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Musharraf offers to withdraw troops from LoC
Rift between PM, Nepal Maoists
Belgian firm caves in to Hindu protests
N-row: Iran warns UN
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Four killed for adultery in Pak
Musharraf for ban on display of arms
Bhutto likely to return by year-end
Anne Frank’s diary unveiled in Israel
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Musharraf offers to withdraw troops from LoC London, June 5 Musharraf, in an article in the latest issue of Kashmir Affairs magazine published here, emphasised on the four-point proposal, including setting aside options unacceptable to either side, to resolve the vexed issue. The other proposals are acceptance of the "dispute" of Kashmir, meaningful and sustained dialogue process and examining other possible solutions acceptable to all parties, "mainly to the people of Jammu and Kashmir." Insisting on demilitarisation, Musharraf said it "can also be part of the overall settlement. On our part we are prepared to withdraw our troops from the Line of Control as part of an overall settlement." He recalled that he had earlier suggested that in the main cities of Jammu and Kashmir - Srinagar, Kupwara and Baramulla, "all troops could be moved out to the outskirts in order to demilitarise the cities. He said the UN Security Council Resolution represents "a solemn commitment and promise by international community to the people of Kashmir." Musharraf said: "Regrettably, over the decades these resolutions have been unimplemented despite representing an international legality. Within the United Nations and other important world forums such as the European Parliament there is a great deal of emphasis on upholding freedoms and human rights." "The protagonists of these values cannot reside from their responsibility to address a dispute that represents denial of fundamental rights to the people as promised and sanctified internationally in the shape of the United Nations Security Council Resolution. "We believe that this resolution is the best form of confidence building, the best assurance for peace and thereby an effective catalyst for progress and economic development," he said. Interestingly, both former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and European Union rapporteur Emma Nicholson have clearly stated that the UN resolutions on self-determination were not implementable as Pakistan had failed to fulfill the grounds for implementing them. Musharraf stressed that the history of the Kashmir issue is inextricably linked to the interests of Pakistan and India. He said there ought to be institutional arrangements, which could accommodate these interests to ensure "self-governance" by the people of Kashmir. Musharraf said confidence building measures (CBMs) by the two countries are certainly important to create a better environment but the "peace process has to move beyond CBMs which are largely a means towards an end and not an end in itself."
— PTI
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Rift between PM, Nepal Maoists
Maoist leaders and cadres, who were often found loyal towards the leadership of Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, following the restoration of democracy in April 2006, have suddenly started to express their wrath against him. The rift between PM Koirala and his cabinet member Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who represents former Maoist rebels in the Koirala-led interim government, surfaced openly today when Koirala dubbed the Young Communist League (YCL), a youth wing of Maoist, as “Young Criminal League”. Talking to journalists here on Tuesday, Mahara said that Koirala’s statement calling the Maoist-aligned YCL a “criminal group”, was the outcome of “a criminal mentality”. “The Prime Minister’s statement against the YCL may adversely affect relations among the eight-party alliance," Mahara said. Meanwhile, cadres of YCL carried out nationwide protest across the country and burned Koirala’s effigies protesting against his remarks. They have also warned of a fresh stir against the government if the accusations are not taken back. On Monday, as the YCL group captured “most wanted” businessman, Sitaram Prasain and handed over him to the police, Koirala had termed the YCL’s activities as increasing “anarchist” activities carried out by criminal group. Prasain, former chairman of the Nepal Cottage and Small Industries Development Bank, was involved in financial irregularities of about Rs 550 million. As per the request of Nepal Rastra Bank and the Central Bank of Nepal, the police headquarters had issued an arrest warrant against Prasain nine months ago on charges of extending loans with the intention to commit fraud. But he was evading arrest due to his close nexus with political party leaders and senior police officials. But on Sunday evening, a group of YCL had captured him from his office and later handed over him to police on Monday.
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Belgian firm caves in to Hindu protests
Brussels, June 5 The Brussels-based firm, DOD, in an e-mail to a news agency, said on Monday, “We are very sorry for having offended you (Indian community). We were not conscious of the origin of the picture and didn’t do it on purpose.” “Of course all these items will be sent back to where they came from and today (Monday) I will ask the shop to take them out of the shelves.” The garment depicted the pictures of Lakhsmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth. The Association of Trading in the Saint-Josse Municipality of Brussels had lodged a protest with DOD. “Please accept our deepest apologies, we respect all religions and didn’t mean any harm,” the e-mail added. A lady official at DOD told the news agency that DOD had 17 outlets in Brussels, but the offending undergarment was on sale only in three shops. — IANS
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Tehran, June 5 The Security Council has slapped two rounds of sanctions on Iran since December for its failure to stop atomic work which the West believes is aimed at building a nuclear warhead. World powers have warned Iran could now face another resolution. ''We believe that they (the Security Council) should avoid illegal measures and defend the rights of nations,'' President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a news conference with visiting foreign journalists. — Reuters
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Four killed for adultery in Pak
Peshawar, June 5 Sex out of marriage is a crime in Muslim Pakistan and punishable by stoning to death under Islamic laws, although that punishment has never officially been meted out. About 600 persons watched the four, including an Afghan refugee, shot to death in the Khyber agency, a semi-autonomous ethnic Pashtun tribal region on the Afghan border, yesterday. A jirga, or traditional council of elders, ordered them killed after considering their case. — Reuters
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Musharraf for ban on display of arms
Islamabad, June 5 Musharraf gave the directions at the meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) amid a major political crisis faced by the general following the suspension of Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar M Chaudhry. In his address to the meeting, Musharraf briefly referred to the crisis saying that “certain elements” were trying to politicise constitutional and legal issues and “the people of Pakistan will not pay any heed to their propaganda.” He also expressed concern over the recent surge in suicide attacks, extremism and militancy and un-hindered movement of militants to settled areas. Musharraf said the militants must be taken head-on, security of vital places be beefed up and activities of suspected elements strictly monitored. Akram Durani, Chief Minister of the opposition Muttahida Majlis-e Amal (MMA) led government in NWFP, attended the meeting while opposition leader in the National Assembly and general secretary of MMA, Fazlur Rehman, boycotted the NSC session. The opposition describes the NSC as “super parliament” as it comprises the heads of the three services. — PTI
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Bhutto likely to return by year-end
Claiming that all negotiations with General Musharraf are off, Benazir Bhutto has left the matter dangling in the air by adding that she still wanted to find a smooth transition to democracy.
She said, "The fact that he (Musharraf) was ready to engage with the PPP was positive. I think he toyed with the idea of moderate forces getting together." She told the New York Times in an interview that she could return to Pakistan before the end of the year. She is further quoted as saying, "Gen Musharraf says that he will not allow me back and will then arrest me and prevent me from having freedom of movement and speech and freedom of association. In any event, I'd like to go back."
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Anne Frank’s diary unveiled in Israel
Jerusalem, June 5 "The rope around us is getting tighter and tighter," Rutka Laskier wrote in 1943 shortly before she was deported to Auschwitz, her words read aloud Monday at the Yad Vashem museum in Jerusalem. "I'm turning into an animal waiting to die." Within a few months Rutka did die and, it seemed, so did her diary. But last year, a Polish friend who had safeguarded the notebook finally came forth, exposing a riveting historical document. "Rutka's Notebook" is both a daily account of the horrors of the Holocaust in Bedzin, Poland, and a scrapbook detailing the life of a typical teenager in extraordinary circumstances. The 60-page memoir includes innocent adolescent banter, concerns and first loves - combined with a cold analysis of the fate of European Jewry. — AP
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