The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Pak angry over Balochistan resolution in US Congress Islamabad, February 18 Pakistan's top leadership reacted angrily today to a resolution introduced in the US Congress seeking the right to self-determination for Baloch people, with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani describing the move as an attack on the country's sovereignty. Gilani condemned the resolution moved in the US House of Representatives by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher yesterday. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function in Karachi Port, he said: "We condemn it as it is against our sovereignty". In a statement, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar took strong exception to the resolution on Balochistan, which has witnessed a spike in violence by nationalist groups that are seeking greater autonomy and a say in the exploitation of the southwestern province's abundant natural resources, including minerals and gas. Khar said though the resolution was an isolated move by a few individuals, it "was contrary to the principles of the UN Charter and international law". The resolution was also against the "very fundamentals of the longstanding Pakistan-US relations", she said. She pointed out that Pakistan's National Assembly or lower house of parliament had unanimously adopted a resolution condemning a recent hearing on Balochistan by the US Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee on Oversight and Investigations. The National Assembly resolution had "clearly represented the legitimate reaction of the people of Pakistan", she said. Khar described Rohrabacher's resolution as "an unfriendly and irresponsible attempt by a few individuals in Washington" to create distrust between the people of the US and Pakistan. Khar said she hoped this "tendentious move" would not be allowed to get through the US House of Representatives by a vast majority of Congressmen who continued to support friendly relations between the two countries. Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan described the resolution as part of a "dirty conspiracy". She told reporters that Islamabad had been expecting such moves after hosting a trilateral summit with Afghanistan and Iran. In a separate statement, Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said Rohrabacher's resolution on Balochistan was "a highly irresponsible move and a sheer violation international laws". Rohrabacher's motion, which was co-sponsored by Congressmen Louie Gohmert and Steve King, highlighted Balochistan's troubled relations with the federal government after the creation of Pakistan. It said "revolts" in the province in 1958, 1973 and 2005 "indicate continued popular discontent against Islamabad's rule, and the plunder of its vast natural wealth while the province remains the poorest in the country". — PTI The trigger Three US lawmakers have introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives, calling for self-determination in Pakistan's southern Balochistan province. It says Balochis — now divided among Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan — should have the right to self-determination and to their own sovereign country; and they should be afforded the opportunity to choose their own status. Expressing serious concern over violation of human rights in Balochistan, US lawmakers have accused Pakistani army and its spy agency with brutal use of forces against the Balochs.
	All options on table if Iran goes nuclear: US Washington, February 18 In escalating war of words, US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has warned Iran that "all options" are on the table if Tehran blocks the Straits of Hormuz or if it goes nuclear. "We've made very clear that Iran will not develop a nuclear weapon. We will not tolerate an Iran that has a nuclear weapon," Panetta said. "We've made clear that we will not tolerate an Iran that tries to block the Straits of Hormuz. A fifth of the oil of the world goes through those straits. They are international waters. We're not going to allow them to block that," he warned, terming these as red lines. "If they cross one of those lines, then we have all options on the table - we, the United States, have all options on the table. But, as the Prime Minister of Israel himself said, that ought to be the last option, not the first," the defence secretary said. The United States, he said, doesn't want an Iran that basically spreads violence around the world, which supports terrorism, that conducts acts of violence. "They planned an attack here against ambassadors of other countries here in the United States," he said. "So we're not going to tolerate that, and we've made that clear. And as a result, the international community has come together. We have implemented strong diplomatic sanctions, we have implemented very strong economic sanctions, and we're continuing to do that - sanctions that are in many ways crippling Iran, crippling their economy, isolating them from the rest of the world, and having an impact on Iran," he said. Panetta said that the basic message to Iran is that it has to change its behaviour. "If you're a nation that wants to be part of the international family of nations, then join it. Operate by international rules. Operate by international laws. Join us in an effort to try to diplomatically reduce your efforts in terms of nuclear capability," Panetta said. "So that pressure needs to continue, and Israel has been part of that. My hope is that Israel will be part of that international effort to keep the pressure on. That's the most effective way to isolate Iran and to keep the pressure on," he added.— PTI Nuke Talks with Iran may resume Washington: While keeping their options open, the US and European Union have signalled that talks with Iran over its nuclear programme could resume, for the first time in more than a year, after Tehran dropped its pre-conditions to a dialogue. Stopping short of calling it a diplomatic breakthrough, top US and EU officials expressed cautious optimism over prospects that Iran may be willing to engage major powers in new talks, but emphasised that any dialogue should be focused on the nuclear issue. — PTI
	Male crisis Ousted Prez asks govt to fulfil early poll promise Male, February 18 Maldives' ousted President Mohammed Nasheed today asked the new regime to fulfil its promise to fix an early date for polls under an India-brokered deal, a day after a Commonwealth ministerial team arrived here to probe the circumstances of his resignation. As his Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) mass rally demanding snap elections entered the second day today, 44-year-old Nasheed, who was the first democratically-elected President of the country, said the people of the country wanted early polls. "They (Maldivians) want to know the date for the elections and how will they be held," he told thousands of his supporters at the 'Tsunami Monument' here, adding that the protest "will not be stopped tonight or tomorrow". Nasheed's MDP had earlier said that it was grateful to India for its "timely intervention" to help resolve the political impasse here, a view shared by the new regime headed by 59-year-old Mohammed Waheed Hassan. Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai, who was here on a two-day visit, had met all stakeholders, including Hassan and Nasheed, and helped the government to come out with a roadmap to ease the political crisis triggered by the last week resignation of Nasheed in what he claimed was a coup d'etat. — PTI
	Troops fire on mourners in Damascus Amman/Beirut, February 18 Syrian security forces fired live ammunition to break up a protest against President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Saturday, killing at least one person, opposition activists said. A Chinese envoy met the Syrian leader earlier in the day and urged all sides to end 11 months of bloodshed, while backing a government plan for elections. The shooting broke out at the funerals of three youths killed on Friday in an anti-Assad protest that was one of the biggest in the capital since a nationwide uprising started. "They started firing at the crowd right after the burial. People are running and trying to take cover in the alleyways," said a witness, speaking to Reuters in Amman by telephone. The opposition Syrian Revolution Coordination Union said the gunfire near the cemetery had killed one mourner and wounded four, including a woman who was hit in the head. Up to 30,000 demonstrators had taken to the streets in the Mezze district of Damascus, witnesses said. Footage of the funeral broadcast live on the Internet showed women ululating to honour the victims. Mourners shouted: "We sacrifice our blood, our soul for you martyrs. One, one, one, the Syrian people are one". Assad described the turmoil racking Syria as a ploy to split the country. "What Syria is facing is fundamentally an effort to divide it and affect its geopolitical place and historic role in the region," he was quoted by Syrian state television as saying after meeting Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhai Jun. Zhai, speaking hours before the shooting at the funerals, said China backed Assad's plan for a referendum on Feb. 26 followed by multi-party elections to resolve the crisis. The opposition and the West have dismissed the plan as sham. The Chinese envoy appealed for an end to violence from all sides, including the government and opposition forces. His comments nevertheless amounted to a show of support against world condemnation of Assad's crackdown on the popular uprising. "China supports the path of reform taking place in Syria and the important steps that have been taken in this respect," he said. China's state news agency Xinhua highlighted Zhai's comments that China was "deeply concerned by the escalating crisis". The Syrian TV report quoted him as saying: "The Chinese experience shows a nation cannot develop without stability." Beijing and Moscow have been Assad's most important international defenders during the crackdown which has killed several thousand people and divided world powers. The United Nations, the United States, Europe, Turkey and Arab powers want Assad to step down and have condemned the ferocious repression. Russia and China vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution on February 4 calling on Assad to quit and also voted against a similar, non-binding General Assembly resolution on Thursday. Syrian government forces renewed their bombardment of the opposition stronghold of Homs today. — Reuters
	India-US partnership has global significance: Nirupama Rao Washington, February 18 Observing that the Indo-US strategic partnership has global significance, Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao has said the two countries are jointly working in a variety of fields, from fighting terrorism to ensuring the stability of the world economy. "India and the US have been described as natural strategic partners. Today, our strategic partnership has global significance," Rao said in her address to the Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, India-South Asia Programme. "The expanding cooperation between India and the US remains firmly anchored in our shared values and our ability to work together in a variety of fields, from fighting the menace of terrorism to ensuring the stability of the global economy," she said. The India-US Strategic Dialogue initiated in 2009 has identified five principal areas for expanding cooperation: energy and climate change; education and development; economy, trade and agriculture; science and technology; health and innovation. The third meeting of the Dialogue will be held later this year, she noted. Rao said it was evident that people-to-people contacts remain at the heart of the Indo-US partnership. "Backed by this extraordinary connectivity at the people level, both sides are expanding their strategic and political consultations on issues of mutual interest and responding to new geo-political and geo-strategic realities," she said. The US, she said, remains a preferred destination for Indian students to pursue advanced degrees. Nearly 100,000 students from India are benefiting from the higher education system in the US. — PTI US is preferred destination People-to-people contacts remain at heart of partnership US a preferred destination for Indian students and 100,000 of them are benefiting India keen to see more American students coming 'Passport to India' initiative by the US State Department is a laudable initiative Expect the economic engagement between India and United States to grow further
	Pak Presidency faces problem of ‘wild boars’ Islamabad, February 18 The fortified walls of Pakistan's presidency have failed to keep out a group of wild boars, whose frequent intrusions into the sprawling grounds of Asif Ali Zardari's official residence are proving irksome for caretakers and residents. The boars were freely entering the presidency despite foolproof security arrangements, including fencing and other preventive measures, an unnamed official was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper today. The boars enter the presidency from the Margalla Hills National Park located behind it. The animals enter the grounds mostly through "nullahs and manholes", a security official said. "Conventional methods" are used to kill the boars, whose population is "growing with every passing day", he said. Officials of the Capital Development Authority too said they were taking steps to restrict the movement of the boars within the presidency, which is spread over 471 acres, half of it covered by trees and bushes that provide a safe hideout for the fast breeding animals. CDA spokesman Ramzan Sajid said the boars were being killed by feeding them wheat grains dipped in poison.This, he said, was the "best way to kill them". — PTI
	Saeed, Qureshi share dais at Pak event Lahore, February 18 Pakistan's former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi shared the dais with LeT founder Hafiz Mohammad Saeed at an event here during which the militant leader targeted India and the US. Qureshi was the guest speaker and Saeed the chief guest at a session of the Nazaria-e-Pakistan Conference organised yesterday by Majid Nizami, the editor-in-chief of 'The Nation' daily. Saeed, the JuD chief, claimed that back channel diplomacy would not help resolve the Kashmir issue. Though the government had "declared India an MFN state, however no political force had moved any resolution against this objectionable decision," Saeed said. His comments were an obvious reference to the government's decision in principle to give India the Most Favoured Nation-status by the end of the year. Saeed claimed the US and its allies were "leaving Afghanistan after a crushing defeat" and predicted that "atomic Pakistan" would emerge as an important state on the international canvas. He alleged that the US wanted to play a dangerous game in the region by declaring Pakistan a terrorist state. — PTI
	Moroccan trying to ‘blow up’ Capitol Hill held Washington, February 18 Undercover FBI agents arrested a Moroccan, believed to be working with the al-Qaeda, as he headed towards the Capitol Hill to carry out a suicide bombing at the heart of American government, US officials said. The 29-year-old man, identified as Amine El Khalifi, was nabbed yesterday only a few hundred metres from the Capitol Hill by agents posing as al-Qaeda operatives. Unknown to Khalifi, the explosives vest and the sub-machine guns he was carrying were fakes, supplied to him by FBI agents during a sting operation, and which police later said never posed a danger. — PTI