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PML-N moves privilege motion against Zardari

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Sep 16 (ANI): The Pakistan Muslim League-N has moved a privilege motion in the National Assembly (NA) against the statement of President Asif Ali Zardari on giving the safe passage to the former president Pervez Musharraf.

The motion signed by 91 MNAs has been brought by Hanif Abbasi, Dr. Tariq Fazal and Anjum Aqeel, the NA Members of the PML-N.

It may be recalled that opposition leader in NA, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had announced to move a motion against Zardari the previous day, and demanded Zardari to present all the aspects of the deal – regarding Pervez Musharraf – in front of the nation and Parliament.

Earlier in the day, contradicting media reports over indemnity being granted to Musharraf, Zardari’s spokesman has said that there have been no negotiations with the so-called international guarantors to give indemnity to the former president.

In a statement, Farhatullah Babar said the President Zardari in an informal talk on Monday with reporters had remarked that national political leaders and parties had held negotiations among themselves to chase Musharraf out of office and restore Presidency to the democratic forces.

In the talk with journalists there was no mention of negotiations with the so-called national or international guarantors to give immunity to Musharraf subsequent to his exit, he said.

Zardari’s remarks of negotiations among national political parties to strategise the sacking of Musharraf have unfortunately been distorted and misrepresented as talks with so called guarantors for indemnity to Musharraf, Dawn quoted Babar, as saying.

He said no one denied the holding of negotiations among national political parties to drive Musharraf out of office.

Babar said it was the result of these negotiations that the national parliament and all provincial assemblies adopted resolutions calling upon Musharraf to quit.

It was also the result of these negotiations that the parties joined hands in preparing a comprehensive and historic charge sheet to impeach Musharraf in case he refused to quit, he said.

There was nothing new in Zardari’s remarks about negotiations among political parties to force Musharraf out of office, except for the distortion and spin now given to it, Babar added.

Babar said the noise and din raised over the alleged remarks wrongly attributed to the President is part of the campaign to discredit Zardari for anything and everything that goes wrong. (ANI)

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Killer whales have to raise their voices to be heard over ship noise

September 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 11 (ANI): A new research has determined that killer whales have to raise their voices to be heard over ship noise, and the effort may be wearing the whales out as they try to find food amid dwindling numbers of salmon.

According to a report in National Geographic News, scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) carried out the research.

The research indicates that the killer whales of Puget Sound, a complex of inland marine waterways in the northwestern part of Washington, US, make more calls and clicks while foraging than while traveling, suggesting that such mealtime conservations are key to coordinating hunts.

“(The killer whales’) call exchange is incredibly important, and vessel noises have the potential to mask these calls,” said research leader Marla Holt of Seattle’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center, which is run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Holt and colleagues’ previous research had shown that some killer whales make louder calls to be heard over vessel rumblings-just as people raise their voices to talk over the din of a cocktail party.

Now, the researchers think the cacophony could be causing the region’s killer whales to use up more energy during hunts, even as their preferred prey, chinook salmon, are on the decline.

In Puget Sound, a small group of killer whales known as the Southern Residents has been found to be particularly well-suited to eating salmon-even down to the whales’ tooth size.

These animals don’t eat seals or other mammals, as do the transient killer whales that migrate through the sound.

In the mid- to late 1990s, the Southern Resident population mysteriously shrank by nearly 20 percent, from 97 to 88 animals. Today, there are 85 individuals.

In 2005, the federal government listed the population as endangered under the US Endangered Species Act.

No one knows for sure, but the cause was likely a combination of fewer salmon, exposure to toxic contaminants, and vessel noise, according to Lynne Barre of NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service Northwest Regional Office.

Holt’s work adds to existing data that have already prompted NOAA to propose a new killer whale protection law that would make all boats keep at least 600 feet (200 yards) away from the animals around Washington State.

The existing law allows boats to approach as close as 300 feet (100 yards), and some research has shown this influences the whales’ behavior.

“A lot of people would argue, Why focus on these vessel regulations?” Holt said. “But it’s one thing we can do immediately,” he added. (ANI)

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Rajnath stays mum on Jaswant, says Advani will continue to lead BJP

August 21, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Shimla, Aug 21 (ANI ) : Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) President Rajnath Singh, on Friday refused to take any questions from the media on the issue of expulsion of former External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh from the party and said L.K Advani will continue to lead the party “forever.”

” Advaniji will lead the party for longer time.”

Addressing the media at the end of the three-day Chintan Baithak here, Singh said “Don’t bring up the old issues again, and I told whatever I can on day one.”

Singh said the members attending the Chintan Baithak had decided to be tough on the ideological and individual discipline of party leaders and workers.

He urged party leaders and workers to adopt a model life style in their public as well as personal life.

Singh also said the BJP has decided to stick to its core ideology of cultural nationalism as said in the ideological draft of “Integral Humanism.”

Integral Humanism is a draft of five speeches made by Jan Sangh President Din Dayal Upadhyaya. The BJP adopted Integral Humanism as its philosophy in place of Gandhian Socialism at Party’s National Executive of 1984 held at Kolkata.

The analysis of party’s performance on all the fronts made at the Chintan Baithak would be discussed at a general secretaries meeting soon.

He also said that the party would constitute a committee to draft the “road ahead” map for the party, which would be placed before party’s National Executive in September – October.

” I will call a meeting of senior leaders and all general secretaries to discuss the analysation made here, and a committee will be formed to prepare a road map draft for the party, which will be placed before the national executive,” Singh said.

Singh also rebuffed allegations of any leakage of the draft of the party’s performance.

“Both Bal Apte and Ram Lal were assigned to analyse the party performance based on the reports given by various state units, and accordingly they put their views before the meeting. And they brought all the points in their diary and no draft was prepared, “Singh explained.

Considering RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat’s suggestion to give preference to youngsters, Singh said : ” The meeting considered the sarsnghchalkji’s statement and decided to give preference for youngsters from Mandal level to the Central level.”

Rajnath read out the points of the resolutions adopted by the meet, which states, (1) The BJP will be committed to the ideology of cultural nationalism and Integral Humanism, (2)Stress on expansion of party’s geological and social base, (3) Preference to women, youths, farmers in party leadership (4) Strengthening NDA, (5) No compromise on discipline (6) Role model administration by the party’s governments at the state level, (7)Constructive and aggressive opposition at the centre and (8) Leading model life by leaders and workers of the party.

Singh said no one is responsible for party’s debacle, ” No one is responsible for election debacle. If at all any one is responsible, its Rajnath Singh, I owe my responsibility being party chief.” (ANI)

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Fodder is scarcer, dearer in Jammu

August 21, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Jammu, Aug 21 (ANI): Fodder is scarcer, dearer in Jammu leaving the milkmen with little to feed their cattle. It has led to decline in milk production.

Continuous dry spell in the region is said to be responsible for the unprecedented hike in price of fodder especially wheat straw commonly known commonly as ‘Bussa’.

Rising prices have taken animal fodder out of the reach of the milkmen.

Wheat straw that was generally available in the market between rupees 1 to 2 per kg is currently being sold at rupees 8 per kg, four times higher than its original price.

“We are in trouble. We don’t get any fodder. The available fodder is sold at rate of 8-10 rupees per kg. Once I went to Gangyal, a place in Jammu, I return empty hand from there too. Cattle had to remain hungry,” said Ahamed Din, a milkman.

The scarcity of fodder has also resulted in decline of milk production as milkmen find it difficulty to provide their livestock with the high protein diet.

Even the fodder sellers agree that there is a scarcity of fodder.

“Availability of fodder is very less so Gujjars are facing a lot of problems. They are unable to increase milk production because cattle are not being feed fodder. The fodder is expensive,” said Rajendra Gupta, a fodder store owner.

Wheat straw is currently being imported to Jammu from Punjab due to which traders are charging exorbitant prices.

Animal fodder includes hay, straw, silage, compressed and pelleted feeds, oils and mixed rations, and also sprouted grains and legumes. By Nadeem Khan (ANI)

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Independence Day SMS – Independence Day Special SMS – Independence Day 2009 SMS – Independence Day SMS 2009 – Independence Day Special 2009 SMS – Desh Bhakti SMS – Desh Bhakti 2009 SMS – Swatantrya Day SMS – Swatantrya Din SMS – Independence Day SMS in Hindi – Independence Day Hindi SMS – Independence Day Special Hindi SMS

August 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

15 August ek aisa din jo hume humari azadi ki yaad dilata hai
un deshbhakto ki yaad dilata hai jinhone is desh ke liye apna ghar,
apni family, apni jindagi, apni jaan tak gavaa dee.
I SALUTE THEM.
“JAI HIND” HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY.
________________________
aaj main aap se apne dil ki bat kahna chati hun
han wohi 3 alfaz jo aap sunna chahen
han wo hi 3 alfaz jo aap k dil ko chulen
“HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY”
_________________________
aaj main aap se apne dil ki bat kahna chati hun
han wohi 3 alfaz jo aap sunna chahen
han wo hi 3 alfaz jo aap k dil ko chulen
“HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY”

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‘Qutab Khana’ library in Uttar Pradesh in shambles

May 29, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Agra, May 29 (ANI): A unique and a precious library housing highly significant literature and manuscripts of medieval period, remains in a shambles due to authorities’ apathy, in Uttar Pradesh.

Maluna Sayeed Ahmed established the library named ‘Qutab Khana’ in the year 1906.

The library, which earlier used to boast of more than one hundred thousand books, today has only 25-30,000 books left.

The library has books from Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan and other countries which is a treasure of knowledge for the scholars not only from India but also abroad.

Nasaruddin who teaches in a Madrasa said he visits this library as he gets to read the books, which he can’t find anywhere else.

“Many rare books which we can’t get otherwise including the memories of the kings are available here, but sadly these books are not kept in good state.

They are in such dilapidated state that when we touch them their pages begin to tear,” said Nasaruddin.

Haji-Jamil-Ud-Din Qureshi, director of the library complained of the lack of government aid.

“Today, the library is in a shambles and books here are in very bad condition.

Earlier, we used to get a grant of Rs. 1250 from the State Government, but this has also stopped,” said Qureshi.

Manuscripts kept here date back more than four hundred years and belong to Mughal era.

The collection consists of home remedy books, memories of emperors and religious books like Quran. By Brijesh Kumar Singh (ANI)

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Massive fire engulfs forest area in Kashmir’s Rajouri District

May 22, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Srinagar, May 22 (ANI): A massive fire has engulfed a large forest area in Rajouri District of Jammu, causing damage to the region’s ecology and rendering many homeless.

The fire, which has been raging for past two days, has not only destroyed large number of trees but is also posing a serious security concern for the nomadic tribes living near the forest.

Forest officials cited prolonged dry spell as the main reason for such incidents.

“We have had a dry season for past two, two-and-half months. Due to the dryness, the needles of the pine trees, growing in the forest become dry. These needles are resinous and hence highly inflammable. When they fall on ground, they catch fire easily due to even slight carelessness,” said S.L. Kaul, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Rajouri.

The major sufferers in the incident have been the Bakkarwals, a nomadic tribe who lost their houses and other belongings.

“My house being near to the forest also caught fire. I lost all my belongings, utensils, clothes, and all other articles. People were saved but we lost all our belongings,” said Husson Din, a victim.

Despite their best efforts, the fire brigade has not been able to control the fire from spreading further.

Unavailability of water is a major handicap in controlling the fire.

“We informed the authorities and one guard came to take a look but he could not do much. Then the fire officials came and they have succeeded in controlling it a bit, but there have been massive losses due to the fire,” said Mazir, a local resident.

The fire has also led to a rise in the temperature of the region around the forest cover. (ANI)

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IAF pilots brave bullets from Naxals to facilitate ballot

May 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, May 14 (ANI): Facilitating the unenviable task of conducting the electoral process, the Indian Air Force (IAF) pressed into service two IL-76, four AN-32 transport aircraft, 25 medium-lift helicopters and four Chetak helicopters during the just concluded elections.

The helicopters drawn from 13 different IAF airbases across the country were provided to Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, Orissa, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

While flying over most areas for poll-related duties may seem routine, sorties over the naxal affected regions for some pilots proved anything else but routine.

For the Mi-17 crew of Squadron Leader R Dhobhal and Flying Officer K Prakash, facilitating the battle of ballot in their call of duty also turned out to be an experience of facing bullets fired by naxals.

The incident occurred on April 16, at Binagonda in Gadchiroli District, bordering Chhattisgarh in Maharashtra.

Tasked with airlifting a polling party of five members and EVMs, the Mi-17 crew was airborne from nearby Aheri to pick up the election officials from Binagonda and drop them at Laheri, a mere five-minutes flying-time away.

“The additional superintendent of police, Laheri, Jayakumar and I were overseeing the loading of the men and EVMs when I heard the burst of fire through the din of the rotating rotors,” said Squadron Leader Dhobhal, a veteran of two UN missions, where he had honed his skills in dealing with such scenarios.

“Getting away quickly for safety of the crew, passengers and the aircraft was all that was on my mind. In less than 15 seconds, we were clear of the helipad,” he added.

A closer inspection on landing revealed a bullet hole made by a 7.62 mm calibre bullet in the tail boom of the helicopter.

The aircraft was repaired and safely ferried back to Nagpur. No major damage was done and the quick response of the vigilant crew averted what could have resulted in a major mishap.

It may be recalled that last year on November 14, the IAF lost an aircrew when Maoist rebels fired at their Mi-8 helicopter during a similar poll-related flying task in Pedia in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.

By the end of the last phase of elections on May 13, the IAF altogether undertook a total of 930 sorties and 780 hours were flown towards election task that included airlifting 6792 passengers, 137 tons of election material and 436 electronic voting machines.

In an unprecedented airlift effort undertaken by the IAF’s transport fleet, two IL-76 and four AN-32 aircraft airlifted 3234 central para military forces from Imphal to Kalaikunda in three days, from April 26-28.

As in the past, the significant role of IAF helicopters pilots has come in for fulsome praise and their contribution acknowledged by the Ministry of Defence, Home and the State governments.

N Gopalaswami, former Chief Election Commissioner just ahead of his retirement on April 20, also appreciated the important contribution of the IAF in the conduct of the elections, this year. (ANI)

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Bangladesh blacklists 12 militant outfits

May 3, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Dhaka – Authorities in Bangladesh have asked intelligence agencies to closely monitor activities of 12 suspected militant outfits running so-called Islamic activities in the predominately Muslim South Asian country, media reports said Saturday.

“The government has kept watchful eyes on the activities of the 12 organizations listed as terrorist outfits by the immediate-past interim administration,” State Minister for Home Affairs Tanjim Ahmed Sohel Taj told a private television channel.

He said that the present Awami League-led alliance government of Sheikh Hasina Wazed was working towards rooting out any sort of militancy.

Reviewing the previous list of militant outfits, Hasina’s cabinet in mid-March ordered detailed reports on the suspected militants and their activities, the state minister said.

The ministry was now compiling information on patrons of the militants, funding, present activities, organograms of the outfits, their links with political parties, operations, recruitment systems, international connections and training, he added.

The previous military-backed government of Fakhruddin Ahmed had listed Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh, Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, Hizbut Towhid, Ulama Anjuman al Baiyenat, Hizb-ut-Tahrir, the Islami Democratic Party, Islami Samaj, Touhid Trust, Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh, Shahadat-e-al-Hikma Party Bangladesh, Tamira ad-Din Bangladesh (Hizb-e-Abu Omar) and Allahr Dal as suspected terrorist grups active in Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance government of Khaleda Zia had banned four Islamist outfits – the Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh, Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh and Shahadat-e-al-Hikma – after a series of attacks between 2001 and 2006.

Khaleda’s government had captured six militant kingpins who were hanged in early 2007.

The current Awami League-led ruling alliance this week formed a high-level committee to tackle militancy as it was convinced that many organizations were involved in subversive activities.

The committee is designated to collect information on militant activities, analyse them, and work out strategies and issue directives to fight the threat. (dpa)

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Sufi Muhammad is a ‘kafir’ : Pak JI chief

April 24, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Lahore, Apr.23 (ANI): Taking on Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) chief Sufi Muhammad, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Syed Munawar Hassan has called him a ‘kafir’ (unbeliever).

Talking to media persons after holding talks with Khaksar Tehreek chief Hamidud Din Almashraqi, Hassan said Muhammad had fought counselor elections’ in the past, so he should refrain calling the constitution and National Assembly members’ ‘un-Islamic’.

“Sufi Muhammad should avoid making statements that have potential to damage the peace deal, and should take care before giving statements about the current system,” The Daily Times quoted Hassan, as saying.

He also criticized PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif for calling Obama his favourite personality.

Hassan said Sharif’s comments implied that he does not care for those innocent people who have been killed in the US drone strikes inside Pakistan’s territory. (ANI)

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Drive to preserve Mughal gardens in Kashmir

April 22, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Nishat Mughal Garden (Srinagar), Apr 22 (ANI): The State Government of Jammu and Kashmir in collaboration with the India National Trust of Art and Cultural Heritages (INTACH) initiated drive to preserve state’s heritage sites including famous Mughal gardens.

Kashmir has the largest number of Mughal gardens in the subcontinent.

These gardens still retain their original layout and setting, though human intervention and variations occurring in a course of time have resulted in distortions of their historic character.

“The foreign tourists who visit this place love to see the old culture and heritage monuments, be it hill stations, forts or the old building. They love the old heritage of India. If these things would be revived, it would naturally boost the tourism,” said Meraj-U- Din Ahmad, a resident.

The Department of Floriculture with the help of INTACH has started the restoration work in the three prominent Mughal Gardens of Kashmir, Shalimar garden, Nishat garden and Acchabal garden.

The Department of Floriculture has already requested the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to include these heritage gardens of Kashmir valley in the temporary list of world heritages sites so that the inflow of foreign tourist in the valley increases.
We have requested ASI to put our heritage gardens in the temporary list. The name of the gardens was not listed in the world heritage sites.

We are hoping that in the next two to three months, if it happens, then our gardens will also hold a place in the website of world heritage sites,” said Ghulam Sarwar Naquash, Director, Floriculture Department of Kashmir.

The purpose of restoring the gardens is to enhance the tourism potential of the Kashmir valley.

Built in the Mughal era, these gardens are a good specimen of the formal Mughal style.

Mughal Gardens is the combination of three famous gardens, the Chashmashahi, Nishat and Shalimar gardens.

With terraced lawns, cascading fountains and bright flowerbeds, the gardens are a haven for tourists. By Parvez Butt (ANI)

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US blaming Pakistan to hide own failure in Afghanistan, says minister

April 22, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Islamabad, April 20 (IANS) The US is blaming Pakistan in order to hide the failure of its own anti-terror operations in Afghanistan, says Pakistan’s Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions Najam-ud-Din Khan.

‘The eyes of the whole world are on the Pakistani tribal areas, but the Pakistani Taliban is different from foreign Taliban. The Afghan immigrants living there illegally are increasing hardships for Pakistan,’ the minister said in an interview with the Online news agency Sunday.

‘President Asif Ali Zardari took all political forces into confidence for bringing peace in Swat. Now let the democratic process take roots there. All political forces can resolve their issues together,’ the minister said.

The security of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border is also the responsibility of the US forces on the other side of the border, he said.

Khan said: ‘The US is blaming Pakistan to hide its failure in Afghanistan. Innocent people are being killed in drone attacks in the country and the US should tell how many terrorists it killed in the attacks.’

‘The three million illegal Afghans (majority of them living in the North West Frontier Province), have increased problems for Pakistan,’ the minister said.
Indo Asian News Service

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Soldiers clash with Bangkok protesters, 68 wounded

April 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Bangkok, April 13 (Xinhua) At least 68 people were wounded when soldiers and anti-government protesters clashed in Bangkok early Monday, 14 hours after the Thai prime minister declared a state of emergency in the capital city.

The clash occurred around 4.30 a.m. Monday when some 300 so-called red-shirt protesters used a seized bus to crash into soldiers stationed at Din Daeng District in north Bangkok, Army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said.

Soldiers fired warning shots in the air and used teargas to disperse the protesters after failing to persuade the protesters to stop, Sansern said.

The health department of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration announced Monday that a total of 68 people were injured. All of them were discharged except two who were at the Rajvithi and another two at Ramathibodi Hospital. No deaths were reported so far, an official of the department said.

Earlier, a doctor with the Narenthorn Emergency Medical Institute, Thailand’s national emergency body, put the number of wounded at 49.

The army spokesman also said the situation has been brought under control to some extent. ‘Similar operations will be carried out in other areas,’ he said.

Army Chief General Anupong Paojinda refused to comment on the incident, adding that he will learn more about it first.

At about 6.15 a.m. Monday, ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra told the ‘red-shirts’ to continue fighting in a phone conversation with a core leader of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD).

Sunday afternoon, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva declared a state of emergency in Bangkok and some districts of five nearby provinces, citing the escalating violence of red-shirted protesters.

The latest round of the anti-government protests led by UDD, has entered its 19th day. The UDD followers wear red shirts, while the government supporters wear yellow.

Red-shirted protesters Saturday stormed the venue of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit and related meetings in Pattaya, and forced them to be cancelled.

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Pakistan nabs Taliban leader’s close aide

April 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Islamabad, April 13 (Xinhua) Pakistan police have arrested a close associate of Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud in the southern port city of Karachi, a police officer said Monday.

Badshah din Mehsud, close aide of Baitullah Mehud, was arrested from Sachal Goth area of Karachi, Fayyaz Khan, a senior superintendent police told Dawn TV channel.

According to the report, Badshah din Mehsud was in charge of providing arms and explosives to Taliban militants and was on the most-wanted terrorists list of Pakistan’s security agencies.

Baitullah Mehsud, top militant leader of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has strongholds in northwestern Pakistan’s South Wazirisitan tribal agency bordering Afghanistan.

The dreaded militant has claimed responsibility for many violent attacks in Pakistan, including the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, and is believed to have been providing safe haven for Al Qaeda militants in the tribal agency.

The US has announced a $5-million reward for Baitullah Mehsud.

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Thai protesters hurl petrol bombs at troops

April 13, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

BANGKOK (Reuters) – Anti-government protesters in Thailand hurled petrol bombs at troops at a major intersection in Bangkok on Monday after the military tried repeatedly to disperse them, a Reuters witness said.

About 500 troops repeatedly rushed at scores of protesters around the Din Daeng cloverleaf, firing warning shots at Bangkok’s biggest intersection. Protesters responded by hurling at least a dozen petrol bombs at them, the witness said.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva declared a state of emergency in Bangkok on Sunday.

(Reporting by Martin Petty; Writing by Bill Tarrant; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)

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National Conference undecided about Srinagar Lok Sabha candidate

April 13, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Srinagar, Apr 13 (ANI): National Conference on Monday suggested its President Farooq Abdullah and Srinagar Municipal Corporation Chairman Salman Sagar for the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat.

Talking to reporters here, Farooq Abdullah said that the final decision on who would contest the Srinagar seat rests on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Claiming that his active role in politics helps him in keeping young and fit, Abdullah said, “My life will end fighting elections.”

Farooq Abdullah had contested from two assembly constituencies in last assembly elections. He had later contested the Rajya Sabha polls from the state.

Abdullah also named candidates for the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat and two assembly seats of Sonawar and Hazratbal.

He informed that Sharief-ud-Din Shariq would be the NC candidate for the Baramulla Lok Sahba seat, where Ghulam Nabi Shaheen, is the sitting party MP.

Dr Mustafa Kamal, he said, would contest by-polls for the Hazratbal assembly seat and Muhammad Yasin Shah would be the NC candidate for the Sonawar assembly seat by-elections. (ANI)

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Kashmir’s separatist leader to contest elections

April 11, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Srinagar, April 11 (IANS) Indian democracy has achieved another breakthrough in Jammu and Kashmir. Senior separatist leader Sajad Lone has decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections.

He is the first separatist leader of his stature to join the democratic process since the outbreak of militancy over two decades ago.

Separatists in Jammu and Kashmir have previously rejected the democratic process. But now, the younger son of slain separatist leader and chairman of the People’s Conference Abdul Gani Lone is garnering support for his election bid from Baramullah constituency in north Kashmir.

Gulam Mohiuddin Sofi, a former minister and a confidant of Sajad’s father, is come out in support of Sajad Lone.

Sofi won an election from Handwara assembly constituency in 2002 and later became a minister in the coalition government of Mufti Muhammad Sayeed.

But he lost to the National Conference candidate Chowdhary Muhammad Ramzan in Handwara in the December 2008 assembly elections.

‘Sajad Lone has a lot of goodwill and support, especially in Kupwara district,’ said a political analyst who did not want to be identified by name because of obvious risks.

So why did Sajad Lone’s sister Shabnum, who fought as an independent from Kupwara assembly constituency last year, got defeated by the National Conference? Many feel that this happened because Shabnum never enjoyed the support of the People’s Conference.

Though Sajad Lone is yet to formally announce his decision, mainstream parties like the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have started looking at him as a serious contender.

The PDP has decided to field a senior leader and former minister, Muhammad Dilawar Mir, from Baramullah.

Mir lost the December elections to National Conference but is still seen as a formidable candidate.

Of the six assembly seats in the Baramullah Lok Sabha constituency, the National Conference won Sopore and Rafiabad while the Congress won the Uri seat. The Gulmarg seat went to former minister Ghulam Hassan Mir, who had fought as an independent.

‘The so-called Sajad factor is likely to become evident during the Lok Sabha elections. This could be a serious challenge to both the National Conference and PDP,’ said Qaramat Qayoom, a resident of Baramullah town.

In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, the Baramullah seat was won by Abdul Rashid Shaheen of the National Conference.

Though the National Conference is yet to announce its candidate for Baramullah, insiders suggest at least three names are doing the rounds.

They include Shaheen and Sharief-ud-Din Shariq.

‘The choice would have to be made keeping in view the fact that both Sajad Lone and the PDP would pose a challenge to our candidate,’ said a senior National Conference leader here.

More than who wins and loses the seat, the participation of a senior separatist leader in the poll process will mean that Indian democracy has already won. After that, political observers will keenly watch the extent to which the Sajad factor hurts the prospects of the major parties.

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Puffing on politics

April 8, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Hookah sellers in Delhi are doing good business this month. No, not because it is hip or up-market to take a puff from those long-stemmed water pipes, but because it is election time.

In Gujjar villages around Delhi, a person sharing a hookah with the villagers is considered one of their own. And politicians, with Lok Sabha polls ahead, are making the most of it by attending the chaupal where smoking hookah is a tradition and regular affair.

Such meetings offer political leaders a platform to interact with villagers, albeit only men, informally and campaign. Decisions are taken and judgments are passed over hookah and tobacco at village chaupal on important matters.

Ashok Tanwar (40), a farmer and real estate dealer, of Bhopa Mohalla in Fatehpur village, South Delhi, said: “Even today, everything is decided here at the chaupal. Be it resolving a dispute or a decision on some exchange in marriage, everything is taken up during a chaupal.

” This kind of campaigning during the Delhi Assembly election in 2008 had seen a daily average demand of almost 50 kg of tobacco and sale of about eight to 10 hookah per month as against the average of four per month in other times. “This year, the sale of tobacco has seen about 25 per cent increase in Haryana.

(But) in Delhi, the sales will pick up only now as the campaigning will gather steam after nominations are filed,” said Narender Bhavit, a supplier of tobacco and hookah. Bhavit, who operates from a shop-cum-godown at Mehrauli, claims he is the wholesale supplier of tobacco that is sourced from Kalwadi in Haryana and hookah in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

He said he also rented out hookah for Rs 100 per day. There are a couple of other shops in the Mehrauli main market that sell hookah and tobacco.

One of them is Baseshwar Nath Tobacco Shop, which has a range of hookah starting from Rs 250 per piece. “Many people have hookah at home and they last for three to four years.

Demand for tobacco increases by about 15-20 per cent during election campaign,” said Nath, owner of the shop. In villages like Fatehpur, Aya Nagar and Badarpur, chaupal meetings are becoming more frequent with the rising political din.

So, hookah and tobacco too are in big demand.

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J and K Govt. asks CRPF to punish those involved in civilian’s killing

March 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Mar 19 (ANI): The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Thursday directed the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to hand over their men who were involved in the killing a civilian mistaking him to be a militant.

The government has asked the police to register a case of murder against all those involved in the incident.

Earlier in the day, the CRPF had suspended one Assistant Commandant and three personnel in connection with the incident.

The CRPF personnel of the108 battalion went to a village in Pulwama district where they mistook 32-year-old carpenter Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Malik to be militant and shot him inside his residence.

Local residents have staged massive protests over the incident.

Malik’s family alleges that paramilitary personnel entered Malik’s house on noticing movement in the upper storey.

State police has have made it clear that all those involved in the killing would be arrested and tried as per law. (ANI)

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Highway sinks in Doda, rescue work underway

February 8, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Doda (Jammu), Feb.8 (ANI): Doda and Kishtwar districts of Jammu and Kashmir were virtually cut off from rest of the state after heavy overnight rains washed off parts of a road near the Baglihar power project on Saturday.

A half-a-kilometer stretch of road between Batote-Kishtwar National Highway-1B collapsed under the weight of rising waters of the Chenab River.

Officials said four vehicles, including two trucks; an ambulance and a van were swept away. The driver of a van is missing.

A house was also buried under the debris.

Eyewitnesses said the river gradually swamped the road. Panic-stricken locals said after the commissioning of Baglihar project, the water level in Chenab had increased.

“My house is just hundred meters away from Chenab River. We got scared that that the water would submerge us also. We could not sleep the entire night,” said Shyam Lal, a resident of the area.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) teams have been pressed into action and repair and rescue work is going on.

“We have sent a team of engineers and officials of the revenue department. They are taking stock of the situation and are estimating the loss and the locals would be compensated and evacuated from the region if required,” said Sayed Shareif-Ud-Din, District Commissioner of northern Doda.

He said a chopper would be available at the Doda district headquarters to meet any emergency.

State chief, Omar Abdullah conducted an aerial survey of the region and ensured supply of essential commodities to the region.

Experts had earlier cautioned that there was a danger of the twin districts getting submerged and being cut off from the rest of the state if the water flow increased.

The disputed 450-megawatt Baglihar Dam is being built by India on the Chenab river, which flows from Indian Kashmir into Pakistan.

Islamabad has objected to its design saying it violates a 1960 World Bank-brokered water-sharing treaty. India rejects the charge. (ANI)

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