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Tuesday,
October 15, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Jakarta
links blasts with Al-Qaida
Parleys on
to form govt in Pak
Horse-trading
begins US Sikh
group contests baptism |
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6
Palestinians killed
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Jakarta links blasts with
Al-Qaida
Jakarta, October 14 “I see that (the bomb attack) was done by professionals. (That is why) I am not afraid to say, though many have refused to say, that an Al-Qaida network exists in Indonesia,” he told reporters. “I am convinced that there is a domestic link with Al-Qaida,” he said. His remarks were the strongest statements yet from a senior Indonesian official that Al-Qaida — blamed by Washington for the September 11 attacks — is active in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation. Meanwhile, a radical Indonesian Islamic cleric, accused of being a key terror suspect in the world’s most populous Muslim nation, today flatly denied responsibility for the massive nightclub bombing in Bali. “All allegations against me are groundless. I challenge them to prove anything,” said Abu Bakar Bashir, the leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, a group that other governments insist is linked to the Al-Qaida terror network. “I suspect that the bombing was engineered by the USA and its allies to justify allegations that Indonesia is a base for terrorists,” he told the Associated Press on telephone from Solo, a city in central Java. Jemaah Islamiyah allegedly plotted last winter a series of bomb attacks on US, British and Australian embassies and other Western targets in neighbouring Singapore. LONDON: A Muslim cleric suspected of links to Al-Qaida said today he believed the group played a role in the Bali bombings and would carry out similar attacks to combat what he called American arrogance. Asked if he thought Al-Qaida took part in the Bali bombings at the weekend that killed 187 people, mostly young Westerners, Abu Hamza al-Masri told Reuters: “Definitely”. He declined to elaborate but said the Bali bombings were part of a new Al-Qaida strategy of hitting a wider range of targets in response to the possibility of the USA attacking Iraq. “There will be more attacks like this because of American arrogance and Iraq and Palestine,” he said. CANBERRA: Australian Prime Minister John Howard on Monday called for a national day of mourning to be observed for Australians killed or wounded in the bombing in Bali. Speaking to Parliament, Mr Howard also said he was sending Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, Justice Minister Chris Ellison and top security officials to Indonesia for urgent talks with their Indonesian counterparts. Officials have identified 14 Australians dead, but reports of more Australians found in Bali morgues were filtering in through the media. Officials here said more than 200 Australians were still unaccounted for. More than 200 others were hurt and repatriated to Australia on Sunday and Monday.
Agencies |
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Parleys on to form govt in Pak
Islamabad, October 14 PPPP leader Mukdhum Amin Fahim, whose party has emerged as the second largest party with 63 seats in the National Assembly, today held a breakfast meeting with senior Muthahida Majlis-e-Amal leader and the chief of the Jamiati Islami party, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, to identify a common ground to form a coalition. “We have understood each other’s position in a better way and agreed to continue the process of consultations,” they told the media after the meeting. Asked about the outcome of talks, the two leaders described the talks as “very cordial”. The two discussed matters relating to the formation of government at the Centre and in provinces. “We cannot make decisions on our own and will apprise the parties’ central bodies of the outcome of today’s talks,” Mr Ahmed said. Mr Fahim later met Pakistan Muslim League (N) Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq and discussed the chances of the anti-Musharraf parties forming the government. The PPPP leader was also expected to meet leaders of the Musharraf-backed PML-Q, which has emerged as the largest party in the National Assembly by winning 77 seats. The party has stepped up its efforts after President Musharraf spoke to some of the leaders of political parties over the phone from Turkey. According to officials, the President spoke to PML-Q leader Sujahat Hussain, who has been chosen to head the party after its leader Mian Azhar failed to win his parliamentary seat. Besides Mr Hussain, the President also spoke to MMA convener Moulana Shah Ahmed Noorani and another MMA leader and chief of Jamat Ulema Islami Fazalur Rehman. Meanwhile, the impressive victories posted by Pakistan’s hardline religious parties in last week’s elections to the National and provincial assemblies would enable them to play a dominant role in the 100-member Senate to be constituted next month. The number of seats won by the six religious parties’ alliance Muthahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) will help it secure the key post of Chairman of the Senate, whose members would be elected by the provincial assemblies under proportional representation system. The chairmanship of the Senate could be crucial as under the Constitution, the Speaker of the Senate would become the officiating President in the absence of the President, local daily ‘Dawn’ said.
PTI |
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Horse-trading begins
Islamabad, October 14 The kingmakers in the first Parliament after three years of military rule under President Pervez Musharraf are the anti-US Muttahidda Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) an Islamic party alliance with 45 seats, and 29 Independents. Pro-government Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam) and its chief rival, the Opposition Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), are the largest in the House, having won 77 and 63 seats, respectively. Both need the MMA and Independents on their side to reach the 137 seats required for a majority. Yesterday MMA leader Shah Ahmed Noorani laid conditions for supporting the parties. Central to the manifesto is an end to Pakistan’s critical frontline support of the US hunt for Taliban and Al-Qaeda. While PPP leader Benazir Bhutto has called the MMA “a genie of terrifying proportions,” and many in the party regard a coalition with the alliance as an unholy pact, it has not stopped them from reaching out to the Islamists. PPP secretary-general Raza Rabbani, calling a PPP-MMA coalition a “far-fetched option,” said: “Ideologically we are totally different from the MMA, we have absolutely divergent views on foreign policy and national security matters.” “But I would not rule out cooperating with them, as far as parliament is concerned... on the question of the constitutional amendment package,” Mr Rabbani said. He said the PPP would condone teaming up with the MMA to vote out the 29 amendments brought in by General Musharraf, which include presidential powers to sack Parliament. The PPP is actively courting the 29 Independents, but Mr Rabbani was also pessimistic about getting enough on its side to form a government. “Most of the independents that have come in are those who were forced into leaving the PPP and standing as Independents, so I think that their logical choice would be to move along with the PML (Q).” The PML (Q) said it had initiated talks with the MMA and the PPP “with an open mind and in larger national interests,” its central vice-president Syed Kabir Ali Wasti said. The National Alliance of six pro-government parties, which has won 13 seats, and Independents “would certainly support the PML (Q) for the formation of a stable government,” he claimed in a statement issued last evening.
AFP |
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US Sikh group contests baptism
Washington, October 14 The Fremont gurdwara, one of the largest in the country, has been a hotbed of litigious activity, with rival factions suing one another over who should head the congregation, The Mercury News reported. A judge settled a legal dispute between two camps over gurdwara elections in July, it said. The latest lawsuit, according to the report, is the fourth since 1996 seeking a judge’s ruling on leadership at the gurdwara. Meanwhile, US Sikhs, whose distinctive turbans and flowing beards made them targets of hate crimes following September 11, have decided to fight back by educating people about their religion. A “Sharing your faith with your neighbours” programme will be launched on November 10. The Sikh Council on Religion and Education said it hoped to create awareness about the faith through the programme, especially since ignorance and bigotry still persisted among Americans, despite the hate crimes having died down. About 100 Sikh gurdwaras will collaborate in the drive.
UNI, IANS |
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N. Ireland put
under direct
London rule Hillsborough, (Northern Ireland), October 14 Making the announcement, Britain’s Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid told reporters he hoped the temporary end to devolution in Northern Ireland and a return of direct rule from London would be “a short-lived impasse.” “I hope the decision I have made today marks a breathing space and a chance in a sense to gather strength and to regather confidence before that process moves forward once again,” Reid said, reaffirming London’s commitment to the Good Friday deal. Although this was the fourth such suspension in three years of the Northern Ireland Assembly, there was a widespread feeling it would take longer this time to get the bickering factions back together. Reid said assembly elections scheduled for May next year would go ahead despite the crisis.
Reuters |
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6 Palestinians
killed Gaza City, October 14 The latest killing of a child in Rafah on the Egyptian border yesterday, where at least five youths were killed in Israeli raids last week, will put extra pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon when he heads for Washington, which has called for restraint in Israel’s increasingly frequent raids.
AFP |
MQM
HAS ‘PROOF’ OF RIGGING MMA
FLEXIBLE ON US TROOPS PRESENCE |
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In video: Leaders of a pro-Taliban groups vows to spread message of
unity among the masses after gaining convincing leads in Pakistan's
general elections. (
