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| Musharraf resignation |
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Thursday, November 29, 2007
PPP, JUI-F welcome, PTI, JI want more to be done
PPP leaders term change in command Benazir’s victory
KARACHI: Though PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto, JUI-F President Maulana Fazlur Rehman and a few other opposition leaders on Wednesday welcomed President Pervez Musharraf’s resignation from the Army, others showed their dissatisfaction saying all illegal steps taken by the military ruler should be reversed to put the country on the road to real democracy.
BENAZIR BHUTTO: Former premier Benazir Bhutto said she was in no hurry to accept him as a civilian leader. “We welcome President Pervez Musharraf taking off his uniform and quitting the Army as one of our key demands,” Bhutto told reporters in Karachi. “We are not in a hurry to accept Pervez Musharraf as a civilian president. We’ll take any decision in this regard after detailed deliberations keeping in view all the aspects involved.”
Welcoming the change of army command with President Pervez Musharraf’s decision of doffing his uniform, the Pakistan People’s Party on Wednesday termed it a strategic victory of the party and its Chairperson Benazir Bhutto. “Today is the day of rejoicing for all the democratic forces of the country who were struggling against the dictatorship in the country and it was proved that every dictator has to bow down before the will of the people,” said PPP Secretary General Raja Pervez Ashraf, Finance Secretary Dr Babar Awan and Media Coordinator Nazir Dhoki while addressing a joint press conference.
PPP leaders in Lahore claimed President Musharraf doffed his military uniform owing to their party’s successful strategy as it helped exert international pressure on the general. However, there was a visible difference of opinion regarding PPP’s attitude towards the future of general-turned-civilian president and the party’s approach.
YOUSAF RAZA GILLANI: Commenting on the stepping down of President Musharraf as the army chief, PPP Vice Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani said the PPP had not supported the election of General Musharraf, and at the same time, always demanded that he should resign as the army chief. “Then we urged the international community to exert pressure on the general to quit his army post, and our strategy remained successful,” he added. However, to a question about accepting Musharraf as a legitimate head of state after the elections, Gillani said that was a non-issue for the PPP right now. “The country is still under Musharraf’s martial law and other issues remain to be resolved,” he said, adding that the PPP wanted lifting of the emergency rule and restoration of an independent judiciary in the country.
REHMAN MALIK: Benazir’s close aide and member federal council Rehman Malik appreciated the decision of President Musharraf to doff uniform. “Musharraf has shown courage by doffing his uniform,” he said. Asked whether Musharraf was acceptable to the PPP as the president for the next five years, Malik said: “Of course, there shouldn’t be any objection.”
RAZA RABBANI: PPP leader and former Senator Raza Rabbani termed the decision too little, too late. “This does not show that elections will be fair and free unless emergency is lifted, PCO is reverted, and deposed judges are reinstated,” Rabbani said adding that people’s struggle would continue against Musharraf. He said the people had given a unanimous decision that with or without uniform, Musharraf was not acceptable to the nation.
SHAH MAHMOOD QURESHI: PPP Punjab President Shah Mahmood Qureshi attributed doffing of uniform to PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto’s return to the country. He said all political parties including the MMA had failed to force Musharraf to take off uniform. But Ms Bhutto accomplished this task in only one month.
IMRAN KHAN: Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan has said President Musharraf should be charged with treason as he had confessed to violating the Constitution on Nov 3, after imposing the emergency rule.
Talking to The News Wednesday, he said Musharraf had nothing to offer and he was unacceptable with or without uniform. Imran rejected Musharraf’s claim of moving towards a democratic set-up, and accused him of destroying the judiciary of the country and other institutions. He said the PTI stood by its demand for restoration of the judiciary and nothing less would be acceptable to him or his party.
Majority of the MMA leaders said mere removing military uniform by Musharraf would never bring about any real change, unless all dictatorial and anti-Islam policies were reversed. They said restoring the Constitution and the judiciary to their pre-Nov 3 status should have been a priority to transform the country from a military dictatorship to a civilian rule.
QAZI HUSSAIN AHMAD: MMA President and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Qazi Hussain Ahmad said removing only the military uniform would not serve the purpose and Musharraf should reverse all steps and measures he took as a military ruler. Qazi said our basic demand was that all the extra-constitutional measures of General Musharraf should be reversed and foreign dictated policies should be changed to bring the civilian rule back, in reality. Or, at least, he said, the situation of country before November 3 must be restored. He said Musharraf had damaged the national institutions by imposing Washington-dictated anti-Islam policies over the last eight years.
SAJID MIR: MMA vice-president and Jamiat Ahle Hadith president Senator Sajid Mir termed the removal of uniform an initial success of the opposition parties. He said the removal of uniform was a political defeat of those elements who had been raising slogans of electing Musharraf in military uniform for ten more times. However, he said mere removing uniform and not changing the American-dictated and anti-Islam policies would bring no real change.
FAZLUR REHMAN: MMA Secretary General and JUI-F President Maulana Fazlur Rehman welcomed the gesture shown by Gen Musharraf and termed it a step towards betterment of the country.
Talking to The News, he said he sincerely hoped that Musharraf should solve other problems which were hindering the complete transformation of country from a military dictatorship to a civilian rule, like lifting of emergency rule, restoration of the Constitution, restoration of judiciary including the reinstatement of chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and other judges, who were sacked for not taking oath under the PCO.
MMA leader and JUP secretary general Qari Zawwar Bahadur and Engr Salimullah Khan said Musharraf must end all anti-Islam policies in the country to give way to a real civilian rule in the country.
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20 die as bomber hits Peshawar Judicial Complex
By Javed Aziz Khan
PESHAWAR: A suicide bomber blew himself up at the main gate of the Judicial Complex on the Khyber Road here on Thursday, killing 20 people, including three cops, and wounding over 50 others.
Hundreds of more |
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Finally, dreaded NRO list is out and official
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) presented to the government on Thursday a list of 248 politicians and bureaucrats, who were alleged to have plundered hundreds of billions of rupees but were more |
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Gilani to quit if wife proved NRO beneficiary
By Muhammad Saleh Zaafir
& Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: In what could be described as a clear message to the beneficiaries of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) to resign from their posts, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilan more |
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Multiple criteria agreed for NFC Award
By Imtiaz Ali
KARACHI: The Fifth National Finance Commission (NFC) meeting in the city on Thursday decided in principle to make population, revenue, backwardness and “inverse density population” (the less the population, the more |
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Karzai sworn in for second term
KABUL: Veteran Afghan leader Hamid Karzai was sworn in as president on Thursday, pledging to fight graft and take control of his country’s security before his five-year term ends, after a fraud-marred election more |
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US asked to take Pakistan into confidence on Afghan policy
KABUL: President Asif Ali Zardari has asked the US to take Pakistan on board regarding its new policy on Afghanistan, as it would also have an impact on Pakistan.
He expressed these views while talking t more |
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‘India failed to respond positively on peace talks’
KABUL: Reiterating his strong stance that India is not serious in the process of dialogue with Pakistan, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday underlined that India had not given Pakistan a positive more |
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Dictators ruled for decades but civilians can’t complete tenure: Shahbaz
KARACHI: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Balochistan CM Nawab Aslam Raisani and Sindh CM Syed Qaim Ali Shah have vowed to make Pakistan a welfare state as envisioned by the Quaid-i-Azam.
Talking t more |
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Vehicle escorting CIA director overturns
By Shakeel Anjum
ISLAMABAD: A vehicle of a sensitive security agency escorting US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Leon Panetta, currently on a ‘secret’ visit to Pakistan, overturned near the KRL Chowk at Islamabad Ex more |
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Headley, Rana being probed for involvement in 26/11 attacks
By Sami Abraham
WASHINGTON: Two former students of Cadet College Hasan Abdal, currently living in Chicago, are being investigated for their possible involvement in Mumbai attacks last year in which more than 160 people were ki more |
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PM’s wife not NRO beneficiary: NAB
ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau Thursday clarified that Fouzia Gilani, wife of Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, was not a beneficiary of the National Reconciliation Ordinance as references agains more |
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Recovered billions can make real difference
By Mehtab Haider
ISLAMABAD: The 160 million people can be provided major relief and even increase in electricity tariff by 30 per cent can be avoided if Rs 165 billion (conservative estimate) are recovered from the beneficiarie more |
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China wants improved Indo-Pak ties
News Desk
BEIJING: The Chinese foreign ministry on Thursday gave the impression that it was merely interested in the gradual improvement in relations between India and Pakistan but was not trying to interfere with the pr more |
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US supports Pakistan-India dialogue
WASHINGTON: A senior American diplomat has said Washington is supportive of resolution of disputes between India and Pakistan through dialogue.
“Of course, we all share an interest in stability and peace more |
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Remarks on women pilots
News Desk
NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force (IAF) vice chief, Air Marshal P K Barbora, on Thursday offered his apologies if anyone’s feelings have been hurt by his remarks on induction of women fighter pilots, and stressed more |
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Nato must not walk away from Afghanistan, says chief
BUDAPEST: Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Thursday the alliance must not turn its back on Afghanistan as this would raise the threat from al-Qaeda and lead to insecurity throughout central more |
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BoP scam accused sent on 12-day remand
By our correspondent
LAHORE: An accountability court on Thursday sent two main accused of the Rs 9 billion Bank of Punjab scam on 12-day physical remand, directing the NAB officials to produce them again in the court along with oth more |
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briefs...
Eid holidays
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has announced Eid-ul-Azha holidays from November 27 to 30, said an announcement made by the PM Secretariat here on Thursday.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
