W O R L D

Dialogue with Pak not at India’s expense: US
Washington, March 20
The US has made it clear that its first strategic dialogue with Pakistan next week was not being held at India’s expense, even as it said it was “pleased” that army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani is part of Islamabad’s delegation as there can be no such talks without the military participation.

Not responsible for disruption of Taliban-UN talks: Pak
Islamabad, March 20
Pakistan has rejected remarks by the ex-head of the UN mission in Afghanistan that arrest of top Taliban leaders in this country might have disrupted talks between the militants and world body officials, saying they were “misinterpretation” of its aim to back reconciliation process in the war-torn nation.

Blast outside Pak leader’s Athens home
Athens, March 20
A bomb exploded early today outside the home of a Pakistani community leader in Athens without injuring anyone, Greek police said. Anonymous warnings made by telephone to a Greek television station and a newspaper 15 minutes before the explosion enabled the police to seal off the area. Media reports said the bomb had targeted the home of the chairman of the Greek-Pakistan friendship association.

Tourists wearing face masks stand amid a sandstorm on Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Saturday. A severe sandstorm that plagued northwestern China in the past few weeks arrived in Beijing on Friday night, packing strong winds and tonnes of sand, Xinhua News Agency said. — Reuters

Pope apologises to Irish sex abuse victims
Vatican City, March 20
Pope Benedict today apologised to victims of child sex abuse by clergy in Ireland and ordered an official inquiry there to try to stem a scandal gripping the Catholic Church that has swept across Europe.

Temple visited by Mandodari restored in Mannar
Colombo, March 20
A centuries-old temple, believed to have been visited by King Ravana's wife Mandodari, in Sri Lanka's north-east has been restored to its past glory by the Army. The historic Thirukeshwaram (Mahathithamanthottam) Hindu Kovil temple in Mannar, which was neglected during the LTTE days, received a new facelift after demining and was handed over by the Army engineers to religious authorities, a statement from the Army said.

Nepal govt to give passport printing contract to Indian firm
Despite serious resentment from in and outside the government the Cabinet meeting held on Friday cleared the deck to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sujata Koirala to proceed in awarding the printing contract of Machine Readable Passports (MRP) to an Indian government-owned firm.

Dutch navy frees 20 suspected Somali pirates
The Hague, March 20
Twenty suspected Somali pirates nabbed by the Dutch navy in the lawless waters off the restive Horn of Africa nation and the Seychelles coast have been freed, the defence ministry said. “There were still 20 pirates on the Tromp frigate and they have been freed,” ministry spokesman Marloes Visser said yesterday.

Dialogue with Pak not at India’s expense: US

Washington, March 20
The US has made it clear that its first strategic dialogue with Pakistan next week was not being held at India’s expense, even as it said it was “pleased” that army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani is part of Islamabad’s delegation as there can be no such talks without the military participation.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmoud Qureshi would be co-chairing the day-long meeting on March 24. ISI chief Shuja Pasha will also be part of the Pakistani delegation.

“How can you have a strategic dialogue without, including the military,” Special US Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, told reporters here.

“If we have a strategic dialogue in our country, we’re going to include the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff or some other representative. So we are very pleased that General Kayani is part of this delegation. We think that it’s one country, one government, one team. It was their decision, and we welcomed it,” Holbrooke said.

Responding to a question, Holbrooke said the strategic dialogue with Pakistan was not at the expense of India or any other country.

“We have an important strategic dialogue with India and with other countries, including China. It makes it all the more important we have one with Pakistan. But this is a bilateral dialogue. This strategic dialogue with Pakistan is not at the expense of any other country in the region,” he said.

Holbrooke said the strategic dialogue means that the two countries talk about their basic core objectives, which was defeating, destroying al-Qaida, helping the Afghans become self-reliant so they can take care of their own security and strengthening Pakistan’s ability to own security, development, strengthening democratic institutions.

“So we need to sit down with our Pakistani friends and hear their points of view and give ours. Now, we’ve all been going to Islamabad and they’ve all been coming here,” he said, adding beyond the strategic discussions, the broad range discussions include moving into operational things in areas like water, energy and other issues.

Holbrooke said the next round of US-Pakistan strategic dialogue would be held in Islamabad in next six months.

The Pakistani delegation of the next week’s meeting include Qureshi, Kayani, Pasha, Minister of Defence Ahmed Mukhtar and Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir, among others.

The US delegation would be led by Clinton and would include Secretary of Defence Robert Gates, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen and US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson, among others.

Meanwhile, a Canada-based Pashtun organisation urged the Obama Administration to include their representatives in the crucial US-Pak strategic dialogue.

“Pushtuns demand the inclusion of representatives from FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas in Pakistan), Pukhtunkhwa and other Pushtun representatives in this significant dialogue, otherwise Pashtuns will denounce any outcome that is against their interests,” Toronto-based Pashtun Peace Forum said. — PTI

Not responsible for disruption of Taliban-UN talks: Pak

Islamabad, March 20
Pakistan has rejected remarks by the ex-head of the UN mission in Afghanistan that arrest of top Taliban leaders in this country might have disrupted talks between the militants and world body officials, saying they were “misinterpretation” of its aim to back reconciliation process in the war-torn nation.

Norwegian diplomat Kai Eide, who stepped down from his position as chief of the UN mission in Afghanistan, had said talks with the Taliban were disrupted several weeks ago after more than a dozen militant commanders, including Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, were captured in Pakistan.

Rejecting Eide’s contention, Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said: “The fact of the matter is that Mullah Baradar’s arrest was a joint operation with the US and had nothing to do with talks or reconciliation.” Pakistan has long called for talks to end the war in Afghanistan and Eide’s comments were a misinterpretation of its aims, Basit said.

“Pakistan is committed to support an Afghanistan-led reintegration and reconciliation process so any other contentions, we believe, are a misrepresentation and misinterpretation of our intentions,” he added. The arrest of the Afghan-Taliban commanders has also reportedly infuriated President Hamid Karzai, who asked for them to be handed over to his country during a recent visit to Pakistan. — PTI

Blast outside Pak leader’s Athens home

Athens, March 20
A bomb exploded early today outside the home of a Pakistani community leader in Athens without injuring anyone, Greek police said. Anonymous warnings made by telephone to a Greek television station and a newspaper 15 minutes before the explosion enabled the police to seal off the area. Media reports said the bomb had targeted the home of the chairman of the Greek-Pakistan friendship association. A bomb squad was examining the remains of the device for clues.

The Pakistani community in Greece numbers several thousand members, most of whom live in the greater Athens area. Muslim migrants in Greece have faced increasing hostility from far-right militants in recent years, and the Pakistani community has frequently denounced attacks on its members by Greek youths.

Today’s bombing occurred in the central Athens district of Agios Panteleimonas which has a strong immigrant presence and where protests both in favour and against foreigners have been held in recent months. — AFP

Pope apologises to Irish sex abuse victims

Vatican City, March 20
Pope Benedict today apologised to victims of child sex abuse by clergy in Ireland and ordered an official inquiry there to try to stem a scandal gripping the Catholic Church that has swept across Europe.

The pope’s pronouncement was the most concrete step taken since a wave of cases hit Ireland, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands.

Victims in Ireland voiced deep disappointment it did not go further, and a US-based Catholic group said it should have addressed abuses across the Church rather than just in Ireland.

“You have suffered grievously and I am truly sorry ... I openly express the shame and remorse that we all feel,” he said.

“I can only share in the dismay and sense of betrayal that so many of you have experienced on learning of these sinful and criminal acts and the way the Church authorities in Ireland dealt with them.”

A report commissioned by the Irish government had said one priest admitted abusing more than 100 children. Another said he had abused children every two weeks for more than 25 years. — Reuters

Temple visited by Mandodari restored in Mannar

Nepal govt to give passport printing contract to Indian firm
Bishnu Budhathoki writes from Kathmandu

Despite serious resentment from in and outside the government the Cabinet meeting held on Friday cleared the deck to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sujata Koirala to proceed in awarding the printing contract of Machine Readable Passports (MRP) to an Indian government-owned firm.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Koirala had tabled a proposal to give the MRP printing contract to India defying the directive from the Public Accounts Committee of the Parliament and finalise the contract through bidding process.

According to the Minister for Information and Communication Shankar Pokharel, the Cabinet meeting approved the proposal tabled by the Minister Koirala considering the tight deadline of April 1 to introduce the MRPs.

A few months ago Koirala had decided to nullify the previous government's decision to print the MRPs through global tender and decided to award the contract directly to an Indian company. But the officials at the Minister for Foreign Affairs and members of the Public Accounts Committee at the Parliament had stood against Koirala and insisted the government to print the MRPs in due process. And the cabinet had earlier rejected Koirala’s proposal.

Earlier in 2005, Nepal government had reached an understanding with the International Civil Aviation Organisation pledging that it would introduce the MRPs effective from April 1, 2010.

Dutch navy frees 20 suspected Somali pirates

The Hague, March 20
Twenty suspected Somali pirates nabbed by the Dutch navy in the lawless waters off the restive Horn of Africa nation and the Seychelles coast have been freed, the defence ministry said. “There were still 20 pirates on the Tromp frigate and they have been freed,” ministry spokesman Marloes Visser said yesterday.

The pirates were interrogated, disarmed and then allowed to board their vessels, he said, adding that the weaponry included assault rifles, rocket launchers and knives. The Dutch navy, which is taking part in an European Union anti-piracy mission off the Somali coast, this week arrested 33 pirates travelling on nine vessels. Thirteen of them were freed on Wednesday.

“They had weapons used by pirates but that was not enough to charge them,” Visser said.

Since mid-2009, Somali pirates have ventured from the now heavily-patrolled waters of the Gulf of Aden to launch the bulk of their attacks much further out in the Indian Ocean. — AFP