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Pervez meets Benazir secretly?
Blast near Lal Masjid kills 12, including 4 soldiers
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Now, Canada okay with Singhs, Kaurs
Shambo put to sleep
Mother, son found guilty of honour killing
Musharraf’s no to foreign military operations
Baloch govt spokesman
shot dead
Five Muslim students jailed
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Pervez meets Benazir secretly?
President Musharraf met former Premier Benazir Bhutto in Abu Dhabi amid speculations that he may also meet Shehbaz Sharif, brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in Jeddah on Friday in an apparent bid to salvage his fast receding political fortunes.
Reports from Abu Dhabi gave a varied version of the duration and outcome of the meeting with the staff present outside detecting little signs of a happy ending from the body language of both President Musharraf and Bhutto. In Islamabad, all concerned seemed to be in a state of denial including spokesman of the President Major General Rashid and Tariq Azeem, minister of state for information, both saying no meeting has taken place. Farhatullah Babar also said he was unaware of the meeting. From London, Shehbaz Sharif debunked reports of any talks with Musharraf in Jeddah citing Nawaz Sharif as saying that there is no time for negotiations with a military dictator. "He must step down, let the country have fair and free elections under a neutral caretaker government and and an independent election commission. Informed sources confirmed that Bhutto did leave London early morning for an Abu Dhabi-bound plane. Her party leaders were also reported to be present in Dubai. One report said she sought time from Musharraf to consult party leadership. Cricketing legend Imran Khan said Bhutto would destroy herself and her party if she met Musharraf. He said she cannot help Musharraf nor the General can deliver much to her. The only option left for Musharraf is to save the country from further anarchy by quitting power and facilitate a national consensus, he said.
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Blast near Lal Masjid kills 12, including 4 soldiers
Islamabad, July 27 While eyewitnesses said that a suicide bomber blew himself up, state-run PTV reported that a car bomb exploded killing and injuring many people. The blast took place as police and militant students of Lal Masjid fought pitched battles after the mosque was reopened for Friday prayers nearly two weeks after security forces stormed the complex. Earlier, violent seminary students and others disrupted the resumption of Friday prayers in Lal Masjid here while demanding the release and reinstatement of detained chief cleric of the mosque Maulana Abdul Aziz as its imam. They later battled with the police, which resorted to intense teargas shelling. The authorities had renovated the badly battered mosque to make it available for prayers today after the July 10 military operation. They had also appointed Maulana Ashfaque Madni to temporarily act as imam. Early this morning the siege around the mosque was lifted and people were allowed to enter the mosque under strict security check. The students, shouting slogans, stopped Ashfaque to lead the prayers and requested him to return to his own mosque in the nearby sector, which he did. They shouted slogans and declared that they would not allow the Friday prayers until Maulana Aziz was released and brought back to Lal Masjid. Thousands others had also converged on the mosque to say their prayers. After much persuasion, the students allowed the imam of an affiliated seminary Jamia Faridia to lead the prayers. Some Muttahida Majlise Amal leaders, led by Liaquat Baloch, were also driven out of the mosque. The students and their supporters repainted part of the mosque original red in place of the beige colour painted by the authorities during renovation, apparently to change its symbolism. While a couple of thousands stayed in the mosque after the prayers shouting anti-government slogans, hundreds others demonstrated outside, uprooted traffic signs and government billboards. They also hoisted a black flag on the minaret of the mosque. The police and security staff in armoured cars later dispersed the crowd with heavy shelling. The protesters pelted stones. Most of the students inside the mosque entrenched themselves, vowing to unleash another stand-off with the administration by refusing to leave the Lal Masjid.
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Now, Canada okay with Singhs, Kaurs
Toronto, July 27 Immigrants with the two surnames were earlier needed to change them, leading to delay in their arrival in the country. “It has been brought to my attention that a letter was sent to an applicant (in India) telling him that unless he provided an additional surname in addition to other documentation, his application for permanent residence may not be processed,” minister of citizenship and immigration Diane Finley said in a statement. “This letter does not reflect the policy of Canada’s government, and I can assure you I have directed the department to ensure that this type of erroneous letter is not sent out again,” she said. The controversy erupted after an Indian, Tarvinder Kaur, who is pregnant, said her husband Jaspal Singh’s application to become a permanent resident had been delayed because of his last name. The Canadian High Commission in India had sent a letter to Singh’s family. Terming it to be “poorly worded”, an immigration official here said, “Permanent resident applicants with the surnames Singh or Kaur are not required to change their names in order to apply. In no way did CIC intend to ask applicants to change their names,” a spokeswoman with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), Karen Shadd-Evelyn, said yesterday.
— PTI
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Shambo put to sleep
London, July 27 “Shambo has been put down by lethal injection last night,” a spokesman of the Wales Assembly government said. The six-year-old Friesian, who tested positive for bovine TB, was moved from the Skanda Vale Temple enclosure last night amid protests by devotees. Police was called in to move more than 100 worshippers who formed a human shield around the sacred bull. Keith Porteous Wood, executive director of the National Security Society, said he was glad “common sense had prevailed at last” and that it was “absolutely unacceptable” for people to say their religious rights were supreme. Hindu leaders are now seeking a meeting with the UK environment minister. Secretary general of the Hindu Forum of Britain Ramesh Kallidai said he wanted to check “how agricultural law can cater to the needs of sacred animals in Hindu temples in Britain”. Skanda Vale community leader Brother Alex said now that Shambo had been slaughtered, a “nightmare” was just beginning for the Welsh Assembly. “Ignorant people have chosen to desecrate our temple and have chosen to destroy life unnecessarily,” he said. The slaughter of Shambo ended a protracted legal battle which started when a TB test returned positive in April and came after the community finally lost its High Court fight on
Monday. Last week, a High Court judge gave the community hope when he ruled that two slaughter orders for Shambo “were unlawful and will be quashed”. But his ruling was overturned by the appeal court in London on Monday. — PTI
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Mother, son found guilty of honour killing
London, July 27 Bachan Kaur Athwal and Sukhdave Singh Athwal, both living at Hayes in west London were yesterday found guilty of conspiracy and murder of Surjit Kaur Athwal, a customs officer at the Heathrow airport. The Old Bailey heard how the grandmother and her son had conspired to kill the 27-year-old after she “disgraced” them by having an affair with another man following marital problems. It was said in court that Bachan Athwal had boasted of having her daughter-in-law strangled and her body dumped in an Indian river. The two were originally arrested on charges of conspiracy to murder on May 22, 2000 but got bail pending further inquiries. It later emerged that Sukhdave Athwal had taken out a 100,000 pounds life insurance policy on his wife the day she left for India in 1998, while in 2004 her name was fraudulently removed from property deeds of the family home. She and her son were then rearrested in November 2005 with their charges amended to murder. The judge will pronounce the sentence in September.
— PTI
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Musharraf’s no to foreign military operations
President General Musharraf on Friday said no foreign country, including the US, would be allowed to conduct operations within the Pakistani territory.
Talking to mediapersons before his departure to Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates here, Musharraf said Pakistani security forces were a conducting comprehensive operation against terrorists and tried to dispel the impression that Pakistan is a safe heaven for terrorists. Musharraf said the security forces were capable of launching any operation against militants in the tribal areas. Replying to a question, the President said his brief visit to Saudi Arabia and the UAE is a continuation of the process of consultation with two of the nation’s best friends on various issues, including bilateral relations, regional situation and cooperation with them in the war against terror. While in Saudi Arabia, the President would perform Umra and meet Khadim-ul-Harmain Sharifain King Abdullah. After his visit there, the president is scheduled to leave for UAE. Meanwhile, a report received here from Washington quoted top Pentagon and State Department officials reiterating that US special forces would enter Pakistan if they had specific intelligence about an impending terrorist strike against America. The officials, however, voiced strong support for President Pervez Musharraf, who, they said, had repeatedly backed US anti-terrorism efforts in the region at a great political cost.
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Baloch govt spokesman
shot dead
Islamabad, July 27 The police said Raziq (55) was driving his van when he was ambushed by armed men close to the provincial assembly, killing him instantly. The slain leader had played an active role in nationalist politics in the province from college days and was being tipped to be the next chief minister after elections.He led the revolt of a Bugti sub-tribe against former governor and Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Bugti who was killed last year in an army operation while hiding in a cave. Raziq joined the provincial government as its adviser and spokesman three years ago.
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Five Muslim students jailed
London, July 26 The Old Bailey heard how the five men had planned to use extremist books, videos, film clips and songs to help them prepare. Irfan Raja (19), from Ilford, Aitzaz Zafar (19), from Rochdale, Usman Malik (20) from Wolverhampton, and Akber Butt (20) from Southall, were convicted of possessing these articles. The jury returned its guilty verdict on Awaab Iqbal, 20, from Rochdale, yesterday. The five had all denied charges of possessing articles for terrorist purposes. Raja was sentenced to two years in jail, Butt to 27 months in jail and Iqbal, Malik and Zafar to three years each.
— PTI
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