RADIO PAKISTAN
HOME BROADCASTS
03-06-1998
07/0800 HOURS OF 3.6.1998 (WEDNESDAY)
NAWAZ : Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif says Pakistan has completed the present series of nuclear tests and he does not see more tests in foreseeable future.
In an interview with the US Magazine TIME, he said that despite harsh Indian attitude, he still felt that they could make progress through negotiations. He emphasised that the opportunity should not be lost.
The Prime Minister asserted that Pakistan was compelled to carry out nuclear tests to safeguard our national security following tests by India.
Mr. Muhammad Nawaz Sharif stated that he had been holding on and exercising utmost restraint but we were disappointed that the world community really failed to shot strong reaction against India.
QAZI : The Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Qazi Hussain Ahmad has said that nuclear tests conducted by Pakistan are a bold step for strengthening defence of the country.
Addressing "Meet the Press" programme at the Rawalpindi Press Club Tuesday he said the entire nation and other Muslim countries are proud of Pakistan for its nuclear achievements.
IMRAN : In a statement in Islamabad, the Chief of Tehreek-e-Insaf, Mr. Imran Khan has urged the world powers to try to seek a solution to the lingering Kashmir issue to ensure peace in the region.
He said it was India's aggressive posture against Pakistan which compelled to show its nuclear capability.
REACTION-JAPAN : Pakistan has formally welcomed the Japanese proposal to host an international conference on the Kashmir issue.
The Foreign Minister Mr. Gohar Ayub Khan told newsmen in Islamabad Tuesday that Pakistan welcomed third party mediation on Kashmir after the United Nations had offered their good offices to help resolve this core issue.
The Foreign Secretary Mr. Shamshad Ahmad Khan talking to the Japanese Ambassador at the Foreign Office said Pakistan appreciates that Japan has taken the lead and focused on the root cause of tension and the necessity to find a just settlement of the Kashmir dispute which alone can promote peace and stability in South Asia.
Meanwhile, a Foreign Office spokesman has also welcomed a statement by the US State Department spokesman that it was time to get on with reduction of tension arising out of nuclear tests and the Kashmir issue.
US-KASHMIR : The United States has decided to include Kashmir issue on the agenda of the meeting of five permanent members of the UN Security Council in Geneva Wednesday.
According to reports, the meeting is to discuss the situation in South Asia in the wake of nuclear tests by India and Pakistan.
A US State Department spokesman has said in Washington, his country wants to look into a long term solution by including Kashmir among other political issues, affecting Pak-India relations.
YAQUB : The Governor State Bank, Dr. Muhammad Yaqub has ruled out any possibility of freezing bank lockers and said the government has no intention to freeze them.
Participating in a TV programme Tuesday he said temporary restriction on foreign currency accounts was imposed in the greater national interest in the wake of India's recent nuclear blasts.
The State Bank Governor made it clear that as soon as the situation becomes normal the restriction would be lifted forthwith.
21/2200 HOURS OF 2.6.1998 (TUESDAY)
CABINET MEETING: The Federal Cabinet which met in Islamabad Tuesday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif discussed various measures for austerity, economy and self reliance and increasing productivity and national income in various sectors.
The Cabinet was informed that the country has achieved wheat target this year and produced nineteen million tons of wheat which is sixteen percent more than the last year's production. The Cabinet was of the unanimous view that the high rates of growth shown in the agricultural sector should be further enhanced and maximum facilities and incentives provided to the farmers in order to enable them to play their role in the nation building process. It was decided inn principle, by the Cabinet to enhance agricultural credits as well as introduce modern technologies and farm mechanisations in this regard. Specific measures in this regard would be announced by the Prime Minister soon in his speech on National Agenda.
A detailed briefing on export promotion was given by the Minister for Commerce. Specific policy measures would be announced by the Prime Minister. The main focus of these efforts would be on small and medium enterprises which can play a very significant role in the export promotion efforts.
The Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis also presented a number of proposals to harness the role of the Overseas Pakistanis and provide them various schemes and incentives with respect to investment in Pakistan. It was decided to earmark specific areas at Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi for allotment to Overseas Pakistanis as well as privatise some of the existing infrastructures in the public sector in their favour.
The Cabinet also discussed policy framework for introducing austerity, economy and efficiency in the government sector as well as in the private sector. A detailed presentation was made before the cabinet by the Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Dr. Hafeez Pasha. The Cabinet also approved specific measures with respect to austerity and efficiency in our Foreign Missions abroad. It was decided in principle that that these missions would be evaluated on the basis of their performance. The Cabinet also approved reduction in public holidays from twenty to eleven a year.
C.B.R. The Central Board of Revenue has issued three SROs in pursuance of ECC's decisions.
Under these SROs, the Customs duty on import of Green Tea has been reduced from forty-five percent to twenty-five percent in order to give incentives to its legal importers and discourage its smuggling.
In order to protect the local industry, regulatory duty of fifteen percent ad-valorem on the import of medium density fibre board has been imposed.
Customs duty and Sales tax on the import of mobile phones has been exempted at import stage against indemnity bond to be given by Cellular mobile phone companies. A reduced customs duty of rupees one thousand two hundred and fifty on each set would be paid by the Cellular mobile companies at the time of energization or activation.
PM-IRAN: The Prime Minister Mr. Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has said Pakistan was left with no option but to detonate its nuclear devices to offset the grave threat posed to its security after Indian nuclear tests followed by its belligerent attitude on Kashmir issue.
Talking to the Iranian Foreign Minister Mr. Kamal Kharazi in Islamabad Tuesday Mr. Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan had to take appropriate step to restore strategic balance and deter nuclear or conventional aggression. He apprised the Iranian leader of the grave threat to Pakistan's security by Indian nuclear tests and its subsequent threats of use of force to resolve the Kashmir issue.
During the meeting the Prime Minister laid a special emphasis on the expansion on bilateral trade and further deepening of mutual economic linkage. In this regard the need for early finalisation of the oil refinery and gas pipeline projects was stressed.
The situation in Afghanistan was also 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 also held separate meeting with the Foreign Minister and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Tuesday. Later, both sides held delegation level talks headed by the two Foreign Ministers.
Discussions were held on a wide range of issues including bilateral relations and the situation in Afghanistan. The two sides underscored their determination to further develop close mutually beneficial ties in all fields of common interest.
TARAR President Muhammad Rafiq Tarar has said Pakistan is ready to discuss all aspects of the security situation in South Asia and to bring about nuclear stabilisation between Pakistan and India. However, he made it clear if the Indian leadership in its wishful thinking continued to persue policies of confrontation and hegemony then it must know that Pakistan cannot be intimidated.
He made these observations while speaking at the convocation ceremony of National Defence College in Islamabad Tuesday morning.
Giving rationale of Pakistan's nuclear declaration, the President said the security environment in South Asia has rapidly deteriorated because of overt weaponisation of the Indian nuclear programme, posing an unprecedented threat to Pakistan's security. PAK-JAPAN: Japan has offered to host an International Conference involving Pakistan and India to resolve the long-standing dispute over Kashmir.
Addressing a news conference the Japanese Foreign Minister, Mr. Keizo Obuchi said in Tokyo Tuesday, we should dispose of problems as soon as possible that constant heated regional conflicts. However he said Indian attitude is the greatest hurdle in its way. He said the situation was difficult because India insisted that the row was a bilateral issue and opposed international talks.
ZAKI: Chairman of Foreign Relations Committee Senate Akram Zaki has said Pakistan would welcome any initiative from the international community for nuclear non-proliferation that also addresses Pakistan's security concerns and long standing issues, including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a news conference in Washington he urged world leaders to eliminate the real cause of tension in the region.
UN-NUCLEAR: Some forty countries including five self declared nuclear powers have urged Indiana and Pakistan to immediately sign UN nuclear Non-proliferation and Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaties.
The call was made in a joint statement issued by Newzealand and Australia at a specially convened plenary session of the conference on disarmament in Geneva.
However, Chinese Ambassador, Li Changhe pointed out that his country had certain reservations about the text of the statement. He blamed India for triggering off the crisis in South Asia. He said India took the lead in blatantly conducting nuclear tests in defiance of world opinion and provoking a nuclear test race in the region. So it must bear unshakeable responsibility.
Pakistan Ambassador Munir Akram said his country was not the culpable party and should not be treated in the same way as India.
KASHMIR In occupied Kashmir situation in Jammu is reported to be very tense and the city has been handed over to the Indian Army following two powerful explosions Monday resulting in the death of five persons and serious injuries to two dozen people. One bomb exploded in the heavily guarded military intelligence office in Bakhshi Nagar area and second near the parade ground.
Following the bomb explosions Hindu hooligans pounced on innocent Muslims and ransacked their property. RELIEF : Two more aircraft carrying relief goods for the earthquake victims in the Afghan provinces of Takhar and Badakhshan were sent Tuesday from Pakistan.
The relief goods included tents, blankets and food stuff.
SWISS COURT A Swiss Court Tuesday charged with corruption in connection with a case three foreign agents and business partners of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, her spouse Asif Ali Zardari and Mother Begum Nusrat Bhutto. The Judge Deniel Devaud indicted them in charges linked to payment of commissions.
The Chairman Ehtesab Bureau Senator Saifur Rehman told a news Conference in Geneva that the indictments showed that there was sufficient evidence showing that crimes of corruption were committed. He said Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari and their agents set up twenty offshore accounts and upto twenty bank accounts in Switzerland to pocket kickbacks from a number of trade contracts. He said more than 250 million dollars had been frozen in Swiss Bank Accounts, part of 1.5 billion dollars, the Bhutto Family had illegally taken from Pakistan.
FUND: The Prime Minister Mr. Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has instituted a National Self-Reliance Fund to make the country self-reliant. Details of the fund will be announced soon.
Announcing this over Television Tuesday night, he appealed to all Pakistanis and Overseas Pakistanis to make donations to the Fund to achieve the objective of self-reliance.
The Prime Minister said by adopting the path of self-reliance we can realise the dream of Quaid-e-Azam about future of Pakistan.
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