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Israel denies plot to hit Pak N-centres
Soyuz spacecraft docks with space station
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11 bodies found on migrants’ boat
16 Indians seeking asylum caught in UK Window on Pakistan
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Israel denies plot to hit Pak N-centres Islamabad, October 20 “Pakistan does not need to be worried over Indo-Israel smooth ties. We do not want instability in South Asia,” Mr Peres said in an interview to Geo television channel last night. Mr Peres, now heading a think tank in Israel, also denied persistent Pakistani claim that Israel was involved in training Indian troops to fight militants in Kashmir, saying that “Israel is neither imparting training nor it is facilitating India in this regard.” The former Israeli premier also dismissed reports that Israel along with India plotted to strike at Pakistani nuclear installations. Such reports were nothing but propaganda, he said. Mr Peres said the Indo-Israeli military relationship should not prevent Pakistan from discussing bilateral ties, adding that Islamabad had relations with other countries that also sold arms to India. He also questioned Pakistan’s constraints in not recognising Israel due to strong sentiments of local population, saying that Pakistan should not hesitate to have diplomatic ties with the Jewish state as some Gulf countries, including Egypt and Jordan recognised Israel. Hinting that Pakistan had secret contacts with Israel in the past, Mr Peres said in order to address its concerns, Pakistan should have open but not secret talks with Tel Aviv. “Israel has no dispute with Pakistan. Israel is a well wisher of better relations with Pakistan,” he said, adding that the two countries should have frank talks in an open ambience. “I don’t believe in secret contacts... secret contacts create illusions and finally don’t bear any fruit.” Recounting his visit to New Delhi, Mr Peres said he admired Indian culture and civilisation as well as India’s move to have open relations with Tel Aviv.
— PTI |
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Diana feared plot to
kill her London, October 20 “This phase in my life is the most dangerous,” the Princess reportedly wrote in a letter to her former butler Paul Burrell. Diana claimed someone was planning an accident in her car, brake failure and serious head injury in order to make the path clear for Charles to marry. The letter, written in October 1996, which Burrell kept secret until now, was published in the Daily Mirror today. The name of the alleged person was blacked out by the newspaper for legal reasons. Diana and her companion Dodi Fayed were killed on August 31, 1997, when their Mercedes crashed in the Pont D’Alma tunnel in Paris.
— PTI |
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Soyuz spacecraft docks with space station
Moscow, October 20 Astronauts Michael Foale of the USA and Russian Alexander Kaleri are the eighth crew to have flown to the space station for long-term occupation since the inaugural crew arrived on November 2, 2000. There also have been four short-term missions using Soyuz craft. Pedro Duque of Spain, a European Space Agency astronaut travelling with Foale and Kaleri, is to remain aboard the station for eight days and return on October 27 with American Ed Lu and Russian Yuri Malenchenko, who have been aboard since April 28. The docking was done automatically, but Lu and Malenchenko nevertheless went to sleep early yesterday in order to prepare for the event, Russian Mission Control spokesman Valeri Lyndin said. The mission is the second time a Russian Soyuz has taken an American to the space station since the US space shuttle programme was grounded after the February 1 disintegration of the shuttle Columbia as it was approaching the Earth. NASA now depends on Russia to keep its astronauts flying. The Russian Soyuz, whose primary role was to serve as an emergency evacuation craft for the station, is now the only ship capable of carrying crews to and from the 16-nation space outpost. Foale will become the first American to have served on both the ISS and its predecessor, the Russian Mir. Malenchenko will become the first person to have left the planet single and return to a wife. He was married in August while in orbit.
— AP |
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Kalam talks knowledge to schoolchildren Dubai, October 20 Mr Kalam, who reached here this morning after a two-hour drive from Abu Dhabi, went straight to the Indian High School where he impressed on the students “learning gives creativity, creativity leads to thought, thought provides knowledge and knowledge makes you great”. Emphasising on the need to have a vision, he explained to the children aged between eight and 17 that it was because of thousands of visionaries like scientists and engineers that India had been able to advance technologically and also launch rockets in space. Mr Kalam stressed on the need to always think, saying that “there is no age bar to thinking as it triggers your imagination”. In a message to the children, he said “knowledge is so powerful that it can be used to strengthen your mind, but possessed the righteousness and a built-in character as these are very important in life”. He told students to study and excel and “make a contribution as citizens of the country you are living in and when you come to India share your knowledge and experience with your countrymen”. Meanwhile, President Kalam today met Indian businessmen operating in the United Arab Emirates and asked them to contribute to the economic development of that country. Addressing the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), Kalam, who is on a “learning trip” to the Gulf nation, said India and Dubai had great scope for cooperation in many areas and the Indian community should use the latest technology at work, especially in the area of information technology in which India was a world leader. Welcoming President Kalam, Chairman of DCCI Obaid al Tayer said the two countries should get closer to protect the interests of developing countries at the WTO. He said Indians played a major part in the economic development of the region and considering the large Indian population here their role assumed greater significance. India currently has a trade turnover of $ 2.5 billion out of Dubai’s total turnover of $ 35 billion he said. The President also visited the knowledge village and GITEX exhibition showcasing cutting edge products and services before leaving for Sudan.
— PTI |
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11 bodies found on migrants’ boat
Palermo (Sicily), October 20 The official added that a further 14 illegal immigrants, all believed to come from Somalia, were picked up alive from the boat and were being brought to Lampedusa by the coastguards. It was the second tragedy involving illegal immigrants off Lampedusa in the last three days. On Friday, seven Africans, including three children, died before their boat could reach the tiny, Mediterranean island. A further 25 people survived. The director of a reception centre for immigrants on Lampedusa told Reuters coastguards were alerted to the latest tragedy at around 2400 hrs yesterday and dispatched two of their motor launches to the scene. “We have been told that there are 11 dead,” said Claudio Scalia. “It seems that those on board were from Somalia. Their boat almost certainly set sail from the Tunisian-Libyan border area,” he added, speaking by telephone. It was not yet clear how or why the immigrants died, but Scalia said the seas off Libya had been very rough in recent days and that this bad weather might have played a part in both incidents.
— Reuters |
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16 Indians seeking asylum caught in UK London, October 20 The illegal entrants were spotted in an Italian driver’s vehicle by customs officials, who were looking for contraband with the help of X-ray equipment. They were stated to be Indians and had all claimed asylum. The Home Office said those involved had been detained immediately and were referred to immigration service officials.
— UNI |
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Window on Pakistan As if the murky politics and muddy waters of sectarian violence were not enough for the self-proclaimed President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Human Rights Watch has issued a sharp indictment. The letter, now in wide circulation not only chronicles the lack of basic civil rights in Pakistan during four years of army rule under Gen Pervez Musharraf, but also warns that the international public opinion would not tolerate this totalitarian regime where basic right to life and dignity is denied in a routine manner. Who is safe in Pakistan and who can dare stand up to the atrocities? In fact, how Musharraf seized power in October, 1999, exploited the failure of the successive civil governments to the hilt in his favour, created fear and established a new militaryguided democracy under the infamous Legal Framework Order and encouraged sectarian violence, is all well reported in the Pakistani media. It has been well documented by human right organisations, including Amnesty International. Interestingly while choosing some journalists and organisations for extreme torture, Musharraf has allowed a big section of the mainline media a little more freedom. Perhaps, he did recognize that bolting of anger would go against him. But a denunciation coming from such an organisation like Human Rights Watch and gaining worldwide publicity is clearly more damming. Human Rights Watch (HRW) says in its report: “Military agencies have frequently tortured and harassed political opponents, critical journalists, and former government officials. The past four years have also seen a rise in activity by extremist religious groups and an increase in sectarian killings in Pakistan, in part due to the Musharraf government’s policy of marginalising mainstream opposition political groups. Opposition legislators have told Human Rights Watch they have been beaten, harassed and subjected to blackmail for opposing Musharraf’s policies.” In Pakistan, the judiciary has been emasculated, political parties rendered powerless, and extremist and sectarian religious parties strengthened under Musharraf’s rule. Brad Adams, executive director of Human Rights Watch’s Asia Division added the most disturbing demand. “General Musharraf should transfer power to a legitimate government now.” But many Pakistani newspapers that had been blaming America for lending uncritical support to Musharraf, found the demand encouraging. Pakistan’s parliamentary opposition, whatever that means to a wily General, has contested Musharraf’s efforts to ensure that federal and provincial governments remain subordinate to the military. “The Musharraf administration has sidelined the mainstream political opposition and negotiated only with the Muttahida Majlis-e-Ama, an alliance of religious political parties that have historically enjoyed close links with the Pakistan military. However, even these negotiations broke down recently over General Musharraf’s refusal to provide a date by which he would resign as army chief in exchange for being elected president of Pakistan in a civilian capacity. “HRW said. But it is the growing influence of extremist religious elements, which have impinged on the rights of women and religious minorities, has caused much worry to the HRW. “Laws regarding rape and honor killings still discriminate against women. The number of blasphemy cases registered has risen while discrimination and persecution on grounds of religion persist. Adherents of the Shia branch of Islam have faced numerous violent attacks by Sunni Muslim militant groups.” But the most interesting issue raised was about the Pakistani regime’s collaboration with the United States in its fight against terrorism. “Pakistan’s collaboration in the U.S. ‘war on terror’ has been exemplified by a disregard for due process. Arbitrary arrests and detentions, allegedly with the support of U.S. authorities in Pakistan, have taken place with depressing regularity.” A charge consistently raised by the Pakistani media and vehemently denied by the General. Issues raised have been supported by examples. But do these raise hopes for the hapless people of Pakistan? Here is what the distinguished columnist, Ayaz Amir [Dawn] in his usual sarcastic style stated the truth. “General Musharraf rightly sided with the Americans post-September 11 and those criticizing him on this count are wrong. He only wasn’t right about the price of cooperation. As so often in the past, Pakistan sold itself cheaply, the common failing of tinpot authoritarianism. When a Third World autocrat slips, his nation is left without a safety net. On this score all doubts should now cease. Consistent with our history, culture and national temperament the only sensible thing is to bow to American wishes and signal our readiness to send soldiers to Iraq. Only question is about the price.” And, do other biddings as well. |
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