Pakistan Views

President Pervez Musharraf has provided a level-playing field to all the political parties, major or small, to contest the general elections of January 8, 2008, however, now the political entities have to prove their performance to cash their vote bank in the polls-2008.

Former provincial minister, Sardar Manzoor Ali Khan Panhwar, who is also a leader of PML (Q) expressed these views while talking to APP here on Wednesday.

The President has given the task to the caretaker government to hold free, fair and transparent polls in the country, Manzoor Panhwar said.

However, he said, victory or defeat of any political party depends upon the verdict, which will be given by the court of people that will announce the judgement in shape of votes on January 8.

The President has been acting as neutral and impartial and he has directed the caretaker government to do the same. That is why the President Pervez Musharraf has allowed former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif for returning to Pakistan, he said.

The election campaign launched by all the political parties has been in full swing across the country, Panhwar said.

It is the testimony to the fact that the all the political parties have been provided the level playing field in the elections as all the leaders of political parties including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Benazir Bhutto and Quaid of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Muhammad Nawaz Sharif have been fully engaged in the election campaign, said Manzoor Ali Khan.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said the trade, which was just $ 25 million in2001 has increased to $ 1.3 billion that include mainly exports from Pakistan to Afghanistan.

He urged the Pakistani business community and investors to take full advantage of the trade potential present in Afghanistan to promote bilateral trade.

Addressing a gathering of Pakistani business community on Thursday, the Afghan President said the investors from Pakistan could invest in any field.

“The promotion of business and trade between two countries (Pakistan and Afghanistan) have grown not rapidly but ‘drastically’ in last six years,” said Karzai.

Karzai said Afghanistan has only $50 million share in the $1.3 billion trade between the two countries; therefore, there is a need to increase this share with increasing bilateral trade.

The Afghan President said besides improvement in the traditional trade between the two countries, there is wide scope for investment in many other areas including hotel industry and other sectors, as Afghanistan is a gateway to Central Asia.

“The investment opportunities are abundant in all the fields and it is the most cheaper and conducive environment for investors particularly from Pakistan,” he added.

Karzai said Afghan government has taken significant steps in last four years to facilitate investment and simplify the process to award licencesfor doing any business. Regarding complaints of cement exports to Afghanistan, Karzai said there are no restrictions on import of cement as due to massive development projects, Afghanistan needs more cement. He however said there has been some duty adjustments for the import of beverages only to protect the local industry.

Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) leader and former Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi Thursday said Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief Altaf Hussain is a leader of higher caliber than Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

He said this while talking to various delegations at his residence on the occasion of induction of Pirzada Ashraf Zia, a PML-N ticket holder from Faisalabad NA-78 into Pakistan Muslim League.

Pervaiz Elahi said no formation of government is possible in Sindh without forging an alliance with MQM, therefore, the alliance is vital to form government.

Ex-Punjab chief minister said Nawaz Sharif has no sense for the government, as he could not serve the country despite twice attaining majority and sent the country bankrupt.

‘Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif both are ineligible for the polls; hence, casting votes for N-League is tantamount to wasting them because they (Sharifs) cannot reach the assemblies,’ Elahi maintained.

‘Our family is in national politics since 1950; but, Nawaz Sharif was brought into political mainstream by Ziaul Haq. Moreover, they struck a deal to make their way back home and also, there was a deal to afford them a safe passage out of Pakistan,’ Pervaiz Elahi observed.

Commenting on election boycott by Jamaat Islami and Tehreek-e-Insaaf, ex-Punjab chief minister averred that it would benefit his party, as the religious votes used to go to Jamaat Islami would now be cast in his party’s favour.

Responding a question, he said Imran Khan is a suitable person for the social work.

PML-Q leader said N-League is a small party, which has been affiliated with PPP; hence, any coalition with it is out of context.

 Chief, Tehreek-i-Insaf, Imran Khan has said that the political parties are being used under the same doctrine of necessity for which the judiciary was used in the past.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting of Tehreek-i-Insaf central executive body, Imran Khan said the political parties intending to participate in the coming elections will come running back to APDM on January 9 raising hues and cries about rigging.

Nawaz Sharif is the only leader supporting the restoration of judiciary, however, he should have given it a second thought before deciding to for election, he said.

He appealed to the people to observe January 10 as a black day and wave black flags in the air.

Chief TI said his party has decided to launch a political campaign with a name of Just Students Federation.

Only two weeks left in the upcoming polls, the Foreign Office says the government has granted visas to 200 foreigners, who will monitor the elections.

Talking to reporters at a press briefing in Islamabad today, the Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammed Sadiq said the government was committed to ensuring that the upcoming polls are free and fair.

Referring to the US aid for tribal areas, the spokesman said linking FATA development package with Pakistan’s performance on the war on terror will hamper the uplift of the areas.

The official also said that the Pak-India judicial committee on prisoners will soon meet in India to discuss the issue of prisoner release.

He said that over 500 Indian prisoners are being held in Pakistan, while 450 Pakistanis are being held in Indian jails.

In the general elections for the Punjab national and provincial assemblies seats, in all, 106 women are contesting against the male candidates.

Amid 54 women in the field vying for Punjab national assembly seats included Begum Abida Hussain, Fauzia Behram, Dr. Firdaus Ashiq, Sughra Imam, Shahnaz Javed, Hina Rabbani Khar and Tahmina Daulatana, while for the Punjab provincial assembly seats, the women in the field tallied 72.

People’s Party has given party tickets to 11 women for Punjab NA seats, Muslim League-Q to 8, Muslim League-N to 6 and MQM to 4, while the 26 women are fighting elections scheduled January 8 as independent candidates.

There are 72 women candidates for the Punjab assembly seats, whose break-up are: 10 from Muslim League-N, 7 from Muslim League-Q, 4 from PPP and 2 from MQM, while the rest are independent candidates.

Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Chief Mian Nawaz Sharif Wednesday claimed that his party is certain to win the polls with a clear majority, if the elections were not rigged.

Talking to media as he was leaving from Raiwind for Jhelulm via GT Road for election campaign, he said PML-N is the most popular with the masses and has twice formed government.

Responding to a query regarding post-election scenario, Nawaz Sharif said it is later to be decided whether his party, on receiving the heavy mandate, forms the government or sits on opposition benches.

Accusing the government of planning on all levels to win Q-League a majority in the polls, PML-N head said that the former rulers are steering their election campaign while sitting in their private rooms.

Talking on this occasion, Nawaz ruled out any seat adjustment with PPP except Karachi.

PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto vowed to fight for workers’ rights on Wednesday as she took her campaign for January general elections to an industrial belt near the capital.

Western allies hope the election will restore stability in a nuclear-armed country vital to the battle against militancy. The three-way race pits Benazir Bhutto, against the party of another former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, and a party that backs President Pervez Musharraf, who took power in a 1999 coup.

Many Pakistanis say they are disillusioned with all three leaders and their main concerns are high prices and unemployment.

Tapping into those worries, Benazir told a crowd of about 600 people in the town of Wah, 30 km (20 miles) northwest of Islamabad, she would help the poor.

“We believe that Pakistan can only be a strong state when labourers and poor people become strong and empowered,” she said.

“We assure you we will not leave labourers alone and we’ll not ignore them,” she said, promising to reinstate sacked workers and beef up labour laws.

Benazir was travelling up the Grand Trunk road that used to link Delhi with the Khyber Pass on the Afghan border, where Pakistani armaments, mechanical and textile factories are based.

Small groups of people beside the road waved PPP flags and threw rose petals at her convoy as she passed.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai was due in Pakistan on Wednesday for talks with his counterpart Pervez Musharraf, as the two countries struggle to keep a lid on Islamist insurgents along their border.

The rugged tribal region has been in the international spotlight since the September 11 attacks on the United States, and the two US-backed leaders have regularly accused each other of not doing enough to rein in militants.

Both leaders, pivotal allies in the US-led “war on terror,” have faced a sharp increase in militant violence this year amid global concern about a resurgence of al Qaeda and the Taliban.

It has been the bloodiest year of the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan, while Pakistan has seen an unprecedented wave of suicide attacks like those carried out by the Taliban — almost one per week, on average, this year.

It will be the first meeting between President Karzai and President Musharraf since August, when they attended a tribal assembly or “jirga” to address the militant threat, and Karzai’s first visit to Pakistan since February 2006.

“This is an important visit and will help strengthen growing good relations between the two countries,” Pakistan foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Sadiq told AFP.

He said the leaders would discuss cooperation in the US-led “war on terror” and the general situation in the region. Musharraf will host a state banquet for the Afghan leader on Wednesday night.

Karzai is also due to meet Pakistan’s caretaker prime minister Mohammedian Soomro, who is in office until the country’s parliamentary elections on January 8 — a vote militants have threatened to disrupt.

Afghan foreign ministry spokesman Sultan Ahmad Baheen said the purpose of the trip was to “show our support for stability” in Pakistan.

He said the presidents would discuss plans for another tribal “jirga” as part of efforts to end the extremist unrest.

“Now Pakistan is the second victim of terrorism, so we need to strengthen our cooperation in the war against terror,” Baheen said, adding that Karzai would be looking for more help in the fight against militants.

“Cooperation should be stronger, more effective,” he said.

Afghan officials have repeatedly said that Taliban militants are being trained and armed in Pakistan and sent across the border to attack Afghan security forces and the 60,000 international troops working with them.

They have accused Pakistan of not doing enough against these extremist militants, who are thwarting Afghanistan’s internationally backed efforts to rebuild from decades of war.

On Karzai’s last visit, he handed over a list of Taliban fighters his government said were sheltering in Pakistan — which said that the information was outdated.

Pakistan, which has deployed around 90,000 troops on the border, says Afghan and international troops must enhance deployment on the 2,500-kilometre (1,600-mile) frontier to stop the cross-border movement of militants.

Chief Election Commissioner Justice (rtd) Qazi Farooq Wednesday said that ECP received a large number of complaints against nazims over violation of electoral code of conduct.

Talking to media in Lahore, he said Deputy Returning Officers have been tasked to investigate into complaints against such nazims; if a complaint is proved right against any nazim, the strict action would be taken against him.

Qazi Farooq said over 500 out of total 700 complaints are against nazims for violating code of conduct, adding no action taken against district nazims so far, as their complaints are being investigated

Speaking on this occasion, CEC said the lists of sensitive spots and polling stations across country are being compiled, where army would be called to ensure the maintenance of law and order situation.

‘ECP has neared completion of the arrangements for holding the elections,’ he maintained adding all election, ballot material has been sent to respective areas except ballot papers that will be dispatched by 5th prior to polling date.

Voters are quite conscious people and they would defy pressure from any quarter, he added.