton and Sharif said in a joint statement after three hours of talks: "It was agreed between the president and the prime minister that concrete steps will be taken for the restoration of the Line of Control".

July 6:
British Prime Minister Tony Blair terms the joint statement issued after the meeting of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Bill Clinton as a "real progress" in reducing tension between India and Pakistan. A British spokesman said at the conclusion of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's 30-minute meeting with Prime Minister Tony Blair that the two were of the opinion that the a quick beginning should be made in the actions proposed in the joint statement.

July 9:
Political and religious parties rejected the Clinton-Nawaz declaration and the decision to seek a pull-out of Mujahideen from Kargil as they held rallies in Lahore. The rallies were organized by the Pakistan Awami Ittehad, the Jamaat-i-Islami, the Pakistan Awami Tehrik, the Khaksar Tehrik and the Markazi Jamaat Ahal-i-Hadith.

July 11:
Pakistan announces the beginning of the "disengagement" of the Mujahideen and their withdrawal from the heights of Kaksar and Mushkoh in Kargil sector, following an agreement on the modalities of de-escalation and sector-wise cessation of ground and air operations between Pakistan and Indian directors-general military operations (DGMOs). The directors-general of military operations of the two countries had held their first contact on hotline, and then met at Wagah to decide the modalities for de-escalation.

July 12:
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in a televised address, said that there was an imminent threat of war with India which was no more a secret and that there were "diplomatic complications" which were getting extremely difficult to be handled. Giving details of his US visit, he said when the situation was becoming serious he decided to meet President Clinton.

July 13:
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's televised address to the nation was rejected by the opposition parties as nothing but acceptance of government's complete failure on the diplomatic front. "The question arises as to why they had decided to launch the Kargil operation," Deputy Opposition Leader Syed Khurshid Shah said in his reaction to the prime minister's speech. "If they have to go back to the Lahore process then who had advised them to go for the Kargil heights, he asked, adding that who was responsible for heavy loss of lives both to civilians and Pakistan army soldiers and officers at the Line of Control.

July 16:
The attorney-general of Pakistan, justifying the Washington communiqué, says that Pakistan is completely isolated and economically could not have sustained a full-fledged war. The country is already 50 years behind the developed world and would have been thrown another 50 years back had there been a war.

July 20:
The Sindh Provincial Assembly passed a unanimous resolution condemning the extra-judicial killings in Karachi and demanded of the provincial government to desist from such inhuman actions.

July 25:
The chairman of Urban Democratic Front (UDF) and media coordinator for the opposition Pakistan Awami Ittehad (PAI), Hussain Haqqani, is released from captivity. Mr Haqqani was kidnapped on May 4 in Rawalpindi Cantonment while driving with his brother, a serving army officer, and was allegedly subjected to severe interrogation and torture. He told a press conference in Karachi that he was kicked and punched by his captors who wanted to know why did he leave Mian Saheb in 1993 in the first place.
* The 90 per cent out of a total of 32,000 troops of Pakistan Army were called back to barracks after the completion of the first phase of the task of putting Wapda on right track, besides collecting a record revenue of Rs 112.74 billions during the last 11 months. The remaining 10 per cent troops were scheduled to stay for the second phase at 680sub-divisions,146 divisions, 36 circles and 8 chief executives levels across the country in Wapda.

July 27:
The National Assembly passed the 16th Constitutional Amendment by two-thirds majority, extending the provincial quota system for another 20 years. One hundred and sixty two members from the treasury benches combined with those from the opposition and independent benches passed the amendment in Article 27 of the Constitution. Four MQM members, who were present, opposed the amendment. The National Assembly had in 1974 passed a bill by amending the Constitution, fixing quota system for different provinces in the country for a period of 10 years. In 1984, the period was extended by another 10 years, during the regime of late General Ziaul Haq. It was later felt that since equal opportunity of education and other facilities are not yet available to all citizens of Pakistan, the period of twenty years specified in Clause (1) of Article 27 of the Constitution be extended to forty years. The smaller provinces, Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan, are in favor of continuation of the quota system.

July 30:
The Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan observed a country-wide protest against what it called government's undemocratic and illegal tactics to sabotage its Kargil-Kashmir March. Rallies were staged in all major cities and towns in which speakers condemned the government for "blocking people" from attending the march in Lahore a week earlier.

Aug.2:
Rumpus marred Senate proceedings as the house voted to reject the resolution against the murder of Samia Sarwar and provision of necessary protection to human rights activists Asma Jahangir and Hina Jilani. The resolution was presented in the house on April 26 with the signatures of 22 members but most of the signatories withdrew their support while some others chose to stay away from the house. Only three members of the PPP and an independent member, Jameeluddin Aali, stood at their seats when Senate Chairman Wasim Sajjad put to vote an impromptu motion of ANP leader Ajmal Khattak that the house should not take up the resolution. Majority of the members present in the house, including that of PML, ANP, PKMAP and JWP stood up at their seats in support of Mr Khattak's motion. In the heat of the moment, the chairman even did not announce the number of senators who voted for the verbal motion of Mr Khattak.

Aug 4:
Foreign investment in Pakistan dropped by 51 percent during 1998 due to the US-led international sanctions over its nuclear tests according to official statistics. The flow of foreign investment declined from 822 million dollars to just 403 million dollars during fiscal 1997-98 which ended June 30. Direct foreign investment also plunged 37 percent to 376 million dollars while portfolio investment fell 87 percent to 27 million dollars. The leading investors were the United States, Britain and Japan.
* As many as 216 officers and personnel were dismissed from the Sindh police service in the wake of public complaints of excesses, manhandling, misconduct and corruption while another 1,226 policemen were given different punishments during the last nine months, according to a police spokesman in Karachi.

Aug 6:
About 30 human rights and women rights organizations staged a demonstration in front of the parliament house to protest against the scrapping of a resolution condemning the honour killings of women in the Senate. The organizations included HRCP, Aurat Foundation, Women Action Forum and Democratic Women's Association. The demonstrators chanted slogans against the senators who opposed the resolution criticizing honour killings. They decried the killings of women in the name of honour and condemned the insensitivity of the legislators and ministers on the issue.

Aug 8:
The pilot production of Al-Khalid, the main battle tank of the Pakistan Army, starts at the Heavy Industries in Taxila. The go ahead for the production was given after a formal agreement was signed between Chinese officials and the Heavy Industries' chairman earlier this month. During trials Al-Khalid attained over 85 per cent hits on mobile battlefield targets at a distance of two kilometres while moving at a speed of 40 kilometres per hour. The tank has an automatic gun loading system which enhances the rate of fire to 8 rounds per minute. It is also fitted with a modern remote-controlled anti-aircraft weapon system which can be fired while remaining inside the tank.

Aug 10:
All the 16 officers and sailors on board were killed when a Pakistan Navy training aircraft was shot down by two Indian fighter planes. The wreckage of the plane was located 2km inside Pakistan territory in marshy areas, Badin district, around 100 nautical miles off Karachi. The plane - French-made Breguet Atlantic maritime patrol aircraft - had left PNS Mehran airbase in the city at 9.15am for a routine training flight to the coastal areas of southern Sindh. It was scheduled to return to its base after four hours.

__________________
Regards

Aarwaa

Pakistan is ruled by three As - Army, America and Allah.