PAKISTAN TELEVISION CORPORATION LIMITED
NATIONAL NEWS BUREAU
English News Headlines 1800 hrs dated 02-06-1998
HEADLINES:
1- PRIME MINISTER MOHAMMAD NAWAZ SHARIF LAYS SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON EXPANSION OF TRADE AND DEEPENING OF ECONOMIC LINKAGE BETWEEN PAKISTAN AND IRAN.
2- PRESIDENT MOHAMMAD RAFIQ TARAR UNDERSCORES THE NEED FOR SELF RELIANCE
IN STRATEGIC AREAS TO DEAL WITH THE SITUATION FOLLOWING PAKISTAN'S NUCLEAR
TESTS.
3- FIVE PEOPLE KILLED 23 INJURED IN TWO BOMB EXPLOSIONS IN JAMMU REGION OF OCCUPIED KASHMIR.
NEWS IN DETAIL:
THE FEDERAL CABINET MET IN ISLAMABAD TODAY UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE
PRIME MINISTER MR.MOHAMMAD NAWAZ SHARIF DISCUSSED VARIOUS MEASURES FOR
AUSTERITY ECONOMY SELF RELIANCE AND INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY AND NATIONAL
INCOME.
THE CABINET WAS OF UNANIMOUS VIEW THAT THE HIGH RATE OF GROWTH SHOWN IN THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR SHOULD BE FURTHER ENHANCED AND MAXIMUM FACILITIES SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO THE FARMERS IN ORDER TO ENABLE THEM TO PLAY THEIR NATIONAL ROLE IN THE NATION BUILDING PROCESS.
IT WAS DECIDED IN PRINCIPLE BY THE CABINET TO ENHANCE AGRICULTURAL CREDITS
AS WELL AS INTRODUCE MODERN TECHNOLOGY AND FARM MECHANISATION IN THIS REGARD.
THE DETAIL OF CABINET MEETING ARE COMING IN.
CHINA SAYS, IT CANNOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF RESUMING NUCLEAR TESTS IF THE DANGER POSTED BY NUCLEAR ARMS RACE IN INDIA AND PAKISTAN WORSENS.
A FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIAL IN BEIJING HAS SAID, INDIA'S REFERENCE TO AN ALLEGED THREAT FROM CHINA IN JUSTIFYING ITS NUCLEAR TESTS MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR BEIJING TO RULE OUT ANY POSSIBILITY OF FURTHER TESTS.THE OFFICIAL SAID, CHINA DOES NOT WANT TO BE AND IS NOT INDIA'S ENEMY.
HE, HOWEVER, STRESSED BEIJING REMAINS SERIOUS ABOUT ITS COMMITMENT TO THE COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN TREATY WHICH IT SIGNED IN 1996.
JAPAN HAS OFFERED TO HOST AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE INVOLVING INDIA AND PAKISTAN IN A BID TO RESOLVE THE KASHMIR DISPUTE.JAPAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER KEZO OBUCHI TOLD A NEWS CONFERENCE IN TOKYO THAT THE CAUSE OF CONFLICTS IN THE REGION SHOULD BE DISPOSED OF AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.THE MINISTER SAID, IT WOULD BE GOOD IF THE PROPOSED MEETING WAS HELD IN TOKYO FOR A PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF THE KASHMIR DISPUTE WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF THE TWO COUNTRIES. HE, HOWEVER, HINTED THAT THERE WAS ONLY A SLIM CHANCE TOKYO COULD HOST SUCH A CONFERENCE.
IN OCCUPIED KASHMIR, ATLEAST FIVE PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND 23 OTHERS INJURED,
SEVEN OF THEM SERIOUSLY, IN TWO SEPARATE BOMB EXPLOSION INCIDENTS IN JAMMU.
THREE PERSONS INCLUDING A WOMAN AND A MINOR GIRL WERE KILLED WHEN A LOCALLY-ORIGIN
DEVICE OF HIGH INTENSITY WENT OFF IN THICKLY POPULATED PURANI MANDI AREA
OF JAMMU CITY.OVER TWENTY PERSONS SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES IN THIS INCIDENT.
IN ANOTHER INCIDENT, A BOMB OF HIGH INTENSITY EXPLODED IN JAMMU CANTONMENT
AREA LEAVING TWO INDIAN SOLDIERS DEAD AND THREE OTHERS INJURED INCLUDING
AN INDIAN ARMY MAJOR.THE INDIAN SOLDIERS WERE TRYING TO DEFUSE THE DEVICE,
REPORTEDLY RECOVERED FROM A BORDER AREA OF JAMMU SECTOR.ENTIRE JAMMU CITY
WAS CARDONED BY INDIAN OCCUPATION FORCES COUPLED WITH EXCEPTIONALLY TIGHTENED
SECURITY MEASURES SOON AFTER THE TWO BOMB EXPLOSIONS.
MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER MAHATIR MOHAMMAD HAS CALLED FOR CHANGES TO THE
INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL SYSTEM TO CURB CURRENCY SPECULATIONS THAT IS DISRUPTIVE
TO WORLD TRADE.
SPEAKING AT A SEMINAR IN TOKYO, HE SAID TURMOIL IN ASIA AND DEPRECIATION'S
OF REGIONAL CURRENCIES DO NOT REFLECT THE STRENGTH OF THE AREA'S
ECONOMIES. HE SAID, THE CURRENCIES PLUNGED EVEN THOUGH THE ECONOMIES WERE
VERY STRONG.
THE MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER SAID, JAPAN SHOULD ASSUME THE ROLE OF LEADERSHIP
IN ASIA TO HELP ASIAN COUNTRIES OVERCOME THE CURRENT CRISIS.
PRESIDENT MAMOON ABDUL GAYOOM OF MALDIVES HAS INDEFINITELY POSTPONED
HIS PLANNED VISITS TO PAKISTAN AND INDIA AFTER THEIR NUCLEAR TESTS.
PRESIDENT GAYOOM'S JOURNEY TO INDIA AND PAKISTAN WOULD HAVE COMPLETED HIS
VISITS TO THE CAPITALS OF SAARC COUNTRIES.
OFFICIALS IN COLOMBO SAID, THE VISIT WAS PUT-OFF BECAUSE OF THE TENSIONS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES FOLLOWING THEIR NUCLEAR TESTS LAST MONTH.
THE PRIME MINISTER, MR.MOHAMMAD NAWAZ SHARIF HAS LAID SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THE EXPANSION OF BILATERAL TRADE AND FURTHER DEEPENING OF MUTUAL ECONOMIC LINKAGE BETWEEN IRAN AND PAKISTAN.
DURING A MEETING WITH THE VISITING IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MR.KAMAL
KHARRAZI, WHO CALLED ON HIM, IN ISLAMABAD TODAY, THE PRIME MINISTER STRESSED
THE NEED FOR AN EARLY FINALISATION OF THE OIL REFINERY AND GAS PIPELINE
PROJECTS.
THE SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN WAS DISCUSSED IN DETAIL.
THE PRIME MINISTER UNDERLINED THE NEED FOR AN EARLY END TO THE AFGHAN
CONFLICT AND UNDERSCORED PAKISTAN'S DETERMINATION TO WORK CLOSELY WITH
IRAN IN THIS REGARD.THE IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER CONVEYED GREETINGS OF
THE IRANIAN LEADERSHIP TO THE PRIME MINISTER AND AFFIRMED IRAN'S COMMITMENT
TO A CLOSE PAK-IRAN RELATIONSHIP AS WELL AS ITS READINESS TO WORK TOGETHER
FOR AN EARLY END TO THE AFGHAN CONFLICT.BOTH SIDES AGREED TO INTENSIFY
THEIR JOINT EFFORTS FOR THE PROMOTION OF INTRA-AFGHAN DIALOGUE AND THE
ACCELERATION OF THE PEACE PROCESS.THE CURRENT REGIONAL SITUATION ALSO CAME
UNDER REVIEW. THE IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WAS APPRISED OF THE GRAVE THREAT
POSED TO PAKISTAN'S SECURITY BY THE INDIAN NUCLEAR TESTS ON 11TH AND 13TH
MAY AND ITS SUBSEQUENT THREATS OF USE OF FORCE TO RESOLVE THE KASHMIR ISSUE.
IT WAS STATED THE GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION LEFT NO CHOICE WITH PAKISTAN
TO TAKE APPROPRIATE STEPS TO RESTORE THE STRATEGIC BALANCE AND DETER NUCLEAR
OR CONVENTIONAL AGGRESSION.
THE FOREIGN MINISTER, MR.GOHAR AYUB KHAN AND FOREIGN SECRETARY WERE ALSO
PRESENT DURING THE MEETING.
THE PRESIDENT MR.MOHAMMAD RAFIQ TARAR HAS URGED THE NEED FOR SELF-RELIANCE IN STRATEGIC AREAS TO DEAL WITH THE SITUATION OBTAINING FOLLOWING PAKISTAN'S DECISION TO CONDUCT NUCLEAR TESTS. ADDRESSING OFFICERS AT THE NATIONAL DEFENCE COLLEGE IN ISLAMABAD TODAY, THE PRESIDENT SAID, ALTHOUGH BY GOING NUCLEAR, WE HAVE RESTORED STRATEGIC BALANCE IN THE REGION AND CHECKED INDIAN EXPANSIONIST DESIGNS BUT THE BATTLE FOR ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE HAS JUST BEGUN. THE INCREASING DEBT BURDEN, IMBALANCE BETWEEN IMPORTS AND EXPORTS, INSUFFICIENT RESOURCE GENERATION AND ENLARGED BUDGET DEFICIT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WE MUST ADDRESS IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE ECONOMIC SELF-RELIANCE.
THE ECONOMIC SANCTIONS IMPOSED IN THE WAKE OF NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS WILL
FURTHER ADD TO OUR ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES. ALL THIS NEEDS A CHANGE IN OUR
ATTITUDES. THERE IS AN URGENT NEED THAT WE PLAN FOR THE INDIGENISATION
OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTIONS IN DEFENCE RELATED AREAS AND FOLLOW IT UP WITH
A RESOLVE TO STAND ON OUR OWN FEET AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. THE PRESIDENT
SAID, THE SECURITY ENVIRONMENT IN OUR REGION HAS RAPIDLY DETERIORATED BECAUSE
OF THE OVERT WEAPONISATION OF THE INDIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAMME.
THIS DEVELOPMENT POSED AN UNPRECEDENTED THREAT TO PAKISTAN'S SECURITY.
INDIA HAS ALSO THREATENED TO USE NUCLEAR WEAPONS AGAINST PAKISTAN AND INVADE
THE LINE OF CONTROL IN KASHMIR. IF INDIAN LEADERSHIP STILL DECIDES TO PURSUE
THE POLICIES OF CONFRONTATION AND HEGEMONY, THIS MIGHT LEAD TO UNFORTUNATE
CONSEQUENCES. OUR NATIONAL SECURITY AND INDEPENDENCE ARE DEARER TO US THAN
ALL OTHER WORLDLY POSSESSIONS. WE ALSO HAVE A COMPLETE UNANIMITY IN OUR
RANKS WHICH WERE AMPLY DEMONSTRATED BY OUR PEOPLE IN RESPONSE TO THE INDIAN
EXPLOSION OF NUCLEAR DEVICES. THE PRESIDENT SAID, WE DECIDED TO EXERCISE
THE NUCLEAR OPTION COMPELLED BY THE IMPERATIVES OF SELF-DEFENCE. THE PRESIDENT
ALSO GAVE AWAY CERTIFICATES TO THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE NATIONAL DEFENCE
COURSE AND THE ARMED FORCES COURSE.
LATER, SENATOR AKRAM ZAKI ADDRESSED A CROWDED NEWS CONFERENCE AT THE WASHINGTON NATIONAL PRESS CLUB. HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY RETIRED COLONEL GHULAM SARWAR CHEEMA, MNA AND PAKISTAN'S AMBASSADOR MR. RIAZ KHOKHAR.
SENATOR AKRAM ZAKI SAID, PAKISTAN WOULD WELCOME ANY INITIATIVE FROM
THE INERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FOR NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION THAT ALSO ADDRESS
PAKISTAN'S SECURITY CONCERNS INCLUDING THE CORE ISSUE OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR.
HE SAID, BILATERAL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN PAKISTAN AND INDIA HAVE NEVER WORKED
IN THE PAST BECAUSE INDIA HAS NOT RESPECTED ITS UNDERTAKINGS. HE SAID,
AFTER CONDUCTING NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS ON
MAY 11 AND 13TH, INDIA ADOPTED A BELLIGERENT ATTITUDE INCLUDING THE THREAT
TO OCCUPY AZAD KASHMIR BY FORCE. FOLLOWING THESE THREATS, PAKISTAN HAD
NO OPTION BUT TO CONDUCT ITS NUCLEAR TESTS FOR THE SAKE OF ITS SECURITY,
AND NATIONAL INTEGRITY.
SENATOR AKRAM ZAKI, WHO IS ALSO CHAIRMAN OF FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE,
URGED THAT WORLD LEADERS SHOULD STEP-FORWARD AND ELIMINATE THE REAL CAUSE
OF TENSION IN THE REGION.
INDIAN GOVERNMENT HAS PREPARED A PLAN TO ASSASSINATE LEADERS OF ALL
PARTIES HURRIYET CONFERENCE. GO AHEAD SIGNAL HAS BEEN GIVEN TO IMPLEMENT
THE SINISTER PLAN. INSTRUCTIONS HAVE BEEN GIVEN FOLLOWING A HIGH LEVEL
MEETING PRESIDED OVER BY A SENIOR MEMBER OF THE RULING HINDU FUNDAMENTALIST
BJP TO ASSASSINATE THE APHC CHAIRMAN, SYED ALI SHAH GILANI AND THE FORMER
CHAIRMAN, MIR WAIZ UMER FAROOQ IN THE FIRST PHASE. IN DERA GALI IN SURANKOT,
THE MUJAHIDEEN AMBUSHED A MILITARY PATROL, DESTROYED TWO MILITARY VEHICLES
AND KILLED MANY SOLDIERS INCLUDING AN OFFICER.
WORLD MEDIA THE WORLD MEDIA HAS GIVEN PROMINENT COVERAGE OF PAKISTAN NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS. HERE IS A FILM REPORT BY OUR CORRESPONDENT, M.Z.SOHAIL.
OVER 150 FOREIGN JOURNALISTS AND MEDIAMEN WERE IN ISLAMABAD TO COVER
THE BIGGEST STORY IN THE REGION FOR THE LAST FIFTY YEARS. ON THURSDAY,
THE MOOT IN THE COUNTRY WAS OF SUSPENSE AND CURIOSITY. EVERY-ONE
WANTED TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
THE SUSPENSE WAS OVER WHEN THE PRIME MINISTER MR. MOHAMMAD NAWAZ SHARIF
IN A NATIONWIDE ADDRESS ANNOUNCED THAT PAKISTAN HAD CONDUCTED FIVE SUCCESSFUL
NUCLEAR TESTS. IT RESTORED THE STRATEGIC BALANCE IN THE REGION WHICH WAS
UP-SET BY THE NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS CONDUCTED BY INDIA. PAKISTAN IS NOW THE
7TH DECLARED NUCLEAR STATE. IT IS THE FIRST MUSLIM NATION TO TEST
A NUCLEAR DEVICE. THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY ENTHUSIASTICALLY
BY EVERY PAKISTANI. THERE WERE UNPRECEDENTED JUBILATION ACROSS THE
COUNTRY. IT ALSO CHANGED THE MOOT OF THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA WHICH STARTED
PUTTING ON AIR NATIONAL SONGS. PAKISTAN TELEVISION WAS THE FIRST TO GIVE
THE AUTHENTIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE EXPLOSIONS. IT PROVIDED ROUND-THE-CLOCK
SATELLITE FACILITIES TO ELECTRONIC MEDIA WORLDWIDE. THEY INCLUDED,
REUTERS, BBC, CNN, WTN, NHK, ABC, ASAHI AND FOX TELEVISION NETWORKS. IN
THEIR INTERVIEWS SOME OF THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS SPOKE ABOUT THE FEELINGS
OF THE PAKISTANI NATION. A CORRESPONDENT ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE FACILITIES
BEING PROVIDED TO THEM TO SATELLITE THEIR COVERAGE.
THE WORLD MEDIA HAS GIVEN PROMINENT COVERAGE OF PAKISTAN NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS.
HERE IS A FILM REPORT BY OUR CORRESPONDENT, M.Z.SOHAIL. OVER 150 FOREIGN
JOURNALISTS AND MEDIAMEN WERE IN ISLAMABAD TO COVER THE BIGGEST STORY IN
THE REGION FOR THE LAST FIFTY YEARS. ON THURSDAY, THE MOOT IN THE COUNTRY
WAS OF SUSPENSE AND CURIOSITY.
EVERY-ONE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. THE SUSPENSE WAS OVER
WHEN THE PRIME MINISTER MR. MOHAMMAD NAWAZ SHARIF IN A NATION-WIDE ADDRESS
ANNOUNCED THAT PAKISTAN HAD CONDUCTED FIVE SUCCESSFUL NUCLEAR TESTS. IT
RESTORED THE STRATEGIC BALANCE IN THE REGION WHICH WAS UP-SET BY THE NUCLEAR
EXPLOSIONS CONDUCTED BY INDIA. PAKISTAN IS NOW THE 7TH DECLARED NUCLEAR
STATE. IT IS THE FIRST MUSLIM NATION TO TEST A NUCLEAR DEVICE. THE
NEWS WAS RECEIVED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY ENTHUSIASTICALLY BY EVERY PAKISTANI.
THERE WERE UNPRECEDENTED JUBILATION ACROSS THE COUNTRY. IT ALSO CHANGED
THE MOOT OF THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA WHICH STARTED PUTTING ON AIR NATIONAL
SONGS.
PAKISTAN TELEVISION WAS THE FIRST TO GIVE THE AUTHENTIC INFORMATION ABOUT
THE EXPLOSIONS. IT PROVIDED ROUND-THE-CLOCK SATELLITE FACILITIES TO ELECTRONIC
MEDIA WORLD-WIDE. THEY INCLUDED, REUTERS, BBC, CNN, WTN, NHK, ABC, ASAHI
AND FOX TELEVISION NETWORKS. IN THEIR INTERVIEWS SOME OF THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS
SPOKE ABOUT THE FEELINGS OF THE PAKISTANI NATION. A CORRESPONDENT ALSO
TALKED ABOUT THE FACILITIES BEING PROVIDED TO THEM TO SATELLITE THEIR COVERAGE.
RAIN WITH THUNDERSTORM IS EXPECTED AT FEW PLACES OF UPPER NWFP, UPPER
PUNJAB AND KASHMIR.
SCATTERED DUSTSTORM IS ALSO EXPECTED IN PLAINS OF PUNJAB AND UPPERSINDH.
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