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Pak poll may be put off
Stone of ‘ India House’ laid
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India has more billionaires than Japan
S. Asians top list of NY taxi drivers
Pak women demand repeal of Hudood laws
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Islamabad, March 9 Several leaders of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) including party chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussein have off and on signaled postponement of elections for at least one year in case of a US attack on Iran, setting off ripples among the leading opposition parties. Opposition parties are also mulling over the future political scenario in such a case, which observers believe may be a ploy to undercut their plans to resign from assemblies on the eve of Presidential elections due in September-October. Pakistan Muslim League (N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of former Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto and the six-party Islamic opposition alliance, Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal(MMA) have repeatedly said their legislators would resign from assemblies if President Musharraf tried to get himself re-elected for the second tenure. Chief of Pakistan Muslim League (N) Nawaz Sharif is also preparing to convene a multi-party conference in London to discuss the emerging political scenario. Leading Pakistani newspapers today published detailed analyses on the issue focusing on possibility of elections being delayed by atleast a year. ‘’General elections scheduled for 2007-08 may not be held as scheduled,’’ Daily Times reported. The paper quoted political observers as saying that highly volatile situation in the countrys tribal region and a looming US attack on Iran has provided General Musharraf with sufficient, if not entirely plausible, ‘’grounds’’ to at least suspend the present political dispensation . Besides, observers added, President Musharraf seems to be anticipating a climate of violence and hatred in the country in the coming weeks and months with opposition parties chalking out a programme of countrywide, agitation, disruption and incitement to industrial workers and police in an attempt to paralyze his government. A spiritual leader from Sindh province, Pir Pagaro, who never minces his words in reiterating his close association with the military establishment by calling himself a GHQ man, has added fuel to the fire with his prediction that a state of emergency is in store. — UNI
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Stone of ‘ India House’ laid
Houston, March 9 The "dream" house, which will be built on a 10-acre tract, was envisioned together, over two decades back, by over 120,000 Indians, living in Houston, the fourth-largest and energy capital of the United States. "This is a truly historic occasion and I consider myself luckier than my predecessors because in 11 months, I will be here to see India House. This project is unique as it will bring together all different communities, religions, and institutions under one roof," said S.M. Gavai, India's consul-general to Houston. The centre, which will cost between $18 million and $20 million, will promote Indian-American culture and provide social, healthcare and referral services for everyone regardless of their ethnicity. The first phase, to be named the O.P. Jindal Community Centre, is expected to be completed by the year-end. The 30,000-square-foot building will include a senior citizens' centre, continuing education, immigrant support and other social services. On the occasion, India House Inc received yet another $1 million donation from Jindal group, who earlier had donated the same amount in March 2006.—
PTI
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S. Asians top list of NY taxi drivers
New York, March 9 Bangladesh tops the list with 5,200 drivers, and the United States is fifth with 2,300, according to Taxi and Limousine Commission records reviewed by the New York Sun newspaper and today. Drivers report their place of birth on their license applications, which the newspaper examined. There are 43,402 medallion taxi cab licensees in the city, the newspaper said. Pakistan and India came in second and third place. —
Reuters
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Pak women demand repeal of Hudood laws
Islamabad, March 9 The representatives of various organisations who participated in the march showed solidarity with the women victims of violence and reaffirmed their commitment to carry forward the peaceful struggle for women’s rights and freedom, as enshrined in the original 1973 Constitution. They demanded a complete repeal of the Hudood Ordinances (1979), especially the Zina Ordinance, in light of the recommendations of the Pakistan National Commission on the Status of Women (2003). They said Women’s Protection Act was only one part of the recommendations. They also called for a complete repeal of the Qanun-e-Shahadat as committed by the government and abolition of the Qisas and Diyat provisions in the laws, which, they observed, if not done, would make a mockery of the 2005 law intended to eliminate so-called “honour” killings. They sought an explicit recognition by the government of the alarming increase in violent crimes against women - both public and domestic - followed by strong and effective measures at the legislative, administrative and judicial levels to provide security to the women. They regretted that there were concerted moves to target those women politicians who work for women’s rights and empowerment, irrespective of their political affiliations. They said the recent heinous murder of a woman minister of the Punjab, attempt on the life of a woman MNA of the PPP, and an attack on another PPP woman politician were clear examples of this. They called for strong administrative and judicial actions, in order to provide protection to women activists and to deter any similar incidents. By arrangement with the Dawn
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India has more billionaires than Japan What do Lakshmi Mittal, the Ambani brothers and Azim Premji have in common? They are all part of Forbes magazine's elite club of billionaires, a record 946 in all. With 36 billionaires, India has surpassed Japan as the country in Asia with the most billionaires. Japan had held the position for two decades. India's billionaires are worth a total $191 billion while Japan's 24 billionaires are worth $64 billion, the magazine said. Russia contributed 53 billionaires and now challenges Germany as home to the most billionaires outside the United States. "This is the richest year ever in human history," said Forbes Chief Executive Steve Forbes. "Never in history has there been such a notable advance." London-based Mittal, who owns the world's largest steel firm Arcelor Mittal, came in at No. 5 on the list. He was followed by the Ambani brothers who, despite dividing their fortune following a rift in 2005, have managed to become even richer. Mukesh Ambani ranked 14th with a $20.1 billion fortune, while his brother Anil came in four places behind at No. 18 with $18.2 billion. India now has three billionaires in the upper echelons, second only to the U.S. Microsoft Corp chairman Bill Gates was the richest man for the 13th straight year, with $56 billion, followed by his friend Warren Buffett, chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway Inc, with $52 billion. Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim remained No. 3, with $49 billion. “Strong equity markets combined with rising real estate values and commodity prices pushed up fortunes from Mumbai to Madrid,” Forbes magazine said. Of the 178 newcomers on the list, 14 were Indians. “Ingenuity, not industry, is the common characteristic; these folks made money in everything from media and real estate to coffee, dumplings and ethanol,” Forbes said, adding, two-thirds of last year’s billionaires are richer. This year’s billionaires are younger and of the list members’ fortunes, 60 per cent made theirs from scratch. There was bad news for 44 former billionaires who dropped off the list.
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