 |
|
|
Blunt US warning forces Pakistan to fall in line
After Facebook, Pak bans YouTube
Gilani raps minister for Kayani remarks
US deplores violence in Thailand
|
|
|
Man who invented ATM dies
Salahis try to gatecrash again
Shailesh is UK minister
|
|
Blunt US warning forces Pakistan to fall in line
Pakistan has agreed in principle to launch a full-fledged military operation against the Taliban in North Waziristan, but candidly told the United States that the timing of the offensive would be decided by it. “Pakistan is sincere and committed in combating terrorism and is ready to expand its anti-militancy operations to North Waziristan. However, for that we will require time to do the necessary shaping up. The operation will be started according to our own judgment,” a senior official was cited by English daily the Dawn as saying after US National Security Adviser Gen James Jones and CIA chief Leon Panetta held a meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Chief of the Army Staff Gen Parvez Kayani. The US has been pressing Pakistan for some time to act decisively against militant sanctuaries in North Waziristan, but the pressure has increased since the recent botched attack on New York’s Times Square. The US alleged that the bombing accused, Faisal Shahzad, had received training in North Waziristan and said it was necessary to clear the region of Taliban, Al Qaeda and other jihadi groups. Pakistan agreeing to move into North Waziristan is also evident from a joint statement issued after the meeting. It said: “Discussions focused on measures that both the countries (the US and Pakistan) are, and will be, taking to confront the common threat we face from extremists and prevent such potential attacks from occurring again. Both sides pledged to do everything possible to protect our citizens.” After the meeting, senior Pakistani officials appeared reconciled to allegations that the Times Square bombing conspiracy had been hatched in the lawless tribal belt. Both Jones and Panetta conveyed tough message from the Obama administration amid allegations of a "double game" being played by Pakistan's security establishment on the question action against the Taliban who are active in North Waziristan. Unlike the Tehrike Taliaban Pakistan (TTP) who have been attacking Pakistani cities, the groups in North Waziristan have been attacking only Nato forces across the border in Afghanistan while staying neutral in Pakistan military's operation against TTP in South Waziristan. Pakistan has hitherto been reluctant to take on the militants in North Waziristan, but it appears that it was forced to change its tack after a blunt message from President Obama, delivered by the visiting US officials to the Pakistani leadership, warning that any future attack on the US soil originating from here would have serious consequences. The message called for increased intelligence sharing between the two countries for thwarting terrorist plots. In an apparent balancing act, Obama said that strategic relations between the US and Pakistan would not be allowed to be derailed under any situation. Diplomatic sources said the US emissaries, notwithstanding the tough message they carried, looked conciliatory in the discussions, adding that they were cognizant of the importance of Pakistan for the US military campaign in Afghanistan, particularly the looming decisive encounter in the Taliban citadel of Kandahar. Pakistan’s civil and military leaders categorically told the US officials that the army was not in a position to move immediately into North Waziristan because of a number of limitations, including efforts being made to consolidate gains made in the areas cleared of the Taliban and capacity and resource issues. Besides, an environment conducive to the operation needs to be developed. Pakistan sought an increase in financial and development assistance. It told the US officials that the American aid should go simultaneously to different sectors, but the latter were non-committal to the demand.
|
|
After Facebook, Pak bans YouTube
Pakistan on Thursday blocked popular video sharing website YouTube indefinitely after an earlier blockade of social networking website Facebook amid countrywide protest rallies against its online caricature competition to draw the Holy Prophet Mohammad. Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Abdul Basit said the government acted in a bid to contain “blasphemous” material. He said the websites must refrain from hurting the sensibilities of the followers of any religion as such steps have undermined efforts for interfaith harmony.” Blocking of the websites would cut up to a quarter of total Internet traffic in Pakistan affecting about 2-3 million users. Meanwhile, Sweden has closed down its embassy in Islamabad due to security concern fearing a backlash on the caricature issue. Pakistan had blocked access to Facebook on a court order over a competition created by a Facebook user who set up a page called "Draw Mohammad Day", inviting people to send in caricatures of the Holy Prophet Mohammad on May 20. Islam strictly prohibits depictions of Prophet Mohammad as blasphemous and Muslims around the world staged angry protests over the publication of satirical cartoons of the prophet in European newspapers in 2006. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) decision to block all of Facebook also cut Pakistanis off from groups and pages dedicated to opposing the competition, which have thousands more supporters than the competition does. Along with the ban, some popular websites, including Wikipedia and Flickr, have been inaccessible in Pakistan since Wednesday night. “It'll have an impact on the overall Internet traffic as they eat up 20-25 per cent of the country's total 65 giga-bytes traffic,” a senior PTA official said.
|
|
Gilani raps minister for Kayani remarks
Islamabad, May 20 Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar should not have made such a statement, the Prime Minister said during an interaction with senior Pakistani journalists. He rapped Mukhtar for his “premature, inopportune and uncalled for” comments. The government had not made any decision on the issue of granting an extension in service to 58-year-old Kayani, who will complete his tenure in November this year, and a decision will be made “when the time comes,” he said. —
PTI
|
|
US deplores violence in Thailand
Washington, May 20 "The US deeply deplores the violence and loss of life that has resulted from clashes between security forces and protests from the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship," State Department Deputy Spokesman, Gordon Duguid, said. "We call on both sides to show restraint and to work to resolve differences through Thailand's democratic institutions," he said. Duguid said the US is encouraged by the actions of the Red Shirt leaders who have surrendered to law enforcement agencies and support their call to supporters to return home peacefully. "However, we are deeply concerned that the Red Shirt supporters have engaged in arson targeting the electricity infrastructure and media outlets and have attacked individual journalists," he said. "We condemn such behavior and call on the UDD leaders and affiliated opposition politicians to urge their supporters to stop such acts. We remain very concerned about the situation in Thailand and we will continue to monitor those events closely," Duguid said. The US embassy in Bangkok is currently closed. However, it is providing some emergency services and limited routine consular services to US citizens at the Westin Grand Sukhumvit Hotel in the Thai capital. —
PTI
|
|
Man who invented ATM dies
London, May 20 Shepherd-Barron died peacefully in northern Scotland's Raigmore Hospital on Saturday, funeral director Alasdair Rhind said. Shepherd-Barron said once that he came up with the idea of the cash machines after being locked out of his bank. Plastic bankcards had not been invented yet, so Shepherd-Barron's machine used special checks that were matched with a personal identification number. The first automatic teller machine was installed at a bank in London in 1967. — AP
|
|
Salahis try to gatecrash again
Washington, May 20 Michaele and Tareq Salahi were stopped in their limo by the Secret Service on Wednesday night a few blocks from the White House. It was not immediately clear where the Virginia-based social climbers were heading, but officials suspect they were trying to crash another Obama state dinner - this time in honor of Mexican president Felipe Calderon. The US Secret Service spokesperson Edwin Donovan said the limo in which the Salahis were riding ran through a red light around 8 pm, a few blocks away from the White House. The limo was stopped by the Secret Service as the driver had signalled to turn into restricted areas near the Ellipse. The uniformed Secret Service Officer identified the couple inside the limo as Salahis. They were soon released by the Secret Service, following which the Salahis went to a dinner a few blocks away from the White House. The driver of the limo was issued an infraction for running the red light. The Salahis were not available for any comment. —
PTI
|
|
Thieves net Picasso, Matisse in $124m
heist
Paris, May 20 Officials from the Musee d'Art Moderne de la ville de Paris said they discovered five paintings, which included works by Fernand Leger and Georges Braque, were missing after noticing a smashed window pane as they opened for business on Thursday. “This is a serious crime to the heritage of humanity," said Christophe Girard, culture deputy for the mayor of Paris. Girard said the theft was committed by "one or more individuals who were obviously organised." Museum officials said the paintings were worth about 100 million euros in total, revising an earlier figure of 500 million euros released by the police and public prosecutors. The theft is the latest in Paris after robbers stole 32 drawings at the Picasso Museum worth 8 million euros last June and raises questions as to what could be done with the works. Robert Read, head of art and private clients at specialist insurer Hiscox in London said private buyers were unlikely to have ordered the robbery as art was acquired to be exhibited. “It's more likely to be criminals trying to exhort money out of the museum, state or who trade it in the underworld for drugs or weapons,” he said. The stolen works were Picasso's ‘Dove with Green Peas’, Matisse's ‘Pastorale’, Braque's ‘Olive tree near l'Estaque’, Modigliani's ‘Woman on the range’ and Leger's ‘Still life with candlesticks’. Picasso's Dove itself is worth 22 million euros. A special unit of the interior ministry, is in charge of the investigation and took the frames of the paintings with them for further analysis. — Reuters
|
||
|
Whips are responsible for ensuring that the legislative programme of the government gets through Parliament as smoothly as possible. Vara told PTI: “I am delighted to have an opportunity to serve in the new government. It is a tremendous honour. There is a huge amount of work for the new government to do, not least sorting out the economic mess that has been left by the outgoing administration.” — PTI
|
||
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
London, May 20