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Musharraf fights hard to avoid embarrassing trial

Shafqat Ali

RAMZAN: IT’S PRAYER TIME FOR the FAITHFUL

More than two thirds or 80 per cent of Pakistani Muslims offer all five obligatory Islamic prayers or namaz during the fasting month of Ramzan, a survey suggests. According to a Gilani Research Foundation survey carried out by Gallup, 14 per cent pray three or four prayers, and three per cent pray one or two prayers while the remaining three per cent gave no response.

Regarding their praying routine during the rest of the year, only 48 per cent claimed to be just as regular by offering five prayers a day. It is noted that a proportionately higher percentage of females pray five times a day during both Ramzan and the rest of the months.

A nationally representative sample of men and women from across the country were asked "Some people get a chance to pray while some do not. In Ramzan, generally, how many prayers a day do you get a chance to offer?"

A majority (80%) claimed to pray all five obligatory prayers or more in a day, 14% said they pray three or four prayers, and 3% claimed to pray one or two prayers a day during the month of Ramzan.

ID SHOPPING FAILS TO

PICK UP STEAM

Rising inflation has hit Id shopping activities this year and majority of markets wear a deserted look even though Id-ul-fitr is just a couple of weeks away. Shopkeepers sit idle all day long and wait for buyers, hoping that business would pick up as Id draws near, a survey revealed.

Buyers, the survey suggests, are reluctant to go on shopping spree because of shrinking purchase power, rising inflation and price hike. Shopkeepers and shoppers have blamed escalating inflation for slow business. People, especially the salaried class, have also been hit hard by rising utility rates which have put a dent in their wallets.

Some shopkeepers claimed that schools had opened and people’s Id shopping budgets had shrunk as they had spent money on purchase of stationary and uniforms for their children who are resuming new classes.

Haider Ali, a shopkeeper, said his average daily sale was Rs 3,000 these days — pretty low as compared to the previous year. He said majority of people visiting markets were merely window shopping.

Mohammad Sharif, a salesman at a boutique, said the bazaar was deserted. "The bazaar used to be jampacked with people in Ramzan," he said adding that the situation was hopeless this time.

Shopkeepers at the wholesale markets are, however, doing good business due to concession in rates.

EUNUCHS SET TO FORM

AN ASSOCIATION

The eunuchs in Pakistan are all set to form an association and seek equal rights like other genders. Recently, the Supreme Court of Pakistan issued a verdict under which the government has been directed to introduce seats for eunuchs in the Parliament.

The top court said the eunuchs are equal citizens of Pakistan and must enjoy all the rights prescribed in the constitution. "The first thing which we will do is to pass a resolution against police," Kajol, a eunuch, said at a demonstration in Karachi this month.

"The police officials want us to bribe them daily and if we don’t then they torture and manhandle us," Kajol said.

BLAMELESS MAN RELEASED AFTER 28 YEARS IN JAIL

A court in Karachi this month ordered release of a man who had been behind bars for 28 years for committing no crime. Saeedul Haq, as he was identified by the police, has lost his senses during these long years in jail. "No charges were ever framed against him," a police official said.

Saeedul Haq was accused of involvement in the murder of an unknown man 28 years ago and "he was never produced before a court after arrest," the police official said adding, "Neither did the police file any evidence".

PAK NORTHERN AREAS ARE NOW GILGIT-BALTISTAN

Pakistan, on August 29, granted a ‘province-like’ status to the disputed Northern Areas renaming them as Gilgit-Baltistan. The new entity will have a governor and a chief minister along with a cabinet. It will have its own assembly (council) with 39 members.

Pakistan Minister for Kashmir Affairs Qamruz Zaman Kaira will be the first governor of the new unit.

The Pakistan government has started work on the voters’ list so that election can be conducted for the new legislative assembly of Gilgit-Baltistan on November 12, 2009.

The party-based election would be held for the 24 general seats. The staff of the Election Commission of Pakistan has started to register names of the voters in all seven districts of Gilgit-Baltistan.

MUSHARRAF ACTIVE TO

SAVE HIS SKIN

Former Pakistan military ruler Pervez Musharraf is fighting hard these days to avoid an embarrassing trial under high treason charges. Mr Musharraf was in Saudi Arabia recently to seek King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz’s help who is revered in Pakistan.

The Saudi King had helped Nawaz Sharif in 1999 when he was toppled as Prime Minister by Pervez Musharraf in a coup.

The same Nawaz Sharif is now seeking Mr Musharraf’s trial under article 6 of the constitution for committing high treason while imposing martial law in 1999 and again in November 2007.

The Saudi King, according to sources, has advised Mr Musharraf to seek a public apology from the Pakistani nation to make ground for the Pakistan People’s Party-led government to pardon him.

Sources have it that Mr Musharraf is also in talks with the PPP-led government for a political deal to stay in exile for 10 years and in return escape a possible trial.

On July 31, a Supreme Court ruling termed Mr Musharraf’s imposition of emergency in 2007 as unconstitutional. His orders and appointments have since also been partially revoked.

After the verdict, the PML-N has been demanding trial of Mr Musharraf under article 6 of the constitution.

The PPP government says it is ready to try Mr Musharraf if the parliament passes a unanimous resolution seeking such an action. The PML-N maintains there should be no such condition.

PAK RADIO STARTS BALTI/SHINA PROGRAMMES

State-run Radio Pakistan has started Balti/Shina programmes again from September 1 to facilitate listeners in far-flung areas of the country as well as Balti-speaking areas of Srinagar, Kargil and Ladakh in the India-Administered Kashmir or PoK. The programmes are being broadcast on Shortwave-7470 K.Hs and can be listened during the day and night, said the Radio Pakistan management.

Radio Pakistan has especially installed a shortwave transmitter (100 kw) in Skardo to air the programmes for Kargil, Ladakh and Srinagar.