Punjab Ministers go missing

The Nation: A good number of Punjab Provincial Ministers left their homes soon after the rumour of Nawaz Government's ouster was confirmed late Tuesday night. Meanwhile, some of the ministers were confined to their houses, while the rest were kept back where they were. According to unconfirmed reports Irrigation Minister Ch Iqbal was picked up from Lahore Airport. It may be mentioned that he was inducted in the Punjab Cabinet on the recommendation of the late Punjab Governor Lt Gen (retd) Ghulam Jillani Khan. Provincial Auqaf and Education Minister remained at home after the state-run electronic media announced Nawaz's dismissal.

The official telephones at the ministers' residences were closed except for Provincial Education Minister Zulfiqar Dhillon's. Law Minister Raja Basharat reportedly left for ``Mian Nawaz's Raiwind estate'' along with a host of MPAs soon after hearing the news. Amongthe Cabinet members the first man to disappear from Lahore was Social Welfare Minister Pir Binyamen Rizvi. He was last spotted on the GT Road on way to his ancestral village in Mandi Bahuddin. There also were some unconfirmed reports that a number of PML-N MPAs were present inside the CM Secretariat when the Army jawans moved in to picket the building. Meanwhile, the top members of the Punjab Provincial administration went missing.

Top bureaucrats too remained untraced till late at night including Chief Secretary, IGP, and other top administrative notches. Sources believed that the provincial administration is pretty confused what to do next, whom to follow, the civil government or the army, and hence bureaucrats are keeping quiet. Meanwhile, army personnel entered Punjab Civil Secretariat late at night and assumed its control. There were some unconfirmed reports that the Chief Secretary was due to meet the Corps Commander Lahore. However, it was not confirmed till late at night whether that meeting hadhappened or not.

`CIA knew of Musharraf's plan'

The Nation: The US intelligence agency, CIA had informed the Clinton administration a few days ago there were signs in Pakistan that COAS Gen Pervez Musharraf would go for a military coup, reported CNN Tuesday. It may be mentioned that after receiving this information, the State Department issued a warning that Washington would oppose any extra-constitutional change in Pakistan. Another report says Musharraf had turned down an American government invitation to visit Hawaii some time ago, revealed State Department spokesman James Rubin during a Press briefing in Washington on Tuesday, reports CNN.

Sindh Inspector General arrested

The Nation: IG Sindh Rana Maqbool Ahmed was reported arrested when he had gone to the airport either to arrest or to welcome the COAS Gen Pervez Musharraf. Rana Maqbool aired a message to all the five districts SSPs to rush to the airport in APCs. He went to the airport but he was not allowed to goinside the VIP lounge and returned. But, in the meantime, he was taken into custody and shifted to Islamabad.