M A I N   N E W S

USA allowed use of Karachi airport

Islamabad, January 23
Amidst reports that the USA was pushing Pakistan to permit the long-term presence of American forces on its soil, Islamabad has agreed to provide Washington and its allies full operational facilities at Karachi International Airport to make it the hub of the US-led peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan.

“An agreement in this regard is expected within a week while the operation will begin by the middle of February,” Air Marshal (retd) Aliuddin, Director-General of Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) told reporters here.

“It is expected that 400 to 600 troops of 11 nations, that are part of the peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan, will be using the airport. These troops will not be stationed on a permanent basis but will be in the transit phase,” he has been quoted as saying by Pakistan daily ‘The News’.

He said he was not certain how long these forces would use the facilities at the airport. “However, the shortest estimated period is six months,” Air Marshal Aliuddin said. PTI

Pak ready to sign no-war pact

Washington, January 23
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf said today that he was prepared to accept denuclearisation of South Asia and would sign a no-war pact with India.

In an interview to NBC-TV, he, however, said he would not reciprocate India’s no first use of nuclear weapons pledge. Pakistan was prepared to go much farther: accept denuclearisation of South Asia and sign a no-war pact with India, he said.

When suggested that India realises the danger of nuclear war better than Pakistan and that was why it had pledged no first use, President Musharraf said, “I would like to differ on this issue that India understands it better than Pakistan. We understand it, if not better, as much as they do.

“When you talk of (India’s) no first use, Pakistan has been offering denuclearisation of South Asia and reduction of forces in South Asia, so we are going far, far beyond them. It is not an issue of no first use but far beyond that.” PTI

Vij transferred, says Fernandes
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 23
The government today continued with the damage control exercise in the incident of movement of Lt-Gen Kapil Vij, commander of 2 Corps, which is deployed along the international border in Rajasthan, with Defence Minister George Fernandes saying he had been transferred and not removed.

In an apparent effort to dodge the issue Mr Fernandes told the reporters at the airport: “I am not fully aware of the circumstances but as per the information I have he has been transferred and not removed.” The comments of Mr Fernandes came after he arrived here from Washington.

The Defence Minister declined to say anything more on the issue.