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Monday,
May 13, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Omar
Sheikh introduced Ansari to ISI Oppn
destabilising govt: Advani
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It’s
not right, Amarinder: Mulayam Malaysian
NRI to invest in Punjab Leaders
to work for world without AIDS
Out of
hell but no place at home
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Omar Sheikh introduced Ansari to ISI
New Delhi, May 12 Revealing close nexus between Pakistan-based terrorists and Indian underworld, Aftab Ansari also told interrogators that the January 22 attack was undertaken because Lashker-e-Toiba wanted to take revenge against the USA and he wanted to avenge the killing of his close associate Asif Raza Khan by the police. Aftab Ansari, who is in the custody of the Delhi police since last Monday, has also disclosed that he met Omar Sheikh, a senior leader of Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist outfit, first in an Indian jail, sources told PTI here. Omar Sheikh was among the three terrorists released in December 1999 during the Indian Airlines plane hijacking crisis. Aftab Ansari later went to Pakistan and Omar Sheikh provided all kinds of logistical and other kinds of support to him there. “Omar Sheikh even got Aftab Ansari’s Pakistani passport made in the name of Azhar in February 2001,” the sources said, adding that he had stayed in Pakistan for over a year. Omar Sheikh was also instrumental in introducing Aftab Ansari to ISI operatives who sought the latter’s cooperation in carrying out its subversive activities in India, the sources added. Aftab Ansari, who was deported to India from Dubai in February, has also disclosed his close association with LeT’s launching commander Azam Cheema, his deputy Fahadullah, Abdul Karim, alias Tunda, and three Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islami (HUJI) militants — Mufti Kifayatullah, alias Zafar, a Pak-based Indian, Javed Varaich and Mehboob, alias Noor. “The plan to carry out the attack on American Center was conceived by Aftab Ansari and LeT commander Fahadullah in Pakistan under ISI’s guidance,” the sources said citing Aftab Ansari’s confessions. “The attack was motivated mainly by LeT’s desire to take revenge on the USA for its actions in Afghanistan and Aftab Ansari’s desire to avenge killing of his close associate Asif Raza Khan in a shootout with the police,” they said. Aftab Ansari has also revealed that he had got several militants of different terrorist outfits settled in India through his close aides — Asif Raza Khan, Arshad Khan, alias Masab, Anita Das, Tariq Mehboob, alias Naeem, Mohd Idrish, alias Wazid and Mohd Saleem. Asif Raza Khan, Arshad Khan and Anita Das, who had been working under the direct control of Ansari, were arrested by the police in October from the Lodhi Garden Parking area.
PTI |
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Oppn destabilising govt: Advani New Delhi, May 12 The Home Minister said the Opposition had raked up issues like Ayodhya, Tehelka and Gujarat from time to time with the basic idea of destabilising the government. Speaking at a meeting of the BJP Mahila Morcha, here, he said that the government was facing such challenges for the past two to three months and expressed confidence that the Opposition would not be successful in its designs. |
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News not being censored: Maya Lucknow, May 12 I have not asked officials to conceal any news, particularly about shifting of bureaucrats, said the Chief Minister and added: “Why should I ask any official to conceal some information which will come to the fore in a day or two.” Recently, the local newspapers carried reports as how the Mayawati government was trying to censor reports about large-scale transfer of officials. The reports said this was done to avoid any adverse publicity. The Chief Minister denied this. “I had only changed the procedure of informing the media about transfers according to which only state-level transfers would be released in Lucknow and others at the district”, she said. |
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It’s not right, Amarinder: Mulayam Lucknow, May 12 No state can deny forces to other states as and when required. It is against the spirit of federal governance, he told The Tribune in an exclusive interview here yesterday. Moreover, the decision looked more ambiguous when lives of thousands of people were in peril, he said. He did not mince words in saying that the decision of the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, was influenced by political reasons rather than administrative. “When I was Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh I had sent paramilitary forces to other states as and when the demand was raised. National interest cannot be ignored, he said. Mr K. P. S. Gill, Security Adviser to the Gujarat Chief Minister, had asked for jawans of the Punjab police and few commandos to tackle the communal violence in the state. Though initially the Punjab Government agreed to spare forces, yet later it refused to do so, citing administrative reasons. Mr Yadav, who came here to attend a crucial legislature party meeting, said the Congress was in no position to fight communalism because “it is not clear in its mind whether to fight communal forces or not.” It was not words, but action, which spoke about the intention of a party, said Mr Yadav. Congress leaders gave long speeches in the Lok Sabha on the spread of communal hatred in Gujarat. But when the BJP charged it, and named few Congress corporators involved in inciting communal hatred, the leaders turned a deaf ear. Why has the Congress failed to come clean on the charges levelled by the BJP?, he asked. Moreover, how could it fight communal forces in Gujarat, when it was supporting these in Uttar Pradesh, he said. The country could have been spared of pogrom in Gujarat had a secular government taken charge in Uttar Pradesh, he said, and to buttress his point added: “A SP-led government in UP would had shaken the base of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. The Prime Minister and other BJP leaders would have become active in saving their government rather than protecting the Gujarat chief minister.” |
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Malaysian
NRI to invest in Punjab New Delhi, May 12 Sources close to Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh say Sunil
Bhargava, the NRI, has offered to invest upto a billion dollars in Punjab. The Chief Minister, who is in Delhi, is scheduled to meet the NRI tomorrow and see a full presentation from him. The Chief Minister today attended the bhog ceremony of his niece Ritu Singh, the daughter of Congress leader Natwar Singh. |
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Leaders to work for world without AIDS
New Delhi, May 12 “The formal adoption of this all encompassing and historic document is an important event and any international conference on the subject, in future, will take note of this,” Kapil Sibal, MP said adopting the declaration here. The declaration said the parliamentarians pledged to provide leadership and take concrete action to address the complexities and challenges presented by the epidemic, building on the UN Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and other international, regional and national agreements. “We pledge to identify and begin to address those factors that make individuals particularly vulnerable to HIV infection, including underdevelopment, poverty, illiteracy, lack of empowerment of women and all types of sexual exploitation,” the declaration quoting the parliamentarians said. They agreed to actively involve affected communities, including organisations of people living with HIV/AIDS in policy formulation and implementation, it said. The expert legislators pledged to work to build infrastructure and take other measures to ensure access to and effective use of affordable, life-saving AIDS treatment and future AIDS vaccines when they become available, the declaration said. It said they gave a commitment to create an enabling environment and build capacity among policy makers in their respective countries, and in particular, seek to strengthen legislation and regulatory systems and procedures. The members, among other things, also pledged to support research and development of AIDS vaccines and other prevention technologies, keeping in mind the pressing needs of the developing world, the declaration said. The declaration was adopted after the end of the first-ever International Policy Makers Conference on HIV/AIDS, which was attended by expert legislators, ministers and NGO representatives from eight other developing countries facing the AIDS epidemic.
PTI |
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Stars on ‘Mom and I’
Mumbai, May 12 Mother’s Day is being celebrated today. Several film, fashion and social personalities, gathered here yesterday at the “Mom and I’’ function organised by Hallmark Channel, were unanimous that ‘the mother’ is the most beautiful creation of Nature and her contributions towards her children is invaluable. In her videotaped message played at the gathering, film actress Kajol payed tributes to her mom, yesteryear’s actress, Tanuja saying: “My mom is not only my best friend, but my philosopher and guide as well.’’ Abhishek Bachchan said “He is what he is today, because of his mother Jaya Bachchan”, while Pooja Bedi-Ebrahim, paying respects to her late mother Protima Bedi, said she always tried to emulate her mother, but she could never reach her level. Esha Deol said, “Although the world knows her as ‘dream-girl’, for me she is dream-mom,’’ and added that she could not walk even a single step without her mother’s guidance.
UNI |
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Out of hell but no place at home Patna, May 12 Soni, along with six other girls, now want to go home but are apprehensive that they might not be accepted. They have a common tale to tell and a common fear. Most of them were either sold to the brothels or forced to sell their bodies by none other than their own relatives. Soni had to face five-six ‘clients’ a day and she would earn around Rs 500-600 a day but her ‘nani’ used to take all her money away and give her only Rs.20. Her mother attempted to free her but failed. Mina, who now has a four-year-old child, was sold to a ‘dalal’ (middleman) by her relative with whom she had left home in search of her missing brother. After spending six years in a brothel she fears that back home none would accept her and her child. Like her, Manju, was sold by her relative. She was married in childhood but never went to her in-laws. She now wants to go to her in-laws’ place but fears the backlash. At least 17 girls were picked up from the infamous Chaturbhuj Asthan red light area of Muzaffarpur district on May 5. They had earlier confessed that their rooms were used by the top criminals and smugglers for the planning and execution of murders, kidnappings, loot, road robberies and smuggling of arms and drugs. Even the girls were forced to work as conduits in arms sale and drug trafficking. Those who refused to obey were burnt. |
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