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Saturday, December 27, 2008

Israel massacres 210 Gazans

this news update by www.24hrsalert.blogspot.com
GAZA CITY (AFP) - Israel hammered Hamas targets in Gaza on Saturday, killing at least 210 people in retaliation for ongoing rocket fire in one of the bloodiest days of the decades-long Middle East conflict.
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said “Operation Cast Lead,” which has also left some 300 wounded, would continue “as long as necessary.”
“The battle will be long and difficult, but the time has come to act and to fight,” he said.
Following the mid-morning wave of attacks, which saw some 60 aircraft bomb the impoverished, overcrowded territory, Hamas swiftly responded by firing several dozen rockets into the Jewish state, killing one Israeli.
The Islamist movement, which seized control of Gaza from forces loyal to moderate Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas last year, warned Israelis living near Gaza to “prepare the funeral shrouds.” Air strikes continued sporadically throughout the day and into the evening, with no immediate reports of casualties.
In Gaza, thick clouds of smoke billowed into the sky. Mangled, bloodied and often charred corpses littered the pavement around Hamas security compounds, and frantic relatives flooded hospitals. Ambulances and private cars rushed the wounded and dead to Al-Shifa hospital, where staff used sheets as makeshift stretchers for some.

There was no space left in the morgue and bodies were piled up in the emergency room and in the corridors, as many of the wounded screamed in pain. “My brother was still alive when he arrived here, and was talking to me but no one could help him. He died,” said Ahmed al-Gharabli, his voice shaking and tears streaming down his cheeks. His brother Baha was a policeman.
Medics said civilians had been hit, but the majority of the victims appeared to be members of Hamas, branded a terror group by Israel and the West. At least 205 Palestinians were killed and some 300 others wounded, said Dr Moawiya Hassanein, the head of Gaza emergency services.
The bombardment - which marked one of the bloodiest single days in the 60-year Israeli-Palestinian conflict - came after days of spiraling violence, with militants firing rockets and Israel vowing a fiery response.
Hamas militants warned Israelis living near the border to “prepare the funeral shrouds,” vowing that the Islamists’ response “was on its way.”
One rocket hit the southern Israeli town of Netivot, killing a man and wounding four other people, Israeli medics said.
The air strikes come less than two months ahead of Israeli elections on February 10.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, the head of the governing Kadima party and one of the front-runners for the premier’s chair, said that “today there is no other option than a military operation.”
“We need to protect our citizens from attack through a military response against the terror infrastructure in Gaza.”
Violence in and around Gaza has flared since the truce ended, with militants firing rockets and Israel warning it would respond.
It escalated dramatically on Wednesday, when militants fired more than 80 rockets and mortar rounds in response to a deadly air strike on Gaza.
Hamas said bombs destroyed its security structures across Gaza and killed three senior officials - the Gaza police chief, the police commander for central Gaza and the head of the group’s bodyguard unit.
The bombardment set off angry demonstrations in Israel’s Arab towns and in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Israel had responded to earlier attacks by tightening the blockade it imposed after Hamas seized Gaza from forces loyal to Abbas in June 2007. But dozens of truckloads of supplies were delivered to Gaza on Friday after Israel decided to temporarily allow in humanitarian aid.
Hamas is sworn to destruction of the Jewish state and has warned that it would retaliate to a major Gaza operation by resuming suicide bombings inside Israel. The last such attack claimed by Hamas was in January 2005.

this news published by www.breakingalert.blogspot.com

Islamabad doesn't want war with India: Pak PM Gilani

this news update by www.zeenews.com
Islamabad: Amid mounting world pressure on it, Pakistan on Saturday said it does not want war with India and noted that "friendly countries" are working to defuse tensions between the two neighbours.

"Pakistan is a peace-loving country. We don't want to have war or aggression," Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said addressing a function on the occasion of the first death anniversary of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

"We want to have friendly relations with our neighbours -- Afghanistan and India," Gilani said.

He noted that "friendly countries" are working to defuse tension between India and Pakistan.

His comments came a day after External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee suggested that Pakistan was trying to create "war hysteria" to divert attention from the "real issue" of taking action against those responsible for the Mumbai attacks.

Mukherjee is understood to have conveyed this view to his counterparts from the US, Saudi Arabia, China and Iran when he talked to them on Thursday and yesterday.

Pressure of the world community on Pakistan is mounting which is reflected by the latest statement by US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, who said that perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks must be "eliminated" and that Islamabad has still a "lot to do" in combating terrorism.

Gilani said last night in Lahore that war is not in the interest of any country and all issues should be resolved through dialogue.

Pakistan wants peace and will not initiate any military aggression, he said.

this news published by www.breakingalert.blogspot.com

Kasab’s identification parade conducted in Mumbai

this news update by www.topnews.in
Mumbai: The identification parade of the lone surviving terrorist of the Mumbai attacks, Ajmal Amir Kasab, was conducted at the city’s Arthur Road Jail on Saturday.

According to sources, two GRP personnel and several witnesses took part in the identification parade. All the witnesses reportedly identified Kasab as the terrorist they had seen on November 26.

Among the total 35 witnesses are policeman Arun Jadhav, who was in the police jeep targeted by the terrorists and SR Arasa, the owner of the Skoda car, which was hijacked by the attackers on Marine Drive.

Kasab and his associate Ismail Khan had fled in the hijacked car but were confronted by a police team at Girgaum Chowpatty. The encounter resulted in the killing of Khan while Kasab was caught alive.

“The other witnesses include the cops who saw him firing at CST station as also some of those who were injured there,’’ a police officer said.

Considering the gravity of the case, elaborate security arrangements were made at the Arthur Road Jail.

this news published by www.apakistannews.com

Not Planning military action; want Pakistan to act: India

this news update by www.thearynews.com
Islamabad: India has informed Pakistan that it has not engaged in any sort of troop build-up along the frontier and sought firm action against terrorist camps and militant groups operating from the Pakistani soil.

New Delhi has also told Islamabad that it has no plans for a military action, but wanted a combination of "executive action and judicial processes" against terrorist elements like the Lashker-e-Taiba and its front organisation Jamaat-ud-Dawah, which have been linked to the Mumbai attacks.

This message was conveyed during Indian High Commissioner Satyabrata Pal's meeting with Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir here on Friday. Indian Deputy High Commissioner Manpreet Vohra was also present, diplomatic sources said.

The Pakistani side said any surgical strike by India in response to the Mumbai terror attacks would be seen as an "act of war". To this, the Indian officials stated that there was "no reason for the war hysteria" being witnessed in Pakistan, the sources said.

The Indian officials made it clear that there had been no build-up of troops along the Pakistan frontier and that New Delhi had no plans for military action, the sources said.

The Indian side also conveyed the message that "words and commitments" were not adequate in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, which were "just a symptom of the larger problem" of terrorists operating from the Pakistani soil, the sources said.

"There is a need for firm action against such elements. We don't see the shutting down of terrorist camps. Armed militants with guns are still moving around and terrorist camps are still operational," a source said.

The sources said India wanted a combination of "executive action and judicial processes" against terrorist elements like the LeT and JuD.

Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma asserted that Pakistan needed to launch proceedings against terrorism as India had already given it the needed evidence.

this news published by www.apakistannews.com

Israeli air force attacks Gaza, 120 killed

this news update by www.thearynews.com
GAZA CITY: Israeli air force fired about 30 missiles at targets in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, destroying several Hamas police compounds and killing more than 120 people, Arab media reported.

The Israeli military confirmed they had conducted strikes, saying they targeted "terrorist infrastructure."

Television footage showed dead bodies scattered on a road and wounded and dead being carried away by distraught rescuers. There was widespread damage to buildings.

More than 120 people were killed and 200 were wounded in the attacks, Al Jazeera TV said, citing the head of the Gaza ambulance service.

Hamas police spokesman Islam Shahwan said a police compound in Gaza City had been hosting a graduation ceremony for new personnel when it was attacked. Police chief Tawfiq Jabber was among the dead, the radio said.

"I'm afraid we have at least 40 dead," Shahwan said.

Uniformed bodies lay in a pile and the wounded writhed in pain, television pictures showed. Rescuers carried those showing signs of life to cars and ambulances, while others tried to revive the unconscious.

Several the rescuers beat their heads and shouted: "Allahu akbar (God is greatest)." One badly wounded prostrate man was quietly reciting verses from the Quran.

Elsewhere in Gaza, at least two people were killed and 30 wounded from an attack in Khan Younis, a refugee camp in the south. At one site, there was a huge crater in the ground. Nearby medics carried people into an ambulance.

Witnesses said the attacks were carried out by warplanes and combat helicopters.

A news agency correspondent said Gaza City port and security installations of the Islamist Hamas group were badly damaged. Thick black smoke billowed over the city.

The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the attack, which followed a decision by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's security cabinet to widen reprisals for cross-border Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel.

A six-month truce expired last week in Gaza.

Since then, at least six Palestinians have been killed by Israeli air strikes and dozens of rockets and mortar shells from Gaza have slammed into Israel, damaging homes and causing panic.

Olmert warned Islamist group Hamas on Thursday to stop firing rockets or pay a heavy price. "I will not hesitate to use Israel's right to strike Hamas and (Islamic) Jihad," he told Al Arabiya television, an Arab broadcaster widely watched in Gaza.

About a dozen rockets and mortar bombs were fired from Gaza on Friday. One accidentally struck a northern Gaza house killing two Palestinian sisters, aged five and 13, and wounding a third, Palestinian medics said.

this news published by www.apakistannews.com

Friday, December 26, 2008

Musharraf Makes Public Appearance

this news update by www.breakingalert.blogspot.com
LAHORE: Marriage of Khurshid Kasuri’s son with Manzoor Wattoo’s daughter was definitely a union of two big political families, but the real feature of the walima reception turned out to be the surprise participation of former President Pervez Musharraf along with his wife Sehba.
This was definitely Musharraf’s first public appearance in the provincial metropolis after remaining in power for almost nine years, which came as a surprise to many considering the fact that he had not attended many public functions after August 18, the day he resigned as president.

General (r) Musharraf and his wife reached the venue of the walima reception on Bedian Road with Pakistan Muslim League-Q NWFP President Ameer Muqam following them closely. They all left at the same time as well. The slogan of Pervez Musharraf Zindabad (Long live Pervez Musharraf) heard once again after many months when a few people raised the slogan while he was leaving. Quite a few wanted to shake hands with him, but they could not, as Musharraf left pretty soon than expected.
On the other hand, another prominent presence was that of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who left the venue 20 minutes prior to Musharraf’s arrival.
Musharraf was received by Khurshid Kasuri at the main entrance. Upon his arrival, everybody’s head turned towards him, while Musharraf was waving pleasantly to the acquaintances. He met a few members of his cabinet and political leaders also. The walima reception came to be as the first political gathering of the PML-Q, while the political leaders from other political parties were also there.
Musharraf’s presence also gained huge media attention, and mediamen present on the occasion wanted him to say something, but he remained brief and to the point. No doubt, the cameras and journalists thronged the venue, and former first couple’s unexpected visit fascinated people as well. His visit was certainly also talk of the town on Friday.

Though Musharraf’s security was not as strict and vigilant as it used to be during his stint as president, but he was surrounded by quite a few security men, who were making all-out efforts to keep the mediamen away from Musharraf.
However, the journalists were successful in getting his attention for soliciting his views regarding the Pak-India tension. “India must not dare attack and cast an evil eye on Pakistan as long as our army is doing its duty. Pakistan’s defence is impregnable, and we are an atomic power. I hold the country’s solidarity very dear to me, and pray for this,” he said in perhaps one of the most short and snappy talks to the media. He did not entertain any further questions from the mediamen, whom he was facing for the first time since tendering his resignation in August this year.
Moreover, Musharraf did not offer any comment to a question on the current domestic political situation by saying that the president and prime minister should be asked about it.


this news published by www.apakistannews.com

Pakistan To Ignore Kasab’s Consular Plea: Rehman Malik

this news update by www.breakingalert.blogspot.com
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Interior Affairs, Rehman Malik said that Pakistan is not accepting the plea for the consular assistance made by Ajmal Amir Kasab, the terrorist arrested during the Mumbai terror strikes.

During the function on Wednesday, at the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) headquarters, he said, “There is no question of consular access unless it is proved that Ajmal Kasab is a Pakistan national.”

He further said, “We have thoroughly checked the registration records but have not found Ajmal Kasab’s name in the Nadra database. Therefore we are not sure whether he is a Pakistani. How we can give him consular access without having knowledge about his nationality?”


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Mirwaiz Urges Pakistan, India To Focus on Kashmir instead of War

this news find by www.breakingalert.blogspot.com
Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Mirwaiz Muhammad Omar Farooq has urged upon Pakistan and India to focus on Kashmir, which was the real issue, instead of war. Following the lifting of ban on his movement and freedom from detention, Mirwaiz Omar Farooq said that the war would be disastrous for both the countries.

The conflicts should be resolved through dialogues. He said, “If both the countries go on war, then it would be catastrophic for both of them and urged them on focusing the real issue, which is Kashmir.”


this news published by www.apakistannews.com

Indian High Commissioner meets Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary

With India-Pakistan relations hitting a new low, Islamabad on Friday (Dec 26) said there was a need to “de-escalate” the tension and it was awaiting a response to its proposals regarding the joint investigation of the Mumbai terror attacks.

The message was conveyed to Indian High Commissioner Satyabrata Pal by Pakistani Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir during a meeting in the Foreign Office this evening. “The Foreign Secretary called the Indian High Commissioner to the Foreign Office and discussed the current situation,” Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Sadiq told.

Bashir “emphasised the need for de-escalating tensions” and for steps by India to “defuse the tensions”, Sadiq said. The Foreign Secretary also said Pakistan is awaiting a response from India for several proposals made in the wake of the Mumbai attacks, he added.

Pakistan has proposed that the two sides should conduct a joint investigation into the Mumbai attacks. It has suggested that a joint investigation commission headed by the national security advisors of the two countries should be set up.

Islamabad has also said it wants to send a high-level delegation led by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to New Delhi to discuss the modalities for a joint probe and the sharing of evidence and information about the Mumbai incident.

The meeting between Pal and Bashir took place against the backdrop of the movement of additional Pakistani troops to the Indian frontier in the wake of an escalation in tensions.

Reports said Pakistan had scaled down anti-militancy operations in its northwest to rush troops to the Line of Control in Kashmir and the international border. All leave for armed forces personnel was also cancelled.

India has blamed Pakistan-based elements, including the outlawed Lashker-e-Taiba, for the Mumbai attacks that killed over 180 people. It has asked Pakistan to crack down these elements instead of resorting to “war hysteria” to divert attention from the issue of countering terrorism. Pakistan has said it is waiting for evidence from India to push forward its probe into the Mumbai incident

(Agencies)

( This post is from an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by APakistanNews.Com.)


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13 killed in Iraqi police shootout with Qaeda prisoners

Al-Qaeda militants today (December 26) launched a pre-dawn breakout from a police station in the western Iraqi city of Ramadi, triggering a shootout that left 13 people dead.

“During an exchange of fire between prisoners trying to escape and police officers in the station, six policemen and seven prisoners were killed,” provincial police chief Tareq al-Dulaimi said.

Three prisoners managed to flee but one was re-arrested, Dulaimi said, adding that another four policemen were wounded in the shootout that occurred at 0730 IST at Forsan police station in the centre of Ramadi.

Ramadi police have imposed a curfew in the city following the incident, an interior ministry source said, adding that three fugitive Al-Qaeda militants were “emirs” or
local chiefs.

The ministry source said that a prisoner wanting to go to the toilet was escorted from his cell by a policeman, kicking off what appeared to be a well-planned operation.

“The policeman was overpowered by the inmate who seized his weapon and shot him,” the source said.

“He then opened up the other cells and and he and his fellow prisoners grabbed weapons from the police station’s armoury, opening fire on the policemen.”

The predominantly Sunni Arab city of Ramadi, capital of Anbar province, was a key Al-Qaeda stronghold in the aftermath of the toppling of Saddam Hussein’s regime by US-led forces in 2003.

But since 2006 local Sunni tribes there have sided with the US military to fight the jihadists. Daily violence has dropped dramatically in Anbar province as Al-Qaeda fighters have been pushed out of the region.

(Agencies)

( This post is from an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by APakistanNews.Com.)


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Wednesday, December 24, 2008

2nd Bomb Blast in Pakistan

this news update by www.24hrsalert.blogspot.com
D.I. KHAN: A blast has been reported near Kotli Imam in Dera Ismail Khan on Wednesday.

this news published by geo.tv

India Travel Alert: Department of State travel advisory for India

this news update by www.apakistannews.com
WASHINGTON: The Department of State warns U.S. citizens that there is a high threat of terrorism throughout India, and advises U.S. citizens traveling to or already in India to maintain a high level of vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness, especially during the end-of-year holidays until India’s Republic Day, January 26. This Travel Alert expires on January 31, 2009 and replaces that issued on December 4 to provide updated information regarding the security situation.

The November 26 terrorist attack in Mumbai was carried out at venues frequented by Americans. That attack killed 170 persons (including six Americans and 16 other non-Indians) and injured 300. Future attacks may also target public places frequented by Westerners, including in large cities and tourist areas. The State government in Goa has warned against beach parties and large gatherings on beaches and “open spaces” between December 23 and January 5.

The U.S. Mission is concerned that increased political tension between Pakistan and India may further complicate travel in areas near their already-sensitive border. In addition, the Department of Defense has increased its security requirements for all its employees visiting India.

this news publishedw by www.apakistannews.com

Newest Smiling beauty of Bollywood is Anushka Sharma

this news update by www.apakistannews.com
MUMBAI: They say if beauty is power; than a smile is its sword. The beauty of a person stands incomplete without the presence of smile.

And all the dazzling Bollywood beauties have been known to rule and charm the hearts (from several years) with their dynamic, sparkling smile.

sexy wallpaper

Anushka Sharma is the newest discovery which is currently driving India crazy with her luminous and gracious smile.


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Pakistan have no Tension from indian War preparation

this news update by www.apakistannews.com
They were responding to an intelligence report saying India may be preparing to strike against Pakistan in the wake of terrorist attacks in Mumbai last month that it blames on elements in Pakistan, the Daily Times repored.

According to the paper, the officials said that the Pakistani political and military leadership were fully aware of the grim situation on the Indian border.

Pakistan is keeping a close watch on the army deployment along the Line of Control in Kashmir and the activities of the Indian paramilitary Border Security Force, added the officials.

The Pakistan Army has been put on high alert, and national security institutions had been meeting on a daily basis to review the day-to-day security situation. The Prime Minister, President and the defence minister are being regularly updated reports. (ANI)


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Shirtless Obama sets internet on fire

this news update by www.apakistannews.com
Forget Barack Obama’s staff making contact with a governor charged with corruption. What’s got everyone talking is the president-elect’s fine first form.

“FIT FOR OFFICE: Buff Bam is Hawaii hunk,” the New York Post gushed on its cover Tuesday above a photo of the future president strolling without a shirt in Hawaii. The Drudge Report called him “President Beefcake” while TMZ said the president-elect is “still humble enough to do laundry — ON HIS ABS!”

The photos were distributed by Bauer-Griffin, a photo agency more typically found on the corners of Hollywood. Photographer Chris Behnke simply strolled along the beach to get the shot, said agency co-owner Frank Griffin.

Obama “wasn’t hiding. He was completely out in the open,” Griffin said. “We didn’t by any stretch of the imagination expect to get the images we got.”

Griffin said Behnke had gone to the beach to get general views of the estate where Obama is vacationing, but instead found easy access to a view of the first family hitting the beach. “We use the expression, ‘He gave it up,’ ” Griffin said.

Members of the press corps traveling with Obama have been careful to respect his privacy. A spokesman traveling with Obama in Hawaii did not have immediate comment.

Griffin said he doesn’t expect his agency to stake out Washington on a regular basis, but added that Obama is “now the world’s biggest celebrity, just after Angelina and Brad. I guess they’re neck and neck right now.”

The celebrity description is apt, even if Obama faces a plummeting economy and two wars upon entering office. He’s seen as often on “Access Hollywood” as on the nightly news, and appears in “Us Weekly” with the regularity of a Jennifer Aniston.

And should we really be surprised?

When John F. Kennedy was pictured shirtless, there were media accounts fretting about the threshold we had crossed as a country, said David Greenberg, a professor at Rutgers University who is working on a history of political spin.

“There was John F. Kennedy by the beach, shirt off, this young, glamorous president,” Greenberg said. “So in a way this is 48 years old now that we’re having this.”

Since then we’ve had Lyndon B. Johnson lifting his shirt to show reporters his surgery scar and pictures of Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton in swim trunks.

“It was kind of an erosion of what had been boundaries of formality between the president and the public,” Greenberg said. “We’ve had ‘boxers and briefs’ and a real acquaintanceship with a personal side, an uninhibited side, an unclothed side of the president.”

Obama’s physique has been well-exposed; photographers snapped him body surfing in Hawaii during the campaign. He was on the November cover of Men’s Health and detailed his workouts for the magazine: 45 minutes, six days a week, alternating weights and cardio.

Peter Moore, editor of Men’s Health, called Obama focused and disciplined about his workouts and what he eats. “I’d say he has a four-pack, rather than a six-pack, but most of us are working with a full keg,” he said.

He said Obama has buffed up since his days on the road during the campaign: “It’s heavy lifting to form your Cabinet, that’s for sure.”

Combine the increased interest in a president’s personal life with an increasing hunger for celebrity photos and a chiseled presidential body, and Obama becomes an obvious target for paparazzi. Apparently the Obama Girl isn’t the only one with a crush.

“Comments have been 95 percent positive, everything from ‘helllooo president’ to a 65-year-old lady who said she had to wait this long to find a president who she finds attractive,” Griffin said.

Earlier on his vacation, Obama was cranky as reporters snapped pictures through a chain-link fence and bushes, asking “OK, guys. Come on. … How many shots do you need?”

But such personal shots — dropping the girls off at school, hitting the gym, practicing his golf swing — also serve to humanize the president. Greenberg can see why Obama might allow the beach photos to be taken.

“I’m sure if he didn’t do it on purpose, he’s not exactly crying in his coffee about it,” he said. “I don’t see any downside.”

Well, maybe one: Might world leaders take the president less seriously if they can picture him in his underwear?

Fortunately, French President Nicolas Sarkozy beat him to it with stripped-down beach photos. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was pictured shirtless on a fishing expedition.

“In some ways we’re entering a more casual international environment, too,” Greenberg said. “But if he’s sitting down with Putin, he has to project gravitas.”

Griffin has submitted his photo agency for credentials for Obama’s inauguration on Jan. 20. He said it’s too soon to estimate how much Bauer-Griffin will earn from the beach photos “within tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands.”

“I have a feeling that the president-elect kind of accepts this, that it goes with the territory,” Griffin said. “He’s become a celebrity. I think the pictures humanize him and show that he’s just like the rest of us.”

Only with tighter abs.

(Agencies)

( This post is from an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by APakistanNews.Com.)


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Benazir Martyrdom Day Declared Public Holiday

this news update by www.apakistannews.com
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has declared December 27 as a public holiday throughout the country to observe the 1st anniversary of martyrdom of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.

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India Fail to Provide any Suspects List which connect with Mumbai strikes

this news update by www.apakistannews.com
ISLAMABAD: The visiting Interpol Chief, Ronald Noble has said that India hasn’t provided any list of suspected terrorists relating to the Mumbai attacks.

Following a meeting with the Interior Advisor, Rehman Malik, Ronald Noble told the media that Pakistan was itself a terrorist inflicted country and Benazir Bhutto became a victim of it. “We are satisfied over the cooperation extended by Pakistan relating to Mumbai attacks, as Pakistan investigation agencies are cooperative with Interpol and we are thankful to the interior advisor for his assistance”, he said. He further said that none other than Pakistan till today cooperated more with the Interpol and added that Pakistan was the most proactive associate of Interpol. He said the Interpol has also the same information, which you possess. Ronald Noble said that Pakistan was cooperating with the Interpol and the world community should also cooperate with Pakistan.

Earlier, Interior Advisor, Rehman Malik said that Pakistan and India both were the victims of terrorism. He also apprised of Pakistan’s difficulties relating to terrorism in his meeting with Ronald Noble, Rehman Malik said that Interpol team was on routine visit to Pakistan and nothing was discussed relating to the illegal immigrants with them. He said that there are set procedures for the handing over of the wanted person to any country and, “We are prepared to extend all possible cooperation to India relating to the Mumbai attacks, we will bring terrorists to justice,” he vowed.


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Taliban says it will defend Pakistan

this news update by www.apakistannews.com
Hunted by the US and NATO forces for committing acts of terror in Afghanistan, the Taliban on Tuesday (December 23) said they would back the Pakistan Army by deploying hundreds of suicide bombers in case of any military action with India.

Claiming that “thousands of our well-armed militants are ready to fight alongside the army if any war is imposed on Pakistan,” chief of the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Baitullah Mehsud, told The News daily by phone from an undisclosed location.

Hundreds of would-be bombers had been “given suicide jackets and explosive-laden vehicles for protection of the border in case of any aggression by the Indian forces”, he said.

“The time had come, to wage a real jihad that the Taliban had been waiting for,” Mehsud, for whom the Pakistani and US forces are on the look out claimed.

“We know very well that the visible and invisible enemies of the country have been planning to weaken this lone Islamic nuclear power. But the mujahideen will foil all such nefarious designs of our enemies,” he said.

This is for the first time Mehsud has admitted that Taliban has marshalled thousands of fighters close to the Afghan-Pak border and where Pakistani army has launched a major operation to flush them out.

Mehsud said people might question how the Taliban would fight alongside the Pakistan Army when the militants had been fighting the force for a long time.

“Therefore, I want to make it clear that the army was acting otherwise (in the past). But now it would fight for the protection and survival of the country, which is why we will support them,” Mehsud said.

Mehsud, who was accused by former President Pervez Musharraf of masterminding the assassination of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto in December last year, significantly said the Taliban would defend the country’s frontier with Afghanistan in the event of hostilities with India.

He said he wanted to “assure the nation, government and army that they should not worry about Pakistan’s western borders with Afghanistan” as “thousands of his armed fighters had already been deployed to safeguard the strategically important frontier”.

Taliban fighters are ready to fight under the army’s command, he said, but remarked it would be better for the military to “give them a separate sector or specify special targets” for the militants”.

Tensions have escalated in the region after India blamed Pakistan-elements for the Mumbai terror attacks, which killed over 180 people. India has asked Pakistan to take action against elements, including the Lashker-e-Taiba terror group.

Though India has said war is not an option, Pakistan’s top leaders, including Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, have said the country is prepared to face any aggression on the eastern border. Several Taliban commanders have pledged their support to the Pakistan Army in the event of hostilities with India.

(Agencies)

( This post is from an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by APakistanNews.Com.)


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Pakistan is Ready To Face Challenge: PM Gilani

this news update by www.apakistannews.com
LAHORE: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said Pakistan is ready to face any adventure, however, he has rejected chances of war between Pakistan and India.

Talking to media here, Prime Minister Gilani said India did not provide evidences in connection with Mumbai attacks if it really has any evidence than it must be shared with Pakistan. Pakistan is reviewing the situation and while India is trying to flee.

Premier said there is no chance of war between Pakistan and India; however, Pakistan is fully prepared to take on any challenge if imposed on it.


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No Compromise With Al-Qaeda, Taliban: Kayani

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Lahore: Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General, Ashfaq Kayani has said that Pakistan realises threat posed by militant outfits like, Al Qaeda and the Taliban, adding that the nation is in no mood to compromise with them. Kayani had a discussion with the US Marine Commander, James Conway, over the current security conditions, a private TV channel reported.

The two military officials are believed to have discussed `overall regional security’, US drone attacks in Pakistan and US-Pakistan military co-operation on the Pak-Afghan border.

General Kayani reportedly told the American commander that security along with the Pakistan-Afghanistan border was the responsibility of all stakeholders, and not just Pakistan.

The Army chief also assured Conway that security conditions for the NATO supplies, going through Khyber, would be beefed up. (ANI)


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Car bomb kills 1 woman, wounds 5 in Lahore

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LAHORE: Blast rocked GOR area in Shadman locality of Lahore on Wednesday morning killing a woman and wounding five persons were wounded, reports said.

According to reports a bomb device was planted in a vehicle near a water tank in the area, which went off with loud blast.

Police, bomb disposal experts and rescue and relief teams have reached to the area and the injured were transferred to hospitals.

A woman identified as Farzana was killed in the incident, while her husband was seriously wounded along with four others.

A power transformer was also exploded after the blast.

According to sources a Shahzor vehicle with bogus government number plate of LHO 2513, was used for the blast. The bomb was exploded in the government officers’ residential area of Lahore near the house of a doctor. The blast also damaged a wall of the house.

Police have cordoned off the area for investigations. According to bomb disposal experts eight to 10 kilogram explosives were used in the bomb devices.



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Kasab To Come Live on TV

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New Delhi: Apparently looking to call off Pakistan’s bluff in front of the international community, investigators are now looking at the possibility of a worldwide live broadcast of Ajmal Kasab’s confession on his role in the Mumbai attacks and also reveal details about his antecedents.

What has precipitated thinking towards such a bold step, as claimed by leading English daily, is Pakistan’s continuous rejection of all concrete evidences provided by India about the complicity of Pak based groups in the recent terror attacks.

Moreover, India has also revealed names of all the ten terrorists involved in the Mumbai attacks.

A high-level meeting was convened in New Delhi, yesterday, to look at the pros and cons of bringing Kasab live on TV and as per reports senior intelligence officials and home ministry officials are positively inclined towards the bold gambit.

However, the final decision lies with the Centre and reports claim that it will announce the date –when Kasab will be live on TV- shortly.

The development comes even as Kasab’s remand ends today and is due to be produced in court. Incidentally, he still has no lawyer as many of those who came forward to defend later though otherwise owing to the angry reactions from rightwing organisations.

This would be first such move of its kind by any country in which the live confession of a terrorist will be broadcast live across the world. To make the confession comprehensible, Kasab’s confession will also have English subtitles.

The move reflects Indian government’s frustration about the defiant attitude of Pakistan, even as India faced the worst ever terror strike. Moreover, the move also aims to further corner the Yousuf Raja Gilani government and prove before the international community that Pakistan has repeatedly failed to live up to its commitments against terrorism.

Indian authorities have been providing substantial evidence about the nationality of those who attacked Mumbai and their masterminds but Pakistan has been categorically rejecting to acknowledge the fact that all those involved in the incident were actually its citizens, who were especially trained for the purpose by militant organisations operating from its soil.


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China fails to back Pak on Mumbai attack

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The Chinese foreign ministry has finally spoken on the India-Pakistan-China axis amidst the rising tensions over the Mumbai attacks. However, China has refused to come out in open support of Pakistan over the Mumbai terror attacks. In fact adopting a neutral stance China today (Dec 23) appealed to India and Pakistan to maintain calm and work together to investigate the “cause” of the terror attack on Mumbai and “identify its mastermind.”

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang on Tuesday (Dec 23) expressed the hope that India and Pakistan will cooperate with each other in the investigations into the Mumbai attack. He also suggested that the two countries make “joint efforts” to ensure peace and stability in the region.

Qin said that the question of “where the terrorists are from” is a matter that will be known after proper investigations. He was replying to a question about India’s concerns that terrorists in the Mumbai attack came from Pakistan and Islamabad’s refusal to accept it.

But he skirted specific queries about China’s views Pakistan’s efforts to book the terrorists or track down their sources and supporters. He did not reply to questions on whether China was talking with Pakistan over the nature of investigations or it wished to take a stand on the issue.

It seemed clear that Beijing wished to stick to platitudes even after Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked the international community to apply pressure on Pakistan and foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee said New Delhi’s patience is already strained.

“We hope that the two countries can have dialogue and consultation to solve relevant issues and improve their relations as major countries in South Asia,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said at a press conference today. The two countries can “contribute to peace and stability in the region” by cooperating with each other, he said.

Pakistan, which signed an agreement on military cooperation with China on December 15, needs Chinese help today more than ever. China observers say Beijing sees in the current situation an opportunity to play a more important role in the region that it ever did. This is the time for Beijing to try and wean Islamabad as far away from Washington as possible.

Incidentally, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has confirmed her plans to visit Beijing in the new year, Qin said. But the exact dates have not been announced.

China observers said Beijing needed Pakistani support to ensure that Islamic terrorists do not enhance their campaign in Xinjiang province, which is a hotbed of separatism spearheaded by forces trained in Pakistan. China is constantly worried about the East Turkmenistan movement in Xinjiang, where terrorists are battling to carve out a separate nation.

Beijing also feels India would be careful about stroking the fires along the border with Pakistan as long as there is a perception that it will back Islamabad. In fact, Pakistan’s defiance of international pressures on the Mumbai attack issue is partly explained by its faith in China, its “all weather friend”.

Chinese leaders, who shared a long and cosy relationship with former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf, have been less than comfortable with the newly elected leadership in Islamabad. The official Chinese media has been harping on the many challenges faced by the new Pakistani leadership in maintaining peace at home as well as feeding its poor millions.

But Beijing would still make the most of the new situation to enhance its influence in Asia at a time when the US is engaged in settling down to a new regime and battling the economic crisis, sources said. The developments in South Asia come at a time when China has managed to resolve many of its long-held differences with Japan and in on the way to solve its problems in Taiwan.

(Agencies)

( This post is from an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by APakistanNews.Com.)


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Dozens injured in clashes in held Kashmir

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SIRINAGAR: In occupied Kashmir, the seventh and final phase of so-called assembly elections was marked with fierce clashes between the Indian police personnel and anti-polls demonstrators in Srinagar, today on Wednesday.

At least two-dozen persons, including two photojournalists were injured when the troops resorted to brute force to disperse demonstrators at Tainkipora, Chattabal, Bemina, Batamaloo, Chanapora, Natipora, Nawab Bazar, Eidgah, S R Gunj, Barzalla, Rambagh, Aaloocha Bagh, Malarata and Malpora.

All roads leading to Srinagar were sealed to thwart Lal Chowk March, call for which had been given by the Jammu and Kashmir Coordination Committee. All the cities and towns of the occupied territory gave a deserted look due to crippling strike against holding of sham polls.

The authorities continued to keep under house arrest the APHC Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and senior Hurriyet leaders, Syed Ali Gilani, Maulana Abbas Ansari, Agha Syed Hassan al-Moosvi, Fazl Haq Qureshi, Yasmeen Raja and Mian Abdul Qayoom.

The polling in almost all areas of Srinagar remained very low and not a single person turned out for voting at many places particularly in Nawa Kadal, Nowhatta, Khawaja Bazar, Nawab Bazar, Bohri Kadal, Saraf Kadal, Fateh Kadal, Noorbagh and other adjoining areas.

The occupation authorities arranged bogus voting and coerced people to vote in Bemina and Nawa Kadal.

People in Maisuma made several attempts to take out anti-polls processions but were intercepted by Indian troops.


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Plaza caves in at Sukkar

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SUKKAR: A multi storied plaza collapsed late night, ARY OneWorld reported. Deaths are feared following the incident.

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Indian spy seized in Lahore

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LAHORE: Intelligence agencies late Wednesday arrested an Indian spy allegedly involved in the blast of GOR area Lahore on Wednesday mornig, ARY OneWorld reported Wednesday late night.

He was identified as Sutish Anand Sharma; he disclosed that his other three associates are also in Pakistan, police said.

Police have recovered fake national identity cards and other devices from his possession.

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Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Car Bomb Kills Woman, Wounds 5 in Lahore

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LAHORE: Blast rocked GOR area in Shadman locality of Lahore on Wednesday morning killing a woman and wounding five persons were wounded, reports said. According to reports a bomb device was planted in a vehicle near a water tank in the area, which went off with loud blast.

Police, bomb disposal experts and rescue and relief teams have reached to the area and the injured were transferred to hospitals.

A woman identified as Farzana was killed in the incident, while her husband was seriously wounded along with four others.

A power transformer was also exploded after the blast.

According to sources a Shahzor vehicle with bogus government number plate of LHO 2513, was used for the blast. The bomb was exploded in the government officers’ residential area of Lahore near the house of a doctor. The blast also damaged a wall of the house.

Police have cordoned off the area for investigations. According to bomb disposal experts eight to 10 kilogram explosives were used in the bomb devices.

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Undeclared Curfew Imposed in Kashmir

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SRINAGAR: The authorities have imposed undeclared curfew in Srinagar to thwart the Lal Chowk March on the occasion of the seventh and final phase of the so-called assembly elections, tomorrow.

According to Kashmir media service, Indian troops have sealed all the roads leading to Srinagar and not allowing any vehicle to enter the city. The occupation authorities have virtually converted the area into a garrison by deploying large contingents of the troops.

Meanwhile, the All Parties Hurriyet Conference Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and senior Hurriyet leaders including Syed Ali Gilani, Maulana Abbas Ansari, Agha Syed Hassan al-Moosvi, Fazl Haq Qureshi and Mian Abdul Qayoom are continuing to remain under house arrest.


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No Ample Proof Provided About Mumbai Attacks: Interpol

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ISLAMABAD: Interpol chief Ronald Noble has said that India has not provided ample evidence for arrest of any accused of the Mumbai attacks. While Interior Advisor Rehman Malik has said Ajmal Kasav has sent a letter to Pakistan, through the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi.

Addressing a press conference alongside with Advisor for Interior Rehman Malik here, the Interpol chief said that Pakistan is one of the victims of terrorism. He termed terrorism a major problem faced by the world.

He said around 1500 people have lost their lives in terror incidents in Pakistan and appealed the world to extend help to Pakistan to curb the menace.

Advisor to Prime Minister for Interior Rehman Malik said that a proper procedure exists for extradition of people wanted to any country. He said he has discussed with the Interpol official the issue of illegal emigrants.

He said Pakistan has offered unconditional cooperation to India for investigation of Mumbai attacks.

Pakistan has imposed ban on Jamat-ud-Dawa in pursuance of the United Nations resolution and detained activists of the group, Malik said.

Malik said that Ajmal Kasav in his letter has requested for legal assistance. He said the name of Ajmal Kasav has not been found in NADRA record.

He said Pakistan is cooperating with the world community over the issue, the world should also extend its cooperation to the country.


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Pakistan Should Act Against Terrorism: Rice

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WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said Islamabad knows that it should act against terrorism and extremism or else it will consume the country.

“…but this really comes down to dealing with the problem, and that means that Pakistan has got to do everything that it can to help bring the perpetrators to justice,” she said.

“And then also make sure they know as much as they possibly as they can so that you don’t have a follow-on attack of some kind,” Rice said while talking to a US-based newspaper in an interview.

The Secretary of State also said Pakistan should really take on the issue of terrorism and extremism. “They now know it (terrorism) will consume them if they don’t, but this is a very tough problem for this civilian government,” she said as Islamabad is under intense pressure to act against terrorism in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.

Rice indicated that the fate of Indo-Pak relationship depended on the action Islamabad took against the groups which New Delhi asserts were behind the deadly attacks.

She also noted that India and Pakistan have developed good relations with each other in the past couple of years and they would like to “preserve” them.

“They had no relationship between them (in 2001). We had not terribly deep relations with India or with Pakistan because it was just post-September 11th.

“Now, we have very strong relations with India, really deep relations with India, very good relations with Pakistan. I felt that when I went there I was drawing on a reservoir of trust with the Indians that was quite deep,” she said.


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Anushka Newest Smiling Beauty of Bollywood

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MUMBAI: They say if beauty is power; than a smile is its sword. The beauty of a person stands incomplete without the presence of smile.

And all the dazzling Bollywood beauties have been known to rule and charm the hearts (from several years) with their dynamic, sparkling smile.

Anushka Sharma is the newest discovery which is currently driving India crazy with her luminous and gracious smile.


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Pakistan To Defend if War imposed

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani Monday made it clear to the US that Pakistan would defend itself tooth and nail should India impose a war, TheNation has reliably learnt.

According to the sources, General Kayani made these remarks while talking to the US Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen who called on him Monday night.
General Kayani made it clear that Pakistan wanted peace in the region but will not tolerate pressure from any side. He also made it clear that Pakistan desired to revive the suspended peace process with India on equal grounds.
The US Commander appreciated Pakistan efforts in tackling the menace of terrorism and extremism.

They had an exchange of views on Pak-India situation, war on terror, border situation between Pakistan and Afghanistan and overall security in the region.

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Avoid Escalating Tension India Urged

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SUKKUR: Federal Minister for Postal Service Mir Israrullah Zehri has urged India to avoid escalating tensions saying that Pakistan is committed to peace but its desire for peace should not be taken as weakness.

Talking to a local news agency at office of the Deputy Post Master General Sukkur here on Monday, he said that wars have neither solved problems in past nor they would yield positive results in future.

The Minister made it clear that Pakistan has the capability to defend the country if war was imposed. But, he added, Pakistan wants to maintain regional peace and will continue to make efforts in this direction to avoid any harm to peace in the region.

He said that history is witness that Pakistan always avoided war and was ready to settle the Kashmir issue through talks. While India continues to raise hue and cry over one incident, Pakistan was the worst hit by terrorism for the last ten years, Israrullah said. We have suffered enormous losses in combating terrorism and no other country can match the sacrifices Pakistan has offered. “We lost even our dear leader Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto due to menace of terrorism,” he added.

To a question, Federal Minister said that present government is striving for the socio-economic uplift of the people at an accelerated pace and providing basic amenities of life to the people of backward areas on priority basis aiming at alleviating poverty and sense of deprivation from these areas.

He said that President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari has asked the Parliamentarians to keep close contact with the people of their constituencies in order to mitigate the sufferings of people of that area promptly.


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Pakistan Air Force Put on Red Alert

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Monday scrambled fighter jets over several major cities as a sign of enhanced vigilance following mounting tension between India and Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks.
“In view of current environment PAF has enhanced its vigilance,” PAF said in Press release issued here on Monday.
Residents in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore made panicked telephone calls to media outlets to ask about the low-flying fighter jets. Two civilian flights were delayed due to the exercise of PAF, an airline official said.

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Scared Pakistan ’scrambles’ for cover

Pakistan’s doublespeak on investigations into the Mumbai terror attacks continues. As Islamabad searches for proof, political parties root for Jamaat leader - Hafeez Saeed.

In reply to the external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee who made it very clear that all options were open before New Delhi - including the option to strike, across the border, Pakistan continues to diswown the terror attack.

All that Islamabad has said in its defence is that it is ready to face any aggression and that its armies are ready to defend the country, and that Pakistan was not trying to escalate tension.

Embattled Pakistan Prime Minister Gilani , who is under immense pressure has come out in the open and said that in this time of need, those outside the parliament, like Imran Khan, are also supporting him and are united in the cause of the country.

Pakistani Air Force conducts air exercises

The Pakistani air force conducted an exercise on Monday causing delay to two civilian flights - according to an airline official as tension simmers.

The special exercises caused delay to at least two flights at the airport in the eastern city of Lahore, near the Indian border. An air force spokesman declined to comment when asked about an exercise saying only that Pakistan last week summoned a senior Indian diplomat in Islamabad to protest against recent alleged airspace violations by Indian warplanes.

Air Commodore Humayun Viqar Zephyr, Spokesperson, Pakistan AirForce, the Spokesperson of the Pakistan airforce, has said that keeping the current situation in Pakistan, airspace security has been stepped up in the country

‘No plan to attack Pakistan’

And, fear in Pakistan is quite evident from the nature of questions that put to the Indian Deputy High Commissioner on the sidelines of a SAARC summit.

Reporter: Is India asking for access to areas where they suspect terrorist camps. Is there a plan by India to attack those territories?

India Deputy HC to Pak: There is no such plan.

Reporter: Is there a possibility of war? Since yesterday there have been very ‘hot’ statements from both sides. Even Sonia Gandhi said India has the capability to give an appropriate reply to Pakistan?

Indian Deputy HC to Pak: Our leaders have made it very clear that war is not a solution. Our government made this very clear on the floor of the Parliament last week.

Pak defence min says Pak has potention to defend itself

Pakistan Defence minister, Ahmad Mukhtar Chaudhry has said that the defence of Pakistan was in strong hands and warned if India tried to thrust war, then the Armed Forces of Pakistan have all the potential and right to defend.

Even the newspapers reflect the defiance similar to the one being expressed by the Pakistani government.

“The Dawn” in one of their opinion pieces with the heading ‘Good Fences, Good Neighbours’ says, “Pakistan is caught between two conflicts, and the long-term solution lies in defining and gaining control over our borders.”

Another top daily - “The News” has one of its editorials that say under the header ‘Time For Restraint’ - “There are unsavoury and rather base noises to carpet-bomb Pakistan. The consequences are obvious to any reader of the situation, but more pertinently even India may not carry enough resilience to survive those.”

Pak political parties rally against JuD ban

Political parties in Islamabad rallied in support of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), the front organisation of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and called for the lifting of sanctions imposed on the group by the UN Security Council, as well as ending all negotiations with India.

The parties claimed the sanctions were imposed by the world body under pressure from the US and India. They also alleged the UN acted with “undue and unusual haste” and made no attempt to find out the Jamaat’s point of view.

The meeting was attended by leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami as well as by Imran Khan’s Tehrik-e-Insaf.

A resolution adopted by the parties asked the Pakistan government to reopen all Jamaat-ud-Dawa offices, which they called a charitable trust.

“The conference demands that the government reopen all of Jamaat-ud-Dawa’s offices and remove the ban on its relief activities and projects forthwith,” the resolution said.

Despite an international sanction against the Jamaat-ud-Dawa, there has been no ground action to seal the accounts of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa. TIMES NOW has learnt that the JuD has been able to transfer most of the money in its accounts.

The Jamaat was banned by the UN after there was pressure by New Delhi.

Parties reiterate Saeed’s innocence

The resolution adopted by the Pakistani political parties also reiterated the innocence of Hafeez Saeed the Lashkar Chief who was placed under house arrest after India intensified the Pressure on Pakistan.

They described Saeed as “an extremely popular leader of
Pakistan” and a “peaceful and highly respected citizen”. Calling for the end of his detention, the resolution said Saeed should be allowed to give Friday sermons and address religious gatherings.

Senior journalist Salim Bhukhari speaking on the issue said that part of the defiance comes from the reality that Islamabad does not have too many options left.

Ayaz Amir, a columnist with “the Dawn” in Islamabad said that the situation is getting serious with India seeking support of 120 envoys.

Pak defiant despite US-India warning

Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan desires peace, but in the event of war, it is ready to defend itself. He also said, Pakistan was fully prepared to cooperate with India, but India should provide hard evidence. He also dismissed the Pak Prime Minister being under pressure to resign as mere rumours.

Amidst the Indo-Pak chill, India is keeping all its options open - not ruling out a strike on Pakistan. According to government sources, the use of force was not completely ruled out at the high level Defence Meet chaired held in the capital on Saturday (December 20) night.

( This post is from an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by APakistanNews.Com.)


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Desperate Kasav: I am a Pakistani

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India on Monday (Dec 22) summoned Pakistan’s Acting High Commissioner Afrasiab and handed over the letter written by Mumbai attack accused Ajmal Amir Iman Kasab, which states that he is a “Pakistani”.

Kasav, the lone surviving terrorist involved in the Mumbai terror attacks on November 26. In his letter addressed to the Pakistan High Commission, Kasab has stated that he and the other terrorists killed in the attack were from Pakistan.

In the letter, Ajmal has asked the Pakistan High Commission to take custody of the body of fellow terrorist Ismail Khan, who was killed in an encounter in south Mumbai the same night. He has also sought a meeting with the Pakistan High Commission.

This is the first time India is officially handing over proof of Kasav’s nationality to Pakistan and with Pakistan consistently denying that the arrested terrorist is not from Pakistan, this incontrovertible proof sumbmitted by India is likely to put Pakistan in the dock.

Kasab, who hails from Faridkot village in Pakistan’s Punjab province, was captured on November 26 soon after the group of 10 heavily-armed terrorists launched attacks in Mumbai. The terrorist, who is in police custody till Wednesday, wrote the letter last week and it was forwarded by the Mumbai police to MEA for handing it over to the Pakistan High Commission.

Islamabad has been denying that Kasab is a Pakistani national even though his father has confirmed it. Pakistani media also went to his village and confirmed his nationality through a sting operation, after which authorities ordered a clampdown to keep journalists away.

Kasab, during his interrogation, has told Mumbai police in detail as to how he became a hardcore terrorist of Lashkar-e-Taiba from an ordinary criminal. He has given details to police as to how he underwent training at LeT camps along with several others and later was sent by his handlers by ship from Karachi on November 26.

Earlier in the day, slamming Pakistan for not keeping its promise of ending cross-border terrorism, external affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said India is “not closing any options”.

Mukherjee said the Mumbai strikes and the attack on Kabul embassy show that terrorism emanating from Pakistan is “acquiring an increasingly dangerous dimension and continues to threaten peace and stability in this region and beyond.”

Addressing a conference of Indian ambassadors and High Commissioners here, he said India has sought the support of the international community to put pressure on Pakistan to “deal effectively” with terrorism.

India has highlighted that the infrastructure of terrorism in Pakistan has to be dismantled permanently, he told the first-of-its-kind conclave being held in the backdrop of a fresh chill in relations between New Delhi and Islamabad.

“We are not saying this because we are affected but because we believe that it will be good for the entire world and also for Pakistani people and society,” he underlined.

Describing the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan as the “greatest terrorist danger to peace and security of the entire civilised world,” Mukherjee said “there has been some effort so far by the international community but this is not enough.”

(With inputs from agencies)

( This post is from an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by APakistanNews.Com.)


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Monday, December 22, 2008

Iraq MPs to vote on fate of non-US foreign troops

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BAGHDAD: Iraqi lawmakers are set to vote Monday on a resolution that will determine the fate of non-US foreign troops in the country, mainly British forces, when a UN mandate expires in 10 days.

The vote is due to take place after a last-ditch compromise was hammered out between parliamentary leaders to ensure a decision is made before parliament goes into recess for a week on Tuesday.

"The Iraqi parliament will vote on a motion authorising the government to sign a deal with non-US nations' forces to determine the time of their departure, which should be before the end of July 2009," Ali al-Adeeb, a prominent MP in the Shiite United Iraqi Alliance, told reporters on Sunday.

The resolution to be put to the 275-member Iraqi parliament on Monday would mandate the government to sign bilateral deals with each of the other coalition countries which still have troops on Iraqi soil.

It requires a simple majority to be adopted.

The United States, which supplies 95 percent of foreign troops in Iraq, has already signed a Status of Forces Agreement with the Baghdad government, under which its combat forces can remain in the country until the end of 2011.

Confusion had reigned in parliament on Saturday over whether a vote had taken place on a bill initially intended to set new rules for the presence of non-US foreign troops.

On Wednesday, the first reading of the bill took place amid uproar in the aftermath of the protest by an Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at visiting US President George W. Bush earlier this month.

When discussion of the bill resumed on Saturday, some MPs thought they were voting against the proposed law on non-US forces, while others thought the vote was to invalidate the decision made during Wednesday's rowdy session.

Monday's vote will mostly affect the presence of forces from Britain, the key US ally in the 2003 invasion whose 4,100 men and women are concentrated in the south of the country.

Australia, Estonia, Romania and El Salvador also have small numbers of troops in Iraq.

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Terror structure in Pak threat for world: Mukherjee

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NEW DELHI: Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said that alleged terror structure in Pakistan poses threat to the world.

Addressing a specially convened two-day meeting of more than 120 Indian ambassadors here, Mukherjee hoped that the world would increase pressure over Pakistan to extend assistance to India in investigations of the Mumbai attacks.

Pranab Mukherjee earlier talking with media hoped that Pakistan will fulfil the promise to act against terrorists, otherwise India will punish the culprits involved in Mumbai terror attacks.
Mukherjee said that India and other countries have repeatedly said that the terrorists and militants are a threat to Pakistan. Indian external minister expressed hope that Pakistan will initiate effective drive against terrorists and militants, otherwise India will launch offensive against these groups. According to sources the focus in the moot will be on the fallout of the Mumbai attacks and ties with Pakistan; the global financial crisis is also likely to come up. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will address the envoys. Home Minister P Chidambaram is also likely to attend.

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Demand for Bush shoe creates 100 new jobs in Turkish owner’s factory!

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London: The black leather shoes, which the Iraqi journalist Muntazar al-Zaidi threw at George Bush during a press conference in Baghdad, has created 100 new jobs.

The world’s most notorious pair of shoes has yielded an unexpected bonanza for its Turkish manufacturer.

Ever since the incident took place, Ramazan Baydan, owner of the Istanbul-based Baydan Shoe Company, has been flooded with orders from across the world.

Baydan has hired an extra 100 staff to meet orders for 300,000 pairs of Model 271 - more than four times the shoe’’s normal annual sale - following an outpouring of support for Zaidi’’s act, which was intended as a protest, but led to his arrest by Iraqi security forces.

He said that orders have come mainly from the US and Britain, and from neighbouring Muslim countries.

Around 120,000 pairs have been ordered from Iraq, while a US company has placed a request for 18,000.

A British firm is understood to have offered to serve as European distributor for the shoes, which have been on the market since 1999 and sell at around 28 pounds in Turkey.

A sharp increase in demand has been recorded in Syria, Egypt and Iran, where the main shoemaker’’s federation has offered to provide Zaidi and his family with a lifetime’’s supply of shoes.

Looking at the demand, Baydan is also considering renaming the model “the Bush Shoe” or “Bye-Bye Bush”.

“We”ve been selling these shoes for years but, thanks to Bush, orders are flying in like crazy. We”ve even hired an agency to look at television advertising,” the Guardian quoted him, as saying. (ANI)


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PAF jet fighters fly over Lahore and Pindi

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LAHORE: Pakistan Air Force airplanes flew over Islamabad and Rawalpindi for 20 minutes on Monday.

Large number of people came out of their homes and chanted slogans in favor of the PAF.

According to One World correspondent in Lahore, the PAF sources have said that the air force has been on high alert for the defence of the country and these flights were aimed to remain prepare to meet any eventuality.

The PAF jet fighters flights were continued for about 20 minute.

Meanwhile, PIA officials have said that the flights of the national air carrier have not been suspended which are continued according to the flight schedule.


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