L A T E S T      N E W S

India downplays confusing signal from Pak on MFN status

New Delhi: India on Saturday downplayed the confusing signal from Islamabad over the grant of MFN status to it even as the Pakistan Prime Minister backtracked saying Commerce Ministry has only been tasked by the Cabinet to move forward on the issue in bilateral trade negotiations.

Asked about the confusing remarks from Pakistan government, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai read out the statement by Pakistan Commerce Ministry after the Cabinet meeting which said, "It has the mandate to take forward the process of normalisation of trade relations between India and Pakistan, which would culminate in the observance of Most Favoured Nation principle in its true spirit".

"According to the information available through the Pakistan government, the Cabinet has approved the process of normalisation of trade relations of which MFN is a part. The actual implementation would be a culmination of the normalisation process which could take some time," he said.

Backtracking on the issue, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said the Commerce Ministry has only been tasked by the Cabinet to move forward on the issue in bilateral trade negotiations.

His statement came three days after Pakistan Information Minister Firdous Awan announced following a Cabinet meeting that it has been decided "unanimously" to grant MFN status to India.

2G: Kanimozhi, 3 others move HC for bail

New Delhi: DMK MP Kanimozhi and three others, arrested for their alleged roles in the 2G spectrum allocation case, moved the Delhi High Court on Saturday for bail.

Besides Kanimozhi, the three others who moved the high court against a special court order denying them bail two days ago, are DMK-run Kalaignar TV MD Sharad Kumar and Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd directors Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal.

DMK Supremo's daughter Kanimozhi has been confined in Tihar Jail since her arrest on May 20. She was denied bail on Thursday by the trial court despite CBI not objecting to pleas for bail by her and four others. Special Judge O P Saini denied them the bail saying the charges against them are of grave nature and the CBI's concession of not objecting their bail pleas was of "no consequence in the eyes of law".

The CBI had preferred not to oppose the bail pleas of Kanimozhi, Kalaignar TV MD Sharad Kumar, Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables directors Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal and Bollywood filmmaker Karim Morani, whose names had figured in the supplementary charge sheet filed on April 25.

The accused have been in the jail for last five to nine months.

Denying bail to Kanimozhi, the court had also rejected her plea for it on grounds of being a woman, saying that she "belongs to upper echelons of society and is also a Member of Parliament" and cannot be suffering on account of being a woman.

Create environment at home for bringing back black money: PM

New Delhi: As his government faces criticism over the black money issue, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says there is a need to create an environment at home where Indians who have stashed illegal money abroad have an "incentive" to bring back the funds.

Singh made a pitch for this strategy while stating that India is a land of opportunity and that therefore it is no longer necessary for people with surplus money in India to think of greener pastures outside.

"We have to create an environment, in which our people would have, themselves, an incentive to bring back this money at home; that India is a land of opportunity; that, therefore, it is no longer necessary for people with surplus money in India to think of greener pastures outside," he told reporters in Cannes last evening at the end of the sixth Summit of the Group of 20 leading economies.

Singh thought this is the only secure, long-term way to create an environment in which the country will discourage the flow of such money to tax havens abroad.

The Prime Minister's comments came in response to a question on how effective will be the G20 endorsement of India's call for increased banking transparency in bringing black money back home.

In a major gain for India, the G-20 Summit in its Communiqué asked tax havens to adopt prudential norms for sharing of tax information to check money laundering and funding of terror failing which it threatened action.

The grouping, which accounted for 85 per cent of the world's output, also warned of action against jurisdiction and entities that will not cooperate in ensuring transparency in tax frauds.

"We underline the importance of comprehensive tax information exchange and encourage work in the Global Forum (of OECD) to define the means to improve it," the Communiqué said.

PM returns home after attending G-20 summit

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday returned home after attending the crucial two-day G-20 summit in Cannes, which asked tax havens to adopt prudential norms for sharing of information to check money laundering and terror funding.

Pro-Left transport unions strike work in Kerala 

Thiruvananthapuram: The dawn-to-dusk motor strike called by non-Congress trade unions in Kerala on Saturday to protest petrol price hike hit normal life across the state.

Private buses, taxis and auto rickshaws are staying off the roads crippling the mobility of large sections of people, reports from across the state said. The state-run KSRTC buses are maintaining their services from major cities and towns.

No attack on private vehicles were reported from anywhere, police said. Universities and state public service commission have postponed the examinations scheduled for the day in view of the strike.

Essential services like healthcare, milk supply and media have been exempted from the stir.

The protest was called by joint action council of transport sector unions affiliated to CITU, AITUC and other pro-Left outfits demanding rollback of the increase.

The pro-Sangh Parivar BMS has also joined the strike.

Right to recall may destabilise structure: Advani

Mumbai: Differing with Team Anna, BJP leader L K Advani on Saturday disfavoured the introduction of the Right to Recall saying it may destabilise the whole structure in a country as big as India.

"I am inclined to agree with the Chief Election Commissioner that in a country as vast as ours, it (Right to Recall) may have consequences which may destabilise the whole structure," he told reporters here on Saturday.

Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi had recently said that the Right to Recall could destabilise the country.

Advani also said nowhere in the world had such a measure been enforced. "Therefore, it is not surprising that nowhere in the world except in one small country somewhere, has the Right to Recall been accepted," he said.

Team Anna has been vigorously campaigning in favour of Right to Recall which has not found favour with the Election Commission of India as well.

Advani, however, favoured electoral reforms in the country especially measures that could help stop use of black money in elections and criminalisation of politics.

He said the BJP had been in the forefront in seeking electoral reforms and said his party colleague Atal Bihari Vajpayee had raised the issue of electoral reforms way back in 1970 and forced Parliament to set up a Joint Committee on the issue.

Hegde slams govt attempt to split Lokpal provisions

Bangalore: Key Team Anna member N Santosh Hegde on Saturday accused the government of trying to bring in multiple legislations by splitting provisions mooted by the civil society group.

"There is an attempt to make multiple bills," the former Supreme Court judge said, pointing out that the bills such as Right to Service and Judges Accountability that are being talked about by the government, are in fact part of suggestions mooted by Team Anna in their draft bill.

"...that attempt is going on which is disturbing," Hegde said and alleged that the Jan Lokpal draft is now being sought to be bifurcated to "have an argument that we (the government) have not rejected it...but we are bringing separate bills." The former Karnataka Lokayukta noted that Team Anna had included Judges Accountability Bill in its draft when it was pending for a long time and nobody was talking about and fighting for it, adding that the Right to Service Bill would come under the citizen's charter mooted by the group.

"Right now, let them (the Government) show their concern for a strong Lokpal" which, he said, needs special attention.

Separate Right to Service and Judges Accountability bills can come later and once they are enacted, those relevant portions can be deleted from Lokpal.

Suggestions in some government quarters that the bill to be introduced in the Parliament would in fact be stronger than the one mooted by Team Anna are (only) a "good talk," and the question is "when will that be (a stronger bill)."

Asif to challenge conviction in spot-fixing scam: Report

London: Jailed Pakistan pacer Mohammad Asif's lawyers are set to appeal against his conviction in the spot-fixing scam and if successful, it could lead to his release from prison.

Jailed for a year by Southwark Crown Court after being found guilty of conspiring to cheat and conspiring to accept corrupt payments, Asif is serving jail-time with former Test captain Salman Butt (30 months), who was convicted of the same charges.

The third convict, 19-year-old Mohammad Amir, has been sent to a youth detention and correction centre for six months due to his young age. While Butt and Amir plan to appeal against their sentence, Asif has decided to challenge the conviction itself with his lawyers saying that no money was ever found on him.

"We are considering an appeal against conviction, not sentence," a representative of Asif's legal team was quoted as saying by 'ESPN Cricinfo'.

"They feel that the jury may not have been within their rights to convict Asif on the evidence they had in front of them. This appeal is expected to be lodged in the next seven days," the website reported.