Pakistani Taliban Training French Muslims
New Age Islam News Bureau
25 March 2012
• India Muslim Women Get Right to Divorce
• Pakistan supreme
court to decide fate of Hindu woman in Muslim marriage row
• Toulouse killings:
Merah brother 'may face charges'
• Taking It on Faith,
Reluctantly
• It is time for us
to call the shots in textiles, Pakistan tells India
• ‘Biggest obstacle
of Muslim world is disconnect between thought and action: An Algerian author
• Islamic scholar
shot dead in Pakistan's Balochistan province
• U.S. Plans No
Charges Over Deadly Strike in Pakistan
• Afghanistan,
Pakistan, US set to revive stalled dialogue
• First time,
Pakistan opens Karachi port to let India
• India worried about
Pakistan’s nuclear programme, terrorism
• Our nuclear assets
are well guarded: Pakistan
'• Iran plotted terror attack on Israeli ship in Suez'
• Homs pounded;
Syrian tanks enter northern town
• Afghan massacre:
Kandahar families given compensation
• Syria crisis: Envoy
Kofi Annan in Moscow talks
• Terrorists will one
day acquire nukes, warns UK
• Mali coup leader
Amadou Sanogo 'in complete control'
• Robert Bales faces
17 counts of premeditated murder
• A curse for
Pakistani women
• ak wants to retain
balance with India: Gilani
• No structured
meeting between Singh and Gilani in Seoul: Pakistan's envoy to South Korea
• Pakistan opposition
to resist NATO supply restoration
• Pakistan Taliban
says will attack lawmakers if Afghan supply routes reopen
• Campaign launched
to relax Pakistan-India visa regime
• Another great
friend and journalist departs from our midst
• Non-Muslim Filipino
expats in Saudi Arabia told to be cautious
• Norway joins
international peace monitors in Philippines
• A coaching centre
for the poor particularly Muslims - inside a police station!
Complied
by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo:
Pakistan Taliban Training French Muslims
----------------
Pakistani
Taliban training French Muslims'
Dera
Ismail Khan, March 25, 2012: Dozens of French Muslims are training with the
Taliban in northwestern Pakistan, raising fears of future attacks following the
shooting deaths of seven people in southern France allegedly by a man who spent
time in the region, Pakistani intelligence officials said on Saturday.
Authorities
are investigating whether Mohamed Merah, the Frenchman of Algerian descent who
is suspected of killing three Jewish schoolchildren, a rabbi and three French
paratroopers in Toulouse this month, was among the training group, the
officials said.
Merah
was killed in a dramatic gunfight with police on Thursday after a 32-hour
standoff at his Toulouse apartment. The 23-year-old former auto body worker
travelled twice to Afghanistan in 2010 and to Pakistan in 2011, and said he
trained with al Qaeda in the Pakistani militant stronghold of Waziristan.
Approximately
85 Frenchmen have been training with the Pakistani Taliban in the North
Waziristan tribal area for the past three years, according to the intelligence
officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised
to talk to the media. Most of the men have dual nationality with France and
North African countries.
The
Frenchmen operate under the name Jihad-e-Islami and are being trained to use
explosives and other weapons at camps near the town of Miran Shah and in the
Datta Khel area, the officials said. They are led by a French commander who
goes by the name Abu Tarek. Five of the men returned to France in January 2011
to find new recruits, according to the officials. It's unclear whether Merah
was among that group.
French
President Nicolas Sarkozy promised a crackdown on French citizens found to have
trained in terror camps abroad.
"Anyone
who goes abroad to follow ideological courses that lead to terrorism will be
criminally punished. The response will be prison," he said in a campaign
speech on Saturday.
A
senior French official close to the investigation into the shootings told a
news agency on Friday that despite Merah's claims of al Qaeda links, there was
no sign he had "trained or been in contact with organised groups or
jihadists”.
A
militant commander, Ahmed Marwat, claimed in a phone call with the news agency
on Saturday that Merah was affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban in Waziristan,
but provided no details. Marwat said he was part of the Jundullah wing of the
Pakistani Taliban.
The
claim could not be independently verified.
The
Pakistani Taliban, which is closely allied with al Qaeda, has carried out
hundreds of attacks in Pakistan over the past several years that have killed
thousands of people. Taliban leaders say they want to oust the US-backed
government and install a hardline Islamist regime. They also have international
jihadi ambitions and trained the Pakistani-American who tried to detonate a car
bomb in New York City's Times Square in 2010.
The
main sanctuary for the Pakistani Taliban is the restive tribal region along the
Afghan border, especially North and South Waziristan. Despite a large military
offensive in South Waziristan in 2009, the government has very little control
over the area.
Western
officials have been concerned for years about Muslim militants with European
citizenship visiting northwestern Pakistan, possibly training for missions that
could include terror attacks in Europe where they would act as "lone
wolves" or on the orders of others. In 2010 alone, dozens were believed to
be there.
Merah
told police during the standoff that he was trained "by a single
person" when he was in Waziristan, not in a training centre, so as not to
be singled out because he spoke French," the director of the DCRI
intelligence service, Bernard Squarcini, told the Le Monde newspaper.
Merah
was questioned by French intelligence officers last November after his second
trip to Afghanistan, and was cooperative and provided a USB key with
tourist-like photos of his trip, the French official close to the investigation
told the news agency.
While
he was under surveillance last year, Merah was never seen contacting any
radicals and went to nightclubs, not mosques, the official said. People who
knew him confirmed that he was at a nightclub in recent weeks.
Merah
told negotiators during the police standoff that he was able to buy a large
arsenal of weapons thanks to years of petty theft, the official said.
French
prosecutors said Merah filmed himself carrying out the three shooting attacks
in Toulouse that began March 11.
http://zeenews.india.com/news/south-asia/pakistani-taliban-training-french-muslims_765965.html
------------
Indian
Muslim Women Get Right to Divorce
NEW
DELHI, 24 March 2012 – Hundreds of Indian Muslim scholars have unanimously
granted women the right to dissolve marriage in case of serious breach of
agreement between the couple, Daily News & Analysis news agency reported on
Saturday, March 24.
“If
Shiqaaq (bitterness or acrimony) arises between a couple and wife is completely
unwilling to live with her husband, then utmost effort should be made by the
judge to reconcile,” said the ruling, adopted last week at an international
Islamic jurisprudence seminar organized by Islamic Fiqh Academy (India).
“In
case of non-reconciliation, the marriage should be dissolved.”
All
You Need to Know on Divorce
Can
the Wife Terminate the Marriage?
All
Facts on Marriage in Islam
Gathering
at Mhow in Madhya Pradesh, the ruling was unanimously approved by 300 Muslim
scholars who attended the seminar.
It
conditioned occurrence of Shiqaaq or disagreement that leads to unwillingness
to live as husband and wife.
Following
mediation and reconciliation, the dissolution of marriage can occur to avoid
grave disagreement.
“It
is the duty of the relatives and guardians of the couple to attempt
reconciliation and try to keep the couple within the limits set by Allah,” the
ruling added.
In
Islam, marriage is a sacred bond that brings together a man and a woman by
virtue of the teachings of the Qur'an and the Sunnah.
Each
partner in this sacred relationship must treat the other properly and with
respect.
Divorce
is not at all viewed favorably in Islam and is discouraged unless warranted by
valid reasons.
Divorce
is one of the rights that Islam grants to husbands. In most cases, a husband
can claim that right.
However,
there are also some cases in which a wife can terminate marriage; for example,
by means of khul` (wife's right to obtain divorce under certain conditions).
Muslims
account for 160 million of India's 1.1 billion people, the world's
third-largest Muslim population after those of Indonesia and Pakistan.
In
India, divorce and marriage issues are dominated by All India Muslim Personal
Law Board (AIMPLB), the single largest religious body consisting of scholars of
different schools of thought.
The
AIMPLB was formed in 1973 to protect and apply Muslim Personal Law in marriage,
divorce, succession and inheritance.
In
2005, Shiites and women seceded to form their own separate Boards, the All
India Shiite Personal Law Board & the All India Muslim Women's Personal Law
Board.
http://www.onislam.net/english/news/asia-pacific/456352-india-muslim-women-get-right-to-divorce.html
------------
Pakistan
supreme court to decide fate of Hindu woman in Muslim marriage row
Jon
Boone
guardian.co.uk,
Islamabad,25
March 2012, The fate of a Pakistani Hindu woman who claims she was kidnapped,
forcibly converted to Islam and married against her will is to be decided this
week, after weeks of campaigning by the country's Hindu minority.
The
case of 19-year-old Rinkle Kumari has outraged Hindus from her small town in
the south of the country, where community leaders accuse Muslims of preying on
Hindu girls of marriageable age.
Some
claim similar cases are helping to fuel a steady outflow of Pakistan's tiny
Hindu community as families choose to move to Hindu-majority India instead.
In
a hearing beginning on Monday, the supreme court in Islamabad will try to get
to the bottom of the hotly contested versions of events.
The
town's Muslims, backed by a powerful local politician, say Kumari freely
converted to Islam to marry her neighbour, Naveed Shah, on 24 February. But her
father, a primary school teacher, is adamant she was abducted in the middle of
the night from her house in Mirpur Marthelo, in Sindh province.
"These
people see beautiful young Hindu girls and chase them," said her uncle Raj
Kumar. "For 15 days Naveed Shah had been shouting at Rinkle, threatening
to kill her only brother."
Her
case has won support from members of parliament and attracted widespread
attention in the Pakistani media. According to the Frontier Post newspaper,
Rinkle was seized "for reasons based in sheer lust and debauchery".
Throughout
the whole saga Rinkle's voice has barely been heard, although both sides say
she has made clear statements supporting their contradictory claims.
Her
family says that when she first appeared at a magistrates court late last month
the tearful woman made clear she had been forcibly converted and wanted to
return to her parents. But the court failed to record her statement and put her
in police custody after hundreds of Muslim protesters surrounded the court.
In
a subsequent hearing – from which the family say they were banned – Kumari said
she had freely converted.
In
a sign of the enormous tensions created by the case, the Hindu minority only
succeeded in forcing the authorities to open a case on the issue by staging
protests, with shopkeepers striking and demonstrators blocking a highway. The
intervention of the Pakistani president, Asif Ali Zardari, forced the police to
act, say protesters.
Mian
Mitto, the local member of parliament whom Kumari's family has accused of being
intimately involved in the abduction and conversion, dismissed her initial
court statement. "She may have been emotional, it is only natural to be
upset after seeing her parents in court," he said.
Mitto's
family control a nearby Sufi shrine which has a long history as a place where
people come to convert to Islam.
In
his version of events Kumari had long been in love with Shah. Speaking at his
house in Islamabad, he produced telephone and SMS logs that apparently showed
the pair were in regular communication, although Raj Kumar insisted the family
was too poor for Rinkle to have a phone.
Whether
she was abducted or went on her own volition, she arrived at the shrine late at
night. Within hours she had converted to Islam and married Shah, Mitto said.
Amarnath
Motumal, from the Sindh chapter of Pakistan's human rights commission, said
many cases of forced conversion were covered up, but he believed there were at
least 20 such incidents each month. He said: "They take them into these
extremist madrassas and don't let the parents meet their families, claiming the
girl does not want to meet kaffirs [unbelievers] – her own parents."
Another
recent case involves a female medical student who was allegedly kidnapped on the
streets of Karachi. "These people want to stoke a war between the Hindus
and Muslims so that we leave the country," said Amarlal, chairman of the
Progressive Minorities Commission, who uses only one name. "Local mullahs
and fundamentalist people think that if they leave they can take their
properties."
Only
a tiny minority of Hindus live in the country after massive migration of Sikhs
and Hindus out of Pakistan when the state was formed in 1947 to create a
homeland for South Asia's Muslims. About 3% of the population are Hindus. Some
Hindu community organisations claim that about 10 families leave Pakistan each
month.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/mar/25/pakistani-hindu-court-forced-conversion
------------
Toulouse
killings: Merah brother 'may face charges'
25
March 2012
The
brother of the man who killed seven people in south-west France in recent weeks
is being investigated for possible complicity.
Abdelkader
Merah, 29, went before a judge on charges of criminal conspiracy and will be
kept in custody while he is investigated, prosecutors said.
Abdelkader
Merah denies the accusations but says he was there when his brother stole a
scooter used in the attacks.
He
reportedly said he was proud of his brother, who was killed on Thursday.
Mohamed
Merah died in a shoot-out with police following a 32-hour siege of his
apartment in Toulouse.
During
the stand-off he had admitted shooting dead three soldiers in two separate
incidents, and, last Monday, killing three children and a teacher at a Jewish
school in the city.
Investigators
are trying to establish if Merah, a 23-year-old French citizen of Algerian
descent, acted alone.
His
older brother - and a woman described variously as his wife or girlfriend -
were detained by police on Wednesday, and taken for questioning at domestic
intelligence agency (DCRI) headquarters in Paris.
The
woman was released without charge earlier on Sunday.
'Radical
Islamist'
Prosecutors
said Abdelkader Merah was presented to a judge in Paris on charges of criminal
conspiracy aimed at planning terrorist acts and of complicity in murders and
gang robbery, the Agence France Press reports.
"Police
inquries have produced grave and matching pointers that suggest his
participation as accomplice in crimes relating to a terrorist enterprise is
plausible," the Paris public prosecutor's office said in a statement.
Police
and prosecutors have previously reportedly said Abdelkader is a radical
Islamist and that traces of what could be an explosive material were found in
his car.
He
was questioned several years ago about alleged links to a network sending
Toulouse-area youths to Iraq, but no action was brought against him at the
time, police sources say.
Mohamed
Merah had described himself as an al-Qaeda member, and told police he had
bought weapons for 20,000 euros (£16,700; $24,400) using money taken through
break-ins and hold-ups.
He
recorded the shootings on a video camera strapped to his body.
The
brothers' mother, 55-year-old Zoulika Aziri, had also been taken in for
questioning, but was released without charge on Friday.
Her
lawyer said her world had been "turned upside down" by the events.
"At no time could she have imagined that her son was the one who did
it," Jean-Yves Gougnaud told reporters in Toulouse.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17503396
------------
Taking
It on Faith, Reluctantly
Hilary
Leila Krieger, Mar 24, 2012
This
campaign season has featured non-stop injections of faith into the Republican
presidential primary, and it’s an open debate how that’s affected the chances
of the candidates.
But
new results from a Pew survey indicate that all the God talk is provoking a
backlash among the general public. In dramatic contrast to a decade ago, more
Americans than ever before think there are too many “expressions of religious
faith and prayer by politicians” and that churches should “keep out of
political matters.”
When
the poll was conducted by Pew in 2001, according to the data it released, some
60% of the American public thought there was the right amount of expressions of
faith and prayer by politicians, with 22% saying there was too little and a
mere 12% saying there was two much. Now, in a dramatic reversal, a plurality of
38% say there’s too much, with 30% saying there’s too little and 25% saying
there’s the right amount.
Similarly,
while 54% thought churches should “express views on social and political
questions” back in 1996, only 43% thought they shouldn’t. Now the tables are
turned, with 54% thinking churches should stay out of politics and 40% saying
they should continue to express their political views.
However,
supporters of the most conservative candidate in the GOP race and the one
that’s done the most religious sleeve-wearing – former Pennsylvania senator
Rick Santorum – disagree.
A
majority of Santorum backers do think churches should express their views in
the political sphere and that there currently are too few expressions of faith
by politicians.
In
contrast stand supporters of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. Romney
has struggled to win over evangelicals – a stunningly clairvoyant predictor of
whether or not he will win a state in a primary contest is whether evangelicals
make up more than half of voters – and has had to battle with those who have a
stigma against Mormons.
Most
of his supporters say churches should keep out of politics, while just a
quarter believing there is too little expression of faith and prayer by
political leaders.
Of course, it is not only the Republican
candidates that have brought issues of faith to the forefront of the public
debate. The White House decision – or series of decisions – about whether to
mandate insurance coverage of contraceptives by employers who oppose birth
control, such as Catholic hospitals, sparked a major public back-and-forth –
which Republicans then seized on, magnifying the issue.
Pew
did not speculate on what caused the poll results, saying only that the survey
found “signs of public uneasiness with the mixing of religion and politics.”
It then added somewhat more emphatically that,
“The number of people who say there has been too much religious talk by
political leaders stands at an all-time high since the Pew Research Center
began asking the question more than a decade ago.”
http://blogs.jpost.com/content/taking-it-faith-reluctantly
------------
It
is time for us to call the shots in textiles, Pakistan tells India
SUJAY
MEHDUDIA
NEW
DELHI, March 25, 2012, Time for New Delhi, Islamabad to rework strategies and
tap trade potential'
Stating
that it was time for both India and Pakistan to re-work their trade strategies,
and tap the huge potential, especially in energy, petrochemicals, textiles and
cotton, the All Pakistan Textiles Mills Association (APTMA) has called for
removal of all non-tariff barriers to ensure free trade of cotton and textile
products.
“It
is time for India and Pakistan to set the international trend and price in the
field of textiles and cotton trade. Together both the countries account for
nearly 40 per cent of the world's cotton production. Pakistan produces around
15 million cotton bales and India around 34 million bales. While India has a
share of $25 billion in world textile exports, Pakistani exports stand around
$5 billion which was hardly anything substantial if the $800 billion world
trade size in textiles is kept in mind. We need to join hands to set the trend
and even beat China,” APTMA chairman Gohar Ijaz told The Hindu.
Cotton
shortage
Mr.
Ijaz, who has been nominated as the chairman of the Task Force on Energy, said
Pakistan had faced shortage of cotton but its production had increased this
year by 30 per cent after last year's worst floods. “We should charge
international value for our cotton. Pakistan is a deficit state as far as
cotton is concerned and India is surplus. We can change the international
trend, if we join hands,” he remarked.
Stating
that he was for free and liberal trade, Mr. Ijaz said Pakistan had a huge
market potential for Indian exports in the areas of raw material for textiles,
synthetic textiles, polymer and geo textiles. “Why should we explore international
sectors for textile trade? We can join hands and even have production bases in
Pakistan where labour is available and then export products at our will to
various players across the globe,” he said.
Giant
step forward
Terming
the notification of the “negative list” a giant step forward, Mr. Ijaz said
India had now to respond with positive steps and work on removing non-tariff
barriers to facilitate enhanced trade and economic engagement.
“This
is also a big step that allows larger people-to- people exchange allowing
businesses from both sides to meet each other regularly and explore potential
for future business opportunities, especially in the field of energy including
petrochemical trade,” he stated.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3220870.ece
-----------
‘Biggest
obstacle of Muslim world is disconnect between thought and action: An Algerian
author
ZEYNEP
HAŞLAK ,
İSTANBUL,
25 March 2012, An Algerian author,
Professor Mohammed Babaammi, said the biggest problem that the Muslim world
faces in today’s world is that there are significant mismatches between the
thoughts and actions of Muslims.
“Muslims
do not act upon their thoughts,” says the Algerian professor.
Speaking
to Sunday’s Zaman at a visit to Zaman headquarters in İstanbul, Babaammi
expressed his views on the problems of the Muslim world and the Arab Spring as
well as Arab views of Turkey.
Babaammi
said Arab nations know Ottomans and Turkey from such TV series as “Muhteşem
Yüzyıl” (Magnificent Century) -- a series about Süleyman the Magnificent, the
famous Ottoman sultan, known in Turkey as Kanuni Sultan Süleyman (Süleyman the
Lawmaker) -- which drew over 90 percent of the complaints on Turkey’s Radio and
Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) in the week it was first aired and still
continues to attract criticism for the way the series depicts the empire and
the life of the sultan. Babaammi says disinformation that Arab nations have
about Turkey has increased with these TV series.
Babaammi
criticizes the brutality that the Muslim world faced in the Arab Spring – which
was sparked by events in Tunisia and spread to the other countries which
included Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, Algeria and Jordan, after a
Tunisian man set himself on fire to protest the former Tunisian regime -- by
stating that the uprisings in these countries are an outcome of those
countries’ leaders acting contrary to conscience and logic.
He
added that the major problem in the Muslim world is that there is a lack of
connection between the heart and the mind, and between thought and conscience.
“So far I have seen this connection only in Fethullah Gülen [a respected
Turkish intellectual and scholar],” Babaammi said. According to the Algerian
professor, the transformation of Gülen’s ideas into reality was the outcome of
the successful connection between the heart and the mind, and he calls this the
“Gülen model.” “Gülen is not someone who separated mind and action, he has
brought these two aspects together and acted upon this,” he said. “This is what
makes this movement different from other Islamic organizations.”
Babaammi
says if the Arab world embraces the Gülen model, it will be able to find a cure
the problems it has had for centuries. “In fact I believe that the Arab world
would embrace such model as it is coming from people who share the same belief
and geography with Arabs,” he said.
The
Algerian professor says that both the Western and Muslim worlds’ systems are
problematic. He says that in the West, humanitarian values are mainly far from
friendship and brotherhood and solely based on principles. On the other hand,
the Muslim world’s humanitarian values are based on brotherhood and loyalty but
very far from discipline and based on loose principles. “In The Gülen model, we
see that the positive sides of west and East work perfectly in harmony. There
are both principles and discipline, and also brotherhood and loyalty, too. This
is what distinguishes the Gülen movement from others.”
According
to Babaammi, the Arab world is currently going through an era of finding an
appropriate system for their countries after their regimes either collapsed or
started reforms. He added that the thing they call a “Spring” is in fact a fire
that burns the Arab nations.
“Gülen
has been saying for many years that he is expecting to see a golden nation
which will strive to change the corrupted system of Muslim countries. In fact
he has built his system around this idea. However, the revolution that Gülen
expected is not about holding demonstrations on the street but in peace with
talks, according to Babaammi.
The
Algerian professor has asked Zaman daily management to publish a newspaper in
Arabic, too, to spread the message of Gülen, adding that he learned about Gülen
through 13 of Gülen’s books that have been translated from Turkish to English.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-275310-biggest-obstacle-of-muslim-world-disconnect-between-thought-and-action.html
-----------
Islamic
scholar shot dead in Pakistan's Balochistan province
ISLAMABAD,
PTI | Mar 24, 2012: An Islamic scholar was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in
the capital of the restive Balochistan province of southwest Pakistan on
Saturday, police said. Qari Abdul Basit, the son of well-known scholar Maulvi
Abdul Samad, was gunned down in the busy Kasi Road in Quetta.
Witnesses
said he was going from his home to a mosque when the gunmen, who were riding a
motorcycle, fired at him and killed him instantly. The attackers fled from the
spot. Basit was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
A
number of people gathered at the hospital on learning of his death and angry
protesters burnt tyres on Kasi Road to protest the incident. Clerics condemned
the killed and said over 10 scholars belonging to the Sunni sect had been
killed in Quetta in the past few months.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Islamic-scholar-shot-dead-in-Pakistans-Balochistan-province/articleshow/12395875.cms
------------
U.S.
Plans No Charges Over Deadly Strike in Pakistan
By
ERIC SCHMITT
WASHINGTON,
March 24, 2012 — The United States military has decided that no service members
will face disciplinary charges for their involvement in a NATO airstrike in
November that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, an accident that plunged relations
between the two countries to new depths and has greatly complicated the allied
mission in Afghanistan.
An
American investigation in December found fault with both American and Pakistani
troops for the deadly exchange of fire, but noted that the Pakistanis fired
first from two border posts that were not on coalition maps, and that they kept
firing even after the Americans tried to warn them that they were shooting at allied
troops. Pakistan has rejected these conclusions and ascribed most of the blame
to the American forces.
The
American findings set up a second inquiry to determine whether any American
military personnel should be punished. That recently completed review said no,
three senior military officials said, explaining that the Americans fired in
self-defense. Other mistakes that contributed to the fatal cross-border strike
were the regrettable result of battlefield confusion, they said.
“We
found nothing criminally negligent on the part of any individual in our
investigations of the incident,” said one senior American military official
involved in the process, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the
results of the review had not been made public.
The
military’s decision is expected to anger Pakistani officials at a time when the
two countries are gingerly trying to patch up a security relationship left in
tatters over the past year from a series of episodes, including the shooting of
two Pakistanis in Lahore by a C.I.A. contractor, the Navy SEALs raid in
Abbottabad that killed Osama bin Laden and the deadly airstrike in November.
Pakistan’s
Parliament is scheduled to resume debate as early as Monday on a major review
of relations with the United States, a debate that the Obama administration
hopes will bring a resumption of full diplomatic relations and the reopening of
NATO supply lines into Afghanistan through Pakistan. As part of that debate,
Pakistani legislators have demanded an unconditional formal apology from the
United States for the fatal airstrike.
In
the highest-level parley of leaders of the two countries since the accident,
President Obama is to meet with Pakistan’s prime minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani,
on Tuesday in Seoul, South Korea, after a nuclear security conference there, to
discuss Afghanistan and other security issues. But Mr. Obama is not expected to
go beyond the regrets he conveyed to Pakistan soon after the airstrike on Nov.
25.
Some
administration aides said at the time that they worried that if Mr. Obama
formally apologized to Pakistan, it could provide ammunition for his Republican
opponents in the presidential race.
By
contrast, Mr. Obama offered a personal apology last month to President Hamid
Karzai of Afghanistan for the burning of Korans by American soldiers there, as
well as regrets about the massacre of Afghan civilians in which an Army staff
sergeant has been charged.
Gen.
James N. Mattis, the head of the military’s Central Command, is scheduled to
hold long-delayed meetings this week in Islamabad with Gen. Ashfaq Parvez
Kayani, the Pakistani Army chief of staff, to discuss the airstrike
investigation, as well as new border coordination procedures to prevent a
recurrence of the episode.
General
Mattis will also discuss opportunities for training, arms sales and improving
border coordination centers, military officials said. Other senior American
officials, like Deputy Secretary of State Thomas R. Nides, and Marc Grossman,
the State Department’s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, are
also expected to meet soon with senior Pakistani officials to begin mending
relations.
The
accidental cross-border attack in November set in motion two inquiries. The
first investigation, conducted by the Central Command in December, found that
Pakistani troops fired first on a joint Afghan-American patrol, prompting the
deadly return fire. That inquiry also concluded that checks and balances put in
place to prevent cross-border accidents with Pakistan failed in part because American
officials did not trust their Pakistani counterparts enough to give them
detailed information about American troop locations in Afghanistan.
That
investigation also determined that it took about 45 minutes for a NATO
operations officer in Afghanistan to notify a senior allied commander about
Pakistan’s calls that its outposts were under attack, one of several breakdowns
in communication that contributed to the airstrike.
Once
alerted, the commander immediately ordered a halt to the American attacks. By
then, communications between the two militaries had sorted out the chain of
errors and the shooting stopped. The delay, by at least one officer and
possibly a second, raised questions about whether a faster response could have
spared some lives.
Officials
“did not respond correctly, quickly enough or with the sense of urgency or
initiative required given the gravity of the situation and the well-known
sensitivity surrounding the Afghan-Pakistan border region,” the December report
found.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/world/asia/us-plans-no-disciplinary-charges-in-strike-that-killed-24-pakistanis.html
------------
Afghanistan,
Pakistan, US set to revive stalled dialogue
Press
Trust of India
Islamabad,
Mar 25, 2012: Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States are set to revive
trilateral talks after a nearly seven-month deadlock, Afghan diplomats and
Pakistani officials have said.
Senior
diplomats from the three countries are scheduled to meet in Tajikistan on March
25 ahead of the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan, an
Afghan diplomat and a Pakistani Foreign Ministry official said.
The
Afghan diplomat and the Pakistani official, requesting anonymity, said US
Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman and Afghan Deputy Minister
Jawed Ludin would be in attendance during the meeting at Dushanbe.
Pakistan
would be represented by Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani.
Officials
from the three countries last met in Islamabad in September last year, a few
days before the assassination of Afghan peace envoy Burhanuddin Rabbani that
was subsequently blamed by Afghan officials on elements based in Pakistan.
Afghanistan
suspended high-level contacts with Pakistan after the killing, saying it was
planned in Pakistan and carried out by a Pakistani suicide bomber.
Islamabad
dismissed the charges as baseless and assured it would cooperate in a probe
into the assassination.
The
Afghan reconciliation process hit another stumbling block when Pakistani-US
relations hit a low in November last year after a cross-border NATO air strike
killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.
However,
Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar's visit to Kabul and President Hamid Karzai
s trip to Islamabad last month marked the revival of high-level contacts
between the two countries.
Earlier,
Pakistan had turned down a US request for Grossman to visit Islamabad, saying
the trip would not be fruitful till Islamabad concluded a parliamentary review
of its relations with Washington.
The
trilateral meeting will be held a day ahead of the fifth Regional Economic
Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan in Dushanbe.
President
Asif Ali Zardari has left for Dushanbe to attend the conference, which will
consider proposals and projects aimed at boosting regional cooperation with
Afghanistan.
The
meeting between Afghanistan, Pakistan and the US will be held at a time when
the Taliban have broken off talks with the US in Qatar, citing unacceptable
demands by Washington. Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the
talks have not yet been resumed and the militants are awaiting a
"positive" response to their three major demands.
Listing
these demands, he said the Taliban have proposed the release of some prisoners,
removal of the names of Taliban leaders from the UN sanctions lists and recognition
of the Taliban political office in Qatar.
"The
US must show a positive response to our demands to build trust," he said.
An Afghan source, privy to last month's talks between Karzai and the Pakistan
government, said Islamabad had assured Afghan leaders that it would "reach
out to the Taliban" and encourage them to hold an intra-Afghan dialogue.
The
Taliban have so far ignored last month's appeal from Prime Minister Yousuf Raza
Gilani to Afghan militants groups to join the reconciliation process. Talban
spokesman Mujahid said the militants' political commission had not yet made any
decision on responding to Gilani's appeal.
The
trilateral meet thus assumes importance in the wake of the deadlock in talks
between the Afghan Taliban and the US.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/afghan-pak-us-set-to-revive-stalled-dialogue/242352-2.html
----------
First
time, Pakistan opens Karachi port to let India
PranabDhalSamanta
New
Delhi, Sun Mar 25 2012, In a quiet, yet significant, exception to its transit
policy for Indian goods, Pakistan has let Indian wheat pass through its
territory to Afghanistan.
Source
said about 100,000 tonnes of wheat have, for the first time, moved over the
past few months from Kandla to Karachi and from there by rail and road to
Torkham, the transit point on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. This is part of
the 250,000 tonnes of wheat India has pledged as assistance to Afghanistan.
Officially,
South Block officials explained that this cannot be considered as a change in
Pakistan’s stand as the arrangement has been tied up in a manner to show that
Afghanistan is picking up its consignment of wheat from Kandla. Technically,
Afghanistan is using Pakistan for transit, not India and that is how a major
obstacle was circumvented.
But
on the ground, sources said, the trading activity is being carried out by
Indian shipping agents who deliver the goods at Karachi, from where Pakistani
transport agencies take over and deliver it at Torkham. “We have just told the
Afghans to make arrangements from Torkham. Let’s not forget Karachi is a busy
commercial trading port and all this moves very smoothly as regular commerce,
unless there is political interference,” explained an insider privy to the
details.
Afghanistan
and Pakistan have entered into a trade and transit agreement, which was not
extended to India due to Islamabad’s concerns. However, it does allow
Afghanistan duty-free access on a list of goods across Torkham and Chaman
transit points.
Pakistan,
it may be noted, has repeatedly refused transit of Indian goods through its
territory even though they qualified under humanitarian assistance to
Afghanistan. The problem was so acute at the start, right after the fall of the
Taliban, that wheat consignments would even rot by the time they reached
Afghanistan through a circuitous route via Iran.
To
avoid this, India entered into an understanding with Afghanistan under which
the wheat would be used to make fortified biscuits and then transported to
Kabul. These biscuits were then distributed in schools in attractive packets
bearing the India label. While this worked to quite an extent, larger problems
occurred with transporting goods and material for infrastructure projects.
For
instance, the project to lay transmission lines for bringing electricity to
Kabul from the Uzbekistan border overshot its deadline by a few years because
of the delay in transporting transformers and transmission poles. In fact,
India had to carry out one of its largest airlift operations to move five mega
transformers from Delhi to Kabul. India has tried to work out an alternate
route through Iran, but the project at Chabahar has been moving slowly due to
various other political reasons.
Despite
these practical difficulties which adversely affected Afghanistan too, Pakistan
never showed any flexibility. It continued to rely on the old logic that easier
access for Indian goods was incongruent with Pakistan’s own national security
interests. While Islamabad has far from overcome that mindset, sources said,
these were initial signs of fresh thinking in Pakistan despite its
unpredictable domestic political scenario.
New
Delhi, in fact, has been quite surprised by the response from the
Zardari-Gilani government. In the past year, the two sides have made remarkable
progress on the trade front with Islamabad taking an important step to move
from a positive to a negative list of items, moving forward on the most
favoured nation issue and also exchanging high-level visit to resolve
contentious issues. At Pakistan’s request, India too has made a cautious start
at resuming back-channel talks.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/first-time-pakistan-opens-karachi-port-to-let-india/928048/0
----------
India
worried about Pakistan’s nuclear programme, terrorism
By
PARUL CHANDRA
SEOUL,
March 25, 2012 India on Saturday questioned the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear
material and raised concerns about nuclear terrorism ahead of the second
Nuclear Security Summit that will start in the South Korean capital on Monday.
Pakistan
is said to have among the world’s fastest growing nuclear arsenals. As per an
estimate by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the number could be anywhere
between 150-200 nuclear warheads in a decade. India, meanwhile, has “very
little confidence” that Pakistan’s nuclear material will stay safe and will not
fall in to the hands of militant groups such as the al Qaeda, which could use
it to manufacture dirty bombs.
While
admitting that the security of Pakistan’s growing nuclear arsenal was “a big
worry for us”, sources said that the real problem was “insider threat” wherein
legitimate authorities might use the nuclear material for illegitimate
purposes.
There
is also much anticipation that the two leaders, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh and Pak PM Yousuf Raza Gilani will be meeting on the sidelines of the
two-day summit. However, Indian officials here remained tight-lipped on
Saturday about a possible meeting between the two leaders of the sub-continent.
Singh
arrived here on Saturday for a bilateral visit as well as to participate in the
summit which will see an array of world leaders including US President Barack
Obama converging here. They will be discussing, among other things, the crucial
issue of the steps that can be taken to protect nuclear materials and
facilities across the world from terror groups.
Pakistan
is said to have among the world’s fastest growing nuclear arsenals. As per an
estimate by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, this number could be
anywhere between 150-200 nuclear warheads in a decade. India’s fears on the
safety and security of its nuke programme and materials, therefore appear
legitimate amidst concerns that these could fall into the hands of militant
groups such as the Al Qaeda. This fissile material, in the hands of terrorists,
can be used to manufacture dirty bombs, fears India.
As
Pakistan’s nuke wherewithal grows, sources admitted that its security “is a big
worry for us”. However, there appears to be an even more pressing concern for
India. As sources noted, the real problem is the “insider threat” wherein nuke
materials which may be in someone’s legitimate possession are then used for
illegitimate purposes. In this regard, the example of Pak nuke scientist A.Q.
Khan is often cited by experts wherein sensitive nuclear technology was allowed
to proliferate in several other countries.
As
for the security of India’s own nuclear materials, sources said that it was
under “tight security” and “very, very secure”. They added for good measure
that “the best security would come from a nuclear weapons free world, Importantly,
there are no binding standards for countries to adhere to for securing their
fissile materials or weapons.
While
individual countries are not, as a norm, discussed at the nuke summit, the
shadow of both Iran and North Korea are looming large over the summit which
will see leaders from 57 nations putting their heads together on March 26 and
27. Neither country figures in the formal agenda or is participating in the
summit.
The
North Koreans had been extended an invite to participate by the host country.
North Korea, however, responded by saying that the multilateral summit is
“shameless sophism” on the part of South Korea and the US.
Regarding
Iran, under watch by the world community as it proceeds with its uranium
enrichment activities, sources noted that regardless of who is spoken to,
nobody as yet had said that it has decided to make a nuclear weapon.
India,
given its close ties with Iran, They also dismissed as “sheer madness” the
plans to attack or have a military action against Iran while saying that the
IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) is the right body to deal with its
nuclear programme.
Prior
to his participation in the summit, Mr Singh will be doing the official
bilateral leg of his tour which kicks off here tomorrow morning. It begins with
a visit to the National Cemetery and will be followed by a bilateral meeting.
In stepping onto South Korean soil as the PM, Mr Singh has become the first
Indian PM to do so in nearly two decades. In forging ahead with its engagement
with South Korea, New Delhi will be aiming to bolster its trade and economic
ties with South Korea.
These
ties got a boost following the signing of the Comprehensive Economic
Partnership Agreement (CEPA)—it traiggered a 70 per cent increase in bilateral
trade, crossing the 20.5 billion dollars mark in 2011.
The
PM will also be meeting the Prime Ministers of Norway and Italy, Jens
Stoltenberg and Mario Monti, respectively on Monday in what is described as
“pull aside” meetings with the two leaders.
In
normal circumstances, the meetings may not have been of much significance. But
given the recent controversy over the shooting down of two Indian fishermen by
two Italian marines on board merchant vessel Enrica Lexie and the abduction of
two Italians in Odisha, these matters are expected to be discussed when Singh
meets Monti.
In
the case of Norway, the controversy over two Indian kids currently in the
custody of the childcare services in that country was in the news for weeks
till the mater took a curious turn earlier in the week.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/north/india-worried-about-pakistan%E2%80%99s-nuclear-programme-terrorism-445
---------
Our
nuclear assets are well guarded: Pakistan
PTI
SEOUL:
Mar 25, 2012, Pakistan on Sunday sought to allay apprehensions over the
security of its nuclear assets saying they had the "best facilities"
which were "well guarded".
"There
should not be any fear of any type. All our (nuclear) installations are well
guarded," Pakistan ambassador to South Korea Shaukat Mukkadam told
reporters here.
He
said Pakistan has the best facilities and the best command and control systems.
"There
should be no fear absolutely. Everything has been revisited after the Fukushima
incident," the envoy said apparently referring to safety and security of
nuclear facilities in Pakistan.
He
said the nuclear power was essential for Pakistan as it has limited fossil fuel
option and is also facing power shortage.
"We
hope nuclear energy will help in this regard," Mukkadam said.
Yesterday,
India had voiced concerns over Pakistan's nuclear programme saying it has
"very little confidence" on the capabilities of its western neighbour
on securing its atomic assets.
The
possibility of "insider threat" was the prime concern among the
Indian establishment and building capacities would be the key element in
India's pitch at the Nuclear Security Summit which begins here on tomorrow.
India
has cautioned that the fissile material could get into the hands of terrorists,
who could use it to make dirty bombs.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Our-nuclear-assets-are-well-guarded-Pakistan/articleshow/12400097.cms
----------
'Iran
plotted terror attack on Israeli ship in Suez'
By
YAAKOV LAPPIN, By REUTERS 03/24/2012
Al
Ahram' reports Iranian agents offered 2 Egyptian men 50m. Egyptian pounds to
carry out attack on Israeli vessel.
Iran
plotted to carry out a terror attack on an Israeli ship as it passed through
Egypt’s Suez Canal, a report in the Egyptian Al-Ahram weekly claimed on Friday.
According
to the report, the Egyptian terror operatives received instructions and funds
from Iranian handlers ahead of the planned attack.
Egyptian
authorities made no official comment on the report by Saturday night.
The
suspects allegedly planned to recruit a third member to their cell, and were
supposed to receive 50 million Egyptian pounds to carry out the plan.
If
confirmed, the plot could strain ties between Iran and Egypt, which is in the
midst of a political transformation.
Islamist
parties control the lower parliament in Cairo, and the Muslim Brotherhood’s
party, which is the largest in parliament, said it may field a candidate for
the presidential elections.
Nevertheless,
the ruling military council is determined to retain some power.
Some
members of the new Egyptian parliament have indicated that they will seek
closer ties to Iran. Under former president Hosni Mubarak’s regime, Cairo
viewed Tehran as a hostile, radical force in the region, and ties between the
two country were frozen for years.
The
report on the alleged ship bomb plot comes after a series of failed attacks on
Israeli targets in India, Thailand and Georgia last month, all of which have
been linked to Iran.
On
Friday, India’s NDTV news site said New Delhi requested that Interpol issue Red
Corner warrants against four Iranians, one of whom was arrested by Malaysian
police at Kuala Lampa airport.
The
New Delhi police chief said earlier this month that a fifth suspect, an
Indian-Muslim journalist with ties to Iran, helped carry out reconnaissance
ahead of the February attack, which seriously injured Tal Yehoshua Koren, the
wife of the Israeli defense attache to India.
Speaking
soon after the attacks, senior security analyst Dr. Ely Karmon said that had
the terrorists succeeded, they could have provoked a strong Israeli response.
“What
amazes me about all of these attempts is the fact that one successful attack,
one Israeli embassy blown up, is a casus belli,” a Latin phrase meaning a
justification for war, said Karmon, of the Interdisciplinary Center’s Institute
for Counter-Terrorism.
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=263219
-----------
Homs
pounded; Syrian tanks enter northern town
BEIRUT, March 25, 2012: Syrian forces pounded the
already battered city of Homs with tank and mortar fire and troops raided a
rebellious northern town on Saturday, leaving 10 civilians and four soldiers
dead, opposition activists said.
With
the yearlong bloodshed showing no signs of abating, the UN-Arab League peace
envoy for Syria, Kofi Annan, flew to Moscow in an effort to secure strong
Russian support for his efforts to bring about a ceasefire and open political
dialogue.
While
Western and Arab states are calling for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to
stand down first, Russia is putting the onus on the armed rebels and their
foreign supporters to halt their year-long uprising, saying its long-time ally
Syria was ready for talks.
"Russia
sees an immediate end of violence in Syria is a priority," the Kremlin
said in a statement on Saturday, a day ahead of Annan's meeting with Russian
President Dmitry Medvedev.
"The
key task is to convince the Syrian opposition to sit down at the negotiation
table with the authorities and reach a peaceful resolution of the crisis,"
it added.
On
the ground, the idea of a negotiated peace seemed more remote than ever, with
clashes reported in numerous locations.
Four
died in Homs, the epicentre of the anti-Assad revolt, as the central city
suffered another day of what activists said was indiscriminate gunfire and
shelling on residential areas. reuters
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\03\25\story_25-3-2012_pg7_26
-----------
Afghan
massacre: Kandahar families given compensation
25
March 2012
Afghan
families who lost relatives in the Kandahar massacre have been paid
compensation by the US military.
They
received $46,000 (£29,000) for each person killed and $10,000 (£6,300) for each
person injured, Afghan officials and tribal elders said.
US
staff sergeant Robert Bales was charged on Friday with 17 counts of premeditated
murder.
Meanwhile,
eight Afghan police officers and an Isaf foreign soldier have been killed by a
bomb in Kandahar province.
They
were on patrol when they were hit by an improvised explosive device late on
Saturday, officials said.
"Four
Afghan local police and three national police, one Isaf soldier and one Afghan
interpreter were killed," Shah Mohammad, administrator for Arghandab
district, said.
'No
confession' over massacre
Family
members were informed of the payouts at a meeting with personnel from the US
military and the Nato-led Isaf forces at the offices of Kandahar's governor.
"We
were invited by the foreign and Afghan officials in Panjwai yesterday and they
said this money is an assistance from [US President] Obama," Haji Jan
Agha, who said he lost his cousins, told Reuters on Sunday.
The
families were also told that some witnesses would be flown to the US to give
evidence - and others would be able to participate by videolink - when Staff
Sgt Bales stands trial over the deadly night-time rampage in Panjwai district
on 11 March.
An
Isaf spokesman in Kabul would not confirm the payouts, saying Isaf does not
"make restitution for losses resulting from combat, combat-related
activities or operational necessity".
"Individual
troop-contributing nations may participate in some form of restitution
consistent with the cultural norms of Afghanistan," Lieutenant Commander
Brian Badura said.
"As
a settlement of claims in most cases is a sensitive topic for those who have
suffered loss it is usually a matter of agreement that terms of settlement
remain confidential," he added.
The
BBC's David Loyn in Kabul says the US normally pays up to $2,500 in
compensation for civilians killed by international soldiers, about seven times
the average annual income.
The
exceptional payments in this case reflect the exceptional circumstances of the
killings, which were not just mistakes of war, he adds.
The
US army said on Friday that Sgt Bales had been formally charged with 17 counts
of premeditated murder - nine Afghan children and eight adults.
Afghan
officials and villagers say 16 died - 12 in Balandi and four in Alkozai - and
the US military has not explained the discrepancy.
Sgt
Bales, 38, was also charged with six counts of attempted murder over attacks on
a man, a woman and four children.
The
soldier is currently being held at a military jail in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas,
where he is being held in solitary confinement after being flown out of
Afghanistan last week.
His
lawyer, who has played down reports that his client was drunk on the night of
the killings, has said Sgt Bales remembers "very little" of the
incident.
John
Henry Browne said there was "no forensic evidence" against him and
"no confession".
Sgt
Bales is the only known suspect in the killings - despite repeated Afghan
assertions that more than one American was involved.
His
trial could take years, contrasting with Afghan demands for swift and decisive
justice, and he could face the death penalty if convicted.
The
shooting spree has further undermined relations between Kabul and Washington.
The Taliban called off peace talks in the wake of the deadly rampage.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17503733
----------
Syria
crisis: Envoy Kofi Annan in Moscow talks
25
March 2012
Special
peace envoy Kofi Annan is due to meet Russian President Dmitri Medvedev in
Moscow shortly to discuss ways of ending the crisis in Syria.
Mr
Annan is seeking to persuade Russia, which has been a staunch supporter of
Syria, to take a firmer stance against President Bashar al-Assad's government.
He
will later go to China which has also usually backed Syria at the UN.
As
clashes continue, Human Rights Watch has accused Syrian government forces of
using civilians as human shields.
Activists
reported further clashes and casualties on Sunday in the Homs area. More than
50 people were reported to have been killed in shelling or shooting by the
security forces on Saturday, many of them in Homs.
The
UN says the conflict has cost more than 8,000 lives since it began a year. The
Syrian government blames violence on "terrorist gangs" and says some
3,000 members of the security forces have been killed.
Foreign
media face severe restrictions on reporting in Syria, and it is hard to verify
the claims of either side.
External
support
Mr
Annan - the envoy for the United Nations and the Arab League - has proposed a
six-point peace plan, which calls on government forces to immediately halt the
use of heavy weapons in populated areas.
He
also wants the armed rebels to halt their attacks - which seems unlikely to
happen either, says the BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut.
In
a statement before the meeting with Mr Annan, the Kremlin warned that it would
be hard to stop the violence in Syria as long as the opposition continues to
receive political and military support from outside.
Saudi
Arabia and other Sunni Arab Gulf states have been backing the opposition, and
clearly want the Assad regime to go, says our correspondent.
Russia
has vetoed two UN Security Council resolutions on the crisis in Syria, but last
week, with China,supported a UN statement on the Annan mission.
The
BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Moscow says that recently there have been signs Moscow
is losing patience with Moscow. Senior Russian officials have criticised the
Syrian government for dragging its heels on reform, and accused it of making
numerous mistakes.
Meanwhile,
a new report by New York based Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused pro-government
forces of forcing civilians to march in front of them as they advanced on areas
held by the opposition in the northern Idlib province earlier in March.
Videos
obtained by HRW from opposition activists showed people dressed in civilian
clothes walking in front of armed soldiers and fighting vehicles. Witnesses
told HRW it was clear that the move was to protect the army from attack.
According to the HRW statement, residents also said children had been placed on
tanks and inside security buses.
In
another development, the opposition Free Syrian Army and a rival military
council have announced that they will work together to co-ordinate all military
activity against the Syrian government.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17505035
------------
Terrorists
will one day acquire nukes, warns UK
LONDON,
March 25, 2012: Britain warned on Friday there was a ‘significant likelihood’
that terrorists would one day acquire chemical, biological or nuclear weapons
unless countries step up their efforts to keep sensitive materials and
information secure.
The
British government released its first comprehensive National Counter-Proliferation
Strategy, detailing the risks from the spread of such weapons and what Britain
and other countries could do to stop it.
It
came out days before leaders from more than 50 countries, including US
President Barack Obama, gathered in Seoul, South Korea, for a March 26-27
Nuclear Security Summit focusing on measures to protect nuclear materials and
facilities and to prevent illicit trafficking.
The
British strategy identified a terrorist chemical, biological, radiological or
nuclear (CBRN) attack on Britain or its interests, including British armed
forces, as one of the most serious potential risks to its national security.
“Al
Qaeda has a long-held desire to obtain and use CBRN devices. Without continued
global efforts to reduce vulnerabilities in the security of material and
information, there is a significant likelihood that terrorists will at some
point acquire CBRN capability,” the document, approved by Britain’s National
Security Council, said.
“Nuclear
terrorism is now a real and global threat,” British Deputy Prime Minister Nick
Clegg, who will lead Britain’s delegation in Seoul, said in a statement.
A
second risk highlighted in the strategy was that the spread of CBRN or
conventional military technologies could lead to an international military
crisis.
A
deepening confrontation between Iran and the West over Tehran’s nuclear
programme has led to speculation that the United States or Israel could launch
a military strike to stop Iran developing a nuclear bomb.
In
the new strategy, Britain, which itself has nuclear weapons, said there were
“serious concerns” about a military dimension to Iran’s nuclear programme and
it also voiced concerns about North Korea’s proliferation activities.
Britain
is working to tighten the security of sensitive nuclear information, making
nuclear scientists aware of the risks and of the need to keep information
secure, officials said. reuters
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\03\25\story_25-3-2012_pg7_10
-------------
Mali
coup leader Amadou Sanogo 'in complete control'
24
March 2012
The
leader of a coup in Mali has told the BBC he is in complete control of the
country and says his "door is open" for peace talks with Tuareg
rebels.
Cap
Amadou Sanogo told the BBC he overthrew the government on Wednesday in order to
restore security.
He
has promised to hand power to an elected government once a northern Tuareg
rebellion has been put down.
The
troops behind the coup accuse the government of not giving them enough arms to
tackle the uprising.
The
Tuaregs have forced the army out of several northern towns in recent months.
Talks
offer
"Security
forces, the air force, everyone, every single civil society member can confirm
that right now I'm in total control of the country," Capt Sanogo said in a
BBC interview.
He
said his priority was to protect civilians and property, and order was being
restored.
"People
are starting with their daily life: the market is open, transport is working
now and I believe I'm getting closer to what I promised my people," he
said.
President
Amadou Toumani Toure's whereabouts remain unclear, but he is still believed to
be under the protection of an elite loyalist squad.
Capt
Sanogo called the Tuareg rebels "our brothers" and invited them to
peace talks.
"I
want all of them to come to the same table right after this interview. My door
is open," he said. "We can talk about and work out through the peace
process."
He
denounced the widespread looting in the capital, Bamako, which followed the
coup.
'Vandalism
and pillaging'
Mali's
state television briefly cut out on Friday evening, sparking rumours that the
coup had failed and that Capt Sanogo may have been killed.
Mutiny
leader Capt Amadou Sanogo promises to hold elections after 'securing the
country'
It
follows anger among troops at the government's handling of a Tuareg rebellion
in the north
President
Amadou Toumani Toure is said to be safe and not being held by mutineers
A
number of ministers have been arrested
Country
has had democratic rule for 20 years
Mali
country profile
Mali
coup leader deplores looting
But
he later appeared on screen himself to reject the rumours and denounce the
chaos on the streets.
Reports
from Bamako say uniformed men have been looting shops and petrol stations and
hijacking cars.
"I
deplore the acts of vandalism and pillaging which have occurred," Capt
Sanogo said.
"Yesterday,
I obtained concrete proof that ill-intentioned individuals were wearing
uniforms of the police, the army, in order to break this coup, just to turn the
population, to turn opinion against us."
He
asked the public to excuse those behind the coup for "all the aggravation
caused" and said justice would be done.
"I
urge all Malians, at whatever level, to stop without delay these acts of
vandalism and pillaging... This is not our mission, nor our cause, nor our
objective."
The
BBC's West African correspondent, Thomas Fessy, says Capt Sanogo was flanked by
officers from several different army units for his address, as a show of
military unity.
But
it is still unclear whether the whole army is backing the coup leaders, says
our correspondent.
Bamako
was reported to be quieter on Saturday after several days of unrest.
A
coalition of the main political parties has condemned the coup and called for
elections, which were due at the end of next month.
The
foreign ministers of Kenya, Tunisia and Zimbabwe were all in Bamako at the time
of the coup and have been unable to leave.
They
are reported to be safe and staying in hotels but the Kenyan minister, Moses
Wetangula, said the situation was worrying.
The
African Union has suspended Mali from the organisation until constitutional
order is restored, while the European Union has suspended its development
operations there until the security situation becomes clear.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17498739
------------
Robert
Bales faces 17 counts of premeditated murder
23
March 2012
A
US soldier suspected of killing civilians in Afghanistan has been charged with
17 counts of premeditated murder, the US Army says.
Staff
Sgt Robert Bales, 38, is accused of killing nine Afghan children and eight
adults in their homes in Kandahar province on 11 March.
Sgt
Bales was also charged with six counts of attempted murder over attacks on a
man, a woman and four children.
He
could face the death penalty if convicted.
Col
Gary Kolb, spokesman for US forces in Afghanistan, told the Associated Press
news agency on Friday afternoon that the accused had been formally charged.
Taliban
revenge threat
The
charges were reportedly read to the soldier at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
He
is being held in solitary confinement at the military jail after being flown
last week from Afghanistan via Kuwait.
Nato
and Afghan officials originally put the number of villagers killed in the
massacre at 16 - nine children and seven adults. It is not yet clear why Sgt
Bales is being charged with 17 murders.
The
Taliban said on Friday that it had no faith in any trial of Sgt Bales.
"This
was a planned activity and we will certainly take revenge on all American
forces in Afghanistan and don't trust such trials," Taliban spokesman
Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters news agency by telephone.
Sgt
Bales is the only known suspect in the killings - despite repeated Afghan
assertions that more than one American was involved.
His
lawyer, who has played down reports that his client was drunk on the night of
the killings, said earlier this week Sgt Bales remembers "very
little" of the incident.
John
Henry Browne said there was "no forensic evidence" against him and
"no confession".
The
lawyer said Sgt Bales had received body and brain injuries while serving in
Iraq and was unhappy about going for another tour of duty. He had already
completed three tours in Iraq.
Mr
Browne also said his client - whom he described as "a decorated
soldier" with an exemplary record before the shooting - saw his friend's
leg blown off the day before the killings.
The
case has undermined US relations with Kabul and led to calls for Nato to speed
up its planned withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.
Sgt
Bales' trial could take years, contrasting with Afghan demands for swift and
decisive justice.
The
Taliban called off peace talks in the wake of the deadly rampage.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17484186
---------
A
curse for Pakistani women
Arooba
Hassan,
The
statistics of Pakistan on sexual assault against women are shocking.
Approximately 2,900 Pakistani women were subjected to sexual assault and rape
in the year 2011, which accounts for roughly eight women being raped in a day.
This makes Pakistan the third most dangerous country for women after
Afghanistan and Democratic Republic of Congo. Women are therefore safe nowhere.
Whether in hospital wards or girls’ colleges, there are abductions or
gang-rapes in the name of ‘honour.’ Thousands of capable women in Pakistan have
been subjected to domestic, social and sexual crimes. Brilliant students who
could have done wonders for Pakistan have been traumatized and left scarred for
the rest of their lives. The resonance of the acts carried out against innocent
minds and bodies will continue to shatter their entire existence and impede
their psychological and physical growth. Sadly, those who are responsible for
providing safety to citizens are themselves involved in this heinous act. Most
of the crimes pertaining to sexual assaults and abuse remain unreported as the
general mindset prevalent in Pakistan does not allow victims any relief or
protection whatsoever. The conviction hardly ever happens and out-of-the-court
settlement is the best available course of action to adopt. But is monetary
compensation enough to substantiate the scars resulted by these crimes? Can the
victims even comprehend coming back to normal life? Women are an asset for any
society and are responsible for laying the foundations of that very society.
Bearing, raising and counseling a child are a very few feats performed by women
every day. It’s high time now that our nation should start respecting them and
give them the protection which our religion also talks about.
http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=146726
----------
Pak
wants to retain balance with India: Gilani
PTI
Islamabad: March 25, 2012, Pakistan will
continue to seek access to civil nuclear technology as it believes any
strategic imbalance with India could lead to instability in the region, Prime
Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Sunday.
"We
had held talks earlier on civil nuclear (technology with the US) and we want to
retain the balance in this region between India and Pakistan. If there is no
balance, there will be no stability in the region," Gilani said.
"We
said this in the past, and in future too we will demand it as we have a
requirement," the Premier told state-run media at Chaklala military
airbase in Rawalpindi before leaving for Seoul to participate in a Nuclear
Security Summit.
"Pakistan
wants access to civil nuclear technology, which is our need for
development," he said.
A
comprehensive command and control system was in place for Pakistan's nuclear
assets and "no one should have any doubt about it", he added.
The
Foreign Office has already said that Gilani will make a "strong case for
non-discriminatory access to nuclear technology for peaceful uses, including
nuclear power generation" at the Summit in Seoul.
Over
the past few years, Pakistan has been pushing Western powers, including the US,
for a civil nuclear deal similar to the landmark arrangement concluded by India
and the US.
The
US and other countries have ruled out such a deal, largely due to concerns
about the clandestine proliferation ring that was operated by nuclear scientist
AQ Khan.
The
demand for a civil nuclear deal was among 40 recommendations made by the
Parliamentary Committee on National Security for revamping ties with the US.
The
panel claimed the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement had "significantly altered
strategic balance in the region" and said in its recommendations:
"Therefore, Pakistan should seek from the US and others a similar
treatment/facility."
The
Foreign Office has said Gilani will "apprise the world leaders on the
measures implemented by Pakistan to strengthen the safety and security of
nuclear installations and materials".
It
contended that Pakistan "fully qualifies to become a member of the Nuclear
Supplier's Group and other export control regimes on non-discriminatory
basis".
Asked
about the reopening of NATO supply routes which were closed after a
cross-border air strike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November, Prime
Minister Gilani he would hold consultations with all political parties to forge
consensus on the issue.
He
said the ruling Pakistan People's Party would not bulldoze Parliament on any
crucial issue.
Gilani
said he would discuss the situation in Afghanistan during his meeting with US
President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit.
The
talks at the summit will mainly focus on how to further protect nuclear
weapons, he said. The Premier left for the South Korean capital along with
Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar.
Gilani
is also expected to meet his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh on the margins
of the summit.
http://zeenews.india.com/news/south-asia/pak-wants-to-retain-balance-with-india-gilani_766021.html
---------
No
structured meeting between Singh and Gilani in Seoul: Pakistan's envoy to South
Korea
PTI
SEOUL,
Mar 25, 2012: No structured meeting has been planned between Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart on the sidelines of the Nuclear
Security Summit, Pakistan's envoy to South Korea said.
"No
structured meeting is planned, but a pull aside is always possible,"
Pakistani ambassador Shaukat Mukadam told reporters here.
"There
are possibilities....there are various places to meet, they could meet in
leaders' lounge," he said.
Pakistan
PM Yousuf Raza Gilani is scheduled to arrive here today to attend the Summit
and some reports earlier suggested that he could meet Singh.
Sources
in the Pakistan government had said that Indian and Pakistani officials are in
touch about arranging a meeting between Gilani and Singh.
However,
Indian diplomatic sources said that the meeting of Singh and Gilani has not
been scheduled yet.
The
summit in Seoul is a follow-up to the Nuclear Security Summit held in
Washington in April 2010.
The
summit is expected to be attended by 45 heads of state or governments,
including US President Barack Obama, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and
Chinese President Hu Jintao
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/No-structured-meeting-between-Singh-and-Gilani-in-Seoul-Pakistans-envoy-to-South-Korea/articleshow/12401060.cms
---------
Pakistan
opposition to resist NATO supply restoration
IANS
Islamabad,
25 Mar 2012, Pakistani opposition parties have vowed to block every move by the
government to restore NATO supplies to Afghanistan.
Leader
of the opposition in the National Assembly Nisar Ali Khan has said the alliance
will protect the country's interest at all costs. He was speaking at meeting of
the opposition leaders here Saturday, the Online news agency reported.
Their
recommendations were expected to be presented at another meeting Sunday to be
chaired by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif.
Meanwhile,
Information and Broadcasting Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that only
parliament has the right to decide on restoration of NATO supplies.
She said the parliament's security committee
has submitted its recommendations and the government will discuss the matter
with the US after the parliament takes a decision.
Islamabad had blocked NATO supplies through
its territory after 28 Pakistani soldiers died in November last year in an air
raid by coalition forces on two border check posts.
http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2012/03/25/6--Pakistan-opposition-to-resist-NATO-supply-restoration-.html
-------------
Pakistan
Taliban says will attack lawmakers if Afghan supply routes reopen
MIRANSHAH,
Pakistan, Mar 25, 2012, (Reuters) - The Pakistan Taliban will attack lawmakers
if they decide to re-open NATO supply routes to Afghanistan, the militant
group's spokesman said on Sunday, a threat likely to complicate efforts to mend
severely strained relations between the United States and Pakistan.
"If
the parliament decides to restore NATO supplies, we will attack
parliamentarians and their overlords," Ehsanullah Ehsan, spokesman for the
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) told Reuters.
The
U.S. needs Pakistani permission to allow supplies to be trucked via two routes
into Afghanistan, which prior to their closure, accounted for almost a third of
all NATO cargo to Afghanistan.
Pakistan's
parliament is reviewing recommendations for a new direction in ties with
Washington, including a possible re-opening of the supply routes for NATO
forces in Afghanistan, which were shut last November after a cross-border
skirmish with NATO forces killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.
The
national security committee said that if supplies to foreign forces in
Afghanistan are resumed, the shipments must be taxed.
A
halt in U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan's tribal areas along the border with
Afghanistan, and an unconditional apology for the November incident, were the
main recommendations from the parliament's national security committee.
Pakistan's
cooperation is considered critical to U.S efforts to stabilise Afghanistan
before most foreign combat troops leave at the end of 2014. Pakistan has strong
traditional links with the Afghan Taliban and other militant groups.
(Reporting
by Haji Mujtaba; Writing by Qasim Nauman; Editing by Daniel Magnowski)
http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/03/25/pakistan-militants-nato-idINDEE82O04A20120325
------------
Campaign
launched to relax Pakistan-India visa regime
Staff
Report
LAHORE,
March 25, 2012: The Institute of Peace and Secular Studies (IPSS) organised a
programme at the Lahore Press Club to acknowledge the life long struggle of
Kuldip Nayar and Dr Mubashar Hassan for peace between Pakistan and India.
The
programme was attended by a delegation from India, peace activists,
dignitaries, students, civil society representatives, traders and journalists.
Following the introduction of Relaxed Visa Regime Campaign aiming to collect
100,000 signatures to be presented to the Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani,
there was a panel discussion on the significance of a Relaxed Pakistan-India
Visa Regime with Mahesh Bhatt and Jatin Desai from India and Hussain Naqi and
Madiha Gohar from Pakistan. Speakers iterated how a people-to-people peace
process was sustainable while acknowledging the work done by their senior
colleagues and committing to follow in their footsteps.
Nayar
and Dr Hassan were then welcomed on the stage to a standing ovation. They
shared the experiences of their struggle, of the necessity of both neighbours
to have peace for the benefit of their people and of the basic human rights of
every Pakistani and Indian citizen to meet each other across the border.
IA
Rehman presented them the Sindhu Aman Award. The programme concluded with
Kuldip Nayar and Dr Mubashar Hassan inaugurating the Relax Pakistan-India Visa
Regime Campaign to open a new chapter in the struggle for peace.
IPSS
Director Saeeda Diep, sharing the concept behind Sindhu Aman Award, stated that
it was meant to acknowledge the struggle of activists who had stayed true to
their ideals and goals for the sake of peace in the region and the world.
Sindhu Peace Award, given for the first time, signified their contribution
towards peace for the people of Sindhu, the river which gave life to the
ancient civilisation of this land that was shared by all people of the region.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012%5C03%5C25%5Cstory_25-3-2012_pg7_21
-------------
Another
great friend and journalist departs from our midst
By
Moazzam Baig
LAHORE,
March 25, 2012: We know death is coming – for all of us – so why does it make
us so sad when somebody dies?
It
was a question that I once thought had an obvious answer. But then I heard the
news about Hamid Javed.
The
question is simply this: why do we grieve for the deaths of our loved ones?
After all, we know that everyone will die eventually. For us, life is a
terminal condition, and we know, nobody has ever come out of it alive. We know
death is coming, so why does it make us so sad?
There
are, of course, many reasons. Our loved ones play an important role in our
lives, and their death leaves a gaping hole. Often, we want more time with them
— more joy, more laughter, more healing — and death makes those hopes
impossible to fulfill.
For
a day, I could think of little else. Hamid, my friend from 1991, was dead? How
could that be?
As
my grief dragged on, I found myself wondering why it was hitting me so hard. I
could understand being a little sad – of course the news of his death was
tragic. I did not have family relations with Hamid, we used to meet at
functions, press conferences and almost daily at the Lahore Press Club.
Practically speaking, his death neither left a hole in my life, nor did it
deprive me of any hopes for the future. So, why was I so torn apart?
The
memories continued, our meetings, our late-night sittings at the press club
with other friends.
Hamid
Javed was a good journalist and a great friend without any doubt who never
compromised on his ideology and principles and never asked for favour from the
government in thick and thin.
Hamid
stuck to his ideology all his life. He never changed his political or social
views. He always welcomed his friends. He tried his hand at politics, health
and education and did justice to each of them. He led his life independently
and never surrendered to injustice. He was a great human being.
He
used to spend his time at the press club late in the night.
Owing
to his physical inactivity, paralysis attacked him and he remained in the
hospital for some time but recovered surprisingly. After his return to normal
life, his recognition of what is important in life, had led him to spend more
time with his family and at home. He started spending time with people who were
important to him.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\03\25\story_25-3-2012_pg7_24
---------
Non-Muslim
Filipino expats in Saudi Arabia told to be cautious
Fatwa
issued by Saudi Arabia's influential cleric "should be viewed as a
warning", says official of migrant watchgroup
By
Gilbert P. Felongco, Correspondent
Manila: March 25, 2012, A migrant watchgroup urged
Filipinos in Saudi Arabia to be more cautious in expressing their faith after
the country's most influential Islamic scholar issued a fatwa against religious
structures in the Arab Peninsula.
In
a statement, John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator,
said it is understandable why a religious leader of a kingdom hosting a large
population of migrant workers would issue such a restriction on the exercise of
religion other than Islam.
He
said that Saudi Arabia is not just any other country hosting a large Muslim
population but is considered as the centre of the Islamic faith.
"Saudi
Arabia is an Islamic state. It is where the two Holy Mosques are located,"
Monterona said, referring to the Masjid Al Haram in Makkah and the Masjid Al
Nabawi.
Article
continues below
He
urged fellow non-Muslim Filipino workers and the Filipino community in Saudi
Arabia to exert extra caution and avoid violating the religious restrictions
imposed by the host government to avoid being penalised.
"The
fatwa should be viewed as a warning. The host government. and Saudi religious
officials are well aware that there are religious activities being held
discretely in homes and apartments by non-Muslims," Monterona said.
He
noted that last year there were a number of Filipino workers and other
nationalities that were arrested by Saudi religious police in Riyadh for
illegally conducting religious worship and activities.
"The
Filipinos, along with their pastors, were eventually released on the condition
that they will stop their regular religious worships and gatherings,"
Monterona said.
Out
of the 1.2 million Filipinos in Saudi Arabia, about 10 to 15 per cent are
Muslim and about 5 per cent have converted to Islam, Monterona said.
Leaders
of different Christian denominations--including the Russian Orthodox Church's
Archbishop Mark of Yegoryesk and the Roman Catholic archbishops of Austria and
Germany--have criticised the fātwa issued by one Grand Mufti Shaikh Abdul Aziz
Al Al Shaikh.
The
Grand Mufti issued the fātwa after a top Kuwaiti official had sought his
opinion regarding the construction of Christian worship centres or churches in
Kuwait.
The
fatwa declared that temples, chapels, and churches of Christian denominations
in Kuwait and the entire Arab Peninsula must be banned and that existing
Christian edifices should be destroyed.
Prior
to this, there had been an appeal from some Roman Catholic Church leaders to
give the religious minorities some freedom in exercising their faith as Muslims
in other countries, including the Philippines, have been given.
The
Philippines has a population of mostly Christians. The country, just like most
of Southeast Asia, boasts tolerant policies when it comes to the exercise of
religious freedom.
--------
Norway
joins international peace monitors in Philippines
By
Gilbert P. Felongco, Correspondent
Manila:
March 25, 2012, A two-man contingent from Norway has joined the International
Monitoring Team (IMT) watching over the truce between the Philippine government
and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Mindanao.
Kjell
S. Harila had been designated chief operations officer at the IMT Headquarters
which also being manned by military, police and civilian officers from the
Governments of Malaysia, as Head of Mission, European Union, Norway, Japan and
Brunei who comprise IMT Mindanao Batch 7 (M7).
Assisting
Harila is Tor Fredrik Moe, another Norwegian military officer.
Reports
reaching Manila said the two arrived in Mindanao several days ago and had
already reported for duty in Cotabato City to IMT M7 chief MGen Dato' Abdul
Rahim Bin Mohd Yousuf of the Royal Malaysian Armed Forces.
IMT
7's task is to monitor the implementation of the security aspect of the peace
process between the Philippine government and the MILF as well as provide
protection to civilians, as well as socio-economic, humanitarian,
rehabilitation and development assistance.
Originally,
the government and MILF asked Norway to be the Head Coordinator in monitoring
civilian protection accord within the mandate of the IMT. However, Norway opted
to work on the security aspect.
Brigadier
Ariel Bernardo, ceasefire panel chair for the government, expressed gratitude
to Norway's commitment to the attainment of peace in southern Philippines.
Norway
has been involved in efforts to bring peace in the Philippines for nearly a
decade.
In
the 1990's, Norway helped broker the peace negotiations between the Philippine
government and the communist rebels under the banner of the National Democratic
Front.
Although
the talks led to the issuance of the so-called Hague Joint Declaration of 1992
recognising the rights of combatants and agreement adopting safety and immunity
guarantees in 1995 by the NDF and the then government of then Fidel V. Ramos,
the parties were not able to follow through.
Currently,
peace negotiations between the igovernment of President Benigno Aquino III and
the rebels are on a hiatus as a result of disagreements over the status of
rebel peace negotiators with pending criminal cases.
http://gulfnews.com/news/world/philippines/norway-joins-international-peace-monitors-in-philippines-1.999504
----------
A
coaching centre for the poor particularly Muslims - inside a police station!
IANS
New
Delhi, 25 Mar 2012, Police's role often
doesn't end with busting crime and jailing criminals. In a first of its kind
initiative, Delhi Police has begun a coaching centre for students from
economically weaker sections, particularly Muslims, to help them prepare for
competitive examinations.
The
centre housed in the Jamia Nagar police station will provide free tutoring for
competitive exams to students who cannot afford the high fees demanded by
coaching centres. It is to start in May this year.
"The
motive behind opening of a coaching centre for the aspirants, especially
Muslims, is to encourage them for competitive examinations," Ajay
Chaudhry, Additional Commissioner of Police, told IANS.
"We
are trying to change their assumption that they cannot get government
jobs," he added.
The
police station already has a library-cum-counselling centre for the aspirants
which has been operational since Feb 22 and sees around 25-30 students every
day.
"We
have been running a free-of-cost library in the premises in coordination with
an NGO, Shikhar, which has been working for more than 12 years to provide
better education, especially to the girls from weak minority sections,"
said Chaudhry.
He
said the initiative was also an effort to promote trust and harmony between the
police and residents of Jamia Nagar, which witnessed the 2008 Batla House
shootout. On Sep 19, 2008, two alleged Indian Mujahideen members and a police
officer were killed in a shootout at the Batla House. The suspected militants
were said to have been involved in the Delhi serial bomb blasts on Sep 13,
2008.
It
has been alleged that the shootout was a stage-managed affair.
"The
encounter has painted a wrong picture of the police among residents here (Jamia
Nagar) and we want them to open up with us and not be scared of us," said
Chaudhry.
According
to Nadeem Akhtar, secratary of Shikhar, the aim is also to focus on school
dropouts and girls.
Meanwhile,
Delhi Police have provided furniture for the library where the coaching centre
is to be set up, while Shikhar would take care of the expenditure.
"We'll be hiring two to three teachers to
help the students in cracking the SSC (Staff Selection Commission), banking and
other entrance exams," said Chaudhry.
If the response is positive, there are plans
of expansion and the police may hire one or two more rooms outside the police
station, said Chaudhry.
The station house officer of the Jamia Nagar
police station Satyavir Singh Daggar is upbeat about the idea.
"The starting of the coaching centre will
encourage the community and it will also act as an interface between the people
and police. It will also help in building a better image of police,"
Daggar told IANS.
The initiative has also got a thumbs up from the
Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC) which has pledged its support.
"We will provide as much funds as
possible to support this noble initiative," DMC Chairman Safdar H. Khan
told IANS.
The students visiting the library regularly
were obviously gung-ho about the initiative.
"I come here every day as I can read
newspapers, magazines and books without spending a single rupee. If the free
coaching centre comes up it will surely help me and my friends realize our
dreams," said Hemraj Kumar, 19, resident of Jamia Nagar.
Abida, also a regular at the library, said:
"I want to study but my parents cannot afford my education expenditure. If
the coaching centre opens here, I would be the first student."
http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2012/03/25/196--A-coaching-centre-for-the-poor-inside-a-police-station-.html
-----------