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Dialogue
to begin in May NEW DELHI, Apr 1: The delicate task of holding discussion with Kashmiri groups next month is likely to be entrusted to K C Pant, currently Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, who has decades of administration and political experience behind him. The move is likely to come soon as the Centre is proposing to hold peace talks, possibly in May, with Kashmiri groups. "We have already decided who will hold talks and how to proceed with it. But peace talks would be with groups in India," Home Minister L K Advani has said. However, Advani made it clear that "we do not propose at the moment to hold talks with Pakistan". Pant has served as Defence Minister and Minister of State for Home during Congress regime. It is likely that Pant will have a formal platform to conduct these discussions, sources said. One view here is that he would be appointed as a one-man commission for holding talks with the Kashmiri groups, they said adding the details were not clear. Pant’s brief is also likely to include assessing the autonomy demand raised by National Conference for which even the State Assembly has passed a resolution at the behest of the ruling NC. The sources said Pant’s name had been conveyed to the Hurriyat leaders through non-government intermediatories. The move follows despite the rejection by Hurriyat Conference, a conglomerate of 23 seccessionist Kashmiri groups of talks with the Centre prior to the proposed Pakistan visit of its delegation. A Hurriyat spokesman said Pant’s appointment "would not influence Hurriyat’s policy nor would it bring any change in its stand as the Centre has done nothing to ease the prevailing stalemate on peace process in Kashmir." B L Kak adds: The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is understood to have groomed senior political leader and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Mr KC Pant, as an interlocutor to be assigned the task of starting dialogue with Kashmiri militant groups. Mr Pant, who has been owned by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) after his disassociation from his parent political organisation, Congress(I), has been quietly selected for the proposed task, following the unannounced removal of Mr George Fernandes from the ‘Kashmir Cell’ within the PMO. Mr George Fernandes, after his resignation from the Union Council of Ministers, had to be politely told by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, to keep himself away from Kashmir-related activity. The talk about ‘what next in Kashmir’, which had to be suspended following the eruption of the crisis in the wake of the Tehelka tapes, was revived after the Home Minister, Mr LK Advani, and the Minister for External Affairs, Mr Jaswant Singh, got in touch with the Prime Minister and reportedly warned him of adverse repercussions if the Government of India continued to demonstrate its inability to move from cease-fire to political dialogue. Unpublished consultations by Mr Advani and Mr Jaswant Singh, who also holds Defence portfolio, with Mr Vajpayee were, according to a Ministerial source, necessitated by two developments. First, of course, was the thought-provoking "official" assessment, which inter alia pointed out that the average Kashmiri had begun to discuss the "failure" of the Prime Minister to implement his own assertion that he won’t let the peace process in Kashmir be "derailed, diluted or misused". Second development was the outcome of the threat conveyed to the Prime Minister’s Office by the strategically-important ‘moderate’ leaders of Kashmir’s All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) that the situation in the Valley can take a turn for the "worse" if Mr Vajpayee failed to arrest the drift in his peace initiative. In other words, the ‘moderate’ leaders wanted the PMO, which is widely known for scripting the Kashmir policy, to understand that New Delhi would be the "real loser in the ultimate analysis" if the on-going cease-fire process was allowed to be the casualty of the Tehelka expose. A month has already elapsed since the Prime Minister announced in Parliament the three-month extension of the cease-fire period in Jammu and Kashmir. Some political quarters and a section of the officialdom, too, believe that much movement from cease-fire to political dialogue is unlikely in the next two months which again will be spent countering the Tehelka disclosures. As the importance of the Kashmir peace initiative has, of late, been referred to by the US State Department-a clear indication of Washington’s continuing interventionist intention-the Vajpayee Government cannot be expected to focus its attention and energy only on the situation arising from the Tehelka expose. True, the Vajpayee Government has been indicating that its Ramzan cease-fire was the beginning of a comprehensive peace process that would involve extensive consultations with a wide cross-section of people and political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir. But no such consultations have been initiated in the last four months. In fact, New Delhi was forced to assert, on more than one occasion, that it rejects any claim by the Hurriyat leaders that their grouping is the sole and authentic representative of the people of Kashmir. At the same time, the conduct of the peace process and the attention given to the proposed visit to Pakistan by the Hurriyat delegation only lent credence to these pretensions of the Hurriyat leadership. While the Prime Minister reiterated the offer to hold talks with every group in J&K that abjures violence, there are already indications to suggest that those advocating renunciation of violence in the State are facing increasing threats to their personal safety and security. The Prime Minister, though seemingly perturbed by the crisis triggered by the Tehelka revelations, is under pressure to initiate consultations with a wide cross-section of people in J&K, so that public pressure is mounted on those supporting militant activities to desist from doing so. It is, apparently, in this context that the PMO is toying with the idea of commissioning Mr KC Pant to start political dialogue with Kashmiri opposition groups and leaders. |
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Accused arrested Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 1: Pacca Danga police have arrested a cable operator for allegedly kidnapping and raping a young girl, who used to clean utensils in his house, at B C Road. Accused has been identified as Anil Gupta and the victim as Rekha Devi, a resident of Rani Park. City police sources said Anil Gupta allegedly kidnapped Rekha Devi when she had come to his house for daily work and took her to Sidhra forest area in a car. A complaint lodged by Rekha Devi and her father with Pacca Danga police station alleged that Gupta raped the girl and then left her somewhere in the City in semi conscious condition. After regaining consciousness, the girl reported the matter to her father. Both of them later approached Pacca Danga police station and lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against Anil Gupta. A Pacca Danga police station party led by Station House Officer (SHO) Inspector Swaran Singh Jangi under the supervision of Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) City Ashok Sharma raided the residence of cable operator and arrested him. A case against the accused has been registered under Sections 376 and 366 RPC for further investigations. Police said the girl was medically examined by the doctors in Government Medical College hospital. Report of the medical was awaited. Accused has been lodged in Pacca Danga police station, where he was also subjected to questioning. Police have recorded the statements of both accused and victims for presentation of a challan in the case. Meanwhile, City police have also arrested two eve-teasers from outside a women educational institution. The boys were picked-up when they were teasing school going girls. They were released after a stern warning. |
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Former SEBI chief’s kin, associate grilled by CBI NEW DELHI, Apr 1 : CBI has picked up Siddarth Verma, son of B P Verma, former Chairman of Central Board for Excise and Customs (CBEC), and his business associate for questioning, agency sources said here today. The sources said Siddarth Verma and his business associate Rohit Jain had been brought to the CBI Headquarters this evening where the sleuths of Anti-Corruption Branch were questioning them. The duo were owning five companies which included jubilee enterprises and jubliee medicare. The CBI alleged that the two were running some different business in the garb of these companies, the sources said, adding so far it was found that B P Verma had also invested Rs 20 lakh in these companies. The premises of Verma were raided yesterday after which the Government put him on "compulsory wait" and appointed Sukumar Shakar, a member of CBEC as the new Chairman of the board. CBI sources said Verma had not co-operated with the agency and evaded all questions posed at him. However, Verma was not available for his comments. The CBI also made huge recovery of assets during the raid, which was completed late last night. The assets included Rs 24 lakh worth investment in Unit Trust of India, jewellery worth Rs 24 lakh, Rs 1.4 lakh cash, 1500 US dollar, household goods worth Rs 16 lakh besides having a bank balance of Rs seven lakh. CBI had conducted raids at 15 places including Verma’s office, residence, the residence of Sandeep Shrivastav, Officer on Special Duty, the school run by Verma’s wife in Delhi and the office of the A K Enterprises in Chennai. While not ruling out the possibility of Verma’s arrest, CBI sources said a case of alleged criminal conspiracy had been registered against Verma who has been accused of showing "favours" to the Chennai-based firm in exchange for receipt of "crores of rupees" as bribe. The sources said investigations of Verma’s son and his business associate were likely to continue for some time. They said raids were over and the agency was now scrutinising the documents recovered during the exercise. Verma, who had invested heavily in the stock market, was Director-General of the Economic Intelligence Unit of Excise and Customs and was made Chairman amidst protest from a member of CBEC for alleged supersession, they said. Apart from Verma, the CBI registered a case against Siddarth Verma, K Vijay Pratap described as a middleman and the owner of the firm Kiran Kumar Moolchand under Anti-Corruption Law. (PTI) |
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Two ex-militants
killed in Valley Excelsior Special Correspondent SRINAGAR, Apr 1: Even as unidentified gunmen, believed to be militants, gunned down two former militants in Kashmir valley today, killing of a teenager in mysterious circumstances evoked massive protests in Tral and Awantipora localities. Reports available from Tral said that Police handed over the dead body of an 18-year-old boy, namely Ashiq Hussain Shah S/o Mohammad Yusuf Shah of Pinglish, to his parents early in the morning today. Police version of the incident was that Ashiq Hussain had got killed at 0300 hours when an encounter took place between militants and a joint ambush of Special Operations Group (SOG) and BSF, near Pinglish village. Officials maintained that Ashiq Hussain was a member of the militant group which opened fire on Police and security forces. However, Ashiq Hussain’s family members and fellow villagers refused to endorse the official version and alleged that Police were simply covering a cold-blooded murder. According to the slain youngster’s family members, Ashiq had left for Anantnag on Friday morning as he had to call on a relative. On Saturday evening, two boys of Tral locality informed the Pinglish family that Ashiq Hussain had been picked up and interrogated alongwith the duo by Police. Thereafter, his parents decided to contact SHO Tral, Mr Parihar, next morning. Before his parents could leave for Tral, Ashiq’s bullet-riddled dead body was delivered at his home with the label of a militant killed in encounter. Officials even claimed to have recovered a pistol, eight live rounds of ammunition and two magazines from his possession. Residents of Pinglish carried the dead body in a procession to Tral and a large crowd assembled at Khanqah-e-Faiz Panah. Since the Police refused to accept the teenager as a civilian and did not register an FIR as per the family members’ statement, the angry procession headed for Awantipora and staged a dharna near the office of SP Awantipora. Traffic remained disrupted for over an hour on the national highway. Later, the dead body was taken back to Pinglish and buried amid allegations of "custodial killing of an innocent civilian" by Police and security forces. Officials are said to have issued a statement over the incident but nothing was made available to EXCELSIOR till late tonight. Nobody picked up telephone at the office and residence of SP Awantipora. Enquiries revealed that Ashiq Hussain’s father is a head constable with SB of CID while as two of his uncles have earlier resigned as Inspector and Sub Inspector from J&K Police reportedly under militants’ threat. One member of the family, who was also in Police, has already been killed by militants. 2 ex-militants killed Reports available from Budgam said that an unidentified hitman shot dead Bashir Ahmed Allai alias Bashir Guru S/o Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Allai of Gotapora (Wadwan), on main road near Wadwan this morning. A former militant of Hizbul Mujahideen, Bashir Guru had lately become an associate of the prominant Army source Mushtaq Ahmed Paul of Daharmuna. Like other former militants, he was going to the Army camp Daharmuna when a militant shot him dead with a silencer-fitted weapon. Reports from Pattan said that unidentified militants gunned down a former militant of JKLF, namely Sonauulah Mir S/o Ghulam Mohammad Mir R/o Shirpora, near Dolipora at 1100 hours today. Officials said that he had apparantly no militant, counter-insurgent or political connections. Militants fired upon a counter-insurgent Ikhwani, Manzoor Ahmed, at Anantnag and left him critically injured. He was rushed to a hospital. Earlier at 1030 hours, militants lobbed a hand grenade towards the office of SSP Anantnag which failed to explode. Here in the capital city, militants lobbed a hand grenade towards a picket of BSF at Batmaloo. It exploded, causing splinter injuries to BSF head constable Gurdeep Singh and three civilians, namely Hajira, her husband Habibullah Dar of Zainakot and Showkat Ahmed Dar of Qamarwari. They were rushed to hospital. |
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3 youths kidnapped by militants in Rajouri Excelsior Correspondent RAJOURI, Apr 1: Militants kidnapped three civilians from Pinga Gala forest area under the jurisdiction of Dharamshal police station in Kalakote tehsil this afternoon while a bull-dozer was blown up in a powerful blast in Lasana area of Surankote in Poonch district last night. Official sources said the militants picked up three youths, who had gone to Pinga Gala forest for cutting woods, at 12 noon today and whisked them away to an unidentified place. Whereabouts of the trio remained uncertain till the reports last came in tonight. Abducted youths have been identified as Subash Kumar and Babu Ram, both brothers and sons of Ram Dass and Bachan Singh son of Faqir Singh, all residents of Gala Morha in Dharamshal area. Local people informed Dharamshal police this evening about the kidnapping incident. Police have registered a case. Searches were being conducted by security forces to trace the hostages but no success has been made so far. The kidnappings sparked off tension in several villages of Dharamshal. Meanwhile, unidentified militants engineered a blast near a parked bull-dozer at village Lasana in Surankote tehsil this morning. The bull-dozer was extensively damaged in the explosion, which was triggered with a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED). The bull-dozer had been engaged by a construction agency for development purposes in Surankote. The blasting of bull-dozer will hamper development works in Surankote, the sources said. Earlier also, militants had caused damage to construction machinery in Surankote. |
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Musharraf’s goal of curbing ‘jihadis’ From B L Kak NEW DELHI, Apr 1: Pakistan is confronted with a major financial trouble, forcing it to live from day to day under the shadow of a forex crisis that could destroy the economy and plunge it into hyperinflation in a matter of weeks. Pakistan has a budget deficit of over Rs 20,000 crores. The donor countries are helping Islamabad to keep the crisis at bay by rescheduling Pakistan’s debts and supporting fresh multilateral assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). But this is conditional upon the restoration of democracy, the curbing of Islamist terrorism abroad, and levying taxes to close the fiscal deficit. Pakistani military ruler, Gen Parvez Musharraf, has, thus, set himself the goal of curbing the growth of jihadi factions within Pakistan and raising the share of tax revenues to GDP, in order to make the country solvent. More than 16 months after coming to power, Gen Musharraf has had no success in doing either. Attempts to ban the public display of arms, and limit the collection of funds for jihad have so far failed. Efforts to make traders pay a general sales tax, and dealers in smuggled goods pay customs duties, have been postponed time and again as the military Government has found itself unprepared to face their organised defiance. And both have earned him the wrath of the Jamaat-e-Islami and other fundamentalist political groups. A document on Pakistan points out that Pakistan’s most serious revenue loss if occurring due to its failure to check smuggling. Pakistan, as explained by a World Bank study, is losing Rs 14,000 crore a year. Last year, Gen Musharraf gave the Bara (smuggled goods) market traders till April 30 to pay their dues on existing stocks of smuggled imports. But it brought his Government into headlong conflict not only with the trading class but also Pakistan’s immensely power Asian transport mafia. The document says that Gen Musharraf has, this year too, given them till April 30 to pay up or face prosecution. Whether he will be able to go through with his threat will depend on how much support he can muster in the armed forces and the populace, and how much the trader can muster among Islamic parties and groups. Gen Musharraf may be playing a delicate balancing game. By getting India to negotiating table, the document avers, he may be hoping to raise his stature in Pakistan. This, the document says, will help him enforce his writ upon the Bara traders and the jihadi private armies. Gen Musharraf’s immediate goals are profoundly practical. He has to play to two crowds-one at home, the other the international community-with different agendas. That makes running Pakistan a challenge. Gen Musharraf has got to pay off 38 billion dollars of foreign debt, and build a tax base in a country where, traditionally, less than 1 per cent of the people pay tax. He also has to explore ways to reach a settlement with India on the Kashmir issue, a huge financial and psychological drain on his country. Finally, there is the turmoil in Afghanistan, which has spilled into Pakistan in the form of refugees, drug smuggling and gun-running. Gen Musharraf says he is committed to democracy. But what has been called democracy has done little but sap Pakistan of its money and morale. Ms Benazir Bhutto, currently in exile in London, is suspected of stealing as much as 1 billion dollars from the national treasury. Pakistan’s another former Premier, Mr Nawaz Sharief, whom Gen Musharraf sent into exile last December, stands accused of skimming off millions of dollars in kickbacks. |
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Stock market scam NEW DELHI, Apr 1: The CBI has begun close scrutiny of documents pertaining to Rs 843 crore stock market scam, including the Rs 137 crore pay order scandal involving leading stock broker Ketan Parekh, highly-placed CBI sources said here today. They said CBI sleuths of bank securities and fraud cell were probing the account books of the Madhavpura Mercantile Co-operative Bank and alleged Ketan Parekh had caused a loss of Rs 843 crore to the bank in totality. The sources said Reserve Bank of India officials were also helping the agency to find the exact ramifications of the scam. CBI Director R K Raghavan said "more arrests are likely as the agency is still gathering more information and Parekh’s questioning is going on." Besides Ketan Parekh, the CBI had also arrested his cousin Kartik Parekh and Manager of Co-operative Bank Jagdish Pandya. Kartik, Director of Panther Investrade Ltd, was arrested by the CBI late last night after intense questioning, the sources said. The CBI was also in hot pursuit of Cooperative Bank Chairman Ramesh Parekh who is reportedly "absconding" after Ketan’s arrest. Referring to role of some Bank of India officials in the scam, the sources said "the FIR names an officer, who is yet to be identified, of the bank being involved in it." The sources said the agency was also probing Ketan Parekh’s alleged links with the recently surfaced bullion scandal in Ahmedabad in which two gold dealers were named as persons involved in taking gold from the Bank of India’s overseas branch after submitting pay orders issued by classic co-operative bank. About the incidents leading to unravelling of the case, the sources said in the second week of March, when Bank of India sent the pay orders issued by the Co-operative Bank’s Mandvi branch to the Reserve Bank of India, the officials of the Mercantile Bank did not participate in the clearing. They said so far the investigations revealed that Parekh was into this business since last six months and had been incurring a loss since then due to heavy investment in the stock market. They said only when the stocks purchased by him dipped very low, the chain of keeping the money in circulation snapped, which created a big hole in the Madhavpura Bank’s kitty. (PTI) |
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Secularism under threat: Farooq Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 1: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah today said the unity of India is at peril as elements inimical to its integrity are working overtime to divide the nation on the basis of religion and caste. Speaking after inaugurating the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Health Centre at Shastrinagar here this afternoon, the Chief Minister said the secularism in India is confronted with a serious threat as its unity in diversity is an eye-sore to some powers that want to retard its march towards progress. Dr Abdullah said India has flourished as a secular nation and any attempt to weaken this glorious legacy would prove detrimental to the national interest. Pakistan, which came into existence as a theocratic country, on the contrary is a predominantly Punjabi dominated state where all others are discriminated. ‘Had we tied our destiny with that nation, Kashmiris would have been thrashed like grains’, he said. Cautioning against conspiracies being hatched to divide Jammu and Kashmir on communal lines, the Chief Minister said the concept of trifurcation is not new but had been conceived half a century ago. Those behind the idea want the State to disintegrate so that its Muslim areas fall in Pak lap in a platter, he said while reiterating his resolve that such nefarious plans would be nipped in the bud. The people of the State are determined to fight the enemy unitedly to maintain its unity at all costs, he added. Spelling out the progress achieved by the country in the past half a century, the Chief Minister said in the field of science and technology it has attained an enviable position around the globe. The country is at the threshold of achieving new heights in space technology and in a decade or so ‘we will be achieving newer heights’. That will be a real proud moment for all Indians’, he said. Recalling his association with Mr Rajiv Gandhi, the Chief Minister said the Nehru-Gandhi families worked for strengthening secular traditions of the country, that are unfortunately faced with challenges now. He, however, asserted that India will overcome all such odds and flourish as a secular, strong and more united nation. Dr Abdullah appealed to the striking PSU employees to call off their agitation as the Government would consider their grievances including grant of COLA. For the purpose a meeting would be convened soon, he added. With regard to developmental requirements of Shastri Nagar and Sanjay Nagar areas, Dr Abdullah assured that the Works Minister would be deputed to look into these and urged inhabitants to constitute a committee of prominent citizens for suggesting measures to strengthen infrastructural facilities at the health centre. Earlier, the Chief Minster inaugurated the health centre and went round its various sections. He urged upon doctors and para medical staff to work with devotion and missionary spirit to serve the humanity. He regretted that medicos were not interested in serving in rural areas where their services are needed the most. The Chief Minister inspected the local Government girl’s higher secondary school and said the renovation of its building and improvement in the play field would be considered. For this purpose, senior engineers would visit the school soon. Former MP, Pt Mangat Ram Sharma, senior Congress (I) leader Mr Raman Bhalla and president Jammu and Kashmir Trade Union Congress, Mr Sewa Ram Sharma were among those who spoke on the occasion. They highlighted the problems of the locality. Dr Abdullah paid floral tributes to Mahatama Gandhi, Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru, Sher-i-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and Mr Rajiv Gandhi. He was presented mementos and bouquets by the organizers. |
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Tough life for Hindus, Sikhs in Afghanistan WASHINGTON, Apr 1: Among the few religious minorities that remain in significant numbers in Afghanistan, life under the ruling Taliban militia is a constant challenge. The Sikhs are allowed to worship according to their tradition in ‘Gurdwaras’ but, in order not to offend the Taliban which has banned all "idolatry". They do not display the familiar pictures of Sikh gurus inside the Gurdwaras. One elderly Sikh shopkeeper was spotted by a Washington post newspaper reporter wearing a Muslim cap and long beard. The shopkeeper said that some Sikhs would like to leave Afghanistan for India, as thousands of Hindus did during the Afghan civil war, but most could not afford to. "We are in Afghanistan, not India," he said. "We must behave according to the circumstances. "In India there is democracy and a Temple on every street. Here there is strong Sharia (Islamic law) and we are only a few. "We worship the book, we do not display images and we are treated well by the Government. But, economically, we are barely keeping our heads above water," he said. There are a few hundred Hindus in Afghanistan, no Christians and the only known Afghan Jew is a Rabbi (priest) who is allowed to maintain Kabul’s sole synagogue, the post said. It said there are no practising Buddhists in Afghanistan. The Shiites in Kabul were allowed this year to celebrate Naw Ruz - the Persian new year which had its origin in Zoroastrianism. But inside the shrine there were armed Taliban guards and the celebrants were not allowed to observe their tradition of slaughtering animals on the occasion. And at mid-afternoon, after the celebration had gone on for some hours under the watchful eyes of the guards, members of the Taliban’s religious police suddenly appeared and chased everyone away. In some rural areas, Shiites are persecuted but in Kabul and Herat they are allowed to worship at mosques and study at Koranic schools. "Periodic massacres of Shiite ethnic groups have been reported in northeastern Afghanistan," the post said. (PTI) |
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ISLAMABAD, Apr 1: At least 32 people have been killed and 70 others injured in a stampede at a 13th century Islamic shrine at Pakpattan in eastern Punjab province, the state-run television reported today. The incident occurred when devotees at annual Urs gathering ran over each other last night the moment Bahishti Darwaza, the entrance to the shrine was opened to mark the inauguration of the congregation. "The massive crowd which gathered went Berserk causing pandemonium. Twenty seven people were killed on the spot and 65 others were injured in the resultant stampede. Five more devotees died on admission to the hospital," it said. Reports reaching here also said many pilgrims fainted as the atmosphere inside the shrine was hot and suffocating. Officials said the victims included people from different parts of the country and local authorities were making arrangements to transport the bodies to their home towns. A spokesman for the shrine, Abdul Zahir has blamed two police officials on duty for the negligence. A judicial inquiry has been ordered to clarify the cause of the incident, an official report said. It said the inquiry would "fix the responsibility on public functionaries as well as members of the public responsible for the tragic episode". Thousands of people from across Pakistan assemble here every year to pay homage to Sufi saint and poet Khawaja Sheikh Masood Fariduddin Ganj-i-Shakar, popularly known as Baba Farid, who died hundreds of years ago. (PTI) |
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JKJU takes serious note of BJP threats to media Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 1: The Jammu and Kashmir Journalists Union (JKJU) has taken serious exception to the threats hurled on media by some BJP leaders in presence of Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Prof Chaman Lal Gupta at BJP headquarters yesterday. In a statement issued here, JKJU president Mr Manu Shrivatas, general secretary Mr Sanjeev Pargal, vice president Mr Ashok Sodhi and secretary Mr Zorawar Singh condemned the attitude of State BJP leaders especially the Union Minister for his threatening overtones to the media. It may be mentioned here that in yesterday’s meeting, some BJP leaders including an MLA, allegedly threatened mediamen for publishing the stories relating to shawls controversy. Some of the BJP leaders were also reported to have threatened to attack the newspapers offices. The JKJU, however, praised the role of Chowdhary Piara Singh and Mr Ashok Khajuria, MLAs, senior BJP leader Capt Dewan Singh and BJYM president Mr Satish Sharma for defending the role of media. While the stories pertaining to shawls controversy were published by almost all the newspapers, barring two pro-BJP Hindi dailies published from Jalandhar, the BJP leadership was specially targeting the two newspapers published from Jammu. The JKJU has informed its New Delhi office about the developments. It has also decided to approach Prime Minister Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee and Press Council of India (PCI) chairman Justice P B Sawant about the threats being given to mediamen by the BJP leaders. Meanwhile, in a message received from New Delhi, the Indian Journalists Union (IJU) has also condemned the threats to media persons by some BJP leaders. |
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Musharraf to empower President ISLAMABAD, Apr 1: Pakistan’s military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf has decided to bring in a controversial constitutional amendment empowering the country’s President to dismiss an elected Government and dissolve Parliament, reports said here today. Musharraf gave a broad outline in this regard to two legal experts during a Cabinet meeting, ‘The Dawn’ daily said. "The amendments are definitely coming but not in near future, may be few months before October 12, 2002," it quoted sources as saying. October 2002 is the deadline set by the Supreme Court for Musharraf’s Government to hold elections. The restoration of Article 58(2)(b) of Pakistan’s Constitution is bound to raise a political controversy as the same Article was voted out in 1998 during the regime of deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as Presidents in the past had used it to dismiss elected Governments. The amendment currently being contemplated includes empowering the President with several powers, which would be executed in consultation with the proposed seven-member National Security Council (NSC), consisting of Pakistan’s service chiefs and civilian officials. The proposed amendment would also empower the President to appoint Service chiefs, which the newspaper said was being done to restore balance of power. These powers were transferred to the Prime Minister through the 13th amendment during Sharif’s Prime Ministership. The military regime last week denied reports that it plans to change the Constitution, which have generated concern that it is seeking to cement its place in power. An official statement said media reports of the Cabinet debate on the 1973 Constitution, suspended after the 1999 military coup, were premature and speculative. The speculation over constitutional amendments increased after Musharraf last week made it clear that he had no plans to retire as chief of the army in October this year. This indicated that he would be extending his tenure, which entails him to stay for another year as Chief Executive of the country. Though Musharraf has so far declined to comment, sources in his Government have said time and again that the easy option left for him to stay longer in power was to get elected as President by the national parliament and the provincial assemblies. They have said that he could bring in the necessary constitutional amendments to empower himself with more powers after getting elected. (PTI) |
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Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 1: A minor boy was found murdered in Sanjay Nagar area of Gandhi Nagar police station tonight. He has been identified as 12 year old Raju son of a mason Chote Lal, a resident of Chatarpur, Madhya Pradesh. Police said body of the boy, who appeared to have been strangulated, was found lying in a bag in Sanjay Nagar. The body was shifted to Medical College for post-mortem. Gandhi Nagar police have registered a case for investigations. Reason behind the murder couldn’t be ascertained immediately. |
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Raveena Tandon amused over awards controversy NEW DELHI, Apr 1: Film star Raveena Tandon today said she was amused over the controversy raised about her getting the National Award for best actress for her role in the film "Daman". "The only effect that the whole thing has on me is that I am very very amused. It was supposed to be a demo cratic vote and just because two people were not pleased and did not get their way in whole jury they are standing up and blasting off the whole system", she told Star News. Tandon said she was amazed that because two are not happy, therefore rest of the 14 should not be happy either. Asked whether she had campaigned for BJP in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, she said "you are a mediaperson.....Do you have any footage or do you remember anything of that sort? You would have known." "Controversy is part of our lives and so far what I have been reading are all false allegations. I don’t even know the people who are talking about all this and I don’t think it really affected me at all", she added. (PTI) |
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