Kuwait ruling family member killed; uncle held

June 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – A member of Kuwait’s ruling family, the grandson of a former emir, was gunned down at a dinner party and a relative was being questioned in the case, a security official said Sunday.

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“Authorities received a report Thursday evening that a crime had been committed and the victim was Sheikh Basel al-Sabah,” the security official told Reuters.

“The crime took place at the victim’s home in Messilah during a dinner party held for a number of sheikhs … he was killed after being hit by five bullets.”

The relative held for questioning was his uncle, Sheikh Faisal al-Sabah, he said.

The Kuwaiti al-Sabah family has ruled the Gulf Arab state for some 250 years, and its head has the last say in political matters in the world’s fourth largest oil exporter.

The official gave no word on a possible motive for the killing of Sheikh Basel, 52, who did not hold any government post. His uncle is an army intelligence officer.

The Kuwaiti prime minister has always been a member of the ruling family, and key portfolios such as defense, interior and foreign affairs are also held by al-Sabahs.

(Reporting by Diana Elias, editing by Richard Meares and Mark Trevelyan)

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Egypt’s security use force to disperse activists

March 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Egyptian state security prevented activists from holding a symbolic “trial” of Egypt’s ruling party on Thursday, using force to disperse those who tried to resist, activists said.

Security men in civilian clothes beat some of the activists who gathered to hold the event at a lawyers’ club south of Cairo.

The symbolic trial of Egypt’s National Democratic Party (NDP) was aimed at highlighting state oppression before a parliamentary election later this year, the activists said.

“Such trials aim to expose the failed policies of the National Party, which we consider to be the cause of economic corruption, social disruption and the delay in Egyptian political life,” lawyer Muntasar al Zayaat, who coordinated the event, told Reuters.

A state security source said the activists did not have a permit to gather. The Interior Ministry had no immediate comment on the incident.

Government officials say elections in Egypt are fair but rights groups cite widespread violations whenever Egyptians go to the polls.

President Hosni Mubarak, 81 and who has been in power for almost three decades, has not said if he will run for a sixth six-year term in the 2011 presidential election.

Many Egyptians believe that, if he does not, he will try to hand power to his politician son. Both Mubaraks deny any such plan.

A report on corruption in Egypt releasted last week by Transparency International, a Berlin-based group, said Egypt’s efforts to combat the abuse of power were blighted by political interference, weak enforcement of laws and a lack of access to public information.

The activists said that when they arrived at the meeting hall, it was deserted and flooded with water. When they tried to hold the trial on the sidewalk outside, security men cordoned off the area.

“Some of those who tried to resist security were beat up,” said former judge Mahmoud Khudairi.

Khudhairi resigned last year in protest against government interference in judicial and political matters.

(Writing and reporting by Marwa Awad; additional reporting by Mohammed Abdellah)

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Pashupatinath attacks do not affect Nepali students in Varanasi

September 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Varanasi, Sep 19 (ANI): The attacks on Indian priests of Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu failed to disturb the relationship between Nepali and Indian students studying at a temple in Varanasi.

The Nepali students said that they are not concerned about such matters as they are of a political nature. They say their work is just to learn and not be involved in other considerations.

“We are not much concerned about the incident. All of us here study together, be it Indians or Nepalis or anyone, without any differences. Our work is to learn. We do not even know much about it. These are political matters and politics does not concern us much,’ said Medini Prasad, a Nepali student.

Classes are going on as usual, with the temple reverberating with chants and recitations of shlokas, rhymed poetic verse from Hindu religious texts.

Acharya Limbanath, head priest, Nepali Temple, said that there are historical ties between India and Nepal, and these should be respected. And as far as the attacks are concerned they are works of miscreants.

“Indians and Nepalis share solidarity and brotherhood since times immemorial. It is just some miscreants that exist everywhere, who want to create trouble for their own benefit,’ he said.

Teknath Upadhyay, Nepali Priest, felicitated by the temple authorities recently said that, they were respected in India and the Nepal government and people should follow the example.

“They should give respect to all the priests despite any considerations of who they are or where they are. They should give them respect like we are given in India. Even the priests there should be shown respect by the government as well as the people of Nepal,” he added.

Two Indian priests in the Pashupatinath temple were beaten up by Maoists on September 4, demanding important religious jobs be given to Nepalis.

For centuries, the priests of the Pashupatinath Temple were picked by shrine authorities from among high-caste Hindus in India, with the consent of the king of Nepal.

Since Nepal abolished the monarchy and became a republic last year, the government has taken over the task. (ANI)

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Sharif likely to visit Saudi Arabia next week

September 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Sep.6 (ANI): Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif is likely to visit Saudi Arabia next week to meet King Shah Abdullah, sources said.

According to sources, Sharif is likely to reach Riyadh on September 11 to hold talks with King Abdullah and Saudi Intelligence chief Shahzada Muqran.

Sharif’s Saudi visit is being seen in connection with the former President Pervez Musharraf’s recent talks with King Abdullah, in which he (Musharraf) is believed to have urged the Saudi authorities to direct the Pakistan government and various political quarters, particularly the PML-N, to stop persuading for his high treason trial.

“The policy of the PML-N, with regard to the trial of Musharraf, is likely to change after the former premier’s visit to Saudi Arabia,” The Dawn quoted sources, as saying.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Zaheer has criticised the Sharif brothers for involving Saudi Arabia in the country’s internal affairs.

Zaheer said it was the Sharifs’ who had first started to seek Riyadh’s help in resolving internal political matters. (ANI)

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Adamant Zaradri says restoration of deposed Chief Justice not possible

March 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Mar 14 (ANI): Addressing a high-level meeting at the presidency, President Asif Ali Zardari has described the lawyers’ Long March and sit-in as political moves and made it clear that political matters would be tackled politically, refusing to heed to the advice of Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani.

“The restoration of deposed CJ Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is not possible and he will not be restored in any case,” he said.

Prime Minister Gilani attended the meeting. Other participants of the meeting included chairman Senate Farooq H Naek, Interior Adviser Rehman Malik and Information Minister Sherry Rehman.

The president said the government would not show any weaknesses in facing the political challenge. He also made it clear that the Governor’s rule in Punjab will not be lifted and Salman Taseer will not be replaced, The News reported.

Ahead of this high-level meeting, US Ambassador Anne W Peterson held a meeting with Gilani at the PM’s House and later met Zardari. Though no official word was available about these meetings, knowledgeable sources say some important decisions were taken to defuse the situation.

A number of options were also discussed to bring down the rising political temperature in the country. According to sources, it was also agreed that after some initial steps, a constitutional package might be introduced in the Parliament in the form of 18th amendment, which might include steps to strike balance between the powers of the two highest offices.

The Prime Minister briefed the President on his contacts with the Chaudhry brothers and ‘reservations’ within the party. He urged the president to end governor’s rule and suggested that PPP and PML-N must resolve their differences for the good of the country. ANI)

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