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August 1998 Pakistan
Special Weapons News

• Clinton Will ask Congress to Repeal Sanctions on Pakistan ASSOCIATED PRESS OF PAKISTAN NEWS SUMMARY (20-08-1998) ): President Clinton is going to ask the Congress to repeal all such laws, including Symington and Pressler Amendments, that impose sanctions on Pakistan.
• Pakistan in dire need of 'concessions' from US on CTBT, Kashmir issues By Nayyar Zaidi The News International Pakistan 17 August 1998 - A variety of serious political developments in both Pakistan and India have cast a long shadow on the forthcoming Pakistan-US-India talks. "Any optimism that might have prevailed about the positive outcome of these talks has evaporated with the most recent violent events and political developments in Karachi and the Vajpayee's severe health problems," an observer added.
• Shamshad-Talbott meeting: US to take 'some hard decisions' after talks By Shaheen Sehbai Dawn 16 August 1998 -- The United States believes that the next round of Pakistan-US talks between Strobe Talbott and Secretary Shamshad Ahmed, to be held in London, would be final and decisive and Washington would then take "some very hard decisions." This was stated by a senior White House official at a rare briefing for Pakistani community leaders and Pakistani journalists at the National Security Council headquarters in the White House on Aug 13.
• Pakistan has no aggressive designs, nuclear capability guarantee for national defence ASSOCIATED PRESS OF PAKISTAN NEWS SUMMARY (15-08-1998)
• Pakistan-India talks prospects dim, says envoy By Shaheen Sehbai Dawn 14 August 1998 The prospects of bilateral talks between India and Pakistan are "very very dim", Pakistan Ambassador to Washington, Riaz Khokhar said on Wednesday.
• PRESIDENT CLINTON TELLS LAWMAKERS OF EFFORTS TO RESOLVE F-16 ISSUE Embassy of Pakistan News 14 August 1998 -- President Clinton has assured his administration's efforts to reimburse Pakistan for the 28 F-16 aircraft Pakistan paid for but has never received.
• No bail-out without deal on CTBT By Shaheen Sehbai Dawn 13 August 1998 -- The United States has clearly indicated to Islamabad that any package to bail out Pakistan, either by the IMF, Islamic Bank or the Paris Club, was linked to progress in the on-going talks on Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
• India sees positive change in Pakistani attitude The Times of India 12 August 1998 - India has ``perceived a positive change'' in the Pakistani attitude towards the normalisation of bilateral relations. ``In fact, in the last few days, there have been hints from Pakistan that the two countries could even go for fixing the date of the next round of foreign secretary-level talks before Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif meet on the sidelines of the forthcoming non-aligned summit at Durban later this month.''
• Pakistan's last gamble Prem Shankar Jha The Hindustan Times 11 August 1998 -- Contrary to what Mr Vajpayee said in Parliament, Pakistan did not overplay the Kashmir card in Colombo, and get its knuckles rapped. Colombo was only the first stage of a last, desperate, gamble to wrest Kashmir from India, by literally blackmailing the world into imposing a solution to the Kashmir dispute on India. Both the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan have now issued the threat of war, and what is more, nuclear war, to India.
• Shaheen missile can be test-fired any time The News International Pakistan 09 August 1998 - Pakistan can test-fire 750-km range Shaheen missile any time, according to top Pakistani nuclear scientist Dr Samar Mubarakmand, Director (Technical) of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC). Pakistan was about to test-fire Shaheen -- which has a range of 750 km with a payload of 1,000 kg -- in May this year, but the test was postponed because of political reasons. Work on long range Shaheen-II is at advanced stage, though sources have avoided to disclose the range and payload of this missile.
• PM calls for unity on nuclear issue The News International Pakistan 07 August 1998 - Offering an olive branch to his political foes, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called upon politicians of all shades to foster unity to frustrate attempts being made to punish Pakistan for demonstrating its nuclear capability.
• Sartaj replaces Gohar as foreign minister The News International Pakistan 07 August 1998 - In the first phase of cabinet reshuffle, Senator Sartaj Aziz has replaced Gohar Ayub Khan as Foreign Minister, while Dr Hafiz Pasha has been appointed Adviser to the Prime Minister for Finance.
• N-tests corrected power imbalance The News International Pakistan 06 August 1998 - The Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of Army Staff (CoAS), General Jehangir Karamat, has said that "had we not reacted to correct the nuclear imbalance our security would have been jeopardised."
• Solarz lobbying for Indian N-programme The News International Pakistan 05 August 1998 - Former US Congressman Stephen Solarz has become an Indian lobbyist, urging the American administration to recognise India as the newest member of the world's nuclear club instead of punishing it with sanctions.
• How objective are U.S. lobbyists? By Sridhar Krishnaswami The Hindu 05-08-1998 :: Pg: 14 :: The spotlight is on the former Congressman, Mr. Stephen Solarz, and his lobbying firm, APCO Associates, which has since been retained by the Indian Embassy here and on the kind of advice the former law maker had to give the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on May 13, 1998, after the Indian nuclear tests.
• Pak. should sign CTBT, says ex-Foreign Minister By Amit Baruah The Hindu: 05-08-1998 :: Pg: 14 :: Sardar Assef Ahmed Ali, former Pakistan Foreign Minister, has said that Islamabad should sign the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) if sanctions were lifted. He was addressing a seminar organised by the Coalition for Nuclear Non-Proliferation in Pakistan (CNNP), a newly-formed group.
• U-S / KASHMIR Voice of America 03 August 1998 THE UNITED STATES IS OFFERING TO MEDIATE TALKS BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN ON THE DISPUTED REGION OF KASHMIR.
• U.S. Department of State Daily Briefing , AUGUST 3, 1998 QUESTION: Our sources are speculating to us that Pakistan is being driven to irrational actions because of its economy suffering from our sanctions. Congress is considering a 12-month waiver on our sanctions. Do you foresee any way that that process could be speeded up in order to take some of the pressure off?
• Pakistan may not quit SAARC The Hindustan Times 02 August 1998 - A striking feature of the just concluded 10th SAARC summit in Colombo was Pakistan's determined bid to get the assembled heads of government to formally and collectively discuss the pressing question of South Asian security.
• Indian fighter planes intrude into AJK The News 02 August 1998 - PAF fighters come into action; 13 more killed by Indian firing across LoC; emergency declared in hospitals; death toll touches 46 in two days; Azad Kashmir to observe protest day on 3rd; GOC visits forward areas
• Pak proposals on Kashmir 'neurotic': Indian official The News 02 August 1998 - India rejected Pakistani proposals to solve their long-running Kashmir dispute because they were "neurotic" and "based on fantasies", a top Indian bureaucrat was quoted as saying Saturday.
• INDIA / PAK / FIRING Voice of America 02 August 1998 -- INDIA AND PAKISTAN TRADED ARTILLERY FIRE ACROSS THE DISPUTED KASHMIR BORDER FOR THE FOURTH STRAIGHT DAY, SUNDAY.
• PAK INDIA KASHMIR Voice of America 01 August 1998 -- PAKISTAN HAS ACCUSED INDIA OF SABOTAGING EFFORTS TO RESTART A DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES, BY INTENSIFYING MILITARY EXCHANGES ON THE DISPUTED KASHMIR BORDER. TENSIONS ARE HIGH AFTER FOUR DAYS OF FIGHTING WHICH LEFT AS MANY AS 65 PEOPLE DEAD AND DOZENS MORE INJURED.
• India follows pattern of sabotaging talks The News 01 August 1998 - The Indian army's unprovoked firing across the Line of Control strengthens fears that the Hindu nationalist BJP government has started unfolding its agenda on Kashmir. The intensity and volume of LoC violations speak of unprecedented new element of "rules of engagement."
• India-Pakistan negotiations fail By Hasan Akhtar Dawn 01 August 1998 -- Talks between India and Pakistan aimed at easing bilateral tensions have failed to break the ice. Spokesman Tariq Altaf briefing newsmen here on Friday said their attempt to resume the stalled talks had failed as India continued to maintain its hardline stand on Kashmir.
• Indian shelling death toll rises to 34 By Tariq Naqash Dawn 01 August 1998 -- The Indian aggression on the border areas of Azad Kashmir has left at least 34 civilians dead and more than 71, including 13 Pakistani soldiers, injured. The shelling continued the whole day long, causing at least 13 deaths and 25 casualties.
• ASSOCIATED PRESS OF PAKISTAN NEWS SUMMARY (01-08-1998) Nawaz terms outcome of his talks with Indian counterpart as "Zero" - Indian rigidity blamed for stalemate in resumption of Indo-Pak talks
• RADIO PAKISTAN HOME BROADCASTS 01-08-1998 -- In occupied Kashmir, Indian troops in their continued reign of repression brutally tortured forty people in Thanamandi area of Rajouri district. According to reports the occupation forces destroyed a number of houses and harassed women folk in the area. The troops attacked a caravan of shepherds in Kishtwar area killing three of them. Dozens of cattle were also killed. A Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman has said that no progress could be achieved despite two rounds of talks between Foreign Secretaries of Pakistan and India in Colombo.
• English News Headlines PAKISTAN TELEVISION CORPORATION 01-08-1998 -- THERE HAS BEEN NO PROGRESS AT THE SECRETARY-LEVEL TALKS BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN, IN COLOMBO. INDIA UNDERMINED THE LITTLE CHANCE OF SUCCESS THE TWO PRIME MINISTERS HOPE TO ACHIEVE IN COLOMBO BY RESORTING TO UNPROVOKED FIRING ALONG THE LINE OF CONTROL KILLING 26 INNOCENT CIVILIANS.

FAS | News | Pakistan | 1998 ||||| Index | Search |