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| April 14, 2008 | Monday | Rabi-us-Sani 7, 1429 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Government committed to supremacy of parliament, rule of law: PM Gilani ISLAMABAD, April 14 (PPI):- Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Monday said government is committed to the supremacy of parliament, rule of law and balance of power between various state institutions. He also said the mandate given by the people clearly indicates they want to see a change in system and the government would try to come up to their expectations. Talking to All Pakistan Newspapers Society members he said the challenges of wheat, power shortage are being tackled on war footing and soon these would be managed to the satisfaction of the people. On the issue of judges restoration, he said “our immediate action to free judges reflected our intentions. We believe Parliament is the supreme body and all important issues should be solved by Parliament. A parliamentary committee to give recommendations on judges issue will be able to give the best possible solution..” “We want independence of all the institutions within the ambit of the Constitution. We want Election Commission to be independent,” Local Government system will also have to be improved, he added. APNS President Hameed Haroon felt challenges before the government would require whole hearted attention for good governance. The freedom of press, media and freedom of expression, would also require democratic approach. (Posted @ 22:02 PST)
Shahbaz for improving education, helath sectors, release of political prisoners RAIWIND, Pakistan, April 14 (APP): PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif on Monday underscored the need to take revolutionary steps in health and education sectors and to strengthening of judicial system while announcing the release of all political workers detained during the last eight years. Addressing a Press conference he said the process of Punjab cabinet formation would be finalised within this week. “We have forwarded a requisition for convening Punjab Assembly session on Friday (April 18), in which Chief Minister will get vote of confidence,” he said. Shahbaz Sharif said “emergency measures are also needed in judiciary especially the lower judiciary.” (Posted @ 21:36 PST)
Talks for release of leader of banned outfit held: Bashir Bilour PESHAWAR, April 14 (APP): NWFP Senior Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Bashir Ahmed Bilour said Monday that negotiations for the release Maulana Sufi Mohammad, leader of banned religious organization, have been initiated. Talking to reporters after meeting with jirga comprising of Swat elders, he said that negotiations are underway with different groups including Maulana Sufi Mohammad in the quest for durable peace in the province but it is premature to say about the outcome of the dialogue. To a question, he said government will finically help the victims of Swat operation, and added that Rs.180million had been allocated for this purpose. (Posted @ 21:34 PST)
Pakistan to adopt multi-pronged strategy to combat terrorism, extremism: PM Gilani ISLAMABAD, April 14 (APP):- Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, reiterating government's resolve to fight terrorism and extremism in all its forms and manifestations, said Monday that a multi-pronged strategy is being evolved to confront the issue effectively. The government would pursue both long and short term initiatives including political, socio-economic as well as administrative measures to overcome the problem, he told the visiting US congressmen, and added that Pakistan has been consistently fighting this menace and has sacrificed a lot including assassination of its leader Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. The Prime Minister said that economic empowerment of the people in bordering areas near Afghanistan is the key to address the issue of extremism in that region. He expressed the confidence that the establishment of Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) would help increase economic activities in the area as well as create new opportunities to improve the standard of living of the people. Gilani said Pakistan accords high priority to its strategic relationship with the US and is keen to further expand its relations in political, diplomatic, economic, defence and security sectors. Pakistan, he added, is also eager to enhance cooperation in the fields of education, health, energy, science and technology. While appreciating Pakistan's efforts in fighting extremism and terrorism, the members of the delegation said that the US relations with Pakistan and its people are very important and expressed US desire for developing a stable and multi-faceted relationship with Pakistan. They expressed confidence that democracy would lead Pakistan towards progress and prosperity. They said they would be pleased to work with the new government and extend all possible assistance for the economic development as well as substantiating Pakistan's efforts in tackling the crises of food and energy shortage. The delegation included Congressman Michael Capuano, Democrat-Massachusetts, Congressman Bill Pascrell, Democrat-New Jersey, Congressman Frank LoBiondo, Republican-New Jersey, and Ambassador of USA in Pakistan, Ms. Anne W Patterson. (Posted @ 21:24 PST)
No difference between PML-N, PPP over deposed judges restoration: Ahsan Iqbal HASANABDAL, Aprll 14 (APP): Federal Minister for Education and Monitories Ahsan Iqbal said Monday there are no differences between PML-N and PPP over the restoration of pre-emergency status of the superior judiciary. Talking to newsmen at Hasanabdal press club near Gurdwara Panja Sahib, he said the coalition government is “bound to restore the November 2, 2007 judiciary” in accordance with the Murree Declaration. Ahsan Iqbal alleged that wheat crisis had been engineered to malign the elected government, saying that the last two months were vital to procure wheat to overcome floor shortage but power transfer to the elected government was delayed in order to pass on a crisis to it. This was a conspiracy against the elected government, he said. Ahsan Iqbal accused the President of trying to negate the mandate of the February 18 elections and demanded that he should step down and the new assemblies be given their legal right to elect a head of state for the next five years. Earlier, addressing to Sikh Yatrees at Gurdwara Panja Sahib Festival, Ahsan Iqbal said the new government would ensure preservation and renovation of the revered places of Sikh community in the country. He announced plan to establish a 'Gurdwara Sahib International University' at Gurdwara Panja Sahib to promote inter-faith peace and harmony. (Posted @ 21:10 PST)
Cricket: Pakistani senator condemns Akhtar ban ISLAMABAD, April 14 (AFP) – Senator Anver Beg, a key member of Pakistan senate committee on sports Monday said a five-year ban of controversial paceman Shoaib Akhtar was unjustified. “The committee called up officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Akhtar and the meeting lasted for three hours and we feel that some people have settled their scores by banning Akhtar,” Anver Beg told reporters. “We have analysed the charges on Akhtar; criticising the PCB was not as big a crime that he was banned for five years,” said Beg, who also demanded the new government sack incumbent PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf. “The cricket administration needs a revamp because they are not professionals and they have damaged Pakistan cricket,” said Beg, a member of Pakistan People's Party, which leads the coalition government. (Posted @ 20:44 PST)
Uzbekistan announces gas pipeline project with China TASHKENT, April 14 (AFP) - Uzbek energy firm Uzbekneftgas has formed a joint venture with China's CNPC to build a pipeline that would bring gas from Turkmenistan to China, an official with Uzbekneftgas told AFP on Monday. The official, who requested anonymity, said President Islam Karimov had signed a decree last week outlining the tasks of the joint venture, in which Beijing and Tashkent will have equal stakes. The plans by energy-hungry China and the Central Asian states would break Russia's virtual monopoly on transit of Turkmen gas. CNPC secured a 30 year gas-import deal with Turkmenistan last July. (Posted @ 20:40 PST)
Pakistan parliament calls for UN probe into Benazir Bhutto murder ISLAMABAD, April 14 (AFP) - Pakistan's National Assembly Monday called on the government to ask for a United Nation probe into the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. In a resolution the lower house urged the government to “approach the UN for forming an international investigation commission, to be known as Shaheed (martyred) Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Commission.” Opposition MPs present in the house did not oppose the resolution, which was tabled by law minister Farooq Naek. “The commission should seek to probe and identify the culprits, perpetrators, organisers and financiers behind this heinous crime and bring them to justice,” the resolution said. Benazir was assassinated in a gun and suicide bomb attack last December during an election rally in the Pakistani garrison city of Rawalpindi. In the wake of the killing, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf rejected the idea of a UN probe as requested by Pakistan People's Party (PPP), including Bhutto's widower Asif Ali Zardari. Instead of a UN investigation the murder was probed internally with the help of British police from London's Scotland Yard. According to a report released by Scotland Yard, Bhutto was killed by the force of a suicide blast and not by gunfire. The report concluded that a lone attacker fired shots at Bhutto before detonating explosives at the rally on December 27, but said that bullets were not the cause of death. (Posted @ 20:34 PST)
Pakistan seeks Qatar's assistance to overcome energy shortages ISLAMABAD, April 14 (APP): Pakistan on Monday asked Qatar to extend support to Sui Southern Gas Pipeline Ltd. (SSGPL) by providing LNG at attractive prices to enable it overcome energy shortages. The proposal came during a meeting between Minister for Privatization and Investment, Syed Naveed Qamar and Ambassador of Qatar to Pakistan Hamad Ali Al- Hinzab, says a press release. The Qatarii Ambassador assured maximum support with the help and assistance of Qatar Petroleum Authority. He also expressed satisfaction over the ongoing Qatari investment projects in Pakistan. (Posted @ 20:28 PST)
Pakistan-Afghanistan forces to take collective steps against flour smuggling ISLAMABAD, April 14 (APP): The security forces of Pakistan and Afghanistan would take joint steps to effectively check the smuggling of wheat flour from Pakistan. A meeting to discuss strategy to stop smuggling of wheat flour was held on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan near Chaman where the local commanders from both sides met on Monday, Director General ISPR Major General Athar Abass said. The meeting was held after three vehicles smuggling atta were stopped by FC personnel along Chaman border. The vehicles did not stop and opened fire. FC troops responded the fire. One of the vehicle stopped due to tyre burst but the other two vehicles managed to cross the border. (Posted @ 20:18 PST)
Chinese engineer killed, 4 FC men injured in Pakistan road mishap HUB, Pakistan, April 14 (PPI):- A Chinese engineer was killed and four FC personnel were injured in a road mishap on Kanraj road in Balochistan province on Monday. According to details, a team of Chinese engineers working on Duddar project for exploration of Lead and Zinc in Kanraj Mountains in Balochistan province, some 250 Km from Karachi, was proceeding to Kanraj from Karachi when the tyre of a vehicle burst and it overturned at Khameesa Goth along Kanraj road. One Chinese engineer was killed on the spot while another Chinese engineer and four FC personnel were injured. They were rushed to a hospital in Karachi. (Posted @ 19:50 PST)
Nepal's Maoists surge ahead in vote count KATHMANDU, April 14 (AFP) - Nepal's Maoists have widened their shock lead in historic polls on the Himalayan nation's political future, election officials said Monday as the count passed the one-third mark. Of the 601 seats in a new assembly that will rewrite Nepal's constitution, 212 have been decided or were close to being allocated -- with the ultra-republican Maoists taking 101 seats and leading in 11 others. (Posted @ 19:42 PST)
Olympic torch parade begins in Oman MUSCAT, April 14 (AFP) - The Olympic Torch began its parade through the Omani capital Monday on the Middle East stage of its journey from Olympia in Greece to Beijing for this summer's games. Earlier, the Torch was greeted in Muscat on its arrival from Tanzania, at a ceremony attended by Sports Minister Ali bin Massoud bin Ali al-Sunaidi and representatives of the Chinese diplomatic mission. (Posted @ 19:40 PST)
Pakistan troops open fire to stop flour smuggling ISLAMABAD, April 14 (AFP) - Pakistani border guards opened fire on people trying to smuggle wheat flour into Afghanistan amid a domestic shortage of the staple, but there were no casualties, the military said. Troops at a checkpost near the southwestern Pakistani border town of Chaman noticed three pickup trucks loaded with flour trying to sneak into Afghanistan, chief military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said. “They were first asked to stop and when they ignored they were fired upon. One of the vehicles was crippled due to the bursting of its tyres but the two others managed to cross the border,” he said. Later a meeting was held between Pakistani and Afghan military commanders and an agreement was reached that “steps would be taken to prevent such incidents” in future, he said. “There were no casualties and there was no exchange of fire between two sides,” General Abbas said. (Posted @ 19:36 PST)
Polls for five vacant seats of Senate on May 3 to 6 ISLAMABAD, April 14 (APP): Elections for five vacant seats of the Senate will be held on May 3 and 6, Chief Election Commissioner Justice (Retd) Qazi Mohammad Farooq said Monday. Nomination papers will be received till April 21. Polling for one vacant seat of FATA will be held on May 3 while for two each vacant seats of NWFP and Balochistan will be held on May 6. (Posted @ 19:08 PST)
Besakhi Mela attracts thousands of overseas Sikhs, Hindus NOWSHERA VIRKAN, Pakistan, April 14 (APP) The five-day Besakhi Mela in Khiali Town of tehsil Amenabad has attracted thousands of Sikh and Hindu pilgrims from across Pakistan and the overseas. It will conclude on April 18. (Posted @ 19:04 PST)
TV journalist gunned down in industrial town of Hub ISLAMABAD, Apr 14 (APP) Khadim Hussain Sheikh, a senior reporter of Sindh TV, was gunned down on Monday by unknown persons in Hub town, 30 kms northwest of Karachi, in Balochistan province. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rehman condemning the killing ordered the concerned quarters to probe into the matter and bring the culprits to book. (Posted @ 18:58 PST)
JUI-F, PPP evolve power sharing formula ISLAMABAD, April 14 (APP) Secretary General of Jamiatul Ulema-i-Islam Maulana Ghafoor Haidri Monday said the ruling PPP had made a commitment with JUI-F on sharing of portfolios at the centre and in Balochistan province. Talking to APP, he said JUI-F has been promised three cabinet posts in federal government and six ministries in Balochistan province. The party has already got one ministry in the centre and will get two more in the next phase. In Balochistan, the JUI-F will get six cabinet posts including the portfolios of Planning, Labour and Manpower, Forests, Balochistan Development Authority and Public Health, while one of its nominees will also be designated as Senior Minister, he said. (Posted @ 18:56 PST)
Four killed, several injured in Punjab road accident RAJANPUR, Pakistan, April 14 (APP): Four persons were killed and 16 injured when a bus carrying devotees from Kashmore to the urs of Khwaja Ghulam Farid collided with a trailer near Murghaey Tower in Rajanpur town of Punjab province on Sunday. (Posted @ 18:54 PST)
PM Gilani on energy, wheat crisis ISLAMABAD, April 14 (APP) Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani referring to the violent protest in Multan against energy crisis on Monday appealed to the people to show patience and refrain from violence since it would not help overcome crisis. He said the problems of electricity, energy shortage and wheat crises had been inherited by the present government but the government was striving to resolve these problems on war-footing. (Posted @ 18:50 PST)
Four killed, several injured in Lahore building collapse LAHORE, April 14 (Agencies) Four persons were killed and several others injured critically when the roof of a dilapidated double-story commercial building collapsed in Lahore’s Madina chowk Monday afternoon. Several persons were believed to be under the debris and rescue operation was in progress, private television channels reported. (Posted @ 18:15 PST)
Olympic torch due in Pakistan Wednesday ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, April 14 (AP) - Pakistan is all set to receive the Olympic Torch in Islamabad early Wednesday morning from Muscat, Lt-Gen (retd) Arif Hassan, president of Pakistan Olympic Association, on Monday said security will be tight for the event. Security personnel will run alongside the torch on the premises of a sprawling sports complex. He had earlier announced plans for the torch relay to pass along a broad, tree-lined avenue in the heart of Islamabad. Addressing a news conference he said the change was aimed at helping organizers hold the relay smoothly. “Keeping all the environments in view, we felt that this would be something that we can handle in a better way,” Hassan said. In Beijing, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf addressing the university students criticized attempts to politicize the Beijing Olympics. “Any attempt by anyone to disrupt the process of the torch relay and create ill will is condemned by Pakistan,” he said. (Posted @ 17:50 PST)
11 policemen, two British troops killed, Taliban commander held in Afghanistan ARGHANDAB, Afghanistan, April 14 (AFP) - Dozens of Taliban militants stormed a police post in Arghandab district in Kandahar province early Monday, shooting dead 11 policemen, while two British troops were killed in a blast near Kandahar Airfield, officials said. Arghandab deputy provincial police chief said it appeared the insurgents were disguised in police uniforms. The attack came hours after two British NATO soldiers were killed and two wounded near Kandahar Airfield “when the vehicle they were travelling in hit an explosive device,” Britain's Ministry of Defence said in a statement. Meanwhile Afghan and US-led troops arrested six militants including a commander “directly” involved in the preparation of suicide attacks in eastern Afghanistan, said the US-led coalition. Mohammad Ghanam, who was seized in Khost province bordering Pakistan on Friday, was part of the Haqqani network, the statement said, referring to a group headed by key Taliban-linked militant leader Jalaluddin Haqqani. (First Posted @ 11:25 PST, Updated @ 17:05 PST)
15 American soldiers injured in road accident in Kuwait KUWAIT CITY, April 14 (AP) Fifteen American soldiers sustained minor injuries in a road accident in Kuwait Saturday when a U.S. military vehicle and two buses collided on a road north of Kuwait City, , the U.S. military said Monday. (Posted @ 16:55 PST)
Afghans, Pakistanis “squeezing” Taliban, al Qaeda KABUL, April 14 (Reuters) Al Qaeda and Taliban militants on the Afghan-Pakistani border are increasingly facing pressure on two fronts and they can be squeezed with more coordination between the neighbours, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher told a news conference in Kabul Monday. “To some extent, the extremists in those areas are now fighting on two fronts,” Boucher said. “They have to deal with pressures from the Pakistan side and the pressure from the Afghan side. The more we can do that in concert with each other, the more squeezed the al Qaeda and Taliban supporters in those areas will feel,” he said. Boucher said the Pakistanis were determined to tackle the problem. “What we're seeing is now, first of all, a lot of Pakistanis unfortunately getting killed but also a lot of determination on the Pakistani side to deal with it,” he said. “We're working very hard with the new Pakistani government to take advantage of the opportunity to build democracy and help work with them against extremism,” he said. (Posted @ 16:35 PST)
Kidnapped British journalist freed in Basra BAGHDAD, April 14 (Reuters) Iraqi forces have freed British journalist Richard Butler, a photographer for the U.S. network CBS, who was kidnapped in the southern city of Basra in February, Defence Ministry spokesman Major-General Mohammad al-Askary said. “He is in good health. He is fine. He's here with me,” Askary told Reuters. He said Butler had been freed in a military operation in the city. (Posted @ 16:25 PST)
Election Commission announces schedule of Pakistan by-elections ISLAMABAD, April 14 (PPI) Election Commission Monday announced schedule of by-elections for vacant seats of National and Provincial Assemblies. Polling for six National Assembly and 22 Provincial Assembly seats will be held on June 3. The vacant seats include 12 provincial seats of Punjab, three each of Sindh and Balochistan and four of NWFP. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Chief Election Commissioner Justice E. Qazi Farooq said nomination papers will be issued from April 15 for by-elections and can be submitted till April 21. Nomination papers will be scrutinized from April 22 to 28 while the final list of candidates will be issued by May 11. He said election campaign by candidates will end on June 1. (Posted @ 15:50 PST)
11 injured in Pakistan road mishap KASHMORE, Pakistan, April 14 (APP) Eleven passengers were seriously injured when a Kashmore-bound passenger coach turned turtle and fell in a ditch due to reckless driving on Kandhkot-Kashmore road Monday. (Posted @ 15:30 PST)
Rioters protesting power cuts ransack MEPCO office in Multan, burn vehicles MULTAN, Pakistan, April 14 (AP) A crowd protesting power cuts rioted in Multan Monday, ransacking the office of the Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO), torching a bank and leaving at least 13 people injured. Several hundred men marched on the office of the Water and Power Development Authority in Multan to protest power cuts that the city's textile industry said were killing business. Some protesters stormed the office, dragged furniture into the front yard and set it ablaze along with several motorcycles. About a dozen cars and buses and a nearby bank building were also set on fire. The protest was organized by a textile industry association, which had set Sunday as a deadline for the electricity company to reduce power outages. Mirza Mohammad Ali, the regional police chief, said 10 staffers for the power company were injured before armed colleagues drove the protesters back. He said three protesters were also hurt. Police also fired guns into the air and tear gas canisters to disperse the protesters. Ali said they made almost 40 arrests. (First Posted @ 14:30 PST, Updated @ 15:25 PST)
Bomb attack on Baghdad police patrol kills five BAGHDAD, April 14 (AFP) A roadside bomb attack on an Iraqi police patrol in central Baghdad Monday killed five civilians and wounded nine other people, two of them policemen, security and medical officials said. The attack took place in Nidhal Street around 11:00 am, a security official told AFP. (First Posted @ 14:20 PST, Updated @ 15:15 PST)
Pakistan changes route for Olympic torch relay, rules out anti-China protests ISLAMABAD, April 14 (AP) Arif Hasan, president of Pakistan Olympic Association, said the route for the Beijing Olympic torch relay has been changed. Hasan also said he is confident that the anti-China protests which have greeted the flame elsewhere in the world will not occur in Pakistan. The torch is scheduled to arrive early Tuesday in Islamabad, from Muscat. (Posted @ 15:15 PST)
12 killed as banned Kenyan sect protests NAIROBI, April 14 (AFP) At least 12 people were killed Monday in a series of clashes involving Kenyan police and members of a banned Kenyan sect protesting over the killing of their imprisoned leader's wife. Police said five people were killed in Nairobi, four in central Kenya and three others in the Rift Valley region where members of the Mungiki sect were blocking roads and stoning motorists. Nine of those killed were Mungiki members shot dead by police, while the three others were reportedly civilians caught up in the violence, police officials said. “We have things under control and have deployed security forces across the country to ensure that peace prevails,” national police spokesman Eric Kiraithe told AFP. (Posted @ 14:30 PST)
MEPCO offices, vehicles, bank set on fire against prolonged power outages in Multan MULTAN, Pakistan, April 14 (PPI) Police and security guards of Multan Electric Power Company MEPCO shot fires in the air and resorted to baton charge and teargas to disperse the angry mob which set the record, furniture, vehicles and different sections of the power company's headquarter on fire here Monday. A police constable was injured when an unruly mob attacked a police vehicle during a protest against a 10 to 15-hour load shedding. The mob burnt half a dozen motor cycles and a dozen bicycles and a bank on Khanewal road. More than 2000 baton wielding workers and owners of Powerloom attacked the MEPCO headquarter in Multan. Some youth also looted a beverage company's truck besides breaking the window panes and wind screen of different vehicles. (Posted @ 14:30 PST)
Bomb blast in central Baghdad kills four, wounds eight BAGHDAD, April 14 (AP) A bomb exploded in central Baghdad Monday killing four people and wounding eight, Iraqi police said. (Posted @ 14:20 PST)
President Musharraf for China oil pipeline, criticizes efforts to politicize Olympics BEIJING, April 14 (AFP) President Musharraf said Monday he would welcome a Central Asian grouping that includes China and Russia working alongside NATO to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan. “In a joint cooperative effort, if the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) can do something, yes indeed it should come forward and cooperate toward the security of Afghanistan ... I'm for it,” Musharraf told students following a speech at Beijing's Tsinghua University. But “if the SCO can come along, then we would need to ensure that there is no confrontation with NATO,” he added. During his speech, Musharraf also proposed building an oil pipeline from Iran to China that would pass through Pakistan. “I believe in a corridor linking Pakistan and China, more road linkage, a rail link, fibre optics and oil and gas,” he said. “We are vying for a pipeline in Pakistan between Iran, Pakistan and India. We are calling it the I-P-I pipeline. So why can't this be the I-P-C pipeline between Iran, Pakistan and China?” he said. Musharraf said he raised the pipeline issue in his talks with China's leaders while also vowing to step up Pakistan-China bilateral trade volume to 15 billion dollars by 2011. He also condemned protests that have marred the Beijing Olympic torch relay and vowed to maintain security when the flame arrives in Islamabad Wednesday. “We have taken all measures to ensure its security,” he said reiterating his position that Tibet was a part of China and an internal affair that should be handled by Beijing, free of foreign interference. (First Posted @ 11:00 PST, Updated @ 14:15 PST)
11 policemen, two NATO troops killed in Afghanistan ARGHANDAB, Afghanistan, April 14 (AFP) Dozens of Taliban militants stormed a police post in southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar province early Monday, shooting dead 11 policemen, while two NATO troops were killed in a blast, officials said. “One of our police posts was attacked in Arghandab district. At this point I can confirm that 11 policemen have been killed,” deputy provincial police chief Amanuallah Khan told AFP. “Initial investigations indicate that one of the policemen had ties with the Taliban. The Taliban infiltrated the post and opened fire on the police - there was no exchange of fire,” he said. Interior ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary confirmed that 11 policemen were killed. “We claim responsibility. Fifty Taliban carried out the attack,” Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi said. Separately, two NATO soldiers died of injuries sustained in a blast in southern Afghanistan Sunday, while another two were wounded, the force's spokesman General Carlos Branco said. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force(ISAF) did not say where the incident took place. (First Posted @ 11:25 PST, Updated @ 14:05 PST)
President Musharraf for China oil pipeline, criticizes efforts to politicize Olympics BEIJING, April 14 (Reuters): President Pervez Musharraf is pushing for the construction of gas and oil pipelines between his country and China to bolster bilateral ties. “Pakistan is very much in favour of a pipeline between the Gulf and China through Pakistan, and I have been speaking about this with your leadership,” Musharraf told a gathering of students and academics at the elite Tsinghua University in Beijing. He said a proposed gas pipeline between Iran and India through Pakistan could be expanded to include China. President Pervez Musharraf also criticized attempts to politicize the Olympics and said efforts have been taken to ensure the torch relay through Islamabad this week will be successful. “We think that politics must be kept out of sports,” Musharraf said. (First Posted @ 11:00 PST, Updated @ 12:20 PST)
Afghan, US-led troops arrest rebel commander KABUL, April 14 (AFP): Afghan and US-led troops detained six militants including a commander “directly” involved in the preparation of suicide attacks in eastern Afghanistan, the coalition military said Monday. Mohammad Ghanam and five other militants were captured during a raid by Afghan and US-led troops in Khost province on Friday, the force said in a statement. “Mohammad Ghanam, 33, was one of two militants who were the focus of the operation. He was directly involved in the preparation of vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (IEDs),” it said. (Posted @ 12:05 PST)
Nepal's Maoists extend lead in election KATHMANDU, April 14 (AP): Nepal's former communist rebels strengthened their lead in early election results Monday, winning 91 out of 163 constituencies where counting was complete and leading in most other areas, officials said. With two-thirds of the 240 directly elected seats allocated, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) held a comfortable majority, said the Election Commission. Final results for the 601-seat Constituent Assembly are still a few weeks off. Officials say they should have a clearer picture of what it will look like later this week. (Posted @ 12:00 PST)
First Saddam, then Al-Qaeda, now Iran motivates US war in Iraq CRAWFORD, Texas, April 14 (AFP): The rationale for war in Iraq has morphed from ousting strongman Saddam Hussein to countering Al-Qaeda militants to its latest incarnation -- facing down what officials in President George W. Bush’s administration call the Iranian “threat.” ”Iraq is the convergence point for two of the greatest threats to America in this new century: Al-Qaeda and Iran,” Bush said last week, renewing accusations that Iran is backing Iraqi militias hostile to US forces and covertly seeking nuclear weapons. Brookings Institution expert Suzanne Maloney said, “disastrous Bush policies fostered a sectarian Iraq that has helped empower Iranian hardliners. Rather than serving as an anchor for a new era of stability and American preeminence in the Persian Gulf, the new Iraq represents a strategic black hole, bleeding Washington of military resources and political influence while extending Iran's primacy among its neighbours,” she said. (Posted @ 11:35 PST)
US, Iran in secret discussions on nuclear program: report WASHINGTON, April 14 (AFP): The United States and Iran have been conducting secret back-channel discussions on Tehran's nuclear program and frozen relations between their countries, British newspaper The Independent reported Monday. It quoted former US under secretary of state Thomas Pickering as saying a group of former US diplomats and foreign policy experts had been meeting Iranian academics and policy advisers “in different places, though not in the US or Iran” for the past five years. He added none of the group members was from the US or Iranian governments although “each side kept their officials informed,” according to the paper. (Posted @ 11:35 PST)
Somali militants kill two Britons, two Kenyans MOGADISHU, April 14 (Reuters): Somali militants killed four people at a school, including two Somalis holding British passports and two Kenyans, local residents said on Monday. The killings occurred in the central town of Baladwayne. (Posted @ 11:30 PST)
11 Afghan policemen killed in Taliban attack KANDAHAR, April 14 (AFP): Taliban militants stormed a police post in Arghandab district in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar overnight, killing at least 11 policemen, a police official said Monday. (Posted @ 11:25 PST)
Organs of British teen killed in India missing: lawyer PANAJI, India, April 14 (AFP): A fresh row has erupted over the death of a British teenager in India's Goa state after her organs were found to be missing following a new autopsy in Britain, a lawyer said Monday. The autopsy, the third since 15-year-old Scarlett Keeling was raped and murdered in the Indian resort state of Goa in February, revealed that her stomach, uterus and both kidneys had been removed, a lawyer representing the teenager's mother said. (Posted @ 11:10 PST)
President Musharraf criticizes efforts to politicize Olympics BEIJING, April 14 (AP): Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf criticized attempts to politicize the Olympics and said efforts had been taken to ensure the torch relay through Islamabad this week is successful. “We think politics must be kept out of sports,” Musharraf said in a speech Monday to a Beijing university audience. He also pledged that the torch relay's one-day stop in Islamabad would be uneventful, unlike its chaotic stops in Europe and the United States. “We have taken all measures to ensure its security,” he said. “There is not one man in Pakistan who would do anything against the interests of China.” He also warned outsiders against trying to disrupt the relay. (Posted @ 11:00 PST)
Around 30 bodies found in Iraq mass grave BAGHDAD, April 14 (AFP): US soldiers have discovered around 30 bodies in a mass grave north of Baghdad of people buried nearly eight months ago, the American military said Monday. The grave was found on Sunday south of the town of Muqdadiyah in Diyala province, north of Baghdad. (Posted @ 10:20 PST)
Bangladesh, India restore train link after decades ON BOARD FRIENDSHIP EXPRESS, India-Bangladesh, April 14 (AFP): Rail passenger services between Bangladesh and India resumed Monday, more than four decades after the link was suspended following a war. The train, covered with flowers, was sent off from Dhaka's Cantonment Station at 0230GMT by Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury. In India, Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee flagged off the Moitree (Friendship) Express from the eastern city of Kolkata with 65 passengers on board on the first day of the Bengali New Year. (Posted @ 10:05 PST)
Coach of Indian marathon boy shot dead NEW DELHI, April 14 (AP): The coach of a young boy who ran a marathon in an attempt to set a world record was shot dead by gunmen in eastern India, police said Monday. Biranchi Das and then 4-year-old Budhia Singh became instant celebrities in record-crazy India when the boy attempted to run a 70-kilometer marathon in 2006. Deputy Commissioner of Police Amitabh Thakur said Das was shot by gunmen late Sunday outside his training center in the city of Bhubaneshwar. (Posted @ 09:55 PST)
Grenade injures five during Myanmar New Year YANGON, April 14 (AFP): Five people were injured in a grenade attack in eastern Myanmar, state media reported Monday. The authorities accused ethnic insurgents of trying to disrupt Buddhist New Year celebrations. The Myanma Ahlin newspaper said four men and one woman were hurt when a man, whom the paper claimed was a member of the rebel group Shan State Army (SSA), tossed the bomb into a gathering early Sunday. (Posted @ 09:50 PST)
Greece: Saudi diplomatic car destroyed in arson attack ATHENS, April 14 (AP): A car belonging to the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Greece was destroyed in an arson attack early Monday, police said. Small cooking gas canisters exploded underneath the parked vehicle in a northern suburb of the capital. No one was injured. An anarchist group calling itself Cells of Subversion claimed responsibility for the attack. (Posted @ 09:45 PST)
Six Japan suicides with homemade gas: police TOKYO, April 14 (AFP): At least six people killed themselves in Japan over the weekend in separate suicides that all used the same method of mixing cleaning liquid and bath salts, police said Monday. Japan, which has one of the developed world's highest suicide rates, has seen a growing number of people killing themselves with the same method, which creates poisonous hydrogen sulfide gas. (Posted @ 09:40 PST)
Turkmenistan to supply 10bcm of gas to EU from next year LONDON, April 14 (AFP): Turkmenistan will supply 10 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas annually to the European Union from next year, EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner confirmed in an interview published in Financial Times on Monday. President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov of Turkmenistan ... gave us assurances that 10bcm will be set aside for Europe in addition to possibilities in new fields to be tendered,” she told the business daily. (Posted @ 09:30 PST)
Vietnam battles cholera outbreak, over 130 infected HANOI, April 14 (AFP): Vietnam, battling a cholera outbreak that has infected over 130 people, this week launched a month-long public hygiene drive. The epidemic, the country's third major outbreak since October, spread in recent weeks from epicentre Hanoi to southern Ho Chi Minh City and 16 provinces, officials said. (Posted @ 09:05 PST)
Blind runner finishes seven marathons in seven days LONDON, April 14 (AFP): A blind British runner became only the third person ever to complete seven marathons on seven continents in seven days when he crossed the London Marathon's finish line on Sunday. The gruelling week-long stretch saw 50-year-old Dave Heeley run a total of 293.4 kilometres – 42kms a day -- in the Falkland Islands, Rio de Janeiro, Los Angeles, Sydney, Dubai, Tunis and London to raise money for guide dogs. “I am the first blind person to do this. It's been a fantastic adventure and one I'm going to talk about for a long time.” (Posted @ 08:50 PST)
Karachi burning By Amber Rahim Shamsi
VIOLENCE begets violence. As Karachi burned on April 9, it was less than two months after the February elections when spring and hope blossomed albeit briefly.
For once, the ‘R’ word du jour was reconciliation instead of revenge as the new government took the oath. Revenge was exacted through democracy (a brilliant catchphrase even if it is idealistic), through the mediated will of the people rather than the power politics of the ruling elite.
The images of reconciliation were powerful: Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif laughing it up in the VIP gallery of the parliament as MNAs were sworn in; Zardari being warmly received in the bosom of the MQM at its headquarters Nine Zero. Certainly there were misgivings. When bitter enemies turn brothers, the national impulse is one of cynicism, but it was at least tempered with a ‘maybe’.
Maybe, this time, things would be different from the tumble-dry democracy of the nineties when cycles of BB and Sharif were sprinkled with the detergents of ehtesab and jail. Only Pakistan is not ready for clean — but just more — blood.
The country needed reconciliation and healing, after a year when it had been scraped raw with unrelenting death and destruction — both human and constitutional. It has been more than a year after March 2007 when the lawyers first took to the streets but the blood has still not been staunched. Karachi is burning again: after May 12 and Dec 27, another date to remember is April 9, 2008. While peace was not going to come easily, this date rankles all the more because it followed that brief bloom of hope.
The blame game is on, of course. It’s the lawyers. No, it’s the caretaker government. It’s the MQM, the PML-Q, the PPP, the PML-N. In Pakistan, blame is dispensed more freely than justice or answers, which means we will never know for sure what happened and who was responsible. “The perpetrators will be brought to justice,” thunders the government. “Are they ever?” Pakistan asks wearily and warily.
These ‘perpetrators’ tend to run amok in Karachi. The city is a tinderbox of grievances and frustrations and the slightest spark is all it needs. It’s a vast, unruly city with tectonic plates of ethnicity, politics and crime. Power cuts will spiral into rioting and a lawyers’ quarrel leaps into flames. But let us not forget that violence begets violence.
When Karachi burned on May 12, the PML-Q leadership and President Musharraf were busy in a self-congratulatory exercise, safely ensconced behind bullet-proof glass. Not one word of condolence, grief or acknowledgment was uttered during that sham affair. When Karachi again burned in Dec and Jan, the PML-Q stoked ethnic passions with talk of Punjabis being targeted by Sindhis.
So while former Chief Minister Arbab Rahim and former federal minister Sher Afgan being thrashed is uncivilised, shameful and condemnable, the acts are not out of the blue. Let’s not forget that hundreds of lawyers and PML-N workers have been jailed and beaten up in 2007. Public sentiment has been inflamed and it’s a fire that cannot be so easily doused by a splash of democracy. So while what happened is deplorable, it is also understandable. Violence begets violence. Does it make it right? No. Does it make it inevitable when polarisation has gotten more acute in the country in the last few years? Yes.
Thrashing public figures is symptomatic of this polarisation. Former federal state minister Tariq Azeem, PTI chief Imran Khan, deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and one of President Musharraf’s legal whizzes Ahmed Reza Kasuri have all suffered beatings and humiliation. Indeed, the lawyers’ pet chant of ‘Go Musharraf Go’ reflects the same mentality: when individuals are castigated for the crimes of a collective lot.
Musharraf’s speedy exit may not guarantee an independent judiciary and foreign policy, a de-politicised army, cuts in defence spending, a lower inflation rate and fewer suicide bombings. Yet he needs to resign because he has become such a polarising figure, not because he is the fount of all evil.
It’s safe to say that the lawyers have suffered their first public relations disaster: from black-coated super heroes championing the supremacy of the law, Constitution and justice at great cost to their livelihood, they are suddenly hooligans who think they are above the law — just like the president that they so ardently decry.
It doesn’t seem to make sense when their primary demand — the restoration of the deposed judges — is so nearly being met. But then, it has been a year and the lawyers’ victory was tossed out of the window in Nov.
Despite the Bhurban Declaration, there have been such conflicting reports on the intentions of Asif Ali Zardari and the PPP towards the deposed judges that the lawyers have gotten edgy. But just as a handful of militant religious extremists do not represent the vast majority of Muslims, so too a few lawyers-turned-ruffians should not be allowed to undermine a just cause. Meanwhile, Karachi burned. The country is on edge again. The political squabbling continues.
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