Bring out the champagne

Musharraf ‘fourth most influential world leader’

NEW YORK: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has been declared one of the most influential figures of 2004 for his contributions to regional and world affairs. Eurasia Group in New York, in their annual ranking, identifies the top 50 individuals whose actions and accomplishments leave a profound impact on local, national and international politics during the year under consideration. The final ranking of President Musharraf among world leaders is forth. A distinguished panel of judges assisted the group in determining the final ranking of world leaders. Praising President Musharraf’s contributions in their final report, the Eurasia Group says: “In year 2004 President Musharraf continued supporting the global war on terror and worked to repair relations with India following a near-war in year 2002.” In addition, the group notes that while dealing with real assassination threats, President Musharraf has had to deal with conflicts ranging from sectarian violence to tribal problems in Balochistan and the North West Frontier Province. President Musharraf has been in the spotlight at international forums including the United Nations. app

On seconds thoughts....

Musharraf put on ‘worst dictators’ list

WASHINGTON: Parade, a weekly magazine, has included President Pervez Musharraf among the “world’s 10 worst dictators”, a listing it published last year as well.

Parade, which gets distributed with every newspaper delivered to an American home or sold on the street or at a newsstand at weekends, says about the Pakistani leader, “Two years after seizing power in a military coup that overthrew an elected government, Gen Pervez Musharraf appointed himself President of Pakistan. He recently agreed to step down as head of the military, then reversed the decision, claiming that he was best suited to unite Pakistan’s contentious political and military elements. ‘The country is more important than democracy,’ he said. Pakistan has endangered the world by spreading nuclear technology. Last year, it was discovered that Abdul Qadeer Khan, head of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons programme, has been selling nuclear technology to North Korea, Libya and Iran. As for civil liberties in Pakistan, a woman who has been reaped may present her case only if she can produce four Muslim men who witnessed the attack.”

Others on the list are: Kim Jong Il of North Korea, Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, Than Shwe of Myanmar, Hu Jintao of China, Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Teodoro Obiang Nuguema of Equatorial Guinea.