Karachi, May 23
Pakistan today released 99 Indian fishermen here coinciding with the resumption of the composite dialogue process.

The fishermen, who were arrested in the last one year for allegedly fishing in its waters and were kept in the Landhi jail, will be handed over to the Indian authorities at the Wagah border tomorrow, officials said.

There are still 370 Indian fishermen present in the jails in Karachi, Landhi jail superintendent Abdul Majeed Siddiqui said.

The Indians were released in the eastern port city and sent in two coaches to Lahore with the assistance of an NGO.

“We have deputed the special Branch and the court police with these fishermen till they are handed over to the Indian authorities,” an official told PTI.

Islamabad had announced the release of fishermen as a goodwill gesture to mark the visit of external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee for the resumption of the composite dialogue process after a six-month gap.

In talks, held in Islamabad, the two sides agreed to allow consular access to prisoners still in the jails in both countries. — PTI

Only parliament can grant indemnity to President Pervez Musharraf’s imposition of emergency on November 3 last year, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said.

Gilani did not agree with the claim that the Supreme Court had indemnified Musharraf’s actions.

During an informal interaction with Islamabad-based editors and columnists, the Prime Minister said he would not back out on his statement on the restoration of the Judiciary. “I will immediately pass an order once the coalition partners agree on this issue ... The PPP government is serious in resolving the judges’ issue,” he said.

Gilani said, “People have given us the mandate for the restoration of democracy and supremacy of Parliament. We have to strengthen all institutions of the country, including the Judiciary and we are committed to restore the judges. This is our commitment with the nation.”

The Prime Minister dispelled skepticism about the PPP’s commitment to the restoration of judges. “We are far ahead of everybody. We are serious and the issue will be resolved by the Pakistan People’s Party,” he said.

Gilani said even before the general election, the PPP had been advocating for the independence of judiciary and always stressed on the supremacy of Parliament. Asked if he enjoyed all powers as the premier given the fact that most of the decisions were taken either by the president or by PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari, Gilani said he was a chief executive with full authority backed by the mandate of the people of Pakistan.

President Musharraf has taken serious note of the PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari’s interview to PTI in which he said he was under tremendous pressure from the people, who wanted Musharraf out, private TV channels quoting sources in the Army House said on Friday.

Musharraf has decided to end all back-channel contacts with the PPP and was reportedly closeted with his top advisers and legal team to discuss the implications of Zardari’s statement. He is also meeting Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani within next 24 hours to convey his response, these reports said. He will also express his serious reservations over the proposed constitutional package designed to clip presidential powers.

Political observers in the capital were surprised by the hard-hitting observations and were trying to figure out the immediate provocation for the outburst.

It appears that after two months of flip-flop and unpopular compromises, Zardari has set his party on a warpath with Musharraf.

In his interview that was widely reproduced in Pakistani media, Zardari described Musharraf as a “relic of the past” standing between the people of Pakistan and the democracy adding that there was tremendous pressure on the new government to ensure his ouster from office.

“After all that has happened, you cannot have an un-elected and non-democratic President”, he said emphasising: “You just cannot. Now, no matter whether I like it or don’t like it, or whether he (Musharraf) likes it or anybody else doesn’t like it, I have no choice.” For two months, I have been trying to do a whitewash or whatever you may call it to dialogue with the people of Pakistan and my party. That’s okay, let’s have national reconciliation, but people are not willing to accept my position on that.”

Zardari is facing popular disaffection over his stance on restoration of judges and keenness to protect the new courts stuffed by Musharraf with pliant judges, who have hitherto endorsed his every action. The lawyers have announced a long march on June 10.

Sydney, May 23
Australian entertainer-turned-Bollywood starlet Tania Zaetta may sue and demand compensation for unsubstantiated allegations made in News Limited, a tabloid, on Thursday that she had sex with Australian soldiers while on an armed forces entertainment tour toAfghanistan.

Zaetta, who has refuted the claims as “complete made-up lies”, told News Limited: “When things like this get into countries like that (India) it’s not taken lightly. Sex scandals-rumoured, alleged, bad Chinese whispers, whatever it is, aren't taken lightly in a country like that.” Claims that her Bollywood career is in jeopardy are too far-etched as the 37-year-old has played only minor cameo roles in films like “Salaam Namaste” and “Mr. Black, Mr. White”. International media has been quick to pick up this sleazy story of sex and scandal from a report in a national tabloid as an embarrassed department of defence issued an apology to Zaetta for the sex scandal leak amidst reports that she was going to sue the department — IANS

Cape Town, May 23 
Anti-immigrant violence has spread to Cape Town where mobs attacked Somalis and Zimbabweans, and looted their homes and shops, the police said today.

Hundreds of African migrants were evacuated overnight from a squatter camp near Cape Town, the hub of South Africa's tourism industry. Somali-owned shops also were looted in Knysna, a resort town on the south-western coast.

One Somali died overnight but it was unclear whether the death was linked to the attacks.

At least 42 people have been killed and more than 25,000 driven from their homes in 12 days of attacks by mobs that accuse African migrants of taking jobs and fuelling crime. More than 500 people have been arrested.

The unrest began in the Johannesburg area but has spread to other provinces. Authorities warned more attacks were expected over the weekend and said that they would seek additional assistance from the military, if necessary. — Reuters

BRIEFLY

Ukraine mine explosion kills one, 6 missing
DONETSK(Ukraine): One miner was killed and six others were missing after a methane explosion on Friday at a coal mine in Ukraine. Ukraine’s mining inspectorate said that the explosion occurred overnight at a depth of 330 metres. Around 400 miners were underground, and 10 were in the immediate area of the blast. Three of them walked out unharmed. Rescue crews are searching for the missing men. Reuters

US wants N-deal to be finalised under Bush admn
Washington: As the UPA government and the Left meet on May 28 to discuss the fate of the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, Washington has said it wants the agreement to be finalised under the Bush administration. Asked about US Ambassador India David Mulford's comments that the deal could be finalised under Bush, the State Department's deputy spokesman Tom Casey said, "There are internal political considerations in India which have yet not been resolved. We would like to see this arrangement finalised.” — PTI

Microbes found living 1.6 km below seabed
OSLO: Microbes have been found living at a record depth of 1.6 km (a mile) beneath the Atlantic seabed, off the coast of Newfoundland, hinting that life might also evolve underground on other planets, the scientists said on Thursday. The prokaryotic microbes are lacking nuclei, which distinguishes them from all animal and plant life. The findings could complicate plans of burying greenhouse gases in porous rocks deep below the seabed which was long thought to be devoid of life. — Reuters

Rice warns of more US sanctions against Iran
PALO ALTO: “The United States will aggressively impose more sanctions on Iran as long as it refuses to give up sensitive nuclear work and uses the world's financial system for ‘terrorism’,” U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Thursday. Iran has been subjected to three rounds of UN Security Council sanctions over its nuclear programme. Washington also imposed sanctions on more than 20 Iranian companies, banks and individuals as well as the defense ministry, hoping to increase pressure on Tehran to stop uranium enrichment. Tehran denies the charges against it. — Agencies