W O R L D

Medvedev orders truce
Moscow, August 12
President Dmitry Medvedev today ordered a halt to the Russian military action in Georgia after five days of massive air and land attacks, saying that the mission to "force peace" in the region had been accomplished.

Zardari claims support of 350 MPs
PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari has said that the decision to impeach President Musharraf, taken after a consensus among all four partners in the coalition last week, stands to pass with an overwhelming majority beyond the requisite 295 votes.

India worried
Kuala Lumpur, August 12
India is concerned that impeachment of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf may leave a "big vacuum" that will give freedom to radical elements to do "what they like in this country".

NCM raises turban issue with Sarkozy
London, August 12
India's National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has taken the issue of the turban ban in France with the country's government, besides supporting the British Sikh schoolgirl involved in a legal battle over wearing “karra”, a member of the organisation has said.

Medvedev orders truce

Moscow, August 12
President Dmitry Medvedev today ordered a halt to the Russian military action in Georgia after five days of massive air and land attacks, saying that the mission to "force peace" in the region had been accomplished.

"The security of our peacekeepers and civilians has been restored," Medvedev said. "The aggressor has been punished and suffered very significant losses. Its military has been disorganised."

At his televised meeting with defence minister Anatoly Serdyukov and Chief of General Staff General Makarov, the Russian President, however, said he had ordered the military to defend itself and quell any signs of Georgian resistance. "If there are any emerging hotbeds of resistance or any aggressive actions, you should take steps to destroy these," he said.

Medvedev had ordered Operation Peace Enforcement on August 8 after the Georgian government troops launched a massive offensive to retake breakaway South Ossetia, most of the population of which are Russian citizens. The announcement comes hours before the French President Nicholas Sarkozy is due to arrive here with a joint EU and OSCE peace plan.

Russia today virtually ruled out the joint plan proposed by the European Union (EU) and Organisation of Security and Cooperation (OSCE) and blamed the US for inciting President Saakashvili's regime for attacking South Ossetia.

"We do not trust Saakashvili because he has not repented for the war crimes committed by him against our citizens in South Ossetia," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a joint press conference with his Finnish counterpart Alexander Stuub.

As the rotating president of OSCE Finnish minister Stubb and French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner are here after their yesterday's visit to Tbilisi, where President Saakashvili signed an EU-OSCE plan providing for immediate cessation of hostilities, restoration of military status quo by withdrawal of troops from South Ossetia and launching of humanitarian relief. Lavrov repeated Moscow's demand for Georgian military withdrawal to the points from where Tbilisi could not in future attack South Ossetia and a legally binding pact on non-use of force against the breakaway republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

"The US have given a lot of money and equipment to Saakashvili to train the Georgian army, although we had expressed concerns that he could use it inside the country. However, Washington assured us that it will not happen," Lavrov said. — PTI

Zardari claims support of 350 MPs
Says Mush wants safe passage, Sharif won’t hear of it
Afzal Khan writes from Islamabad

NCM raises turban issue with Sarkozy

London, August 12
India's National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has taken the issue of the turban ban in France with the country's government, besides supporting the British Sikh schoolgirl involved in a legal battle over wearing “karra”, a member of the organisation has said.

The turban issue was raised with French President Nicholas Sarkozy during his visit to India and subsequently with the French government, Harcharan Singh Josh, a 
member of the statutory body, said here.

"We have actively supported British schoolgirl Sarika in her legal battle against the school ban on wearing the karra," he said.

The ban on wearing turbans to schools was imposed by the French government in 2006, after the headgear was classified by the authorities as one of the religious symbols which children attending schools were barred from wearing.

The ban had led to a widespread protests from the Sikh community in India and abroad, which insisted that growing long hair and wearing a turban was part of the Sikh identity and not merely a religious symbol. The French government, however, did not withdraw the ban, despite the pressure.

The British teenager, who said, wearing the karra was a symbol of her faith, however, won the legal right for wearing it to school.

"The NCM has taken the problems of Indians settled abroad such as racial discrimination, issue of turban, karra, delay and non-issuing of visas to eligible persons," he said, referring to the steps taken by the commission to ameliorate the difficulties faced by the Indian minority community worldwide. He said the commission enjoyed powers of a civil court while performing its functions. — PTI