People Stage Bloodless Coup
Islamabad/Bengaluru, Aug. 18: Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf quit office on Monday to avoid impeachment, nine years after he took power in a bloodless coup, saying “whether I win or lose, the nation will lose”. ῠIn an hour long speech on the impeachment on national television after the fractious coalition government cleared his farewell address, Mr Musharraf defended his record. According to Mr Musharraf ifῠ he were to be impeached, “The honour and dignity of the country will be affected and in my view, the honour of the office of President will also be affected.” “I don’t want anything from anybody. I have no interest. I leave my future in the hands of the nation and people,” he said. Mr Musharraf was equally unequivocal about his purported role in destabilising the elected government which swept to power in landmark elections on February 18. He took credit for holding free and fair elections and the free press which lead the attack when he sacked the judiciary and imposed the unpopular emergency. His seemingly quiet exit, attributed to international pressure from the US, the UK and Saudi Arabia however has raised questions about Mr Musharraf’s future and who will be the next president. Till late last night, Mr Musharraf was still trying to buy time and stay on in the country rather be bundled unceremoniously into an aircraft and flown out to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia like the man he toppled Mr Nawaz Sharif. As speculation mounted on whether the fractious coalition government led by the Pakistan People’s Party would allow the former prime minister Mr Sharif to call the shots on Mr Musharraf’s future, former ISI chief Gen.ῠ Mr Asad Durrani joined the chorus of voices who said they felt vindicated by his exit, and who warned that the first truly civilian government in Pakistan would have no excuses if it failed to deliver. “We have worked very hard all these months towards this very day, but the time has come for the civilian government to buckle down and get down to the business of governance. They no longer have an excuse.” Asked what Mr Musharraf’s options were, he said, “He never does anything unless you hold a gun to his head, so yes, he will try and stay on as a former president, but there are issues that are critical.” “One is his own safety and security. Can that be guaranteed if he goes back to his ways. The government could raise all these charges again,”ῠ he said. “The possibility of him being flown out continues, but the question is when and to where,” he said.
Bengaluru, Aug. 18: While Mr Asif Ali Zardari may be trying to blindside his partner by floating the names of sister Ms Faryal Talpur and old faithful Ghous Ali Shah as civilian successors to Mr Musharraf, failing agreement on a nominee from a smaller state like Balochistan, Mr Nawaz Sharif believes he should be president. The PPP leader had tried the same tactics when his party won the Feb 18 elections and stalwarts like Makhdoom Amin Fahim staked his claim for the PM’s post.
Bengaluru, Aug. 18: As speculation swirled on whether Pervez Musharraf would stay on and face impeachment even after he had quit office, or whether he would be allowed to head to a safe haven abroad, sources close to the former president indicated he would be leaving for the Red Sea city of Jeddah to perform Umra shortly. “That will be his first port of call,” sources close to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif told Deccan Chronicle.
“It’s a face saver. It satisfies Mian saab (Mr Sharif), who is under enormous pressure from his benefactors, the Saudis, to allow Gen. Musharraf to leave without being prosecuted or impeached.” the sources said. “Mian saab has said he wants Musharraf to be punished for his crimes but he may just give in and allow him to fly to Saudi Arabia.” Mr Musharraf is expected to leave for Jeddah where he could ironically be housed in the same Suroor Palace which was home to his arch enemy, Mr Sharif, while in exile, sources said. adding that for the moment Mr Musharraf and his family would move into a friendly general’s home.
While all eyes are on the main interlocutors who pressured Mr Musharraf to resign - Saudi Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz, Army Chief Gen. Ashfaq Kayani and United States high commissioner Ann Pattersen - few know that a significant role was played by the United Kingdom high commissioner to Pakistan Mark Lyall Grant and UK foreign secretary David Milliband. Both mediated during the Musharraf-Benazir Bhutto talks prior to her return from exile. The United Kingdom has privately offered to host Mr Musharraf in the Britain when it is deemed proper for him to leave Saudi Arabia.
Gujarat blasts techie was frequent visitor
Hyderabad, Aug. 18: Abdus Subhan alias Toukheer, the abscon-ding suspect in the Ahmedabad blast case, had strong links with the SIMI activists of the city.ῠ Police sources said several terror suspects had mentioned that Toukheer had visted the city several times in the past three years.ῠ Police said that Toukheer, an IT expert, came to the city along with Adnan of Karnataka and stayed in a guest room of the Jamaitul Bannat School run by the controversial Moulana Abdul Aleem Islahi. Abul Basher, the alleged mastermind of the blasts, was also employed by Islahi. Adnan, a close associate of Raziuddin Nasir, son of Moulana Naseeruddin, was arrested along with the Simi leader Safdar Nagori in MP before the recent blasts.ῠ Adnan, another activist, Qamaruddin and Nagori, had met Aleem Islahi and Basher, and talked about a meeting at Ujjain that discussed floating a new organisation. Police suspects the Indian Mujahideen was formed after that meeting. “Along Nagori, he visited the city in May 2007, the month of the Mecca Masjid blast.”ῠῠῠ He returned to the city after Saleem Mujahid was killed by the Gujarat police in the city. Police alleged that in May 2006 Adnan and Subhan met Yaser and Ja-ber, sons of Moulana Naseeruddin. Police is now checking whether any terror camps had been organised in the state and city as in Kerala and Pavagadh in Gujarat. “Toukheer is a Simi financier and he has collected Zakat from the city,” said the officer. “In 2005, during Ramzan, Toukheer came to the city along with Adnan. We have information that Moutasim Billah and Yaser gave Rs 18,000 to Adnan. During another visit Nagori and others paid Rs 1,000 to Basher for his expenses.”
New Delhi/Mumbai, Aug. 18: American national Ken Haywood, whose Internet connection was allegedly hacked to send out terror threat emails before the Ahmedabad blasts flew out of the country from New Delhi’s Indi-ra Gandhi International Airport on Sunday. He faced a lookout notice issued by the Mumbai anti-terrorist police but managed to beat that. Red-faced security fficials could not explain why he was not stopped by immigration personnel.
Srinagar, Aug 18: Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani demanded the merger of Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan, as leaders of the moderate Hurriyat faction spoke about independence and a dialogue over the state.ῠ This has triggered a leadership and ideological clash in the Valley. Tens of thousands of Kashmiris marched towards the United Nations office here amid heavy security, demanding UN intervention to solve the Kashmir dispute.
Demonstrators shouting “We want freedom”, “Aiy zaalimo, aiy kaafiro, Kashmir hamara chhod do (Tyrants and oppressors, leave our Kashmir). Mr Geelani said there was “no solution to the Kashmir issue other than merger with Pakistan”.ῠ “We are Pakistanis and Pakistan is us because we are tied with the country through Islam,” he said, as the crowd chanted along with him: “Hum Pakistani hain, Pakistan hamara hai, (We are Pakistanis, Pakistan is ours).”
Much to the “ugly surprise” of the moderate Hurriyat leaders, who were sharing the stage with him, Geelani said the leadership issue of the Kashmiri separatist movement was “solved today”.ῠ “Do you have faith in my leadership? I will be faithful to you till my death and will carry everyone along,” he said, as the crowd applauded him shouting in unison “zaroorῠ (certainly).”
Moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in his speech earlier called for a trilateral dialogue over Jammu and Kashmir.ῠ “We ask India to start a dialogue over Kashmir, open the Srinagar-Muzaf-farabad road for trade and release Kashmiris in Indian jails,” he said. Muzaffar-abad is the capital of Pak-occupied Kashmir.ῠ Pro-independence leader Yasin Malik said Kashmiris want “complete freedom” - implying from both India and Pakistan.
“Is paar bhi lenge azadi, us paar bhi lenge azadi (we will free both Kashmirs),” was Mr Malik’s slogan, as the crowd also cheered him.ῠ Mr Geelani countered their remarks saying all these issues would be solved once Kashmiris get their right to self-determination and merge with Pakistan.ῠῠ
Rs 375 fee at airport from next week
Hyderabad, Aug 18: The Centre has allowed the GMR Hyderabad International Airport to collect Rs 375 from each domestic passenger as user development fee (UDF).ῠ “We may collect the fee from next week after discussing it with the airlines,” said GHIAL’s chief commercial officer, Mr A.Viswanath.Most airlines are opposing levying the fee in the backdrop of rising ticket prices. GHIAL officials are to meet on Tuesday and take a decision. At present, GHIAL is collecting Rs 1,000 as UDF from passengers to international destinations.
It had asked for permission from the Centre in June, seeking permission to collect UDF from passengers to domestic destinations also.ῠ GHIAL is planning to collect variable UDF based on the distance they travel.
Mumbai, Aug 18: The UAE has banned the Salman Khan-starrer God Tussi Great Ho. Director Rumi Jaffrey said he was disappointed at the development. “I just got a call from one of my friends about this. I am not sure whether it is true. I am still verifying it with the distributors,” said Jaffrey.
The film was withdrawn from UAE theatres after complaints were received about the film having “violated Islamic teachings”. The producer of the film Afzal Khan, director Rumi Jaffrey and lead actor Salman Khan are all followers of Islam.ῠ Salman Khan refused to comment on the issue.
Deccan Chronicle