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Indo-US N-deal: Pak may seek similar arrangement
Bush visit: Islamic parties call strike
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Saddam makes first key admission
61 Indians held in Malaysia
Ex-guerrilla chief nominated Kosovo PM
Tigers release 20 child soldiers
Canada's HC allows Sikh daggers in school
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Indo-US N-deal: Pak may seek similar arrangement
Islamabad, March 2 Foreign Minister Khurshid M Kasuri had earlier stated that if India and the US succeeded in reaching an agreement, Pakistan would request Washington for a similar deal as it too was in need of civilian nuclear energy. However, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is accompanying Bush to his visit to India, said yesterday that Pakistan "is not in the same place as India", when asked if Islamabad too could qualify for the same treatment. "...we've been able to take Pakistan on its own terms and India on its own terms. We have programmes and relationships with Pakistan that would not be appropriate with India, and vice versa," Rice had said. Earlier, when India and France signed a declaration on development of nuclear energy during the visit of French President Jacques Chirac to New Delhi on February 20, Pakistan said any "concessions" being given to India would be applicable to it as well. "Our stand is that Pakistan and India have the same status. They are nuclear weapons states and not signatories to Non Proliferation Treaty, (NPT). We do expect that any concessions and exception granted to India in the context of NSG, (Nuclear Suppliers Group) or any other multilateral arrangement will be applicable to Pakistan also," Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam had said at that time. — PTI
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Bush visit: Islamic parties call strike
Islamabad, March 2 The right wing Islamist alliance Muthahida Majlis Amal (MMA) said a strike would be observed tomorrow ahead of Bush’s visit against the US polices as well as the recent Danish cartoons depicting Prophet Muhammad. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), headed by self exiled former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, has disassociated with the strike. It said it would hand over a protest note to the US Ambassador in Islamabad. Imran Khan, heading the Tehrik-e-Insaf (Justice Party), told reporters here yesterday that he would lead a rally on March 4 to condemn the American leader’s policies against the Muslims. The rally was, however, not against the American people, he said. — PTI
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Musharraf offers condolences to Bush
Islamabad, March 2 “We condemn this outrage in the strongest terms. Our authorities are investigating the incident and those responsible will be brought to justice,” he said in a message to Bush, who is on a visit to India and due to arrive in Pakistan on Saturday. “This senseless act will not deter our strong resolve to pursue the relentless fight against the evil of terrorism,” he said while offering Pakistan’s deepest sorrow and sympathy to the government and people of the US. In a separate message to Bush, Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said the attack was “aimed not only at the Pakistani nation but also our friendly ties with the United States.” Five persons, including the diplomat and his Pakistani driver were killed and dozens wounded.
— PTI |
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Saddam makes first key admission
Baghdad, March 2 As the prosecution attempted to pile up documentary evidence against Saddam and his seven co-accused, it was claimed he pardoned two Shiites who were to have been executed for the assassination attempt in the town of Dujail. Prosecutors led by Mr Jaafar al-Mussawi earlier submitted to the court what they said was a signed execution order showing Saddam's guilt in the killing of 148 Shiite inhabitants of Dujail as a reprisal. In the last few minutes of the day's proceedings in the trial, which has now been adjourned till March 12, Saddam said he ordered the destruction of orchards. "I signed the order" for destroying the orchards. "I am Saddam Hussein. At the time I was in charge. It is not my habit to pass the buck on to others." Explaining the reason for ordering the destruction Saddam said: "It's the right of the Iraqi state to nationalize any land for the public interest by paying a symbolic compensation. I changed the law to substantial compensation." He also gave a vivid description of escaping an assassination bid in Dujail. "I came under machine gun fire from 50 metres", he said, speaking of the ambush on his motorcade. "Bullets passed in front of my eyes... It's Allah who wanted to save me," he added. Earlier, prosecutors produced a letter purportedly showing the former Iraqi dictator spared the lives of two of the 148 Shiites accused of the assassination bid. The letter said that the intelligence service found that the two -- Ali Jaafar (50) and Jassem Mohammed (63) -- had been released by mistake and were still alive. Saddam had then been asked how to proceed. Saddam wrote back saying: "If luck has saved them, who am I to be tough on them." The two were not executed. Saddam is believed to have pardoned them considering their old age. He also said it was he who ordered the suspects involved in the assassination bid to be tried in the revolutionary court headed by co-accused Awad Ahmad Al-Bander. "I asked the suspects responsible for the assassination bid to be transferred to the court in Baghdad. You put Bander as a defendant here just because he was heading the court at that time... It was I who asked the suspects to be judged as you are doing here today. I am responsible, why are you putting others in jail," Saddam asked. The prosecution, meanwhile, suffered a setback when one of their witnesses, ex-Interior Minister Saadun Shaker refused to testify against Saddam. He will now face charges, the prosecutor said. —AFP
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61 Indians held in Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur, March 2 The Indians were picked up by Rela, a voluntary force of the Immigration Department on Tuesday, from outside the Indian High Commission building here and will be kept at the department’s detention centre for 14 days for investigation. Deputy High Commissioner N.K. Saxsena said the High Commission had written to the relevant authorities to release the workers who had fled their employer in Johor alleging that they had not been paid the promised salary. Immigration Enforcement chief Ishak Mohamed said the department would investigate if the workers were legally employed by the Johor-based company as they had claimed. “If they are indeed legally employed, we will call their employers for the documents,” he said.
— PTI |
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Ex-guerrilla chief nominated Kosovo PM
Pristina, March 2 Ceku, the Kosovo Protection Corps General, "has shown his leadership qualities during the most difficult time in Kosovo, showing his deep dedication for executing duties," said the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo party. "The alliance is convinced that Ceku will lead the government of Kosovo with a great dedication towards reaching our joint goal, an independent and sovereign Kosovo," it said in a statement yesterday. The Kosovo political turmoil is believed to be a scramble to fill the void left by late President Ibrahim Rugova, who died of lung cancer in January and whose strong leadership was seen as crucial in the United Nations-mediated talks on the future status of the southern Serbian province, run by the UN since 1999. Kosumi announced his resignation yesterday, a little more than a week after historic status talks between Serbian government and its independence-seeking province had opened in Vienna on February 20. It is not known yet when Kosovo's Parliament is to discuss the appointment of a new Prime Minister, but Ceku's nomination is likely to cause a stir in Belgrade. He was indicted in 2002 for war crimes committed against minority Serbs when he served in the Croatian army during the war there in 1991-1995, as well as alleged atrocities in Kosovo's 1998-1999 conflict.
—AFP |
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Tigers release 20 child soldiers
Colombo, March 2 “This release is part of a process taken up by us to ensure that underage youths who voluntarily join the LTTE are sent back to their parents,” Daya Master said in Kilinochchi, a stronghold of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Master said the children were handed over to their parents at a ceremony in the rebel-held area. “Now we have evolved a system under which we take down details from parents who believe their children are with us,” Master said. — AP
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Canada's HC allows Sikh daggers in school
Ottawa, March 2 "Religious tolerance is a very important value of Canadian society," Justice Louise Charron wrote in reasons for the decision after a court case that involved 12-year-old Gurbaj Singh Multani who was prevented from carrying his kirpan at a Montreal school. Kirpans are already allowed in Ontario after a lower court order. Thursday's ruling now opens the door to the practice, with possible restrictions, across the country. Canada banned them on airplanes after the WTC bombing in the United States. Some courts ban them as well, although Sikhs attending the Supreme Court hearing were allowed to wear them.
— Reuters |
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Protests against Bush in Pakistan. (
