Pak wants peace with India: Musharraf
DUBAI, Oct 28 — Pakistan's new ruler General Pervez Musharraf has said his country wants peace with India and a solution to the Kashmir issue but ruled out any trip to New Delhi saying the question will arise only when ties improve.

• Sharif’s party may expel him

Taliban offer new proposal
ISLAMABAD, Oct 28 — The Taliban in Afghanistan have offered some ‘new proposals’ for breaking the deadlock with the USA on the issue of extradition of Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden, even as Washington reiterated that the terrorist mastermind be sent where he could face trial in the bombings of two US embassies last year.

UK raises pension to Gurkha widows
LONDON, Oct 28 — Britain has said it would raise the pensions paid to the families of Nepali Gurkhas killed in action to the same level as those for British troops. “For nearly 200 years, Gurkhas have served Britain loyally in conflicts all over the world. They are a unique fighting force,” Prime Minister Tony Blair told Parliament yesterday.

China brands Falun Gong a cult
BEIJING, Oct 28 — Angered by a harsh attack from China’s ruling Communist Party, members of the banned spiritual movement Falun Gong renewed a quiet vigil in Tiananmen Square for the fourth day today despite more aggressive sweeps by police.

Hostages freed in Armenia

YEREVAN, (Armenia) (AP) Oct 28 — Gunmen who stormed the Armenian Parliament and killed the Prime Minister and other top government officials surrendered today and released all their hostages, officials said.

The gunmen gave up their weapons and were taken by the police to the Security Ministry for questioning, according to President Robert Kocharian’s office. The gunmen were being escorted by the Andranik Martaryan, a leader of the Unity Party, who had been one of the hostages.

The breakthrough came after Mr Kocharian negotiated with the gunmen’s leader and promised that they would be given a fair trial.

A recorded statement by the gunmen was broadcast on national TV shortly before their surrender on Thursday morning as part of the agreement to end the stand-off. They accused the government of pursuing disastrous political and economic policies that had allegedly ruined Armenia.

There was no immediate word on the condition of the hostages, mainly lawmakers and senior officials, who had been held overnight in the Parliament building. Officials said there were between 25 and 40 hostages, and that the gunmen had freed four of them overnight.

Hundreds of police and army troops had surrounded the Parliament building in central Yerevan throughout the night and the authorities had been considering using special forces to end the stand-off.

But the gunmen said after talks with the President that they had received assurances that their safety would be guaranteed and that they would receive a fair trial.

The gunmen’s leader earlier said he acted to save Armenia from disintegration, and the attack was a "patriotic action".

The bodies of Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian and Speaker Karen Demirchian were sprawled on the chamber’s podium where they were shot when the gunmen burst in yesterday afternoon, firing automatic weapons.

The leader of the gunmen was identified as Nairi Unanian, an extreme nationalist and former journalist, according to reporters in the chamber at the time. His brother and uncle were among the attackers, the reporters said.

Unanian went up to the premier and said, "Enough of drinking our blood," the reporters said. Sarkisian calmly responded, "Everything is being done for you and the future of your children."

Unanian then opened fire, the reporters said.

In an interview with Armenian TV channel A1 Plus, Unanian today said, the assault was intended to kill only Sarkisian and that the other deaths were "the result of technical mistakes."

"Other than the Prime Minister, Vazgen Sarkisian, all others are innocent victims," he said in the interview, as reported by the ITAR-Tass news agency.

Armenia, like many former Soviet republics, has been mired in economic chaos for years, stuck between the Soviet system and largely unsuccessful efforts to build a market economy.

Unanian reportedly had been a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, known as Dashnak, a group the government has tried to suppress.

Dashnak said Unanian had been expelled several years ago and the party had nothing to do with the attack.

There was speculation that the attack could be linked to continuing tensions over Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan.

Nagorno-Karabakh declared independence in 1988 and separatists helped by Armenia drove out Azerbaijani troops. A truce was signed in 1994, but sporadic fighting has continued.

WASHINGTON (AFP): The death of Armenian Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian at the hands of gunmen is a "real blow to that country and that region", President Bill Clinton said.

The shooting took place an hour after US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott ended a brief visit to Yerevan for talks on Armenia’s conflict with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabach enclave.

Fighting by Armenian-backed rebels in Nagorno-Karabakh, which is situated inside Azerbaijan and populated by ethnic Armenians, has left about 20,000 people dead since 1988.

Referendum plan to defer Pak poll
C’wealth team may five Pak 2 yrs’ time
from C K Arora

WASHINGTON, Oct 28 Pakistan’s military ruler is considering a referendum to delay elections for two years in order to prosecute corrupt officials, give the junta a sense of legitimacy and allow a visit by President Clinton, reports The Washington Times, quoting South Asian sources.

“Some smaller political parties have approached Gen Pervez Musharraf on holding a referendum,’’ the daily quotes a South Asian diplomat.

Pakistan’s constitution says that if national security is involved, the country’s leaders can opt for a referendum by going to the Supreme Court. “There is a likelihood that the government itself is floating this idea,” he added.

The referendum could cloak the military government, which seized power on October 12, in an aura of democratic rule that would allow Mr Clinton to visit India and Bangladesh.

The referendum could also provide a means for the Clinton administration and Commonwealth countries to drop sanctions on trade and aid, which have driven Pakistan to the brink of bankruptcy.

The US official said they were unaware of the referendum proposal. “We have pushed hard for a return to civilian government,” the daily quoted a White House official having said. “This is the first time I have heard of this (referendum) proposal. But we are making clear we can’t have a relationship like in the past — although we have strategic interests — and it can’t be business as usual,” said the official.

The daily quoted a State Department official saying that he would not speculate on what impact a referendum would have on a visit by the President or on US sanctions, which are already in place on “just about everything” due to the coup and Pakistan’s nuclear weapons testing in May last year.

“We have said there is a need for a timetable for a return to democracy, the official said. — UNI

ISLAMABAD (PTI): A Commonwealth delegation today asked the military regime in Pakistan to set a time frame for restoration of democracy even as President Muhammed Rafiq Tarar strongly defended army rule in the country in a bid to persuade the mission not to expel Islamabad from the body.

The four-member team, led by Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy, which is in the country to allow the Commonwealth summit in Durban in November to take a decision on Islamabad’s expulsion, however, hinted that the 55-member group could allow Pakistan a breathing space of two years for restoring rule of law in the country.

“There are several options” short of expulsion under Commonwealth rules, mission spokesman Kaye Whiteman told reporters here.

“In the interim, we could give future technical assistance in the exercise of restoring democracy or assistance such as drafting of a new constitution,” Mr Whiteman said. The delegation has also sought access to deposed Premier Sharif.

Meanwhile, in an obvious reference to the fact that the mission’s report might lead to Pakistan’s expulsion from the 54-member organisation, President Tarar told the delegation “the Commonwealth should realistically review the situation before taking any hasty step.”

Mr Tarar explained that despite army action in the country the constitution was intact and the courts were carrying out their functions.

“The fundamental rights are in place and there is no restriction on the press,” Mr Tarar told the delegation in an effort to convince it that the military coup was justified.

The President also argued that as per the Pakistani constitution, the Parliament comprised the President, National Assembly and the Senate, and of them, the President was holding office while the remaining two components had not been dissolved.

“This proves that the army wants to hand over power to the elected representatives after completing its agenda within shortest possible period,” he printed out.

The Commonwealth mission also met the Chief Justice, Mr Saiduzzaman Siddiqui who assured the mission that, “the courts in the country are functioning as usual.”

Window on Pakistan
The nexus destroying economy

HOW Pakistan has been governed all these 52 years by its military dictators and elected despots is best summed up in a pithy comment by the Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan: “80 per cent of the total $ 3 billion in defaults on loans. More than $ 22,000 each has come from 770 families, very powerful people, who hold the country to ransom.” Mr Muhammad Yaqub, the SBP Governor, was only supporting what other major bankers say.

Close to 50 per cent of the bad debts are with powerful politicians, including those belonging to ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s party (the Muslim League) and Mr Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party. Basically this powerful nexus of politicians, landlords and military-civil bureaucrats has ruled the roost, causing a deep economic crisis, most newspaper commentators say. The religious frenzy to which Pakistani society has been pushed to and growing lawlessness is their contribution. They have kept society mired into hatred and violence. Public money has been pocketed in India also — nearly Rs 35,000 crore — but it is proportionately less that that in Pakistan.

For Pakistan’s 140 million people, there is no end to this nightmare. Indebtedness is 100 per cent of the GDP there. As much as 90 per cent of the revenue earnings go to meet interest liabilities. So, there is very little development activity. Pakistan’s military ruler, Gen Pervez Musharraf, when he took over the country in a bloodless coup on October 12, declared that the economy was in a state of collapse. On October 16 he found that it had already crumbled. So, how to lift it out of the quagmire?

While the CEO has chosen a prominent banker to guide the economy, there is a strong feeling in Pakistan that the task may finally prove arduous and thus General Musharraf shall have to hold on to the reins of power for longer than the people and world powers think.

Well-known columnist sultan Ahmed in a leading article in Dawn has made interesting observations. Mr Ahmed found the talk about austerity phoney as did many other thinkers speaking from abroad. The banks used for laundering black money are located in Western countries like the UK and Switzerland.

Mr Sultan Ahmed summed up the situation thus: “The government is reported to have prepared a long list of persons who have evaded Rs 15 billion as tax and is out to get them. The Central Region alone is said to have a list of 5,000 persons and companies. How far the government succeeds in netting this large amount in a period in which collection has been falling far short of targets, remains to be seen,” he said.

“But if revenue collection has to go up, corruption in the taxation machinery all round will have to be stamped out. The policy hitherto has been to let the corrupt officers thrive as long as they collected more revenues. In fact, the percentage of bribes collected by income tax personnel has been rising over the years and had come close to 50 per cent of the total tax dues,” Mr Ahmed said.

He also noted that the government faces an unpleasant task of finalising the negotiations with the IMF to get the much-needed tranche of $ 280 million. But before that it has to come to a settlement. It has also to sign the Letter of Intent for the IMF. It is under pressure to raise the POL prices substantially as well as levy a 15 per cent sales tax on power. All that can upset the people who are under great economic pressure.

But are the military rulers capable of managing the economy? George Bernard Shaw in his famous preface to his play, “Down With The Soldier”, stated: Soldiers invariably turn into destructive, cruel, dishonest, tyrannical, hysterical, mendacious, alarmists at home and terrorists abroad.” Many Pakistani military rulers have earlier proved this right. Would General Musharraf, “the honest professional soldier”, be different?

The military would neither cut down defence expenditure by 30 per cent nor settle for peace and end cross-border terrorism. It would also not seek major land reforms and end the murky exploitation by the landowners. Pakistan has fertile land, abundant water and power resources and of course industrious people. But General Musharraf, who said all this in his address, should know that reforms in all the sectors can provide the answer.

— Gobind Thukral

Pak wants peace with India: Musharraf

DUBAI, Oct 28 (PTI) — Pakistan's new ruler General Pervez Musharraf has said his country wants peace with India and a solution to the Kashmir issue but ruled out any trip to New Delhi saying the question will arise only when ties improve.

"I am not a hypocrite. I am a straight forward man. I do not believe in saying and doing things that are not in my heart", he told a select gathering of overseas Pakistanis shortly after talks with UAE President Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, yesterday.

"We want peace with dignity and honour, without any preconditions, and solving of the core problem of Kashmir", he said when asked if he would give priority to fostering good ties with India and if a visit to Delhi was on his agenda.

General Musharraf hinted that Pakistan might be in for a long stint of military rule saying he would not quit before the goals for which he assumed power were achieved.

The General on his first trip abroad since taking over on October 12, said "The world is beginning to understand what is happening in Pakistan, and we are getting positive response. My visits to Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been fruitful".

"The UAE President has total understanding of the issue and expressed support for Pakistan", he said.

General Musharraf whose trip to Saudi Arabia and the UAE is part of a diplomatic initiative to win the backing of other countries for his government, said he had come to the Gulf not to seek funds but support of overseas Pakistanis.

Referring to the financial mishandling in Pakistan, he said, three persons owe Rs 7.3 billion to banks while 300 people owe Rs 200 billion.

He said former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif might face corruption charges, according to a review reports from Abu Dhabi.

General Musharraf said in an interview with state-run Abu Dhabi television before leaving the UAE after a one-day visit that Mr Sharif was being investigated on other legal and financial issues.

There are legal and financial issues and issues of corruption. And then there are pressing demands from the Pakistani people regarding holding Nawaz Sharif accountable... let's allow justice to take its course", said Mr Musharraf, according to an Arabic translation of the interview which was conducted in English.

Asked if there were specific charges against Mr Sharif, Mr Musharraf said: "There are charges, but they have not been finalised yet. I don't want to go into details on this subject. The investigation is continuing to determine the issues that he was involved in and the extent of that involvement".

Pakistani newspapers have quoted officials as saying that Mr Sharif had been charged with money laundering to the tune of $ 40 million, tax evasion of over $ 60 million, forgery of $ 10 million and the misuse of public funds and his office for personal benefit.

General Musharaff said he was committed to a return to civilian rule in Pakistan but refused to set a date, saying he wanted first to deal with the country's economic crisis.

Asked if the return to democracy would take months or years, he said: "We certainly are not talking about months. But I do not want to comment on years".

Meanwhile a four-member commonwealth team, now on a fact-finding mission to Pakistan, on Thursday urged the country's new military rulers to set a fixed time-frame for a return to civilian rule and allow access to deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif a PTI report from Islamabad said.

The team, which is here to review the post-coup situation in the country to allow the Commonwealth summit in November to take a decision on Islamabad's expulsion, however, hinted that the 55-member group could allow Pakistan a breathing space of two years for restoring rule of law in the country.

"There are several options" short of expulsion under Commonwealth rules, mission spokesman Kaye Whiteman told reporters as talks with the military rulers got underway.

"In the interim, we could give future technical assistance in the exercise of restoring democracy or assistance such as drafting of a new constitution".

He said the delegation had also sought access to deposed premier Sharif.

Sharif’s party may expel him

ISLAMABAD, Oct 28 (PTI) — Pakistan’s deposed Premier Nawaz Sharif is facing an imminent threat to his grip over Pakistan Muslim League (PML) as a section of senior leaders were unanimous in their opinion to dislodge him as party chief.

In a significant development more than 15 senior PML leaders held a separate meeting here at former cabinet minister Syeda Abida Hussain’s residence and chalked out various options including removal of Mr Sharif from the post of party chief, the domestic online news agency said quoting PML sources.

A number of prominent parliamentarians of the party including dissident leader Mian Muhammad Azhar participated in the meeting and freely expressed their opinions with most of them sharing the opinion that party could be saved only by expelling those responsible for this situation including the Sharif brothers, the sources said.

They were quite vocal against the policies of Nawaz Sharif and some of his close advisers including his brother Shahbaz Sharif and alleged that it was their policies which led to the army coup on October 12, the sources added.

The dissident meeting was held less than a week after about 30 senior leaders of PML had met at the residence of former Interior Minister Choudhury Shujaat Hussain to express their confidence in the leadership of Mr Sharif.

Ms Abida Hussain had earlier been removed from the Cabinet by Mr Sharif and Azhar from the post of vice-president.

Col (retd) Ghulam Sarwar Cheema, one of the participants of the meeting, severely criticised Mr Sharif’s "policy of confrontation" with the armed forces and held him entirely responsible for the events of October 12, the sources said.

The meeting was attended mainly by the parliamentarians from Punjab, which is considered a stronghold of Mr Sharif, and the dissidents expressed confidence that more leaders were willing to join hands in their initiative.

The PML enjoys nearly two-third majority in the 217-member National Assembly (lower house) of Pakistan which had been suspended but not dissolved by General Pervez Musharraf through a proclamation of emergency after the army takeover.

Ardbo smirks at CBI move

STOCKHOLM, Oct 28 — The Swedish Foreign Ministry has said there is "no question" of former Bofors president Martin Ardbo being extradited to India for his alleged involvement in the Bofors kickback scandal.

"There is no question, whatsoever, that Sweden will extradite him to India, whatever the circumstances," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Asa Arvidson told India Abroad News Service.

Ardbo himself said it was wishful thinking on the part of the Indian Government to have him extradited and said "the Indians know precisely which persons have been paid the money and how much and where".

"I am aware of the Indian desire to have Martin Ardbo extradited to India only from the press clippings we (the ministry) have received through our embassy in New Delhi. No formal request for such extradition has yet been received from India by the Swedish Foreign Ministry," said Arvidson and elaborated: "However, no Swedish citizen has ever been extradited to another country."

Asked whether Indian courts could have Martin Ardbo examined in Sweden in lieu of extradition, she replied: "I know of no such precedent. But if such a demand arises, it will have to be dealt with by the (Swedish) Department of Justice."

Ardbo was managing director of Bofors when the 8.4 billion Swedish kronor (now 11.5 billion SEK) gun deal was negotiated and signed. "Those damned devils have gone over their heads now," exploded the normally placid Ardbo, whose extradition is being sought by India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for allegedly paying bribes to win for Bofors the 1986 howitzer contract with India.

"I am now a retired person and a very happy one," Ardbo, who has been formally charged by the CBI, told IANS. "For me that matter is a closed chapter. That which happened, happened 13 years ago. Time enough to close the book and be done with it."

When it was pointed out that the CBI wants him extradited to India to face charges of bribery, he responded angrily: "Do they (the CBI) hold that we committed murder? I don’t care what they wish. I have no intention of going to India. I find it unhealthy. And there is no way they can have me extradited. If they think so they do so wishfully."

Asked whether he should not answer for his guilt in violating the unequivocal gentleman’s agreement between Rajiv Gandhi and Olof Palme, then Prime Ministers respectively of India and Sweden, that no middlemen would be involved in the Howitzer deal, Ardbo fumed: "What is guilt or innocence? The Indians know precisely who have been paid the money and how much and where. All this is unnecessary play-acting. I cannot understand why they are digging up this matter again. It happened so long ago and should stay buried."

Ardbo claimed that he had no memory of the details of the case. Asked whether he could not refresh it from his celebrated diary, he said: "That diary is no longer in my possession."

Ardbo, however, held that Win Chadha could have committed no criminality. "I know nothing about law; and for that matter neither do I care about it any longer. However, I cannot see how Win Chadha could possibly have been bribed. He was after all our own representative in India. One cannot, possibly, bribe one’s own representative, can one?" asked Ardbo.

A veteran Swedish diplomat, who desires anonymity, said "However one looks at it, it seems a no-win situation for India. The main protagonists are outside the reach of Indian courts and apparently (certainly, in case of Martin Ardbo) will remain outside their reach. Also a substantial volume of documentation, highly relevant to prove criminality in the case, has not been made accessible to Indian authorities. Under these circumstances, any conclusive outcome to the proposed judicial exercise appears very remote." — (India Abroad News Service)

Taliban offer new proposal

ISLAMABAD, Oct 28 (PTI) — The Taliban in Afghanistan have offered some ‘new proposals’ for breaking the deadlock with the USA on the issue of extradition of Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden, even as Washington reiterated that the terrorist mastermind be sent where he could face trial in the bombings of two US embassies last year.

Taliban spiritual leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, in a letter to US President Bill Clinton yesterday, had offered to hold talks on the Osama issue and asserted that the militia or Afghanistan had no enmity with the USA or the American people.

The US State Department, while responding to the offer of talks on the Osama issue by Mullah Omar, handed over a letter to the Taliban authorities reiterating its earlier demand, according to Taliban’s representative in Washington Abdul Hakeem Mujahid.

Egg sale on web unethical: US body

WASHINGTON, Oct 28 (Reuters) — A website offering the ovarian eggs of models for sale to infertile couples is offensive and unethical, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), which groups doctors and other fertility experts, has said.

Ron Harris, a photographer from Malibu, California, opened his website on Monday purportedly to auction the ovarian eggs of beautiful women, with opening bids of $ 15,000 going up to $ 150,000.

An ASRM committee has said it is ethical to pay women for their eggs, but only to compensate them for their time and trouble.

“We believe that the ‘Ron’s Angels’ website violates the ethical principles outlined by the committee, promotes unrealistic expectations to potential parents, commercialises what is otherwise a voluntary donation process, offers undue enticement to potential donors, and has great potential to exploit highly vulnerable people,’’ the ASRM said in a statement.

“Donor egg programmes exist to help this nation’s infertile couples have the children they very much want to have — even if it means using another woman’s eggs to do so,’’ the society added.

On the website, Harris claimed that he had three donors — all struggling actresses — and was looking for more. He said he required that the donors be “beautiful, healthy and between 18 and 30 years old.’’

The ASRM said this was “both offensive and unethical.”

“Infertility is a serious disease affecting 6.1 million US women and their partners,” it said.

“In 1996 alone, more than 3,768 cycles of assisted reproductive technology (ART) were attempted with donor eggs resulting in 1,849 babies, 8 per cent of total 1996 ART cycles.’’

UK raises pension to Gurkha widows

LONDON, Oct 28 (Reuters) — Britain has said it would raise the pensions paid to the families of Nepali Gurkhas killed in action to the same level as those for British troops. “For nearly 200 years, Gurkhas have served Britain loyally in conflicts all over the world. They are a unique fighting force,” Prime Minister Tony Blair told Parliament yesterday.

Officials said this meant death gratuities would be paid on a scale ranging from £ 23,000 ($ 37,950) corporal to £ 59,000 for a major, but there was no decision yet on Gurkha demands for higher pensions.

China brands Falun Gong a cult

BEIJING, Oct 28 (Agencies) — Angered by a harsh attack from China’s ruling Communist Party, members of the banned spiritual movement Falun Gong renewed a quiet vigil in Tiananmen Square for the fourth day today despite more aggressive sweeps by police.

The police tried again to ferret out Falun Gong members from the Chinese tourists who daily crowd Tiananmen Square.

Meanwhile, China officially branded the outlawed Falun Gong movement a cult for the first time today, setting the stage for an even harsher crackdown and raising the prospect of a wider backlash by members.

‘Madam’ to stand trial
VAN NUYS (California): A Judge on Wednesday ordered Jody “Babydol” Gibson, who allegedly ran a call-girl that catered to the rich and famous and advertised on the Internet, to stand trial on pimping and pandering charges. Van Nuys Municipal Court Judge Gregg Marcus found that prosecutors had presented enough evidence at a month-long preliminary hearing to put Gibson on trial beginning in November. Gibson was arrested in June after a 10-month sting operation by the Los Angles Police. — Reuters

Family videotapes stolen
Los Angeles: A thief has stolen home movies of Michael Jackson playing with his young children and is demanding a $ 100,000 ransom for their return, a spokesman for the superstar signer said. Spokesman Howard Rebenstein said on Wednesday the culprit was also trying to sell the videos to American tabloid newspapers. — Reuters

Most expensive snap
LONDON: A 19th century photograph of a wave by one of the world’s earliest photographers became the most expensive snap ever sold at auction on Wednesday when it fetched £ 507,500 ($ 837,400) Sotheby’s said. “Grande Vague” (big wave), taken on the Mediterranean coast by Frenchman Gustave le Gray in 1855, went to the anonymous bidder for more than 10 times its estimate, the auction house said in the statement. — Reuters

Awami League wins
DHAKA: The ruling party candidate on Wednesday swept the board in a Parliamentary by-election in Bangladesh boycotted by the country’s main Opposition alliance, officials said. The Election Commission declared Saleha Hossain of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League victorious in the by-election in the Faridpur-4 rural constituency in southern Bangladesh. —DPA.

Rocket crashes
ALMATY: A Russian Proton rocket carrying a communications satellite has crashed to earth shortly after take-off from the Baikonur launch pad in Kazakhstan, the Kazakh Emergencies Ministry said on Thursday. ‘‘The engines on the second stage (of the rocket) failed, and the Proton rocket booster carrying the Express-A equipment crashed,’’ a ministry spokesman said. — Reuters.

Spanish poet dead
CADIZ (Spain): Rafael Alberti, Spain’s most eminent poet, died on Wednesday in his home town of Puerto De Santa Maria near Cadiz. He was 96. Alberti had hardly left his home in recent time because of lung problems. Authorities reported the cause of death as cessation of breathing and heart function. — DPA