Insulting threatment of Pak senator by the E.U.

[A Khan]

EU assembly cancels talks with

Pak MPs over Sami’s presence

BRUSSELS: The European Parliament on Wednesday cancelled talks with a delegation of Pakistani lawmakers to protest the inclusion of Maulana Samiul Haq.

British Labour member Neena Gill, who heads the European Union assembly’s South Asia inter-parliamentary committee, said talks were called off once they realised the Pakistani delegation included Senator Maulana Samiul Haq.

Sami, who heads his own faction of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, is included among the clerics who opposed the US operations in Afghanistan and Iraq and organised protest rallies against these attacks. "The European Parliament espouses the ideals of democracy, equality and human rights," Gill said, adding that while Parliament has members who represent "all shades of the political spectrum," EU lawmakers could not accept the participation of Maulana Samiul Haq.

"We cannot condone, therefore, individuals who place themselves outside these parameters, for they represent everything we stand against," she said. The eight-member Senate delegation was to meet with Gill’s 22-member committee as well as hold talks with German Conservative Elmar Brok, who chairs the parliament’s foreign affairs committee.

The Pakistani delegation criticised the attitude of the Belgian government and the European Parliament as being contrary to the rule of law, human rights and the accepted norms of behaviour.

According to a message received here from Brussels, the delegation which has four members from the opposition including MMA, the Pakistan People’s Party and the PML-N as well as four from the ruling PML, regretted the Belgian government’s behaviour towards Senator Maulana Samiul Haq, as being unfair and discriminatory.

Giving the details of the incident, the statement said that when the delegation on Tuesday, led by Mushahid Hussain Sayed, arrived at the Brussels Airport, Senator Maulana Samiul Haq was stopped by the Belgian security, while other members of the delegation were allowed to proceed.

Responding to a query as to why Senator Maulana Samiul Haq was singled out for such a treatment, the immigration officer said that he was directed by the interior minister and that though they had nothing against the Senator, as he was travelling on valid visa, they needed time to get further instructions from their superiors. However, Senator Samiul Haq was allowed to leave with the delegation after a delay of almost 90 minutes.

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/

Eventhough i dont see eye-to-eye with maulana Sami-ul-haq, i do respect him as a senator of Pakistan thus he should be given the same treatment as foreign senators get when they visit pakistan. They can talk to the war criminals like Ariel Sharon, Ahmed Shah Masood and the rest of the Northern Alliance, Narendra Modi (cheif minister of indian state of Gujarat) but they refuse to talk to Maulana Sami-ul-Haq? If this is the way the E.U. does things, then the next time an E.U. delegation comes, we should kick out all the islamofobics and pro-indian lobbyists!

[Ali Ahmad]

They just dont like anything connected to Islam. Notice she singled out that single law maker simply because he was a Maulana who beleived in Islamic laws. Dont agree with his relgion, thats one thing, but use that as a basis to refuse to talk to him? Thats just one step under what Hitler did. If he didnt agree with your relgion, you were dead.

[H Khan]

Yep, they (Western civilizations) don't want elected representatives but either chaos and their own writ.

[yasser]

This says it all about the "British" MP behind the move....


http://www.obv.org.uk/blackpolitician/mep-gill.html


Mrs Gill was born in Ludhiana, India, in 1956

[SSAAD]

The most idiotic thing....they have dealt with *******s like Milosevic etc. and here they are pushing the Pakistani delegation around. For all the detractors of democracy, this is added ammo. BTW, I think this was a tit-for-tat for the US refusal to allow modi the murderer into US.....seems like Gill was trying to return a favor after the Indian ego got bruised by the US state dept.

[Rauf]

Repay the favor when their MP come to pay a visit or any other deligates. Same was done to Stephan Solaris when no one showed up to visit his team, not even sure if any high ranking gov't official met him.
Next day US gov't issued a statement that Mr. Stephan was not there on official US gov't agenda but on his own behalf and not representing official US gov't interests/policy.

[H Khan]

Couple of years ago, British Secy Jack made one bad statement in Bharat against Pakistan and when he showed up in Islamabad nex dayt President Musharraf refused to meet him.

[osman]

I think the EU committed a strategic mistake by this move, admitted that this maulana can never be in any good books for the EU but the EU should have seen it as a chance to engage him but they acted in a quiet foolish way. On the other hand what was this maulana doing in Europe he and his party have bad mouthed them all the time and now he is touring Europe but again it could have been an opportunity but was blown away by foolish European politicians.

[A Khan]

Pakistan summons Belgium, EU envoys
(Updated at 2150 PST)

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has lodged a formal diplomatic protest after members of the European Parliament canceled talks in Brussels with an official Pakistani delegation because it included a pro-Taliban cleric.

The European legislators' decision not to meet with the Pakistani delegation in Brussels provoked an outraged response in Islamabad. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry summoned the EU, Dutch, and Belgian ambassadors to lodge an official protest.

The National Assembly also passed a strongly worded resolution condemning the delegation's treatment.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Jalil Jilani said the European Parliament's behavior was discriminatory and insulting.

"The government of Pakistan has taken a very strong note of this incident, which was contrary to the rules of law, human rights and accepted norms of diplomatic practice," he said.

Pakistani Senator Sami ul-Haq - the eight-member Pakistan senate delegation was scheduled to meet Wednesday with the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee. But European officials called off the meeting when they discovered that one of the delegation's members, Senator Sami ul-Haq, is a strong supporter of Afghanistan's ousted Taliban regime.

When the delegation arrived in Brussels, Mr. Haq was reportedly detained for three hours at the airport, before he was allowed to enter the country. The rest of the group passed through without problem.

European officials say they offered to meet the group without Mr. Haq, but the other senators refused.

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/

[H Khan]

Envoys of Belgium, EU and Netherlands summoned to FO; NA condemns indecency

Mahmood Hussain/APP

Islamabad—Pakistan Thursday made a strong demarche over the refusal of the European Parliament to meet Senator Maulana Samiul Haq and termed it entirely uncalled for and totally unacceptable.

“Pakistan had taken a strong exception to the treatment meted out to Senator Maulana Samiul Haq by the European Parliament,” a statement by the Foreign Office said.

The Foreign Office on Thursday individually summoned the Ambassadors of Belgium, European Union and the Netherlands, which holds the current Presidency of the EU, to lodge the protest.

Maulana Samiul Haq, who was travelling as part of an eight-member delegation of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, was stopped at the Brussels airport by the authorities for an hour and a half on Tuesday.

He was allowed to stay in Brussels for 24 hours, after which the delegation was scheduled to leave for London. Later the members of the European Parliament refused to meet Maulana Samiul Haq.

Additional Secretary (Europe) Athar Mahmood made a strong demarche to the three Ambassadors against the action of the Belgian authorities and the refusal of the members of the European Parliament to meet Maulana Samiul Haq.

He said Pakistan has “deeply regretted the European Parliament’s discriminatory behaviour towards Senator Maulana Samiul Haq, leader of a major political party.”

He said Maulana Samiul Haq merited due respect, especially when he was representing Pakistan in Brussels.

The National Assembly also unanimously passed a resolution condemning the indecent treatment given to the Pakistan Senate delegation at Brussels Airport in Belgium on Wednesday. Different scheduled meetings have been cancelled as a result of this incident.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sher Afgan Khan Niazi moved the resolution on behalf of Sardar Nasrullah Khan Dareshak, Maulana Shah Abdul Aziz, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Dr Farid Paracha, Hamid-ul-Haq Haqqani and Khurshid Ahmad Shah.

The resolution demanded of the government to take up the matter with the Belgian government against the indecent treatment with the Senate delegation especially a respectable member of the delegation Maulana Samiul Haq.

The resolution urged the government to register a strong protest at official level so that such incidents could not occur again.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar informed the House that Ambassadors of Belgium and European Union were summoned to the Foreign Office on Thursday and a strong protest was lodged with them. He said in order to give the House a detailed information of what had transpired in Brussels, the envoys my be allowed to give their version. He said their point of view would be available by the evening.

The Minister for Health Muhammad Naseer Khan taking the floor, said the incident is regrettable and Foreign Minister and Prime Minister are fully alive to the situation.

Earlier, members of the House condemned the incident and said the government should immediately lodge a protest with the Belgian government. The members from the Opposition Benches held the apologetic policies of the government specially the statement of President Gen Pervez Musharraf against religious groups responsible for such a situation. They questioned, as to how the parliamentarians could command honour and respect abroad when they are humiliated at home.

Those who spoke included Shah Abdul Aziz, Hamidul Haq Haqqani, Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Liaquat Baloch, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan and Imran Khan.

Later the entire opposition staged a walk out in protest. It may be recalled that the eight-member Senate delegation headed by Mushahid Hussain Sayed is in Europe to hold meetings with representatives of European Parliament on the Kashmir issue.

The second walk out was staged by the ARD after Raja Pervez Ashraf made a fiery statement charging the government of resorting to undemocratic methods to tease the opposition. He said the leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Asif Ali Zardari had been besieged at his residence in Lahore by the police.

He said PPP leaders and workers including the spouse of the party Chairperson was being terrorised and harassed. He declared that fascist tactics against the PPP would not be tolerated and no body would be allowed to refuse to them the civil and basic democratic rights. He said the present assemblies and system of governance were a drama to misguide the people and the world at large.

In the absence of the Opposition, the National Assembly passed two Bills. These are the Federal Public Service Commission (Second Amendment) Bill, 2005 and the Members of Parliament (Salaries and Allowances) (Amendment) Bill, 2005. Amendments moved in Bills were dropped as the Opposition was on a walkout from the House. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr Sher Afgan Khan Niazi moved the Bills in the House.

Minister for Law and Justice Muhammad Wasi Zafar laid before the House two Ordinances. These are the Pakistan Intellectual Property Rights Organization Ordinance, 2005 and the Legal Practitioner and Bar Councils (Amendment) Ordinance, 2005.

Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting Begum Rehana Aleem Mashhadi presented report of the Committee before the House on the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2005. Chairman Standing Committee on Privatization and Investment, Syed Muhammad Asghar Shah presented report of the Committee on the Foreign Private Investment (Promotion and Protection) (Amendment) Bill, 2005.

Report of the Standing Committee on Commerce on the Safeguard Measures (Amendment) Bill, 2005 was also presented before the House by Minister for Communication Shamim Siddiqui on behalf of the Chairman of the Committee.

[H Khan]

Mahmood Hussain

Islamabad—The Ambassador of Belgium Patrick Renault has confirmed that his government had some reservations about Senator Maulana Sami-ul-Haq. He has also confirmed that there had been some questioning with the Maulana by the immigration authorities at the Brussels Airport. He was asked by the Pakistan Observer to comment over the treatment meted out to the honourable Pakistani Senator at the Brussels Airport on Wednesday.

The Ambassador avoided elaborating the reservations his government had about Sami-ul-Haq or the nature of questioning undertaken with him. However he pointed towards the teachings he gives and ideas he professed. The Ambassador said there had been some clerical errors in reporting the incident that was really sad. He made it clear that the parliamentary delegation of which the Maulana was a member was not on an official or unofficial visit to Belgium. In fact it had to visit the European Parliament which had its Headquarters in Brussels and meet some of its office bearers.

Secondly, the Ambassador said the Belgian government had no knowledge about the visit of Maulana Sami-ul-Haq as he had never applied for visa, which was of course not required by any person holding an official valid Pakistani Passport. However he had valid visas to travel to UK and Germany. However having been questioned by the immigration authorities, Sami and the rest of the members of the delegation were allowed to proceed to the European Parliament to carry forward their programme.

Meanwhile Pakistan Observer has learnt that official business at the Embassy of Belgium here on Thursday was suspended and the staff was advised to leave the premises and go home as a precautionary security measure. The decision was preemptive in nature to avoid any possible reaction or protest against the treatment meted out with Senator Maulana Samiul Haq at the Brussels Airport.

All the diplomatic and non-diplomatic staff at the Embassy had been asked to wait for a green signal to report for duty even on Monday next, reliable sources told this scribe. In between, Friday (today) is a closed holiday due to 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal, and Saturday and Sunday falling afterwords are weekly holidays. So the Embassy shall remain closed for at least 5 days.

[yasser]

Coming from the very same EU "Pariliament" that includes the most right-winga dn racist groups around I find this action intolerable. If you see some of the statements these "democrats" make about Islam, it would shock you!

The delegation were right to stick by Sami and refuse to meet the EU delegation without him. We were right to protest to their ambassadors.

When Dutch and Belguim C-130s and DC-10s land at Karachi to support their ISAF detachments, lets just make sure our immigration guys process them VERY thoughly.
Some of them may have religious views we dont agree with!

In teh meantime let the Turks, US and Canadians pass through with minimal hassles.

[A Khan]

FO summons Dutch, Belgian, EU envoys over Sami snub

NA condemns discrimination

By Mariana Baabar
& Asim Yasin

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday summoned the ambassadors of Belgium, the European Union and the Netherlands to the Foreign Office individually and lodged a strong protest over the refusal of Belgian authorities to allow Senator Maulana Sami-ul-Haq to participate in meetings to which he was invited.

The Netherlands holds the current presidency of the EU, and its ambassador also regretted the incident. Jalil Abbas Jilani, spokesman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also termed the incident as uncalled-for and unacceptable.

He said, "Mr Athar Mahmood, Additional Secretary (Europe), made a strong demarche to the three ambassadors who were summoned individually to the Foreign Office today (Thursday) and a strong protest was lodged against the 19th April 2005 incident whereby members of the European Parliament refused to meet Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, who was part of the 8-member delegation of the Pakistan Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, currently visiting Europe".

In a statement, the spokesman stated that Maulana Sami-ul-Haq was earlier stopped at the Brussels airport by the Belgian authorities for an hour and a half, and was later allowed to stay in Brussels for 24 hours after which the delegation was scheduled to leave for London.

"Mr Mahmood told the Ambassadors of Belgium, European Union and The Netherlands that the Government of Pakistan had taken a strong exception to the treatment meted out to Senator Maulana Sami-ul Haq by the European Parliament. He emphasised that the Government of Pakistan deeply regretted the European Parliament's discriminatory behaviour towards Senator Maulana Sami-ul Haq, who as an elected senator, leader of a major political party and member of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs merited due respect, especially when he was representing Pakistan in Brussels", said the spokesman.

The Foreign Office blamed the media frenzy in Belgium over the Maulana's visit and the resultant refusal by the European Parliament to meet the senator, which was entirely uncalled for and totally unacceptable. As a result the Pakistan delegation refused to hold meetings scheduled for them with the EU authorities. "The Belgian Ambassador was told that it was highly regretful that Senator Maulana Sami-ul Haq was singled out for such treatment by the concerned Belgian Immigration authorities. The attitude of the Belgian Government was contrary to the rule of law, human rights and accepted norms of diplomatic practice", said the spokesman.

The Ambassador of The Netherlands, which is the current President of the EU agreed that the incident was regrettable and stated that the EU would take serious note of the demarche of the Pakistan government.

The other members of the delegation of Pakistan Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs have also deeply regretted the unjust and unfair treatment meted out to their fellow parliamentarian that did not allow them to have a productive interaction with the European Parliament, which was the purpose of their visit.

Neena Gill, who heads the European Union assembly's South Asia inter-parliamentary committee, said Wednesday in Brussels that the EU called off the meeting with the Pakistani delegation once they realised Haq was included. "The European Parliament espouses the ideals of democracy, equality and human rights," Gill said. "We cannot condone the individuals, who place themselves outside these parameters, for they represent everything we stand against."

PML Secretary-General Senator Mushahid Hussain, who is leading the delegation, told BBC on Thursday the double standards observed by the EU had been fully exposed. "When Germany and Great Britain allowed Maulana Sami-ul-Haq into their countries and was allowed to participate in conferences why has Belgium different standards? Where is the EU's free speech now? Belgium's attitude is inexplicable", he observed.

Mushahid brushed aside Haq's support for the Taliban in the past, saying it was not only the Maulana but also EU and the US which had supported the Taliban at that time. Questions are also being asked that when the Belgian and EU authorities knew about the members of the delegation then there was no reason to succumb at the last moment under the influence of a partial media and not allow Haq to participate in the conference.

Mushahid also told Pakistani TV channel from Brussels that the EU Parliamentary Committee meeting was called off after the Pakistani delegation declined the request of the EU lawmakers to omit Haq from the delegation. Terming the EU conditions as "unfair", he charged that it amounted to "discrimination." "We want to preserve national dignity rather than accepting such humiliating demands," he said.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly Thursday passed a unanimous resolution, condemning the discriminatory attitude meted out to Senator Maulana Sami-ul-Haq. The resolution was moved by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sher Afgan Khan Niazi, and was signed by all opposition parties in the National Assembly.

The resolution demanded of the government to seriously take up the matter with the Belgian government and register its strong protest with the Europeans at the official level so that such an incident is not repeated.

Earlier, deputy speaker gave the floor of the House to Tehrik-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan to speak on the issue. But when Imran tried to link this incident with the policies of President Gen Pervez Musharraf, the deputy speaker switched off his mike and asked the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs to move the resolution.

Imran tried to say something else but the deputy speaker's refusal led him to walk out from the House in protest, which was followed by all opposition parties. Even members from the Federally Administrative Tribal Areas (Fata) also staged a walkout for not allowing them to vent their anger over the discrimination against Sami.

During the absence of the opposition, the deputy speaker put the motion before the House for its passage, but a member from the treasury benches, Riaz Hussain Pirzada, protested against it. However, the opposition came back into the House before the resolution was to be passed, but Imran did not turn up.

Earlier, members of the House condemned the Brussels incident, saying the government should immediately lodge a protest with the Belgian government. Those who spoke on the occasion include Shah Abdul Aziz, Hamidul Haq Haqqani, Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Liaquat Baloch, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed and Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan.

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/

[A Khan]

Mushahid also told Pakistani TV channel from Brussels that the EU Parliamentary Committee meeting was called off after the Pakistani delegation declined the request of the EU lawmakers to omit Haq from the delegation. Terming the EU conditions as "unfair", he charged that it amounted to "discrimination." "We want to preserve national dignity rather than accepting such humiliating demands," he said.

the last line was well said! made my day...

Yasser sahib: i completely agree...

[A Khan]

No apology from EU envoys

Muhammad Saleh Zaafir

ISLAMABAD: The ambassadors of Belgium and the European Union who were summoned to the FO Thursday opted not to apologise on the Brussels-incident, however, the Netherlands' envoy expressed regrets over the misbehaviour of the Europeans with Senator Maulana Sami-ul-Haq.

The diplomatic row could hamper Pakistan's ties with the important European countries if the Westerners continue to insist with their intransigence behaviour. This is the second time since 9/11 that Pakistan has come down hard on the European Union members over their insulting attitude. Earlier the high commissioner of the United Kingdom was admonished on his remarks two months back.

Highly placed diplomatic sources told The News that when the senior official of the Foreign Office was reprimanding Ilkka Uusitalo, a Finish diplomat currently representing European Union as its ambassador in Islamabad, the diplomat also wanted to talk on other subjects of bilateral interest but he was not entertained.

Belgian Ambassador Patrick Renault declined to offer any comment on the insult. However, Dr PM Kurpershoek, ambassador of the Netherlands, was the only envoy who was seen in distress, the sources said.

All the three envoys had to face diplomatic thrashing in the Foreign Office for twenty minutes each and they were informed that the members of the Pakistani Parliament were not on private visit. They were carrying official passports and their schedule was tied up through diplomatic channels well in advance.

The sources disclosed that all the three European ambassadors were informed that Pakistan's relations with them were based on mutual respect and cooperation. "Islamabad aspires best of the relations with them but not at the cost of disgrace of its democratic representatives".
Meanwhile, Pakistan's Ambassador to Belgium Saeed Khalid, who represents Pakistan in the European Union's headquarters in Brussels as well, has been asked to convey Pakistan's strongest protest at all the three headquarters.

Political sources revealed to this correspondent that the upper House of the Parliament would also pass a similar resolution that the National Assembly passed on Thursday when it will assemble here on Monday.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz also took serious notice of the incident and was personally monitoring the situation, especially in the absence of foreign minister and foreign secretary, the sources added.

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/

[Noman Habib]

Ah !same molana was blue eyed of west from 1979till 1989 during afghan jehad ,though he had his own reason but he must have rememberd those time when he was being held at airport.The name nina gill sounds indian, Diplomacy has to be pereceded by sound intelligence work, whoever scheduled this visit and meetings should have checked through the profiles of the other party.I hope next time a better homework will be done before spending tax payers money on these useless trips

[SSAAD]

Look at yasser's post above. He has already tracked this Gill (obviously linked to the dhotis) down.

[Shoaib]

Assalamu aleikum,

I might be wrong, but I dont think this was such a bad thing, not in light of how the reaction from the rest of the delegation was (i.e. that they stuck by Sami ul Haq) and neither when one sees the reaction of the foreign office. Sometimes things like these are good for you, and I belive that this might turn out to be too

Now, if any of you write about this in media, please do mention Gills background. (Thanks for the tip yasser!!)

[A Khan]

Pakistan not to scale down ties with EU: spokesman

ISLAMABAD, April 23 (Xinhuanet) -- Pakistan Saturday ruled out the possibility of reducing relations with the European Union after a row over alleged misbehaving to one of its parliamentarians by the Belgian authorities.

"There is no possibility of scaling down relations with the European Union," Pakistani Foreign Office spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani told an Iran news agency in Islamabad, stressing that Pakistan and the European Union enjoyed "strong ties, and the union's policies had no connection to what happened in Brussels."

He added that the European Union was an important partner of Pakistan engaging in various economic projects in the country.

However, Jilani said formal protest had been lodged by summoning the envoys of Belgium, the European Union and Holland, which holds the current presidency of the European Union, in Islamabad after a cleric and senator Maulana Samiul Haq earlier this week was detained by the Brussels police for two hours at theBrussels airport and then asked to leave the country.

The detention came despite the fact that Haq was member of a Pakistani senate delegation scheduled to hold talks with the European Parliament. Being described as a pro-Taliban figure, Haq is reported to have trained pro-Taliban students and dispatched them across the border to Afghanistan.

Pakistan National Assembly (lower house of the parliament) Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution against the "indecent" attitude of the Belgian government toward the Pakistani senate delegation in Brussels.

The Pakistani government also made a strong demarche over the misbehaving and termed it "entirely uncalled for and totally unacceptable." Enditem

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20...nt_2869263.htm

[A Khan]

Champions of free world’ stand exposed

Perspective

Ansar Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: The shoe is on the other foot. The champions of democracy, freedom of expression and tolerance stand exposed.

Senator Maulana Samiul Haq’s detention at the Brussels Airport and the subsequent refusal of the European Parliamentary committee on Foreign Affairs to allow the Maulana to attend the scheduled meeting with the visiting official delegation of Pakistani senators, is provocative to say the least.

Maulana is part of the seven-member delegation of Pakistani senators, representing the Upper House’s committee on foreign affairs, presently visiting Europe to meet the parliamentarians to have better understanding of the two sides on issues confronting the international community.

Led by Senator Mushahid Hussain, the delegation had prior official meetings scheduled with all the concerned, including the European Parliamentarian committee on foreign affairs. Names of the Pakistani delegation members were conveyed in advance to the hosts and all of them were cleared to travel to Europe. Only after this did the respective foreign missions here issued them the visa.

Why was the Maulana invited and issued visa to travel to Brussels if he was to be humiliated? Haq’s prolonged detention at the airport for being a "Taliban sympathiser" and the later refusal of the European parliamentarians to see him amongst their Pakistani counterparts in a scheduled meeting could not be seen as a mere twist of fate. It rather seemed a deliberate attempt by certain players to soothe their inflated egos.

Maulana Samiul Haq is known for his pro-Taliban views. Islamabad-based Western diplomats have been meeting him occasionally, particularly after the 9/11 episode. In some cases, even Western diplomats were seen visiting his Akora Khattak religious school to interact with him on issues dividing the Muslims and the West. Against this backdrop, the Belgian "discovery" that the Maulana is a "Taliban sympathiser", is ridiculous, if not hilarious.

Maulana is no terrorist. One can differ with his views but the fact remains that he represents the religious alliance - Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal - which has a considerable following in Pakistan. Above all, he represents the country’s parliament.

The unanimous adoption of a resolution by the National Assembly condemning the Brussels capers, speaks volumes about the outrage felt by the people and their representatives.

The Foreign Office also took the matter seriously and summoned the senior diplomats representing Brussels and the European Commission to convey them Islamabad’s anger over the humiliation of a respected parliamentarian.

Hats off to the other members of the Pakistani delegation, representing both the government and the opposition, for showing the guts to protest the Maulana’s detention in unison as well as the refusal to meet the European Parliamentary committee.

It is pertinent to ask how the so-called champions of the free world would react if such a welcome was accorded to one of its representatives in Pakistan? Going by their reaction in the newspaper on the matter, one feels sorry that there is no remorse on their part even after the upheaval it caused. An international wire agency quoted British Labour member Neena Gill, who heads the European Union assembly’s South Asia inter-parliamentary committee, as claiming that they called off their scheduled meeting with the Pakistani delegation "once they realised the Pakistani delegation included Samiul Haq."

"The European Parliament espouses the ideals of democracy, equality and human rights," she said, adding the EU lawmakers could not accept the Maulana’s participation.

This is high time for a dialogue between the West and the Muslims. Shying away from each other would not bridge the gulf between them. Rather, it would only widen it. Greater interface between the two cultures would enable them to understand one another better. Otherwise, they would continue seeing each other as enemies. Unfortunately, Brussels has contributed towards the latter.

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/

What can one say, other then: WOW... couldn't agree more... and beautifully written, hats off for Mr. Abbasi!

by the way isnt Mr.Ansar Abbasi a member of this forum?

[H Khan]

By SADAQAT JAN
.c The Associated Press

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - Pakistan's Senate said Monday that a pro-Taliban cleric and lawmaker suffered discrimination when he was held for three hours by airport authorities on his arrival in Belgium for an official visit last week.

Ruling and opposition members of Pakistan's upper house unanimously backed a resolution denouncing the detention of Maulana Samiul Haq last Wednesday at Brussels airport.

``This house regrets the discriminatory attitude toward the honorable member of the (Pakistan) delegation in Brussels,'' the motion stated.

``The house resolves that the government of Pakistan should register a strong protest with the EU Parliament and should ensure that members of Parliament are given due respect.''

The Foreign Ministry lodged a strong diplomatic protest Thursday over ``the very unfortunate incident,'' Foreign Ministry spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani said Monday at a weekly news briefing, ahead of the Senate resolution.

Haq, who is a member of a hardline, opposition Islamic alliance that was sympathetic to the former ruling Taliban regime in Afghanistan, thanked his Senate colleagues ``for expressing solidarity with me and condemning the incident.''

Haq, who returned to Pakistan on Monday, said he was detained at Brussels airport for ``some discussions'' and was allowed to rejoin the Pakistani delegation after three hours.

Jilani said Haq's detention had not strained Pakistan's relations with the EU and that Foreign Minister Khusheed Kasuri was already on his way to Brussels for talks on cooperation between Pakistan and EU on Wednesday.



04/25/05 13:31 EDT

[A Khan]

Editorial in Jang/the news: http://jang.com.pk/thenews/

Samiul Haq episode

Belgium's initial denial of entry to Maulana Samiul Haq as a member of a parliamentary delegation from Pakistan, followed by the European Union Parliament refusing to meet the delegation, provides his critics a reason to celebrate -- a situation reminiscent of the US refusing a visa to Narenda Modi, the Chief Minister of Gujarat, to the jubilation of the critics of his role in the riots in the Indian state in 2002.

Like the Indian government that protested Modi's visa refusal, the Pakistan Foreign Office too has reacted strongly against Belgium's refusal to allow Maulana Haq into the country. But more than anything, the Belgium episode underscores the questionable wisdom of Mushahid Hussain and company in taking Maulana Haq to Belgium with them, even though the French had denied him a visa outright. Taking the Maulana along was simply asking for trouble, given that in August, Belgium and the Netherlands had refused a visa to Qazi Hussain Ahmed himself, the leader of the MMA and head of the Jamaat-e-Islami.

It is said that Mr. Hussain and his comrades are sticking to the Maulana Samiul Haq since they see in the head of a faction of Maulana Fazlur Rehman's Jamiatul Ulema-e-Islam a man with the potential to break up the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal.

As for the West, their refusal to meet an "undesirable" person at the last moment is somewhat perplexing. First of all, if the West is as transparent and as organised in its working as it claims, it should avoid allowing itself to be seen as a strict disciplinarian resorting to last-minute refusal of entry to an undesirable visitor, eventually allowing him in, and then refusing to meet him. A more respectable way of doing that would have been to deny a visa to Maulana Samilul Haq in Islamabad, when the application was filed.

Let it not be forgotten that it wasn't so long ago that we had the West and our own establishment going hand in hand with and supporting Maulana Samiul Haq and his ilk.

[A Khan]

So what do people think about this editorial?

i personally am very much against the notion of comparing any member of the Pakistani parliament with someone like Modi, the man is a fascist, its proven (by human rights groups within his own country) that he is reponsible for killing thousands of innocent muslims, including women and children. There arent many people in this world that are as guilty of genocide as Narendra Modi. Comparing him and Sami-ul-haq is repulsive!

[H Khan]

Typical of EU racist mentality, first insult and than give

By CONSTANT BRAND
.c The Associated Press

LUXEMBOURG (AP) - The European Union head office called Tuesday for a fourfold increase in aid to Pakistan, highlighting its desire for closer political and economic ties.

EU's External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said she wanted to increase the current annual allocation of euro15 million (US$19.5 million) to euro60 million (US$78 million) in aid between 2007-2013.

The money would be used to develop Pakistan's infrastructure, bringing it up to Western standards, she said, adding the 25-nation bloc wanted to continue playing a ``prominent role in supporting Pakistan through a challenging period.''

She said the EU was interested in closer ties in education and regional development, especially in Pakistan's northern provinces.

``I will propose ... that we increase our annual aid to Pakistan fourfold, reflecting the great importance the EU attaches to Pakistan as a key player in South Asia,'' she said in a statement. Such an increase, however, must also be approved by EU governments and the European Parliament, which came under fire this week from Pakistan's senate.

The EU assembly last week scrapped talks with a senate delegation from Islamabad when they found out it included a pro-Taliban cleric.

Haq, who is a member of a hardline, opposition Islamic alliance that was sympathetic to the former ruling Taliban regime in Afghanistan, returned to Pakistan on Monday. He said he was stopped at Brussels airport for ``some discussions,'' and was allowed to rejoin the Pakistani delegation after three hours.

Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, whose country holds the EU presidency, was to lead the EU side at Wednesday's talks with Pakistan Foreign Minister Khusheed Kasuri. Those talks will be the first regular high-level talks as part of efforts to forge closer ties between the EU and Pakistan.

Other issues to be discussed include the fight against terrorism, organized crime and efforts to improve Pakistani-India relations.



04/26/05 10:04 EDT

[A Khan]

Sami gets ‘Brussels treatment’ again, in UK

Senate resolution condemns incidents

By our correspondent

ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Monday passed a unanimous resolution, condemning the discriminatory treatment meted out to Senator Maulana Sami-ul-Haq at Belgium and United Kingdom airports. It urged the government to register strongest-ever protest with the European Union over these incidents.

The treasury and opposition benches unanimously raised the voice of protest against the European Union’s discrimination against a Pakistani member of parliament. However, the opposition blamed the Foreign Office for negligence and demanded that some heads must roll.

Senator Maulana Sami-ul-Haq apprised the upper House of Parliament about his ordeal at the hands of the Europeans. The Maulana said everyone knows about the incident in Brussels. But he revealed that when he was returning from the United Kingdom, similar treatment was given to him at the airport.

He said when the parliamentary delegation checked out and got their boarding passes at the airport; some immigration officers came to him and asked him to accompany them. "I told them that I was a member of parliament and part of the delegation, (so) what kind of treatment was being handed out to me," he added.

He said earlier when the parliamentary delegation entered the United Kingdom, there was no restriction on any parliamentarian to move about anywhere and there was no checking conducted on anyone. Sami said he even made a speech at Cambridge University and apprised the people of the message of Islam. But while they were returning from the UK, "everything changed and they took me for interrogation," he added.

He said the immigration officer took him to a corner and took out all the things from his pocket and thoroughly checked his brief case. The official also took his diary in which something was written in Urdu and English, the Maulana recalled.

He said the way he was treated at both these places proved that the foreign policy of Pakistan was a total failure. "The government has put the country’s prestige at stake in the name of friendship with the West," he bemoaned.

However, when the Maulana wanted to say something more, Chairman Senate asked Sami-ul-Haq to take his seat as he had already given full account of his miseries and even the House unanimously condemned these incidents.

Senator Pari Gul Agha of the treasury asked the chairman to give more time to the Maulana to brief the House about his ordeal. Opposition Leader in the Senate, Mian Raza Rabbani, blamed the Foreign Office for the negligence and demanded complete inquiry into the matter.

He said when the government and the police treat parliamentarians in an insulting manner, then how can we expect the world to behave with MPs differently. He was of the view that had the Foreign Office taken strong notice of the Brussels insult, the incident at the UK might never have happened.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Khusro Bakhtiar said as soon as the Brussels incident came to the knowledge of the government, Foreign Office summoned the ambassadors of Belgium, EU and the Netherlands, and gave a demarche to them.

He said the government of Pakistan deeply regretted the European Parliament’s discriminatory behaviour towards Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, who is an elected senator, leader of a major political party and member of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs.

He blamed the media frenzy in Belgium over the Maulana’s visit and the resultant refusal by the European Parliament to meet the senator, which was entirely uncalled for and totally unacceptable. As a result, the Pakistan delegation refused to hold meetings scheduled for them with the EU authorities.

Later, the opposition protested against the failure to account for the London airport incident and sought a reply from the government. Chairman Senate Muhammadmian Soomro directed Khusro Bakhtiar to present a report on the incident Tuesday.

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/