W O R L D

Keep up war against terror, Bush tells Gilani
US President George W. Bush telephoned Pakistan’s new Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani early on Tuesday morning and urged him not to let Pakistan’s support for the war on terror waver. White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the two leaders “both agreed that it is in both of their countries’ best interests to continue to fight terrorists and extremists. So we anticipate continued cooperation.”

• Law waiver to give Pak $ 300 m

Gilani to seek vote of confidence
on March 29
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani will seek a vote of confidence from the National Assembly on March 29. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and its allies have requisitioned the Assembly session and Speaker Fehmida Mirza has called the Assembly on March 29, PPP information secretary Sherray Rehman said. She confirmed that the first batch of the federal cabinet might take oath the same day or on March 30 the latest.

Tibet Unrest
Over 660 protesters have surrendered, says China
Beijing, March 26
Amid rising global pressure against its intensified crackdown on Tibetans, China today claimed that over 660 pro-independence protesters had surrendered for their alleged role in the unrest, which left 20 people dead, as it escorted foreign journalists to the riots-scarred Lhasa.

An unidentified European Parliament deputy lays a Tibetan flag in front of her on Wednesday during a session of the European Parliament in Brussels. Cohn-Bendit called EU countries to boycott the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. — AFP photo

Indian workers ‘harassed’on way to Washington
Washington, March 26
Nearly 100 Indian workers, who alleged slave-like treatment in a Mississippi shipyard, today said they were “harassed” by US immigration authorities during their march from New Orleans to Washington DC, forcing a day’s delay in their meeting with the Indian Ambassador.

US sent N-parts to Taiwan by ‘mistake’
Washington, March 26
In a revelation that could heat up the already charged relations with China, the US has said it had mistakenly sent Taiwan four nuclear warhead fuses in 2006 and the error was discovered only last week.

Nepal denies arms imported from India
Kathmandu, March 26
Amid protests by the Maoists over the alleged import of arms from India, the Nepal government has dismissed the charge, saying New Delhi had only donated anti-riot gear to the Himalayan country ahead of the polls. “We have not imported arms from India recently.... The Maoists hyped the normal issue, when the government had just imported some logistics related to controlling riots from India,” minister for peace and reconstruction Ramchandra Poudyal said.

Keep up war against terror, Bush tells Gilani
Ashish Kumar Sen writes from Washington

US President George W. Bush telephoned Pakistan’s new Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani early on Tuesday morning and urged him not to let Pakistan’s support for the war on terror waver. White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the two leaders “both agreed that it is in both of their countries’ best interests to continue to fight terrorists and extremists. So we anticipate continued cooperation.”

Since 2001, the Bush administration has relied on President Pervez Musharraf as a key ally in this war. A New York Times report over the weekend said that Pakistan’s new leaders intend to start negotiations with militants in the hope of ending recent violence. Deputy secretary of state John D. Negroponte and Richard A. Boucher, assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, travelled to Pakistan to persuade the new civilian government not to negotiate with militants.

Perino said Bush and Gillani had “a very good conversation and talked about the broad relationship that the United States has with Pakistan.” Washington is mindful that Musharraf’s days are numbered and that now is perhaps as good a time as any to build a relationship with other players in Pakistani politics.

“Simply stated, it’s an opportunity for us to engage, at a very senior level, with a new Pakistani government as they are making this transition,” said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.

He said Negroponte and Boucher also met Musharraf. Noting that Pakistan was “coming out of a period of time in which there was a diversion from the pathway of democracy,” McCormack said Washington welcomed the fact that Pakistan is now “back on that pathway to democracy, that they have held elections in which the Pakistani people can have confidence.”

But, he added, Washington would continue to work with Musharraf as well. Noting that economic and political reform is “inextricably linked” to fighting violent extremism, McCormack said, “The long-term hedge against the expansion of violent extremists and terrorists in the region and in Pakistan is the broadening and deepening of these economic and political reforms. And we are working with the Pakistani government on that.”

Gilani to seek vote of confidence on March 29
Afzal Khan writes from Islamabad

Ghulam Ahmad Bilor from the ANP and JUI-F Senator Talah Mahmood are being tipped in this regard.

Drafter of PCO Pirzada removed

Octogenarian Sharifuddin Pirzada, the legal expert behind Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's controversial constitutional amendments, has been removed along with other advisers and assistants. Outgoing cabinet secretary S.M. Alam Rizvi said the Cabinet Division had issued a notification to sack Pirzada. He was the expert who drafted the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) that Musharraf issued to sack 60 judges of the superior judiciary.

Bhutto attack suspect freed

Karachi: Top militant leader Qari Saifullah Akhtar, blamed by slain former premier Benazir Bhutto for plotting a suicide attack on her homecoming parade that killed 140 people, was today freed by a Pakistani court. A report submitted to the court by the police said they had found no evidence linking Akhtar to the suicide bombing of the rally here on October 19 last year. — PTI

Tibet Unrest
Over 660 protesters have surrendered, says China
Foreign scribes taken to Lhasa

Indian workers ‘harassed’on way to Washington

Washington, March 26
Nearly 100 Indian workers, who alleged slave-like treatment in a Mississippi shipyard, today said they were “harassed” by US immigration authorities during their march from New Orleans to Washington DC, forcing a day’s delay in their meeting with the Indian Ambassador.

The workers said their arrival in Washington DC and meeting with the Indian Ambassador Ronen Sen had been postponed by a day as they were “harassed” by immigration authorities along their 1,500 km march.

“Our schedule has changed somewhat due to harassment and surveillance from immigration authorities on the way to Washington DC,” media coordinator for the New Orleans Workers Center for Racial Justice Stephen Boykevich said.

The Indian workers had walked off the Signal International plant in Pascagula in Mississippi on March 6 alleging slave-like treatment.

The Indian Ambassador to the US, Ronen Sen, had cancelled some of his prior appointments outside Washington DC to meet the Indian workers.

“We are in North Carolina and will be in Washington tomorrow night,” a member of the protesters Sabulal Vijayan said.

The NGO groups and their officials representing the 100 Indian workers said a class action lawsuit had been filed in New Orleans, focusing on anti-racketeering against Signal International, the American and Indian recruiters. — PTI

US sent N-parts to Taiwan by ‘mistake’

Washington, March 26
In a revelation that could heat up the already charged relations with China, the US has said it had mistakenly sent Taiwan four nuclear warhead fuses in 2006 and the error was discovered only last week.

The nuclear missile fuses were shipped to Taiwan more than 18 months ago, but the trip-up was not learnt until about a week ago with the defence secretary Robert Gates immediately ordering an enquiry into the matter.

The shipment of the fuses, which can be used to trigger warheads on ballistic missiles, was only discovered last week, the Pentagon said.

It is said the Pentagon’s Defence Logistics Agency had sent four nose-cone fuse assemblies to Taiwan in August 2006 instead of four replacement battery packs for use in Taiwan’s fleet of UH-1 Huey helicopters.

The fuses help trigger nuclear warheads on Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles as they near their point of impact. Gates is said to have learnt of the matter on Friday and immediately informed the President, but waited until the elections in Taiwan were over to put in place the official enquiry.

China today expressed “grave concern” over the revelation and demanded a thorough probe into the incident.

“We express our serious concern and strong dissatisfaction and demand the US side investigate this incident,” foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement.

“We urge the US to cease selling military hardware to Taiwan and end US-Taiwan military ties, or risk harming stability in the Taiwan Strait and the healthy and stable development of China-US ties,” Gang said.

It was the second nuclear-related mistake involving the Pentagon in recent months. Last August an Air Force B-52 bomber flew across several US states carrying six cruise missiles armed with nuclear warheads for nearly two days.

The Washington Post, quoting missile defence experts, said the United States may have violated nuclear non-proliferation agreements and US export laws by sending the items to Taiwan.

“This is a case of horrifying mismanagement of the inventory at this location,” Leonard S. Spector, deputy director of the James Martin Center for Non-proliferation Studies said. “But it does seem more like mismanagement rather than a nefarious scheme to get them to Taiwan.” Joseph Cirincione, president of the Ploughshares Fund, said. — PTI

Nepal denies arms imported from India

Kathmandu, March 26
Amid protests by the Maoists over the alleged import of arms from India, the Nepal government has dismissed the charge, saying New Delhi had only donated anti-riot gear to the Himalayan country ahead of the polls.

“We have not imported arms from India recently.... The Maoists hyped the normal issue, when the government had just imported some logistics related to controlling riots from India,” minister for peace and reconstruction Ramchandra Poudyal said.

The Maoists torched two police posts at Golpark and Chauraha and a jeep at Kalikanagar in Butawal on Monday to protest against the alleged supply of weapons by India.

They blocked roads in Kathmandu yesterday for an hour and claimed that the imported weapons were being brought to the capital. They also claimed to have seized two weapon-loaded trucks.

India too has clarified that it has supplied riot gear to Nepal on the request of its government. — PTI