ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi in Delhi, ending two-day suspense over his decision amid reports that there was stiff opposition from hardliners in the establishment.

A spokesperson of the Prime Minister Office and Pakistan Foreign Ministry confirmed that Sharif will travel to Delhi to attend Modi's oath-taking ceremony on Monday.

The delay in Sharif confirming his attendance in the oath ceremony is being attributed to opposition from hardliners in the army establishment.

Sharif took the decision to accept the Indian invitation after a series of consultations with his close aides, the Dawn reported, citing unnamed sources.

Modi has invited all the leaders of member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to the ceremony.

Prime Minister Sharif had telephoned Modi to congratulate him on his party's election victory and invited him to visit Pakistan after assuming office.

Other key SAARC leaders, Sri Lankan President President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, have confirmed that they will attend the ceremony.

Earlier, Sharif's daughter Maryam tweeted that cordial relations with the new Indian government should be cultivated.

"I personally think cordial relations with new Indian govt should be cultivated. Will help remove psychological barriers, fear & misgivings," she tweeted.

She followed it up with another tweet, "It's upon the leaders to lead their countries & ppl to peace & conciliation." This was read by analysts as a possible indication of her father's desire to travel to India. — PTI

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Saturday expressed “delight” at Nawaz Sharif’s decision to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister, while the Congress asked the new government to raise issues such as cross-border terrorism, slow pace of trial of 26/11 attacks and handing over of Dawood Ibrahim with the Pakistan premier.

“This is a delightful piece of news that Pakistan Prime Minister has accepted Narendra Modi’s invitation...this is the beginning of a new relationship. It is good news,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said here.

The Congress, on the other hand, reacted cautiously to the development.

Outgoing Union Minister Manish Tewari reminded that the BJP has maintained all along that terror and talks cannot go together.

He hoped that after assuming office, the BJP government would raise the issue of slow pace of trail of 26/11 attacks — an issue “which had been troubling them.”

He added that the issue of people like Hafiz Saeed should also be raised.

“They have also periodically been raising the issue of the return of Dawood Ibrahim, who allegedly is being sheltered by the establishment in Pakistan. So, we hope that BJP remains true to the position it has taken over the past ten years and raises these issues with the Prime Minister of Pakistan when he comes to India,” Tewari said.

Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed said, “Photo opportunities are okay, but in the euphoria of coronation, Modi should not compromise national interest.

“According to the BJP, terror modules and Dawood are still active in Pakistan,” he stated.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted welcoming the Sharif’s decision.

“Very glad to hear Pak PM has accepted invite, shows that he can prevail over forces inimical to good relations with India,” he said.

But at the same time, he said he couldn’t help feel sorry for others taking oath or attending the ceremony “because the only photo-op that will matter now will be the Modi-Sharif handshake.” — PTI

Chennai: Opposing invitation to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa for Narendra Modi's swearing-in as Prime Minister, the BJP ally MDMK today announced a black flag demonstration against the head of the island republic in Delhi on May 26.

MDMK chief Vaiko compared his situation to that of the anti-Hindi agitation launched by the DMK under its founder, late C.N. Annadurai, in 1965, saying the Dravidian veteran had only opposed imposing of Hindi and not the Indian republic.

"Similarly, while extending greetings to Narendra Modi for his thumping win and expressing my happiness over the same, I oppose the participation of Rajapaksa who is involved in Tamil genocide. Since its our duty to register our opposition, the MDMK under my leadership will hold a black flag demonstration," against Rajapaksa in Delhi, he said in a statement here.

The protest, which was in line with Vaiko's earlier announcement of opposing any India visit of the Lankan President following his last year's travel to Sanchi, will be held at Jantar Mantar at 11 am, he said.

A similar protest will be also held in Chennai on the same day, he said.

A staunch supporter of Tamil Eeelam (separate home land for Lankan Tamils), Vaiko had earlier led protestors to oppose Rajapaksa's visit to Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh last year.

Vaiko, who lost in the recent Lok Sabha election along with six other party nominees contesting as part of the alliance formed by the BJP, said it was not proper for Rajapaksa to attend the swearing-in of Modi as "it will spoil the sanctity" of the ceremony.

The MDMK leader, who had personally met Modi and BJP president Rajnath Singh in Delhi yesterday, arguing against the Lankan leader's participation in the May 26 swearing-in, alleged that minority Tamils in Sri Lanka were still facing many difficulties.

Terming as a "betrayal" India abstaining from voting in a US-sponsored resolution on human rights violations in a UN body in March this year, Vaiko charged that officials behind such a move were 'misleading' Modi in this matter. — PTI

NEW DELHI: Several senior BJP leaders on Saturday met Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi and party chief Rajnath Singh amid hectic preparations ahead of the new NDA government taking charge on Monday.

Modi’s close aide Amit Shah and BJP general secretary J.P. Nadda reached Gujarat Bhawan in New Delhi almost together on Saturday morning to meet the Prime Minister-elect. Shah later met Rajnath Singh.

Senior party leader and former party chief M. Venkaiah Naidu reached Gujarat Bhawan a little later. Uma Bharti, who won from Jhansi Lok Sabha seat, also met Modi.

Republican Party of India (RPI) chief Ramdas Athawale also met Modi. He has already gone on record hoping to get a berth in the Modi Cabinet.

There was a steady stream of visitors at Rajnath Singh’s Ashoka Road residence also.

Prominent among those who met the BJP chief were party MPs Maneka Gandhi and Udit Raj and senior Delhi unit leader and Rajya Sabha member Vijay Goel. Former Union Minister in the NDA government I.D. Swamy also met Singh.

BJP general secretary Ram Lal also met the party chief.

Preparations for formation of government have gained momentum with top BJP leaders engaged in a series of confabulations ahead of Modi’s swearing-in on Monday. — PTI

New Delhi/Bangalore: In a jolt to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), two of its key members — Shazia Ilmi and Captain G.R. Gopinath — today quit, citing differences with party leadership and slammed Arvind Kejriwal's "jail politics".

The simmering discontent in the fledgling party since its Lok Sabh poll debacle came to the fore as Ilmi, one of the founder members, announced her resignation from all party posts, claiming that there was lack of "inner-party democracy" and a "crony clique" around Kejriwal was calling the shots.

Gopinath, pioneer of low-cost air travel in India who joined the party in January, targeted Kejriwal, saying a head of a party cannot indulge in "shoot and scoot politics" and questioned his refusal to furnish a bail bond in the defamation case filed against him by BJP leader Nitin Gadkari.

Addresing a press conference in Delhi, Ilmi, who lost from Ghaziabad Lok Sabha seat, said, "After much thought and deliberation I have decided to give up my membership of the AAP and resign from all positions within the party." Ilmi, however, clarified that she is not joining any other party.

"My decision to leave the party is triggered by the lack of inner-party democracy, especially from a party that constantly talks of Swaraj (self-rule)," she said.

Attacking some AAP leaders who are considered close to Kejriwal, she said, "We fight against cronyism but we have a crony clique which runs the party and takes impulsive decisions which we learn about later. I find it amazing that we cannot follow the principles of Swaraj within our own party." 

"When a brilliant person like Arvind who espoused the concept of Swaraj of collective making is unable to follow it personally within the party, then doesn't it become incumbent to point out the same," she added.

In a communication to AAP's Karnataka Convenor Prithvi Reddy, Gopinath said, "I would like to resign from the membership of the Aam Admi Party with immediate effect because of increasing differences with the party leadership and its ways." When contacted, Gopinath confirmed the development over phone from Toulouse in France.

Gopinath said he wished "the party well in its future endeavours" saying he was great admirer of Anna Hazare and Kejriwal continues to be so.

He, however, termed as mistake Kejriwal's failure to appear in court and his refusal to furnish a bail bond after which he was sent to judicial custody till June 6.

Gopinath said it could not be compared to the stand taken by Hazare, who was sent to judicial custody in August 2011 following his arrest during the Janlokpal Bill agitation after he refused to sign a personal bond. — PTI

Sikh group challenges dismissal of 1984 case against Congress

NEW YORK: A Sikh rights group has challenged the dismissal of the 1984 rights violation case against the Congress Party before an appeals court here, saying the case "concerns" the US and it has "institutional standing" to seek judgment on behalf of the Sikh community.

The case filed by the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) was dismissed by Judge Robert Sweet of US District Court last month on the grounds that the group failed to show sufficient "touch and concern" to the US.

Sweet had, however, ruled that "a corporate defendant can be liable under the Alien Torts Statute (ATS), assuming that the statute's 'touch and concern' requirements are adequately alleged".

The SFJ said the case sufficiently "touches and concerns" the US and it has "institutional standing" to seek "declaratory judgment" on the November 1984 violence against the Sikh community.

Commenting on the appeal made by SFJ, Congress Party's attorney Ravi Batra said on behalf of the party and its chief Sonia Gandhi, "we look forward to arguing" in the apeeals court that "justice was done, the law followed, sovereignty honored" when Sweet ordered the dismissal of the case.

The SFJ said its appeal is based on grounds that the victims group claim is not barred under a US Supreme Court ruling as plaintiffs have already been granted refugee status by California Federal Court for being victims of violence allegedly committed by the Congress in India which proves "touch and concern" and sufficient connection to America.

The SFJ appeal claims that federal law grants "institutional standing" to human rights groups to seek "declaratory judgments" by US courts.

The SFJ is seeking judgment to declare November 1984 violence against the Sikh community as "genocide". — PTI

California: At least seven persons were killed in a drive-by shooting near a college campus in the Californian city of Santa Barbara, including the suspected gunman, local media reported on Saturday.

California's KEYT-TV reported that a further seven persons were wounded in the shooting late on Friday in the town of Isla Vista near the campus of the University of California at Santa Barbara. 

Witnesses reported seeing a black BMW speeding through the streets and spraying bullets at people and other targets in Isla Vista, the station reported. It said that at one point the gunman exchanged fire with sheriff's deputies before crashing into a parked car.

The suspect was found dead of a gunshot wound in the car, where authorities recovered a handgun. A spokeswoman for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office
could not immediately be reached for comment. — Reuters