Tuesday, May 21, 2002
Tuesday, May 21, 2002 |
| International | ||
|
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | International
By B. Muralidhar Reddy
The APC, that included the Pakistan People's Party and the Pakistan Muslim League, through a resolution appears to have virtually endorsed the line of the former Prime Minister and Chairperson of the PPP, Ms. Benazir Bhutto, that "political change" was needed in the country to defuse the current tension in the region. The tone and tenor of speeches made by leaders at the conference, held in Lahore on Sunday, and the resolution adopted at the end of the deliberations is a setback to the Musharraf Government at a juncture when it needs support from all quarters to meet the challenge arising out of the tension with India. No doubt the APC warned India to desist from committing "any aggression against Pakistan" but at the same time it came down heavily on Gen. Musharraf for his policies and go-it-alone approach. The APC Convenor and President of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD), Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, was in fact asked at a press conference whether the demand for Gen. Musharraf's resignation at this `juncture' would not endanger the country's interests. His response was a categorical no. "The military is meant to be defending the country. It has no other constitutional role'', he said. At least one news report quoted him as saying that the military regime was responsible for the threats Pakistan faced from within and without. On the current tension in the region, the APC said that in the interest of peace and stability of South Asia, India should adopt the course of negotiations to settle all disputes with Pakistan on the basis of the principles of international law and the charter of the United Nations. Through a resolution and a joint declaration it claimed that the nation had completely rejected the `stage-managed' referendum. The resolution said Gen. Musharraf should immediately resign from all his `de facto' positions and hand over power to a neutral caretaker government that should unite the nation, face challenge posed by India and hold fair and free elections. It called for the appointment of a full-time Chief of the Army Staff who could devote his attention to the country's defence and meet the threat to national security and territorial integrity. In response to a question if those who attended the APC would respond to the invitation from Gen. Musharraf for consultations on the current situation, the APC Convener complained that he had been taking decisions on his own and been inviting political leaders only to inform them. Maintaining that the threat of war loomed large and the country needed complete unity and a strong leadership, a resolution adopted by the APC said that having been rejected in the referendum by the people of Pakistan as well as the national and international intelligentsia, Gen. Musharraf "stands discredited and lacks the stature and moral authority to deal with the current threat to national security and territorial integrity of Pakistan''. It said that while India was poised to wage war on the eastern front, Gen. Musharraf was using Pakistani troops to seal the western border with Afghanistan and conduct operations in tribal areas.
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
|
|
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | Business Line | The Sportstar | Frontline | Home |
Copyright © 2002, The
Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu
|