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Loss of Chenab Water
N. Korea to resume disablement after N-deal
PML-N ends protest, military to resume meeting
US video game guru heads for space as tourist
33 militants killed in Pak |
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27 LTTE cadres, 2 soldiers killed in clashes
‘Kashmir trade pact to have far-reaching impact’
Indian involved in chit fund scam
Sobhraj’s security tightened
Karzai offers Taliban role in govt
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Loss of Chenab Water
Islamabad, October 12 Pakistan's Indus Waters Commissioner Jamaat Ali Shah has said he will press for the compensation when he meets his Indian counterpart during an upcoming visit to India. Shah is scheduled to inspect the Baglihar dam in Jammu and Kashmir and participate in a meeting of the Permanent Commission for Indus Waters during the visit. Islamabad has alleged that New Delhi "completely blocked supply of regular water" or 23,000 cusecs a day to Pakistan from the Chenab last month to fill the Baglihar dam. It claimed that this curtailed Pakistan's share of irrigation water. Shah told Dawn newspaper that the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty was between two nations, and not two persons, and should not be taken lightly or violated. "We must respect this treaty as responsible nations. I tell you there are no guarantors in bilateral agreements between nations, but the nations concerned are its guarantors," he replied when asked whether the treaty had any guarantors as the World Bank, which arbitrated it, had cleared its position by describing its status as that of a "mediator". Shah would lead a Pakistani delegation to New Delhi on October 18 to discuss the alleged violation of the treaty by India. He said the meeting of the commission would be the first step in resolving water issues related to the Treaty. It would be premature to say anything about the outcome but Pakistan reserved the right to take up the issue with the World Bank again if India refused to compensate it, Shah said. — PTI
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N. Korea to resume disablement after N-deal
Seoul, October 12 The isolated and destitute North has longed to be delisted so it can better tap into international finance, see the lifting of many trade sanctions, and use global settlement banks to send money abroad instead of relying on cash-stuffed suitcases. “As the US fulfilled its commitment to make political compensation and a fair verification procedure in line with the phase of disablement ... the DPRK (North Korea) decided to resume the disablement of nuclear facilities in Yongbyon,” the North’s KCNA news agency quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying. The spokesman said the
North would “allow the inspectors of the US and the IAEA to perform their duties on the principle of ‘action for action’,” saying it will disable the nuclear plant and permit the inspectors in as others fulfil their obligations. The US decision was made after the secretive north agreed to a series of verification steps on its nuclear plant, a State Department spokesman said in Washington on Saturday. The deal also called for resuming disablement and allowing in inspectors. Last month, North Korea lashed out at not being removed by backing away from the disarmament-for-aid deal it made with China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the US and took initial measures to rebuild its Soviet-era nuclear plant, which was being disabled under the pact’s terms. Most of the disablement steps, which were started in November, had been completed and were aimed at taking at least a year to reverse. South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy told a Sunday briefing in Seoul: “The government welcomes these moves as an opportunity that would lead to normalisation of the six-party talks and North Korea’s eventual abandonment of its nuclear programmes.” But one hawkish Japanese minister called the US decision regrettable because it left unresolved the fate of Japanese nationals kidnapped by the North. — Reuters
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PML-N ends protest, military to resume meeting
The military will resume in-camera briefing to law makers on Monday as the main opposition, the PML-N signaled an end to its silent protest after its chief, Nawaz Sharif, received a personal assurance that its reservations over the procedure would be duly addressed.
The PML-N and other opposition groups, including members from the tribal areas, have complained that the two-day briefing last week offered no fresh information to the participants. They maintain that the briefing hitherto has remained confined to operational and tactical aspects of the ongoing operations against militants in the tribal areas and Swat. Addressing party workers in Lahore on Sunday, Sharif said the government should come forward and explain the policy framework and the strategy parameters under which the military operations are being conducted in the NWFP. The government must also lay down any secret agreements signed with the United States by ex-president General Musharraf and the rules of engagement worked out with the US forces for its intervention inside Pakistan territory. Sharif called for dialogue with the militants to end the current crisis. He said if the allied forces in Afghanistan are willing to talk to Taliban, the Pakistan government should have no hesitation in taking steps that would end terrorism and suicide attacks inside Pakistan. The PML-N chief said his party would extend all possible support to President Asif Zardari and his government for the stability, peace and economic recovery though he regretted that Zardari did not honour his promises, including restoration of deposed judges and constitutional amendments. Leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan refuted reports that Nawaz Sharif had played any role in the reported back channel dialogue between the Taliban and the allies in Saudi Arabia. He said during his stay in Saudi Arabia, Sharif did meet for about 90 minutes with Saudi Monarch Abdullah but did not take part in any mediatory initiative. Meanwhile, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of JUI, also expressed his dissatisfaction with the progress of in-camera briefing so far and called for more candid information. Fazl, whose party is a component of the ruling coalition also voiced reservations over the manner of ongoing military operations in tribal areas. In Lahore, the head of Jamaat Islami, Qazi Hussain Ahmed offered to mediate with militants in the tribal areas to end the current conflict.
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US video game guru heads for space as tourist
Baikonur (Kazakhstan), October 12 Sealed inside the Soyuz TMA-13 capsule together with a Russian cosmonaut and US astronaut, Garriott was catapulted towards the International Space Station (ISS) from the Baikonur base in the dusty steppes of Kazakhstan. As many as100 observers were present at the launch sight and they applauded as the rocket roared off the launch pad and rose into the blue skies overhead. Within 10 minutes of the launch, controllers confirmed the spacecraft had entered its planned orbit. Champagne corks popped as family and friends of the crew celebrated the apparently successful start of the mission. “I'm very happy for him,” said Garriott’s girlfriend, Kelly Miller, tears welling up in her eyes. “It’s one of the things he always wanted to do... I feel like it’s well
worth the opportunity.” The flight, which cost Garriott $30 million, was programmed to settle into orbit about nine
minutes after take-off and reach the ISS on Tuesday. Garriott now becomes the first American to follow a parent into space, hopes to be able to recoup the money he paid for the experience. Unlike the five space tourists, who came before him, Garriott views space as a family business. His father is former US astronaut Owen Garriott, who in 1973 spent two months aboard Skylab,
the first orbiting space station. — AFP
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33 militants killed in Pak
Islamabad, October 12 Officials said several militant hideouts were destroyed in the attacks. The operation in the Aurakzai Agency came two days after a suicide car bomb attack on anti-Taliban jirga killed up to 80 tribesmen and injured more than 130. — PTI
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27 LTTE cadres, 2 soldiers killed in clashes
Colombo, October 12 “According to the intelligence information provided by the troops of 57 Division, Sri Lankan
Air force MI-24 helicopters carried out a precise air sortie on an LTTE location situated in 4-km north-east of Akkarayankulam tank in Kilinochchi yesterday afternoon,” the air
force said. “The particular target was a huge bundh, which was being newly constructed in the area,” it said, adding that intercepting LTTE communications, troops confirmed that the heavy machines used for the constructions by the outfit were heavily damaged. In ground clashes, the security forces gunned down one tiger rebel in Vedamakulam in Vavuniya, it said.Meanwhile, Air Force troops conducted a search operation in Puvarasankulam in Vavuniya and recovered a huge cache of arms, including 390 pieces of T-56 ammunitions. While one LTTE cadre was killed in Akkarayankulam in Kilinochchi, two others were killed in the same area yesterday, the Media Centre for National Security
(MCNS) said. least three tiger rebels were gunned down in intense clashes with
army troops in Kokavil in Kilinochchi yesterday, the military said. In Manniyakulam in Kilinochchi, troops
killed three tiger militants and wounded six others during clashes with the LTTE yesterday, the MCNS said. — PTI
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‘Kashmir trade pact to have far-reaching impact’
Islamabad, October 12 The composite dialogue between Pakistan and India has entered its fifth round and the intra-Kashmir trade pact is a big achievement on the path to improving ties with India, he said. “We are doing all this to facilitate the people of Kashmir,” he remarked. Trade between the two parts of Kashmir across the Line of Control will be launched on October 21 and modalities for this are being finalised, Qureshi said. Pakistan is “moving forward in the dialogue process with India on the basis of its historical stance on the Kashmir issue,” he pointed out. President Asif Ali Zardari too had highlighted the Kashmir issue at the UN General Assembly, he added. Qureshi said he had informed his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee that “core issues” should be addressed while moving forward with the process of dialogue. Referring to Pakistan’s concerns about the reported diversion of water from the Chenab for the Baglihar dam in J&K, Qureshi said Pakistan would protect its share of river waters. President Zardari raised the issue of alleged stoppage of water during his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, he said. — PTI
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Indian involved in chit fund scam
Dubai,October 12 The Indian embassy in Riyadh alerted the police in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu to look out for T. Sekar after receiving a complaint from a group of 20 victims of the scam, the Arab News reported. He hails from Nagappattinam district in Tamil Nadu. One of the victims, Ayyappan, told the newspaper that he lost 19,000 Saudi Riyals ($5,066) in the chit fund scam run by Sekar. — IANS
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Sobhraj’s security tightened
Kathmandu, October 12 “We are told by chief of the jail not to allow any one to meet Sobhraj as he may play tricks to free himself from the jail,” a jail staff said on condition of anonymity. Sobhraj is serving life term in the Central jail of Kathmandu for the past five years as he was convicted for murder of an American tourist three decades back. Visitors and mediapersons were barred to meet Sobhraj even after the news of the secret wedding between 65- year-old Sobhraj and 19-year-old girl Nihita spread in media, the jail staff said. Nihita, who had earlier accepted to have got married with Sobhraj in jail, refused to make any comment in this regard, as she visited the jail to meet Sobhraj today. She had also agreed to look after Sobhraj’s seven-year- old girl child born to his undeclared Chinese wife. Sobhraj has been using girls to escape from the jail and his latest marriage drama might be another ploy to get free from chains, the jail staff said. Earlier, he had used three other girls to get mobile phone and Internet facilities, he added. — PTI
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Karzai offers Taliban role in govt
London,October 12 The offer was made through Karzai’s brother, Qayoun, at a secret meeting in Saudi Arabia of which Britain was aware. Britain was in favour of such a deal and the Americans are thought to be coming round to the idea as the Afghan war is proving to be a costly affair.But the Americans have made it clear that while they may let talks with the Taliban, no negotiation with the Al-Qaida is possible. According to The Sunday Telegraph, the allies would insist that the Taliban would have to split with the Al-Qaida and provide information on international terrorists in Pakistan and Afghanistan as the price of the deal. The UK Government has said little about the initiative in public but British military commanders and diplomats are known to favour talking to the Taliban as a way of ending the war. British intelligence sources now believe the Taliban's own ranks may be ready for a grand deal in which Taliban leaders will be allowed to return to their homes and even take positions of power and be granted immunity from prosecution. — PTI
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Swraj Paul awarded
‘Punjab Ratan’ Quake kills 13 in Chechnya Green offices make employees happier 
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