W O R L D

‘Cleansing’ to continue in tribal areas
Adviser to Prime Minister on Interior matters Rehman Malik on Wednesday said the army operation in tribal areas bordering Afghanistan would continue till the elimination of miscreants in the area. Talking to journalists during his short visit to Peshawar, Malik said efforts were underway to enforce Sharia in Tribal areas.

• ‘Govt should review war-on-terror policy’

• Girl killed in suicide attack

A resident lights a candle in front of the vocational school in Kauhaijoki where a student shot dead 10 persons on Tuesday, about 350 km from Helsinki, on Wednesday. Finland mourned the dead of its second school shooting in less than a year and questioned whether it was time to clamp down hard on private gun ownership. — Reuters

Guv’s Post in Bangkok
Punjabis support Apirak
Thousands of Sikhs and the Punjabi community, in general, have extended their wholehearted support to Apirak Kosayodhin for the post of governor of Bangkok. The election for the top post of the national capital would be held on October 5, a government spokesman said here.

New York Diary
Security lapse?
A journalist unwittingly smuggled a lighter inside Prime Minister’s special Air India flight despite four layers of security at the Palam airport. He realised that the security personnel had not properly checked his shirt pocket, once he was on board the aircraft.

‘Cleansing’ to continue in tribal areas
Afzal Khan writes from Islamabad

Adviser to Prime Minister on Interior matters Rehman Malik on Wednesday said the army operation in tribal areas bordering Afghanistan would continue till the elimination of miscreants in the area.

Talking to journalists during his short visit to Peshawar, Malik said efforts were underway to enforce Sharia in Tribal areas. He said militants, challenging government’s writ, caused damages to government and private properties in Swat and the Bajour areas, which forced the government to launch an operation.

Malik said the militants had only two options, either to give up and surrender, or to face the ongoing military operation.

Responding to a question regarding the abducted ambassador designate of Afghanistan, Abdul Khaliq Farahi, he said Farahi was himself to be blamed for his abduction.

He said the government had provided 10 security guards to Farahi, but he was traveling alone on the day of kidnapping. He said efforts were on to trace the ambassador. Lastly, Farahi was seen heading towards Jamrod, Malik added. He, however, claimed that some progress has been achieved in investigations.

Earlier, Malik held meetings with Governor NWFP Owais Ghani, IG frontier corps NWFP and Major-General Tariq. IG F.C. Tariq gave a briefing on security situation in the tribal areas.

‘Govt should review war-on-terror policy’

The government should review its policy on “war on terror” by debating it in Parliament, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman said.

Fazlur returned to Islamabad after a week-long trip to Saudi Arabia. He told reporters here that adviser to the Prime Minister on interior, Rehman Malik, should admit the state's failure to pre-empt the Marriott Hotel attack. "Instead, he is claiming that the country's top leaders were saved due to last-minute change of the venue," Fazl said.

Rehman Malik said the government had planned an iftar dinner in the hotel, but the venue was changed to Prime Minister's House at the last moment. The hotel's owner, however, denied Malik's claim, saying there was no such booking.

The JUI chief, who has been elected as chairman of the important parliamentary panel on Kashmir, said the panel will meet soon after Eid.

Guv’s Post in Bangkok
Punjabis support Apirak
Kulwinder Sandhu writes from Bangkok

Thousands of Sikhs and the Punjabi community, in general, have extended their wholehearted support to Apirak Kosayodhin for the post of governor of Bangkok. The election for the top post of the national capital would be held on October 5, a government spokesman said here.

Paramjit Singh (72), who migrated from Lahore with his father Sardar Singh at the tender age of 13 just after the Partition, says, "I'll vote for Apirak because he has always been so kind to us."

It may be mentioned that Apirak, the governor's candidate no. 5 ranks top in the latest survey by Suan Dusit Poll, reported Bangkok Post, the nations's top newspaper. Over 57 per cent of the voters surveyed said they would vote for Apirak, followed by no. 8 Chuwit Kamolvisit (17.2 per cent), no. 10 Prapas Chongsa-nguan (13 per cent), and no. 2 Kriangsak Charoenwongsak (8.5 per cent).

Apirak visited the Singh Sabha Gurdwara situated on the Phuret road near the China town on Tuesday and offered ardas (prayer) for his success.

He announced to get constructed a big gate on the Phuret road depicting the photos of Sikh gurus and highlighting the Sikh history.

Many Sikhs said Apirak had helped them in setting up a Sikh international school so as to keep their traditions and culture alive.

Avleen Kaur, who works as a manager in a readymade clothes shop, said she was born in Bangkok, but she had to move to a school in Mussoorie for schooling just to learn English and Hindi so that she could keep her tradition alive far away from her native land.

New York Diary

Security lapse?

A journalist unwittingly smuggled a lighter inside Prime Minister’s special Air India flight despite four layers of security at the Palam airport. He realised that the security personnel had not properly checked his shirt pocket, once he was on board the aircraft. The lighter thereafter was much in demand among smokers on the plane.

The economist

The economist in the PM always gets the better of him. How did the PM spend his time in Frankfurt where his delegation made an overnight halt on way to New York? Most of the time, he was updating himself with the global economic crises.

No objection

It was a unique media interaction not only for Manmohan Singh but also for the journalists accompanying him on his overseas trip. The PM came to greet media personnel in the aircraft. As he passed through every row, the journalists surrounded him in groups and threw questions at him. The lucky ones got the answers as well.

Protests galore

With the UN General Assembly meet in session, it is 'demonstration time' in New York. Outside the UN headquarters, demonstrators ranging from Tibetans to those protesting against the Russian action in Georgia can be seen at any time of the day, carrying placards and shouting slogans.

Smiling cops

It is utter chaos on roads in New York now that the UN General Assembly meet has begun. In Manhattan and other adjacent areas, the police force looks a harassed lot. But however tired they might be, the cops extend a pleasant smile to every passerby, especially a foreigner.

— Ashok Tuteja