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Pakistan’s terror infrastructure cause for worry, says PM
Pak will never compromise on Kashmir: Aziz
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Karamat, Pak’s envoy to US
PIOs to get dual citizenship, says envoy
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Botox: guilty of crimes against beauty?
Video shows beheading of US hostage
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Pakistan’s terror infrastructure cause for worry,
New York, September 23 “I do wish to convey to President Musharraf that we have a unique opportunity. He (Musharraf) was born in what is now called India, in Delhi. I was born in what is now called Pakistan... so I think this is a unique background,” Singh, who meets Musharraf tomorrow, told PBS in an interview. The Prime Minister was responding to a question on what he wanted Musharraf to know about him and his feelings about Kashmir and what he was prepared to do. On dangers of an Indo-Pak nuclear conflict, Singh said his honest assessment was both were responsible countries and “the outside world probably exaggerates the chances of our two countries going to war”. Contending that problems between India and Pakistan were “extremely complicated”, Singh said it would be wrong on his part to say that “we can resolve all these issues overnight”. “But we have lived through times where what was simply unacceptable in international relations became the norm. Who could imagine some 20 years ago that the Berlin Wall would melt, that the Cold War would be a thing of the past? But these things have happened,” he said. Singh also noted that the infrastructure of terrorists in Pakistan “by and large still remains intact. And that’s a cause for worry.” Asked how India and Pakistan were building confidence with each other, Singh said the two sides have been discussing confidence building measures with matters relating to use of nuclear weapons so that there was no accident and no mis-understanding about each other’s intentions. “I hope progress will be made.” Citing the revolution in South Africa, he said “I think, given goodwill, given determination, how severe or difficult, the present may seem, I do believe sincerely that a way can be found to resolve all outstanding problems”. When reminded that both India and Pakistan have nuclear weapons, he said “I can assure you we are a responsible nuclear power. We recognise that both our two countries, having nuclear weapons, have greater responsibility and we have been discussing CBMs”. Noting that the two sides have made “very substantial progress”, he said “I do hope that in the near future we will have credible arrangements by way of CBMs, so that no accident takes place, so that if there are tests with regard to missile pre-testing information, it will be given to each other to avoid any mishap and mis-understanding”. So, there was awareness in both countries that so far as the common people were concerned, both have so much in common., he said, adding there was so much in common between the two parts of Punjab. In the same way, many people had migrated to Pakistan from India in 1947 and all these people want to rebuild new contacts with their former relatives and others. On reports that Pakistani military was not supporting the Kashmiri militants as much as they were in the past and whether New Delhi has any evidence of that, the Prime Minister noted that in January this year, Musharraf and then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had come to an agreement to restart the composite dialogue between the two countries covering all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir. But the starting point of this was the “unambiguous” commitment of Musharraf that the territory under Pakistan’s control would not be allowed to be used for terrorist activities in any other states, he said. Singh said since then, there had been some improvement. “The flow of infiltration across the border has diminished from November to May. But in June and July, there was again an increase. In August, there is again, I think, some improvement. But the infrastructure of terrorists by and large still remains intact. And that’s a cause for worry.” On what Pakistan wanted from India, Singh said “Well, I think thus far, Pakistan was saying that the core issue is the issue of J and K. We have been saying that J and K is a symptom of a wider malaise. That is a complicated manner. It has persisted for the past 55 years. The two countries have fought three wars on J and K”. — PTI
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Pak will never compromise on Kashmir: Aziz
Islamabad, September 23 "We will never compromise on the Kashmir issue," Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said at a meeting in Lahore yesterday. He, however, said tomorrow's meeting between General Musharraf and Dr Singh in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly would unfold the direction of relations between the two countries. Mr Aziz said the progress in relations with India in all other fields should be in tandem with the progress on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. He said Pakistan was striving for peace with all countries and good relations with its neighbours. Mr Aziz said the guiding principles of foreign policy of Pakistan were mutual respect and safeguarding the national interest. About Pak-ASEAN relations, he said the inclusion of Pakistan in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) had enhanced the role of Pakistan in the region. — PTI
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Karamat, Pak’s envoy to US
Islamabad, September 23 The appointment of General Karamat, who was the Chief of Army from 1996 to 1998, has been approved by the USA. General Karamat, who had quit his post as the Army Chief following differences with the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, was succeeded by General Pervez Musharraf. Musharraf took over the power from Sharif in a bloodless coup a year later in 1999.
— PTI |
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PIOs to get dual citizenship, says envoy
London, September 23 “A relevant Bill has been passed and administrative details were being worked out,” Mr Sharma said at a dinner meeting last night on ‘India’s Economic Outlook’ organised by the Commonwealth Business Council. Answering questions from the select gathering, which included Mr Rahul Bajaj, co-Chairman of the council and Mr Mohan Kaul, Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Sharma said the Bill might be reintroduced with minor amendments in Parliament during its next session in November. “If there is any legal challenge, then obviously it will have to wait,” he added.
— PTI |
Botox: guilty of crimes against beauty?
A
high-profile medical damages trial in Los Angeles is throwing doubt on one of the world's most popular cosmetic surgery procedures.
About half a million Americans are paying $300 a session to have their obliging dermatologists inject tiny doses of the modified toxin, Botox, into their brows to smudge away those pesky crows-feet and frown lines. A good number of others are taking the drug for other more dubious reasons, such as combating crippling migraines. The drama comes to us courtesy of Irena Medavoy (45), a former actress ("Dallas") and model and wife of Mike Medavoy, the mogul movie-producer. Medavoy was a long-time fan of Botox and, by extension, the company who makes it called Allergan Inc. She was even more devoted to the dermatologist who, for years, kept stabbing her with it, Dr Arnold Klein. She is alleging that after Dr Klein injected Botox into her temples in March 2002 to help reduce migraines, the headaches grew worse and her health declined to the point where husband was deprived of "companionship, intimacy and services". Botox is on trial here for the first time since it received government approval in the US as a treatment for wrinkles two years ago. Last year, the Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery said Botox injections had become America's fastest-growing cosmetic procedure. But if Medavoy wins her case, it would sure put the Botox gold rush in immediate peril. Just how much sympathy the jury will feel for Medavoy is hard to gauge. Some may see in this trial a parable of what happens when human vanity and ego gets the better of common sense. But Medavoy is doing her best. In court, she testified that she "had a headache like I had never experienced in my life". Allergan has defended the widespread practice of injecting its drug for headaches, rather than for the smoothing out of age lines. It argued that the, "scientific and medical facts demonstrate that Botox is safe and effective therapy that has improved the health and quality of life for millions of patients with serious and debilitating neurological disorders, which account for 60 per cent of all Botox use." Nonetheless, the picture is not so clear when it comes to the exact scope of Botox's approved uses. The drug is a distilled form of the botulism food-poison toxin and is injected into nerves to block the release of acetylcholine, a naturally occurring chemical that activates muscle movement. For years, doctors used the drug to treat abnormalities like eye squints and unwanted spasms in the neck or eyelids. Vanity is not limited to the mansions of Hollywood and nor is the popularity of Botox. The future of the drug could be less than wrinkle-free. |
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Video shows beheading of US hostage
Dubai, September 23 One of the five masked captors was shown reading a statement before the men who held the captive down, slit his throat with a large knife then decapitated him. They are then shown shouting Islamic slogans while one holds up his severed head. Hensley’s beheaded body was found by the side of a road in Baghdad earlier and taken to the US Embassy.
— Reuters. |
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