Libya Declares ‘Liberation’ Amid Fears of Unrest
2-year-old twentieth generation Muslim devotee of Guru Nanak
Pak returns army copter & surprises India
Afghan minister survives life attempt
Sexual minorities face severe neglect in flood relief efforts
7.3 magnitude quake rocks Turkey, 1000 feared dead
Kashmiris have no objection to declaring India as MFN: Sultan
Polish soldier killed in Afghanistan, takes toll to 31
Two suspects involved in 252 target killings arrested
Nato: 200 Afghan militants killed, captured
Jobless father in self-immolation bid at parliament
Four killed in Baghdad traffic police attacks
Separate province right of Hazara region’s people: Haider Zaman
Muslims issue ultimatum to Congress on quota
Libyans can celebrate 'new era of promise': Obama
LEAs put on high alert to avert possible terror attacks
US, Pakistan will work together for Afghan peace: Clinton
Haqqani urges Pak-Americans to pursue fields of creative expression
Syrian leader names new governors as protests mount
US pulls envoy out of Syria over security concerns
Saudi king prepares key appointments after heir dies
Pak PM urges people to work for making world free of hunger, poverty
Nawaz arrives in Turkey on seven-day visit
US police training lacks Iraq backing
Pak PM Gilani offers assistance, relief goods to Turkey
Pakistan shut down to mourn Nusrat Bhutto
Compiled By New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/libya-declares-‘liberation’-amid-fears/d/5754
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Libya Declares ‘Liberation’ Amid Fears of Unrest
October 24, 2011
BENGHAZI: Libya’s new rulers declared the country freed from Muammar Gaddafi’s 42 years of one-man rule on Sunday, saying the “Pharaoh of the times” was now in history’s garbage bin and a democratic future beckoned.
Tens of thousands who until this year’s revolt had known only Gaddafi’s all-powerful police state packed a square in the second city Benghazi to hear the interim National Transitional Council (NTC) announce Libya had liberated itself fully.
Under the NTC’s roadmap, an interim government would be formed within one month of the declaration, followed within eight months by elections for a constitutional assembly –
the first democratic vote in Libya since Gaddafi seized power in a coup 42 years ago. Parliamentary and presidential elections would be held within a year after that. NTC chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil kneeled in prayer after taking the podium and promised to uphold Islamic law. “All the martyrs, the civilians and the army had waited for this moment. But now they are in the best of places ... eternal heaven,” he said, shaking hands with supporters.
And there is international disquiet about increasingly graphic and disturbing images on the Internet of abuse of a body that appears to be Gaddafi’s following his capture and the fall of his hometown of Sirte on Thursday. But the immediate reaction to Sunday’s announcement was jubilation.
Cheering crowds waved the tri-colour flag. Gaddafi, who had vowed to fight to the end, was found hiding in a drain after fleeing Sirte, the last bastion of his loyalists. He died in chaotic circumstances after video footage showed him bloodied and struggling at the hands of his captors.
With big oil and gas reserves and a six million population, Libya has the potential to become very prosperous, but regional rivalries fostered by Gaddafi could erupt into yet more violence that would undermine the authority of Jalil’s NTC.
“There is a yawning security and political vacuum in which brewing political disputes, factionalism and security problems pose a serious risk of derailing or prolonging transition,” said Henry Wilkinson of Janusian security consultants in London.
In Misrata, people queueing for a chance to see Gaddafi’s body saw no reason for a rapid burial, apparently heedless of concern in Tripoli about how the NTC is perceived overseas.
“We brought our children to see him today because this is a chance to see history,” said a man who gave his name as Mohammed. “We want to see this arrogant person as a lifeless body. Let all the people see him.”
The lack of a clear plan for Gaddafi’s burial suggests to some analysts that there is justification for fears of a descent into leaderless turmoil.
An autopsy has been performed, and a medical source told Reuters that Gaddafi’s body had a bullet in the head and a bullet in the abdomen. “There are multiple injuries. There is a bullet in the abdomen and in the brain,” the medical source said.
The autopsy was carried out at a morgue in Misrata, about 200 km (130 miles) east of Tripoli. Local officials said Gaddafi’s body would now be brought back to the cold store at an old market in Misrata where it has been on public display.
The loosely disciplined militias that sprang up in each town to topple the dictator with the help of NATO air power are still armed. The places they represent will want a greater say in the country’s future, particularly the second and third cities Benghazi and Misrata, which were starved of investment by Gaddafi. agencies
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\10\24\story_24-10-2011_pg7_8
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2-year-old twentieth generation Muslim devotee of Guru Nanak
Sanjay Sharma, T
Oct 24, 2011,
NANKANA SAHIB, PAKISTAN: A Muslim family that donated 19000 acres of land to Guru Nanak before becoming his first disciple outside the Guru's family is prepared to dedicate a two-and-a-half year old 20th generation member to Guru Nanak.
32-year-old high court lawyer Saleem Bhatti, the 19th generation descendent of Rai Dular Bhatti, said, "I am ready to dedicate my son Rai Waheed Bhatti to Babaji".
Saleem Bhatti made the declaration to The Times of India in the presence of his father Mohmmed Akram Bhatti whose ancestors had been followers since childhood of Guru Nanak born in 1469.
For local Muslims, Guru Nanak transcends religious identity as the evening prayer has dominance of Muslims; Pakistani Hindus are followers of the Guru in majority apart from the 25000-strong Sikh community. Muslims consider Guru Nanak as a Sufi (mystic) saint.
Narrating a miracle in his life, Saleem Bhatti said US-based separatist Khalistani leader Ganga Singh Dhillon sought blessings of 'Babaji' but sevadars told him if he wanted to specifically pray for a child, his wife will have to carry a child below two years in her arms.
"Caught in this awkward situation, Dhillon approached my father Mohmmed Akram Bhatti who agreed to hand me over to the issueless couple for the purpose of prayers and they were really blessed with a child," Saleem Bhatti said.
Bhatti said, "Despite being a Muslim, I spiritually connect with Babaji whose blessings on the family have been for more than five hundred years." Young Bhatti said occasionally he also followed Muslim practices.
Bhattis, who were Bhati Rajputs, migrated from Bikaner in Rajasthan after Alauddin Khilji was routed by the Mughals. Bhattis were loyal to Khilji. Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Bhattis had the same forefathers 12 generations back, Saleem said.
The Bhatti family has been at the forefront comforting Sikhs in Pakistan for generations.
Even the troubled times in Punjab did not deter them from entertaining Sikhs.
Saleem Bhatti said the land donated to the Nankana Sahib Gurdwara is not fetching enough money to add to the income of the gurudwara. The gurudwara land supports around one lakh people but they pay only Rs 1000 per acre. Bhatti suggested there is a need to drastically increase the lease amount to shore up the income of the shrine but Muslim families dependent on the gurudwara land have expressing incapability to increase the lease amount.
The Bhatti family has valuable prized possessions of Guru Nanak whom Rai Dular Bhatti, the landlord of the area accepted as his spiritual guru. Guru Nanak's father Kalu Mehta was accountant of Rai Dular Bhatti. Bhatti accepted Guru Nanak as his guru when he saw that when Guru Nanak as a child was sleeping in the fields a snake saved him from the scorching sun with his hood offering Guru Nanak shade. Another incident was when villagers urged Bhatti to compensate them for the loss caused by the cattle allowed to graze in their fields by Guru Nanak but when a team went to verify claims of villagers, no loss was found to the crops.
Rai Dular declared child Nanak was not a common mortal but a divine presence.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/2-year-old-twentieth-generation-Muslim-devotee-of-Guru-Nanak/articleshow/10475013.cms?prtpage=1
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Pak returns army copter & surprises India
Oct 24, 2011,
By Gautam Datt and Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury in New Delhi
India praises new turn in approach to sorting out prickly issues as copter comes home in 5 hrs after entering PoK
IT HAD THE potential of turning into yet another flashpoint between the two neighbours when an Indian Army helicopter strayed into Pakistan- occupied- Kashmir due to bad weather on Sunday.
But this potentially volatile situation was defused within five hours, thanks to some deft diplomatic and military manoeuvring from both sides resulting in Pakistan returning the chopper after briefly detaining the four- member crew on board.
Pakistan’s decision to release the army personnel within hours drew appreciation from New Delhi. It was seen as a goodwill gesture and signalled Pakistan’s willingness to work with India on thorny issues involving the armed forces of both countries.
“ We are relieved that our officers and the helicopter are back in India. We greatly appreciate the manner in which Pakistan worked with us in resolving the matter,” ministry of external affairs spokesperson Vishnu Prakash said.
Experts said the gesture marks a new chapter of rapprochement and sends out the signal that the Indo- Pak mechanisms to bridge the trust deficit have yielded positive results.
Earlier in the day, the drama began to unfold around 1.15 pm when the
light- weight Cheetah helicopter of the Army Aviation Corps strayed into the Pakistani side. It was forced to land in the Olding Sector in Skardu about 20 km from the Line of Control.
The crew that included two officer pilots Major R. C. Raja, Major G. Kapila, an army engineer Lt- Col S. P. Verma and a junior commissioned officer Subedar Akhilesh Sharma were detained.
There were misgivings — despite the resumption of the comprehensive dialogue with Pakistan earlier this year and several rounds of talks at the highest levels over the past few months — on whether Islamabad would release the detained personnel given Pakistan Army’s past designs amid reports of an increase in infiltration in Jammu & Kashmir from across the border.
But the hotline between the director generals of military operations ( DGMO) crackled after the Pakistani authorities informed their Indian counterparts following the provisions of an agreement for prevention of airspace violations between the two countries.
The Indian DGMO Lt- Gen A. M. Verma explained to his Pakistani counterpart that it was an error and the helicopter had not intruded deliberately.
The army clarified that the Cheetah had inadvertently crossed over in the Gultari sector near Kargil because of inclement weather. The chopper was on its way to Bimbat in the Drass sector from Leh and the crew was tasked to retrieve another Cheetah helicopter grounded in Bimbat.
The ministry of external affairs also swung into action in coordination with the Indian high commission in Islamabad and the defence ministry. External affairs minister S. M Krishna was directly monitoring the situation.
A parallel effort was launched at the diplomatic level with the Indian high commissioner in Islamabad, Sharat Sabharwal, establishing contact with the Pakistan foreign office to clear any confusions over the issue.
The two- pronged efforts yielded results as the Pakistani authorities verified the claims by questioning the Indian crew and once convinced they allowed the helicopter along with the four- member crew to fly back into Indian territory late in the evening.
Though the hawks would describe Pakistan’s gesture as a result of its deterioration ties with the US that forced Islamabad’s hands but experts described it as a sensible act.
In fact, what makes this amicable settlement more significant is the fact that the Sunday’s incident comes at a time when the Pakistani armed forces are on high alert following the US threatening military operations on its western borders with Afghanistan against the Taliban.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP and former petroleum minister Mani Shankar Aiyar speaking from New York said he was absolutely delighted with this bilateral development.
“ This augurs well for the future,” Aiyar, a strong votary of Indo- Pak ties, said.
Expressing similar sentiments, former external affairs minister Natwar Singh said, “ The matter was resolved in a sensible and mature manner. In fact both sides acted maturely and this augurs well for our bilateral ties.” Former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal said whatever may have been Islamabad’s provocation it acted sensibly. “ There is a ceasefire in place. The two countries are also discussing expanding trade ties. Pakistan realised that this was an inadvertent straying incident and did not want this incident to affect the current momentum in bilateral ties,” Sibal added.
This gesture has laid the basis for a meeting between the prime ministers of both countries being planned during the SAARC Summit in Maldives next month.
Even though the incident was defused amicably, air space violations on the India- Pakistan border have resulted in violent consequences in the past. The two sides have not shied away from firing at an intruding aircraft.
In August 1999 an Indian Air Force MiGs had shot down Pakistan navy’s Atlantic reconnaissance aircraft in the Rann of Kutch killing all 16 on board.
In March 2002, an An- 32 transport aircraft flown by then western command chief V. K. Bhatia was fired at by Pakistan air defence after it strayed across the Line of Control in Kargil sector.
The incident had taken place soon after the Kargil War of 1999 creating tense moments in the Indian air headquarters.
Perhaps the only two occasions in the past when Indian pilots landed inside Pakistan and returned safely was in 1965 when Air Marshal Brij Pal Sikand, who was squadron leader then, was forced to ground his Gnat.
The second time was during Kargil conflict of 1999 when Flight Lieutenant K. Nachiketa was captured after his aircraft ( Mig- 27) was shot down. Both the incidents took place during war and the pilots spent many days in custody.
According to the agreement on prevention of airspace violation between India and Pakistan, the combat aircraft are not allowed to fly within 10 km of each other’s airspace including Air Defence Indication Zone ( AIDZ), an area in which aircraft cannot enter without identification.
In the case of unarmed transport and logistics aircraft including unarmed helicopters, the permissible flying limit is up to 1,000 metres from each other’s airspace including the AIDZ.
http://epaper.mailtoday.in/epaperhome.aspx?issue=24102011
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Afghan minister survives life attempt
October 24, 2011
KABUL/CHARIKAR: The Afghan government, on Sunday, said a key Cabinet minister survived an assassination attempt just north of Kabul. The government said bodyguards for Afghan Interior Minister Bismullah Khan Muhammadi killed a would be suicide bomber who was waiting for the minister’s convoy on Sunday in Sayed Khel, district of Parwan province, north of the capital. The Interior Ministry said the bodyguards checking security ahead of the minister became suspicious of the assailant. When the man continued walking toward them, they shot him dead. The ministry said the minister was not yet on the scene. Parwan Police Chief Sher Mohammad Maladani said the attacker was wearing a suicide bomb vest, and he was killed before he could detonate his explosives. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. A suicide bomber targeted the Afghan interior minister’s car in a convoy north of Kabul on Sunday, the ministry said, but the minister was not in the vehicle at the time and the attacker was killed before he could detonate his explosives. “A suicide bomber who targeted the interior minister’s convey today, was killed by police, the minister was not in the convoy,” Interior Ministry spokesman Seddiq Seddiqi said on Twitter. agencies
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\10\24\story_24-10-2011_pg7_14
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Sexual minorities face severe neglect in flood relief efforts
October 24, 2011
KARACHI: The minority communities have been facing severe hardships in getting due attention in the ongoing relief efforts in the Sindh province, and one of the most neglected groups is the sexual minorities group, an assessment finds.
The assessment by the NGO Roshni Helpline shows that in almost all areas affected by the recent floods there are a dozen of households each locality of sexual minority groups including khawaja siras, transgenders and others. However, due to the prevalent trends of less social acceptability and lack of state recognition, raising voice for their rights has become almost impossible for them.
The findings were shared with the Gender Interactive Alliance (GIA), a Karachi-based organisation for khwaja siras. The alliance agreed that the transgender community was badly affected by the floods in interior Sindh last year and this year. Their homes were destroyed, and they had no food to eat and no clean water to drink. In addition to the individuals and khwaja sira households mentioned in this report, there are several other similar areas of Sindh where other khwaja siras have been affected by the floods, the report finds.
For Full Report :
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\10\24\story_24-10-2011_pg7_4
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7.3 magnitude quake rocks Turkey, 1000 feared dead
Oct 24, 2011,
As many as 1,000 people were feared killed on Sunday when a powerful earthquake hit southeast Turkey, destroying dozens of buildings and trapping some victims alive under rubble.
As night fell, survivors and emergency workers battled to pull people out of the debris in the city of Van and town of Ercis, where a student dormitory collapsed.
Residents in Van joined in a frantic search, using hands and shovels and working under floodlights and flashlights, hearing voices of survivors crying for help under mounds of shattered concrete in pitch darkness and bitter cold.
"We heard cries and groaning from underneath the debris, we are waiting for the rescue teams to arrive," Halil Celik told Reuters as he stood beside the ruins of building that had collapsed before his eyes.
For Full Report :
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print/760871.aspx
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Kashmiris have no objection to declaring India as MFN: Sultan
Staff Report
October 24, 2011
LAHORE: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) former prime minister and Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) member Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Barrister Sultan Mehmood, on Sunday, said that though the Kashmiris had no objection on declaring India as most favourite nation from Pakistan but wanted to resolve the core issue of Kashmir.
Addressing a press conference along with other local Kashmiri leaders at Lahore Press Club, he said that they were in favour of trade and other relations of Pakistan with India and also wanted to resolve the Kashmir issue with the consent of Kashmiris who are the main stakeholders of it as the issue would not be solve without accepting them as a party in bilateral dialogues.
Barrister Sultan who recently visited Indian-held Kashmir (IHK), told the media that he visited the IHK after 64-year and stayed in Sri Nagar and other places for four days and ideologically all of them were willing and dreaming to join Pakistan.
On the issue of former president general Pervez Musharraf’s four-point formula for the solution of Kashmir dispute, he said that only two points of this formula, one of free border and second of establishment of a joint Chamber of Commerce of Kashmir were able to be implemented.
For Full Report :
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\10\24\story_24-10-2011_pg7_21
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Polish soldier killed in Afghanistan, takes toll to 31
AFP 24 10 11
WARSAW: A roadside bomb killed a Polish soldier on patrol in Afghanistan, the defence ministry said Monday, taking to 31 his country’s death toll there.
Private 1st Class Mariusz Deptula was fatally wounded late Sunday when his unit’s vehicle went over an improvised explosive device in the central province of Ghazni.
He died in a field hospital at the Poles’ base.
Another soldier in the vehicle was seriously wounded, but his life was not in danger, the ministry said.
The Poles last lost a soldier on October 4 when a roadside bomb hit another patrol in Ghazni, marking Poland’s 30th fatality in Afghanistan.
The Poles are responsible for security in Ghazni as part of Nato’s International Security Assistance Force which is helping the Afghan government tackle a Taliban-led insurgency.
With some 2,600 troops deployed in Afghanistan, Poland is among the top contributors to ISAF.
For Full Report :
http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/24/polish-soldier-killed-in-afghanistan-takes-toll-to-31.html
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Two suspects involved in 252 target killings arrested
Staff Report
October 24, 2011
KARACHI: The city police claimed to have nabbed two alleged suspects involved in nearly 252 target-killing cases in the metropolis.
Officials said that the suspects belonged to a political party and were arrested along with a huge cache of weapons after a brief encounter near Abdullah Shah Ghazi shrine within the jurisdiction of Clifton police station. The apprehended suspects were identified as Zakir Hussain alias Adeel Agha alias Agha Hussain alias Yasir Dada and Gul Mohammad alias Gulu.
According to Clifton police, they managed to make arrests of the most wanted criminals on a tip-off and the raids for at least four more accomplices of the suspects, who were managed to escape under the cover of the firing, were also being carried out in different parts of the city.
For Full Report :
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\10\24\story_24-10-2011_pg7_27
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Nato: 200 Afghan militants killed, captured
AP 24 10 11
KABUL: Nato says an estimated 200 insurgents were killed or captured in two military operations that just ended in eastern Afghanistan.
German Brig. Gen. Carsten Jacobson, a spokesman for the US-led coalition in Afghanistan, told reporters Monday that the operations, which lasted about a week, were led by Afghan security forces with the support of coalition troops.
They were aimed at disrupting militant groups, including the al Qaeda and Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network.
Jacobson says that at least 20 insurgents with links to Haqqani were among those killed and captured in the operations conducted in provinces south of Kabul and in areas around the capital and in eastern Afghanistan.
The forces also seized more than 400 kilograms of explosives, weapons, munitions and computers.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/24/nato-kills-militants-in-afghan-airstrike.html
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Jobless father in self-immolation bid at parliament
AFP 24 10 11
ISLAMABAD: A jobless Pakistani father of two set himself alight in a suicide bid outside parliament on Monday and was admitted to hospital in a critical condition, officials said.
Raja Khan, from the rural town of Naushero Feroz in southern Sindh province, sprinkled himself with fuel before setting himself alight, police spokesman Naeem Iqbal told AFP.
Police officials on duty rushed to save the man’s life and took him to hospital in a serious condition, Iqbal said.
Khan left behind a letter, saying that he was exhausted by poverty, along with a bag of clothes and his ID card, said another police officer who spoke to AFP from the local station on condition of anonymity.
For Full Report :
http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/24/jobless-father-in-self-immolation-bid-at-parliament.html
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Four killed in Baghdad traffic police attacks
AFP Oct 24 11
BAGHDAD: Attacks mainly targeting Iraqi traffic police across Baghdad on Monday killed at least four people, security and medical officials said.
In the deadliest attack, gunmen opened fire on a traffic police patrol near the Al-Sarafiyah Bridge in Waziriyah neighbourhood in the north of the capital on Monday morning.
Three people were killed and one wounded, according to an official at Medical City hospital.
An interior ministry official put the toll at four killed and six wounded.
In west Baghdad’s Mansur district, a roadside bomb detonated near another traffic police patrol and when emergency responders arrived at the scene, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives vest, security officials said.
One person was killed and six wounded, officials from the ministries of interior and defence said.
For Full Report :
http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/24/four-killed-in-baghdad-traffic-police-attacks.html
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Separate province right of Hazara region’s people: Haider Zaman
By Abdul Khaliq Qureshi
October 24, 2011
ABBOTTABAD: We have raised our voice for creation of Hazara province to bring to an end the victimization of the poor by the usurpers and restore self-confidence and self- respect of the people of this region so that they could live with peace and harmony, said Baba Haider Zaman, Leader of Hazara Province Movement (HPM) on Sunday.
He was addressing a public gathering at Mangal near Qalandarabad some 20 kilometers from the city. He said a separate province was the right of Hazara region’s people. He said they raised their voice for the province from Hazara to Islamabad, and Karachi but the ruling PPP led coalition government made no progress on this issue.
He said most of the residents of Hazara were faced mental torture and difficulties in meeting the ministers to get addressed their grievances and problems in Peshawar after more than three to four hours travel by road. He said the delegations of the poor people of the area can’t afford unbearable expenditure of such travel and night stays in hotels to meet the ministers in metropolitan. He said they wanted a province for Hindko speaking people on the basis of Punjab for Punjabi spoken people, Sindh for Sindhis, Baluchistan for Baluchis, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) for Pushtoons speaking.
For Full Report :
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\10\24\story_24-10-2011_pg7_26
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Muslims issue ultimatum to Congress on quota
Ashish Tripathi,
Oct 24, 2011,
LUCKNOW: Taking cue from Team Anna, Muslims in UP have served an ultimatum to the Congress led UPA government asking for introduction of quota for `dalit' Muslims if party wants Muslim votes in 2012 state assembly elections.
Team Anna has launched campaign in the state against the Congress requesting people not to vote for party in 2012 UP assembly elections if the UPA government fails to enact a strong lokpal in winter session of the Parliament.
On the other hand, the Muslim Reservation Movement (MRM), a campaign launched by Muslim leaders and clerics in UP, has asked all the parties, specially Congress to take up Muslim reservation in inter session of parliament.
At a convention held in Lucknow, the MRM warned to intensify its agitation affecting their poll prospects during coming assembly elections. The MRM stand against Congress was more tough in comparison to BSP and SP.
The MRM demands include amendment in the Presidential Order of 1950, under Article 341 of Indian Constitution, to enable reservation system for the dalit Muslims as given to dalit in Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs communities.
For Full Report :
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Muslims-issue-ultimatum-to-Congress-on-quota/articleshow/10473862.cms?prtpage=1
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Libyans can celebrate 'new era of promise': Obama
Oct 24, 2011,
President Barack Obama hailed the declaration of freedom in Libya on Sunday, saying "a new era of promise" is under way in the African nation. He also urged its new leaders to turn their attention to the political transition ahead.
The leader of Libya's transitional government, Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, declared the country liberated on Sunday, three days after the capture and death of dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
In a statement issued by the White House, Obama congratulated the Libyan people and said, "After four decades of brutal dictatorship and eight months of deadly conflict, the Libyan people can now celebrate their freedom and the beginning of a new era of promise."
Obama said the US looks forward to working with officials as they prepare for free and fair elections.
For Full Report :
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print/760874.aspx
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LEAs put on high alert to avert possible terror attacks
October 24, 2011
By Atif Raza
KARACHI: The law enforcement agencies (LEAs) have been put on high alert to avert possible terrorist attacks in Karachi following the threats, Daily Times learnt on Sunday.
According to reports, LEAs have warned of possible bomb blast in the city and other terror attacks and directed relevant officials to take all possible measures to prevent terrorists in the city having intention to sabotage law and order.
Sources revealed that numerous terror threats were looming large over the city after which authorities had directed operational forces, including police and rangers, to enhance snap checking and keep eye on suspicious vehicles.
Following the directives, LEAs have started snap checking of vehicles and increased the number of check-posts.
It is pertinent to mention here that the recovery of a high intensity bomb from Gulistan-e-Jauhar some days back had showed the existence of terrorists in the city and their ill intensions.
The sources pinpointed that they did not have specific information about the target of terrorists as several sensitive locations and high profile personalities were among the hit list of the terrorists.
For Full Report :
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\10\24\story_24-10-2011_pg7_1
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US, Pakistan will work together for Afghan peace: Clinton
October 24, 2011
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Sunday said that Washington and Islamabad would work together for peace and security in Afghanistan as she also recognised the need to stem militants’ use of safe havens on the Afghan side for attacks against Pakistan.
Clinton, who led a high-level delegation for talks with top Pakistani political and military leaders this week, indicated in a CNN interview an improved level of mutual understanding.
“We are very clear. We need to do two things together. We need to squeeze the terrorist networks, including the Haqqani network, out of their safe havens, preventing them from being able to plan and carry out attacks across the border.
“And we have to, on the Afghan side of the border, squeeze and eliminate safe havens of those who move back and forth and use safe havens in Afghanistan to attack Pakistan,” she said.
For Full Report :
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\10\24\story_24-10-2011_pg7_9
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Haqqani urges Pak-Americans to pursue fields of creative expression
October 24, 2011
WASHINGTON: Pakistani-American youth should pursue excellence in fields of creative expression in order to become an influential voice in the United States through participation in informed discourse, said Islamabad’s ambassador in Washington.
Ambassador Husain Haqqani told a group of Pakistani-American students that in the global ‘Marketplace of Ideas’, it is advancement in fields like the media, foreign relations, law, research and scholarship that brings influence for communities and nations.
Pakistani-American students from 14 American states visited the embassy as part of a three-day annual Youth Leadership Conference under the banner of USPAK Foundation. On behalf of the USPAK, Rashid Chotani told the gathering that the young Pakistani-Americans students took part in useful discussion on various issues.
For Full Report :
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\10\24\story_24-10-2011_pg7_19
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Syrian leader names new governors as protests mount
October 24, 2011
DAMASCUS/ BEIRUT: Syria’s under-fire president, on Sunday, appointed two new governors in flashpoint provinces that have seen staunch protests against his regime, as security forces reportedly killed two more civilians.
State television said President Bashar al Assad named new governors for the north western province of Idlib and for the Damascus governorate, both of which have seen massive anti-regime demonstrations over the past seven months. Assad has sacked several governors since the wave of protests erupted in mid-March, including the Hama governor who was dismissed in July after a record 500,000 protesters rallied there against the regime. Yasser Salman el Shufi was named as Idlib’s new governor while Makhluf Makhluf was appointed governor for the Damascus province. Activists meanwhile called for fresh protests on Sunday under the slogan, “It’s your turn” - a reference to Assad - hoping to force him out of power in the way Libyans ended the rule of Muammer Gaddafi.
For Full Report :
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\10\24\story_24-10-2011_pg7_11
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US pulls envoy out of Syria over security concerns
Oct 24, 2011,
WASHINGTON: The US has pulled its ambassador out of Syria over security concerns, blaming President Bashar Assad's government for the threats.
State Department spokesman Mark Toner said on Monday that ambassador Robert Ford returned to Washington this weekend after "credible threats against his personal safety."
Toner couldn't say when Ford might go back to Syria, saying it depended on a US "assessment of Syrian regime-led incitement and the security situation on the ground."
Haynes Mahoney, the deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in Damascus, confirmed that Ford was out of the country but emphasized that Washington has not formally recalled him.
Ford has enraged Syrian authorities with his forceful defense of peaceful protests, and harsh critique of a government crackdown that has now killed nearly 3,000 people. Ford particularly angered Assad's regime in July when he was met by demonstrators in the restive city of Hama.
For Full Report :
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/10475874.cms?prtpage=1
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Saudi king prepares key appointments after heir dies
October 24, 2011
DUBAI: Saudi Arabia mourned on Sunday the death of Crown Prince Sultan, as King Abdullah prepared to nominate his new heir and choose a new occupant of the key defence minister’s job.
With much of the rest of the Middle East in turmoil, US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta expressed confidence in Riyadh’s ability to stage an effective transition in the area of defence after the death of the crown prince.
Prince Sultan, who had been heir to the Saudi king since 2006 and defence and aviation minister since 1962, died of colon cancer in New York on Saturday.
While most analysts expect the veteran Interior Minister Prince Nayef to become crown prince, there is less certainty about the defence role, a key post in a country that uses multi-billion dollar arms deals to cement relations with top allies. In making the appointments, King Abdullah must maintain a delicate balance of power in a royal family that has thousands of members, dozens of branches and dominates Saudi Arabia’s government, armed forces and business.
For Full Report :
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\10\24\story_24-10-2011_pg7_12
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Pak PM urges people to work for making world free of hunger, poverty
APP, Oct 24, 2011
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has urged the people to do everything possible to make the world a better place; free of hunger, poverty, disease, deprivations and violence.
In a message on the occasion of “United Nations Day” falling on October 24, he said in view of the present-day challenges, the performance of the United Nations has been quite remarkable in various fields such as education, gender equality, humanitarian assistance, climate change, overcoming child mortality and deadly diseases, controlling acute hunger and international peacekeeping in the volatile parts of world.
October 24, 2011 represents the 66th foundation day of the United Nations, when delegates from 51 countries of the world got together in the wake of conclusion of World War II and established an international body on this very day in 1945.
The Prime Minister said the core agenda of the United Nations was premised on promotion of peace, advancement of justice and equitable development around the world, establishment of friendly relations among the nations, peaceful and negotiated end to conflicts, and conquest over hunger, disease, illiteracy, and safeguarding the rights and freedoms of people.
For Full Report :
http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/24/pm-urges-people-to-work-for-making-world-free-of-hunger-poverty.html
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Nawaz arrives in Turkey on seven-day visit
October 24, 2011
ISTANBUL: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif, on Sunday, arrived in Turkey on a seven-day visit on the invitation of Turkish President Abdullah Gull and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The PML-N chief was warmly received by the Turkish officials and the party workers at the Istanbul Airport. During his stay in Turkey, Nawaz will meet the Turkish president, prime minister, foreign minister, former president Suleman Dermeril, businessmen, political leaders, scholars and intellectuals. During the meetings, Nawaz will discuss matters relating to Pak-Turkey relations with the Turkish officials and businessmen. Nawaz will also meet the PML-N leaders in Turkey to discuss matters pertaining to party’s organisation in the brotherly country. inp
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\10\24\story_24-10-2011_pg7_2
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US police training lacks Iraq backing
AP 24th Oct. 2011
BAGHDAD:The US programme to train Iraqi police has yet to win Baghdad’s support, with the minister in charge saying the training was unnecessary and questioning its benefits, a watchdog said on Monday.
The US Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) criticised the State Department, which is in charge of police training, for not compiling detailed assessments and measurable goals for the police, arguing that the absence of such targets risked turning the programme into a “bottomless pit”.
The police training programme is a key responsibility transferred to the State Department from the US military as the latter withdraws from the country.
Some 39,000 troops still in Iraq on 16 bases will leave by the end of the year, US President Barack Obama confirmed on Friday.
SIGIR published an account of a meeting with Iraqi Deputy Interior Minister Adnan al-Assadi in which he told the watchdog of the training programme: “I don’t need it. I won’t ask for it.””What tangible benefit will Iraqis see from this police training programme?” Assadi asked rhetorically, according to the SIGIR account.
For Full Report :
http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/24/us-police-training-lacks-iraq-backing.html
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Pak PM Gilani offers assistance, relief goods to Turkey
APP Oct 24th, 2011
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday offered assistance including relief goods, medicines and doctors to help Turkish brethren cope with the devastating earthquake in Eastern Turkey.
Prime Minister Gilani in a message to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed sympathy and condolences on the destruction and loss of precious human lives caused by the earthquake.
Prime Minister Gilani said the people and Government of Pakistan stand in solidarity with their Turkish brethren.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/24/gilani-offers-assistance-relief-goods-to-turkey.html
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Pakistan shut down to mourn Nusrat Bhutto
Agencies DAWN.COM
Oct. 24, 2011
ISLAMABAD: The country shut down Monday to mourn the death of Nusrat Bhutto, former first lady and mother of assassinated prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who died in Dubai after a long illness. She was 82.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has ordered a 10-day period of national mourning with Monday a public holiday, cancelling all his engagements.
“The national flag will fly at half mast during these days,” his office said in a statement as government offices, shops, schools and businesses closed across the country.
President Zardari, who reached Dubai on Sunday after cutting short a visit to London, will personally bring her body by a chartered plane today.
According to a spokesperson of Bilawal House in Karachi, the funeral will take place at Garhi Khuda Bux near Larkana.
For Full Report :
http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/24/pakistan-shut-down-to-mourns-nusrat-bhutto.html
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/libya-declares-‘liberation’-amid-fears/d/5754