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Kashmir issue to figure in talks, says Pervez
Musharraf rules out army action
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Landslide win for Mugabe’s party
Mixed response to Nepal stir; buses vandalised
Vatican announces new Bishops
Freed Koirala vows to intensify agitation
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Kashmir issue to figure in talks, says Pervez
Islamabad, April 2 Kashmir issue will figure in the talks between him and the Indian leadership, the state-run PTV quoted General Musharraf as telling the members of the Cabinet of Southwest
Balochistan province in Quetta. Earlier, addressing the centenary celebrations of the Command and Staff College in Quetta, he said Pakistan had put in place the strategy to gain defensive deterrence with India in the nuclear field and efforts were on to achieve the same in the conventional field. A strategy of defensive deterrence was in place and “we have already achieved all goals in the unconventional field to implement this policy,” General Musharraf said, without directly referring to Pakistan’s nuclear and missile programme. In the conventional field, efforts were in hand to address all imbalances, the official APP news agency quoted him as saying. Outlining the accomplishments of the country since he took over power through a military coup in 1999, General Musharraf said Pakistan today was far better placed both politically and diplomatically. The economy was rising and now economic gains were to be transferred to the people, he said. Referring to demands by opposition parties that the army should go back to barracks and let the country be ruled by elected governments, General Musharraf said the army was already in barracks and only he was out at the helm of the nation. Stressing that all the day-today administrative decisions are being taken by the elected government, he said he intervenes only to help implement certain crucial decisions. He said extremism posed main threat to the society, adding that misuse of religious institutions needed to be checked to combat it.
— PTI |
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Musharraf rules out army action
Kalat, April 2 Speaking at a public meeting here after inaugurating the natural gas supply to Kalat, the president said: ‘‘We are ready for negotiations because military operation is not a solution to Balochistan problems.’’ He, however, made it clear that the government would not tolerate any hurdle in the way of development process. ‘‘We will not allow anybody to destroy national installations and will protect them at all costs.’’ The President said he was in the favour of maximum provincial autonomy and added that he had asked the federal government to decide the issue in Parliament. He agreed to the demand made by the people and political parties of Balochistan that provinces should get more in the National Finance Commission award. ‘‘We are ready to accept the demands for enhancement in gas royalty, surcharge and shares of provinces in the NFC,’’ he said. The President said he had discussed the issue with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and asked him to evolve a consensus formula under which provinces would get maximum share from the next NFC award. Under that formula, he pointed out, Balochistan should be given a major share on account of gas development surcharge and royalty. He told the gathering that the centre had provided over Rs13 billion to Balochistan during the last financial year on account of gas development surcharge and royalty. He said the provincial government had been asked to spend maximum amount of gas royalty on those districts where gas and other minerals had been explored. Balochistan, he said, had been ignored in the past which created a sense of deprivation among people and recalled that he had already offered apology for the mistakes committed by successive governments. ‘‘First of all we are Pakistanis as the world recognises us with the reference of this soil,’’ he said, adding ‘‘Pakistan without Balochistan and Balochistan without Pakistan is nothing. Pakistan's honour is Balochistan’s honour.’’ |
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Landslide win for Mugabe’s party
Harare, April 2 Opposition leaders and Western governments called the vote a fraud, accusing the 81-year-old Mugabe of stealing his third election in five years to prolong a 25-year grip on power. But police warned the Opposition they would crush any violent reaction against the result. With all but five of 120 constituencies reporting, Mr Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party won 74 seats against 40 for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). One Independent, purged former Information Minister Jonathan Moyo, was also elected. Mr Mugabe by law will appoint 30 additional members of the 150-seat legislature, boosting ZANU-PF’s majority. The MDC, once seen as the most potent challenge to Mr Mugabe since Independence from Britain in 1980, was expected to post a net loss of as many as 10 seats. MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai has said the election was marked by fraud, fear and intimidation — an assessment echoed by the USA, Britain and other major western powers. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice accused Mr Mugabe of policies “designed to repress, crush and otherwise stifle expressions of differences in Zimbabwe.” Tsvangirai, who has accused Mr Mugabe of rigging the country’s previous two elections in 2000 and 2002, has hinted his supporters may take their anger to the streets rather than attempt to fight the result in court.
— Reuters |
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Mixed response to Nepal stir; buses vandalised
Kathmandu, April 2 Maoist rebels vandalised three public buses on the Prithvi highway, the busiest road in Nepal connecting the capital with hill resort town of Pokhara, Home Ministry spokesman Gopendra Bahadur Pandey said here. However, there were no reports of casualties, he said. Security escorts, combined by air patrols, rescued a number of passenger buses and cargo trucks stranded on major highways connecting Kathmandu despite the Maoist blockade, army sources said. Traffic was thin on major highways connecting Kathmandu with outside districts, they said. Life remained normal in Kathmandu despite the Maoist strike as private cars, taxis, public buses and trucks plied without any obstruction. With stepped up security arrangements a number of vehicles entered the Thankot check post defying the Maoist strike, the police said. Maoist insurgents called the 11-day strike in an attempt to cut off the capital from supplies of food and fuel from the hinterland and India.
— PTI |
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Vatican announces new Bishops
Vatican City, April 2 A Vatican statement said the Pope had approved the new appointments on March 12, before his rapid deterioration. He named Bishop Manuel Urena Pastor Archbishop of Zaragoza in Spain, and accepted the resignation of his predecessor, Elias Yanes Alvarez. The Pope also accepted the resignation of Nerses Der Nersessian as Bishop for Armenian Catholics in eastern Europe, naming Bishop Nechan Karakeheyan as his successor and elevating him as Archbishop. He accepted the resignation of Bishop Vartan Kechichian, the Armenian coadjutor bishop. The Vatican said the Pope also appointed Archbishop Luigi Pezzuto, formerly Nuncio in Tanzania, as Nuncio - or Ambassador - to El Salvador and Bishop Giambattista Diquattro to Panama, elevating him as Archbishop.
— AFP |
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Freed Koirala vows to intensify agitation
Kathmandu, April 2 |
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Islamabad, April 2
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