Taliban threat to humanity: Pranab
New Delhi, February 18

In a clear reflection of New Delhi’s deepening concern over Pakistan's peace deal with the Taliban in Swat, India has termed the Islamic outfit as a "danger to humanity and civilisation".
Supporters of Pro-Taliban cleric Sufi Muhammad march in Swat’s main city of Mingora on Wednesday. A hardline cleric led hundreds of supporters in a peace march in Pakistan’s Swat Valley aimed at convincing Taliban militants to lay down their weapons under a pact with the government. — AP/PTI

Sharia Deal
Worried US seeks full details from Pak
Washington, February 18
As international concern grew over Pakistan signing a peace deal with a Taliban-linked group for enforcing Sharia law in the restive NWFP, including Swat Valley, the United States has said it will seek a ‘fullerexplanation’ from Islamabad on the issue.

Pak says no formal request for Kasab’s custody
Pakistan on Wednesday named deputy attorney-general Sardar Ghazi as special prosecutor to pursue the case involving Pakistani accomplices of attackers of Mumbai carnage but denied media reports that it had formally sought custody of the lone survivor among the attackers - Ajmal Kasab.

Booster for industry planned
Punjab to do away with need for change
in land use
Chandigarh, February 18
To promote investment in Punjab and give a boost to the industry, the state has decided to do away with the need for change in land use for setting up industrial projects, provide one-time settlement for loans and give incentives to the industry in the border areas. All this will form part of the new industrial policy that will go for the formal approval of the cabinet on Friday.

Budget Delay
Montek snubs Punjab
New Delhi, February 18
Within a day of the Punjab government having blamed the Planning Commission for delaying its regular Budget, the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, has reacted sharply.

Cash At Judge’s Door
Nirmal Yadav writes to CJI, seeks
more stuff
New Delhi, February 18
Punjab and Haryana High Court Judge Nirmal Yadav has written a third letter to Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan, seeking the statements of witnesses in the Rs 15 lakh scam to enable her to give her final response to the show-cause notice served on her.

Munnabhai looks for his roots in Lucknow
But fails to visit the house where his father 
stayed as a tenant
Lucknow, February 18
The mission is political entry into the Parliament. And the route chosen by actor Sanjay Dutt, the SP candidate from Lucknow, is through the by-lanes of family history. Yet, Sanjay Dutt’s attempts to reclaim his family roots in the city today turned out to be a bit of an anti-climax that left thousands of his fans disappointed.

PM a quiet man, but beware of his fury, opposition warned New Delhi, February 18 Embarrassed by BJP stalwart LK Advani’s dig at the Prime Minister in Lok Sabha yesterday, the government today fielded Pranab Mukherjee, its Man Friday, in the House to do some damage control and project Manmohan Singh in the best light possible, ahead of general elections.