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Islamic World News ( 17 Jun 2010, NewAgeIslam.Com)

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`Sharif, are you still a Muslim?'

Post-26 /11, Pak’s Punjab govt gave Rs 83m to JuD

CIA report: Israel will fall in 20 years

Proactive woman preacher becomes popular among Asir girls

Overzealous teachers take fun out of Qur’an learning

‘Hatred against Muslims sweeping West’ 

Pakistan soldiers in Taliban custody?

Grandchild to be named Elizabeth bin Laden

Israel brands Turkish charity 'terrorist organisation': TV

400,000 displaced by Kyrgyzstan unrest: UN

PDP tries to foil Madani arrest

Israel approves plan to ease Gaza blockade

3 dead as poverty-stricken family ‘commits suicide’

Osama hunter says God told him to avenge 9/11

Pak lets LeT loose in Afghanistan

Children taught to be suicide bombers

On death row in Dubai for 23 yrs, Indian’s mercy plea: Hang me now

Pelt stones only in self-defence: Geelani

‘Jamiat only helps innocent Muslims’

Freed Scottish woman reveals her 10-yr kidnap hell in Pakistan

ISI has links with terror groups to get intelligence: US

Pak to seek firming up of CBMs with India during resumed talks

Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq arrested in Srinagar

Istanbul’s threatened balance

Water wars: Pak drags India to arbitration over Kishenganga

Muslim radicals spit at British troops, draw ire

After Yemen holiday, American in limbo

India chartering planes to bring back students stranded in Kyrgyzstan

Congress rift evident at J&K tourism festival

Pak trying to act as bridge between Karzai, Haqqani network

Pak ‘Blood Money’ For 17 Indians

Lashkar spreading across Afghanistan

191 killed in Kyrgyzstan violence since last week

Confusion over number of Pak delegates

Iran says UK backs group planning terrorist acts

Kyrgyz city still tense after ethnic fighting

Al-Jazeera subscribers seek compensation

300 Pakistanis jailed for petty crimes to be released soon

Two pro-Sudan Darfur leaders surrender to ICC

Former minister says he received death threats

Defying sanctions, Iran plans more atomic reactors

Omani students win prizes in Saudi drawing competition

US lawmakers rap Turkey for its stance on Israel

Assassination fears rise among Afghan leaders

Thirty-eight militants killed in Bajaur clash

Pakistan to psych test bin Laden hunter

Turkish troops enter Iraq; four Kurds killed 

Danish lawmaker to face charges over anti-Muslim comments

Pak has paid a heavy price in war on terror: Gilani

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/`sharif,-still-muslim/d/3011

 

 

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`Sharif, are you still a Muslim?'

Imtiaz Ahmad

17 June, 2010

Pakistan's religious parties have responded with one voice to a statement of PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif that he stood by the Ahmadi community “who are like our brothers. “

They have condemned Sharif and questioned whether he “still is a Muslim. “

“It is ironic that religious parties who were silent when over 70 members of the Ahmedi community were killed in attacks by Pakistani Taliban militants are now active in con- demning anyone who sympa- thises with them,“ comments columnist Fasi Zaka.

The President of the Khatam- e-Nabuwwat Conference which was held in Sargodha over the weekend questioned whether Sharif could be considered a Muslim “because he has accepted the Ahmadis as his brothers.“

The Ahmadi community in Pakistan, declared non-Muslim by the parliament in the 70's, continues to suffer from persecution and discrimination.

Members of the community, mostly educated professionals, are routinely attacked and abused for their religious beliefs while the government looks the other way.

Analysts say that it is in this context that the attack on Ahmadi mosques by Taliban extremists should be viewed.

“After facing limited success in attacking Pakistan's law enforcement agencies, the Taliban are targeting the minor- ity communities in a bid to gain sympathy with the mainstream Sunni Muslims in Pakistan.

It is a dangerous line to follow. In Karachi, the Taliban are blamed to be behind the killing of members of the Shia community over the past couple of days. Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat Ul Ibad says that the move to cause disharmony between Karachi's communities “can have disastrous consequences.“

But the new frontier, say observers, is not Karachi but Punjab province, which is the country's most populous area and also its political heartland. Religion has always played a part in garnering votes in this traditional and conservative heartland of Pakistan.

The local minister for minorities privately says no one takes him seriously. And with reli gious extremism on the rise here, the government does not seem to have a plan to tackle the growing influence of extremist parties.

Growing poverty in South Punjab, a long neglected part of the province, has meant that parties like the Jamaat-ud Dawah have made inroads there.

The government claims it has now come to an agreement with religious organisations and par- ties to supervise the teaching at Madrassas in the area. Not so, say local observers, who argue that in many instances the religious parties have been given a free hand and train and teach at will.

Hindustan Times      

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Post-26 /11,Paks Punjab govt gave Rs 83m to JuD

17 June, 2010

The Government of Pakistan's Punjab province provided Rs 82.77 million to Jamaat-ud-Dawah and its allied institutions during the last fiscal year, according to official documents.

The supplementary budget for the past fiscal tabled in the Punjab assembly for approval revealed that the PML-N-led provincial Government made a grant of over Rs 79 million to the Markaz-e-Tayyaba, the JuD headquarters in Muridke near Lahore.

Another Rs 3 million was given as grants to schools run by the JuD in different districts of Punjab, according to the official documents.

Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, under a cloud for his links to banned groups like the Sipah-e-Sahaba, admitted that the money had been given to the JuD.

He told a TV news channel yesterday that the money was given to these institutions after the JuD was "banned" in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the Punjab Government appointed an administrator for the organisation.

The purpose of giving these grants was to continue welfare services provided by JuD's schools, dispensaries and hospitals, Sanaullah said.

The UN Security Council declared the JuD a front for the banned Lashker-e-Taiba shortly after the Mumbai attacks.

Despite claims by Pakistani leaders that the JuD has been "banned," no formal notification has been issued by the federal Government to proscribe the organisation.

Meanwhile, a Punjab Government spokesman has contended that the grants for the JuD had been given to the administrator for continuing welfare services.

A syllabus approved by the Government had been adopted in the JuD's educational institutions, the spokesman said in a statement.

JuD spokesman Yahya Mujahid claimed his organisation had not received any money from the provincial Government.

"We are a welfare organisation and raise our own funds from the public for providing educational and healthcare services to help the people," he said.

Mujahid criticised the provincial minister for making a "false statement" to the media about the Punjab Government giving money to the JuD and its institutions.

http://www.dailypioneer.com/263020/Pak-Punjab-gave-Rs-8277-million-to-JuD.html

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CIA report: Israel will fall in 20 years

Jun 17, 2010

A study conducted by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has cast doubt over Israel's survival beyond the next 20 years.

The CIA report predicts "an inexorable movement away from a two-state to a one-state solution, as the most viable model based on democratic principles of full equality that sheds the looming specter of colonial apartheid while allowing for the return of the 1947/1948 and 1967 refugees. The latter being the precondition for sustainable peace in the region."

The study, which has been made available only to a certain number of individuals, further forecasts the return of all Palestinian refugees to the occupied territories, and the exodus of two million Israelis — who would move to the US in the next 15 years.

"There is over 500,000 Israelis with American passports and more than 300,000 living in the area of just California," International lawyer Franklin Lamb said in an interview with Press TV recently, adding that those who do not have American or Western passport, have already applied for them.

"So I think the handwriting at least among the public in Israel is on the wall...[which] suggests history will reject the colonial enterprise sooner or later," Lamb stressed.

He said CIA, in its report, alludes to the unexpectedly quick fall of the apartheid government in South Africa and recalls the disintegration of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, suggesting the end to the dream of an 'Israeli land' would happen 'way sooner' than later.

The study further predicts the return of over one and a half million Israelis to Russia and other parts of Europe, and denotes a decline in Israeli births whereas a rise in the Palestinian population.

Lamb said given the Israeli conduct toward the Palestinians and the Gaza Strip in particular, the American public — which has been voicing its protest against Tel Aviv's measures in the last 25 years — may 'not take it anymore'. Some members of the US Senate Intelligence Committee have been informed of the report.

http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article67325.ece

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Proactive woman preacher becomes popular among Asir girls

By HAYAT AL-GHAMDI

Jun 17, 2010

ABHA: When a local female dawa activist approached five high school students in Khamis Mushayt they tried to run away afraid they would be badgered for not donning their hijabs properly and for wearing abayas that had colorful embroidery.

The dawa activist, called Noura Al-Saad, however, remained calm and impressed the girls with her politeness, kindness and respectful way of giving dawa. She made such an impression that the girls invited her to deliver a speech at their school.

Al-Saad, who works for the Islamic Affairs Office in Khamis Mushayt, is a popular name amongst women in the region, particularly students, as her speeches are moderate, positive, constructive and kind.

The five high school students who initially tried to make a run thought Al-Saad was a stereotypical dawa activist — harsh, unkind and abrupt. Such women try to force women to wear large, black and dull abayas, something many women feel uncomfortable with.

Haila Nafis, a specialist in social affairs, said what these girls did was expected because the majority of dawa activists have a tendency to preach in a harsh manner, which drives people away.

“The Prophet (peace be upon him) had a different tone, he was welcoming. His methodology was based on forgiveness and being positive,” she said, adding that all extra-curricular activities in schools tend to be religious and that other activities should be included.

“Most women preachers criticize girls if they see a minor decoration on the sides of their abayas. These types of attitudes keep girls away. I have been criticizing this strict method, which is also adopted in schools. How can they force girls to wear full black abayas, gloves and socks and then when they leave school they see a teacher who isn’t wearing the face veil,” she said, adding that these strict rules are introduced by certain individuals who wish to force their own ways on others.

“My daughter was suspended from school for a month because she took off her face veil in the school bus. She only did this to take medicine,” said Nafis.

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article67276.ece

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Overzealous teachers take fun out of Qur’an learning

Jun 17, 2010

ABHA: With the Kingdom home to hundreds of Qur’an memorization schools, parents are eager to send their young children, both boys and girls, to these schools to gain religious education, and learn how to recite the Qur’an properly and also memorize it.

However, many parents claim that some women teachers are overzealous in their approach to Islam, Al-Riyadh newspaper reported.

Huda Al-Manie, a teacher at a Qur’an school, said some teachers try to impose strict dress codes on girls who are very young. “They force girls, who are under eight or 10, to wear abayas and veil their faces,” she said, adding that the Ministry of Education has begun implementing a monitoring mechanism to curb this.

Full report at:

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article67274.ece

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‘Hatred against Muslims sweeping West’

17 Jun, 2010

GENEVA: Muslim states said on Wednesday that what they call ‘Islamophobia’ is sweeping the West and its media and demanded that the United Nations take tougher action against it.

Delegates from Muslim countries, including Pakistan and Egypt, told the United Nations Human Rights Council that treatment of Muslims in western countries amounted to racism and discrimination and must be fought.

“People of Arab origin face new forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance and experience discrimination and marginalisation,” an Egyptian delegate said, according to a UN summary.

Full report at:

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/21-hatred-against-muslims-sweeping-west-760-sk-02

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Pakistan soldiers in Taliban custody?

17 June, 2010

PESHAWAR: More than 50 Pakistani soldiers went missing after an attack by Taliban militants on a check post in a northwest tribal area near the Afghan border, said officials on Wednesday.

Taliban rebels stormed Gwar Pari post in Mohmand tribal district on Sunday and claimed that seven paramilitary soldiers were killed, said a security official.

“The post, located very close to the border, was manned by 65 soldiers and so far 11 have established contacts with us,” he said adding that the “others remained unaccounted for”.

A Taliban spokesman on Sunday said its fighters killed seven soldiers and captured 10. But the official refused to confirm the Taliban claims, saying “we have not seen the bodies”.

Full report at:

http://www.hindu.com/2010/06/17/stories/2010061753181500.htm

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Grandchild to be named Elizabeth bin Laden

17 June, 2010

London: The worlds most wanted terrorist,Osama Bin Ladens son Omar has said that if a daughter is born to him he will name her Elizabeth after the Queen.Omar are determined to have a baby,and that if it is a boy they will name him William,after William Wallace.I will have a child.Im the driving force behind this but Omar is right be-Omar Bin Laden,29,and his wife Zaina,54,who is a former parish councillor from Moulton in Cheshire,and changed her name from Jane Felix Browne,are using a young surrogate mum from Bristol to have a baby.

Zaina went on to reveal that she and hind me.Whatever stress Im going through,its worth it, the Sun quoted Zaina as saying.

I like Ruby for a girls name but Omar likes Elizabeth,after the Queen.He also likes William for a boy,after William Wallace.

Full report at: Times of India

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Israel brands Turkish charity 'terrorist organisation': TV

Jun 17, 2010

JERUSALEM: Israel considers the Turkish Muslim charity IHH involved in organising a flotilla of aid ships to Gaza last month as a "terrorist organisation," public television said Wednesday.

IHH, the acronym for Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation, is the charity that was involved with organising the fleet of aid ships that attempted to bust the Gaza blockade on May 31.

Nine Turkish activists were killed by Israeli navy seals when commandos stormed one of the six boats in the flotilla the Turkish-owned ferry, Mavi Marmara.

Public television said that IHH is now part of a list of movements or organisations such as the Palestinian Islamist Hamas or Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah group which are under scrutiny by Israeli intelligence services.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Israel-brands-Turkish-charity-terrorist-organisation-TV/articleshow/6056707.cms

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400,000 displaced by Kyrgyzstan unrest: UN

Jun 17, 2010

GENEVA: Deadly inter-ethnic clashes that erupted in Kyrgyzstan a week ago have forced at least 400,000 people to flee the country or their home, the UN said on Thursday.

"According to the latest estimates of UN agencies, there are at least 400,000 refugees or displaced," UN Office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs said.

The number who had taken refuge in neighbouring Uzbekistan was "estimated at between 75,000 and 100,000 people, counting only the adults," she said.

"Our estimates of the number of displaced is now about 300,000 people," Byrs said.

The clashes between Kyrgyzstan's ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbek communities have left at least 191 people dead and nearly 2,000 wounded, according to the government.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/400000-displaced-by-Kyrgyzstan-unrest-UN/articleshow/6059470.cms

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PDP tries to foil Madani arrest

VR Jayaraj

17 Jun, 2010

Islamist leader Abdul Nasser Madani’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday launched a legal, political and public relations exercise to avert his arrest by the Karnataka Police following the Bangalore Metropolitan Magistrate Court’s non-bailable warrant against him.

Lawyers of Madani, 31st accused in the Bangalore bombings case, submitted an application for anticipatory bail in a Bangalore court on Wednesday morning. PDP leaders and workers began an indefinite fast by noon at Anvarssery in Kollam district, Madani’s operational headquarters, to protest against making him an accused in the terror case.

Full report at:

http://www.dailypioneer.com/263042/PDP-tries-to-foil-Madani-arrest.html

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Israel approves plan to ease Gaza blockade

Jun 17, 2010

JERUSALEM: Israel on Thursday approved a plan to ease its blockade of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip following weeks of international pressure, but provided few details on what new goods would be allowed in.

The security cabinet's decision came in the wake of mounting international calls to ease the four-year blockade of the impoverished Palestinian territory in the wake of a deadly raid on a fleet of aid ships on May 31.

Under the plan, Israel would "liberalise the system by which civilian goods enter Gaza (and) expand the inflow of materials for civilian projects that are under international supervision," the government said in a statement.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Israel-approves-plan-to-ease-Gaza-blockade-/articleshow/6058698.cms

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3 dead as poverty-stricken family ‘commits suicide’

17 Jun, 2010

LAHORE: Three people, including two young girls, died on Wednesday morning, as a rickshaw driver “poisoned” all six members of his family in the Chung police precincts. The family was rushed to Jinnah Hospital where doctors managed to save two of them.

Immediately after receiving information, a large number of relatives and neighbours of the family also reached the hospital. The family’s relatives at Jinnah Hospital had different views about the “suicide attempt”. One of them, requesting anonymity, said, Muhammad Akbar was a resident of Shahpur Kanjran village and drove a rickshaw, adding that the families of Akbar and his brother Amjad lived together.

Full report at:

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\06\17\story_17-6-2010_pg13_1

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Osama hunter says God told him to avenge 9/11

17 June, 2010

Islamabad: An American construction worker detained in Pakistan while on a solo mission to kill Osama bin Laden claimed on Wednesday that he was obeying an order from God to avenge the 9/11 attacks,said Pakistani security officials.

Gary Brooks Faulkner said God revealed the order in one of his dreams,prompting him to travel to Pakistan in search of al-Qaidas leader,said two security officials,one of whom is part of a team of investigators questioning the American.

Catching bin Laden was 50-year-old Faulkners passion,his brother Scott Faulkner said.A devout Christian with a prison record,Faulkner has been to Pakistan at least six times,learned some of the local language,and even grew a long beard to blend in,relatives and acquaintances said.

When Scott Faulkner dropped his brother off at Denvers airport May 30,the two discussed the possibility that Gary would not return alive.AP

Times of India

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Pak lets LeT loose in Afghanistan

Alissa J Rubin

17 June, 2010

Kabul: A Pakistani-based militant group identified with attacks on Indian targets has expanded its operations in Afghanistan,inflicting casualties on Afghans and Indians alike,setting up training camps,and adding new volatility to relations between India and Pakistan.

The group,Lashkar-e-Taiba,is believed to have planned or executed three major attacks against Indian government employees and private workers in Afghanistan in recent months,according to Afghan and international intelligence officers and diplomats here.It continues to track Indian development workers and others for possible attack,they said.

Full report at: Times of India

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Children taught to be suicide bombers

By Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

17 Jun, 2010

(CNN) -- The Taliban are running suicide schools inside Pakistan, preparing a generation of boys for atrocities against civilians.

In my documentary on the subject, "Children of the Taliban," I came across the cases of many young men who were committed to giving up their lives for what they believed to be the glory of Islam. Fifteen-year-old Zainullah blew himself up, killing six people. Another boy, Sadiq, killed 22 and Masood killed 28.

Since more than 60 percent of the population of Pakistan is under age 25, it seems there will always be a steady supply of recruits waiting to create havoc in the country.

The Tehreek-i-Taliban and the various extremist organizations that have been allowed to fester across the country have now joined hands, increasing the reach of their network, sharing recruits, plans, training centers, materials and safe houses.

Full report at:

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/06/15/obaid.suicide.children/

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On death row in Dubai for 23 yrs, Indian’s mercy plea: Hang me now

V M SATHISH

Jun 17 2010

Dubai : While India is providing legal help to 17 Indians sentenced to be shot in Sharjah for murdering a Pakistani, in next-door Dubai, a 64-year-old carpenter from Tamil Nadu — forgotten for the past 23 years — is seeking his own quick execution.

Paul George Nadar was sentenced to be hanged by the Dubai Civil Court in July 1987 for killing nine family members of two Pakistanis, who had beaten him up following a fight. He was drunk when he poured an industrial solution on the plywood shanties the families lived in, and set them afire, in 1985. Two women and seven children died.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/on-death-row-in-dubai-for-23-yrs-indians-mercy-plea-hang-me-now/634940/

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Pelt stones only in self-defence: Geelani

Bashaarat Masood

Jun 17 2010

Srinagar: Chief of the Hurriyat’s hardline faction Syed Ali Shah Geelani Wednesday asked Valley youth to pelt stone only in self-defence and desist from making it a sport.

Geelani said stoning civilian vehicles or ambulances could not be justified. “I salute the sentiments of youth. But don’t pelt stones just for fun,” Geelani said while addressing his supporters at Saida Kadal, where he had gone to visit the family of Tufail Ahmad Matoo, the schoolboy who was killed by a police tear smoke shell on Friday. “Its use is justified in self-defence against police and occupational forces (Army, CRPF). I fail to understand why stones are pelted at common people, vehicles and ambulances”.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Pelt-stones-only-in-self-defence--Geelani/634880

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‘Jamiat only helps innocent Muslims’

Menaka Rao

June 17, 2010

Seventy-six-year-old Gulzar Azmi has been general secretary of the Maharashtra wing of Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind for the past two years after being associated with the organisation for 45 years. The organisation provides legal aid to poor Muslims accused in terror-related offences. The Jamiat provided legal aid to accused Faheem Ansari, accused in the November 26, 2008 terror attack case. Here he speaks to DNA about the other activities of Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind.

When was the Jamiat established? 

The Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind was set up in 1919 after the First World War to help Turkish Muslims affected by the defeat. We were a set of nationalist Muslim freedom fighters, fighting for freedom from the British rule. Mohan Karamchand Gandhi became the Mahatma after Maulana Abdul Bari Farangi Mehli conferred on him the title of ‘Mahatma’ after he joined the Khilafat movement. Mehli was from the Jamiat. Mind you, we were against the formation of Pakistan.   

Full report at:

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/interview_jamiat-only-helps-innocent-muslims_1396507

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Freed Scottish woman reveals her 10-yr kidnap hell in Pakistan

June 17, 2010

Naheeda Bi, a Scottish woman of Pakistan origin, who claimed that she had been held captive in Pakistan for the last 10 years, has returned back home.

Joyous over being reunited with her family after a decade, Naheeda, recalled her terror of being kidnapped by two men at Islamabad Airport in April 2000.

“I was queuing for a flight back to Manchester when pulled aside by two men in uniform, who told me that plane has been delayed,” Naheeda said.

After being given a glass of water, she said the next thing she remembered was waking up in a bare room.

Full report at:

http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_freed-scottish-woman-reveals-her-10-yr-kidnap-hell-in-pakistan_1397108

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ISI has links with terror groups to get intelligence: US

Jun 17 2010

Washington : A top US military commander in Afghanistan has said that despite setbacks US troops could stick to the withdrawal schedule for next year and brushed aside Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence links with terror groups, saying such contacts were to gather intelligence.

General David Petraeus, Commander of the US Central Command, during a hearing by Congressional Committee, also conceded the existence of safe havens inside Pakistan.

In intense questioning by Senators whether in the face of continued upsurge by Taliban the US could stick to its troop withdrawal by 2011, the Petraeus said there was no deadline for completing a troop pullout and the pace of withdrawal will depend on circumstances at that time.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/isi-has-links-with-terror-groups-to-get-intelligence-us/635056/

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Pak to seek firming up of CBMs with India during resumed talks

Jun 17 2010

Islamabad : Pakistan is expected to seek the firming up of confidence-building measures during the upcoming Foreign Secretary-level talks with India to pave the way for progress in addressing long-standing issues like Kashmir, diplomatic sources said today.

Senior Pakistani officials have broadly classified the issues to be raised during the meeting of the two Foreign Secretaries in Islamabad on June 24 as outstanding issues like the Kashmir issue, humanitarian matters like the release of prisoners and fishermen, terrorism and trade and commerce, the diplomatic sources told.

The Pakistani side will press for strengthening of confidence-building measures in these areas so that the two sides can ultimately make headway in addressing issues that have bedevilled relations for many decades, the sources said.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pak-to-seek-firming-up-of-cbms-with-india-during-resumed-talks/635055/

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Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq arrested in Srinagar

Jun 17, 2010

SRINAGAR: Chairman of Moderate Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umer Farooq along with his nearly a dozen colleagues was today detained by police for violating prohibitory orders clamped in the city, officials said.

Mirwaiz along with executive members of the Amalgam, including Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat, Bilal Ghani Lone, Mohammad Abdullah Tari, Maulana Masroor Abbas Aansari, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Zaffar Akbar Bhat, Hakeem Abdul Rashid, Aga Syed Hassan Alsafvi Almoosvi.

Mirwaiz and others were detained at tourist reception centre here when they were heading towards the office of the United Nations Military Observers Group for India and Pakistan at Sonawar to submit a memorandum regarding alleged "unabated" human rights violations in Kashmir, they said.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Top-Hurriyat-leader-arrested-in-Srinagar/articleshow/6058370.cms

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Istanbul’s threatened balance

Jun 17 2010

Turkey is a country that had me at hello. I like the people, the culture, the food and, most of all, the idea of modern Turkey — the idea of a country at the hinge of Europe and the Middle East that manages to be at once modern, secular, Muslim, democratic, and has good relations with the Arabs, Israel and the West. After 9/11, I was among those hailing the Turkish model as the antidote to “Bin Ladenism.” Indeed, the last time I visited Turkey in 2005, my discussions with officials were all about Turkey’s efforts to join the European Union. That is why it is quite shocking to come back today and find Turkey’s Islamist government seemingly focused not on joining the European Union but the Arab League — no, scratch that, on joining the Hamas-Hezbollah-Iran resistance front against Israel. Now how did that happen?

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/istanbuls-threatened-balance/634760/

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Water wars: Pak drags India to arbitration over Kishenganga

17 June, 2010

New Delhi: India is bracing itself for a costly and cumbersome international arbitration case with Pakistan over the Kishenganga hydel project.After failing to persuade Pakistan to resolve the dispute at the government level,India on Wednesday named a judge of the Geneva-based International Court of Justice Peter Tomka and a Swiss international law expert Lucius Caflisch to represent it.

Indias initial choice for legal representative was the Baglihar neutral expert,Raymond Lafitte and Prof Boisson de Chazournes.Tomka,was formerly a legal advisor to the Slovak foreign ministry while Caflisch is a professor at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva.

Full report at: Times of India

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Muslim radicals spit at British troops,draw ire

17 June, 2010

London: In a bizarre incident,Muslim radicals spat at British troops taking part in a parade on Tuesday,leaving watchers outraged.

According to Daily Star,over 100 supporters of an association called the Muslim against Crusades hurled abuses and spat as members of the 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment marched through the streets on Tuesday.

The regiment recently lost five men in Afghanistan during a six-month tour.They strongly condemned the incident.Charlene Byrne,24,whose partner Lance Corporal Scott Hardy,26,was killed in an explosion,said: It makes me so angry.

A police spokesman said two people had been arrested for public order offences.

Times of India

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After Yemen holiday,American in limbo

Scott Shane

17 June, 2010

Washington: As a 26-year-old Muslim American man who spent 18 months in Yemen before heading home to Virginia in early May,Yahya Wehelie caught the attention of FBI.Agents stopped him while he was changing planes in Cairo,told him he was on no-fly list and questioned him about his contacts with another American in Yemen,one accused of joining al-Qaida and fatally shooting a hospital guard.

For six weeks,Wehelie has been in limbo in the Egyptian capital.He and his parents say he has no radical views,despises al-Qaida and merely wants to get home to complete his education and get a job.

But after many hours of questioning by FBI agents,he remains on the no-fly list.When he offered to fly home handcuffed and flanked by air marshals,Wehelie said,FBI agents turned him down.

Full report at: Times of India

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India chartering planes to bring back students stranded in Kyrgyzstan

17 June, 2010

India is hiring chartered planes to bring home all those students who want to return from violence torn Kyrgyzstan and is offering to buy tickets besides making all other travel arrangements.

External affairs ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash on Wednesday said commercial and chartered flights were operating normally in and out of Kyrgz capital Bishkek and the Indian mission was assisting students with the travel arrangements.

Nearly 105 students were evacuated with the local authorities from strife torn Osh and Jalalabad towns to the national capital on Monday night and lodged in the Indian embassy premises.

Full report at:

http://www.dailypioneer.com/263107/India-chartering-planes-to-bring-back-students-stranded-in-Kyrgyzstan.html

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Congress rift evident at J&K tourism festival

Mohit Kandhari

17 June, 2010

Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s dream of promoting tourism in his land-locked native district brought him to Bhaderwah on Wednesday to explore undiscovered paradise on the occasion of inaugural ceremony of the three-day long Bhaderwah festival.

The annual event is Azad’s brainchild.

Ironically, neither Chief Minister Omar Abdullah nor Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, local MP Lal Singh or any other National Conference Cabinet Minister or legislator were present on the occasion.

Tourism Minister Nawang Rigzin Zora and R&B Minister GM Saroori, were there to welcome the Union Minister.

Full report at:

http://www.dailypioneer.com/263040/Congress-rift-evident-at-JK-tourism-festival.html

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Pak trying to act as bridge between Karzai, Haqqani network

17 June, 2010

Pakistan is trying to mediate for a rapprochement between Afghanistan’s dreaded Haqqani network and the Hamid Karzai Government, in an apparent effort to have a major say in the country’s set up after the American troops withdraw in 2011.

Pakistan has entered the reconciliation process in Afghanistan by taking on the task of acting as a bridge between the network of militant commander Sirajuddin Haqqani and the government in Kabul, a media report said on Wdnesday.

http://www.dailypioneer.com/263108/Pak-trying-to-act-as-bridge-between-Karzai-Haqqani-network.html

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Pak ‘Blood Money’ For 17 Indians

Jun 17th, 2010

Pakistan’s former human rights minister Ansar Burney has offered to pay Rs 25 lakhs in “blood money” to save 17 Indians on death row in the United Arab Emirates from the gallows.

The 17 Indians — 16 from Punjab and one young man from neighbouring Haryana — were condemned to death before a firing squad after a Sharjah court pronounced them “guilty” in March 2010 for killing a Pakistani national in January 2009. Lawyers hired by India’s embassy in the UAE have appealed against the judgment.

But now Mr Burney, who is now in London, has said a Karachi-based trust run by his family would pay “blood money” to the family of the victim, Misri Nazir Khan, if the Indians’ appeal is rejected by the UAE court.

“I am looking forward to the appeal’s outcome. We will not let the Indians die,” Mr Burney promised.

http://www.asianage.com/india/pak-%E2%80%98blood-money%E2%80%99-17-indians-892

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Lashkar spreading across Afghanistan

Alissa J. Rubin

17 June, 2010

Pakistani-based militant group Lashkar-e-Tayyeba has expanded its operations in Afghanistan, setting up training camps and inflicting casualties on Afghans and Indians alike.

Lashkar is believed to have planned or executed three major attacks against Indian govern- ment employees and private workers in Afghanistan in recent months, according to Afghan and international intelligence officers and diplomats here. It continues to track Indian devel- opment workers and others for possible attack, they said.

“They are active now in six or eight provinces“ in Afghanistan, said a senior NATO intelligence official who, like others interviewed for this article, spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak publicly on the subject. “They are cur- rently most interested in Indian targets here, but they can read- ily trade attacks on interna- tional targets for money or influ- ence or an alliance with other groups,“ he said.

Full report at: Hindustan Times     

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191 killed in Kyrgyzstan violence since last week

Jun 17, 2010

BISHKEK: At least 191 people have been killed and thousands injured in the ethnic clashes in southern Kyrgyzstan since last week, Kyrgyz health ministry said Thursday.

"As of Thursday morning, the number of people killed in clashes in the south of the republic has risen to 191. A total of 1,971 people have also sought medical aid, and 957 of them have been hospitalised," said Yelena Bayalinova, the ministry's spokesperson.

Unofficial casualty figures may be way higher as many residents prefer to bury their dead relatives without notifying the authorities. Also, doctors have been facing difficulties in responding calls for assistance due to the fighting.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Rest-of-World/191-killed-in-Kyrgyzstan-violence-since-last-week/articleshow/6057775.cms

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Confusion over number of Pak delegates

Kshitiz Gaur

Jun 17, 2010

AJMER: It was a day of confusion and alarm among the intelligence and police officials in Ajmer after a delegation of 454 Pakistani pilgrims arrived here in a special train to take part in the ongoing urs of the 12th century sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.

As per the information given to the local IB and the district administration, some 461 Pakistani citizens had boarded the train for the Urs. However, only 454 people were found to have reached Ajmer. Alarmed over the "missing" numbers, the local administration informed the Pakistan embassy and the latter wrote back saying that only 454 had arrived.

Later in a press briefing, additional SP, CID, Jagdish Berwa said that the pilgrims had bought additional tickets that took the number of Pakistani pilgrims coming to the city to 458. He verified the number of pilgrims from the Pakistani High Comission in New Delhi. Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Confusion-over-number-of-Pak-delegates/articleshow/6056675.cms

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Iran says UK backs group planning terrorist acts

Jun 17 2010

Iran: Iran accused Britain and other Western nations including France and Sweden on Wednesday of supporting an exiled group that the Islamic state says planned terrorist acts in the country, official media reported.

"The Foreign Ministry summoned the British ambassador to express its harsh criticism over backing of his country and some other Western states of the group that wanted to carry out terrorist acts in the country," IRNA news agency said.

Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi also named two other European Union nations. "There were some Western countries involved, including Britain, Sweden and France," he told Iran's Arabic language TV station Al-Alam.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/iran-says-uk-backs-group-planning-terrorist-acts/634989/

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Kyrgyz city still tense after ethnic fighting

Jun 17 2010

Kyrgyzstan: Kyrgyz troops patrolled the burned-out streets of the southern city of Osh on Wednesday to maintain a fragile peace between ethnic groups after days of fighting that forced tens of thousands to flee.

Mainly Muslim Kyrgyzstan has been on edge since a revolt in April toppled the president and brought an interim government to power in the impoverished Central Asian state, which hosts US and Russian military bases.

Clashes between its main ethnic groups, Uzbeks and Kyrgyz, erupted in the south on June 10 and escalated into the deadliest violence in the former Soviet republic in 20 years.

At least 187 people have been killed and nearly 2,000 wounded, mainly in Osh, a low-rise city of mud-brick houses and crumbling Soviet-era architecture near the Uzbek border.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/kyrgyz-city-still-tense-after-ethnic-fighting/635008/

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Al-Jazeera subscribers seek compensation

By MUHAMMAD AL-SULAMI

Jun 17, 2010

JEDDAH: Many Al-Jazeera subscribers, which has exclusive rights to telecast live Word Cup matches to the Middle East, are calling on the Qatari-owned satellite station to compensate them for transmission glitches during the opening ceremony and initial matches.

Subscribers said they have been unable to enjoy matches and that some distributors increased the price of Al-Jazeera cards to SR600.

“Despite the high prices, we subscribed to enjoy matches, especially those in which major countries like Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Spain, Italy, England and France are playing,” said one subscriber.

“We should be compensated for the poor service similar to how Al-Jazeera has compensated people in the UAE,” said another subscriber.

Full report at:

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article67321.ece

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300 Pakistanis jailed for petty crimes to be released soon

By GHAZANFAR ALI KHAN

Jun 17, 2010

RIYADH: Prince Naif, second deputy premier and minister of interior, has said he will facilitate the release of around 300 Pakistanis who are in prisons across the Kingdom, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Umar Khan Alisherzai told Arab News on Wednesday.

“These prisoners, detained on charges of petty crimes, have already served the jail terms handed down by Saudi courts,” the ambassador said.

Referring to his two-hour meeting with Prince Naif in Jeddah on Tuesday night, Alisherzai said the talks covered a range of important subjects, including cooperation in the fields of security, counterterrorism and organized crime. A proposal to set up “a consultative panel representing officials of the ministries of interior of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan” was also discussed, he added.

Full report at:

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article67207.ece

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Two pro-Sudan Darfur leaders surrender to ICC

Jun 17, 2010

AMSTERDAM: Two Sudanese rebel leaders suspected of war crimes in Darfur will appear on Thursday at the International Criminal Court to face questions over the killing of 12 African Union peacekeepers in Darfur in 2007.

Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain and Saleh Mohammed Jerbo Jamus arrived in The Hague on Wednesday after surrendering to the ICC, the court said in a statement. They are suspected of committing murder, intentionally directing attacks and pillaging in a September 2007 attack in Haskanita.

Their case is part of the tribunal’s push to try those responsible for the conflict that the United Nations estimates has killed 300,000 since 2003. Khartoum says 10,000 have died.

Bahr Idris Abu Garda, another Sudanese rebel leader who appeared at the court on suspicion of crimes in Haskanita, appeared voluntarily at the court last year but was cleared of charges.

Full report at:

http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article67373.ece

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Former minister says he received death threats

By KHALED AL-AWADH

Jun 17, 2010

BURAIDAH: Former Education Minister Dr. Mohammad Al-Rasheed revealed to a local newspaper that he received death threats from extremists for changing the Saudi educational curriculum and limiting the time allotted for religious studies.

“I received a telephone call from an unknown person who told me that brothers were plotting to kill me if I went ahead with my plan to change the curriculum,” Al-Rasheed told a local daily. “I suffered a lot at that time,” he added.

“After girls’ education merged with the Ministry of Education, some people started a campaign to remove me from my post,” said Al-Rasheed.

“Extremist websites were full of insulting articles and improper words against me in a way that contradicts every principle of Islam,” he added. Friday sermons were also used in the campaign to remove him from his office.

Full report at:

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article67310.ece

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Defying sanctions, Iran plans more atomic reactors

17 June 2010

 Defying UN sanctions, Iran promised to expand its atomic research as its president vowed to punish the West and force it to “sit at the negotiating table like a polite child” before agreeing to further talks.

Tehran, which insists its nuclear work is peaceful, said it will build four new reactors for atomic medical research. The U.S. and some of its allies believe Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons, and the Islamic Republic’s plans to expand research could encourage calls in the West for more economic pressure against the country.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran will not make “one iota of concessions.” He said he will soon announce new conditions for talks with the West, but first he wants to punish world powers for imposing sanctions.

Full report at:

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/June/middleeast_June506.xml&section=middleeast

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Omani students win prizes in Saudi drawing competition

17 June 2010

 MUSCAT — Omani students have won top prizes in the ‘Assir Biennial Children’s Drawings 2010’ competition organised by the Education Ministry in Saudi Arabia under the theme ‘Together We will Draw Our Future’.

Students from all GCC states took part in the contest.

Ruqaiyah bint Sulaiman Al Jabriyah and Afan bin Issa Al Balushi obtained gold medals in the crafts category, while Rayan bint Said Al Jabriyah took the silver.

Omani students also performed well in a competition organised by the Regional Organisations for Marine Environment to mark Regional Environment Day.

Jameela bint Sulaiman Al Julandaniyah from Somrah School in the Al Dhakhliya region came second in the environmental drawing competition at the regional level.

Full report at:

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/June/middleeast_June482.xml&section=middleeast&col=

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US lawmakers rap Turkey for its stance on Israel

17 June 2010

WASHINGTON - U.S. lawmakers warned Turkey on Wednesday that its ties with Washington would suffer if it continued on what they considered an anti-Israel path.

“There will be a cost if Turkey stays on its present heading of growing closer to Iran and more antagonistic to the state of Israel,” Representative Mike Pence, the No. 3 Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, said.

At a news conference, Republicans and Democrats denounced NATO ally Turkey for supporting an aid convoy of ships that recently tried to run the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

The lawmakers also criticized Turkey’s opposition to a recent U.N. Security Council resolution extending punitive sanctions on Iran for its secretive nuclear program. The U.N. resolution was strongly backed by Washington, which suspects Iran of trying to develop atomic bombs.

Full report at:

http://www.khaleejtimes.comdisplayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/June/middleeast_June504.xml&section=middleeast&col=

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Assassination fears rise among Afghan leaders

17 June 2010

 KANDAHAR - Afghan village leader Faisal Qasim rolls up his tunic sleeve to reveal the thick, rough scar left by two bullets which he said struck him in an assassination attempt six weeks ago.

Insurgents targeted him as he shopped in a bazaar, he said, because of his work with NATO forces in Kandahar province, the Taliban’s spiritual birthplace where dozens of elders and government officials have already been killed.

“He took out his AK (47) and started shooting at me, but I had my AK on me, so I started firing back,” he said, referring to the Russian-made rifles commonly owned in Afghanistan.

The moustachioed village leader in Angorian, a Kandahar city suburb, was shot twice but said he managed to wound his assailant and seize his weapon, which he proudly shows American soldiers now working to protect his village.

Full report at:

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/international/2010/June/international_June763.xml&section=international

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Thirty-eight militants killed in Bajaur clash

By Anwarullah Khan

17 Jun, 2010

KHAR: Thirty-eight militants and 10 security personnel were killed in clashes in Bajaur Agency after the government launched a fresh operation on Wednesday.

The troops, backed by tanks, artillery and helicopter gunships, advanced on militant lairs in Ghuandu and Samsamai areas, 14km from the agency’s headquarters, after receiving intelligence that top Taliban commanders were in conclave after stealthily crossing over from the neighbouring Mohmand Agency.

The officials said helicopter gunships and long-range artillery were used to soften up the militants. Thirty eight of them were killed, 11 others wounded and 23 arrested during the fighting.

A number of hideouts were destroyed, the officials added.

Full report at:

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/21-38-militants,-10-security-personnel-killed-operation-in-bajaur-triggers-clashes-760-sk-01

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Pakistan to psych test bin Laden hunter

17 Jun, 2010

PESHAWAR: Pakistani agents plan to conduct psychological tests on an American construction worker arrested on suspicion of wanting to hunt down and kill Osama bin Laden, an investigator said Wednesday.

Gary Brooks Faulkner was detained Monday in the remote mountains of Chitral, once a rumoured hiding place of bin Laden, near Afghanistan's Nuristan province, armed with a pistol, dagger, sword and night-vision equipment.

He was taken to Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar, where he is being interrogated by intelligence agents and investigators, officials said.

“They are asking him a lot of things, especially about the sword and dagger that look like ceremonial weapons. He said he wanted to kill Osama but killing Osama with a sword and dagger is not child's play,” one investigator told AFP.

Full report at:

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/03-pakistan-to-psych-test-bin-laden-hunter-ss-02

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Turkish troops enter Iraq; four Kurds killed

17 Jun, 2010

 ANKARA, June 16: Turkish soldiers on Wednesday crossed into northern Iraq in pursuit of Kurdish rebels for the first time in two years and bombed targets across the border, killing four militants, the army said.

The cross-border operation came in response to an attack by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) on border guards near the Iraqi frontier, the latest in a series of bloody assaults by the rebels.

The attack on the base in the southeastern province of Sirnak at 1:00 am (2200 GMT) triggered a clash lasting several hours in which a Turkish soldier was killed, the army said in a statement on its website.

Turkish commandos and special force then followed the rebels after they fled into northern Iraq “after their unsuccessful attack”, it added.

Full report at:

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/turkish-troops-enter-iraq-four-kurds-killed-760

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Danish lawmaker to face charges over anti-Muslim comments

17 Jun, 2010

COPENHAGEN: The Danish parliament voted on Wednesday to remove a far-right politician’s immunity from prosecution so he can face charges over anti-Muslim comments, parliamentary sources said. Jesper Langballe, a veteran member of the Danish People’s Party (PPD), a crucial ally of the centre-right government, wrote in a newspaper column published in January “Muslims kill their daughters over crimes of honour and turn a blind eye while they are raped by their uncles”. The column, which discussed the status of women in Islam and the “Islamisation of Europe”, triggered a political storm and his comments were condemned by Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen. The crown prosecutor decided to pursue Langballe, on the grounds that his comments broke anti-racism laws and sought the lifting of his parliamentary immunity.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\06\17\story_17-6-2010_pg7_2

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Pak has paid a heavy price in war on terror: Gilani

17 Jun, 2010

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday said that Pakistan has paid a heavy price for being a front line state in the war on terror.

While talking to David Lipton, Special Assistant to the US President Obama who called on him at the PM House, Gilani said the development budget had to be cut down to meet the security needs of the country and to ensure the safety of citizens.

The government, he said, even had to take some unpopular decisions in accordance with IMF program.

Lipton assured the prime minister that the Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) was being taken up with the Congress and would soon get through.—DawnNews/APP

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/12-pak+has+paid+a+heavy+price+in+war+on+terror+gilani--bi-05

URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/`sharif,-still-muslim/d/3011


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