News Guru--Long March to Democracy

PART-1---------Long March to Democracy

 

We should have elections before the 9th of January- Pervez Musharraf

 

Emergency necessary to ensure fair and transparent elections-

 

National Assembly to be dissolved on Nov 15, Provincial Assemblies on Nov 20-

 

I am for independence of media. I still stand by it- General Musharraf

 

I shall take oath as civilian president of Pakistan after SC decision- Musharraf

 

Pakistan Army (Amendment) Ordinance, 2007 promulgated-

 

Pakistan under dictatorship is a pressure cooker about to explode- Benazir Bhuttto

 

Restore Constitution- Commonwealth

 

 

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice:

 

Planned parliamentary election and Musharraf's pledge to quit as army chief positive elements

 

Musharraf needs to make sure these elections go forward. He needs to lift the state of emergency as soon as possible.

 

 

 PART-2--- International Concerns

Washington Post

Pakistan's Nuclear Security Questioned

Pakistan suspicious of US aims declined direct access to the half-dozen or so bunkers where components of about 50 nuclear weapons are stored-

We can't say with absolute certainty that we know where they all are- Former US officials

If an attempt was made by US to  seize the weapons it could be very messy-

The government in Islamabad is arguably the least stable-

Some Pakistani territory is partly controlled by insurgents bent on committing hostile acts of terrorism in the West-

US intelligence officials have long had contingency plans for intervening to obstruct such a theft in Pakistan-

Current turmoil highlights the need for doing whatever we can right now to improve cooperation and think hard about what might happen down the road- Matt Bunn, a former White House science official

Pakistan opts for physical separation of bomb components, such as isolating the fissile core or trigger from weapon.

 

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Former US Ambassador UN John Bolton tells CNN

United States should continue to support President Pervez Musharraf despite the emergency declaration in Pakistan because of concerns the nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of Islamic radicals-

 

I'd have to put securing those weapons at the top of our agenda-

 

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Commonwealth

It is essential that the Constitution and the rule of law be restored and the judiciary respected- Don McKinnon Commonwealth Secretary-General

Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) meets in London to discuss Pakistan- CMAG comprises the Foreign Ministers of nine countries -- Canada, Lesotho, Malaysia, Malta, Papua New Guinea, St Lucia, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom and United Republic of Tanzania

Step in the wrong direction and a serious setback to democracy- Don McKinnon

Pakistan was suspended from the councils of the Commonwealth in October 1999 and restored to full membership in May 2004

Restore Constitution before elections- CMAG Chairperson Malta's Foreign Minister Michael Frendo

 

 

 

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N A D E E M M A L I K
CNBC PAKISTAN
BUREAU CHIEF
ISLAMABAD
0321-5117511

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