Washington, August 6
Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has said she would be willing to serve as premier under President Pervez Musharraf if he relinquishes his role as the army chief.

“… There have been contacts between the military regime and the Pakistan People’s Party, including myself, and we have been trying to search for a solution that could take Pakistan peacefully towards a democratic setup,” the PPP leader said when asked about the meeting with ruling party leaders.

Asked if a government, which included Musharraf as president and she as prime minister, could function given the history of bad blood between the two, she told CNN, “I think while General Musharraf and I have been on opposite sides of the pole where issues of dictatorship and democracy are concerned, we have both stated our determination to move Pakistan onto the path of moderation.

“And we have worked together on issues such as women’s rights. But I do agree with you that it does carry risks. It carries risks because at the moment, independent surveys showed that two-thirds of Pakistanis are unhappy with General Musharraf,” Bhutto said.

“But I still believe that if we can get an agreement for a smooth transfer of power and we can get a balance of power between the presidency and the parliament, we’d be able to come up with a situation where we can undermine terrorism and address the real needs of the people, which I believe are now being neglected,” she added.

Asked if under the right circumstances she could work together with Musharraf in the same government, she said: “If the people of Pakistan gave me a mandate, yes. But there would need to be a balance between the powers of the presidency and the powers of the parliament. When the president of a country also wears a uniform, it blurs the distinction between democracy and military rule. So I think it’s very important for Musharraf to take off the uniform. And I would also point out that our Supreme Court has recently become more independent, and issues pertaining to Musharraf’s re-election from the present assemblies are bound to be challenged,” the former PM said.

In a separate interview with Newsweek, Bhutto said she is negotiating with Musharraf for an amendment to the Constitution that would allow her to become the premier for the third time. The Pakistani Constitution prohibits a person from holding the office of Prime Minister for more than two times.

She also said if she comes to power again, she would work with other leaders in the region, including Indians and Afghanis, to bring about peace. “The earlier experience taught me a lot. There’s been plenty of time for reflection (since). We have difficult relations with India and tensions with Afghanistan. I hope to work with other leaders in the region to bring about peace.” — PTI

President Gen Pervez Musharraf is reportedly planning to get himself elected in September before he is required make vital changes in the top hierarchy of the army, including his successor as army chief, an office he cannot keep beyond November 15.

Two senior-most generals in the army - chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) Gen Ehasanul Haq and vice-chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS) Gen Ahsan Aslam Hayat - along with others are due to retire in September/October and Musharraf would be announcing their replacements. His decision to stay as army chief, despite attaining the age of superannuation in 2003, had blocked the promotion of other generals.

General’s September deadline might be an indication of his fear that the new leadership may conspire with the opposition to destabilise him. If he retires and also retires the two top generals, it would facilitate the promotion of two lieutenant generals to the rank of four-star generals, while seven major generals would also be elevated to the rank of the lieutenant general in the process. Haq and Hayat are scheduled to retire on October 8.

Official sources said the incumbent CJCSC - Gen Ehsan-ul-Haq and VCOAS - Gen Ehsan Salim Hayat, are not interested in seeking an extension.

Three senior most three-star generals are being discussed for the promotion if seniority becomes the consideration. They are Lt Gen Khalid Ahmad Kidwai, director general strategic plans division (SPD), Lt Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kiani, director general inter-services intelligence (ISI), and Lt Gen Tariq Majeed, Commander 10-Corps. General Kidwai is looking after country’s nuclear programme and is senior by virtue of his two extensions. If he were considered for any of the two slots, it would be a departure from the traditions.

Hiroshima, August 6
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe today pledged to work towards the abolition of nuclear weapons as Hiroshima marked the 62nd anniversary of the world’s first atomic bomb attack, which killed more than 140,000 people in the Japanese city.

Survivors, residents, visitors and officials from around the world observed a minute of silence at 8.15 am. An estimated 140,000 people were killed instantly or died within a few months after the bombing.

“Japan has been taking the path towards global peace for 62 years since World War II. The tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki should never be repeated in any place on earth,” Abe said in a speech at Hiroshima Peace Park, near the bomb’s epicentre.

“We will take the initiative in the international community and devote ourselves wholeheartedly towards the abolition of nuclear weapons and realisation of peace,” Abe said.

Abe also said Japan would remain committed to the country’s three principles of not possessing, developing or allowing nuclear weapons on Japanese soil.

His remarks followed the resignation of defence minister Fumio Kyuma last month amid a public outcry over his having suggested that the US atomic bombings may have been justified. — AP

Dubai, August 6
An Indian national, who had spent two years in the UAE as an illegal citizen, died of cardiac arrest in Sharjah, just a day before he was supposed to catch a flight back home under the UAE government's general amnesty scheme.

Bhumanna Muthanna (40) hailing from Andhra Pradesh, had obtained an exit pass from the authorities under the general amnesty plan and was scheduled to board an Indian flight from Sharjah to Hyderabad today.

Muthanna complained of chest pain yesterday and died while on the way to the Kuwaiti hospital, Pinem Laxman, a relative of Bhumanna, told the Khaleej Times.

“He was very happy on Saturday night. We had dinner together in the room. In the morning he complained of chest pain,” he said.

Meanwhile, thousands of passports of Indian nationals are lying unclaimed at the Indian Consulate in Dubai after the announcement of the amnesty.

Of the 40,000 passports handed over to them by immigration authorities, less than 16,000 have been collected.

“Many of the passports have expired and more than 11,000 have been lying with us since last year or longer,” said the officials.

Since the announcement of the UAE's general amnesty for illegal workers, Dubai Immigration has sent around 30,000 Indian passports to the consulate, whereas 6,000 passports were handed over by Sharjah Immigration. The Indian Consulate had previously set August 14 as the deadline to receive applications from amnesty seekers for emergency certificates. — PTI

London, August 6
Majority of people in the UK feel that Prince Charles' wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, should not attend Princess Diana's memorial service slated for later this month, according to a poll.

Nearly 54 per cent Britons believe the presence of Camilla, famously described by Princess Diana as the third person in her marriage, would be “inappropriate”, the ‘Daily Mail’ reported.

Only 39 per cent feel that Camilla should attend Diana’s ceremony who was killed alongside her boyfriend Dodi Al-Fayad and their driver in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

According to the poll, women are even more strongly opposed to Camilla's attending the ceremony, with over 61 per cent clearly against this.

Prince Charles is said to have insisted that Camilla accompanies him to this important national service in the Guard's Chapel at Wellington Barracks on August 31, fearing her absence might be interpreted as an admission of guilt.

Moreover, for the first time, the poll claims that most Britons want the crown to pass to Prince William rather than his father when the Queen of England dies or decides to abdicate. Even if Charles become King, a large majority oppose Camilla being the Queen. — PTI

Islamabad, August 6
Amidst assertions by the US that it will not hesitate to strike Al-Qaida targets in the border areas of Pakistan, Islamabad has said it will not allow the troops of any country to operate in its territory as it was capable of dealing with the terrorist elements.

“We will never allow any country to violate our sovereignty and integrity,” Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said.

Aziz said Pakistan was cooperating with the world in fighting terrorism and believed in strong coordination among the countries. “We believe in intelligence-sharing, cooperation and coordination with friendly countries that are committed to fight this scourge”.

Referring to the statements of the US presidential candidates about attacking Pakistan and the holy places of Muslims, Aziz told Al-Arabia channel that Pakistan had reacted to these statements strongly. He said no Muslim country would tolerate the attack on the Muslims’ holy places. — PTI