WORLD
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — More than 3,000 people jailed under emergency rule have been released, the Interior Ministry said today, the latest sign that President Gen. Pervez Musharraf was rolling back some of the harsher measures taken against his opponents.
Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema put the exact figure of those freed in recent days at 3,416 — including lawyers and political activists — and said more than 2,000 people remained jailed.
"The process has started. More are being released today," Cheema said, adding that those still in detention "would be freed soon" though he said the cases of some facing criminal charges could take longer.
Musharraf, who left for a visit to Saudi Arabia today, has been under immense pressure from Washington to free opposition leaders, end media restrictions and step down as head of the armed forces.
The releases came hours after judges hand-picked by Musharraf quashed legal challenges to his disputed re-election as president. Still, many high-ranking party activists and leaders, such as former cricket star Imran Khan, remained in prison. Khan began a hunger strike Monday to protest emergency rule.
Musharraf says the emergency is needed to combat increasingly powerful Islamic militants, but opponents note most of those jailed have been moderates. They say the general suspended the constitution to preserve his grip on power by preventing the Supreme Court from invalidating his recent re-election.
The Bush administration has put intense pressure on Musharraf to lift emergency rule as swiftly as possible, saying that the elections cannot be fair unless Musharraf frees opponents, lifts media curbs and lets candidates campaign freely.
PATHARGHATA, Bangladesh — Rescue workers struggled today to get food, fresh water and shelter to hungry and exhausted survivors of Cyclone Sidr, which has killed 3,150 people and may claim more lives.International aid worth about $120 million has been promised, but relief items such as tents, rice and water have been slow to reach survivors of Thursday's cyclone, the worst to hit Bangladesh in a decade.The American Red Cross said it will provide $1.2 million to help get clean water to the survivors and build shelters."The problem is that aid workers need hours to reach these remote areas. Poor communications are also hampering our work," said Anwarul Huq, a spokesman for the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee.The government is using helicopters to deliver aid to survivors — many of whom are still living without shelter. Some relief agencies are also using boats to ferry relief to remote pockets.Mike Kiernan, spokesman for the charity Save the Children, stressed that the survivors are still at risk."Just the fact that people were able to survive this does not mean they will survive the second wave of death that comes from catastrophes like this: from lack of clean water, food, basic medicines and shelter," Kiernan said.
LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II on Monday became the first British sovereign to celebrate her diamond wedding anniversary, and more than 2,000 people attended a thanksgiving service in her honor at Westminster Abbey.Prince William marked the 60th wedding anniversary of his grandparents, the queen, 81, and Prince Philip, 86, by giving a New Testament reading from the Bible in their honor. Dame Judi Dench read a poem, "Diamond Anniversary," composed for the ceremony by Poet Laureate Andrew Motion.Eight couples who had married on the same day as the queen and Philip also attended the ceremony. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, who actually reach their personal milestone Tuesday, will travel to Malta, where they spent some of their happiest days.
