Obama Shift
March 31, 2009
The US says it will contribute $40m (£28m) toward holding the Afghan elections this summer.
Last week, Mr Obama announced a fundamental rethink of US strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan to combat an “increasingly perilous” situation.
He said growing radical forces in the area posed the greatest threat to the American people and the world.
Promising an extra 4,000 US personnel to train and bolster the Afghan army and police, he also vowed support for civilian development.
Special US envoy Richard Holbrooke, also attending the conference, earlier predicted it would be “the launch point for the international recommitment to the effort in Afghanistan and western Pakistan”.
Tuesday’s conference is officially billed as a “Comprehensive Strategy in a Regional Context”.
Of 73 countries invited, only one, Uzbekistan, declined to attend.
Sharif’s brother back in office
March 31, 2009
Pakistan’s Supreme Court has restored Nawaz Sharif’s brother, Shahbaz, as chief minister of the powerful Punjab province, easing a political row.
The move is part of a court review of a ruling last month that banned the brothers from holding elected office because of old convictions.
The suspension of the ban means Shahbaz Sharif can resume office immediately while the court review continues.
It is the latest in a series of political victories for the Sharifs.
On Monday, President Asif Ali Zardari lifted central rule in Punjab, the heartland of support for the Sharifs’ PML-N party, after placing it in the control of one of his allies following the ban last month.
Ten days ago, Mr Zardari also reinstated the sacked chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, to stave off a nationwide protest led by Nawaz Sharif – a former prime minister and now the main opposition leader.
The Sharifs said the court ban on their holding office was unconstitutional, as it was not under the direction of Mr Chaudhry, who had been removed from office by former President Pervez Musharraf.
Temporary measure
The court ruling is a temporary stay of the order of disqualification against Shahbaz Sharif, says our correspondent Shoaib Hasan in Islamabad.
It does not end court reviews of the eligibility of the Sharif brothers, who were both disqualified from holding elected office or running for election on 25 February.
That ruling prompted President Zardari to replace Mr Sharif’s administration in Punjab, angering his supporters and sparking mass nationwide protests that threatened the stability of the country and alarmed Western powers.
Following pressure to defuse the crisis, the government of the deeply unpopular Mr Zardari appealed against the ban.
The Sharifs have accused Mr Zardari of being behind the original court ban, a charge he denies.
Sharifs’ election ban overturned
March 31, 2009
The Supreme Court in Pakistan has overturned a ban on opposition leader Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz holding elected office.
It had barred Mr Sharif because of a 1999 conviction, but now says its judgment of 25 February is suspended.
Shahbaz Sharif is restored as chief minister of Punjab province.
Sharif supporters joined protests against the government in March, which were defused by the reinstatement of the sacked former chief justice.
On Monday President Asif Ali Zardari lifted federal rule in Punjab, the heartland of support for the Sharifs’ PML-N party.
LAHORE AT WAR
March 30, 2009
Once again Pakistani prove their mettle as they stand united against the scrooge of terrorism. Bloody, evil terrorists attacked the Pakistan and security forces with the help of villagers arrested and sent some of the terrorist to the hell. Terrorists besieged Manawan police academy and started shooting at everything in sight.
Police Jawans immediately took positions and risked their lives to get their companions released and these policemen also managed to defeat terrorism.
But its very alarming. It seems that some group of terrorists has declared war on the Lahore city of Pakistan. It’s some group with lots of international backing with lots of resources and money. They way these terrorists attacked police academy with 800 people shows that these terrorists mean business and they want to demoralize the police.
Lahore is the prime target of terrorists right now, the only city in Pakistan where business is booming and where the lift is at full hubbeb. Terrorists want to choke Pakistan. We need to rise up to this occassion and fight terrorists at every corner and at every street.
12 Uzbek Terrorists Attack
March 30, 2009
Reports circulated among all the security agencies that Uzbek terrorists have entered Punjab province of Pakistan for massive terrorists activities. According to Regional Police Officer (RPO) Sargodha region, Mukhtar Gondal, nearly 20 suspected Uzbek terrorists had entered Punjab who could target Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Bhakkar and Sargodha.
Now some of these terrorists have struck at Manawan police academy. Reportedly, there were 8 terrorists who attacked. 4 of them were killed and 4 arrested.
12 Uzbek terrorists are still at large.
Commandos secure Lahore, Manawan Police Academy
March 30, 2009
LAHORE: Security forces have secured one portion of Manawan Police Academy, Geo news reported on Monday.
According to Tv news correspondents who are inside premises of the Academy, commandos of elite force and army have captured the terrorists alive. After clearing the compound and arresting the terrorists, the commandos fired in jubilation and said “Allah Akber”.
According to sources, the operation has been successfully completed after eight hours of intense gun battle.
1 Terrorist Arested
March 30, 2009
1 terrorist arrested from Lahore Police Training center area..
An Associated Press photographer saw police take away a single suspect at the academy in Lahore.
Television footage also showed police and other security forces surrounding the bearded man and kicking him in a field outside the compound.
Security forces are engaged in a pitched battle with gunmen holed up inside the academy walls. Officials say the attack early Monday has killed at least 11 police officers and wounded more than 90 people.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information.
Angelina Jolie’s Health Continues to Cause Concern
March 30, 2009
Angelina Jolie’s health is causing such a concern, producers on-set of her new movie, Salt, have been forced to have a “discreet word” with the star.
According to Britain’s Mail on Sunday newspaper, Jolie, 33, is exhausted and barely seeing Brad and her children – who have moved from LA to New York, where she is filming, to be closer to her.
A source says, “Brad and the kids have barely visited the set and Angelina seems very insular.
“She’s staying on her own, working 15-hour days and the stress is taking its toll. We’re all very concerned.
“She’s on a liquid detox diet to lose 21lb in 20 days. She is doing all the stunts herself and barely has time to eat.
“She is looking so small on camera, the producers have had to have a discreet word.”
Indian money stashed abroad should be brought back: Advani
March 30, 2009
New Delhi: Joining the chorus with the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani on Sunday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to raise at the G-20 summit the issue of Indian money stashed abroad. “I want to demand today that the prime minister raise this issue strongly at the G-20 and ask to be provided with the details of the Indian wealth abroad,” Advani told reporters here.
“I want to say that if NDA (BJP-led National Democratic Alliance) is voted to power, we will pursue this issue at legal and executive level and force Indian citizens to bring back their wealth to the country,” Advani said, citing the “crusade” by western countries against tax havens provided by Swiss banks. Advani also asked the prime minister to hold a cabinet meeting on the issue before leaving for the G-20 economic summit, to be held in London April 2. He said that the leaders of France, Germany, Britain and other countries have joined forces with US President Barack Obama in the battle against tax evasion and are mounting pressure on Switzerland and offshore tax havens to put an end to banking secrecy to bring back their citizens’ hidden wealth. The JD-U and the CPI-M have already demanded that the government should ask the Swiss authorities to divulge the names of Indians who have stashed away ill-gotten money in secret bank accounts there. CPI-M leader Prakash Karat made the demand when releasing his party’s election manifesto. Advani quoted figures to buttress his point. “The total amount in foreign banks was $2.6 trillion in 2001 and in 2007 it was $5.7 trillion, which amounts to Rs.285 lakh crore. This is total – India’s share is between $500 billion and $1,400 billion in 2001 and 2007 respectively,” said Advani. Terming the issue as a convergence of “terror, crime and black money”, the BJP leader said the money stashed abroad is enough to meet the developmental needs of the country. “We have estimated that if the whole amount … is brought back, the debt of all farmers can be paid off. We may have world-class roads in the whole country… There will be facilities for potable water in 600,000 villages… This is just to show the advantage accrued to the country,” Advani argued. “Last year, I had written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the need to get the names of Indians, presumed to have secret accounts in LGT Bank in Liechtenstein in Germany. I was disappointed to see that the reply I received from the then union finance minister was evasive,” he said. The BJP leader also quoted a statement of Transparency International (TI) that said, “India has maintained a stoic silence over the issue and has not approached the German government for this data.” The former deputy prime minister said that National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan had cautioned in 2007 about the “terror money” responsible for the boom in the stock exchange then. “Earlier, there were black money and crime money and now there is terror money. It is convergence of terror, crime and black money. We need to pursue it with courage and determination for national interest,” asserted the octogenarian leader. Advani said he will write to the Election Commission to ask all candidates to submit an affidavit regarding any assets abroad. He also promised to form a task force comprising R. Vaidyanathan, a professor of finance at the Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore, financial expert S. Gurumurthy, criminal lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani and security expert Ajit Doval. He said the chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states will write to the prime minister urging him to write to the authorities abroad to disclose the names of hoarders of Indian monies abroad, since it is a huge loss to the state exchequer.
46 Tamil rebels killed in Sri Lanka
March 30, 2009
COLOMBO: Sri Lankan government troops killed at least 46 rebels during weekend battles in the northeast of the island where they have cornered the Tamil Tiger guerrillas, the defence ministry said Sunday.
The Tiger fighters were shot dead in two days of fighting in and around the town of Puthukkudiriruppu, the ministry said in a statement.
Military officials say the rebels have been pushed back into a narrow strip of jungle coastline and will be wiped out by next month.
“Sporadic fighting and small scale door-to-door operations are continuing in the area targeting enemy pockets and resistance positions,” the ministry said.
There was no immediate comment from the Tigers, but the pro-rebel Tamilnet website accused the military of shelling civilian areas and killing 179 people since Thursday.
The military denies targeting civilians and in turn blames the Tigers for holding tens of thousands as human shields.
The international community, led by the United Nations, has raised concerns for the safety of civilians trapped in the conflict zone and called for a halt in the fighting to allow non-combatants to move to safety.
Sri Lanka’s government has resisted calls for a truce and said it would not accept anything short of total surrender by the guerrillas, who have been fighting for independence since 1972.
Verification of battlefield claims is almost impossible as the authorities do not allow independent journalists and international observers to travel to the area.
