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Demilitarise Kashmir to end terror: Musharraf
India breathes fire over Musharraf’s proposal
UN suspends aid in PoK
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‘Truthiness’ word of the year
USA in talks with Iraqi resistance leaders
40 Guantanamo detainees on fast, says US
Sharon undergoes another brain scan
Veterinarian sues Jackson
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Demilitarise Kashmir to end terror: Musharraf
Islamabad, January 7 In a candid interview to Karan Thapar for CNN/IBN TV news channel, General Musharraf also said he was disappointed at the lack of progress in the peace process and complained there was "not much" response from India to the ideas thrown by him for resolution of the Kashmir issue. Refuting the perception that some of his top commanders do not back his peace initiatives with India, the General said he would "throw out" any Corps Commander if he declined to obey his orders or opposed them. "Let me tell you, this is not a banana republic army. It is an army that fought wars. It is an extremely disciplined army. It is totally loyal and committed to me. I know that," he said. Asserting that the Pakistan army backed his policies 1000 per cent, he termed as "nonsense" reports in the Pakistani media, stating that a "powerful clique of religious parties within the military establishment" worked against him. General Musharraf also indirectly asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh not to listen to Indian intelligence agencies. On the self-governance proposal, which he floated earlier, he stated what moderate Hurriyat leader Farooq said here yesterday, that self governance was different from autonomy and no solution was possible under the ambit of the Indian Constitution. "I believe one has to go beyond stated positions. There is one aspect of what India has been saying autonomy within the Indian Constitution. This is totally not acceptable to Pakistan. It may not be acceptable to the people of Kashmir also...We are looking for something between autonomy and independence. I think self-governance fits in well," General Musharraf said. Agreeing that security was a main issue in areas that came under self governance, he said, "Because the problem is one of security because of militancy on both sides, India says it is terrorism and Pakistan maintains it is freedom struggle and accuses of atrocities by Indian troops. All this has to stop, therefore demilitarisation is required and if we have to demilitarise, let us hand over security to people."
— PTI |
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India breathes fire over Musharraf’s proposal New Delhi, January 7 In the interview to CNN-IBN, to be telecast tomorrow, General Musharraf reiterated his proposal of demilitarisation, saying, "Let me give another bomb shell, I propose, one way of moving forward....Take three towns, Srinagar, Kupwara and Baramulla. Let all military move out of the cities to the outskirts, (it will) ensure there is no militancy inside. He went on to say, "Pakistan will be with the Indian Government and Kashmiris to ensure that there will be total peace and tranquillity in these three places. Look at the comfort level it brings. It does not need any constitutional amendments or anything like that. It just needs an administrative order." To this, the Indian response was that General Musharraf was suggesting a quid pro quo. "The Pakistan President seems to suggest that there is a quid pro quo here, that is, if the towns of Srinagar, Kupwara and Baramullah are demilitarised, he would ensure that there is no militancy there. What we are talking about here is terrorism and not mere militancy. The Pakistan President has repeatedly given solemn assurances that no part of the territory under Pakistan's control would be used for any cross-border terrorism against India. The implementation of this commitment is unconditional. Pakistan should implement forthwith its solemn commitments in this regard so that the peace process between the two countries can make progress and the two countries can live in peace and friendship as good neighbours," the Ministry of External Affairs said. New Delhi does not attach much credence or importance to the General’s interview and believes that the tone of exasperation and frustration that he has displayed in this interview were borne out of his own domestic compulsions rather than anything else. While General Musharraf has sought to put India in the dock, he has been careful enough not to talk of walking out of the peace talks with India. The Indian Government snubbed the President on his talk of demilitarisation of Kashmir. "Any demilitarisation or any redeployment of security forces within the territory of India is a sovereign decision of the Government of India and cannot be dictated by any foreign government. Such decisions are based on our assessment of the security situation prevailing in any particular part of the country. As long as the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and indeed in other parts of the country is adversely affected by the phenomenon of cross-border terrorism and violence perpetrated by Pakistan-based terrorist groups, the Government of India will fulfill its responsibility to safeguard the lives and security of its citizens," the Indian statement said. MEA spokesman, in response to a question, also rubbished General Musharraf's charge of India funding subversive activities in Balochistan and said the allegation was "utterly baseless and false." The MEA said, "Our aim should be to establish peace and tranquillity all along the India-Pakistan border and all along the LoC so that there is no need for the two countries to deploy troops in proximity to one another. A complete cessation to cross-border terrorism and the permanent dismantling of the infrastructure of terrorism would contribute to early realisation of this aim."
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Muzaffarabad, January 7 Also today, Pakistan said it had prepared "contingency" relief camps - stocked with food - to cope with a fresh wave of refugees if they decide to flee the chilling winter. The Pakistan Meteorological Department, meanwhile, warned of more snowfall over the next 72 hours, following days of heavy storms that dumped up to three metres of snow in some areas of Kashmir and northwestern Pakistan, forcing the suspension of helicopter flights and aid deliveries. The October 8 quake killed about 87,000 people and left 3.5 million homeless, mostly in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and the country's northwestern region. Yesterday, more than 50 survivors forced their way onto two UN helicopters, forcing pilots to take them to Muzaffarabad, the capital of PoK, and Abbottabad - a hub for relief activities. One air safety officer was assaulted, the UN said, without elaborating. The UN said it was investigating the incident and evaluating the possibility of relocating villagers to lower-lying areas. — AP
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‘Truthiness’ word of the year
Albuquerque, January 7 The American Dialect Society chose the word yesterday after a runoff with terms related to Hurricane Katrina, such as "Katrinagate," the scandal erupting from the lack of planning for the monster hurricane. Michael Adams, a professor at North Carolina State University who specializes in lexicology, said "truthiness" means "truthy, not facty." "The national argument right now is, one, who's got the truth and, two, who's got the facts," he said. "Until we can manage to get the two of them back together again, we're not going to make much progress," he said. The group of linguists, editors and academics agreed the most useful word was "podcast" - a digital feed containing audio or video files for downloading to an MP3 player. In a runoff for the most creative word, "whale tail," the appearance of a thong above the waistband, beat out "muffin top," the bulge of flesh hanging over the top of low-riding jeans. Tom Cruise became the first public figure in the contest's 16 years to be noted for his influence on public discourse. The group coined the term "Cruiselex" to describe such terms as "jump the couch" and "Cruisazy." "Jump the couch," meaning to exhibit strange or frenetic behavior, won the best Tom Cruise-related word or phrase. It stems from the actor's antics in May on Oprah Winfrey's couch as he talked about his love for fiancee Katie Holmes. "Cruisazy" means to exhibit crazy behaviour. — AP |
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USA in talks with Iraqi resistance leaders
New York, January 7 The talks were also aimed at drawing the local leaders into the ongoing political process in the country, the media report said. The New York Times has reported that clashes between Iraqi groups and Al Qaida have broken out in several cities across the Sunni Triangle, including Taji, Yusefiya, Qaim and Ramadi, and they appear to have intensified in recent months. In an interview to the newspaper yesterday, a Western diplomat who supports the talks said that the Americans had opened “face-to-face” discussions with the resistance leaders and that they were communicating with their seniors through intermediaries. The talks, which the diplomat said were taking place “inside and outside Iraq,” began in the fall, around the time of the referendum on the new Iraqi constitution on October 15. American officials had made contact with the resistance groups before, but the diplomat described the new engagement as much more significant. The effort, the paper said, comes as political leaders await the results of the December 15 election, which will determine the shape of the next government. The diplomat told the paper that the talks were aimed at taking advantage of a new willingness to take part in politics among Sunni Arabs, who went to the polls in large numbers for the first time. Tarik al-Hashimy, the leader of the Iraqi Islamic Party, who said he was in periodic contact with resistance leaders and had asked them to hold their fire during the elections, told the Times that he did not think the talks had made much progress.
— PTI |
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40 Guantanamo detainees on fast, says US
Washington, January 7 The hunger strike began on August 8, 2005. Guantanamo holds about 500 detainees, most of whom were captured in Afghanistan in the fall of 2001. Since is opening in January 2002, the prison has been criticized in the US and abroad due to the indefinite detention of suspects without charges or legal representation and amid allegations of torture and abuse of detainees. The hunger strikers are "closely monitored by medical professionals and receive appropriate medical care" and when required receive "appropriate daily nutrition and hydration through enteral feeding." The US base occupies a small parcel of territory that Washington leases from Cuba, an arrangement the Communist government of President Fidel Castro does not recognise.
— AFP |
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Sharon undergoes another brain scan
Jerusalem, January 7 Before the scan, hospital spokesman Ron Krumer said there had been no change in the Prime Minister's condition since yesterday. Worshippers at Hadassah Hospital said a prayer for the ailing Prime Minister during services on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. Other synagogues were expected to mention Sharon by name in the special prayer for the ill recited on Sabbath. Outside experts have said the prognosis looks grim, given the severity of the Prime Minister's stroke.
— AP |
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Veterinarian sues Jackson
Santa Maria (US), January 7 The singer has been living in Bahrain. But the suit against him was filed in Santa Maria, the city where he stood trial last year. His lawyer, Brenton Horner, said Dinnes helped the singer acquire animals for his zoo, including flamingos, giraffes, elephants and orangutans. “He filed this (lawsuit) with great reluctance,” Horner told the Santa Maria Times. “He has a lot of admiration for Michael. This is just a business matter.”
— AP |
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Islamabad, January 7
