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Maoists agree to lay down arms
Car bombs kill 48 in Iraq
Pervez for resolution of Kashmir issue
Donors pledge $5.4 billion aid for Pakistan
Aircraft deal: Russia offers MIG-35s
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Maoists agree to lay down arms
Kathmandu, November 19 During the “secret” parleys with the alliance leaders in Delhi, the rebels also indicated that they would extend the ceasefire period by a month, they said. The rebels had announced a three-month unilateral truce in September, which expires on December 3. Though there was no official confirmation of the talks either by the Royal Government or by India, the sources said the Maoists during the parleys have agreed to pursue competitive multi-party polity and to lay down arms under the UN supervision. The Maoists have also assured to back the agitating parties’ strategy to boycott the forthcoming municipality elections, they said. The rebels have agreed to support the peaceful movement being launched by the seven-political parties to limit the King’s power to titular or ceremonial head, the sources said. Nepali Congress leader Girija Prasad Koirala and Nepal Communist Party-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, who are authorised by the seven-party alliance to initiate dialogue with the rebels, are learnt to have met the Maoist top leaders Prachanda and Baburam Bhattarai in Delhi. A top political leader of the alliance said the seven parties would make their position on the Maoists’ latest stand clear after holding consultations in Kathmandu shortly. The Royal Government is not happy with the efforts made by the parties to bring the Maoists to the political mainstream by holding dialogue with them and pursuing them to lay down arms. “The frantic visit of some
prominent political leaders and diplomats to Delhi is an unfortunate development,” said senior minister in the King’s Cabinet Radha Krishna Mainali on Thursday. When Mr Koirala and Nepal went to Delhi last week, Indian Ambassador Shiv Shanker Mukherjee and US Ambassador to Nepal James Moriarty both were present in Delhi probably to have consultations on the Nepal situation. The attitude of the USA, India and UK, which are constantly in touch with each other on the situation in Nepal, was very positive towards restoration of democracy in the Kingdom, said Nepali Congress (Democratic) acting president Gopal Man Shrestha. He said, the solution to the current problem, including the Maoists’ issue depends upon the attitude of the palace. King Gyanendra is currently on a tour to African countries and things will be clear only after he returns in December.
— PTI |
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Car bombs kill 48 in Iraq
Baghdad, November 19 In the deadliest of today’s attacks, a suicide car bomber blew up his vehicle near crowded condolence tents during the funeral of a Shi’ite tribal sheikh in a town north of Baghdad. Police Colonel Muthaffar Aboud said 35 persons were killed and around 50 wounded in the attack in Abu Sayda, near Baquba, a violent city about 65 km northeast of Baghdad. Earlier, another suicide car bomber targeted a crowded market in the Diyala Bridge area of southern Baghdad, killing 13 persons and wounding around 20, the Interior Ministry said.
— Reuters |
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Pervez for resolution of Kashmir issue
Islamabad, November 19 Making India-Pakistan ties an important component of his keynote address to the international donors’ meet here to mobilise funds for reconstruction of quake-hit areas of Pakistan and PoK, President Musharraf turned to Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahmad, representing India at the conference, and made an emotional appeal for peace between the two countries. “Knowing very well an Indian delegate is sitting here.... The earthquake has created a unique feeling of togetherness, of an urge to help each other within people of Kashmir on both sides of the LoC and more than that, within the people of India and Pakistan. Their urge to help each other on a country basis. “Therefore, I sincerely and genuinely believe that the challenge of this earthquake can be converted into an opportunity of lifetime which was never available to India and Pakistan to improve relations,” the President said. “I take this opportunity and forum to appeal to the President and Prime Minister of India, to the Government of India, to the entire opposition in India, to the people of India, at large and the business community of India and more than anybody else I appeal to the media in India and also Pakistan, the government of Indian-held Kashmir, the APHC (Hurriyat Conference) and other Kashmiri groups, let us together solve the Kashmir dispute once for all,” he said. President Musharraf said “fleeting opportunities do not come everyday. If leaders fail to grasp fleeting opportunities, they fail their nations and fail their people.” “Therefore, let success and happiness emerge from the ruins of this catastrophe, for the devastated people of Kashmir, let this be the Indian donation to Kashmir,” he told the meet attended by UN Secretary- General Kofi Annan and representatives of over 50 countries and international financial institutions. Welcoming the delegates during his address, the President said “I would specially single out representation of India today sitting in our midst.” “Thank you very much for coming,” he said, while turning towards Mr Ahmad and the Indian delegation. Also, while talking about plans to rebuild quake-affected areas, Musharraf said the Indian steel industry could take part in the reconstructing efforts by providing corrugated sheets in a big way. “We will import from anywhere. I know that India has promised 25 million dollars (for reconstruction). They have a big steel industry. Why not get corrugated sheets which is the mainstay of accommodation from your country,” he told the Indian minister. India, besides sending over 1300 tonnes of relief material like tents, blankets and food for quake victims, had pledged 25 million dollars in kind for the reconstruction at last month’s UN Conference in Geneva. Speaking after General Musharraf at the conference, Mr Ahamed also said that India was ready to undertake specific projects of reconstruction in the affected areas of Pakistan. “I thank you for the kind references to my country. It is very much encouraging to see that the people of both countries have come forward to help the victim of this tragedy and have contributed wholeheartedly for relief,” he said addressing General Musharraf. “The spontaneous outpouring of sympathy and goodwill for the victims of the quake gives us the strength and motivation to work for greater people-to-people contacts and confidence building measures between our two countries,” Mr Ahamed said.
— PTI |
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Donors pledge $5.4 billion aid for Pakistan
Islamabad, November 19 At the end of the one-day donors’ conference in which ministers and officials of over 60 countries, including India, and international financial organisations took part, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz announced that the pledges totalled around $5.4 billion which was over $200 million in excess of what was being sought. Minister of State for External Affairs Minister E. Ahamed reaffirmed India’s pledge of $25 million in kind, which meant that Pakistan could source relief and reconstruction materials worth that amount from India and also offered to undertake specific projects for the reconstruction of schools and hospitals specified by Pakistan. Much of the huge amounts needed came from the USA and international financial institutions like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). USAID Administrator Andrew Nastolis said his country is raising its contribution to $510 million which would include $300 million in cash, $110 million to support its military’s humanitarian operations and $100 million of US private contribution. The ADB announced $1 billion programme of grants and assistance to help Pakistan in its reconstruction. “The support will help meet the estimated $5.2 billion required to reconstruct lost assets and restore services in Pakistan,” ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda said.
— PTI |
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Aircraft deal: Russia offers MIG-35s
Moscow, November 19 While the French, who are offering the latest version of the Mirage-2000, have decided to go till the very last and are confident of getting the contract from the Indian Government, the Russians are also making intense preparations. It is an all out preparation for the war here in the city that is so used to bloodier versions of war. The Russians have made their intentions clear to fight tooth and nail till the contracts are not decided as the stakes are very high. It will be one of the biggest contracts in the Indian defence history. The Russian Government and MIG (Russian Aircraft Corporation) are undertaking drastic changes and unprecedented preparations to get it. Each of the fighter planes that the IAF would buy could cost anywhere between Rs 150 crore to Rs 200 crore, while the total contract would be well over Rs 25,000 crore. There are indications that the Indian Government could be issuing the Request for Proposals (ROF) in January finally putting the process for the purchase in motion. On Wednesday evening, when Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and the high level defence delegation accompanying him reached the MIG’s sprawling corporate complex in Moscow there were enough indications available that Russia was taking the whole process seriously and would be going all out to bid for the contract. Receiving Mr Mukherjee and his delegation was the recently appointed new chief of MIG-Alexei Federov, the man who till recently was heading the company that manufactured Sukhoi-30s for the Indian Air Force. Mr Federov is a sort of legend in Russian aviation circles-the man headed Irkut Corporation after the Communist collapse, built the company from almost nothing to create the new series of Sukhois. And he led the successful negotiation with India and sold SU-30s in 1996-it was one of the biggest military contracts after the Communist collapse. Now Mr Federov and his lieutenants have been brought into MIG-this time to fight its battle against the global giants like Lockheed Martin, which makes F-16s, Boeing, which makes F-18 Super Hornets, and the French Mirage-2000 manufacturers. Lockheed Martin at present being the frontrunner seeing the emerging Indo-US relations. Mr Federov was not the only surprise. MIG Corporation made a detailed presentation on what they are offering to the IAF- they don’t call it the MIG-29 but MIG-35s. The aircraft are an improved version of the MIG-29s with capabilities that MIG Corporation claims no other fighter aircraft in the world has. It has an all aspect thrust vector control; can actually stop mid-way during flight. This quality will not only allow the fighter to get better accuracy in its attack role, but would also help it to avoid an enemy fighter chase, among other things, they argue. |
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