W O R L D

Warlike situation in Baluchistan
Quetta, April 7
A near warlike situation prevails in Pakistan's largest province of Baluchistan, claims the chief of the Baluchistan National Alliance, Yousuf Naskandi.

More held in Nepal
Kathmandu, April 7
Over 300 protesters, including senior politicians, were arrested and at least eight were injured in Nepal today on the second day of the nationwide strike called by the Opposition, even as an embattled King Gyanendra responded to violence urging for calm.
In video (28k, 56k)

Rebels in women’s cloak attack mosque,
79 dead
Baghdad, April 7
Two suicide attackers, wearing women’s cloaks blew themselves up today in a Shia mosque in northern Baghdad, killing at least 79 persons and wounding scores, the police said. It was the second major attack against Shia targets in as many days.

Benazir linked to oil-for-food scam
Islamabad, April 7
Pakistan’s Anti-Corruption Bureau has alleged former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s involvement in the UN oil-for-food scandal in Iraq.

A student tries to stop a car after it ploughed into demonstrators in Paris on Friday, injuring one. Angry students overturned the car and the police had to be called in to protect the driver who took shelter inside his car. The students were demonstrating to press for withdrawal of controversial CPE youth jobs law. — Reuters

Indian couple divested of assets for fake marriages
London, April 7
A couple of Indian origin, who made marriage a profitable business, converting their home into a factory for Indian men wanting to skip immigration procedures, have been stripped of nearly 1 million pound of assets by a British court.

Warlike situation in Baluchistan

Quetta, April 7
A near warlike situation prevails in Pakistan's largest province of Baluchistan, claims the chief of the Baluchistan National Alliance (BNA), Yousuf Naskandi.

Interacting with media persons in Karachi, Naskandi said Baluchistan was passing through a "very dangerous time", and added that if "this third war of the Baluch nation with Pakistan continues, the fate of the province could be sealed forever." While hoping that Baluchistan remains a part of Pakistan, he said that the Baluch people who were nationalists, were under severe strain and may be forced to consider it if the present situation continues.

Naskandi said he was surprised over the federal government's reluctance to take strong action against insurgents, who were " blocking link roads between Karachi and Quetta, resulting in businessmen being affected badly." Meanwhile, other Baluch leaders and analysts have claimed that Pakistani paratroopers deployed across sensitive parts of the province, have suffered undisclosed, but heavy casualties while confronting the insurgents and Baloch nationalist groups.

During the past few weeks, the situation in Quetta and in other parts of Baluchistan has remained tense, and a key factor for this, has been the federal government's domineering behaviour with Baluch leaders and its handling of matters concerning the province.

Last Wednesday, for instance, Karachi's law enforcement personnel and intelligence units abruptly ended a daylong siege of the Clifton area residence of Sardar Akhtar Mengal, the chief of the Baluchistan Nationalist Party (BNP), with the arrest of two of Mengal's guards and his driver.

BNP leader, Senator Sanaullah Baluch told media persons over the phone that all roads of Baluchistan have been closed and confirmed that the BNP will continue with its protests against the Musharraf regime till their demand for provincial autonomy is not met.

According to Mengal and other Baluch leaders, their struggle is against the alleged usurpation of Baluch land by the "Punjab- dominated" Pakistan Army, and the federal government's desire "to exploit the natural resources of Balochistan".

"The struggle will continue till we get freedom, and we will not backtrack from our armed struggle till an announcement of the formation of the Baluchistan State is made, or alternatively, till the United Nations does not accept the Baloch nation as an autonomous nation," said Dr. Imdad Balouch, the president of the Baluchistan Students' Organisation (BSO).

There is no doubt that the Musharraf-backed federal government is on the defensive, and this can be judged by the street power exhibited by the Baloch people over the last week, especially by the BNP. For instance, five days ago, over eight thousand BNP supporters attended a rally addressed by Mengal, and shouted anti-government and anti-Punjab establishment slogans.

The Baluch has woken up and is ready to join hands with anybody supporting their cause for autonomy. — ANI

More held in Nepal

Kathmandu, April 7
Over 300 protesters, including senior politicians, were arrested and at least eight were injured in Nepal today on the second day of the nationwide strike called by the Opposition, even as an embattled King Gyanendra responded to violence urging for calm.

Hundreds demonstrated in different parts of the city today to demand restoration of democracy in the kingdom, defying a government ban on protests and despite heavy mobilisation of the riot police and army personnel.

The police arrested over 300 agitators, including former Minister of the Nepali Congress Party Suresh Malla, NC’s central member Shukraraj Sharma, central members of Nepal Communist Party-UML Bachaspati Devkota, Astalaxmi Shakya, Krishna Gopal Shrestha and Govinda Koirala, CPN-UML leader Rajendra Pandey said.

In his speech broadcast live on the national television and radio from Birgunj, about 200 km South of Kathmandu, King Gyanendra urged for calm. “Let us all pledge today to devote time for establishing permanent peace...it is the need of today to establish permanent peace,” he said.

These were the monarch’s first public words about the anti-democracy protests. But he did not refer to the four-day Opposition general strike.

Clashes between protesters and the riot police took place in the premises of Tribhuvan University in Kirtipur municipality, Gongabun, Baneshwor and Ason leaving many activists injured, the party sources said. — PTI

Rebels in women’s cloak attack mosque, 79 dead

Baghdad, April 7
Two suicide attackers, wearing women’s cloaks blew themselves up today in a Shia mosque in northern Baghdad, killing at least 79 persons and wounding scores, the police said. It was the second major attack against Shia targets in as many days.

The violence came as US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad warned that Iraq faced the possibility of sectarian civil war if efforts to build a national unity government did not succeed, and that such a conflict could affect the entire West Asia.

The police said the blasts occurred at the Buratha mosque, which is affiliated with the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, the main Shia party.

The attack occurred as worshippers were leaving at the end of Friday prayers.

Earlier today, the Interior Ministry cautioned people in Baghdad to avoid crowds near mosques and markets due to a car bomb threat.

A prominent Shia politician, was among worshippers but the police said he was unhurt. — AP

Benazir linked to oil-for-food scam

Islamabad, April 7
Pakistan’s Anti-Corruption Bureau has alleged former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s involvement in the UN oil-for-food scandal in Iraq.

“ Ms Bhutto gave a $2 million commission to the regime of Saddam Hussein to win contracts worth $ 115 million dollars through two Sharjah-based companies she registered in 2000 and 2001,” Hassan Waseem Afzal, Chairman of the The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) alleged.

He also released documents suggesting Ms Bhutto’s connections with international companies involved in the scam and facing prosecution in their countries to the media here yesterday.

Ms Bhutto’s spokesman, Faratullah Babar rejected the allegations saying it was part of Pakistan Government’s smear campaign against Ms Bhutto, who headed the Pakistan Peoples Party, (PPP) from her self exile in Dubai.

The NAB has been desperate to link Bhutto with corruption for the past 10 years but it “failed miserably,” Babar said in statement here.

Afzal said the NAB began suspecting Ms Bhutto’s involvement in the scam after the UN inquiry report into the scandal.

He said Petroline FZC, a Sharjah-based company involved in the scam, is owned by Bhutto and her aides Rehman Malik, former Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Additional Director and her nephew Hassan Ali Jaffery. — PTI

Indian couple divested of assets for fake marriages

London, April 7
A couple of Indian origin, who made marriage a profitable business, converting their home into a factory for Indian men wanting to skip immigration procedures, have been stripped of nearly 1 million pound of assets by a British court.

Jaswinder Gill (43) and her husband Darshan (42) arranged scores of bogus weddings for 10,000 pound a time. Isleworth Crown Court ordered the confiscation of 849,300 pound from Jaswinder and 130,000 pound from her husband.

In 2005, Mrs Gill was imprisoned for 10 years by the same court for aiding illegal entry to the UK and perverting the course of justice.

Darshan, a subordinate to his wife’s will, was sentenced to six years for conspiring to facilitate illegal entry.

In their bizarre business, the couple conned young British Asian women into flying to India by offering them lucrative contracts modelling bridal wear. Once in India, the women found themselves marrying strangers desperate for a life in Britain.

A victim, who refused to go through with the plans, was left in a hotel room with two men and threatened with rape unless she co-operated. The couple ran their illegal business from their home in Hayes, West London, between 2000 and 2004.

While wealthy Indians paid the Gills up to 14,000 pound to set up the ceremonies, some of the bogus brides earned less than 1,000 pound.

Fifteen sham marriages were identified but detectives believe there were many more pointing to 325,000 pound that was channelled through two of the Gills’ bank accounts alone. They believe the couple arranged scores of bogus weddings, netting around #1 million.

Yesterday, the court heard that Gill earned at least 10,000 pound for each marriage she set up, and that the cash directly traceable to the marriages was 150,000 pound. The couple owned two homes and a string of expensive cars. They had transferred 496,000 pound to India and Jaswinder Gill’s bank account contained 250,000 pound. Jaswinder faces a further four years in jail if she fails to pay the 850,000 pound within 18 months.

Darshan faces an extra two years if he does not pay up in the same period. — UNI