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| December 15, 2007 | Saturday | Zilhaj 4, 1428 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
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Musharraf lifts Pakistan's state of emergency after six weeks ISLAMABAD, Dec 15 (AP) President Musharraf lifted a six-week-old state of emergency and restored the constitution Saturday, drawing cautious praise from some critics and condemnation from others who say he has skewed Pakistan's political landscape heavily in his favour. Information Minister Nisar Memon called it a ''historic day'' and said next month's parliamentary elections would cement the country's return to democracy. That would be welcome news for the United States and other western supporters who have taken heat for backing Musharraf. But the order contains a controversial clause that enshrines and indemnifies actions that Musharraf took under the emergency - including his dismissal of independent-minded judges, a crackdown on independent media and a raft of constitutional amendments Friday - saying they ''shall not be called into question by or before any court.'' Makhdoom Amin Fahim, senior vice president of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party, called the end of the emergency ''a good step'' and did not rule out the possibility of cooperating with Musharraf. ''Let's see whether the elections are free, fair and transparent,'' Fahim said. ''But so far, it does not appear that the elections would be held in a fair manner. All the government machinery is being exploited for foul play.'' Liaquat Baloch, a senior leader of Jamaat-i-Islami called Musharraf's move a ''fraud.'' ''Musharraf had two targets - getting through the illegal process of his election and purging the judiciary of independent-minded judges - and he achieved both targets,'' Baloch said. (First Posted @ 12:55 PST Updated @ 17:54 PST)
Musharraf says emergency saved Pakistan from destruction ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Dec 15 (Agencies) President Pervez Musharraf said Saturday he imposed a state of emergency as a last resort to save Pakistan from destruction. In a nationally televised address after lifting the emergency earlier in the day, Musharraf said a conspiracy had been hatched by unspecified people, with the involvement of members of the judiciary, to derail the country's transition to democracy. Parliamentary elections, scheduled for January 8, will determine who will form the next government. ''Against my will, as a last resort, I had to impose the emergency in order to save Pakistan,'' Musharraf said. ''The conspiracy was hatched to destabilize the country. I cannot tell how much pain the nation and I suffered due to this conspiracy.'' He said he was not initially confident about fending off the conspiracy, but that the state of emergency had been critical to maintaining stability. ''Now the conspiracy has been foiled, and the election will be held on January 8… I give this commitment to the people of Pakistan and to the world outside that the elections are going to be absolutely fair and transparent,” he said in the 20-minute address. Still, the country faces another grave period, Musharraf said as he warned political parties not to stir up trouble. ''I regret some parties are boycotting the election while there is no justification,'' Musharraf said. ''The electioneering has not started yet, but some parties are talking of rigging. They should refrain from such accusations. People should take part in the electioneering, cast their vote but should not indulge in any negative activity. The country should not be put into any trouble.'' (First Posted @ 20:26 PST Updated @ 21:24 PST)
Suicide bomber kills five at Nowshera army services center ISLAMABAD, Dec 15 (AP): A suicide bomber killed at least five people Saturday in Nowshehra about 120 kilometers northwest of Islamabad, Pakistan Television reported. The attack occurred at the gate of an army services center.“The attacker was riding on a bicycle. He blew himself up at the ASC (army supply centre), two soldiers and three civilians were killed,” said military spokesman Major-General Waheed Arshad.Police confirmed the death toll and said five people were wounded in the attack. “Some of the injured are in a critical condition,” a police officer told AFP. He said the checkpost was on a busy thoroughfare. The attack came just hours before President Pervez Musharraf was due to lift a controversial state of emergency he imposed in November, citing a wave of attacks that have primarily targeted Pakistan's armed forces. (First Posted @ 10:00 PST, Updated @ 10:40 PST)
India will continue 'to do business' with Musharraf: Narayanan NEW DELHI, Dec 15 (AFP) - India's National Security Adviser M.K Narayanan has said New Delhi regards President Pervez Musharraf as an “elected president” and will continue doing business with him, according to a report Saturday. “I think as of now he is an elected President,” he told India's private CNN-IBN news network in an interview. “... but the legitimacy of his presidentship will have to be declared properly after the new parliament approves of it with a two-thirds majority,” Narayanan said. “We've done business with him in the past and I think we will continue to do business with him,” he said. Narayanan called General Ashfaq Kiyani a “professional soldier”. “He's not a man with great political ambitions. The soldiers who know him think he's a loyal individual,” he said. “And that is what makes people think the relationship between the civilian President Musharraf and the army chief will be smooth at least in the short term.” Narayanan expressed optimism about an ongoing peace process that the South Asian countries launched in 2004. “I think there are things in the pipeline, things which are cooking, which are half cooked or three quarters cooked, which we would like to take forward,” he said of the talks. (Posted @ 19:14 PST)
Pakistan judges take fresh oath after emergency ISLAMABAD, Dec 15 (AFP) President Musharraf swore the Supreme Court into office under a new oath Saturday after he lifted the state of emergency and reinstated constitutional rule. In a ceremony broadcast live on television, Musharraf installed the judges under the country's constitution, which was restored when he lifted the emergency. The judges had previously taken an oath under the provisional constitutional order he imposed when he announced the state of emergency on November 3. “The judges are taking a fresh oath under the revived constitution,” Law Minister Afzal Haider told AFP. On Saturday, Musharraf swore in Abdul Hameed Dogar as the Supreme Court's chief justice. In the four provinces, fresh oaths were similarly administered to the judges of the high courts. (First Posted @ 15:20 PST Updated @ 18:36 PST)
Pakistan to be 'better, stronger' vows Musharraf WASHINGTON, Dec 15 (AFP): President Pervez Musharraf Saturday defended imposing a state of emergency, vowing a “better and stronger” Pakistan would emerge. In an interview to be published Sunday in the Washington Post and Newsweek, the former general said he regretted having to shed his military title, but said it was for national good. “The situation will be better. The army is being managed by a chief of staff dedicated to the job, and I will be president. If the two are totally in harmony, the situation is better,” said Musharraf in the interview posted on the Post's website. He promised clean balloting in next month’s elections. However, said he would not reinstate judges who opposed him. “New judges are there. They will never be restored.” He also blamed the Western media for recent problems. “The problem with the West and your media is your obsession with democracy, civil liberties, human rights. Who built democratic institutions in Pakistan? I have in the last eight years. We allowed freedom of expression,” said Musharraf. He lauded the United States for its support during last month's political crisis, with particular praise for President Bush. (Posted @ 12:45 PST)
Pakistan fighter jet crashes, no casualties ISLAMABAD, Dec 15 (AFP) A Pakistani fighter jet crashed Saturday in near the town of Samundri in Punjab province but the pilot ejected safely, an air force spokesman told AFP. There was no loss of life or property on the ground when the Chinese-built F-7 came down, spokesman Sarfraz Ahmed said. “The jet was on a training mission when it came down. An inquiry has been ordered into the crash,” he said. (Posted @ 17:36 PST)
Benazir leaves door open to compromise WASHINGTON, Dec 15 (PPI):- PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto has said she remains open to working with President Pervez Musharraf, but only if next month's parliamentary elections are “free and fair.'' Speaking to VOA by telephone, she said “it's very difficult to say anything on this matter at this stage.” “A lot will depend on the elections themselves and what mood of people is following elections, because if elections are rigged, it's going to put Musharraf on a confrontation course with opposition parties.” Musharraf could still surprise people by conducting an honest vote, although she believes that is a remote possibility. “At the moment the situation is not conducive to fair elections within Pakistan,” she added. “But certainly General Musharraf has taken some steps that surprised many people, including me. And that included retiring as chief of army staff. So if he surprises us all by having a fair election, that will be very welcome. But the way things are going today, that would be a very big surprise.” She alleged that preparations for electoral fraud are already well under way, including falsifying voter registration rolls with what she calls ghost voters and intimidation of voters by local government appointed officials. (Posted @ 18:30 PST)
Bomb wounds 12 soldiers near Somali parliament MOGADISHU, Dec 15 (Reuters) A roadside bomb wounded at least 12 Somali soldiers in Baidoa and two people were killed in violence in Mogadishu Saturday. “A remote-controlled roadside bomb targeted a military pick-up truck,” said police officer Aden Moalim in Baidoa. “At least 12 soldiers guarding the road to parliament, including one Ethiopian, were hurt.” In the capital, two people were killed when grenades were hurled at government troops patrolling Bakara Market, triggering a gun battle. (Posted @ 21:26 PST)
Thousands of Kurds demonstrate in German city DUESSELDORF, Germany, Dec 15 (AP) About 10,000 Kurds calling for the release of rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan demonstrated in Duesseldorf Saturday, police said. About 1,000 officers were deployed in the western German city to prevent trouble at the march, which also protested potential Turkish military involvement in northern Iraq. Police said there were a few small scuffles on the fringes of the event, and a few demonstrators were detained. (Posted @ 20:36 PST)
Aitzaz Ahsan withdraws candidature LAHORE, Dec 15 (APP) President Supreme Court Bar Association and PPP-P leader Aitzaz Ahsan, Advocate withdrew his candidature to contest the forthcoming general elections Saturday. Aitzaz Ahsan had submitted his nomination papers from the constituency of NA-124. (Posted @ 20:24 PST)
Rockets fired into Musa Qala as troops patrol town MUSA QALA, Afghanistan, Dec 15 (AFP) Two rockets were fired into the Afghan town of Musa Qala Saturday, an army officer said, as hundreds of troops patrolled the area after driving out the Taliban five days ago. The rockets appeared to have come from the north to where some of rebels escaped, said British Brigadier Andrew MacKay, commander of the task force in Helmand. (Posted @ 20:20 PST)
Eighteen feared dead in Vietnam landslide HANOI, Dec 15 (Reuters) About 18 workers were feared killed in a landslide Saturday at a stone mine near the construction site of a hydro power plant in central Vietnam, the e-newspaper Dan Tri reported. The landslide happened at about 0300 GMT in Tuong Duong district, Nghe An province, burying the workers, their trucks and drilling equipment under rock and clay. (Posted @ 19:40 PST)
Ali Ahmed Kurd withdraws nomination papers RAWALPINDI, Dec 15 (APP) Senior advocate Ali Ahmed Kurd has withdrawn his nomination papers filed for two National Assembly constituencies NA-55 and NA-56 in Rawalpindi. Two other lawyers Tariq Mehmood and Wasif Ali Chaudhry have also withdrawn papers from NA-54 and PP-5 respectively. (Posted @ 19:36 PST)
Britain's Brown welcomes end of Pakistan emergency rule LONDON, Dec 15 (AFP) British Prime Minister Gordon Brown hailed the lifting of Pakistan's state of emergency as a “significant step” Saturday. After a telephone call with President Musharraf, Brown also called for a “level playing field” in next month's parliamentary elections. “This is another significant step towards the return of full constitutional order,” Brown said in a statement. “Concrete measures should include increased transparency of the electoral process, prevention of local government abuse, a non-partisan election commission, release of remaining political detainees and the lifting of all restrictions on the media.” “Britain will continue to work with Pakistan and the Commonwealth to ensure stability, security and democracy,” he added. (Posted @ 19:18 PST)
India tests yet another surface-to-air missile BHUBANESWAR, Dec 15 (AFP) - India on Saturday successfully tested its surface-to-air Akash missile for the third time in as many days, defence officials said. The 700- missile has a striking range of 27 kilometres and can carry a 55-kilogramme warhead. Tests of the missile are likely to continue this week, officials said. (Posted @ 19:10 PST)
45 donor nations pledge record US$25.1 billion to World Bank for poorest countries BERLIN, Dec 15 (AP) - World Bank representatives said Friday that donor nations have pledged a record US$25.1 billion for loans and aid to the world's poorest countries. Forty-five nations, including China and five other newcomers, made the pledges for 2008-2011, a jump of 41 percent over the previous three-year donor period. The IDA will have a record US$41.6 billion to work with when the pledges are combined with funds from other sources, Philippe Le Houerou, a World Bank vice president, told a news conference. (Posted @ 18:18 PST)
Strong earthquake sends residents fleeing in eastern Indonesia JAKARTA, Indonesia, Dec 15 (AP) A deep 7.1-magnitude earthquake shook eastern Indonesia on Saturday, sending panicked residents running out of their homes but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries and no tsunami alert was issued. The tremor struck at a depth of about 100 kilometres in Maluku province, about 2,700 kilometres east of the capital, Jakarta. ''The TV, chairs, everything in my house fell down, I saw utility poles shaking,'' Gulman, a resident of Saumlaki town on the island of Tanimbar, told El-Shinta radio. At least two other nearby quakes with magnitudes of 6.3 and 5.8 were felt several hundred kilometres away in East Timor with no reports of loss life or damage to property, a witness said. (First Posted @ 15:40 PST Updated @ 18:04 PST)
Russian communists nominate Zyuganov for president MOSCOW, Dec 15 (Reuters) Russia's opposition Communist Party on Saturday nominated Gennady Zyuganov to run for president next March where he faces a daunting challenge against President Vladimir Putin's preferred successor, First Deputy Premier Dmitry Medvedev. (Posted @ 17:32 PST)
End of Pakistan emergency not enough: HRW ISLAMABAD, Dec 15 (AFP) The US-based Human Rights Watch said Saturday that President Pervez Musharraf's end to the state of emergency in Pakistan would not restore real constitutional rule as it “provides legal cover to laws that muzzle the media and lawyers and gives the army a license to abuse.” Ali Dayan Hasan of HRW said in a statement: “a genuine restoration of Pakistan's constitution would require Musharraf to return to the constitution and judiciary that existed before November 3.” The HRW pointed to a series of decrees issued under emergency rule, including a ban on any later challenges to the legality of the emergency and an amendment to allow the military to try civilians. “The military is Pakistan's principal human rights abuser, yet Musharraf has changed the law so that it can play judge, jury and executioner,” Hasan said. HRW said the United States and Britain should speak up against the president, a key ally in the US-led “war on terror”. “Instead of playing along with Musharraf's power-grab, they should condemn his latest ploy for legitimacy,” the group said. (Posted @ 17:24 PST)
One killed as police fire on protesting occupied Kashmir students SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, Dec 15 (AFP) One person was killed when police fired on hundreds of students calling for a college to be set up in Magam town, 30 kilometres west of Srinagar, police said Saturday. “Police had to use force, including firing, after students set fire to a vehicle and attacked policemen,” a police officer said. The protest came a day after the government said it would set up 18 new colleges across the insurgency-racked state. Magam was not included. After the shooting, shops and businesses in the township closed in protest and hundreds of students demonstrated in the streets shouting anti-government slogans. They also threw up road blockades, stranding hundreds of vehicles, including those carrying tourists to the ski-resort of Gulmarg. Occupied Kashmir is in the grip of an 18-year-old revolt against New Delhi's rule that has left tens of thousands of dead. (Posted @ 16:45 PST)
Benazir reaches Quetta QUETTA, Pakistan, Dec 15 (PPI) “We welcome the lifting of emergency but have some reservations,” Chairperson Pakistan People's Party Benazir Bhutto told newsmen on arrival at Quetta airport on Saturday. She said she was visiting Balochistan at a time when an operation was underway in parts of the province, people are missing, and political workers have been detained. She said if PPP came into power after the elections, it would stop the operation and would recover the missing persons. Replying to a question, she urged the nationalist parties to take part in the general elections to stop the way of dictatorship and to strengthen democracy. “I have brought a message of peace for the people of Balochistan and if PPP comes to power after general elections all resources of Balochistan would be spent for the benefit of the province and people of Balochistan.” (Posted @ 16:40 PST)
APNS says talks with government futile under prevailing circumstances Karachi, Dec 15 (PPI) The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) is of the considered opinion that “engagement with the Ministry of Information under prevailing circumstances is a futile exercise, when the government is consistently curbing the expression of press freedom through arbitrary actions.” The Executive Committee of the APNS that met here Saturday under the chairmanship of Hameed Haroon considered the report of the president on recent meetings with the Ministry of Information, says an APNS press release issued here Saturday. The members noted that the government has failed to honor its assurances to hold meaningful bilateral talks with the publisher/owner of Jung/Geo TV networks and to unravel the issues, as a step forward for confidence building measure. (Posted @ 16:30 PST)
Gas pipeline damaged near Dera Bugti QUETTA, Pakistan, Dec 15 (PPI) A 26 inch diameter gas pipeline was damaged by suspected militants at Pesh Bogi, some 12 km from Dera Bugti in Balochistan province Saturday morning, suspending supply of gas to the compressor and the purification plant, officials here said. Security forces and gay company engineers have reached the site of the explosion and details are awaited. (Posted @ 16:25 PST)
Indian judiciary usurped executive's powers: Supreme Court of India ISLAMABAD, Dec 15 (APP) The Supreme Court of India has remarked that the judiciary has erred in the recent past in usurping the powers of the executive and cautioned that if the trend continued, politicians would step in and clip the judiciary's wings, reported Times of India. “If the judiciary does not exercise restraint and overstretches its limits, there is bound be a reaction from politicians and others. The politicians will then step in and curtail the power, or even the independence of the judiciary,” said a SC bench comprising Justices A. K. Mathur and Markandey Katju. In a 22-page judgment, the two judges devoted 15 pages to reiterate judicial norms which, in the main, underline that judges as umpires are meant to uphold laws, not create them. “The constitutional tradeoff for independence is that judges must restrain themselves from areas reserved for the other separate branches (executive and legislature),” said the bench. The SC listed instances where the judiciary had strayed into the executive's domain. These cases included: nursery admissions in Delhi; legality of constructions, identifying buildings to be demolished in Delhi; overcharging by Delhi autorickshaws; growing road accidents and enhancing fines; nature of buses for public transport; air-pollution; free beds in hospitals on public land; world-class ambulance services; world-class burns ward. (Posted @ 16:20 PST)
Militants strike Baghdad neighourhood patrols BAGHDAD, Dec 15 (Reuters) Gunmen and bombers launched three attacks on U.S.-backed neighbourhood security patrols in Baghdad Saturday, killing at least three of the patrol members and wounding 17. In one incident Saturday, bombers killed two patrol members and wounded 10 in a strike on their headquarters in the Adhamiya neighbourhood of northern Iraq. Gunmen attacked a patrol in another northern area, killing one patrol member and wounding four. In the southern Doura neighbourhood, gunmen wounded three patrol members manning a checkpoint. (Posted @ 15:40 PST)
Bombings, unrest kill 14 in Afghanistan KABUL, Dec 15 (AFP) Two bombs struck the Afghan capital Saturday, one of them killing five civilians, while nine people died in new attacks in a Taliban insurgency, officials said. A car-bomb placed outside Kabul police headquarters tore through a busy area of the city, killing at least four civilian bystanders, officials and a witness said. The second bomb detonated near the city's main jail, causing only minor damage to a military vehicle, the defence ministry said. “Five civilians have been killed and two police have been wounded. Some civilians have been wounded too,” interior ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary told AFP. In other violence, police in eastern Paktia province said a policeman and four Taliban were killed Friday after the militants ambushed a police vehicle. Three other Taliban were killed Friday when a bomb they were trying to plant exploded in neighbouring Paktika province, a local official said. Separately, armed assailants pulled three Afghan soldiers out of a vehicle in the northern province of Balkh early Saturday and shot them, killing one, police said. (First Posted @ 09:30 PST, Updated @ 15:25 PST)
Fire breaks out on Japanese warship TOKYO, Dec 15 (AFP): A fire broke out on a Japanese destroyer anchored in Yokosuka base near Tokyo, injuring four crew members and taking firemen seven hours to extinguish, a Japanese defence official said Saturday. The fire broke out near the rudder house of the 5,200-ton “Shirane” shortly after ten o'clock Friday evening and was extinguished Saturday morning around five o'clock, he said. (Posted @ 13:00 PST)
Malaysia floods kill 17, more rain to come, paper says KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 (Reuters): Monsoon rains and flooding have killed 17 people in Malaysia, made 20,000 homeless and could push up food and palm oil prices. The New Straits Times newspaper reported Saturday that the Meteorological Department forecast more heavy rain for at least the next four days and Pahang and Kelantan states have been put on red alert. (Posted @ 12:45 PST)
US soldier killed in Iraq BAGHDAD, Dec 15 (AFP): Insurgents killed a US soldier with small arms fire in the northern province of Nineveh, the American military said Saturday. The soldier was killed in the main city of Mosul Friday. The death brought to at least 3,890 the number of US troops killed in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, according to an AFP tally based on Pentagon figures. (Posted @ 12:25 PST)
Don't meddle in our security law: Malaysia to U.S. KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 (Reuters): Malaysia has told the United States to remember Guantanamo Bay and not to criticise a Malaysian law that allows detention without trial, the New Straits Times said Saturday. Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak reacted to comments by a U.S. State Department spokesman that Washington hoped those arrested in Malaysia would enjoy full legal protections and rights, due process, and a speedy and transparent handling of their case. “Can they (the United States) first of all give a fair trial to the Guantanamo Bay detainees?” he asked. Malaysia has detained five ethnic Indians under the ISA for helping to organise a huge anti-government protest last month. (Posted @ 12:20 PST)
UN talks set 2009 goal for new climate change pact NUSA DUA, Indonesia, Dec 15 (AFP): Talks in Bali on attacking climate change agreed a roadmap on Saturday for two-year negotiations leading to a new worldwide pact to roll back the peril of global warming. The planned treaty would take effect at the end of 2012 after current commitments expire under the UN Kyoto Protocol. The “Bali Roadmap” was approved by consensus among the 190 members of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) after gruelling negotiations that ran for 13 days, one more than scheduled. (Posted @ 12:05 PST)
US rejects climate change draft: negotiator NUSA DUA, Indonesia, Dec 15 (AFP): Senior US negotiator Paula Dobriansky said Saturday Washington objected to a draft proposal on tackling climate change at the UN conference here as it wanted stronger commitments from developing countries. (Posted @ 11:35 PST)
US will offer Palestinians 500 million dollars WASHINGTON, Dec 15 (AFP): The United States will offer the moderate Palestinian leadership more than 500 million dollars at an international donors conference opening in Paris at the weekend, a US official said Friday. (Posted @ 09:40 PST)
30 Tamil Tiger rebels killed, says military COLOMBO, Dec 15 (Reuters): Sri Lankan troops killed 30 Tamil Tiger rebels in fighting in the north in which one soldier was killed, the military said Saturday. “Troops killed 30 LTTE terrorists in clashes in Vavuniya, Mannar and Jaffna on Friday,” said a military spokesman. He said one soldier was killed and seven wounded. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were not available for comment on the fighting. (Posted @ 09:15 PST)
US indicts nine indians for smuggling immigrants from India HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, Dec 15 (AP): Nine people from India were indicted for smuggling undocumented immigrants into the United States through Thailand, federal prosecutors said Friday. A federal grand jury said that over the past five years the defendants -- eight Indian nationals and a naturalized U.S. citizen -- brought a dozen immigrants into the United States in a scheme that involved false passports and fabricated documents. (Posted @ 09:05 PST)
Indian doctor gets 30 years jail in U.S. PHILADELPHIA, Dec 15 (AP): A doctor from India who organised an illegal Internet pharmacy network was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison. Akhil Bansal, a doctor studying for a business degree at Temple University, ran a network that smuggled 11 million prescription pills from India and distributed them to 60,000 Americans, prosecutors said. (Posted @ 09:05 PST)
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