M A I N   N E W S

India gets Navy ready
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 22
Giving further indication of waging an all-out war against cross-border terrorism, the government has given orders for five of the frontline warships forming part of the Eastern Naval Command to conjoin with the Western Naval Command fleet based in the Arabian Sea.

The five frontline warships have already sailed from their bases and would be conjoining with the Western Naval Command fleet within the next few days. The move will further bolster the naval presence in the Arabian Sea and help in throttling any movements along the sea.

It is for the first time after the Kargil war in 1999 that the Navy has undertaken such a manoeuvre on the high seas. During the Kargil war, the Navy had made all preparations by moving all its frontline ships to the Arabian Sea to put pressure on Pakistan by controlling the movements of ships to its ports.

The move is also significant as recent intelligence reports had suggested that some of the establishments on the sea and the cargo ships were also under threat from Pakistani-backed militant organisations.

Confirming the movement of the warships, a Navy spokesman said the exercise had been undertaken keeping in view the prevailing security situation and to take on challenges on the seas in keeping with India’s maritime interests.

The warships which have moved to join the Western Naval fleet include the lethal Kashin class missile destroyer, a missile armed multi-purpose frigate and three missile corvettes.

The Navy spokesman said cross coast deployment had been completed and the warships placed under administrative and operational control of the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command.

“The warships would augment the force level and operational preparedness of the western sea force”, he said.

MUMBAI (UNI): Security at vital installations in this island city has been beefed up extensively in the wake of the Indo-Pak tensions and the spate of terrorist attacks in the Kashmir valley.

“A high-level alert is being maintained and security arrangements at key installations and important government buildings remain tight,’’ Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Asoke Basak said.

Security forces in the state were in a state of alertness and the situation was being reviewed constantly, he added.

Nepal’s parliament dissolved

Kathmandu, May 22
Nepal’s King Gyanendra today dissolved parliament and called new elections for November as the House seemed set to defeat an extension of the emergency rule in the country.

“Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba recommended to the king to dissolve the 205-member election parliament and call for national elections on November 13, giving various reasons,” a palace announcement said without elaborating.

“Accordingly, the king has dissolved the parliament and fixed an election on November 13,” it said.

The order for Nepal’s first elections in three years came after Mr Deuba’s Nepali Congress party failed to back him on a proposal to extend by six months a state of emergency imposed in late November. AFP