WASHINGTON: Pakistan is coming up with a bill of $ 35 billion for its efforts in the war on terror and a wish-list that includes a nuclear deal similar to the US-India agreement as it prepares to engage Washington this coming week in what officials from both sides say is the most comprehensive dialogue in their bilateral history.
Turning the US mantra that Pakistan should "do more" in the war on terror, Pakistani officials, in an aggressive turnaround, have said Pakistan has done enough and it is now the United States turn to do more, as they set off to Washington for talks on the heels of what they claim is unprecedented success against the Taliban.
Pakistan has "captured" nearly half the top Taliban leadership, including the organisation's No.2 Mullah Baradar, in recent weeks in the run-up to the talks. Although U.N and Afghan officials accuse the Pakistanis, who were hosting the Taliban leadership, took them in to sabotage peace talks being held outside Islamabad's patronage, U.S officials said on Friday that they were "gratified" by the arrests.
"We are extremely gratified... he is where he belongs," the Obama administration's Af-Pak envoy Richard Holbrooke said about Baradar's arrest by Pakistan as he previewed the upcoming talks with reporters at the State Department on Friday, adding, "And many other people have been picked up or eliminated, and this is putting much more pressure on the Taliban. And this is a good thing for the simplest of reasons: It is good for the military efforts that are underway in Afghanistan."
Holbrooke also endorsed a central role for the Pakistani military at the talks, asking "how can you have a strategic dialogue without including the military?" In a move that has caused some disquiet in Pakistan itself, the country's army chief Pervez Ashfaq Kiyani and spy chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha are members of the delegation, ostensibly led by Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Kiyani is said to have set the agenda for the talks in preparatory meetings in Pakistan.
"If we have a strategic dialogue in our country, we're going to include the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or some other representative. So we are very pleased that General Kayani is part of this delegation. We think that it's one country, one government, one team. It was their decision and we welcomed it," Holbrooke said. Washington in recent weeks has noticeably cooled down its criticism of the over-arching role played by the Pakistan military in the country's affairs.
Pakistan's wish-list for the Obama administration includes not only speeding up disbursements in bilateral aid under the Kerry-Lugar package and Coalition Support Funds, both of which are audited for more precise use and claim, but enhanced support for its economy, particularly in the energy sector. Vast swathes of the country are now under 8 to 12 hour power cuts and Islamabad is presenting this as one reason why Washington should offer a civilian nuclear deal to Pakistan similar to the US-India deal, although experts say Pakistan has no capacity to absorb or implement such an agreement even if it were to pass international scrutiny.
US officials remain non-committal about the deal. "We have a very broad and complex agenda in these talks... and we're going to listen carefully to whatever the Pakistanis say," Holbrooke said cautiously when asked about a possible nuclear deal. In fact, no one in Washington takes Pakistan $ 35 billion claim as its total cost in the war on terror arrived at during internal deliberations in Islamabad last week, seriously.
But Holbrooke held out the prospect of enhanced aid in other areas and sectors, promising a few surprise announcements. "This is not a photo op, although you will have an opportunity to take a photo. This is an intense, serious dialogue bilaterally between the US. and Pakistan," he said in a hurried briefing at the state department that followed a White House meeting of principals where, Holbrooke said, -- "almost every senior person in the United States foreign policy community was in the room" to discuss US policy for the region.
Pakistan too is striving to broad-base its ties with the US on the same lines as India's expansive engagement, covering sector beyond security. Indicative of the broad agenda for the March 24 talks, the Pakistani delegation led by Foreign Miniser Qureshi includes Minister of Defense Mukhtar Ahmad, Finance Minister nominee Abdul Shaikh, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Social Issues Wazir Ali; Advisor to the Prime Minister on Agriculture and Water Majidullah; the Chief of Staff of the Army General Kayani and his delegation of military advisors; Ambassador Hussain Haqqani; Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir; and Secretaries of Information Technology, Water and Power, Finance, Agriculture, Defense, among others.
The US delegation, led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton includes Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mullen, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Deputy Secretary of State Jack Lew, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Neal Wolin, National Security Council Senior Director David Lipton, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Marantis, the Administrator of USAID Raj Shah, myself, Ambassador Anne Patterson and Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Judith McHale, Under Secretary of Defense Michele Flournoy and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense David Sydney, among others.
All is not well within BJP: Shatrughan Sinha
PATNA: BJP Lok Sabha member Shatrughan Sinha on Saturday said things were not well within the BJP as senior party leaders like Yashwant Sinha, C P Thakur and Shehnawaz Hussain had been ignored in the new team constituted by the party chief N Gadkari.
"All is not not well within the BJP as senior leaders like Yashwant Sinha, C P Thakur and Shehnawaz Hussain have been ignored in the new team," actor-turned-politician Sinha told reporters here.
Sinha suggested that the BJP chief should have a fresh look on the new team and make amendment accordingly.
"I have already expressed my concern about it during my meeting with Sushma Swaraj, leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, in New Delhi," Sinha, Lok Sabha member from Patna Saheb said.
He further said all the seniors leaders of the party be consulted in the fresh exercise of constitution of the Gadkari's team.
Modi likely to skip appearance before SIT on Sunday
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is likely to skip appearance on Sunday before the Special Investigation Team probing a post-Godhra riots case, sources in the state government said on Saturday.
SIT had summoned Modi to remain present before him on Sunday in connection with the complaint of Jakia Jaffery, wife of slain former MP Eshan Jaffery, in the Gulburg society riot case.
The SIT has not received any communication from the chief minister till this evening. "There is no response from Modi as yet”, said SIT chief R K Raghavan.
The Supreme Court had on April 27 last year asked the SIT to inquire into Zakia's complaint where she alleged Modi and 62 others, including his cabinet colleagues, police officials and senior bureaucrats aided and abetted the riots which left over 1,000 people dead.
The former MP was killed along with 69 others by a mob at Gulburg society in February 2002. Zakia approached the apex court after the Gujarat High Court refused on November 3, 2007 to give any direction and asked her to seek redressal before the magistrate's court.
The wife of the slain Congress leader had alleged that between February and May 2002 there was a ‘deliberate and intentional failure’ of the state government to protect the life and property of innocents. Zakia said on Saturday that when everybody is waiting for the questioning of Modi, he should appear before the probe panel.
Congress general secretary and state in-charge P Sudhakar Reddy said "Modi, when elected back to power in 2007, had said that he was not a chief minister but a common man. He should depose before SIT when a summons is issued in his name and prove that he is a common man".
SIT had to face legal hurdles while probing Zakia's complaint when in July last year former BJP MLA Kalu Malivad (one of the 63 people named in the complaint) approached the Gujarat High Court seeking a stay on investigations by SIT with regard to Zakia Jaffery.
The High Court had dismissed the petition saying as SIT is directly working under the supervision of the Supreme Court no relief can be granted in this matter. Malivad then approached the apex court challenging the High Court verdict.
In connection with Zakia's complaint, SIT has already recorded statements of a number of persons named in her complaint which include former minister of state for Home Gordhan Zadafia, BJP leader I K Jadeja, former BJP MLA from Lunawada Kalu Malivad and sitting MLA from Mehsana Anil Patel, former IPS officer R B Sreekumar, social activist Teesta Setalvad, IG Shivanand Jha, some other senior police officers and political leaders.
Babbar Khalsa module busted, planned a bomb blast in Delhi
New Delhi/Mohali:Police busted a module of Sikh militant group Babbar Khalsa International, which was planning to trigger bomb blast in the national capital and Himachal Pradesh, by arresting three members of the group.
While Purushotam Singh alias Bunty, Daljit Singh and Talvinder Singh were arrested by Mohali police on Friday night, two others, including Harinder Singh who is wanted in the 2007 blast at a theatre in Ludhiana, managed to escape.
A reward of Rs 5 lakh has been announced by the police on information leading to the arrest of Harinder who had returned to India last month after fleeing to Pakistan after the Ludhiana blast.
Sources said Harinder had shifted his base to Greece from where he had come to India to carry out the blast in the national capital and Naina Devi in Himachal Pradesh.
Police also announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh on Nirmal Singh who too had managed to escape. Police seized a pistol, some ammunition and cash totalling to about Rs one lakh from the three arrested.
While Talvinder is a resident of Delhi Purushotama and Daljit are from Punjab. A case under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act besides Bomb and Explosives Act has been registered against the three at Zirakpur police station.
Sources said the Babbar Khalsa international module were receiving instructions from top BKI terrorists Paramjit Singh and Purushotam Goldy based abroad. They were also being helped by Pakistan-based Wadhwa Singh and Parminder Singh, sources said.
Anti-Sikh riots: Court declines Sajjan plea, to face trial
New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday declined to take on record an application of former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar seeking certain documents related to the chargesheet filed against him in 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases, saying it was aimed at causing hindrance in the progress of the case.
It sent the case for trial before a Special CBI Court against Kumar and others.
"I am not impressed with the arguments and contentions of the accused. It seems that the application has been filed to cause further hindrance in committing the case to the Sessions court," Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Lokesh Kumar Sharma said.
"Under the garb of application the accused is trying to set up his defence by placing his documents and records," he said.
Kumar had sought certain documents and statement of witnesses recorded by the investigating agency during the probe into the matter.
"So far as withholding of records is concerned, it is for the prosecuting agencies to suffer consequences. The application filed by the accused is not directed to be taken on record," the Court said.
Senior advocate I U Khan, appearing for Kumar, submitted that the CBI has failed to supply the documents, necessary for the just decision of the court. He had a tough time convincing the court with regard to the contents of the documents running into over 100 pages.
"I have gone through the contents of the application and perused the documents. The bunch is so bulky, it is humanly impossible to examine the same within a short span of time," the ACMM said.
During the proceedings, CBI's special prosecutor Y K Saxena submitted that out of the statements of some witnesses, there were some that were filed only through letters.
"It is submitted by Khan that filing the application was within the rights and scope of the CrPC. The court feels that it is not so desirable in the interest of justice," the ACMM said.
"We cannot bypass the proceedings. I am not bound to take everything on record," the judge said. The court dismissed Khan's plea that his application be taken on record so that the accused can move the Sessions court challenging its rejection.
Meanwhile, the court directed all the accused to appear before a Special CBI court on March 27 while referring the file to the District judge for further proceedings. The Delhi High Court had on February 26 granted bail to Kumar citing delay in the deposition of witnesses against him in the cases.
The former Delhi MP along with Girdhari Lal, Balwan Khokhar, Mahender Yadav, Maha Singh, Capt Bhagmal, Santosh Rani and Krishna Khokhar were named as accused in the murder of five persons in Delhi Cantt area during the 1984 riots.
CBI had filed two chargesheets on January 13 in the riots cases registered on the recommendation of Justice G T Nanavati commission which had inquired into the sequence of events leading to the riots in the aftermath of the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Business News
Google’s exit from china: A turning point
An exit from China's search market could mark a setback not only for Google Inc's global business strategy but for a stock that has long been synonymous with virtually limitless growth opportunities.
After nearly six years of tantalizing Wall Street with its unbridled potential, Google is for the first time threatening to close off a key avenue of future growth if it shuts down its operations in China, the world's largest Web market by users.
For the investors that have long celebrated Google's status as one of the tech industry's leading growth stocks, the situation in China is cause for some re-evaluation.
"It hurts the multiple people are willing to pay for Google if they don't have the China opportunity," said Aaron Kessler, an analyst at Kaufman Brothers.
Since Google said in mid-January that it intends to stop censoring search results in China, the stock has fallen roughly 6.3 percent, closing at $560.0 on Friday and wiping away about $11.6 billion in market capitalization. During the same period, the Nasdaq has gained 3.4 per cent.
The Google sell-off occurred even as Wall Street's near-term financial expectations for the Internet company have improved. During the past two months, the average analyst estimate for Google's revenue and earnings per share next year have risen 3.1 percent and 2.3 per cent respectively, according to Thomson Reuters StarMine.
Google dominates the search market in the United States and most other countries in the world, but it is a distant second in China, where local powerhouse Baidu Inc (BIDU.O) is the top dog. Since Google's announcement that it could pull out of China, Baidu's shares have surged 44.5 per cent.
Baidu trades at 41 times forecast 2011 earnings, whereas Google trades at just under 18 times next year's earnings.
China already has more Internet users than any country and will become the world's largest online ad market at some point, said RBC Capital Markets analyst Ross Sandler.
"So walking away from that upside is a real problem if you're Google and if you're a Google shareholder," Sandler said.
To what extent Google walks away from China is still unclear.
Google has been negotiating with the Chinese government about operating an uncensored search engine in the country, but few expect it to succeed. A report in the China Business News this week said that Google could make an announcement about its future in the country on Monday.
Many analysts believe that Google will seek alternative ways to play in the Chinese search market even if, as seems increasingly likely, the company opts to pull the plug on Google.cn, its censored Chinese-language search site.
It is possible that Google could create a new Chinese-language search site based outside of mainland China and the government's strict regulations about acceptable content. As it is, Web surfers can already get localized search results for various countries, translated into different languages including Chinese, directly on the flagship Google.com site.
Of course, only the tech savvy in China can access sites based outside of the country and its Web filtering firewall. And it's unclear to what extent Chinese advertisers would be able to access the self-service ad system that Google offers.
"Obviously the opportunity is smaller without Google.cn, but it's not zero," said Pacific Crest Securities analyst Steve Weinstein.
Google's Android smartphone operating system is also likely to play a large role in the company's future in China.
While Google gives Android away to cell phone manufacturers for free, the software provides a way for Google to reach consumers directly and to potentially offer ads and other money-making services that aren't as politicized as search.
Google's current business in China accounts for a tiny slice of the company's $24 billion in annual revenue. Analyst estimates of Google's annual revenue in China range from $300 million to roughly $600 million.
While the situation in China is a setback to Google's long term business goals, some analysts say the company has enough other opportunities to retain its status as a growth stock.
"I don't know that anybody ever bought Google's stock because of their exposure to China. People bought Google because of their exposure to global search, the fact that they are the leader in almost every market," Citigroup analyst Mark Mahaney said.
Sports News
Rajasthan Royals beat KKR by 34 runs, register first IPL win
Ahmedabad:Rajasthan Royals dished out an all-round performance to defeat Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 34 runs and register their first win in the third edition of the Indian Premier League here on Saturday
Chasing 169 to win, KKR started rather slowly as they scored at nearly six runs per over and once they lost opener Manoj Tiwary in the third over bowled by Yusuf Pathan things further slowed down.
Cheteshwar Pujara and opener Brad Hodge tried to keep the scoreboard ticking and put up a brilliant 50-run partnership for the second wicket before the former's innings was cut shot by Siddharth Trivedi.
Pujara's inside edge off Trivedi hit the middle stump as the Knight Riders were reduced to 68 for two in the 11th over. Skipper Sourav Ganguly then joined Hodge and they added 27 runs before Hodge was bowled by Pathan in the 15th over.
With the required run-rate rising every moment, Ganguly and newman Owais Shah threw there bat at everything but without much success as the match slipped through their fingers.
In pursuit of runs, Ganguly perished in deep mid-wicket, caught by Adam Voges in the last over off Munaf Patel. Anjelo Mathews coming at number six also ran himself out in the last over, while Shah was left unbeaten at 19.
Earlier, Abhishek Jhunjhunwala top scored with a 36-ball 45 to guide Rajasthan Royal to a modest 168 for seven after skipper Warne won the toss and decided to bat.
Rajasthan found themselves in a spot of bother when they lost their opener Michael Lumb in the first ball but Naman Ojha (27), Faiz Fazal (31 off 23), Jhunjhunwala and Adam Voges (37 off 22) fired in unison to lift Rajasthan bowlers to a competitive total.
Lumb flopped for the second consecutive match when he was caught plumb in front of the wicket in very first delivery of the innings by Ashok Dinda. But other opener Ojha and Fazal steadied the ship with a 42-run first wicket partnership.
Ojha blasted five boundaries in his 18-ball innings, while Fazal cracked six fours before being caught by Cheteshwar Pujara off Shane Bond. Ojha's innings came to disappointing end as he was run by a combined effort from Bond and Murali Kartik.
Yusuf Pathan (15 off 14) failed to make any significant impact as he was caught by Brad Hodge off Dinda after just managing two hits to the fence. For Knight Riders, Dinda, Ishant Sharma and Bond picked up two wickets each.
Mumbai Indians opt to bat against RCB
Mumbai: Mumbai Indians skipper Sachin Tendulkar won the toss and elected to bat against Royal Challengers Bangalore here on Saturday.
Teams:
Mumbai Indians: Sachin Tendulkar (capt), Sanath Jayasuriya, Aditya Tare, Saurabh Tiwary, Ambati Rayudu, Dwyane Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Rajagopal Sathish, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Lasith Malinga.
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Anil Kumble (capt), Jacques Kallis, Manish Pandey, Robin Uthappa, Virat Kohli, Rahul Dravid, Eoin Morgan, Mark Boucher, Praveen Kumar, Dale Steyn, R Vinay Kumar.
Symonds guide Deccan to 6 runs win over Kings XI
Cuttack: Irfan Pathan's blitzkrieg went in vain as Andrew Symonds produced an all-round display to guide Deccan Chargers to a thrilling six run victory over Kings XI Punjab in an Indian Premier League match here today.
For Kings XI, Pathan played a gem of an innings with a blistering 60 off just 26 balls to singlehandedly bring the Punjab side inches closer towards the target from nowehere.
Apart from Pathan, Bopara and Jayawardene, only one Kings XI batsmen -- S Sreesanth (12 off 5) managed double figures.
Vaas (2/27) was the pick of the bowlers for Deccan, while Symonds (1/22), RP Singh, Pragyan Ojha and Sharma all accounted for a victim each.
Earlier sent into bat, Symonds notched up back-to-back half centuries in the event while skipper Adam Gilchrist made a quick-fire 12-ball 33 to help Deccan post 170 for seven on the board.
With this victory, Deccan has returned to the top half of the points table with two wins out of three matches, while Kings XI have slumped to their third consecutive defeat in the Twenty20 tournament.
It was a dismal start to Kings XI's run chase as they lost two wickets, including that of their skipper Sangakkara inside the third over.
Last match half centurion Manvinder Bisla was run out for a duck as T Suman came up with a direct hit. Four balls later Vaas castled Sangakkara's timbers with a beautiful off-cutter.
As if that was not enough, Yuvraj Singh's (4) poor show with the bat continued as he ballooned a Vaas delivery to give a simple catch to Gibbs at cover point.
Symonds then sent packing a dangerous-looking Jayawardene and after Bopara's dismissal, victory was just a formality for the Hyderabad side.
But Pathan ensured that it was not an easy win for the Hyderabad side as he used his long handle to great effect and hit three fours and five sixes to take Kings XI very close to the elusive win.
However, it was not to be as needing 19 runs off the last over, Pathan fell to Jaskaran Singh, caught in the deep by Symonds.
Sreesanth came up with three boundaries in the last over but it was not enough to take Kings XI to their first victory in IPL III.
Earlier apart from Gilchrist and Symonds, Herschelle Gibbs made a run-a-ball 23, while T Suman (26 off 22) and Chaminda Vaas (16 off 10) provided the necessary impetus towards the end to take Deccan to the competitive score.
Yuvraj Singh (2/21) was pick of the Kings XI bowlers while Irfan Pathan, Shalabh Srivastava and Bipul Sharma all picked up a wicket each.
Gilchrist was at his destructive best from the onset. He greeted Sreesanth with two fours and two sixes to pile up 24 runs of the second over.
No comments:
Post a Comment