 |
|
Lone's death a blow to peace process, say Delhi'ites ŠNew Delhi, May 22 (ANI): The assassination on Tuesday of Kashmiri separatist leader Abdul Ghani Lone, a politician moderate in his outlook, has left Delhi'ites shocked. Most people said Lone's death would adveresely affect the efforts to bring peace in Kashmir. "Kashmir's future isn't all that bright. The one leader who was fighting for Kashmir has now been killed. There is no other party there now to continue that struggle", said a resident of the capital. "Lone had started the process of peace. People who don't want peace in our country, people who don't want brotherhood between Hindus and Muslims, this murder has been carried out by them", said another. People in Pakistan also expressed anger and shock. "Lone's martyrdom proves that Kashmir can never become a peaceful place and the war clouds which are hovering over the subcontinent cannot be dispelled until Kashmiris are given their right of self-determination", said a shopkeeper. President Pervez Musharraf conveyed his "deep shock and grief over the sad assassination", according to a government statement. Earlier, the Pakistan Foreign Ministry condemned what it called "cold-blooded murder" of Lone and said it was "yet another incident in the continuing reign of terror unleashed by the occupying forces in the Indian-held Kashmir for the last 12 years". Lone was shot dead by unidentified gunmen, wearing army uniform, at a public rally in Srinagar. The rally was organised to commermorate the 12th death anniversary of Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammed Farooq (father of Hurriyat leader Umar Farooq) who had been killed by unidentified assailants.(ANI) Be ready for action and aim at victory, PM tells Army
Go
to top Kupwara, May 22 (ANI): Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee told a huge gathering of soldiers here on Wednesday that time has come to take serious action against cross- border terrorism. The Army must be ready for sacrifices in order to achieve a clear victory as the nation's development process was being harmed by the proxy war forced on it by the neighbouring country, he said. "Be prepared for sacrifices. But our aim should be victory. It's now time for a decisive fight," Vajpayee announced. "Let no one think that we'll keep raising the limit of our Štolerance. Our neighbour has found a new way of fighting. They don't fight face to face any more. They don't have the courage to fight face to face. They are fighting a proxy war," the Prime Minister stated. The nation faces a challenge , which it accepts, he remarked, adding that " we are being forced to fight a war, which we will definitely fight and become victorious too. No one should have any doubts about that." Vajpayee reiterated that India was not interested in a war and wanted to focus on its social and economic development and his visit to the border post was a signal of India's resolve and preparedness. "My coming here is a signal. Whether our neighbour understands that signal or not, whether the world keeps track of it or not, history will remember this and we will write a new history of our victory," he declared as the troops applauded. Defence Minister George Fernandes, who was also present at Kupwara, said the soldiers were awaiting combat orders from the authorities. "For the past three or four months whenever I have visited Indian army posts and spoken to the soldiers, the only thing they asked 'when do we get orders for a forward (combat) march'," he added. (ANI)
Lone's son holds J and K CM indirectly responsible Go to top Srinagar, May 22 (ANI): Sajjad Lone, son of the murdered Hurriyat leader Abdul Ghani Lone, said on Wednesday that Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah was "responsible" for the assassination of his father. Abdullah had considerably lessened the security cover of the Hurriyat leader despite a threat to his life, he said. Abdul Ghani Lone, a moderate APHC leader, was killed by two unidentified persons while he was participating in a public meeting on Tuesday. "My father died in the convergence between state actors and non- state actors," Sajjad said adding that the state actors were led by Abdullah. "Our house was attacked twice and on both occasions they said it was stage-managed", he added. Asked about his Tuesday's statement in which he said that ISI was behind the killing, Sajjad replied that so many agencies, both from India and Pakistan, work here so it was difficult to say who was behind the attack. "The statement was not backed by any factual information," he added. (ANI)
Five Indian warships sailing to Arabian Sea
Go to top New Delhi, May 22 (ANI): Five Indian warships--a destroyer, a frigate and three missile corvettles-- will soon reach Mumbai from Vishakhapatnam to augment the western fleet whose operational aera covers the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. This is being done, according to a naval spokesman on Wednesday, to enhance the level of preparedness on the western sector in view of the nation's security concerns. The Indian Navy has a total of 140 ships. The movements follow increasing tension between India and Pakistan. The nuclear rivals have massed almost a million men along their border in a stand-off over the Kashmir issue. In fact Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, in a speech to soldiers in Kashmir's Kupwara area on Wednesday, said the time had come for a decisive fight.(ANI)
Two die in building explosion
Go to
top Coimbatore, May 22 (ANI): A blast in a double-storyed building in Udumalpet, about 40 km from here, on Wednesday killed two persons and left 10 people injured. The two man died on the spot. All the injured have been hospitalised, the police said. The mishap occurred in a shop, selling explosives, situated on the ground floor of the building. Fire service and police personnel are still engaged in rescue operations. Some vehicles parked in front of the building were also damaged. The cause of the explosion is not yet known.(ANI)
5 killed in east Delhi slum fire
Go to
top Shakarpur, May 22 (ANI): At least five people, including two children, were killed and more than 1000 hutments destroyed in a major fire in a slum cluster in Shakarpur, falling under east Delhi, on Wednesday afternoon. The fire broke out at around 1415 hrs, sources said adding that 25 fire tenders were called in to fight the blaze. Fire department officials fought for about an hour before the blaze was brought under control. An unidentified man was quoted as saying: "We were having our food at the time when the fire broke out. We started pulling out our belongings". A woman said, "the fire spread at such a rapid pace that we couldn't take out our entire belongings, and they got burnt inside". Firemen said they suspected the fire was caused due to leak in a cooking gas cylinder. They said all the five dead were residents of the slum cluster, but their identity was yet to be established. Even as intense heat waves have hit the Capital, this is the seventh fire incident in as many days here. The mercury has touched the 46-degree-celcius mark during the past one week. (ANI)
One killed in sectarian clash in Karachi, 50 held
Karachi, May 22 (ANI): Police arrested 50 people after an incident of sectarian violence in this city in which one person was killed and two were injured, a spokesman said Wednesday. Police fired warning shots to quell the riot as about 40 vehicles were set ablaze during a clash between minority Shi'ite and majority Sunni Muslims in a central district of Karachi. "We have arrested 50 people on charges of burning vehicles, arson," according to Deputy Inspector General of Police Tariq Jamil. Participants of a religious procession turned violent after some people threw stones and fired upon them on Tuesday. According to witnesses, when "Chup Taazia" reached the Lasbela roundabout for going towards Imambargah Shah-e-Najaf through Nishtar Road, some persons standing there threw stones at them. The participants got provoked and retaliated by hurling stones themselves. Some persons also started aerial firing. Later, someone from the procession snatched the rifle of a police constable and started firing resulting in injuries to a person called Noor Dad who later died in hospital. The participants Šransacked at least six shops and set on fire 40 vehicles, including trucks, buses, minibuses, rickshaws and motorcycles.(ANI)
Three years of RI for Benazir, nine others
Go
to top Islamabad, May 22 (ANI): Accountability Court in Rawalpindi awarded three years of rigorous imprisonment in absentia to former premier Benazir Bhutto and nine senior executives, including the managing director and two vice-presidents of Swiss company SGS for willfully absconding the court proceedings in SGS reference and issued their perpetual arrest warrants. The punishment was awarded under Section 31-A of NAB Ordinance for which the application was moved by Deputy Prosecutor General NAB Abdul Baseer Qureshi and prayed to the court for awarding punishment to the accused under the NAB Ordinance. The judge Mohammad Mansoor Ali Khan, accepting the plea of prosecution, awarded the punishment.(ANI)
|