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Indian solution on Kashmir unacceptable, says Musharraf
Death toll in Asian quake disaster more
Ziyang ill, not dead: China
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Indian solution on Kashmir unacceptable, says Musharraf
Islamabad, January 11 “We will not accept any solution of Kashmir with the stamp of ‘Made in India’ because this dispute cannot be resolved without the involvement of Kashmiris and Pakistan,” he said in an interview to a private TV channel. Amidst reports that Pakistan may approach the World Bank for resolution of the Baglihar hydro-power dam issue with India, Musharraf said he was still hopeful of reaching a peaceful settlement to the dispute. In the wake of failure of the Baglihar talks between India and Pakistan, he said he was hopeful of settling the issue because a lot of things were taking place between the two countries behind the scenes. The outcome of the Secretary-level talks held in Delhi, which was “not encouraging”, was discussed at a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz last night, Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan said. “Important decisions were taken during the meeting. We will see now how we proceed. Our firm decision on the World Bank intercession will be made public soon,” Khan said. The meeting, presided over by Aziz, advised the departments concerned to prepare a case to be filed at the World Bank for the appointment of independent experts, official APP news agency quoted Khan as saying. Khan earlier said even before the recent meeting of the Water Secretaries in Delhi, Pakistan’s leadership had decided to invoke Article 9(2)(A) of the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, which was brokered by the World Bank to share the waters of six rivers. The article dealt with arbitration in case of a dispute, Khan said, adding “it was only a matter of timing.” He said the “last meeting” of the Water Secretaries was held after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave an assurance to Aziz that India would respond to Pakistan’s legitimate concerns. “The feedback from the meeting was presented to the Prime Minister (Aziz). Frankly, it was not encouraging,” he said. He said Pakistan had begun briefing diplomats of the EU and other countries about its stand on Baglihar dam being built by India over the Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir. “The Indus Water Treaty has an international dimension as the World Bank mediated it. Several European countries want to know what is happening,” he said. Khan said the most “logical nucleus” for the settlement of Baglihar issue would have been to resolve the issue by the Permanent Indus Commission set up in both the countries under the provisions of the Indus Water Treaty. He said Pakistan wanted to exhaust the channels of Water and Power Secretaries at the request of the Indian leadership. “This is the time for Pakistan and India to start discussions on the future outlook for water supplies in the region. Maintaining the sanctity of the treaty is in the interest of both India and Pakistan.”
— PTI |
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Musharraf sees no external threat to Pak
Islamabad, January 11 Speaking at the concluding session of the fifth National Security Workshop at the National Defence College here on Monday, the President said efforts were being made to make Pakistan a moderate and enlightened Islamic welfare state as envisioned by the founding fathers of the country. General Musharraf also spoke on the geo-political environment and its impact on Pakistan and said by the grace of God, Pakistan today faced no external threat. Expressing his deep sorrow over the recent incident in Gilgit, the President said the government would not allow extremists to take the society hostage. "A vast majority of Pakistanis are peace loving and moderate who need to stand up and play their rightful role to neutralise extremist elements that are in minority." The President dwelt at length on the interplay of various elements of national power such as diplomacy, economy, defence and domestic environment. He enumerated Pakistan's diplomatic gains over the past few years due to its enhanced stature at the international level. "From a nearly isolated country, Pakistan is now seen as a country that can play an important role in international politics," he added. Speaking about economy, the President highlighted various measures taken for the revival of economy and said the focus of the government now was on making use of the macroeconomic gains to alleviate poverty and provide benefit to the masses. |
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Sharif, Bhutto will not return, says Pervez
Islamabad, January 11 "One thing is clear that these two, (Bhutto and Sharif) will remain outside the country", General Musharraf told Geo TV in an interview while brushing aside reports that their possible return was part of a deal negotiated by his government to achieve national reconciliation. On his recent conversation with Mr Sharif on telephone, whom he deposed following a military coup in 1999, the President said he spoke to him "purely on humanitarian grounds" to condole the death of his father. The President said he called Mr Sharif despite his reservations, as the former Prime Minister was responsible for "hijacking" the plane in which he travelled from Colombo to Karachi in October 1999, before the military coup. He said Mr Sharif went into exile on his own after reaching a deal and was not sent forcibly. About Ms Bhutto, he said she went into self-exile abroad well before he took over power in 1999. General Musharraf's comments followed claims by senior government ministers of efforts to reach a national reconciliation to bring Pakistan out of the present political crisis. In a move that appeared to be orchestrated, the government recently released Ms Bhutto's husband Asif Ali Zardari on bail after eight years in imprisonment. Subsequently Zaradari was allowed to travel to Dubai to meet his wife and children. Also the government yesterday made Ms Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader in the Senate, Mr Raja Rabbani, the Leader of the Opposition overlooking the claims of the Islamist Alliance Muthahida Majlis Amal (MMA). In his interview General Musharraf also warned the nationalist rebels in south-west Balochistan province to stop the attacks on the government and military officials. "I am warning them again. Do not push us. They should stop this otherwise they will not know what will hit them".
— PTI |
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Death toll in Asian quake disaster more than 1,57,000
Jakarta, January 11 Hardest-hit Indonesia has now reported 1,05,262 fatalities, with 10,046 persons still missing, the Social Affairs Ministry said. The ministry said the largest death toll was in the almost completely destroyed town of Meulaboh on the remote northwest coast of Sumatra island were 28,251 persons died. Aid workers on the ground say many more bodies are yet to be collected. Another seven were added to the number killed in Sri Lanka, taking the toll to 30,725 confirmed dead, the government said. The number of people reported missing jumped from 4,939 to 5,903, the latest government figures showed on Monday. The toll in Thailand yesterday dropped by two to 5,303. But 3,396 persons were still missing more than two weeks after the tsunami. Myanmar’s Prime Minister Soe Win said on Thursday, 59 persons were killed in the tsunamis, and more than 3,200 were left homeless. This was down from the UN’s estimated 90. At least 82 persons were killed and another 26 were missing in the Maldives, a government spokesman said. Sixtyeight persons were dead in Malaysia, most of them in Penang, according to the police, while in Bangladesh a father and child were killed after a tourist boat capsized in large waves, officials said. Fatalities also occurred on the east coast of Africa where 298 persons were declared dead in Somalia, 10 in Tanzania and one in Kenya. — AFP
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Ziyang ill, not dead: China
Beijing, January 11 The Chinese Foreign Ministry clarified that Zhao, who was toppled as China’s Communist Party general secretary in 1989, was in hospital and his health was stable, dismissing media reports that he had died last Saturday. “Zhao Ziyang is an old man who is over 80. He fell ill, but after attentive treatment, his condition is currently stable,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan told reporters. “Foreign media reports that Zhao Ziyang died on January eight are totally untrue,” Kong said when asked repeatedly to comment on Zhao. Hong Kong’s ‘Oriental Daily News’ reported today that Zhao had died. The newspaper said Zhao had succumbed Saturday to respiratory failure and complications from heart disease. Zhao (85), has been confined to his courtyard home here in the Chinese capital for over 15 years, but current leaders remain nervous about the residual influence of modern China’s icon of reform, fearing his death could spark widespread social unrest. Zhao was in hospital for three weeks in February 2004, apparently suffering from pneumonia. Zhao was the anointed successor of then-supreme leader Deng Xiaoping and spearheaded bold reforms. Zhao was last seen in public on May 19, 1989, when he tearfully pleaded with student protesters to leave Tiananmen Square, close to the Chinese parliament building. The then Chinese Government declared martial law the next day and the People’s Liberation Army crushed the pro-democracy movement with tanks and other heavy weapons on June 3-4, causing many casualties.
— PTI |
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President Pervez Musharraf tonight said Pakistan would not accept any “India-made” solution to the Kashmir issue.
“We will not accept any solution of Kashmir with the stamp of ‘Made in
India’ because this dispute cannot be resolved without the involvement of
Kashmiris and Pakistan,” he said in an interview to a private TV channel.
