Late strike saves Arsenal PAGE 61
NATION
SPORT
TABLOID
Catching up with Shaggy
Rail chief: Metro is on fast track PAGE 6
Sunday November 4, 2007 Shawwal 24, 1428
Nation: Abu Dhabi gets 300 new taxis 6 ADVERTISEMENT
Region: Iran rejects Gulf nuclear offer 15 Today: Arsenic-free drinking water
30240651_1_18
34
www.gulfnews.com E-mail: editor@gulfnews.com © 2007 Al Nisr Publishing LLC All rights reserved. Dubai Tel: +97143447100
Musharraf imposes emergency PAKISTAN PRESIDENT DECRIES TERRORISM AND JUDICIARY
CONSTITUTION SUSPENDED AND TOUGH CURBS PLACED ON MEDIA
NEW CHIEF JUSTICE TAKES OATH AFTER CHAUDHRY IS EXPELLED
US URGES ISLAMABAD TO RETURN TO DEMOCRACY
Gulf News Report
Dubai Pakistan’s President General Pervez Musharraf yesterday declared emergency rule and suspended the constitution, sparking a chorus of condemnation from around the world. Minutes after the military ruler announced a provisional constitutional order, troops were deployed around the Supreme Court, state-run TV and radio stations and key government institutions in Islamabad. Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, who along with eight other judges refused to endorse the emergency order, was told that his services “were no longer required”. He was swiftly replaced by Supreme Court judge Hameed Dogar. The president of Supreme Court Bar Association, Aitaz Ahsan, was arrested. The emergency came as the court was due to rule on the legality of Musharraf’s presidential re-election victory in October. Addressing the nation hours later, Musharraf said the government had become paralysed by judicial interference and he had imposed emergency rule to complete a transition to civilian-led democratic rule. “I fear that if timely action is not taken, then there is a threat to Pakistan’s sovereignty. I cannot allow this country to commit suicide,” he said, appealing to the international community to be understanding. Political observers quoted
AMNESTY
Visa violators to pay hefty new penalties BY BASSMA AL JANDALY Staff Reporter
Dubai With the amnesty period ending yesterday, violators of the UAE residency law will now face strict action and penalties, Gulf News has learnt. Sources told Gulf News that illegals will now pay hefty fines and will also face deportation. As per rules to be introduced soon, violators will face fines for each day of overstay and administration fees ranging from Dh2,000 to Dh10,000. The rule will be applicable to those who overstay after the expiry of their residence, visit, tourist, transit, visit and mission visas. Earlier, violators of residence permits had to pay Dh100 per day for overstaying, but could pay less fines in case they were unable to pay the full amount. With the new rule, they will have to pay the original fine and also face deportation. The Ministry of Interior will hold a press conference today to announce the outcome of the amnesty. See also Page 6 PRICE UAE: Saturday-Thursday Dh 2.00 Friday Dh 3.00 Bahrain: BD 0.300 Qatar: QR 3.00 Oman: RO 0.300 S.Arabia: SR 3.00 India: IRs 40.00 Pakistan: Rs 35.00 00200
W H AT N E X T
BHUTTOSPEAK
Legislative bodies to remain unaffected
‘Sliding back to dictatorship’
■ The move is expected to put off parliamentary elections scheduled in January. The Cabinet, national and provincial assemblies would continue to function. ■ The emergency order puts the constitution “in abeyance” and in effect means that martial law has been imposed. ■ Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, who said she opposed the order, will play a key role and General Pervez Musharraf is expected to face strong political challenge from her.
BY ASHFAQ AHMED Staff Reporter
On the web For more reports and updates visit www.gulfnews.com/pakistan by the BBC said the government feared the court verdict would go against Musharraf and the emergency was seen as a desperate bid by the army chief to reassert his flagging authority against political rivals and rising militancy. The global community reacted with concern. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice criticised the measures as “highly regrettable” and urged Pakistan to return to democracy. Britain and other Western powers expressed “grave concern” over the situation, while India called for a speedy return to “normalcy”. Editorial comment — Page 10 See also Pages 32 & 33
AFP
Seizing control The declaration of an emergency follows weeks of speculation on the step by General Pervez Musharraf, who took power in a 1999 coup. As part of the emergency rule, Musharraf imposed tough curbs on the media, which bar material that defames him, the armed forces or the government. Following the declaration, the government blocked transmissions of all but state-run TV and cut telephone services in Islamabad, where paramilitary soldiers patrolled the streets. There were reports of aerial gunfire in the southern city of Karachi.
Dubai Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto rushed back to Karachi from Dubai last night after learning that an emergency had been declared in Pakistan. “People want leadership. Instead of moving to democracy we are going backwards towards greater dictatorship. I plan to meet with other leaders and discuss with them a course of action to reverse the suspension of the constitution,” Bhutto told Sky News after landing in Karachi. Bhutto left Dubai by Emirates flight EK-602, which was delayed for two hours because she was holding talks with the government and party officials prior to departure, Gulf News learnt. Meanwhile, Pakistani expatriates were shocked by the imposition of an emergency and said they were desperately trying to contact relatives at home. See also Page 33
Iraq shuts down Kurdish rebel offices Crackdown aims to cut off all possibility of logistical support to PKK, official says Arbil (AFP) Iraq began a crackdown yesterday on the outlawed PKK, shutting down offices of a group linked to the Kurdistan rebel movement but stopping short of promising to close their remote mountain camps. The move comes after Turkey threatened military action against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) bases in northern Iraq if the Iraqi and US authorities fail to end the group’s safe haven there. Iraq also said PKK militants would be arrested if intercepted by members of the security forces.
“We place great importance on our relations with our brother Turkey ... We are aware of the scale of threat.” Nouri Al Maliki Iraqi Prime Minister “There are security measures being taken, the checking of any suspect officer of the PKK in the Kurdistan region and in all Iraq,” said Iraqi government spokesman Ali Dabbagh. The measures would cut off all “possibility” of logistic support to the PKK, Dabbagh told reporters on the
sidelines of an international security conference in Istanbul. In the first sign of a crackdown on Kurdish rebels, the regional government of northern Iraq closed the Kurdistan Democratic Solution Party’s headquarters in Arbil and a branch office in Su-
laimaniyah, a regional official said. Earlier yesterday at the conference on Iraq in Istanbul, Iraq prime minister Nouri Al Maliki reiterated Baghdad’s commitment to close PKK offices. “We place great importance on our relations with our brother Turkey ... We are aware of the scale of threat” posed by the rebels, he said. “We have made a definite decision to close down the offices of the PKK in Iraq. We are taking strong measures ... We will watch the [PKK] members in the regions where they are based.” See also Page 12
LITTER-ARY STUFF
London finds bin that trashes bombs Recycling units with LCD screens will solve security concerns and flash breaking news BY ROSS LYDALL
London It is a bin unlike any other — but it could provide a solution to security concerns, help increase recycling and keep commuters up to date with breaking news, weather and delays on the Tube. It could also end the frustrating search for somewhere to dispose of rubbish in a city that now offers terrorists as few opportunities as possible to plant a bomb. The Renew bin, which costs £15,000 (about Dh115,000) to produce and £3,000 (about Dh23,000) to install, has been designed to withstand the force of a bomb blast so it can be used in sensitive areas such as Tube stations and
airports. During the five-year design and testing period, prototypes with steel casing were blown up in the New Mexico desert. The plastic surround is made from recycled materials and has an LCD screen on which news, weather and sports reports can be shown. Each unit is big enough to contain a typical household wheelie bin — to make it easy for binmen to collect and empty. During an emergency such as the 7/7 attacks, the screen’s content could be changed with-
in minutes to direct Londoners away from certain areas or Tube stations. The bins are the work of entre-preneurs Kaveh Memari and Brian James, who met in Canada and studied at the London School of Economics before setting up a company, Media Metrica. They plan to offer the bins, which they prefer to call “recycling units,” free to London local authorities and recoup the cost via sponsorship from firms keen to emphasise their corporate social responsibility — London currently recycles only 25 per cent of its waste. — Evening Standard
6 290100 000022 SUNDAY
30366331_1_4