UNITED NATIONS, May 17: In a significant shift in stance, Britain has proposed lifting of embargo on all civilian items reaching Iraq while retaining them on a narrow and highly specific range of military-related items. It also seeks to allow commercial and passenger flights into iraq provided the aircraft is thoroughly examined to ensure that it does not carry any ....more

Poet in trouble for
seeing finer side of
drinking in dry Pak

ISLAMABAD, May 17: Moslem clerics in dry Pakistan are furious at the popular Urdu-language poet Ahmad Faraz for saying that drinking had a finer side too and that islam does not ban it, the.......more

Jaswant Singh

India, China to further
consolidate bilateral ties

NEW DELHI, May 17: India and China today held wide-ranging discussions to further.....more

Iran’s Transport Minister, MPs killed in plane crash

TEHRAN, May 17: An Iranian aircraft carrying Transport Minister Rahman Dadman, two Deputy Ministers and seven members of........more

Britain seeks partial lifting of sanctions against Iraq

UNITED NATIONS, May 17: In a significant shift in stance, Britain has proposed lifting of embargo on all civilian items reaching Iraq while retaining them on a narrow and highly specific range of military-related items. It also seeks to allow commercial and passenger flights into iraq provided the aircraft is thoroughly examined to ensure that it does not carry any items of military use, British officials said.

Under the proposal, the United Nations will maintain strict control over the revenue earned by Iraq through sale of oil and all contracts would have to go through the UN sanctions committee, they said.

Britain has been an ardent supporter of the UN-sponsored sanctions against Iraq imposed a decade ago in the wake of the Gulf war.

The move has the backing of Russia, France and China and a resolution on the proposal is expected to be formally introduced in the Security Council early next week and for voting by the end of the month.

If the Security Council accepts the British proposal, it would be the first time since the Gulf war that the embargo regime undergoes major changes.

To ensure that no military supplies enter Iraq, the US is said to be applying pressure on Iraq’s neighbours to accept UN monitors.

Iraq is seeking complete lifting of sanctions and diplomats say the proposal is unlikely to meet the Iraqi demands. (PTI)

Poet in trouble for seeing finer side of drinking in dry Pak

ISLAMABAD, May 17: Moslem clerics in dry Pakistan are furious at the popular Urdu-language poet Ahmad Faraz for saying that drinking had a finer side too and that islam does not ban it, the local newspaper Ausaf reported today.

Faraz made the remarks in an interview in the paper that focused on a raging controversy in the literary community of the country on the drinking habits and lifestyles of its notables.

Faraz defended "drinking in moderation". He asserted that Islam asks its followers to stay away from drinking because it produces more evil than good but does not ban it.

Faiz Ahmad Faiz, the literary figure at the centre of the controversy, produced brighter poetry after his drinks, he said.

In the eyes of Islamic scholar Maulana Mohammad Abdul Aziz, however, his "blasphemous views" excommunicated him from Islam, and so, broke his marriage.

Aziz called for a social boycott of the poet, advising him to repent, return to Islam and take his vows again, the newspaper said.

Qazi Zainul Abideen, head of the Motamar Al-Alam Al-Islami mosque in Islamabad, accused Faraz of distorting the spirit of Islam. The military regime should take notice of "this highly condemnable act so as to stop ignorant people from speaking on the basics of Islam," he said.

Faraz is famous for his romantic poetry. His nonconformist stand against late president General Mohammad Zia Ul-Haq, who enforced his diktat in the country in the name of Islam in the 1980s, lost him his official job. He is not a teetotaller. (DPA)

India, China to further consolidate bilateral ties

NEW DELHI, May 17: India and China today held wide-ranging discussions to further consolidate bilateral ties and work for mutually-beneficial cooperation.

Emerging from a 45-minute meeting with visiting top ranking Chinese politburo member Li Changchun, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh said "it is our continuing conviction that as two ancient civilizations, there is no other alternative but to pursue the path of peace and development".

Describing Li as India’s "honoured guest", Singh said he had "very good discussions" covering bilateral, economic, international, regional and developmental issues.

Stating that this was his first visit to India, Li said he was "deeply impressed by the rapid developments made by India economically" and by the "friendly sentiments of the Indian people".

The Chinese leader said he had "very good friendly talks" with Singh.

China and India, both having ancient civilizations, had made great contribution to the world, he said.

"In the beginning of the new century, we should work together to promote long, stable, mutually beneficial and cooperative relations between the two countries so that we can make greater contribution to the present world," he said.

Li’s interaction comes close on the heels of India’s high-level interaction with US and Russia.

The Bush administration’s new strategic security policy figured during the parleys. India has welcomed Washington’s announcement of unilateral reductions of its nuclear weapons and moving away from hair-trigger alerts.

Li’s week-long visit took him to Mumbai, Hyderabad and Agra before his official parleys here.

He was accompanied by a delegation comprising senior officials of the communist party of China and from Guangdong province.

His delegation for the talks included Chinese Ambassador to India Zhou Gang. The Indian side comprised R S Kalha, Secretary (West) in the External Affairs Ministry, Nalin Suri, Joint Secretary and other officials.

Li’s visit is part of the process of high-level political exchanges between India and China in recent years. (PTI)