Srinagar, March 11
The Hurriyat Conference executive council will meet here tomorrow to discuss the statement by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the resolution of Kashmir issue and nominate a team which will seek a meeting with the UN chief during his visit to New Delhi.

The council, the highest decision-making body of the 23-party conglomerate, will also deliberate on the recent statement by Union Home Minister L.K. Advani ruling out any mediatory role for the Hurriyat between India and Pakistan, its chairman Abdul Ghani Bhat said here today.

Mr Annan’s statement in Pakistan ruling out implementation of the UN resolutions for the settlement of the Kashmir issue would be discussed at tomorrow’s executive council meeting to assess the world body’s intention, he said He said the meeting would also choose a Hurriyat team that would travel to New Delhi and try to meet the UN Secretary-General. “We have the right to represent our case before Mr Annan.” Mr Bhat, however, said he was apprehensive that the authorities would not allow the team to meet Mr Annan.

Mr Bhat said the latest political situation, particularly the recent statement by Mr Advani, would also be discussed and a reaction might be issued.

Mr Advani said in Parliament recently that the Centre was ready to hold talks with any group, including the Hurriyat but the conglomerate had no role as a mediator between India and Pakistan.

Pak to sack top scientist

Islamabad, March 11
The Pakistani military regime has decided to terminate the services of the country’s top nuclear scientist, Mr Abdul Qadeer Khan, Chairman of Kahuta Research Laboratories, The Nation said today.

The report did not name his successor, but said it would be binding upon the new chairman to wind up the uranium enrichment programme in the country.

Mr Khan, considered to be father of Pakistan’s nuclear weaponisation programme, was at the helm of the nuclear establishment since 1984.