India says Pakistan shown as terror ‘sanctuary’

NEW DELHI: The killing of Al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden near Islamabad is further evidence that terrorists find “sanctuary” in Pakistan, Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram said Monday.

We take note with grave concern that part of the statement in which (US) President Obama said that the firefight in which Osama bin Laden was killed took place in Abbottabad ‘deep inside Pakistan’,” Chidambaram said in a statement.

“This fact underlines our concern that terrorists belonging to different organisations find sanctuary in Pakistan,” he said. AGENCIES

PM’s son involved in Hajj corruption scam: Imran Shah

Member National Assembly PML-N Imran Shah has said that Qadir Gilani son of Prime Minister Yousaf raza Gilani was also involved in Hajj corruption scam.

While recording his statement to FIA investigation team, Imran Shah disclosed that Qadir Gilani received Rs 30 millions bribe for the appointment of former Director General Hajj Rao Shakeel. He said that the amount of bribe was paid to Zain Iftikhar Sukhera, who was the close friend of Qadir Gilani. He said that FIA investigation team should conduct a deep inquiry of the scam.

While commenting on the Imran Shahs statement, DG FIA Waseem Ahmad said that Imran Shah has not mentioned Qadir Gilanis name in his statement adding that he has not detail of the statement recorded by Imran Shah.

Swift action’ needed for peace: Jordan

AMMAN: Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Wednesday urged “swift action” to help push forward the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, warning against wasting more time, a palace statement said.

“Efforts for having serious and effective peace talks should continue, based on a two-state solution, which is the only way to achieve regional stability and security,” the statement quoted the king as telling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the telephone.

“The deadlocked peace process threatens the entire region.”

The king, whose country signed a 1994 peace treaty with Israel, said “practical steps are needed to remove obstacles facing the peace process,” the statement said.

Direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians, the first for nearly two years, began in Washington on September 2 but quickly stalled when a 10-month Israeli settlements

Islamabad: federal government withdraws Saturdays holiday

The federal government has withdrawn its decision of Saturday as an off day, News Trends reported on Tuesday. The decision of withdrawal would be applicable from 27th November this year.

According to a statement released from the prime ministers secretariat, Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has approved the recommendation of withdrawing the decision of Saturday as an off day. The decision of withdrawal was taken during the meeting of Council of Common Interests (CCI). According to the statement the decision has been taken in consultation with all the provincial governments and all the concerned ministries.

APEC summit calls for free trade area

YOKOHAMA: Leaders of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum issued a statement on Sunday, calling for steps toward creating an Asia-Pacific regional free trade area.

“We, the APEC Leaders, having agreed at our meeting in November of 2009 in Singapore to explore a range of possible pathways to achieve a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) share the following view: Trade and investment liberalization and facilitation will continue to be APEC’s core objective,” a statement issued by Japan’s foreign ministry said.

“We have agreed that now is the time for APEC to translate FTAAP from an aspirational to a more concrete vision. To that end, we instruct APEC to take concrete steps toward realization of an FTAAP,” the statement said. AGENCIES

Afghanistan, Pakistan pledge cooperation against extremism

KABUL: Afghanistan and Pakistan have vowed to work more closely to combat extremism, Hamid Karzai’s office said Wednesday after talks between the Afghan president and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

Karzai’s office said in a statement that the pair spoke by telephone on Tuesday evening and discussed areas where the two neighbours could cooperate more, including on economic ties.

“Both sides emphasised more cooperation and coordination between security institutions of the two countries in the war against terrorism,” the statement said.

Karzai also invited Gilani to come to Afghanistan on an official visit for further talks, which the Pakistani prime minister accepted, it added.

The pledge comes amid continued unrest in Afghanistan, where more than 150,000 foreign troops are battling Taliban insurgents whose leadership are widely believed

Dubai parcel bomb bore al Qaeda hallmarks

DUBAI: A parcel intercepted in Dubai and bound for the United States contained a bomb hidden in a printer cartridge and bore the hallmarks of al Qaeda, Dubai police said on Saturday.

The parcel contained explosive pentaerythritol trinitrate (PETN) in a printer cartridge, police said. PETN was the material used in a failed plot to bomb an airline over the U.S. in December 2009.

“The parcel was prepared in a professional way where a closed electrical circuit was connected to a mobile phone SIM card hidden inside the printer,” the statement said.

“This tactic carries the hallmarks of methods used previously by terrorist organisations such as al Qaeda.”

The bomb also contained lead azide, which is used in detonators. Dubai police experts defused the device, the statement said.

Police were tipped off “via international communication channels” on

Obama, Zardari urge more action against terror groups

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama and Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari agreed in a phone call Tuesday that more needs to be done to combat terror groups in Pakistan, the White House said.

“Both President Obama and President Zardari acknowledged that more work needed to be done to address the direct threat to our countries posed by terrorist groups in Pakistan,” the statement said.

Obama, who has already announced he will travel to Pakistan in 2011 and will host Zardari at the White House, “emphasized the United States? commitment and support for democracy and transparency in Pakistan,” the statement added.

Obama “also acknowledged Pakistan’s economic difficulties, and encouraged President Zardari to work to pass key economic reforms, such as tax reform and containing energy subsidies,” the White House said.

The US president “concluded the

Chaudhry Shujaat was not part of NRO deal, says Patterson

US envoy to Pakistan has said that Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was not a part of NRO deal between Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto and hence NRO related allegations on him are false.A banquet was organized in honor of the US envoy to Pakistan N.W. Patterson in Islamabad by PML-Q. Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said that N.W. Paterson has rendered invaluable services for ameliorating bilateral ties between US and Pakistan..While talking to the media, N.W. Patterson said that she was impressed by the political vision and suggestions of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.
Statement of US Envoy irresponsible:Rashid Qureshi
Spokesman of ex-president General (R) Pervez Musharraf, Rashid Qureshi has termed the statement of US Envoy irresponsible and unnecessary. He added sarcastically that the US Envoy was never invited by General Musharraf in any of the cabinet meetings however if Chaudhry Shujaat had invited her in any meeting then it would be better to ask him about the matter.

Israel PM urges talks beyond settlement freeze

JERUSELUM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to pursue “expedited, honest talks” to achieve a peace deal within a year, in a statement issued on Monday minutes after the formal expiration of a settlement freeze.

“Israel is ready to pursue continuous contacts in the coming days to find a way to continue peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority,” the statement said.

It added that Netanyahu had been in touch with U.S., Egyptian and Jordanian leaders in search of a way to avoid a Palestinian walkout from nascent talks over the settlements issue. AGENCIES

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