As the U.S. and Indian governments scramble to push the civil nuclear agreement towards the finish line, the non-proliferation lobby in Washington is attempting to throw yet another spanner in the works.

Critics of the deal this week called on President George W. Bush's administration to make public its responses to questions from members of the U.S. Congress aimed at sorting out what they called “ambiguous and contradictory statements” about the deal.

India must negotiate an agreement on safeguards with the International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) before getting approval from the 45 countries of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.The agreement then must go to the United States Congress for a final vote.

In New Delhi, a senior State Department official said it would take a couple of weeks to get the IAEA approval, and a couple of months to win the NSG's support.

Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher said in an interview with APTN that both sides were “playing in overtime right now.”

With the November presidential elections fast approaching, the Bush administration is aware that it's time is running out.Wrapping up the deal before November would give Bush his first foreign policy success.

On Wednesday, two former senior nonproliferation officials, Fred McGoldrick and Henry Sokolski, joined Arms Control Association Executive Director Daryl G. Kimball and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Senior Associate Sharon Squassoni in calling upon the State Department to drop a virtual “gag” order on its unclassified responses to a detailed set of over 40 questions about the deal.

“The administration’s responses should be made publicly available so that U.S. and Indian lawmakers and the public can evaluate whether the draft U.S.-Indian accord conforms to the terms and conditions established by Congress,” Kimball said. He suggested the administration’s unwillingness to make their answers more widely available suggests they have something to hide from either U.S. or Indian legislators.

A congressional committee presented the State Department with a set of following questions about the deal:

1. Will the U.S. government terminate nuclear trade with India if it resumes testing?

2. Whether the United States intends to transfer sensitive nuclear technology through the agreement, or outside the agreement that can be used to make nuclear weapons material?

3.Will the new safeguards agreement between India and the IAEA apply in perpetuity as called for in U.S. law, or be subject to unspecified “corrective actions” as India demands ?

4.Would the U.S. government be legally required to help India secure nuclear fuel supplies from other states even if U.S. nuclear cooperation is suspended?

“Given that the administration’s answers are not classified, they should be willing to share them with all members of Congress and with the public,” said McGoldrick, former director of non-proliferation and export policy at the State Department.

He said the deal, which overturns three decades of U.S. policy by allowing nuclear trade with India, will have “profound and adverse consequences for the international nonproliferation regime.”

New York, March 6
A small explosion caused a minor damage to a US military recruiting center in the New York’s Times Square area today.

There were no injuries, the police said. An improvised explosive device caused minor damage to the building around 3:45 am (0845 GMT). The thick glass door was cracked and the lower part of its metal frame was twisted.

The explosion occurred in the morning, when there were a few people in the often-bustling area in the heart of Manhattan.

The US homeland security department said there was no sign of an immediate threat to the US from the blast, and said the FBI was taking part in a probe of it.

The targeted building sits at a traffic island between Broadway and Seventh Avenue in Times Square, sometimes called the crossroads of the world. Anti-war protesters periodically stage demonstrations there, and the building has also been hit by vandalism in the past.

Asked if there was a link to terrorism in the incident, homeland security department spokeswoman Laura Keehner said the probe was still in its initial stages, but added, “There is no credible information to suggest there is an imminent threat against the homeland at this time.”

The police initially closed off the streets around the busy tourist and business area, but traffic was allowed through the square three hours after the explosion. Subway train operations through Times Square station were back to normal.

Capt Charles Jaquillard, who is in charge of the US army recruiting in Manhattan and works in the center, said at the scene that nobody was in the building, when the explosion occurred.

Asked if he thought it was a terrorist attack, Jaquillard said, “I don’t know. Obviously there’s some concern, but we’ll see what the investigation will determine.” — Reuters

Republican senator John McCain, who clinched his party’s presidential nomination on Tuesday, was at the White House on Wednesday morning to pick up a key endorsement from President George W. Bush.

The McCain camp touted the development as a big plus for him who has had his conservative credentials questioned by the far right wing of the Republican Party. At a recent meeting of conservatives in Washington, the Arizona senator was booed for not being far enough to the right.

The endorsement from Bush, who is well liked by the conservatives, may help thaw some of the chill. But as Bush’s popularity levels continue to remain at historically low levels, this support could also backfire among independent voters.

The Democratic Party was quick to describe McCain presidency as an extension of the Bush one. The Democratic National Committee posted a video clip of Bush’s endorsement on its website on Wednesday afternoon.

“John McCain has worked hard over the last eight years to throw away his maverick image and morph into the ultimate Bush Republican,” the party said in an e-mail message. “As President Bush himself said today, a vote for John McCain is a vote for more of the same failed Bush policies.”

Standing alongside Bush in a residence he hopes to make his own in November, McCain said he was “very honoured and humbled to have the opportunity to receive the endorsement of the president of the United States.” He said he had “great admiration, respect and affection” for Bush.

Bush acknowledged that he had got to know McCain well in the past eight years. “I’ve campaigned against him, and I’ve campaigned with him,” he said.

The two men share a checkered past. They fought a bitter battle for the presidential nomination in 2000 but four years later, the senator campaigned for the president’s re-election.

Now, four years later, it’s time to repay that favour. Bush said he would do whatever is necessary to help McCain.

Both men sidestepped questions about how involved Bush intended to be in the McCain campaign. When asked whether his presence would hurt the campaign, Bush replied: “If my showing up and endorsing him helps him, or if I’m against him and it helps him, either way, I want him to win.”

“You know, look, this is the age-old question that every president has had to, you know, answer. And there’s appropriate amount of campaigning for me to do, but they’re not going to be voting for me,” Bush said.

He added, “And if he wants my pretty face standing by his side at one of these rallies, I’ll be glad to show up.”

London, March 6
Citizens of India and other non-European Union countries will be issued compulsory identity cards from later this year as part of the British Government’s plans to improve security and prevent identity fraud.

Home secretary Jacqui Smith today said non-EU nations will be the first to be required to have the identity cards.

It will then be rolled out to airport baggage handlers. People in other sensitive security roles will get them from 2009. Students will need to have the cards from 2010, Smith said.

Britain will also introduce biometric passports from 2012, she said and added that people could use either the cards or the biometric passports to prove their identities.

She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme she wanted to "speed up" up the introduction of the cards by making them compulsory for some groups at an earlier stage. — PTI

Islamabad, March 6
Several historically significant sites of Hindu and Sikh minorities in the Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province (NWFP) are being pulled down to make way for swanky plazas.

While some archaeologically important sites have collapsed due to negligence, others are being eyed by property developers.

A Sikh gurdwara in the walled city of Peshawar, Gurdwara Biba Singh, has already collapsed due to negligence. So has an old Hindu temple in the Ram Pura market of the same city.

A protest by the Balmik community made cantonment board authorities change their mind about demolishing the Balmik Mandir at Kala Bari in Peshawar’s Sadar area.

The demolition of another old Hindu building, Karam Chand Hall in the cantonment area, is now just days away. The hall, built in 1933, has been used in recent years as a carpet-weaving centre.

After partition, the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) took possession of the Karam Chand Hall and subsequently handed it over to the Sarhad Small Industries Development Board (SSIDB) on lease in 1963.

The SSIDB, which runs a carpet-weaving centre, wants to convert the building into a shopping plaza. An ETPB official told the Daily Times that the board had decided to build a commercial centre at the site to increase its revenue.

Another building of historical significance, Falakser Cinema, has been pulled down in Sadar Bazaar by its owner Mian Qadeeruddin despite a stay order issued by a local court.

Qadeeruddin is building a shopping plaza at the site without seeking the mandatory no-objection certificate from the archeology and museums department.

On March 7 2007, a local court directed the Peshawar cantonment's executive officer and the owner of Falakser Cinema not to demolish the century-old "picture house" in the provincial metropolis. Yet, Qadeeruddin did not comply with the order.

Similarly, the provincial and district governments have decided to demolish a century-old building, which houses historic pre-and post-partition records of lands and court verdicts in criminal, civil and revenue cases.

However, the Peshawar High Court stayed the demolition and sought advice from the district revenue officer.

"The historic records are close to destruction and if that happens, it will be a great loss for Peshawar," Sarhad Conservation Network official Adil Zareef said. — PTI

A joint meeting of the Central Executive Committee and parliamentary party of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Thursday again failed to evolve a consensus on the party’s prime ministerial candidate.

The meeting left it to party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari to continue further consultations with party MPs, this time at the divisional-level to clinch the issue, a senior party leader Nabeel Gabol told reporters.

“We could not reach a conclusion,” Nabeel said hoping a final name would be announced by Zardari in two to three days.

Among the front-runners in the race for the PPP’s nomination are Makhdoom AMin Fahim, Ahmed Mukhtar, Makhdoom Shah Mahmoud Qureshi and Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani.

He said the meeting that lasted nearly three hours discussed in detail the process of government formation and the agenda to be taken up by the new government. It also firmed up arrangement with other two parties, -- the PML-N and the ANP -- that would be a part of the coalition government.

Asif Zardari briefed the participants on his negotiations with other coalition partners. Repudiating reports that the presidency was attempting a coalition of the PPP and the PML-Q in Punjab to upstage the PML-N in government formation, Zardari categorically declared that the PPP would not join the PML-Q in any set up.

Gabol said Zardari set a comprehensive agenda and guidelines for the new government and asked members to give their opinion as who among them had the ability to fulfill that agenda. He said he had no favourites of his own and would respect the opinion of party members.

Zardari promised to consider a proposal for naming an interim Prime Minister for three months and then himself fill the slot after getting elected in a by-election. But he reiterated that he wanted to stay away from any office and devote time to organising the party.

He said the PPP ministers would set examples of simplicity and humility and spend two days outside the capital among the people to listen and redress their grievances.

The PPP co-chairperson said the country faced enormous challenges and the coalition government would devote all energies to confront these challenges. The party would keep a tab on the performance of ministers and remove those who failed to come up to expectations.

He said the PPP government would not indulge in vindictive politics and avoid confrontation. But those who misruled in the past, including former premier Shaukat Aziz would be made answerable to parliamentary committees that would include opposition members as well.

Gabol said the PPP is eagerly awaiting President Musharraf's announcement for convening of the National Assembly session. Zardari has directed all MPs to remain in the capital because the session may be called any time.

He hoped Musharraf would not repeat the 2002 tactics when he delayed convening of the Assembly for more than a month till he was able to engineer a majority for his party.

Islamabad, March 6
As Pakistan prepares to usher in a new government, Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani today said the military would "stay out of the political process" and that it would support the next government.

President Pervez Musharraf's hand-picked General told a meeting of top army commanders that the army "fully stands behind the democratic process and is committed to play its constitutional role in support of the elected government."

A military statement also quoted Kayani as saying that "the army will stay out of the political process". The General also expressed his hope that "the army is not dragged into any unnecessary controversy."

Kayani's comments came a week after the PPP and the PML-N at the first joint meeting of their newly elected parliamentarians last week ahead of forming a coalition government vowed to banish military from politics.

Kayani also dismissed the impression that the military is distancing itself from Musharraf.

The General highlighted the need for understanding and pointed out that a "schism" at any level would not be in the larger interest of Pakistan. — PTI

President of the Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan has said the success of lawyers’ struggle for restoration of deposed judges is only inches away.

Addressing the High Court Bar Association in Rawalpindi on Thursday, Aitzaz said all actions of President Pervez Musharraf on November 3, including imposition of emergency and dismissal of 60 judges were illegal.

He said reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and other judges was an executive act that was unconstitutional and could be revoked through another executive order. Those who are talking about taking the issue to Parliament would implicitly recognise the legality of Musharraf’s actions.

Aitzaz said the lawyers want to strengthen Parliament but supremacy of Parliament was not possible without an independent judiciary.

He said Musharraf and his allies have been rejected by the people in February 18 elections but he was insisting to cling to power. The people want him to make an exit without adding to the agony of the nation.

Islamabad, March 6
The days of the resounding "Go Musharraf Go" ringtones seem to be over in Pakistan. The latest fad is to host dedicated phone lines which fuel propaganda aimed at hastening President Pervez Musharraf’s "exit".

One such campaign - "Go Musharraf Go" - is being run from a dedicated phone line in Lahore. "Musharraf haters" can call in and listen to anti-Musharraf slogans and songs and even record their own messages.

An unknown group in Lahore, which wants to "help save the country", has launched the phone line for those who want "to hasten the President’s exit".

"Dial 1 to listen to (top lawyer) Aitzaz Ahsan, dial 2 to listen to anti-Musharraf songs, dial 3 to record your anti-Musharraf message and dial 4 to listen to public opinion about Musharraf," the recorded message says. —PTI

Dhaka, March 6
A Bangladesh court sentenced a newspaper editor, who was also involved in property business, to seven years imprisonment today for submitting false building plans, a court official said.

Atiqullah Khan Masud, the chief editor of the widely circulated Bengali daily, Dainik Janakantha, was convicted of defrauding authorities to evade taxes for two high-rise buildings in Dhaka.

Masud, who owns several real estate firms and condominiums, denied the charges.

“He has been found guilty of fraud by the judge of a special court,” a court registrar told reporters.

An official of the city building regulator, who is absconding, was also handed a seven-year prison term for colluding with the businessman.

Masud was arrested in March last year from his newspaper office.

The two men have also been ordered to pay a fine of 20.28 million Taka (295,764 dollars) or to serve another year in jail.

Bangladesh has detained more than 170 influential political figures, including two former prime ministers, in a campaign against corruption.

It has also detained several media tycoons, including newspaper and television channel owners, for committing fraud and violating the professional code of conduct. — Reuters