W O R L D

Pak to be positive at talks
Delegation leaves for New Delhi tomorrow
The Pakistani side would approach the upcoming foreign secretary-level talks ‘positively and constructively to make the most out of the renewed engagement’, a senior official said here on Monday.

Actor Anil Kapoor poses with Sandy Powell after she received a British Academy of Film Award for 'costume design' for film 'The Young Victoria' at the Royal Opera House in central London. — AFP

India for global nuke deal on ‘no-first-use’
London, February 22
India today advocated a new global, verifiable nuclear disarmament framework, which includes “no-first-use” of atomic weapons and “non-use” against non-nuclear weapon states.

Be transparent, Chinese media to India
Beijing, February 22
India should be transparent on its military intentions in the region, including in the Indian Ocean to "ease the nerves" of its neighbours, a leading state-run Chinese newspaper said today. "A leading regional power, India intends to assume a bigger role in South Asia.

Fonseka to contest parliamentary poll
Colombo, February 22
Undeterred by his detention under treason charges, defeated Presidential candidate Gen Sarath Fonseka will lead the opposition DNA in the April 8 parliamentary elections. Gearing up to take on President Mahinda Rajapaksa for a second time in as many months, Fonseka will fight the elections from Colombo.

Father of senior Hamas military commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh poses with a picture of his son outside his family's house in Jabalya in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday. European Union foreign ministers condemned on Monday the use of forged European passports by assassins who killed a Palestinian militant, al-Mabhouh, in Dubai, but made no direct reference to Israel. — Reuters

Pak to be positive at talks
Delegation leaves for New Delhi tomorrow
Afzal Khan writes from Islamabad

The Pakistani side would approach the upcoming foreign secretary-level talks ‘positively and constructively to make the most out of the renewed engagement’, a senior official said here on Monday.

Both sides have overcome initial differences over the agenda, which will cover various issues of bilateral concern beyond the crucial subject of terrorism that of special interest to India. They are, however, also cautious in lowering the expectations while underpinning the fact that talks are resuming after a stalemate of nearly 15 months in the wake of Mumbai carnage in November 2008.

A seven-member Pakistani delegation will leave for New Delhi on Wednesday to attend these talks.

Foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on arrival in Beijing on Sunday said he was “optimistic” but made it clear that the outcome of the talks “depends on the response from the Indian side”.

“Being neighbours, we cannot do without talking to each other”, Qureshi noted while recalling that the peace process between the two countries that was proceeding well was unfortunately suspended by India after the Mumbai incident. He pointed out that Pakistan itself was the biggest victim of terrorism perpetrated by non-state actors.

A high-ranking official engaged in the preparatory process for the talks believes that the talks would largely be exploratory exchange of views in the absence of an understanding between the two sides on the need for having genuine conversation, which for Pakistan means revival of the composite dialogue, the multiple track process that covered most of the fiddly issues.

Other sources privy to preparations in Foreign Office for the Thursday meeting, in background interviews, said the strategy is to be positive at the talks and try to have ‘a frank and all-inclusive dialogue’ on the status of bilateral relations.

“There is no fixed agenda and we’ll discuss full spectrum of our relations, including the longstanding issues like Kashmir and more pressing matters like water disputes,” an official disclosed.

Pakistan on Monday welcomed Indian home minister’s statement that upcoming secretaries’ level talks this week would cover various bilateral issues instead of confining only to terrorism.

Interior minister Rehman Malik talking to reporters here said his Indian counterpart P. Chidambaram has removed the confusion over agenda of the talks. Pakistan is open to discuss the progress made in bringing to justice the handlers and executors of Mumbai carnage. Their case is being pursued in courts vigorously, he added.

In another related development, Pakistan joined 53 Asian nations in the United Nations to bolster India’s bid for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the two-year term starting from January 1, 2011. If India does secure the seat, it will be the first time in 19 years that it will occupy a seat in the council.

The UNSC has 15 members, including five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members, of which two are from Asia. Each member of the council has a vote, while only the five permanent members can veto a resolution.

India is currently running unopposed after the withdrawal of the Central Asian republic of Kazakhstan from the fray. Even if India goes to the election without an opponent, it will still need to secure two-thirds of the votes of the 192 member countries of the United Nations General Assembly.

India for global nuke deal on ‘no-first-use’

London, February 22
India today advocated a new global, verifiable nuclear disarmament framework, which includes “no-first-use” of atomic weapons and “non-use” against non-nuclear weapon states. Speaking at the International Institute of Strategic Studies here, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao pledged India’s long-standing commitment to global, non-discriminatory and verifiable nuclear disarmament.

In addition, India’s proposal includes measures to reduce nuclear danger through de-alerting, reducing salience of nuclear weapons in security doctrines and preventing unintentional or accidental use; a nuclear weapons convention prohibiting development, production, stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons and on their destruction etc, she said while speaking at the 3rd MEA-IISS seminar on ‘Perspectives on Foreign Policy for a 21st Century India’.

“We feel encouraged by some recent positive steps. The Obama Administration has signalled US willingness to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in its nuclear strategy,” Rao said. Obama has convened a nuclear summit in April this year, which would be attended by several world leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

She said India was aware that concerns were voiced over the possible proliferation dimension in the use of nuclear energy. “This should, however, not deter us from pursuing the development of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes,” she added. — PTI

Be transparent, Chinese media to India

Beijing, February 22
India should be transparent on its military intentions in the region, including in the Indian Ocean to "ease the nerves" of its neighbours, a leading state-run Chinese newspaper said today. "A leading regional power, India intends to assume a bigger role in South Asia. But that raises the question of how India is going to use its increasing power. The dominance India is seeking has to be conducive to the equilibrium of the current international order" the Global Times said in an editorial.

“Nobody wants to see piracy running wild in the Indian Ocean. But India needs to make clearer its military intentions to ease the nerves of its neighbours," the newspaper, a sister publication of the 'People's Daily', the mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party of China said.

Reacting to Minister of State for Defence Pallam Raju's statement that India's navy would help China secure shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean, the paper said, "A promise of protecting the public good in the region is a good start."

"We hope Raju's remarks are more than just a diplomatic posture made for temporary convenience, and instead represent a genuinely positive response to China's position that the two countries have to find a way to cooperate. That would demonstrate that India is considering seriously new ways of cooperating with China," the paper commented. — PTI

Pro-monarchists halt Kathmandu
Bishnu Budhathoki writes from Kathmandu

Fonseka to contest parliamentary poll

Colombo, February 22
Undeterred by his detention under treason charges, defeated Presidential candidate Gen Sarath Fonseka will lead the opposition DNA in the April 8 parliamentary elections.

Gearing up to take on President Mahinda Rajapaksa for a second time in as many months, Fonseka will fight the elections from Colombo. “Gen Fonseka will head the (JVP-led) Democratic National Alliance and will contest from Colombo district,” senior JVP leader Vijitha Herath said.

Fonseka was arrested on February 8 for allegedly planning a coup against the government while he was army chief. Anoma, the wife of Fonseka told reporters, that a decision has been taken on issue and the former army chief will heading the JVP-led alliance and contest from Colombo district. However, it remains to be seen whether Fonseka will be permitted to contest.

Asked whether his alliance was open to talks with the UNF headed by former PM Ranil Wickremasinghe, Herath said: “We are still open for discussions.” — PTI