Islamabad/Kota, May 10
Thousands of terrified civilians today fled Swat valley after relaxation of curfew, where Pakistani security forces are engaged in fierce clashes with the resurgent Taliban, even as the authorities feared over a million people may be displaced.

The authorities say more than 1,00,000 people would quit their homes from the embattled Swat valley.

Pakistan has asked residents of the Swat to leave the valley over the past week, while its fighter jets and helicopter gunships have pounded Taliban positions in an operation backed by the US, which has been termed by premier Yousuf Raza Gilani as 'war of the country's survival".

Thousands of people continued to flee Swat as curfew was relaxed from 6 am to 6 pm today but the people were facing problems due to lack of transport.

The authorities barred the entry of vehicles from outside Swat and people fleeing homes faced problems as very few cars and buses were available within the valley.

Reports from Mingora, the main city in Swat, said hundreds of people were walking for days to reach relief camps set up by the authorities. The indefinite curfew at Maidan in Dir has created a shortage of essential items.

"Everybody wants to get out of this hell," Zubair Khan, a resident of Mingora, the valley's main town, said by telephone.

"Some are driving out while many are just on foot. They don't know where they're heading but staying here just means death."

Meanwhile, the Pakistan army claimed that up to 200 militants had been killed in Swat and the neighbouring Shangla district in the past 24 hours.

The army went on a full-scale offensive on Thursday after the government ordered troops to flush out militants from the Taliban stronghold.

The offensive was launched while President Asif Ali Zardari was in Washington assuring a nervous US that his government was committed to fighting militancy.

Helicopters and warplanes targeted militant hideouts in Mingora and other areas in Swat and Shangla on Sunday, the military said.

Two soldiers had died, it said. "It's a tough battle," said the military spokesman,
Nasir Khan.

"They're operating in small groups. They don't fight a pitched battle but we're closing in on them, squeezing them and have cut their supply lines," he said.

The Taliban had also planted bombs along roads and in Mingora to inflict civilian casualties and then put the blame on security forces, the military said. Taliban spokesmen were not available for comment. — PTI/Reuters

“Well, I am already on record. I have never considered India a threat,” Zardari
said in an interview on the PBS news channel’s popular show “Newshour With Jim
Lehrer” yesterday.

This is the first time a top Pakistani leader has publicly said India is not a threat to his country; a fact which Obama administration has been trying to convince Zardari and the Pakistan army for quite some time now.

“I have always considered India a neighbour, which we want to improve our relationship with. We have had some cold times and hard times with them. We have gone to war thrice, but democracies are always trying to improve relationships,” Zardari said while responding to a question about “which being the greatest threat to Pakistan - India or the militants”.

While responding to the question about moving troops from Indian border to the tribal areas of Pakistan to fight the war against terrorism, Zardari said: “Pakistan has already done so.”

In an interview to the CNN on Friday Zardari had said Pakistan has already moved troops from the Indian border and would do more based on the requirement.

“The fact is that we have moved more troops today, yesterday and the day before. We moved them according to the requirement. We already have 1,25,000 personnel there. So when we need to replace them, we need to improve upon their strength, we do that,” Zardari said.

In yet another interview on the same channel, he said his government was determined to eliminate all 3,000 terrorists in the Swat valley in order to bring life to normalcy in the picturesque valley in the vicinity of Islamabad.

“I think in the last count we have managed to dislodge most of the folks from the mountains and the miscreants have lost about 145 people. So that’s 145 of the ‘nasties’ dead, and we are still in operation,” Zardari said.

When asked to clarify on the statement made by his Prime Minister that the objective was to “eliminate the militants and terrorists”, Zardari said: “That means clearing out the area of miscreants and bringing life to normalcy. If they can kill our soldiers, we do the same.”

When interviewer Margaret Warner asked him to clarify what “eliminate” meant, Zardari said, “Eliminate means exactly what it means”. When she asked: “Killing them all”, Zardari replied: “That’s what it means”.

At a time when the country is reeling under serious political deadlock due to high-stake tussle between the Unified CPN (Maoist) and President Dr Ram Baran Yadav over the controversial issue on chief of army staff Rookmangud Katawal, the President on Sunday asked Parliament to elect the prime minister.

As the political parties failed to meet the deadline set by the President to form the consensual government by Saturday in accordance with the Article 38 (1) of the Interim Constitution, Dr Yadav sent another letter to the Parliament Secretariat directing the latter to elect the PM under the Article 38 (2).

In accordance with the existing constitutional provision, if the political parties fail to reach an agreement for consensual government, Parliament will have to elect the PM on the basis of a majority vote in the House.

Following the Maoists decision to disrupt Parliament sessions protesting against the President’s move to retain the sacked army chief, Speaker Subas Nembang has not been able to proceed the regular session of the House since last week.

In accordance with the existing practice, the Speaker has to read out the letters received from the Presidential Office and informed the House about the Prime Minister’s resignation and President’s call for the formation of new government.

Meanwhile, a joint meeting of the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML held at the UML Head Office, Balkhu, has urged the Maoists not to create obstruction Parliament preventing other political parties to form the next government.

“We decided to ask the Maoists not to obstruct Parliament and increase anarchy in the street in the pretext of protesting against the President’s latest move,” said UML General Secretary Ishwor Pokharel.

“We have asked the Maoists to act in responsible manner and support for the early formation of new government on national consensus under the UML’s leadership.”

NC leader Dr Minendra Rijal claimed that the Maoists move to obstruct was a ploy to stay in the power “unconstitutionally” preventing other parties to enter into the process of forming the new government.

Rijal said the NC and UML would probably call an all-party meeting inviting at least 18 parties on Tuesday to expedite the government formation process.

Meanwhile, Madhes-based parties - Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party and Sadbavana Party (SP) - on Sunday reiterated that they would cooperate with that party or leadership to lead the next government that would ensure their demand for “entire Madhes as single autonomous province”.

After a joint meeting, Anil Jha of SP said, “The Joint Madhesi Democratic Front will prepare the common document on Monday and start dialogues with the other political parties to know about their response to our common agenda before lending our support for the next government.”

London, May 10
Five months after he fell a victim to the Mumbai terror attack, 29-year-old Will Pike who faces lifetime on a wheelchair feels “let down” and has accused the UK Foreign Office of indifference and neglect of Britons falling victims to terror attacks abroad.

It is now that he felt strong enough to talk about his “nightmare” and his terrible sense of abandonment by many of the institutions he had hoped would help him.

As a sequel, politicians from all parties have called for compensation for UK citizens who have been injured or disabled in terror attacks.

The clamour for action has been sparked by the plight of Pike who faces a lifetime in a wheelchair. He has to cope with just £15,000 in help from a government-backed Red Cross fund.

Like others, Pike returned home to find he was not covered by the compensation scheme set up after the July 7, 2005 bombings in London to help all victims of terror attacks, of whatever nationality, on the UK soil.

He said he felt terribly “let down” at a time when he had hoped the government and the prime minister would show condolence and care.

Pike along with Kelly Doyle had just checked in for one night at the Taj Mahal hotel at the end of two-week holiday in Goa when he became a victim of the terror attack last November. — PTI

London, May 10
Thanks to the runaway success of Slumdog Millionaire, Britain’s film industry has undergone “the Bollywood makeover”. Following the triumph of the Oscar-award winning film, several British films are either set in India or poking fun at the culture clash experienced by British Indians.

What’s more, these films are scheduled for release, hoping to catch the same East-West audience that made such a hit of Danny Boyle’s tale about a boy who wins India’s version of ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’.

Studio bosses in the UK are hoping to replicate the success of “Slumdog Millionaire”, which has taken £227million at international box office, reports The Independent.

New films in production include “Indian Summer”, which is being filmed on location in the subcontinent. It tells the story of the last days of colonial rule and is directed by Joe Wright.

“India is a fascinating, extraordinary place. What’s happening there is going to affect us more and more, whether in film-industry terms or politically with what’s happening in Pakistan,” Wright told Variety magazine.

Gurinder Chadha, who directed the 2002 super-hit “Bend it Like Beckham”, is currently making “It’s a Wonderful Afterlife”, which is set in London.

“Blame it on the Bhangra” is another comedy about a British Asian girl trying to break into the macho world of bhangra dancing. It is being developed by Origin Pictures.

“Rafta, Rafta” is another comedy set in an Indian community in the north of England, in which two newlyweds find it hard to consummate their marriage. — ANI

BRIEFLY

Typhoon claims 36 lives
Manila: The toll of casualties from typhoon Chan-hom in the Philippines rose to 36 dead, 12 missing and 40 injured, the government said on Sunday. The typhoon has also left over 4,400 people still housed in nine evacuation centres in the northern part of the country after hitting the Philippines last week, the civil defence office said in a statement. — PTI