Pak to respond to Kasab's letter in a "few days"

Islamabad, Dec 27: Pakistan will respond to the request for legal assistance by Ajmal Amir Iman, the lone gunman captured for the Mumbai terror attacks, in a "few days", a Foreign Office spokesman has said.
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Kasab’s identification parade conducted in MumbaiIman, alias Ajmal Kasab, had sought legal aid and the appointment of a lawyer to represent him in a letter sent to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi earlier this week. "Yes, in a few days time the Foreign Office will issue a formal statement about our findings and reply to the letter sent to Pakistan's High Commission in New Delhi," the Foreign Office spokesman told The News daily. "This letter was given by the Indian authorities, where Ajmal Kasab says that he is a Pakistani citizen and seeks counsellor access," the spokesman said. At this stage, he said, it could not be stated if the Foreign Minister or some other senior official would make the announcement. "It could come in the form of a statement," he added. The spokesman also refused to comment on what the government intends to do if Iman is found to be a Pakistani national. "I would not like to comment on this stage (on) which way the proceedings have proceeded so far. It would also be very speculative to respond to what the government proposes to do if Kasab is found to be a Pakistani citizen," he said. Terming the case of Iman as "unique," the spokesman said several government agencies are involved in processing the letter after it was received by the foreign ministry. He said it was a unique case because on many occasions, prisoners in Indian jails, who have been verified as Pakistani citizens or those to whom the government wanted access for verification, were denied access. "This is an inter-agency process where not only the Foreign Office but also the ministries of interior and law, NADRA (National Database and Registration Authority) and UN experts are deliberating on the issue," the spokesman said, when asked about the methodology of processing Iman's letter. When told that the Interior Ministry had already brushed aside the chances of Iman being a Pakistan citizen because there were no records of him in NADRA's national database, the spokesman replied: "What other method do we have for verification but to rely on NADRA?" He said the Foreign Office is also conducting its own investigation and when all agencies, including the interior ministry, send in their findings, Pakistan's official position on the matter will be made public. Earlier this week, interior ministry chief Rehman Malik said there were no records of Iman in the national database. He also ruled out responding to Iman's plea for consular access till it was proved that he is a Pakistani national. However, according to NADRA's own website, its database covers only 60 million of Pakistan's total population of over 160 million.

CIA warns of nuclear war in subcontinent

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has warned the Bush administration of a possible nuclear war between India and Pakistan.
The turmoil in Afghanistan and Pakistan could spill over into Jammu & Kashmir, prompting Indian leaders to take aggressive and retaliatory action, according to the CIA.
In assessing the security situation in the region, a CIA report observed: "Continued turmoil in Afghanistan and Pakistan will spill over into Kashmir and other areas of the subcontinent, prompting Indian leaders to take more aggressive pre-emptive and retaliatory actions.
"India's conventional military advantage over Pakistan will widen as a result of New Delhi's superior economic position… Changing military capabilities will be prominent among the factors that determine the risk of war."
The report, titled Global Trends 2015, which is now available with Pakistan's interior affairs ministry, further observed: "India most likely will expand the size of its nuclear-capable force. Islamabad has publicly claimed that the number of nuclear weapons/missiles it deploys will be independent of the size of India's arsenal. But a noticeable increase in the size of the Indian arsenal will prompt Pakistan to further increase the size of its arsenal."
On Pakistan's economic woes, the CIA said: "Pakistan will not recover easily from decades of political and economic mismanagement. Nascent democratic reforms will produce little change in the face of opposition from an entrenched political elite and Islamic parties."

Pak cricketers prepared to sit out of IPL: Tanvir

KARACHI: With the tension in India-Pakistan relations showing no signs of easing, pacer Sohail Tanvir said the cricketers here are mentally prepared to sit out of the Indian Premier League next year. "Even if I don't get to play in the IPL next season, I don't think it would be a big setback for me or my career. There are a lot of other opportunities to play cricket in other countries," Tanvir said before leaving for Australia to play in a domestic twenty20 tournament for South Australia. Tanvir was one of the stars of the first season of the IPL emerging as the highest wicket-taker in the tournament and helping his team, Rajasthan Royals, led by Shane Warne, win the title. Pakistani players may not get the clearance from their board and government to go to India or even be entertained by the IPL organisers for the season starting April. "There is some time left before the season starts things can improve. But if they don't I have other options to look at like playing in England or some other country," Tanvir said. He said he put country before everything else and if the players were told not to play in the IPL he would have no problems. "The interest of the country is paramount. Cricket comes later. As it is playing for Pakistan is far more important for me then any other cricket," he said. "Nothing can replace the feeling of nationalism one feels when representing your country." Tanvir said while he had thoroughly enjoyed playing for Rajasthan in the IPL debut season but the IPL was not the be all and end all for him. "I am in a learning stage and I think playing outside the subcontinent is very important for me in my learning process. That is why I am looking forward to my stint with South Australia," he said. The left-arm pacer said he was not worried about the financial repercussions of not being able to play in the IPL as he had full confidence in the Pakistan cricket Board. "The board is already looking after our financial interests properly so for me missing the IPL is not a big deal," he said. But Tanvir hoped relations between the two countries improve soon as bilateral cricket contests between the two nations were very significant for survival of Test cricket.

Pak textbooks build hate culture against India

The empowerment of terror in Pakistan has not happened overnight. This is the logical culmination of the politics and policies pursued by Pakistan
for years now. Terrorism in Pakistan has its roots in the culture
of hate and the ethos of inequality on the ground of religious faith, leading to their being deeply ingrained in the Pakistani psyche and mindset. One factor that has played a crucial role in creating this culture of hate is the educational policy of the government of Pakistan pursued since 1977. The officially prescribed textbooks, especially for school students, are full of references that promote hate against India in general, and Hindus in particular. A cursory glance at Pakistani school textbooks - especially the compulsory subjects like Pakistan studies and social studies - gives an idea of how history has been distorted and a garbled version prescribed to build this mindset and attitude. The objective of Pakistan's education policy has been defined thus in the preface to a Class 6 book: "Social studies have been given special importance in educational policy so that Pakistan's basic ideology assumes the shape of a way of life, its practical enforcement is assured, the concept of social uniformity adopts a practical form and the whole personality of the individual is developed." This statement leaves no doubt that "social uniformity", not national unity, is a part of Pakistan's basic ideology. The Class 5 book has this original discovery about Hindu help to bring British rule to India: "The British had the objective to take over India and to achieve this, they made Hindus join them and Hindus were very glad to side with the British. After capturing the subcontinent, the British began on the one hand the loot of all things produced in this area, and on the other, in conjunction with Hindus, to greatly suppress the Muslims." The Std VIII book says, "Their (Muslim saints) teachings dispelled many superstitions of the Hindus and reformed their bad practices. Thereby Hindu religion of the olden times came to an end." On Indo-Pak wars, the books give detailed descriptions and openly eulogize ‘jihad' and ‘shahadat' and urge students to become ‘mujahids' and martyrs and leave no room for future friendship and cordial relations with India. According to a Class 5 book, "In 1965, the Pakistani army conquered several areas of India, and when India was on the point of being defeated, she requested the United Nations to arrange a ceasefire. After 1965, India, with the help of Hindus living in East Pakistan, instigated the people living there against the people of West Pakistan, and finally invaded East Pakistan in December 1971. The conspiracy resulted in the separation of East Pakistan from us. All of us should receive military training and be prepared to fight the enemy." The book prescribed for higher secondary students makes no mention of the uprising in East Pakistan in 1971 or the surrender by more than 90,000 Pakistani soldiers. Instead, it claims, "In the 1971 India-Pakistan war, the Pakistan armed forces created new records of bravery and the Indian forces were defeated everywhere." The students of Class 3 are taught that "Muhammad Ali (Jinnah) felt that Hindus wanted to make Muslims their slaves and since he hated slavery, he left the Congress". At another place it says, "The Congress was actually a party of Hindus. Muslims felt that after getting freedom, Hindus would make them their slaves." And this great historic discovery is taught to Std V students, "Previously, India was part of Pakistan." Commenting on this literature that spreads hate, leading Pakistani educationist Tariq Rahman wrote, "It is a fact that the textbooks cannot mention Hindus without calling them cunning, scheming, deceptive or something equally insulting. Students are taught and made to believe that Pakistan needs strong and aggressive policies against India or else Pakistan will be annihilated by it."

Russia concerned over Indo-Pak tensions

MOSCOW: Russia on Saturday said it was "extremely concerned" about the build-up of troops on the India-Pakistan border, warning that tensions between the two nuclear foes had reached a dangerous level."Russia is extremely concerned by the news that on both sides of the border there is a build-up of troops and military equipment," the foreign ministry said in a statement."The tension in this region has reached a dangerous level. There are worrying reports that New Delhi and Islamabad are not ruling out the use of force against each other," it added."Russia calls on India and Pakistan to show the maximum restraint and not allow the situation on the border to develop into one of force," it added, saying that negotiations were the only way out of the crisis.

Southern star Asin shifting base to Mumbai

Mumbai, Dec 26 (IANS) With several Bollywood projects in hand, southern beauty Asin Thottumkal is moving lock, stock and barrel to Mumbai from Chennai and has almost finalised a house in Bandra. What's more, her parents have given up their jobs to look after their talented daughter's flourishing career.
'I've been travelling non-stop. I had no time to look around and find a place. But now we're finalising a place in Bandra. Hopefully, by new year I'll lock in to the place. Right now we feel a little unsettled. In Mumbai, you desperately need your own home,' Asin, who made her Hindi film debut with the just released 'Ghajini', told IANS.
Asin's parents have moved from Chennai to Mumbai with her.
'Both of them gave up their jobs to be with me. Mom is a doctor. She has taken voluntary retirement. She manages my home now. And dad had seven business enterprises. He gave them up to look after my career. Right now I'm quite a handful and worth more than all his business ventures,' she laughs delightedly.
Asin, who is a fun-loving and loves to talk, admits she was asked to keep quiet till 'Ghajini' hits the screen. Directed by A.R. Murugadoss and produced by Allu Arvind, the film starring Aamir Khan in main lead was released Friday.
'The marketing team felt that I should maintain a distance from the press until the film's release. However, that didn't stop speculative write-ups about me. I read things about myself that I didn't know,' she said.
Like feeling insecure about her co-star Jiah Khan?
'Is that really me? I've worked in South Indian films with female co-stars and never felt insecure. I worked with Nayantara in the Tamil 'Ghajini' without any conflict. Why would I feel threatened by Jiah?
'Was this a publicity strategy? It was being implied that I was somehow responsible for keeping Jiah out of the publicity. I don't know how one heroine can influence a huge marketing strategy,' she said.
Jiah and Asin have no scenes together. 'But we have of course met and we're very cordial with one another. We got along fine. I've had no fights with anyone in Tamil or Hindi cinema so far. All these stories of friction make me feel strange.'
Asin also denies reports that she was under contract with the 'Ghajini' makers.
'I'm under no contract. Didn't I sign 'London Dreams' while 'Ghajini' was being shot? If I haven't signed another film, it's because I haven't come across anything exciting. I was supposed to do Priyadarshan's film with Akshay Kumar, but that clashed with promotional dates of 'Ghajini',' Asin said.
She will be moving into her new home in Bandra in January.
'But even without my own home I feel at home in Mumbai. For one almost the entire unit of 'Ghajini' was south Indian. Most of them were people I had worked with. So we were constantly chattering on the sets in Tamil or Telugu. Except, of course, Aamir who was new to all of us.'
'London Dreams' was much tougher.
'The total crew was totally Bollywood. So practically speaking 'London Dreams' is my first Bollywood experience. 'Ghajini' was easier than my second Hindi film 'London Dreams' where I had to start from scratch with the character. In 'Ghajini', my character remained untampered except the language. Here I was speaking Hindi instead of Tamil. Otherwise no changes,' said Asin whose Hindi has always been good and she doesn't require any dubbing.
How different is Aamir from Salman Khan?
'While Aamir mulls overs scenes, Salman must be prepared from beforehand because you don't see him rehearse on the sets. But everyone in Mumbai is thoroughly professional.'

Lanka bombs Prabhakaran hideouts

Colombo: Sri Lankan jets Saturday bombed two locations suspected to be frequented by Tamil Tigers leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, the defence ministry said.The ministry quoted air force spokesperson Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara as saying that both targets were located in the northeastern Mullaitivu district, considered the nerve centre of the LTTE.The bombing raids were carried out to support advancing ground troops."The jets targeted a hiding place of (Prabhakaran) in a thick jungle one kilometre southeast of Vishwamadhu tank around 8.45 a.m. Then, the jets pounded a secret meeting place of senior LTTE leaders, 1.5 km southeast of Puthukkudiyiruppu, at 12.45 p.m.," Nanayakkara said.There was no immediate reaction from the rebels.The defence ministry said that "heavy clashes" were reported in the Mullaitivu suburbs, with LTTE cadres making "desperate attempts to defend their main bastion."The 59 Division was in the process of dominating Mulliyawalai, Thanniyattu and Chilawatte areas.The Sri Lankan government is determined to capture the rebel-held districts of Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi and its troops are reportedly on the outskirts of Kilinochchi town, 350 km north of here.
Despite shrinking territories, the LTTE has been putting up heavy resistance against troops, slowing down the military progress.

Becks may be high-profile target for al-Qaida in Dubai

London: Ace footballer David Beckham’s protection may turnout to be the biggest-ever security operation when he arrives in Dubai on Monday to make his debut for AC Milan, for top officials fear that he may be an ideal high-profile target for Muslim fanatics.

Spies at the intelligence agency MI6 are afraid that al-Qaida may attack the United Arab Emirates “any time”.

Beckham will be making several public appearances before the January 6 friendly match against Hamburg.

“It’s a huge headache. We are planning as if it is a state visit. Security measures could not be any higher,” the Daily Star quoted one security source as saying.

“We’re used to stars coming to Dubai but what makes this different are the public appearances he will be making – autograph signings and training sessions.

“Fans want to meet him face-to-face and that poses a different kind of risk to what we normally see,” the source added.

Armed guards will be watching Beckham round the clock, and roads around the venues for his training may be sealed off.

Even those allowed anywhere near Beckham would have to pass through airport-style scanning machines.

Pak has non-state actors, admits Zardari

Islamabad: Pakistan President Zardari has admitted that his country did have “non-state actors,” a term he used to describe terrorists who ravaged Mumbai last month.“We have issues? Yes, we have issues. We have non-state actors? Yes, we have non-state actors,” he said, speaking at Nao Dero in Sind province to mark the first anniversary of his wife and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination.Zardari warned the international community that terrorists were forcing their agenda on India and Pakistan.“Please do not fall a victim (to them), because you will be the victim, we will be the victim, the region will be the victim,” he said in a speech seemingly aimed at easing tensions between Pakistan and India in the wake of the Mumbai killings.The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader said that his country too was a victim of terrorism.“We have lost our people… In spite of them, we do not talk of war. We do not talk about vengeance.”Zardari said he was happy that the US was thinking afresh that South Asian problems needed “a regional cure for cancer. We accept we have a cancer.”Zardari's comments came as Pakistan announced it was sending more troops to the border citing threats of war from India, which has blamed Pakistani terrorists for the Mumbai attacks that left over 170 people dead.

Daialogue the solution for all issues, says Pakistan

Seeking to lower temperatures, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari [Images] on Saturday said Pakistan is not talking of war or vengeance and that dialogue is the solution for all issues in the region.
"We do not talk of war or vengeance, the whole region will suffer in case of war," Zardari told ministers and lawmakers at the Naudero family home of his wife, former premier Benazir Bhutto [Images] who was assassinated one year ago in a gun and suicide attack.
Zardari said his country would act to rein in extremist groups but made it clear to India that terms for taking such action cannot be dictated to Pakistan.
"Please do not test our mettle. It has been tested many times..we will do it on our own time, not on your demarche," he said.
New Delhi [Images] has held Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba responsible for masterminding the November 26 terror strikes in Mumbai and accused Islamabad [Images] of taking only "token action" against them.
"I want to tell the oldest democracy and the largest democracies of this world -- listen to us, learn from us. We have experiences to share with you," the Pakistani president said.
Admitting that there were "non-state actors" in Pakistan, he said no one should fall for there designs. "Yes, we have non-state actors. Yes, they are forcing an agenda on us," he said warning if they were allowed to succeed "you will be the victim, we will be the victim, the region will be the victim".
We have lost our people -- we do not talk about war, we do not talk about vengeance," he said.
Zardari's lowering of the pitch also came after the Indian leadership bluntly told Pakistan to desist from whipping up "war hysteria" while asking it to take firm and transparent action against those involved in the Mumbai attacks.
The escalation of tensions between the two countries spurred the U S to lead international calls for restraint "Every tragedy is an opportunity. Today the world is looking at us", he said.
"We have shortcomings. We need more help...we will cure it, we will solve it, we will correct it," he said.

Put pressure on Pakistan, PM tells Ahmadinejad

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad discussed the regional developments over phone on Saturday.
During the conversation, the Iranian president said the recent acts of terrorism in Mumbai targeted peace, stability and security of the region.
Dr Singh is said to have asked Ahmadinejad to put pressure on Pakistan to bring perpetrators of the recent terrorist attacks in India.
A number of trans-regional countries do not like countries such as Iran, Pakistan and India to have sincere ties, he said.
Terming relations between the two sides brotherly, deeply-rooted and constant, he said that the Islamic Republic of Iran would broaden all-out ties with India more than ever.
Deploring once again the terrorist attacks, he said Iran regards itself as among the victims of terrorism and therefore understands the actual conditions of the Indian people and government.
Terrorism [Images] has targeted peace, stability as well as the security of the region, he said adding that Iran believes that trans-regional powers seek adventurism to prevent expansion of ties and development between Iran and India as well as other countries in the region.
Some powers are not inclined to witness a powerful and developed India and they are also against peace and tranquility between countries in the region such as Iran and Pakistan, he noted.
Ahmadinejad called for identifying the root cause of terrorism in Mumbai [Images] and bring the culprits to justice, adding that the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to eradicate the roots of hatred and terrorism in the region and help restore peace and brotherly ties among regional countries.
He lauded the vigilance as well as self-restraint of Indian officials in dealing with terrorism and said some trans-regional countries are against friendly ties between Iran, India and Pakistan.
During the conversation which was initiated by the Iranian president, the Indian premier, for his part, appreciated the sympathy of the Iranian government and people over the terrorist attacks.
Condemning terrorism, he called for bringing the culprits to justice, noting that Iran is among the victims of terrorism and the issue is a global problem. It is expected to be resolved through collective cooperation of all countries in the region, he said.

Israel attacks Gaza, more than 120 reported killed

Israel's air force fired about 30 missiles at targets in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, destroying several Hamas police compounds and killing more than 120 people, Al Jazeera television and witnesses said.
The Israeli military confirmed they had conducted strikes, saying they targeted 'terrorist infrastructure'.
Television footage showed dead bodies scattered on a road and wounded and dead being carried away by distraught rescuers. There was widespread damage to buildings.
More than 120 people were killed and 200 were wounded in the attacks, Al Jazeera said, citing the head of the Gaza ambulance service.
Hamas police spokesman Islam Shahwan said a police compound in Gaza City had been hosting a graduation ceremony for new personnel when it was attacked. Police chief Tawfiq Jabber was among the dead, the radio said.
"I'm afraid we have at least 40 dead," Shahwan said.
Uniformed bodies lay in a pile and the wounded writhed in pain, television pictures showed. Rescuers carried those showing signs of life to cars and ambulances, while others tried to revive the unconscious.
Several rescuers beat their heads and shouted: "Allahu akbar (God is greatest)." One badly wounded prostrate man was quietly reciting verses from the Koran.
Elsewhere in Gaza, at least two people were killed and 30 wounded from an attack in Khan Younis, a refugee camp in the south. At one site, there was a huge crater in the ground. Nearby medics carried people into an ambulance.
Witnesses said the attacks were carried out by warplanes and combat helicopters.
A Reuters correspondent said Gaza City port and security installations of the Islamist Hamas group were badly damaged. Thick black smoke billowed over the city.
The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the attack, which followed a decision by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's security cabinet to widen reprisals for cross-border Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel.
A six-month truce expired last week in Gaza.
Since then, at least six militants have been killed by Israeli air strikes and dozens of rockets and mortar shells from Gaza have slammed into Israel, damaging homes and causing panic.
Olmert warned Islamist group Hamas on Thursday to stop firing rockets or pay a heavy price. "I will not hesitate to use Israel's might to strike Hamas and (Islamic) Jihad," he told Al Arabiya television, an Arab broadcaster widely watched in Gaza.
About a dozen rockets and mortar bombs were fired from Gaza on Friday. One accidentally struck a northern Gaza house killing two Palestinian sisters, aged five and 13, and wounding a third, Palestinian medics said.

Israel attacks Gaza, more than 120 reported killed

Israel's air force fired about 30 missiles at targets in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, destroying several Hamas police compounds and killing more than 120 people, Al Jazeera television and witnesses said.
The Israeli military confirmed they had conducted strikes, saying they targeted 'terrorist infrastructure'.
Television footage showed dead bodies scattered on a road and wounded and dead being carried away by distraught rescuers. There was widespread damage to buildings.
More than 120 people were killed and 200 were wounded in the attacks, Al Jazeera said, citing the head of the Gaza ambulance service.
Hamas police spokesman Islam Shahwan said a police compound in Gaza City had been hosting a graduation ceremony for new personnel when it was attacked. Police chief Tawfiq Jabber was among the dead, the radio said.
"I'm afraid we have at least 40 dead," Shahwan said.
Uniformed bodies lay in a pile and the wounded writhed in pain, television pictures showed. Rescuers carried those showing signs of life to cars and ambulances, while others tried to revive the unconscious.
Several rescuers beat their heads and shouted: "Allahu akbar (God is greatest)." One badly wounded prostrate man was quietly reciting verses from the Koran.
Elsewhere in Gaza, at least two people were killed and 30 wounded from an attack in Khan Younis, a refugee camp in the south. At one site, there was a huge crater in the ground. Nearby medics carried people into an ambulance.
Witnesses said the attacks were carried out by warplanes and combat helicopters.
A Reuters correspondent said Gaza City port and security installations of the Islamist Hamas group were badly damaged. Thick black smoke billowed over the city.
The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the attack, which followed a decision by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's security cabinet to widen reprisals for cross-border Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel.
A six-month truce expired last week in Gaza.
Since then, at least six militants have been killed by Israeli air strikes and dozens of rockets and mortar shells from Gaza have slammed into Israel, damaging homes and causing panic.
Olmert warned Islamist group Hamas on Thursday to stop firing rockets or pay a heavy price. "I will not hesitate to use Israel's might to strike Hamas and (Islamic) Jihad," he told Al Arabiya television, an Arab broadcaster widely watched in Gaza.
About a dozen rockets and mortar bombs were fired from Gaza on Friday. One accidentally struck a northern Gaza house killing two Palestinian sisters, aged five and 13, and wounding a third, Palestinian medics said.

'Pak's track record responsible for India's lack of faith'

Slain former premier Benazir Bhutto's writer-social activist niece Fatima Bhutto has said that given the "Pakistan government's track record", one can understand India's lack of faith in the country's justice system in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks.
"Yousuf Raza Gilani, the Prime Minister, has insisted that Pakistan is not only working to track down those who may have had links to the attacks, but also promised that if India's allegations prove true, the perpetrators will be put on trial," Fatima wrote in a column for 'Al-Jazeera'.
"Given the government's track record, one can understand India's lack of faith in Pakistan's justice system," she wrote in the piece titled, "S Asian neighbours' linked destinies".
"The Mumbai attacks, gruesome in nature and planning, have already been given a 9/11 nomenclature - 11/26. That is how many in Mumbai now refer to the violent siege of their city. While the world watches and waits for answers, and for those responsible to be condemned."
"Pakistan's government has provided little assurance that peace will prevail between the two countries in the coming year," she wrote in the article authored along with her stepmother Ghinwa Bhutto.
Fatima, who is often compared to her aunt Benazir whose first death anniversary is being observed today, criticised the Pakistan government for letting US drones operate in the country's airspace.
"The other major achievement has been to sit by as US drones travel through its sovereign airspace and attack Pakistani targets at their own discretion," she wrote.
According to Fatima, justice for Mumbai and for those killed by unmanned drones in Waziristan is interlinked and the link is inexorably Kashmir.
"Beefing up security apparatuses in capital cities like Dehli and Islamabad is not enough; it is in fact too little. Our governments have proven, in India and Pakistan both, that they cannot give us justice, while our intelligence agencies have shown us that they can no longer be the solution. Rather they are more often a large part of the problem. The solution then is an autonomous, demilitarised Kashmir," Bhutto's niece wrote.
"The only force, and it is a force, that can push for peace between the two sibling countries, is the Indian and Pakistani people," she added.
It is in their hands that South Asia will ultimately find its peace, but until then, the longer our governments ignore their population's calls for peace, the longer India and Pakistan will both suffer more violence," wrote Fatima, who is the author of "8:50am", a collection of survivors' accounts from the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan.

India terms Pak's allegations in Lahore blast as 'hogwash'

New Delhi, December 26 (ANI): India's Junior Foreign Minister Anand Sharma on Friday termed Pakistan's allegations of Indian citizens involved in Lahore blast as "hogwash". Pakistan authorities reportedly arrested four Indian citizens after a bomb blast in Lahore on Wednesday.
However, a lesser-known pro-Taliban group has claimed the responsibility for the car bomb attack.

BSF steps up vigil on India-Bangladesh border

Agartala, Dec 27 (IANS) The Border Security Force (BSF) has intensified its vigil along the border with Bangladesh that goes to polls Dec 29, an official said here Saturday.
'We have deployed additional BSF troopers all along the border with Bangladesh and asked the forces to maintain their strict vigil specially in the porous and riverine sections of the border,' a senior BSF official told IANS.
'Senior BSF and intelligence officials have been holding a series of meetings with the commandant level and field officers of the Indian border guards to apprise them about the possible threat from across the border,' said the official, requesting anonymity.
India shares a 4,095 km long border with Bangladesh.
The official said: 'We have brought back three battalion BSF troopers, (which went to provide security in six states where assembly elections were held), by aircraft instead of rail and road transport.'
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar Friday held a meeting with the top officials at BSF frontier headquarters Shalbagan, near here.
'The chief minister asked the BSF to increase their security along the international border in view of the Bangladesh election and prevailing situation,' the official said.
'The Bangladesh authorities have also launched operation against the outlawed gunmen and preventive detention was on in view of the Dec 29 general elections.
'As a result, huge number of Bangladeshi underworld cadres and criminals were anticipated to sneak into the Indian territory to take shelter,' he said.
The Tripura police Wednesday arrested 31 Bangladeshi nationals who were working as labourers in a brick kiln in the northeastern state.

Captured terrorist Kasab taken for identification parade

Mumbai, Dec 27 (IANS) Captured terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Amir, alias Kasab, was shifted Saturday to the fortified Arthur Road Jail in south Mumbai for an identification parade in connection with the Nov 26 terror attacks, a police official said.
Kasab would be identified by at least 40 eyewitnesses, including policeman Arun Jadhav who was travelling in the police jeep that was hijacked early Nov 27 morning by the terrorists, who attacked the financial and entertainment capital of India.
Owing to security concerns, only a few eyewitnesses were called to the jail Saturday while the remaining were expected to be summoned Sunday, according to the official.
Kasab will be identified in connection with three cases that are being investigated - the killings at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), the encounter at Girgaum Chowpatty and hijacking of the police and private vehicles.
Kasab was shifted from the high-security lock-up to the 'Anda' Cell (Oval, egg-shaped cell), deep inside the Arthur Road Jail, around 3 a.m. where he is expected to remain till Monday. Kasab is under police custody till Jan 6.
The 'Anda' Cell is the same where the notorious gangster Abu Salem had been lodged several times after he was deported from Spain three years ago.
Kasab and his associate Ismail Khan had allegedly hijacked the police vehicle but it broke down at Marine Drive. Then, they hijacked a Skoda, driven by S.R. Arasa, who would also be present at the identification parade in the jail premises, the official said.
The police shot down Khan and captured Kasab when they made an aborted attempt to break a police blockade near the Girgaum Chowpatty Beach that morning.

American, Chinese foreign ministers call up Pranab

Amid a chill in Indo-Pak ties, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice [Images] and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi called up External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee [Images] and discussed the situation arising out of Mumbai terror attacks. During the telephonic conversations on Thursday night, Mukherjee is understood to have conveyed to his counterparts that Pakistan was not doing enough against those behind the Mumbai carnage. He is believed to have told Rice and the Chinese Foreign Minister to put pressure on Pakistan to ensure that those responsible for the Mumbai attacks are brought to justice. Rice is understood to have conveyed to Mukherjee that the US is keen to see that the perpetrators of Mumbai attacks are punished and is persuading Pakistan to act in concrete terms in this regard. Though most countries, including the US and the UK, are convinced that Lashkar-e-Taiba was responsible for the attacks, Pakistan has been in a denial mode.

Stop war hysteria, hand over terror suspects: India to Pak

New Delhi: India on Friday denounced Pakistan for whipping up "war hysteria" by moving troops towards the border citing threats of an Indian surgical strike following the Mumbai terror attacks, even as it reiterated demand that Pakistan hand over three people named for the carnage.
A day after Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said that Pakistan did not desire a war with India, a senior Pakistani official said: "Threats of attack by India still persist".Speaking to IANS in Islamabad, the official said Pakistan would be forced to move its troops from the Afghan border, where they have been fighting Taliban and Al Qaeda militants, to the Indian border on the east if the Indian war threats continue.Shortly thereafter, Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that Pakistan needed to focus on taking action against terrorists who slaughtered over 170 people Nov 26-29 in Mumbai.
"My request to friends in Pakistan would be (that) instead of diverting attention from the real issue, they should concentrate on how to fight against terrorists and how to bring to book the perpetrators of the Mumbai terrorist attack," Mukherjee said after talking to visiting Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal.He said India had indicated that there was ample evidence "that elements from Pakistan" were responsible for the globally condemned Mumbai savagery that also killed 26 foreigners.Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Satyabrata Pal, during his meeting with Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir in Islamabad Friday, reiterated the demand for handing over the three Mumbai attack suspects - and also called for taking measures to stop terrorism originating from Pakistan.Officials said that Bashir replied that any action against the three people - including Jaish-e-Muhammad chief Masood Azhar and mob boss Dawood Ibrahim - would be only taken after receiving evidence against them."The Indian High Commissioner was told that both these persons were not present in Pakistan," said an official, adding that Dawood Ibrahim has never lived in Pakistan and is an Indian national, while Masood Azhar has left the country and the government was also looking for him.Elaborating on the travel advisory, an external affairs ministry spokesman said in New Delhi: "There have been reports in the Pakistani media that several Indian nationals have been arrested over the last two days in Lahore and Multan, and are being accused of being terrorists. "Indian citizens are, therefore, advised that it would be unsafe for them to travel to or be in Pakistan," the spokesman added.And, although Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had declared earlier this week that India did not desire war, the Pakistani official told IANS that signals from New Delhi "are not for peace but are threatening".Pakistan has moved troops to the Indian border, including the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Jammu and Kashmir between the two countries, in a clear sign of rising tensions. In New Delhi, Manmohan Singh met the three Service chiefs to study the security scenario. "The Service chiefs briefed the prime minister about the preparedness of the armed forces," a defence ministry official said.
India Friday also furnished evidence of Pakistani involvement in the Mumbai terror to the Saudi foreign minister, who called for a global body to deal with the "cancer" of terrorism, Indian officials said. According to the official in Islamabad, Pakistan has received messages from the US and its allies that they would "persuade" India against taking "extreme steps".According to media reports, the Pakistan Air Force is on high alert and was conducting aerial surveillance of the Chashma nuclear power plant, 280 km southwest of here, and other sensitive sites.The Pakistan Army has cancelled all leave for its troops.The official, however, said that Pakistan was ready to resume peace talks at any level and anywhere with India as war "will never resolve the problems".

Ghajini women: Asin ( Interview) with Images

People are now able to put a name to my face'
Bringing up the rear of a long line of journalists interviewing a celebrity is always tough. The person is tired, and are on auto-pilot by then. The answers more often than not tend to sound rehearsed and repetitive.
But south Indian star Asin Thottumkal, who will be making her debut opposite Aamir Khan in Ghajini, is only too enthusiastic to chat. Grace and elegance personified, Asin talks at length about her new film, Aamir Khan, and rumours of bad blood with Jiah Khan.
How would you compare the various film industries you've worked in?
I have been comfortable working in all so far. Everyone is very professional. If there is a difference, Bollywood is more organised. Print-outs are handed out and everyone is wired up. People are always on the walkie-talkies, coordinating with each other.
You don't have that down south. But apart from the slight technicalities like these, there is not much of a difference.
'The production values of the Hindi version are better than the Tamil one'
Your Tamil debut film was a remake of a Telugu film. Now, you're entering the Hindi film industry with a Tamil remake. Does working in a remake help more than doing a fresh movie?
I would love to do a new movie too. But the way it happened, I got a chance to be part of a fabulous team that is remaking a movie I was part of. I haven't thought of it as my Bollywood entry.
How has the movie shaped up?
I haven't watched the movie yet. Usually one gets a chance to watch a movie while dubbing for it but Ghajini was shot on sync sound. The dialogues were recorded as we shot.
But from what I know, the production values are better than the Tamil movie. The action sequences have been better choreographed. The story more or less remains the same, but for some changes in the climax.
'I've dubbed for all my films, including Ghajini'
How good is your Hindi?
I know Hindi. I've dubbed for all my films, including Ghajini. Apart from English, I speak my mother tongue Malayalam, as well as Tamil, Telugu and a bit of Kannada and French.
I have done films in Malyalam, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
There has been a lot of buzz around you.
There must be because I'm acting opposite Aamir Khan. Apart from that, I am not aware of what is happening. People have seen me in ads, and are able to put a name to my face.
Now that the promos of Ghajini are out, I can see it has changed in a major way. Usually, people who recognise me in public, have a south connection. But the other day, when I was in the Mumbai airport, the people who came up to me knew me from the promos. It was a nice feeling.

'I got my first modeling assignment at 14'
Tell us something about your entrepreneurial stint before movies.
That's a part of my life that is best ignored. I started helping out my father, who had seven businesses. I would hang out at his office after school. My father would give me monthly targets in the sales department, and I would achieve them. That got a lot of coverage in the press and people noticed my face. I was 14 then and I got my first modeling assignment.
But now, the focus is on my acting career.
Ghajini is a few days from release. How do you feel now?
I am quite excited because it is a fabulous project. I have worked with good people and even down south, people want to see the Hindi version. Hopefully, people will like it.
'The climax has been changed'
Tell us about your experience of working with Aamir Khan.
He is a very helpful co-star, and a perfectionist. He is a very sincere professional.
Is there a lot of difference in Tamil and Hindi versions?
There is difference in the action sequences. The climax has been changed. But the story remains the same. My character Kalpana remains the same as well.
How difficult or boring is it to play the same role again?
It is easy to portray the same character when the people you're working are different. A new group of people always brings new flavour to the film. So you don't feel that you are working in the same film.
Did you expect to work in the Hindi version of Ghajini too?
My film career was never planned. When I was 14, I started modeling. I did about 55-60 TV commericials. At the age of 16, I did my first Malyalam film. I completed by 12th board exams and moved to Tamil and Telugu films. Now, I'm doing my Hindi film. My childhood ambition was never films but I have accepted that has come my way. That's how I accepted Ghajini when it came to me.

Manmohan Singh has ensured that it is still advantage India

A month after the terror attacks on Mumbai, India looks different.
This day last month, India's incompetence was on display. Pakistan-based terrorists or Pakistan army-backed groups or whatever you call them, had hit India so badly that every Indian found it humiliating. And when facts nailed the simultaneous failure of all its systems, India was truly humbled.
On the one hand India was a victim of the evil designs of evil minds. On the other hand, it was also a victim of criminal negligence; of its failure to react to terror warnings; of the lethargy of its bureaucracy in taking preventive measures to ensure at least minimum safety; of the corroded and out-of-date infrastructure of its external and internal security system.
After the initial shock came a second jolt when it was found that it was just 10 terrorists who had held India's finest forces at bay for 60 hours.
It was an embarrassment for a country that is one of the biggest victims of terrorism in the world and yet does not have a strategy to seize the initiative from the enemy in the first few hours of the attack. The so-called emerging world power looked so vulnerable that the world watched the events unfold in dazed silence.
The third setback was at a different level. The ambitious India-China hyphenation vanished from the public eye and was again replaced with the hackneyed and wicked India-Pakistan hyphenation.
Now, India is seen as an unsafe destination for outsiders, at least in the short-term due to its response. This is also because of the coming unpredictable general election and of the difficult-to-ignore internal differences of all shades.
Against these setbacks in last 30 days, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] has behaved with extra caution; slow and responsibly.
He can be criticised for being slow and may be accused of being out-of-tune with Mumbai's [Images] anger and humiliation, but he has ensured that it is still advantage India.
Just one look at what is happening from Iran to Thailand will show India has to tread slowly and carefully. Surely, Dr Singh's words fall short, but his decision to go slow in first month has suited both his party, government and country. "If our Sardarji means business we don't mind him taking a little more time," one senior Congress leader, who is among those who believe that Pakistan has to be taught a lesson.
The prime minister's meeting on Friday with the three defence chiefs is an important development. A senior serving diplomat said of it: "The government is moving from inaction to action."
A few other major changes are visible in the reactions of the Prime Minister's Office and the external affairs ministry. India's first official reaction did not allege the direct involvement of Pakistan, its army or the Inter-Services Intelligence. At the official level, only in the last week has the tone changed. India surely has in its pocket some substantial evidence to indict the Pakistan army [Images]. Otherwise, Foreign Secretary Shiv Shanker Menon, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee [Images] and now the prime minister would not start mentioning names beyond 'non-State actors'.
On December 23, Dr Singh said at the Heads of Missions meeting: 'India sought peace and stability in its neighbourhood. The situation was however worrisome. Non-State actors were practicing terrorism aided and abetted by State establishments. The Mumbai terrorist attacks were an attack on India's ambitions to emerge as an economic power.'
One does not need any more proof to know that the government is convinced about the Pakistan establishment's role after the PM's speech.
So, the government has actually moved forward in its response to the Mumbai attacks. And in that sense the patience of the past month and the PMO's go-slow attitude is understandable.
A lot may have been written about why a war with Pakistan is inevitable, but a senior diplomat said: "The media need not brand any action of the government as war or lack of action as India's limitations. India should do or not do certain things in its interests." An important thing to note is that nobody in New Delhi [Images] thinks that the attack will go without a response.
There are too many ifs and buts in the process of taking any decision and the government is under tremendous pressure.
First, India is looking to neutralise America's apprehensions about India's possible steps and options. At this moment, India will have to ensure that America's stand on the issue remains neutral and certainly does not lean towards Islamabad [Images]. That is the biggest challenge.
Second, the smooth transition of power in Jammu and Kashmir [Images] is a must and will have to be ensured in the next couple of days.
Three -- whether detractors of Dr Singh like it or not -- no country can respond to external factors effectively if it doesn't remain politically united or at least look united to outsiders. So, it is imperative to support and trust Dr Singh's decision-making ability if not the typical, conventional leadership qualities which he obviously lacks.
Agree with it or not, but Manmohan Singh is the man of the moment. And, he may even become a man of destiny. When history is in the making, personalities or individuals in power matter. For that matter, the three chiefs of services, Mukherjee and Menon along with United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi [Images] are no less important.
The fourth and most important factor is that the investigations into the attacks have just begun and the involvement of local elements has not been thoroughly probed yet. It may or may not turn out that there was local involvement like in the 1993 blasts, where Tiger Memon [Images] helped in the logistics. But it is necessary to ensure that such a revelation does not polarise the Hindu and Muslim communities.
As of today, the biggest gain of the Mumbai attacks is that the Muslim community leaders of India have shamed those critics who had cast doubts over the entire community on the issue of terrorism.
The Indian Muslim leadership have spoken out and shown the nation what India stands for them and what the true worth and meaning of India is. Except the A R Antulay [Images] episode, India has been immensely strengthened by the unexpected turn of events and Pakistan-based elements who sponsored the attack were given a fitting reply. Those who disagree with this should compare the situation with how it was a day after the Godhra incident.
Also, since the Mumbai attack was televised, peace-loving Pakistanis must be worried that the acts of a handful of their countrymen have set the clock back by many years. Old men are heard saying on television that the impact on the mass psyche is as deep as the attack by China in 1962.
The new urban generation of 2008 will never forget how in their childhood youngsters from Pakistan wearing casual clothes and wielding AK-47 rifles came to the shores of Mumbai and terrorised the city for three days. If you think more about the psychological impact, it seems like the hawks and radicals in Pakistan have already lost the battle because India has rediscovered the beauty of Hindu-Muslim unity and looks modern in its new avatar, at least in Mumbai.
And peaceniks on both sides must feel depressed because they have lost the middle ground, which was created after five decades of hostility has shrunken overnight.
Once, the state government in Jammu and Kashmir is formed, the most difficult time of Dr Singh's life will begin.
His actions will have to mirror the public anger and people's resolve to fight terrorism must reflect in his diplomacy. He has to make sure India emerges stronger out of crisis, morally and historically.

High Commissioner meets Pak foreign secretary

With India-Pakistan relations hitting a new low, Islamabad [Images] on Friday said that there was a need to 'de-escalate' the tension and it was awaiting a response to its proposals regarding the joint investigation of the Mumbai terror attacks [Images].
The message was conveyed to Indian High Commissioner Satyabrata Pal by Pakistani Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir during a meeting in the Foreign Office today evening.
"The Foreign Secretary called the Indian High Commissioner to the Foreign Office and discussed the current situation," Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Sadiq told PTI.
Bashir emphasised the need for de-escalating tensions and for steps by India to 'defuse the tensions', Sadiq said.
The Foreign Secretary also said Pakistan is awaiting a response from India for several proposals made in the wake of the Mumbai attacks, he added.
Pakistan has proposed that the two sides should conduct a joint investigation into the Mumbai attacks. It has suggested that a joint investigation commission headed by the national security advisors of the two countries should be set up.
Islamabad has also said it wants to send a high-level delegation led by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to New Delhi [Images] to discuss the modalities for a joint probe and the sharing of evidence and information about the Mumbai incident.
The meeting between Pal and Bashir took place against the backdrop of the movement of additional Pakistani troops to the Indian frontier in the wake of an escalation in tensions.
Reports said Pakistan had scaled down anti-militancy operations in its northwest to rush troops to the Line ofControl in Kashmir and the international border. All leave for armed forces personnel have been reportedly cancelled.
India has blamed Pakistan-based elements, including the outlawed Lashker-e-Tayiba, for the Mumbai attacks that killed over 180 people. It has asked Pakistan to crack down on these elements instead of resorting to 'war hysteria' to divert attention from the issue of countering terrorism.
Pakistan has said it is waiting for evidence from India to push forward its probe into the Mumbai incident.

Pak may redeploy troops on Afghan border

Islamabad: Pakistan has told the US and its allies in the war on terror that it will have to move its forces from the western to the eastern borders as "threats of an attack by India still persist," a senior government official said Friday."So far, Pakistan has not moved any troops from the eastern borders along Afghanistan but we'll have to take such steps as the signals coming from New Delhi are not for peace but are threatening," the official told IANS.
He said the latest situation had been conveyed to the US and other allied forces. Pakistan had received messages from these countries that they will "persuade" India not to take extreme steps, the official added.
"Security has been put on high alert in the border areas in the wake of the continuous threats by India," said the official, adding that the media in US and some European countries, including Britain, had conveyed reports quoting unnamed sources in their countries as saying that India may conduct surgical attacks against Lashkar-e-Taiba and other militant organizations in Pakistan.The official said that Pakistan was willing to resume peace talks at any level and anywhere as war “will never resolve problems," adding that the Indian stance was only promoting terrorism.
"We believe this is tantamount to encouraging the terrorists as their aim is to bring destabilization in the area," said the official.
Sources also revealed that the activities of Pakistan Air Force have also been minimized against militants in the tribal areas of the country.
Media reports also said that former US National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski has warned about the consequences of a war between India and Pakistan and asked the Barack Obama administration to assist the nuclear neighbours in improving their relationship.
"The root of the problem is Kashmir. But it's also part of a general hostility between Pakistan and India. We can offer our good offices to them, but by and large, I think the fundamental point we have to make to both (India and Pakistan) is: War will destroy both the countries," Brzezinski told a TV channel in an interview.
Brzezinski, an Obama supporter, was asked as to what the president-elect's administration could do to help the two countries come closer in the wake of heightened tensions following the Mumbai attacks.
The former top official in the Jimmy Carter administration, who has been consulted by Obama on security matters, also pointed to the “pathetic” state of Muslims in India as a factor contributing to tensions.
"And, also it is related to the fact that great many Muslims in India are very underprivileged and don't have a share of the Indian development... So there is a lot of residual resentment among the 140 million Muslims in India," Brzezinski maintained.
According to media reports, the Pakistan Air Force is in a state of high alert and was conducting aerial surveillance of the Chashma nuclear power plant, 280 km south-west of here, and other sensitive sites amidst fears of a possible surgical strike by India.
Forces were also deployed along the LoC and the international border on Thursday to protect vital points, the sources said.
Analysts said the coming two weeks are expected to be very important as the situation would become clear on the rising tension between the two nuclear neighbours.

Eliminate 26/11 perpetrators, says US

Washington: Cranking up pressure on Pakistan, the US demanded that the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks be "eliminated" and said Islamabad has still a "lot to do" in combating terrorism.Richard Boucher, the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, elaborating on the US aim, said the country’s "immediate focus is to get rid of the terrorists and stop them from doing anything more." "Let’s find the people responsible, let’s eliminate the groups who were responsible and let’s make sure we do everything we can to prevent India from suffering this kind of attack again. That’s an immediate focus that requires everybody’s co-operation, and when we are through that co-operation, we can also start co-operation on broader things," Boucher said in an interview to AIR.The strong message from Boucher came in the wake of Pakistani authorities trying to blur the focus away from cracking down on Pakistan-based groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) suspected to have masterminded the Mumbai attacks on November 26 which killed 179 persons."Pakistan has taken some steps, but there is a lot to be done to tackle the menace," Boucher said.Pakistan and India should co-operate and draw a plan to look over such incidents in the future to make certain that such terror assaults against India are curbed, he added.Boucher urged Pakistan to understand the significance of the term co-operation in such circumstances. Boucher's comments came close on the heels of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice implored Pakistan to "do everything that it can to help bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice." "There are lot of issues here and lot of things it should be done. The focus right now is on getting the groups who committed the horrible crimes in Bombay," Boucher said.
He said the US always wanted to see that "Pakistan be able to control its territory and stop these groups from operating", insisting "We need to co-operate with Pakistan." The US official also noted that investigations are underway in India as well as in Pakistan.
And "both the investigations can benefit from exchanging information back and forth. But I think we also need to look for the possibility where India and Pakistan can co-operate to get rid of these terrorists and keep them from operating in these regions." Boucher said Washington and New Delhi were in the process of putting in place "a new kind of cooperation" to prevent such terror attacks in the future."We are having a very active diplomatic and investigative dialogue with India," he stressed.
Boucher also said that America is seriously following up on the Mumbai attacks, even as India puts in place, better mechanisms and structures, to strengthen internal security.He said the US will also continue to work with Pakistan thoroughly to eradicate terrorism from their soil.Earlier this week, Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, is believed to have stressed on the need for Pakistan to do more to address India's concerns, including action against elements linked to the Mumbai attacks, during his meetings with top Pakistani military leadership in Islamabad.

Gems and jewellery industry cuts 1,00,000 jobs

The gems and jewellery industry reeling under the global recession has laid off about 1,00,000 workers, an industry leader said on Friday.
"This is for the first time in four decades that the diamond industry is facing a severe liquidity crunch and has laid off 1,00,000 people recently," Gitanjali Group Managing Director Mehul Choksi said in Surat.
Over 1.3 million people and their families depend on the 50-billion dollar Indian gems and jewellery industry that has been hit hard with exports nosediving and imports of rough diamonds remaining suspended for a month till Thursday.
The Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), which apprehended 40 per cent reduction in demand, has since withdrawn its call for suspension of imports.
Of the 50 billion-dollar industry, exports account for 20 billion dollar. The country manufactures 90 per cent of the world's diamonds as per the industry players, while Surat alone accounts for 70 per cent.
"But we are passing through a very rough phase with employment of miners and those polishing gems at risk," Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Secretary General Amit Mitra said.

Pakistan does not want war with India: Gilani

Islamabad, Dec 25 (PTI) Seeking to tone down the war hysteria, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani today said Pakistan does not want a conflict with India and is determined to foil the designs of "non-state actors" to use the country's soil to indulge in terrorism anywhere. Gilani said Pakistan wants "excellent" relations with India even as he asked the international community to persuade New Delhi to defuse the current tensions.
"We understand India's pain as we are also affected by terrorism," he said. "Pakistan is a responsible country and is engaged in the war on terror.
We don't want terrorist attacks anywhere in the world, including India." Gilani said his country was ready to share intelligence with India.
"We don't want terrorism in any form to be encouraged. Gilani said his government is determined to foil the designs of "non-state actors" and elements opposed to stability and the ideals of Benazir Bhutto and her father Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
At the same time, Gilani said Pakistan armed forces know how to defend the country in the event of any aggression. "I want to tell the world that as a responsible nation, we don't want war but.
If war is imposed on us, the people, the leadership and the armed forces know how to defend the country," he said in his third such assertions in as many days. "Nobody should have any mistaken notions about this," Gilani told reporters after offering prayers at the mausoleum of slain former Premier Benazir Bhutto at Garhi Khuda Baksh in Sindh province.
The premier also urged the world community "to convince India that they should defuse the situation (prevailing) at the moment"

Reliance Petroleum creates history

New Delhi: Reliance Petroleum on Thursday created history when it commissioned an only-for-export refinery in just 36 months at rock-bottom prices to create the world's largest refining hub at Jamnagar in Gujarat. RPL commissioned a 580,000 barrel a day (29 million tonnes a year) refinery adjacent to its parent Reliance Industries' existing 33 million tonne per annum refinery.The two units together will be the world's largest refining complex with an aggregate processing capacity of 1.24 million barrels of oil per day.The USD 6 billion new unit, built in a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), is one of the most complex refineries in the world, capable of processing the most difficult crude oils."RPL commenced its crude processing (today). The secondary processing units are now under synchronisation and commissioning. The entire refinery complex is expected to attain full capacity shortly," the company said in a press statement here.The refinery will export the fuel, compliant with the most stringent Euro IV norms, to the US and European and African countries.The company, however, did not say when full commissioning would take place.Sources said it may take up to three months for a unit of that size to become fully operational. Reliance Industries' existing refinery began the trial run in July 1999 and was fully commissioned in October that year.The crude distillation unit (CDU), the front end of a refinery which converts crude oil into various products like naphtha, kerosene, diesel and petrol, was started today and it normally takes 8-10 days for the first product to be ready for delivery, sources said, adding that it (the first product) would be in the market by early January.

Pak Air Force on red alert; warplanes conduct sorties

Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday put its air force on red alert and warplanes conducted "emergency scrambles" from four key airbases amidst escalating tensions with India in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks.
Soon after the Pakistan Air Force went on red alert, emergency scrambles were conducted at the Lahore, Rawalpindi, Sargodha and Mianwali airbases, sources were quoted as saying by the private NNI news agency.F-16 and Mirage combat jets carried out aerial surveillance of the Chashma nuclear power plant complex and other sensitive sites, sources said.
Residents of Mianwali in Punjab province shouted slogans against "Indian aggression" as they watched the jets soaring through the skies over the city, the report said.The Civil Defence Organisation informed people about safety measures to be observed in the event of air strikes. Siren exercises will be conducted in the city for people to observe a black out, the sources said.The PAF began conducting sorties over major cities, including the federal capital, on Monday in a show of enhanced vigilance following the escalation of regional tensions.

LeT draws well-educated Pakistani youngsters: Report

Washington: The Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which is blamed for the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, is now attracting "more young, educated men, some of whom even hold advanced degrees," a US daily reported Thursday."The profile of those joining the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba is changing," the Washington Times said citing Brig. Gen. Mahmood Shah, who served the Pakistani Army in the largely ungoverned tribal areas along Pakistan's porous border with Afghanistan."The big change is that until a few years back most of the militants were hailing from the [Afghan] frontier, but now the scenario has changed and young men from all over Pakistan are joining," Shah was quoted as saying in a report from Lahore.A ripe breeding ground for the new militants is southern Punjab, he told the Washington Times. Since the school system in Punjab is better than in the tribal areas, most of the new entrants to militant groups are better educated, Shah said.The only Mumbai attacker captured, Muhammed Amir Ajmal alias Kasab, had completed only the fourth grade, according to Indian and Pakistani press reports. But in a recent interview, a Kashmir-based LeT commander told the Times that members of the group include young men with master's degrees in business administration and bachelor's degrees in computer science.The militant commander, who goes by the name Abu Aqasa, spoke by cell phone from Lahore and answered other questions in writing, the Times said."We have doctors and engineers and computer specialists working for us," he said. "These people don't necessarily fight wars with us. They mainly help us spread our message in cities and villages and also help us in our dispensaries, hospitals and other charitable works."Abu Aqasa was quoted as saying the organisation uses educated people and especially those with good communications skills to recruit supporters in religious congregations. Once a young man has embraced the militants' ideology, he is inducted into the organisation and sent for further training.An organiser for a Lahore-based religious organisation told the Times dire economic conditions are the main reason young, educated people are being attracted to militancy in Pakistan."People can't find jobs and have nothing to eat," said the man, who asked not to be identified to avoid attracting attention from the police."Families find it attractive that if one person is sent for jihad, then that means one less mouth to feed in their house."Hundreds of thousands have joined the group in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and that while they have been affected by a government crackdown following the attacks in Mumbai, they are still going strong, he was quoted as saying.Kashif Alam, senior superintendent of police in Peshawar, told the Times the profile of the average militant in that northwest Pakistani city near the border with Afghanistan has changed but that the number of educated Pakistanis was actually decreasing."We're seeing an increase in the number of criminals who are working for these militant organisations," he was quoted as saying. "More and more of their operations are being carried out by criminals. Some of the people we have captured were found with thousands of rupees in their pockets."However, profiles of two would-be suicide bombers captured in the tribal areas and shown to the press contradicted Alam's views, the Times said.Ali Raza, who surrendered to the police in November, was in his final year studying mass communications. In Dera Ismail Khan, a young man wearing a jacket loaded with explosives was intercepted inside a mosque. He was later found to have completed his high school matriculation.

Clinton likely Hillary's special envoy for India, Pakistan

London, Dec 25 (IANS) US Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton is believed to be forming a team of special envoys for the world's trouble spots, with her husband and former president Bill Clinton in line for India and Pakistan.
Hillary's team of diplomats will form the spearhead of the US State Department, as the new Secretary of State seeks a bigger role for her office in Barack Obama's government, the Daily Mail reported Thursday.
The former first lady has wasted no time as she begins building up her team in preparation for taking over as America's most senior diplomat from Condoleezza Rice Jan 20.
Her husband Bill has been suggested as a possible envoy to deal with Pakistan and India, the newspaper said.
Richard Holbrooke is among the names being mentioned as a possible envoy either for Afghanistan or Iran. Martin Indyk, a former US ambassador to Israel, has also been mentioned.
While Hillary compiles a shortlist of envoys, she has already dipped into her husband's former team, according to the newspaper.
Bill during his two-term presidency in the 1990s used several envoys, with Holbrooke best-known for his roles in brokering peace deals in the Middle East and the Balkans conflict.
Jacob Lew, budget director in the Clinton administration, has been given the job of making sure the State Department is not under-funded.
James Steinberg, a former deputy national security adviser to the former president, is also in Hillary team as a trusted lieutenant.

Pakistani troops build-up seen on Rajasthan border

Jaipur, Dec 25 (IANS) Mass movement of Pakistani troops was reported Thursday along the Rajasthan border, sources in the state's home ministry said.
Confirming a message in this regard from the Intelligence Bureau, the sources told IANS that the state government has been asked to be on alert, especially in the villages bordering Pakistan.
The state government has officially denied receiving any directions from the Indian government to evacuate villages near the border.
'The Rajasthan government has not received any communications to evacuate the villages,' a senior official of the home department said.
According to defence sources, quick reaction teams of the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force have been deployed along the borders in the western sector.
Quick Reaction Force (QRF) is poised to respond on very short notice, typically less than fifteen minutes.
However, residents in the border villages have not seen any mass movement of the Indian troops on this side of the border.
'We have not seen any major movement of the Indian Army in the last few days,' said S.R. Singh, a resident of Jaisalmer. The desert town is a popular tourist centre near the Pakistan border.

'IT job losses in India can top 50,000 in Jan-June 2009'

Bangalore, Dec 25 (PTI) Over 50,000 IT professionals in the country may lose their jobs over the next six months as the situation in the sector is expected to worsen due to the impact of global economic meltdown on the export-driven industry, a forecast by a union of IT Enabled Services warned. ".
There would be 50,000 job losses (IT and BPO put together) over the next six months," Karthik Shekhar, general secretary of UNITES India, a politically neutral union of ITES professionals told PTI. The job loss in the IT and BPO sector in the country topped 10,000 in the September-December period, Shekar said. While employees of medium-sized companies bore the brunt of job losses in the September-December period, it's going to be their counterparts in the big and small firms who would increasingly face the axe in the coming six months, he said.
UNITES India, affiliated to the global union United Network International, suggested that the companies in trouble could resort to salary and incentive cuts without trying to "squeeze" the staff, rather than adopting the "layoff path". Employees are willing to take such cuts for 12-16 months till the demand picks up again, when such benefits should be restored to them.
Shekhar said senior officials of the industry had concurred with the figure of 10,000 job loses in September-December, stating that it accounted for "bottom five per cent of the performers". Consultations with the union's counterparts in the US and UK suggested that slowdown would continue to hit the offshore sourcing space, he said.
He said factors like continued slowdown, likely "tax application" to companies outsourcing jobs under the new US regime and tightening in regard to H1B visas were among the key reasons cited for the acceleration in issue of pink slips

'No question of war' with India: Gilani

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani declared Thursday that "there is absolutely no question of war" with India and said Islamabad sought "excellent relations" with its neighbour."There is no question of war. There is absolutely no question of war," Gilani told reporters here.At the same time, Gilani urged the world to convince India to defuse the situation in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks for which New Delhi has blamed Pakistani terrorists."We had good relations with India. I assure you that we want excellent relations with India. We want to maintain good relations with India," said the prime minister.

JuD ban has not affected Pak-China ties: Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan foreign office statement has said that blacklisting of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) under the United Nation Security Council
Resolution 1267 has not affected Pak-China relations. The statement released on Tuesday said that the action against JuD and certain individuals was initiated following their designation by the UN Sanctions Committee on the consolidated list of individuals and entities associated with Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. The request for enlisting Dawa had been under consideration of the UN Sanctions Committee since, 2006, but it reached on a consensus only on December 10. Thereafter, the JuD was enlisted on the consolidated list under the resolution, the Daily Times reported. The foreign office statement also said, "Since, the resolution was adopted under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, it was obligatory on the Pakistan to fully implement its provisions. Pakistan, as a responsible member of the UN, has fulfilled its international obligations." The statement went on saying that Beijing and China would continue to work in close consultations and co-ordination. "The president's visit to China was his first bilateral state visit, which shows the importance the democratic government attaches to Pakistan's relations with China," it said.

Beauty queens in BollywoodSingle Photo | Multiple Photos

These beauties with brains have made India proud with their achievements at the World stage and at home. They followed up their successes in beauty pageants by foraying into Bollywood and become actors. Beauties like Aishwarya Rai and Priyanka Chopra have also made their mark in their respective acting careers and are now among the best in business. Find out more on the historic achievement of these brainy beauties.
Among the most beautiful women the world has ever seen, 'Ash' as she's famously known has also been voted for having the 'sexiest eyes'. Aishwarya Rai was crowned Miss World in the year 1994. She's among top actresses in Bollywood and she's married to actor Abhishek Bachchan. In photo - Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai looks on during the launch of HydroConquest brand of watches from Longines, in Calcutta, India, Friday, Oct. 3, 2008. Rai is a brand ambassador for LonginesFormer Miss Universe Sushmita Sen has earlier beat Aishwarya Rai to the Miss India crown in the year 1994. Sushmita Sen began her acting career with the movie 'Dastak' in 1996. Sushmita epitomizes 'elegance' and 'confidence'. In 2000, she adopted a girl 'Renee' as she still remained a single mother. In photo - Former Miss Universe and Bollywood actress Sushmita Sen poses with a Tag Heuer Link ladies watch at an event in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2004.

Among the most sought after actresses in Bollywood today, Priyanka Chopra, in her short career, has churned out a string of successful films like 'Dostana' and 'Fashion'. She was crowned Miss World in the year 2000. In photo - Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra poses with Nokia mobile handsets to announce her association with Nokia as its brand ambassador, at a press conference in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008

Former Miss Universe Lara Dutta had earlier beat Miss World Priyanka Chopra to the Miss India title in the year 2000. Lara Dutta began her Bollywood debut in 2003 with a bang, with the movie 'Andaaz' for which she won the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award. In photo - Bollywood actress Lara Dutta presents a creation by Indian designer Rocky S. at the Wills India Fashion Week in New Delhi, India, Friday, Sept. 7, 2007

The second runner-up at the Miss India 2000 beauty contest, Dia Mirza went to win Miss Asia Pacific in the year 2000. Dia, born to a German dad and a Bengali mom, has done several modeling assignments and also acted movies like 'Parineeta' and 'Dus'. In photo - Bollywood actress Dia Mirza poses as she arrives at the 9th International Indian Film Academy awards 2008 in Bangkok, Thailand Sunday, June 8, 2008

Sexy siren Celina Jaitley was crowned Miss India in the year 2001. Celina was born in Kabul, Afghanistan and comes from an Army background, with one brother still serving in the Army. Besides 'Item' numbers, Celina has also acted in a few films like 'Golmaal Returns' and 'No Entry'. In photo - Bollywood actress Celina Jaitley performs during the filming of the movie 'Tom Dick Harry' in Bombay, India, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2005Bong babe Tanushree Dutta was crowned Miss India in the year 2004. She began her Bollywood acting career in the year 2005 with her bold role in the movie 'Aashiq Banaya Apne'. Her other films include 'Saas Bahu aur Sensex' and 'Bhagam Bhag'. In photo - Bollywood actor Tanushree Dutta looks on during the inauguration of a retail outlet of garments and fashion accessories in Ahmadabad, India, Sunday, June 15, 2008

Ravishing beauty Neha Dhupia was crowned Miss India in the year 2002. She began her acting career as a child actor in a TV series 'Rajdhani'. She became a 'sex symbol' after her bold role in the movie 'Julie'. In photo - Bollywood actress Neha Dhupia wears a necklace and earrings during a promotional event for a designer jewelry brand in Bangalore, India, Friday, Dec. 15, 2006

Diana Hayden was crowned Miss World in the year 1997. Diana's childhood had been tough as she had to drop out from school in her 8th grade and take up family responsibilities. After her Miss World title she went to the UK and pursued acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. In photo - Former Miss World and Bollywood actress Diana Hayden displays a creation of designer Shaina N.C at a fashion show to support the Cancer Patient Aids Association in Bombay, India, Saturday, Sep. 11, 2004.

'The BBC cannot see the difference between a criminal and a terrorist'

The British Broadcasting Corporation, a state-sponsored but independently run, media organization has attracted sharp criticism for having "double-standards" in its coverage of the Mumbai terror attacks. Most times the BBC reporters referred to the terrorists who attacked Mumbai as "gunmen" or "militants".
Well-known thinker and editor-in-chief of Covert magazine, MJ Akbar has taken up the issue seriously. Since November 27, Akbar has refused to appear on BBC to speak about the Mumbai attacks.
Many British politicians have also taken up the issue with the BBC management. Steve Pound,a British Parliamentarian who represents North Ealing, has issued a strong statement against BBC's biased policy by saying that it was "the worst sort of mealy-mouthed posturing."
Akbar, had gone a step ahead and has written a strongly-worded e-mail to Richard Porter, head of Content, BBC World News. On December 6, Akbar wrote to Porter that, "I just want to let you know that after decades of friendship and association with the BBC, I refused to give an interview to the BBC over the terrorist outrage in Mumbai. The reason is simple: I am appalled, astonished, livid at your inability to describe the events in Mumbai as the work of terrorists. You have called them 'gunmen' as if they were hired security guards on a night out."
Akbar further argued that, "When Britain finds a group of men plotting in a home laboratory your government has no hesitation in creating an international storm, and the BBC has no hesitation in calling them terrorists. When nearly two hundred Indian lives are lost, you cannot find a word in your dictionary more persuasive than 'gunmen'.Akbar articulated many Indian fans of the BBC when he said," You are not only pathetic, but you have become utterly biased in your reporting. Since we in India believe in freedom of the press, we can do no more than protest, but let me tell you that your credibility, created over long years by fearless and independent journalists like Mark Tully (I am privileged to describe him as a friend), is in tatters and those tatters will not be patched as long as biased non-journalists like you and your superiors are in charge of decisions. Shame on you and your kind."
Akbar's e-mail was not ignored by BBC. A courteous and very British response did arrive in his mailbox on December 11. Porter had argued that, "The guidelines we issue to staff are very clear-we do not ban the use of the word terrorist, but our preference is to use an alternative form of words. There is a judgement inherent in the use of the word, which is not there when we are more precise with our language. "Gunman", or "killer", or "bomber", is an accurate description which does not come with any form of judgement. However, the word is not banned, and is frequently used on our output-usually when attributed to people. I heard it being used on numerous occasions during our coverage from Mumbai." BBC staffers have guidelines which are a public document
Without going into specifics Porter claimed, "There is no inconsistency in the way the BBC has reported the attacks in Mumbai, compared to what we have done with events in the UK. If we are to be serious about upholding our policy, then we cannot make a distinction between events in any country." In India most critics have pointed out that how BBC termed the July 7, 2005 attackers in London [Images] as "terrorists" without hesitation. While in case of Mumbai they used "gunmen" and at odd places "suspected terrorist."
However, Porter, journalist of 27 years standing, argues, "This policy is the opposite of bias...but it is a difficult one to uphold and is the subject of many discussions within BBC headquarters. Clearly we had the discussion once again in the wake of the Mumbai attacks--and comments like yours are taken very seriously by my editorial colleagues."
In short, the BBC wants its viewers and readers to use their own brains. Porter wrote, ' I believe those audiences can make their own mind up about the people who carried out the attacks in Mumbai and don't need us to give them any label to reach that judgement."
Obviously, Akbar has not accepted these arguments. After thanking "courteousness" of Porter's e-mail to him Akbar asked, " But your response does not answer my question: how does the BBC find it easy to define a terrorist when trains and buses in London are attacked, but must slide towards "non-judgmental" definitions when there is a blatant and murderous display of terrorism in Mumbai? Are you serious when you say that you leave it to audiences to make up their own minds? Then why did you not leave it to audiences to make up their own minds after 9/11? "
Akbar, wrote, "I assume the makers of BBC policies, such as they are, understand English. There is a clear distinction between gunmen and terrorists. Criminals use guns, and can be called gunmen; criminals use guns in the service of crime. Terrorists use guns and worse in the random killing of innocents in pursuit of a political agenda or personal agenda. The killers who came to Taj and Oberoi and the Chatrapati Shivaji railway station and a home where Jewish people lived, did not come to steal art, or railway property or money. They came with the declared purpose of murder and mayhem."
When Akbar was in London, the tabloids were full of headlines about young people being knifed. Akbar says , " that was crime committed by "knifemen". Al Capone was a "gunman" and I am sure the East End of your city once used to produce "gunmen" who committed crimes.Akbar told Porter, " It is a shame that the BBC cannot see the difference between a criminal and a terrorist, and chooses in fact to protect the terrorist by giving him the camouflage of a criminal. This is not a matter of semantics. Terrorists are always happy to fudge the definition."