Kathmandu, January 22
Suspected Maoists today shot dead a mayoral canditate of the February 8 municipal polls from a pro-palace party, in the first such killing after the rebels’ threat to take ‘special action’ against those who take part in the elections being conducted by King Gyanendra’s government.

A group of Maoists shot dead Bijaya Lal Das, district president of the Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Mandal) after he announced that he would contest the election to the post of Mayor of the Janakpur Sub-Metropolitan City, a Home Ministry official said the NSP (Mandal) is a pro-King party.

Das, who had recently announced that he would file nomination for the Mayor of the city, was shot near his office at Janakpur, some 300 km southeast of Kathmandu.

This is for the first time the Maoists have killed a prospective candidate of the polls, which they dismiss as a ploy by King Gyanendra’s government to legitimise his takeover.

Meanwhile, 17 Maoists and six security personnel were killed in an overnight clash after an attack by the rebels in Nepal’s Makawanpur district, army sources said today.

The Maoists attacked the security forces carrying out search operation in Faparbari, 150 km south of Kathmandu, last night, the sources said.

The troops have recovered 17 bodies of Maoists, they said, adding six security men, inlcuding one policeman, were killed in the incident.

The Maoists have abducted 50 local persons from Pakarbas village development committee in Ramechhap district in eastern Nepal, according to security sources.

The rebels have also taken away eight school teachers and other villagers to unknown destination.

Over 50 persons were arrested after pro-democracy activists defying the royal government’s ban on gatherings clashed with the riot police, leaving several protestors injured, as night curfew continued in the beseiged Nepalese capital.

Arrests were made from Basantapur, Durbarsquare and other parts of Kathmandu, which remained tense for the third day since the massive crackdown on protest marches organised by the seven-party alliance for restoration of democracy against the rule of King Gyanendra.

Whereas, defying the massive crackdown by the royal government, Nepal’s seven parties agitating for restoration of democracy today announced more protest shows to call people to boycott the February 8 Municipal polls and to oppose the seizure of power by King Gyanendra, who remained unmoved by the mounting opposition to his rule.

The parties called for a general strike on January 26 to oppose the police crackdown during Friday’s peaceful demonstration and to urge the people to boycott the polls.

The Central Movement Coordination Committee has also announced various nationwide protest programmes on January 22 and 23 and torch rallies in all 58 municipalities on January 25 to boycott the Municipal polls, party sources said.

Eight student organisations affiliated to the seven-party alliance also announced separate protest programmes. — PTI

Washington, January 22
On the eve of Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz's meeting with USA President W. George Bush, a US-based religious watchdog has asked the visiting leader to promote religious freedom and tolerance in Pakistan.

Mr Aziz after his meetings in New York is slated to meet President Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other officials at the White House on Tuesday.

In a letter, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) urged President Bush to impress upon Mr Aziz the need for Pakistan to spread religious tolerance and freedom of worship.

The chairman of the commission said it had called for naming Pakistan as a "country of particular concern" for its severe violations of religious freedom, but the State Department had refrained from doing so till now.

The letter said, "Sectarian and religiously-motivated violence has been committed by Sunni Muslim extremist groups against Shia Muslims, Ahmadis, Hindus, and Christians. Discriminatory legislation has fostered an atmosphere of religious intolerance and eroded the social and legal status of members of religious minorities, particularly the Ahmadi community. Blasphemy allegations, which are often false, result in the lengthy detention, and sometimes violence against, Christians, Hindus, Ahmadis, and members of other religious minorities, as well as on Muslims on account of their religious beliefs."

The commission also stressed the need to promote democratic institutions and genuine religious tolerance among all religious communities. —UNI