| Islamic World News | |
| 09 Jun 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com | |
| Female war prisoners should be sex slaves for men: Female Kuwait Politician | ||
Ahmadiya community fit to be killed: Pamphlets in Pak So-called Shahi Imam of Ludhiana carries his anti-Ahmadi tirade further, threatens stir HC seeks explanation on Islam as ‘state religion’ in B’desh 22 militants killed in US drone strikes in Pak tribal belt Website helps Saudi girl in journey of faith Eight soldiers killed in North Waziristan clash Blast near school building in Peshawar, four dead Nine dead in Militant attack on Afghan wedding party Clash in Pakistan leaves seven dead Saudi Border Guard officers killed by 'terrorist, not intruder' Six people killed across Karachi in target killings Over 100 militants attack Pakistan’s northwest: Intelligence Officials Saleem Shahzad Case: As family struggles, authorities drag their feet US policy to blame for trust deficit with India: Musharraf NATO cranks up air campaign in Libya Kadhafi forces attack Misrata as NATO vows no let-up Tripoli rocked by blasts ahead of ‘post-Qadhafi’ talks Gaddafi defiant as NATO unleashes more strikes Nato eyes Libya endgame Bhatt’s plea to stop cross examination by Gujarat Govt rejected Zawahiri praises Osama bin Laden, vows to continue jihad US intensifying covert war in Yemen: report Obama says sorry to Karzai for civilian deaths Incredibly dangerous Qaida thriving in Yemen chaos: US 26/11 trial: Jury to pronounce verdict on Rana UK chalks out fresh strategy to counter home-grown terror Yemen turmoil makes Qaeda ‘more dangerous’ 1,600 Syrians now in Turkey Turkey offers Syrians refuge, West pushes UN vote U.S. drones strike South and North Waziristan in one day Pak paramilitary trooper guns down youth at point blank range ‘US working on assumption that Kashmiri is alive’ Pak Foreign Office mum on Iran’s allegations Pak prosecutors to ask court to begin impounding Mush assets 'Headley provided info about LeT leaders in Pakistan' Zardari mulls Sarabjit release Pak actress Atiqa Odho quits Musharraf's party over liquor row US senator wants 15,000 troops out of Afghanistan Anti-terror cooperation with Pakistan in US interest: Toner Pakistan militant group vows to escalate fight in Afghanistan Human smugglers, over 144 Tajik, Afgha and Uzbek nationals arrested in Chaman Hajj quotas: ‘Ministry ignoring court’s orders’ Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau Photo: A politician suggested that female prisoners from war-torn countries should be purchased as sex slaves. | ||
Maqbool Fida Husain passes away in London| Female war prisoners should be sex slaves for men: Female Kuwait Politician | |
Maqbool Fida Husain passes away in London Ahmadiya community fit to be killed: Pamphlets in Pak So-called Shahi Imam of Ludhiana carries his anti-Ahmadi tirade further, threatens stir HC seeks explanation on Islam as ‘state religion’ in B’desh 22 militants killed in US drone strikes in Pak tribal belt Website helps Saudi girl in journey of faith Eight soldiers killed in North Waziristan clash Blast near school building in Peshawar, four dead Nine dead in Militant attack on Afghan wedding party Clash in Pakistan leaves seven dead Saudi Border Guard officers killed by 'terrorist, not intruder' Six people killed across Karachi in target killings Over 100 militants attack Pakistan’s northwest: Intelligence Officials Saleem Shahzad Case: As family struggles, authorities drag their feet US policy to blame for trust deficit with India: Musharraf NATO cranks up air campaign in Libya Kadhafi forces attack Misrata as NATO vows no let-up Tripoli rocked by blasts ahead of ‘post-Qadhafi’ talks Gaddafi defiant as NATO unleashes more strikes Nato eyes Libya endgame Bhatt’s plea to stop cross examination by Gujarat Govt rejected Zawahiri praises Osama bin Laden, vows to continue jihad US intensifying covert war in Yemen: report Obama says sorry to Karzai for civilian deaths Incredibly dangerous Qaida thriving in Yemen chaos: US 26/11 trial: Jury to pronounce verdict on Rana UK chalks out fresh strategy to counter home-grown terror Yemen turmoil makes Qaeda ‘more dangerous’ 1,600 Syrians now in Turkey Turkey offers Syrians refuge, West pushes UN vote U.S. drones strike South and North Waziristan in one day Pak paramilitary trooper guns down youth at point blank range ‘US working on assumption that Kashmiri is alive’ Pak Foreign Office mum on Iran’s allegations Pak prosecutors to ask court to begin impounding Mush assets 'Headley provided info about LeT leaders in Pakistan' Zardari mulls Sarabjit release Pak actress Atiqa Odho quits Musharraf's party over liquor row US senator wants 15,000 troops out of Afghanistan Anti-terror cooperation with Pakistan in US interest: Toner Pakistan militant group vows to escalate fight in Afghanistan Human smugglers, over 144 Tajik, Afgha and Uzbek nationals arrested in Chaman Hajj quotas: ‘Ministry ignoring court’s orders’ Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=4797 ------ Female war prisoners should be sex slaves for men: Female Kuwaiti Politician Jun 08 2011 London: A woman politician from Kuwait has sparked anger and disbelief by calling for legalization of sex slaves, saying it would protect men from adultery, and suggesting that female prisoners from war-torn countries should be purchased for the same, as it would be a "better life" for them, and they would not die of starvation. Salwa al Mutairi, who once ran for parliament, argued buying a sex slave would protect decent, devout and "virile" Kuwaiti men from adultery or being seduced by other women's beauty because an imported sex partner would be tantamount to marriage, reports the Daily Mail. “There was no shame in it and it is not haram" (forbidden) under Islamic Sharia law,” Mutairi claimed. To justify her claim, she cites an 8th century Muslim leader Haroun al-Rashid, who is rumoured to have had 2,000 mistresses. Mutairi recommended that offices could be opened to run the sex trade in the same way that recruitment agencies provide housemaids. “For example, in the Chechnyan war, surely there are female Russian captives,” she said. “So go and buy those and sell them here in Kuwait. Better than to have our men engage in forbidden sexual relations.” Mutairi said that during a recent visit to Mecca, she asked Saudi muftis – Muslim religious scholars – what the Islamic ruling was on owning sex slaves. They are said to have told her that it is not haram. The ruling was confirmed by "specialized people of the faith" in Kuwait, she claimed. In an attempt to consider the woman's feelings in the arrangement, Mutari conceded that the enslaved women, however, should be at least 15. Her remarks, made in a video posted on YouTube last month and carried by newspapers in the Gulf states in recent days, have sparked outrage in cyber-space from fellow Kuwaitis and others in the wider region. "Wonder how Salwa al Mutairi would’ve felt if during the occupation (of Kuwait) by Iraqi forces, she was sold as ‘war booty’ as she advocates for Chechen women," tweeted Mona Eltahawy. Another tweeter, Shireen Qudosi, told Mutairi "you’re a disgrace to women everywhere". http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/800931/ ------ Maqbool Fida Husain passes away in London Jun 9, 2011 LONDON: Renowned artist Maqbool Fida Husain, whose paintings made waves and stirred controversies across the globe, passed away in a London hospital on Thursday. According to reports, the artist, who was 95, died of a heart attack. Husain was in a self-imposed exile since 2006 after his paintings of some Hindu deities led to life threats. He was, without any doubt, one of the most celebrated painters of the world and his paintings put India on the world map. Husain first became well-known as an artist in the late 1940s. In 1947, he joined the Progressive Artists' Group, founded by Francis Newton Souza. This was a group of young artists who wished to break with the nationalist traditions established by the Bengal school of art and to encourage an Indian avant-garde, engaged at an international level. In 1952, his first solo exhibition was held at Zürich and over the next few years, his work was widely seen in Europe and the US. In 1955, he was awarded the prestigious Padma Shree prize by the Government of India. According to Forbes magazine, he has been called the "Picasso of India". http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Maqbool-Fida-Husain-passes-away-in-London/articleshow/8785966.cms -------- Ahmadiya community fit to be killed: Pamphlets in Pak Jun 09 2011 Islamabad: Pamphlets branding members of the minority Ahmadiya community as "wajib-ul-qatl" (fit to be killed) and inciting people to attack them are being openly circulated in Pakistan's textile industry hub of Faisalabad, according to a media report. The pamphlets list the names of several Ahmadiya industrialists, doctors and businesses. The first name is that of a cloth house, three owners of which were gunned down in a brazen attack last year, The Express Tribune newspaper reported. The pamphlets were issued by the All Pakistan Students Khatm-e-Nubuwat Federation and are being circulated at main shopping plazas and important commercial centres of the city in Punjab province. "To shoot such people is an act of jihad and to kill such people is an act of sawab (blessing)," the pamphlets say. The Umoor-e-Aama Jama'at Ahmadiyya of Faisalabad, a group representing the community, reacted to the distribution of such literature by saying that the propaganda campaign is being "carried out unhindered by some fanatic religious groups under the patronage of law enforcing agencies and the provincial government". The Jama'at blamed the Punjab government for ignoring several protests lodged by the province's Ahmadiya community. It said religious fanatics are being encouraged by inaction on the part of government agencies. In an email addressed to Punjab's home secretary and police chief and Faisalabad's regional police chief, Jama'at secretary Mahmood Ahmad wrote: "We have time and again approached police authorities against hate literature but nothing has been done so far. This collapse of law and order can be traced to the cowardice, inefficiency and incompetence of law enforcement agencies." Ahmad pointed out that it is easy to trace the pamphlet's source as its publisher's mobile number is given in print. This shows the "publisher's disdain towards Pakistan's laws and agencies enforcing them". "Our mouths have been taped shut. Our hands have been tied. I am writing this in the hope that somewhere somehow this letter finds its way to a patriotic police or other official who takes a fearless stand for the sake of Pakistan," the email said. The report said police officials appeared reluctant to take the matter seriously. Faisalabad police chief Rai Tahir Hussain said he had no information about the pamphlets. DSP Mian Khalid pleaded ignorance about the matter and said a lower ranking officer would have information. Another officer said that since no complaint has been made, there was no question of taking action. http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/801411/ -------- So-called Shahi Imam of Ludhiana carries his anti-Ahmadi tirade further, threatens stir 9 June 2011 By New Age Islam News Bureau Ludhiana: So-called Shahi Imam Maulana Habeeb ur Rahman Sa’ani Ludhyanvi’s anti-Ahmadi campaign keeps finding new targets. His latest object of hatred is Mr. Usman Ghani who has been appointed Chairman of Bengal Minority Development Corporation by Mamta Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal. He has threatened to launch a campaign against the recently set up Mamta Banerjee government of West Bengal if Mr. Ghani is not dismissed from his post. This bearded menace who is also the so-called national president of a certain Majlis e Ehrar e Islam Hind, based in Ludhiana which claims to be an all-India organisation is reported in Urdu Press to have said: “Muslims of all over India are feeling concerned and are in anguish on the appointment of a Qadiani, named Usman Ghani as Chairman of Bengal Minority Development Corporation”. The Organisation, Majlis e Ehrar e Islam Hind is in the forefront of an anti-Ahmadi movement which goes by the name “Tahreek e Tahaffuz e Katam e Nabuwwat on the pattern of similar organisations in Pakistan. Addressing a Press Conference here he demanded that Mamata Bannerjee terminate Usman Qadiani’s appointment at her earliest. He said, “We wish to tell state government of West Bengal that Qadianis have been ousted from Islam and their being appointed a Chairman of any minority related commission or agency amounts to perpetrating the greatest fraud with Muslims who constitute the largest minority there.” He further said, “Every politician and intellectual of the country knows that Qadianis are not part and parcel of Muslim community.” He demanded Mamata Bannerjee to appoint any able person of the minority as the chairman of the said Commission at her earliest, terminating the present Qadiani . Shahi Imam Maulana Habeeb ur Rahman Sa’ani Ludhyanvi claimed that Muslims of the whole nation are of one view on this issue. He said “West Bengal government must understand that It is a matter of Islamic faith and Deen. Qadianis call “Nauz o Billah” (May God Forgive) Mirza Ghulam a Prophet after the last Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). If it is not treason with Islam, what is it?” He expressed his surprise and shock that a Qadiani is appointed as a minority chairman and said, “It is a conspiracy and it must be investigated as to how many people are behind getting a Qadiani appointed as a minority body chairman. Muslims take as their enemy those people too who provide political support and shelter to Qadianis. Whichever political party will do so will have to face the Muslim’s ire and the party will be boycotted during the elections. The so-called Shahi Imam Ludhyanvi said, “Bengal’s new government which has come to power with wholehearted support of Muslims there should set up an enquiry in Qadianis making others convert to their fold by distributing money in villages and small townships.” The Maulana said:“Qadianis are British agents and till date have been engaged in terror activities. They have always betrayed the nation and are still busy doing the same treacherous works against the nation as well as Islam.” He said if immediate action is not taken and Qadiani’s appointment is not terminated at once Majlis e Ehrar e Islam Hind will take Ulema of Bengal and start a movement against it. West Bengal government will be responsible for the fallout of this agitation and revolution. ------ HC seeks explanation on Islam as ‘state religion’ in B’desh June 09, 2011 Anisur Rahman | Dhaka The Bangladesh High Court on Wednesday demanded an explanation from the Government on legal grounds of keeping Islam as the country’s state religion, amid demands to restore the secular character of 1972 Constitution. The High Court on Wednesday issued rule on the authorities concerned asking to show cause in eight days why declaration of Islam as the state religion of the Republic should not be declared illegal and ultra vires to the Constitution,” a court official said. The two-member High Court bench comprising of Judges Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Gobinda Chandra Tagore also appointed 11 senior lawyers and jurists as “amici curiae” or ‘friends of the court’ to place their opinions on the issue. The order came on a long-pending writ petition by 15 distinguished Bangladeshis filed in 1988 just after the then Government of Military ruler turned politician president HM Ershad incorporated a provision in the Constitution declaring Islam as the state religion under the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution. The court fixed June 16 for holding hearing on the issue while parliamentary speaker Abdul Hamid Advocate and the law secretary were made respondents of the rule. http://www.dailypioneer.com/344418/HC-seeks-explanation-on-Islam-as-%E2%80%98state-religion%E2%80%99-in-B%E2%80%99desh.html ------ 22 militants killed in US drone strikes in Pak tribal belt Jun 9, 2011 The US has carried out five drone strikes in Pakistan's tribal belt this week, indicating that Washington has no plans to roll back the campaign with unmanned spy planes despite protests from Islamabad. ISLAMABAD: Stepping up missile strikes against terrorists in Pakistan's restive tribal belt, US drones targeted an insurgent training camp and a vehicle in North Waziristan on Wednesday, killing at least 22 militants and injuring several others. In the first attack, the drones fired four missiles at a compound being used as a militant training camp in Shawal area of North Waziristan tribal agency, officials were quoted as saying by TV news channels. Eighteen militants were killed and the compound was destroyed in the attack. Local residents said more persons could be buried in the rubble of the compound. A drone targeted a car in the second attack, killing four militants. Both attacks, in which several militants were also injured, occurred within minutes of each other. The US has carried out five drone strikes in Pakistan's tribal belt this week, indicating that Washington has no plans to roll back the campaign with unmanned spy planes despite protests from Islamabad. On Monday, at least 18 suspected militants were killed in three drone strikes in South Waziristan. Al-Qaida terrorist Ilyas Kashmiri was reported killed in a drone attack last week but US officials have said they have no confirmation of his death. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/22-militants-killed-in-US-drone-strikes-in-Pak-tribal-belt/articleshow/8775223.cms ------ Website helps Saudi girl in journey of faith By P.K. ABDUL GHAFOUR Jun 9, 2011 JEDDAH: An 18-year-old Saudi girl, who was staying with her Christian mother in the United States, has embraced Islam while she was in the Kingdom on vacation, said Majed Al-Osaimi, director of www.edialogue.org dawa website. Speaking to Arab News, he said the teenager, who is studying in the US, accepted Islam as her new religion after chatting with a woman dawa worker (propagator) associated with the website, whose name is Rukn Al-Huwar in Arabic. “The girl had obtained some knowledge about Islam and cleared all her doubts during the 20-minute conversation with our dawa worker and declared her Shahada,” Al-Osaimi said. He said his website, which was established in March this year, was instrumental in taking 119 people of different nationalities to the light of Islam. “Every day one or two individuals are accepting Islam as their religion through our website,” he pointed out. Al-Osaimi urged Saudis and other Muslims living in the West to teach their children about Islam at an early age. “It’s their duty to bring up their children on the basis of Islamic culture and tradition,” he said. Full report at:http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article451128.ece ------ Eight soldiers killed in North Waziristan clash Jun 09 2011 MIRAMSHAH: Around 150 militants armed with rockets attacked a security checkpost in Pakistan’s Waziristan on Thursday, killing eight soldiers, intelligence officials said, as tensions rise in the border region. Twelve militants were killed in retaliatory firing by security forces. The attack came on the heels of stepped-up missile strikes by U.S. drone aircraft in the tribal region along the Afghan border regarded as a hub of militants from around the world. “The militants were carrying rockets and heavy weapons and attacked the checkpost shortly after midnight,” an intelligence official in the region told Reuters. “Eight soldiers were killed and twelve were wounded,” he added. Security forces hit back at the militants, killing at least 12 of them and wounding five, another official said. Full report at:http://www.dawn.com/2011/06/09/militants-attack-checkpost-in-north-waziristan-20-dead.html ------ Blast near school building in Peshawar, four dead Jun 09 2011 PESHAWAR: A blast took place near a school building in the Matni Bazaar area of Peshawar on Thursday, DawnNews reported. According to police officials the blast took place in a pile of garbage near the school. Four casualties have so far been reported. http://www.dawn.com/2011/06/09/explosion-heard-in-peshawar.html ------ Nine dead in Militant attack on Afghan wedding party Jun 09 2011 JALALABAD: Nine people were killed and five others wounded when gunmen attacked a wedding party in eastern Afghanistan overnight, a provincial spokesman said Thursday. The groom was a relative of the district chief in Dur Baba of Nangarhar province, and women and children were among the casualties, said the spokesman Ahmad Zia Abdulzai. “Nine people were killed and five others injured last night when armed opposition militants attacked a wedding party in Dur Baba district,” he said. The gunmen were armed with AK-47 assault rifles and stormed the house where the party was being held, Abdulzai said. The Taliban and other insurgents frequently target government officials as well as police and army in Afghanistan. They have been waging an insurgency for nearly 10 years against the roughly 130,000 US-led foreign forces which are in Afghanistan. The east, which borders Pakistan, where militants have hideouts, has long been a flashpoint for violence blamed on the Taliban and other insurgents. http://www.dawn.com/2011/06/09/nine-dead-in-attack-on-afghan-wedding-party.html ------ Clash in Pakistan leaves seven dead Jun 09 2011 Peshawar: A Pakistani security official says Islamist militants ambushed paramilitary soldiers patrolling a tribal area along the Afghan border, triggering a shootout that left two troops and five insurgents dead. The official said on Wednesday the clash happened overnight in the Shaheedano Dhand area of Kurram tribal region. The Pakistan army recently said it intends to launch a new offensive against insurgents in Kurram, but has not given details. The security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he is not authorized to brief the media, did not specify the number of militants involved. Pakistan's army has staged several operations against al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters in Kurram and other parts of the tribal belt, but the militants have proved a resilient foe. http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/800929/ ------ Saudi Border Guard officers killed by 'terrorist, not intruder' By MUHAMMAD AL-SULAMI Jun 9, 2011 JEDDAH: The man who killed two Saudi Border Guard officers and injured a third early Tuesday was a Saudi terrorist who was trying to make his way to Yemen through the Al-Wadeeah border post, security sources told Arab News Wednesday. Spokesman of the Interior Ministry Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki identified the attacker as Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman Al-Sayel. The man was also involved in a fatal attack on a police office in Qassim a month ago. Speaking to Arab News on condition of anonymity, the sources said Al-Sayel was shouting slogans usually used by terrorists while he was firing at the guards. The attacker was later shot dead. Col. Abdul Jaleel Shari Al-Otaibi, who was killed in the attack, was laid to rest in Riyadh after Asr prayer Wednesday, while fellow victim Sgt. Barrak bin Ali Al-Harithy was buried at the same time in his home town of Sharourah in the south of the Kingdom. Prince Muhammad bin Naif, assistant interior minister for security affairs, led the funeral prayers for Al-Otaibi. Senior officials of the ministry, Border Guard commander Maj. Gen. Zameem Al-Sawwat, Al-Otaibi's family and other citizens attended the prayer. Prince Muhammad conveyed to the family and sons of Al-Otaibi his personal condolences and those of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, and Prince Naif, second deputy premier and minister of interior. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article451114.ece ------ Six people killed across Karachi in target killings June 9, 2011 Six people killed across Karachi in separate incidents. Police and Rangers have been deployed in sensitive areas. KARACHI: Six people were killed in separate incidents of targeted violence in Karachi on Wednesday. According to sources, an ANP worker was gunned down by unidentified men in the Orangi Town whereas a man was killed in Lyari in a shooting incident while another was injured. There were also reports of two people murdered in Korangi. In another part of the city a firing incident in Qasba Colony severely injured two girls while one person was shot dead in Tashqand colony. Police and Rangers had been deployed in sensitive areas to avoid any untoward situation. Later in the evening, Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik spoke to the media in the city on violence in Karachi and target killings while also reacting to Indian Foreign Minister Chidambaram’s recent comments regarding the Mumbai attack of 2008. He shared his views on the ongoing Headley trial as well. http://tribune.com.pk/story/185317/six-people-killed-across-karachi-in-acts-of-violence/ ------ Over 100 militants attack Pakistan’s northwest: Intelligence Officials 9 June 2011 Around 150 militants armed with rockets attacked a security checkpost in Pakistan’s Waziristan on Thursday, killing eight soldiers, intelligence officials said. The attack, in which about 12 militants were killed, appeared to be part of a new strategy by the Pakistani Taliban of staging large-scale attacks on military and government targets in a bid to demoralise the army. The attack came on the heels of stepped-up missile strikes by US drone aircraft in the tribal region along the Afghan border regarded as a hub of militants from around the world. The Pakistani Taliban have intensified attacks across Pakistan in recent weeks to avenge the killing of Osama bin Laden by US special forces in the country on May 2. The United States appears to have intensified its drone missile strikes against militants, especially after a US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton visited Pakistan recently and urged Pakistan to do more to fight insurgents. It’s not clear if Pakistan, recipient of billions of dollars in American military aid, has shared intelligence with the Americans in stepped up drone missile attacks in South Waziristan. The CIA, which operates the remotely-piloted drones, may have spotted high-value Al Qaeda or Taliban militants in the area. Full report at:http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/June/international_June359.xml§ion=international ------ Saleem Shahzad Case: As family struggles, authorities drag their feet By Asad Kharal June 9, 2011 LAHORE: With events continuously conspiring against them, the family of slain journalist Saleem Shahzad has been forced to move out of their rented residence in Islamabad and relocate to Karachi, The Express Tribune has learnt. Shahzad’s widow and their three children Fahad Saleem, 13, Amna Saleem, 10, and Rehman Shah, seven, were forced to give up their residence because they could no longer afford the rent. Meanwhile, to make matters worse, ten days after his death, the Islamabad and Punjab police still remain undecided on registering further cases of abduction and murder to the case of the slain journalist. While the family of the journalist, who continued his quest to uncover the truth despite threats to his life, in dire straits, the authorities are yet to contact the family for compensation and legal assistance. Shahzad owned three bank accounts, none of which can be accessed by his widow yet, since the authorities have failed to provide her with a successor certificate. Sub Inspector Shafiq Ahmed at the Islamabad police station, investigation officer for the case Moharrar and an official of the records room at the said police station Naveed allegedly remained uncooperative in terms of receiving the application/ supplementary statement for adding a murder charge (under section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code) to it. Full report at: http://tribune.com.pk/story/185283/saleem-shahzad-case-as-family-struggles-authorities-drag-their-feet/ ------ US policy to blame for trust deficit with India: Musharraf Jun 9, 2011 WASHINGTON: Blaming "a strategic shift of US policy towards India" for an "acute deficit of trust" between them, former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has suggested open and frank talks to restore trust urgently. "The abandonment of Pakistan after 1989, with a strategic shift of US policy towards India and military sanctions against Pakistan, cost US-Pakistan relations very dearly," he wrote in a piece for CNN suggesting in Pakistan's public mind the US "used" Pakistan and then "abandoned it." The alleged "US nuclear policy of appeasement and strategic co-operation with India against Pakistan is taken by the man in the street in Pakistan as very partisan and an act of animosity against our national interest," Musharraf wrote. Also blaming what he called the "malicious role of India and the Afghan government itself in maligning Pakistan's military and intelligence" Musharraf said: "We know what Indian consulates in Kandahar and Jalalabad especially are doing." "We also know that Afghan intelligence, military and foreign service personnel go for training in India," he alleged asserting "Not a single one comes to Pakistan, despite Pakistan's longstanding offer of free training since my time in office." Calling for a stop to what he dubbed as "the ulterior Indian motive of creating an anti-Pakistan Afghanistan", Musharraf said: "Only the United States can ensure such an essential change. Full report at:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-policy-to-blame-for-trust-deficit-with-India-Musharraf/articleshow/8784809.cms ------ NATO cranks up air campaign in Libya Atul Aneja DUBAI: The NATO has markedly stepped up its aerial bombardment of Tripoli in a fresh effort to hasten the fall of the Qadhafi-regime, which refuses to throw in the towel despite a spate of recent defections. Since Tuesday morning, Tripoli was subjected to relentless bombardment which appeared to pause only at dawn on Wednesday. The attacks, with heavy “bunker buster” bombs that can easily rip through concrete structures or destroy underground complexes, smashed large parts of Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi's Al Aziziya compound. Witnesses said a large area of the compound had been devastated. Six to seven buildings lay in smouldering rubble of concrete and mangled steel. The wrecked buildings included one which had a reception centre for foreign dignitaries, and housed a VIP guest house as well. Some of the other ruined structures were used for administrative purposes, said local officials. Libyan authorities said 31 people had been killed in the bombing spree. Officials claimed around 10 to 15 people were buried in the rubble of one building. Full report at:http://www.hindu.com/2011/06/09/stories/2011060958551400.htm ------ Kadhafi forces attack Misrata as NATO vows no let-up Jun 09 2011 BENGHAZI: Moamer Kadhafi's forces attacked Libya's third-largest city Misrata on Wednesday drawing no response from NATO despite a pledge by the alliance to press its air war, a rebel spokesman said. Between 2,000 and 3,000 Kadhafi troops attacked the Mediterranean port city from the south, west and east, killing 10 rebel fighters and wounding 26, the spokesman Hassan al-Galai, told this news agency by telephone from the city. Despite the deployment of tanks, Grad rocket launchers and heavy artillery, there had been no intervention by NATO led aircraft by 6:00 pm (1600 GMT) when the fighting was still raging, Galai said. Full report at: http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=16761 ------ Tripoli rocked by blasts ahead of ‘post-Qadhafi’ talks Jun 09 2011 BENGHAZI, Libya: Loud explosions rocked Tripoli late Wednesday near the residence of Libyan leader Moamer Qadhafi as global powers gathered for talks on mapping out a democratic future for the nation. The first blast shook central Tripoli around 2000 GMT, followed 15 minutes later by a stronger explosion near a hotel housing foreign journalists. Regime spokesman spokesman Mussa Ibrahim said Nato pounded the Libyan capital with more than 60 bombs on Wednesday, killing 31 people and causing dozens of injuries. The explosions came after up to 3,000 Qadhafi troops attacked Libya’s third-largest city Misrata in a three-pronged movement from the south, west and east, rebel spokesman Hassan al-Galai told AFP by telephone from the city. Misrata is the most significant enclave in western Libya captured by the rebels since the start of the uprising in mid-February as they battle to oust Qadhafi, who has ruled the north African nation for some four decades. Full report at:http://www.dawn.com/2011/06/09/tripoli-rocked-by-blasts-ahead-of-post-qadhafi-talks.html ------ Gaddafi defiant as NATO unleashes more strikes June 09, 2011 Muammar Gaddafi stood defiant in the face of the heaviest and most punishing NATO airstrikes yet at least 40 thunderous daylight attacks that sent plumes of smoke billowing above the Libyan leader’s Central Tripoli compound. The strikes, which hit on Tuesday afternoon, continued overnight. Early on Wednesday, some 10 explosions shook the Libyan Capital. It was not immediately clear what was hit. Late on Tuesday, Libyan State television broadcast an audio address from Gaddafi, who denounced NATO and the rebels challenging his rule. He vowed never to surrender. “We will not kneel!” he shouted. Alliance officials warned for days that they were increasing the scope and intensity of their air campaign to oust Gaddafi after more than 40 years in power. NATO is backing the rebel insurgency, which has seized swaths of eastern Libya and pockets in the regime’s stronghold in the west since it began in February, inspired by uprisings elsewhere in the Arab world. Full report at:http://www.dailypioneer.com/344417/Gaddafi-defiant-as-NATO-unleashes-more-strikes.html ------ Nato eyes Libya endgame Jun 08, 2011 Nato defence ministers huddle on Wednesday for talks on the air war in Libya amid calls for allies to step up their contributions as strikes to dislodge a defiant Muammar Gaddafi escalate. With Nato fighting in two continents, the ministers meeting for two days of talks in Brussels were to discuss the nearly three-month-old air war in Libya as well as the nearly 10-year-old ground battle in Afghanistan. The ministers will later on Wednesday meet with their Russian counterpart for discussions on a missile shield for Europe. While the alliance is looking to start a drawdown of ground forces in Afghanistan in July, Nato secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen wants Nato members that have taken a backseat in Libya to contribute more to the mission. Although Gaddafi still controls much of western Libya including his Tripoli stronghold, Nato says it is only a matter of time before he goes and it has increased the pressure with daily strikes on Tripoli to hasten that day. “Obviously some of those allies and partners carrying the heavy burden start to ask whether it would be possible to broaden the participation a bit, and that’s the point I will focus on at the defence ministers meeting,” Rasmussen said on Monday. Only eight of the alliance’s 28 members, plus non-Nato partner the United Arab Emirates, have conducted air strikes. France and Britain have carried out the bulk of the air raids. Full report at:http://www.asianage.com/international/nato-eyes-libya-endgame-460 ------ Bhatt’s plea to stop cross examination by Gujarat Govt rejected June 09, 2011 Rathin Das | Ahmedabad The Nanavati-Mehta Commission probing the 2002 Godhra train inferno and the riots thereafter on Wednesday rejected maverick IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt’s application to stop his cross-examination by the Gujarat Government and other parties. Bhatt, who has alleged in an affidavit in the Supreme Court that Chief Minister Narendra Modi had asked the State police to “allow Hindus to vent their anger” during the bandh following the Godhra train burning on February 27, 2002, had earlier requested the Commission to stop his cross-examination by the Government counsel and others as he is not an accused or a witness. The Commission comprising Justice GT Nanavati and Justice Akshay Mehta told Bhatt, “we are not inclined to accept your request” and assured the IPS officer that he is not being treated as an accused. Full report at:http://www.dailypioneer.com/344394/Bhatt%E2%80%99s-plea-to-stop-cross-examination-by-Gujarat-Govt-rejected.html ------ Zawahiri praises Osama bin Laden, vows to continue jihad Jun 9, 2011 DUBAI: Slain al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden's longtime deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri has threatened to attack America, saying his leader terrified the US in his life and will continue to do so even after his death. "We will pursue the jihad until we expel the invaders from Muslim lands," Zawahiri said in a eulogy for bin Laden in a video message titled 'The Noble Knight Dismounted'. He vowed to make sacrifices needed to "deprive America of security." "The man who terrified America in his life will continue to terrify it after his death," the SITE Intelligence Group reported him as saying in the 28-minute video posted on jihadi websites. Zawahiri, considered as al-Qaida's operational head and is likely to be the group's next leader, lauded bin Laden, who was killed by US special forces in a covert operation in garrison town of Abbottabad in Pakistan on May 2. "You will continue to be troubled by his famous vow: You shall not dream of security until we enjoy it and until you depart the Muslims' lands," said Egyptian-born militant who was in white Arab robe and a turban with a Kalashnikov at his side. He blasted the US for burying bin Laden at sea and asked the Pakistani people to rise against their rulers, describing them as "traitors." http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Zawahiri-praises-Osama-bin-Laden-vows-to-continue-jihad/articleshow/8778372.cms ------ US intensifying covert war in Yemen: report Jun 09 2011 WASHINGTON: The Obama administration has intensified air strikes on suspected militants in Yemen in a bid to keep them from consolidating power as the government in Sanaa teeters, The New York Times reported on Wednesday. A US official confirmed that a US strike last Friday killed Abu Ali al-Harithi, a midlevel al Qaeda operative, which followed last month's attempted strike against Anwar al-Awlaki, the leader of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Citing US officials, the Times said a US campaign using armed drones and fighter jets had accelerated in recent weeks as US officials see the strikes as one of the few options to contain al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. With the country in violent conflict, Yemeni troops that had been battling militants linked to al Qaeda in the south have been pulled back to Sanaa, the newspaper said. Yemen's authoritarian president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, was wounded on Friday and is being treated in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. He appears to have been wounded by a bombing at a mosque inside his palace, not a rocket attack as first thought, US and Arab officials said. Full report at:http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=16776 ------ Obama says sorry to Karzai for civilian deaths Jun 09 2011 WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama on Wednesday expressed his ‘sorrow’ in a video conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai over recent civilian casualties in Afghanistan, his spokesman said. White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama spoke to Karzai for an hour and discussed a number of topics, including the implications of the death of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a US special forces raid in May. "The president expressed his sorrow over tragic civilian casualties, most recently in Helmand province," Carney said. "Both leaders noted that the Taliban are responsible for the great majority of civilian losses, and agreed that every loss of civilian life is a tragedy and undermines our mission that focuses on protecting the population." Karzai last week issued a stern warning to the US military to avoid operations that kill civilians, after he said 14 people allegedly died in an air strike in Helmand province. The International Security Assistance Force put the death toll at nine and apologized, while saying the strike was carried out after insurgents who had earlier killed a US marine hid in a compound and carried on firing. http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=16763 ------ Incredibly dangerous Qaida thriving in Yemen chaos: US Jun 9, 2011 SANAA: The US warned al-Qaida is thriving from Yemens turmoil as protesters rallied on Wednesday against the return of president Ali Abdullah Saleh,who is undergoing treatment for bomb wounds in neighbouring Saudi Arabia. Admiral Michael Mullen,the top US uniformed commander,said that the conflict in the troubled Arabian Peninsula country was making the al-Qaida terror network more dangerous. Al-Qaida in Yemen has grown into a very virulent deadly federated point in the al-Qaida organization, the head of the US joint chiefs of staff told a news conference on a visit to Cairo. It is incredibly dangerous and made more dangerous in the ongoing chaos. The US administration of President Barack Obama has urged Saleh to step down immediately.Washington had long considered Saleh an ally in its fight against al-Qaida until it changed its tune following a bloody crackdown by his regimes forces on a popular uprising that erupted in late January.Mullens comments came as thousands of protesters gathered on the streets of Sanaa to press Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi,Yemens acting leader in Salehs absence,to set up an interim presidential council. The people want an interim presidential council,"read their banners.No to Salehs return, they chanted,referring to Saleh who is convalescing in a Riyadh hospital after operation. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Incredibly-dangerous-Qaida-thriving-in-Yemen-chaos-US/articleshow/8784423.cms ------ 26/11 trial: Jury to pronounce verdict on Rana June 09, 2011 S Rajagopalan | Washington With all testimony and arguments completed in the keenly-followed 26/11 trial in a Chicago Court, a 12-member jury on Wednesday commenced its deliberations on the culpability of David Headley’s childhood friend and co-accused Tahawwur Hussain Rana. After the fortnight-long trial that exposed Pakistan’s ISI for not only aiding and abetting the Mumbai attacks but supplying weapons for “jihad” in Kashmir as well, the jury now has to decide the fate of Rana. Defence attorneys have sought to rubbish the prosecution case against Rana as one built exclusively on the “unreliable” testimony of Headley, who was out to “dupe”, “manipulate” and “use” Rana as a cover for his Mumbai operations to lay the groundwork for the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba attacks. Prosecution lawyers have argued equally forcefully that all available evidence points to Rana’s complicity. He not only knew of the terror plot but also provided material support by facilitating Headley’s mission, they insist. On the controversial plea bargain agreement that Headley was allowed to strike, thereby enabling him to escape death penalty as well as extradition to India, the prosecution stoutly defended the deal, asserting it helped the FBI to lay its hands of a treasure trove of information on international terrorism. Full report at:http://www.dailypioneer.com/344422/26/11-trial-Jury-to-pronounce-verdict-on-Rana.html ------ UK chalks out fresh strategy to counter home-grown terror June 09, 2011 Venkata Vemuri | London The British Government has identified Leeds and Bradford in Yorkshire and 16 boroughs of London as being among 25 areas where it claims Government funds aimed at checking home-grown terrorism may have been misused. Home Secretary Theresa May has announced a fresh scheme to examine the route of funding and stop British Muslims being radicalised with a new focus on tackling pro-terrorist ideologies and on challenging extremism in schools, universities and on the internet. According to Government, nine per cent of people convicted for Islamist terrorist-related offences in the UK between 1999 and 2009 were from Yorkshire. May said funding should be “rigorously prioritised and comprehensively audited”, saying money would only now be given to groups which support British values of democracy, human rights and equality and participate in society. Full report at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/344419/UK-chalks-out-fresh-strategy-to-counter-home-grown-terror.html ------ Yemen turmoil makes Qaeda ‘more dangerous’ 8 June 2011 CAIRO — The turmoil in Yemen which has seen its veteran president seek treatment in Saudi Arabia after a bomb attack makes the local Al-Qaeda franchise “more dangerous”, the top US uniformed commander Admiral Michael Mullen said on Wednesday. Al-Qaeda in Yemen “has grown into a very virulent deadly federated point in the Al-Qaeda organisation,” the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff told a news conference on a visit to Cairo. “It is incredibly dangerous and made more dangerous in the ongoing chaos.” Yemeni President Ali Abullah Saleh, who was flown to Saudi Arabia for treatment on Saturday after an attack on his palace following five months of protests against his 33-year rule, has been a key ally in the US “war on terror”. Yemen is the ancestral homeland of late Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and the jihadists’ local affiliate, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, is blamed for anti-US plots including trying to blow up a US-bound airplane on Christmas Day in 2009. Full report at:http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/June/middleeast_June256.xml§ion=middleeast ------ 1,600 Syrians now in Turkey 9 June 2011 GUVECCI — A Turkish official says 1,000 Syrians crossed into Turkey overnight, raising the total number of refugees in the country to 1,600. The official in Hatay province says the refugees, who were fleeing violence in Syria, crossed the border late Wednesday and early Thursday. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government rules. An AP photographer on Thursday saw dozens more refugees, some on motor bikes or pickup trucks, on the other side of the frontier, hoping to cross into Turkey. Ambulances were on standby at a border crossing to rush any wounded refugees to hospitals. http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/June/middleeast_June267.xml§ion=middleeast ------ Turkey offers Syrians refuge, West pushes UN vote By YARA BAYOUMY Jun 9, 2011 BEIRUT: Turkey threw open its borders to anxious Syrian refugees on Wednesday and urged their government to curb violence against civilians after thousands abandoned a town near the Turkish frontier in fear of a military assault. With Western public opinion startled by the bloodshed that has met Syrians’ efforts to emulate other Arabs in casting off autocratic rule, Britain and France prepared to ask the UN Security Council to condemn President Bashar Al-Assad — though there seems no appetite for Libya-style military intervention. Assad’s government has accused armed bands of killing scores of its security men in the northwestern town of Jisr Al-Shughour and vowed to send in the army to carry out their “national duty to restore security” there. Troops with tanks have deployed near the town, prompting many of its 50,000 people to flee. “We are monitoring developments in Syria with concern,” said Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, who has long sought warm relations with Assad. “Syria should change its attitude toward civilians and should take its attitude to a more tolerant level. “It is out of the question for Turkey to close its doors to refugees coming from Syria.” The troop movements, after the government reported the loss of over 120 men in what anti-Assad activists said was fighting among soldiers, has raised fears violence could move to a new level. Rights groups say over 1,100 civilians have been killed since March in protests against 41 years of Assad family rule. Full report at:http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article451138.ece ------ U.S. drones strike South and North Waziristan in one day Anita Joshua Attacks on and near training camps kill 20 ISLAMABAD: At least 20 terrorists were reportedly killed in separate drone attacks in North and South Waziristan on Wednesday. This is the second time this week that the unmanned drones —operated by the CIA for targeted strikes on terrorists in Pakistan's tribal agencies adjoining Afghanistan — have struck in South Waziristan. According to local media reports, the target in North Waziristan was a “fortress like militant compound” that was used as a training camp in Shawal, which is near South Waziristan. Most of those killed in this drone attack were apparently foreigners and terrorists owing allegiance to Punjab-based terror groups. The second drone attack of the day was in the vicinity of a training camp in South Waziristan which has drawn considerable Predator attention this month. Most of the drone strikes this month have been in South Waziristan and in one of these last Friday, ‘specially designated global terrorist' Ilyas Kashmiri was reportedly killed. Full report at:http://www.hindu.com/2011/06/09/stories/2011060958541400.htm ------ Pak paramilitary trooper guns down youth at point blank range Jun 9, 2011 ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's security forces, reeling from the controversial shooting and killing of five unarmed Russians, faced fresh embarrassment on Wednesday after TV channels aired gruesome footage of a paramilitary trooper gunning down a youth at point blank range in Karachi. The footage shows the youth, identified as Sarfraz Shah, apparently pleading for mercy after being surrounded by five troopers of the Pakistan Rangers at Benazir Bhutto Park in Boat Basin area of Karachi. One of the troopers then fires two shots at Shah from point blank range with a G3 assault rifle. Pakistan Rangers officials had earlier told the media that Shah was an "armed criminal" and was killed when he resisted efforts to capture him after a robbery. The officials claimed security personnel had shot Shah after he fired at them. However, the footage aired on all TV news channels clearly showed that Shah was unarmed when he was shot. Full report at:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pak-paramilitary-trooper-guns-down-youth-at-point-blank-range/articleshow/8782742.cms ------ ‘US working on assumption that Kashmiri is alive’ June 09, 2011 Notwithstanding Pakistan’s assertion that dreaded Al Qaeda terrorist Ilyas Kashmiri is dead, US officials are working on the assumption that he is “still walking around.” US officials said their working assumption was that he remained alive despite assurances from Pakistan, The Telegraph said in its report from Kabul. Earlier, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik had said he could confirm “100 per cent” that Kashmiri had died when a predator drone fired three missiles into a house in South Waziristan as he and associates drank tea in the garden. Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had also said that the US had confirmed Kashmiri’s death but both American State and Defence departments insisted they had so far no confirmation of the killing of the Al Qaeda commander. “It wouldn’t be the first time that reports of his death have been wrong. We’re simply unable at this time to confirm reports of Kashmiri’s demise. Our working assumption is that he’s still walking around,” the daily quoted an unnamed US official. http://www.dailypioneer.com/344416/%E2%80%98US-working-on-assumption-that-Kashmiri-is-alive%E2%80%99.html ------ Pak Foreign Office mum on Iran’s allegations June 09, 2011 Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Wednesday declined to comment on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s remarks accusing the US of planning to sabotage Islamabad’s nuclear facilities. “Pakistan is a nuclear weapon State. This is an established fact. We do not comment on our strategic programme,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua said in response to a question about the Iranian President’s statement. Ahmadinejad had claimed on Tuesday that he had “precise information that America wants to sabotage the Pakistani nuclear facilities in order to control Pakistan and to weaken the Government and people of Pakistan”. The US would then use the UN Security Council “and some other international bodies as levers to prepare the ground for a massive presence (in Pakistan) and weaken the sovereignty of Pakistan”, he claimed. http://www.dailypioneer.com/344413/Pak-Foreign-Office-mum-on-Iran%E2%80%99s-allegations.html ------ Pak prosecutors to ask court to begin impounding Mush assets June 09, 2011 Pakistani prosecutors are expected to ask a court to launch proceedings for impounding former President Pervez Musharraf’s assets following his failure to respond to charges against him in connection with Benazir Bhutto’s killing within a 7-day deadline that ended on Wednesday. Judge Rana Nisar Ahmed of the Rawalpindi-based anti-terrorism court had given Musharraf time to respond to charges levelled against him after declaring him a “proclaimed offender” or fugitive on May 30. The court had directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to print advertisements in national newspapers giving details about the designation of Musharraf as a proclaimed offender and this was done on June 1, officials said. Full report at:http://www.dailypioneer.com/344409/Pak-prosecutors-to-ask-court-to-begin-impounding-Mush-assets.html ------ 'Headley provided info about LeT leaders in Pakistan' June 09, 2011 David Headley mapped out the hierarchy of Lashkar-e-Taiba and provided valuable information on terrorist leaders inside Pakistan, the US Federal Attorney told a court here. This information, given by Headley in the first two weeks after his arrest in October 2009, was passed on to other governments, Vicky Peters said during closing arguments in the trial of Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the Mumbai attacks. There was communication between terrorists in Pakistan and Headley wherein they knew that he was exchanging information with Pakistani-Canadian Rana, the Attorney said. He defended the plea agreement with Headley, a Pakistani-American, under which he will not be given death sentence and will also not be extradited to Pakistan, India or Denmark, saying that this was in exchange for the cooperation extended by the LeT operative. http://www.dailypioneer.com/344353/Headley-provided-info-about-LeT-leaders-in-Pakistan.html ------ Zardari mulls Sarabjit release Jun 09, 2011 Shafqat Ali Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is considering releasing Indian national Sarabjit Singh in response to appeals from various quarters, including his Mr Singh’s family, official sources said. Dalbir Kaur, the sister of Sarabjit Singh who is in Lahore, has appealed to President Zardari to commute the death penalty of Sarabjit to life imprisonment. She said due to a strict visa process, people of both India and Pakistan had suffered a lot to see their loved ones detained in different jails on different charges, so a new law should be evolved to address the issue. “If Benazir Bhutto had been alive, she would surely have changed this strict punishment into life imprisonment to bridge the gap between the two countries,” Ms Kaur said. She appealed to the authorities concerned to allow her to meet her brother, claiming that law enforcing agencies only found an identity card from Sarabjit Singh when they detained him over the charge of bombing in cities of Pakistan. Full report at:http://www.asianage.com/india/zardari-mulls-sarabjit-release-558 ------ Pak actress Atiqa Odho quits Musharraf's party over liquor row Jun 08 2011 Islamabad: Actress Atiqa Odho, a close aide of Pervez Musharraf, has resigned from the former military ruler's party after she was detained at an airport over the weekend for having two bottles of liquor in her luggage. The development embarrassed Musharraf's All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) as the consumption of alcohol by Muslims is prohibited in the country. Odho, a well-known television and film actress, was head of the APML's women's wing. Odho was detained at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Rawalpindi on Saturday after officials found two bottles of imported liquor in her luggage. She was freed after about an hour. APML spokesman Fawad Chaudhary said the party has formed a committee to look into the incident. The committee, after a thorough investigation, will decide on the issue of accepting Odho's resignation, he said. Full report at:http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/800899/ ------ US senator wants 15,000 troops out of Afghanistan Jun 09 2011 WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama should withdraw a minimum of 15,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2011, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee said on Tuesday. "At least 15,000 by the end of this year. That's what I think would be considered significant," Senator Carl Levin, a Democrat, told reporters outside the Senate. Obama said on Monday he will soon announce his decision on how many U.S. troops to withdraw from Afghanistan beginning in July to start a gradual pullout from that country. The White House says Obama expects to receive a recommendation from his military commanders on the withdrawal, the start of a transition to Afghan security control scheduled to conclude in 2014. Levin's suggestion appeared to put him at odds with the ranking Republican on his committee, Senator John McCain. McCain told a newspaper this week that he hopes Obama will withdraw no more than 3,000 troops starting in July. Full report at: http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=16741 ------ Anti-terror cooperation with Pakistan in US interest: Toner Jun 09 2011 WASHINGTON: The US anti-terror cooperation with Pakistan is in American long-term security interest and the cooperative efforts between the two countries have yielded results, the State Department said on Wednesday. “What we are trying to do in Pakistan is to build democratic institutions, to improve Pakistan’s security, to help it face an existential threat from terrorism. And that is where our assistance is focused,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner said at the daily briefing. “A strong, stable, peaceful, and prosperous Pakistan is in the interest of the region,” he said in response to a question by a journalist who questioned US assistance for Islamabad. Full report at:http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\06\09\story_9-6-2011_pg1_2 ------ Pakistan militant group vows to escalate fight in Afghanistan June 9, 2011 Maulvi Nazir, one of Pakistan's most influential militant leaders, speaks during a news conference in Wana, the main town of the South Waziristan region bordering Afghanistan, in this file photo taken April 20, 2007. The CIA has been pounding an area of South Waziristan along the Afghan border controlled by Maulvi Nazir. PHOTO: REUTERS DERA ISMAIL KHAN / ISLAMABAD: One of Pakistan’s most powerful militant groups plans to step up its fight against American troops in neighbouring Afghanistan in response to intensified US drone missile strikes on its territory, two of its commanders said on Wednesday. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had been pounding an area of South Waziristan along the Afghan border controlled by Maulvi Nazir, one of Pakistan’s most influential militant leaders. Full report at: http://tribune.com.pk/story/185272/185272/ ------ Human smugglers, over 144 Tajik, Afghan and Uzbek nationals arrested in Chaman June 8, 2011 According to FC officials, two of those arrested are human smugglers. QUETTA: Frontier Corps personnel on Wednesday arrested 144 Tajik, Afghan and Uzbek nationals from Darra Khozak area of Chaman during an operation. The foreigners had entered Chaman illegally. Some of them were arrested while trying to cross the FC post on foot while on their way to Quetta. The remaining were arrested during an operation in Darra Khozak. According to FC officials, two of those arrested are human smugglers. The foreigners are said to be economic migrants who had left their areas after paying money to human smugglers for crossing the border. http://tribune.com.pk/story/184737/human-smugglers-over-100-foreigners-arrested-in-chaman/ ------ Hajj quotas: ‘Ministry ignoring court’s orders’ June 9, 2011 LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry on Wednesday issued notice to the Ministry of Religious Affairs to reply within 15 days on a petition for the implementation of the court’s orders to the ministry to come up with a transparent new method for the allotment of Hajj quotas to tour operators. Petitioner Carvan-i-Hujaj Travels and Tours (Pvt) Ltd, through Advocate Muhammad Azhar Siddique, submitted that the ministry was ignoring the court’s directions of June 6 to give all eligible operators the chance to win quotas. The petitioner said the ministry was not entertaining the new Hajj operators and instead continuing its previous practice of allotting quotas to the old operators. He said some of the old operators had not even met registration requirements. He said this amounted to contempt of court. He asked the court to stay the processing of applications for Hajj quotas from operators till the ministry reorganises the registration of operators; and to direct the ministry to allot quotas to operators on merit and without bias. Full report at:http://tribune.com.pk/story/185067/hajj-quotas-ministry-ignoring-courts-orders/ URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=4797 |
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