President Islam Karimov calls for peace & tranquility in society - III
(Speech by President Islam Karimov at the festive ceremony dedicated to the 13th anniversary of Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan)

At the moment, 2 million students attend sports sections nationwide, 40 percent of which composed by women. In general, the increase of the number of younger people engaged in sports to 20% is a pleasing phenomenon. Sport events, carried out in the Republic in 2005, such “Barkamol avlod”, sports and athletics contest among the women, international competition on art gymnastics “Beauty of the East” and others significant sport events are recognized as important events in sport life of our country. Briefly speaking, the fact that as a total 165, 8 billion sums had been spent until November 1, 2005 on implementation of the program “Year of Health” obviously demonstrates the volume and scales of works executed in the given direction. Availing myself of this opportunity, allow me to express on my own behalf and on behalf of the people gratitude to state agencies and non-governmental organizations, World Health Organization and its regional branches, international charitable organizations and donors that actively participated in implementation of that program, as well as, to all people, who have contributed on their own good will to that noble activity.
While we draw preliminary results of the “Year of Health”, it is worth to note with pleasure that we gave to that year such a name, which allowed us to conduct a huge amount of work. Only figures and examples mentioned above describe a lot. While availing myself of this opportunity, I would like to say another thing. I think that you will share the notion that if all of the measures within the framework of the “Year of Health” could serve the cause of saving the life of even one child and could treat even one patient, we needed to and had to name 2005 as such.
Dear fellow countrymen!
In this regard, a question arises: what main objectives we are pursuing by naming with sincere intentions each forthcoming year by a certain name? Above all, it should be said that along with our many other deeds, and also in naming any certain year, we set as priority objectives the issues as to ensure human and its interests, strengthen peace and tranquillity in our society, the state of kindness and mercy, and humaneness, as well as address urgent problems, bothering the majority. Therefore indeed, each occasion we thoroughly study the attitude of our people to this issue, undertake broad analysis, and seriously tackle this issue. Hence, naming the New Year and adopting the special program on it, as well as implementing it, is the issue of paramount importance for all the people, residing in this country, of both social, economic, spiritual, as well as political significance.
Certainly, we all understand well that goals and problems in this direction can not be fully addressed in a year. However, it is no doubt that directing all of our attention and joining together the material resources and opportunities, and channeling them to address the set objectives within the program shall serve as an important factor along reaching the higher frontiers ahead of us. At the same time, from the early start we ought to define the financial sources, which shall fund these priority objectives. Speaking about this, alongside the central budget funds, the local government agencies, non-state organizations, and firstly, citizen institutions, self-government bodies, and makhallas, in particular, should attract the persons, who are able to render true practical support, to this noble cause.
In implementing the program, oriented to a certain social direction, above all, the thorough study of its legal basis, defining of what more new laws and normative documents yet needed to be adopted, taking aside obstacles, which serve as a barrier along the path, and if needed, providing for necessary privileges and additional opportunities on the part of the state, shall take the foremost significance. Certainly, our sincere intentions and dreams and aspirations can be big, and in keeping with them the New Year can be named by some beautiful names.
Dear fellow countrymen!
In order to once again clearly imagine how our aforementioned sincere goals and aspirations are being realized, I think it is worth recalling what names we have given to the previous years. You are all aware, that 1997 was named in our country as the “Year of human interests”, 1998 – “Year of family”, 1999 - “Year of women”, 2000 – “Year of healthy generation”. Along with that, 2001 – the “Year of mothers and children”, 2002 – “Year of honoring the elderly”, 2003 - “Year of prosperous makhalla”, 2004 – “Year of kindness and mercy”, and this year – “Year of Health” has taken the deserved place in the history of our independence. As we see, their deep humane essence and philosophy, as well as social direction inalienably link all of these years with each other.
With a view of consistently continuing these our works and taking them up to a new stage, I want to propose to announce the upcoming year 2006 as the “Year of charity and medical personnel” in our country. Probably, you are dears present here in this magnificent building may ask the question of how these notions of sponsorship and doctors are interrelated to one another. While speaking about this, above all, I want to draw your attention to one notion. It is natural to compare charity with doctor’s activity and equaling to the practice of granting cure to the person. What do we understand when we talk about a sponsor, or charity? The sponsor means first of all to be a generous, to render a gratuitous aid.
In my opinion, the notions of charity and generosity cannot be taken apart from each other. Hence, I want to recall once again the following wisdom, stipulated in the holy hadiths, which is “Allah, the Almighty, is generous, He loves generosity. He is doer of good, He loves the goodness”. The sponsorship is not only about sharing a part of one’s wealth for the purposes of charity. This is neither an almsgiving from religious point of view, nor offering alms. We know charity as a practical embodiment of the most sincere feelings in the human innermost and heart. That is, when we say a charity giver, we imagine, speaking shortly, the people, who live doing good, who strive to render help and assistance to the poorest, orphans and parentless, and neediest, share the grief of other people, and better the native suburb, or town.
I think we all realize well what a profound meaning has the wise saying in the Noble Koran “Do hasten among yourselves in engaging in good and piety”. Sometimes I cannot help but be astonished when I hear that our magnanimous and generous fellow countrymen, while letting no one know and speaking nothing, live by supporting orphanages, neediest families, as well as assisting disabled and lonely people. Frankly speaking, not everyone can do these good things. For doing this, what higher features the person should possess. If we shall come out from this, I think it is not difficult to imagine that the noble deeds by generous and gratuitous men of charity go in full correspondence and get closely interlaced with activity of the hardworking and devoted doctors and nurses, who ease the pains of people and share their grief and troubles.
Dear friends!
As we announce the forthcoming year as the Year of “Charity and medical personnel”, firstly we aim to strengthen the sponsorship movement, its status and significance, establish legal basis of this issue, and nourish broad public opinion so that such generous and honorable efforts take the deserved place in our society. For these purposes, to make charity givers feel that engaging in such noble deeds is an inalienable part of their lives, we should ensure legal guarantees and privileges on the part of the state. And, I think, that we should adopt charter on the charity activity to comprehensively stimulate them.
At the moment, we also should keep in mind the issues of promoting the features of kindness and generosity in conscience and mindset of our entire nation, and above all, of our youth, as well as to much enhance this movement which is in fact our national value. It is an open secret that given the conditions of market relations, someone now lives well through utilizing his God-granted mind and strength and laboring hard, and still another one has not yet fully adjusted himself to such complex conditions.
Along with that, we also should not forget about the persons, who are in need of help and support by virtue of nature or for some other reasons, and about less-fortunate people. We should direct the attention of state and society to these very people, and we all should act together to render help to them. While speaking about doctors and others engaged in medicine, we should consistently continue our work, initiated in this sphere, much strengthen the material – technological basis of healthcare, create worthy conditions of labor and life for medical employees, and pay primordial attention to stimulating their work. In this regard, few days ago the decree “On improving the system of salaries of the medical employees” has been announced over the television and press.
According to the decree, starting January, 2006 we aim to improve the wage tariff scale for medical employees, design wages for them and introduce the system of stimulation of work in line with their qualification, complexity of their work, knowledge and skill, as well as their contribution in carrying out their professional duties and treating people. And based on such standards it is envisaged to increase their salaries for up to 35 percent. And for now, the most important objective for all of us is to fully implement the provisions of the said decree on ground. So that, each and every people, engaged in the sphere of medicine, - ranging from highly skilled doctors to ordinary nurses, and medical employees – do feel the practical impact of this decree in their lives.
Dear friends!
We have all grounds to say that announcement of the New Year as the Year of charity and medical personnel shall interlace with sincere features of our nation, and at the same time, shall become a meaningful and inalienable continuation of the Year of Health. Certainly, based on our annual experience, we shall elaborate a separate program on the New Year and define the necessary measures on its implementation. I hope that government agencies alongside with ministries, non-government organizations, as well as social groups, and in general, each and every person, who wishes to contribute to this noble deed, shall participate in this process with their practical proposals and opinions. If all people residing in this sacred soil, - regardless of their nationality, language, and religion, who live by saying that Uzbekistan is my sole Homeland – shall labor hard and consistently, then, be aware that no force shall overcome us, our country and nation shall never be obedient to any one. I truly believe, by leaning upon the great will and resolve of our people, by which it could overcome enormous barriers along the path of 15 years of its sovereign development and was able to withstand any trials and hardships, we shall certainly achieve the set new and higher frontiers. Time and again I congratulate you with the Constitution Day and wish all of you health, happiness and luck, and bounties to your households.
 

Control of nuclear assets in Pakistan
Shahid Saleem Afzal

The nuclear tests by India on 11th and 13th May 1998 posed a direct security threat to Pakistan. Also, in the wake of the tests, Indian leaders adopted an extremely hostile posture towards Pakistan asserting that Pakistan must realize that the geo-strategic balance had changed and that “India’s bold and decisive step to build nuclear weapons” signified India’s resolve “to deal firmly and strongly” with Pakistan. These and similar threats carried the risk of Indian miscalculation and military misadventure which, could have led to disastrous consequences. For these strategic compulsions and in response to strong public sentiments, the Government of Pakistan decided to conduct nuclear tests on 28th and 30th May, 1998. Pakistan’s tests were necessary to establish deterrence and, therefore, have served the cause of peace and stability in South Asia.
The credit of developing the nuclear bomb goes mainly to Dr. A Q Khan, commonly known as the father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb. He has been accused of nuclear proliferation from Pakistan. This happened prior to 1998 when Pakistan did not have an efficient mechanism to avoid proliferation, as at that time the nuclear programme was in developmental stage with few checks and balances. The world community recognizes that the Pakistan government was never involved in nuclear proliferation. Dr. Khan committed the blunder as he enjoyed unlimited powers and misused them. Safe control of nuclear weapons is guaranteed by a “3-men rule”, namely any procedure involving nuclear weapons requires the concurrent decision by 3 persons. In February 2000 the Strategic Planning Division (SPD) was established in Pakistan in order to improve the control of nuclear operations. The SPD acts as a Secretariat for the National Command Authority (NCA) headed by the head of the government that deals with all aspects of nuclear weapons. With the establishment of the SPD, security of Pakistan’s nuclear programme has become impregnable.
Selling of state secrets is nothing new and has happened since ages. It takes place all around the world. On 25th October 2005, Gowadia, an Indian born American scientist admitted to selling Top Secret US military documents to at least eight foreign countries. Gowadia marketed himself as the father of the B-2’s unique infrared suppressing propulsion system which enables the stealth bomber to hide from heat seeking missiles. On 30th September 2005, Lawrence Franklin, 58, A US Defence Department analyst was accused of passing government secrets to two employees of an influential pro-Israel lobbying group. He was charged for disclosing classified information related to potential attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq. He also revealed national defence information to Steven Rosen and Keith Weissman, former employees of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
On 6th November 2005, four persons were arrested in Los Angeles as part of a Chinese intelligence gathering ring. They have been accused of causing serious compromises for 15 years to major U.S. weapons systems, including submarines and warships. On 14th November 2005, the chief executive of a Russian space technology firm was arrested on charges of selling state secrets to a Chinese company. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), the main successor to the Soviet Union’s KGB, has in the past two years arrested several leading scientists on charges of selling state secrets. So, the story of espionage and leaking of state secrets goes on and on. The proliferation by A Q Khan should may also not be taken very seriously as there is many a slip between cup and the lip when it comes to getting hands on easy money. A Q Khan was not holding any position of authority when his folly was detected. He was Special Advisor to the Prime Minister and was removed from the Directorship of the KRL much earlier. He was sacked as advisor in January 2004 and put under house arrest.
Since the A Q Khan episode, Pakistan has instituted several measures to ensure that its nuclear capability is closely guarded. The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority was established in 2001 with the mission to ensure the safe operation of nuclear applications in the fields of industry, medicine and agriculture.  PNRA maintains a close liaison with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and through it, with other regulatory bodies of international repute. Pakistan has always been sensitive to international non-proliferation concerns. This was evident in the several proposals made over the years, after the 1974 Indian nuclear test, to keep South Asia free of nuclear weapons. Pakistan’s initiatives included a proposal for the establishment of a nuclear weapons free zone in South Asia, a joint Pakistan-India declaration renouncing the acquisition or manufacture of nuclear weapons, mutual inspection by Pakistan and India of each other’s facilities, simultaneous adherence to the NPT by both countries and acceptance of IAEA safeguards. Not a single one of the proposals made by Pakistan elicited a positive response from India. Lately there has been some progress as a result of the Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) undertaken by both the countries.
Legislation on export control of goods including technologies, material and equipment related to nuclear and biological weapons and their delivery systems, intended to strengthen measures to prevent proliferation of weapons of mass destruction was enacted on 23 September 2004. Under the Pakistani legislation, those convicted of violation will face up to 14 years in prison and up to $85,000 in fines. With the passage of this bill, Pakistan asserted it is in compliance with its obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 1540 and is acting as a responsible nuclear power. Resolution 1540, passed earlier in 2004, directs all states to implement domestic legislation that stiffens controls over sensitive materials and technologies in an effort to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. Measures taken by the government amply protect Pakistan’s nuclear assets from proliferation. The world community may be rest assured that there will never be a repeat of the A Q Khan episode. Pakistan can now boast of a foolproof command and control system and appropriate safeguards including legislation to ensure that Pakistan’s nuclear assets and expertise never fall in the wrong hands.

Indian Bhangra Group: Missing in action
Kashmala Khan

The seamy side of India’s emigration industry is again in the news perhaps at its worst, in a case that involves allegations against an Indian entertainment figure whose standing in society was quite impeccable. The police are zeroing in on Daler Mehndi, the king of Indian bhangra pop, who has belted out numbers that have been major hits. Originating in Punjab, bhangra’s catchy beat and up-tempo music can be heard everywhere today. It was Mehndi who is to a great extent responsible for the music’s spread as far as Germany and England. However, his elder brother, Shamsher Singh, was recently arrested on allegations that he headed a visa racket wherein hopeful emigrants were charged as much as much as US$26,000 to be included in Daler’s dance troupe. It is alleged that the visas were a sure shot path to developed countries such as Canada, United States and the United Kingdom. Once in these countries, the troupe members promptly went missing.
The Daler case came in the wake of similar episodes in the recent past. In yet another instance of manipulation of cultural troupes as a front by visa cartels, a Haryana-based travel agent took 30 youths abroad to Seoul as members of a bhangra dance group in July 2005. Suspicious immigration authorities, however, stopped the troupe at the airport as none of the overweight, portly group members appeared fit for a jig.
Again, in September this year, members of Green Rose, a little known Bhangra group from Ludhiana vanished in Berlin. The Incident has left Indian officials in Berlin red – faced. “It has become a big embarrassment to us”, said Pawan Varma, director general of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). For the ICCR, this is not the first brush with embarrassment. A few years ago some artists led by Bhangra dancer Jagat Singh Jagga disappeared in the US and another troupe vanished in Europe. The latest incident of the Bhangra troupe could have diplomatic fallout for India. A few months ago, the German authorities refused to issue new visas to the Indian ambassador’s driver and maid since the earlier staff had gone missing as illegals in Germany.
The vanishing lot has caused severe embarrassment for India and it will have a bigger impact on travelers seeking visas to foreign countries. Presently, many nations have put India on the watch list of suspected countries because of the growing number of illegal immigrants. All countries has severely criticized Indian officials for issuing visas without proper checking and expected that Indian government will take suitable measures to control any future incidents.