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Premier begging the US for a lifeline Excelsior Special Correspondent NEW DELHI Dec. 28: Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr Nawa Sharief, has been thrown into confusion, with public criticism mounting in his country against his failure to resolve the agonising financial crisis in Pakistan. And the.....more Centre not trying to bail CHENNAI, Dec 28: The Centre’s stand on the special courts set up to try corruption cases against AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha should not be....more ‘Crime incidents NEW
DELHI, Dec 28: Home Minister L K Advani today said
the increasing incidents of crime in the National Capital
created a erong impression...more |
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3
arrested for fraudulent registry of plots BAREILLY, Dec 28: Three people, including a local Congress leader were arrested ...more VALSAD, Dec 28: Normalcy has been restored in the riot-torn Ahwa town and adjoining villages in Dangs district in Gujarat where violence . ...more China welcomes Jashwant’s statement on Sino-Indo ties BEIJING, Dec 28: China today termed as effective India’s assertion to improve Sino-Indian relations..more Children become an easy AGARTALA,
Dec 28: Children
have become an easy prey...more SARNATH (VARANASI) Dec 28: Veteran statesman Karan Singh and renowned scholar Kapila. ....more |
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Pak
Premier begging the US for a lifeline NEW DELHI Dec. 28: Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr Nawa Sharief, has been thrown into confusion, with public criticism mounting in his country against his failure to resolve the agonising financial crisis in Pakistan. And the criticism has sharpened in the wake of the highly expensive trip to Washington by Mr Nawaz Sharief and his party . Even as the Pak Prime Minister, on his return to Islamabad , sought to divert the attention of his adversaries within and outside his Government by informing his countrymen that his trip to the United States had resulted in Washington’s support to Islamabad on its standpoint on the "dispute" between India and Pakistan over Kashmir issue, a section of the Pakistani print media injected a new element into the situation, necessitating Mr Nawaz Sharief to caution the average Pakistani against what he termed as the "motivated" campaign of villification against him. Significantly, however, Mr Nawaz Sharief and his company have hitherto failed to render ineffective the criticism against the "unproductive" expenditure during his trip to the United States. Although the Pakistani print media is not as free as Indian media continues to be, more than two Pakistani newspapers exhibited courage while exposing Mr Nawaz Sharief for having allowed the trip of as many as 120 Pakistani politicians and officials to Washington at a time when Pakistan’s exchequer was still reeling from the blow. Pakistan-watchers in Delhi have attached much importance to the coverage of Pakistan’s influential English daily, Dawn, which took serious exception to Mr Nawaz Sharief’s far-from-successful mission in Washington. The fact that Pak Premier’s visit to Washington was scarcely noted by the US media should come as no surprise, Dawn said and added: "Reporters and editors in the American capital are hardened to the sight of Third World leaders coming to the White House, begging bowl in hand". More serious than individual disillusionment, according to Dawn, is the state of the Pakistani economy in the aftermath of Mr Sharief’s Washington visit. Making a pointed reference to the established procedure that the details of a deal are worked out beforeh and by the economic and diplomatic managers of the two countries, the Pakistani paper said: "The fact that this well-known formula did not works this time bodes ill for our future. This dismal truth was drummed home when the IMF (International Monetary Fund) board abruptly postponed its meeting scheduled for December 15 without setting a date for the next meeting to confirm the bailout package negotiated earlier in Islamabad". True, the "dispute" between Pakistan and India over Jammu and Kashmir continues to be highly emotive issue in Pakistan. But Mr Nawaz Sharief was accused of having goofed yet again when he linked Pakistan’s signing the CTBT(Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty) with a resolution of the Kashmir issue. And although Mr Nawaz Sharief recanted in London, the damage had been done. In fact, Dawn portrayed a dismal picture about the Pak Premier by saying: "With our baggage of impending default and looming economic meltdown, for a responsible leader to travel to Washington with a serious attitude problem is mind-boggling". If all Mr Nawaz Sharief had planned to do in the White House was to remain on his high horse, he could have stayed in Islamabad and saved Pakistan a lot of money. Did his motley crew have to hire 50 limousines at 50 dollars per hour, commandeer a PIA Airbus and visit Niagara Falls at state expense just to tell the US President, Mr Bill Clinton, that Pakistanis were not going to budge an inch ? Stating that Mr Sharief was supposed to be a "rational businessman" who would use his parliamentary majority to put the economy back on keel after Ms Benazir Bhutto’s "depredations", Dawn lamented: "After observing him and his merry men in action for nearly two years, one despairs of ever getting sane leadership in Islamabad". Convincing ,indeed, is the assessment of Pakistani commentator Mr Irfan Hussain : "Whether we like it or not — and millions of Pakistanis do not - the plain, unadorned fact is that without Uncle Sam’s blessings, there are virtually no loans available from bilateral or multilateral donors at reasonable rates of interest. Our further downgrading by international credit rating agencies has ensured that commercial loans will be granted grudgingly and at extortionate interest rates. And if we don’t like it, tough. This is the only game in town, and we don’t want to play by the rules laid down by the richest player, we are free to find another game elsewhere". Admitting that Islamabad continued to harp on Kashmir without anybody in the world giving "a damn", Dawn has reported : " Our bargaining position in Washington is even weaker; it does not take a genius to figure out that our economy is in free fall, and unless we get a swift infusion of dollars, there is no way we are going to stay solvent. This means that very soon, we will be unable to pay for imported oil, grain, raw material and spare parts. Under these circumstances, for Mr Nawaz Sharief to go all the way to Washington just to repeat the old Kashmir mantra leads one to suspect that our leader with the heavy mandate is losing his marbles". And two interesting questions asked by the Pakistani paper : Why did not Mr Nawaz Sharief use the diplomatic bag to send a letter to the US President ? Why did not the man use e-mail like the rest of Pakistanis ? The paper let it be known : " "We are begging the IMF (and by extension, the US) for a lifeline to save us from a situation created by our generations-long animosity with India". |
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Centre not trying to bail out Jaya, says Ramamurthy CHENNAI, Dec 28: The Centre’s stand on the special courts set up to try corruption cases against AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha should not be construed as an attempt to bail her out, Union Petroleum Minister Vazhapadi K Ramamurthy today said. Attorney general Soli Sorabjee had only made a submission in the Supreme Court explaining the exact legal position on powers to transfer cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act and it was not to show any favour to Jayalalitha, he told reporters here. The Tamizhaga Rajiv Congress president said the Tamil Nadu Government should ave taken all precautionary measures before constituting the courts to avoid any embarrassment. He alleged Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had taken the decision to constitute the courts with vengeance against Jayalalitha and said that was the reason why the State Government was in deep trouble over the issue. Asked whether there was any move to revive the AIADMK-led front in the state after Jayalalitha’s statement that it had been disbanded, Ramamurthy said, there is no bid so far to revive the front. On whether the BJP-led coalition at the Centre would survive if the AIADMK decided to withdraw its support, the Ramamurthy reiterated that he was prepared to quit the Union Cabinet if it would ensure stability of the Vajpayee Ministry. He, however, said neither could anybody compel him to resign nor would he succumb to any pressure and resign. On the AIADMK leaders’ statements that only because of the party’s support he could win the Salem Lok Sabha seat, the Minister said in the last general elections every partner had a role in the victory of the AIADMK front in Tamil Nadu. Asked for his comment on MDMK general secretary Vaiko’s demand for revocation of the ban on LTTE, Ramamurthy said convincing arguments should be put forward to buttress the demand. If he is unable to put forth his views convincingly, it only proves the proverb that dog’s tail could not be straightened, he added. (PTI) Inter-State Council JAIPUR, Dec 22: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has criticised the Centre for terminating the state’s representation in the standing committee of the Inter-State Council. The Centre has not done a good thing by doing so and I don’t understand the reason behind it, Gehlot told reporters here last evening. Gehlot said when he had met Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee earlier this month he did not give me any hint of removing Rajasthan from the standing committee of the council. The Centre had nominated Bhairon Singh Shekhawat while he was the Chief Minister. But after the BJP’s rout in the assembly polls and formation of the Congress Ministry in Rajasthan, the Centre did not nominate the new Chief Minister in place of Shekhawat. With the change of the party in power, the interests of the state had not changed, Gehlot said adding people of Rajasthan were not happy with the Centre’s decision. Gehlot said he believed in one man one post principle and had already conveyed his views in this regard to the party high command which would soon appoint a new Pradesh Congress Committee chief in his place. He said he had constituted a three member cabinet sub committee comprising Ministers of Finance, Energy and Irrigation to review pending power projects and it would submit its report within a fortnight. He said the committee would also review the problems being faced in the implementation of private power projects in the state. He said the promised white paper on the financial health of the st?te would be issued before the budget session of the State Assembly. (PTI) |
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3 arrested for fraudulent registry of plots BAREILLY, Dec 28: Three people, including a local Congress leader were arrested here for fraudulent registry of two land plots worth lakhs of rupees. Police here said that a case of fraud was registered against general secretary of the Congress city unit Vijay Shukla in connection with the sale of land in Nekpur area on November 10 last. He was named in yet another case of farud in Rajiv Nagar Colony, where he resided, on December 12 last. Police said after an investigation, Mr Shukla and two others, Kripal Singh and Ramswaroop, were arrested here yesterday and sent to jail. (UNI) |
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VALSAD, Dec 28: Normalcy has been restored in the riot-torn Ahwa town and adjoining villages in Dangs district in Gujarat where violence involving tribal Hindus and Christians left at least 23 persons injured since Friday. Churches, missionary schools and houses of Christian mssionaries were the target of attacks by the miscreants protesting against the alleged ongoing conversions of tribals to Christianity. They also set ablaze vehicles at Subir, Gadhvi, Divankhedi and Nadagkhadi villages since Friday when the violence first broke out and continued till Saturday. Police had to lob tear-gas shells and resort to lathi-charge to disperse rampaging mobs of Hindus and Christians on Friday who indulged in heavy stone-pelting at each other. The Gujarat Home Minister, Haren Pandya, who was camping at Ahwa yesterday, said 19 people from the two communities had been arrested so far in connection with the violent incidents. Police sources here today said that in the past 24 hours there has been in report of any violence. Meanwhile, a 31-member district peace committee, headed by the District Collector, was formed with equal number of Hindu and Christians representatives to work for peace. The district authorities as a precautionary measure have banned taking out of any rallies or holding of demonstrations in Ahwa and the adjoining villages rocked by violence. (PTI) |
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China welcomes Jashwant’s statement on Sino-Indo ties BEIJING, Dec 28: China today termed as effective India’s assertion to improve Sino-Indian relations on the basis of Panchsheel treaty and expressed the hope that New Delhi would build on these efforts to put bilateral ties back on the track. We welcome minister for External Affairs Jaswant Singh’s speech. China has always attached importance to the growth of its good-neighbourly, friendly and cooperative ties with India on the basis of the five principles of peaceful co-existence, The official Xinhua news agency quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao as saying. Zhu said normalisation of Sino-Indian relations complies with the fundamental interest of the people of both nations. Singh, in his maiden press conference in New Delhi last week, had stated that New Delhi was committed to improving ties with Beijing so that all outstanding issues were resolved in accordance with the five principles of Panchsheel treaty for peaceful co-existence. Diplomatic sources told PTI here that Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan had sent a congratulatory message to his Indian counterpart when Singh assumed office earlier this month. Singh, in his reply to Tang’s message noted that India sought friendly, good-neighbourly, constructive and co-operative relations with China on the basis of Panchsheel, the five principles of peaceful co-existence. We remain committed to the process of dialogue to address and resolve outstanding issues, Singh said in his reply. Recalling his meeting with Tang in July on the sidelines of the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) in Manila, Singh expressed his desire to continuing their interaction to Further mutual understanding, cooperation and friendship, so essential for our two countries and peoples. It may be recalled that Sino-Indian relations soured following New Delhi’s nuclear tests in May. China, in turn, strongly denounced the Indian nuclear tests and accused New Delhi of pursuing a hegemonistic ambition in South Asia. Since mid-April, China and India have not succeeded in resolving their differences and relations between the two giant Asian neighbours remain almost frozen. (PTI) |
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