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| Expulsion of diplomats not to affect peace process: Pak | | | | Islamabad, Aug 7
Pakistan said today its expulsion of a senior Indian diplomat and the tit-for-tat action by New Delhi should not affect the peace process.
"In our view the expulsions should make no difference to the peace process," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told reporters at a briefing here.
She was asked about India's comment that the expulsion of Deepak Kaul would "undermine bilateral relations".
Kaul, who returned home today, was expelled after being handcuffed and detained on Saturday. India retaliated by declaring Syed Muhammad Rafique Ahmed, Counsellor (political) at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, persona non grata and asked him to leave the country.
To another question whether the expulsion would vitiate the atmosphere, Aslam said "there are many things that spoil the atmosphere, when baseless allegations are made. Yes it vitiates climate, but we have to move beyond that".
Asked whether the expulsion would add "strains" to bilateral ties, she said "you are aware of the circumstances which led to the expulsion. It also needs to be ... | |
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| Government extends OTAS of SCARD Bank by one year: Zargar | | | | Srinagar, Aug 7
Government has decided to extend One Time Amnesty Scheme-2005 (OTAS) by one year in State Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank (SCARD) to help farmers to clear their long pending loan outstandings. The OTAS will now be available to the loanees of the Bank upto August 2007 which will provide waiver of 100% penal interest and 50% principal interest in respect of all NPA cases upto March 2002.
This decision was taken at a high level meeting held here today to review the functioning of the SCARD Bank.
The Minister for Agriculture Cooperative Mr. A.A. Zargar presided.
The Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir Mr. Basharat Ahmad Dhar who is also chairman of th... | |
| | | | Month's free ration sanctioned for flood affected | | | | Baramulla, August 7
The Chief Executive Councilor, LAHDC, Kargil Haji Asgar Ali Karbalaie accompanied by Executive Councilor for Rural development Haji Mohammad Ishaq, deputy commissioner, Kargil Kachoo Isfandyar Khan and a team of district Officers visited flood affected areas of Shakar-Chiktan block yesterday.
Due to cloud burst and resultant heavy flood on August 5 evening severe damages were caused to residential houses, standing crops, trees and irrigation kuhls in Samrah and Kukshow villages of Shakar Chiktan block.
Twenty Seven residential houses some shops, one DG station, one MAC and LDC building and several other government properties were damaged due to flash floods i... | |
| | | | Azad directs early launching of more 25 mini-hydel projects | | | | SRINAGAR, AUGUST 7
Chief Minister Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad has called for conducting a comprehensive survey for evaluating and harnessing the vast hydel power potential available in Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing 44th meeting of the Board of Directors of Jammu and Kashmir State Power Corporation here today, Chief Minister also laid stress on completion of on-going hydel projects so that availability of power for the people of the state is increased. He said all out efforts need to be made to complete the execution of the projects within the stipulated time frame to avoid time and cost over-runs.
Referring to mini and micro- hydel projects, Mr. Azad said that work on already allotte... | |
| | | | CM lauds role of Air Force in protecting human lives | | | | SRINAGAR, AUGUST 7
While felicitating Indian Air Force for their valuable and significant role played by them since independence, Chief Minister Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad said that people of Jammu and Kashmir have great respect for Air Force as they were always first to protect them time and again from disasters and invasions.
Addressing Air Force Sector Commanders prestigious annual conclave here today, Chief Minister said that history is witness to the fact that when tribals were plundering people of Kashmir in 1947, it was the effectiveness of Air Force which helped the people to resist the onslaught.
Mr. Azad also recalled the role of Air Force at the time of snow tsunami, whic... | |
| | | | Privilege motion not against Manmohan: Natwar | | | | NEW DELHI, AUG 7
Former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh today said the notice of breach of privilege motion moved by him in Rajya Sabha was against the institution of Prime Minister and not against Manmohan Singh.
"The privilege notice is against the Prime Minister of India, which is an office, an institution. There is nothing personal against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh," the Congress leader told reporters here.
Natwar Singh, who has been indicted by the R S Pathak Inquiry Authority for his role in the Iraqi oil-for-food scam, asserted that alongwith the Congress Party he should also have been given a clean chit in the matter.
Singh said he was not upset with Prime Mini... | |
| | | | Govt will accept recommendations of working groups: Saxena | | | | Srinagar, Aug 7
Former secretary to Planning Commission Dr N C Saxena, heading one of the five working groups set up to address various issues on Kashmir, said his group will work on bringing administration close to common people.
Talking to mediapersons today Dr Saxena said the members will deliberate on various issues including increasing accountability and transparency of the administration, strengthening local self- government, effective monitoring of developmental programmes, institution of zero tolerance for human rights violation, strengthening the right to information and providing security to all segments of society particularly minority communities.
Dr Saxena expressed the hop... | |
| | | | Pak alleges Indian consulate in Iran aiding Baloch rebels | | | | Islamabad, Aug 7
Pakistan has asked Iran to monitor the Indian consulate in the Iranian border city of Zahidan, alleging it was aiding nationalist rebels in the southwest Balochistan province.
Islamabad has accused the Indian diplomatic office of fermenting the revolt by Baloch nationalists who have been demanding more autonomy and the dismantling of Pakistan's military garrisons in the province.
Pakistani interior secretary Syed Kamal Shah, who returned from a visit to Iran yesterday, made the complaint to officials in Tehran, media reports said.
Islamabad has made repeated accusations that Indian consulates in Zahidan and cities in Afghanistan are funding tribal militants in Balo... | |
| | | | Expelled Indian diplomat returns home from Pakistan | | | | Wagah, Aug 7
Indian diplomat Deepak Kaul, who returned home today after being expelled from Pakistan, denied the charge that he was carrying any secret document and said the he was disappointed the way he was treated by Pakistani authorities.
"I was intercepted, picked up, roughed up and handcuffed by Pakistani officials while on way to Wagah to received my family," Kaul told reporters here when asked to comment on the last weeks's incident.
He said he remained in their custody for about five hours during which they (Pakistan officials) interrogated him.
Kaul said that he was not carrying any secret documents with him and was disappointed the way he was treated by Pakistani authori... | |
| | | | India's non-paper proposed more autonomy for J&K: report | | | | Islamabad, Aug 7
Prior to the Mumbai blasts, India had proposed to Pakistan large doses of autonomy to Kashmir within constitutional limits, freedom for non-terror detainees and troop reduction in the valley if militancy ended, a newspaper claimed today.
The daily Nation, quoting unnamed officials, said the Indian proposals were contained in a "non-paper" sent to Pakistan.
One of the proposals envisaged the return of Jammu and Kashmir to its pre-1953 constitutional state -- which means all its affairs, except defence, foreign matters and communications, would be run by the state government, the daily said.
Last month Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri had said Islamabad had recei... | |
| | | | Kargil ghosts haunt Pak Opposition, again | | Is Nawaz ignorant of India's intelligence failures? | | | B L KAK
NEWS ANALYSIS
NEW DELHI: AUGUST 7
India, of course, is a strong, vibrant country. India is universally known for its great achievements and successes in economic, scientific, industrial and technological areas. And 'Mera Bharat Mahan' is also widely known for quite a few intelligence failures so far.
The big intelligence failure of India was in the summer of 1999 when Pakistani troops took the Indian intelligence community by surprise after capturing a portion of the Indian territory in the Kargil sector. Nawaz Sharif, who was then Pakistan's Prime Minister, like many others in his country, was not ignorant about louder noises within India against the "grave" failure of Indi... | |
| | | | CHIEF JUSTICE DEFERRED | | JBA TO PROTEST ON TAWI BRIDGE TODAY MEETING WITH | | | Jammu, August 07
The members of the Jammu Bar Association on Monday once again closed down the main entrance of the High court complex pressing their demand for immediate transfer of the trial in sex scam from Srinagar to Jammu.The lawyers strike entered 41st day on Monday.
Following the similar drill, the members of the association first blocked entry of vehicles into the court complex by parking their vehicles on the link road leading to the High court complex and later locked the gate of the main entrance forcing every one to walk on foot through the small gate.
Members of the bar association also shouted slogans and demanded fair justice.
Meanwhile, the much awaited meeting of the... | |
| | | | BJP GAINING FOOT HOLD | | 'ENROLLMENT DRIVE SUCCESSFUL' | | | Jammu, August 07
Slowly but surely the state unit of the Bharatiya Janta Party has been gaining ground by regularly organizing special enrollment drives aimed at increasing partys strength and mass base in the state.
According to the BJP President, Dr Nirmal Singh " the recent enrollment drive carried out by the party turned out to be very encouraging and fruitful as party workers enrolled over 20,000 fresh members.
Giving details of the total number of the active members of the BJP in the state,Singh said "there were already over one lakh active members of the BJP in the state and out of this 20,000 were from the Kashmir valley."
He said that under the drive for enrolling more me... | |
| | | | Musharraf will release his memoirs in New York | | 'In the Line of Fire' | | | EARLY TIMES DELHI BUREAU
NEW DELHI, AUG. 7
Come September, Pakistan President, Gen. Parvez Musharraf, will be in New York to witness an event, which will be the product of his supporters. The upcoming event, slated for September 25, will be the release of Gen. Musharraf's book.
The book, titled 'In the Line of Fire' which Pakistan President calls “a memoir”, is going to be beyond the purchasing power of the majority of the people in Pakistan, as it will cost Rs 1,932.
A launch is being planned when Gen. Musharraf visits the United States to attend the opening of the next UN General Assembly session, which begins around the third week of September.
The book, to be published by Simon and... | |
| | | | 800 evacuated, 15 killed in flood-hit Ladakh | | | | Jammu, Aug 7
More than 800 people were evacuated to safer places in Ladakh where flash floods triggered by heavy rains have killed at 15 people including three Army personnel, officials said today.
The frontier region remained cut off from the rest of the country for the fifth day due to closure of both Leh-Srinager and Leh-Manali roads while the Army had deployed about 300 jawans and officers and set up five "tented village camps" for relief and rescue work, they said.
"We have rescued 800 people from submerged areas till now and provided food over 2,000, most of whom have lost their houses to the flash floods. The Army is trying to reach out to people in all affected places," Defenc... | |
| | | | Parliament paralysed over leakage of report | | | | NEW DELHI, AUG 7
The leakage of the Pathak Authority report rocked Parliament today with indicted Natwar Singh seeking to raise breach of privilege against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the Rajya Sabha getting all round support from the opposition as well as government allies Samajwadi Party and Left parties.
Proceedings were paralysed in the Rajya Sabha, of which Natwar Singh is a member, and the Lok Sabha where Congress President Sonia Gandhi was the target of opposition attack.
Demands for the Prime Minister's resignation and an apology from him was made by opposition members in the Lok Sabha. The Prime Minister was not present in either House.
In the Rajya Sabha, besides N... | |
| | | | HC notice to Centre on war room leak case | | | | NEW DELHI, AUG 7
The Delhi High Court today issued a notice to the Union Government on a PIL seeking direction to the Intelligence Bureau to share certain confidential information on the Navy War Room leak case with the CBI.
The direction was issued on a PIL filed by Centre for Public Interest Litigation, which alleged that the IB was concealing vital information in the case to protect certain highly influential personalities. ... | |
| | | | Kashmir highway still closed, Leh reopens today | | | | Srinagar, Aug 7
The 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national higway was again blocked today due to landslides, triggered by heavy rains.
However, The 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway reopened today after remaining closed for two-days, a traffic police official said.
He said traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu highway, the only road linking Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, was again suspend this morning following landslides and mudlisdes between Ramban and Ramsu.
Traffic on the highway was resumed yesterday afternoon and all the stranded passenger vehicles were allowed to move towards their respective destination. Hundreds of trucks loaded with essential commodities and ... | |
| | | | Justice Pathak exonerates Congress | | Natwar on his way out of his parent organisation | | | B L KAK
NEW DELHI, AUG. 7
The Congress supremo, Sonia Gandhi, is reported to have endorsed the idea of showing Natwar Singh the door. On present indications, controversial Natwar Singh may be out of his parent organisation, the Congress, sooner than later.
Just one formality will have to be completed before Natwar Singh is thrown out--that is, a meeting of the Congress Working Committee will be convened to decide on the fate of the former External Affairs Minister. Natwar Singh has erved the Congress party since he left the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 1984. He is defiant even while counting his irrecoverable political losses and loss of personal honour.
As a member of th... | |
| | | | Justice Pathak exonerates Congress | | Natwar on his way out of his parent organisation | | | B L KAK
NEW DELHI, AUG. 7
The Congress supremo, Sonia Gandhi, is reported to have endorsed the idea of showing Natwar Singh the door. On present indications, controversial Natwar Singh may be out of his parent organisation, the Congress, sooner than later.
Just one formality will have to be completed before Natwar Singh is thrown out--that is, a meeting of the Congress Working Committee will be convened to decide on the fate of the former External Affairs Minister. Natwar Singh has erved the Congress party since he left the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 1984. He is defiant even while counting his irrecoverable political losses and loss of personal honour.
As a member of th... | |
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