The Supreme Court is likely to ask President General Pervez Musharraf to relinquish Army post before election due on October 6, Sen. S.M. Zafar, leading jurist and amicus curiae in the petitions challenging Musharraf’s eligibility as a candidate told reporters here today.

But another amicus curiae and eminent jurist Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan told the court that Gen Musharraf can keep both offices of the President and the Army Chief till November 15, under the 17th amendment, but is not qualified to contest election for another term. He said anybody proposing or seconding his nomination papers was liable to jail-term up to 10 years.

Both are assisting the court in the case. The court was adjourned till tomorrow.

Zafar, who had brokered the MMA-Government deal in 2003 which facilitated the passage of 17th amendment, told the court that under the Constitution, the President cannot keep Army Chief the moment he is elected. He said the court should insert a specific direction to this effect in the judgement so that there is retraction as was the case in the past.

Earlier, Sayed Sharifuddin Pirzada, chief counsel of President Musharraf, urged the court not to disrupt the electoral process which has already begun. He owned the contention of Attorney General Qayyum Malik that the petitions are not maintainable. But the presiding judge of the 9-member bench, Rana Bhagwandas, intervened to say that the court has already ruled the case to be maintainable.

Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan said the entire argument on Musharraf's re-election is based on wrong premises. The 17th amendment only allowed concession to Musharraf as President to keep his Army post. It did not remove the bar on any Army Chief under the Constitution and the Army Act to contest any election till two years after retirement.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority today imposed a blanket ban on TV channels, directing them not to hold any talk show, discussion or any other programme on cases that are being heard in courts.

The ban was immediately criticised by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) terming it as illegal and without jurisdiction.

Islamabad, September 26
As the Supreme Court grappled with a slew of petitions challenging his dual office, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf is all set to file nomination on Thursday to seek re-election in uniform amid the opposition’s failure to unite over their plans to quit from the assemblies.

After signing his nomination papers on Wednesday with firm backing from ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Musharraf has formally launched his poll campaign in Balochistan where the PML-Q along with Islamist Muthahida Majlis-e-Amal is in power.

The electoral college for the Presidential election, to be held on October 6, consisted of members of parliament — made up of national assembly and senate — and four provincial assemblies. The PML-Q and its allies have a majority in senate and all the assemblies except in North West Frontier Province.

Chairman of the Senate, Mian Muhammad Sumorro and the speaker of the National Assembly, Amir Hussain, were fielded as “covering” (dummy) candidates for Musharraf, not his wife Sehba as earlier reports had suggested.

Musharraf met a cross-section of Balochistan provincial assembly legislators on Tuesday, prominent among whom were the members of the Jambhuri Watan Party (JWP) founded by the slain Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Bugti, who was killed in an encounter with the Pakistan army last year.

In the course of the next few days, he was expected to interact with lawmakers from Punjab and Sindh.

Musharraf appeared to have no problem in mustering majority as he was elected by the same assemblies in 2002, but the biggest challenge may come from the apex court which is hearing petitions questioning his dual offices, the legality of his re-election despite being army chief. — PTI

The statement by former Prime Minister Benazir’s Bhutto that she would allow access to the IAEA to father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb, Dr. A. Q. Khan has caused a furor in the country drawing sharp criticism from the government, the opposition and various segments of civil society in the country.

The critics said Bhutto is mortgaging sovereignty of the country and demeaning a national hero to please the United States for self-serving objective to come to power on foreign crutches.

PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar clarified the statement saying the media had twisted it. He said Bhutto had responded to a “hypothetical” question at a public seminar in Washington regarding cooperation with the IAEA in investigating charges against Dr. Khan.

“She said that a PPP government would extend full cooperation to the International Atomic Energy Commission. This position is not very different from what the current government says or any other responsible government in Pakistan would say,” Babar said.

“The PPP seeks to establish rule of law and there is no question of violating Pakistani or International law in relation to the freedom and personal rights of anyone, including Dr Khan,” he added.

Federal ministers Tariq Azim and Shaikh Rashid Ahmed flayed Bhutto and said the government would never accept any foreign intrusion in the case. “Pakistan has conducted its own investigation and the international community is expressed satisfaction over it, “ Azim Tariq said adding:”

Khan’s is a shut case and there is no question of allowing access to a foreign power or organisation to Dr. Khan.” He said Musharraf had resisted all pressure on the issue Rashid said Khan is a national hero and Bhutto should not injure popular sentiments by making such “irresponsible” statements.

Tehrike Insaf chief Imran Khan and MMA leader Liaquat Baloch said Bhutto is blinded by a lust for power and is trying to please western powers to seek their help in install her as Prime Minister. Imran said Ms. Bhutto is totally cut off from ground realities in Pakistan and is consistently insulting the intelligence of the Pakistani people by making atrocious statements against national interests.

Some lawyers reacting to the statement said Bhutto should be tried for treason.

Beijing, September 26
Ahead of major high-level visits, India and China today signalled progress on the vexed boundary issue in the negotiations between the two Special Representatives, who today concluded “useful and positive” discussions.

“Special Representatives of the two countries M. K. Narayanan, national security adviser, and Dai Bingguo, vice-foreign minister, held useful and positive discussions on the framework for the settlement of the Sino-India boundary question,” the Indian embassy said in a brief press note at the end of the three-day talks.

The language of the note this time was notably different compared to the 10th round held in India in April when it only said the talks were held in an “open, friendly, cooperative and constructive atmosphere.” Narayanan yesterday called on Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao after holding informal talks with Dai, soon after his arrival from India, possibly indicating the urgency with which the two sides would like to address the pending boundary issue that has hurt the smooth development of Sino-India relations.

India and China have agreed that the next round of talks at the level of Special Representatives would be held again in Beijing, possibly on the eve of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s planned visit to Beijing later this year, the note said.

The visit comes ahead of Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s visit to China at the invitation of Chinese President and the ruling Communist Party of China general secretary Hu Jintao.

“The specific dates would be decided through diplomatic channels,” the note said.

While welcoming Narayanan for the 11th round of the boundary talks, the Chinese Premier had noted that during the past 10 rounds, both sides had made progress.

Wen also noted that both Beijing and New Delhi had established the guiding principles and political parameters for resolving the boundary issue.

It was during Wen’s visit to India in 2005 that the two governments established the guiding principles and political parameters for resolving the boundary dispute, which has marred the normal development of Sino-India relations. — PTI

New York, September 26
The Indian government should give priority to “putting food on plates” of millions who go hungry every day, actress-activist Shabana Azmi said, lamenting that the country’s “economy is booming but not for the poorest”.

Azmi was taking part in a protest organised by the ActionAid HungerFree outside the UN headquarters to highlight the plight of the world’s poor as global leaders were addressing the United Nations General Assembly.

Protesters beat drums, shouted slogans and waved flags to press the world leaders to “put the interests of the people above those of corporations and businesses”.

Azmi said the government policies needed to correct the contradiction in the Indian society. On one hand, the country has a booming middle class and a 9 per cent growth rate and on the other, it has the highest rate of malnourishment among the people. More than 100 million people, mostly children, go hungry every day, she said.

“India’s economy is booming but not for the poorest,” Azmi said. World over, there are 854 million hungry people, 54 million more than when the world leaders pledged to half the hunger in 2000, she told the protesters. — PTI

London, September 26
Al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden's recently released video, attacking western leaders and urging Americans to convert to Islam, has been branded as a ‘fake’ by his son in Britain.

"That's not my dad," the 'News of the World' reported here today, quoting 27-year-old Omar bin Laden as telling his former British wife Jane Felix-Browne.

"Omar is sure the man on the video is an imposter. He has seen it a few times and told me so twice," the 51-year-old granny told the British tabloid.

"Omar remembers the first video his dad did shortly after the 9/11 attacks. But he says in this latest one, Osama's beard is shorter and darker, his face isn't the same shape, it's rounder and his eyes are clearly a different shape too.

He doesn't think his dad has had a makeover. He's sure it's not him," Felix-Browne said.

But she claimed that Omar, who has not seen his dad for eight years, still "believes he is alive and hopes to meet him one day". "Osama may be the world's most wanted man, but Omar told me, 'I love my dad like any son and I miss him dreadfully'".

Felix-Browne, who had married Osama's fourth son last year, recently split up, fearing they would be killed by fanatics in Saudi Arabia because she's British.

"We got divorced on September 15. Ironically, it was also our first wedding anniversary. But the divorce was completely against our wishes," she had said recently. — PTI

Hanoi, September 26
A bridge under construction in southern Vietnam collapsed today, killing at least 52 workers and injuring 97 others, officials said.

The Japanese-funded bridge was being built across the Hau river, a branch of the Mekong river, in the southern city of Can Tho. It is part of a heavily travelled route that links the Mekong delta and Ho Chi Minh city.

At least 52 persons were dead and 97 others were injured, said Le Van Ut, the vice-chief of police in Vinh Long province. Rescue teams were digging through the rubble in search of survivors, said Le Viet Hung, vice-chief of the Can Tho police. “It was total chaos,” he said. “It sounded like a huge explosion. It’s the biggest accident I’ve ever seen.” The exact number of missing was unknown, but officials said at least 200 persons were working on the 100m bridge section when it buckled at about 8 am. Officials were still investigating the cause of the accident.

Cement had been poured into the collapsed section just yesterday. The bracing supporting it had apparently weakened, said chairman of Vinh Long people’s committee. — AP

London, September 26
The former King of Bulgaria, the only Monarch in history who became the head of the government through a landslide victory in democratic nationwide elections after 55 years of Communist-imposed exile, was a “KGB spy”.

Yane Yanev, a leading opposition leader of Order, Rule of Law and Justice Party, has alleged that Simeon Saxe-Coburg was recruited by the Soviet secret services during his long exile in Spain, ‘The Daily Telegraph’ reported today.

“There are undisputed facts and documents proving that Simeon was noticed by the Russian KGB in the early 60s and was later offered money to pay his gambling debts in exchange for his collaboration with the service,” Yanev was quoted as saying.

The 70-year-old former King has refuted all allegations. He said the accusations were intended to defame him in the run-up to the upcoming local elections. — PTI