Sunday World Information 4
Musharraf says army still backs him
Agence France-Presse . Karachi
Agence France-Presse . Karachi
The president, Pervez Musharraf, insisted on Friday that Pakistan’s powerful army still supports him, but he said he would step down if he thought it would solve all of the country’s problems.
Musharraf, who seized power in a 1999 coup, blasted ‘hypocrites’ for saying that the nuclear-armed Islamic republic’s 500,000-strong military had turned against him since he stepped down as army chief last November.
‘The army will never leave me alone,’ Musharraf told a meeting of business leaders in the southern port city of Karachi. ‘Those who said the armed forces are not with me are the worst hypocrites and rumourmongers.’
The US-backed leader, a key ally in Washington’s ‘war on terror’, has been on the defensive since parties led by slain former premier Benazir Bhutto and ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif won elections in February.
Pakistani newspapers have been filled with reports in recent weeks about the relationship between Musharraf and his successor as chief of army staff, General Ashfaq Kayani.
Musharraf however rejected calls by Sharif and other opposition figures for him to quit as president. Musharraf’s fate has caused a split within the ruling coalition led by the parties of Benazir and Sharif.
‘I am not leaving Pakistan, I am not leaving the country to get a mansion in America or Turkey and why should I do this? I have committed no crime or sin,’ Musharraf said. ‘But, I will take not a single day to resign when I see it will benefit the country and solve all of its problems,’ added Musharraf, who was speaking after keeping a low public profile for several weeks.
Musharraf also urged the newly elected government to focus on political reconciliation and economic problems and to combat Taliban and al-Qaeda militants responsible for a wave of suicide attacks in the country.
‘If the flood of Talibanisation is not stopped the whole of Pakistan will see Red Mosques everywhere. We have to stop it,’ he said, referring to an Islamabad mosque besieged and stormed by troops a year ago with the loss of more than 100 lives.
Officials say Musharraf may try to reach out to the ruling coalition, especially members of Benazir’s Pakistan People’s Party, in a bid to shore up his position.
The visiting US assistant secretary of state, Richard Boucher, this week urged Pakistan’s government to tackle security and the crumbling economy, saying that Musharraf’s fate was ‘not the issue right now’.
Pakistan has been hit by spiralling food prices and frequent electricity shortages. The prime minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, who is from Benazir’s party, is set to meet with the US president, George W Bush, on July 28 for talks on stepping up efforts against Islamic militants along the Afghan border.
Musharraf, who seized power in a 1999 coup, blasted ‘hypocrites’ for saying that the nuclear-armed Islamic republic’s 500,000-strong military had turned against him since he stepped down as army chief last November.
‘The army will never leave me alone,’ Musharraf told a meeting of business leaders in the southern port city of Karachi. ‘Those who said the armed forces are not with me are the worst hypocrites and rumourmongers.’
The US-backed leader, a key ally in Washington’s ‘war on terror’, has been on the defensive since parties led by slain former premier Benazir Bhutto and ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif won elections in February.
Pakistani newspapers have been filled with reports in recent weeks about the relationship between Musharraf and his successor as chief of army staff, General Ashfaq Kayani.
Musharraf however rejected calls by Sharif and other opposition figures for him to quit as president. Musharraf’s fate has caused a split within the ruling coalition led by the parties of Benazir and Sharif.
‘I am not leaving Pakistan, I am not leaving the country to get a mansion in America or Turkey and why should I do this? I have committed no crime or sin,’ Musharraf said. ‘But, I will take not a single day to resign when I see it will benefit the country and solve all of its problems,’ added Musharraf, who was speaking after keeping a low public profile for several weeks.
Musharraf also urged the newly elected government to focus on political reconciliation and economic problems and to combat Taliban and al-Qaeda militants responsible for a wave of suicide attacks in the country.
‘If the flood of Talibanisation is not stopped the whole of Pakistan will see Red Mosques everywhere. We have to stop it,’ he said, referring to an Islamabad mosque besieged and stormed by troops a year ago with the loss of more than 100 lives.
Officials say Musharraf may try to reach out to the ruling coalition, especially members of Benazir’s Pakistan People’s Party, in a bid to shore up his position.
The visiting US assistant secretary of state, Richard Boucher, this week urged Pakistan’s government to tackle security and the crumbling economy, saying that Musharraf’s fate was ‘not the issue right now’.
Pakistan has been hit by spiralling food prices and frequent electricity shortages. The prime minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, who is from Benazir’s party, is set to meet with the US president, George W Bush, on July 28 for talks on stepping up efforts against Islamic militants along the Afghan border.
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Fakhruddin leaves for KL tomorrow to attend D-8 summit
United News of Bangladesh . Dhaka
The chief adviser, Fakhruddin Ahmed, leaves for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia tomorrow to attend the 6th D-8 Summit to be held on July 8.
The summit is expected to adopt the D-8 Roadmap for Economic Cooperation in the Second Decade of Cooperation (2008-2018).
The Developing 8 Countries, known as D-8, was set up in 1997 comprising eight developing Muslim nations — Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia, Turkey, Nigeria and Egypt.
The D-8 embarked on its journey as an economic alliance with an aim to improve the economic conditions of the developing Muslim countries through diversification of their economies by creating new opportunities by bolstering trade relations.
The theme of this year’s D-8 summit is ‘Meeting Challenges through Innovative Cooperation.’
On the first day in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow, the chief adviser is scheduled to have bilateral meetings with the president of Iran and the prime minister of Pakistan in addition to a meeting with the Bangladesh community in Malaysia.
Apart from addressing the summit on July 8, Fakhruddin will also have a bilateral meeting with the Malaysian prime minister on the sidelines of the summit.
The 2008 summit is expected to adopt the decision on setting up of D-8 permanent Secretariat and the D-8 Roadmap for Economic Cooperation in the Second Decade of Cooperation (2008-2018).
The one-day summit is also likely to adopt Kuala Lumpur Declaration and endorse the Rules of Origin Protocol of D-8 Preferential Trade Agreement. There is also a schedule of a retreat meeting of the heads of the state or government.
The D-8 Secretariat is based in Istanbul, Turkey, while the post of secretary general is currently being held by Dr Dipo Alam from Indonesia as it is held on rotation.
At the opening session, the Malaysian prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, will deliver the inaugural address to be followed by handover of the group’s chairmanship by the Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, to Badawi.
The summit was hosted last by Indonesia, the current chairman of D-8, in Bali, Indonesia on May 13, 2006. The summit is held once in every two years with Bangladesh having hosted the second one in 1999. For Malaysia, it will be the first to host the D-8 Summit.
The foreign adviser, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, principal secretary to the chief adviser, Ali Imam Majumder, and press secretary to the chief adviser, Syed Fahim Munaim, are also in the Bangladesh delegation to be led by Fakhruddin.
The chief adviser is scheduled to return home later at night on Tuesday (July 8).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------The summit is expected to adopt the D-8 Roadmap for Economic Cooperation in the Second Decade of Cooperation (2008-2018).
The Developing 8 Countries, known as D-8, was set up in 1997 comprising eight developing Muslim nations — Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia, Turkey, Nigeria and Egypt.
The D-8 embarked on its journey as an economic alliance with an aim to improve the economic conditions of the developing Muslim countries through diversification of their economies by creating new opportunities by bolstering trade relations.
The theme of this year’s D-8 summit is ‘Meeting Challenges through Innovative Cooperation.’
On the first day in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow, the chief adviser is scheduled to have bilateral meetings with the president of Iran and the prime minister of Pakistan in addition to a meeting with the Bangladesh community in Malaysia.
Apart from addressing the summit on July 8, Fakhruddin will also have a bilateral meeting with the Malaysian prime minister on the sidelines of the summit.
The 2008 summit is expected to adopt the decision on setting up of D-8 permanent Secretariat and the D-8 Roadmap for Economic Cooperation in the Second Decade of Cooperation (2008-2018).
The one-day summit is also likely to adopt Kuala Lumpur Declaration and endorse the Rules of Origin Protocol of D-8 Preferential Trade Agreement. There is also a schedule of a retreat meeting of the heads of the state or government.
The D-8 Secretariat is based in Istanbul, Turkey, while the post of secretary general is currently being held by Dr Dipo Alam from Indonesia as it is held on rotation.
At the opening session, the Malaysian prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, will deliver the inaugural address to be followed by handover of the group’s chairmanship by the Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, to Badawi.
The summit was hosted last by Indonesia, the current chairman of D-8, in Bali, Indonesia on May 13, 2006. The summit is held once in every two years with Bangladesh having hosted the second one in 1999. For Malaysia, it will be the first to host the D-8 Summit.
The foreign adviser, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, principal secretary to the chief adviser, Ali Imam Majumder, and press secretary to the chief adviser, Syed Fahim Munaim, are also in the Bangladesh delegation to be led by Fakhruddin.
The chief adviser is scheduled to return home later at night on Tuesday (July 8).
EC arranges live TV dialogue between mayoral candidates, voters
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha . Dhaka
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha . Dhaka
The Election Commission has arranged live television dialogue between mayoral candidates and voters of the areas concerned.
The first dialogue between mayoral candidates of the Barisal City Corporation and voters of the area will be held on July 15 in Barisal Auditorium on Band Road, public relations officer of the commission SM Asaduzzaman told the news agency on Saturday.
The dialogue of the Khulna City Corporation will be held on July 21 at Zia Hall, Rajshahi City Corporation on July 25 in Rajshahi Medical College Auditorium and the Sylhet City Corporation on July 31 in Sylhet Jalalabad Gas Auditorium.
Two-day dialogue will be arranged for the city corporation that has more mayoral candidates than other city corporations.
At the dialogue, mayoral candidates will face voters and inform them about their future development and welfare plans, if they are elected.
Editor of BBC Bangla Service in London Kamal Ahmed will act as moderator of the dialogues to be held from 8:45pm to 9:55pm on the set dates.
Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar will broadcast the programme live, and interested private TV channels can air the programme live taking the feed from the BTV.
The BTV and the BBC, under the supervision of the Election Commission, are carrying out all responsibilities, including recording and broadcasting of the programme.
The scrutiny of listeners and viewers is going on and those who are interested in taking part in the dialogue have been asked by the BBC and the EC to contact at mobile phone numbers: 0172-7174400 (Barisal), 0172-7174411 (Khulna), 0172-7174422 (Rajshahi), 0172- 7174433 (Sylhet) or email at bengali@bbc.co.uk or mail at BBC Bangla Service, Postbox-2060, Dhaka-1000 by July 8.
Questions will not be accepted by telephone and selected viewers, who will contact by July 8, can participate in the programme, EC officials said.
A tripartite memorandum of understanding was signed between the EC, BTV and the BBC on Thursday in this regard.
BTV deputy director general (programme) Quamrunnesa Hasan, BBC Bangla Service chief Sabir Mustafa and EC public relations officer SM Asaduzzaman signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides.
According to the EC schedule, the elections to four city corporations and nine municipalities will be held on August 4. The last date for filing nomination papers was July 3.
The scrutiny of the nomination papers will be held on July 7 and 8 and the last date for withdrawal of the nomination papers is July 13.
Sixty-eight mayoral candidates submitted nomination papers in four city corporations, the EC officials said.
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The first dialogue between mayoral candidates of the Barisal City Corporation and voters of the area will be held on July 15 in Barisal Auditorium on Band Road, public relations officer of the commission SM Asaduzzaman told the news agency on Saturday.
The dialogue of the Khulna City Corporation will be held on July 21 at Zia Hall, Rajshahi City Corporation on July 25 in Rajshahi Medical College Auditorium and the Sylhet City Corporation on July 31 in Sylhet Jalalabad Gas Auditorium.
Two-day dialogue will be arranged for the city corporation that has more mayoral candidates than other city corporations.
At the dialogue, mayoral candidates will face voters and inform them about their future development and welfare plans, if they are elected.
Editor of BBC Bangla Service in London Kamal Ahmed will act as moderator of the dialogues to be held from 8:45pm to 9:55pm on the set dates.
Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar will broadcast the programme live, and interested private TV channels can air the programme live taking the feed from the BTV.
The BTV and the BBC, under the supervision of the Election Commission, are carrying out all responsibilities, including recording and broadcasting of the programme.
The scrutiny of listeners and viewers is going on and those who are interested in taking part in the dialogue have been asked by the BBC and the EC to contact at mobile phone numbers: 0172-7174400 (Barisal), 0172-7174411 (Khulna), 0172-7174422 (Rajshahi), 0172- 7174433 (Sylhet) or email at bengali@bbc.co.uk or mail at BBC Bangla Service, Postbox-2060, Dhaka-1000 by July 8.
Questions will not be accepted by telephone and selected viewers, who will contact by July 8, can participate in the programme, EC officials said.
A tripartite memorandum of understanding was signed between the EC, BTV and the BBC on Thursday in this regard.
BTV deputy director general (programme) Quamrunnesa Hasan, BBC Bangla Service chief Sabir Mustafa and EC public relations officer SM Asaduzzaman signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides.
According to the EC schedule, the elections to four city corporations and nine municipalities will be held on August 4. The last date for filing nomination papers was July 3.
The scrutiny of the nomination papers will be held on July 7 and 8 and the last date for withdrawal of the nomination papers is July 13.
Sixty-eight mayoral candidates submitted nomination papers in four city corporations, the EC officials said.
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posted by World Information News @ 19:11
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