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December 2001
Monday, December 31, 2001
Army convoy attacked, 6 killed, major injured in Kashmir
SRINAGAR: An army major was injured and a jawan and a militant were killed in a fierce clash, which took place after an army convoy was attacked on Srinagar Jammu National Highway on Sunday while elsewere in the valley three militants were killed and 6 others nabbed in the Kashmir valley overnight. The militants attacked the convoy, on way to Jammu from Srinagar, near Sangam bridge with automatic weapons and grenades, official sources said. The troops and road opening party retaliated. However,no one was injured. Later, security forces cordoned off the area to nab the militants. Sources said when the troops were engaged in sealing the area militants fired upon them. Troops retaliated and in the clash, which was still going on when the reports last come in, one militant was killed. Sources said a major and jawan were injured in the clash. The injured were admitted to the hospital where the jawan succumbed. Pro-Pakistani Hizbul Mujhahideen has clamed responsblity for the attack.
Monday, December 31, 2001
Pakistan arrests Lashkar chief
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan arrested Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, the head of the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant organisation blamed for carrying out the attack on Indian Parliament, a top Pakistani security official has said. "He has been arrested (on Sunday) for making inflammatory speeches to incite people to violate law and order," the official, requesting anonymity, told AFP. India has blamed Lashkar and another Pakistan-based militant outfit -- Jaish-e-Mohammad -- of carrying out the December 13 attack on the Parliament complex in New Delhi at the behest of Pakistani military intelligence. Security sources said the arrest was part of the military government's recent crackdown on suspected terrorist elements in the country in line with its wider commitment to fight international terrorism. "Pakistan continues with its drive to contain terrorist elements within the country as it continues to assist the international coalition against terrorism." Another security official said. Analysts believe Saeed's arrest is a significant gesture of Pakistan's desire to defuse the dangerously high levels of brinkmanship between the two nuclear rivals. Military tensions between the neighbours have soared since the Parliament attack with both sides massing troops along their border and trading tit-for-tat diplomatic sanctions. Islamabad has denied any role in the attack but has arrested 60 militants from different militant groups, including the founding head of the Jaish group, Maulana Masood Azhar.
Monday, December 31, 2001
Harshad Mehta dies following heart attack
'BIG Bull' Harshad Mehta, the main accused in the multi-crore bank securities' scam that shook the nation in 1992, died last night at the age of 47 at the Thane Civil Hospital. The official time of death was given as 12.05 am by a resident doctor and Senior Police Inspector Balchandra Kale of the Thane Town Police Station. Mehta was brought to the hospital from the Thane Central Jail at 11.05 pm. At the jail, which is five minutes from the hospital, Mehta had complained of chest pains. Clad in hospital whites, Harshad's body was kept on the ground floor of the hospital while an inquest was completed in the presence of Thane City Tehsildar Devendra Andhle. At around 4.45 am the body was being prepared to be taken to the J J Hospital in Mumbai for the postmortem. Harshad's brother Ashwin is currently in J J Hospital following bypass surgery. Harshad's only child, 22-year-old Atur, is out of station and has been informed of his father's death. No senior police officials were present at the Thane hospital after news of Harshad's death spread. Only Thane town police officials were seen on the spot. But Harshad's wife Jyoti and one of his brothers, Dr Hitesh Mehta, were present. On seeing the media at the scene, Jyoti said, "Marne ke baad to aadmi ko chhodo." When he died, Harshad was facing trial in at least 23 cases relating to the scam that was busted in 1992. He was already convicted in one case. The family had arranged for Jain guru Rakeshbhai to be present at the hospital. Dr R A Chavan, who attended to Mehta, said that he was in good condition when brought to the hospital. He was chatting with doctors and informed them that he didn't have a history of heart, diabetes or blood pressure ailments. However, Mehta also reportedly told the doctors that his father had died under similar circumstance, while appearing to be in good health. He had therefore left it up to them on whether he should be admitted. Chavan said an electro-cardiogram (ECG) was done on Mehta. The patient's blood pressure had been 140/110 and his pulse 48 beats per minute. Mehta informed the doctor that he had been exercising for one hour every day in jail. When Chavan asked Mehta if he had been facing any tension, Mehta reportedly said, "Tension kuch nahin hai. Abhi to aadat ho gayi hai, andhar jaane ki aur bahar aane ki." While Chavan was looking over the ECG report, which indicated cardiac arrest, Mehta collapsed on the spot. Attempts to resuscitate him proved futile. Last month, Mehta and his brothers Ashwin and Sudhir were arrested for perpetrating a scam within a scam. Following the scam of 1992, Harshad's assets and properties had been taken over by the court and a custodian was put in their charge. However, between 1992 and 1999, Harshad and his brothers allegedly managed to transfer 27 lakh shares of 90 companies worth several hundred crores. Central Bureau of Investigation sleuths said the shares were transferred in the names of relatives or friends, or even non-existent beneficiaries, by faking transfer forms. The Mehtas then sold the shares. With respect to these new charges, Mehta and Sudhir had been kept at the Thane jail. Ashwin was kept at J J because of his heart condition.
Sunday, December 30, 2001
Eliminate terrorists who harm India, Bush tells Musharraf
WASHINGTON: Concerned over the possible escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan, US President George W Bush delivered a strong message to President Pervez Musharraf asking him to "take additional strong and decisive measures to eliminate the extremists who seek to harm India." President Bush also reassured Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee that US was determined to cooperate with India in its fight against terrorism. The President called both the leaders yesterday from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, where he is currently vacationing. Bush told Musharraf that he needed to rein in extremist groups whose activities threatened to destabilise the US-led coalition against terrorism. In a sign of the growing sense of urgency within the administration about the military buildup in the region, Bush called both leaders on Sunday morning during his vacation here. However, Bush noted Pakistan's "continued support" to the US-led military campaign in Afghanistan, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. The US President weighed in on the issue after heightening tensions between the two countries led to military buildup along their borders following the December 13 terrorist attack on Parliament. McClellan said Bush "urged President Musharraf to take additional strong and decisive measures to eliminate the extremists who seek to harm India, undermine Pakistan, provoke a war between the two countries and destabilise the international coalition against terrorism." The United States is "determined to cooperate with India in the fight against terrorism" and considers the attack on Parliament "a strike against democracy," Bush told Vajpayee. He called on both the leaders to take steps to lower tensions. He also discussed the crisis with British Prime Minister Tony Blair who is scheduled to visit the region soon, McClellan said. It was not clear what steps Bush expected Musharraf to take or what he meant by eliminating the terrorists.
Sunday, December 30, 2001
India grants passage to Musharraf's plane, rejects summit
NEW DELHI: India on Saturday granted passage for Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's flight to the SAARC summit in Kathmandu but once again rejected suggestion for a summit with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the Himalayan kingdom. "India has always advocated dialogue with Pakistan. But under the present cirumstances until Pakistan creates a conducive climate by acting resolutely and meaningfully against terrorism, the outlook for such a dialogue cannot be promising," official sources said. Despite the growing chill in relations which led to the diplomatic sanctions including closure of Indian airspace to Pakistani flights, Islamabad asked for passage to Musharraf's aircraft to Kathmandu which was agreed in principle. A delegation of G-8 envoys met Prime Minister's Principal Secretary Brajesh Mishra, who told them that Pakistan government would have to take "credible, firm, substantive and visible" action against terrorist groups operating in J and K and other parts of India from Pakistani soil. Mewanwhile, New Delhi ticked off US President George W Bush's suggestion for taking note of Pakistan's action against terrorists saying it would make an "independent asssessment" of such claims.
Sunday, December 30, 2001
Bush, Chirac, Khatami: Phone keeps ringing
NEW DELHI: International calls expressing concern and urging restraint have come pouring in over the last 48 hours with US President George Bush and French President Jacques Chirac speaking to Prime Minister A B Vajpayee on Saturday night. Bush’s call came after UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and US Secretray of State Colin Powell both called Jaswant Singh last night. And US National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice spoke to her counterpart Brajesh Mishra. Singh told Powell and Annan that Pakistan had yet to show ‘‘tangible’’ signs that it was taking New Delhi’s concerns seriously. On Friday, Bush had said that India should take ‘‘note’’ of Musharraf’s action against terrorists, including the arrest of 50 extremists. In Saturday night’s conversation, Vajpayee is said to have told the US President that pressure should be brought on Islamabad to stop exporting terror into India. On Friday night, Iranian President Seyed Mohammad Khatami called up Vajpayee and is said to have offered his Foreign Minister to act as an interlocutor and help mediate, an offer that the PM politely declined. Khatami also telephoned Musharraf on Friday with a similar message. Another leader who called Vajpayee last night calling for an Indo-Pak dialogue was Libyan leader Colonel Muamar Gaddafi. Chirac on Saturday night urged Vajpayee to renew dialogue with Pakistan and said that he hoped the SAARC summit next week helps start the ‘‘process of de-escalation.’’ Earlier, he called Musharraf and stressed the ‘‘necessity for real and indisputable measures to be taken against terrorist groups active from Pakistani territory,’’ Chirac’s spokesman said. The French President also spoke by telephone to Russian President Vladimir Putin. ‘‘They agreed to continue their efforts with their G8 partners to halt the spiral of tension between the two neighbouring countries,’’ the spokesman said. Meanwhile, the European Union’s envoy for foreign affairs, Javier Solana, said that the Indo-Pak conflict could ‘‘only be solved by diplomatic means.’’ Speaking to a German newspaper, he said: ‘‘It would be fatal if the new Afghan government collapsed and the multi-national peace force gets caught between the frontlines.’’ The Home Ministry is believed to be preparing a list of 30 wanted persons in connection with terrorist crimes in India. Heading the list are Dawood Ibrahim and his associate Tiger Memon who are wanted for the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts. However, the Government has not yet decided whether to hand over this list to Pakistan and make it the ‘bottom line’’ for restoration of normal relations. On Saturday, speaking at the national executive, L K Advani said that India would forward a list of the wanted terrorists to Interpol.
Sunday, December 30, 2001
Rumsfield speaks to Fernandes, US may send envoy
WASHINGTON: American Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has spoken to Defence Minister George Fernandes amid reports that the US was considering despatching an envoy to the region to try to cool tensions between India and Pakistan. Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clark said the call was made on Friday but refused to describe the nature of the conversation. Rumsfeld's talk comes close on the heels of telephone calls by Secretary of State Colin Powell to foreign ministers of India and Pakistan, Jaswant Singh and Abdul Sattar, in the last few days as part of US efforts to ease tension between the two countries. According to US administration officials, US President George W Bush is likely to intervene personally by placing calls soon to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and President Pervez Musharraf urging them to deescalate rising tensions which, if unchecked, could lead to war. Bush said at a press conference at his ranch at Crawford on Friday that he had not yet spoken to the two leaders but would do so "if need be".
Sunday, December 30, 2001
Admiral Madhvendra Singh new Indian Navy chief
NEW DELHI: Admiral Madhvendra Singh on Saturday became the new chief of the Indian Navy, succeeding Admiral Sushil Kumar who retired after completing a three-year tenure. Kumar and Singh laid wreaths at the Amar Jawan Jyoti, a memorial to Indian soldiers killed in battle at India Gate here, and were accorded a guard of honour at South Block, which houses the defence ministry. Singh, a highly regarded commander who has headed the navy's warship production and acquisition department, will have a three-year tenure. Under current regulations, service chiefs retire at the age of 62 or on completing three years in the post, whichever is sooner. The new chief has also commanded the missile frigate Talwar, the aircraft carrier Viraat and the naval academy at Kochi. Before handing over charge to Singh, Kumar addressed a ceremonial parade held to bid farewell to him and to welcome the new navy chief. Kumar's tenure was plagued by several controversies. He was elevated to the post of navy chief in December 1998 after his predecessor, Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat, was sacked for defying the government. Earlier this year, Kumar was embroiled in a bitter wrangle between the services on the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff, a single-point military advisor to the government and operational commander of the country's nuclear weapons. Kumar, however, played a crucial role in enhancing the Indian Navy's role as a factor for peace and stability in the Indian Ocean region. He oversaw the successful organisation of India's first-ever International Fleet Review at Mumbai in February and the navy conducted several visits and exercises with foreign navies.
Saturday, December 29, 2001
Govt to reissue POTO
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The union cabinet decided on Saturday to reissue with some changes an anti-terrorism decree, which had been described as draconian and faced stiff opposition in parliament and from human rights groups. The law, re-issued against the backdrop of the attack by militants on parliament on December 13, sets strict new rules for arrest, interrogation and investigation and allows suspects to be detained for 30 days without trial. "The cabinet has approved the re-promulgation of Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO) with certain amendments," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan told reporters. Mahajan said the legislation would now remain in force for three years, instead of the original five years, from its starting date. POTO -- announced after the September 11 air attacks on the United States -- could not be introduced in parliament during the winter session that ended on December 19 as it was strongly opposed by opposition parties. The law, which came into being on October 24, would have lapsed on Tuesday without it being re-issued by the cabinet. It defines a terrorist as anyone threatening India's unity as well as causing terror among people. OPPOSITION FUMES Opposition parties and human rights groups have slammed it as draconian, saying it could be used to muzzle free speech and target minority Muslims. They say enough laws exist to deal with terrorism and violence, but the government says it requires POTO to quell rising violence in the rebellion-torn Kashmir and the northeast. Tension between India and Pakistan has escalated since the December 13 attack which left 14 dead and the two nuclear capable neighbours massing troops on their border and trading tit-for-tat sanctions. India has accused two Pakistan-based groups fighting its rule in Kashmir, its only Muslim-majority state and the focus of two of its three wars with Pakistan since independence in 1947, of involvement in the attack. The Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba groups have denied involvement. Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has urged talks with his Indian counterpart but New Delhi has brushed aside the offer saying its neighbour must do more to stop the militants. The Indian government bowed to criticism and introduced some changes in the decree earlier this month but opposition parties were not satisfied. In changes approved on Saturday, the government decided to drop a provision under which it was mandatory for anyone -- including journalists -- to pass on information about potential acts of terrorism to security officials. In another amendment, the cabinet also toned down the government's powers to forfeit property of those charged under the law.
Saturday, December 29, 2001
18 soldiers die in accidental blast
JAIPUR, India (Reuters) - Eighteen soldiers were killed in an accidental blast while undergoing training to defuse landmines on India's western border, a state government official said on Saturday. "The landmines exploded accidentally during training on the Indo-Pakistan border in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan on Friday," the official told Reuters. The official said the 18 soldiers were killed on the spot. He gave no more details.
Saturday, December 29, 2001
India rejects Pakistan talks offer
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India said on Saturday it was not willing to hold peace talks with Pakistan until Islamabad was seen to be cracking down on militants it says are operating from its soil. With the shadow of war looming larger, Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf said on Friday he wanted to meet Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee at a regional summit. But a senior foreign ministry official said such a meeting was highly unlikely. "India has always advocated dialogue with Pakistan but under the present circumstances, until Pakistan is able to create a conducive climate by acting resolutely and meaningfully against terrorism, the outlook for such dialogue cannot be promising," the official told Reuters. As the nuclear-armed neighbours mass troops on the border and trade tit-for-tat sanctions, President George W. Bush said the United States was working hard to restore calm and prevent a fourth war between the South Asian countries. Relations nosedived after a suicide attack by militants on the Indian parliament earlier this month. India has blamed two Pakistan-based groups fighting its rule in Kashmir over the attack.
Friday, December 28, 2001
Last Indian service of Delhi-Lahore bus leaves for Pakistan
New Delhi, Dec 28 The historic Delhi-Lahore BUS 'Sada-e-Sarhad' today left from the capital for Pakistan amidst tight security, in its last service after India decided to snap it from New Year. The sight of departure was moving, as passengers hugged each other and cried in the foggy morning, fearing this could be their last chance to meet their relatives, amidst chilling bilateral ties between India and Pakistan. The bus left at 6.25 am from the Ambedkar Stadium Bus Terminus with 33 passengers, two security guards, two drivers and a duty officer. India decided to snap the services on December 21, accusing Pakistan of not taking action against terrorist outfits involved in the December 13 attack on Parliament. The bus is expected to reach Lahore at 6:00 in the evening, Delhi Transport Corporation officials said. It will take passengers from Pakistan and reach New Delhi tomorrow evening, thus ending a gesture of friendship inaugurated two years ago by Prime Minister A B Vajpayee. Vajpayee launched the service boarding the bus on the eve of Lahore Summit with the then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on February 19, 1999, which led to the signing of Lahore Declaration. The first bus from Delhi started taking passengers on March 15, 1999 in what was then the first commercial bus service to Pakistan since Independence. The Pakistan Road Transport Corporation's last Lahore- Delhi service would reach here in the evening and take back passengers tomorrow, thus ending-- at least for now-- a symbol of peace and friendship between the neighbouring countries.
Friday, December 28, 2001
6 killed, 23 hurt in Kashmir
SRINAGAR: Three soldiers and an equal number of militants were killed in a fierce gun-battle at Kilwani village in Anantnag district of south Kashmir on Thursday, while twenty persons including four police men were injured in blast at Budgam in central Kashmir. According to a police spokesman, militants hiding in a house opened fire on troops during a cordon-and-search operation in Kilwani killing three soldiers on the spot. Troops also killed three militants in a retaliatory action, said the police. The house in which the militants were hiding was also destroyed. Meanwhile, unidentified militants threw a hand-grenade on the motorcade of the superintendent of police of the special operation group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir police at Budgam leaving four security guards and sixteen pedestrians injured. The SP had a narrow escape, the police said. The seriously injured have been shifted to the government hospital here while some of them were discharged after first aid, said the police. At least seven militants belonging to three militant outfits surrendered before the inspector general of police, Kashmir Range, here on Thursday. Speaking to the correspondents, IG K Rajindra said about twenty-five militants suspected to belong to al-Qaeda network of Osama bin Laden have sneaked into the Valley during the last ten days.
Friday, December 28, 2001
Gujarat to get ‘air shield’
VADODARA: Important industrial and commercial installations in Gujarat marked as ‘vital’ by the defence forces have been provided with a ‘reasonable’ air shield to frustrate any aerial attack by the enemy forces which are building up reinforcements across the international border in the western sector. ‘‘An umbrella cover already provided to these installations has been put on high alert in the wake of movement of Pakistani defence forces towards the international border,’’ a senior officer with the Vadodara Air Force station told Times News Network. Though the officer refused to disclose the exact level of preparedness by the defence forces to counter the Pakistani defence build-up, he added that there was a ‘‘reasonable level of preparedness’’ to thwart any such move from across the border. Defence PRO for the western region, Xavier Thomas, said over phone from New Delhi that air defence cover had been provided to vital installations in Gujarat like the Reliance plant at Jamnagar and the Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd (IPCL) plant and Indian Oil Corporations’s (IOC) Gujarat Refinery at Vadodara. ‘‘We are taking all precautions in view of Pakistan moving its forces towards the border,’’ added Thomas. Without disclosing the exact nature of the activity, Thomas said that important installations in Gujarat have been under the security of the Central Industrial Security Forces (CISF) but they were now provided with ‘‘certain amount of air-defence capabilities’’. Moreover, sources in the defence forces in Gujarat said that the enemy could attack the country anywhere, from the Siachen Glacier to the Rann of Kutch, and Gujarat was one of the most vulnerable states prone to enemy attacks.
Friday, December 28, 2001
Pak 'may target' military sites with Tow missiles
JAMMU: Pakistan is planning to target Indian military installations, particularly some vital posts and road communications along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, with highly lethal anti-tank Tow missiles, highly placed defence sources said here on Thursday. Pakistan specific units have moved these missiles close to LoC opposite Akhnoor-Pallanwala, Sunderbani, Noushera, Mendhar, Poonch, Balakote and Kerni areas in Jammu-Poonch sector, the sources told. It seems that their design is to target vital posts in Chicken neck-Pallanwala corridor and some high altitude posts and bunkers in other sectors besides some bridges, specially the Akhnoor, Rajouri and Poonch bridges. "By blowing up bridge communication, particularly the vital Akhnoor bridge, they want to cut off supplies and movement of troops to Poonch-Rajouri sectors," the sources said. "Targetting vital places like chicken-neck and destroying posts and bunkers is to weaken defence setup in geographically weaker alignments", they added. The deadly anti-tank wire-guided Tow missiles could pierce 800 mm armour and hit targets at a distance of three to four kms, the sources said. These wire-guided missiles have been deployed in two places opposite chicken neck in Jalalpur (Pakistan), Kharian forward, Bhimber (Pakistan) and Mangla forward, the sources said. The sources said measures to safeguard Indian installations have been taken and security around vital bridges have been strengthened during the last two days. In its current effort to cut off Jammu-Poonch highway and disturb security set up in vital Akhnoor sector, Pakistan army may use short range Tow missiles, the sources said. "We have definite inputs that the other side was planning to target Indian posts by using Tow missiles," they said. It may be recalled that the 320 kilometers long Jammu-Poonch national highway is only communication link between border districts Jammu and Poonch on the vital Indo-Pak border alignment. Pakistan's gun positions have also been changed to intensify shelling particularly on Jammu-Poonch highway and disrupt movement of army in particular and civilians in general, the sources said. They have also brought 105 mm Pak Field Guns (PFGs) close to the LoC and installed them at some high altitude bunkers in vital sections in Jammu-Poonch corridor, the sources added. They had also fired few shells to target some bridge links in some vital and sensitive belts but missed the intended target, the sources said. The 525 km Jammu-Poonch highway comprises of 240 km of international border (IB) from a place called Sangam to Paharpur and 280 km of Line of Control upto Hamirpur ( )
Thursday, December 27, 2001
Embassy staff cut, PIA overflights suspended
NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh on Thursday said Pakistan had not done enough to curb the activity of terrorist groups. The government has decided to reduce the strength of staff in high commissions -- both Indian and Pakistani -- by 50 per cent within 48 hours. The movement of Pakistan high commission staff including the Pakistani high commissioner has also been restricted within Delhi municipal limits. Further, overflight facilities to Pakistan International Airlines have been withdrawn from January 1, 2002. The government has also drawn up a plan to send ministers to key world capitals and convey New Delhi's position on Pakistan's support to terrorism. Read this story in... Hindi Jaswant Singh was briefing reporters after a Cabinet Committee on Security meeting here. "Pakistan is making a mockery of the gravity of the situation", he said. The decision to restrict the movement of Pakistan high commission staff was taken in view of their direct involvement in espionage activities. Responding to a question on whether India would be attending the forthcoming SAARC summit and whether the Prime Minister would be holding talks with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, Singh said: "We’re going to maintain our civilities as a nation", indicating that there will be no formal talks with Pakistan. QUICK POLL Is the latest Indian diplomatic offensive strong enough to make Pakistan curb terrorism? Vote Earlier, media reports suggested that the committee may also consider withdrawal of the most favoured nation (MFN) status to Pakistan. The CCS meet, chaired by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, reviewed the situation along the border following Pakistani military build-up. The meet, according to sources, considered several options, including abrogation of treaties to share waters of major rivers to put pressure on Pakistan. Thursday's meeting was attended by Prime Minister Vajpayee, Home Minister L K Advani, Defence Minister George Fernandes, Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra, Foreign Secretary Chokila Aiyer, Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Vijay Nambiar, and the three services chiefs. Before the CCS meeting started, there was an Army briefing for the Foreign Minister to inform him about the ground realities. The CCS meeting started at around 6.15 pm and ended at about 7.40 pm. The government had earlier recalled the Indian high commissioner and decided to terminate the bus and train services to Pakistan.
Thursday, December 27, 2001
Poll dates for four states
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's Election Commission said on Wednesday assembly elections in four states including the politically crucial province of Uttar Pradesh would be held in February. The commission said it had decided to hold elections for the legislative assemblies of Manipur in the northeast as well as the northern states of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which heads the central coalition is in power in Uttar Pradesh and analysts say the outcome of the polls in this crucial state could alter political equations in the country. The state of 166 million people is a vital BJP power base and analysts say success here would revive a federal government floundering amid stalled economic reforms but failure could force early national elections. Polls will be held over three days starting February 14 in the key state of Uttar Pradesh while elections in Punjab will be held on February 3 and Uttaranchal on February 14. A commission statement said the remote northeastern state of Manipur will have a two-day poll on February 14 and 21.
Thursday, December 27, 2001
Nation should back Vajpayee
NEW DELHI, Dec 26 : Declaring that all Muslims in the country were not supporters of jehadi terrorists, RSS has asserted that the "decisive war" against terrorism has to be won and the nation needs to be united behind the Vajpayee government in this campaign. "The December 13 attack on the Parliament House was an assault on democratic system by Islamist forces," said RSS Chief Spokesman M G Vaidya, adding, "Terrorism needs to be eradicated from its roots." "This is the time to face the reality.... The whole nation should stand behind Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at this moment like it did behind Indira Gandhi during the 1971 war," Vaidya wrote in an article in RSS' Hindi mouthpiece 'Panchjanya'. Noting that all political parties had condemned the December 13 militant attack on the Parliament House, the RSS leader flayed raising of questions over the security by a Left Front leader. Endorsing Vajpayee's remark that the terrorist strike at Parliament House was not an attack on any building, but on the democratic system, Vaidya said, "Democratic nations are easy targets for terrorists." Vaidya noted that there was a great distinction between "Islamist" and "Islamic" forces saying that the former used Islam as the basis for spreading the religion using all kinds of means, which was not so in the case of the latter. Describing Pak as an Islamist nation would not be wrong, he said, adding, as the country never hesitates from misusing Islam to achieve its goals. Stating that the 'jehadi' terrorists were driven by a particular philosophy, Vaidya said, "Can all Muslims in India be considered supporters of such elements? No." "But it will also be wrong to believe that there are no supporters of jehadi terrorists in India," the RSS leader said, pointing out that several rallies were taken out in the country in support of America's 'Most wanted' Osama bin Laden.
Thursday, December 27, 2001
Pakistan indulging in mockery
NEW DELHI: Dismissing steps taken by Islamabad to rein in terrorist groups as inadequate, India has said it has no confirmation yet on Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar's arrest in Pakistan. Union Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh said Pakistan, by simply changing the name and the headquarters of terrorist groups and indulging "in cosmetic seizure of assets," is "making a mockery of the gravity of the situation." Singh was emerging out of the Cabinet Commitee on Security meeting. The panel deferred its decision to 5 pm on Thursday as Union Defence Minister George Fernandes could not make it to the meet. Fernandes, who went for an army inspection at the Siachen glacier, could not make it to the meeting on account of inclement weather. Official sources said the meeting discussed such options as downgrading the Pakistani embassy in India, withdrawing most-favoured-nation trade status and banning the Pakistani international carrier from Indian air space. Singh's comments on Pakistan were echoed by ministry of external affairs spokesperson Nirupama Rao. Addressing the MEA briefing on Wednesday evening, Rao said that "nothing has been communicated to New Delhi by Islamabad" and there was no confirmation from the high commission there either. Media reports said on Tuesday that the Jaish chief had been detained for making inflammatory statements. Terming steps taken by Pakistan after the December 13 terrorist attack on Parliament as inadequate she said a lot more needed to be done. "Somehow they don't seem to be going far enough to address our concerns. Pakistan has to drive a stake through the heart of terrorism and they have not done that," Rao said. The spokesperson pointed out that there were reports of the Lashkar-e-Taiba moving to Kashmir and it showed that they intended to continue terrorist strikes in India. Rejecting a statement from China that Kashmir was the core issue between India and Pakistan, Rao recalled that external affairs minister Jaswant Singh had "rejected that thesis and in fact termed Jammu and Kashmir as the core of Indian nationhood." On China's repeated call for restraint in the region, Rao said India's view was that the call should be addressed to Pakistan, as the ball was in its court. "It is for them to reduce tension and take action," she said. Since the September 11 attacks on the US, she said, the international community had upheld India's position that there was no justification to terrorism, and that it was the duty of the concerned governments to crack down on terrorists. Rao confirmed that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee would attend the SAARC summit in Kathmandu beginning January 6 next, but declined to comment on whether he would meet Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf there.
Wednesday, December 26, 2001
India deploys fighter jets
NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - India said on Wednesday it had deployed fighter jets to forward bases as a standoff with its traditional foe and nuclear rival Pakistan intensified. With the neighbours who have fought three wars exchanging fire across their border and civilians in the area fleeing their homes, India's defence minister said his country's missile systems were "in position". In New Delhi, India's leaders gathered to discuss their next move in a dispute which stems from a December 13 suicide attack on their national parliament -- an attack India blames on two Pakistan-based groups fighting its rule in Kashmir. "Yes that has been happening," a defence ministry spokesman told Reuters, when asked whether fighter planes had been moved to forward bases over the past couple of days. He described the move as a "precautionary measure". District officials in Rajasthan -- which shares a 1,035 km (645 miles) border with Pakistan -- said blackout exercises were being held in the border districts at night to prepare civilians ahead of a possible war. "Entire districts are being blacked out for 15 minutes (at a time) since Tuesday night," a Bikaner district official told Reuters. "Sirens are sounded, air force planes will fly over the cities and no power generator sets will be allowed to function." India has demanded Pakistan arrest leaders of Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba, blaming them for the December 13 attack which killed 14 people, including the five assailants. Both groups deny any involvement. Pakistan has condemned the attack and said it will act against the groups if it is shown evidence of their involvement but on Tuesday it said it had detained Jaish leader Maulana Azhar Masood. Jaish officials said he had been confined to his home. With India sending more troops to the disputed border in Kashmir, its only Muslim-majority state, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's office said the cabinet's security committee would meet on Wednesday evening. OPTIONS Government sources said India's next move could include scaling down the Pakistani embassy in New Delhi and withdrawing overflight permission to Pakistan International Airlines. Both countries are reinforcing their volatile border in the biggest build-up in almost 15 years. Fears of war weigh heavily on India's financial markets, sending jitters through the stock, bond and currency markets. India has cancelled leave for many troops and called off the Army Day parade scheduled for January 15. Last week, it recalled its high commissioner (ambassador) to Pakistan and expelled a Pakistani diplomat after accusing him of spying. Pakistan denied the charge. Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes told the Press Trust of India news agency on Wednesday the country's missile systems were "in position". He declined to elaborate. In Jammu, a defence official said Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged intermittent small arms fire through the night along the border and a ceasefire line dividing Kashmir. He said there were no casualties on the Indian side. Three Indian soldiers have been killed since Monday as the neighbours exchanged mortar and machinegun fire in Kashmir. India says hundreds of terrified local villagers have fled. Some desert hamlets on the border were also being evacuated as a precautionary measure, the official added. The show of force by both sides on the ground has been matched by a war of words by leaders of the two countries. Vajpayee, speaking on Tuesday before Pakistan said it had detained Azhar, accused Islamabad of trying to force an unwanted war on his country. "We do not want war but war is being thrust on us and we will have to face it," he said. India accuses Pakistan of sponsoring a 12-year separatist campaign in Kashmir. Pakistan denies the charge but says it offers moral support to Kashmiris' separatist aspirations. The neighbours have gone to war three times since independence from Britain in 1947 -- twice over Kashmir, of which China also controls a slice. India and Pakistan were on the brink of a fourth war in 1999 after hundreds of armed intruders crossed into Indian-administered Kashmir from Pakistan and were pushed back by an Indian military offensive.
Wednesday, December 26, 2001
16 Pakistani soldiers killed
JAMMU: Sixteen Pakistani soldiers were killed and 19 bunkers destroyed in heavy retaliatory mortar fire by Indian troops in the Poonch sector along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday morning, highly placed defence sources said. In a swift action, Indian forces fired about 100 rounds of 82mm mortar shells and rained about 2,000 rounds of heavy machine gunfire, taking the Pakistani army off-guard, the sources said. The firing in Mendhar, Kari Karmara and Kerni areas along the LoC took place after Pakistani forces opened heavy unprovoked firing on Indian positions targeting military bunkers and communication centres at around 09:45 am, the souces said. Pakistan troops fired 81mm mortar shells and from heavy machine guns for about an hour, they said. Indian troops retaliated when the veracity of the Pakistani firepower reached its Nadir, the sources said. In the first two hours of firing, ten Pakistani bunkers were destroyed and eight soldiers killed. A Pakistani watch tower located about 100 metres from the LoC came crashing down when two mortar shells blew it up killing two soldiers instantly, they said.
Wednesday, December 26, 2001
India cancels Army Day parade
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's military said on Wednesday it had cancelled its annual Army Day parade scheduled for January 15, as tensions mount with nuclear rival Pakistan. An army spokesman said the parade had been cancelled because of troop movements elsewhere in the country. India and Pakistan have reinforced their volatile border areas as a war of words heats up over militants based in Pakistan fighting Indian rule in the Himalayan region of Kashmir. India has not ruled out military action against the militants, who it also blames for the December 13 attack on parliament in which 14 people died. Fears of a possible war between India and Pakistan have rattled India's financial markets.
Wednesday, December 26, 2001
India mulls next move
NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - India's leaders meet on Wednesday to consider their next move in a standoff with Pakistan over Kashmiri militants after Islamabad detained the leader of a group blamed for an attack on parliament. As tensions between the nuclear foes mount and India sent more troops to the disputed border in Kashmir, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's office said the cabinet's security committee would meet on Wednesday evening. Government sources said the meeting would chart India's next move, which could include scaling down the Pakistani embassy in New Delhi and withdrawing overflight permission to Pakistan International Airlines. Both countries are reinforcing the volatile border in the biggest build-up in almost 15 years. India has cancelled leave for many troops and called off the Army Day parade scheduled for January 15. New Delhi last week recalled its high commissioner to Islamabad and expelled a Pakistani diplomat after accusing him of spying. Pakistan denied the charge. It is not clear what impact Pakistan's move on Tuesday to detain Maulana Masood Azhar, leader of the Pakistan-based Kashmiri separatist group Jaish-e-Mohammad, would have on efforts to defuse the row between the bitter foes. India has demanded Pakistan arrest leaders of Jaish and another Pakistan-based guerrilla group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, accusing them of involvement in the December 13 attack on parliament which killed 14 people, including the five assailants. Pakistan has condemned the attack and said it will act against the groups if it is shown evidence of their involvement. Both groups have denied any involvement. FRONTIER TENSIONS RISE Both countries have reinforced troops on their border and Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes told the Press Trust of India news agency on Wednesday the country's missile systems were "in position" but did not give details. A Defence Ministry spokesman told Reuters the air force had also deployed fighter jets to forward bases along the Pakistan frontier as a "precautionary measure". Fears of a possible war are weighing heavily on India's financial markets, sending jitters through the stock, bond and currency markets. In Jammu, winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir, a defence official said Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged intermittent small arms fire through the night along the border and a ceasefire line dividing the disputed state. He said there were no casualties on the Indian side. Three Indian soldiers have been killed since Monday as the neighbours exchanged mortar and machinegun fire in Kashmir. India says hundreds of terrified local villagers have fled. District officials in Rajasthan -- which shares a 1,035 km border with Pakistan -- said blackout exercises were being held in the border districts at night to prepare civilians ahead of a possible war. "Entire districts are being blacked out for 15 minutes (at a time) since Tuesday night," a Bikaner district official told Reuters. "Sirens are sounded, air force planes will fly over the cities and no power generator sets will be allowed to function." Some desert hamlets on the border were also being evacuated as a precautionary measure, the official added. WAR OF WORDS The show of force by both sides on the ground has been matched by a war of words by leaders of the two countries. Vajpayee, speaking on Tuesday before Pakistan said it had detained Azhar, accused Islamabad of trying to force an unwanted war on his country. "We do not want war but war is being thrust on us and we will have to face it," he said. New Delhi accuses Islamabad of sponsoring a 12-year separatist campaign in Muslim-majority Kashmir, a charge Pakistan denies, although it says it offers moral support. The neighbours have gone to war three times since independence from Britain in 1947 -- twice over Kashmir. They were on the brink of a fourth war in 1999 after hundreds of armed intruders crossed into Indian-administered Kashmir from Pakistan and were pushed back by an Indian military offensive.
Wednesday, December 26, 2001
Army begins mining border
Chandigarh/Jaipur, Dec 25 The Indian Army Tuesday began laying mines along the border with Pakistan in Punjab and Rajasthan, even as residents of villages along the frontier were evacuated, eyewitness accounts from the area said. Villagers in Punjab told a team of visiting mediapersons that they had been advised to stay away from the area around the fenced frontier in the Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts where land mines had been laid. Reports from the border districts of Bikaner and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan said that one person had been injured and two camels and 30 goats and sheep killed when they strayed into the minefields along the frontier. Across the Rajasthan border, the Pakistani Army is reported to have reinforced the paramilitary troopers in forward posts, while some tank units had also moved up, sources in the Border Security Force (BSF) said. Mock air raid drills are also to be staged on Wednesday, it was announced. Union Defence Minister George Fernandes arrived in Suratgarh on Tuesday to review the situation in the border areas of Rajasthan, official sources said. The army has asked former servicemen living in the border areas of Punjab to lend a helping hand to Indian soldiers in case hostilities break out. Villagers in the border areas of Punjab also feared for their crops as they would not be able to tend them due to the mines that had been planted in the area. The movement of soldiers would further damage the crops, the villagers said. They said the army had also advised them to shift to safer places. Said Sadhu Singh, 66, who was among the last to leave Gallowal village: "It is high time India gives a befitting reply to Pakistan." Karmi, a resident of the same village, complained that she could not afford to hire a vehicle to move her meagre possessions and had to persuade a neighbour to carry them on his bullock cart. Village headman Bakhshish Singh said that there had been tension on the frontier in the past too but never before had the army laid mines. He was quick to add that the villagers were prepared to make any sacrifice for the sake of country. In Gandiwind village, Lakhmir Singh, a 63-year-old former soldier, took a break from cleaning his rifle to say that he might be old but was still capable of assisting the army in any manner it wanted. He could also train villagers in self-defence, he offered. He said there were around 85 former soldiers in the village "who could be of great help to the army in transporting ammunition and guarding bridges." Army sources in Jaipur said the minefields that had been laid along the frontier in Rajasthan had been fenced off to prevent villagers from straying into them. They said that the movement of some trains to Barmer, Bikaner and Jodhpur had been curtailed to facilitate the transportation of troops and equipment to the forward areas. Reports from the frontier said that though the villagers feared that their crops would be destroyed, they were, nonetheless in high spirits and cheered the passing army convoys. Children turned out in large numbers to greet the soldiers and insisted on shaking hands with them while village elders blessed the soldiers. A mock air raid drill will be conducted in Bikaner on Wednesday to test the administration's alertness to meet any eventuality, officials said. Bikaner collector Nirmal Wadhwani has advised the residents of the city to immediately switch off their lights on hearing the air raid alarm. All movement on the roads should also come to an immediate halt, he said. The lights should come on only after the all-clear was sounded, he said.
Wednesday, December 26, 2001
Pakistan redeploys missiles
Jammu, Dec 25 In what is being viewed as a further escalation of tension on the Kashmir border, Pakistan redeployed its ballistic missile batteries in the area on Christmas Day, Indian military officials said. Three Indian soldiers were killed and two civilians wounded as heavy shelling by Pakistani troops continued for the third straight day Tuesday. "Pakistan's strategic units have been engaged in the past 24 hours in redeploying medium-range ballistic missile batteries along the Line of Control (LoC)," an army spokesman said in Jammu. He did not specify the sectors in which the redeployment had taken place. The 720-km-long LoC divides Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan. The spokesman said that Pakistani troops resorted to small and medium arms fire along the LoC in the Mendhar and Gambir areas of Poonch. "The retaliatory fire by the Indian troops destroyed 12 Pakistani bunkers," the spokesman said, adding that the Indian action had caused "losses to enemy troops in the Samba, Rajouri and Poonch sectors." Officials of the district administration said the residents of many villages in the area had been shifted to safer places due to the Pakistani shelling. Besides the five villages that have been cleared in the Samba sector, the authorities Tuesday shifted more than 140 families of Dullian and Mango Chak villages in the Hira Nagar sector, about 70 km southwest of Jammu. "All the arrangements that are required are being made," Kathua deputy commissioner B. D. Sharma told after visiting the Hira Nagar sector. Similar arrangements were being made in Jammu district, where the civilian population of border villages had also been forced to shift due to the Pakistani firing, Jammu deputy commissioner Rohit Kansal said. Community kitchens have been set up for the villagers who have been forced to leave their homes. "This is the least we can do at this stage," Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairman Ram Sahai said. The current phase of clashes on the international border, which are unprecedented in their intensity, began after Pakistani soldiers ambushed and killed three Indian Border Security Force (BSF) troopers in Badglad village in the Samba sector on Sunday morning. "That was a grave provocation," military officials said. Indian troops retaliated and have damaged more than a dozen Pakistani bunkers in the Samba sector alone.
Wednesday, December 26, 2001
13 Pak troops killed; IB, LoC tense
JAMMU, Dec 25 : Retaliating in a big way, the Indian troops today killed 13 Pakistani soldiers and destroyed their 18 bunkers along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu-Poonch sector today, the defence sources said here. The Pakistani soldiers has been shelling the Indian positions in Noushera, Laam, Bhawani, Kerni, Bhimbergali, Balakote, Krishnagati, Gambhir, Poonch and Mendhar for the fourth day today, forcing India to retaliate, the sources said. The defence sources today confirmed that one truck and 11 houses were damaged and an ex-serviceman critically wounded on the Indian side of the border, adding the houses went up in flames in le Gallard along the International Border. The Indian troops retaliated effectively with heavy mortar shelling, killing 13 Pak soldiers instantly and destroying 18 of their bunkers all along LoC and IB, they said, adding the situation along IB and LoC was tense. Kerni in Poonch sector also witnessed intense exchange of fire, the sources said, adding a patrol depot was blown up on other side of the border.
Wednesday, December 26, 2001
India says war being thrust upon it by Pakistan
NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - India said on Tuesday that a war was being thrust on it by Pakistan, though it did not want a confrontation, as tension mounted between the two nuclear rivals across their border in disputed Kashmir. Three Indian soldiers have been killed since Monday as India and Pakistan exchanged cross-border mortar and heavy machinegun fire. Indian officials said hundreds of scared civilians fled the area. "We do not want war but war is being thrust on us and we will have to face it," Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee told a rally organised by the youth wing of his Bharatiya Janata Party on his 77th birthday. Tension between the traditional foes has surged following a December 13 attack on parliament which killed 14 people, including the five assailants. India, which blamed the attack on Pakistan-based Kashmiri separatist groups, recalled its high commissioner to Islamabad and ordered the expulsion of a Pakistani diplomat. The two neighbours have reinforced positions on either side of their border in Kashmir since the attack on parliament. "There is concern amongst many nations on the result of war between India and Pakistan...concern is but natural," Vajpayee said. He said India would take any steps that were needed only after due deliberation. Vajpayee said he had a talk on Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the situation in the region. Commenting on the latest exchanges of fire on the Kashmir border, a senior Indian defence official told Reuters: "Our troops effectively retaliated the fire and damaged at least a dozen enemy bunkers in these areas." India's recalled ambassador to Pakistan said on Tuesday he did not rule out war between Islamabad and New Delhi, but added the situation was not irretrievable and there was still time for the nuclear-armed rivals to step back. High Commissioner Vijay K. Nambiar left Islamabad for New Delhi on Tuesday, but not before warning the world of a possible escalation of hostilities between the two neighbours. "One hopes one does not reach that stage but the indications are not very good," Nambiar told Reuters Television. "Things are bad. But of course, I think one can't say they are irretrievable or things can't be improved," Nambiar said. He said New Delhi wanted some "visible action" against the anti-India militant groups based in Pakistan. "It should be seen as genuinely representing a change in the direction Pakistan has been going for all these months and years." In anti-insurgency operations, Indian troops shot dead five militants in overnight gun battles in Jammu and Kashmir state. SITUATION "HIGHLY EXPLOSIVE" A senior Pakistani army officer said earlier the situation was "highly explosive" and continued border clashes could spark an uncontrollable flareup involving nuclear weapons. India says six troops have been killed and eight people wounded on its side of the border in a week of cross-border exchanges. Pakistan says two civilians have been killed and four wounded on its side. Indian officials said hundreds of panic-stricken civilians had begun migrating from border areas of Kashmir. India has blamed guerrilla groups Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad for the parliament attack and demanded that Pakistan close them down and arrest their leaders. Pakistan has condemned the attack and said it will act against the groups if it is shown evidence of their involvement. Both groups have denied involvement in the suicide attack. The leader of Jaish-e-Mohammad, Maulana Masood Azhar, was detained at his house in the central province of Punjab on Tuesday, a Pakistani government spokesman said. He could not immediately give the reasons for the action. Both India and Pakistan were among the first countries to rally behind the United States in its war against terrorism following the hijacked airliner attacks on New York and Washington on September 11. PAKISTAN FREEZES LASHKAR BANK ACCOUNTS The Pakistani central bank told all banks on Monday to freeze the accounts of two groups -- Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Umma Tameer-e-Nau -- accused by Washington of backing terrorism. A Lashkar spokesman said the group did not have any bank accounts or assets in Pakistan, but described the symbolic freeze as regrettable. India accuses Pakistan of sponsoring the separatist campaign in Kashmir, a charge Pakistan denies. India ordered the expulsion of the Pakistani diplomat from New Delhi for what it called actions "inconsistent with the legitimate sphere of activities". It asked him to leave the country within a week. Pakistan rejected the allegations. India, Pakistan and China all control slices of Kashmir.
Wednesday, December 26, 2001
Pakistan detains Jaish-e-Mohammad leader Maulana Masood Azhar
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan detained on Tuesday a prominent anti-India militant leader, Maulana Azhar Masood, at his house in the central province of Punjab, a government spokesman said. "I confirm he has been detained," the military government's top spokesman, Major-General Rashid Qureshi, told Reuters when asked about the Jaish-e-Mohammad guerrilla group's leader. The government move came after New Delhi demanded Pakistan arrest leaders of Jaish and another Pakistan guerrilla group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, accusing them of involvement in a December 13 attack on India's parliament. But Qureshi said he could not immediately give reasons for the action. Earlier, a spokesman for Jaish said the police had surrounded Azhar's home in the southern Punjab town of Bahawalpur and would not allow him to leave. But Maualana Abdul Rauf, a member of Jaish's central council, told Reuters that Azhar could meet visitors inside his house and had not received a detention order. Azhar has been operating his group since he was released from an Indian prison in 1999 after New Delhi agreed to exchange Azhar and two other people in return for the passengers of an Indian Airlines plane hijacked to the southern Afghan city of Kandahar. The detention comes amid mounting tension between India and Pakistan over the attack on parliament, in which 14 people were killed, including the five assailants. The charge is denied by both Jaish and Lashkar, which are among more than a dozen Muslim guerrilla groups fighting India's rule in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. While blaming Jaish and Lashkar for the parliament attack, India also accuses Pakistan of supporting the groups and giving their leaders sanctuary. New Delhi has demanded that Islamabad act quickly to close down what it says are terrorist groups, freeze their funds and arrest their leaders. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has promised to act against the groups if India provides a credible evidence, which Islamabad says has not been done so far. Tensions have mounted along the India-Pakistan border with both sides placing their forces on high alert, sending in reinforcements and reporting artillery and mortar fire across a military control line dividing Kashmir. India has recalled its ambassador in Islamabad, has decided to halt train and bus services to Pakistan from January 1 and expelled a Pakistani diplomat from New Delhi on the charge of spying. On Monday, Pakistan announced it was freezing the assets of Lashkar and the Umma Rameer-e-Nau non-governmental organisation after the United States accused them of supporting terrorism. New Delhi, which accuses Pakistan of fomenting a decade-old revolt in Muslim-majority Kashmir, recalled its envoy, accusing Pakistan of failing to act against terrorism. The High Commissioner left on Tuesday. Pakistan denies sponsoring the rebellion in Kashmir, saying it only provides moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri struggle for self-determination.
Monday, December 24, 2001
Parliament staffer arrested for spying
NEW DELHI: Amidst a new low in Indo-Pakistan ties, the Delhi Police arrested an official of the Parliament secretariat for allegedly supplying to a Pakistan high commission staffer certain ‘‘sensitive’’ information on national security. The police are also probing if Pakistan high commission officials were involved in the December 13 terrorist strike on Parliament. Senior executive assistant in Parliament secretariat’s question cell Ajay Kumar was caught on Saturday supplying a bag containing documents relating to defence, atomic energy, nuclear research, railway security, ship-designing, and technology upgradation to Pakistan high commission staffer Mohammed Sharief Khan, the police said in a statement. During interrogation, Kumar revealed that Khan had several times in the past asked him about the security arrangements around Parliament House and he had arranged a pass for him (Khan) to watch Parliament proceedings. Kumar had also informed Khan that parliamentary security staff, when on duty, remain unarmed. ‘‘It is being probed if there is involvement of Pakistan high commission-based information officers in the recent (December 13) attack on Parliament,’’ the statement said. Kumar told the police that he had been working for Pakistan-based intelligence operatives for the past couple of years and was getting paid for it. It said Kumar used to provide information about locations of various defence units and their movements on the basis of his personal observation and pass on ‘‘sensitive’’ documents, which he had access to because of his official position. Earlier in a statement, India described as ‘‘completely false’’ Islamabad’s allegations that the Pakistan high commission staffer was ‘‘kidnapped’’ and ‘‘tortured’’ by Indian intelligence officials here. Ministry of external affairs sources said the staffer was ‘‘caught red-handed’’ while collecting documents from his contact and was handed back to the Pakistan high commission.
Monday, December 24, 2001
India to open four consulates in Afghanistan
NEW DELHI: India, in a bid to further cement its relationship with the new interim government in Kabul, said on Sunday it would open four consulates in Afghanistan. "A decision was taken that there would be four additional consulates that will be opened in the months ahead at Jalalabad, at Kandahar, at Herat, and at Mazar-i-Sharif," foreign minister Jaswant Singh told reporters. India was one of the first countries to reopen its embassy in Kabul on Saturday, coinciding with the inauguration of Hamid Karzai as the leader of a UN-backed interim government. Singh flew to Kabul to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new government replacing the Taliban rulers toppled in a US led military campaign. The foreign minister said India would appoint its ambassador to Kabul before the end of the year. India has already offered to help the interim administration rebuild the ravaged nation. "All the humanitarian and other assistance that we promised will now be made available as soon as the interim government is in a position to receive it," Singh said. New Delhi was a close ally of the Northern Alliance during the years it was fighting the Taliban, who were backed by Pakistan. Northern Alliance leaders hold key portfolios in the interim government and some of them have visited New Delhi in the past few weeks.
Monday, December 24, 2001
India must go for decisive victory over terrorism: Advani
HISAR, Haryana: Union Home Minister L K Advani on Sunday asserted the government would not hesitate to firm up its response to the situation arising out of the December 13 attack on Parliament nor would allow it to be influenced by anyone. "The government is fully committed to end the menace of terrorism. The Centre has neither hesitated from taking any decision nor has its decision been influenced by anyone," he told the convocation of Chaudhry Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University here. Advani said Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had been trying to control the terrorism during the last few years. "We are fully concentrating on the issue." "We have been drawing the attention of the world leaders towards the growing menace of terrorism. Our concern is that all countries should unitedly stand to end terrorism," he said, adding, "no country should take it for granted that it could always save itself from this menace." Stating that India would not let forces out to spread terror in the country to succeed, Advani called upon the countrymen to stand firmly against terrorism which could not be fought alone by security forces. "We have to stand unitedly against those unleashing terror and we should not think that it is the job of the security forces alone to weed out such forces," Advani said. He said that after the September 11 terrorist attack on America, President George Bush had to declare a "war against terrorism". He said Vajpayee had cautioned the United States in his address to the US Congress that the country's geographical distance from countries, which were facing or harbouring terrorism, did not mean that US would always remain safe from terrorism. Advani said, the decision to conduct nuclear tests in 1998 was justified and they were conducted after giving a serious thought to the fact that some countries may not take it well. He said the world understood India's decision to conduct tests later as a number of countries, who had imposed sanctions against India, gradually withdrew them. Advani said, national security was of utmost importanc and its concept had been widened by including security of energy, food and information. Now the slogan was not only "Jai Jawan Jai Kisan," but Jai Vigyan too had been added to it, he said. He said although there is a problem of plently of foodgrains, still many people were not getting nutritious diet. The new agriculture policy had envisaged orientation of all agricultural universities. There is a need to increase agricultural production in northern and eastern states where the land was very fertile and adequate water resources were available, he said. Earlier, Advani paid floral tributes to former Prime Minister Chaudhry Charan Singh on his 99th birth anniversary by garlanding his statue. Haryana governor and the university's chancellor Babu Parmanand and chief minister Om Prakash Chautala also paid floral tributes to Chaudhry Charan Singh. ( )
Monday, December 24, 2001
Pak accuses India of kidnap, torture
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday accused India of kidnapping and torturing a staff member with its high commission (embassy) in New Delhi and said it had lodged an official protest with Indian authorities. The foreign ministry said in a statement that Mohammad Sharif Khan, whose role at the embassy was not specified, was kidnapped on Saturday by Indian intelligence operatives while he was shopping at a New Delhi market. "During interrogation, he was stripped naked, severely beaten and tortured, resulting in visible and internal injuries. The medical report confirms that Mr Khan was ruthlessly beaten and tortured," it said. The embassy worker was released after five hours, but was forced to sign a statement acknowledging involvement in espionage, it added. "The ministry of foreign affairs has lodged a strong protest with the Indian High Commission in Islamabad over this reprehensible, provocative and unacceptable action on the part of the Indian government." ( AFP )
Saturday, December 22, 2001
Delhi drops diplomatic bomb
New Delhi/Islamabad, Dec. 21: India today announced it was recalling the high commissioner to Islamabad, sending a warning to Pakistan and the US that the absence of action by President Pervez Musharraf on terrorist outfits was pushing the situation in South Asia towards a flashpoint. Pakistan is not withdrawing its high commissioner in retaliation, but Delhi could ask Ahsraf Jehangir Qazi to leave if it wanted to turn up the pressure. The government of Pakistan regrets the decision of the government of India to withdraw its high commissioner, Islamabad said, adding that Pakistan does not intend to respond in kind. The statement said that in the prevailing tense situation it is all the more important to keep all channels of communication open. This is only the second time India has decided to downgrade its diplomatic relations with Pakistan, the first was during the 1965 war. During the 1971 war, the two countries had temporarily closed down their missions. Along with the decision to recall Vijay Nambiar, India terminated the highly symbolic Delhi-Lahore bus service opened by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999, and the Samjhauta Express the only rail link between the two nations. Both services will stop from January 1. Pakistan expressed regret, saying stopping the services would only cause hardship to ordinary people. The decisions come less than 24 hours after President George W. Bush’s announcement to freeze the assets of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, describing it as a Kashmiri terrorist group responsible for attacks both in India and Pakistan and protecting Musharraf against allegations of a Pakistan hand in the Parliament attack. India welcomed the announcement, but made it clear by its decision today that it was not willing to give Musharraf a clean chit till he acted against the terrorists. Since the December 13 attack on Parliament, we have seen that no attempt on the part of Pakistan has been made to take action against organisations involved in the terrorist attack, foreign ministry spokesperson Nirupama Rao said, justifying India’s decision. Rao said the government decided to recall its high commissioner in view of the complete lack of concern on the part of Pakistan and its continued promotion of cross-border-terrorism in India. Islamabad said: The government of Pakistan rejects the Indian allegation of continued promotion of cross-border terrorism by Pakistan and reminds the government of India that Pakistan had asked for credible evidence about involvement of Pakistan-based groups/individuals for investigation and appropriate action by the government. The decision to recall Nambiar was announced after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by Vajpayee. Later, Vajpayee called on President K.R. Narayanan. Commenting on the US action against Lashkar, foreign minister Jaswant Singh said after the 90-minute CCS meeting: It has been long expected. I am glad that Lashkar-e-Taiba has been included in the list of terrorist groups. India’s decision to force the pace of developments is part of a series of moves to signal its anger at Islamabad not responding to its call to take action against the terrorists. There are a few more diplomatic steps India can take. For instance, it can further downgrade its mission in Islamabad and subsequently close it down. It can also stop flights to and from Pakistan. Sources in Islamabad said the Pakistan government has been told by US secretary of state Colin Powell India would not mount an attack.
Wednesday, December 19, 2001
Pak's agenda for Afghan still intact
KABUL: Pakistan's agenda to gain control of Afghanistan by supporting the Taliban and to use the territory of this country to spread terror in Kashmir is still intact, President of Afghanistan's military security Gen Mohammed Zahir Akbar has said. "Pakistan's agenda for Afghanistan is still intact. They still want to support the opposition to destroy the peace that has returned to this war-torn country. The network of ISI in the country is still trying to use this territory to prepare militants to fight in Kashmir and the rest of India," Zahir told in an exclusive interview. Asked what steps are being taken by the government to break the network, he said it was the people of Afghanistan "who are telling us about the ISI agents and their activists. We are finding them one by one and we will destroy the network," he said. On Afghanistan's future relation with Pakistan, he said, "We do not have any enmity with Pakistan as a nation." But Zahir, who was the chief of Kabul police during the time when Burhanuddin Rabbani was in power, said, "If Pakistani politicians follow the same idea or principle as was the case when Taliban was in power, the people of Afghanistan will not accept that country as a friend." "If they change their policy towards Afghanistan we will have no problem with our neighbour," Zahir, who remembers his visit to Taj Mahal and Red Fort, said. When asked about the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden, the military security president said, "We still believe that he is in the mountains of Tora Bora with a band of followers. We are hunting him and are sure of capturing him, Insah Allah." Asked to clarify whether any important deputy of bin Laden was captured, Gen Zahir said, "We have captured many al-Qaeda activists and they would be brought to Kabul for interrogation. Only after they are thoroughly interrogated can one say for sure who is doing what in Afghanistan." Asked what would be India's role in the post-Taliban period, he said, "India could help in so many areas - not only military, but in so many other areas like the country's education system." Asked what kind of military assistance would the new government expect from India, Zahir said, "Regarding military assistance it is up to the defence ministry of India to decide. But we have one request, Afghanistan has so much of military equipment. Right now do not bring in guns but industries." Criticising the role of Pakistan the Taliban regime, he said, "The main idea of Pakistan was to kill Commander Masood and rope in the support of Chechen guerrillas and Arab volunteers for Taliban in the name of jihad. The people of Afghanistan have been through the game of Pakistan and every Afghan is now ready to sacrifice his life for peace in the country." "The support of people for Northern Alliance was so much in Kabul that it was the women and children, who directed these soldiers to the hideouts of Arab and Pakistani militants," Zahir said.
Wednesday, December 19, 2001
Alarming rise in HIV among city’s married women
BETWEEN two to 3.5 per cent of all married women in Mumbai are HIV-positive, according to two recent studies of pregnant women in the city. According to doctors and activists, trends in the spread of the AIDS virus in Mumbai during the past one-and-a-half year show the disease is moving from high-risk to low-risk groups. In fact, doctors say the epidemic is ripe in Mumbai at the third or final stage of spreading, when it reaches low-risk groups like married women and newborn babies. The first study of around 8,000 women in Mumbai was part of a nationwide two-year joint project by the Pune-based National AIDS Research Institute, the National AIDS Control Organisation and the AIDS Research and Control Centre (ARCON), the last being a collaboration between the government and the University of Texas, Austin. The project was aimed at preventing the transmission of the virus from infected mothers to newborn babies through the administration of the anti-retroviral virus to expecting HIV-positive mothers. The women who were part of the project till September this year were from the JJ, KEM and Nair hospitals. Around 3.5 per cent of them tested HIV-positive. The other study by the Mumbai District AIDS Control Society (MDACS), conducted between August and October this year, covered a sample size of 400 pregnant women who visited ante-natal clinics in the city during this period. The clinics were both private and municipal. While results of the second survey are still being compiled, preliminary data shows that between two to three per cent of the pregnant women had HIV. Researchers said the rates for Mumbai were substantially higher than for other parts of the country. The rate may be more than any other area in India expect maybe Sangli where the percentage is equally high, says Dr Shanta Shankaranarayan, joint director of MDACS. According to Dr Subhash Hira of ARCON, the lack of sexual empowerment together with the absence of financial independence make large sections of married women susceptible to the virus. The two factors make it difficult for women to reduce their vulnerability to the disease, says Hira. Researchers say the samples have been put to statistical analyses to make them representative of the city’s diverse population. In fact when the data was put through what is called the ‘confidence interval’ to account for the pregnant women who would not go to public hospitals, it gave us a figure of infection between 2.8 to 4.2 per cent. Our final figure 3.5 per cent is an average, says Hira. Dr Geeta Rao Gupta, board member of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and president of the International Center for Research on Women, says the trend in India follows trends worldwide. Young women are the fastest growing risk group in many parts of the world, she said. Warning for women * At the end of 1997, an estimated one million Indian women aged 15 to 49 had HIV/AIDS * Prevalence rates for HIV/AIDS among pregnant women in the country varies between 0 to 2.4 per cent. * In five of the 32 states/Union territories, the prevalence rates for HIV/AIDS in women is over 1 per cent. Maharashtra is one of the five * At the end of October, 6,984 women in India had AIDS. They comprised 24 per cent of the 29,007 total AIDS cases in India * Prenatal or mother to child transmission of HIV account for 2.1 per cent of total transmission. Sexual transmission accounts for 84 per cent (Source: International Conference on HIV/AIDS, 16-19 Dec, 2001, Mumbai)
Wednesday, December 19, 2001
Islamabad is playing a "dangerous game": PM
NEW DELHI: Shutting off any option on a joint probe into the Parliament attack with Pakistan, Vajpayee conveyed to Islamabad that the strike was part of a "deliberate and well-planned conspiracy." Stating that nobody wanted war or was trying to create a war psychosis, the Prime Minister said " Such feelings should not be generated. Decisions on war or peace are not taken in a fit of anger. "We have options and we will consider all pros and cons and weigh them before coming to a firm decision. Accusing Islamabad of playing a "dangerous game", Vajpayee said, "We are not relying on diplomacy alone... We hope the international opinion will be in our favour. India will face the challenge posed by terrorism
Wednesday, December 19, 2001
PM rejects Pak’s offer for joint probe
New Delhi, Dec 18: Under pressure from own MPs and the Opposition to act tough against Pakistan, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee government has put the security and intelligence agencies on a 10-day face-saving ultimatum to show something spectacular short of ‘hot pursuit’ and ‘crossing the LoC’. India has also handed over certain documents to Pakistan reportedly as a proof of Jaish-e-Mohammad’s involvement in December 13 attack on the Parliament House. An official spokesperson of External Affairs Ministry Ms. Nirupama Rao, while confirming that documents have been handed over to Pakistan, rejected the idea of inviting the FBI and Pakistan to probe the attack jointly. She, however, said India was awaiting Pakistani response. While the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) which met here late last night decided to put the ‘hot pursuit’ and ‘air strikes’ in PoK on hold, it has put the security and intelligence agencies on a notice to show some spectacular results within next 10-days to ward off some pressure from within the BJP and the Opposition. "The steps will be definitely taken to reassure the shocked nation. The attack on the apostle of democracy and one of the most protected places has shaken people’s confidence in the country’s security system, which needs to be reassured," said a source. Sources said, the CCS have approved some "softer" options before the government, while ruling out crossing the LoC immediately. These steps are mounting a dozen major attacks against the militants and their sympthisers in Jammu and Kashmir with "decisive" results. Pro-active pursuit against militants in other parts of the country as well. Also using RAW (the Research and Analysis Wing) to pay Pakistan back in the same coin. It is being argued amongst the security brass that India should follow late prime minister Indira Gandhi’s policy of tit-for-tat. "We should follow Indira Gandhi’s policy of tit-for-tat. If Pakistan instigates an attack on our soil, we should instigate three more in return to teach them a lesson," sources said. The CCS also decided to launch a vigorous diplomatic offensive on Pakistan before going for a military option. The military brass which was present at the CCS meeting sought to know from the political leadership, whether they are prepared for the consequences of a decision to take war inside Pakistan. Sources said that military brass including Naval Staff Admiral Sushil Kumar, Vice-Chief of Army Staff N. C. Vij and Vice-Chief of Air Staff S.Krishnaswamy told political leadership that ‘hot pursuit’ would have little impact, as the camps are deep inside Pakistan. Lashkar-e-Toiba is headquartered at Mureedke near Lahore and Jaish-e-Mohammad has its main office in Karachi. Addressing the BJP parliamentary party meeting here Tuesday, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee attempted to assure the angry MPs that punishment for last week’s terrorist attack on Parliament will be as big as the crime. "The punishment will be as big as the crime," Vajpayee was quoted as saying by BJP spokesman V K Malhotra after the meeting. "It is an attack on our country and we will decide the punishment." Earlier, the MPs had asked the Prime Minister not to bother about the international reaction and take whatever steps he deems fit. Vajpayee also questioned the logic of appeals by foreign countries to India for restraint. "Some people have been asking us to exercise restraint. We have been exercising restraint. I want to ask them what this will result in," Vajpayee said.? Vajpayee said it was providence which came to the rescue of Parliament on December 13 to enable "us to complete the unfinished task of rooting out the terrorist menace in the country", Malhotra said. He said the Prime Minister told members that their feelings on destruction of terrorist training camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir was understandable but asked them "leave it to the government to take a decision on this matter". Rejecting offers of a joint probe by Pakistan Vajpayee said, "It is an open court where everybody can watch the proceedings but there will be no joint probe. "The crime has been committed on our soil, so we will probe it and we will punish it," Vajpayee said, adding that documents had been sent to Pakistan, including evidence pointing to the involvement of the Pakistan-based militant outfits. Significantly, the Prime Minister told the party MPs that the government will talk to allies and the Opposition regarding the steps that will be taken. The process has already begun, he said. But, the Congress party and other Opposition parties strongly denied that any of them had been consulted by the government. The ruling NDA Tuesday slammed US secretary of state Colin Powell’s call for restraint as a sign of "double-standards". There is increased realisation amongst the party MPs that unless Washington gives the go-ahead, it would not be possible for India to cross the Line of Control and enter Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. "His statement smacks of double-standards because the US did not exercise restraint when it came to attacking Afghanistan," BJP parliamentary party spokesman V.K. Malhotra said criticising the US secretary of state. "So why are they asking India to be restrained?" Asked whether Powell’s advice was dictated by the fact that both India and Pakistan were nuclear powers, Malhotra’s said: "Even Osama bin Laden and the Al Qaida were supposed to possess nuclear weapons. But that didn’t stop the US from waging a war against them."
Wednesday, December 19, 2001
India debates response to attack
NEW DELHI, India -- New Delhi has said last week's suicide attack on parliament was intended to wipe out India's leadership, and has reinforced its accusation that Pakistan is to blame. India has said it is determined to stamp out terrorism in the wake of last week's bloody raid on parliament, and again has blamed Pakistan for supporting militants. Home (Interior) Minister L.K. Advani told parliament Tuesday that India is determined to stamp out terrorism in the wake of the bloody raid, which killed 13 people, including the five assailants. While India has not yet outlined a response to the attack it is weighing military and diplomatic measures against Pakistan. AUDIO Maria Ressa reports on India's response to the attack 1.81 MB / 2 mins 52 secs WAV sound India has already said that Thursday's operation was planned by Pakistan's intelligence agency, and both countries are now on high alert. Many Indian lawmakers are demanding the military cross the frontier in the disputed northern state of Kashmir to carry out attacks similar to the Israeli strikes in Palestinian areas. They say the parliament attack was the last straw for the nation that has lost 54,000 people to separatist and terrorist violence in five decades. 'Very dangerous' The United States has urged the rival neighbors to exercise restraint, with Secretary of State Colin Powell saying the situation "has the potential of becoming very dangerous." Washington has asked India to complete its investigation of the attack before it decides on its course of action. New Delhi has already blamed Pakistan for supporting two Pakistan-based Kashmiri separatist groups it says were behind the attack. India has called on Islamabad to close down the separatist groups Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, which it says are linked to Pakistan's main intelligence agency. Pakistan's government has denied India's allegations of involvement, but said it would consider action against anyone based in Pakistan if India gave proof. Pakistan's information secretary, Anwar Mahmood, said his country would act on any "credible proof" that the Jaish-e-Mohammed cooperated in the assault. "The blame game must end," the government spokesman was quoted as saying by Pakistan's official news agency. "Pakistan expects India to look into the matter in a dispassionate manner." The State Department's coordinator for counterterrorism, Francis Taylor, will visit India, probably in early January, for detailed talks on cooperation. Pakistan and India have fought three wars since independence in 1947.
Tuesday, December 18, 2001
India reserves its right to self-defence: US
WASHINGTON : Asserting India's right to self-defence United States has asked Pakistan to control activities of the terrorists in the country. "India has a legitimate right to self-defence," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said on Monday. Using a variant of the Bush doctrine while answering to a question if India could attack training camps in Pakistan, Fleischer said US President George W Bush has urged both sides "to share information, work with each other, and take no action that would in any way hinder the war against terrorism, to which both India and Pakistan have committed themselves." "The President counsels that this is a very difficult situation in the region and one that could spiral out of control," Fleischer added.
Monday, December 17, 2001
Cross LoC, destroy terror camps in Pakistan
New Delhi, Dec 17 Middle class India appears to be itching for a showdown with Pakistan. More and more residents in the national capital say they want the Indian military to cross into the Pakistan-held Kashmir and smash up alleged terrorist training camps. That sentiment has always existed. But it seems to have crystallised since the December 13 attack on the Indian Parliament by five heavily armed terrorists who reportedly came from Pakistan. "This is the time to attack Pakistan even if only to wipe out the training camps," Gaurav Bakshi, 27, a television producer, told . "We should have finished off two-three camps by now." Added Pranav Bharti, a telecom executive: "Indian defence capabilities are superior to Pakistan's. Why should we back off?" Both felt that Pakistan was beginning to take India for granted, and Islamabad appeared to be confident that even if it keeps on backing terrorists in India, New Delhi would never retaliated militarily. Some residents said only drastic action by India would force Pakistan to realise its folly of what New Delhi claims is its support to a myriad of terror groups active across the country. Last week, five gunmen stormed Parliament even as top ministers and some 300 MPs were holed up inside, before being killed by security agencies posted there. On Sunday, Delhi Police blamed two Pakistan-based groups for the well-planned attack and said all five terrorists were Pakistanis. India has accused Pakistan of aiding terrorism in India for nearly two decades, including Sikh separatists in the 1980s. New Delhi says Islamabad arms, trains and harbours militants fighting to end Indian rule in Jammu and Kashmir. Many of the terrorists in the Himalayan state are said to be Pakistanis and Afghans. But Pakistan denies the charges and calls the Kashmiri unrest a "freedom struggle." Said Deshbandhu Das, a retired airline engineer: "Terrorism cannot end in our country unless Pakistan stops supporting it. We must attack Pakistan to end the training camps there and ensure that terrorists do not dare to target India again. "The U.S. will have to support us. If it does not, it will stand exposed." Agreeing, Bakshi said: "If we do not take action quickly, the terrorists will attack again." Added Bharti: "In the scenario created by the attacks in America on September 11, most countries would support our attack. We should risk that anyway." A view that finds increasing support among middle class Indians is that Washington has no right to urge India to show restraint because it went on the offensive militarily when terrorists attacked New York and Washington. Said R. Ramakrishnan, a chartered accountant: "Every time terrorists strike in India, it has become a fashion for the U.S. to tell our government to be calm and not to resort to military options. This is silly." But some sought to plead reason, saying a war would not help. India and Pakistan have fought three major wars since their independence in 1947. "Waging war did not solve our problems until now and I don't think it would do in future," Kavita Dahiya, a Delhi High Court lawyer, said. "Besides, what about the after effects of such a war for those who would be its victims?"
Sunday, December 16, 2001
Inflation drops to 2-decade low
NEW DELHI: Continuing its downward spree, inflation dropped to two-decade low of 2.27 per cent in the week that ended on December 1, as compared to 8.33 per cent in the corresponding period last year, despite soaring prices of vegetables, eggs, fruits, meat, fish and coconut oil. The change in the price level as measured by Wholesale Price Index (WPI) saw a sharp 0.13 per cent fall in the latest reported week from 2.40 per cent in the previous week mainly on account of lower prices of furnace oil, light speed diesel, rice, sooji, atta, beer and alcohol. It was in 1983 that the inflation dropped to such a low level, eminent economist B B Bhattacharya said here adding that the present fall was due to declining international prices, lack of purchasing power, domestic recession and comparative food situation. The WPI with base year 1993-94, however, rose marginally by 0.1 per cent to 162.2 as compared to a static figure of 162 a week ago and the index was 158.6 in the previous year. The final WPI and the final inflation stood firm at their provisional levels of 162.4 and 3.18 per cent for the week ended October 6, 2001. Economists have predicted that the inflation would be around two per cent for the rest of the fiscal because of the fall in the global fuel prices. Primary articles became costlier by nearly one per cent, while fuels and manufactured products became cheaper by 0.3 and 0.1 per cent respectively during the period. The index for primary articles' group rose to 170 from 168.6 as both food and non-food articles became costlier and the index was 163.5 in the previous year. Food articles' group index was up by one per cent to 180.2 from 178.4 due to costlier fruits and vegetables (four per cent), maize, barley, fish-inland, poultry chicken and pork (three per cent each), jowar and bajra (two per cent each) and gram and eggs (one per cent each). Prices, however, fell for arhar (four per cent), urad (three per cent), moong and masur (two per cent each) and rice and condiments and spices (one per cent each). The index for non-food Articles' group rose by 0.3 per cent to 148.3 from 147.9 on account of higher prices for copra (seven per cent), linseed and raw tobacco (three per cent each), raw jute and kardi seed (two per cent each) and raw cotton, rape & mustard seed and sunflower (one per cent each). But there was price fall in mesta (11 per cent), gingelly seed (four per cent), fodder (three per cent) and raw skins (one per cent). Fuel, Power, Light and Lubricants' group index dipped to 230 from the previous week's figure of 230.7 as there was eight per cent fall in the price of furnace oil and two per cent in light speed diesel oil, both of which had risen in the previous week also. The index was 217.9 a year ago. The index for Manufactured Products' group fell to 144.3 from 144.4 on account of food products, tobacco, paper and chemicals. The index was 143.6 in the previous year. ( )
Sunday, December 16, 2001
US expects India to take appropriate action
ASHINGTON: The Bush administration on Friday said it expected India to take "appropriate action" in response to the terrorist attack on Parliament after determining responsibility for the "horrible acts". Notably forsaking the call for restraint that accompanied previous terrorist attacks on India, senior administration officials stopped short of endorsing retaliatory military strikes but indicated on Friday that Washington will have no problem with New Delhi acting on results of its investigations. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the US had offered India assistance and "at this point they haven't taken us up on it." "Frankly, they have a lot of forensic and law enforcement capability. They may not need it. But we will be in continuing contact with the Indian Government on this as they proceed to try to find out who did it," he said. Meanwhile, informed sources told this paper that a high level American inter-agency team led by State Department’s coordinator for counter-terrorism Francis Taylor will visit New Delhi early January, following President Bush’s offer of cooperation to Prime Minister Vajpayee. The US Attorney General John Ashcroft is also formally sending an invitation to Home Minister L.K.Advani to visit Washington for talks on security matters. The State Department is also expected to formally to name Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTOs) ahead of the visit if it can rush through the paper work. The two outfits figure in a variety of other executive orders, but not the FTO list. Although Washington is waiting for the technical evidence that India has said it has to show that Lashkar initiated the attack on parliament, there is a whole body of proof, including statement by its leaders advocating mayhem in India, to nail the outfit. The State Department has dragged its feet on the case for several months, but the latest incident is now forcing its hand. Despite the flurry of action and statements from Washington, the U.S reaction to India’s sufferance is many-layered and complex, ranging from bouts of support and sympathy to outright apathy. Some of the newer officials at the top level like National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice and Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage recognise the commonality of the terrorism problem, but there is vast institutional inertia and apathy at the mid- and lower levels of the administration staffed by permanent bureaucrats. Sources familiar with the system say some officials consistently stonewall attempts to get to the root of the terrorism problem with specious arguments about how putting too much pressure on Islamabad will endanger the Musharraf regime, which sections of the administration consider to be the last moderate bastion in Pakistan. The latest argument advanced under this line of thinking, to the absolute bewilderment of the Indian lobby, is that the terrorism problem is common to both the Indian government and the Musharraf regime, since the latter has also forsworn terrorism. While Pakistan’s frontline role in the war against terrorism stands considerable diminished following the collapse of the Taliban regime and acquisition of staging grounds within Afghanistan, Washington is still demanding – and getting – more and more from Pakistan. In the latest instance, it has virtually secured Jacobabad as long-term American air base. Washington has turned out all Pakistanis except a few liaison officers from the air base and is building air-conditioned barracks for U.S troops in what is the country’s hottest city, according to reports from the region. Indian advocates say given such concessions, and the fact that a military ruler can surrender sovereignty far more easily than an elected government, U.S policy makers are finding it difficult to jettison its now favourite general. On his part, Gen. Musharraf appears to have bought both legitimacy and peace with Washington while continuing to stoke the fire against India. The developments have disturbed Indian supporters who have been lobbying the Bush administration to put more pressure on Pakistan to back off from its campaign of terror against India. They say the policy is dangerous and does not take into account the Musharraf's track record of military adventure in Kargil, advocacy and justification of violence in the guise of jihad in Jammu and Kashmir and support for the Taliban and Al Qaeda even after September 11.
Sunday, December 16, 2001
Attack on Parliament: Arrests in Delhi, Kashmir
Prof Abdul Rehman Geelani, nephew of london-based separatist leader Syed Nazir Geelani, has been picked up for questioning by investigating agencies who are probing his links with terrorists involved in Thursday's suicide attack in Parliament, official sources said today. A lecturer in the Arabic department of Delhi University, Prof Geelani was taken into custody in the wee hours yesterday after it was found that his telephone number was recorded in the mobile sim card used by terrorists. Prof Geelani also heads the Indian chapter of the Jammu and Kashmir human rights council, an NGO recognised by the United Nations Commission on human rights. He continues to be under sustained interrogation, the sources said. Police also arrested four Kashmiri youth from the Adarsh Nagar area but they were released after initial investigations last night. A Kashmiri shawl merchant, whose name has not been disclosed, was also picked up from the Lajpat Nagar area, the sources added. Meanwhile, Police have picked up at least five suspects, besides the two whose names matched with the buyer of the car used by terrorists in the attack on the Parliament house, from Sopore in Kashmir as the mystery continued over the possibility of a sixth terrorist. At least seven Kashmiris have also been detained in the capital, one in Uttar Pradesh and two in Maharashtra during the ongoing swoop by the Delhi Police to hunt down the contacts of the five terrorists who attacked the Parliament House killing seven people on Thursday. A joint team of Delhi Police and Jammu and Kashmir Police conducted raids at several places in Sopore in Baramulla district since yesterday after getting leads about ownership of the car used by terrorists, police sources said here today. At least seven people, including the two having the identical names of Ashiq Hussain which figured as that of the owner of the car, were picked up and are being brought to the capital for interrogation, they said. The second-hand White Ambassador car had been bought from a dealer in Karol Bagh area of Central Delhi only two days prior to the attack and the buyer had given an address in Sopore, they said.
Saturday, December 15, 2001
Delhi Police pay homage to slain colleagues
New Delhi, Dec 15 The haunting notes of the "Last Post" hung in the still evening air as Delhi Police Friday paid homage to four of their personnel killed in the suicide attack on the Indian Parliament. In a solemn ceremony pregnant with emotion, the caskets containing the bodies of the four policemen, bedecked with the blue and red flag of Delhi Police, were brought to the headquarters of the security branch and laid out on a specially erected dais. Leading the mourners was Vice President Krishna Kant, three of whose security guards died in the gun battle with the militants. Kant placed wreaths on the bodies and stood in silence for a few moments to honour the men who had laid down their lives in the finest traditions of the force. Following him were Home Minister L.K. Advani, Defence Minister George Fernandes, Delhi Police commissioner Ajai Raj Sharma and the entire top brass of Delhi Police. They laid floral wreaths, bowed before the coffins and paused in silent homage. The buglers sounded the "Last Post," an honour guard presented arms, reversed arms and then rested on arms at the start of two minutes' silence. The buglers then sounded "Taps" to signal the end of the ceremony. The families of the four slain policemen, assistant sub-inspectors Nananchand and Ram Pal, head constable Om Prakash and constable Ghanshyam Narayan, were present during the ceremony. A paramilitary trooper, Kamlesh Kumari, had also died in the gun battle and was separately honoured by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) with which she served. The bodies were then handed over to the relatives of the slain policemen to be taken for cremation. A contingent of the Delhi Armed Police will be present at the cremation and will present an honour guard and fire a gun salute to honour the dead policemen. Speaking to mediapersons after the ceremony, commissioner Sharma announced an award of Rs. 750,000 for the families of each of the slain policemen, in addition to the Rs. 1 million compensation announced in Parliament earlier Friday. He said that one family member from each of the four families would be given a job in Delhi Police if they so desired. Answering a volley of questions, Sharma said that no militant group had so far claimed responsibility for the attack in which a dozen persons, including the five militants who had staged the attack, were killed. "I would not like to say anything at this stage as it would hamper the investigations. We will perhaps have something for you in two days," Sharma said.
Saturday, December 15, 2001
Afghanistan calls it attack on humanity
New Delhi, Dec 14 Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah Friday strongly condemned the terrorist assault on the Indian Parliament as an assault on humanity. He also praised the bravery of the Indian security personnel who prevented Thursday's terrorist attack on Parliament from becoming a "bigger catastrophe." "It could have led to a much bigger catastrophe, but that was prevented by the brave security personnel. This is my feeling and the feeling of my people," Abdullah said. He was speaking to journalists after talks with Indian External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh on bilateral cooperation and regional security issues. Abdullah, here on a visit at the invitation of Singh, strongly condemned the attack and said it was an assault on "democracy, Indian nation and humanity." "We condemn the action in strongest terms," he added. He said his discussions with Singh covered "comprehensive cooperation" encompassing all aspects of bilateral relations. He noted that India had always assisted Afghanistan in humanitarian aspects and said, "We are hopeful that this would continue in the coming years." Responding to a question whether cooperation between the two countries would also cover intelligence sharing, Singh said the Northern Alliance, to which Abdullah belongs, had been waging a long battle for independence and against terrorism. "They have achieved success in both. They have turned out people from other countries," he said in a reference to involvement of Pakistani and other foreign fighters in Afghanistan on the side of the ousted Taliban. "So it is obvious that there will be cooperation in these areas," he added. Abdullah, who is the third Afghan minister to visit India in a week, also called on Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Interior Minister Yonus Quanooni, who spent six days in the Indian capital and discussed Indian cooperation in setting up Afghanistan's police force and internal security apparatus, returned to Kabul by a special Indian plane Wednesday that carried a team of senior Indian officials and relief medical supplies. Abdullah flew into New Delhi by the plane during its return flight. Another Afghan minister, Mirwaiz Sadiq, who will be in charge of labour in the new interim administration, also visited New Delhi this week and discussed Indian assistance in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of his native western Afghanistan.
Saturday, December 15, 2001
Attack on Indian Parliament linked to Al Qaida: Russian experts
Moscow, Dec 15 The attack on the Indian Parliament was the handiwork of a terrorist group linked to Osama bin Laden's Al Qaida outfit, Russian experts have opined. They warned, during a discussion on the popular television channel TV-6, that Pakistan, which has "good connections" with Al Qaida, is likely to use its services to carry out terrorist acts in India. Al Qaida, the experts said, was also linked to the suicide attack on the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on October 1 in which 38 people were killed. Among the participants in the discussion were Tatyana Shaymyan, chairperson of the Centre for Indian Studies at the Oriental Institute, Vladimir Bogaturov, a scholar from the Institute of U.S. and Canada Studies and Sergei Stokhan, international affairs correspondent of the Moscow daily Kommersant and a recognised expert on the Indian subcontinent. The participants pointed to the arrest of a suspected Al Qaida operative in Mumbai, who is reported to have revealed the outfit's plans to stage attacks in India, Australia and Britain. They said the fact that the perpetrators of the Parliament attack carried official identification suggested that terrorists had penetrated Indian officialdom, perhaps out of religious motives. India, the participants said, has been a victim of trans-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan and later from Afghanistan, which till recently had been ruled by the Taliban. It was common knowledge, they said, that Taliban regime was aided and abetted by Pakistan, whose military machine and its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency had played a direct role in sustaining the militia. Later, bin Laden and Al Qaida had coordinated with the ISI to control the Taliban regime as also the multi-million dollar narcotics trade in that part of the world, the participants said. Pakistan, under pressure from the international coalition against terrorism, might have withdrawn support to the Taliban and Al Qaida on the surface, but Islamabad could not easily swallow the defeat of its Afghan policy due to the militia's debacle, the participants said. The Taliban regime was the main weapon of Pakistan's foreign policy against India and it had now been deprived of this with the defeat of the militia, they added. To make matters worse for Pakistan, the new regime in Kabul was well disposed towards India, which had become one of the first major countries to be visited by its top leaders like Interior Minister Yonus Quanooni and Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, they said.
Saturday, December 15, 2001
EU vows to back India to combat terrorism
BRUSSELS : Condemning the militant attack on Parliament, the European Union has pledged its support to India's fight against terrorism, which threatens democracy and human rights. Expressing its indignation in a declaration, EU deplored the loss of human lives and said that it is a threat to mutually shared values of democracy and respect for human rights. Meanwhile, Indian diplomatic sources here said that the condemnation was an affirmation of the joint declaration against global terrorism adopted by EU and India at their New Delhi summit on November 23.
Friday, December 14, 2001
India blames Pakistan for terror attack
New Delhi, Dec 14 India, stung by the brazen terrorist attack on its Parliament, blamed Pakistan Friday, triggering an angry reaction from Islamabad that warned its giant neighbour not to resort to any "misadventure". As world leaders reacted with horror to the death of 12 people in Thursday's assault on the sprawling Parliament complex here, Indian authorities reported the first breakthrough in the attack that stunned the world's largest democracy. As police stumbled through the mass of evidence left behind by the five slain terrorists, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh declared that the Pakistan-based Kashmiri separatist group Lashker-e-Taiba was involved and demanded that Islamabad arrest its leaders. "India has technical evidence that (the) attack on not just the symbol but the seat of Indian democracy and of the sovereignty of the Indian people was the handiwork of the terrorist organisation based in Pakistan, Lashker-e-Taiba," he told reporters. The group, which seeks to merge India's Jammu and Kashmir state with Pakistan, however denied responsibility. New Delhi followed Singh's remarks with action, summoning Pakistan High Commissioner Ashraf Jehangir Qazi to the external affairs ministry where he was issued a demarche, blaming the Lashker. India said it had "credible technical evidence" about the group's involvement. Jaswant Singh explained: "We have requested, demanded of Pakistan, that firstly the activities of Lashker-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad be stopped in Pakistan." This happened hours after MPs from Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which heads India's ruling coalition, urged the government to smash alleged terrorist training camps in Pakistani Kashmir if it found a link between the attackers and Islamabad. A worried Pakistani regime reacted angrily, warning India not to launch retaliatory military strikes like the U.S. did in Afghanistan. "India seems to be making efforts to create tension by blaming Pakistan," government spokesman Rashid Quereshi said in Islamabad. "India will pay heavily if they engage in any misadventure." India's unprecedented hard line got a boost after U.S. ambassador Robert Blackwill visited the bullet-scarred Parliament building and said the terrorist strike of Thursday could be compared with the attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon. "The event that occurred (Thursday) was perpetrated by terrorists whose objective was no different from those who attacked America on September 11," he said. It was the strongest expression of Washington's support to India. Stunned Indian lawmakers, meanwhile, met in rare silence and order in both houses of Parliament Friday under unprecedented security, exactly 24 hours after the daring terrorist onslaught. Five terrorists stormed the Parliament complex Thursday driving a car packed with explosives, opened random fire from AK 47 assault rifles and lobbed several grenades as they fought pitched gun battles with security forces. The terrorists shot dead four policemen, a policewoman, a Parliament security official and a gardener before four of them were cornered and shot dead. A fifth attacker exploded himself. Some police sources said a sixth gunman escaped, but there was no further word on this Friday. Proceedings in the Lok Sabha, the lower house, began with Speaker G.M.C. Balayogi reading out a resolution denouncing the attack and mourning the deaths. A similar resolution was adopted in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house. Many of the nearly 300 MPs and ministers who were holed up in the British-built Parliament building during the attack thanked their lucky stars, the security forces and destiny for saving their lives. They admitted they did not feel quiet as safe as they did before the terror assault. Also Friday, police in Jammu and Kashmir, where a Pakistan-backed separatist campaign has claimed around 30,000 lives since 1989, claimed to have found vital clues linked to the Parliament attack and detained three suspects. They were identified as Ashiq Hussain and two brothers, Abdul Rashid and Nazir Ahmed. The car used in the attack was registered in Hussain's name, but the man pleaded ignorance. The role of the two brothers was not clear. Delhi Police also reportedly took into custody two alleged Pakistanis but there was no confirmation of this. Police officials said the car driven by terrorists into the Parliament complex was packed with 20 kg of high-power explosives. "Had it exploded, it would have caused massive destruction," one officer said. The explosives were defused before Parliament convened Friday. A similar car bomb exploded at the Jammu and Kashmir legislature in Srinagar October 1, killing 38 people. Prime Minister Vajpayee was about to drive to the Parliament complex when the attack started and he was told to stay home. Early in the day, a sombre Vajpayee echoed the mood of the house when he described the terror attack as unparalleled in the "annals of democracy" and vowed to repulse it firmly.
Friday, December 14, 2001
2 Pak spies arrested in Jaipur
JAIPUR: Police in Rajasthan said on Friday they had arrested two Pakistanis on charges of spying this week. The men - both of whom possessed Indian passports - had been in the country for 18 months and were accused of using the Internet to pass information about military installations to Pakistan's intelligence agency, Rajasthan's director-general of police, Shantanu Kumar, said on Friday. He gave no details on what information was passed on, but said the arrests on Wednesday should help break up a gang of spies that police believe have been operating in the desert state that borders Pakistan. India frequently announces arrests of people on charges of spying for Pakistan. The two countries are bitter enemies who have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947. Kumar said one of the arrested men, identified only as Nasir, of Pakistan's Multan district, had an Indian and a Bangladeshi passport when he was taken into custody in Jaipur. The other man, identified as Zeeshan Alam, was operating from Jodhpur with an Indian passport, Kumar said. He said both men had received "huge sums" of money from Pakistan for their services.
Friday, December 14, 2001
Bush calls Vajpayee, offers FBI assistance
WASHINGTON: President George Bush has offered services of the FBI and State Department Counter-terrorism groups to investigate the attack on the Indian Parliament on Thursday. Bush phoned Prime Minister Vajpayee soon after the terrorist strike to express his condolences and offer assistance, White House officials said. Separately, Secretary of State Colin Powell also called external affairs minister Jaswant Singh to offer condolences and express "our determination to co-operate with India in its fight against terrorism," State Department officials said. In a strong condemnation of the terrorist strike on the Parliament, the administration described it as "a brutal assault on the heart of Indian democracy" and said it was tantamount to "an attack on all democracies." While we do not yet have information on the identity of the attackers, it is an attempt to undermine the efforts of those seeking regional peace and stability, |
