ISLAMABAD, Oct 12: Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of the Army General Pervaiz Musharraf dismissed the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif here on Tuesday and put him under house arrest.
Addressing the nation over radio and television around 3 am on Wednesday, he said the situation in the country was perfectly calm, stable and under control. "And no outside forces can take an advantage of this situation", he warned.
"I wish to inform you that the armed forces have moved in as a last resort, to prevent any further destabilisation. I have done so with all sincerity, loyalty and selfless devotion to the country with the armed forces firmly behind me. I do not wish to make a length policy statement at this moment. I shall, however, do that very soon," Gen Musharraf said.
The COAS's address did not speak about any martial law or announce any interim arrangement. It is said that military authorities would firm up their mind within next two days about the new set-up.
While the army chief remained busy in Karachi to discuss various scenarios and recorded his speech for the PTV, corps commanders continued their deliberations in Rawalpindi and executed their plan according to the orders of their boss.
Corps commander of 10 Corps, Rawalpindi, Lt-Gen Mahmood, chief of general staff (CGS), Lt-Gen Khalid Aziz and vice chief of general staff, Maj-Gen Anis Bajwa, played a major role in controlling the situation and successfully capturing all the important buildings and installations including the PM House, PTV and the PTCL.
The military is in control of television, radio, airports and all other key positions and buildings, including president's house, cabinet block and prime minister's office.
The prime minister's house has also been surrounded by the troops, and the deposed prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, is reportedly under house arrest, along with ISI chief Lt-Gen Ziauddin, who was named chief of the army staff earlier in the day. Some key ministers of the Nawaz government, including Raja Nadir Pervez, Majeed Malik and Mushahid Hussain are also believed to be taken under house arrest.
Troops moved in after Gen Musharraf's dismissal orders were aired by the state run electronic media through news flash. According to reports, it was apparently Mr Sharif's decision to dismiss Gen Musharraf that prompted the military coup.
There were also reports of some elements of division within the army but at the end the things were under tight control of General Pervez Musharraf.
Though the PTV had flashed the news of Musharraf's retirement and the appointment of Ziauddin as the new army chief at around 5 p.m but the English bulletin at 6 p.m did not talk about this. Only before the end of the bulletin the news was read.
Sources in the PTV told Dawn that initially some soldiers entered into the newsroom and ordered not to read the flash news. But after 10 to 15 minutes of their advent another batch of soldiers arrived and over-powered them and allowed the broadcast of the flash news.
But by seven in the evening the military presence in all important positions in the federal capital was conspicuous. Soldiers also scaled into the premises of television stations as well as the prime minister's house when the police and civil security agencies were hesitant to welcome this unpredictable change.
Personnel belonging to security agencies and police deputed in the prime minister's house, were relieved from their duties and moved out of the vicinity as soon as the army took firm control of the premises.
The Pakistan Television and mobile telephones remained out of operation for almost two hours while there had also been continuous disruption in Pakistan's telecommunication connections. The link between the civilians and military telephone systems also remained disrupted for quite some time.
After a suspension of almost two hours, the PTV restarted its broadcast at about 10 p.m and announced the dismissal of the Nawaz Sharif government. It also declared that General Pervez Musharraf would soon address the nation on PTV.
The country waited for over four hours to know the final outcome of the coup attempt. The reports running around the federal capital said that the delay was caused because of Sharif's refusal to accede to army's pressure to resign.
There were also reports about the United States direct contact with the military command asking the later to desist from imposing martial law or any other unconstitutional measures to remove the government.
Reuters adds: Sources said Rana Maqbool, police chief in southern Sindh, had also been detained in the provincial capital Karachi along with Ghaus Ali Shah, who had been ruling the province as de facto chief minister, adds Reuter.
PIA chairman, adviser detained for trying not to let COAS' plane land
KARACHI: The army
detained PIA Chairman Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and his
Adviser Nadir Choudary on late Tuesday night, and shifted
them an unknown place. Sources said that the both the PIA
officials were at control tower and directed the pilot
Capt Sarwat not to land the plane in Pakistan and divert
the flight to Dubai on which the COAS General Parvez
Musharraf was coming from Colombo to Karachi.
An insider said that
Capt Sarwat told the control tower that the plane did not
have enough fuel to go to Dubai. He was directed to
divert the flight to Nawabshah but due to some reasons,
the plane was not allowed to land in Nawabshah either.
The flight later
returned to Karachi but he was again directed to divert
the flight to Sindhry. The captain refused to do so and
told the control tower that the plane had fuel only for
another 15-minute's flight. Sources said that after
repeated requests from the pilot, the plane was allowed
to land in Karachi.
The insider said that
the plane had to fly for 48 extra minutes. The sources
said that on the delay in landing, the COAS asked the
captain about the problem. The insider said that the COAS
was informed that Secretary General Defence Choudhary
Iftikhar wanted to talk to him (COAS) and after talking
to the SGD, the plane was allowed to land in Karachi.
Dismissal of government elicits mixed reactions
KARACHI: The news of the
dismissal of the Nawaz government elicited a mixed
reaction from the public. People at different city hotels
and other places and interviewed by The News had all
sorts of opinions to put forth.
"Yes, there was
something wrong but as yet undisclosed! They did well to
sack Nawaz Sharif. He had became a Mughal 'Badshah' and
was thinking that he could be doing every thing without
any resistance," said Naseeruddin, an elderly
citizen at a bus stop in the southern part of the city.
"The government had
crossed all limits of irregularities. They were just
basking in the delusion that they are rulers forever. We
were witnessing price hikes, unaffordable taxes and the
worst law and order situation. Even people were being
killed in their places of worship and they did not care
for anything," said Malik Mubassir.
A team of police
officials of Mithadar police station who came in Mobile
SP-5579 and were having tea at the City Railway Station's
canteen, however, were of a different view. "We had
also heard that there was a change in the offing. But
real situation was still not clear. The television
announced that the army chief had dismissed the
government and he was about to address the nation but we
our also waiting for his address. But Yar, we have to do
our job as we are doing today. There's going to be no
change in our lives and duties too," said another
policemen of the team.
"I think they did
the wrong thing. It could be an unconstitutional step if
they were to impose Marshal Law it would be wrong. It was
an elected government and was ruling with the mandate to
rule," said Mohib Ali an owner of a street
restaurant.
"This was the
ultimate end. They were minting money from this megapolis
and were imposing unjust taxes. They were ruling with the
help of police and police and state machinery were
enjoying their patronage to satiate their whims,"
said Anees Khan, a schoolteacher by profession while
having dinner at the same restaurant.
Javed a resident of
Sadder who himself called to the offices of The News
lately in night expressed his views thus,"We do not
need any elections in the country any more. Pious and
honest persons should be included in the interim
government, which would be allowed to rule for a long
period and carry out accountability proceedings and
recover looted money.
Aamir Aleem, a
University student at a teashop of Gulshan-e-Iqbal said,
"What for us? Would any future set-up, which will
rule the country, be able to deal with other problems,
No. There would be no one who can resolve the problems
being faced by the masses in this country because these
problems could not be resolved in this system. You will
have to break the system, the power politics," he
added.
POLITICAL PARTIES
CONDEMN: Leaders of various political parties have
strongly condemned the dismissal of Chief of the Army
Staff (COAS) General Pervez Musharraf, and termed the act
an attempt aimed to divide the armed forces.
Criticising the
government's action, chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami Qazi
Hussain Ahmed called it highly condemnable, adding that
the prime minister considered the COAS equal in rank with
the IGP. Chief of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf Imran Khan
said that the PML government damaged the armed forces
through a well-planed conspiracy, and appealed to the
nation to save the army.
Chief of the Awami
National Party (ANP) Asfandyar Wali and Ghulam Muhammad
Bilor said that national institutions were destroyed due
to the wrong policies of the Nawaz government, which
wanted complete authority. Tehrik-e-Jaffria Pakistan,
Sindh, leader Allama Hasan Turabi said the government act
to dismiss the COAS was not a good. The Pakistan Awami
Tehreek Sindh chief Iftikhar Shah also condemned the act.
Altaf asks army to restore democracy
LONDON, Oct 12: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has asked the army chief and the its leadership to restore democracy in the country at the earliest. "This (restoration of democracy) is in the interest of the country as well as the army," Mr Hussain told Dawn
while commenting on the dismissal of Nawaz Sharif government in Pakistan.
The MQM chief held former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif responsible for the current situation and said that his "autocratic and dictatorial attitude" forced the army to step in. "Nawaz Sharif had left no choice for the army," he added.
He said the foremost task of any government installed in Pakistan should be to hold accountability of all corrupt politicians who have looted the national wealth.
He said the army should move fast towards restoring democracy, adding that the army had been forced to take the action, which was not liked by democracy-loving people like him.
Asked whether he would favour holding of fresh elections within 90 days, he said he would support the restoration of democracy in the country as well as demand accountability of those who looted the national wealth, suppressed the judiciary and subjugated the national press.
He said Nawaz Sharif had resorted to extra-constitution measures to suppress the opposition parties, particularly the MQM in Sindh. "He (Nawaz Sharif) must be tried for extra-judicial killings that took place during his tenure in Pakistan in general and Karachi in particular."
Asked whether he would support a caretaker government set up for a year or two to hold across the board accountability of all politicians before holding the next elections, he said it was too early to say that. "I am waiting for the speech of the army chief," he said. "But whatever decision will be taken, will be by the central coordination committee and not by me."
Asked whether he would oppose martial law, he said: "Again it is too early to comment. We don't know what is going to happen. The situation is still fluid and we have to wait and see."
When his attention was drawn that so far the assemblies have not been dissolved, and would he favour an in-house change, Mr Hussain said he would give his detailed reaction once the situation clears.
ATC awards death penalty to MQM man
KARACHI, Oct 12: A worker of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement was sentenced to death on Tuesday by an Anti-Terrorism Court for kidnapping a construction contractor for ransom. Besides awarding the capital punishment for the charge of kidnapping for ransom
(section 365 (a) of PPC), Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-3 also sentenced Mehmood Ali to suffer a seven-year term for creating terror (section 7 (b) of the Anti-Terrorism Act).
A fine of Rs20,000 was also imposed on the convict who would have to suffer an additional one-year term.
It was alleged that Mehmood Ali, along with other Muttahida workers, kidnapped Mohammed Javed, a construction contractor, on March 14 this year in Bantwa Nagar, Liaquatabad, and demanded 20,000 US dollars for his release. On the same night Mohammad Jhangir, brother of the hostage, paid Rs50,000 to the accused in Korangi.
However, the police raided a house in Azam Nagar, Liaquatabad, the same night and recovered Javed. None of the accused was arrested at that time. The police later arrested Mehmood who later disclosed to having been involved in the kidnapping of the contractor.
Another term of seven years with a fine of Rs20,000 was also awarded to Mehmood for illegally confining the victim (342 PPC) by the court. He will have to undergo another one-year imprisonment if he fails to pay the fine.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of the entire movable and immovable property of the accused.
Public prosecutor Naimat Ali Randhawa produced seven witnesses against the accused. Mohammed Jhangir, the brother of the victim, who appeared as one of the seven prosecution witnesses, deposed before the court that he had given Rs50,000 to the accused, who included Mehmood Ali.
NED refuses to re-affiliate DCET
KARACHI, Oct 12: The issuance of an official notification regarding degree awarding status to Dawood College of Engineering and Technology (DCET) remains in the doldrums as the federal government is considering two other proposals either to re-affiliate the college with the NED University
of Engineering and Technology or to affiliate it with the Mehran Engineering University Jamshoro, well-placed sources said here on Tuesday.
However, the NED university has refused to re-affiliate the college unless the education ministry accepts its conditions.
"I have refused even to consider the re-affiliation issue unless the three committees, the Executive Committee, the Selection Board and the Finance and Planning Committee, are put under the control of the vice-chancellor," said Abul Kalam, the Vice Chancellor of the NED university.
He said the education ministry was not ready to meet his demand, therefore, he added, the university will not consider the issue.
Even if the education ministry accepted his demand, it will also have to give assurance that the constitution of the three committees will not be changed, and the vice-chancellor will remain the head of the committees, Mr Kalam said.
To a query, he said the varsity had not so far received any written request or intimation from the education ministry in this regard, and all the things were verbal.
Although the government has awarded degree-awarding status to the DCET, it remains undecided about the decision putting the fate of engineering students in a quandary.
Earlier, the ministry of education had approached the Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, for the affiliation, but, sources added, the varsity had refused to entertain its desire.
Now, they said, the ministry was also considering affiliating the college with Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, besides re-affiliating it with the NED University.
The issue was also raised by the chairman of University Grants Commission (UGC) last year, but, the sources said, the university administration had made it clear that unless certain DCET officials, allegedly involved in corruption and misuse of powers, were removed, it would not even think about re-affiliation.
The DCET was disaffiliated by the NED University of Engineering and Technology on April 4, 1998, on the charges of discrepancies and irregularities in administrative and educational affairs. The Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) had already postponed the registration of the DCET graduates last year, following a tussle between the college and the university administration.
The federal government had approved the degree-awarding status to the college some six months back to resolve the lingering disaffiliation dispute between the Dawood College and the NED university. But, due to bureaucratic labyrinth in the law division, an official notification in this regard has not been so far issued.
The summary regarding degree-awarding status had already been approved by the federal cabinet, but it was referred to the education ministry by the law division, putting some objections.
Though the education ministry had clarified all the objections, so far no progress has been witnessed in this regard.
The summary is still in the law division and will be sent to the president for final approval after a lengthy process, a DCET official said.-PPI
Freed bonded peasants being implicated in false theft cases: HRCP
HYDERABAD: The Special
Task Force (STF) for Sindh of Human Rights Commission of
Pakistan (HRCP) has demanded of the Home Secretary and
other officials of the Sindh administration to take
notice of the implication of freed bonded peasants in
false theft cases by the Nawabshah police.
According to a statement
issued by Nasreen Shakeel Pathan, coordinator, HRCP's STF
for Sindh, one Arshad Maseeh complained that seven
members his family were detained with Daur
(Nawabshah)-based landlord Choudhary Mohammad Afzal. The
complainant was sent to DC Nawabshah for getting justice,
who asked the Mukhtiarkar of Nawabshah for inquiring into
the matter, but in the meantime, six bonded peasants
managed to escape from the lands but the seventh could
not get the chance, the press release said.
However, the Mukhtiarkar
secured the release of the last detainee, Arif Maseeh,
from the lands of Choudhary Afzal and he was handed over
to HRCP activists Asif-ul-Bashar and Suleman. The HRCP
statement said after one month, the landlord lodged an
FIR at Daur police station, nominating complainant Arshad
Maseeh and others on which Daur police raided the house
of the complainant and picked up his father Sardar and
four brothers, Saleem, Mukhtar, Ramazan and Jameel Maseeh
from their temporary settlement camp at Kotri.
The raiding police party
of Daur did not bother to inform the HRCP or peasants
about the arrests nor did it lodge entry into Kotri
police's Roznamcha. The HRCP has made efforts to get
justice and approached the Home Secretary, DIG Sukkur
range, SSP Nawabshah, but in vain and SSP Nawabshah Ahsan
Goondal himself was found saying that the only way for
the release of peasants is to settle their matter with
the landlord, the statement said.
LAHORE: Six 'sectarian terrorists' arrested
LAHORE, Oct 12: Six alleged sectarian terrorists involved in the killing of PMA vice-president Dr Qaisar Abbas Sial and two others have reportedly been arrested by police.
Sources told Dawn on Tuesday that the terrorists were arrested in a joint operation launched by the police and CID in Chuhng area.
They claimed that Shabbir alias Nasir, carrying Rs 1 million headmoney, Qari Muzammil, Muhammad Iftikhar, Muhammad Yasin and two accomplices were arrested during the raid. Huge quantity of weapons were also recovered from their custody.
On Oct 1, Dr Sial and two other people were killed while three people sustained injuries when three terrorists attacked his Wahdat Colony clinic.
The sources said the attack was carried out by Qari Muzammil, Iftikhar and another terrorist while Shabbir and others were present at some distance from the scene of crime.
Shabbir alias Nasir, a resident of Khanewal, was wanted in several incidents of sectarian killings. A few months ago he gunned down three policemen in Multan.
Senior police officials were terming the arrests a major breakthrough in the operations against sectarian terrorists.
The suspects were being detained at an unidentified place.
US cautions against overstepping Constitution
WASHINGTON, Oct 12: The US reacted cautiously to the dismissal of the Nawaz Sharif government on Tuesday, saying Washington would seek the earliest possible restoration of democracy in Pakistan.
Both White House and the State Department were not outrightly condemning the military as reports said channels had been opened by the White House to General Musharraf to get things back on the constitutional track.
The comment made by State Department spokesman Jamie Rubin reflected a tacit admission that even strong US support for the ousted prime minister could not prevent the situation from getting out of the hands of politicians.
Mian Nawaz Sharif's dismissal opened up a huge debate in US on whether the US policy towards his regime and Pakistan as such was in the US interests and was it right to prop up a compliant but unpopular regime.
White House sources were quoted by the CNN as saying a military coup would not be acceptable to the US and that national security officials were trying to get in touch with Gen Musharraf to persuade him to restore the constitutional process.
Many observers felt assured that Gen Musharraf was not a "fundamentalist" and was a liberal modern military leader who would not let the interests of US and Pakistan collide on major international issues, including nuclear proliferation, international terrorism, Afghanistan and drugs.
They were, however, worried that the fall of the Nawaz government had dealt a serious blow to the normalization effort he had started with India and that the process might suffer now that Vajpayee was back in power and wanted to restart it.
Mr Rubin made cautious comments as it was not clear till then what would replace the ousted political setup.
"We believe the Constitution should be respected," he said, adding that the situation was too fluid to speculate on the meaning of what he called a "genuine political crisis."
"If there has been a coup, we would obviously seek the earliest possible restoration of democracy in Pakistan," he said.
He, however, said a military coup would make it impossible for the US "to carry on business as usual in Pakistan."
Under an American law any military takeover means automatic and immediate imposition of economic and military sanctions and in Pakistan's case this may have a direct bearing on the current talks with the IMF for a $280 million tranche.
The IMF would also suspend the ESAF programme under a military regime.
Diplomatic observers said the dismissal of Mr Nawaz Sharif had deprived the Clinton administration of a complaint, friendly regime in Pakistan but many said the US was more to blame for the quick and smooth exit of Mr Sharif.
Just a couple of days back the Washington Post said the Clinton administration was the only supporter left of the beleaguered Nawaz regime.
The outspoken US support for a tottering and unpopular regime helped in its early demise, observers said.
The Americans were not clear until the very last what had suddenly happened in Pakistan but the US embassy in Islamabad was sending regular reports on the ground situation.