CHOGM begins today
Fresh strategies to promote democracy To endorse suspension of Pak

DURBAN, Nov 11: The Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting (CHOGM) begins here tomorrow to endorse suspension of Pakistan from the grouping, draw up new set of principles to fight protectionist approach of the industrialised world and frame fresh strategies to promote democracy and human rights in the member nations.

The four-day summit, which will be inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth, is also likely to adopt a co-ordinated action plan to fight the menace of terrorism, which poses a serious threat to the world peace.

Election of a new secretary general is also high on the agenda of the last summit of this millennium.

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will represent India at the biennal summit, which is being attended by heads of Government of over 40 countries. Sri Lankan president Chandrika Kumaratunga has decided not to attend the summit in view of the massive offensive launched by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and leaders of a number of African nations would attend the historical summit.

For the first time in the Commonwealth history, the summit is being held without representatives of military regimes or one-party Governments. This clearly indicates the Commonwealth resolve to take harsh stand against those Governments which show scant regard for democracy and human rights.

On Pakistan’s suspension from the Commonwealth Council following the military coup, the leaders appear certain to endorse recommendations of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) to suspend Islamabad from all ministerial level meetings.

The four-member CMAG team, which went to Islamabad to assess the political situation there, has prepared a detailed report on the state of affairs in Pakistan.

The leaders will also debate on issues like human rights and the need to create a more equitable global environment. Specific issues of trade, investment and development are other priority subjects for the Commonwealth leaders.

The Durban summit will also examine closely the concept of globalisation and its ramifications for developing countries. Apart from widening gap in income, access to technology and strengthening human resources, the leaders have to adopt "appropriate strategies towards addressing these crucial problems," Commonwealth officials told.

There is a general feeling among the member nations that the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and even the World Trade Organisation (WTO) are dominated by the powerful and rich countries. This "misconception" has to be settled.

On the issue of terrorism, India is expected to make a strong plea for international co-ordination. Mr Vajpayee is expected to raise the issue of cross-border terrorism, which poses a serious threat to the world peace.

The situation in Afghanistan, East Timor and several parts of Africa will come up for detailed discussion during the summit.

The leaders will also exchange views on reforms in the United Nations so that the world body reflect realities of the 21st century.

The election of secretary general will take place on the first day of the summit. Mr Farooq Sobhan of Bangladesh and New Zealand Foreign Minister Don McKinnon are the main contenders for the post.

The Commonwealth officials said that consensus may be arrived on the choice of the new secretary general. However, it appears certain that Mr McKinnon may get elected unopposed.

The leaders will hold an executive session soon after the opening ceremony.

They will soon retreat to George, near Cape Town, where they will exchange views on a plethora of international and regional issues. The leaders will also hold bilateral talks during the retreat. (UNI)

Musharraf had refused to land India

ISLAMABAD, Nov 11: The Pakistan International Airlines plane carrying General Pervez Musharraf home from Colombo was denied permission to land by the Karachi control tower, India was definitely not on the dismissed Army chief’s list of favoured destinations.

This can happen only over my dead body, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) told the pilot when he was informed that the plane had just about enough fuel to reach India. (The Ahmedabad airport across the Rann of Kutch, was the closest from the port city of Karachi with facilities to handle jet passenger aircraft).

Gen Musharraf said the pilot told me: Sir, we have one hour’s fuel left and with this kind of fuel we can go to India or Muscat. And, he said, we had been ordered to fly at 15,000 to 20,000 feet. And then he said he was in the process of diving. We are actually now left with forty-five minutes fuel and we can only go to India.

I told him over my dead body. We are not going to India, the chief executive told the Associated Press of Pakistan, recounting the events that unfolded in the dramatic hour after his dismissal as COAS.

Gen Musharraf said he was sure the Karachi airport was getting instructions from Islamabad, at the highest level. The directions reeked of callousness.

I took about three, four minutes (to react). Actually, we were just relaxing coming back from Sri Lanka when my private secretary Brig Nadim said the pilot was inviting me to the cockpit for something urgent.

When I went to the pilot, he said that we were not being allowed to land. And the worst was that they were telling us you can’t land anywhere in Pakistan, you get out of Pakistan.

So, I said, what is the situation. Where do we go.

I said that tell the situation to the ATC (Air Traffic Control). So, we told him we are not going to India they used five minutes discussing. They were in contact with somebody and I am pretty sure now that they were getting instructions from Islamabad at the highest level. So, after five to ten minutes, he comes back and says we cannot land here and get out of Pakistan.

By this time, the pilot said that now we do not even have the fuel to go to India. We have got, maybe, thirty-five minutes to land. So, I said, ok. Hell with everything, land at Karachi. The pilot ,however, said that landing lights on the runway must have been switched off. There must be something across the runway which would not allow us to land. In fact, it would be a total disaster. I had to accept but I said: Paint this picture immediately to the ATC. Because, we can’t go anywhere. We don’t have the fuel to go anywhere. Where do we go.

The ATC came on and again there was a long silence because I believe they were again on the telephone communicating with somebody or the other.

They came back on the air and said: You have been permitted to divert to Nawabshah and land there. So, I said: Let’s go. We have the fuel, we can reach Nawabshah. We diverted to Nawabshah. And somewhere in between we crossed Hyderabad. I saw Hyderabad down there.

General Musharraf said that was when the GOC, Gen Iftikhar, came on the air and said he wanted the aircraft to return immediately to Karachi. Everything is alright, he told us.

Initially, I had a little bit of suspicion on who was speaking. However, then I myself took the mike and asked for the Corps Commander who was not there and then Gen Iftikhar told me that everything is ok. I asked him what has happened: You tell me first. He told me that actually you were fired at 5-o’clock and I did not know what was happening.

And, after that, the Army reacted and everything is all right. We are now in charge of Karachi airport and come back immediately. The pilot told me we could go either way. So, I said: Ok, immediately turn back. We are going back to Karachi.

General Musharraf said all this while none of the passengers knew what was happening. Even my wife didn’t know. She was fast asleep. She came to know when we almost landed at Karachi. When I told her what had happened, obviously she started crying. (UNI)

India rejects criticism on position of minorities

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 11: India has rejected criticism against it in the report of the special rapporteur on human rights, asserting it does not accept ill-founded, ill-informed and misplaced criticism from those who should know better.

Addressing a United Nations Committee, its delegate Ved Pratap Vaidik pointed out instances yesterday to show that the drafters had only very tenuous acquaintance with realities of India.

Slamming the report for its reference to the Hindu policy with respect to minorities, he said there is no single body that can claim to speak on behalf of Hindus.

Hinduism does not have a church or any other organised synod. There is, therefore, nothing like a Hindu policy, as anyone with the slightest knowledge of India would be well aware, he said.

But if the comments refer to the policy of the government, that would not only be just a travesty but extremely offensive, since the Government of India, under the constitution, does not promote the policy of any particular religion, Vaidik told the Committee.

He also took strong objection to the report’s comments on deliberate attacks on the Christian minorities because of their influence on the Indians.

This implies a distinction between Christians and other Indians, almost as if Indian Christians were not Indians and again reflects an appalling ignorance about India, he said. On allegations that personal status laws in India classified women as inferiors and favoured Christian men over women on divorce, Vaidik said personal laws affecting minorities are drawn up only with their consent.

He also attacked the report for referring to sati saying the reference was nonsense.

The last case of sati took place a decade ago: That incident itself was one isolated case that had taken place in decades and it created a public outcry, including in the Indian media. There has been no recurrence, he said.

Vaidik described the comment that authorities had not taken any definite action regarding violence against christians as astonishing, saying a subsequent paragraph in the report itself detailed the Government response in bringing the culprits to book.

If grave incidents have taken place in a country, expressions of concern are certainly legitimate. But unless there is a clear and continuing pattern of violations, the report must make clear that isolated incidents do not add up to systematic and endemic abuse, he told the Committee.

India, Vaidik said, takes pride in being a multi-ethnic, multi-religious democracy and if the Government is intolerant to anything, it is to any attempt to undermine the pluralistic base on which its social and political system rests. (PTI)

Australia keen on giving new dimension to bilateral ties

NEW DELHI, Nov 11: Notwithstanding its differences with India over the nuclear issue, Australia is keen on giving a new dimension to its ties with New Delhi with special focus on enhancing bilateral cooperation in automative, infrastructure, agri-business, mining and mining equipment and information technology.

We have had some differences over the nuclear tests by India in May last year. I don’t see that our relationship is based on just one issue, Australian High Commissioner to India Rob Laurie said in an interview to PTI.

Australia has been one of the strongest critics of the Pokhran explosions and among the first countries to suspend non-humanitarian aid to India.

Laurie characterised the present status of bilateral relations as one showing a positive trend. He said the range of the relationship is growing all the time.

The Australian Envoy said the question of resuming non-humanitarian aid to India Is kept under review. He, however, linked this with New Delhi agreeing to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The Australian diplomat said that is an area where India made its own decision. It cancelled the relationship. It was not Australia which suspended its defence relations with India.

Asked whether he foresaw prospects of resumption of dialogue on defence cooperation between the two countries, he said at the moment, no decision has been taken to change the existing situation.

He said both countries were actively considering high-level two-way contacts both at the political and senior official level.

The commonwealth heads of Government meeting in Durban from tomorrow would provide an opportunity to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to meet his Australian counterpart John Howard, he said.

Laurie indicated that meetings of the joint working groups on energy and mining and natural fibres and textiles, set up during the visit here in February this year of Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister Tim Fischer, were likely to be held by the first quarter of next year.

He said the next meeting of Australia-India Joint Ministerial Commission would be held in Australia in the new year.

Fischer’s visit had marked the resumption of ministerial visits to India since the nuclear tests and signalled Australia’s commitment to the further development of a strong and broad-based bilateral relationship.

Australia has been keen on developing a strong and growing trade and investment relationship with India, which is poised to become its 10th largest export market. Total bilateral trade exceeded 2.8 billion Australian dollars in 1998, up from 1.35 billion in 1994.

Laurie said Australia was giving priority, with a very focussed approach, to substantially enhancing bilateral trade prospects with India.

Indian major exports to Australia include textile yarn, footwear and clothing, chemicals and related products, engineering goods and manufactures, while it imports from Australia include coking coal, wool, copper, industrial machinery, non-ferrous base metal waste and other related products.

As a step in further consolidating ties, Australia-India Council, a track-two effort, is meeting here later this month.

Asked about Australia’s stand on the issue of setting up working groups on core labour standards and global coherence, a US move stiffly opposed by India, he supported New Delhi’s stand that labour standards were better dealt with at the ILO rather than the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

We are aware of the approaches in this regard by the US and the European Union and these proposals are being carefully looked at, he said.

Australia’s focus at the upcoming WTO ministerial meet in Seattle would be heavily on adopting a pragmatic approach to key issues like market access, industrial services and agriculture, he said.

We don’t want it to be diluted too much by bringing in additional items other than the built-in agenda. It will add to the confusion and complicate matters, the Australian Envoy said.

Australia, he stressed, favoured time-bound negotiations and a practical approach to these issues. We want to see results particularly on issues related to agriculture.

He said like India, Australia was opposed to subsidies on agriculture. New Delhi has expressed its reservations over the growing agricultural subsidies in the EU which has hindered agricultural exports from developing countries.

Laurie said an assistance package would be announced very soon by his Government for the cyclone-affected victims of Orissa. This would be very much tied to the burning needs of the victims and would include food, medicines and other necessities.

Australia, he said, had ensured that there was no disruption of humanitarian assistance to India. (PTI)

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