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Kashmir is of ‘vital interest’ to Pak: Musharraf
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Indian film stars join Pak spring festival
Suspected terrorist deported to India after 16 years
Oppn strike turns violent in Bangladesh
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Kashmir is of ‘vital interest’ to Pak: Musharraf
Islamabad, February 5 He also pledged to continue providing political, diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiris’ cause. "Kashmir is Pakistan’s vital national interest and will not be compromised at any cost," Gen Musharraf said in a message read out at a special session of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) Assembly at Muzaffarabad to mark the occasion. "Pakistan will only accept a solution to the Kashmir issue which is in line with aspirations of the Kashmiri people and acceptable to them," he said adding that Pakistan "will continue to provide political, diplomatic and morale support to their cause." "Pakistan has made it clear to the Indian leadership and the world leaders that there cannot be a lasting peace in the region and the dialogue process will not move ahead if the Kashmir problem is not resolved," Gen Musharraf said. "There could neither be durable peace in the region nor the confidence-building measures move forward," he said. "Practical dialogue" between the two countries is not an easy one "as everybody knows the circumstances under which the talks between the two got underway," official APP news agency quoted Gen Musharraf as saying. "Initiations of talks in such a scenario was a great success," he said. Pakistan was at a critical juncture and was pursuing dialogue process and confidence-building measures with India, Gen Musharraf said. "Our support to Kashmiris’ cause is based on principles, in line with international law, UN Charter and UN Resolutions", he said and paid tributes to 80,000 martyrs" who he said "laid down their lives in the freedom struggle." Speaking at a meeting to mark the day, Prime Minister Aziz said Kashmir "is the core issue between India and Pakistan and without resolving this, substantial progress cannot be achieved on other matters." — PTI
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Pakistan-USA group to assess threat perceptions
Islamabad, February 5 The new sub group named 'Operations Consultation Committee' (OCC) was established just ahead of the 16th meeting of the DCG that concluded here on Thursday. "Both sides agreed to set up the committee in the backdrop of growing threat perceptions at the regional and global level," a source privy to the defence talks told The Dawn on Friday. The OCC had its first meeting a day before the DCG met at the Ministry of Defence in Rawalpindi. At the meeting senior military and civilian officials from both the countries made presentations on their respective threat perceptions. While the Pakistani side underlined India's massive defence weapons acquisition programme, counter-terrorism operations, and security challenges in Afghanistan and tension along the Pakistan-Afghan border, the US delegation focused on the terrorism threat, proliferation of WMDs and its concerns regarding Iran and Korea, and the Middle East, it is learnt. "The objective of this particular committee is to discuss the general trends, to share assessments on specific regional and global threats and exchange military information," explained one DCG delegate. The OCC is the third sub group of the DCG.
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Pak answers WB queries on Baglihar dam
Islamabad, February 5 The News quoted unnamed sources as saying that the bank was keen to remove delay in processing the petition made by Pakistan. The bank after an initial study of the petition sent a
questionnaire to determine that whether Islamabad had exhausted all the avenues available in the treaty to resolve the issue. Pakistan has given the whole chronology of the talks and efforts made by Islamabad for a negotiated settlement of the dispute.
— UNI |
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Indian film stars join Pak spring festival
Islamabad, February 5 The celebrations include musical shows, kite flying and food festivals with local specialities. But the festival season began on a tragic note as four boys were killed while more than two dozen persons received injuries in various Basant-related activities here yesterday. Three boys were run over by a train while chasing a stray kite on a railway track in Faisalabad. Another boy was electrocuted to death when he accidentally touched the electric wires passing over his house while flying kites on the roof of his house. Stray bullets injured two persons in various parts of Faialabad. — PTI
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Suspected terrorist deported to India after 16 years
A
suspected Sikh terrorist’s 16-year battle to avoid deportation from the USA ended this week when the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers escorted him back to India.
Charenjit Singh (43) was found by a federal court to have actively engaged in terrorism, supported terrorists and was linked to two terrorist organisations in India. One of the groups, the Babbar Khalsa, has been designated a terrorist organisation by the State Department. Charanjit Singh also has been linked to the Khalistan Commando Force, which has been identified in attacks against Indian officials. The Bush administration has designated the Babbar Khalsa International and the International Sikh Youth Federation “terrorist organisations for immigration purposes.” Robb Emery, Division Chief of ICE’s National Security Law Division, said Charanjit Singh’s deportation “caps a key victory for ICE and closes a chapter in a very long fight to deport someone who violated our laws.” Charanjit Singh was arrested and placed in deportation proceedings on September 29, 1989, two days after he illegally entered America near El Paso, Texas. After initially being ordered deported for failing to attend his immigration hearing, Charanjit Singh successfully petitioned the immigration court to reopen his case and have it transferred to Philadelphia where he eventually filed an application for lawful permanent resident status in the USA. His case was heard in January 1997 and in February 1998. An immigration judge granted Charanjit Singh lawful permanent resident status, despite the fact that he admitted membership in two terrorist groups. ICE appealed the decision to the Board of Immigration Appeals, arguing that under the Immigration and Nationality Act, Charanjit Singh was never eligible for legal status in the USA because of his membership in the terrorist
groups. On February 25, 2003, the board ordered Charanjit Singh deported. ICE special agents arrested him on September 27, 2004, and he was held in Philadelphia until he was deported on Monday. |
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Oppn strike turns violent in Bangladesh
Dhaka, February 5 Around 40 persons were injured in clashes between pro and anti-strikers in northern Nilphamari
district and 15 more in nearby Kishoreganj district in a similar incident, the ATN Bangla private television network said. In both the incidents, the police used batons and fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowds, it said. In Dhaka, sporadic incidents of violence were reported. Baton-charging police fired tear gas in the old parts of the city to disperse stone-throwing protesters shouting slogans, the television said showing footage of the clashes. Reports said main Opposition Awami League MPs Mirza Azam and Sohel Taj were roughed up by the police. The rest were injured in other incidents in nearby Savar and southeastern port city of Chittagong, where the police clashed with activists. Official sources said 11,000 security personnel had been deployed and 300 extra police women were called in to tackle women activists.
— PTI |
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Opposition takes out rally to mourn the killing of former
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