Thimpu, July 28
The Australian authorities’ action to drop charges against Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef proved that he was not involved in terrorist activities, external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee said here today.

Expressing happiness over Haneef getting relief after being in detention for nearly four weeks in connection with the failed terror plot in the UK, Mukherjee hoped that Australia would restore Haneef’s work visa and allow him to transact normal business.

“I am glad that charges against Haneef have been dropped. It proves that he is not involved with the terrorist activities,” Mukherjee said

“Now we hope that the Australian authorities will restore his visa, allow him to transact normal business and be taken back in his hospital department,” he added.

Haneef (27), was working as a registrar in a Gold Coast hospital in Queensland.

“The development is good for all concerned,” Mukherjee said.

Mukherjee, who had spoken to Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer when Haneef was in detention, said any government was well within its right to prosecute anyone if charges were proved but no person should suffer if he or she was innocent. — PTI

A temporary ban has been imposed on the import of poultry products from India to Sri Lanka following reports of outbreak of bird flu in Manipur, the government announced on Saturday.

The ban on imports of all birds and chicken flesh from India came into immediate effect to prevent contamination and spread of the disease into the country, livestock development minister K.A. Bayis said.

He said the restriction will stay until India gets clearance from the International Animal Health Organisation.

There is no large scale import of poultry from India to Sri Lanka. It is mainly the parent chicks that are imported and distributed among small scale hatcheries.

Earlier importing poultry products from the United States, UK and Australia was also banned but the restriction on the US and Australia was later lifted. However, ban on the UK continues.

Sri Lanka has had no reported cases of bird flu but preventive measures have been adopted since the avian flu began to spread in Asia since last year.

The National Assembly session summoned by the government on Monday is likely to be the lower house’s last before the elections.

The unscheduled session has triggered speculations about the fate of the assembly as well as the government. Informed sources said the government might also bring about some legislation to implant the agreement thrashed out during the reported meeting between President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Pakistan People’s Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

It may also work on the elimination of ban on former PMs to seek another term. An ordinary law approved with simple majority, but after an approval by the president could remove the ban. Another bill would remove the two-year ban on President Musharraf to contest presidential or any other election within two years if he doffs his uniform.

Dawn reported that during the session, PM Shaukat Aziz may advise the dissolution of the assembly, a move aimed at bringing an interim PM to the stage. The paper quoted unnamed sources as saying that the President might ask the PM to quit during the session. The government might also table the much talked about legislation on provincial autonomy.

Dawn further states that if the assembly is dissolved, former speaker Hamid Nasir Chattha is a likely candidate for the premiership in the interim set-up. He was PPP’s ally in 1993 polls.

However, minister for parliamentary affairs Dr Sher Afgan Khan Niazi insisted that it was a routine session, which would last about a month to complete its parliamentary calendar days.

“We have 71 days of backlog, which we would like to cover before the completion of the tenure of the present assembly,” he added.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Saturday took strong exception to US threats of unilateral strikes inside Pakistani territory in tribal areas and warned that Pakistan would sever its cooperation in the war against terrorism.

The panel termed latest statements emanating from Washington as “irresponsible.” and said these tend to create tensions and fuel anti-Americanism in Pakistan. Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, who is also secretary general of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) presided over the meeting that strongly condemned any talk of incursions into Pakistan territory by outside forces.

The Senate body appreciated the public statements of President General Pervez Musharraf and Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri rejecting threats of incursions into Pakistan territory.

The Committee, through a unanimously adopted resolution, further said that Pakistan should not be blamed for the failings and weaknesses of NATO and the US forces in Afghanistan.

The Committee, which has representation from all the political parties, was of the view that as an ally of the international community in the campaign against terrorism, Pakistan had gone the extra mile, sacrificing nearly 900 of its soldiers and officers in FATA as well as deploying 85,000 troops in that area.

The Committee warned that any unilateral military action initiated by the US would be unacceptable and it would provoke a popular backlash among the people of Pakistan, which would be detrimental not just to the interests of Pakistan but also to the national security interests of the United States. 

Moscow, July 28
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has criticised the Bush administration's efforts to "dominate world politics" and said a multi-polar world was the key to global security.

"The situation today is such that each country's security can only be guaranteed by joint security efforts. In this mutually-dependent world, there can only be universal security," said Gorbachev, 76, who played a key role in the dismantling of Soviet Union.

The US has been pressing for deployment of elements of its missile defence system in central Europe, to defend itself and the European continent against potential threats from Iran and North Korea.

Moscow has strongly opposed the plans, citing national security concerns, and has offered Washington the joint use of a radar Russia rents in Azerbaijan as an alternative.

"Resorting to the old (Cold War) methods in these rapidly changing circumstances is absolutely misguided," said Gorbachev on Friday.

The last Soviet president said the George W Bush administration would clearly not give up its striving for unchallenged global leadership.

"Under the current US President and his administration, we will have little chance to dramatically change the situation," he said. "This situation is dangerous, and this is what the future (US) government must be aware of."

Gorbachev's tenure in 1985-1991 helped restructure security relations with Washington and brought crucial arms control deals following negotiation with US presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush senior. — IANS

Melbourne, July 28
Australia yesterday dismissed a Pakistani plea for uranium supply to maintain “balance of power” in south Asia, even as Canberra was considering selling the yellow cake to India after New Delhi finalises a landmark civilian nuclear deal with the United States.

Foreign minister Alexander Downer said there is no prospect in the near future of Australia exporting uranium to Pakistan. "I don’t think that bears any prospect in the foreseeable future of exporting to Pakistan (Uranium) unless Pakistan gets into some sort of a system of UN inspections and controls over its two nuclear facilities and it comes to Australia and signs a nuclear safeguards agreement,” Downer said.

Canberra has said it would consider supplying uranium to India despite the country not being a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, provided it agreed to inspections by the UN atomic watchdog.

This prompted Pakistan’s minister for religious affairs, Haq to call on Australia to also consider selling uranium to Islamabad.

“Pakistan should be considered alongside India when countries who are working in this region; they have to keep the balance of power in this region,” he said. — PTI

The Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP) has recommended harsher punishment to discourage customs like child marriage, Vani and Swara in which women are given in marriage to settle vendetta. Chief Justice (CJ) Iftikhar Chaudhry presided over the meeting of the commission.

The customs of Vani and Swara (mostly practised in the interiors of Sindh and the North West Frontier Province requires young girls to marry members of rival clans to resolve disputes) had attracted the attention of the CJ who, while dealing with a number of cases, had provided protection to such women and ordered punishment for those guilty.

The commission reviewed a number of laws on social evils and suggested amendments to them. The commission recommended six months’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 25,000 to an adult man who married a minor girl.