Post-26 /11, Pak’s Punjab govt gave Rs 83m to JuD
CIA report: Israel will fall in 20
years
Proactive woman preacher becomes popular
among Asir girls
Overzealous teachers take fun out of Qur’an
learning
‘Hatred against Muslims sweeping West’
Pakistan soldiers in Taliban custody?
Grandchild to be named Elizabeth bin Laden
Israel brands Turkish charity 'terrorist
organisation': TV
400,000 displaced by Kyrgyzstan unrest:
UN
PDP tries to foil Madani
arrest
Israel approves plan to ease Gaza
blockade
3 dead as poverty-stricken family ‘commits
suicide’
Osama hunter says God told him to avenge 9/11
Pak lets LeT loose in Afghanistan
Children taught to be suicide
bombers
On death row in Dubai for 23 yrs,
Indian’s mercy plea: Hang me now
Pelt stones only in self-defence:
Geelani
‘Jamiat only helps innocent Muslims’
Freed Scottish woman reveals her 10-yr kidnap hell in
Pakistan
ISI has links with terror groups to get
intelligence: US
Pak to seek firming up of CBMs with India during resumed
talks
Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq
arrested in Srinagar
Istanbul’s threatened
balance
Water wars: Pak drags India to arbitration over Kishenganga
Muslim radicals spit at British troops, draw ire
After Yemen holiday, American in limbo
India chartering planes to bring back students stranded in
Kyrgyzstan
Congress rift evident at J&K tourism
festival
Pak trying to act as bridge between Karzai,
Haqqani network
Pak ‘Blood Money’ For 17 Indians
Lashkar spreading across
Afghanistan
191 killed in Kyrgyzstan violence since last
week
Confusion over number of Pak
delegates
Iran says UK backs group planning
terrorist acts
Kyrgyz city still tense after ethnic
fighting
Al-Jazeera subscribers seek compensation
300 Pakistanis jailed for petty crimes to be
released soon
Two pro-Sudan Darfur leaders surrender to
ICC
Former minister says he received death
threats
Defying sanctions, Iran plans more atomic
reactors
Omani students win prizes in Saudi drawing
competition
US lawmakers rap Turkey for its stance on Israel
Assassination fears rise among Afghan
leaders
Thirty-eight militants killed in Bajaur
clash
Pakistan to psych test bin Laden
hunter
Turkish troops enter Iraq; four Kurds
killed
Danish lawmaker to face charges over anti-Muslim
comments
Pak has paid a heavy price in war on terror:
Gilani
Compiled by
Asit kumar
Photo: Nawaz
Sharif
----------
`Sharif, are you still a Muslim?'
Imtiaz Ahmad
17 June, 2010
Pakistan's religious parties have responded with one voice to a
statement of PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif that he stood by the Ahmadi community “who
are like our brothers. “
They have condemned Sharif and questioned whether he “still is a
Muslim. “
“It is ironic that religious parties who were silent when over 70
members of the Ahmedi community were killed in attacks by Pakistani Taliban
militants are now active in con- demning anyone who sympa- thises with them,“
comments columnist Fasi Zaka.
The President of the Khatam- e-Nabuwwat Conference which was held in
Sargodha over the weekend questioned whether Sharif could be considered a Muslim
“because he has accepted the Ahmadis as his brothers.“
The Ahmadi community in Pakistan, declared non-Muslim by the
parliament in the 70's, continues to suffer from persecution and
discrimination.
Members of the community, mostly educated professionals, are
routinely attacked and abused for their religious beliefs while the government
looks the other way.
Analysts say that it is in this context that the attack on Ahmadi
mosques by Taliban extremists should be viewed.
“After facing limited success in attacking Pakistan's law enforcement
agencies, the Taliban are targeting the minor- ity communities in a bid to gain
sympathy with the mainstream Sunni Muslims in Pakistan.
It is a dangerous line to follow. In Karachi, the Taliban are blamed
to be behind the killing of members of the Shia community over the past couple
of days. Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat Ul Ibad says that the move to cause disharmony
between Karachi's communities “can have disastrous
consequences.“
But the new frontier, say observers, is not Karachi but Punjab
province, which is the country's most populous area and also its political
heartland. Religion has always played a part in garnering votes in this
traditional and conservative heartland of Pakistan.
The local minister for minorities privately says no one takes him
seriously. And with reli gious extremism on the rise here, the government does
not seem to have a plan to tackle the growing influence of extremist
parties.
Growing poverty in South Punjab, a long neglected part of the
province, has meant that parties like the Jamaat-ud Dawah have made inroads
there.
The government claims it has now come to an agreement with religious
organisations and par- ties to supervise the teaching at Madrassas in the area.
Not so, say local observers, who argue that in many instances the religious
parties have been given a free hand and train and teach at
will.
Hindustan Times
----------
Post-26 /11,Paks Punjab govt gave Rs 83m to
JuD
17 June, 2010
The Government of Pakistan's Punjab province provided Rs 82.77
million to Jamaat-ud-Dawah and its allied institutions during the last fiscal
year, according to official documents.
The supplementary budget for the past fiscal tabled in the Punjab
assembly for approval revealed that the PML-N-led provincial Government made a
grant of over Rs 79 million to the Markaz-e-Tayyaba, the JuD headquarters in
Muridke near Lahore.
Another Rs 3 million was given as grants to schools run by the JuD in
different districts of Punjab, according to the official
documents.
Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, under a cloud for his links
to banned groups like the Sipah-e-Sahaba, admitted that the money had been given
to the JuD.
He told a TV news channel yesterday that the money was given to these
institutions after the JuD was "banned" in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai attacks
and the Punjab Government appointed an administrator for the
organisation.
The purpose of giving these grants was to continue welfare services
provided by JuD's schools, dispensaries and hospitals, Sanaullah
said.
The UN Security Council declared the JuD a front for the banned
Lashker-e-Taiba shortly after the Mumbai attacks.
Despite claims by Pakistani leaders that the JuD has been "banned,"
no formal notification has been issued by the federal Government to proscribe
the organisation.
Meanwhile, a Punjab Government spokesman has contended that the
grants for the JuD had been given to the administrator for continuing welfare
services.
A syllabus approved by the Government had been adopted in the JuD's
educational institutions, the spokesman said in a
statement.
JuD spokesman Yahya Mujahid claimed his organisation had not received
any money from the provincial Government.
"We are a welfare organisation and raise our own funds from the
public for providing educational and healthcare services to help the people," he
said.
Mujahid criticised the provincial minister for making a "false
statement" to the media about the Punjab Government giving money to the JuD and
its institutions.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/263020/Pak-Punjab-gave-Rs-8277-million-to-JuD.html
----------
CIA report: Israel will fall in 20 years
Jun 17, 2010
A study conducted by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has cast
doubt over Israel's survival beyond the next 20 years.
The CIA report predicts "an inexorable movement away from a two-state
to a one-state solution, as the most viable model based on democratic principles
of full equality that sheds the looming specter of colonial apartheid while
allowing for the return of the 1947/1948 and 1967 refugees. The latter being the
precondition for sustainable peace in the region."
The study, which has been made available only to a certain number of
individuals, further forecasts the return of all Palestinian refugees to the
occupied territories, and the exodus of two million Israelis — who would move to
the US in the next 15 years.
"There is over 500,000 Israelis with American passports and more than
300,000 living in the area of just California," International lawyer Franklin
Lamb said in an interview with Press TV recently, adding that those who do not
have American or Western passport, have already applied for
them.
"So I think the handwriting at least among the public in Israel is on
the wall...[which] suggests history will reject the colonial enterprise sooner
or later," Lamb stressed.
He said CIA, in its report, alludes to the unexpectedly quick fall of
the apartheid government in South Africa and recalls the disintegration of the
Soviet Union in the early 1990s, suggesting the end to the dream of an 'Israeli
land' would happen 'way sooner' than later.
The study further predicts the return of over one and a half million
Israelis to Russia and other parts of Europe, and denotes a decline in Israeli
births whereas a rise in the Palestinian population.
Lamb said given the Israeli conduct toward the Palestinians and the
Gaza Strip in particular, the American public — which has been voicing its
protest against Tel Aviv's measures in the last 25 years — may 'not take it
anymore'. Some members of the US Senate Intelligence Committee have been
informed of the report.
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article67325.ece
----------
Proactive woman preacher becomes popular among Asir
girls
By HAYAT AL-GHAMDI
Jun 17, 2010
ABHA: When a local female dawa activist approached five high school
students in Khamis Mushayt they tried to run away afraid they would be badgered
for not donning their hijabs properly and for wearing abayas that had colorful
embroidery.
The dawa activist, called Noura Al-Saad, however, remained calm and
impressed the girls with her politeness, kindness and respectful way of giving
dawa. She made such an impression that the girls invited her to deliver a speech
at their school.
Al-Saad, who works for the Islamic Affairs Office in Khamis Mushayt,
is a popular name amongst women in the region, particularly students, as her
speeches are moderate, positive, constructive and kind.
The five high school students who initially tried to make a run
thought Al-Saad was a stereotypical dawa activist — harsh, unkind and abrupt.
Such women try to force women to wear large, black and dull abayas, something
many women feel uncomfortable with.
Haila Nafis, a specialist in social affairs, said what these girls
did was expected because the majority of dawa activists have a tendency to
preach in a harsh manner, which drives people away.
“The Prophet (peace be upon him) had a different tone, he was
welcoming. His methodology was based on forgiveness and being positive,” she
said, adding that all extra-curricular activities in schools tend to be
religious and that other activities should be included.
“Most women preachers criticize girls if they see a minor decoration
on the sides of their abayas. These types of attitudes keep girls away. I have
been criticizing this strict method, which is also adopted in schools. How can
they force girls to wear full black abayas, gloves and socks and then when they
leave school they see a teacher who isn’t wearing the face veil,” she said,
adding that these strict rules are introduced by certain individuals who wish to
force their own ways on others.
“My daughter was suspended from school for a month because she took
off her face veil in the school bus. She only did this to take medicine,” said
Nafis.
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article67276.ece
----------
Overzealous teachers take fun out of Qur’an
learning
Jun 17, 2010
ABHA: With the Kingdom home to hundreds of Qur’an memorization
schools, parents are eager to send their young children, both boys and girls, to
these schools to gain religious education, and learn how to recite the Qur’an
properly and also memorize it.
However, many parents claim that some women teachers are overzealous
in their approach to Islam, Al-Riyadh newspaper reported.
Huda Al-Manie, a teacher at a Qur’an school, said some teachers try
to impose strict dress codes on girls who are very young. “They force girls, who
are under eight or 10, to wear abayas and veil their faces,” she said, adding
that the Ministry of Education has begun implementing a monitoring mechanism to
curb this.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article67274.ece
----------
‘Hatred against Muslims sweeping West’
17 Jun, 2010
GENEVA: Muslim states said on Wednesday that what they call
‘Islamophobia’ is sweeping the West and its media and demanded that the United
Nations take tougher action against it.
Delegates from Muslim countries, including Pakistan and Egypt, told
the United Nations Human Rights Council that treatment of Muslims in western
countries amounted to racism and discrimination and must be fought.
“People of Arab origin face new forms of racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance and experience
discrimination and marginalisation,” an Egyptian delegate said, according to a
UN summary.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/21-hatred-against-muslims-sweeping-west-760-sk-02
----------
Pakistan soldiers in Taliban custody?
17 June, 2010
PESHAWAR: More than 50 Pakistani soldiers went missing after an
attack by Taliban militants on a check post in a northwest tribal area near the
Afghan border, said officials on Wednesday.
Taliban rebels stormed Gwar Pari post in Mohmand tribal district on
Sunday and claimed that seven paramilitary soldiers were killed, said a security
official.
“The post, located very close to the border, was manned by 65
soldiers and so far 11 have established contacts with us,” he said adding that
the “others remained unaccounted for”.
A Taliban spokesman on Sunday said its fighters killed seven soldiers
and captured 10. But the official refused to confirm the Taliban claims, saying
“we have not seen the bodies”.
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2010/06/17/stories/2010061753181500.htm
----------
Grandchild to be named Elizabeth bin Laden
17 June, 2010
London: The worlds most wanted terrorist,Osama Bin Ladens son Omar
has said that if a daughter is born to him he will name her Elizabeth after the
Queen.Omar are determined to have a baby,and that if it is a boy they will name
him William,after William Wallace.I will have a child.Im the driving force
behind this but Omar is right be-Omar Bin Laden,29,and his wife Zaina,54,who is
a former parish councillor from Moulton in Cheshire,and changed her name from
Jane Felix Browne,are using a young surrogate mum from Bristol to have a
baby.
Zaina went on to reveal that she and hind me.Whatever stress Im going
through,its worth it, the Sun quoted Zaina as saying.
I like Ruby for a girls name but Omar likes Elizabeth,after the
Queen.He also likes William for a boy,after William
Wallace.
Full report at: Times of India
----------
Israel brands Turkish charity 'terrorist organisation':
TV
Jun 17, 2010
JERUSALEM: Israel considers the Turkish Muslim charity IHH involved
in organising a flotilla of aid ships to Gaza last month as a "terrorist
organisation," public television said Wednesday.
IHH, the acronym for Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation, is the
charity that was involved with organising the fleet of aid ships that attempted
to bust the Gaza blockade on May 31.
Nine Turkish activists were killed by Israeli navy seals when
commandos stormed one of the six boats in the flotilla the Turkish-owned ferry,
Mavi Marmara.
Public television said that IHH is now part of a list of movements or
organisations such as the Palestinian Islamist Hamas or Lebanon's Shiite
Hezbollah group which are under scrutiny by Israeli intelligence services.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Israel-brands-Turkish-charity-terrorist-organisation-TV/articleshow/6056707.cms
----------
400,000 displaced by Kyrgyzstan unrest: UN
Jun 17, 2010
GENEVA: Deadly inter-ethnic clashes that erupted in Kyrgyzstan a week
ago have forced at least 400,000 people to flee the country or their home, the
UN said on Thursday.
"According to the latest estimates of UN agencies, there are at least
400,000 refugees or displaced," UN Office for the coordination of humanitarian
affairs spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs said.
The number who had taken refuge in neighbouring Uzbekistan was
"estimated at between 75,000 and 100,000 people, counting only the adults," she
said.
"Our estimates of the number of displaced is now about 300,000
people," Byrs said.
The clashes between Kyrgyzstan's ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbek communities
have left at least 191 people dead and nearly 2,000 wounded, according to the
government.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/400000-displaced-by-Kyrgyzstan-unrest-UN/articleshow/6059470.cms
----------
PDP tries to foil Madani arrest
VR Jayaraj
17 Jun, 2010
Islamist leader Abdul Nasser Madani’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP)
on Wednesday launched a legal, political and public relations exercise to avert
his arrest by the Karnataka Police following the Bangalore Metropolitan
Magistrate Court’s non-bailable warrant against him.
Lawyers of Madani, 31st accused in the Bangalore bombings case,
submitted an application for anticipatory bail in a Bangalore court on Wednesday
morning. PDP leaders and workers began an indefinite fast by noon at Anvarssery
in Kollam district, Madani’s operational headquarters, to protest against making
him an accused in the terror case.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/263042/PDP-tries-to-foil-Madani-arrest.html
----------
Israel approves plan to ease Gaza blockade
Jun 17, 2010
JERUSALEM: Israel on Thursday approved a plan to ease its blockade of
the Hamas-run Gaza Strip following weeks of international pressure, but provided
few details on what new goods would be allowed in.
The security cabinet's decision came in the wake of mounting
international calls to ease the four-year blockade of the impoverished
Palestinian territory in the wake of a deadly raid on a fleet of aid ships on
May 31.
Under the plan, Israel would "liberalise the system by which civilian
goods enter Gaza (and) expand the inflow of materials for civilian projects that
are under international supervision," the government said in a statement.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Israel-approves-plan-to-ease-Gaza-blockade-/articleshow/6058698.cms
----------
3 dead as poverty-stricken family ‘commits
suicide’
17 Jun, 2010
LAHORE: Three people, including two young girls, died on Wednesday
morning, as a rickshaw driver “poisoned” all six members of his family in the
Chung police precincts. The family was rushed to Jinnah Hospital where doctors
managed to save two of them.
Immediately after receiving information, a large number of relatives
and neighbours of the family also reached the hospital. The family’s relatives
at Jinnah Hospital had different views about the “suicide attempt”. One of them,
requesting anonymity, said, Muhammad Akbar was a resident of Shahpur Kanjran
village and drove a rickshaw, adding that the families of Akbar and his brother
Amjad lived together.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\06\17\story_17-6-2010_pg13_1
----------
Osama hunter says God told him to avenge 9/11
17 June, 2010
Islamabad: An American construction worker detained in Pakistan while
on a solo mission to kill Osama bin Laden claimed on Wednesday that he was
obeying an order from God to avenge the 9/11 attacks,said Pakistani security
officials.
Gary Brooks Faulkner said God revealed the order in one of his
dreams,prompting him to travel to Pakistan in search of al-Qaidas leader,said
two security officials,one of whom is part of a team of investigators
questioning the American.
Catching bin Laden was 50-year-old Faulkners passion,his brother
Scott Faulkner said.A devout Christian with a prison record,Faulkner has been to
Pakistan at least six times,learned some of the local language,and even grew a
long beard to blend in,relatives and acquaintances said.
When Scott Faulkner dropped his brother off at Denvers airport May
30,the two discussed the possibility that Gary would not return alive.AP
Times of India
----------
Pak lets LeT loose in Afghanistan
Alissa J Rubin
17 June, 2010
Kabul: A Pakistani-based militant group identified with attacks on
Indian targets has expanded its operations in Afghanistan,inflicting casualties
on Afghans and Indians alike,setting up training camps,and adding new volatility
to relations between India and Pakistan.
The group,Lashkar-e-Taiba,is believed to have planned or executed
three major attacks against Indian government employees and private workers in
Afghanistan in recent months,according to Afghan and international intelligence
officers and diplomats here.It continues to track Indian development workers and
others for possible attack,they said.
Full report at: Times of India
----------
Children taught to be suicide bombers
By Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
17 Jun, 2010
(CNN) -- The Taliban are running suicide schools inside Pakistan,
preparing a generation of boys for atrocities against
civilians.
In my documentary on the subject, "Children of the Taliban," I came
across the cases of many young men who were committed to giving up their lives
for what they believed to be the glory of Islam. Fifteen-year-old Zainullah blew
himself up, killing six people. Another boy, Sadiq, killed 22 and Masood killed
28.
Since more than 60 percent of the population of Pakistan is under age
25, it seems there will always be a steady supply of recruits waiting to create
havoc in the country.
The Tehreek-i-Taliban and the various extremist organizations that
have been allowed to fester across the country have now joined hands, increasing
the reach of their network, sharing recruits, plans, training centers, materials
and safe houses.
Full report at:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/06/15/obaid.suicide.children/
----------
On death row in Dubai for 23 yrs, Indian’s mercy plea: Hang me
now
V M SATHISH
Jun 17 2010
Dubai : While India is providing legal help to 17 Indians sentenced
to be shot in Sharjah for murdering a Pakistani, in next-door Dubai, a
64-year-old carpenter from Tamil Nadu — forgotten for the past 23 years — is
seeking his own quick execution.
Paul George Nadar was sentenced to be hanged by the Dubai Civil Court
in July 1987 for killing nine family members of two Pakistanis, who had beaten
him up following a fight. He was drunk when he poured an industrial solution on
the plywood shanties the families lived in, and set them afire, in 1985. Two
women and seven children died.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/on-death-row-in-dubai-for-23-yrs-indians-mercy-plea-hang-me-now/634940/
----------
Pelt stones only in self-defence: Geelani
Bashaarat Masood
Jun 17 2010
Srinagar: Chief of the Hurriyat’s hardline faction Syed Ali Shah
Geelani Wednesday asked Valley youth to pelt stone only in self-defence and
desist from making it a sport.
Geelani said stoning civilian vehicles or ambulances could not be
justified. “I salute the sentiments of youth. But don’t pelt stones just for
fun,” Geelani said while addressing his supporters at Saida Kadal, where he had
gone to visit the family of Tufail Ahmad Matoo, the schoolboy who was killed by
a police tear smoke shell on Friday. “Its use is justified in self-defence
against police and occupational forces (Army, CRPF). I fail to understand why
stones are pelted at common people, vehicles and
ambulances”.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Pelt-stones-only-in-self-defence--Geelani/634880
----------
‘Jamiat only helps innocent Muslims’
Menaka Rao
June 17, 2010
Seventy-six-year-old Gulzar Azmi has been general secretary of the
Maharashtra wing of Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind for the past two years after being
associated with the organisation for 45 years. The organisation provides legal
aid to poor Muslims accused in terror-related offences. The Jamiat provided
legal aid to accused Faheem Ansari, accused in the November 26, 2008 terror
attack case. Here he speaks to DNA about the other activities of Jamiat-e-Ulema
Hind.
When was the Jamiat established?
The Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind was set up in 1919 after the First World War
to help Turkish Muslims affected by the defeat. We were a set of nationalist
Muslim freedom fighters, fighting for freedom from the British rule. Mohan
Karamchand Gandhi became the Mahatma after Maulana Abdul Bari Farangi Mehli
conferred on him the title of ‘Mahatma’ after he joined the Khilafat movement.
Mehli was from the Jamiat. Mind you, we were against the formation of
Pakistan.
Full report at:
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/interview_jamiat-only-helps-innocent-muslims_1396507
----------
Freed Scottish woman reveals her 10-yr kidnap hell in
Pakistan
June 17, 2010
Naheeda Bi, a Scottish woman of Pakistan origin, who claimed that she
had been held captive in Pakistan for the last 10 years, has returned back
home.
Joyous over being reunited with her family after a decade, Naheeda,
recalled her terror of being kidnapped by two men at Islamabad Airport in April
2000.
“I was queuing for a flight back to Manchester when pulled aside by
two men in uniform, who told me that plane has been delayed,” Naheeda
said.
After being given a glass of water, she said the next thing she
remembered was waking up in a bare room.
Full report at:
http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_freed-scottish-woman-reveals-her-10-yr-kidnap-hell-in-pakistan_1397108
----------
ISI has links with terror groups to get intelligence:
US
Jun 17 2010
Washington : A top US military commander in Afghanistan has said that
despite setbacks US troops could stick to the withdrawal schedule for next year
and brushed aside Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence links with terror
groups, saying such contacts were to gather intelligence.
General David Petraeus, Commander of the US Central Command, during a
hearing by Congressional Committee, also conceded the existence of safe havens
inside Pakistan.
In intense questioning by Senators whether in the face of continued
upsurge by Taliban the US could stick to its troop withdrawal by 2011, the
Petraeus said there was no deadline for completing a troop pullout and the pace
of withdrawal will depend on circumstances at that time.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/isi-has-links-with-terror-groups-to-get-intelligence-us/635056/
----------
Pak to seek firming up of CBMs with India during resumed
talks
Jun 17 2010
Islamabad : Pakistan is expected to seek the firming up of
confidence-building measures during the upcoming Foreign Secretary-level talks
with India to pave the way for progress in addressing long-standing issues like
Kashmir, diplomatic sources said today.
Senior Pakistani officials have broadly classified the issues to be
raised during the meeting of the two Foreign Secretaries in Islamabad on June 24
as outstanding issues like the Kashmir issue, humanitarian matters like the
release of prisoners and fishermen, terrorism and trade and commerce, the
diplomatic sources told.
The Pakistani side will press for strengthening of
confidence-building measures in these areas so that the two sides can ultimately
make headway in addressing issues that have bedevilled relations for many
decades, the sources said.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pak-to-seek-firming-up-of-cbms-with-india-during-resumed-talks/635055/
----------
Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq arrested in
Srinagar
Jun 17, 2010
SRINAGAR: Chairman of Moderate Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umer
Farooq along with his nearly a dozen colleagues was today detained by police for
violating prohibitory orders clamped in the city, officials said.
Mirwaiz along with executive members of the Amalgam, including Prof
Abdul Ghani Bhat, Bilal Ghani Lone, Mohammad Abdullah Tari, Maulana Masroor
Abbas Aansari, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Zaffar Akbar Bhat, Hakeem Abdul Rashid, Aga
Syed Hassan Alsafvi Almoosvi.
Mirwaiz and others were detained at tourist reception centre here
when they were heading towards the office of the United Nations Military
Observers Group for India and Pakistan at Sonawar to submit a memorandum
regarding alleged "unabated" human rights violations in Kashmir, they said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Top-Hurriyat-leader-arrested-in-Srinagar/articleshow/6058370.cms
----------
Istanbul’s threatened balance
Jun 17 2010
Turkey is a country that had me at hello. I like the people, the
culture, the food and, most of all, the idea of modern Turkey — the idea of a
country at the hinge of Europe and the Middle East that manages to be at once
modern, secular, Muslim, democratic, and has good relations with the Arabs,
Israel and the West. After 9/11, I was among those hailing the Turkish model as
the antidote to “Bin Ladenism.” Indeed, the last time I visited Turkey in 2005,
my discussions with officials were all about Turkey’s efforts to join the
European Union. That is why it is quite shocking to come back today and find
Turkey’s Islamist government seemingly focused not on joining the European Union
but the Arab League — no, scratch that, on joining the Hamas-Hezbollah-Iran
resistance front against Israel. Now how did that happen?
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/istanbuls-threatened-balance/634760/
----------
Water wars: Pak drags India to arbitration over
Kishenganga
17 June, 2010
New Delhi: India is bracing itself for a costly and cumbersome
international arbitration case with Pakistan over the Kishenganga hydel
project.After failing to persuade Pakistan to resolve the dispute at the
government level,India on Wednesday named a judge of the Geneva-based
International Court of Justice Peter Tomka and a Swiss international law expert
Lucius Caflisch to represent it.
Indias initial choice for legal representative was the Baglihar
neutral expert,Raymond Lafitte and Prof Boisson de Chazournes.Tomka,was formerly
a legal advisor to the Slovak foreign ministry while Caflisch is a professor at
the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva.
Full report at: Times of India
----------
Muslim radicals spit at British troops,draw ire
17 June, 2010
London: In a bizarre incident,Muslim radicals spat at British troops
taking part in a parade on Tuesday,leaving watchers
outraged.
According to Daily Star,over 100 supporters of an association called
the Muslim against Crusades hurled abuses and spat as members of the 1st
Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment marched through the streets on
Tuesday.
The regiment recently lost five men in Afghanistan during a six-month
tour.They strongly condemned the incident.Charlene Byrne,24,whose partner Lance
Corporal Scott Hardy,26,was killed in an explosion,said: It makes me so angry.
A police spokesman said two people had been arrested for public order
offences.
Times of India
----------
After Yemen holiday,American in limbo
Scott Shane
17 June, 2010
Washington: As a 26-year-old Muslim American man who spent 18 months
in Yemen before heading home to Virginia in early May,Yahya Wehelie caught the
attention of FBI.Agents stopped him while he was changing planes in Cairo,told
him he was on no-fly list and questioned him about his contacts with another
American in Yemen,one accused of joining al-Qaida and fatally shooting a
hospital guard.
For six weeks,Wehelie has been in limbo in the Egyptian capital.He
and his parents say he has no radical views,despises al-Qaida and merely wants
to get home to complete his education and get a job.
But after many hours of questioning by FBI agents,he remains on the
no-fly list.When he offered to fly home handcuffed and flanked by air
marshals,Wehelie said,FBI agents turned him down.
Full report at: Times of India
----------
India chartering planes to bring back students stranded in
Kyrgyzstan
17 June, 2010
India is hiring chartered planes to bring home all those students who
want to return from violence torn Kyrgyzstan and is offering to buy tickets
besides making all other travel arrangements.
External affairs ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash on Wednesday said
commercial and chartered flights were operating normally in and out of Kyrgz
capital Bishkek and the Indian mission was assisting students with the travel
arrangements.
Nearly 105 students were evacuated with the local authorities from
strife torn Osh and Jalalabad towns to the national capital on Monday night and
lodged in the Indian embassy premises.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/263107/India-chartering-planes-to-bring-back-students-stranded-in-Kyrgyzstan.html
----------
Congress rift evident at J&K tourism
festival
Mohit Kandhari
17 June, 2010
Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s dream of promoting tourism
in his land-locked native district brought him to Bhaderwah on Wednesday to
explore undiscovered paradise on the occasion of inaugural ceremony of the
three-day long Bhaderwah festival.
The annual event is Azad’s brainchild.
Ironically, neither Chief Minister Omar Abdullah nor Deputy Chief
Minister Tara Chand, local MP Lal Singh or any other National Conference Cabinet
Minister or legislator were present on the occasion.
Tourism Minister Nawang Rigzin Zora and R&B Minister GM Saroori,
were there to welcome the Union Minister.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/263040/Congress-rift-evident-at-JK-tourism-festival.html
----------
Pak trying to act as bridge between Karzai, Haqqani
network
17 June, 2010
Pakistan is trying to mediate for a rapprochement between
Afghanistan’s dreaded Haqqani network and the Hamid Karzai Government, in an
apparent effort to have a major say in the country’s set up after the American
troops withdraw in 2011.
Pakistan has entered the reconciliation process in Afghanistan by
taking on the task of acting as a bridge between the network of militant
commander Sirajuddin Haqqani and the government in Kabul, a media report said on
Wdnesday.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/263108/Pak-trying-to-act-as-bridge-between-Karzai-Haqqani-network.html
----------
Pak ‘Blood Money’ For 17 Indians
Jun 17th, 2010
Pakistan’s former human rights minister Ansar Burney has offered to
pay Rs 25 lakhs in “blood money” to save 17 Indians on death row in the United
Arab Emirates from the gallows.
The 17 Indians — 16 from Punjab and one young man from neighbouring
Haryana — were condemned to death before a firing squad after a Sharjah court
pronounced them “guilty” in March 2010 for killing a Pakistani national in
January 2009. Lawyers hired by India’s embassy in the UAE have appealed against
the judgment.
But now Mr Burney, who is now in London, has said a Karachi-based
trust run by his family would pay “blood money” to the family of the victim,
Misri Nazir Khan, if the Indians’ appeal is rejected by the UAE
court.
“I am looking forward to the appeal’s outcome. We will not let the
Indians die,” Mr Burney promised.
http://www.asianage.com/india/pak-%E2%80%98blood-money%E2%80%99-17-indians-892
----------
Lashkar spreading across Afghanistan
Alissa J. Rubin
17 June, 2010
Pakistani-based militant group Lashkar-e-Tayyeba has expanded its
operations in Afghanistan, setting up training camps and inflicting casualties
on Afghans and Indians alike.
Lashkar is believed to have planned or executed three major attacks
against Indian govern- ment employees and private workers in Afghanistan in
recent months, according to Afghan and international intelligence officers and
diplomats here. It continues to track Indian devel- opment workers and others
for possible attack, they said.
“They are active now in six or eight provinces“ in Afghanistan, said
a senior NATO intelligence official who, like others interviewed for this
article, spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak
publicly on the subject. “They are cur- rently most interested in Indian targets
here, but they can read- ily trade attacks on interna- tional targets for money
or influ- ence or an alliance with other groups,“ he said.
Full report at: Hindustan Times
----------
191 killed in Kyrgyzstan violence since last
week
Jun 17, 2010
BISHKEK: At least 191 people have been killed and thousands injured
in the ethnic clashes in southern Kyrgyzstan since last week, Kyrgyz health
ministry said Thursday.
"As of Thursday morning, the number of people killed in clashes in
the south of the republic has risen to 191. A total of 1,971 people have also
sought medical aid, and 957 of them have been hospitalised," said Yelena
Bayalinova, the ministry's spokesperson.
Unofficial casualty figures may be way higher as many residents
prefer to bury their dead relatives without notifying the authorities. Also,
doctors have been facing difficulties in responding calls for assistance due to
the fighting.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Rest-of-World/191-killed-in-Kyrgyzstan-violence-since-last-week/articleshow/6057775.cms
----------
Confusion over number of Pak delegates
Kshitiz Gaur
Jun 17, 2010
AJMER: It was a day of confusion and alarm among the intelligence and
police officials in Ajmer after a delegation of 454 Pakistani pilgrims arrived
here in a special train to take part in the ongoing urs of the 12th century sufi
saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
As per the information given to the local IB and the district
administration, some 461 Pakistani citizens had boarded the train for the Urs.
However, only 454 people were found to have reached Ajmer. Alarmed over the
"missing" numbers, the local administration informed the Pakistan embassy and
the latter wrote back saying that only 454 had arrived.
Later in a press briefing, additional SP, CID, Jagdish Berwa said
that the pilgrims had bought additional tickets that took the number of
Pakistani pilgrims coming to the city to 458. He verified the number of pilgrims
from the Pakistani High Comission in New Delhi. Full report
at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Confusion-over-number-of-Pak-delegates/articleshow/6056675.cms
----------
Iran says UK backs group planning terrorist
acts
Jun 17 2010
Iran: Iran accused Britain and other Western nations including France
and Sweden on Wednesday of supporting an exiled group that the Islamic state
says planned terrorist acts in the country, official media
reported.
"The Foreign Ministry summoned the British ambassador to express its
harsh criticism over backing of his country and some other Western states of the
group that wanted to carry out terrorist acts in the country," IRNA news agency
said.
Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi also named two other European
Union nations. "There were some Western countries involved, including Britain,
Sweden and France," he told Iran's Arabic language TV station
Al-Alam.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/iran-says-uk-backs-group-planning-terrorist-acts/634989/
----------
Kyrgyz city still tense after ethnic fighting
Jun 17 2010
Kyrgyzstan: Kyrgyz troops patrolled the burned-out streets of the
southern city of Osh on Wednesday to maintain a fragile peace between ethnic
groups after days of fighting that forced tens of thousands to
flee.
Mainly Muslim Kyrgyzstan has been on edge since a revolt in April
toppled the president and brought an interim government to power in the
impoverished Central Asian state, which hosts US and Russian military
bases.
Clashes between its main ethnic groups, Uzbeks and Kyrgyz, erupted in
the south on June 10 and escalated into the deadliest violence in the former
Soviet republic in 20 years.
At least 187 people have been killed and nearly 2,000 wounded, mainly
in Osh, a low-rise city of mud-brick houses and crumbling Soviet-era
architecture near the Uzbek border.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/kyrgyz-city-still-tense-after-ethnic-fighting/635008/
----------
Al-Jazeera subscribers seek compensation
By MUHAMMAD AL-SULAMI
Jun 17, 2010
JEDDAH: Many Al-Jazeera subscribers, which has exclusive rights to
telecast live Word Cup matches to the Middle East, are calling on the
Qatari-owned satellite station to compensate them for transmission glitches
during the opening ceremony and initial matches.
Subscribers said they have been unable to enjoy matches and that some
distributors increased the price of Al-Jazeera cards to
SR600.
“Despite the high prices, we subscribed to enjoy matches, especially
those in which major countries like Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Spain, Italy,
England and France are playing,” said one subscriber.
“We should be compensated for the poor service similar to how
Al-Jazeera has compensated people in the UAE,” said another
subscriber.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article67321.ece
----------
300 Pakistanis jailed for petty crimes to be released
soon
By GHAZANFAR ALI KHAN
Jun 17, 2010
RIYADH: Prince Naif, second deputy premier and minister of interior,
has said he will facilitate the release of around 300 Pakistanis who are in
prisons across the Kingdom, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Umar Khan
Alisherzai told Arab News on Wednesday.
“These prisoners, detained on charges of petty crimes, have already
served the jail terms handed down by Saudi courts,” the ambassador
said.
Referring to his two-hour meeting with Prince Naif in Jeddah on
Tuesday night, Alisherzai said the talks covered a range of important subjects,
including cooperation in the fields of security, counterterrorism and organized
crime. A proposal to set up “a consultative panel representing officials of the
ministries of interior of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan” was also discussed, he
added.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article67207.ece
----------
Two pro-Sudan Darfur leaders surrender to ICC
Jun 17, 2010
AMSTERDAM: Two Sudanese rebel leaders suspected of war crimes in
Darfur will appear on Thursday at the International Criminal Court to face
questions over the killing of 12 African Union peacekeepers in Darfur in
2007.
Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain and Saleh Mohammed Jerbo Jamus arrived
in The Hague on Wednesday after surrendering to the ICC, the court said in a
statement. They are suspected of committing murder, intentionally directing
attacks and pillaging in a September 2007 attack in
Haskanita.
Their case is part of the tribunal’s push to try those responsible
for the conflict that the United Nations estimates has killed 300,000 since
2003. Khartoum says 10,000 have died.
Bahr Idris Abu Garda, another Sudanese rebel leader who appeared at
the court on suspicion of crimes in Haskanita, appeared voluntarily at the court
last year but was cleared of charges.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article67373.ece
----------
Former minister says he received death threats
By KHALED AL-AWADH
Jun 17, 2010
BURAIDAH: Former Education Minister Dr. Mohammad Al-Rasheed revealed
to a local newspaper that he received death threats from extremists for changing
the Saudi educational curriculum and limiting the time allotted for religious
studies.
“I received a telephone call from an unknown person who told me that
brothers were plotting to kill me if I went ahead with my plan to change the
curriculum,” Al-Rasheed told a local daily. “I suffered a lot at that time,” he
added.
“After girls’ education merged with the Ministry of Education, some
people started a campaign to remove me from my post,” said
Al-Rasheed.
“Extremist websites were full of insulting articles and improper
words against me in a way that contradicts every principle of Islam,” he added.
Friday sermons were also used in the campaign to remove him from his
office.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article67310.ece
----------
Defying sanctions, Iran plans more atomic
reactors
17 June 2010
Defying UN sanctions, Iran
promised to expand its atomic research as its president vowed to punish the West
and force it to “sit at the negotiating table like a polite child” before
agreeing to further talks.
Tehran, which insists its nuclear work is peaceful, said it will
build four new reactors for atomic medical research. The U.S. and some of its
allies believe Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons, and the Islamic
Republic’s plans to expand research could encourage calls in the West for more
economic pressure against the country.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran will not make “one iota of
concessions.” He said he will soon announce new conditions for talks with the
West, but first he wants to punish world powers for imposing
sanctions.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/June/middleeast_June506.xml§ion=middleeast
----------
Omani students win prizes in Saudi drawing
competition
17 June 2010
MUSCAT — Omani students have
won top prizes in the ‘Assir Biennial Children’s Drawings 2010’ competition
organised by the Education Ministry in Saudi Arabia under the theme ‘Together We
will Draw Our Future’.
Students from all GCC states took part in the
contest.
Ruqaiyah bint Sulaiman Al Jabriyah and Afan bin Issa Al Balushi
obtained gold medals in the crafts category, while Rayan bint Said Al Jabriyah
took the silver.
Omani students also performed well in a competition organised by the
Regional Organisations for Marine Environment to mark Regional Environment
Day.
Jameela bint Sulaiman Al Julandaniyah from Somrah School in the Al
Dhakhliya region came second in the environmental drawing competition at the
regional level.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/June/middleeast_June482.xml§ion=middleeast&col=
----------
US lawmakers rap Turkey for its stance on
Israel
17 June 2010
WASHINGTON - U.S. lawmakers warned Turkey on Wednesday that its ties
with Washington would suffer if it continued on what they considered an
anti-Israel path.
“There will be a cost if Turkey stays on its present heading of
growing closer to Iran and more antagonistic to the state of Israel,”
Representative Mike Pence, the No. 3 Republican in the U.S. House of
Representatives, said.
At a news conference, Republicans and Democrats denounced NATO ally
Turkey for supporting an aid convoy of ships that recently tried to run the
Israeli blockade of Gaza.
The lawmakers also criticized Turkey’s opposition to a recent U.N.
Security Council resolution extending punitive sanctions on Iran for its
secretive nuclear program. The U.N. resolution was strongly backed by
Washington, which suspects Iran of trying to develop atomic
bombs.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.comdisplayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/June/middleeast_June504.xml§ion=middleeast&col=
----------
Assassination fears rise among Afghan leaders
17 June 2010
KANDAHAR - Afghan village
leader Faisal Qasim rolls up his tunic sleeve to reveal the thick, rough scar
left by two bullets which he said struck him in an assassination attempt six
weeks ago.
Insurgents targeted him as he shopped in a bazaar, he said, because
of his work with NATO forces in Kandahar province, the Taliban’s spiritual
birthplace where dozens of elders and government officials have already been
killed.
“He took out his AK (47) and started shooting at me, but I had my AK
on me, so I started firing back,” he said, referring to the Russian-made rifles
commonly owned in Afghanistan.
The moustachioed village leader in Angorian, a Kandahar city suburb,
was shot twice but said he managed to wound his assailant and seize his weapon,
which he proudly shows American soldiers now working to protect his
village.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/international/2010/June/international_June763.xml§ion=international
----------
Thirty-eight militants killed in Bajaur clash
By Anwarullah Khan
17 Jun, 2010
KHAR: Thirty-eight militants and 10 security personnel were killed in
clashes in Bajaur Agency after the government launched a fresh operation on
Wednesday.
The troops, backed by tanks, artillery and helicopter gunships,
advanced on militant lairs in Ghuandu and Samsamai areas, 14km from the agency’s
headquarters, after receiving intelligence that top Taliban commanders were in
conclave after stealthily crossing over from the neighbouring Mohmand Agency.
The officials said helicopter gunships and long-range artillery were
used to soften up the militants. Thirty eight of them were killed, 11 others
wounded and 23 arrested during the fighting.
A number of hideouts were destroyed, the officials added.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/21-38-militants,-10-security-personnel-killed-operation-in-bajaur-triggers-clashes-760-sk-01
----------
Pakistan to psych test bin Laden hunter
17 Jun, 2010
PESHAWAR: Pakistani agents plan to conduct psychological tests on an
American construction worker arrested on suspicion of wanting to hunt down and
kill Osama bin Laden, an investigator said Wednesday.
Gary Brooks Faulkner was detained Monday in the remote mountains of
Chitral, once a rumoured hiding place of bin Laden, near Afghanistan's Nuristan
province, armed with a pistol, dagger, sword and night-vision
equipment.
He was taken to Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar, where he is
being interrogated by intelligence agents and investigators, officials
said.
“They are asking him a lot of things, especially about the sword and
dagger that look like ceremonial weapons. He said he wanted to kill Osama but
killing Osama with a sword and dagger is not child's play,” one investigator
told AFP.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/03-pakistan-to-psych-test-bin-laden-hunter-ss-02
----------
Turkish troops enter Iraq; four Kurds killed
17 Jun, 2010
ANKARA, June 16: Turkish
soldiers on Wednesday crossed into northern Iraq in pursuit of Kurdish rebels
for the first time in two years and bombed targets across the border, killing
four militants, the army said.
The cross-border operation came in response to an attack by the
outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) on border guards near the Iraqi
frontier, the latest in a series of bloody assaults by the rebels.
The attack on the base in the southeastern province of Sirnak at 1:00
am (2200 GMT) triggered a clash lasting several hours in which a Turkish soldier
was killed, the army said in a statement on its website.
Turkish commandos and special force then followed the rebels after
they fled into northern Iraq “after their unsuccessful attack”, it added.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/turkish-troops-enter-iraq-four-kurds-killed-760
----------
Danish lawmaker to face charges over anti-Muslim
comments
17 Jun, 2010
COPENHAGEN: The Danish parliament voted on Wednesday to remove a
far-right politician’s immunity from prosecution so he can face charges over
anti-Muslim comments, parliamentary sources said. Jesper Langballe, a veteran
member of the Danish People’s Party (PPD), a crucial ally of the centre-right
government, wrote in a newspaper column published in January “Muslims kill their
daughters over crimes of honour and turn a blind eye while they are raped by
their uncles”. The column, which discussed the status of women in Islam and the
“Islamisation of Europe”, triggered a political storm and his comments were
condemned by Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen. The crown prosecutor decided
to pursue Langballe, on the grounds that his comments broke anti-racism laws and
sought the lifting of his parliamentary immunity.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\06\17\story_17-6-2010_pg7_2
----------
Pak has paid a heavy price in war on terror:
Gilani
17 Jun, 2010
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday said that
Pakistan has paid a heavy price for being a front line state in the war on
terror.
While talking to David Lipton, Special Assistant to the US President
Obama who called on him at the PM House, Gilani said the development budget had
to be cut down to meet the security needs of the country and to ensure the
safety of citizens.
The government, he said, even had to take some unpopular decisions in
accordance with IMF program.
Lipton assured the prime minister that the Reconstruction Opportunity
Zones (ROZs) was being taken up with the Congress and would soon get
through.—DawnNews/APP
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/12-pak+has+paid+a+heavy+price+in+war+on+terror+gilani--bi-05
9:22 PM
Sultan Shahin
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