2012 LAHORE: After MQM, another ally of PPP — PML-Q — has announced its support for Dr Tahirul Qadri’s demands for an independent and honest caretaker set-up and electoral reforms. “We will support Dr Tahirul Qadri’s mission whether we remain in government or not,” declared PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain after meeting the patron-in-chief of Tehrik-i-Minhajul Quran. He was accompanied by Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and Syed Mushahid Hussain. Briefing reporters on the meeting, Mr Hussain said: “After a discussion with Dr Qadri we believe that his mission is not against any individual, but against injustices and those who do not pay taxes.” If implemented, Dr Qadri’s proposals about electoral reforms and an independent and honest caretaker government would strengthen electoral and democratic systems, he said.—Khalid Hasnain ---- 2012 KARACHI: APML chief Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday congratulated Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri, head of Tehreek-e-Minhaj-ul-Quran for such a successful big public gathering in Lahore. In a statement issued here from central information secretariat, he said that APML and Tahir-ul-Qadri has same agenda of patriotism. He said that APML is working for the supremacy of constitution, rule of law and stability of the country while, Tahir-ul-Qadri ahs also same agenda. He said that APML has supported Tahir-ul-Qadri in his endeavor of ending heredity politics in country, implementation of supremacy of constitution, rule of law and stability of the country and the property of nation. Pervez Musharraf said that he was very happy when he saw only national flags in the big crowd of Tahir-ul-Qadri which is the mark of national unity. ------ 2012: ISLAMABAD: Qadri has supported our agenda: Imran Expressing his thoughts on the Tehrik Minhaj-ul-Quran rally in Lahore, Imran said his party believed in electoral reforms. He added that his party’s agenda was to hold tax evaders accountable and ensure that justice prevails. "Qadri sb also said that there was a covert and quiet understanding between the leadership of the PPP and PML-N and both the parties were pursuing the same agenda. This has been a long standing stance of the PTI," he added. He said that Tehreeke Minhajul Quran leader had also endorsed the PTI s stand that people of Pakistan were suffering due to the PPP and the PML-N rule and were fed up with these looters of exchequer. Imran Khan said that holding of general elections on time was the only way to get rid of this corrupt coterie. He said that the PTI believed that elections were the only instrument to defeat the corrupt politicians which were plundering the national wealth. He said that he had visited many parts of the country during his mass contact drive and believed that the people of Pakistan were fed up with the status quo and elections would bring about a change in the country to get the country back on development track. REFERENCES: PML-Q backs Qadri’s demands http://dawn.com/2013/01/01/pml-q-backs-qadris-demands/ Musharraf greets Qadri on successful rally Last Updated On 26 December,2012 About 1 week ago http://dunyanews.tv/index.php/en/Pakistan/150999-Musharraf-greets-Qadri-on-successful-rally- Qadri has supported our agenda: Imran Last Updated On 24 December,2012 About 1 week ago http://dunyanews.tv/index.php/en/Pakistan/150481-Qadri-has-supported-our-agenda-Imran
Dr Tahirul Qadri with Manzoor Wattoo and Nawaz Sharif
2002: Dr Tahirul Qadri was one of those who supported the sham referendum of a US Backed Military Dictator General Pervez Musharraf: The government has its own line-up. The supporters include the PML (Quaid-e-Azam), a breakaway faction of the PML(N), Imran Khan's Tehreek-e-Insaaf, former president Farooq Leghari's Millat Party, Tahirul Qadri's Pakistan Awami Tehreek, the breakaway faction of the PPP in the NWFP, headed by jailed former chief minister, Aftab Khan Sherpao and former federal minister, Omar Asghar Khan's National Democratic Party. Besides these, the Awami National Party and the Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) have extended their silent support to the general by not taking a decision on the issue and leaving it to their workers. Another stratum of political support for the general comes from mayors and councillors in the local government put in place by the regime through its devolution plan. Even those mayors and councillors who are members of the opposition parties like the PPP, the PML(N) and the JI, find it hard, given the local government structures, to oppose the general or try to sabotage his plans from within. REFERENCES: The referendum’s cosmetic, Musharraf’s win is assured By EJAZ HAIDER Apr 28, 2002 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-toi/all-that-matters/The-referendums-cosmetic-Musharrafs-win-is-assured/articleshow/8186387.cms?intenttarget=no BBC - Dr Tahirul Qadri Supported Pervez Musharraf Referendum http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1933623.stm DAWN Dr Tahirul Qadri Supported Pervez Musharraf Referendum http://archives.dawn.com/2002/04/04/top3.htm 2002 Dr Tahirul Qadri Pervez Musharraf Referendum http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-86710970/pakistan-muslim-league-q.html Arab News Tahirul Qadri Pervez Musharraf Referendum http://www.arabnews.com/node/219839#.UONdoQows68.twitter Pro General Pervez Musharraf Dr Tahirul Qadri http://archives.dawn.com/2002/03/22/top10.htm 2002 Tahirul Qadri said his party would “support” Pervez Musharraf referendum http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020323/world.htm#3 General Pervez Musharraf Spent Money on Dr Tahirul Qadri for Referendum - Decision on referendum funding reserved by Staff Report Thursday, May 09, 2002 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_9-5-2002_pg7_11
2008: The man, who rigged 2002 polls, spills the beans ISLAMABAD: The main wheeler and dealer of the ISI during the 2002 elections, the then Maj-Gen Ehtesham Zamir, now retired, has come out of the closet and admitted his guilt of manipulating the 2002 elections, and has directly blamed Gen Musharraf for ordering so. Talking to The News, the head of the ISI’s political cell in 2002, admitted manipulating the last elections at the behest of President Musharraf and termed the defeat of the King’s party, the PML-Q, this time “a reaction of the unnatural dispensation (installed in 2002).” Zamir said the ISI together with the NAB was instrumental in pressing the lawmakers to join the pro-Musharraf camp to form the government to support his stay in power. Looking down back into the memory lane and recalling his blunders which, he admitted, had pushed the country back instead of taking it forward, Zamir feels ashamed of his role and conduct. Massively embarrassed because he was the one who negotiated, coerced and did all the dirty work, the retired Maj-Gen said he was not in a position to become a preacher now when his own past was tainted. He said the country would not have faced such regression had the political management was not carried out by the ISI in 2002. But he also put some responsibility of the political disaster on the PML-Q as well. The former No: 2 of the ISI called for the closure of political cell in the agency, confessing that it was part of the problem due to its involvement in forging unnatural alliances, contrary to public wishes. Zamir’s blaming Musharraf for creating this unnatural alliance rings true as another former top associate of Musharraf, Lt-Gen (retd) Jamshed Gulzar Kiyani has already disclosed that majority of the corps commanders, in several meetings, had opposed Musharraf’s decision of patronising the leadership of the King’s party.
“We had urged Musharraf many times during the corps commanders meeting that the PML-Q leadership was the most condemned and castigated personalities. They are the worst politicians who remained involved in co-operative scandals and writing off loans. But Musharraf never heard our advice,” Kiyani said while recalling discussions in their high profile meetings. He said one of their colleagues, who was an accountability chief at that time, had sought permission many times for proceeding against the King’s party top leaders but was always denied.
Kiyani asked Musharraf to quit, the sooner the better, as otherwise the country would be in a serious trouble. Ma-Gen (retd) Ehtesham Zamir termed the 2008 elections ‘fairer than 2002’. He said the reason behind their fairness is that there was relatively less interference of intelligence agencies this time as compared to the last time. But he stopped short of saying that there was zero interference in the 2008 polls. “You are quite right,” he said when asked to confirm about heavy penetration of ISI into political affairs during the 2002 elections. But he said he did not do it on his own but on the directives issued by the government. Asked who directed him from the government side and if there was somebody else, not President Musharraf, he said: “Obviously on the directives of President Musharraf.”
Asked if he then never felt that he was committing a crime by manipulating political business at the cost of public wishes, he said: “Who should I have told except myself. Could I have asked Musharraf about this? I was a serving officer and I did what I was told to do. I never felt this need during the service to question anyone senior to me,” he said and added that he could not defend his acts now. “It was for this reason that I have never tried to preach others what I did not practice. But I am of the view that the ISI’s political cell should be closed for good by revoking executive orders issued in 1975,” he said. Responding to a question regarding corruption cases that were used as pressure tactics on lawmakers, he said: “Yes! This tool was used, not only by the ISI. The NAB was also involved in this exercise.” Former corps commander of Rawalpindi, Lt-Gen (retd) Jamshed Gulzar Kiyani said majority of corps commanders had continued opposing Musharraf’s alliance with top leadership of the PML-Q. “Not just in one meeting, we opposed his alignment with these corrupt politicians in many meetings but who cared. Now Musharraf has been disgraced everywhere, thanks to his political cronies.” REFERENCE: The man, who rigged 2002 polls, spills the beans Umar Cheema Sunday, February 24, 2008 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=13159&Cat=13&dt=2/27/2008 Ansar Abbasi on MQM and Dr Tahirul Qadri Thursday, January 03, 2013, Safar 20, 1434 A.H. http://jang.com.pk/jang/jan2013-daily/03-01-2013/col14.htm
2006: Party to re-elect Musharraf: Pervaiz : LAHORE, March 23: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi says the PML will re-elect Gen Musharraf president-in-uniform to ensure the continuity of his policies which saved the country from default and being tagged as a terrorist state. Addressing a workers convention here on Thursday, he said the PML wanted the country to continue to progress under the leadership of Gen Musharraf. He said no matter whether somebody liked the idea or not, the PML would choose President Musharraf for another term.
The chief minister’s speech set the tone, and most of the speakers who addressed after him, including the prime minister, praised the leadership qualities of the president and said he was the leader of the PML. Pervaiz Elahi said it was because of the policies and strategies of the president and the prime minister that the country was able to spend billions of rupees on education and health. He said President Musharraf was more tolerant in his attitude compared to the so-called democratic leaders of the past. Without naming anyone but leaving no doubt that he was referring to the late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the chief minister said he had dismissed the opposition parties’ governments of Balochistan and the NWFP within six months of their installation. In comparison, he said, Gen Musharraf had been tolerating the MMA government for the past three years despite a difference of opinion. He said a strong PML had always been in the interest of the country. He recalled that when the PML got weaker a leader, an obvious reference to Mr Bhutto, got an opportunity to disintegrate the country. The nation would never forgive such a leadership, he said. He recalled the role of the Muslim League in the creation of Pakistan. He was all praise for the Sindh Assembly which was the first legislature to adopt a resolution in favour of Pakistan. Similarly, he said, Balochistan also decided to go with Pakistan. The NWFP took a decision for accession to Pakistan through a referendum. He said the PML was working well in the provinces at present. He believed that the country would make progress under the leadership of President Musharraf. A resolution moved by him lauded the services of those who had laid their lives for Pakistan. REFERENCE: Party to re-elect Musharraf: Pervaiz By Our Staff Reporter March 24, 2006 Friday Safar 23, 1427 http://www.dawn.com/news/184588/party-to-re-elect-musharraf-pervaiz Hamid Mir on MQM and Altaf Hussain Jang Dated 3 Jan 2013 http://jang.com.pk/jang/jan2013-daily/03-01-2013/col4.htm
Dr Thairul Qadri Revolution via Fascism & Dual Nationality - 1
2008: TMQ activists besiege Aaj TV offices in Islamabad Saturday, November 08, 2008 LAHORE: Activists of Tehreek-e-Minhajul Quran (TMQ) besieged Aaj TV offices in Islamabad on Friday against the alleged use of ‘indecent words’ against their chief Dr Tahirul Qadri in one of its programmes. According to the TV channel, over 150 TMQ activists besieged the TV offices to protest the use of ‘improper language’ against Qadri by Mushtaq Minhas and Nusrat Javed - hosts of the show Bolta Pakistan. They carried placards rebuking the show and shouted slogans against the hosts. They also demanded an apology from the TV channel’s administration. The channel said they continued to receive threats and indecent mobile phone text messages throughout the day. Aaj TV Executive Director Talat Hussain said the TMQ should have talked to the channel’s administration if any of its programmes had hurt its feelings instead of surrounding the building. Host Nusrat Javed said that he would not succumb to the ‘hooliganism’ of TMQ activists and knew how to deal with such ‘dramas’. daily times monitor . REFERENCE: TMQ activists besiege Aaj TV offices in Islamabad Saturday, November 08, 2008 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C11%5C08%5Cstory_8-11-2008_pg7_59
Dr Thairul Qadri Revolution via Fascism & Dual Nationality - 2
2004: Musharraf's uniform a secondary issue: Altaf By Bureau Report 08 September 2004 , Sept 7: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has said that whether President Gen Pervez Musharraf remains in uniform or decides to doff it is a secondary issue because every government in Pakistan has sought protection of the military uniform. Speaking at the Peshawar Press Club's 'Meet the Press' programme here on Tuesday, he said the issue of uniform would be there as long as a people's government was not established in the country. Every ruler in the past had sought the help of the 'uniform' and compromised on principles, he added. He said that former prime ministers, including Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, had formed their governments with the help of the 'uniform'. The Jamaat-i-Islami supported Gen Ziaul Haq, who also was in uniform, for 11 long years, but now JI chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed was opposing a president in uniform to hoodwink the nation. Mr Hussain demanded that the NWFP be renamed because the present name did not reflect the identity, culture and psyche of its people who had been demanding the change of name since the inception of Pakistan. He was of the opinion that if the NWFP was not renamed as Pukhtoonkhwa or Pukhtoonistan or whatever its people wanted, they (the people of the province) might resort to other means to have a name of their choice. The MQM chief said the federation of Pakistan must give equal rights to all its federating units. Use of brute force, he added, would not keep the country intact. Paying rich tribute to late Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, he said that Bacha Khan was a genuine leader who had given a sense of freedom and independence to his people and launched a protracted but non-violent struggle against foreign rule. He said the name NWFP was a remnant of the colonial era and, therefore, must be changed. If the rulers were reluctant to rename the NWFP, they should change the names of other provinces, he added. Referring to 9/11, he said this single event had brought about profound changes in geo-politics. "Friends have become foes and foes have turned friends." In Pakistan, the rulers abandoned the Taliban and the Jihadi groups and joined hands with the United States and its other allies to protect Pakistan's interests in this part of the world. He said his party had joined the government in order to eradicate the decade-old backwardness and poverty and to steer the country out of a crisis which was posing a threat to its existence. The MQM was the only political party, Mr Hussain said, which represented the middle-class of Pakistan and it had survived many operations since its formation in 1984. He denied that the MQM had any plan for carving out a Jinnahpur out of Pakistan or that it was a separatist organization which wanted to dismember the country. He said that the forefathers of the people in the MQM had sacrificed their lives for Pakistan. "Our people are residents of the province of Sindh and this is now their only identity," he added. REFERENCE: Musharraf's uniform a secondary issue: Altaf By Bureau Report 08 September 2004 Wednesday 22 Rajab 1425 http://www.dawn.com/news/369907/musharraf-s-uniform-a-secondary-issue-altaf Irfan Siddiqui on MQM and Dr Tahirul Qadri Daily Jang Dated 3 Jan 2013 http://jang.com.pk/jang/jan2013-daily/03-01-2013/col1.htm
2006: President will stay in uniform: Elahi Friday, March 24, 2006 LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi told the Pakistan Day rally that Gen Musharraf would remain army chief and be elected president again. “The uniform issue is not the personal issue of the president but it is a question of Pakistan’s future. Continuity of the president’s policies is necessary for the better future and economic stability of the country,” Elahi said. staff report ---- LAHORE: In his address to the Pakistan Day rally, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz vowed that the PML will remain united and contest the 2007 elections under the leadership of President Musharraf. Aziz faced slogans of “cheeni cheeni (sugar)” when he came to speak. “Sugar is available at utility stores at Rs 27.50 per kg. We’ll provide more items in the utility stores,” he said in response. staff report REFERENCES: President will stay in uniform: Elahi Friday, March 24, 2006 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C03%5C24%5Cstory_24-3-2006_pg1_4 PML will be united for polls: Aziz Friday, March 24, 2006 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C03%5C24%5Cstory_24-3-2006_pg1_2
2007: * Railways minister says govt has enough votes to elect Musharraf * Sher Afgan says Musharraf may doff uniform to seal deal with BB Staff Report LAHORE: President General Pervez Musharraf will seek re-election from the current parliament in uniform, Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said on Monday. “The government has enough votes to re-elect President Musharraf from the existing assemblies,” Ahmed told a press conference at Pakistan Railways Headquarters here. He added that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) would support the president’s re-election. He said the government does not want any major party to quit from the parliament during the presidential elections, but added that if the opposition does opt to resign, “one of the major political parties will not do so”. Asked about the PPP’s reservations regarding the president’s uniform, he said “All matters are settled, and the uniform is no big problem. However, the president has a programme to doff it and will himself take the decision in this regard according to the Constitution.” About the recent meeting between Gen Musharraf and PPP Chairwoman Benazir Bhutto, the minister said that it was the start of a final round of negotiations between the government and PPP. “It was not the first meeting between Benazir Bhutto and President Musharraf. The semi-final of the negotiations was also played at the same place as the final round of negotiations,” he added. Ahmed said August would be a month of key political decisions, while Pakistab;s emerging political scenario would be decided in the period between August 15 and September 15. The presidential elections would be held between September 10 and October 10, before the general elections. He said politician were trying to seek the help of the Supreme Court, so a free judiciary and strong media had an “important role” in the current situation.
Agencies add: Gen Musharraf may hang up his army uniform to pave the way for a pact with Bhutto, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sher Afgan Niazi said on Monday. Musharraf and Bhutto held secret talks in Abu Dhabi on Friday on a pre-election power-sharing deal, but reached no agreement on two key issues, Niazi told AFP. The sticking points were the issue of Musharraf’s dual role as president and head of the army and a bar that prevents Bhutto having a third term as premier, he said. “The two met in Abu Dhabi on Friday to hammer out a political understanding so that moderate forces can join hands to defeat extremists in the coming general elections,” Niazi said. Niazi said he believed that Musharraf “would be willing to shed his uniform if he has the PPP and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League behind him”. He said that if the two agreed on a deal, the constitution could be amended to allow prime ministers to serve a third term. “An alliance between Bhutto and Musharraf is a necessity in the prevailing situation, it is also the desire of the international community, particularly the United States and Britain,” Niazi said. Speaking to a private television channel, Niazi said that the Constitution did not need to be amended to allow the president’s re-election in uniform, APP reported. The minister said that 17th amendment to the Constitution removed all restrictions on the president, including on his military uniform, until November 15, 2007. Since the presidential election is to be held between September 15 and October 16, Gen Musharraf can contest it in his uniform, he said. But if the election is delayed beyond November, the situation will be different, he added. REFERENCE: Present assemblies will elect president in uniform: Rashid Tuesday, July 31, 2007 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C07%5C31%5Cstory_31-7-2007_pg1_1
KARACHI: PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain visited Nine Zero, the headquarters of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, on Tuesday night and listened to the party`s grievances. According to sources, he also persuaded his old-time ally to return to the coalition fold as desired by President Asif Ali Zardari.MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar later told reporters that Shujaat`s visit to Nine Zero was a timely act and aimed at taking `stock of the situation`. Chaudhry Shujaat, whose party is now a part of the PPP government at the centre, held a meeting with members of the MQM coordination committee. Dr Sattar informed him about several steps taken by the government following the MQM decision to sit on the opposition benches in the parliament and in Sindh assembly. He was shown footage of violent incidents in Orangi and was informed about the failure of the administration to restore peace in Karachi. According to insiders, when the PML-Q chief told the meeting that the president wanted the MQM to rejoin the coalition, Dr Sattar said that either Mr Zardari was helpless or was himself involved in worsening the situation. MQM`s Mustafa Kamal told Chaudhry Shujaat that the state of affairs was being messed up on the directives of President Zardari because the government was hurriedly taking anti-MQM steps. The PML-Q chief was also told that the people were demanding a separate province for them because they believed that the PPP government was pushing them against the wall.Dr Sattar said that Chaudhry Shujaat was told about the government steps which the MQM believed were undemocratic and unconstitutional and that caused a sense of alienation and might hurt the urban-rural unity. He said the MQM informed the PML-Q chief that it wanted to play its due role while sitting on the opposition benches and it was ready to extend its unconditional cooperation for the restoration and strengthening of peace. Chaudhry Shujaat told newsmen that although he had met President Zardari a day before, he did not come here with his message. However, when asked whether President Zardari was serious in bringing back the MQM to the coalition fold, he replied that he was very much serious and wanted to make MQM a part of the government. “We will never support the oppressor no matter how close that person with us,” he said. He was of the view that the top leaders of all political and religious parties should come to Karachi and work for maintaining peace. He said that the PML-Q had not supported the imposition of the commissioner system. REFERENCE: Shujaat visits 90, urges MQM to rejoin govt By Azfar-ul-Ashfaque | From the Newspaper (15 hours ago) Today http://www.dawn.com/2011/07/13/shujaat-visits-90-urges-mqm-to-rejoin-govt.html
NAWABSHAH, Jan 8: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement has condemned Pakistan Muslim League-Q’s advertisement campaign as “it has given rise to hatred against non-Sindhis”. Talking to reporters from London by telephone at the press club here on Tuesday, MQM Coordination Committee Member Mustafa Azizabadi said Sindh needed unity and harmony at the moment. He said the Muttahida had always stood for the rights of Sindh and opposed the construction of Kalabagh Dam while the PML-Q was in its favour. The MQM leader said that the activists of Pakistan People’s Party were in grief and a state of anger after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, but some miscreants capitalised on the mood by looting and burning public and private properties. Mustafa Azizabadi said Altaf Hussain had written a letter to Sindhi elders, sisters and mothers expressing sympathy with them. He said that the MQM was making all-out efforts to compensate the people affected by the violence. REFERENCE: MQM condemns PML-Q’s ad campaign By Our Correspondent http://archives.dawn.com/2008/01/09/nat7.htm
Daily Jang had carried this “Purely Hate Message” Advertisement after the death of Benazir Bhutto.
PML-Q Punjab alters ethnically exclusive ad
By Amar Guriro and Qazi Asif
KARACHI: The PML-Q Punjab has amended the language of a controversial advertisement it published on riot damage compensation for non-Sindhis in Sindh, after a bad reaction from the southern province’s party leaders and workers. The advert now says Sindhis (in bold lettering) can also apply for compensation.
But the damage has been done. The PML-Q central leaders should find out who allowed the publication of a party advertisement excluding Sindhis from claiming damages in the post-BB assassination riots, argued the party’s Sindh information secretary Saturday.
A flurry of letters has made its way to the party’s chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. “The way the PML-Q started an advertisement campaign in such sensitive conditions is strange,” said Jafar al Hasan, president, PML-Q (Youth Wing) Sindh, who added that he and others registered their protest.
The PML-Q Punjab started the advertisement campaign in the national print media Friday. On the first day, four colored half-page advertisements were printed with news clippings, saying that people affected by the riots could apply for compensation. One of the news items said that during violence in Bin Qasim (Karachi) 12 girls were kidnapped and raped – however, it failed to mention which newspaper published the stories. “I don’t remember exactly which newspaper published this story but I think it was an Islamabad-based Urdu newspaper,” said Mian Abdul Sattar, senior vice president PML-Q Punjab.
“It is against the party’s basic manifesto and with such a move the PML-Q leadership is dividing the party workers ahead of the polls; that would be so dangerous,” said Ismail Rahu, a former minister and PML-Q leader. “I have collected the details of the losses in my district and most of the sufferers were Sindhis. Most of the petrol pumps, shops and vehicles set on fire were not destroyed by Sindhis.”
Others argued that it was a PML campaign tactic. According to the PPP’s Syed Naveed Qamar, after Benazir’s assassination, the people sympathized with the PPP, something the PML-Q leaders were aware of.
The PML advertisement asked non-Sindhis in Sindh (Mohajirs, Pathans, Punjabis etc) to contact it with details of the losses they suffered in the riots after Benazir’s killing. The criticism was that the advert implied that Sindhis did not suffer any losses and were to blame for the rioting and looting.
Haleem Adil Shaikh has written a critical letter to the PML-Q’s central president Chaudhry Shujaat, asking for an unconditional apology for the people of Sindh. Shaikh, who is also a settler in Sindh, said that the advertisement ignored Sindhi people of Sindh. If the advertisement campaign was a mistake, then an inquiry should be conducted to find out who is responsible and who must apologize unconditionally to the Sindhi people, Shaikh wrote. If the advertisement was deliberate, then its aim was to cause linguistic and ethnic tensions. “There was a strong feeling that the party was only for the Punjab,” he said. Hafiz Tabassi, the media coordinator for the PML-Q Sindh, said that the letter had been sent to Shujaat already. PML-Q Punjab alters ethnically exclusive ad By Amar Guriro and Qazi Asif Sunday, January 06, 2008 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=200816%5Cstory_6-1-2008_pg12_1
Who stopped "MQM" from entering in the National Politics by not allowing them Politics in Punjab, read Umar Cheema (The News International, Jang Group and GEO TV)'s report he filed in 2007 (after 12 May 2007 Tragedy)
ISLAMABAD: The man who has ruled Sindh as a de facto chief minister for many years finally lost his powers on Saturday. Brigadier Huda, who was an ISI commander in Sindh, was in fact the caretaker of the MQM-PML-Q provincial coalition government. He was responsible for running the coalition in a smooth manner. All major decisions were taken after his consultation. He resolved the differences between former CM Arbab Ghulam Rahim and the MQM many a time. Many provincial ministers even used to say “ooper Khuda aur neechay Huda”. The brigadier’s name figured in the power circles of Islamabad in the evening of May 12, 2007. Brigadier Huda was given credit for the show of massive government power in Karachi on that day. Initially, the MQM was reluctant to hold a rally in Karachi on May 12. The then ISI DG Gen Ashfaq Kayani also had the same opinion that the MQM should not come out on the streets when Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry would visit Karachi. It was Huda who played an important role in convincing the MQM not to cancel its rally. He assured the MQM leadership that there will be no riots on that day though he was proved wrong. He was supposed to be very close to the then Army chief General Pervez Musharraf. However, no action was taken against him.
The blasts in the rally of Benazir Bhutto on October 18, 2007 in Karachi were another failure of Brigadier Huda. He was responsible for the security of Benazir Bhutto on that day more than anybody else. However, he was not transferred despite his repeated failures. His downfall started on April 9, 2008, when many people including lawyers were killed in the Karachi violence. It was another failure on the part of Huda. The new PPP government in Sindh felt that Brigadier Huda was still having immense political influence. It believed that he was in contact with the anti-PPP forces. Many important bureaucrats reported to the provincial government that Huda was interfering in different departments. He was more interested in “political makings and breakings” than doing his security job. After the episode of April 9, PPP leaders asked ISI Director General Lt Gen Nadeem Taj through the prime minister that Huda must be transferred. It took just a few days and Huda was transferred. He was replaced by another brigadier. The PPP gave a message that it means business and it will not tolerate any ambitious spymasters. There are rumors in the capital that the ISI DG will also be transferred soon but highly-placed sources in the new government dispelled all these rumours. “The prime minister has the authority to change the ISI DG anytime but right now we don’t need to change him,” claimed a top PPP leader. REFERENCE: De facto Sindh CM finally transferred Monday, April 21, 2008 By Hamid Mir http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=14221
ISLAMABAD: The Chief Secretary of Sindh had strongly opposed the strategy of the provincial government for May 12 while the Prime Minister’s advice to the provincial government for a judicial inquiry into the killings has been turned down, authoritative sources said on Friday. It was also revealed that the MQM had wanted to join the Islamabad rally but was stopped by the Chaudhrys of Gujrat. Observers believe that these three important developments concerning the May 12 killings in Karachi may have a serious impact not only at the provincial level but also at the national. Sources said the Chief Secretary of Sindh, Shakeel Durrani, had strongly opposed the ‘counter productive’ strategy of the provincial government designed for May 12, the day the Chief Justice of Pakistan had gone to Karachi for addressing lawyers there. He had written in advance to his seniors, proposing that hurdles should not be created and that the CJ be given a smooth passage. His recommendations were in clear contradiction to the Sindh Home Department, headed by former sector commander of Military Intelligence, Brig (retd) Ghulam Muhtaram. While the home department, fearing a serious law and order situation, insisted the CJ should not take the flight to Karachi, the chief secretary opposed the plan that was aimed to flop the CJ’s show, warning it would deteriorate the situation. REFERENCE: Who is to blame for Karachi mayhem? Umar Cheema Saturday, May 19, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=7933&Cat=13&dt=5/19/2007
Capital Talk on Karachi Situation - 1 (GEO TV 2007)
Classified By: Charge d`Affaires Peter Bodde, Reasons 1.4 (b), (d) 1. (C) On June 1, Charge met with Minister of Ports and Shipping (and MQM member) Babar Khan Ghauri to discuss the May 11-13 violence in Karachi. Ghauri said the Karachi violence had “killed” the MQM`s chances of gaining voters in Punjab province. The party was focusing on repairing its reputation in Karachi and Sindh. 2. (C) According to Ghauri, police and Sindh Rangers were stationed at key “buffer” points in Karachi on May 12, anticipating clashes between opposition and MQM activists. At around 2:00 a.m., the officers abandoned their positions. (Note: The Rangers, like the Karachi police, might have been under local orders not to intervene (ref A). End Note.) Ghauri reported that on May 13, after a phone call with Governor of Sindh Ishrat-ul-Ebad, President Musharraf ordered police and rangers onto the streets in Karachi. Ghauri also said Musharraf asked PML-Q coalition partners to maintain a public posture that would not cause undue political damage to the MQM. Regarding whether MQM head Altaf Hussain played any part in planning the violence, Ghauri said “No, absolutely not. We were trying to expand into Punjab; how would we have benefited from this?” (Note: Reliable Embassy and Consulate Karachi contacts believe that at the very least Hussain suspected there would be violence on May 12 and supported the MQM counter-rally in any case. End Note.) 3. (C) Comment: Ghauri confirmed what in-country MQM leader Farooq Sattar told us in a May 17 phone call (ref C): the events of May 11-13 in Karachi deeply wounded the MQM. Ghauri noted several times during the meeting that his party`s leadership felt “alone” and that they were worried the PML-Q would abandon them. Indeed, a number of PML-Q contacts privately tell us they believe MQM was culpable for the events, and the PML-Q should distance itself from the MQM to prevent damage to its own reputation. Nevertheless, President Musharraf and some other government officials continue to blame the opposition and Chief Justice for the May 12 violence. Given that much of the public and media believe the MQM principally responsible for the violence, Musharraf`s position could exacerbate his political problems. End Comment. BODDE. REFERENCE: 2007: Babar Ghauri said May 12 violence killed MQM`s chances in Punjab From the Newspaper May 31, 2011 http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/31/2007-babar-ghauri-said-may-12-violence-killed-mqm-s-chances-in-punjab-2.htmlWiki Leaks on Karachi Violence: 2009: US assessment of Karachi violence DAWN.COM May 23, 2011 http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/23/2009-us-assessment-of-karachi-violence.html Wiki Leaks: 2008: MQM told US 'stop ignoring us'From the Newspaper (14 hours ago) Today http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/28/2008-mqm-told-us-stop-ignoring-us.html
Capital Talk on Karachi Situation - 2 (GEO TV 2007)
Shakeel Durrani had not only verbally opposed the blockade of roads but had also opposed in writing to such a plan that was prone to violence and mass-scale killings. He had instead recommended that no hurdle should be created and Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry should be allowed to go by the route he wanted to use for reaching the high court bar. His recommendations, however, got a deaf ear from those who matter in decision-making in Sindh. Durrani is believed to have also held responsible his provincial government for Karachi mayhem, The News has learnt on good authority. While Durrani did not comment on the report when contacted by The News, another officer close to him confirmed it but refused to provide the details. Meanwhile, the Sindh government has refused to order a judicial inquiry into the killings. The News has learnt on good authority that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz wanted to order a judicial inquiry into the incident. He went to Karachi on Wednesday with this plan but faced opposition from his ruling allies in Sindh. REFERENCE: Who is to blame for Karachi mayhem? Umar Cheema Saturday, May 19, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=7933&Cat=13&dt=5/19/2007
Capital Talk on Karachi Situation - 3 (GEO TV 2007)
Classified By: Charge d`Affaires Peter Bodde, Reasons 1.4 (b), (d) 1. (C) On June 1, Charge met with Minister of Ports and Shipping (and MQM member) Babar Khan Ghauri to discuss the May 11-13 violence in Karachi. Ghauri said the Karachi violence had “killed” the MQM`s chances of gaining voters in Punjab province. The party was focusing on repairing its reputation in Karachi and Sindh. 2. (C) According to Ghauri, police and Sindh Rangers were stationed at key “buffer” points in Karachi on May 12, anticipating clashes between opposition and MQM activists. At around 2:00 a.m., the officers abandoned their positions. (Note: The Rangers, like the Karachi police, might have been under local orders not to intervene (ref A). End Note.) Ghauri reported that on May 13, after a phone call with Governor of Sindh Ishrat-ul-Ebad, President Musharraf ordered police and rangers onto the streets in Karachi. Ghauri also said Musharraf asked PML-Q coalition partners to maintain a public posture that would not cause undue political damage to the MQM. Regarding whether MQM head Altaf Hussain played any part in planning the violence, Ghauri said “No, absolutely not. We were trying to expand into Punjab; how would we have benefited from this?” (Note: Reliable Embassy and Consulate Karachi contacts believe that at the very least Hussain suspected there would be violence on May 12 and supported the MQM counter-rally in any case. End Note.) 3. (C) Comment: Ghauri confirmed what in-country MQM leader Farooq Sattar told us in a May 17 phone call (ref C): the events of May 11-13 in Karachi deeply wounded the MQM. Ghauri noted several times during the meeting that his party`s leadership felt “alone” and that they were worried the PML-Q would abandon them. Indeed, a number of PML-Q contacts privately tell us they believe MQM was culpable for the events, and the PML-Q should distance itself from the MQM to prevent damage to its own reputation. Nevertheless, President Musharraf and some other government officials continue to blame the opposition and Chief Justice for the May 12 violence. Given that much of the public and media believe the MQM principally responsible for the violence, Musharraf`s position could exacerbate his political problems. End Comment. BODDE. REFERENCE: 2007: Babar Ghauri said May 12 violence killed MQM`s chances in Punjab From the Newspaper May 31, 2011 http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/31/2007-babar-ghauri-said-may-12-violence-killed-mqm-s-chances-in-punjab-2.htmlWiki Leaks on Karachi Violence: 2009: US assessment of Karachi violence DAWN.COM May 23, 2011 http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/23/2009-us-assessment-of-karachi-violence.html Wiki Leaks: 2008: MQM told US 'stop ignoring us'From the Newspaper (14 hours ago) Today http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/28/2008-mqm-told-us-stop-ignoring-us.html
Capital Talk on Karachi Situation - 4 (GEO TV 2007)
According to the sources, the PM had gone to Karachi with a plan to announce ordering judicial inquiry in a press conference after holding meetings there. Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani, Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao and Secretary Interior Kamal Shah had also accompanied him during this visit late Wednesday. Sources privy to the development say the PM’s plan could not materialize following stiff opposition from his allies in Sindh who said that such an order would open up a new Pandora’s Box. The PM who had ordered judicial inquiry into the mysterious murder of Supreme Court’s additional registrar Hamad Raza, failed to do it in a case where more than 40 people had been killed in just one day, ie May 12. Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao, when contacted to confirm about the PM plan, refused to comment. “I neither deny nor confirm this report,” he said. REFERENCE: Who is to blame for Karachi mayhem? Umar Cheema Saturday, May 19, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=7933&Cat=13&dt=5/19/2007
Capital Talk on Karachi Situation - 5 (GEO TV 2007)
Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani, however, termed the ordering of judicial inquiry as a legal issue. He also did not deny that the PM was planning to order a judicial inquiry but said: “I am not in knowledge of the plan”. Also, some MQM lawmakers have been heard blaming the Chaudhrys of the Gujrat for ‘pushing’ them to hold a separate rally in Karachi instead of joining the PML-Q rally in Islamabad held the same day. They feel the May 12 incidents have left an adverse impact on their strategy to expand to other provinces so as to become a mainstream political party. The Karachi tragedy has put the MQM in dock as its offices in the Punjab and rural Sindh have faced a virtual closure following protests by the public of respective areas who blamed them for this bloodbath in Karachi. In their background interviews, the MQM lawmakers are blaming Chaudhrys of Gujrat for putting them to ‘abuse’. They say they were not for holding a rally in Karachi. According to them, they had expressed the desire to join the PML-Q rally held in Islamabad the same day but were denied. MQM parliamentary leader Dr Farooq Sattar, in his on-the-record discussion, has neither denied nor confirmed the claim of his party colleagues. But he said their plan to hold rally in Karachi was made after detailed deliberation. REFERENCE: Who is to blame for Karachi mayhem? Umar Cheema Saturday, May 19, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=7933&Cat=13&dt=5/19/2007
Off The Record (ARY NEWS) on Karachi Situation - 1
“Your lordships” are the emerging heroes of this nation, which has been anxiously waiting for ages for a messiah to redefine their destiny. Judges are really up for a change. The change that will give us an independent judiciary, considered must for the secure future of Pakistan. God bless you and God bless Pakistan. One’s heart really leapt after what the Sindh High Court chief justice did on Saturday. The Sindh CJ, Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed, took suo moto notice of May 12 Karachi slaughter and constituted a seven-member larger bench to hear the case. Honestly there are no words to justifiably praise what the Sindh CJ deserves. The May 12 carnage in Karachi had saddened the whole of Pakistan. The images of gun-mafia killing innocents without any sign of remorse, while there was no sign of law enforcers or the writ of the government, are hard to go from our hearts and minds. But what has been really depressing that there was no probe ordered or judicial commission constituted to uncover the cruel faces behind this bloodshed in what we called the city of lights. Only on Friday last, President General Musharraf during his visit to Karachi ruled out a probe into the Karachi killing saying it is difficult to identify the elements that first opened fire on May 12. REFERENCE: The emerging heroes Ansar Abbasi Monday, May 28, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=8146&Cat=13&dt=5/28/2007
Off The Record (ARY NEWS) on Karachi Situation - 2
Classified By: Charge d`Affaires Peter Bodde, Reasons 1.4 (b), (d) 1. (C) On June 1, Charge met with Minister of Ports and Shipping (and MQM member) Babar Khan Ghauri to discuss the May 11-13 violence in Karachi. Ghauri said the Karachi violence had “killed” the MQM`s chances of gaining voters in Punjab province. The party was focusing on repairing its reputation in Karachi and Sindh. 2. (C) According to Ghauri, police and Sindh Rangers were stationed at key “buffer” points in Karachi on May 12, anticipating clashes between opposition and MQM activists. At around 2:00 a.m., the officers abandoned their positions. (Note: The Rangers, like the Karachi police, might have been under local orders not to intervene (ref A). End Note.) Ghauri reported that on May 13, after a phone call with Governor of Sindh Ishrat-ul-Ebad, President Musharraf ordered police and rangers onto the streets in Karachi. Ghauri also said Musharraf asked PML-Q coalition partners to maintain a public posture that would not cause undue political damage to the MQM. Regarding whether MQM head Altaf Hussain played any part in planning the violence, Ghauri said “No, absolutely not. We were trying to expand into Punjab; how would we have benefited from this?” (Note: Reliable Embassy and Consulate Karachi contacts believe that at the very least Hussain suspected there would be violence on May 12 and supported the MQM counter-rally in any case. End Note.) 3. (C) Comment: Ghauri confirmed what in-country MQM leader Farooq Sattar told us in a May 17 phone call (ref C): the events of May 11-13 in Karachi deeply wounded the MQM. Ghauri noted several times during the meeting that his party`s leadership felt “alone” and that they were worried the PML-Q would abandon them. Indeed, a number of PML-Q contacts privately tell us they believe MQM was culpable for the events, and the PML-Q should distance itself from the MQM to prevent damage to its own reputation. Nevertheless, President Musharraf and some other government officials continue to blame the opposition and Chief Justice for the May 12 violence. Given that much of the public and media believe the MQM principally responsible for the violence, Musharraf`s position could exacerbate his political problems. End Comment. BODDE. REFERENCE: 2007: Babar Ghauri said May 12 violence killed MQM`s chances in Punjab From the Newspaper May 31, 2011 http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/31/2007-babar-ghauri-said-may-12-violence-killed-mqm-s-chances-in-punjab-2.htmlWiki Leaks on Karachi Violence: 2009: US assessment of Karachi violence DAWN.COM May 23, 2011 http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/23/2009-us-assessment-of-karachi-violence.html Wiki Leaks: 2008: MQM told US 'stop ignoring us'From the Newspaper (14 hours ago) Today http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/28/2008-mqm-told-us-stop-ignoring-us.html
Off The Record (ARY NEWS) on Karachi Situation - 3
He was quoted as saying by the newspapers “to close the chapter and think about the future”. More than 40 people had lost their lives but we are told to close the chapter and think about the future. This is the height of indifference and apathy of the highest order, to say the least. How could we forget what was done to Karachi on May 12? How can justice be denied to those who lost their near and dear ones? The blood stained killer hands must be uncovered. Thanks to the media, particularly the electronic media, the television footages available of the Karachi’s D-day show innumerable faces of those equipped with arms and involved in the killing spree. It will not be difficult to probe where the law enforcing agencies were, particularly the police and the rangers, when the killer mafia had a field day in Karachi. The Sindh chief secretary had opposed the MQM-Sindh government strategy for the day in writing and also inked his expressions on the government files after the incident had occurred. Who overruled him and why? On whose directions were the Karachi roads blocked. Masses would not allow the federal and the provincial governments including the MQM to shy away from a probe, which is must to avoid such gory acts in the future? The Karachi killing is such a gruesome episode that cannot be swept under the rug. REFERENCE: The emerging heroes Ansar Abbasi Monday, May 28, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=8146&Cat=13&dt=5/28/2007
Off The Record (ARY NEWS) on Karachi Situation - 4
Classified By: Charge d`Affaires Peter Bodde, Reasons 1.4 (b), (d) 1. (C) On June 1, Charge met with Minister of Ports and Shipping (and MQM member) Babar Khan Ghauri to discuss the May 11-13 violence in Karachi. Ghauri said the Karachi violence had “killed” the MQM`s chances of gaining voters in Punjab province. The party was focusing on repairing its reputation in Karachi and Sindh. 2. (C) According to Ghauri, police and Sindh Rangers were stationed at key “buffer” points in Karachi on May 12, anticipating clashes between opposition and MQM activists. At around 2:00 a.m., the officers abandoned their positions. (Note: The Rangers, like the Karachi police, might have been under local orders not to intervene (ref A). End Note.) Ghauri reported that on May 13, after a phone call with Governor of Sindh Ishrat-ul-Ebad, President Musharraf ordered police and rangers onto the streets in Karachi. Ghauri also said Musharraf asked PML-Q coalition partners to maintain a public posture that would not cause undue political damage to the MQM. Regarding whether MQM head Altaf Hussain played any part in planning the violence, Ghauri said “No, absolutely not. We were trying to expand into Punjab; how would we have benefited from this?” (Note: Reliable Embassy and Consulate Karachi contacts believe that at the very least Hussain suspected there would be violence on May 12 and supported the MQM counter-rally in any case. End Note.) 3. (C) Comment: Ghauri confirmed what in-country MQM leader Farooq Sattar told us in a May 17 phone call (ref C): the events of May 11-13 in Karachi deeply wounded the MQM. Ghauri noted several times during the meeting that his party`s leadership felt “alone” and that they were worried the PML-Q would abandon them. Indeed, a number of PML-Q contacts privately tell us they believe MQM was culpable for the events, and the PML-Q should distance itself from the MQM to prevent damage to its own reputation. Nevertheless, President Musharraf and some other government officials continue to blame the opposition and Chief Justice for the May 12 violence. Given that much of the public and media believe the MQM principally responsible for the violence, Musharraf`s position could exacerbate his political problems. End Comment. BODDE. REFERENCE: 2007: Babar Ghauri said May 12 violence killed MQM`s chances in Punjab From the Newspaper May 31, 2011 http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/31/2007-babar-ghauri-said-may-12-violence-killed-mqm-s-chances-in-punjab-2.htmlWiki Leaks on Karachi Violence: 2009: US assessment of Karachi violence DAWN.COM May 23, 2011 http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/23/2009-us-assessment-of-karachi-violence.html Wiki Leaks: 2008: MQM told US 'stop ignoring us'From the Newspaper (14 hours ago) Today http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/28/2008-mqm-told-us-stop-ignoring-us.html
Though March 9, 2007 was dubbed as a ‘black day’ in the country’s judicial history, to one’s reckoning it was a turning point in our history and an opportunity to end the continuing saga of the likes of Justice Munir. Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry today stands out a mile off for his March 9 “No”. Justice Iftikhar was never an angel but his “No” has kindled the hope for the ushering of the new era in the country’s judicial history. The condemned Justice Munir saga seems to be ending and the SHC CJ’s Saturday initiative is just a reflection of the same. No matter what the government says or thinks of what it did on March 9 or have been doing since then, the country’s superior judiciary has given signs of encouragement for a future where we can protect our country on the strength of the independent judiciary. Eighteen judges of the Lahore High Court attended Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry’s address to Lahore Bar on May 5, almost 13 Peshawar High Court judges including the PHC chief justice turned up when Justice Iftikhar addressed Peshawar Bar and almost 11 Sindh High Court judges attended the Hyderabad reception. Although Quetta is still to be toured by the chief justice, an overwhelming majority of the other high court judges have come out public in support him. No comment could be offered on the judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan for the reason that a 13-member Full Court is hearing the CJ petition, one is full of optimism that we would get out of the present defining moments successfully. But this is certain that the nation’s future is today in the hands of “your lordships”. REFERENCE: The emerging heroes Ansar Abbasi Monday, May 28, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=8146&Cat=13&dt=5/28/2007
ISLAMABAD: Pakisan Muslim League – Nawaz’s Ishaq Dar held a meeting with Pakistan Muslim League –Quaid’s Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Wednesday, DawnNews quoted sources as saying. The meeting took place in the chamber of Opposition Leader in the Senate Wasim Sajjad, sources said. Earlier, in October, a meeting took place between PML-Q leaders Tariq Azim and S M Zafar with Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and other key PML-N leaders in Lahore. The meeting was seen as a significant move towards a possible alliance. Meanwhile, in September, senior PML-N leader Pervaiz Rasheed had said that the PML-N will welcome the PML-Q if they rejoin the party. The latest developments come in the backdrop of Pir Pagara spearheading a “merger” of the Muslim Leagues in order to form a united Muslim League. PML-N and PML-Q have kept a distance from this arrangement. REFERENCE: Ishaq Dar, Shujaat meet DAWN.COM Yesterday http://public.dawn.com/2010/11/03/ishaq-dar-shujaat-meet.html
Nawaz asked us to pray for Kargil success: PM
ISLAMABAD, Aug 5: Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has disputed a claim made by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif that he had been kept in the dark by Gen Pervez Musharraf on the Kargil conflict. In an interview with the India Today magazine, the prime minister said that Mr Sharif lied when he claimed that he had come to know about Kargil only "when he got a call from prime minister Vajpayee." He said: "I was interior minister during that period and there were six separate occasions where he was briefed on Kargil. It began when Nawaz visited Skardu on Jan 29, 1999. He was again briefed by the army on Feb 5 (just two weeks before Mr Vajpayee's famous bus ride to Lahore). Then he, along with some cabinet colleagues, including me, was updated by senior military officers on March 12. I went late for it. At the end of it, Nawaz asked all of us to pray for the success of the mission."
When asked about the nature of the plan, Chaudhry Shujaat said: "Nawaz used to be very sketchy in telling his cabinet colleagues about important issues. But in a meeting at the office of the director-general of military operations on May 17, 1999 (days before the full-fledged war began), I remember Nawaz asking whether the Dras-Kargil road led to Srinagar. He also said that the Kashmir issue could not be resolved through bus journeys and the military should keep up its operations." When asked if it was not strange that just three months earlier he had signed a peace agreement with Mr Vajpayee, the prime minister said: "Nawaz wanted to move on both tracks. He was not so interested in Kargil as much as he was in getting his name associated with the success in Kashmir". When it was pointed out that Mr Sharif had claimed that barring a few generals no-one, not even the chiefs of air force and navy, was briefed, Chaudhry Shujaat said: "Nawaz is just trying to confuse the issue. Musharraf didn't embark on this mission on his own. It is practically impossible. Now Nawaz says the air force and navy chiefs didn't know. But weren't the three services meeting regularly? Also when something is happening in the country and the prime minister doesn't know of it, then what kind of a prime minister is he? For Nawaz to say that he knew absolutely nothing about the Kargil war plans is wrong. As a Punjabi saying goes, he may want to close his eyes like a pigeon but the cat will not go away. "Just before Nawaz left for the US on July 2, there was a detailed briefing by the chiefs of army, navy and air force for the Defence Cabinet Committee. I was also there along with foreign minister Sartaj Aziz. At first, the briefing was conducted by a brigadier.
Then Gen Musharraf stood up and took over. When he sat down Nawaz told him, 'General sahib, I didn't know about these things before. Then (Gen) Musharraf took out a diary, turned page after page and gave the dates on which he had briefed Nawaz. To this, Nawaz had no answer. Then I said this should be the last meeting on this issue. That instead of blaming each other, the message should go out to the public that it was a joint effort and a collective responsibility. Nawaz did not respond to my suggestion. He just got up and shook hands with everyone seated on his left. I was on his right side, he didn't shake my hand. "During detailed briefings, Nawaz would listen but he didn't seem to register anything - he had an attention span of five minutes. He also had a cavalier style of taking decisions. At the start of a cabinet meeting, he would go through the agenda items and say '1, 2, 3, 4 - all approved' without consulting us. In the corridors, he would at times reverse cabinet decisions soon after they were approved.
Nawaz also has had a history of memory lapses. In 1992, he ordered an operation against the MQM in Karachi but when he was out of power he denied any involvement and instead blamed it on the then army chief. When asked about Mr Sharif's demand for a commission on Kargil, he said: "Nawaz was prime minister for four months or so after Kargil and he could have easily set up a commission during that time. Why didn't he do so? He had the powers to sack Musharraf with the stroke of a pen. But he did not use it. Instead, he misused his powers by trying to divert the aircraft carrying Musharraf from Sri Lanka and precipitated events. It doesn't behove a former prime minister to undermine national interests by revealing state secrets sitting in a foreign country. He acts like the prime minister of a hostile country. He should not have gone to this extent." When the prime minister was asked why did he not set up a commission, he said: "Will this Kargil commission end unemployment? Will it provide bread or remove poverty? Will it bring prices down? If the only purpose is to make political gain, then why raise this dead issue? There is a time and place for everything. This is an attempt to sabotage the India-Pakistan dialogue at a time when we are all moving towards peace. A Kargil commission would lead to allegations and counter-allegations and the peace process will get derailed. Far from being patriotic, the call for a Kargil commission is a conspiracy."
EXILE DEAL: On the issue of Mr Sharif's exile to Saudi Arabia, Chaudhry Shujaat said that the deal under which the Sharifs had left the country also stipulated that it (the deal) would not be made public. However, the prime minister indicated that if the matter ended up in the Supreme Court, the judges would be briefed on the deal in the chambers. He said there were two types of deals - one for a pardon against his conviction which he signed along with his brothers Shahbaz and Abbas and his son Hussain. The other deal was between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in which Mr Sharif gave a list of about 30 people and it was agreed that they would go into exile in Saudi Arabia for a period of 10 years. Chaudhry Shujaat also said that the passports of Mr Sharif and his entourage had been seized by the Saudi authorities on arrival. Therefore, there could be no question of the government refusing to renew his passport because he could not apply for renewal when he did not have his passport. On the uniform issue, he said: "The 17th Amendment carried everyone's signature, including mine. It is an unnecessary demand to get Musharraf to say right now at what place and at what time he will take off his uniform. I assure you that the decision will be made in accordance with the provisions in the amendment. It can be interpreted in many ways and only the supreme court can do it." REFERENCE: Nawaz asked us to pray for Kargil success: PM By Our Correspondent 06 August 2004 Friday 19 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425 http://www.dawn.com/2004/08/06/top1.htm
Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain's Speech at PML Election 2009
LAHORE, Sept 15: Punjab PML-QA president Chaudhry Pervez Ellahi has pledged to extend all kind of support to Gen Pervez Musharraf when the latter seeks a presidential mandate in the parliament. Speaking at Meet the Press programme, he said: "We say it boldly that the incumbent government has done good deeds. We are not like the hypocrites who have availed all privileges which the government could provide and are now speaking against it after becoming sure of their defeat in the October elections." The PML-QA, if voted to power, would frame laws through the parliament instead of the office of president (ordinances), he said. Replying to a question about sovereignty of the future parliament, he said the war between the president and the prime minister for attaining powers had already caused much damage to the country while the powers so attained were always misused. He said he believed that a system with checks and balances would work more efficiently. He denied claims of other politicians that the government was indulging in pre-poll rigging and projecting the PML-QA. "No government can afford a rigged election after seeing its aftermath in 1977." REFERENCE: PML-QA to back Musharraf's bid for presidency Staff Reporter DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending: 21 September 2002 Issue: 08/38 http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/2002/sep212002.html#pmlq
Way back in 2003, Mr Ayaz Amir (PML - N) wrote in Daily Dawn.
Nothing else explains the birth and rise of the Q or Qainchi League. Most of the stalwarts in this party were flag-bearers of the Nawaz League. Many of them held important positions in Nawaz Sharif's government and usually let no opportunity go by without singing Nawaz Sharif's praises. Well, lo and behold, the day came when that government fell and from the Prime Minister's House Nawaz Sharif found himself in army custody charged with a crime - hijacking - carrying the death penalty. The military agencies, more at home with politics than anything connected with intelligence gathering, got busy and started working on the Nawaz League. Soon from the same politicos who had held high office under Nawaz Sharif and had sung his praises, came loud voices of disagreement with Nawaz and his policies. When I was MPA in Punjab, an error I am unlikely to repeat, it was funny seeing the antics of a Lahore mafia, comprising MPAs from Lahore, around the chief minister, Shahbaz Sharif. In season and out these guys would be proving themselves more loyal than the king. If any MPA was in the least bit critical of what was then known as 'the heavy mandate', (where the hell has it gone?), the members of this mafia would be on their feet hollering and brandishing their fists. Well, guess what? The Nawaz government fell and much before anyone else, this mafia almost to a man was the first to bolt to the other side. I have seen switchovers before but this one left me gasping. Let me make it plain that there was little to commend the Nawaz government. It made more than its share of blunders and by its actions paved the way for another military takeover. But as long as he was in power no one pointed out his mistakes. And few had the guts to speak up at party meetings. If anyone felt any disquiet he kept it closely to his chest. Only when Nawaz Sharif was down and out did these patriots brush the crumbs from their clothes and walk over to the other side. Time-servers are bad in two ways. They don't speak up when the sun is shining on someone. And they walk away when the clouds gather. Nawaz Sharif could have made a thousand blunders and they would still have stuck by him and sung his praises if he had remained in power. When he slipped from the greasy pole, their support slipped too.
But the thing I am pointing to in Pakistani politics is not confined to the Nawaz League. It runs like a constant through our history. Governor-General Ghulam Muhammad dismissed Khawaja Nazimuddin as prime minister, and most of the ministers in the dismissed cabinet felt no qualms about accepting office under Nazimuddin's successor, Muhammad Ali Bogra. When Field Marshal Ayub Khan - famous more for his political than military exploits - set about forming a king's party, there was no shortage of Muslim Leaguers who hoisted him on their shoulders and proclaimed the birth of what came to be known as the Convention Muslim League. Since then the name Convention League has stuck as a description of all king's parties, the Q League now rallying to General Musharraf's support being the latest incarnation of the Convention League. Four things Pakistani dictators have never lacked. (1) The support of a section of the political class which readily declares that the country has been saved. (2) The support of the judiciary which legitimizes the new order at the altar of necessity. (3) The assistance of some of the country's best legal brains who, while working closely with the judiciary, strive to provide some sort of legal cover to what at best is a coup d'etat. (4) And the support of a section of journalists who are ready to sing hosannas to the new leader and say that he is the messiah the nation was waiting for. How many times has this routine not been repeated? How many more times are we destined to see it repeated? Why this problem of spine or rather the lack of spine in our body-politic? Has it something to do with our soil or our climate? If overriding necessity were behind this lack of spine it would still be something. We could say that such and such a person was jumping ship to save his skin or better his lot. Most of the time, however, fair-weather loyalists are comfortable people who lack nothing. They simply want to be on the right side of power. To use Nawaz Sharif as a metaphor, suppose he were to make a comeback - something not about to happen anytime soon. Chances are, the very people who were the first to leave him and join the Q League, will be the first to give a departing kick to the Q League and, jostling with each other and using their elbows, line up to shower him with rose petals. What's more, they'll get away with it. REFERENCE: The problem of spine in Pakistani politics By Ayaz Amir 26 September 2003 Friday 28 Rajab 1424 http://www.dawn.com/weekly/ayaz/20030926.htm
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q) have agreed on a joint nomination for a representative in the Judicial Commission. The two political parties will propose one person each, however, the final representative will be appointed after a consensus is reached on a nominee. In this respect, a working relationship is developing between the two parties. Earlier, on Wednesday, a high-level meeting took place between PML-N and PML-Q leaders in the chamber of Senator Wasim Sajjad. The parties are expected to announce their nominees for the Judicial Commission today. PML-N is expected to name Senator Ishaq Dar, whereas PML-Q is expected to name Senator Wasim Sajjad for the commission. The parties are scheduled to formally announce a name in a joint press conference after consultation. This agreement is being viewed as a significant development in the current political scenario. REFERENCE: PML-N, Q agree on joint representation in JC DAWN.COM (3 hours ago) Today http://public.dawn.com/2010/11/04/pml-n-q-agree-on-joint-representation-in-jc.html
General Pervez Musharraf with Chaudhry Brothers of PML - Q on 12 May 2007
Rana Sanaullah (PML-N) tortured under the watchful eyes of "Chaudhry Brothers of PML - Q"
FAISALABAD, March 9: The deputy opposition leader of the Punjab Assembly, Rana Sanaullah Khan, who had been picked up on Saturday night, was thrown on the service lane of the Motorway ‘in serious condition’ four hours later. Rana Sanaullah had driven away from his chamber in the district courts at about 9pm on Saturday night in the company of his secretary, Tariq Janbaz. A dozen masked men made him stop his car at the Circular Road, pushed out the secretary, blew up the tyres using a dagger, covered his face with a black mask and took him away. After a three- to four-minute drive, they reached a place where his face was uncovered. Sanaullah found himself in a room which, according to him, was the office of an intelligence agency situated near the Regency Arcade on the Mall Road. He said he was brutally beaten by the kidnappers, who included an army officer, apparently a major, whom he had seen before. His head, eyebrows, moustaches and beard were shaved off. Then they gave him a severe beating using iron rods, inflicted multiple lacerations to his body with the help of blades and sprayed some chemical on the wounds, which caused unbearable pain. After about four hours, he said, he was taken away in a car and thrown at a place on the Motorway, which was at a walking distance of 20 to 25 minutes from the nearest filling station. He had to cover the distance on foot in serious condition to be able to contact his family by phone.
Sanaullah was admitted to the local DHQ Hospital.
Doctors found 22 lacerations to the body and head of the MPA, six of which were likely to cause lasting complications. Injuries were inflicted in a way to make the victim feel pain for the rest of his life. No bone was fractured. A special board has been constituted under Dr Mohammad Akram for detailed examination and issuance of medical certificate. Confined to Room No 1 of the private ward of the local District Headquarters Hospital, the PML-N leader, with tears in his eyes, told this correspondent that he was “paying the price for unmasking the hypocrisy of the present rulers who, in fact, are stooges of the GHQ and were helping the latter call the shots. “ He said the treatment meted out to him was an eye-opener for all those who were chanting the chorus of restoration of democracy. He claimed that it was the second time that he had been subjected to physical and mental torture in a bid to make him stop talking about the high handed ways of the “real rulers” of the country.
He said he would continue to raise his voice for the cause of democracy and for exposing the misdeeds of the military government and its “Q-League stooges”. Meanwhile, PML-N MNAs Abid Sher Ali, Asif Tauseef, Fazal Karim and Raja Nadir Pervaiz, former PML-N parliamentarians Safdar Rehman, Abdul Mannan, Sher Ali, Akram Ansari, Zahid Tauseef, Khwaja Islam, Mohammad Afzal and Zahid Goraya, PPP MPAs Rana Aftab Ahmed Khan, Raja Riaz, Jehanzaib Imtiaz, Dr Asad Moazam, Faiz Kamoka and PPP central leader Umer Draz Khan said at a press conference in the hospital that the ruling junta was victimizing the elected representatives just to stop them from raising voice in the assemblies. They claimed that kidnapping opposition MNAs, MPAs and other leaders had become a routine practice of government agencies, which could be dangerous not only for the federation but also for peace of the country. They threatened to resist such incidents “physically” in consultation with the central PML-N leadership. If such a thing happens again, government agencies would get a tit-for-tat response from the PML-N leaders, responsibility for which will rest entirely on government’s shoulders, they warned. PA session: The PPP Parliamentarians and the PML-N have decided to make a requisition for the Punjab Assembly session to discuss the abduction and torture of deputy opposition leader Rana Sanaullah allegedly by ISI men. Talking to newsmen, PPP’s Aftab Ahmed Khan said that the incident was aimed at sabotaging the parliamentary system and paving way for the army to recapture power. REFERENCE: Rana Sanaullah tortured By Shamsul Islam Naz March 10, 2003 Monday Muharram 6, 1424 http://www.dawn.com/2003/03/10/nat31.htm
Wasim Sajjad was also very "Cooperative During General Musharraf Regime with PML - Q League.
ISLAMABAD, March 15: The Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-i-Azam) nominated veteran parliamentarian Wasim Sajjad leader of the house in the Senate. An official announcement of Mr Sajjad's appointment came after a meeting between Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali, PML-Q President and parliamentary party leader in the National Assembly Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Mr Sajjad at the PM's House on Saturday. The meeting also discussed the political situation, the recent Senate elections, the Iraqi crisis and other party matters. An official source told Dawn that the meeting discussed a strategy for the upcoming session of the National Assembly called for Tuesday on the requisition of the opposition. The appointment of parliamentary secretaries in the National Assembly was also considered, when the prime minister asked for a meeting of the central working committee on March 20 when the appointments will be finalized. Mr Wasim Sajjad was law minister during the Junejo government and was first elected as Chairman of the Senate when Mr Ghulam Ishaq Khan became president after the death of Gen Ziaul Haq. Mr Sajjad remained chairman for more than a decade till the Senate as well as the National Assembly were dismissed by Gen Pervez Musharraf on Oct 12, 1999. The tradition of appointing a leader of the house in the Senate was introduced by Mr Zulfikar Ali Bhutto when he had appointed Rao Abdus Sattar to this position in 1973. At that time the leader of the opposition in the Senate was Mohammad Hashim Gilzai. REFERENCE: Wasim named PML-Q Senate leader By Nasir Iqbal DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending : 22 March 2003 Issue : 09/12 http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/2003/mar222003.html
If some press reports are to be believed, the ISI was also dining (sorry, no wining) Q League Senators on the eve of the Senate's maiden session during which the newly-elected Senators were to take oath and elect their chairman and deputy chairman. Granted that the Q League's true godfathers reside in ISI headquarters. Still, there is such a thing as subtlety. The election of the chairman and deputy chairman (from the ruling party, where else) was a foregone conclusion. The ISI need not have taken the dining pains that it apparently did. The ISI has many qualities. When can it add subtlety to the list? And when can the nation expect the ISI to stop playing its political games? Which brings me to my friend Rana Sanaullah, PML-N MPA from Faisalabad. Picked up from outside his lawyer's chamber in Faisalabad by plainclothesmen and beaten up once again. He was first roughed up in police or military custody soon after the Musharraf takeover. His sin: saying a few harsh things about the army at a meeting of PML-N MPAs at the Lahore residence of Pervez Elahi. He didn't quite learn his lesson, for after being re-elected (we were colleagues in 1997) he said some more harsh things about the army in the Punjab assembly. Obviously, a tough nut. For his pains, he's been beaten up again and his body lacerated with small cuts to the skin. An attempt was also made to humiliate him, his hair, moustache and eyebrows having being shaved. What is to be said? This is barbarism, and crude at that, pure and simple. As a nation it doesn't show us in too flattering a light. And then we complain about our bad image. The Legal Framework Order, which enshrines Gen Musharraf's attempt to rewrite the Constitution in his own image, is not helping our collective image either. The National Assembly is not swallowing it and unless it does so (with a two-thirds majority, no less) it will not be the kind of legal tender, or call it indemnification for unconstitutional acts, which strongmen so strongly desire in their search for security and legitimacy. REFERENCE: UN vote and other things By Ayaz Amir DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending : 15 March 2003 Issue : 09/11 http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/2003/mar152003.html#turn
Ain't they all looking very nice "filing nomination paper of a Martial Law Administrator"
ISLAMABAD: President General Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday signed the nomination papers as a candidate for the presidential election with Senate Chairman Mohammedmian Soomro and the Speaker of the National Assembly Chaudhry Amir Hussain as his covering candidates. “Yes, the president has signed the nomination papers with his covering candidates,” said Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Senator Tariq Azeem while talking to The News on Tuesday. The president signed the nomination papers during a meeting held at the President Camp Office. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, PML President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, PML Secretary General Mushahid Hussain Sayed, both the covering candidates of the president, besides his legal aides, attended the meeting. Tariq Azeem also confirmed that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, PML President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, the chief ministers of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan, the PML NWFP President Amir Muqam and all the parliamentary leaders of the allied parties of the ruling coalition were among those who proposed and seconded the nomination papers of the president. Senior Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal, Minister for Environment Faisal Saleh Hayat, Interior Minster Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sher Afgan Niazi, Communication Minister Shamim Siddiqui, Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghauri, State Minister for Education Anisa Zaib Tahir Kheli, former president Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari, Senator Nisar Memon, Ahsan-ul-Haq, MNA Shahbaz Hussain, Senator Dr Khalid Ranjha, Justice (retd) Razzaq Thaheem and Zubaida Jalal were also among the proposers and seconders of the nomination papers of the president. According to sources, the nomination papers of the president would be submitted by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in Islamabad at the office of the Election Commission of Pakistan while at the provincial headquarters, the chief ministers of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan will submit the nomination papers of the president. In the NWFP, PML President, NWFP, Amir Muqam will submit the nomination papers of the president.
Meanwhile, welcoming the PPP decision to nominate Makhdoom Amin Fahim as a party candidate for the presidential election, Minister of State for Information Tariq Azeem said it was a good sign for the democratic traditions in the country. “Rather than threatening to block the legal issue, it is better to become a part of the legal and constitutional process,” he added. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has summoned the meeting of all the proposers and seconders of the nomination papers of President General Pervez Musharraf at the Prime Minister House today (Wednesday) to devise a strategy for all the phases of the presidential election. President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday left for Quetta from where he will kick off his election campaign. PML sources told The News that President Musharraf might not file his nomination papers, which would be submitted to the Election Commission Secretariat here and its four stations in the provincial capitals on September 27.
The Supreme Court’s nine-member bench judgment in various petitions, challenging President Musharraf’s holding of dual offices, is expected on the day of the filing of nomination papers. Sources in the Election Commission of Pakistan told this correspondent that about 20 nomination papers were obtained from the head office here. Maulvi Iqbal Haider, the Chairman of Awami Himayat Tehrik, was among those who secured the papers. He told The News that he would be challenging the lawyers’ presidential candidate and maintained that he had a reason to do that. Senior Election Commission officials reviewed the preparations for the presidential election, slated for October 06, sources said. According to Secretary Election Commission Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad, a presidential candidate was not required to personally file the nomination papers. He can authorise any person to do the needful. REFERENCE: President signs nomination papers Wednesday, September 26, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/print3.asp?id=10312
ISLAMABAD: Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, the PML-Q chief, disclosed in an interview on Monday that the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) was his brainchild.
The ordinance was promulgated in Oct 2007 by the government of then president President Pervez Musharraf. ‘Yes, I proposed its name because I wanted it to be equally and universally applicable. We did not want only certain individuals to benefit. The idea behind the ordinance was national reconciliation and to let the democratic system function,’ Chaudhry Shujaat said in the interview with Dawn. This is the first time since the NRO was promulgated that the PML-Q leader has acknowledged that the idea and the name had been floated by him. But the entire deal or arrangement was not struck overnight, as Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain makes out.
The NRO sought to withdraw cases of corruption against the late Ms Benazir Bhutto, her husband Asif Ali Zardari and several close aides like Rehman Malik. The ordinance was an outcome of long and hectic deliberations between the top leadership of PML-Q, the former ruling party, and the PPP-Parliamentarians. Held at safe houses of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Islamabad, the meetings were often joined by the then chief of the agency. Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and the party’s secretary general, Mushahid Hussain Syed, represented Pervez Musharraf, while Ms Bhutto was represented by PPP-Parliamentarians President Makhdoom Amin Fahim and secretary general Raja Pervez Ashraf. The legal brains behind the ordinance were Farooq Naek, from the People’s Party, and Zahid Hamid, from PML-Q. Sources say it was Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, who proposed the name ‘National Reconciliation Ordinance’ for the draft law prepared by the legal experts from both sides.
Secret meetings on the NRO, between PML-Q and PPP, were later joined in by Dr Safdar Abbasi, another close aide of Ms Bhutto and husband of firebrand Naheed Khan. He also offered an insider’s view of what was going through Ms Bhutto’s mind while indirectly dealing with the general. ‘Without going into the nitty-gritty of the matter, I would say that Mohtarma (Benazir Bhutto) wanted free and fair elections in the country. And for this she wanted a free hand and zero intervention by intelligence agencies. This was the core reason for signing the NRO,’ Dr Safdar said. But politicians were not the only ones who played a role in the framing of the controversial law. At least one Western diplomat did his bit in creating the right atmosphere for the return of the exiled politicians and a sense of rapprochement. A former aide of General Musharraf, who had a hand in the wheeling and deal, says the so-called process of reconciliation was initiated by the former British high commissioner to Islamabad, Sir Mark Lyall Grant, and the general’s right-hand man, Tariq Aziz. ‘Both of them tried to convince Gen Musharraf to join hands with Benazir Bhutto and part ways with the Chaudhrys of Gujrat,’ he claimed. According to him, Tariq Aziz’s support to Ms Bhutto was the reason why Tariq Aziz and Chaudhrys of Gujrat fell out. While accepting that their leaders too were the main beneficiaries of the NRO, the People’s Party leadership still believes the ordinance ensured the return of leaders like Nawaz Sharif prior to the last general election. ‘The purpose of the bill was not only to ensure free and fair elections, but to make sure the return of all popular leaders, including Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif,’ claims Parliamentary Affairs Minister Babar Awan.
In his opinion, Benazir Bhutto’s prime purpose of negotiating the NRO with Gen Pervez Musharraf (retd) was election-specific. ‘The corruption cases were of secondary consideration to her since they had not been proven in any court of law for years.’ The parliamentary affairs minister says the government has already withdrawn the NRO from the Parliament and there was no need to move any application to the National Assembly Speaker to get it done. Babar Awan’s remarks about return of Nawaz Sharif under the NRO incur sharp criticism from the PML-N leadership. ‘There is not an iota of truth that Nawaz Sharif’s return became possible only after the signing of the NRO,’ PML-N spokesman Ahsan Iqbal asserts. ‘His return was the result of a historic Supreme Court judgment. When General Musharraf deported him in 2007, there was uproar by the public and resentment by the Saudi government,’ he observes. REFERENCE: Shujaat claims authorship of NRO and its name By Shahzad Raza Tuesday, 10 Nov, 2009 http://news.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/12-shujaat+claims+authorship+of+nro+and+its+name--bi-10
ISLAMABAD: The Chaudhrys of Gujrat seem to be getting into a thick bank loan default soup involving Rs 300 million as they have been accused of ‘stealing’ the pledged stocks for which the creditor bank is considering the option of lodging a criminal FIR against their textile mills and all its directors. Charges against the Kunjah Textile Mills, which belongs to the Chaudhrys and is looked after by Shafay Hussain, the son of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, are serious, including change of directors without the bank’s knowledge, pledging of same collateral to different lenders and the alleged stealing of the pledged collateral and its unauthorised selling. According to sources, if the irritants are not immediately resolved and defaulted money not paid back, things will really turn grave for the top political leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).
Shafay Hussain, when contacted, categorically denied that they had defaulted on any loanor were ever involved in stealing business. The National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) President, Syed Ali Raza, however, admitted that the Kunjah Textile Mills had defaulted on the NBP’s loan, but denied that he was considering lodging a formal FIR against the defaulters. Instead, he said, the NBP was working on a strategy in consultation with some other banks, which also faced default on payment of loans from the same Kunjah Textile Mills, to amicably recover their money. However, the bank documents available with The News show extensive correspondence between different NBP authorities discussing the option of lodging an FIR against the Kunjah Textile Mills. These documents also clearly talk of the ‘stolen’ stocks by the management.
According to the documents, the Credit Committee of the NBP was informed that on May 5, 2008 the management at the mills site in Gujrat had forced the godown staff, posted by the bank as caretaker, to leave the mills premises and had taken away 19,135 cotton bales and 3,485 yarn bags pledged with the NBP without any lawful reason or justification and despite protest and resistance of the bank’s godown staff. “The bank was in custody of the said stocks, which were in their lock and key. The signboards stating that the goods were pledged with the NBP were also put up in the godown. The mills management had removed the board of the NBP.” The value of these pledged but ‘stolen’ goods is said to be Rs 244.4 million.
In its meeting on June 28, the Credit Committee classified the loan worth Rs 308 million, which was offered to the Kunjah Textile Mills as a bridge financing facility but remained unpaid despite repeated extension as ‘Loss’. In the same meeting, the committee inquired whether the other creditor banks had filed an FIR against the borrowers. The committee was told that like the NBP, the UBL was also affected but the latter had not filed any FIR against the mills. Regarding filing of an FIR, the committee decided that the matter needed to be reviewed in line with action taken by the UBL. The documents show that after the unlawful removal of the pledged goods from the mills’ godown, the NBP approached and formally took up the issue with the mills’ management but did not get any satisfactory response. “The corporate head (north) personally contacted the CEO of the mills, Chaudhry Shafay Hussain, but his response was unreasonable,” said the documents that then talked of serving legal notice on the client.
It added: “The company has been sent a multiple of reminders by the NBP with no response. Despite continued follow up, the customer has not been found willing to regularise the outstanding bank dues.” A June 9, 2009 document said if the adjustment of liabilities was not done within seven days, the NBP would explore the possibility of an FIR against the directors of the company. The group chief credit management suggested the option of lodging an FIR against the company but in view of the unexplained ‘sensitivities’, the NBP delayed the matter despite the regional audit office Lahore’s recommendation to decide the pending issue. The documents show a group of officials within the NBP are opposing the extreme action of an FIR against the Chaudhrys Textile Mills and its directors. A NBP letter dated August 3, 2009 clearly categorised the unlawful sale of pledged stocks as ‘stolen’ and pressed for the lodging of an FIR against the mills and its directors. Addressed to chief manager, NBP, Main Branch, The Mall, Lahore, it said: “As you might be aware, the basic security of NBP’s outstanding Cash Finance facility of Rs 242.493 million in this account is pledge of stocks which as per your report has already been stolen”.
In the same letter, it said: “As a legal requirement, the criminal complaint/FIR etc has to be filed by the branch manager/credit office dealing with the case at the time of arising of cause of action, and first hand evidence has also to be produced by them directly in the court/police station as the case may be. The case may be transferred to SAMG (Special Asset Management Group)-North immediately after filing of criminal complaint for pilferage of pledged stocks to safeguard the interest of the bank”. There is a lot of correspondence exchanged between different departments of the bank, disputing whether or not the Credit Committee has decided in favour of lodging of an FIR against the borrower. One of the NBP’s vice presidents says the Credit Committee has not decided in favour of lodging of an FIR against the borrower rather the committee held the view that action be taken in line with UBL, because NBP holds pari passu (two or more loans having equal rights of payment) charge of Rs 133 million with UBL on fixed assets and Rs 170 million on plant and machinery of the company.
“Our senior BLA has issued a legal notice to the borrower, which implied that the nature of case suggested that filing of recovery suit against the borrower to recover the bank’s dues is the best remedy in this case.” But in other documents, it has been argued that the Credit Committee did not bar the bank to lodge an FIR for ‘illegally removing (stealing)’ pledged stocks by the borrower in May 2008. An executive vice president of the bank laments that despite audit observations, no FIR/criminal complaint was lodged or any other legal recourse was adopted by the branch, despite lapse of considerable time of more than one year. In criminal cases, the first hand evidence and the time lag since the arising of the cause of action is most important, which is in the knowledge of the branch. He added: “The time lag between the incident and initiative of an FIR etc would be a negative factor in this case as more than one year has already lapsed”.
He further said the Credit Committee had advised to review the case in line with UBL’s legal action against the borrower, but you would be better aware that the UBL held first charge on fixed assets of the company as their basic security and therefore, they are going for filing recovery suit, whereas in NBP’s case, the basic security is pledge of stocks, which is already totally removed illegally by the borrower and therefore, recovery suit would not be the best remedy for the NBP, rather filing of criminal complaint/FIR would be the suitable remedy for the NBP. The bank documents also reveal that the directors of the company have been changed frequently without the approval of the bank on the various dates. It said that in June 1994, the executive director of the company informed that three directors of the company had resigned and three new directors had been appointed. Those resigned include Ch Wajahat Hussain, Ch Shafaat Hussain and Ch Sabahat Elahi while those appointed were Haji Lal Din, Muhammad Riaz and Sher Muhammad. In 2000, the company said that one of its directors, Sher Muhammad, had been replaced by Hamid Mirza. In 2001, the company informed the bank that another director Khalid Mehmood was replaced by Kamran Rasool, former Punjab chief secretary and former defence secretary. In 2007, three directors, including Muhammad Umer Virk, Khalid Mehmood and Hamid Nazir, resigned and were replaced by Shafay Hussain and Salik Hussain, both sons of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.
However, as per the search report dated August 26,2008 of the bank, the directors are Hamid Nazir, Ahmad Khan Bhatti and Manzoor Ahmad Mir. NBP President Syed Ali Raza, when contacted, told this correspondent that the Kunjah Textile Mills had defaulted on the bank’s loan. He said his bank was preparing a strategy to get the loan recovered jointly in cooperation with some other creditors of the same borrower. He also confirmed that same collateral was offered by the company to different banks. Ali Raza, however, denied that there was any option under consideration to lodge a criminal case (FIR) against the company’s director. Shafay Hussain, the CEO and one of the directors of the Kunjah Textile Mills, when contacted by The News categorically denied that the Kunjah Textile Mills had defaulted on any bank loan. He belied the bank’s claim that the pledged stocks of the mills godown were stolen or unlawfully sold. “This is a complete lie. No such thing has ever happened. We can never even think of it,” he said. Shafay Hussain was appreciative of this correspondent for getting his side of the story, and believed that their political opponents might have cooked up this story and provided the documents to The News to malign the family. REFERENCE: NBP says Shujaat’s textile mills defaulted on Rs300m loan Saturday, December 26, 2009 Ch Shafay denies default By Ansar Abbasi http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=26302
Learn how this PML - Q League was created by the Establishment during General Musharraf's Martial Law. Watch the Dawn News on “Horse Trading” and back-door Politics to remove the government. “Meesaq-e-Pakistan” Code Name: IJI of 21st Century but which Bank because Mehran Bank is no more:)
A general election was held in Pakistan on 18 February 2008, after being postponed from 8 January 2008. The original date was intended to elect members of the National Assembly of Pakistan, the lower house of the Majlis-e-Shoora (the nation’s parliament). This DAWN News TV Investigation Report was aired just before that election and features people who have affected past elections and Pakistan’s democratic process in many ways including General Ali Kuli Khan Khattak, General Hamid Gul, Maj (Retd) Masood Sharif Khan Khattak, General Roedad Khan, Air Marshall Asghar Khan, Brig Imtiaz Ahmed, Maj Aamir and more. One of the main topics is Midnight Jackals, an operation conducted by the Intelligence Bureau to thwart an attempt to overthrow the democratically elected government of Benazir Bhutto. Other topics include the rigging of elections, involvement of the Pakistan Army in democracy and elections, intelligence agencies involvement in elections and democracy and more. REFERENCE: DAWN News TV Investigation Report with Masood Sharif – 6th January 2008 http://www.sharifpost.com/2008/01/06/dawn-news-tv-investigation-report/
DAWN 1
[NOTE: Hamid Gul admits that ISI political role was pre Bhutto DAWN News TV Investigation Report with Masood Sharif -- 6th January 2008]
ISLAMABAD: The main wheeler and dealer of the ISI during the 2002 elections, the then Maj-Gen Ehtesham Zamir, now retired, has come out of the closet and admitted his guilt of manipulating the 2002 elections, and has directly blamed Gen Musharraf for ordering so. Talking to The News, the head of the ISI’s political cell in 2002, admitted manipulating the last elections at the behest of President Musharraf and termed the defeat of the King’s party, the PML-Q, this time “a reaction of the unnatural dispensation (installed in 2002).” Zamir said the ISI together with the NAB was instrumental in pressing the lawmakers to join the pro-Musharraf camp to form the government to support his stay in power. Looking down back into the memory lane and recalling his blunders which, he admitted, had pushed the country back instead of taking it forward, Zamir feels ashamed of his role and conduct. Massively embarrassed because he was the one who negotiated, coerced and did all the dirty work, the retired Maj-Gen said he was not in a position to become a preacher now when his own past was tainted. He said the country would not have faced such regression had the political management was not carried out by the ISI in 2002. But he also put some responsibility of the political disaster on the PML-Q as well. The former No: 2 of the ISI called for the closure of political cell in the agency, confessing that it was part of the problem due to its involvement in forging unnatural alliances, contrary to public wishes. Zamir’s blaming Musharraf for creating this unnatural alliance rings true as another former top associate of Musharraf, Lt-Gen (retd) Jamshed Gulzar Kiyani has already disclosed that majority of the corps commanders, in several meetings, had opposed Musharraf’s decision of patronising the leadership of the King’s party. “We had urged Musharraf many times during the corps commanders meeting that the PML-Q leadership was the most condemned and castigated personalities. They are the worst politicians who remained involved in co-operative scandals and writing off loans. But Musharraf never heard our advice,” Kiyani said while recalling discussions in their high profile meetings. REFERENCE: The man, who rigged 2002 polls, spills the beans By Umar Cheema Sunday, February 24, 2008 http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=13159
DAWN 2
[NOTE: Hamid Gul admits that ISI political role was pre Bhutto DAWN News TV Investigation Report with Masood Sharif -- 6th January 2008]
He said one of their colleagues, who was an accountability chief at that time, had sought permission many times for proceeding against the King’s party top leaders but was always denied. Kiyani asked Musharraf to quit, the sooner the better, as otherwise the country would be in a serious trouble. Ma-Gen (retd) EhteshamZamir termed the 2008 elections ‘fairer than 2002’. He said the reason behind their fairness is that there was relatively less interference of intelligence agencies this time as compared to the last time. But he stopped short of saying that there was zero interference in the 2008 polls. “You are quite right,” he said when asked to confirm about heavy penetration of ISI into political affairs during the 2002 elections. But he said he did not do it on his own but on the directives issued by the government. Asked who directed him from the government side and if there was somebody else, not President Musharraf, he said: “Obviously on the directives of President Musharraf.” Asked if he then never felt that he was committing a crime by manipulating political business at the cost of public wishes, he said: “Who should I have told except myself. Could I have asked Musharraf about this? I was a serving officer and I did what I was told to do. I never felt this need during the service to question anyone senior to me,” he said and added that he could not defend his acts now. REFERENCE: The man, who rigged 2002 polls, spills the beans By Umar Cheema Sunday, February 24, 2008 http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=13159
DAWN 3
[NOTE: Hamid Gul admits that ISI political role was pre Bhutto DAWN News TV Investigation Report with Masood Sharif -- 6th January 2008]
“It was for this reason that I have never tried to preach others what I did not practice. But I am of the view that the ISI’s political cell should be closed for good by revoking executive orders issued in 1975,” he said. Responding to a question regarding corruption cases that were used as pressure tactics on lawmakers, he said: “Yes! This tool was used, not only by the ISI. The NAB was also involved in this exercise.” Former corps commander of Rawalpindi, Lt-Gen (retd) Jamshed Gulzar Kiyani said majority of corps commanders had continued opposing Musharraf’s alliance with top leadership of the PML-Q. “Not just in one meeting, we opposed his alignment with these corrupt politicians in many meetings but who cared. Now Musharraf has been disgraced everywhere, thanks to his political cronies.” REFERENCE: The man, who rigged 2002 polls, spills the beans By Umar Cheema Sunday, February 24, 2008 http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=13159
DAWN 4
DAWN 5
[NOTE: Hamid Gul admits that ISI political role was pre Bhutto DAWN News TV Investigation Report with Masood Sharif -- 6th January 2008]
WHY THESE ACTS OF OMISSION AND COMMISSION ARE BEING IGNORED BY THE MEDIA?
QUOTE
Please explain the dirty and very dangerous advertisement campaign which was initiated by PML-Q after the death of Benazir Bhutto after her assassination in 2007. Reference : Reports said that PML of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had given ads, asking all the non-Sindhis living in the province to provide the details of losses they suffered during the riots following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. The party intended to compensate their losses. After a strong reaction from all sides, the party the very next day removed the term non-Sindhis and said that Sindhis could also apply for the same. EC asked to take notice of controversial ad Thursday, January 10, 2008 By Mumtaz Alvi http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=90407 , KARACHI: The PML-Q Punjab has amended the language of a controversial advertisement it published on riot damage compensation for non-Sindhis in Sindh, after a bad reaction from the southern province?s party leaders and workers. The advert now says Sindhis (in bold lettering) can also apply for compensation. PML-Q Punjab alters ethnically exclusive ad By Amar Guriro and Qazi Asif http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C01%5C06%5Cstory_6-1-2008_pg12_1 .
Please explain the fraudulent Ad campaign in the national newspapers against Benazir Bhutto, which was initiated by your party before her death? Reference: ISLAMABAD: A letter forged by an over-smart opposition leader against Benazir Bhutto 18 years ago, came back to haunt him on Wednesday when the ruling PML used it in an ad campaign against the PPP but in vain. A PPP spokesperson said Benazir Bhutto and the PPP would take firm legal action against the advertisement. The letter, said to have been written by PPP leader Benazir Bhutto to her friend Peter Galbraith in late 1990, was then circulated by the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) to defame Benazir Bhutto before the 1990 elections. The letter was forged by then opposition activist Naveed Malik, who now is an opposition leader. The letter was used on Wednesday by the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) in huge half-page ads in different newspapers. A senior marketing expert said at least Rs 5 million was spent on the ad. The letter was first released by Naveed Malik, political adviser to the then Punjab chief minister, with the aim to demoralize PPP voters in the 1990 elections. The PPP lost by a big margin but later the polls were declared as massively rigged. PML ad campaign against Benazir backfires By Muhammad Ahmad Noorani http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=11162
What do you have to say on the statements of Talal Akbar Bugti and Nawab Aali Bugti, son and grandson of Nawab Akbar Bugti respectively, have alleged that Shaukat Aziz, PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and PML-Q Secretary General Mushahid Hussain Sayed are the real killers of the 22nd chieftain of the Bugti tribe. Reference: Trial of Shaukat, Shujaat, Mushahid sought for Bugti?s murder By Mazhar Tufail Wednesday, June 24, 2009 ISLAMABAD: Despite being sworn enemies of one another, two immediate heirs of slain Nawab Akbar Bugti have together accused former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and two top leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) of involvement in the killing of the veteran Baloch leader and have demanded their trial. http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=22908
There was a news against you for being bank defaulter. Reference: [News Clipping is attached] More References: Top guns got Rs 54bn loans written off By Rauf Klasra Tuesday, October 23, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/print3.asp?id=10768 ISLAMABAD: As the present government completes its five-year term in office on November 15, it has been officially disclosed in a secret report that the top guns of Pakistan got Rs 53.499 billion bank loans written off on the basis of a decision taken by the financial team of Gen Pervez Musharraf in October 2002. PML-N urges SC to take action on loan write-offs * Ahsan says 2 sitting CMs also beneficiaries of loan writing-off Staff Report Daily Times - Site Edition Wednesday, October 24, 2007 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\10\24\story_24-10-2007_pg7_24 ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court must take suo motu action and ask the government to make public the names of all those who have benefited through the writing off of over Rs 53 billion in loans, said PML-N Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal. He termed the writing off of over Rs 53 billion in loans a ?plunder of public money?. In a statement issued here on Tuesday, he said, ?This is yet another mega scandal of the Musharaf regime which has come out in public.
How would you define PPP Reference against you filed in NAB when PPP was in opposition? Reference:
To: The Chairman National Accountability Bureau Islamabad Pakistan Peoples Party ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- COMPLAINANT
V/s.
Ch Shujaat Hussain
Ch Mansoor Elahi
Ch Parvez Elahi
Ch Gulzar Mohammad
Ch Wajahat Hussain
Ch Sabahat Elahi
Mrs Qaisra Elahi
Mrs Kausar Hussain
Mrs Khalida Begum (1 through 9 - Purportedly the Directors / Owners of Punjab Sugar Mills )
Daewoo Corp of Pakistan and others
Chief Executive of National Bank of Pakistan and other financial institutions (who have written off the loans)
COMPLAINT U/S 18(B) (11) OF THE NATIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY BUREAU ORDINANCE 1999.
FACTS:
1. The daily ?The News? in its publication of 19 June 2003 (Copy enclosed with the complaint) gave the details which were given by the Jamali government to the National Assembly Secretariat wherein it was revealed that an amount of Rs 18 billion was written off during the last three years (1999-2002) of the military regime.
2. The accused respondents where some of them being holders of public offices in the terms of Section 2 of the NAB Ordinance 1999 and the rest of the accused which are business enterprises had obtained loans from the different financial institutions.
3. The accused respondents had siphoned off the depositors money from the financial institutions which were written off collusively by the respondents and financial institutions authorities and thus plundered the public money.
4. That the financial institutions had maintained only those loans were written off which were totally irrecoverable which does not give the clear picture and policy of the financial institutions for recovery of loans whereas small farmers were taken in custody for only recovering 9 millions rupees and the people having influence and collusion with the regime and financial institutions were not only set at liberty but were also given huge financial benefits.
5. That the accused / respondents being the holders of public office and the beneficiaries have caused a huge loss to the financial institutions who were the custodians of public money and have badly effected the performance, economy, trust and confidence of the public in the financial institutions.
Conclusion:
Based on the above facts and grounds respondents have shown willful indulgence in corrupt practices under Section 9 of the Ordinance. Such persons are subject to punishment under Section 10 of the Ordinance. As such the Chairman of the NAB is called upon to initiate investigation in connection with the matters set out herein above and further proceed to file a reference against respondents for violating the provisions of Section 9 of the Ordinance punishable under Section 10 of the Ordinance in competent court of law and proceed against those concerned for violating Section 9 of the Ordinance.
Why did you approach the Lal Mosque Mullahs when your government wiped them out during Musharraf Military Regime? Reference: A dangerous game February 14, 2008 Thursday Safar 06, 1429 http://www.dawn.com/2008/02/14/ed.htm#1 DOES Chaudhry Shujaat realise what a dangerous game he is playing? He and several PML personalities have met Maulana Abdul Aziz of Lal Masjid fame and there are reports that the hard-line cleric is to be released. Whether or not he is guilty of any crime is to be decided by the court. But there are cases against him relating to his involvement in the Lal Masjid insurgency last summer. The ?deeds? of the brainwashed commandos wearing polka dotted kaffiyehs and led by him and his dead brother, Ghazi Abdul Rashid, have included arson, murder, kidnapping (including those of some Chinese nationals), illegal use of firearms, etc. Only a court can release him if it acquits him of the charges. Maulana Fazlur Rahman, too, visited him, and one of Abdul Aziz?s relations told a press conference that his family expected him to be released. On the eve of the general election?
Did ISI or General Aslam Beg offered you money for ulterior motives? Reference: Shujaat says Beg offered him massive fundsDAWN/The News International, KARACHI 23 April 2003, Wednesday, 20 Safar 1424 http://www.karachipage.com/http://karachipage.com/news/Apr_03/042303.html ISLAMABAD: Leading politician Ch Shujaat Hussain has reopened the controversy over Army's role in politics by admitting that he and his cousin Ch Pervez Elahi were offered millions of rupees by the then Army chief General Mirza Aslam Beg in 1991 for political purposes from Mehran Bank accounts. Mehran Bank scandal had cost Rs 9.92 billion to the national exchequer. Ch Shujaat is the first politician to openly confirm that he was offered massive money for political purposes by a sitting Army chief in 1991 for political purposes.
Tell us something about Co-operative Companies Scam of 90s.
The Chaudhry and his fellow Chaudhry, Pervez Elahi, will have to face the charges levelled against them which warrant disqualification from the political scene in Writ Petition No.18463/2002, Mian Sajid Pervez, president, [of Imran Khan's] Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf Punjab versus Federation of Pakistan, Election Commission of Pakistan, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain [Respondent No.3], Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi [Respondent No.4], Returning Officer, NA105 Gujrat II and PP 110 Gujrat III, filed in the Lahore High Court in the second half of September, by Advocate Hamid Khan, the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association. It has been cited that under Clause (o) of sub-Article 2 of Article 8D of the Conduct of General Elections Order 2002 pertaining to the disqualification of members of our assemblies, it is stipulated that a person stands disqualified if "he has obtained a loan for an amount of two million rupees or more, from any bank, financial institution, cooperative society or corporate body in his own name or in the name of his spouse or any of his dependents, which stands unpaid for more than one year from the due date, or has had such loan written off." Similarly, Representation of People Act 1976, Section 12(2)(c), provides that a member is not qualified to sit in our assemblies if he makes: "a declaration that no loan for an amount of two million rupees or more obtained from any bank, financial institution, cooperative society or corporate body in his own name or in the name of his spouse or any of his dependents, or any business concern mainly owned by him or the aforesaid, stands unpaid for more than one year from the due date, or has got such loan written off" This makes it quite clear that any person who has obtained a loan of Rs 2 million or more from any bank and had it written off, stands disqualified from being a member of the national or provincial assemblies. The writ petition relates that Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi obtained a loan in the name of the company of which they were both directors, Punjab Sugar Mills Limited of Mian Channu, from the National Bank of Pakistan. In 1999, Rs.37.987 million was written off, which fact is recorded in the annual report of the bank for that year. At the time, Shujaat was the federal minister of interior and Pervaiz was speaker of the Punjab Assembly. The two Chaudhrys obtained another loan from the Muslim Commercial Bank Limited for their Punjab Sugar Mills Limited and in 2000 a sum of Rs 22.792 million was written off, which fact is recorded in the annual report of the Bank for that year. According to the law, as it stands today, it appears that both the Chaudhrys fully qualify for disqualification. Technically speaking, Imran's writ petition filed in the Lahore High Court - not heard and decided - is now infructuous, but the disqualification, if established, is a continuing one, and can be invoked at any time by any concerned or aggrieved person in appropriate proceedings before the Election Tribunal or the Supreme Court. Now what? Are the Chaudhys worth a further amendment in the laws of our pure but poor Republic of Pakistan? As white as driven snow By Ardeshir Cowasjee 03 November 2002 http://www.dawn.com/weekly/cowas/20021103.htm
LAHORE, June 12: Former prime minister Mian Nawaz Sharif has been charged with high treason in a complaint lodged with police by the Punjab Home Secretary, Hafeez Akhtar Randhawa.Also cited as the opposition leader's co-accused are the former federal interior secretary, Senator Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and former provincial governor Mian Muhammad Azhar.The complaint has been filed in the Qila Gujjar Singh police station, Lahore, under Section 2 of the High Treason (Punishment) Act 1973, enacted pursuant to Article 6 of the Constitution which prescribes death as the only punishment for the offence.The complaint was produced on Monday before a five-member full bench of the Lahore High Court as it took up the bail petitions of the treason case accused.
The military's alliance with some of Pakistan's most corrupt politicians has also raised serious questions over President Musharraf's pledge to fight corruption. The military regime's backing of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has evoked strong criticism from political parties. The Chaudhries are allegedly, not only involved in the infamous multi-billion rupee cooperative scam, but have also had numerous loans written off. Similarly, the military has propped up Imtiaz Sheikh, a notoriously corrupt former bureaucrat, to counter the PPP in Sindh. The leader of the Sindh Democratic Alliance (SDA), Sheikh is believed to be one of the most corrupt civil servants who rose to power under former Sindh Chief Minister, Jam Sadiq Ali. Sheikh is now seen as the military's candidate for Sindh's chief ministership. Reference: The General's Selection By Zahid Hussain [Monthly Newsline Oct 2002] http://www.newsline.com.pk/NewsOct2002/cover1.htm
By Amar Guriro and Qazi Asif
