Opposition makes swift gains in Afghanistan
Fierce fighting rages for Kandahar

ISLAMABAD, Nov 15 : Backed by US bombing raids, opposition Northern Alliance made swift and significant gains in Afghanistan while a gun battle raged in Taliban-controlled South over the control of Kandahar Airport.

US war planes pounded targets near the town of Kunduz and the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar where there were reports of fighting in the streets. Afghan Islamic Press reported eight civilians were killed and 22 injured in the US bombings which also caused widespread damage.

Mullah Omar said Kandahar still remained with the Taliban.

In another development, eight foreign aid workers held in captivity for three months by the Taliban for preaching Christianity were freed from a prison amid an uprising and were airlifted by US forces from Ghazni to Pakistan.

The aid workers — two Americans, two Australians and four Germans — were flown to Chaklala air base near Islamabad after what US President George W Bush described as their "facilitated rescue" by US special operations helicopters.

With events in Afghanistan rapidly unfolding, the UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution endorsing efforts to help fill a political vacuum in Afghanistan and provide security in vast areas captured by anti-Taliban forces.

The resolution also warned anti-Taliban foces against revenge killings but made no explicit reference to a multi-national force to help maintain law and order in Kabul and areas vacated by fleeing Taliban.

Despite continued rout of the Islamic militia, the Taliban supremo Mullah Mohammad Omar and terror suspect Osama bin Laden remained defiant with both vowing to prefer death rather than surrender.

In an interview to BBC radio’s Pashto Service, the Mullah warned of a "big" plan to destroy America shortly and refused to join a broad-based Government. "The current situation in Afghanistan is related to a bigger cause - that is destruction of America," he said adding "the plan for destruction of America is going ahead...And if God’s help is with us this will happen within a short period of time.

Stating that he would never accept a Government of "wrong-doers," he said "we prefer death than be part of an evil Government."

Taliban spokesman Mullah Abdullah said America can never arrest Osama bin Laden. "Osama has decided that death is better than being handed over to the Americans," Abdullah was quoted by AIP as saying.

United States forces, increasing military pressure in Afghanistan, killed some leaders of the Taliban and Al Qaeda guerrilla network in targeted bombing raids on houses in Kabul and Kandahar this week, the Pentagon said today.

But Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke said she could not say whether the deaths involved senior leaders and there was no evidence that Saudi-born fugitive Osama bin Laden was present when the bombs struck.

"There was some leadership killed in both (strikes)," Clarke told reporters in a briefing. "We have no evidence that they (top leaders of the Taliban and Al Qaeda) were there."

She said US warplanes, acting on intelligence information, bombed a house in the capital of Kabul on Tuesday and a house in the southern Taliban stronghold of Kandahar today.

"There are encouraging signs. Positive things are happening," Clarke said of major gains by rebel opposition groups against the Taliban and bin Laden. But she continued to voice Pentagon caution against declaring the war won.

The US fears that Osama bin Laden might out-manoeuvre its forces and sneak out of Afghanistan.

"My guess is what he would probably do is take a helicopter down one of those valleys that we could not pick up and pop over to some part of the country where there is an airfield and have a plane waiting for him," US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said in an interview to New York Times.

"I have heard reports that helicopters have been observed in and around the Pakistani border in weeks past and that we are not able to detect," he said.

To prevent Bin Laden from sneaking into the country, Pakistan has ordered a special watch on its border with Afghanistan.

A Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman was quoted as saying the Goverment has taken measures to prevent any move by Bin Laden or members of Al-Qaeda network to enter the country.

A special US envoy to Afghanistan began talks here with senior Pakistani officials as part of accelerated efforts to set up a broad-based Government in Afghanistan.

James Dobbins, Washington’s envoy to the country’s opposition Northern Alliance, met with Foreign Secretary Inamul Haq to discuss a peaceful transition of power after the collapse of Taliban rule. He is also expected to meet exiled Afghan Tribal leaders.

US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said yesterday Dobbins’ mission was to ensure that a transitional authority accepted by a broad base of Afghans is put in place as soon as possible to secure and stabilise areas abandoned by the Taliban amid a sweeping alliance offensive. (PTI)

PM to discuss security with CMs

NEW DELHI, Nov 15: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will on Saturday address a Chief Ministers’ conference convened to discuss national security scenario in the light of the September 11 terror strikes in the US and ways to re-shape India’s fight against Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism.

Special significance is being attached to the deliberations on national security situation at the meet which is scheduled to examine the implications of the new dimension of terrorism following the attacks in New York and Washington.

The conference, which would discuss unconventional terrorist activity including use of weapons of mass destruction—nuclear, biological and chemical, would take stock of the impact of emerging global consensus against international terrorism in India’s immediate neighbour, a Home Ministry spokesman said today.

It would also examine "how to re-shape our on-going fight against terrorism being sponsored by Pakistan from across the border," he said.

This will be the second Chief Ministers’ conference to be addressed by Vajpayee, the first being held on August five, this year.

Good governance coupled with all-round development would also engage the attention of the conference in a considerable measure, he said.

A basic document before the conference would be the comprehensive report of a group of ministers on national security headed by Home Minister L K Advani which has been accepted by the Government.

The recommendation contained in the report would provide the conference the basis of structuring new strategies, both offensive and defensive, against terrorism, the spokesman said.

He said these strategies would take into account the imperatives of strengthening the preparedness of the central and state forces, enhancing capabilities of the intelligence apparatus, border and coastal security, plugging infiltration, controlling organised crime and bringing the accused to speedy and punitive justice.

There would also be a review of existing laws and instruments of investigation and law enforcement and a resultant examination of the need for new laws and instruments, he said. (PTI)

News Analysis
Valley's Jehadi constituency is upset
Worst ever psychological blow to Kashmir militancy

From Ahmed Ali Fayaz

SRINAGAR, Nov 15: Defiant manner in which the Northern Alliance has taken over the capital city Kabul has suddenly changed the equation of influences in the embattled Afghanistan. America-Britain-Pakistan axis is suddenly left with no option but to play second fiddle to Russia-Iran-India axis in which some Central Asian countries are also likely to play a role, perhaps more important than that of Pakistan.

Fall of Kabul and Taliban’s unceremonious debacle in other parts of Afghanistan is historic in the sense that Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) has met a failure, first time after militancy died down in Punjab in 1992. By all indications, ISI’s operations in Kashmir, Afghanistan and other parts of the region had, otherwise, been extremely successful. In case of the 13-year-long Kashmir militancy, every Indian politician, bureaucrat and strategist has been publicly admitting that the gun would never silence until Pakistan stopped pushing in fresh guerrilla recruits from across. In case of Afghanistan, nobody, in absence of Black Tuesday and consequent American bombardment, would have imagined Taliban’s meek withdrawal from Kabul.

Evidently, Pakistan and ISI had stakes in perpetuation of the Taliban cult in Afghanistan. All pan-Islamist insurgencies and uprisings seemed to be hinged on Taliban’s might and invincibility. With the hostilities growing between the West and the militant Islam, ISI-friendly men like Mulla Omar and Osama bin Laden were increasingly becoming heroes for a vast chunk of the Muslims population in several countries, including India. Things came to surface last month when pro-Osama and pro-Jehad slogans reverberated Delhi and Hyderabad. For a lay man, that came as an indication of unrest, if not uprising, and perhaps more shelter for militants in some Indian cities.

To a large extent, the totality of Muslim population in Jammu & Kashmir appeared to have ignored America’s strike on Afghanistan. While avoiding coming on streets like in Quetta and Peshawar, Kashmir’s pro-Pakistan, pro-Jehad constituency had lip service for the beleaguered Taliban but also sympathy for Musharraf that he had saved Pakistan from a possible disaster. Still, University students and activists of Dukhtaraan-e-Millat came out with slogans like "Mulla Omar aage badhou, hum tumhare saath hain". They hailed Osama as a "great hero of Islam". Notwithstanding Hurriyat’s endorsement of Musharraf’s alliance with America, quite a lot of people were seen praying for Taliban’s longevity.

For the particular brand of Jehadi supporters, who in past have been raising slogans like "Aiwa Aiwa Lashka-e-Toiba", Taliban meant an epitome of the pure Islamic state. It perceived any Russia-friendly, Iran-friendly or India-friendly replacement a setback to the entire Jehadi strife in the region. After Tuesday last developments in Afghanistan, anguish of these Jehadi enthusiasts can just be imagined. Everybody is in agreement that Pakistan’s desperate attempts to introduce "moderate Taliban" have failed inspite of America’s half-hearted warning to Northern Alliance that it should not venture into Kabul in haste.

The way things are taking shape in Afghanistan —portraits of Indian beauties coming up at video parlours, men shaving off unkempt beards and music renting the air —it appears that, in near future, Raveena Tandon’s fans would be no less than those of the Qazi’s and Mullah’s. Watching Arabs and Pakistani mujahideen being lynched by the Afghan Muslims themselves has immediately sent a wave of despondency for Kashmiri television viewers. Their disappointment is phenomenal to the extent that Dukhtaraan and students have gone into oblivion and the Jehadi enthusiasts are left with nothing to say in their statements, which have stopped immediately.

Those, who, until yesterday, were swearing by Taliban’s resilience and were waiting for Almighty to protect the Jehadi regime, are not available even for a comment. Over the last six weeks they had been saying that America had landed in its "last trap". There are few takers to the Pakistani hypothesis that the "strategically withdrawn" Taliban would now crush the Northern Alliance and the Americans in the long-drawn guerrilla warfare in the mountains.

"Fall of Kabul has exploded the myth of Taliban’s invincibility. They fled the field by night, even leaving behind their Arab and Pakistani supporters", says Tahir Mohi-ud-din, editor of the widely circulated Urdu weekly "Chattan". He admits that Taliban’s reverse is the worst ever psychological blow to Kashmir’s militancy in which the Jehadi element was dominant after 1997. Tahir, nevertheless, apprehends that, in the new situation, there was a thick possibility of the Jehadi groups shifting their base to Kashmir.

"Much depends over the fate of the Taliban headquarters of Kandahar. We have to see how situation develops in case Taliban managed to hold a fort like Northern Alliance did for five years", says a Kashmir University teacher. Adds he: "There will be definitely a negative impact on Kashmir militancy. Outfits may get just 20-odd fresh recruits a month against those of 200-something at the moment. According to a Police official, rate of surrenders and information to security forces about the presence and movement of militants may also increase proportionately.

"You will notice remarkable softening of posture in the Hurriyat. Some of the separatist leaders may dilute to the extent of participating in elections with the benign condition that the same be held under the supervision of the world intellectuals", said a prominent political analyst requesting anonymity.

A many still believe that it would be "Azadi brand of militancy" and not "total disappointment" which would occupy space in the Valley. "For alienation in Kashmir, India now does not need Pakistan, Taliban or ISI. Its generation is now indigenous", said a fellow journalist. He pointed out that incidents like SOG’s burning of the Tral market, Army’s killing of civilians at Haigam, BSF’s manhandling of journalists at Magam and Kashmir Police’s harassment and blackmail of those seeking character verification certificates were "more than sufficient" to sustain and perpetuate Kashmir’s militancy.

Mullah-militancy nexus in Pak
US wants changes in Pak army, ISI

From B L Kak

NEW DELHI, Nov 15: Facing some internal resistance from the armed forces, Pakistan President, Gen. Parvez Musharraf, is reported to have accepted Washington’s unpublished proposal for yet another reshuffle in the army and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Diplomatic and international press corps, present in a big way in Pakistan, expects Gen. Musharraf effect more changes in his military establishment as well as in the ISI in the coming days.

Gen. Musharraf recently reshuffled the senior hierarchy of the armed forces. Indeed, these changes, including the appointment of a new chief of the ISI, coincided with the first US strikes against the Taliban.

Gen. Musharraf, while using the occasion of the extension of his tenure as Chief of Army Staff, was seen to have imparted a "liberal" and "moderate" look to the Pakistani military high command when he marginalised top military leaders such as Gen. Mohammed Aziz, who was perceived to be potentially fundamentalist, and forced overly ambitious ones like Lt. Gen. Mahmood Ahmad, head of the ISI, and Lt. Gen. Muzaffar Usmani, Deputy Chief of Army Staff, to seek premature retirement.

Even after making fresh appointments to five of the nine corps of the Pakistan army, Gen. Musharraf, according to diplomatic sources, had to be told by the United States that threat to his position had not vanished. Hence, Washington, these sources said, recommended to Gen. Musharraf to effect more changes in the armed forces, particularly in the ISI establishment.

Pakistani army grew increasingly Islamised in recent years, producing officers sympathetic to the country’s religious parties and their causes, like supporting the Taliban. Gen. Musharraf has not refuted Washington’s reported finding that the Pak army has backed Pakistan’s religious parties and their militant wings, like the Movement of the Mujahideen, allowing Pakistan to wage a proxy war in Kashmir, the issue behind three wars between Pakistan and India.

America’s intelligence community, particularly the CIA, has apprised Gen. Musharraf of the pro-Taliban role being played by a section of Pak armed forces as well as large numbers of the ISI members and operatives. The message, in other words, is for additional steps by him to marginalise potentially fundamentalist elements within the ISI and armed forces.

Since siding with the United States after the attacks on September 11, the Pak military Government has cracked down on religious parties, whose activities it tolerated and, in some cases, encouraged. Importance is attached to the statement of Ms Wendy Chamberlin, US envoy to Pakistan, that some personnel at the lower level in the ISI have an ideological commitment to the Taliban, who follow a puritanical version of Islam.

True, the Pak army is known for its discipline. So far, no one has come out openly against Gen. Musharraf. But the rumblings could be a source of concern if Pakistan does not succeed in installing a friendly regime in Kabul.

It is not just the political parties that are worried about the likely fallout of the intensification of the Afghan conflict. It would be no exaggeration to suggest that since 1971 there has not been such unease among so many sections of Pakistani society. Reports from across the border confirm that political and religious parties are worried, with Pakistan once again courted by the US and its Western allies as a frontline state in their battle against international terrorism.

The militant groups based in Pakistan, according to these reports, have their own worries. They relate to Kashmir. And the Musharraf establishment partly shares their perceptions on the subject. Their argument is that the ‘struggle’ in Kashmir should not be bracketed with terrorism and that the international community should not get into the ‘trap of the Indian propaganda’.

The concern of the Pak-based militant outfits vis-à-vis the current crisis was evident when the United Jehadi Council (UJC), an umbrella of 14 militant groups, denounced the reported remarks of Gen. Colin Powell, US Secretary of State, that Washington’s war on terrorism would eventually extend to the type of extremist violence India faced in Kashmir.

Bandipore BSF hqs attacked
3 soldiers, Army source killed in Valley

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Nov 15: Militants have killed three soldiers of Rashtriya Rifles as also a civilian source of Army in Kashmir valley during last night. Meanwhile, three civilians, who had sustained injuries in different incidents, have succumbed at hospital.

Official sources in north Kashmir told EXCELSIOR that late tonight militants launched a major attack on sector headquarters of BSF, at Madar, near Bandipore town. Militants used AK-56 rifles, RPGs and rocket-launchers and made attempts to storm the formation but, according to preliminary reports, troops retaliated and repulsed the attack. Exchange of firing subsided and a search operation was in progress late tonight but it was not clear whether anybody was injured or killed.

This evening militants ambushed a Hizbul Mujahideen militant-turned-tailor, Ashraf Khan S/o Ghulam Ahmed Khan at his village of Chewa, Safapora. He died on spot as gunmen pumped pistol shots into his skull.

Earlier, late last evening, three soldiers of RR 13 Bn got killed when troops of a patrol party opened heavy gunfire at Chimbazpora, near Ajas, in Bandipore area. Official sources said that all the three soldiers died when militants ambushed the patrol party. However, CNS reported that "drunk troops celebrating Deewali" killed their own colleagues during a brawl. Defence sources disputed it strongly and claimed that all the three died in a militant attack and none of them was drunk.

Last evening, unidentified gunmen shot dead one Nissar Ahmed Khan S/o Asadullah Khan at his village of Batpora in Tangmarg area. Reports said that Khan had been working as a counter-insurgent source with army.

Militants ambushed a patrol party of RR 24 Bn at Wadipora-Handwara road. Militants caused an IED blast and fired upon the army convoy. However, sources said that there was no damage.

Reports from south Kashmir said that another civilian, who had sustained injuries in SOG’s firing at Tral earlier this week, has succumbed at hospital. He was identified as Mohammad Ramzan Bhat S/o Abdul Gani Bhat of Kharpora, Tral. As already reported, one 13-year-old boy had died and four other civilians sustained injuries when SOG resorted to over-reaction after a militant attack.

A 65-year-old civilian, Mohammad Ismail Wani S/o Ghulam Mohammad Wani of Sogun, Zainapora, who had sustained injuries in Wednesday’s militant firing at Litter, Pulwama, has died at hospital. The real target, Mushtaq Ahmed Bhat, had died on spot.

Another civilian, Shams-ud-din Teli S/o Ghulam Mohammad Teli of Babpora, Kralkhud, who had sustained injuries in a militant attack at Aga Hamam, Habbakadal, on Wednesday, has also succumbed to injuries.

Sources said that last evening, militants attacked a BSF patrol at Babademb, Khanyar, causing injuries to two soldiers and a civilian, namely Farooq Ahmed of Lalchowk.

Four exfiltrators among 5 terrorists killed in Poonch

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 15: Five terrorists, four of them exfiltrators, were eliminated by army in Mandi sector of Poonch district in two separate encounters over-night while Pakistan army shelled forward villages on the Line of Control (LoC) in Nowshera sector.

Official sources said a group of four terrorists, who were trying to exfiltrate to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) from forward village of Karnatian in Shahpur area of Mandi belt in Poonch district last night, were intercepted by army and police personnel.

The terrorists, who were reportedly heading for Afghanistan via PoK, were challenged by a joint team of army and police and asked to surrender. But, the ultras opened firing with their Pika and AK guns and tried to flee towards the Line of Control (LoC).

Retaliatory firing by security personnel led to the elimination of all four terrorists after an hour long encounter in which no casualties were reported on army or police side.

Identity of the slain terrorists couldn’t be established immediately. All of them were, however, believed to be Pakistanis, affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfit. A Pika gun, three assault rifles, their ammunition and three rifle grenades were recovered from the possession of ultras.

According to sources, majority of the terrorists exfiltrating to Pakistan or getting killed in the process were Pakistanis and activists of Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit. Jaish outfit is headed by Azhar Masood and was recently banned by the United States as well as the United Kingdom.

All the exfiltrators were heading for Afghanistan to join Taliban’s call for jehad against the American led forces, the sources said and added that majority of the exfiltrators have been eliminated. However, they didn’t rule out the possibility of some of the terrorists having succeeded in returning to PoK for onward journey to Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, alongwith exfiltration, the infiltration attempts by Pakistan-backed terrorists also continued on the LoC. In same Mandi sector, army thwarted an intrusion bid by five ultras this morning.

The sneaking terrorists were spotted by troops from their Bomb Khalsa post in Mandi sector and fired upon. In the resulting encounter, one infiltrator was killed while four others escaped back to Pakistan.

An assault rifle was recovered from the infiltrator, who hasn’t been identified but was believed to be a foreign mercenary.

Meanwhile, Pakistan army resorted to heavy shelling on the LoC in Kalaal and Rumli Dhar posts of Nowshera sector in Rajouri district last mid-night, creating a fresh wave of panic among the civilians. Shelling was replied by the Indian side.

No loss of lives or damage was reported in shelling on Indian side, the sources said.

'Bhabhi' shot dead by 'Devar'
Bhoot injured in gangwar

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 15: A gangster was shot-at and injured by members of a rival group at Shalamar Chowk under the jurisdiction of City Police Station last evening.

The injured gangster Vipin Gupta alias Bhoot, son of Ramesh Chander of Shakti Nagar, a former member of combined Cittu and Bakra group, sustained critical bullet injuries and was rushed to Government Medical College Hospital where he was operated upon. His condition was stated to be critical.

Police said a group of gangsters of erstwhile Cittu group came in Maruti Zen car bearing registration number JK02-7777 and opened firing on Vipin Gupta at Shalamar Chowk last evening.

The injured gangster was passing through the area on his motor-cycle when he was shot-at. All the car borne assailants fled away from the spot leaving behind the victim bleeding profusely.

Preliminary investigations carried out by police revealed that four gangsters of Cittu group namely Brahamjot alias Cittu, Sethu and two others were involved in attack on Vipin Gupta

A case has been registered in this connection and hunt was on to nab the accused. But no arrest was made till late this evening.

It may be recalled that in the month of March, Brahamjot alias Cittu son of Darshan Lal, a resident of Shakti Nagar, a former member of Bakra group who had last year laid down arms before police and joined maintstream and Rajesh Sharma alias Billa son of Bhagwan Dass of Talab Tillo, an Advocate, were shot-at by gangsters after hatching a conspiracy in the house of Vipin Gupta alias Bhoot.

One of the assailant involved in attack on Cittu in that incident Raju Pandit was killed in Tallab Tillo locality few months back in gangwar.

Meanwhile, a woman was shot dead by brother-in-law (Devar) in quarter of Rama Krishana Floor Mill at Bari Brahamana on the night of Tuesday.

According to police, woman Rita Devi, wife of Daleep Kumar, an employee in Rama Krishna Floor Mill was busy in preparing meal in the residential quarter of Mill at Bari Brahamana when her brother-in-law (Devar) came and shot her dead by SLR.

The accused Kuldeep Kumar of Vijaypur is a Special Police Officer (SPO) posted at Supwal Police Post and he used his official weapon to eliminate his Bhabhi. Daleep Kumar was not in the house when his wife was shot dead.

The accused, after eliminating his Bhabhi, fled away from the spot along with the official SLR and has not been arrested till late this evening.

After getting an information about the incident, SHO Bari Brahamana Police Station Mohd Rafiq rushed to the spot to take the cognizance of the incident.

The critically injured woman was immediately rushed to Government Medical College Hospital, Jammu where doctors pronounced her as brought dead.

The body was handed over to family members after post-mortem today.

Police said that accused Kuldeep Kumar was on duty in Police Post Supwal alongwith two other SPOs namely Kulwant Singh and Karnal Singh and trio had common SLR.

At around 2010 hours, Kuldeep Kumar escaped from the Police Post alongwith SLR. Earlier, the two other SPOs took the escape of Kuldeep Kumar lightly but when he didn’t turn up till late night they reported the matter to higher authorities.

A case has been registered against Kuldeep Kumar at Bari Brahamana Police Station and further investigations were on.

4 foreigners held with narcotics

MUMBAI, Nov 15 : Five persons, including four foreigners, all associated with an international drug cartel, have been arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) which also recovered 11.4 kgs of narcotics valued at Rs 15 crore in neighbouring Thane district, official sources said today.

Acting on a tip-off, NCB sleuths raided Shanti Park in Mira road and arrested the five, who included two women, on Monday evening, they said.

NCB sources confirmed the arrests and the seizure but refused to divulge further details saying investigations were at a crucial stage. They said the seizure was only a tip of the ice-berg and that could lead to more arrests.

The seized drugs include cocaine and heroin which enjoy a heavy demand in international market, the sources said. Of late, Mira road has become a favourite spot of foreigners overstaying in the State. (PTI)

TV transmitor upgradation to block Pak campaign

AMRITSAR, Nov 15: The upgradation of the TV transmitor at Basarke Gillan village in Punjab would help block anti-India propaganda by the Pakistan TV, Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj said today.

"Now the Pak propaganda against India will be easily checked and Indian TV would easily be seen on the Pak side," she told reporters after inaugurating the upgraded TV transmission centre.

FM radio channels with a radius of 10 km each would be launched soon, Swaraj said, adding it would further help in strengthening the communication system. (PTI)

US tightening noose on Laden

WASHINGTON, Nov 15: US forces are "tightening the noose" on senior leaders of the Al-Qaeda and it was only a matter of time before it is destroyed, the General in charge of the US military campaign in Afghanistan said today.

"We are tightening the noose," said Army General Tommy Franks. "It is a matter of time." (AFP)

Terrorism can't be justified: Pant

NEW DELHI, Nov 15 : Centre’s interlocutor on Kashmir and Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission K C Pant today said India was in favour of a Government that represented every section of Afghanistan and did not harbour terrorism.

" Both India and Russia are in favour of a Government which is representative of all sections in Afghanistan," Pant said while inaugurating an exhibition on "Days of Volgograd region in Delhi" here.

Highlighting the deep co-operation between India and Russia, Pant said "even after the September 11 attacks, both the countries have a common viewpoint about the developments in Afghanistan." He said New Delhi and Moscow should make efforts that the future Government in Afghanistan does neither harbour terrorism nor export it to other parts of the globe.

Addressing the function, jointly organised by Volgograd Regional Administration (Russia) and Indian Association of Friendship with foreign countries, Pant said this was a very important thing while the world is debating about the future of Afghanistan.

Pant said "terrorism cannot be justified in any form. It has to be condemned all over the world". (PTI)

Review of nuke test moratorium ruled out

NEW DELHI, Nov 15: New Principal Scientific Adviser R Chidambaram today ruled out any review of India’s moratorium on nuclear weapons testing asserting that New Delhi now has a "minimum credible nuclear deterrent" in place.

Declaring that the country’s nuclear weapons programme had a "mature and strong foundation", Chidambaram, who took over his new assignment today, succeeding A P J Abdul Kalaam, said since the Pokhran tests India had made "good enough progress" in the development of nuclear weapons, their command and control as well as having a well-defined missile development programme.

Ruling out any review of the moratorium on nuclear testing in the face of US not signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and growing Sino-Pak clandestine nuclear nexus, he said New Delhi’s policy was very clear on the issue with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee having declared moratorium on further tests.

Asserting that the Pokhran nuclear tests were "eminently successful", Chidambaram said nuclear scientists who had conducted extensive studies on seismic data collected from the test site, had confirmed that the yields were what the country had been looking for.

Chidambaram, who would concurrently be Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Union Cabinet, said the post-Pokhran US sanctions on non-transfer of dual-use technology, which were still in force, had hardly any effect on the country’s nuclear weapons programme adding "our self-reliance is very high". (PTI)

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