Emphatically dispelling speculations about elections, the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Ashfaque Pervez Kayani has said that elections would be held on its scheduled date of May 11 and that the army would fully cooperate to make that happen peacefully.

“Elections will be held as planned and there should be no doubting that," Gen Kayani said while speaking at the fourth annual Youm-e-Shouhada (martyrs' day) conference in Rawalpindi.

Kayani said, “This is a golden opportunity to start a new democratic era" and recalled that the army has played its part in achieving that goal.

Obliquely referring to the periodic military interventions in the country's history and the current debate on punishing Gen Musharraf (retd) to deter others, Kayani said the game of "musical chairs" between democracy and dictatorship cannot only be ended through retribution, but by increasing awareness and participation of the people.

“If we succeed in rising above all ethnic, linguistic and sectarian biases to vote solely on the basis of honesty, sincerity, merit and competence, there would be no reason to fear dictatorship or to grudge the inadequacies of our present democratic system.”

On the army’s role in the upcoming elections, he said, “I assure you that we stand committed to wholeheartedly assisting and supporting the conduct of free, fair and peaceful elections to the best of our capabilities and remaining within the confines of the Constitution.

“I also assure you that this support shall solely be aimed at strengthening democracy and the rule of law in the country.”

The General cautioned against creating doubts about the ongoing war on terror by discussing its genesis and who or how it began. "The reality is that now, it is our war,” he said. He reiterated that the fight against extremism was not just a fight for the army but for the nation.

“If a group rises against the Constitution, wants to force their wrong thinking on us...For this purpose, it not only believes that all kinds of bloodletting is justified, but also takes up arms against the state, its judicial process and innocent civilians, then, is that someone else’s war?

“Considering this war against terrorism as the war of the armed forces alone can lead to chaos and disarray that we cannot afford.”

He added: “Our external enemies are busy fanning this fire.”

He pointed out that treachery against the state and its Constitution were never tolerated and that, on such occasions, the question of ‘is this our war?’ was never raised.

“A soldier’s mind and his mission cannot be subject to such doubts.”

The army chief made a conditional offer to extremists asking them to return to the national fold, but only if they unreservedly accept the state of Pakistan, its Constitution and law.

As the campaign gathers a frenzied pitch in Punjab, PTI chief Imran Khan and PML-N’s Sharif brothers have begun to claim victory in the upcoming May 11 poll.

The other provinces are beset with violence. The Taliban are attacking ‘liberal’ parties, including the PPP, MQM and ANP, while sparing Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan for their soft stance towards the Taliban.

The three ‘liberal’ parties have claimed that a conspiracy was being hatched to ensure the victory of right-wing parties.

But Imran Khan has denied the charge. In an interview with the AFP, he said that he was "on the top-five hit list", but was not afraid.

"When I came into politics 17 years ago, I had already conquered my fear of dying because I knew I was going to challenge the status quo,” the 60-year-old said.

But security is clearly a major preoccupation with both Imran and Nawaz Sharif though the PTI chief, unlike Sharif, addresses gatherings without the shield of a bullet-proof screen.

Imran is covering seven to 10 places a day while the Sharifs hold rallies in one or two district headquarters to ensure that their candidates garner huge crowds.

Addressing a rally in Sangla Hill near Lahore on Tuesday, Nawaz Sharif claimed a PML-N win. He said his government would bring about peace and progress in the country.

“Seeing the people’s enthusiasm and commitment, I can predict - without any reservation - that we have already won the general election," the PML-N chief said.

"A revolution is taking place,” Imran Khan told crowds in his hometown Mianwali and other five places in Mianwali and Sargodha districts. "Nobody, including the PML-N, can face the 'junoon' (frenzy) of our youth.”

Addressing public meetings in Attock, Taxila, Chakwal and Talagang here on Monday, the Imran said the spirit and enthusiasm of the youth was a clear indication that change had taken place.

Oakkan (Myanmar), May 1
One person was killed and nine injured after mobs attacked mosques and burned homes in central Myanmar, authorities said today, in the latest religious unrest to erupt in the nation.

Riots sparked yesterday in the small town of Oakkan, around 100 km north of Yangon after a woman accidentally knocked into a young monk, authorities said, amid acute Buddhist-Muslim tensions following a series of attacks in March.

"A man died in hospital of his injuries this morning," a police official told AFP.

Authorities have arrested 18 people after some 77 homes in four villages in the region north of the commercial hub Yangon were burned during a spate of arson yesterday evening, president's spokesman Ye Htut said in a Facebook update.

Terrified villagers of both faiths said police were not there to protect them when a crowd attacked a local mosque yesterday evening in Mie Laung Sakhan village.

"About 200 to 300 people arrived in our village on motorcycles and destroyed the mosque.

“All the villagers ran away. We were scared and didn't resist. They destroyed until they were satisfied," Soe Myint, 48, a Muslim in Mie Laung Sakhan village, told AFP.

The village mosque was seriously damaged and around 10 homes burned, according to an AFP journalist at the scene.

No security presence was visible until late morning, when about 30 police arrived.

"We heard rumours that the mob will come and attack again this afternoon. Even we were threatened to be killed. We are also scared. We need security urgently," Than Soe, a Buddhist, told AFP.

A heavy security presence was visible today morning in Oakkan, where some 30 shops in the market had been destroyed and a mosque damaged.

Religious unrest has exposed deep fractures in formerly junta-run Myanmar and cast a shadow over reforms under a quasi-civilian regime that took power two years ago.

At least 43 people were killed and thousands were left homeless in March, which saw some monks involved in clashes.

Other clerics are behind a nationalistic campaign calling for a boycott of Muslim-owned shops.

Rights groups have accused authorities of standing by during previous attacks on Muslims or actively participating in some cases. The government rejects allegations that it is complicit in the violence. — AFP

London, May 1
The Irish Cabinet has reached an agreement on a controversial Bill on abortion, which for the first time will allow limited legal termination, as part of legislative changes promised after Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar died following a miscarriage last year.

The historic new Bill, which will have to be passed in both Houses of the Irish Parliament, will allow for limited legal termination where there is a threat to the mother's life.

Savita, 31, was 17 weeks pregnant when she was admitted to University Hospital Galway and died of blood poisoning four days after delivering a dead foetus. An inquest into her death last month was told that her two requests for termination were turned down on the grounds that Ireland is a "Catholic country".

The Irish government, which was already reviewing the country's stringent laws on termination, had reassured the public on arriving at a consensus on the issue following international outrage over Savita’s case. New laws would mean that hospitals will have clear, legal guidelines when they considered requests for an emergency termination.

The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill has deeply divided the government of Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny and some Catholic conservatives within his own party have vowed to reject the Bill.

While the new Bill allows for maternal protection, including in cases of a credible threat of suicide, it does not include cases concerning rape, incest or fatal foetal abnormalities.

In cases of suicide, a mother-to-be could in effect have six doctors reviewing her application, which has also come under criticism.

Some groups, such as the Centre for Reproductive Rights Europe, have altogether denounced the suicide aspect of the Bill.

Although the legislation is expected to pass in the two Houses - the Dail and Seanad - with the support of Sinn Fein and Independents, there will be some backbenchers in the main coalition party, Fine Gael, who will vote against it.

According to Irish media reports, at least 11 women leave the Republic every day for an abortion in Britain.

Under current Irish law, abortion is criminal unless it occurs as the result of a medical intervention performed to save the life of the mother.

The Irish Roman Catholic Church has strongly condemned proposed legislation to liberalise abortion as a move to "license the direct and intentional killing of the innocent baby".

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties has welcomed the decision and called on the government to go further, making the termination of pregnancies involving fatal foetal abnormalities also lawful. — PTI

Beirut, May 1
The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group has said that Syrian rebels will not be able to defeat President Bashar Assad's regime militarily, strongly suggesting that Syria's "real friends" including his Iranian-backed militant group would intervene on the government's side if the need arises.

The powerful Shiite Muslim group is known to be backing Syrian regime fighters in Shiite villages near the Lebanon border against the mostly Sunni rebels fighting to topple Assad. But the comments by Sheik Hassan Nasrallah were the strongest indication yet that his group was ready to get more substantially involved to rescue Assad's embattled regime.

"Syria has real friends in the region and in the world who will not allow Syria to fall in the hands of America or Israel or the Takfiris," he said yesterday, referring to followers of an al-Qaeda like extremist idology.

Hezbollah and Iran are close allies of Assad. Both have been accused by rebels of sending fighters to assist Syrian troops trying to crush the 2-year-old Syrian uprising as it morphed into a civil war.

Nasrallah said yesterday that now there are now no Iranian forces in Syria, except for some experts who he said have been in Syria for decades. But he added: "What do you imagine would happen in the future if things deteriorate in a way that requires the intervention of the forces of resistance in this battle?" Hezbollah has an arsenal that is the most powerful military force in Lebanon, stronger than the national army.

Its growing involvement in the Syrian civil war is already raising tensions inside the divided country and has drawn threats from enraged Syrian rebels and militants.

Nasrallah also said his fighters had a duty to protect the holy Shiite shrine of Sayida Zeinab, named for the granddaughter of Islam's Prophet Muhammad's, south of Damascus.

He said rebels were able to capture several villages around the shrine and gunmen were deployed hundreds of metres (yards) away from the shrine who have threatened to destroy it. — AP

Singapore, May 1
Singapore’s second largest university has rejected an appeal to renew the tenure of an Indian-origin journalism Professor who is said to be critical of censorship in the city-state, a media report said today.

Dr Cherian George (47) joined Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in 2004 and teaches courses on media at the university’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information.

But the decision by the university not to give him a fresh tenure means George would have to leave the school within a year, The Straits Times reported today.

George had won a teaching excellence award from the NTU in 2010, and has published several books. George, a former journalist, is said to have criticised the Singapore Government in the past and has written several books and articles on censorship in Singapore.

George had appealed in March after his application for tenure was denied the month before. He has been denied tenure twice within three years.

Four of the university’s most senior faculty members, including two ex-deans-Ang Peng Hua and Eddie Kuo-have written to the university, saying that denial of tenure to George would cause “serious damage to our academic reputation and professional integrity” and NTU’s ability to attract top communication scholars, the report said.

Responding to media queries about George’s appeal, the NTU said it was not able to comment on specific cases as it is the university’s policy to keep all employment matters confidential.

The NTU is the second largest university in Singapore after the National University of Singapore. — PT

Caracas, May 1
Venezuela’s post-election tensions erupted into a brawl between lawmakers that left at least one Opposition member badly bruised and bleeding.

Pro-government legislators started throwing punches after members of the Opposition coalition unfurled a banner in the National Assembly protesting a post-election ban stripping Opposition lawmakers of most of their legislative powers, Opposition lawmaker Ismael Garcia told The Associated Press.

Video showed groups of legislators shoving and pushing each other on the floor. Assembly member Julio Borges appeared on an independent television station soon after yesterday night's brawl with blood running down one side of his swollen face. The Opposition said at least 17 of its allies and five pro-government deputies were injured.

Pro-government legislators appeared on state TV accusing Opposition members of attacking them.

The Opposition has refused to accept President Nicolas Maduro's narrow April 14 victory, saying the government's 1.49 per cent margin resulted from fraud like votes cast in the names of the thousands of dead people found on current voting rolls. — PTI