Award-winning crusader from Pak says Indian women inspire us
Washington, March 9
Indian women are “bold” and “courageous” and have created better opportunities for themselves in politics as well as financial field, inspiring their counterparts across the border. “Women in my country seek inspiration from them,” said the Pakistani award winning rights advocate Shad Begum, in a rare compliment coming from across the frontier.

IN ELITE COMPANY: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and US First Lady Michelle Obama present the 2012 International Women of Courage Award to Shad Begum (C) of Pakistan in Washington. — AP/PTI

Briton, Italian die in failed hostage rescue bid in Nigeria 
Italian President condemns botched up British raid 

Abuja, March 9
A British-Nigerian operation, using helicopters and hundreds of troops including the elite SAS, to rescue two abducted foreigners went awry today with the militant group Boko Haram killing the captives.

The special troops failed in their daring bid after waging a gunbattle lasting over seven hours, with the Briton, Chris McManus, and his Italian co-worker, Franco Lamolinara, killed in the operation.

Italy seethed with anger for being kept in the dark about the deadly raid in the northwestern Nigerian city of Sokoto. At least two of the captors were also killed in the raid.

While Nigerian President Jonathan Goodluck blamed Boko Haram for the death of the hostages and said the killers had been arrested, British Prime Minister David Cameron took responsibility for authorising the botched operation. Cameron said he had given the go-ahead for the rescue mission after the UK received "credible information" about the location of the two hostages.

Meanwhile, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano led a chorus of condemnation of Britain's failure to inform the Italian government before launching a botched rescue mission.

The Briton and the Italian, both expatriate engineers, were kidnapped in May last year for ransom from their residence in Nigeria's northern city of Birnin Kebbi.

While officials gave gave scant details about the Entebbe-style operation, BBC and other British media reports said the operation included personnel from the Special Boat Service (SBS) who had been in Nigeria for a fortnight.

The now dead engineers worked for Italian company B Stabilini in Abuja where they were handling a construction work at the country's central bank.

Nigerian authorities, with British support, had launched the attempt to rescue the men after "a window of opportunity arose to secure their release".

An eyewitness told PTI the failed rescue bid took place in Mabera area of Sokoto metropolis where security operatives engaged some gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram in a gun duel.

Police spokesman, Al-Mustapha Sani confirmed the raid but said it was purely a State Security Service (SSS) affair.

"We have nothing to do with the operation. It was purely the affair of SSS and soldiers," Sani said.

Last August, Britain said it had started investigating a video in which al-Qaeda group claims to be holding its citizen and an Italian kidnapped in northern Nigeria's state of Kebbi in May. — PTI

Was Osama betrayed by his jealous wife in Zawahiri plot?

New York, March 9
Osama bin Laden, the world’s most wanted fugitive who spent his last days being sidelined from Al-Qaida despite having created the terror outfit, was probably betrayed by one of his jealous wives and his deputy.

It seems all was not well in Osama bin Laden’s safe house in Pakistan towards the end, the New York Times reported saying there was “poisonous mistrust” between Osama’s three wives, with one of them being accused of betraying him to US intelligence.

A new twist to the mystery of how bin Laden got a shelter in a Pakistani cantonment town for over six years, before he was gunned down by US SEALs and his last days have come from a retired Pakistani brigadier Shaukat Qadir, who carried out his own investigations, the Times said. Besides the intense jealousies among his wives, Qadir claims that bin Laden had been sidelined by his outfit.

“Al-Qaida decided to retire him in 2003 as he was mentally senile having picked up some degenerative disease from 2001,” said the the retired brigadier— PTI

Pak files cases against Osama’s widows

Islamabad, March 9
Pakistan authorities have filed cases against Osama bin Laden’s three widows for illegally entering and living in Pakistan, while his kids are free to leave the country, Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said.

Journalists stand outside a suspected former residence of Osama bin Laden in Haripur, 50 km from Islamabad, which is near Abbottabad. — AFP

“The Federal Investigation Agency and legal experts decided that action should be taken against them according to the law. A case has been registered according to Pakistani laws. They have been produced in court and they are now in judicial remand,” Malik said yesterday.

No cases were registered against the minor children who were free to leave the country, Malik said. “The children can leave (Pakistan) if they wish but it depends on whether their mother will allow them to leave,” he said.

Malik declined to give details about the slain Al-Qaida chief’s family members, including the number of children.

The widows were charged under the Foreigners Act and Pakistan Penal Code for illegally entering and living in the country and their case would be determined by the court, he said.

Osama was killed by US Special Forces during a raid in the garrison town of Abbottabad on May 2 last year. One of bin Laden’s sons, two Al-Qaida couriers and a woman were also killed in the raid that deeply embarrassed Pakistan’s security establishment.

The FIA had registered the case against the women, who were produced before a judicial magistrate. “They can hire a lawyer and they have full liberty to go to the court and defend themselves,” he said.

Malik said he had learnt from news reports that bin Laden’s brother-in-law was in Pakistan. “We have not stopped him and others relatives have the right to come to Pakistan,” he said.

Pakistani authorities razed bin Laden’s compound, located a short distance from the Pakistan Military Academy, last month as it had become a security concern because hundreds of people were visiting it every day.

However, authorities had not decided till recently on the action to be taken against his family. The widows and children were in the custody of intelligence agencies since May last year. Saudi authorities have reportedly refused to accept a Saudi widow of bin Laden. — PTI 

Award-winning crusader from Pak says Indian women inspire us 

Washington, March 9
Indian women are “bold” and “courageous” and have created better opportunities for themselves in politics as well as financial field, inspiring their counterparts across the border.

“Women in my country seek inspiration from them,” said the Pakistani award winning rights advocate Shad Begum, in a rare compliment coming from across the frontier.

Hailing that Indian woman for creating better opportunities for themselves and coming good in economic activities, Shad said after receiving the 2012 International Woman of Courage award from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the presence of the First Lady Michelle Obama.

The accolades for the Indian women also came from eminent Myanmar’s political activist Zin Mar Aung with both of them stressing that more woman should be on the forefront of politics in South Asia.“Women in India are very courageous. They are very bold and they are very well,” Shad, who has a number of friends in India, told PTI in an interview after the award ceremony.

In fact, Shad who runs a non-governmental organisation in Khyber Pakhtoonwah province of Pakistan, said she dedicates her award to the women of South Asia.

Maryam Durani from Afghanistan and Aneesa Ahmed from Maldives are the other two South Asian women to have received the award from Hillary along 10 women selected all over the world.

Women in India, she said, have better opportunities that Pakistan, while in her country, Shad said: “women are still struggling for that. We even had a women Prime Minister, but this does not mean that we have all the basic rights, including the right to say, right to choose and right to associate.

Indian women inspire me because there is already made these possible.” “They are doing good. They are good in education.

They are doing good in economic activities and women in India are empowered there. We in Pakistan are still struggling for basic things,” Shad said. The award, she said means a lot for her and this would inspire and motivate her to continue with her work. — PTI