PAKISTAN: ARMY COUP - PROTECTIVE CUSTODY FOR NAWAZ SHARIF

Описание: (19 Oct 1999) English/Nat

Deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will stay in "protective custody" while the military investigates allegations of corrupt practices against his government, according to a military spokesman.

Although the former prime minister's whereabouts are not known, military spokesman Brigadier Rashid Quereshi said Sharif is in good health.

Also on Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry responded to the Commonwealth's decision to suspend Pakistan as a result of last week's coup.

The Commonwealth has moved toward suspending Pakistan from the association of Britain and its former colonies.

The decision by Commonwealth foreign ministers in London effectively suspended Pakistan from Commonwealth councils, the first formal step toward suspending Pakistan altogether.

Under the group's rules, only the heads of state can do that.

As was expected, the Commonwealth decision is not welcomed by the new rulers in Islamabad.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"The Commonwealth ministerial group decision also does not take into account the categorical statement by the Chief Executive that, I'll use his words: 'the armed forces has no intention to stay in charge any longer than absolutely necessary to pave the way for truth and democracy."
SUPERCAPTION: Shamshad Ahmad, Foreign Ministry secretary

Ahmad said that Commonwealth ministers ignored the fact that citizens reacted positively to the military action.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"In taking the decision the ministers have therefore ignored many important aspects, especially the public reaction to the change in Pakistan, and have applied the Harare declaration principles in haste. We regret this decision."
SUPERCAPTION: Shamshad Ahmad, Foreign Ministry secretary

Meanwhile, deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was removed from power by the army last Tuesday, is still being held in 'protective custody'.

But the military rejected speculations about a potential trial.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Mr. Nawaz Sharif is still in protective or preventive custody. We hear in lots of newspapers that there will be martial law, that there will be a trial, there is going to be this and that...that's something that newspapers should not be doing...no such information has been given out"
SUPERCAPTION: Brigadier Rashid Quereshi, military spokesman

In a gesture aimed at soothing tensions with India, Pakistani troops began moving back from the Indian border on Monday, a day after the new military regime pledged to unilaterally thin out its forces to ease border tensions.

Quereshi said reinforcements that were sent to the border last summer were packing their gear and moving out.

He said the numbers were classified.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Now, the forces that are moving back, as a part of the de-escalation process that the general spoke about in his address to the nation, are those additional forces that had been moved close to the international borders as a reaction toward what the Indians had done by moving their forces to the borders. Pakistan has not waited for the Indians to move back from the borders."
SUPERCAPTION: Brigadier Rashid Quereshi, military spokesman

The withdrawal comes four months after a border dispute between the two nuclear neighbors nearly erupted into full-fledged war.

The New Delhi government said the move had no military significance.

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