پیر بنیامین رضوی

Pir Binyamin Rizvi (1958-2004)

2006-05-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader, Pir Syed Binyamin Rizvi , son of Pir Syed Muhammad Yaqoob Shah (former MPA), was born on August 15, 1959 in Phalia,District Mandi Bahauddin; he studied civil engineering at the Government Technology College Lahore in 1980. Later, in 1981, he graduated from Allama Iqbal Open University Islamabad. Mr Rizvi, 46, left behind a wife, two daughters and a son. Mr Rizvi came into politics in l990 after the death of his father Pir Yaqoob Shah, a prominent religious and political personality. The majority of people in Phalia are Beralvis and followers of Pir Yaqoob Shah. He was elected to the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab in the by-election in 1991; Mr Rizvi contested the general election at PP-99, Phalia, with the Jamiat Ulema Pakistan (JUP-Niazi). He also served as advisor to the Chief Minister Punjab in 1992. In l993, when Punjab Assembly speaker Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo toppled the Ghulam Haider Wyne government with the cooperation of Pakistan People’s Party legislators, Mr Rizvi objected in and outside the assembly in favour of Mr Wyne. Keeping this in view, PML chief Nawaz Sharif invited him to join the Muslim League. An agriculturist, who was Secretary Information Pakistan Muslim League (Punjab).In 1997, he was re-elected to the Punjab Assembly for the third time and joined Shahbaz Sharif’s cabinet as minister for social welfare, Women Development and Bait-ul-Maal. In 1999, after the dissolution of the Nawaz government, he was taken into custody by the National Accountability Bureau for four months and later put under house arrest. In 2001, he was forced to join the PML-Quaid as its Punjab information secretary but before the 2002 general elections, he quit the party and left for United Kingdom, where his mother was being treated for kidney disease. After he returned from the United States, he met with Nawaz Sharif in Saudi Arabia and joined the PML-Nawaz as Punjab vice president. According to PML-N provincial secretariat workers Nasir Khan and Hakeem Khan, Mr Rizvi went to the party secretariat at about 11am on Saturday and after studying the newspapers he prepared a press release condemning the “conspiracies” against former prime minister Zafarullah Jamali. At about 12:40pm he left to attend a lunch given by PML-N leaders for journalists at the Gymkhana club. He, his driver and bodyguard were shot dead on the way by unidentified motorcyclists. Condolences: Messages of condolence came pouring in after his death. Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, in a message to Mr Rizvi’s mother and wife, assured them no stone would be left unturned in the search for the killers. He directed the inspector general of police to constitute special teams to find the killers. Punjab Law Minister Raja Muhammad Basharrat said the murderers would not be spared. He said police had started investigating and it was too early ascertain the motive behind the killing. He praised Mr Rizvi’s services to politics, saying his death would be a great loss to the people of Phalia, his hometown, for whose welfare he did sterling work. PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif said his services for the party could not be forgotten. “Binyamin was a true lover of democracy and his killing seems to be a result of his efforts against the dictatorship. The killing of PPP leaders in Karachi and then Binyamin’s murder is state terrorism,” he said. PML-N Punjab General Secretary Saad Rafique told reporters Mr Rizvi had been receiving death threats for two months. Mr Rizvi had told party leaders that he was being pressured from unknown quarters to leave politics and stop criticising the ruling party. Malik Pervaiz MNA said the PML-N would raise Mr Rizvi’s killing in the National Assembly because “the party knows the reasons behind the targeted killings of opposition leaders”. He said Mr Rizvi was an honest politician and even NAB could not prove the corruption charges against him. Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Qasim Zia (PPPP) and Deputy Opposition Leader Rana Sanaullah Khan (PML-N) said the government had failed to provide security and so had no right to remain in power. They said “state terrorism” was at its peak and the ruling party was doing all it could to “crush” the opposition party’s leaders and workers. They said the ban on MMA leaders entering Sindh was also state terrorism. PML-N leaders Dr Asad Ashraf, Zaeem Qadri, Farukh Shah, Nasir Khan, Imran Nazir, Inamullah Khan Niazi, Najeebullah Khan Niazi, Majida Zaidi, Aysha Javed, Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman and Mehr Ishtiaq also expressed sorrow at Mr Rizvi’s death and demanded the government immediately arrest the killers, otherwise the PML-N would start demonstrations.

Death of Pir Binyamin Rizvi

2006-05-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

Pir Binyamin was brutally murdered on 24 June 2004

Someone has killed PMLN leader Pir Binyamin Rizvi in Lahore. He was minister for social welfare in the government of chief minister Shehbaz Sharif after the 1997 elections. He was ‘gaddi-nashin’ of a holy ancestor in Phalia and wielded a lot of local power. While in the Punjab cabinet, however, he was used by Shahbaz Sharif to ‘sort out’ the NGOs advocating women’s rights and protesting Pakistan’s 1998 nuclear test. Mr Rizvi took to the task with such single-mindedness that even the chief minister got scared and called off the campaign. During this campaign he accused the NGOs of being ‘agents of the Jews’ and did not balk at accusing the ladies working in them of unworthy acts.

But as his department got after the NGOs, a murder in which he was the accused in 1996 came back to haunt him. The rivals in Phalia threatened him with death a number of times and on one occasion he nearly got killed in the vendetta. His family life unfortunately was nothing to write home either. He had got rid of his first wife in favour of another and was subsequently threatened by his former in-laws. He was a scrappy politician given to rash action. But his death may become a credible pretext for the PMLN, together with the PPP whose leader was also killed earlier in Karachi, to take to the streets against the government’s incompetence. *

Pir Bin Yameen’s ‘suspected killers’ arrested

Wednesday February 21, 2007 (0245 PST)

One of two suspected murderers of Maulana Azam Tariq signs to camera while policemen take them in court on Tuesday. Muhammad Ali and Mudassar Ali arrested by CID from federal capital.

ISLAMABAD: Federal police have captured 2 wanted terrorists who are behind the killings of Maulana Azam Tariq, former provincial minister Bin Yameen and 45 people in bomb blast in Multan adding the operation is underway to arrest their other 4 accomplices.

By Shahzad Malik

ISLAMABAD: Police have arrested two men allegedly involved in the killing of Maulana Azam Tariq, an MNA and chief of the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), and a blast at a gathering for his first death anniversary in Multan.

Senior Superintendent of Police Sikander Hayat told a press conference on Tuesday that the alleged killers – Mudasser Ali alias Usman, a resident of Datia Khan tehsil in Bakhar district, and Mohammad Ali alias Abbas, a resident of Pind Dadan Khan in Jehlum – were arrested in the capital’s Sector G-6/2.

He said the men had confessed to their involvement in the murder of Tariq, his three bodyguards and a driver near Golra Mor on October 6, 2003, while they were on their way to Islamabad from Sargodha to attend a National Assembly session. The attackers opened fire on the SSP chief’s vehicle when it slowed down to pass through the Golra Toll Plaza on the Kashmir Highway. Two of the attackers then came to Tariq’s car and fired at him. The incident took place a few hundred yards from a police check-post at Golra Mor.

The police official said the men had also confessed to their involvement in the car bomb blast in Mutlan during Tariq’s first death anniversary.

He claimed the men told investigators that they had also been involved in the killing of Pir Biniamin, a former provincial mister, and his two bodyguards in June 2006. He said the men were hiding in a government quarter in Sector G-6/2, but did not disclose the name of the official to whom the quarter has been allotted.

Six other members of the gang were living in various cities and police teams had been formed to arrest them, he said, adding that complaints of the case against Usman and Abbas would be summoned by court to identify them as culprits. He said the men had been sent to Adiala jail.

BENYAMEEN’ S MURDERERS STILL AT LARGE

2006-05-22T10:28:00.000-07:00

Daily “Dawn” Islamabad

Dated: Oct. 05, 2006

By Our Staff Reporter

ISLAMABAD, Oct 4: A human rights group has expressed dismay over what it said the government’s failure to arrest killers of a former provincial minister, Pir Syed Benyaineen Rizvi, and demanded urgent steps to provide justice to the heirs of the deceased.

Pir Benyameen, a prominent PML-N leader, was murdered alongwith two other companions in a very relentless way in broad daylight on a busy road in Lahore. Two years have passed but the culprits have yet not been arrested.

Government’s apathy is highly condemnable, said Mumtaz Ahmad Tarar, Human Rights Council of Pakistan chairman, while speaking at a press conference at Melody Press Club. Mr Tarar said the brother of the deceased approached the police station to register FIR against the culprits but he was turned back. The human tights chief said since then the relatives of Mr Rizvi had been running from pillar to post to get justice but in vain. Mr Tarar said this was the first murder in the history of the country which had yet to be probed.

He demanded of the chief justice, president and prime minister to take notice of the case and provide justice to the family of the deceased and warned that they would be compelled to approach international organizations of justice.

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Daily “Pakistan Observer” Islamabad

Dated: Oct. 05, 2006

CJ URGED FOR ACTION IN, BINYAMIN MURDER CASE

ISLAMABAD - Former MNA Mumtaz Ahmad Tarar urged Chief Justice of Pakistan to take suo moto notice to investigate into the PML-N leader Pir Syed Binyamin Rizvi case, which has been pending for the last two years.

“Two years ago Rizvi along with two others was murdered in broad daylight and not only the culprits are on loggerhead but also no initiative has yet been taken by the government to investigate into the matter,” Mumtaz said while addressing a press conference here on Wednesday.

“The concerned senior police officer often refuses to meet me,” he recalled. Garden Town Police Station did not file the First Information Report (FIR) by the relatives and wrote another with their own version of the event.

He also accused the current regime of committing violation of human rights. There are hundred of families protesting either illeged enforced disappearance of dears by security agencies across the country. There are a large number of those picked up to win the so-called ‘war on terror,’ Mumtaz further added.

Earlier, in an application the family demanded of the President of Pakistan to take personal interest and investigate into the case. The President ordered IG Police but with no result. “If the CJ does not take suo moto notice we will request international human rights organization to take up the issue from their respective platforms,” said Mumtaz.

Hassnain Ghayoor

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Daily “The Post” Islamabad

Dated: Oct. 05, 2006

HRCP TO CONTACT INTERNATIONAL HR BODIES IF BIN YAMEEN KILLERS NOT ARRESTED

KASWAR KLASRA

ISLAMABAD: Upset by law enforcement agencies’ failure to arrest killers of former provincial Minister of Punjab Pir Syed Bin Yameen even two years after the murder, the Human Rights Council of Pakistan on Wednesday hinted at approach ing ‘international human ‘rights organisations if the assassins were not arrested and brought to justice at the earliest.

‘Bin Yameen was gunned down in’Lahore some two years ago by two unknown motorcyclists. After the murder, Yaqub Rizvi, brother of the victim, approached Garden Town Police Station of Lahore for getting an FIR registered against unknown killers but the Station House Officer of the said police station did not register the case.

Talking to reporters at Rawalpindi/Islamabad Press Club, the HRCP chairman, Mumtaz Ahmad Tarar, said it was a pity that the Garden Town Police had yet to register a formal case against the killers of former provincial minister.

According to him, the Inspector General of Police Punjab, after receiving directions from the presidency that was approached by Bin Yameen’s mother for early dispensation of justice, recently ordered police to investigate the killing but to no avail.

“This shows the government itself is not that motivated for bringing the killers of Bin Yameen to justice”, he opined.

He warned if the killers of Pir Bin Yameen were not arrested “soon”, the Council would make contacts with the international human rights organisations for pressuring government to dispense justice to the aggrieved family.

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Daily “Dawn” Lahore

Dated: 08-07-2006

BINYAMIN ‘S MURDER YET TO BE INVESTIGATED

By Our Reporter

LAHORE., July 7: The Human Rights Council of Pakistan has decided to raise the murder case of former provincial minister Pir Binyamin Rizvi on the international for alike tile Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch because of failure of the government to start investigation into it.

Addressing a news conference at the Lahore Press Club here on Friday, former MNA Mumtaz Tarar said that investigation had not been started in the case even two years after the gunning down of former provincial vice-president of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and his two companions near the Punjab Assembly, New Campus. The murderers had escaped on a motorcycle despite the suspension of traffic on the busy road.

Binyamin’s brother Tariq Rizvi suspected government involvement in the murder in the application submitted to the Garden Town SHO for the registration of the case. The police registered an FIR on its own instead. The government did not hand over the body of the deceased to the bereaved family and transported it to Phalia instead. Hundreds of workers gathered for offering his funeral prayers in Lahore were rounded up.

He said that the police had not bothered to contact any member of the bereaved family during the past two years. The District Police Officer had refused to meet deceased’s brother Tariq Yaqub Rizvi despite repeated requests.

President Gen Pervez Musharraf had directed the IGP to hold an inquiry into the case and submit a report on two letters written to him by the mother of the deceased as army chief and president on June 25 last year but nothing had been done in this regard so far. The aged mother of the deceased and his orphaned children were still waiting for justice.

He said that inordinate delay in starting tile investigation of file murder case was strengthening suspicions that Pir Binyamin had been victimised by the government.

The Human Rights Council of Pakistan was left with no option but to raise the issue at international fora so that justice could be done to the bereaved family.

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Daily “The News” Lahore

08-07-2006

NEGLIGENCE IN MURDER PROBE CONDEMNED

By our Correspondent

CHAIRMAN Human Rights Council of Pakistan Mumtaz Ahmad Tarar condemned the government throwing the murder case of former PML-N leader Pir Biniyamin Rizvi Tarar in a cold storage for political reasons. He also warned the government of knocking the doors of foreign embassies and global bodies like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and UN Human Rights Committee, Addressing a press conference on Friday, former MNA expressed concerns over what he called the deliberate brushing the issue under the carpet by the rulers in Binyamin murder case. He said it was perhaps the only murder case in country’s history whose investigations were not even started despite the lapse of two years. He said such criminal negligence showed that the rulers were involved in the ugly crime.

Tarar said Garden Town police refused to register an FIR on the application by his younger brother Tariq Rizvi. He said the aged mother of the slain leader was on the death bed waiting for some progress in the murder in investigations. He said the callous attitude of the authorities had left no option but to contact foreign missions and world human rights bodies seeking justice.

Daily “DAWN” Lahore

THREATS FOR PURSUING BINYAMIN CASE

LAHORE, July 9: Human Right Council of Pakistan chairman Mumtaz Ahmed Tarar has received a life threat for taking up the murder case of former provincial minister Pir Binyamin Rizvi.

Disclosing in a statement issued here, a spokesman of the Council said that two unknown people stopped the former MNA near the PIA Housing Society on Sunday morning and threatened to eliminate him if he continued to pursue the case. A report in this regard was lodged with the Sattu Katla police. – Reporter

(10^th July 2006)

Govt trying to break up PML-N: Nawaz


March 26, 2006	Sunday	Safar 25, 1427

By Our Staff Reporter LAHORE, March 25: Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) chief Mian Nawaz Sharif opened a two-day meeting of his party’s central working committee on Saturday in London with a bitter denunciation of the present rulers’ policies and their alleged efforts to break up the party. However, he said, the party had survived all attempts aimed at disintegrating it. This is the first meeting of the reconstituted CWC after seven years. He praised all those who had resisted pressure and temptations and refused to switch loyalties. He paid tribute to the late Advocate Iqbal Raad, Pir Binyamin and other party activists for their sacrifices. PML-N president Mian Shahbaz Sharif also spoke. The PML-N president told Dawn that the former prime minister would speak again at the conclusion of the meeting on Sunday after discussion on organisational matters.

Dictatorship to be buried, says Nawaz

2006-05-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

Sunday, March 26, 2006

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER
LAHORE - The two-day meeting of the PML (N) Central Working Committee started in London under the chairmanship of Nawaz Sharif on Saturday.
The first session started at 10:00 am (British Standard Time).
PML (N) Secretary-General Iqbal Zafar Jhagra presented nine-point agenda and invited Nawaz Sharif to address the CWC meeting.
Addressing the meeting, Nawaz paid great tribute to PML (N) leader, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi saying, ‘’He is a brave political leader and govt have arrested him while violating the law.’’ He added that he would not make any deal with government.
Nawaz asked the participants of the meeting to dilate upon the matters in detail so that the political strategy could be evolved.
“The government tried to cause defection within the PML (N), but miserably failed in this regard.”
The PML (N) leader commended all those present in the meeting for enduring all odds for the cause of true democracy saying Iqbal Raad, Advocate and Pir Syed Binyamin Rizvi were murdered.
“Ultimately, democracy will be restored and dictatorship will be buried for good,” he said.
Commending the role of the party leaders and workers in the struggle for the revival of democracy as well as cause of the party and declaring them as precious asset of the party, PML (N) President Shahbaz Sharif maintained that their sacrifices would bear fruit.
PML (N) Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq dilated upon the political situation of the country and told about various meetings between the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal.
Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif, Raja Zafarul Haq, Zafar Iqbal Jhagra, Sartaj Aziz, Ch Naushad Ali Khan, Ishaq Dar, Siranjam Khan, Pervez Malik, Begum Tehmina Daultana, Syed Zafar Ali Shah, Mushahidullah Khan, Ch Jaffar Iqbal, Ahsan Iqbal, Saddiq al-Farooq, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Rana Tanveer Hussain, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Muhammad Hamza, Ghulam Dastagir, Mian Muhammad Zaman, Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa, Syed Ghous Ali Shah, Sardar Yaqoob Nasir, Pir Sabir Shah, Sardar Mehtab Khan, Anwar Kamal Marwat, Inamullah Niazi, Rana Noorul Hasan, Rana Shaista Khan, Ch Sher Ali, Shaikh Aftab, Ch Asadur Rehman, Memoona Hashmi, Raja Muhammad Afzal, Mahmood Ahmad Khan, Sadia Abbasi, Imdad Chandio, Zain Ansari, Khuday Noor, Subedar Khan Mandokhel, Syed Nasir, Mamoon Hussain, Makhdoom Shah Nawaz, Anwar Kamal Marwat, Ayaz Khan Sawati, Dr Ch Tariq Afzal, Rafiq Awan, Jamshed Ahmad Khan, Malik Nasir Khan, Raja Nadir Pervez, Begum Ishrat Ashraf, Mian Abdul Manan, Shaikh Qaiser, Kh Mehmood Ahmad, Ch Sultan Ali, Raja Azad, Begum Najma Hameed, Malik Shujaur Rehman, Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman, Mian Javed Latif, Haji Nawaz, Raja Muhammad Ali, Afzal Sultan Dogar, Bilal Yaseen, Zubair Gul, Pervez Rashid and Nadir Chaudhry attended the meeting.

'Inefficient' rulers asked to resign

2006-05-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, December 28, 2004

By Our Staff Reporter
LAHORE - The rulers should immediately resign owing to their inefficiency and failure to maintain law and order in the country.
This was demanded by the speakers and participants of a seminar held in connection with the death anniversary of Khawaja Muhammad Rafiq Shaheed was held on Monday under the auspices of the Khawaja Muhammad Rafiq Shaheed Foundation.
Former President Pakistan Muhammad Rafiq Tarar presided over the function while eminent leaders including Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa, Sar Anjam, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Liaqat Baloch, Mansoor Ali Khan, Memona Javed Hashmi, Rana Sana Ullah and Hamid Khan from across the political divide spoke on the occasion.
The speakers paid tributes to the Khawaja Rafiq Shaheed and said his services for democracy in this country would always be remembered. They commented that today the country needed people like Kh Rafiq to fight against the dictatorial rule.
During the seminar, six resolutions were also passed regarding General Musharraf's two offices, return of Nawaz Sharif as well as Shahbaz Sharif and arrest of Javed Hashmi and Yousaf Raza Gillani.
In a resolution, the participants urged General Pervez Musharraf to leave both offices and hand over himself to law enforcement agencies while a national government comprising representatives of political parties with representation in the Parliament should be formed. It was also stressed that an independent and autonomous Election Commission should be constituted and elections must be held as soon as possible under the 1973 Constitution.
The speakers blamed the 17th Amendment and General Musharraf's uniform as the root cause of problems and demanded of the government to shed uniform so that a new COAS could be appointed.
Another resolution demanded of the government to allow Mian Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif and other exiled political leaders to return to the homeland as it was their basic right. Moreover, the seminar called for the release of PML-N Acting President Javed Hashmi and PPPP leader Yousaf Raza Gillani. Referring to the price-hike, lawlessness, unemployment, mismanagement, wrong policies, etc., in the country, the seminar participants concluded that the government had failed to fulfill its responsibilities and the rulers had no right to stay in the power.
Moreover, the recent increase in the petroleum prices was also discussed in a resolution and they showed concern over the fact that the phenomenon would lead to further price hike and demanded of the government to reduce the petroleum prices and utility charges.
The Kashmir policy of the present government was also severely criticised by the seminar speakers and the said that one person alone had no right to take decisions on Pak-India relations because such decisions did not have the public's backing.
Through a resolution, the participants demanded that the issue should resolved according the wishes of the Kashmiris under the UN resolutions.
The seminar also expressed its deep concern over operations in Wana, Balochistan and termed government's reconciliation efforts as unsatisfactory.
The speaker urged the rulers to protect the citizens. Moreover, dua was offered for the departed souls of shuhada of Wana, Balochistan, Sheikh Zayed Sultan, Yasser Arafat, Mian Muhammad Sharif, Mian Ejaz Shafi and Pir Binyamin Rizvi.

Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Condemns the Murder

2006-05-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

Condoles with the bereaved family

Islamabad, 2 August 2004: Former Prime Minister and the Chairperson Pakistan Peoples Party, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto has condemned the brutal murder of Farhan Afzal, son of Sher Afzal Khan, President PPP district Attock on Saturday and demanded a thorough inquiry into this murder.

In a statement today the former Prime Minister said that as district President of the PPP Sher Afzal Khan is the chief supporter of the Party candidate Dr. Sikandar Hayat in the Attock bye-election. The brutal murder of his son was politically motivated to deter the opposition from challenging the regime's candidate in the elections.

She said that the murder of Farhan Afzal was the fourth high profile politically motivated killing of opposition politicians during the last as many months during which Abdullah Murad, Munawwar Suhrawardhi and Bin Yamin Rizvi were brutally killed.

None of the assassins were arrested while public interest was focused on two attacks on General Musharraf, one on the Karachi Corp Commander and another one on the Prime Minister designate Mr. Shaukat Aziz, she said.

The former Prime Minister deplored that the regime was busy hounding political opponents and had failed to protect the lives of its citizens.

She also demanded a thorough inquiry into the vicious murder of Farhan Afzal to expose and punish the real culprits behind this heinous crime.

Meanwhile in a condolence message to Sher Afzal Khan the father of the victim the former Prime Minister said that she was pained over the way in which his son was brutally cut down not only in the prime of his life but in the prime of career as well.

She prayed to Almighty Allah to grant the soul of deceased eternal peace and courage to the family members and friends to bear this irreparable loss with equanimity.

Pir Binyamin Rizvi’s chehlum held in Phalia

Pres. PML-N (Punjab) Z.A Khosa arrived in Phalia

Monday, August 02, 2004

Staff Report

MANDI BAHAUDDIN: Former minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) leader Pir Binyamin Rizvi’s chehlum ceremony was held in Phalia on Sunday. Hundreds of people attended.

Participants included Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal’s (MMA) Punjab General Secretary Pir Mehfooz Mashhadi, PML-N’s district president Dewan Mushtaq, Syed Mazhar Qayyum Mashhadi, Jamaat Ulema-e-Pakistan-Niazi’s (JUP-Niazi) Pesident Syed Tanveer Haider Madni, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Mandi Bahauddin Tehsil Nazim Shehzad Anjum and former federal minister Mumtaz Ahmad Tarar.

The speakers paid tribute to Binyamin for serving the nation and bringing about harmony between sects. The speakers also criticised the government for not arresting Pir Binyamin’s killers yet.

Changing Managers of Pakistan Inc. at One Man's Whims

2006-05-22T10:22:00.000-07:00

July 4-10, 2004

The damaged car of slain PML-N leader, Binyamin Rizvi, in Lahore on June 26

By Husain Haqqani

WASHINGTON: The resignation last weekend by Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali is the latest indicator of Pakistan’s chronic political instability.

The change in Prime ministers came soon after a meeting of the military-dominated National Security Council, confirming that Pakistan’s generals and not parliament are the country’s locus of power.

The generals look upon Pakistan as a wholly owned subsidiary of General Headquarters and consider themselves its board of directors.

The role of the prime minister in this scheme of things is not to provide political leadership but rather to act as a manager implementing the wishes of the board of directors. Changes in management can sometimes have no other reason than the whim of the Chairman of the board or the need to have a new manager who might be better at securing financing from the corporation’s creditors.

The latest change of prime ministers comes amid a worsening law and order situation. In addition to terrorist attacks by groups linked to Al-Qaeda, there has been a marked increase in sectarian terrorism and some unexplained political assassinations.

Munawar Suhrawardy, a leader of Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan Peoples Party was murdered in Karachi a few days earlier and Pir Binyamin Rizvi of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz group) was killed in Lahore the same day that Mr Jamali resigned.

Skeptics suspect that at least some of the violence might have been orchestrated to pave the way for the palace coup against Mr Jamali. Such covert operations and machinations have not been unknown in Pakistan’s chequered history.

In any case, random killings of opposition activists scare the opposition sufficiently to prevent anti-government protests in the streets. Having secured such silence without having too many political prisoners enables the military regime to cite the absence of mass protest as evidence of popular acquiescence for its policies.

But machinations by the security services are not a substitute for normal politics. Pakistan’s military leaders have always resented politicians and the generals’ strategy since 1958 has been to eliminate any politician who can be a serious challenge to the military’s domination of decision-making.

The generals select insignificant or inexperienced politicians to serve under their stewardship but are compelled to get rid of anyone who becomes better known or starts accumulating political experience. Ironically, military intervention is said to be the product of Pakistan’s political instability whereas in actual fact it is its source.

Pakistan’s failure to evolve as a democracy under the rule of law with strong institutions and its governance by a civil-military oligarchy creates an air of permanent political crisis.

Members of the oligarchy jockey for power through intrigue, rumor and whispering campaigns. Popular politicians are kept out of the political arena. Almost every Pakistani head of state and government since independence in 1947 has been imprisoned, assassinated, executed or removed from power in a military coup or a palace coup backed by the military.

Occasionally governments have been voted into office but none has been voted out. Mr Jamali, handpicked not long ago by General Musharraf, is the latest victim of a palace coup. He now joins the long list of political martyrs created by the military in its pursuit of retaining control of Pakistan Incorporated. The people of Pakistan had no say in Mr Jamali’s appointment and they have had no say in his removal either.

Mr Jamali, a weak local politician from Balochistan was chosen by General Musharraf to lead what was described as a phased transition to democratic rule. Although General Musharraf remained all powerful, the parliamentary facade provided crucial legitimacy for a regime that came to power in a military coup in 1999.

It helped end Pakistan’s suspension from the Commonwealth, provided a fig leaf to the US State department in dealings with the US Congress and created a justifying argument for those who want to ignore Pakistan’s history and claim that there are reasons for optimism about gradual change under General Musharraf.

As part of an effort to build up General Musharraf’s image as a reformer, Mr Jamali was treated as Pakistan’s elected Prime Minister during an official visit to Washington earlier this year.
The US and its western allies have helped General Musharraf maintain the pretense of abiding by Pakistan’s constitution, terming his appointment of a Prime Minister and the election of a parliament as steps towards democracy.

But General Musharraf and Pakistan’s all powerful military have found it difficult to accept even the semblance of parliamentary democracy they had earlier designed. So strong is the commanders’ desire to control everything that in addition to choosing their partners in government, they even want to dictate who the leader of the country’s opposition ought to be.

Thus, Maulana Fazlur Rahman of the alliance of religious parties, and not someone from the Pakistan Peoples Party - the largest single opposition grouping - has been conferred the mantle of leader of opposition in parliament.

Mr Jamali’s forced resignation follows weeks of intrigue by Pakistan’s ubiquitous intelligence services and squabbling in the ruling party, which itself is the product of the security establishment.

Mr Jamali has been succeeded in the interim by another lackluster provincial politician, this time from, Punjab, which provides a disproportionate share of the country’s military officers. Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain will serve as Prime Minister until General Musharraf’s new choice, Shaukat Aziz, a former Citibank executive and currently Pakistan’s finance minister can be elected to the lower house of parliament.

Although Chaudhry Shujaat is a good patronage politician, he has virtually no known ideas on policy and is hardly an inspiring national figure. He would not have been in his present position had he not been a friend of General Musharraf’s college friend, Tariq Aziz, who is also the general’s principal secretary.

Mr. Shaukat Aziz, a competent banker and able financial manager, is better known in the international financial community than in the poorer neighborhoods of Karachi, Gwadar or Lahore. He has no political base whatsoever, which is even worse than his predecessor whose support base was narrow and parochial.

Any advantages of technocratic skills he brings to the office were already available to the government when he served as finance minister. Unlike Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh he has not put in the years of involvement in a political party that help build a national politician’s credentials. Like other US-based Pakistani technocrats close to the military, Mr. Aziz flew in from the US to become a minister and is likely to return to the US once he is out of office.

Mr Shaukat Aziz’s elevation to the office of Prime Minister is likely to enhance Pakistan’s political strife, especially the sense of deprivation among the country’s smaller provinces. But General Musharraf will feel more comfortable with Shaukat Aziz because he is the son of a civil servant and therefore shares the GOR (Government Officers’ Residences) and Cantonment culture that feeds Pakistan’s authoritarian tradition of governance.

In any case, the generals are far more at ease with technocrats without roots than with politicians. The technocrats are grateful for high office, are often ready to fudge economic indicators relating to defense spending, use their goodwill with the IFIs for more development assistance and do not concern themselves with issues relating to Pakistan’s power structure.

Politicians, on the other hand, question the military’s ascendancy and are somewhat limited in their actions by the wishes of their electorate.

As early as 1954, General Ayub Khan wrote a memo titled ‘A short appreciation of present and future problems of Pakistan’, which laid out a top-down agenda for forging a Pakistani nation through the leadership of the existing apparatus of state.

While it lays out in detail the administrative measures necessary for making Pakistan “a sound, solid and cohesive nation, able to play its destined role in world history”, it has no reference whatsoever to the will of the people or to political participation.

Unfortunately for Pakistan, Ayub Khan’s paradigm of considering the military as the ultimate decision-makers and the virtual raison d’etre of Pakistan persists, five decades later.

Why More People Are Turning to Violent Protests

2006-05-22T10:21:00.000-07:00

July 4-10, 2004

By Muhammad-Najm Akbar

WASHINGTON: Our national life continues to show signs of growing rifts and tensions, which invariably end up in the street and, in different forms of violence at all levels of our institutional and social structures.

We have witnessed botched Budget exercises in the National Assembly and the two provincial assemblies so far:

- The National Assembly was dishonored with a deceptive schedule as the budget was rushed through it two days before the due date. As the Speaker dropped the cut motions moved by the opposition, angry members encircled his rostrum and chanted anti government slogans for more than 30 minutes. Frustrated, they tore different documents at the floor of the House and walked out.

- The Balochistan Assembly has seen the worst eruptions of anger and resentment. The members stood in the House in front of the Finance Minister holding placards with their demands during the presentation of the budget. Incensed by the government attitude, the opposition leader threatened to “break the legs” of the Deputy Speaker if he refused to listen to them while they articulated their views on the establishment of new army cantonments in Balochistan.

The opposition alleged that he had ruled their privilege motion out of order on the directive of an army officer and an agency. On June 27, opposition members left the House to parade through the Zarghoon Road, Jinnah Bazar, Shara-i-Iqbal, Shara-i-Liaquat, Prince Road, Masjid Road and delivered speeches in front of the Quetta Press Club.

- In Sindh, the opposition boycotted the passage of the budget for the second consecutive year. The budget was hardly the main issue for the members. On June 28, the parliamentary leader of the MMA, Maulana Omar Sadiq entered the hall wearing torn clothes, claiming that the police had meted out this treatment to him, as he was part of an aborted peace march by his party.

The same attitude resulted in the ouster of Maulana Fazlur-Rahman and Qazi Hussain Ahmed from the Province. The government was least perturbed as Sadiq stood in silence during the proceedings while the opposition chanted slogans against the rulers. The power brokers, however, had to wake up as the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly threatened that following the Sindh precedent other Chief Ministers could ban the entry of some leaders, for example, the Prime Minister, into their provinces. As MMA runs two provinces, they understood that he was definitely not joking.

- The Sindh Assembly also had to deal with the gruesome murder of Munawar Suhrawardy who sustained three bullets in his face chest and leg, hired a rickshaw and died on his way to the Aga Khan Hospital on 17 June. As there was no institutional support to console the grief-stricken members, political workers and the general public, street offered the sole refuge.

The mourners attacked the United Bank’s Hyderabad Colony branch and torched it, ransacked buildings of the Bank Al-Habib and the Habib Bank, set vehicles on fire and brought business to a standstill. On June 19, the Opposition members used surroundings of the Sindh Assembly to express their dissatisfaction with the government. The law-enforcement agencies deployed water tankers, trucks and other big vehicles to block all roads leading to the Assembly building. Their anguish proved stronger than the tactics of the State to disrupt their protest.

- On June 27, in Punjab, police baton-charged and arrested activists of the PML-N who had gathered outside the Masjid Shuhada on The Mall to offer funeral prayers for Pir Binyamin Rizvi who was killed in Lahore. The people, on their part, are so fed up with the hopeless governance that they tend to adopt violent means to get attention.

- In Larkana on June 29, a large number of farmers from multiple villages demonstrated against power breakdown near Chuharpur. They blocked the Larkana-Naudero road by putting trunks of trees on it for more than one hour.

- In Karachi, June 27, the transporters vowed that they would no longer tolerate snatching of their vehicles by the law enforcement agencies to block roads during demonstrations and protests. They protested against the police forcibly using their buses, minibuses, coaches and water-tankers to block different thoroughfares and maintained that transporters had to bribe the police just to retain the control of their own vehicles.

- On June 26, a group of some 20 persons damaged the office of the city Nazim as the administration ignored their protest against the auction of outdoor hoardings. They smashed the windowpanes of main glass door of Civic Center.

- Facing a perpetual crisis of water supply, on June 24, residents of the water-starved localities in Korangi ransacked the office of the Executive Engineer of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board as he failed to offer them a satisfactory reply. In Landhi also they attacked the office of the XEN.

- Finding no credible official interlocutor on larger national issues, on June 27, the nationalist leaders in Sindh took their views on the Thal canal and Kalabagh dam to the people. On the call of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, press reports indicate that people observed a complete strike in the districts of Dadu, Badin, Shikarpur and Larkana and partially in Hyderabad, Sukkur, Thatta, Nawabshah, Khairpur and Naushahro Feroze.

In encouraging signs, the lawyers maintained their resolve to assert their rights and support just causes. In Gujrat, they were pitched against a District Police Officer as he had allegedly masterminded an attack on the lawyers. The Lahore High Court Bar Association took out a procession to support their colleagues.

The Gujrat case is fully reflective of tensions simmering in our legal landscape. The elements of the case include threats of murder, ransacking of furniture, and an attack, allegedly, by “500- armed men” on the bar room to beat up a group of lawyers at the behest of a rival group.

In another act of courage, the Pakistan and Punjab Bar Councils, the Supreme Court Bar Association, the Lahore High Court Bar Association and the Lahore Bar Association, collectively, on 28 June demanded the arrest of the accused named in the FIR lodged by Lahore Press Club in connection with illegal detention and manhandling of journalists by the Director General of the Postal Services, an army officer. The Bar affirmed that those trying to enslave the entire nation had subjected the journalists to state terrorism.

In Peshawar, June 27, lawyers were outraged while police, as part of the provincial government’s drive against "vulgarity", arrested dozens of people, including 70 young boys, claiming that they were viewing pornographic Internet sites and movies.

Islamabad also offered a different scenario as the Army took another drastic step to ridicule the office designed to be all-powerful under the constitution of 1973. They reduced the PMO to that of a GOC who could be appointed, removed or put on probation on their will.

To set an example, they removed one Prime Minster, made an interim appointment and placed another one on probation. The ruling coalition made no visible protest but many find it hard to believe that they were not aggravated at all.

Senators assail govt over law and order: Politicians' murders

2006-05-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

04 July 2004 Sunday 15 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, July 3: The opposition in the Senate on Saturday blasted the government for its failure to provide security of life and honour to the people and to nab those involved in target killings.

Speaking on an adjournment motion sought to be moved by the combined opposition against the broad daylight assassination of Pir Binyamin Rizvi, a PML-N leader, in Lahore, the opposition senators said that most of the recently killed politicians belonged to the opposition.

The adjournment motion, which was not pressed after being opposed by the treasury, had been jointly moved by Mian Raza Rabbani of PPP Parliamentarians, Prof Ghafoor and Maulana Gul Nasib of MMA, Ishaq Dar of PML-N, Asfandyar Wali of ANP and Sanaullah Baloch of Balochistan National Party.

Mr Rabbani said that law and order had turned so bad in Punjab that the assailants went scot-free after murdering Pir Binyamin and his gunman in a busy Lahore spot, and no one had been nabbed so far.

He said the circumstances in which the killing incident had taken place lent credence to the view that this was a political murder.

He said the Punjab administration showed callousness by taking away the body of the slain leader to his village when arrangements for his namaz-i-janaza had been made at 'Gol Masjid'.

Mr Rabbani had his doubts about the veracity of official claims that those arrested were suspected to be involved in the attack on Karachi's corps commander as their remand was being extended again and again.

He said that no case of target killings, including Sindh MPA Abdullah Murad, Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai, Munawar Suhrwardy and Pir Yamin had been solved by the police.

Ishaq Dar of PML-N said the slain leader of his party had expressed fears before his assassination that he might be eliminated by the government for his deep involvement in efforts at facilitating the homecoming of the Sharif family and because he was given certain responsibilities in the London meeting in which Shahbaz Sharif's return had been decided.

Prof Ghafoor accused the 'agencies' of kidnapping political workers and pressuring them to switch over to the government party. He said these workers should not be treated as enemies of the country.

Asfandyar Wali posed the question: "Was it a mere coincidence that all the victims of target killings and terrorism belonged to the opposition alone?"

He said such incidents had shaken the confidence of the people in the writ of the government.

Maulana Gul Nasib said that unless Islamic punitive laws were enforced, the law and order issues will remain unresolved "since justice cannot be delivered without the enforcement of Shariat law."

Responding to the opposition senators speeches, leader of the house Wasim Sajjad said the murder of Pir Binyamin was a matter of sorrow for the treasury benches as well, and the whole house shared grief.

He told the house that the Punjab government had already set up numerous investigation teams to nab the culprits and ascertain the motives behind the murder.

He, however, did not agree with the notion that only opposition workers were the target of terrorism, and said the terrorists "do not select their target."

He said the wave of terrorism gripping the country was a threat to the Islamic civilisation and "all of us must act together to get rid of it."

The treasury benches wanted to table a resolution which was forwarded by Balochistan and Punjab provinces recommending parliament to legislate in matters not touched in both the concurrent list as well as the legislative list.

Mian Raza Rabbani opposed the tabling of the resolution under rule 137, 138 and 139 of the rules of business on technical grounds which led to a heated debate.

Senate's deputy chairman Khalilur Rahman announced in the closing moments of the session that he had reserved a decision on the discussion, and that the resolution will be tabled on some other day.

He adjourned the house till 6.30pm on Monday.

Politician condemned murder of Binyamin

2006-05-22T10:19:00.000-07:00

Sunday, July 04, 2004

The PML-N chairman, Raja Zafarul Haq in Phalia

ISLAMABAD: Chairman ARD and Vice Chairman Pakistan People's Party Makhdoom Amin Fahim and Parliamentary Leader of Democratic Alliance in the Senate Mian Raza Rabbani have condemned the murder of the PML-N leader Bin Yamin Rizvi in Lahore on Saturday and demanded immediate arrest of the killers.

In a joint statement, the two leaders said the murder of Bin Yamin was targeted killing aimed at eliminating leaders of democratic opposition. "There is a pattern in recent incidents of political murders. The real perpetrators of the crime must be exposed if the steep downslide towards a civil war is to be arrested."

Bin Yamin was the vice president of PML-N, Punjab. A few days back the PPP information secretary, Sindh, Munawwar Suharwardy, was murdered in Karachi by unknown assailants who are still at large. Both Munawwar and Bin Yamin were murdered in broad daylight on busy roads and both were responsible for the media projection of the policies of their parties. None had any personal enmity.

"This is targeted killing aimed at sending a signal to the democratic oppositions," they said and vowed that democratic opposition would not be deterred by such cowardly acts.

"Militants and militancy abound in dictatorships, not in democracies," they said and demanded immediate return to democracy and people.s rule.

Makhdoom Amin and Raza Rabbani said that terrorism had become a serious problem in Pakistan because of its past record of military dictatorship. "Terrorism and extremism go hand in hand with dictatorship". Unless democracy returns to Pakistan, the fear of terrorism mounting and turning into a civil war could become a reality, they said.

Staff reporter adds: The leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-N have condemned the murder of the party's Punjab vice- president Pir Binyamin Rizvi and termed it a result of the "incompetency" of the unrepresentative government.

In a message from Jeddah, PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif and president Shahbaz Sharif expressed shock and grief over the incident, and said not only the PML-N, but all the patriotic forces struggling for restoration of the Constitution and democracy had lost a dedicated leader.

The two leaders said it was a political murder, and the 'present incompetent and unrepresentative government, whose self- centred policies had left the life and property of every citizen unsafe,' was responsible for it.

They said the incident had once again proved that all law- enforcement agencies were in a limbo these days, because 90 per cent of their resources and manpower had been diverted either to protect the rulers, who feared people's wrath, or to the surveillance of political opponents.

They said such a government had no right to remain in power, and Gen Musharraf and his puppet government should resign forthwith. The PML-N leaders said Pir Binyamin had been martyred fighting.

The PML-N chairman, Raja Zafarul Haq, and acting parliamentary leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan also expressed anguish and anger over the incident. Terming it the worst instance of political vengeance, they said the responsibility of the government for this act could not be ruled out.

PTI: Chairman of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has condemned the killing of PML-N leader Pir Binyamin Rizvi in Lahore.

In a statement issued here on Saturday, Imran Khan said increasing acts of terror in Quetta, Gwadar, Karachi and now in Lahore indicated a systematic breakdown of governance.

The collapse in governance is because of the fake political system established by Gen Musharraf, which is only designed to perpetuate his rule, he said.

Husain Haqqani: Pakistan's chronic ills exposed again

2006-05-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

| Special to Gulf News | 30-06-2004

The resignation over the weekend by Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali is the latest indicator of Pakistan's chronic political instability. The change in prime ministers came soon after a meeting of the military-dominated National Security Council, confirming that Pakistan's generals and not parliament are the country's locus of power.

The latest change comes amid a worsening law and order situation. In addition to terrorist attacks by groups linked to Al Qaida, there has been a marked increase in sectarian terrorism and some unexplained political assassinations.

Munawar Suhrawardi, a leader of Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party, PPP, was murdered in Karachi a few days earlier and Pir Binyamin Rizavi of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz group) was killed in Lahore the same day that Jamali resigned.

Random killings

Sceptics suspect that at least some of the violence might have been orchestrated to pave the way for the palace coup against Jamali. Such covert operations and machinations have not been unknown in Pakistan's chequered history.

In any case, random killings of opposition activists scare the opposition sufficiently to prevent anti-government protests on the streets. Securing such silence without having too many political prisoners enables the military regime to cite the absence of mass protest as evidence of popular acquiescence for its policies.

But machinations by the security services are not a substitute for normal politics. Pakistan's military leaders have always resented politicians, and the generals' strategy since 1958 has been to eliminate any politician who can be a serious challenge to the military's domination in decision-making.

The generals select insignificant or inexperienced politicians to serve under their stewardship but are compelled to get rid of anyone who becomes better known or starts accumulating political experience.

Ironically, military intervention is said to be the product of Pakistan's political instability whereas in actual fact it is its source. Pakistan's failure to evolve as a democracy under the rule of law with strong institutions and its governance by a civil-military oligarchy creates an air of permanent political crisis.

Members of the oligarchy jockey for power through intrigue, rumour and whispering campaigns. Popular politicians are kept out of the political arena.

Almost every Pakistani head of state and government since independence in 1947 has been imprisoned, assassinated, executed or removed from power in a military coup or a palace coup backed by the military. Occasionally, governments have been voted into office but none has been voted out.

Jamali, a weak local politician from Balochistan was chosen by Pakistan's military ruler General Pervez Musharraf to lead what was described as a phased transition to democratic rule. But Musharraf and Pakistan's all-powerful military have found it difficult to accept even the semblance of parliamentary democracy they had earlier designed.

So strong is the commanders' desire to control everything that in addition to choosing their partners in government, they even want to dictate who the leader of the country's opposition ought to be.

Thus, Maulana Fazlur Rahman from the alliance of religious parties, and not someone from the PPP - the single largest opposition grouping - has been conferred the mantle of leader of opposition in parliament.

Jamali's forced resignation follows weeks of intrigue by Pakistan's ubiquitous intelligence services and squabbling in the ruling party, which itself is the product of the security establishment.

Jamali is being succeeded in the interim by another lacklustre provincial politician, this time from Punjab, which provides a disproportionate share of the country's military officers.

Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain will serve as Prime Minister until Musharraf's new choice, Shaukat Aziz, a former Citibank executive and currently Pakistan's finance minister, can be elected to the lower house of parliament.

Although Chaudhry is a good patronage politician, he has virtually no known ideas on policy and is hardly an inspiring national figure. He would not have been in his present position had he not been a friend of Musharraf's college friend, Tariq Aziz, who is also the general's principal secretary.

Narrow support base

Shaukat, a competent banker and able financial manager, is better known in the international financial community than in the poorer neighbourhoods of Karachi, Gwadar or Lahore. He has no political base whatsoever, which is even worse than his predecessor whose support base was narrow and parochial. Any advantages of technocratic skills he brings to the office were already available to the government when he served as finance minister.

He has not put in the years of involvement in a political party that help build a national politician's credentials. Like other United States-based Pakistani technocrats close to the military, Shaukat flew in from the US to become a minister and is likely to return to the US once he is out of office.

His elevation to the office of the Prime Minister is likely to enhance Pakistan's political strife, especially the sense of deprivation among the country's smaller provinces, which feel more excluded from the charmed circle of power than ever.

Husain Haqqani is a Visiting Scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington DC. He served as adviser to Pakistani Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto and as Pakistan's Ambassador to Sri Lanka

Binyamin a 'victim of target killing': Govt denies charge

2006-05-22T10:17:00.000-07:00

29 June 2004 Tuesday 10 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

By Our Staff Reporter

LAHORE, June 28: Opposition in the Punjab Assembly on Monday termed the murder of Pir Binyamin Rizvi a target killing with political motives as the government denied the charge.

The opposition also boycotted house proceedings to condemn "government's failure to find any clue to the killers and not allowing the people to attend funeral prayers for the deceased on The Mall."

Rana Sana said Rizvi was an active political worker with clear affiliations which became a reason for his killing. He said due to lack of any solid evidence he could not charge any one for the incident. However, some evidence collected from the spot and steps taken after the incident could lead to the accused. He said the victim's brother was not allowed to lodge an FIR though he had submitted a written application to the police, nominating the accused.

He also deplored that the government did not allow people offer funeral prayers for the deceased in Lahore, baton charged and arrested those who had gathered on The Mall for the purpose, while the body was transported to Phalia, native town of the deceased, despite resistance by the family.

He said the government had earned a bad name by not allowing its opponents to attend even the funeral prayers. Opposition leader Qasim Zia said the target killing was aimed at damaging the prevalent political system.

He said earlier political culture was weakened in the country by splitting political parties and now political workers were being murdered. He said police stopped on The Mall and did not let him go to Masjid Shuhada for attending the funeral prayers.

Regretting that even top brass of the military was not safe in the recent terror wave, he said the government was not allowing even to offer funeral prayers for those who had become victims of terrorists.

MMA parliamentary leader Asghar Gujjar deplored that Punjab had not been included among the terror-hit provinces. Pointing out that the assassins continued firing on their target for around four minutes, he said it depicted that the criminals were not afraid of being caught.

Referring to ban on entry of MMA leaders into Sindh, he said the step amounted to fuelling anarchy in the country. He also chided Gen Pervez Musharraf "for making a mockery of democracy by sending one prime minister packing to home, bringing forward another for an interim period and keeping the third one in waiting."

He said Shujaat Husain might be incompetent to run affairs of the country as prime minister but his plus point was that he was at least a politician. He asked whether united PML lawmakers were like goats who could be herded anywhere to vote for anyone.

PPP's Rana Aftab said a woman neighbour told him that her vehicle was nearby when killers targeted Mr Rizvi while a police party was just yards away from the spot but it did not intervene. He said this was the police force for which the government had apportioned billions of rupees in the budget.

Terming it a political murder, PML-N's Rana Mashhud questioned how the motorcyclists managed to carry a kalashnikov through various police pickets. He alleged that SP Tahir Alam had asked heirs of Mr Rizvi to nominate such and such person in the FIR.

But when the victim's family went to got register the case, they were kept waiting for four hours by the Garden Town SHO only to tell them later that the state itself had become complainant in the case.

The family also revealed that Mr Rizvi had been receiving threats on phone from senior police officers for his political activities, he added. He said if the government was not involved in the incident why it was not allowing the family to get registered their own FIR.

He claimed that the inspector-general of police had allowed them to hold funeral prayers in Lahore but at Data Darbar, saying the Rizvi was also a great devotee of Hazrat Ali Hajveri (RA). But the government backed out of its promise, he alleged.

Food minister Chaudhry Iqbal urged that the opposition not to give the incident a political colour for he said the family of Rizvi was respectable to all in the province.

Keeping this aspect in view, neither policemen nor the government could afford any lapse in the probe. Law minister Raja Basharat rejected political motives behind the incident saying deceased Rizvi had a long association with the Chaudhry family and he had never indulged in any activity that could be seen as any threat to the incumbent setup.

He assured the house that investigation in the case would be made after including the stance of the victim's family in the FIR. Showing his ignorance to the permission given by the IG for the funeral prayers, he said however funeral prayers in absentia were held on The Mall.

The government earlier resisted the event because holding of political demonstrations was banned on the Mall. He said the government had fixed a point in every district for political gatherings and this point in Lahore was the Minar-i-Pakistan.

He welcomed bringing forward any evidence by the opposition regarding the case so that investigation could progress. He said personal enmity, family feud, sectarianism and all other aspects of the case were being kept in mind by the investigators. He assured the house that motives behind the incident as well as killers would soon be unmasked.

Binyamin’s murderers to be arrested soon, Senate told

2006-05-22T10:15:00.000-07:00

Islamabad—Leader of the House in the Senate, Wasim Sajjad assured the Senate that Provincial government would arrest murderers of Pir Binyamin Rizvi, a PML (N) leader and special teams have been set up for this purpose.

He made this statement in the Senate on Saturday while responding to an adjournment motion moved by eight members belonging to the Opposition. Movers of the motion were Mian Raza Rabbani, Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Asfand Yar Wali Khan, Amanullah Khan Kanrani, Prof.Ghafoor Ahmed, Maulana Gul Nasib Khan, Dr.Safdar Abbasi and Snaullah Baloch.

After the statement made by Wasim Sajjad, Muhammad Ishaq Dar said, “We are satisfied with the statement and do not want to press the motion.”

Earlier, Mian Raza Rabbani moved the motion on behalf of other movers and condemned the incident in which Pir Binyamin Rizvi, former provincial minister along with his bodyguard and driver was killed.

Leader of the House, Wasim Sajjad opposed the motion and said according to Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business such matters could not be entertained in the Senate.

He said it was a provincial matter and being investigated through special teams, constituted by the Provincial Government.

The House also offered fateha for the departed souls of Pir Binyamin Rizvi, Maulana Manzoor Ahmed Chinioti and Maulana Nazir Ahmad.—APP

Murderers of Binyamin to be nabbed soon: Pakistani Senate

2006-05-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

(Updated at 1900 PST)
ISLAMABAD: Leader of the House in the Senate, Wasim Sajjad assured the Senate that Provincial government would arrest murderers of Pir Binyamin Rizvi, a PML (N) leader and special teams have been set up for this purpose.

He made this statement in the Senate on Saturday while responding to an adjournment motion moved by eight members belonging to the Opposition. Movers of the motion were Mian Raza Rabbani, Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Asfand Yar Wali Khan, Amanullah Khan Kanrani, Prof.Ghafoor Ahmed, Maulana Gul Nasib Khan, Dr.Safdar Abbasi and Snaullah Baloch.

After the statement made by Wasim Sajjad, Muhammad Ishaq Dar said, "We are satisfied with the statement and do not want to press the motion."

Earlier, Mian Raza Rabbani moved the motion on behalf of other movers and condemned the incident in which Pir Binyamin Rizvi, former provincial minister along with his bodyguard and driver was killed.

Leader of the House, Wasim Sajjad opposed the motion and said according to Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business such matters could not be entertained in the Senate.

He said it was a provincial matter and being investigated through special teams, constituted by the Provincial Government.

The House also offered Fateha for the departed souls of Pir Binyamin Rizvi, Maulana Manzoor Ahmed Chinioti and Maulana Nazir Ahmad.

Motion filed in NA on murder of Binyamin

2006-05-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

ISLAMABAD, June 29, 2004

By Our Staff Reporter

ISLAMABAD, June 29: Members of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) on Tuesday submitted an adjournment motion to the National Assembly Secretariat on the murder of Pakistan Muslim League-N leader Pir Binyamin Rizvi , a source told Dawn on Tuesday.

The motion, submitted under Rule 92 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in National Assembly 1992, has been signed by 17 members of the Opposition.

THE MOTION STATES: "Pir Binyamin Rizvi, a prominent leader of the PML-N has been murdered in daylight on a busy road of Lahore which is a political target killing and has caused grave concern amongst the general public. It is a matter of recent occurrence and needs immediate discussion on the floor of the house adjourning the business of the National Assembly."

The movers of the adjournment motion are: Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, Tehmina Daultana, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Imran Khan, Khawaja Asif, Syed Khursheed Shah, Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Mohammad Pervaiz Malik, Raja Nadir Pervez, Sahibzada Fazal Karim, Krishan Bheel, Sardar Mohammad Yaqoob Nasir, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Ishrat Ashraf, Raja Mohammad Asad Khan and Rana Asif Tauseef.

Opp protests in and outside PA over Binyamin’s murder

2006-05-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, June 29, 2004

* Opposition leaders allege Punjab govt involved
* Ministers ask opp not to exploit murder for political gain
* ARD Punjab condemns murder
* PML-N demo on July 1

Staff Report

LAHORE: The opposition protested inside and outside the Punjab Assembly at the murder of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Punjab Vice President Pir Binyamin Rizvi, walking out of the house after a speaking against the assassination and then staging a demonstration outside.

The house offered fateha for Mr Rizvi, who was gunned down by unidentified motorcyclists on Saturday, before the opposition walked out. Mr Rizvi’s driver and bodyguard were also killed in the attack near the Punjab University’s New Campus. PML-N Parliamentary Leader Rana Sanaullah Khan rose on a point of order to condemn the murders and allege that Mr Rizvi was killed because of his affiliation with the Nawaz League and his struggle for the restoration of ‘true democracy’. He criticised the police for not registering a murder case on the complaint of Mr Rizvi’s brother Rariq Yaqoob Shah, in which he named the Punjab government as an accused, and registering a case with the police as complainant.

Mr Khan was also unhappy that Mr Rizvi’s body was sent to Phalia, his hometown, before funeral prayers could be offered in Lahore. He said there was no ban on offering funeral prayers at Masjid-e-Shahada, but the government and the police “shamefully” prevented PML-N leaders and workers from offering funeral prayers in Lahore. He said hundreds of party workers were arrested after they offered a Ghaibana Namaz-e-Janaza. Opposition Leader Qasim Zia claimed Mr Rizvi’s murder was a “targeted killing”, following the murders of two Pakistan People’s Party leaders in Karachi, and these were part of an attempt to destabilise the system.

Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) Parliamentary Leader Chaudhry Asghar Ali Gujar accused the government of creating “anarchy”. He condemned the barring of MMA leaders from Karachi, assassination of opposition politicians and nomination of Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz as the next prime minister. He said Mr Aziz was not a politician and so should not be prime minister.

Punjab Food Minister Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal and Jails Minister Saeed Akbar Nawani expressed grief at the murder of Mr Rizvi and urged the opposition not to politicise this issue and cooperate with the government for the arrest of the murderers.

Punjab Law Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja said Mr Rizvi once had a political affiliation with Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. He assured the house that the government would thoroughly investigate the case and would record the opinion of Mr Rizvi’s family. He said police were considering sectarianism and personal enmity as the possible motives. The opposition then walked out of the house to demonstrate outside the assembly building. The protestors carried placards and banners and chanted slogans against the Punjab government for its failure to protect its citizens.

PML-N Punjab General Secretary Khawaja Saad Rafique vowed that the opposition would continue its fight against “state terrorism”. He questioned why, if the Punjab government was not involved in the PML-N leader’s murder, the police did not allow the FIR filed by Mr Rizvi’s brother. He said the opposition would also protest inside and outside the National Assembly and approach the higher courts.

Mr Sanaullah Khan blamed the provincial government for Mr Rizvi’s killing, saying he was bumped off because of his active political work. He alleged that the PML-N leader had received several death threats from “government quarters”.

Mr Zia said the killing of opposition politicians showed that Gen Musharraf’s rule was a dictatorship. He alleged that opposition politicians were being threatened at the behest of Gen Musharraf in an attempt to eliminate political parties from the country. Mr Gujjar also accused the Punjab government of state terrorism. He questioned the provincial government’s claim that law and order had improved, especially in Lahore. “How could the assailants fire at Binyamin’s vehicle for four minutes and, after making sure that all three occupants of the car were dead, escape from the scene in spite of police pickets?”

The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy also condemned the murder at its Punjab chapter meeting on Monday.

The PML-N will protest against Mr Rizvi’s murder in a demonstration ouside Muslim Masjid, Lohari Gate on July 1.

POLITICAL MURDERS AGALORE IN PAKISTAN

2006-05-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

Islamabad: Following a month of mayhem in May (2004) in Pakistan's main commercial and political nerve centre of Karachi-a metropolis of more than 14 million-June claimed a major toll in the assassination of a key leader of country's biggest political party-Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party-Munawar Suhrawardy---who was killed in cold blood in broad-day light on June 17 (2004). He was sprayed with bullets by unidentified assailants in a car and a motor cycle in the Guru Mandar area of Karachi where nearby in May a Sunni cleric from famous Banuri Mosque/Madressah-training religious institute of Afghan Taliban leader Mulla Umar-was also shot dead.

Munawar Sunhrawardy,44,was not only Sindh PPP's Information Secretary but

was a confidant of Ms Benazir Bhutto described by her as her "brother". He had joined the PPP when he was just sixteen years of age and became Ms Bhutto's security guard--later chief of her security team. He was like a shadow to her--always offering himself as a shield to protect her. His association with PPP lasted for more than 25 years and he was reputed to be an honest, diligent, committed, loyal and devoted person. He enjoyed Ms Bhutto's confidence. He had extraordinary organisational skills especially for political rallies. It is said that his assassination was target killing.

He was in London in early June to attend meetings of PPP party leaders, parliamentarians etc. to plan and finalise a blueprint for Ms Bhutto's return to Pakistan.

During his short stay in London Munawar Suhrawardy had confided to his close

friends that he had been receiving threats from ISI and others in the government to desert Bhutto and leave PPP otherwise he would be fatally sorted out. To one of his party colleagues living in exile in London he had even premonitioned that perhaps that could be his last meeting with him.

Obviously with the experience of previous planning and executions of public rallies of hundreds and thousands-- Suhrawardy had a kingpin role in the whole strategy to execute Bhutto's return to Pakistan which was to synchronise with President Musharraf giving up Army Chief's uniform. It is perceived in Pakistan that he has been removed by those elements that are opposed to Ms Bhutto's return and this was a message to others as well to keep away from her.

It is not difficult to guess who mainly does not want her back. Following his op-ed in Washington Post on "moderation and enlightenment", President General Pervez Musharraf had followed it up with a two-hour long TV interview on a local ARY Digital TV channel in which he declared most obtrusively that he would "kick" Ms Bhutto out and would not allow any of the exile leaders --main target being Bhutto-- to return to Pakistan. According to him their political future has become their past--they have no political role to play--so said Musharraf to the interviewer.

MURDER OF PML(N) LEADER

Pir Binyamin Rizvi was shot dead along with his driver Hakeem Khan and guard Nasir Ahmad in Lahore

Just ten days after Munawar Suhrwardy's assassination with law-enforcers "monitoring the suspect assassins", yet another political murder has rocked the capital of Punjab's capital Lahore.

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Punjab PML-(N) vice-president and former provincial minister Pir Binyamin Rizvi was shot dead along with his driver and guard by unknown gunmen near the New Campus bridge here on June 26.

According to Lahore police, the 52-year-old politician was coming from the PML-N Secretariat in Garden Town when two motorcyclists intercepted his car near the Punjab University New Campus. They sprayed bullets on his car, killing Rizvi, his driver and guard on the spot. Rizvi sustained over half-a-dozen bullets, said a doctor.

Pir Binyamin's brother Tariq Shah news reporters that his brother had been receiving threats from some government officials for the last several days. "They had asked my brother to stay away from active politics," he said.

According to analysts, assassinations of both Munawar Suhrawardy and Pir Binyamin are messages from powers that be to those who are planning public agitation to oust General Musharraf. It is also a message to both Ms Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif to keep away from Pakistan and to return home a mass movement against Musharraf.

Govt under fire as 20,000 attend Rizvi’s funeral

2006-05-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

Monday June 28, 2004-- Jamadi-ul-Awwal 09, 1425 A.H.

20,000 people attended the funeral

By our correspondent

MANDI BAHAUDDIN: Ahl-e-Sunnat chief Pir Syed M Afzal Qadri and former Punjab minister Sahibzada Fazal Karim on Sunday accused the government of killing PML-N Punjab vice-president Pir Binyamin Rizvi, saying the rulers were giving false colour to the assassination to save their skin.

Addressing a big gathering at the Government Pilot Secondary School Phalia, some 23 kms away from here, after Namaaz-e-Janaza of Binyamin, they demanded an impartial judicial inquiry into the murder, to be conducted by some high court judge to bring the culprits to light.

Security was tightened on the burial of the PML-N leader. A complete shutdown was observed in the town for the second consecutive as some 20,000 people attended the funeral. Our correspondent from Lahore adds: The police on Sunday arrested 50 PML-N leaders and workers from Masjid-e-Shuhada, who had gathered to offer Ghaibana funeral prayers of Binyamin. The police did not allow the leaders and workers to offer prayers there as announced. The administration fearing protest had shifted

PML-N leader shot dead in Lahore

2006-05-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

27 June 2004 Sunday 08 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

By Zulqernain Tahir
LAHORE, June 26: Punjab PML-N vice-president and former provincial minister Pir Binyamin Rizvi was shot dead along with his driver and guard by unknown gunmen near the New Campus bridge here on Saturday.

Police said the 52-year-old politician was coming from the PML-N Secretariat in Garden Town when his car (PG-9152) was intercepted near the Punjab University New Campus by two motorcyclists.

They sprayed bullets on the car, killing Mr Rizvi, his driver Pir Hakeem (40), and guard Naseer (35) on the spot.

Traffic remained suspended on the roads leading to the New Campus bridge for at least half-an-hour following the shooting. Police restored traffic after removing the bodies to the city mortuary.

Mr Rizvi sustained over half-a-dozen bullets, said a doctor.

Pir Binyamin's brother Tariq Shah told Dawn that his brother had been receiving threats from some government officials for the last several days. "They had asked my brother to stay away from active politics," he said.

However, SSP (Investigation) Chaudhry Shafqaat Ahmed said that Mr Rizvi had an old enmity with the family of Azam Chaddar of Mandi Bahauddin. Chaddar was murdered a couple of years ago. His family suspected that Pir Binyamin had some role in the murder, he said.

He said that a police team had been sent to Mandi Bahauddin for the arrest of the suspects.

The funeral prayers will be held at Masjid-i-Shuhada on Sunday here at 10.30am. He will be laid to rest at Phalia.

Binyamin was killed for political reasons: brother

2006-05-22T10:05:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, July 27, 2004

MANDI BAHAUDDIN: Pir Binyamin Rizvi did not have any family enmity and he was killed because of political rivalry, said Syed Tariq Yaqoob Rizvi, the brother of Pir Binyamin. Mr Yaqoob Rizvi told Daily Times on Monday that the government had failed to find Binyamin’s killer. He alleged that the police was not taking the matter seriously. Pir Binyamin’s brother said it had been one month since the incident and nothing has been done up till now. He demanded justice from the Punjab government. staff report

Binyamin Rizvi gunned down

2006-05-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

Sunday, June 27, 2004

* Driver and guard also killed
* Police say motive could be old enmity

By Shahnawaz Khan

LAHORE: Opposition politician Pir Binyamin Rizvi was gunned down by unidentified motorcyclists in his car near the Punjab University on Saturday. He is the third opposition politician to be killed in three months.

Mr Rizvi, a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader, was on his way to the Gymkhana Club for a lunch with journalists when two men on a motrcycle opened fire at his vehicle in front of a PU hostel gate, a few yards from the university campus main bridge, at around 12:45pm. Mr Rizvi’s driver Haleem Khan and police guard Naseer Ahmed were also killed.

Mr Rizvi’s death follows the murders of Munawar Suharwardy, a close aide of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, on June 17 and Abdullah Murad, a Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians MPA, on March 6 in Karachi. Both the PPPP leaders were also shot in their cars by men on motorcycles.

Usman Saeed, a 24-year-old MBA student, witnessed the incident and called the police emergency number. Mr Saeed said he was going to his house behind Shaikh Zayed Hospital on his motorcycle. At around 12:48pm, he heard gunshots as he crossed the PU hostel. He lost control of his bike and fell off.

“I saw two men on a black Honda 125 motorcycle, aged 20 to 25. The man driving the bike was wearing trousers and a T-shirt and the one sitting behind wore a white shalwar kameez. They were headed towards the PU new campus on Canal Road.” Mr Saeed said Mr Rizvi’s car lost control after being shot at and ran over a green belt between the roads. “The windscreens of the car were shattered and the three people in the car had been shot in their faces and upper abdomens,” he said.

Another eyewitness who was selling flowers at the PU gate said the two motorcyclists had been waiting at the gate since 12:15pm. “Around 12:40pm they switched on their motorcycle and left a minute or two later. A few seconds later, I heard gunshots.” There was panic after the shooting as people tried to flee the scene, causing a traffic jam.

Model Town Superintendent of Police Faran Baig said the deceased had set out from the PML-N office at 35-Tariq Block in Garden Town. He said it seemed that the murder was the result of an old enmity. He said Mr Rizvi had a lot of enemies and was nominated as an accused in the murder of Major Azam in Phalia in 1995-96.

Tariq Rizvi, the younger brother of the murdered PML-N leader, told reporters at the city morgue that he did not believe the murder was linked to the death of Major Azam.

City Police Chief Tariq Saleem Dogar has formed threeteams to find the murderers. A police statement said the teams would look into the killing of Major Azam. The statement said Mr Rizvi’s former brother-in-law had threatened him when he (Mr Rizvi) divorced his wife. Mr Rizvi was a former Punjab minister for social welfare. His driver Haleem Khan was from Kohat and had been working with him since 1997. His guard Naseer Ahmad was a constable. Police sources said Mr Ahmad had applied for a transfer back to the department four days ago.

Shahbaz, other Leaguers rap govt over Rizvi’s murder

2006-05-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

Sunday June 27, 2004-- Jamadi-ul-Awwal 08, 1425 A.H.

By our correspondent

LAHORE: PML-N President Mian Shahbaz Sharif has said killers had been once again successful in depriving the nation of a true democrat, fighter and patriot.

In his reaction to the killing of Pir Binyamin Rizvi, he said the murder was the worst criminal activity which showed that anti-Pakistan elements never wanted patriots to live. He said the murder was a clear signal that the country was in grip of lawlessness and the government failed in controlling crimes.

Shahbaz said Pir Binyamin was a true Muslim and a staunch Leaguer and never compromised on principles as after coup in 1999, a large number of opportunists left the party and sat in the lap of dictatorship, but Rizvi never changed his loyalties.

In a message to the bereaved family, he prayed to Almighty God to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant courage to the family to bear the loss with fortitude.

PML-N acting chairman Raja Zafarul Haq has termed the murder of Pir Binyamin Rizvi a political target killing and said it was a failure of the government to control law and order. He said the killers of the PML-N leader should be arrested immediately and be given exemplary punishment.

Meanwhile, PML-N UK Vice-President Iqbal Sandhu and Tahir Sandhu have also condemned the murder of Pir Binyamin.

Punjab PML-N leaders termed the killing a proof of the government’s failure to control law and order. Punjab PML-N President Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa said Pir Binyamin was removed due to his services for the cause of democracy. He said his murder was purely political and he was killed by the government for siding with Nawaz Sharif.

Deputy Opposition leader Rana Sanaullah Khan said it was a political target killing and he was removed due to his commitment with the party. He said it was the second biggest incident after Karachi in which PPPP leader Munawar Soharwardi was killed in a similar manner. He said after this incident it was very clear that the government had failed to control law and order. He said they will strongly protest the murder both inside and outside the assembly.

Secretary-General Kh Sa’ad Rafiq said it was not the killing of a person but it was a murder of democracy. He said he was killed for his commitment for the cause of democracy. He said the sacrifice of Rizvi would not go waste. He also appealed to the workers to stay calm during funeral prayers.

Information Secretary Syed Zaeem Qadri said the inefficient government who was busy eliminating rivals. Former state minister Rana Tanveer Hussain said it was a result of political victimization.

Inamullah Khan Niazi, Pervaiz Malik, Mian Javed Latif, Mian Asad Muhammad, Samiullah Chaudhry, Dewan Mushtaq, Barrister Usman, Kh Ahmed Hassan, Haji Hanif, Naseer Ahmed Bhutta, Nasir Iqbal Khan, Rana Mashood Ahmed Khan, Dr Asad Ashraf, Farrukh Shah, Parveen Masood Bhatti, Saba Sadiq and other leaders had also condemned the incident.

Opposition politician shot dead

2006-05-22T09:59:00.000-07:00

Web posted at: 6/27/2004 3:26:17
Source ::: AFP

LAHORE: An opposition politician of exiled prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League was shot dead by two motorcycle riders in the eastern city of Lahore yesterday, police said.

“Two men riding on a motorcycle opened fire on Pir Binyamin Rizvi’s car in front of Punjab University,” police superintendent Faran Baig said.

“It appears to be a terrorist attack and we have launched investigations,” Baig said.

The attackers fled after the attack, he added.

Pir Binyamin Rizvi was the vice-president of PML-Nawaz in Punjab province.

“Two other men travelling with Rizvi died at hospital,” Zaeemul Haq Qadri, a party official and spokesman for Sharif said.

“We strongly condemn this brutal killing of our leader,” Zaeem said.

“It is not yet clear who could be behind Rizvi’s killing,” he added.

Zaeem said he feared that it could be a sectarian attack on Rizvi, a Sunni.

Minority Shi’ites account for around 20 per cent of Pakistan’s Muslims with Sunnis making up the remaining 80 per cent. The majority coexist peacefully but fanatics from the rival sects began launching attacks on each other in the 1980s.

Parliamentary leader of PML-Nawaz Senator Ishaq Dar in a television interview said that Rizvi’s killing was not a sectarian killing but a “targeted murder.”

Dar said last week gunmen shot dead a provincial leader of ex-prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s opposition party in the restive Pakistani port city of Karachi.

“This shows a complete breakdown of government,” Dar said.

Two men attacked Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader for Sindh province Munawwar Suharwardi, a close confidante of Bhutto’s, as he parked his car on a main road in eastern Karachi on June 17.

Vice-Chairman of the PPP Makhdoom Amin Fahim said Rizvi’s murder was a targeted killing aimed at “eliminating” leaders of democratic opposition.

“This is targeted killing aimed at sending a signal to the democratic opposition,” Fahim said in a statement.

Leader of the Democratic Alliance (of opposition parties) Senator Raza Rabbani said: “There is a pattern in recent incidents of political murders.”

The real perpetrators of the crime must be exposed “if the steep downslide towards a civil war is to be arrested,” Rabbani said.

PML-Nawaz and the Pakistan People’s Party oppose President General Pervez Musharraf who grabbed power in a bloodless military coup in October 1999 after overthrowing Sharif’s government.

The Sharif family was exiled to Saudi Arabia in December 2000 for 10 years under a deal brokered by the Saudi royalty.

Prominent Muslim League leader gunned down

2006-05-22T09:58:00.000-07:00

By Abdullah Iqbal

Lahore: Prominent Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader, and former Punjab minister, Pir Binyamin Rizvi, was gunned down yesterday by two men on a motorcycle in Lahore.

His guard and driver also died in the attack, which comes a week after the killing of Pakistan People's Party leader Munnawar Suhrawardy in Karachi.

"Two men riding on a motorcycle opened fire on Pir Binyamin Rizvi's car in front of Punjab University," police superintendent Faran Baig said.

"It appears to be a terrorist attack and we have launched investigations," Baig said. The attackers fled after the attack, he said.

Rizvi had left the PML office in Model Town and was driving towards the Raiwind area when two motorcyclists approached the vehicle and opened fire with automatic weapons. All the three occupants of the car died almost instantaneously.

A witness to the murder, vendor Saleem Ahmed, told Gulf News: "All I heard was the sudden firing of bullets, and a screeching sound as the car skidded and then turned on its side. I then saw a blur as the motorcycle riders sped away, further down the canal, towards Raiwind."

Shocked people in the area quickly gathered round the vehicle, and identified Rizvi as among those killed.

Superintendent Police, Captain Usman, said: "It seems like a professional shooting. It was well planned and very well executed. We have put up road blocks, and will also look into personal enmity as a cause."

Rizvi, who served as Punjab minister from 1997 till the fall of the PML-N government in 1999, was responsible for the department of Social Welfare in the province. He had served as an MPA in the Punjab assembly from 1992 to 1999, and as an advisor to the Chief Minister in 1992.

Hailing from the small town of Phalia, near the central Punjab town of Mandi Bahauddin, the bearded Rizvi was known to be close to religious parties.

During his tenure as Punjab Social Welfare minister, he had led a campaign against NGOs, and especially against those run by 'westernised people'.

While this had made enemies for Rizvi, more serious opposition is thought to have come from personal enmity linked to family interests and property.

Rizvi's murder comes as a big blow to the PML-N. He had remained a committed party man, and was among the leaders who remained loyal to the Sharif family even after their downfall.

He was seen in local PML-N circles as a close aide to Shahbaz Sharif, and for him, a key man in the province, reporting all matters directly to him.

"This is truly tragic and shocking. The party first of all condoles with his family, and laments the loss of a motivated, honest leader," PML-N Punjab President Zulfikar Khosa said.

"That this can happen in broad daylight, at a time when crowds of people are around is shocking. I do not have words to say how big the loss is for the PML-N", said another leader, Siddiqul Farooq, who rushed to Lahore from Islamabad on hearing the news.

Other opposition leaders, including Qasim Zia of the PPP, Liaquat Baloch of the Jamaat-e-Islami, Allama Tahirul Qadri of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek and Mian Azhar, former PML-QA president, also expressed shock.

"We may have had differences with his views, but this gunning down is a terrible event and reflects the declining law and order situation," PPP leader Jehangir Badr said.

Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Ellahi also expressed grief at the "tragic loss" of Rizvi in a faxed statement.

PML-N activists meanwhile staged small protest rallies in the city. One rally at The Mall was dispersed by police using batons, but the protesters were permitted to reassemble on Egerton Road, a few yards away from The Mall.

Pir Binyamin among 3 assassinated in Lahore

2006-05-22T09:54:00.000-07:00

Saturday June 26, 2004 (0540 PST)

LAHORE, June 27 (Online): Some unknown assailants gunned down Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Punjab Vice President Pir Binyamin Rizvi along with his body guard and driver here Saturday morning. The terrorists fled the scene later.

The terrorists intercepted Pir Binyamin's vehicle at a bridge near Punjab University Ne

w Campus around 11:00 am when he was on his way to the city from the provincial secretariat , eyewitnesses said. They spayed volley of bullets on the vehicle, leaving the PML (N

) leader, his bodyguard and driver dead on the spot .

The dead body of Pir Binyamin was shifted to the Meo Hospital morgue for postmortem .

The funeral prayers of the PML leader will be offered in his ancestral town, Phalia, today (Sunday), said younger brother of Pir Binyamin. He said final rituals would be offered in Phalia in Mandi Behauddin. "Pir Binyamin will be laid to rest there in a grave adjacent to the burial chamber of his father", he said. The PML (Nawaz) leader is survived by two daughters and one son. Meanwhile, the police and law enforcement agencies have beefed up security in

the provincial metropolis after the assassination and strict checking of vehicles coming in and going out of the city is being carried out.

The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) has termed as target killing the murder of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Punjab leader Pir Binyamin Rizvi by unknown assailants in Lahore on Saturday noon.

PML (N) Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq Saturday told Online that the present government had failed to ensure law and order and the killings of its political rivals in terrorist acts would invite serious reaction from within the country. He said the PML (N) strongly condemned the br

utal murder of Pir Binyamin Rizvi, who was a true politician and always remained loyal to the party. "Pir Binyamin's killing will cost the party a lot", he said.

He said that Karachi was facing serious troubles at the hands of terrorists but now, lives of people especially the political rivals of the rulers in Punjab were not safe. He said Pir Binyamin was assassinated in the broad day light in the provincial metropolis. "Murder speaks volumes for rulers' tall claims of ensuring law and order in Punjab", he said. Raja Zafar stressed police should diligently pursue the murder and make concerted efforts to bring the culpable elements to

book soon.

ARD call Pir Binyamin Rizvi muder target killng

ARD chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim also denounced the murder and told Online that

government had failed to guarantee life security to the common man and people were disturbed over the increasing incidents of violence in the country. He said, "Earlier, PPPP leader Munawar Suharwardy was targeted in Karachi and now, Nawaz Group leader Pir Binyamin has been brutally murdered in the broad day light". He said the Police was being used to intimidate the political opponents of the rulers. Amin Fahim said the ARD would raise the murder in the parliament.

End.

Governance has Collapsed says Imran Khan.

2006-05-22T09:53:00.000-07:00

Islamabad (June 26, 2004)

The PTI Chief Imran Khan has condemned the killing of PML(N) leader Pir Binyamin Rizvi in Lahore, he blamed the government for failing in its primary responsibility to provide security to the people.

In his reaction on Saturday, Imran Khan said that increasing acts of terror in Quetta, Gwadar, Karachi, and now in Lahore indicate a systemic breakdown of Governance. The collapse in governance is because of the fake political system established by General Musharraf, which is only designed to perpetuate his rule. He said we neither have a presidential nor a parliamentary form of government. Real power rests with a self-imposed uniformed President whose cabinet members are the Corp Commanders and his parliament is the larger General Staff of the Pakistan Army. The rest is a mere fa�ade and eyewash. Nothing has changed in Pakistan ever since the first military take over. It is power game pure and simple at the cost of the national interests.

Tragically, General Musharraf is leading the country to a dead end. He said I fear that the acts of terror are engineered to create an impression of chaos in the country. Before the upsurge in acts of violence and terror in Karachi, Quetta, and Gwadar, I had predicted weeks in advance that lawlessness would grow which would then be used as a pretext to change the present political facade. He criticized the role of the security agencies who instead of focusing on providing security to the people are devoting all their time and resources to hound the opposition.

Arshad Malik
Press Secretary

Assembly: Opp boycotts PA proceedings against PML-N leader's murder.

Source: PPI - Pakistan Press International

Publication Date: 28-JUN-04

LAHORE, June 28-(PPI): The entire opposition in the Punjab Assembly here Monday boycotted the PA proceedings protesting against the brutal killing of PML-N Punjab vice president Pir Binyamin Rizvi and the government attitude to handle the case in naive way. "The brutal murder of Pir Binyamin Rizvi was done under the behest of an important personality of the province while the government has failed to nab the culprits and its attitude was highly condemnable as it did not register the FIR on the complaint of the deceased's brother nor allowed to offer his Namaz-eJanaza at Masjid-e-Shuhada. Therefore, the opposition boycotts the PA proceedings of today's session." Opposition Deputy Leader Rana Sana Ullah Khan announced while speaking in the House before staging a walkout by the opposition comprising PPP-P, PML-N and MMA. The PA session resumed after two days off here at 3:45pm with Speaker Ch. Afzal Sahi in the chair. Rana Sana said the barbarity, ruthlessness and cruelty on the part of the government could be witnessed that target killing was being done of its opponents in broad daylight. He said that deceased's brother Tariq Ayub Shah wanted FIR registered against certain accused but the police did not and hence it registered from government side, which showed its partiality. While lamenting the attitude of rulers, he said that the party workers and relatives were not allowed to offer Namaz-e-Janaza at Masjid-e-Shuhada rather the poor people were baton-charged and sent behind bars while the dead body was despatched to Phalia in urgency. Rana Sana said that the history was witness that one ruler did not allow the wife and the daughter of one who was hanged bnan left the House.Raja Basharat assured toaccommodate the relatives view-point during investigation. (THROUGH ASIA PULSE)

Pakistan Muslim League (N) Leader Bin Yamin Rizvi Assassinated
Pakistan Times Punjab Bureau Report

LAHORE: A leader of Pakistan Muslim League (N), Pir Bin Yamin Rizvi was put to death with fire in Lahore Saturday. Reports say that some unknown persons attacked his car by opening gun-fire, which resulted in his death.

Bin Yamin Rizvi, a frontline opposition leader, was a close associate of Pakistan's deposed Prime Minister, Mian Nawaz Sharif, who is now-a-days leading life in exile on the soils of Saudi Arabia.

Sharif was unseated from Premiership in a bloodless coup d'état in October-1999 where after General Pervez Musharraf took over the reigns of power as Chief Executive of the country and later assumed the office as the President of Pakistan.

In-depth

Pir Binyameen Rizvi was shot dead along with his security guard and driver by unknown assailants at the Punjab University new campus here Saturday morning.

PML (N) spokesman Zaeem Qadri says that the party leader was heading home from the party office after performing routine organizational responsibilities when two motorcyclists armed with sophisticated weapons intercepted the vehicle near Hostel No.4 and opened indiscriminate fire.

The shooting was so sudden that the security guard sitting at the front seat failed to respond, while a number of bullets hit Pir Binyameen who was sitting on the rear seat.

ll three inmates of the vehicle died on the spot, said the PML (N) spokesman. He said that the deceased politician had no personal enmity, and termed the death a great national loss.

Target Killing

Model Town police officials Saturday said that murder of PML (N) leader, Pir Binyameen Rizvi may be an incident of target killing.

"The incident seems to be act of target killing. The motives may be old enmity or terrorism," Superintendent Police, Model Town, Lahore, Farhan Mirza said.

The bodies of the slain have been removed to the city morgue for post-mortem.

Sketch

Binyameen (47) hailed from Phalia (district Mandi Bahauddin) and was the son of late Pir Muhammad Yaqub Rizvi, Sajjada Nasheen [Religious Heir] of Phalia Sharif.

He was elected member of the Punjab Assembly thrice, and had twice served as a provincial minister. The PML (N) leader is survived by a widow, three daughters and a son.

Backdrop

Rizvi, the vice president of the party for Punjab, the province of which Lahore is the metropolis, was at least the third opposition politician to be assassinated this year.

On June-17, gunmen fatally shot Munawar Soharwardi, a spokesman for the opposition Pakistan People's Party led by another ex-prime minister, Ms Benazir Bhutto, in a drive-by shooting in the southern city of Karachi.

People's Party lawmaker Abdullah Murad was killed in an ambush in Karachi in March last.

Musharraf's Islam unacceptable: PML-N

2006-05-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

Tuesday June 10, 2004-- Rabi-us-Sani 09, 1424 A.H.

LAHORE: The central leader of the PML-N and former provincial minister Pir Binyamin Rizvi has vehemently condemned "the so-called slogan of modern Islamisation introduced by the Musharraf government". He said: "We are the ardent followers of the 14-century-old Islam and would not allow anyone to bring a self-styled Islamic revolution in Pakistan on the pattern of Kamal Attaturk." In a statement here on Monday, Rizvi, while commenting on Sunday's speech of President Musharraf in Lahore, said his party clearly adopted the unflinching and uncompromising stand on the Legal Framework Order (LFO) issue, particularly on the president's "personal rancour" for the previous democratic government of Nawaz Sharif. He said that the PML-N government was democratic, while the present one was a one-man dictatorship. Rizvi said that it was a fact that any system introduced by a dictator was doomed to failure, as it lacked roots among the people. "Every dictator declares himself a true patriot and avows to defend the rights of the people but actually he harms the integrity of the country," he maintained.

LAHORE: PML-N celebrates N-tests' anniversary

2006-05-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

28 May 2004 Wednesday 25 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1424

28 May 2004

By Our Staff Reporter

LAHORE, May 27: The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leaders on Tuesday cut a cake to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the country as a nuclear power.

The ceremony was organized at the Lahore Press Club.Zulfiqar Khosa, Khwaja Saad Rafiq, Zaeem Qadri, Pir Binyamin, Naseer Bhutta and many other leaders and workers attended the ceremony.

They said nuclear capability had strengthened the national defence and credit for enabling the country to achieve it went to Mian Nawaz Sharif.Nuclear tests were carried out on May 28, 1998.Supporters of Mian Shahbaz Sharif organized another ceremony near the railway station.

ZAEEM: Exiled PML-N leader Mian Nawaz Sharif has appointed Syed Zaeem Husain Qadri as his spokesman in the Punjab.Mr Qadri is the provincial information secretary of the party.Mian Shahbaz Sharif's spokesman is Mr Farrukh Shah.

Binyamin moves court against detention order

2006-05-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

Thursday, May 20, 2004

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Punjab Vice President Pir Binyamin Rizvi has filed a petition in the Lahore High Court challenging his detention order.

His lawyer Naseer Bhutta said the Punjab government had ordered his detention under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order and police were conducting raids for his arrest. He alleged that in raids on his Lahore and Gujranwala homes, police had harassed Mr Rizvi and his family.

He said Mr Rizvi was a law-abiding citizen and was not involved in subversive activities.

He said the order was part of the government’s campaign to punish opposition leaders.

He asked the court to declare the detention order illegal and said that police should be stopped from harassing the petitioner and his family. staff report

Opposition to protest deportation of Shahbaz

2006-05-22T09:49:00.000-07:00

05/13/2004 12:00 AM (UAE)
Reuters

Islamabad: Supporters of Pakistan's deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif said yesterday they would complain to the country's top court after his younger brother was deported when he tried to return from exile.

But analysts say the move was unlikely to amount to more than a symbolic protest by the opposition, which has largely failed to dent President Musharraf's armour since overthrowing Nawaz in bloodless 1999 coup.

Pakistani authorities deported Shahbaz Sharif to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, little more than an hour after his arrival in the eastern city of Lahore from more than three years in exile. They also detained scores of his supporters.

Officials of the pro-Sharif faction of the Pakistan Muslim League Shahbaz heads say the deportation violated a Supreme Court ruling last month that he should be allowed to return.

"It's contempt of court and we will file a petition in the Supreme Court." party chairman Raja Zafar-ul-Haq said.

"It is a violation of the Supreme Court orders and the constitution. The so-called democratically elected government must be ashamed of its conduct," Pakistan People's Party (PPP) senator Farhatullah Babar said.

"We strongly condemn this state facism," said Pir Binyamin, a spokesman for the Sharifs' Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, adding that the government's actions indicated Pakistan was under "veiled martial law".

Government officials have said they were merely enforcing a 2000 pact under which the Sharifs agreed to go into exile for 10 years. Details of the deal have never been revealed.

Shahbaz became the first exiled Pakistani politician to try to return home to challenge Musharraf's rule and analysts saw it as a last ditch by the Sharif family to break back into politics before Musharraf consolidates his rule.

Musharraf has been moving to solidify his power base before standing down as army chief by the end of the year.

Political commentator Najam Sethi said the opposition was unlikely to achieve much from a petition to the Supreme Court on the Shahbaz Sharif issue.

"I don't think it will make any difference, especially if the government produces the agreement with Nawaz in court," he said.

Observers said that while the deportation was unlikely to stir mass unrest, the clumsy way it was handled had helped Shahbaz score some points and underlined curbs on democracy.

Immediately after Shahbaz's plane landed in Lahore, he and accompanying journalists were surrounded by commandos and manhandled while he was shifted to another aircraft.

The authorities deployed hundreds of riot police to stifle opposition rallies in Lahore, who fired tear gas, made baton charges and detained scores of opposition activists.

In the past week, police have raided offices of Shahbaz's party and detained hundreds of activists. The opposition says about 300 are being held in Lahore alone.

"A minor storm in the teacup of Pakistani politics was magnified beyond all expectations," the Daily Times said.

The Nation newspaper also said authorities had over-reacted.

Saudi officials seize Sharifs' passports?

2006-05-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

RIYADH, May 12: Saudi authorities took away the passports of deposed Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his brother Shahbaz and their families following the return of Mian Shahbaz to Saudi Arabia after he was deported from Lahore , a Pakistani source said Wednesday.

"The Saudi government apparently wants to avoid a recurrence of the latest incident when Mian Shahbaz flew to Lahore" late Tuesday and was deported, the source told AFP from Jeddah, speaking on condition of anonymity.

However, a PML-N spokesman in Islamabad denied that Saudi authorities had confiscated Sharif family's passports. "The report about taking away of Sharif family's passports by Saudi authorities is not correct," Pir Binyamin told AFP.

"Shahbaz's passport was kept by the Pakistani authorities in Lahore on Tuesday, while Nawaz Sharif's passport has expired and was not renewed by Pakistani embassy in Saudi Arabia," he said.

"So there is no question of taking away their passports as they do not have any." Saudi authorities have said nothing about the affair, but the official SPA news agency reported Tuesday night that Saudi Crown Prince and de facto ruler Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz had received a telephone call from Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

SPA said only that Abdullah and Musharraf discussed "brotherly relations between the two countries and regional and international developments." The Pakistani source told AFP the Sharifs and their entourage totalled 53 people.

He said Pakistani security guards, a doctor and a nurse accompanied Shahbaz when their plane landed at a VIP airport in Jeddah Tuesday night but they all flew back to Pakistan. Heavy security was provided by Saudi authorities, who escorted Shahbaz to his house. -AFP

Syed Rashid Husain adds: In sharp contrast to proceedings in Lahore, Shahbaz Sharif's arrival in Jeddah on Tuesday night was a quiet affair. The special PIA flight carrying Mian Shahbaz landed at Jeddah airport at 10:55 Saudi time (12:55 am Wednesday PST).

The PML-N leader was ushered into the VIP lounge and after completion of immigration formalities he left for his residence off Madinah Street, accompanied by Saudi protocol personnel.

There was no attempt by PML activists to assemble at the airport to greet him. There was no one from the Pakistani Consulate in Jeddah at the airport although some cars with diplomatic number-plates were seen at the airport.

People accompanying the former Punjab chief minister on the flight to Jeddah were not allowed to disembark because they did not have entry visas for the kingdom.

Before the arrival of Mian Shahbaz in Jeddah, President Pervez Musharraf called Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah. Most analysts here are of the view that the return of the PML-N leader to Jeddah was one of the major subjects of discussion.

Authorities fail to recover Shahbaz passport

2006-05-22T09:47:00.000-07:00

May 13, 2004

LAHORE - Despite hectic efforts during the search operation of Shahbaz Sharif s flight and thorough frisking of the passengers, security personnel have failed to recover his much-wanted passport. Instead he handed over his 10-year-old diplomatic passport to the authorities who later realised their efficiency .

However, Vice President PML (N) Punjab Pir Binyamin Rizvi said that in telephonic conversation Shahbaz Sharif informed him that the Pakistani authorities took all his documents on the pretext of presenting him before the NAB.

The authorities did not keep their words, but deported him to Jeddah , Binyamin quoted Shahbaz as having said.

The sources informed this scribe that two top most officials of the province who were supposed to receive and recover travelling documents from Mian Shahbaz Sharif, preferred not to face the PML (N) President. Rather they used their subordinates as a shield who were ordered to get the job done.

Almost all the top officials of the province preferred to act behind the scene and never faced Mian Shahbaz Sharif , an eyewitness revealed. The source said that an Inspector of a sensitive agency and Superintendent of Police (SP) received and questioned Mian Shahbaz Sharif after he disembarked the plane.

Shahbaz Sharif alighted the plane and kissed the tarmac. Later, the SP and Inspector asked the PML (N) President to produce his passport and travelling documents as he was to be presented before the NAB , the source said. The sleuths of various agencies checked the entire flight and luggage of 106 passengers besides frisking them to recover the passport of Mian Shahbaz Sharif but to no avail.

A Superintendent of Police was embarrassed by Maimoona Hashmi when she gave a shut-up call to him.

Maimoona landed at Allama Iqbal International Airport one hour before the arrival of flight carrying Mian Shahbaz Sharif and confined herself in a bathroom , the source said, adding that the SP reached there along with six lady commandos.

However, the source said, the female commandos overpowered Maimoona Hashmi.

Return of prodigal son

2006-05-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

Mumtaz Muzaffar

A MEETING of political mandarins belong to Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz Sharif) was held in London on 19 April 2004 to finalize the arrival of Shahhaz Sharif in Pakistan and chalk out the plan for would he reincarnation of PML (N). The meeting was chaired by Mian Shahhaz Sharif and attended by Ishaq Dar, Ch Nasir, Kltwaja Asif, Saad Rafiq, Ghous All Shah, Mian Ejaz Shafi and Pir Binyamin. Earlier Ch Nasir Khan informed to an unidentified person that members of PML (QA) are avidly watching the renaissance of PML (N) and these members are showing discontent and uncertainty because federal cabinet is not being expanded and the developmental funds of their constituencies are not being provided. Ch Nasir negated any thought of Shahhaz Sharif’s reconciliation with the establishment. lie further clarified that to avoid any confrontation with government lie adopted legal procedure and went to Supreme Court of Pakistan to get permission for the return of Mina Shahhaz Sharif. According to him Shahhaz Sharif is willing to face all cases against him but would continue his politics form PML (N) platform as an opposition party leader. Ch Nasir assumes that Government will not accept presence of Shahhaz Sharif in Pakistan. However, lie felt confident that Shahbaz Sharif would return to Pakistan. In consultative meeting PML (N) in London it was reiterated that nothing could stop Shahhaz Sharif from returning.
Ch Nasir is a seasoned politician but like any sincere partisan he painted the case of Mian Brothers sanguinely. It is irrefutable fact that Mian Brothers took their political baptism from a military regime and natural corollary of this grooming is assimilation and permeation of narcissistic and authoritarian characteristics in their personalities. Like a typical narcissistic personality Mian Brothers always demand praise. admiration and pivotal role in party hierarchy or in any political alliance. They alienated religious parties when they formed Islami Jamhuri Itehad IJI after wining the general elections of 1990 due their supercilious behaviour, earlier Miami Nawaz Sharif betrayed Muhammad Khan Junejo when General Zia-ul-haq sacked him in 1988, because Mian Nawaz interested to remain in the stint of Chief Minister of Punjab. Senior politician of Sindh, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi also left Mian Brothers due to their obsession to withhold power in. their hands. Ironically they hardly condescend to please Ijaz-ul-Haq who is son of their avowed political mentor and now joined hands with Pakistan People’s Party to oust General Pervez Musharraf. Mian Brothers abhor to share power like any political Plutocrat; they intentionally keep away Chaudries of Gujarat from the stint of chief minister of Punjab during their regime because Chaudry Shujaut and Pervez Ellai might challenge their supremacy. After their ouster from power in 1999, Mian Brothers proved themselves political charlatans and instead of facing the law and litigation they opted to leave country. Now they are dreaming to come to Pakistan like a hero and they must he equating themselves with San Suu Kyi of Myanmar and Nelson Mandela of South Africa who remained in their natives countries and resisted against tyranny and never choose to leaves their followers in lurches and belong to an entirely different genre of politicians. Ch Nasir is also anticipating disruption in the files of’ PML (QA) but conversely it is becoming stronger and on 20 April 2004 Farooq Laghari announced the merger of National Alliance in PML (QA). Earlier all factions of Muslim Leagues have decided to amalgamate themselves with one another to strengthen the path of democracy which is also good omen for present Government. Definitely Supreme Court of Pakistan has permitted Shahhaz Sharif to come to Pakistan but lie is not permitted to come with impunity. He has to face the courts regarding to the cases registered against him and if he would he found guilty he should accept the decision of courts that is very difficult for a narcissistic personality who thinks himself unimpeachable and immune to mistakes normally commit by plebian mortals.

Shahbaz will be welcomed at all cost on 11th: Saad

2006-05-22T09:44:00.000-07:00

Friday, May 07, 2004

* Information secretary accuses police of harrassing activists’ families
* Says activists will violate Section 144
* Leaders go underground

LAHORE The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) has announced that party leaders and activists would reach Nila Gumbad on May 11 by breaking all government’s barriers and violating Section 144, and led by central leaders of Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD), it would proceed to the Lahore Airport at 3:00pm from Nila Gumbad to welcome Party president Shahbaz Sharif.

Khawaja Saad Rafique, general secretary of PML-N Punjab, told newsmen that May 11 was the final date for Shahbaz Sharif to land at the airport at 6:20 pm and ARD leaders Makdoom Amin Fahim, Nawazada Mansoor Ali Khan, Manzoor Gillani and others would accompany the welcoming party.

He said invitations have been sent to Pakistan People’s Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiat Ulema Pakistan ( Noorani), Jamiat Ulema Islam (Fazlur Rehman), Markazi Jamaat Ahle Hadith, Tehrik-e-Islami, Pakistan Democratic Party, Jamhoori Wattan Party, Khaksar Tehrik, Awami Qiadat Party, PML-Qayum, Istaqlal Party, PML-QA, Balochistan National Party, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Balochistan National Movement and others to join the welcoming procession at Nila Gumbad.

Asked what hurdles he expected in the preparations to welcome Shahbaz after the arrest of some activists, he said such actions would not affect the welcome as some prominent leaders were making preparations underground.

Criticising the arrest of party workers, Mr Rafique said the Punjab Police and law enforcement agencies had been raiding the houses of office-bearers and workers for six days only to harass them. He said at least 500 people, mostly relatives of the workers, had been arrested without there being cases against them and without arrest warrants, in Lahore and other parts of the province.

He claimed that the Punjab government, under MPO 3, had dispatched all City District Governments blank orders for 90 days’ detention for more than 1000 workers, to block them from participation in the welcome.

Pir Binyamin Rizvi called the arrests of workers a cowardly act and said the very thought of Shahbaz returning had struck fear into the government. He said that the government claimed there would not be a campaign against Shahbaz’s arrival but that police was trespassing party activists’ homes.

Police and intelligence agencies have raided PML-N offices and arrested office-bearers and workers for six consecutive days on Thursday across the province to stop them from preparing to welcome Shahbaz Sharif, PML-N sources said.

Several PML-N office-bearers and workers have gone underground to avoid arrest. In Lahore, a police contingent cordoned off the Allama Iqbal Town home of PML-N Punjab vice-president Pir Binyamin, who has gone underground for the last four days.

The PML-N media office alleged that police officials in plainclothes arrested PML-N Central Information Secretary Siddiqul Farooq from his Islamabad home and detained him for three months in Adyala Jail in Rawalpindi. Candidate for MPA from PP-13 Rawalpindi, Malik Shakeel Awan, was arrested and detained in Thana Tibbi City for three months along with his associates Malik Sultan and Sajjad.

The Bhagbanpura Police led by an ASP raided the Daroghanwala home of ARD secretary general in Lahore and ex-president Lahore Haji Imdad Hussain twice late on Thursday night and arrested his two brothers Haji Khadim Hussain and Talib Hussain, a nephew Omer Talib and a servant Rasheed, besides misbehaving with women in the family.

Police apprehended Lahore city vice-president Asif Gujjar as well as ex-MPA Mian Yawar Zaman from Okara, while raids are being made for former MPA Chaudhry Tanveer Khan. According to the party’s media office, another raid was made to arrest ex-MPA from Rawalpindi Sardar Muhammad Naseem, during which police misbehaved with women and children but failed to arrest him. staff report

Crackdown on workers

2006-05-22T09:42:00.000-07:00

Thursday, May 6, 2004

LAHORE: The law enforcement agencies raided the houses of PML-N leaders and workers here early Sunday, arresting dozens for pasting welcome banners for Shahbaz Sharif, besides taking custody the banners and vehicles.

The heavy contingent of police raided the houses of PML-N leaders, Dr Asad Ashraf, Pir Binyamin, Mian Arshad and Maqsood Aslam, with no arrest.

“We conducted a raid at the residence of Dr Asad Ashraf but could not recover him,” a top police official said, requesting not to be quoted, adding, “We moved to his clinic situated at Shadman Road but in vain.”

The police also raided the Lohari Gate, Lower Mall and Data Darbar areas, arresting at least 11 PML-N workers along with 300 banners and four vehicles. — The Nation

Binyamin suggests Faisal to seek clearance from NAB

2006-05-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

Monday April 26, 2004 (0840 PST)

DOHA, April 27 (Online): Vice President of PML-N Pir Binyamin Rizvi Monday suggested Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat to seek clearance from National Accountability Bureau (NAB) .

Referring a statement of Faisal, he said the government which would soon replace Musharraf led regime would not need ‘patriots’, so it is better for Faisal to clear himself before a transparent accountability process is established, he said .

Talking to Online he said that exiled President of PML-N would arrive in the country directly from London. Asked why final date had not been fixed for arrival of Shahbaz, he said they were checking schedule of all flights .

We want sizable number of people to accord welcome to Shahbaz when he lands in the country, he said .

He strongly dispelled the impression that exiled Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was not pleased with Shahbaz’s decision to return .

‘Detractors of PML-N are airing such rumors to soothe their injured ego’, he said, maintaining that Nawaz Sharif is the popular leader of the country and PML-N cannot take any decision sans his endorsement. PML-N would form the next government, he added .

End.

PML (N) leadership in London to finalize Shahbaz return

2006-05-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

Sunday April 18, 2004 (1609 PST)

Pres. PML-N Punjab Z.A Khosa & V-Pres. Pir Binyamin reached London. (April2004)

LONDON, April 19 (Online): Top leadership of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) is engaged in consultations and meetings with their party chief Mian Shahbaz Sharif to finalise the schedule of possible return of Shahbaz as Supreme Court of Pakistan had observed that Shahbaz could return home anytime.
The meeting sessions started on Saturday are likely to continue till Wednesday, Syed Binyamiin Rizvi, a top leader of the party, who is also participating in these sessions told Online on Sunday.

He said that party leaders were discussing the issue in the wake of prevailing political situation in the country.

He said, though the exact date and timetable would be finalized by Shahbaz himself regarding his as he said ‘definite’ return to country, a principle decision would be taken in this meeting.

Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khosa, Ch. Nisar Ali Khan, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Ishaq Dar, Syed Ghos Ali Shah, Mian Ejaz Shafi and Sardar Yaqub Khan Nasir are attending the session from Saturday while Khawaja Saad Rafiq and Iqbal Zafar Jaghra joined the leaders on Sunday.

PML (N) workers protest against Hashmi sentence in London

A large number of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) workers and supporters staged a protest demonstration before the Pakistan High Commission here on Sunday against the award of 23-year rigorous imprisonment to their leader Makhdoom Javed Hashmi MNA in a case for abetting mutiny against Armed Forces.

Addressing the procession, PML (N) Punjab president Zulfiqar Ali Khosa said Hashmi is prisoner of conscience and the decision is murdering of democracy and justice.

“The session judge succumbing to severe pressure from the military dictators handed down 23-year sentence to Javed Hashmi in a concocted case”, he said.

Khosa said the hasty decision in the case clearly showed the nervousness of military rulers.

He was of the view everyman who dared to challenge the rule of Gen Musharraf is traitor of nation in the eyes of military dictator.

Khosa said Hashmi was sentenced for fighting for democracy and parliament supremacy.

He said this is in fact a decision of military dictators, who wanted to eliminate everyone working against their vested interests.

He said the verdict will tarnish country’s image abroad as a democratic state.

Khosa stressed all the democratic forces to raise collective voice against the political victimization of opposition members by the military government.

Vice president of PML (N) Punjab Pir Binyamin Rizvi said they could not be cowed down by these like political tactics and vowed to continue their fight against military dictatorship within and outside parliament.

He said his party will contact international human rights organizations against the decision.

During the procession, protestors were chanting slogans against the sentence of Javed Hashmi and Gen Musharraf.

They were also holding placards inscribed with slogans like, “Release Hashmi”, “No to military rule”, “Go Musharraf go”, “Decision murder of democracy” and “Nation wants independent judiciary”, amid tight security arrangements by local police force department.

Muslim League (UK) president Zubair Gul submitted a protest memorandum with Pakistan High Commission in London.

End.

Musharraf to sack Jamali govt soon, fears PML (N) leader

2006-05-22T09:37:00.000-07:00

Thursday April 15, 2004 (1553 PST)

BAHAWALNAGAR, April 16 (Online): Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Punjab vice president Pir Binyamin Rizvi has feared President Gen Pervez Musharraf will exercise the 58-(2)(b) powers to send the Jamali government to home soon.
In an exclusive chat with Online, the PML (N) leader said National Security Council (NSC) is basically “Musharraf Security Council”.

“The inception of Council is an attempt to perpetuate military dictatorship in the country and it will provide more safety measures to president Musharraf rule in future”, he said.

Pir Binyamin maintained the NSC establishment is paramount to subjugating the supremacy of parliament.

He said every democracy-loving party including PML (Nawaz) opposed the NSC Bill in and outside parliament, vowing to put up strong resistance against the democracy-crushing policies of Gen Musharraf at every possible forum.

The PML (N) leader was also critical of National Assembly Speaker for not issuing production orders of Javed Hashmi MNA.

“Chaudhry Amir Hussain has failed to discharge his responsibilities as the Custodian of the House in lien with constitution and law of the land. He is coming up with partial and discriminatory attitude towards Opposition parties”, he maintained.

He said there was complete consensus between Opposition and Treasury members on the production of Javed Hashmi in the House during a recent meeting with Speaker in his chambers.

“It’s beyond our comprehension as to what is impeding him to issue Hashmi production orders”, he said.

When asked to comment on the change in educational syllabus, the PML (N) leader deplored the present government is changing the character of education system on the US commands. “The youth are being misled through unjustified changes in the syllabus and the efforts will be resisted strongly”, he said.

Meanwhile, another PML (N) leader Syed Zaeem Hussain Qadri said the constitution of National Security Council is against the supremacy and sovereignty of Parliament.

He said as the kings’ party enjoys shallow yet controversial majority in the parliament, the adoption of 17th Constitutional Amendment and now, passing of National Security Council is absolutely unconstitutional and undemocratic.

End.

PML-N wants protests to continue

2006-05-22T09:36:00.000-07:00

Saturday, November 08, 2003

LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on Friday directed its district and tehsil level offices to continue protests during Ramazan against the “unjust” arrest of the party’s acting president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi. Party leaders also decided at a meeting held at the house of PML-N Punjab President Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa that a massive protest movement would be launched after the Eidul Fitr with the cooperation of other opposition parties. The meeting was attended by PML-N Punjab Secretary General Khwaja Saad Rafique, Pir Binyamin Rizvi, Zaeem Hussain Qadri, Javed Latif, Inamullah Khan Niazi and various other PML-N leaders. PML-N Punjab Vice President Pir Binyamin Rizvi told journalists that nobody knew where Mr Hashmi was taken even a week after his arrest. He said Mr Hashmi’s daughter Memoona Hashmi had asked every authority to tell her where her father was, but she was not told. Mr Rizvi said the government had “violated” the rules by kidnapping Mr Hashmi. “They should remember that the PML-N will not spare them after coming into power,” he said. He condemned statements by various ministers about Mr Hashmi. “They should not forget that people rejected them in previous elections”. —Staff Report

Pir Binyamin criticises moves against PML-N

2006-05-22T09:35:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, October 15, 2003

With Mian Shahbaz Shairf in London 2004

Staff Report

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Provincial Vice President Pir Binyamin Rizvi on Tuesday warned the election commission of protests if the party was banned or terminated under governmental pressure.

Mr Rizvi said that Nawaz Shariaf was the real leader of the people and no one had enough power to erase his name from the ‘hearts of his devotees’. “If any attempt was made against the party, PML-N workers will go out on the roads to face the challenge,” he added. He said that dictator-backing factions had no right to interfere with the affairs of the only public-led party and shouldn’t use their power to threaten party workers.

Binyamin back in PML-N

2006-05-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

Monday, April 07, 2003

With PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif

LAHORE: Pir Binyamin, former information secretary of Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam), expressing confidence in the leadership of Mian Shahbaz Sharif has rejoined the PML-N, sources informed Daily Times on Sunday.

They said PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif, welcoming Mr Binyamin has directed the provincial leadership to restore his previous portfolio in the party.

Mr Binyamin who started his political career in 1988 from the platform of Jamiat Ulema Pakistan (Niazi) joined the PML-N in 1990. In 1997 he became minister for social welfare in Shahbaz’s cabinet. After the dissolution of the Nawaz government in October 12, 1999, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested and prosecuted him on corruption charges.

Later, he joined PML-QA as secretary information. In 2002, he resigned from his office due to PML-QA’s support to President Musharraf but did not resign from its membership. —Staff Report

Binyamin resigns

2006-05-22T09:33:00.000-07:00

30 March 2002 Saturday 15 Muharram 1423

By Our Staff Reporter

LAHORE, March 29: Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-i-Azam) Punjab information secretary Pir Binyamin Rizvi resigned from his office on Friday in protest against party chief Mian Azhar’s decision to support the referendum plans of President Gen Pervez Musharraf.

A press release issued here by the PML(QA) leader said he had sent his resignation to the provincial president, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi.

He regretted that every military dictator, from Ayub Khan to Ziaul Haq to Musharraf, had sought and received Muslim League’s support to perpetuate his stay in power. He said the constitution of the country had laid down a procedure for the election of the president which did not provide for a referendum.

He advised the president to refrain from implementing the plan and to abide by the Supreme Court’s order for general elections within three years.

Shujaat advocates independence to held valley

2006-05-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

17 June 2001
The News International
Correspondent

With Kalsoom Nawaz at Home

LAHORE: Former Interior Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Sunday said (Pakistan's) conventional stance on Kashmir and United Nations" resolutions on the issue have not served any purpose, therefore, giving independence to the Indian-occupied valley should actively be considered and debated."The UN resolutions on Kashmir calling for a plebiscite in the valley have lost usefulness. They have, in fact, lost appeal and become a useless piece of paper," opined Shujaat, also a prominent leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam group).Talking to newsmen at a reception arranged by the party's senior vice-president for Punjab Humayun Akhtar Khan at his residence, he said Jammu and Laddakh should be handed over to India and valley should be given an independent status, while the Azad Kashmir should remain with Pakistan. He, however, clarified that those were his personal views and if his party adopted a different line after a debate, he would abide by the decision. "I will definitely put the suggestion to debate before the forthcoming central working committee meeting," he added.Party's central president Mian Muhammad Azhar, central vice-president Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri, JUI's president Maulana Ajmal Qadri, Arshad Khan Lodhi, Kamil Ali Agha, Pir Binyamin Rizvi, Ch Akhtar Rasool, Mian Fazle Haq, Mian Muhammad Munir, Ashiq Dial, Khawaja Riaz Mahmood, Khawaja Tahir Zia and others were also present on the occasion. Shujaat opined that they should adjust themselves with the changing realities.About Kashmiri people's reaction to his formula, he said despite Kashmiri parties" different stance, people wanted freedom and they would agree to any acceptable formula for a meaningful solution to the problem. He said the country needed a fresh initiative on the issue as conventional point of view had failed to deliver. "We should change our priorities according to our needs. And Pakistan should do it for the collective good of all of us," he said.Shujaat said he was the first politician who advocated General Musharraf's meetings with the politicians for consultations on the Pakistan-India talks. Referring to his meeting with Col Moammar Qadaffi as Pakistan's interior minister during the second PML government, Shujaat said the Libyan leader was very straightforward in telling him that the UN resolutions on Kashmir dispute had lost their significance.Shujaat stressed upon an open debate on country's stance on the Kashmir issue adding, "We should change our strategy if required." Humayun Akhtar Khan said he had not declared his candidacy for the slot of chief Nazim of the city but could seriously consider the offer if the party asked him to do so after the polls. He said he was active in city's politics for the last decade or so despite resistance of his former party bosses."My constituency was changed every time I contested the elections. And in 1997, they sent me to Rahim Yar Khan, but I refused. I bounced back in Lahore after the October 1999 coup. I worked hard, approached people and workers and proved that the workers also response to anyone who approaches them sincerely." Humayun said he also contacted the city traders who later formed the Qaumi Tajir Ittehad.He said now the party has reached an understanding and struck an alliance with the Qaumi Tajir Ittehad at the local bodies level. He said that a person deeply involved in Lahore politics and having understanding of the people and culture of the city should be made Nazim of the city.He dispelled the impression that only a Kashmiri or Arain could become the Lahore Nazim on Bradari basis. "Electoral history of the city tells that it were the party leaders who shaped the elections, and all the people carry equal weight and respect." He said the party would concentrate on poor areas of the city and build roads, schools and other infrastructure after winning the elections.

Membership of 24 PML leaders suspended

2006-05-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

17 February 2001

Ashraf Mumtaz

LAHORE, Feb 16: Acting PML president Javed Hashmi on Friday played
his final card to forestall the Feb 19 provincial general council
meeting of the party by suspending the basic membership of over two
dozen leaders who were active in organizing the meeting whose sole
agenda was to elect Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as provincial president.

Acting president Mian Meraj Din, presidential candidate Chaudhry
Pervaiz Elahi, vice-president Arshad Lodhi, information secretary
Binyamin Rizvi, Lahore President Akhtar Rasool and suspended MNAs
and MPAs who have been working against deposed prime minister Nawaz
Sharif are among those who have been hit by the decision.

After a meeting at the residence of Sardar Zulfikar Khosa, Mr
Hashmi told reporters that he had taken action against the said
leaders in consultation with other leaders and in exercise of
powers vested in him under Article 142 of the PML Constitution.

He said in case these leaders desisted from taking any
'unconstitutional step' on Feb 19, the decision would be reviewed.
"Otherwise, their basic membership will be cancelled", Hashmi said.

Other leaders whose membership has been suspended are: Humayun
Akhtar Khan, Mian Mohammad Munir, Kamil Ali Agha, Khurshid Kasuri,
Fakhr Imam, Begum Abida Husain, Abdus Sattar Lalika, Tariq Aziz,
Mian Abdul Waheed, Sikandar Hayat Malhi, Chaudhry Wajahat Husain,
Chaudhry Tufail, Azam Cheema, Imtiaz Ranjha, Afzal Sahi, Chaudhry
Mohammad Sadiq, Maj (retd) Tahir Sadiq, Mohammad Ramzan Bhatty,
Mian Fazle Haq, Arshad Imran Suleri and Begum Mehnaz Rafi and Ms
Nasim Lodhi.

Mr Hashmi claimed that though he was party's acting president, he
enjoyed all powers available to Mian Nawaz Sharif. He said the only
power not available to him was appointing or removing anybody as
members of the central working committee.

Describing the Feb 19 general council meeting as unconstitutional
and illegal, Hashmi directed all members to stay away.

"What will be the status of their decision in case majority of the
members participated despite a stay-away call from your side?", a
reporter asked.

Hashmi believed that everybody would stay away. He said any
judgment by a committee of journalists on the authenticity of the
council members would be acceptable to him. "Let them present the
lists before the press".

He reiterated that Zulfikar Khosa would step down as provincial
president in case the Chaudhrys published the list of all 768
members they claimed to have signed the requisition notice.

The acting PML president alleged that through the Feb 19 meeting
the government was trying to create a new group of its supporters.
He said since the rulers wanted to break up the PML, he was
appealing to the members to abstain from the meeting.

20010211

Former STA judge gets seven-year RI

2006-05-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

13 June 2000, Tuesday, 9 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1421

LAHORE, June 12: An accountability court on Monday sentenced a former suppression of terrorist activities (STA) court judge, Chaudhry Zahoor Hussain, to seven years' rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs200,000.

The former judge will undergo further imprisonment for six months in default of payment of the fine.

The court, comprising judge Munir Ahmad Sheikh, directed that since the former judge was accustomed to a "better mode of living" he should be given B-class in jail till the government passed any final order.

The former judge was found guilty of taking bribe from a complainant in a murder case for accepting the bail applications of the accused in the case.

Chaudhry Zahoor served as STA judge in Lahore during 1996. The application against the former judge was filed by Mohammed Iqbal Tahir whose two brothers, Zafar Iqbal and Fayyaz Ahmad, were murdered in Ghaziabad area on Jan 8, 1996.

The bribe, paid by Tahir Iqbal to prevent the bail of the alleged killers of his brother, included payment of the former judge's mobile phone bill which was Rs6,205; a pair of gold bangles worth Rs17,900 for the judge's wife; payment of Rs101,500 as security and advance rent of a bungalow in the Defence area; carpets worth Rs24,279; tubelights, flower pots; wall clock for decoration of the bungalow and a Sohrab bicycle for the former judge's servant.

The accused did not make a statement under-oath but he was examined under section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code during which he made detailed replies to the questions put to him. The former judge denied the charges. He claimed that the articles, except the bicycle, claimed to have been given to him as bribe belonged to him. He submitted a copy of the high court order by which his bail cancellation order was upheld.
The former judge said a number of PML leaders appeared before him as accused in different cases and he had cancelled the pre- arrest bail of Pir Binyamin Rizvi. He said Tahir Iqbal was planted by the PML leaders after the cancellation of the Pir Binyamin's bail.

The accused on Monday submitted before the court that he should be sent to Adiala jail because he did not feel safe in Kot Lakhpat jail where some people convicted by him had been imprisoned. The court sent him to Camp jail for the time being and directed that the authorities concerned should decide the matter in accordance with law.

Arrest of 54 important personalities ordered

2006-05-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

In Kot Lakhpat Jail in 1995

LAHORE: The Interior Ministry on directions from the military authorities has issued a list of 54 important personalities to FIA and other intelligence agencies with a direction of their immediate arrest. These people have also been put on the Exit Control List.

The authorities have directed the immigration and related officials to immediately detain any of these people if they are found trying to flee the country. It has further been directed to contact the area Corps Commander in case any one of them is located.

The list includes names of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, former chief minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, Gohar Ayub Khan, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Ch Nisar Ali Khan, Raja Nadir Parvez, Lt Gen (r) Abdul Majeed Malik, Ch Shujaat Hussain, Syed Mushahid Hussain, Ishaq Dar, Sartaj Aziz, Abdul Sattar Lalika, Mian Yasin Wattoo, Raja Zafarul Haq, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Capt (r) Halim Siddiqui, Asghar Ali Shah, Khawaja Mohammad Asif, Ch Mohammad Farooq, Humayun Akhtar, Mian Mahmood Ahmed Khan, Elahi Baksh Soomro, Ch Jafar Iqbal, Rao Qaiser Ali Khan, Ghulam Dastagir Khan, Shahid Khakan Abbasi, Naved Qamar, DG FIA, DG IB, Saifur Rehman, Raja Basharat, Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, Pir Binyamin Rizvi, Mian Miraj Din, Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khosa, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, Syed Ghous Ali Shah, Liaquat Ali Jatoi, Sardar Mehtab Khan Abbasi, Ghani-ur-Rehman, Mohammad Yousaf Ayub, Habibullah Khan Kundi, Ali Afzal Jadoon, Sheikh Jaffar Iqbal Mundokhel, Mir Faiq Ali Jamali, Sardar Saleh Mohammad, Mujeeb-ur-Rehman, Chairman Steel Mills, former DGI ISI, Syed Fazal Agha, Mian Gull Aurengzeb, Amir Fiaz Shah, Lt Gen (Retd) Tariq Pervaiz, former Secretary Defence Chaudhry Iftikhar Ali Khan and journalist Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami. The name of chief minister Baluchistan Jan Mohammad Jamali has not been included in the list.

Punjab allocates Rs 7.5bn for health

2006-05-22T09:27:00.000-07:00

990724

Punjab Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Maal Minister, Pir Binyamin Rizvi With CM Punjab

LAHORE: The Punjab government has earmarked Rs 7.5 billions for the provision of better health facilities to people at their door-steps.

Inaugurating a "Mother and Child Welfare Centre," established by an NGO on Friday near Raiwind, the Punjab Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Maal Minister, Pir Binyamin Rizvi said the government is fully committed to provide specialised medical cover to the masses within given resources across the province. He said government would soon launch "Pakistan Women Project" costing Rs 1.25 billion in collaboration with Asian Development Bank to help improve living conditions of the women folk in the country.

He said the government would fully encourage the Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) engaged actively in the healthy activities for the welfare of the down-trodden, contributing their due shares towards the betterment of the people across the country. APP

'PML govt will never undertake any deal against national interest'

2006-05-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

990709

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Social Welfare, Pir Binyamin Rizvi has reiterated that PML is one of those veteran parties of the country which worked for the establishment of Pakistan.

He said PML government will never undertake any deal which goes against the national interest and will resign from office if any such deal is forced on it.

He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of a vocational centre set up by the newly established Tameer-e-Muslim Welfare Association here on Thursday.

MPA Haji Maqsood Butt, local councillors and NGO representatives were also present on the occasion.

Addressing the gathering, the minister said all rumours and speculations pitted against PML are based on vested interest.

Binyamin said he reposed full confidence in the leadership of Premier Nawaz Sharif, and prayed that he may be granted the strength and courage to steer the country towards safer waters.

The minister, while justifying the government action against NGOs, said the fact that he was present in person for an NGO function should be taken as his support for genuine organisations which are doing social service at grass-root level.

He observed that his government however, will not spare people who have bungled millions in the name of social service.

"We want solid proof of their validity from the NGOs," he said adding that mere paper work and seminars etc will not be sufficient to convince the government.

He emphasised that the country needs dedicated social workers and institutions which can work to control the burgeoning population of the country and provide social services.

The government, he remarked, has introduced good governance in every field of life, and signs of improvement are evident already.

MPA Haji Maqsood Butt, president of the Tameer-e-Muslim Welfare Association while addressing the gathering said the association is being run on self-help basis, and said when there is a commitment to serve, NGOs can be run on self-help basis.

Councillor Muhammed Aslam announced to give three marla land for the said NGO, and the local MPA announced to fund the building to be constructed on it.ÑAPP

ACTION AGAINST 'ANTI-STATE' NGO'S MY DUTY: BINYAMIN

2006-05-22T09:25:00.001-07:00

Press Report in The News, 28 May 1999

By Our Correspondent
Punjab Social Welfare Minister Pir Binyamin Rizvi has said exposing the people who made a symbolic grave and spoke against the army is jehad. In a statement here thursday, he said being a true 'patriot', it was his durty to take action against all the NGO's working against the state.
He said he was unable to understand that accountability of NGO's was being done in Pakistan then why the West was crying. He said it revealed that those NGO's were working for their foreign masters and playing with the
sovereignity of the country. He said to save the country it was necessary to check their activities and take action against all those working against the state.

Binyamin said some NGO's had submitted a detailed report against him to the
United Nations while some non-Muslim NGO's representatives had started his character assasination to stop him from the mission. He, however, said all such steps could not stop him taking action against NGO's. He added the government would always help and patronize the NGO's working for the public welfare.

LAW TO CURB ANTI-STATE ACTIONs SOON

2006-05-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

Press Report in THE NEWS (Pakistan) 25 May 99

by Arslan Rafiq Bhatti

LAHORE: "The government will soon make tough laws to check the illegal activities of the NGOs and will give exemplary punishment to those involved in anti-State and illegal activities," said Punjab Social Welfare Minister Pir Binyamin Rizvi in an interview with The News. He said the law will have two main parts 1) No NGO will be allowed to work against Pakistan and 2)
Bound to provide record of money they got and where it was spent. He said all the NGOs were free to work on the charter they were registered on and they were bound not to deviate from their original path of work. He added after the legislation, all the NGOs would be paid by cheque through the
State Bank.
Binyamin explained about 90 per cent of the NGOs registered under the
Social Welfare Act were found to be bogus and an inquiry against those involved in anti-State activies was under way. He said most NGOs were not running public welfare programmes but instead were "doing politics" by using the NGO platform and maintained some even refused to provide a record of their activities and accounts to the government. This, is what caused the recent action to dissolve some NGOs. "Besides, they get huge funds from their donors but hoodwink them by paying paltry sums to their employees and pocketing the rest of the salary mentioned themselves", Binyamin said.
He said the government or he had nothing against the NGOs and the action taken was without discrimination."But whoever worked against Pakistan would have to face the music he stated.He said he had no concern with the NGOs' school's of thought but was worried by their actions. No NGO was working on its charter, whether human rights or women rights. And though doing politics was not objectionable, they should join a political party to practice this.

"The government would not allow NGOs to do politics." He stressed. He said the managements of most NGOs were misusing the platform and working against the country, harming its interests internationally in return for lots of money. He said they got money to defame the country from spots ranging from Geneva to Washington.
Binyamin said that of 1,941 dissolved NGOs, 1,100 were ghost ones while the rest were not providing annual records of accounts (audit reports) or their activities were against their charters on which they were registered with the department concerned. He said the dissolved NGOs had the right to appeal and about 10 NGOs had already filed an appeal with the secretary, including Kishwar Naheed - who has an NGO by the name of 'Hawwa'. He said no institution conducted any accountability or ever checked their activities for over five decades.
About financial assistance, the minister alleged Shirkatgah got Rs 800 million from the World Bank in the name of public welfare and the nation had the right to ask its management where the money was being spent. He maintained "the NGO had refused several times to provide an audit report to the Social Welfare Department; which was intolerable".
About some NGOs which had accused him of one sided action he said the
Prime Minister, Chief Minister and he himself had nothing against them as they believed NGOs have a very important role in the Third World, and the
Chief Minister himself had handed over some schools to NGOs. But his government was against NGOs "involved in anti-State and anti-Islam policies, working for and toeing the line of donor agencies after taking money from them."

He added some NGOs were even providing "girls" to senior government officials to get aid and clear the inquiries against them, alleging that because he had unearthed the nefarious designs of some NGOs, he had received several death threats from various quarters including the NGO mafia. Binyamin however added he would continue his crusade against the NGOs working against their charter and involved in anti-State activities.
He said the NGOs didn't want their activities and money matters revealed to the public, so they were raising a hue and cry. He added in future every NGO would have to provide its annual audit report to the department and there would be a strict check on their activities.

NGOS UNDER FIRE IN NEW CAMPAIGN

2006-05-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

Press Report in The News 25 May 99

Similar efforts also made in the past; new registration forms, laws being
finalised
By Sultan J. Qureshi

Lahore: Recent attempts to curb NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations)
activities on various ground s is being seen by many as an attempt to gain
control over independent NGOs, rather than to serve the public cause by
clamping down on organisations acting merely for profit by misusing funds
behind a facade of welfare work.
The Punjab Social Welfare Minister, Pir Binyamin Rizvi, who is leading the
actions has however consistently denied any such move, stating the
government is eager to stop groups acting against the national interest,
while pointing out that a vast majority of NGOs were found to be bogus.
After swiftly scrapping 1,941 NGOs some weeks ago, Binyamin Rizvi has been
accusing some NGOs of working against Pakistan and the ideology of the
country. The minister has so far not named any particular NGO, but a spate
of actions against the internationally known Human Rights Commission of
Pakistan (HRCP) and other groups seems to suggest the direction of
administrative moves.
A number of NGOs, including Shirkat Gah, a body working essentially to
research issues linked to women's welfare , the legal rights and community
work; Aurat, a group carrying out research and work on raising awareness
among women and Ajoka, a theatre group which first began performing plays
under the regime of the late General Ziaul Haq, are also said to be at the
forefront of the evidence-collecting exercise presently being carried out.
Shirkat Gah, headed by well-known activist Khawar Mumtaz, has already been
served a notice asking it to explain its position regarding funds and other
matters. The reason for the actions is unclear, especially since the Ajoka
theatre group, staging street plays to raise awareness on a variety of
issues, Aurat and Shirkat Gah have remained non-controversial in the past.
The HRCP too, which speaks out routinely on national issues, has never been
accused of malpractices. It's current chairperson is Asfandyar Wali.
All the four named NGOs, as well as others, are well established, in most
cases with office premises, known office holders and a record of work
visible to most.
Last week, the government cancelled the declaration of the HRCP's quarterly
newsletter claiming the organisation did not respond to the notice sent to
them for non-compliance with the rule of sending two copies of the
newsletter to the government and notifying a change in address and the
printers.
The HRCP has maintained it was regularly sending the copies, whereas it was
not aware that under existing publication rules it was required to notify a
change in premises. It also says no notice was received by it.
Interestingly, this is not for the first time that the government has
started a move against NGOs. There have been similar attempts in the past.
In August 1994, the then Punjab minister for social welfare Badarud Din
Chaudhry also issued statements about taking stern action against NGOs. A
draft legislation in this regard was also made to be presented before the
National Assembly. This ignited a long debate at that time as well, which
finally faded out without making any headway either way.
However, this time the government action has come with great speed and
fury. Criminal cases, with the Anti Corruption Establishment (ACE) have
also been registered against NGOs who have not provided or refused to
provide audit reports of their accounts to the government.
Against the general impression that NGOs are a relatively new phenomena in
this part of the world, the concept of welfare and reformatory committees
involving and organizing people at the grassroots level has existed since
long. The Agha Khan Rural Support Programme, Orangi Pilot Project, Human
Rights Commission of Pakistan, Ansar Burni Trust, Women Action Forum and
Aurat Foundation are few names that have been playing an important role in
community development, poverty alleviation and awareness raising. Other
NGOs, linked to women's welfare or family planning, in some cases date back
to the days before Partition.
According to a survey by the Planning and Development Division, there were
some 6,500 NGOs registered in Punjab alone. All but a few hundred NGOs did
not submit their audits to the government. The majority of these NGOs are
small, operating at local levels. They are predominantly charity or welfare
oriented but have little to do with development.
It is also clear many are in fact dummy organisations, and after a proper
survey need to be eliminated. In some cases, such outfits do not even have
an office, and money goes straight into the pockets of the 'office-bearers'
running them. In other instances they are fooling people in the name of
providing education, drug rehabilitation or other facilities, employing
unqualified staff and charging high fees for these non-existent services.
It is clear the main thrust of any action must be directed against such
bodies, in some case causing real harm to innocent citizens.
The larger NGOs are well-established, professionally managed, often with a
body of paid staff. These are mostly urban-based and because they are
sustained through donor agencies, their information of objectives is
closely linked with the availability of donor funds. Besides other
allegations against the NGOs, embezzlement of funds is another point that
the government is working on.
Interestingly, funds misappropriation was the main reason which emerged for
several government programmes to end without bearing fruit. The 'five
point' programme of the Junejo government, the People's Works Programme of
the Benazir Bhutto government and Tameer-e-Wattan Programme of the Nawaz
Sharif government were mostly used for political patronage rather than for
people's development. As such, the gap between the 'haves' and 'haves not'
has been increasing over the time.
These ground conditions in fact played a part in giving rise to the NGOs,
in order to try and address the grave imbalance in all socio-economic and
political sectors of society. The poorest sections of society, who are
mostly excluded from the government poverty alleviation programmes, are the
target of the work of various NGOs, such as Akhtar Hamid Khan's
Karachi-based Orangi Pilot Project - which has become a model for similar
work for social upliftment around the world.
The failure of Junejo's Housing Scheme is one example which proves that the
development schemes carried out without consulting the beneficiaries could
result in waste of resources. On the other hand, the flood resistant
housing schemes of Pattan development Organisation in the flood prone areas
of Shamsabad (Dist Sargodha) and Sunakhi (Dist Muzaffargarh) are successful
because the community was involved in designing construction and management
of project.
Similarly, other NGOs have involved themselves in works aimed at raising
awareness about human rights, acting to try and curb violations, checking
instances of injustice or carrying out much needed research work into
issues such as development, the rights of women, awareness among various
sectors as to their rights and so on=8A
International awards given to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and
worldwide recognition of the services of many other NGOs are proof that
these NGOs are serving a cause. Acting against them only because some are
perceived as raising points which criticise governmental policy amounts to
seeing matters in a highly negative light. Rather than lashing out against
the HRCP's report for 1998, which pointed to instances of police torture,
'encounter' deaths, violence against women and so on - the national cause
may have been better served by at least looking into these issues, and
amending matters where truth was found behind the extensive data collected.
In its apparent attempt to subdue the NGOs, the government is currently
working on a new registration law in which it is proposed to make
compulsory for a detailed form, including views on religious, ideological
and other matters to be filled out in detail. It is not clear if only those
heading NGOs, or all its members too, are expected to complete the forms -
or what the situation will be in the case of NGOs run by Christians.
The NGOs, under the new registration regulations, will also have the
guarantee that they will not work against Islam and the State, and are
bound to provide annual statements of their accounts being spent on their
projects. However, the NGOs have fortunately been given the right to appeal
against the cancellation of the registration. The summary in this regard
has been sent to the chief minister with suggestion to lift the ban on new
registration of NGOs.
It is not clear if any evidence exists at present with the government on
anti-Sate activities involving an NGO. If such proof exists, as has been
indicated by Pir Binyamin, it is imperative it be produced before the
courts, so action can be swiftly taken against those engaged in such
offences, ranked as among the most serious of crimes, so that due
punishment under the law can be meted out without delay.

Bin Yamin "vows to expose Akoja, Shirkat Gah and HRCP's activities".

2006-05-22T09:23:00.000-07:00

Accusing them of "spreading vulgarity and obscenity in the name of human rights" and "spreading immorality" he says that the "NGO mafia should be eliminated"
Says in the next three months he will gather information about office bearers and expose intentions and the workings of all registered NGOs (News
15-5-99)

2000 NGOs shut down in Pakistan

2006-05-22T09:22:00.000-07:00

ISLAMABAD, May 10 (PTI) — In a move to crush any voice of dissent against government policies, the Pakistani authorities have disbanded nearly 2,000 NGOs, frozen their bank accounts and confiscated assets and threatened to take similar action against others, including the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).

The Punjab Government, which is headed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s younger brother Shahbaz Sharif, announced last evening that it has "dissolved" 1,941 NGOs based in the province because of their alleged involvement in "corrupt practices and undesirable activities".

Announcing this, the Punjab Social Welfare Minister Pir Binyamin Rizwi, who has been a vocal critic of the NGOs over the past few months, said that the action was taken after a thorough investigation by a special committee headed by him over the past eight months.

He said similar investigations have also been launched against nearly 29,500 NGOs, including the HRCP, which are registered with the Industries Department under the Cooperative Societies Act and warned of a similar action against them too.

HRCP slammed the government move and said its "intentions are not good" as it simply wants to take action against those NGOs which have been criticising the government on various issues.

"This government action was very much expected," an HRCP spokesman told PTI on the phone from Lahore.

The government had launched a verbal attack on the NGOs, especially the HRCP, since they opposed Nawaz Sharif’s Shariah Bill to enforce Islamic law in Pakistan, he alleged.

"They are targeting us because we had organised a protest march against the Shariah Bill," he said.

In the garb of streamlining the activities of NGOs in the country the government is trying to "victimise" those NGOs which are critical of some government policies, he said. The government is "targeting only those NGOs which do not suit it", he added.

The Punjab Minister said that the assets confiscated from the NGOs will be given to "those NGOs which are working well".

He had announced earlier that at least half of the "dissolved" NGOs were either "dead" or "ghost organisations" doing nothing but pocketing funds from various donors.

The latest action comes in the wake of a consistent campaign against NGOs by the government over the past several months. The government has alleged that these NGOs do nothing except criticise the government in the name of human rights violations and women’s rights.

Only last month an NGO was in the news when a woman from Peshawar was taking shelter in a women’s home run by Hina Jilani she was shot dead allegedly in connivance with her family members because she was seeking divorce from her husband for reportedly ill-treating her.

The authorities are yet to take action against the alleged killers even one month after the incident because they are reportedly close to the Sharif family.

Both Asma Jehangir and her sister Jilani said they have recently received threats to their lives and have been accused of "spoiling women of traditional Pakistani society".

The latest action against NGOs comes close on the heels of Nawaz Sharif government’s recent moves against the press for its criticism of the government.

Mr Najam Sethi, editor of the Friday Times, was arrested by the government on Saturday for making "some statements" at a seminar in New Delhi recently.

"NGOS GUILTY OF PROMOTING IMMORALITY, CLAIMS BINYAMIN"

2006-05-22T09:21:00.000-07:00

(* News report in The News [Pakistan], 5 May 1999)

LASHES OUT AT NGOS FOR GETTING MASSIVE FUNDS FROM FOREIGN MASTERS, VOWS TO
EXPOSE AJOKA, SHIRKAT GAH AND HRCP'S ACTIVITIES"

Punjab Social Welfare Minister Pir Binjamin Rizvi has said if the activities of the NGOs are not checked the country will be turned into an "East India Company" in the next eight years.

In a press statement here Friday, he said the NGO mafia should be eliminated and added that he would expose the activities of Ajoka, Shirkat Gah and Human Rights Commission.
"Is it a safeguard of human rights to give a chance to a girl to spend a night with her paramour?" Binyamin asked. He maintained these
organisations were spreading vulgarity and obscenity in the name of human rights. He said the Human Rights Commission was trying to promote a "culture of adultery" and it wanted to create a generation which didn't even know about their parents, and when they grew up they would have no love for the country or Islam.

Binyamin said that NGOs, after registration, got huge funds, served their foreign masters and worked for some "vested interests." He said an NGO had destroyed the carpet industry - delivering a severe blow to the economy and exports. He said in future, before registration, complete details would be gathered about all the office-bearers of the NGO. He added in the next three months he would expose the working of all the registered NGOs, while accusing them of creating hatred among different religions and communities.
He said his department was gathering details about retired bureaucrats, politicians, officials etc. working in the NGOs and misusing and abusing their powers. Meanwhile The department of Social Welfare Punjab and its counterpart from Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) have mutually decided to weed out all NGOs which squeeze money from people in the name of Kashmir refugees.

A number of fake NGOs fleeced money from people by emotionally blackmailing them in the name of Kashmir, said Binjamin adding that his department would provide the names of such NGOs to the department of Social Welfare AJK and action would be taken against them.

Naheed Khan challenges Binyamin

2006-05-22T09:20:00.000-07:00

990625

RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: 'Pir Binyamin should move the court against me instead of accusing me in a press conference'.

This was stated by Naheed Khan, political secretary to Benazir Bhutto, in a statement in response to the press conference in which Punjab minister Pir Binyamin Rizvi accused her of corruption.

She said that she had advised her lawyers to send a legal notice to Pir Binyamin. She challenged Pir Binyamin to register a case against her and let the court sift the truth from falsehood.

99feb15

Pakistan : Skinning the NGOs Alive

By : Cassandra Balchin

Lahore, (WFS) - "If the people are told about the deeds of the Women's Institute then they will skin them alive!" This was a headline accompanying Pakistani press reports of the full-scale attack launched by Punjab Minister of Social Welfare, Pir Binyamin Rizvi, against non-government organisations at a press conference.

Two weeks later, following what were termed "frank discussions" between the minister and a delegation from the Punjab NGO Coordination Council (PNCC), Rizvi agreed that Pakistan's NGO have a vital role to play in society.

The social welfare minister's moderation of his stand marked an apparent end to a vitriolic two-week public campaign, which the country's delighted gutter press reported with relish every morning.

The vitriolic attack which Rizvi claimed had the backing of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif (brother of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif) surprised even hardened observers of Pakistan's perennially unstable political scene.

In a throwback to his origins as an activist of the rabble-rousing right-wing Jamaat-i-Islami, Rizvi had thundered to the press that "the people will torch their bungalows where behind closed doors Indian, Jewish and other non-Muslims come to give lectures." He had also alleged that the staff of the Women's Institute were indulging in drinking.

The reference was to the Women's Studies Institute, set up by a Lahore based NGO in 1997 as the first institution in Pakistan to offer a full-fledged women's studies course.

But the actual source of the government's ire has not gone unnoticed. Dawn, a newspaper noted for its cautions political reportage, in an editorial commented, "it is obvious that the Punjab government is not so much concerned about the bonafides of the NGOs as it is upset over their championing of democratic and liberal causes."

The newspaper took its cue from Rizvi's reported statement that the Institute was "brainwashing young women and making them pursue a course that clashed with government policies." Rizvi had announced that NGOs would have to sign a pledge that they would not indulge in "anti-state, anti-government and anti-Islam activities", and that they would require clearance from intelligence agencies to be allowed to function.

Two weeks later, according to a PNCC press statement following the meeting with the PNCC delegation, Rizvi conceded that "it is the constitutional right of NGOs to disagree with government policies."

The Women's Studies Institute is run by the Applied Socio-Economic Resource Centre, commonly known by its acronym ASR, meaning ‘impact’ in Urdu. ASR made a low-key response to the attack, with its feminist director Nighat Saeed Khan stating in a letter to the editor that "the fact that an institute promoting women's education has been targeted shows the Minister's bias against women's development."

Out of the 5,967 NGOs registered with the Social Welfare Department in Punjab, women's development NGOs are the single largest category - 1,807 organisations.

The Joint Action Committee for People's Rights (JAC), a coalition of 35 women's and human rights groups, issued a strong condemnation of Rizvi's "slanderous statements". It noted that "the government itself has admitted the competence of these NGOs by involving them in a number of bodies which have been set up to implement Pakistan's national and international commitments to the advancement of women's rights."

Ironically, at the same time as the Minister's two week campaign, the Senate Standing Committee on Population Welfare was underlining the need for greater involvement of NGOs to raise mass awareness. During the same period the Standing Committee on Human Rights also invited NGO participation in activities.

But government attempts to control an increasingly vocal and united NGO community seem likely to continue unabated.

Last August a ‘screening’ committee was set up under Rizvi's charge. Comments Aziz Siddiqui, Joint Director of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), "Even before he started, the Minister announced that 90% of NGOs were fraudulent. The thrust of the exercise to come was thus made obvious."

On January 12, the Punjab Chief Minister ordered an enquiry into NGOs registered under the Societies Act, which if found to be involved in anti-state activities would reportedly be dissolved.

NGO sources report that Special Branch police have been asking small NGOs two basic questions : whether the organisation has links with Asma Jahangir, chairperson of the HRCP and one of Pakistan's most outspoken human rights activists; and whether the organisation is against the proposed 15th Constitutional Amendment. Human rights NGOs have been at the forefront of opposition to the so-called Shariat Bill, which seeks to make the Qur'an and Sunnah the supreme source of law in Pakistan.

Over the past three years, successive governments in Pakistan have threatened NGOs with restrictive legislation. Both the PNCC and its national-level counterpart, the Pakistan National Forum, arose out of strong lobbying against a proposed NGO Bill. Although the NGO Bill was abandoned following a change in government in 1996, the present government too is holding out the threat of legislation.

Meanwhile, the Planning Commission, the body responsible for coordinating all national budget and development plans, has included in the Ninth Five-Year Plan (1999-2004) recommendations for controlling the non-government sector.

The Commission says, "NGOs must not be permitted to form parallel government functionaries, rather must be coordinated, controlled and supervised by the government functionary. NGOs access to international donors without the consent of the government must be discouraged." The Commission proposes "blacklisting of NGOs if found defaulting and hindering the government functionaries responsibilities."

While resisting the government's attempt to impose sweeping controls, the PNCC and JAC recognise that the NGO sector has its problems. The JAC statement says "irregularities must be inquired into", but this must be "through a mechanism which is visibly transparent, objective and free of all political biases. Genuine accountability should be done within the sphere of lawful authority".

Rizvi's estimate of the number of fraudulent NGOs was clearly off the mark. Indeed, the Minister himself subsequently calculated that out of the 5,967 NGOs registered in the Punjab, 53% were "non-existent or inactive". These included the well-established Crescent Youth Organisation, which was branded as bogus by intelligence reports simply because it was not found at the address on its registration documents, filed in the 1960s.

Laws already exist providing for the regulation of the non-governmental sector but are not implemented. Said one PNCC source who preferred to remain anonymous, "The Social Welfare Department has been unable to do its job and their officials are stuck with development concept which date back to the 1960s. But this is no reason to launch a witch-hunt against NGOs which are doing better work than the government."

The PNCC delegation, following a request from the Minister during their exchange, offered to assist the Social Welfare Department in clarifying development concepts and establishing transparent regulatory systems.

While there is a small possibility that a constructive dialogue may begin between the government and the NGOs, this is not the only front on which the Nawaz Sharif government is battling. In recent weeks it has taken on the press, unofficially blacklisting journalists who are critical of the government and conducting raids on offices of the leading Jang newspaper group. It has also taken on the Supreme Court, which recently stayed admitted petitions challenging the validity of military courts appointed by the government.

It is a government which is seeking to extend its control over all aspects of society. But the NGOs, at least, have sent a clear message that they will not give up their independence without a fight.

Creed of terror

FEBRUARY 1999

There is no check on the curriculum and teachings in these schools, on their sources of funding, or the impact they have on impressionable young ones, most of whom attend because of the guarantee of two square meals a day. By the time they leave these institutions, the students are full of blind conviction. This conviction will often include the belief that those belonging to other sects are kafir whom it is jaez (valid) to kill—wall chalkings and graffiti on buses proclaim this openly, as do sermons from mosques.

In India, schools run by the BJP are engaged in brainwashing young minds. Incidents involving sectarian terrorism evoke a routine wimpish administrative response. Deputy commissioners and police chiefs are shuffled about, hate literature is confiscated only belatedly, and then there is much sloganeering and claims of the sectarian monster having been conquered.

It is much the same in Pakistan where there is no visible campaign to rid society of hate speech and hate materials. Newspapers routinely print what are essentially incitements to murder on their front pages, and no action is taken against those who make these pronouncements. Political parties play dumb on the sectarian issue, and successive governments have routinely compromised with the sectarian groups. Take the example of the PML, which, shortly after coming to power, declared it would check the inter-sect violence. To this end, it established the Anti-Terrorist Courts and the Muttehida Ulema Board. The ATC convicted no more than a handful of communal terrorists, and now has decided to concentrate on other areas. The Muttehida Ulema Board, set up by the chief minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, the brother of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, fizzled out after he failed to turn up at five consecutive meetings after the inauguration.

As a result, once more people are praying in mosques and imambargahs under the shadow of armed police deputed to each place of worship. This is how Muslims in a declared Muslim country are besieged and terrorised by their fellow believers. The message given by Prime Minister Sharif itself is one of violence: he has openly exhorted crowds to pressurise and “force” those who oppose the controversial 15th Amendment to the Constitution to change their views. Taking the cue, his ministers have used unparliamentary language about activist NGOs, as in the case of Punjab Minister for Social Welfare, Pir Binyamin Rizvi, who accused a couple of women’s NGOs of “conspiring against national interests”. The proof? None required. The fact that they are among those who oppose the 15th Amendment and have met visitors from India apparently makes for a strong enough case.

If things are to change, the Pakistani government must honestly appraise the repercussions of the messages its own functionaries give out. It must critically examine the sectarian situation and do what needs to be done, without playing to the political gallery. And the same is to be done, across the border, by the Government of India.

What did Benazir discuss with Shamon Peres?

2006-05-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

981023

LAHORE: Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has resorted to character assassination of the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the entire Sharif family by getting published baseless charges in the 'Observer' and 'Independent' in the UK, as well as in American media through the Jewish lobby, after failing to provide proof even during her tenure as prime minister.

This was observed by the Minister for Social Welfare and Secretary Information PML Punjab, Pir Binyamin Rizvi who is currently on a visit to Britain.

He claimed it is clear that the vilification campaign has been initiated by Benazir to offset the rising popular support enjoyed by Nawaz Sharif following Pakistan's nuclear detonation, the passage of the Shariat Bill in the Assembly and the recent 30 percent decrease in power tariff.

The minister asserted that the people of Pakistan have a right to know what matters were discussed in the recent, one-to-one meeting held in California between Benazir and Shamon Peres, former prime minister of Israel.

He feared that sensitive information compromising national interests may have been leaked at the meeting in exchange for the defamation campaign launched against the present Pakistani leaders by the Jewish lobby in the Western media.

Binyamin further alleged that it is no coincidence that the campaign against the prime minister is orchestrated at a time when the Shariat Bill is on the threshold of becoming law, and Islamisation, which is seen as a threat to Western interests, is imminent.

He suggested that Benazir, if she has any proof of the baseless allegations being fed to the Western media, should submit a report of the same to the President or to the higher courts, so that truth and justice may be served.

He said that in the absence of solid proof, the slander must be stopped forthwith, and demanded to the President to order a probe into the matters discussed by Benazir in her meeting with the Israeli leader.ÑAPP

970918

Lahore Perspective: Issues settled and unsettled

HAIDER HASAN

Democracy has its own dynamics. Absolute majority does not qualify the people at the helm of affairs to be whimsical in their approach towards other institutions or while taking decisions of national importance.

The PML (N) has an absolute majority, the opposition is marginalised and yet Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif is not happy with the way things are moving.

Since he took over, the Prime Minister appears to be in a hurry. No doubt, the second time around, he wants to take many positive steps to usher in an era of prosperity and improve the existing institutional system; but, pursuing the goals he has identified, he, apparently, errs on the side of idealising the miracles of the 'Asian Tigers'. What has been ignored is the fact that the countries described as Asian economic giants, have a dictatorial system of governance in place, although the ruling elite in these countries has taken pride in calling their system democratic.

Doing away with the infamous 58-2 (b) and leashing the ruling party members by introducing the anti-floor crossing law, the government attemped to reduce the number of Supreme Court Judges from 17 to 12.

Thus Lahore became a centre of hectic top level activity during the last few days with Chief Justice of Pakistan spending a couple of days in the provincial metropolis and Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif holding a second round of parleys with the Chief Justice Syed Sajjad Ali Shah. The moot point was the question of reduction in the number of Judges with Shahbaz Sharif representing the executive. The first round of talks on the issue was held in Karachi a week earlier.

Looking at the country's history it is evident that while the past rulers claimed to have made Pakistan a great country, yet, at the same time, they found it prudent to meddle with the independence of the judiciary, with impunity, and, more disturbingly, got away with it. Ayub Khan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, General Ziaul Haq and Benazir Bhutto all attempted to stifle this institution.

The dratic events that followed the unsuccessful Shahbaz mission government's review petition one day and the withdrawal of the disputed notification curtailing Supreme Court strength the next day culminated in the disposal of the association petition against the government notification. That ended well apparent at least; if all is well remains to be seen.

Back to what happened in Lahore. Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif met the Chief Justice, representing the Federal Government. It is yet to be known as to why the Prime Minister himself did not meet the Chief Justice.

Even before the CJ-CM meeting the city saw a lot of controversy, a boon for the news hounds, emanating from of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) Punjab Working Committee meeting, presided over by the President of the party's Punjab Chapter, Ch Shujat Hussain, the Interior Minister.

Even the provincial ministers complained about the attitude of the bureaucracy and lack of organisation in the party. Not only did the newsmen hear all these complaints while sitting outside the shamyana at Muslim League House, but the PML Punjab Information Secretary Pir Binyamin Rizvi officially briefed the newsmen about what transpired in the meeting and specified who held what view on which issue discussed in the meeting. The headlines in the next day's newspapers prompted, (or was he propelled by the CM, as some think), the General Secretary of the party, Sardar Zulfikar Khosa, the Finance Minister, to deny whatever was attributed to him or any other person in the meeting. He was insistent about not saying anything against the attitude of the bureaucracy. He went on to say that the party would take action against Pir Binyamin Rizvi for misinforming the press.

Within a couple of days afterwards Provincial Health Minister Hafiz Iqbal Khakwani backed out from having said that 'we have not become ministers for the salary and if they cannot command the respect of the bureaucracy it is better not to be a minister.' It might have been a strong Khakwani bashing by Mian Shahbaz Sharif. Whatever happened, the Hafiz from Multan addressed a hurriedly called press conference and denied all that was attributed to his speech in the Working Committee meeting. He was also annoyed with Pir Binyamin Rizvi.

The Pir from Gujrat, an MPA on a corresponding National Assembly seat as Ch Shujat Hussain and a close confidante of the Chaudhary family, retaliated by announcing a privileged motion against Hafiz Iqbal Khakwani for calling him a liar. He also claimed that he was not a minister who would lie to save his ministry.

Later on Ch Shujat Hussain, in an encounter with the reporters, refused to entertain the possibility of any action against Pir Binyamin Rizvi. He threw his weight behind the Pir saying that 'I will not allow anyone to make him an scapegoat.'

This all proved to be heady material for the press. The latest developments have given further credence to the rising misunderstanding between the Sharifs and Chaudharies. It now appears that they are on one platform merely for the sake of dEtente. The Chaudhary family had long cherished the hope of occupying Chief Ministership of Punjab. However, their hopes were dashed to the ground when PML parliamentary party in Punjab nominated Mian Shahbaz Sharif for the slot instead of Ch Pervez Elahi, now Speaker of the Punjab Assembly. Sources close to the Chief Minister concede the dislike between the two families for obvious reasons. In the mid 80s when Mian Nawaz Sharif was the Chief Minister of Punjab, Ch Pervez Elahi had made an unsuccessful attempt to make a forward bloc in the Punjab Assembly, in collusion with maverick Finance Minister Makhdoom Altaf Hussain. In politics every one has a long memory, and forgiveness a transitory phenonmenon.

High treason case against Nawaz

2006-05-22T09:14:00.000-07:00

15 June, 1995
-------------------------------------------------------------------

*From Shujaat Ali Khan

LAHORE, June 12: Former prime minister Mian Nawaz Sharif has been
charged with high treason in a complaint lodged with police by the
Punjab Home Secretary, Hafeez Akhtar Randhawa.

Also cited as the opposition leader's co-accused are the former federal
interior secretary, Senator Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and former
provincial governor Mian Muhammad Azhar.

The complaint has been filed in the Qila Gujjar Singh police station,
Lahore, under Section 2 of the High Treason (Punishment) Act 1973,
enacted pursuant to Article 6 of the Constitution which prescribes death
as the only punishment for the offence.

The complaint was produced on Monday before a five-member full bench of
the Lahore High Court as it took up the bail petitions of the treason
case accused.

Other co-accused are: MNA Yasin Khan Wattoo; former federal law minister
Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor; Punjab PML, Vice President Azam Cheema and
Information Secretary Binyamin Rizvi, MPAs Chaudhry Muhammad Riaz, Raja
Javed Ikhlas, Sheikh Ijaz Ahmed, Mian Imran Masood, Chaudhry Akhtar
Rasool and Raja Basharat; former MPAs Sohail Zia Butt, Chaudhry Wajahat
Hussain and Chaudhry Shaukat Ali; and former PA Secretary Chaudhry
Habibullah.

The facts of the treason case as ascertained and brought out in
investigation are stated in the complaint as follows:

"After a "No-confidence motion" was overwhelmingly carried against Mr
Ghulam Haider Wyne, the Provincial Assembly, with a large mandate,
elected Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo as Chief Minister, Punjab, on
25.4.1993.

"Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and his cabinet resumed the Federal
Government pursuant to decision of the Supreme Court on 26.5.93. Mian
Muhammad Nawaz Sharif soon thereafter, in conspiracy with others, sought
to pull down the lawfully elected Punjab government which assumed office
pursuant to the ouster of his nominee, Mr Ghulam Haider Wyne. All
unconstitutional, illegal and underhand methods, including horse-
trading, were employed for the purpose.

"In order to deprive people of their right of electing a fresh Assembly
to have their elected representative to regulate the affairs of the
province, Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif and the other accused conspired to
forestall the likely dissolution of the Provincial Assembly.

"As a sequel to such designs, Chaudhry Habibullah, the then Secretary,
Punjab Assembly was taken away from Services International Hotel by
Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain and some other members of the Punjab Assembly
at 8.45 pm on 29.5.93. The surreptitious manner of his being taken away
was reported by Tariq Masood, Staff Officer of the provincial assembly,
at police station, Race Court Road, Lahore. On this report case, FIR No
118 dated 9.5.93 under section 365-A, 109, 14. 148 and 149 PPC was
registered at Police Station, Race Course Road, Lahore.

"The investigating police in the said case tried to locate Chaudhry
Habibullah, but to no avail. Proclamation in the national Press were
issued and the Provincial government offered a large reward for the
recovery of Chaudhry Habibullah.

"Even the honourable High Court during the hearing of a constitutional
petition required his presence and the media carried orders of the court
requiring him to contact the nearest Sessions Judge or Registrar of the
High Court, who were directed to ensure his safe appearance. However,
Chaudhry Habibullah deliberately defied appearance and did not surface.

"As things later crystalised, Chaudhry Habibullah in conspiracy with
others had forged and fabricated a No-confidence motion purportedly
moved against the then Punjab Chief Minister. The said document was
fraudulently shown to have been received by Chaudhry Habibullah, who was
then secretary of the provincial assembly, at 12 noon on 29.5.93.
Photostat copy of the bogus document containing such an endorsement of
Chaudhry Habibullah was utilised to attempt defeating the dissolution of
the provincial assembly and thereby deprive the people of their right to
elect the Members of the provincial assembly. A national crisis was thus
occasioned in consequence and the constitutional functioning of the
Government was completely paralysed.

"Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif having failed to usurp power in the Province
of Punjab through such unconstitutional methods, went berserk. Employing
the so-called proclamation in terms of Article 234 of the Constitution,
he appointed Mian Muhammad Azhar as the administrator of Punjab on
29.6.93. The federal government also unlawfully appointed some key
officers in the province to replace those lawfully holding these offices
to facilitate the usurpation. Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, who was the
interior minister, directed the rangers to move in and facilitate the
takeover of the provincial administration. Neither the proclamation was
sent to the President of Pakistan nor was the appointment of
administrator suggested to him much less have his approval. In fact, the
concept of an administrator of a province is wholly alien to the
Constitution which only postulates the appointment of governor and that
too by the President of Pakistan.

"The then provincial government having verified that such a proclamation
had not been made by the President of Pakistan fulfilled its
Constitutional obligations and the provincial set up was preserved
through the conscientious commitment to the country of responsible and
patriotic officers/agencies.

"The illegal, unconstitutional and subversive activities of Mian
Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and his associates caused a national furore
resulting in dissolution of the National as well as all the four
provincial assemblies of the country. A caretaker government was
installed and the result of the ensuing elections held on 6/9 October
1993, the transparency of which was internationally acclaimed, proved
that Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and his associates had lost the
confidence of the people and their desperate attempts to perpetuate
themselves in power through unconstitutional means had become
conspicuously and evidently understandable.

"The heinous crimes, inter alia, of subversion of the Constitution were
condemned by all and sunday and the Special Assistant to the chief
minister upon consideration of all the factors recommended legal action
pursuant whereto FIR No. 496/94 under section 124-A, 120-B, 161, 166,
172, 173, 174, 465, 468, 469 and 471 PPC, and article 6 of the
Constitution read with Section 2 of the High-Treason (Punishment) Act
1973 was got registered by Nasir Masood, Assistant Security Officer,
Punjab assembly against Chaudhry Habibullah and others on 11.8.94 at
police station, Qilla Gujar Singh, Lahore.

"Chaudhry Habibullah was arrested in the case on 11.8.94. During the
course of investigation on 13.8.94, he recovered the original document
purporting to be the no-confidence motion.

"The first and last pages of the document clearly differ from
intervening nine pages in size, quality, colour and shape.

"Mr Azam Cheema, Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor, Mian Yasin Khan Watto, Akhtar
Abbas Bharwana, Chaudhry Muhammad Riaz, Syed Binyamm Rizvi, Raja Javed
Ikhlas, Mian Imran Masood, Chaudhry Akhtar Rasool, Shaikh Ejaz Ahmad and
Suhail Zia Butt, accused, were also arrested, Chaudhry Shaukat Ali and
Chaudhary Wajahat Hussain could not be arrested and were declared
proclaimed offenders. The arrest of Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and
Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain is still to be made, Chaudhary Habibullah, Syed
Binyamin and Suhail Zia Butt are in judicial lock up while the other
accused mentioned above are on interim bail.

"Evidence forthcoming reveals that pursuant to conspiracy, Chaudhary
Wajahat and Chaudhary Riaz brought Chaudhary Habibullah around 8.45 pm
on 29.5.93 from Hotel Services International to his house where the late
Ghulam Haider Wyne, Chaudhry Ghafoor, Raja Javed, Mian Imran, Akhtar
Rasool, Ejaz Ahmad, Raja Basharat, Sohail Zia Butt, Binyamin and Shaukat
Ali, the MPAs procured his signatures in affirmation of the receipt of a
no confidence motion, whereon the time of its receipt was given as 8 pm.

Chaudhary Habibullah was thereafter taken to the house of Mian Nawaz
Sharif where the former called Mian Yasin Wattoo and procured the
replacement of the first and last pages of the so-called no-confidence
motion so as to reflect its receipt by Chaudhary Habibullah at 12 noon.

On the direction of Mian Nawaz Sharif, Chaudhary Habibullah was
initially taken to the house of Chaudhary Shujaat in Gulberg, Lahore,
and later to Islamabad.

"Since the then Federal Government was headed by Mian Nawaz Sharif,
Chaudhary Habibullah remained in their luxurious hospitality and was
even produced before the Assistant Commissioner, Islamabad, on 13.6.93
where he attempted to defuse the criminal case registered at the
instance of Tariq Masood, PA Staff Officer, against Chaudhary Wajahat
Hussain etc. However, this statement was never produced before the full
bench hearing the Writ Petition of Chaudhary Pervaiz Ilahi. Although
Chaudhary Habibullah did not appear when he was summoned through the
Press and electronic media before the Hon'ble High Court when required,
however, without being summoned in the quashment petition of Chaudhary
Wajahat, he appeared on 26.7.93 telling a tell-tale story of having
freely moved out of Lahore on the night of 29.5.93 and having remained
in Islamabad thereafter. He also deserted his job as Secretary of the
Punjab Assembly and when arrested, was serving in the office of Muslim
League at Lahore.

"All the accused conspired to subvert the Constitution by use of
unconstitutional means and they are guilty of high treason punishable
under Section 2 of the High-treason (Punishment) Act of 1973 besides
having committed offences under section 120-B, 465, 466, 468, 469, 471,
161, 166, 172, 173 and 174 PPC and they be punished accordingly."