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Sunday,
February 2, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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US patronage to Pak ‘disappointing’
Improve ties with India: Russia tells Pakistan US jets ‘strike’ northern Iraq President George W. Bush, right, and British Prime Minister Tony Blair address the media at the White House
in Washington
on Friday. They met to discuss the situation regarding Iraq.
— AP/PTI |
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PAKISTAN Army generals have taste of Baluchi ire Baluchi militants have delivered their strongest message to the army generals controlling Pakistan and to the Jamali government through repeated rocket attacks on the country’s main gas pipeline. Clearly neither Baluchistan nor the NWFP with pro-Islamic governments led by Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal are becoming out of bound for the security forces. Sotheby’s sues Michael Jackson
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US patronage to Pak ‘disappointing’ Bangkok, February 1 Winding up his three-day visit to Thailand, Mr Advani also ruled out resumption of a dialogue with Islamabad saying “there is no point in talking to Pakistan unless it abandoned terrorism”. Pakistan gave arms to terrorists, financed them and provided asylum. “Unless the terrorist camps are dismantled there will be no talks... it is pointless and purposeless,” he told reporters. Asked if India was satisfied with the US approach towards Pakistan, he said, “We are disappointed and we have conveyed our disappointment.” The USA probably felt that dislodging President Pervez Musharraf would not help it in the global fight against terrorism. “If they put more pressure on Pakistan, maybe the present leader could be dislodged and the new leader may not be as helpful as the present one in supporting the fight against terrorism,” he said. Observing that every country has its own foreign policy considerations, he said “the USA thinks more pressure on Pakistani leadership will not work and any new leader will not be as helpful as the present one”. Referring to cross-border terrorism, Mr Advani said India did not expect help from any country but wanted countries committed to fight terrorism not to help any state financially or otherwise which patronised terrorism. Stepping up their efforts to fight terrorism, both India and Thailand, in a joint statement issued at the end of Mr Advani’s visit, called for concerted international action to deal with the scourge and decided to institutionalise bilateral security cooperation and conclude a extradition treaty at the earliest. The two sides also agreed to expedite Mutual Legal Assistance treaty in criminal matters, an agreement on transfer of convicted prisoners and an MoU on narcotics control. Mr Advani, who met Thai Premier Thaksin Shinawatra and other top ministers yesterday, said the Mutual Legal Assistance treaty, extradition treaty, MoU on narcotics and a Joint Working Group on Security were all the tools that India had with various countries to tackle a menace like terrorism. He said he had a “very satisfying” visit to Thailand. Mr Advani, who is accompanied by Home Secretary Gopalaswamy and other senior officials, will spend the day at the beach resort of Phuket before flying to Singapore tomorrow.
PTI |
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Improve ties with India: Russia tells Pakistan
Moscow, February 1 “Normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan would be in the interests of both the nations, as well as strengthening of stability and security in the region,” Russian foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said. “We in Russia are confident that fulfilment of obligations taken by Islamabad to check the infiltration of militants into Jammu and Kashmir across the Line of Control and the liquidation of terrorist infrastructure could create necessary prerequisites for the resumption of dialogue between the two countries,” Yakovenko was quoted as saying by ITAR-TASS news agency. Referring to Musharraf’s coming Moscow visit from February 4 to 6, Yakovenko said Pakistan had “an important place and an independent role” in Russia’s foreign policy priorities because of Islamabad’s “weight in the region and in the whole Islamic world.” “At the same time, Russia intends to work with Pakistan, (but) not at the cost of our traditional partners,” he said. Musharraf would be the first Pakistani head of state to visit Russia in 22 years after General Yahya Khan’s Moscow visit in 1971. He is expected to urge President Vladimir Putin to mediate in the resumption of dialogue with India. PTI |
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US jets ‘strike’ northern Iraq Washington, February 1 The S-60 anti-aircraft gun, which was east of Mosul, opened fire at coalition aircraft patrolling a no-fly zone in northern Iraq, a US defence official said yesterday, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Three F-16s went in,” the official said. In Baghdad, an Iraqi military spokesman said an Iraqi civilian was wounded in a raid in northern Iraq. “Enemy planes” struck “civilian installations around Niniveh (400 km north of Baghdad), wounding an Iraqi citizen,” the spokesman said, quoted by the official INA news agency. The US and British planes came from Turkey and made 16 sorties before fleeing when they came under anti-aircraft fire, the spokesman said. BAGHDAD: Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has vowed to kill “one million enemy” soldiers if US-led troops try to take Baghdad, official newspapers reported on Saturday. “The enemy will not enter Baghdad’s suburbs because he will die. Even if they send a million soldiers, our boys will kill them,” Mr Hussein told senior military aides. UNITED NATIONS: In a strange irony, Iraq will take over as chairman of the UN Conference on Disarmament from mid-March to May, even as Washington threatens war accusing Baghdad of hiding weapons of mass destruction. Iran was originally scheduled to take over the office in March, followed by Iraq in May. But Tehran, without giving reasons, said it would switch positions with Baghdad. The chairmanship rotates among the members in alphabetical order and each holds it for four working weeks.
AFP, PTI |
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WINDOW ON
PAKISTAN Baluchi militants have delivered their strongest message to the army generals controlling Pakistan and to the Jamali government through repeated rocket attacks on the country’s main gas pipeline. Clearly neither Baluchistan nor the NWFP with pro-Islamic governments led by Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal are becoming out of bound for the security forces. This 5000-mile long pipeline from Sui in Baluchistan to Punjab and NWFP is a vital communication line that feeds several million homes, besides commercial, transport and industrial units remained disrupted for several days. The entire North Pakistan suffered huge economic loss and discomfort. Pakistani media has been full of ire against the security agencies. “What can they do if they cannot guard a vital installation,” some newspapers said. Reports said Baluchi tribesmen fired several rockets at different places to disrupt the pipeline. Pakistan is having a taste of “the pudding which it has been serving with glee to India”. A retired Pakistani Air Marshal Ayaz Ahmed Khan writing in the largest selling daily Dawn called it a first test for the new government. He wrote, “These are the worst cases of arson in the history of the country. Rocket attacks were the cause of the three blasts and huge fires on the night of January 21 at Mazari Goth near Kashmore. But the 25 feet deep and 50 feet wide crater under the destroyed pipes, and up to five hundred metres spread of the debris proves that a huge amount of explosive material was stored under the pipeline and then exploded by remote control or rocket fire. This well planned sabotage by trained terrorists sent tremors of shock and disbelief across Pakistan. After extensive repair work on January 22 and 23, the 24-inch gas pipe again exploded from rocket fire on the night of January 23. There was an exchange of rocket fire on the nights of January 23 and 25 between Bugti and Mazari tribesmen.” One hundred explosions were heard and six rockets reportedly exploded near the gas pipelines, which started leaking and subsequently exploded. This delayed the gas supply to Punjab and the NWFP for two more days. Both the main pipelines of Sui Northern Gas again exploded in the morning hours of January 27. A huge crater of 60 feet diameter and 25 feet depth provides evidence of massively packed cordite explosion under the twin pipes. “There is no doubt that trained terrorists with high expertise in handling explosives have been hired by local warlords for destroying the Sui gas pipelines,” Khan wrote. That 29 rocket attacks have taken place against the gas fields, installations and pipelines in Dera Bugti, Goth Mazari, Kohlu and Marri areas during the last two years, proves that the provincial government has little control. The disruption has played havoc with the entire industrial and agricultural infrastructure, CNG-dependent transportation, domestic gas supply and the energy sector in Punjab and the NWFP. It affected millions of households, industrial workers, industry, trade, restaurants, hotels, bakeries, Tandoors, business, transportation and electric power supply. Millions of industrial workers are without work and face starvation. In addition, the militants looted a bus belonging to the Sui Gas Company at Goth Mazari last week. They took the passengers hostage, stole high voltage wires by cutting off electric power supply to Dera Bugti and Sui. They also uprooted and damaged electricity poles. The town of Dera Bugti is still without electricity. On January 27, DSP and police inspectors were kidnapped along with their gunman and driver. Nawab Akbar Bugti, a strong tribal leader in an interview to a popular TV channel declared, “Baluchistan belongs to the Baluch people and not to outsiders. With a party, which has manipulated into power with a powerless Prime Minister, the future is uncertain.” The message is loud and clear to the first Baluch Prime Minister. Concede or quit. |
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Sotheby’s sues Michael Jackson New York, February 1 Sotheby’s filed a lawsuit yesterday claiming Jackson’s company, MJJ Productions Inc., successfully bid on two artworks by French painter William Adolphe Bouguereau at an October auction. But while “repeated demands” have been made for a $1.3 million payment, Jackson hasn’t coughed up the dough, Sotheby’s contends. The alleged reason? Sotheby’s says in the suit it’s been told by Jackson’s people that “Michael Jackson now believes the property... no longer fits into Michael Jackson’s collections, contrary to previous view.”
AP |
PALESTINIAN ENVOY REPLACED 19
SUSPECTED MILITANTS RELEASED INDIAN STUDENT AWARDED 2
PERPETRATORS DIED IN BALI BLAST |
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In video: Hundreds
of people hold protest demonstrations across Pakistan against US
policies and its threats to strike against Iraq.
