KC Pant resigns

         New Delhi: Planning Commission Deputy Chairperson K C Pant has resigned following defeat of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. Pant, also member of Cabinet Committee on Security, submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on Thursday before the last Cabinet meeting, official sources said here on Saturday. The resignation came in the backdrop of NDA failing to secure majority needed to form the government, they said.

PAF won't wait for F-16s, to buy frontline jets in 3 years

          Lahore: Pakistan will not wait indefinitely for the US to hand over the F-16 aircraft that Islamabad had purchased in 1990s, and has activated the process of examining other viable options to ensure the frontline jets are inducted into the country's air force by 2007. Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Kaleem Saadat disclosed this in an exclusive interview to the News. When asked about the F-16s, Saadat said it was not an issue. "I tell the Americans that F-16 has become an emotional issue for both the parties." In a lighter tone, the ACM laughed and said he suggested to his interlocutors, "Why don't we change the request for F-16s to one F-18, so we can close the F-16s chapter and start a new chapter of F-18s. You see why the PAF is stuck with the case of F-16s." He said that at least, 60 air-superiority aircraft would be purchased almost immediately to defend the country's aerial frontiers, and added that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is likely to finalize one of the options soon. Discussing the options, Saadat named the French Mirage 2000-9, the Chinese J-10 (F-10), US F-16s and the Swedish AJ-39 (Grippens).

           "It is imperative for the PAF to equip its existing fleet with hi-tech air-superiority aircraft to counter any aerial threat in future," the Pakistan air chief said, adding that the PAF had already presented the government with its future force goals for the next 10-15 years. Describing the entire procurement process as being quite exhaustive, Saadat said that no deal could be termed as final till it was signed. Pakistan's existing fleet of fighter aircraft includes 30 plus F- 16s and 50 F-7PGs that have a life span of eight to nine years. The PAF, he said, would have to work on a three-pronged program for creating a semblance of balance of air power in the region. They being - upgrade the existing fleet and acquire the JF-17, go for advanced Chinese J-10s in the coming few years and acquire hi-tech western jetfighters as soon as possible. "The question is, will the PAF have the resources to fund all these programs?" he said in conclusion.

US lifts restrictions on Pak visas (Go To Top)

          Islamabad: Citizens of Pakistan will no longer face obstacles as far as getting visas to visit the United States is concerned, said a senior Bush Administration official who is currently on a visit here. US Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Consular Affairs Maura Harty said that the US Embassy here has been instructed to issue more visas to Pakistanis this year than they did last year. The US will enroll people so that they can identify the problems, particularly, in getting the second visa. "But it is new system, it is growing and getting pace," The News quoted Harty as saying. "We saw a number of changes after 9-11 with respect to enhancing US security. It is extremely important for us to provide security not only to Americans but all other nations living in the United States. Security will be always 'job one' for us," she told reporters. "My job is to strike balance between need for security and to facilitate the people travel to our country. We want students, business people and tourist to come to United States. We want people to learn about the United States through their own experience and not through editorials or TV shows," she added. Talking about delays in the issuance of visas, Hary said: "7.1 million visa applications were filed during the last year and only 2.2 per cent of these were sent back to Washington for a special check." Responding to a question about deportation of Pakistanis and people from other Muslim countries from USA, she said:, "We do not ever decide to take law enforcement action or visa adjudication based on ethnicity, religion or gender. We decide the cases on the basis of merit and facts."

Election results won't change Indo-Pak rapprochement: Kasuri (Go To Top)

          Islamabad: Indo-Pak rapprochement won't be affected by the change of government taking place in India, claimed Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri on Friday. Recalling that support for the ongoing dialogue process had come from India's Congress party and other political parties in that country, Kasuri was quoted by The News as saying in an interview with the BBC that there was unanimous support for the joint statement issued on behalf President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee after their meeting on the sidelines of the 12th SAARC summit held here in January. Kashmiri parties had also supported the joint statement. So there was no party opposing the dialogue process, he added. He, however, acknowledged that there might be some small extremist pockets opposing the dialogue, but added, "I do not think that they are any significant factors in the public opinion." "We can now say that perhaps the new government may take sometime in this regard. Even the government formation process takes considerable time. But as far as peace process is concerned, I am not concerned about it," he added.

Pak protests as US troops make another intrusion into territory (Go To Top)

          Islamabad: Another intrusion by American troops into Pakistani territory has drawn flak from Islamabad. US troops crossed into Lowara Mandi on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border on Friday, the fifth consecutive intrusion by them, reported Online News. Informed sources said that the crossover was undertaken twice. Some 20 US troops topped on four Humvee and two armored vehicles reached Tochi Scouts (Frontier Constabulary) check post and attempted to enter Pakistani territory but FC men after negotiations persuaded US troops to go back to their posts in Afghanistan. US troops, who seemed to be on 'something special' made another attempt and managed to enter Lowara Mandi two hours later. They remained in the area for sometime and carried out their search in the main market. Some local tribesmen informed the FC camp personnel, prompting Captain Nasir and FC personnel to reach the scene. Captain Nasir forced US troops to go back to Afghanistan.

Congress victory may influence politics in Pakistan: PPP politician (Go To Top)

          Lahore: A senior leader of the opposition Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has said that Pakistan should emulate India in holding free and fair elections and hand over power to the country's elected public representatives. Khalid Kharal of the Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP-P) was speaking to reporters at a press conference on Friday. Criticizing the Jamali-led coalition government, Kharal held it responsible for the current wave of sectarian killings that were taking place in the country. He called for fresh general elections under the supervision of an independent Chief Election Commission (CEC) and human rights watchdogs, reported the Daily Times.

US investigating prisoner abuse in Afghanistan: Rocca (Go To Top)

          Colombo: Visiting U.S assistant secretary of state for South Asia, Christina Rocca, has said on that Washington is investigating charges of detainee abuse by its soldiers in Afghanistan, and promised to bring the guilty to justice but gave no time frame for the completion of the probe. She was speaking in Colombo, where she is on a two-day visit. "I know that allegations were made, I think they are still being investigated but just as allegations else where they will be pursued to the logical conclusion and if there was abuse, I am not saying there was because I don't know this yet, perpetrators will be brought to justice. This is not the way the United States wants to do things. You will see people been brought to justice if indeed there was abuse," Rocca said. The US military, facing a backlash across the Arab world for its treatment of Iraqi prisoners, announced on Wednesday that it had launched an investigation into a complaint of detainee abuse in Afghanistan. Former Afghan police colonel Sayed Nabi Siddiqui told the New York Times he was subjected to beating, kicking, sleep deprivation, taunts and sexual abuse during 40 days in US custody in Afghanistan last year. A 20,000-strong US force is in Afghanistan hunting al Qaeda and Taliban fighters waging an insurgency against the government.