Islamabad, January 2
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has claimed that "certain elements" and undemocratic forces want to remove him because of his support for the rights of the people of Balochistan province.

"The (government's Balochistan development) package is the right of the people of Balochistan and we have to implement it," he said.

But, Zardari said, "certain elements" do not want this to happen. "Therefore, they want to remove me."

The President vowed to save Pakistan by defeating such elements and undemocratic forces. "If we save Pakistan, it will amount to saving the rights of poor people," he said in his address to a gathering at the ground-breaking ceremony of Winder Dam in Balochistan yesterday.

He said even before becoming the head of state, he had offered an apology to the people of Balochistan for injustices suffered by them in the past because he considered it his duty.

"I am a President with a political thinking," he said.

Zardari highlighted the importance of the people's support in national affairs, saying even armies could not save countries without the support of people. He said the PPP-led government will launch thousands of development projects, including dams and oil and gas wells. "We have to build thousands of dams. However, these dams will be owned by the local people," he added.

The government will utilise all its resources for welfare of the poor who had voted it to power.

Highlighting the government's achievements on economic and other fronts, Zardari said these had been achieved despite a global recession and the war against terrorism. — PTI

Dhaka, January 2
Ahead of Premier Sheikh Hasina's three- day visit to New Delhi next week, Bangladesh's main opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia has warned her against inking any "unequal deal" with India and threatened to take to streets if the government "compromised" the country's interests."We will not accept any accord which will go against the country's interest," Zia told a party rally last night.

She threatened to launch street protests if Bangladesh's interests are not protected. "If government allows India to construct (cross-border) Tipaimukh dam, gives India a corridor, maritime disputes are not settled... we will have no alternative but to take to the streets."

Zia made the comments in her first pubic address since the landmark December 29, 2008 general elections installed her archrival Hasina's Awami League with three fourths majority.

Hasina is set to visit India for three days from January 10 in her first trip there since the general elections. The visit is expected to yield several deals on water sharing, energy cooperation and connectivity.

"We will not accept any deal that endangers the country's interests. We will appreciate you and accord you a flowery reception at the airport if you uphold the country's interest. But if you compromise the nation's interest we will have to cast thorns on your way," said Zia.

Without elaborating, she asked Hasina to scrap "unequal treaties" and sign accords safeguarding the country's interest "if you want to stay in power for the full term" and work together with the BNP for the democratic process.

Zia also said she wondered if Bangladesh was being ruled by the government or by some other force outside the country, adding "we do not know who is now running this country but what I know is the government is not ruling the country." "The country is being governed by forces from somewhere else," she alleged.

Zia charged that the government was now concentrating on fulfilling the pledges made to what she said its "foreign masters" instead of the pledges made to the people.

"It will be futile to be a sycophant of your foreign masters and think that they will be able to protect your government. It is only the almighty Allah and the people who can protect you," she said.

Reacting to Zia's charges, Awami League spokesman and Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif regretted her "irresponsible comments".

"How could she know what deals the Prime Minister will sign during the (New Delhi) visit... she was the country's Prime Minister for two previous terms and the nation expect her to play a responsible role," he said on phone.

Hanif said BNP appeared to be playing the "old India card" against Awami League but "those days are gone, people can no more be fooled." — PTI

Washington, January 2
US President Barack Obama today said the Al-Qaida in Yemen provided training and explosives to a Nigerian bomber whose attempt to blow up a packed passenger plane was foiled on Christmas and vowed to defeat the terror group which is "actually based" in Pakistan and Afghanistan.Referring to the information he has received from his aides about the failed Christmas Day bombing, Obama said the Nigerian terror suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, had travelled to Yemen.

"It appears that he joined an affiliate of Al-Qaida, and that this group - Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula - trained him, equipped him with those explosives and directed him to attack that plane headed for America," he said in his weekly address to the nation, more than a week after Abdulmutallab tried unsuccessfully to blow up a Detroit-bound plane of North West Airlines fro Amsterdam which was carrying 278 passengers.

Obama vowed to defeat the Al-Qaida and its affiliated terrorist organisations and to do everything in his power to make the United States safe. This is not the first time this group has targeted the US, he said.

"In recent years, they have bombed Yemeni government facilities and Western hotels, restaurants and embassies, including our embassy in 2008, killing one American," the President recalled.

"So, as President, I've made it a priority to strengthen our partnership with the Yemeni government — training and equipping their security forces, sharing intelligence and working with them to strike Al-Qaida terrorists," Obama said. — PTI

Without naming President Asif Zardari, former premier and chief of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Mian Nawaz Sharif has asked the government to bring back the money stacked by Pakistanis in the Swiss banks.“It is the hard-earned money of the people of the country and it should be returned to the national treasury,” he said, stressing that the PML-N would not tolerate politics of corruption and inefficiency.

Addressing the meeting of the central organising committee of his party here he said an individual should not have the rights and powers to decide the destiny of the nation. “The decision making on all national issues and vital matters should rest with the people and their elected representatives.”

Apparently displaying ire over repeated jibes that the PML-N is a “friendly” opposition, Sharif said those who were accusing us of acting as a friendly opposition should see that we never compromised on national interests and strongly opposed the NRO and raised the issue of loans write-off. “We will continue to play our role for strengthening of democracy, supremacy of the Constitution and law but will not compromise on principles,” he said.

He advised President Asif Zardari to clear his name from courts instead of taking refuge behind presidential immunity. He pointed out that the present state of rampant corruption was bringing a bad name to politicians.

He regretted the PPP government had not been able to fulfil its responsibilities in implementing the Charter of Democracy (CoD), taking action against corrupt elements and resolution of constitutional issues. “We wanted the government to come forward but unfortunately it failed to take credit for restoration of the judiciary and implementing the CoD,” Nawaz said.

Sharif repeated his demand to the PPP government that NRO beneficiaries and those facing corruption charges be removed until they get clearance certificate from courts.

The meeting expressed its concern that the government had failed to meet the deadline of December 31, 2009 to do away with the 17th Amendment. The meeting also praised efforts of party leaders Shahbaz Sharif and Senator Ishaq Dar for concluding a successful NFC Award.

The meeting also demanded of the government to withdraw the increase in electricity and gas tariffs. It termed load-shedding a failure of the rulers. Another resolution demanded of the government to hold trial of Pervez Musharraf for subverting the Constitution and for taking other ‘anti-Pakistan’ steps.

Sri Lanka’s former military chief and leading contender in the upcoming presidential polls Sarath Fonseka on Saturday took his campaign to Jaffna, once the heartland of his erstwhile battle adversaries, the Tamil Tigers.Fonseka, who served as commander of the security forces in Jaffna for four years during his tenure in the army, was there this time to woo northern voters, whose vote would be crucial in the January 26 presidential poll.Fonseka, a staunch Buddhist, made his first stop at the historic Nallur Kovil where he performed Hindu religious rites before proceeding to meet local politicians and the masses.

He pledged to relax the tight security measures prevalent in the Jaffna peninsula, if elected, as well as release thousands of Tamil prisoners, who are being held without charges.

Incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa, too, is expected to tour the north in the coming weeks to win the support of the Tamils.

PTI adds: Both Fonseka and Rajapaksa belong to the dominant Sinhala community, and this is likely to divide the main Lankan votebank. Hence the former top general’s visit to woo the Tamils is considered significant.

Fonseka was accompanied by opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. “The visit was at the invitation of the Tamil National Alliance,” the main opposition United National Party said on its website.

Fonseka is scheduled to address public rallies at Jaffna, Ampara, Vavuniya, Mannar, Trincomalee and Batticaloa during his campaigning.