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Pak favours reopening of Srinagar bus service sans passports

        Islamabad: Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri has said that Islamabad is in favour of reopening the bus service between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar without travellers presenting their passports or visas. "I met many Kashmiri leaders in New Delhi (in September) and all of them opposed travelling with passports and visas," the Daily Times quoted Kasuri as saying. He said that allowing people from both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) to visit Srinagar and Muzaffarabad would help in increasing people to people contact. However, the issue of identification documents in the absence of passports would be discussed at a technical meeting between the two sides, he added. To a question about any change in Pakistan's Kashmir policy, Mr Kasuri said there was no policy change, but underlined that Pakistan wanted to seek a permanent resolution. He referred to the statement made by President Pervez Musharraf and said that the president has called for flexibility from both sides.

No `Passage to India' for these 20 pilgrims (Go To Top)

         Lahore: The Pakistan Government has reportedly denied permission to 20 pilgrims who wanted to visit the Charar- e-Sharif shrine in Kashmir. According to a Daily Times report, border authorities stopped the Pakistani pilgrims at the Wagah border checkpost in spite of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad having granted visas to them. This is not the first instance of Pakistan refusing permission. Earlier this month, The Federation of the Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) had to postpone a trade fair called "Made in India" that was to be held in Lahore from October 1 to 10 because authorities in Islamabad refused to give visas to members of the chamber. FICCI officials, however, are still trying to persuade the Pakistani authorities to reschedule the exhibition for February or March next year. Officials in New Delhi were quoted by the paper as saying that the High Commission was issuing visas to 350 Pakistanis every day, whereas the Pakistan Government was only issuing 50 to 60 visas. In the month of August, the high commission issued a record 10,000 visas, they added.

Accidental Indo-Pak nuke war is possible: ex-Pak general (Go To Top)

         Washington: A former Pakistani Army major general has said that the possibility of an "accidental" nuclear war breaking out between India and Pakistan cannot be ruled out because of a lack of "robustness in the decision-making systems in both countries". In a study presented at South Asia roundtable organised by the Brookings Institution this week, Major General Mahmud Ali Durrani claimed that possessing nuclear weapons systems places serious demands on a nation and its government, the foremost of them being, the need for internal political stability and strong institutions. Simultaneously, the Daily Times quoted him as saying that efforts are needed to address issues like proliferation, safety, security and stability and the avoidance of a nuclear war by miscalculation.

          Basing his conclusions after a series of extensive interviews with US and Pakistani officials, besides scholars, former civil and military officers and those now responsible for the security and safety of nuclear programmes, Major General Durrani said that there is a "consistent perception of concern" for the security of Pakistan's nuclear weapons, apprehensions about the robustness of the decision-making system, the lack of conflict reduction mechanisms in the region." According to Gen Durrani, although Pakistan has not declared a formal nuclear doctrine, he was able to determine four national nuclear policy objectives in his meetings with Pakistani officials. They are: deterrence of all forms of external aggression that endanger national security, achievement of deterrence through the development and maintenance of an effective combination of conventional and strategic forces within the country's resource constraints, deterrence of Pakistan's adversaries from attempting a counter-force strategy against its strategic assets and finally, stabilisation of strategic deterrence in the South Asian region.

          He, howev er, suggests that while the present situation may not be all that bad on the ground, the training of military and non- military security forces should be brought up to international standards, based on a realistic threat assessment of the threat of terrorism. Major Geneal Durrani also recommends that political pressures should be controlled by reducing the radical religious influence in both Pakistan and India and resolving lingering disputes through dialogue. "Crisis management should be implemented through a series of political and military confidence-building measures including special emissaries, a crisis management agreement, media management, additional hot lines, notification of alert status, separation of nuclear weapons from delivery systems, flag meetings and cooperative border monitoring, " the paper quoted him as saying. He said that nuclear proliferation should be avoided through legislative changes, stronger fiscal and technical control of weapons programmes and improving operating procedures of weapons security.

No oil price hike, says Aiyar (Go To Top)

        New Delhi: The UPA government decided today not to increase retail prices of petroleum products despite global crude oil prices reaching record highs, Oil Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar said. The government will review oil prices in consultation with its coalition allies and take a decision by October 31, Aiyar told reporters here. He said the oil companies were strong enough to absorb losses from stagnant prices. "We haven't taken an interim decision that as of today there will be no change in prices. The issues that need to be considered by the government remain under review and I indicated the different levels at which these considerations will be done. Since we don't have to take a final deciison for at least two weeks, we will take it at the appropriate time," Aiyar told reporters after the meeting of Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.

Wipro Q2 profit jumps 65 pct on European growth (Go To Top)

        Bangalore: Wipro Ltd., reported a 65 percent jump in quarterly profit today on growing business from Europe and increased outsourcing by telecoms clients. The forecast-busting results followed similarly strong performances by industry leader Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. and second-ranked Infosys Technologies Ltd. in India's 12.5 billion dollars outsourcing industry. "Robust growth in all our business segment resulted in Wipro posting it's highest year on year profit growth and profit after tax in the past 12 quarters. Reflecting the momentum we are witnessing in recent times, revenues of our global IT business was $ 327 million, a growth of 47 per cent year on year," said Wipro Chairman, Azim Premji while making the presentation in Bangalore. Vice Chairman Vivek Paul said the sector's outlook was set to improve further once the U.S. elections were out of the way, defusing the controversy over the outsourcing of software and back office work to low-cost India.

India 291 for six at end of day two of second test (Go To Top)

         Chennai: India were 291 for six at close on the second day of the second cricket Test against Australia here today. India had worked up a first innings lead of 56 runs. Brief Scores: Australia: 235 India: 291 for six in 100 overs (Sehwag 155, Kaif batting 34, Patel batting 27; Warne 3/95).

Ponting may not make tour (Go To Top)

         Sydney: With incumbent Australian captain Ricky Ponting almost certain to miss the Indian tour, the Australian selectors have reportedly been given an extra week to decide who will come in as his replacement. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Ponting has been wearing a protective guard on his hand 24 hours a day and doing aerobic exercises in the hope that he will make the squad for the fourth Test against India to be played in Mumbai. But he has not hit a ball since breaking the thumb on September 21 and has not played any first-class cricket since August. "We want to make sure he's 100 per cent fit before picking him, so we'll have a better idea about his chances for the fourth Test after his medical assessment next week," the paper quoted the chairman of the Australian selection committee, Trevor Hohns, as saying. "I had some more X-rays taken this morning and a fair discussion with the specialist about it, and at the moment it looks like I'll definitely be ruled out of the third (Nagpur) Test match," Ponting said. "Calcification has started around the bone but it's not anywhere near good enough yet ... I've got no strength in it whatsoever. I was told that after about three weeks it should be getting to a point where I could probably start doing some batting again but I put a batting glove on over at the specialist's today and I took my bat, and picked that up as well, and I can't really hold onto the bat just yet. I'll be going back early next week. I should be right to play the fourth Test match," he added. Ponting said his return would make life difficult for selectors, but he added it was always tough choosing the Australian team. "Someone is always going to be unlucky to be left out," he said. "You've got guys like Brett Lee over there now who's not playing for Australia, he's unlucky. And there's going to be an unlucky batsmen when I come back. I've got to get back first, that's the thing I'm worried about the most at the moment.

Warne becomes world's highest wicket taker (Go To Top)

       Chennai: Australian spinner Shane Warne became the highest wicket taking bowler of the world today when he took the wicket of Irfan Pathan on the second day of second Test between India and Pakistan. Warne, 35, has 533 wickets to his credit now, with his rival Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan standing on 522. On Thursday, Warne had levelled the record of Muralitharan by sending Yuvraj Singh to the pavilion.