World reacts over resignation
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
LONDON: World leaders urged stability and unity in Pakistan — seen by the West as a key partner in fighting terrorism — as they reacted to news of Pervez Musharraf’s resignation as president.
“President Bush looks forward to working with the government of Pakistan on the economic, political and security challenges they face,” US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said in a statement on behalf of the US president.
Bush also paid tribute to Musharraf for his “efforts in the democratic transition of Pakistan as well as his commitment to fighting Al-Qaeda and extremist groups,” the statement said.
Sourced told rediff.com the Bush administration has asked the government not to humiliate Musharraf. The sources said the administration urged the Pakistan government to provide Musharraf with security and “if he decides to stay in Pakistan or leave the country, he and his family should be treated with respect and guaranteed safety.”
Meanwhile, India declined to comment on Musharraf’s decision, with the foreign ministry in Delhi describing it as an “internal matter” for its neighbour. Afghanistan said it hoped the move would help strengthen the civilian Pakistani government.
“We are determined to continue our cooperation in fighting terrorism and extremism, which pose challenges to both countries,” Karzai’s spokesman Homayun Hamidzada said in an interview.
Russia, another major player in Central Asian geopolitics, expressed hope that Musharraf’s departure would not cause instability in the country. “Russia hopes the departure of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will not have negative consequences for the internal political stability of this major Asian nation,” its foreign ministry said in a statement.
In Britain, Foreign Secretary David Miliband praised the “significant dividends” of Musharraf’s time in office, including on the economic front, in fighting terrorism, tackling corruption and promoting dialogue with India.
Zardari thanks Altaf
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has thanked Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain for his positive role during the political developments of the last few days that led to the resignation of Pervez Musharraf.
"Altaf Hussain and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement have played a crucial role in the mediation efforts for obtaining the resignation and ensuring a peaceful exit of the former president," he said. "These efforts for strengthening democracy are commendable and must be appreciated," he added.
He said that he was thankful to all the democratic forces of the country, including the MQM that had helped the coalition government achieve a key objective of forcing Musharraf to resign.
In a statement issued here on Monday, the PPP co-chairman said that it was indeed a momentous day for democracy and the people of Pakistan as the political forces had been able to roll back the frontiers of dictatorship
Suicide attack kills nine civilian labourers in Afghanistan
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
KABUL: A suicide car bomb blew up on Monday outside a US military base in eastern Afghanistan, killing nine civilian labourers, as the country marked Independence Day under the shadow of extremist attacks. The blast, claimed by the insurgent Taliban, did not penetrate the base in Khost and security forces were able to prevent a second suicide attack moments later, the US-led coalition and Afghan officials said. Kabul was locked down with 7,000 police on patrol and checkpoints at nearly every city centre intersection and main entry points into the capital.
More than 50pc of govt wheat allocations lifted
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
LAHORE: The provinces, armed forces, AJK and the Northern Areas have lifted more than 50 per cent of the wheat allocated by the federal government from the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Supplies Corporation (PASSCO) in almost a month, The News has learnt.
PASSCO in its wheat procurement drive during this season has procured 855,000 tonnes, out of which 795,011 tonnes had been allocated by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (MINFAL) to different provincial governments, Northern Areas’ authorities, Utility Stores Corporation (USC), Pakistan Army, Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Air force, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), World Food Programmme (WFP) and Afghanistan. In almost one month, some 400,700 tonnes of wheat has been lifted from the PASSCO storage facilities.
AJK has lifted 105,800 tonnes of wheat from the allocated 200,000 tonnes, Northern Areas 53,000 tonnes from 100,000 tonnes, NWFP 160,000 tonnes from 200,000 tonnes, Balochistan 5,500 tonnes from 100,000 tonnes, USC 31,320 tonnes from 40,000 tonnes, Pak Army 39,875 tonnes from 75,000 tonnes, Pak Navy complete 1,000 tonnes, Afghanistan 8,660 from 50,000 tonnes and WFP 1,647 tonnes from 24,911 tonnes. However, Pak Air Force has not started lifting the 5,000 of wheat from PASSCO warehouses that MINFAL has allocated it.
A senior official of the PASSCO revealed that the corporation had procured wheat at Rs638 per 40 kilogram during the wheat procurement drive. After adding the incidental charges and paying mark-up rate of over 15 per cent the landed cost of wheat at PSSCO warehouses stands at Rs700 per maund, he disclosed.
Disclosing the reason for not allocating wheat to Punjab from PASSCO storages this year, he said that the Punjab already has over 2.5 million tonnes of wheat in its stocks while the PASSCO has not achieved its wheat procurement target due to low wheat crop. Thus the MINFAL had not allocated wheat to Punjab from PASSCO storages, he added.
Talking about the WFP supply, he pointed out that former Prime Minister Shakuat Aziz during the last days of its government had announced 33,180 tonnes wheat support to WFP. He said that during the previous season WFP had lifted some 15,000 tonnes wheat whereas 18,180 tonnes had been left due to wheat crisis in Pakistan. Now Pakistan is bound to provide remaining quantity of wheat to WFP, he added.
When asked allocation of wheat to Afghanistan despite the prevailing wheat shortage in country and import of wheat to meet the domestic needs, he mentioned that it was federal government’s decision and wheat is being supplied to neighbouring country as gesture of good will.
Main hurdle to democracy is removed: Bilawal
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Karachi
The main hurdle to democracy has been removed and now the judiciary and parliament would be independent and sovereign institutions, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Monday. He was speaking in Karachi just two hours after President Gen. (Retd) Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation.
Bilawal Bhutto landed at the Jinnah International Airport and later left for Larkana to offer Fateha at the grave of his mother Benazir Bhutto in a special plane chartered by Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah. The CM and the Sindh home minister received the PPP chairman at the airport.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the democracy was the best revenge and declared that the next president of the country would be from the PPP. His father Asif Ali Zardari has already stated that the next president would be a woman and there were predictions in media that one of Zardari’s sisters could be the candidate for the next president.
PPP Sindh Secretary General Nafees Siddiqi, however, demanded on Monday in Karachi that the party should nominate Asif Zardari as the candidate for the president, because he was the “most appropriate person for this post.”
PPP activists and supporters also organised rallies in Karachi and in other parts of the province and celebrated Musharraf’s resignation. They gathered at Bilawal House, Karachi, where Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and other leaders addressed the rally and termed the president’s resignation a victory of the people.
Supporters and activists of the ruling PPP and its ally, the Awami National Party (ANP), the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Sunni Tehreek (ST), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), nationalist groups, lawyers bodies and members of civil society also celebrated the resignation of President Gen. (Retd) Pervez Musharraf, and described it as a victory of the democratic forces.
People and activists of the political and religious parties came out on to the streets soon after Musharraf’s speech and celebrated the occasion by distributing sweets, indulging in aerial firing, and chanting slogans.
Meanwhile, parties which had previously allied with Musharraf, including the Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the Pakistan Muslim League — Quaid (PML-Q), the Pakistan Muslim League — Functional (PML-F) and the National People’s Party (NPP) did not show an immediate reaction over the resignation. PML-F chief Pir Pagaro was in his hometown, Pir jo Goth, and was busy in spiritual engagements, while the NPP’s Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi and PML-Q leaders were not available for comments.
The MQM is still a strong supporter of Musharraf, and has termed the resignation as a “sacrifice for the stability of the country for political and economic reasons.” Sindh National Front (SNF) chief, Mumtaz Bhutto, has, meanwhile, called a meeting of Bhutto clan to discuss the situation.