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Don’t be tempted by DHAKA, Oct 24: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has warned..more WASHINGTON, Oct 24: India has the largest number of AIDS..more NFIA flays Southern NEW YORK, Oct 24: The National Federation of Indian American Association..more LTTE plans to kill COLOMBO, Oct 24: The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)....more |
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Pak’s deposed Premier ISLAMABAD, Oct 24: Pakistan’s deposed Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif....more LTTE’s Intelligence COLOMBO, Oct 24: Police have arrested the person, ....more France stops delivery ISLAMABAD, Oct 24: Pakistan’s naval expansion plans .....more Junior Sharif seeks LONDON, Oct 24: Hasan Sharif, son of deposed Pakistan ...more |
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Don’t be tempted by Pak coup, Hasina warns opponents DHAKA, Oct 24: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has warned her political opponents not to be tempted by recent events in Pakistan and attempt to grab power by undemocratic means. Those tempted by the military coup in Pakistan should know that people in Bangladesh achieved democracy by paying a high price and will give a fiting reply if any quarter tries to grab power by other means, Hasina, who is facing an Opposition-sponsored campaign to oust her, said. The people of Bangladesh have established democracy ousting autocrats in the past...And any attempts to destabilise the Government will not succeed, she said on her return from a five-day official tour of Australia. She categorically said she would quit in due time paving way for free and fair polls under a neutral caretaker regime. If the Government is involved in any wrongdoing, the people will give reply by their ballots. Analysts said her comments though directed against current developments in Pakistan have a bearing on the political situation at home where she is facing a renewed threat of street agitations by the Opposition. Those who have fascination for Pakistan and its style of governance should go back to that country and people in Bangladesh who are champions of democracy will not shed any tear for them, Hasina said. She regretted the recent developments in Pakistan saying it is very unfortunate for SAARC as well as democracy in the region. (PTI) |
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Pak’s deposed Premier grows beard in detention ISLAMABAD, Oct 24: Pakistan’s deposed Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, has grown a beard in military detention and misses his favourite dishes from the Prime Minister’s house kitchen, the mass-circulation newspaper Jang reported today, quoting "reliable sources". Sharif, 47, has been held incommunicado since being overthrown by the Army on October 12 after he sacked the Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf. Jang said the fallen leader, who is fond of good food, is being served "simple food" against his desire for hamburgers of an American fast food franchise. Mr Sharif has been shifted from place to place but not interrogated. Doctors monitoring his health had detected some irregularity in his blood pressure, the newspaper said. Mr Sharif told his guards several times that he was willing to quit politics for seven years - the punishment the law provides for a disqualified politician - or even go into exile, it said. When asked for his choice of newspapers, Mr Sharif, a keen player of the game of cricket, chose magazines related to the game. (AP) |
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WASHINGTON, Oct 24: India has the largest number of AIDS infected people in the world and a cooperative action is needed now to halt its spread, vice-president of World Bank for South Asia region Meiko Nishimizu today said. Although Asia has so far avoided a large-scale epidemic, one quarter of the 31 million people infected worldwide live in Asia and India is now the country with the largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world, Nishimizu told the fifth international conference on AIDS in Asia held in Kuala Lumpur. Nishimizu said developing countries of Asia cannot afford the human and financial toll of an AIDS epidemic, and cooperative action is needed now to halt its spread. For Asia, she warned, there is a small gift of time—time to act, time to act early, time to prevent a generalised epidemic. For leaders both in Government and in civil society to choose not to act, knowing the consequences, would be unethical and a betrayal of their people. (PTI) |
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NFIA flays Southern baptists
malicious statement NEW YORK, Oct 24: The National Federation of Indian American Association (NFIA), the largest Indian-American umbrella organisation in the US, has taken strong objection to malicious statements by Southern baptists on Hinduism. In a statement, the NFIA, which represents some 300 groups, urged community leaders nationwide to strongly protest and unite to undo the slander by the Southern baptists. The Southern baptists, largest protestant denomination in US, are planning to publish its latest prayer guide, offered as a reference for Southern baptists, tomorrow. It lists what the group considers as the shortcomings of Hinduism. Chairman of Board of Trustees of NFIA Subash Razdan sharply criticized the anti-Hinduism statements made in the prayer guide, saying Hindus are not living in hopeless darkness no matter what the Southern baptists might say. What are they trying to do, start a holy war? asked Razdan. He said he leafed through the 16-page booklet in disbelief. It’s similar to earlier baptist publications that recommended prayer for Jews and Muslims, he added. You can make Christianity look good, but don’t make any other religion look bad, Razdan said. The Southern baptists plans to release the pocket-sized guides on Diwali, the major Hindu festival of lights. The baptists claim that Hindus do not have a concept of sin or of personal responsibility is patently false, Paul courtright, an expert on Hinduism and Director of Asian Studies at Emory University was quoted as saying. In a sense, courtright said, it’s equal opportunity misrepresentation of all forms of non-Christian traditions. I suppose they’ll probably go after catholics next. I find it loathsome. The release of the prayer guide was planned, said Wendy Norvelle, spokeswoman for the Southern baptist convention international mission board. It’s an optimum time to seek hings of spiritual truth. The booklets incorporate our interpretation of what they believe, Norvelle said. It’s read through the light of what we believe. Louis Moor, who edited the baptist prayer guide on Hinduism, was quoted as saying earlier booklets were unfairly represented as evangelical conversion manuals. We’re not encouraging people to go out on the streets and buttonhole every Hindu they see, Moore said. But it would be wonderful if the opportunity arises. Asked how many Christian conversions resulted from previous guides, Moore said, no records are being kept. The missionary movement in India began in the early 1800s, courtright said. The representation of Hinduism as steeped in idolatry, superstition and strangeness is one of the enduring theme of Western perception of India, courtright said. The baptist brochure portrays Divali in a mystical darkness and suggests Christian prayer for Hindus so the power of Satan will be broken. (PTI) |
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LTTE plans to kill Chandrika during poll campaign: Report COLOMBO, Oct 24: The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is planning to assassinate Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga during campaigning for the high-stakes presidential polls early next year, the Island daily claimed today. Quoting reports received by an unnamed Tamil political party from LTTE-held areas in the North, it said the rebels has assembled a team of Elite black tiger suicide cadre after announcement of snap polls in the country. The LTTE unit, which included men and women and have been trained to speak Sinhala fluently, is likely to try and get across army lines to Colombo soon, it said, adding the plan was to kill Chandrika when she attends rallies and public meetings during the campaign. The report in the Island, which is a bitter critic of Chandrika, comes after the detention of the main accused in the recent assassination of a moderate Tamil politician, Neelan Tiruchelvam. The accused, identified as Eric Savundarannaygam, a telephone operator at a private telephone centre at Weellawatta in Central Colombo was detained at the airport here soon after his arrival from Chennai few days ago. He is said to be a senior LTTE intelligence operative. Another report in Sunday Times said Pottu Amman, a Principal accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and the chief of LTTE intelligence, reportedly told Savundarannayagam to assist the suicide squads to carry out attacks on seven specified targets. (PTI) |
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LTTE’s Intelligence Wing member nabbed COLOMBO, Oct 24: Police have arrested the person, engaged by LTTE’s Intelligence Wing, to help kill TULF parliamentarian and moderate Tamil leader Neelam Thiruchelvam. Eric Savundranayakam, a telephone operator at a communicaiton centre in Wellawatte here, was arrested last week, hardly an hour after he returned from a trip to Chennai. He is being held on a detention order under emergency regulations. Investigations have revealed that Savundarnayakam followed a course at the Technical College at Maradana. The arrest police say, is a significant breakthrough in investigations into the killing of Dr Thiruchelvam. During interrogation, he is learnt to have admitted conducting reconnaissance on Dr Thiruchelvam. However, he denied any further involvement. On July 29, a suicide bomber hurdled himself on Dr Thiruchelvam’s car at Rosmead place-kynsey road junction killing him on the spot. (UNI) |
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France stops
delivery of Agosta sub PNS-Khalid ISLAMABAD, Oct 24: Pakistan’s naval expansion plans have suffered a major setback with France reportedly stopping delivery of a highly sophisticated Agosta’ class submarine in view of the military takeover in Islamabad. Christened PNS-Khalid, the French-built Agosta B-90 class submarine was inducted into the Pakistan Navy in September and was all set to leave for Pakistan last Thursday from the Port of Toulon, when it was stopped for the time being by French Navy in a last minute decision, according to a report from Paris in the largest Urdu daily Jung’ here. Even the way of the submarine has been blocked by a cargo liner, the report said. The newspaper quoting a French Defence Ministry spokesman said the submarine was stopped following a French Government decision to stop Army deliveries to Pakistan on October 14. Pakistan slipped into another military rule on October 12 when the Army led by General Pervez Musharraf overthrew Nawaz Sharif Government in a bloodless coup and seized power. The Dawn report also quoted the French Defence spokesman as saying that a reconsideration was possible later. The stop on delivery of the Agosta submarine would deal a severe blow to Pakistan Navy’s expansion plans as the State of the art vessel would have given it the capability to launch anti-ship missiles from underwater. The highly sophisticated, multi-role Agosta submarine is equipped with French exocet missiles and can launch anti-ship missiles with a range of 100 to 150 kms while submerged. This would have given Pakistan Navy an edge over its Indian counterpart in targeting enemy ships from underwater as it does not have that kind of capability at the moment. Pakistan had originally negotiated for buying three Agosta class submarines from France alongwith transfer of technology for building such submarines in Pakistan itself. The first submarine was to be delivered off the shelf from France, while the other the two were to be built at Karachi as per the agreement between the two countries. The delivery of the submarine has been mired in controversy as it was originally scheduled to be handed over to Pakistan in July this year but was stopped due to the Kargil crisis. It was only after the then Nawaz Sharif Government agreed to withdraw from Kargil did France agree to hand over the sub. (PTI) |
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Junior Sharif seeks Vajpayee’s support for father’s safety LONDON, Oct 24: Hasan Sharif, son of deposed Pakistan Premier Nawaz Sharif, today made a personal appeal to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to strive for the safety of Sharif and his family And restoration of democracy in Islamabad. My appeal to Vajpayee is personal. It has nothing to do with politics and I am not in politics, 23-year old Hasan studying here for the last five years, told PTI in an interview. My father was for peace and despite all odds he worked hard for peace in the region. That is why he met him (Vajpayee) in Lahore, Hasan said. Lamenting that ny family’s and my human rights have been violated in Pakistan, he said I will do whatever possible to get Pakistan out of the fascist regime. He said he had no contacts with his father since October 10, two days before he was overthrown in a bloodless coup by the Army led by General Pervez Musharraf. Stating that Gen Musharraf had betrayed Sharif, Hasan said the only charge levelled against his father was that he was corrupt. That is no reason for a coup. Even if the Government is unpopular it is accountable to the people of Pakistan where there is a multi-party system, he pointed out. Hasan said he had also urged US President Bill Clinton and British Premier Tony Blair to ensure the safety of Nawaz Sharif and family. Thanking the British Government, the European Union and the commonwealth for taking a tough stand for demanding restoration of democracy in Pakistan, Hasan said he had sought an appointment with the Foreign Minister of Canada Lloyd Axworthy, MP, who would be leading a four-member fact finding team of the commonwealth to Islamabad this week. I want to hand over a letter seeking safety of my father, he said. Referring to the commonwealth decision to suspend Pakistan, he said it is a sad day for Pakistan. I feel Pakistan has lost an important forum to raise its voice (at Chogm). It is because of the unconstitutional act of gen Musharraf. He was appointed to run the Army and not to conduct coup, the junior Sharif said. What is prevailing in Pakistan is absolute dictatorship and martial law and we are looking forward for a movement for restoration of democracy in Pakistan, he said, adding a memorandum in this connection would be submitted to the British Premier shortly. As part of the line of action a demonstration at the Parliament square and a campaign through newspapers are planned, he said. Hasan said he was quite touched by reports from Jati Umran, the ancestral village of Nawaz Sharif, now in India, where the villagers were praying for the safety of his father. After taking his a levels, Hasan went to the London University where he completed a three-year bachelor’s degree in sociology and media. (PTI) |
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