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Rockets found near Pak Parliament House
Fighting continues despite Lanka peace talks
150 Indians in Qatari detention centre
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Al-Qaida’s new Iraq chief killed
Israeli Gen fired over
remarks on PM
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Rockets found near Pak Parliament House
Islamabad, October 5 Army personnel cordoned off the area around Parliament House as the rockets were defused, loaded on trucks and sent for further investigation, the police said. The discovery of the rockets came ahead of a meeting on the anniversary of last year's major earthquake that struck Kashmir. It was to be addressed by General Musharraf at a convention centre located 1.5 km from the site. Last night a powerful blast had occurred in a park near General Musharraf's residence in the garrison town of Rawalpindi with a media report saying it could have been caused by a bomb or a missile. Pakistan has claimed that the explosion was not aimed at President Musharraf. Police officials said two rockets were found close to the lodges where the members of National Assembly and Senate resided. The lodges were located almost opposite the Parliament building, the President's Office and the Prime Minister's Office in central Islamabad which was considered one of the most well-protected areas. Soon after they were found, over 80 persons, mostly labourers working in and around the area, were detained. They were all lined up and taken to nearby police stations for questioning. Officials regarded the discovery of the rockets as a major security breach, coming close on the heels of last night's mysterious blast near Army House in Rawalpindi where General Musharraf lives. The bomb explosion at a park in the vicinity General Musharraf's highly-guarded residence caused panic among the public. Security officials suspect that it could have been caused by a misfired missile. Pakistani daily Dawn quoted officials as saying that the explosion was caused by one bomb but a huge quantity of other explosives failed to detonate. The sprawling park named after the former military ruler, Ayub Khan, was located a few hundred yards away from Army House. Soon after the explosion, heavy contingents of army vehicles, some of them with the facility to collect explosives, moved into the park, which was immediately cordoned off by the police. It was unclear whether it was a bomb or a missile, the daily said. While rumours gripped the country that it could be yet another attempt on General Musharraf’s life after he escaped two assassination attempts in December 2003, Army spokesman Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan said: "Nothing is related to the President or the Army House". Despite strong official denials, reports continued to speculate about yet another abortive attempt targeting General Musharraf. While an official press note here said the blast caused no casualties or damage to property, several local people, whose kin worked in the stalls of the park anxiously waited for the news about the whereabouts of their relatives. Locals said the explosion was so powerful that it was heard several kilometres away and windowpanes of several houses were broken in the area. "A search party was sent to the spot, which found some explosive material there. Now the bomb disposal squad and the search parties are carrying out clearance of the area," the note
said. — PTI
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Fighting continues despite Lanka peace talks
Colombo, October 5 Residents in the far northern army-held Jaffna peninsula heard volleys of artillery shells before dawn, but said the intensity was far lower than in recent weeks — the worst fighting since a 2002 ceasefire that now lies in tatters. The military said the Air Force pounded suspected bases of the rebels’ naval Sea Tiger wing in the eastern district of Batticaloa, and also raided rebel targets in the north. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the government have agreed to meet for talks on October 28-30 after a six-month impasse. The government committed to the talks yesterday night, and says they will take place in Geneva. The Tigers wanted to go to Oslo and have not yet said whether they agree to go to Geneva. The rebels have threatened to withdraw from the truce completely if attacks by the military continue, while the government says it reserves the right to retaliate if the Tigers attack security forces. — Reuters
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150 Indians in Qatari detention centre
Dubai, October 5 According to the Indian embassy in Doha, 28 Indians, including six women, are languishing in the central jail there with most of them undertrials. The repatriation of the 150 detainees, some of whom have been held for more then three months, has been delayed as they do not have passports, Embassy’s Second Secretary T.R. Meena said at an open house. The Qatari authorities have sent notifications to the sponsors of the detainees thrice to release their passports but no response has been received, he said. “We are awaiting word from the Criminal Evidence and Information Department (CEID) as to when they will be sending the detainees home. We are ready to issue emergency travel documents to them but the CEID has to complete the necessary formalities for their departure,” Mr Meena said. Mr Meena, who visited the deportation centre and the central prison, said the Indian Community Benevolent Fund can help the detainees who are unable to arrange their air fare. According to Mr Meena, out of the 28 prisoners, six were fishermen who had allegedly strayed into Qatari waters from Bahrain. “We are following their case,” he said adding some of the others were charged with drug peddling and theft. Out of the six women inmates, four are facing the charges of having illicit relations, one is undergoing trial for murder while another is an absconding domestic.
— PTI
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Al-Qaida’s new Iraq chief killed
Dubai, October 5 The Dubai-based channel quoted security sources as saying that US forces killed Masri and three other militants in a raid yesterday in Haditha, near the capital Baghdad. There was no immediate confirmation. An Iraqi government official had said on Sunday that Masri’s “days are numbered” after showing the first video images of the wanted man, who replaced slain former Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. On Friday the new Al-Qaeda leader, also known as Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, had also broadcast an Internet audio message threatening a renewed offensive and a campaign to kidnap foreigners. Masri’s identity was first revealed by the US military in July, after the June killing of his predecessor and Al-Qaeda in Iraq founder Zarqawi, a Jordanian-born Sunni Muslim extremist. Masri was described as an Egyptian emigre with an extensive knowledge of explosives. The footage showed a bespectacled man with an Egyptian accent explaining how to rig a car with bombs.
— AFP
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Israeli Gen fired over remarks on PM
Jerusalem, October 5 “You have made statements inadmissible for a military member by making political criticisms, notably against the government and its head,” Halutz wrote in a dismissal letter to Gen Yiftah Ron Tal, commander of ground troops who is on leave ahead of a planned retirement.
— AFP |
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