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Musharraf steps down: It’s no time for 'individual bravado’, he says

Pervez Musharraf

Pakistan Muslim League (N) party supporters dancing
as they celebrate the resignation of President Pervez
Musharraf in Multan on Monday. AP photo

Agencies

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, facing impeachment on charges drawn up by the governing coalition, has announced that he is resigning.

He went on national TV to say that while he was confident the charges would not stand, this was not the time for more confrontation.

He is accused of violation of the constitution and gross misconduct.

Musharraf has been a key ally of the US in its "war on terror" since he took power in a bloodless coup in 1999.

Reaction in Pakistan is overwhelmingly one of relief that a bruising and lengthy impeachment battle has been avoided, the BBC's Mark Dummett reports from Islamabad.

The key issue now is whether the ruling coalition, which had pushed for Musharraf's exit since winning the February election, can stay united and deliver on its promises, he says.

It will have to agree on a new president, then persuade allies like the US and UK, and its neighbours like India and Afghanistan, that it will be committed to defeating militancy and terrorism, our correspondent adds.

International reaction to Musharraf's resignation was mixed, with the US hailing him as strong ally against terrorism but Afghanistan welcoming his departure as a boost to democracy. Looking calm and dressed soberly in a dark suit and tie,

President Musharraf said he had decided to resign after consulting his allies and advisers.

In a defiant speech, he said he had believed it was his destiny to save Pakistan, helped by God, and that he had prevented it from being declared a terrorist state.

In a clear reference to his political opponents, he accused unnamed elements of putting themselves above the country and seeking to betray it.

"Not a single charge can be proved against me," he said, while conceding he had made mistakes.

An impeachment process would have plunged the country into more uncertainty, he said, and it was no time for "individual bravado".

The outgoing president listed social, economic and infrastructural improvements made during his rule.

"I leave myself in the hands of the people," he concluded.

After making his speech, the former military leader inspected a guard of honour outside his white palace in Islamabad, stepped into a black limousine and left the presidency.

Cheering crowds poured into the streets of Pakistan's big cities to celebrate Musharraf's departure. In Karachi, lawyers danced in jubilation.

Once Musharraf's resignation letter is received and accepted by the speaker of Pakistan's lower house of parliament, the speaker of the upper house will take over as acting president.

Chronology

12 Oct 1999: Deposes PM Nawaz Sharif in coup

20 June 2001: Names himself president while remaining head of the army

12 Jan 2002: Declares war against extremism in Pakistan

14 December 2003: Survives first of several assassination plots

3 November 2007: Declares state of emergency before judiciary can rule on his re-election as president

28 November 2007: Steps down as army chief to become a civilian president

18 August 2008: Announces he will resign as president

He is Muhammad Mian Sumroo, a member of the pro-Musharraf faction of the Pakistan Muslim League.

The new president must be elected by both houses of Pakistan's parliament and the four provincial assemblies.

Reacting to news of the resignation, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice praised him as a "friend to the United States and one of the world's most committed partners in the war against terrorism and extremism".

She said the US would work with Pakistan's new leaders, pressing on them the need to stem "the growth of extremism".

The UK government wished Mr Musharraf well but stressed that relations did not depend on one individual.

India said it had no comment to make on the resignation since it was an internal matter of Pakistan.

Neighbouring Afghanistan, whose own President, Hamid Karzai, had a very fraught relationship with Mr Musharraf, hoped his departure would boost democracy in both countries.

Mr Musharraf's resignation followed more than a year of turbulence.

The unrest began last March when he confronted the judiciary, suspending the chief justice. After widespread strikes and protests, his decision was overturned by the Supreme Court.

Mr Musharraf won the presidential election in October - but the Supreme Court refused to confirm the result.

In November, he declared a state of emergency, citing increasing attacks by militants but eventually stood down as head of the army, giving up his main power base.

The parliamentary election this February, handed a clear victory to the two main opposition parties.

The coalition struck a deal to impeach the president earlier this month and finalised their charges against him hours before he stepped down.

A mixed legacy

Agency, Islamabad

For nearly a decade Pervez Musharraf was the most powerful man in Pakistan.

His resignation marks the end of an era for a country facing enormous economic and security challenges.

He will be remembered for many things.

He overthrew an elected government in a military coup. He took Pakistan to the brink of war with India, only to launch a sustained peace process a few years later.

In the aftermath of the 11 September attacks in New York and Washington he declared his full support for the United States and became a key player in the American-led war on terror.

He was also responsible for modernising many sections of Pakistani society.

But he brooked no opposition, and weakened important state institutions. And in the end he has fallen victim to hubris, the feeling that he was indispensable and he could do no wrong.

He leaves Pakistan as a more fragile and fractured country than it was when he came to power.

"There will be a more balanced view of him in the future than there is now," argues Mushahid Hussein, a leading political supporter.

"A lot of things happened in Pakistan for the good under his watch, and I think that is something the history books will recall after some time."

"As far as democracy in Pakistan is concerned," counters Senator Enver Beg of the Pakistan People's Party, "historians will not forgive him."

"He manipulated elections, he hounded his opponents, and he became a dictator. It's not much of a legacy."

His most significant international decision was to throw in his lot with George Bush and the United States after 9/11. He abandoned the Taleban in Afghanistan and worked closely with the Americans in pursuing Islamic extremism.

In return Washington has given Pakistan more than $10bn in aid, mostly to the military, since 2001.

But many of the gains from this strategic alliance have been frittered away.

Pakistan's lawless border regions close to Afghanistan remain a sanctuary for al-Qaeda, and a new Taleban insurgency inside Pakistan has gradually been gathering strength.

Military co-operation with the Americans has also become increasingly unpopular in Pakistan. As President, Pervez Musharraf never managed to persuade a majority of his people that he was doing more than fighting someone else's war.

"He never tried to create an impression in Pakistan that we were fighting for our own country and our own good," says military analyst Talat Masood, a retired lieutenant-general.

"And because of that the Pakistan army became a client army and Pakistan became a client state in the eyes of the people. It was a major failing on his part."

On Pakistan's eastern border, relations with India have also been predictably volatile.

As army chief, Gen Musharraf launched a military adventure in Kargil in 1999, shortly before his military coup. Pakistani soldiers and Kashmiri militants infiltrated Indian territory, before pressure from the United States forced them to withdraw.

And then an armed attack on the Indian parliament in Delhi in 2001 prompted a rapid military build-up on both sides of the Indo-Pakistani border which brought South Asia's nuclear neighbours close to war.

But from 2004 onwards a peace process between the two countries, in which Pervez Musharraf invested a considerable amount of personal prestige, led to a ceasefire and a series of confidence building measures.

As Musharraf leaves office, though, relations with India have fallen to another low ebb.

The government in Delhi is convinced that a suicide bomb attack by Islamic militants on its embassy in Kabul last month was organised under the auspices of Pakistani intelligence agents.

At home Pervez Musharraf's first few years in power seemed to promise the hope of a fresh start and a modernising agenda. He liberalised the economy and the electronic media.

He backed the empowerment of women and made efforts to improve standards in education.

He also has the distinction of leaving high office with no serious charges of corruption against him. In Pakistan, that is quite a rare event.

But in the last 18 months he clearly over-reached himself. He thought he could take on the judiciary, the parliament and anyone else who disagreed with him with no consequence.

He sacked the chief justice, imposed a state of emergency and engineered his own re-election as president.

"He was too cocksure, he was overconfident," admits Mushahid Hussein. "But the ground realities had changed."

Critics say one of the most damaging parts of his legacy is the fact that his disregard for civilian institutions has weakened the Pakistani state.

He encouraged the spread of military influence into all walks of life, and always appeared more comfortable with men in uniform.

"He didn't understand the importance of other institutions," says Talat Masood. "And he didn't understand that a country of 160 million people couldn't be ruled by just one man."

In some respects he was a victim of his own success.

The Musharraf era saw the emergence of a more assertive middle class, who were in the forefront of protests against his imposition of emergency rule.

But towards the end of his presidential career even the economic accomplishments he could claim as his own were tarnished by the sapping negativity of months of political crisis.

In July 2008 annual inflation was over 24%, while the value of the rupee fell dramatically as the long political stalemate dragged on.

"He overstayed his welcome," says Enver Beg of the PPP. "It's time for life without Musharraf, it's time to move on."

CA addresses secretaries: Maintain utmost neutrality in coming elections

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed addressing the
Secretaries in the Cabinet Conference Room at the
Secretariat on Monday. PID Photo

Staff Reporter

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday asked top government bureaucrats to extend their all-out cooperation for holding the ensuing general elections in a free, fair and neutral manner by maintaining utmost neutrality, rising above all influence and defying all threats and fear.

" If we get your all-out cooperation we will be able to hand over power to an elected government through elections to be held in December," he said while addressing the secretaries of all ministries and divisions of the government in the Cabinet Division conference room at Bangladesh Secretariat, apparently as part of the preparation for the parliamentary polls slated for December.

He reminded that it is the responsibility of all including government officials and employees to ensure that voters can go to the polling centres and cast votes without fear to chose their candidates.

The Chief Adviser expressed the confidence that the caretaker government would be successful to present the nation a free, fair and credible election.

"A free, fair and neutral election is going to be held in December this year. I hope that the election will be peaceful, festive and delightful," he said.

Dr Fakhruddin said the civil administrators would also have to extend cooperation in sustaining the caretaker government's activities made in last 19 months, including policies and guidelines for strengthening the base of democracy.

Terming the completion of the voter registration with photographs and national ID cards within a year 'a great achievement' of the government, he said the Election Commission would finalise the voter list with photographs of all regions of the country sometime in October.

The Chief Adviser mentioned that the August 4 elections to four city corporations and nine pourasabhas were held very fairly with large percentage of voter turnout.

During his nearly an hour long speech, he focused on food security, income support to fixed and low income group, effective implementation of ADP, economic growth, law and order, citizen services, posting and promotion of government officials and application of IT by government officials.

He directed the secretaries to be serious with postings and follow regulations on promotion of administrative officials.

"Make proper evaluation of the works of the officials and put right persons in the right places," he said.

Dr Fakhruddin asked the secretaries to give more attention for timely and effective implementation of development projects so that people can derive full benefit of such projects.

Regarding implementation of Annual Development Programme (ADP), he said timely and result-oriented implementation of the ADP is very important for the socio-economic uplift of the country and the people as well as overall economic growth.

On utility services, he asked them to monitor whether the service seekers get proper service on time in all service sectors including water, telephone, electricity, gas, law and order and so on, and also suggested to improve the standard of services.

About the 100-day job generation programme, he said, "We have to ensure so that the real poor people are benefited by the programme."

He emphasised on application of tools of IT by the secretaries to derive its outcome in a short time and resolve various issues bilaterally and multilaterally through e-mail and Internet communication among secretaries.

In the meeting the secretaries briefed the Chief Adviser about the advancement of various projects and problems they were facing.

In his welcome address, Cabinet Secretary Ali Imam Majumder said that so far 529 decisions have been adopted by the council of advisers of the present caretaker government that expedited the momentum of reforms and development activities.

Bolt, Fraser: Fastest man, woman

AP, Beijing

A few fun-loving fresh faces have suddenly turned Jamaica into the "World's Fastest Nation."

And that supposed U.S. track and field juggernaut? Well, things aren't quite going to plan. Right fist thrust overhead as she crossed the finish line all alone, silver braces shining in the Bird's Nest lights as she hopped in celebration like the 21-year-old she is, little-known Shelly-Ann Fraser won the women's 100 meters Sunday night in 10.78 seconds to help make these Olympics a sweeping success for the Caribbean island.

Fraser was followed across the line, steps later, by teammates Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart, who both finished in 10.98 and both collected silvers - giving Jamaica the first sweep of medals in a women's 100 by any nation at any Olympics or world championships.

That impressive display came one day after Usain Bolt's easy-as-could-be, hot-dogging, record-breaking victory in the men's 100 - giving Jamaica the first sweep of men's and women's 100 golds at any Olympics since 1988.

Back in his gold shoes Monday morning, Bolt advanced to the second round of the 200 by finishing second in his heat. He is trying to become the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to win gold medals in the 100 and 200 at the same Summer Games, so he surely was conserving energy.

So far, not a bad showing by a nation of 2.8 million, about the population of Chicago.

Not bad for a nation that long has produced top sprinters but never an Olympic dash champion, man or woman, before this wonderful 2-for-2 weekend.

"I was speechless yesterday for a while. Today I cried," Jamaica's minister of sport, Olivia Grange, said Sunday, after watching Fraser win. "Little Jamaica - our country is blessed with some of the best, if not the best, talent you can find."

Now compare and contrast. The single 100 bronze for the United States, earned by Walter Dix, amounts to the country's worst combined showing in the men's and women's dashes at an Olympics since earning zero medals in the 100 at both the 1980 Moscow Games - where, let's remember, a boycott prevented any Americans from competing - and the 1976 Montreal Games.

Landslide claims 14 lives again in Ctg

Rescue operation by the members of Civil Defence as
the landslide claims 11 lives at Lalkhan area in Chittagong
on Monday. FocusBangla

Chittagong Correspondent

Fourteen people including five children and three women were killed in a landslide at Motijahra Hossain Colony on the slope of Batali Hills in this port city early Monday morning.

Five of the landslide victims belong to a same family, locals claimed.

Heavy rainfall for the last few days caused the landslide, a natural phenomenon which occurs in the region from timer to time and takes away human lives.

Police quoting local residents said the tragedy took place at about 5:30 in the morning when large chunks of earth rolled down from the 10 to 12 meters high hilltop smashing huts and claiming human lives.

Of the victims, 11 were buried alive in their sleep and the one on way to the Chittagong Medical College Hospital.

The victims were identified as Sabur Mia (55),his spouse Anwara Begum (42), Johra Akhter (35),her only daughter Sumaiya (8) and three sons- Mohammad Jahirul (10),

Md, Khairul (11) and Md. Amirul (12 ), Taju Mia (55), Fatema Begum (25),BilkisBegum (17), Shamsul Alam (52) and Shahzadi (6).

Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Ashraf Shamim and acting Mayor of Chittagong City Corportation M Manjur Alam Manju ,however,confirmed 11 deaths in the incident,

Personnel of the Civil Defence with the cooperation of the locals recovered 11 bodies from inside the shattered huts and structures. Heavy rain and squally wind hampered the rescue operation to a great extent.

High officials of the local administration, the acting Mayor of the Chittagong City Corporation and ward commissioner of ward 14 visited the spot.

CCC and the district administration made arrangement to transport the bodies to their village homes on the request of their relatives.

The bodies without claimant will be buried at the graveyard adjacent to the Garibullah Shah Shrine.

A five-member committee headed by Mohiuddin Ahmed Khan, Chief Revenue Officer of

the Chittagong City Coporation, has been constituted to investigate into the incident and submit its report within a week.

Some 130 people lost their lives in hillslides at Motijahrna, Chittagong University ,Lichubagan and Kaichag hona on June 11 last year. Heavy rainfall for days together and hill cutting are mainly blamed for such tragedy.

DU deans polls today

DU Correspondent

The Deans election of Dhaka University will be held today. Candidates were busy in last moment campaign till the last night.The teachers divided into two panels for ten faculties--White panel belonging to BNP-Jamaat and Blue panel belonging to Awami League and left leaning organisations-are contesting in the election.

Meanwhile, a dean, Prof Borhan Uddin Khan, for Law Faculty was declared elected as no other nomination paper was submitted against the post.

The polling will begin at 9:00 am and will continue till 1:00 pm at the Teacher-Student Centre with Treasurer Prof Syed Abul Kalam Azad as Election Commissioner. More than one thousand teachers are expected to cast their votes.

This will be the first election in Dhaka University during the rule of the present Caretaker Government, which came to power on January 12, 2007.

Under the existing rules, the DU Deans election is supposed to be held every year, but this time the election takes place after two and half years. The last election was held on February 27, 2006.

Dr Tazmery SA Islam and Muhibur Rahman will contest the election for Science Faculty, Sadrul Amin and Fakhrul Alam for Arts Faculty, Ferdous Hossain and Harun-Or-Rashid for Social Science Faculty from white and blue panels respectively.

Mohammad Abdur Rashid and Farida Begum will contest for Pharmacy Faculty, Abul Bashar and Anwar Hossain for Biology Faculty, Abbas Ali and Mizanur Rahman for Business Studies Faculty from white and blue panel respectively.

Rafiqun Nabi is contesting from Blue panel for the newly introduced fine arts faculty who will face two opponents - Abdus Sattar and Mahmudul Haq, both from the White Panel.

Shahnaz Haq Hussain and Qamrul Hasan will contest for the Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty while Shahida Rafique and Neem Chandra Bhowmick will contest for Engineering and Technology Faculty from white and blue panel respectively.

Pro Vice Chancellor Prof AFM Yusuf Haider hoped the election would be held peacefully and the other elections of the university would be held under same procedure.

Rice, paddy procurement drive: Only half of target achieved

Shamim Jahangir

The government is likely to extend rice and paddy procurement drive for another two months as only half of the procurement target of rice and paddy was achieved till August 31.

The announcement to extend procurement schedule will come up in a high profile procurement committee meeting next week, sources in the food ministry said.

In the four and a half months drive launched on April 15,7,07,000 MT of rice and 44,800 MT of paddy were procured from across the country. It is 4,93,000 tonnes less of rice and 2,55,200 tonnes of paddy against the target.

"We are procuring 3,500 MT to 4,000 MT of rice daily after the price increase. If it continues, we will only be able to procure 56,000 MT of rice in the next 13 days of the government procurement schedule. So, it is not possible to reach the target," a senior official of the Directorate of Food told the New Nation.

The procurement was not satisfactory after increasing the procurement price of rice, Food and Disaster Management Secretary Mollah Wahiduzzaman told the New Nation over phone.

He blamed the inclement weather for slow rate of rice and paddy procurement.

He added that the four members of the procurement committee would decide about the extension of the procurement drive.

Besides, a high official of the food ministry said that the procurement of rice and paddy will be extended for the next two months in the meeting scheduled to be held next month.

The government 'incentive' comes at a time when the pace of the food procurement drive seemed unlikely to achieve the yearly government target, sources said.

The authority announced the revised rate on August 10 in view of the reluctance of the traders to sell rice to the government.

The authorities have so far cancelled licences of 1,969 rice mills mostly in the country's northern areas for not selling rice and paddy to the government at the officially fixed rates.

The government has fixed the procurement target at 12 lakh tonnes of rice and three lakh tonnes of paddy this year.

Political intelligence office: DMP allays public apprehension

Staff Reporter

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Naim Ahmed yesterday dismissed allegations that the newly formed Political Intelligence Office (PIO) of police was aimed at political harassment.

The new intelligence body started its activities about one and a half month ago to collect necessary information in political field as part of prior preparation to maintain law and order in the capital, said DMP Commissioner at press briefing at the DMP headquarters in the city.

He said according to the Constitution, DMP created the PIO to gather advance reports of what they (political parties) plan to do."

The unit will track the parties' operations and ensure a 'peaceful public life,' he added.

The briefing was organised following print and electronics media reports that the PIO was formed to harass political leaders and activists in the city.

"It is not our duty to harass any individual or party politically. There is no scope to harass politically through law," Naim said.

He recalled that PIO was formed under Rule 36 of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Detective Branch) Rules 2006. The government promulgated the rules in October 2006 under Section 109 of Dhaka Metropolitan Ordinance 1976.

The PIO would collect information through police units of DMP only on such information which may lead to deterioration of law and order in the DMP area," the Commissioner said, adding, "There is no question of harassment against any person or organisation."

He said after collecting information the PIO will inform the deputy commissioners' offices of the area concerned about the matter.

The PIO will be given the responsibility of collecting details of leaders and activists of different political parties and their front organisations and make a database with the collected data. The PIO will also prepare analytical reports on important political matters.

It has already started gathering information on political agitations, student unrests and violence in garment factories in coordination with Special Branch (SB) of Police in the city.

The DMP Commissioner, while allaying fear in public minds, said that the Service Delivery System, Police Clearance Certificate, One Stop Service, Expatriate Legal Service and maintenance of law and order have already been acclaimed by the public.

AL to resist unconstitutional move : Zillur

Sraff Reporter

Criticising the government's initiative of keeping watch on the political parties of the country through recently launched Political Intelligence Office (PIO), Awami League (AL) Acting President Zillur Rahman yesterday said that AL would resist any unconstitutional move of the Caretaker Government to eradicate politics from the country and to harass the politicians.

Zillur made this comments while the leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chattra League (BCL), student wing of AL, met with him at his Gulshan residence over the recent release of BCL General Secretary Mahfuzul Haider Chowdhury Roton. DMP commissioner Nayeem Ahmed said on Sunday that the PIO was a special

detective unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) to spy on grassroots activities of political parties and its different front organisations that had begun its activities two months ago with 20 officials.

Replying to a question on holding of the national election in four months before the deadline declared by the Election Commission, Zillur said that it would be so tough task for the Government to arrange the general election in December in line with the roadmap.

"But there is no other option of holding national elections by December, as Government was putting assurance of the polls from time to time," he said.

"The government is enacting acts and ordinances being derailed from their major duty of holding the national elections. We don't know whether it is their latest strategy," he added.

Later the recently elected mayor of Barisal City Corporation Shawkat Hossain Hiron and AL leaders of the district met with Zillur Rahman.

They alleged that some leaders conspired during the city polls and requested him to take punitive action against the culprits and not to give any floor to them in the parliamentary election.

Three of a family killed in house collapse in Cox's Bazar

UNB, Cox's Bazar

Three members of a family were killed in house collapse at Baditola village in sadar upazila early yesterday.

The dead were identified as Harun-ur-Rashid, his wife Sajeda Begum,20 and daughter Khurshida Begum,3.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Nazrul Islam said the three buried alive when the mud house of farmer Harun, built on the top of a hill, collapsed at about 2am during heavy rain.

Police recovered the bodies and arranged for their burial.