Turkish amnesty Bill vetoed
ANKARA, Sept 2 — Turkey’s President has rejected an amnesty that will free almost half the country’s convicts, giving way to a public outcry at a Bill that will put hundreds of killers and mafia leaders back on the streets.

Impasse at West Asia peace talks
JERUSALEM, Sep 2 — Palestinians accused Israel of brinkmanship as protracted negotiations on the long-delayed Wye River pact remained deadlocked despite hopes a deal could be signed today.

Congo rebels sign peace pact
LUSAKA (Zambia), Sep 2 — Rival rebel leaders have agreed to put aside internal squabbles and signed a ceasefire to end Congo’s year-long civil war.

Sea border line invalid: N. Korea
SEOUL, Sept 2 — North Korea today declared as “invalid” the sea border separating North and South Korea, demarcated by the United Nations command four decades ago.

Huge anti-Sharif march

LAHORE, Sept 2 (Reuters) — Thousands of opposition followers marched in central Lahore last evening calling on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to step down.

In the first of three protests, traditional opposition parties and hardline Islamic groups joined forces in one of the biggest demonstrations since Mr Sharif’s election in 1997.

Witnesses said more than 40,000 persons joined the rally, dominated by the followers of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who remains abroad after a court convicted her of disputed corruption charges.

The Lahore protest was the first of three, which will culminate with a rally organised by Qazi Hussain Ahmad’s Jamaat-i-Islami Islamic opposition group on Monday.

Islamic groups have accused Mr Sharif of a U-turn on a key policy on Kashmir by past governments and betrayal of Muslim militant groups waging a guerrilla war there.

Mr Sharif has played down the significance of the demonstrations in public, saying that they cannot reverse the huge majority he won in the February, 1997, elections.

But attempts to end the protests point to concern that unrest could grow as the government adopts tough International Monetary Fund (IMF) measures, after pledging that the “common man” would not be taxed further, political sources said.

Window on Pakistan
Row over Pak sugar for India

WHAT is the truth behind the “sugargate” scandal that allegedly involves the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, and his government? It would certainly take time to prove the Congress party’s allegation that the ISI, backed Army Welfare Trust of Pakistan, based in Rawalpindi, supplied 80,000 tonnes of sugar to Delhi-based Kundan Rice Mills. The government has already stoutly denied the allegation.

One fact remains that India during October, 1998, and July, 1999, imported 5,54,375 tonnes of sugar from Pakistan. That country, constantly at loggerheads with India, tops the other 13 nations from where New Delhi imported the rest of the 18.30 lakh tonnes of sugar. It is also a fact that the Indian sugar industry — particularly 1400 cooperative sugar mills — is in doldrums. Also, India this year would produce 154 lakh tonnes of sugar, a new record, indeed. And a huge stockpile of 55 lakh tonnes already in the country makes nonsense of any further imports. The annual consumption is estimated at 146 lakh tonnes.

These harsh facts apart, what are the Pakistani newspapers saying? Here is what that bold newsmagazine, The Friday Times, said: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s first cousin and the owner of Ittefaq Sugar Mills, Mr Mohammad Tariq Shafi of Lahore, has confirmed a TFT report (“Military CBMs with India or sugary business as usual”, December 18-24) that the Prime Minister’s family is getting a preferential treatment from Pakistan Railways to export its sugar to India.

The Friday Times quoted this letter, “It is beyond reason, logic and law that Chaudhry Sugar Mills and Ramzan Sugar Mills have been conceded extraordinary favour in the form of allocation of wagons in total disregard of any proportion.”

Mr Nawaz Sharif and his brother, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, jointly own Ramzan Sugar Mills in Jhang and Chaudhry Sugar Mills in Faisalabad. According to Mr Shafi, the two sugar mills have exported 53,528 tonnes of sugar to India in the past eight months, which exceeds the quantity of all the sugar exported by Punjab’s all other sugar mills.

Prime Minister’s son-in-law, Mr Mohammad Safdar runs Brother Sugar Mills in Kasur district and two cousins of the Prime Minister — Mr Javed Shafi and Mr Idrees Bashir — own Ittefaq Sugar Mills and Abdullah Sugar Mills, respectively.

Interior Minister Shujaat Hussain and his cousin and Speaker of the Punjab Assembly, Mr Pervez Elahi, own three sugar mills — Phalia Sugar Mills, Punjab Sugar Mills and Chanar Sugar Mills. Deputy Speaker National Assembly Jaffer Iqbal and Chairman of the Board of Investment Humayun Akhtar, respectively, own Ashraf Sugar Mills and Tandlianwala Sugar Mills. PML National Assembly member Ahmed Mehmood too owns a sugar mill in Rahim Yar Khan district.

In response to Mr Tariq Shafi’s allegation, the Managing Director of the Railway Goods Company, Mr Mohammad Aslam, said nothing.

According to Mr Shafi, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the federal government had allowed sugar mills to export a maximum of 25 per cent of their 1998-99 production. The committee had also decided that the policy would be reviewed after an initial export of 300,000 tonnes of sugar on or about January, 1999, he added.

“It was obligatory on the part of Pakistan Railways to allocate wagons to the sugar exporters in such a way that all of them would have benefited by the policy of exporting maximum 25 per cent of their production,” Mr Shafi said.

He alleged that the railway authorities have adopted an arbitrary and discriminatory policy of allocation of wagons. “It is evident that some of the mills have been allowed wagons in total contravention of the provisions in the ECC’s circular.”

He further alleged that the railway authorities have provided the loading facility to some of the mills even outside Lahore, which, according to him, is a flagrant violation of the agreement between the Pakistan government and Indian Railways.

The Pakistan government allowed sugar export this year in view of a bumper sugarcane crop. According to the All-Pakistan Sugar Mills Association, Pakistan has already exported 400,000 tonnes of sugar since June, 1998, to India, Canada, the UAE, and certain African and Gulf countries.

The government has offered a hefty export rebate of Rs 4,500 per tonne and low freight rates as an incentive to exporters. Mr Shafi said the export of sugar by sea was costlier (by about $40 per metric tonne) than that via the railway overland route. The government has also exempted sugar exporters from excise duty of Rs 2,025 per tonne, levied on sugar sale in the local market.

The sugar industry is the second largest industry in the country, and a lot of people in the ruling party are in this business. The Friday Times said more than 70 per cent of the total sugar exported to India belonged to 10 sugar mills owned by PML(N) politicians.

The weekly had carried a detailed story in December last year. This news story was only to confirm the allegations against Sharif Mills. Other newspapers like Jung, The Nation, The Pakistan Times and Nawa-e-Waqt too had detailed these reports. The Congress allegation here has only added more grist to the mill.

— Gobind Thukral

Ex-Pak CJ warns of break-up

ISLAMABAD, Sept 2 (PTI) — A former Chief Justice of Pakistan’s Supreme Court has warned that Pakistan could break up if the Sharif government was not immediately stopped and called for drastic changes in the Constitution, including reviving a provision which allows Presidents to dismiss the government.

Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, whose differences with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif led to a major crises two years ago, told the Dawn English daily in an interview that the Sharif government had already brought in 13th and 14th amendments which have removed the President’s power to dismiss a government and dissent within the ruling party and now the proposed 15th amendment to enforce shariah will make the Premier a “dictator”. “This will be a dead end,” he said.

He said that the sense of alienation was growing among smaller provinces and observed, “I want my country to survive, I would be hurt if the country breaks up, but the way this government is acting it could lead to that”.

Jakarta sends more forces, newsmen leave E. Timor

DILI (East Timor), Sept 2 (IPS) — The air of fear and anarchy deepened here today as militia-led violence climbed, prompting the military to evacuate Indonesian journalists and Jakarta to send in more police forces.

This occurred as rumours of more impending violence by the pro-autonomy militias spread — amid calls at the United Nations for an armed peacekeeping force and demands by Indonesia’s neighbours for quick action to prevent a descent into chaos.

Many fear that if the Indonesian Government is unable or unwilling to rein in the militia members, who are rampaging in the streets armed with knives, machetes and guns, the independence that East Timor is widely expected to gain might well be a meaningless one.

Today, the Indonesian news agency Antara reported that two companies of a total of 200 policemen from Jakarta arrived here to help beef up security, amid charges that police forces often stood by as militiamen went on a rampage.

At least two people were reportedly killed when pro-Indonesia militia units outside the UN assistance mission in East Timor (UNAMET) headquarters in Dili threw rocks at the compound and burned nearby houses, UN officials said.

Meanwhile, a top Indonesian minister today said it may be necessary to consider sending UN peacekeepers to troubled East Timor, something Jakarta has firmly resisted so far.

“So far we have not discussed it deeply. But as far as developments have gone so far automatically that is an alternative that maybe has to be considered,” State Secretary Muladi told reporters in response to a question on the subject.

WELLINGTON: New Zealand Foreign Minister Don McKinnon on Thursday welcomed a Canadian proposal on the situation in East Timor to be discussed when ministers from the Asia Pacific region gather next week at a special meeting in Auckland, New Zealand.

He said it could be held when foreign ministers of the 21-member Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Organisation meet in Auckland on September 9-10 prior to a leaders summit September 12-13.

UNITED NATIONS (PTI): The UN Security Council and the Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, have condemned violence in East Timor and demanded that Indonesia arrest those responsible for it even as counting for the historic referendum on the future of the region continued.

Turkish amnesty Bill vetoed

ANKARA, Sept 2 (AP) — Turkey’s President has rejected an amnesty that will free almost half the country’s convicts, giving way to a public outcry at a Bill that will put hundreds of killers and mafia leaders back on the streets.

President Demirel sent the Bill back to Parliament yesterday asking lawmakers to make changes that take “justice, rules of equality and public conscience” into account.

Lawmakers, who pushed through the measure on Saturday at the height of Turkey’s earthquake torment and then adjourned, could still override the veto.

The Bill will release 29,000 inmates to clear out crowded prisons plagued by riots and hunger strikes.

Opponents charge it forgives crimes against citizens, but not against the state — in one case, keeping a leading political activist behind bars, but freeing Right-wing militants who shot him.

Parents of victims filled the airwaves on call-in TV segments, sputtering anger at the legislation. Callers said the amnesty would push many victims to take the law into their own hands and punish culprits themselves.

“To forgive is in the hands of God, not of politicians,” said an angry Metin Sertoglu, whose son, Erdin, was kidnapped for ransom and later killed by his abductors two years ago.

Journalists imprisoned for their writings on the Kurdish conflict would be released only on the condition that they do not write on the same issue for three years.

Impasse at West Asia peace talks

JERUSALEM, Sep 2 (AFP) — Palestinians accused Israel of brinkmanship as protracted negotiations on the long-delayed Wye River pact remained deadlocked despite hopes a deal could be signed today.

Israel said it was refusing to budge on the issue of freeing Palestinian prisoners from its jails, the main sticking point holding up an agreement which was expected to be signed with visiting US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in Egypt.

“The negotiations are at an end and we are now awaiting the response of the Palestinians, who must understand that they should be content with our offer to free 348 prisoners,” said Haim Ramon, Minister in the office of Prime Minister Ehud Barak.

Yasser Arafat’s Palestinian Authority is seeking the release of 400 and insists all of them be political detainees rather than common criminals.

“We are not making any more concessions. We will not release prisoners who have killed Israelis,” Mr Ramon told army radio.

Congo rebels sign peace pact

LUSAKA (Zambia), Sep 2 (AP) — Rival rebel leaders have agreed to put aside internal squabbles and signed a ceasefire to end Congo’s year-long civil war.

As many as 50 rebels from the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD), took turns signing the peace accord during an hour-long ceremony at a hotel here on Tuesday.

Mr Emile Ilunga, head of the RCD’s main faction, pledged that he would order his fighters to observe the ceasefire.

Ilunga’s chief rival, Mr Ernest Wamba Dia Wamba, also signed the accord saying that his group would honour the pact but added that suspicion remained between the two RCD factions.

Sea border line invalid: N. Korea

SEOUL, Sept 2 (Reuters) — North Korea today declared as “invalid” the sea border separating North and South Korea, demarcated by the United Nations command four decades ago.

“We declare that the brigandish ‘Northern Limit Line’ unilaterally defined by the US inside our territorial waters of the West Sea (Yellow Sea) is invalid,” the official Korean Central News Agency said, quoting a statement from the Korean People’s Army.

50 rebels die
BOGOTA: More than 50 Marxist rebels were reported to have died in oil-rich eastern Colombia in a bungled attack on Wednesday that was planned as a gesture of solidarity with a two-day-old general strike, authorities said. Army troops backed by helicopter gunships killed most of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas as they tried to flee the town of Hato Corozal, in Casanare province, aboard trucks before dawn, an army statement said. — Reuters

Jail term
BANGKOK: A Western activist, arrested in north-east Myanmar this week with pro-democracy leaflets, has been sentenced to 17 years in jail, an Australian diplomat in Yangon said on Thursday. The military government said James Mawdsley (26), a Briton who also holds an Australian passport, was arrested in the north-eastern border town of Tachilek on Tuesday. — Reuters

Nobel prize money
STOCKHOLM: The winners of 1999 Nobel Prize will receive 7.9 million crowns ($ 9,62,000) when the prizes, the world’s most prestigious accolade in their fields, are awarded next month, the Nobel Foundation said on Thursday. The Foundation said the prize-winner in physiology or medicine would be announced on October 11 and in physics and chemistry on October 12. The Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo will name the winner of the Peace Prize on October 15. — Reuters

N-sub deal denied
BEIJING: China on Wednesday denied a report that it had reached a tentative agreement with Russia to buy two typhoon-class nuclear-powered submarines and that Chinese Generals were pushing to buy the latest model Sukhoi fighter jet. “There is no such thing,’’ a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said by the telephone when asked to confirm a Hong Kong report saying that the $ 1-billion submarine deal was reached during Russian Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov’s visit to China last week.