Gilani Rules out Hand-over of Suspects

Hoping to wait-out diplomatic pressures mounted on his country in wake of the terror attack on Mumbai, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that international efforts to diffuse tensions between the south Asian neighbours would work, but, normalisation would take time.

Reacting soon after sleuths investigating the Mumbai terror attack, which killed 179 people, unearthed a cross border angle, New Delhi had said the four year peace process between the two countries was in jeopardy.

"Normalisation takes time," Gilani said in an interview.

The United States has been at the forefront of intense diplomatic efforts to stop regional tensions from escalating into a full-blown crisis.

"All our common friends and responsible statesmen are playing their important role in defusing the situation and I'm pretty sure that will work," said Gilani.

With rogue elements present inside its territories repeatedly humiliating the Gilani adminis6ration and the international peace initiative Gilani said Islamabad was taking its own action against groups and people put on a UN terrorist list.

Without negating the possibility of India resorting to air strikes against militant targets Gilani said the chances of such action were remote.

"I think India is equally responsible and they won't. There is no fear of anything like that," Gilani was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Indian and US officials have accused Lashkar-e-Tayeba, a jihadi outfit of Kashmiri origin, of carrying out the Mumbai terror attack.

Reuters website attributing the information to analysts, says the Lashkar enjoys the patronage of the notorious Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Pakistan began raiding and shutting offices and schools of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) charity, linked to Lashkar, late on Thursday. Scores of activists have been detained.

The U.S. Security Council had put the JuD and its head, Hafiz Saeed, on a list of individuals and organisations linked to Al Qaeda and the Taliban late Wednesday.

Saeed, who has since been placed under house arrest, is known to have founded Lashkar, before quitting it days before Pakistan banned it in 2002, he remains the head of JuD, raising funds and drawing recruits.

Saeed and the JuD have said they would go to the courts to contest restrictions imposed on their activities, the freeze of their bank accounts, and official orders forbidding them from traveling abroad.

New Delhi, understandably, is apprehensive of Islamabad claims, as Indian officials have repeatedly uncovered terror strikes in the country to terror organizations operating out of Pakistan.

Successive Pakistani administrations and government under pressure from the all-powerful military brass and its rogue international espionage wing – ISI, have harboured ‘people’ wanted for terror strikes on Indian soil. Prominent among those wanted in India, and ostensibly sheltered in Pakistan are Mumbai mafia kingpin Dawood Ibrahim and Jaish-e-Mohammad ideologue Maulana Masood Azhar.

Azhar was released by India, after Jehadi hijackers took control of an Indian Airlines passenger aircraft (IC 814), which was taken to Kandahar in Afghanistan.

The 1999 hijacking was planned by Pakistan based JeM at a time when the final venue of the jet – Kandahar, Afghanistan – was governed by the Taliban.

Admitting past inaction by omission, Gilani, according to Reuters, said the latest crackdown on anti-Indian jihadi organisations would go beyond previous ineffective bans because U.N. resolutions gave the government a stronger legal position.

"Now ... we have to act according to the United Nations resolutions," Gilani was quoted as saying.

Former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf had banned Lashkar and JeM shortly after the two groups were blamed for an audacious attack on the Indian parliament in 2001.

Analysts maintain that the bans were a mere sham and Pakistan's ISI – a powerful lobby in Pakistan’s all prevailing military -- allowed the militants to thrive in order to use them to unsettle the economically progressive neighbour.

Negating reports appearing in both the Indian and international media Gilani says India will have to prove involvement of Pakistani elements in incidence of terror activities before hard action would be initiated against them.

Responding to queries Gilani reportedly said his government would act against militants operating out of his country "if Pakistan soil is being used for any such activity ... the law will take its own course."

He added that India was yet to supply hard evidence of Pakistani links to Mumbai attack, but hoped this would be forthcoming when foreign ministers from both countries meet on Sunday in Paris on the sidelines of a conference on Afghanistan.

Gilani reiterated Pakistan's position that anyone caught in Pakistan would be tried there also, and suspects wouldn't be handed over to India. He said: "We will go according to our own law," while adding. "There is no such thing of handing over to India."

Gilani, his predecessors and allies, despite being under a constant threat from militants operating in Pakistan have sought to play down the terror threat posed by elements inside Pakistan.

The militants were ostensibly responsible for carrying out the bloody assassination of Gilani’s party senior and former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007.

Pakistan initially blamed Pakistan Taliban – headed by Baituallah Mehsud -- for the suicide bombing.

In September, a suicide bomber targeted the Marriott Hotel in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad – Killing Nearly 60 including four foreigners.
Jehadi elements operating inside the country’s restive north western frontier have repeatedly warned Awami National Party (ANP) functionaries which heads the provincial government in the tribal area.

Several ANP functionaries have been shot down by Jehadi elements in the NWFP since Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan’s grandson -- Asfandyar Wali Khan led ANP rose to power in the region on the promise of bringing peace to the area.

The region is a hotbed of Islamic militancy, a fact that found credence in slain Premier Benazir Bhutto and President Asif Ali Zardari’s son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s address of the UN on Wednesday.

While accepting a top honour conferred on his late mother by the world body, The young Zardari urged youth in his country to reject extremist interpretations of Islam, which he defended as a religion of peace.

Recognising the presence of militants, the US has conducted missile strikes in the country’s north western frontier and is reported to have carried out a ‘unilateral ground action’ inside on at least one occasion.

Lankan Jets Bomb Rebel Territories

Sri Lankan air force jets plundered bombs into at least six locations in the territory controlled by Tamil Tiger rebels in the island's embattled north Saturday, a day after clashes with troops left 10 rebels dead near their de facto northern capital -- Kilinochchi, the government said.

Fighter jets bombed six locations to the west and northwest of the Tamil Tiger rebel headquarters in Kilinochchi, the Defense Ministry said in a statement. Casulaty details were, however, not made available.

Government forces are fighting what they call a decisive war against the rebels on the edge of Kilinochchi for weeks. Though troops have seized large swaths of rebel-held territory in recent months, rebel fighters guarding Kilinochchi continue to hold out despite heavy casualties.

In the latest ground fighting, snipers killed four rebels west of Kilinochchi on Friday, the Defense Ministry said. Artillery strikes in the same area left another six insurgents dead, it said.

Rebel officials could not be contacted for comment because communication lines to guerrilla territory have been severed. Independent verification of government statements is virtually impossible as Sri Lanka bans journalists from entering the battle zone.

The ethnic Tamil rebels have been fighting for the formation of an independent homeland since 1983. Over 70,000 people have been killed in the violence.

Gehlot Sworn-in Rajasthan CM

Culminating a tough election and several nail-biting moments -- Ashok Gehlot was Saturday sworn-in the Chief Minister of Rajasthan. With a faction feud brewing in Rajasthan Congress, Gehlot may soon be seen in overdrive to manage caste equations and prove his mettle ahead of general elections slated for 2009.

Governor S K Singh administered the oath of office and secrecy to Gehlot at a gathering that included former Chief Ministers Vasundhare Raje and Bhairon Singh Shekhawat of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Gehlot, a parliamentarian from 1980 to 1999, was the Union deputy minister in the Department of Tourism from 1982-84.

Gehlot was also a Union Minister of State in the Department of Textiles from 1991-93.

From 1998 to 2003, the term before Vasundhara Raje took over, he also served as the chief minister of Rajasthan.

Gehlot is seen as the main architect of the Congress comeback in the state. The Congress wrested power from the BJP in assembly elections, winning 96 seats in the 200-member house.

Analysts suggest trouble-times ahead for Gehlot as a prominent Jat lobby, owing allegiance to a different Congress faction, has been opposing his appointment.

INS Mysore Saves Ethiopian Vessel - 23 Pirates Arrested

In yet another success in the Gulf of Aden, An Indian naval ship, INS Mysore attacked two pirate boats, after receiving SOS signals from an Ethiopian merchant vessel that the pirates were trying to hijack. The Indian Navy has arrested 23 Somali pirates attempting to pull off the heist.

The Indian warship was policing the Somali waters when it rushed to rescue MV Gibe, an Ethiopian merchant vessel.

The pirates on two speed boats had surrounded the merchant vessel, when INS Mysore intervened and warded off the attack, Navy spokesperson said in New Delhi.

The merchant vessel came under small arms fire from the pirates, before sending out a rescue call, intercepted by the INS Mysore, which sent in Marine Commandos aboard a helicopter to help the distressed cargo vessel, he said.

The attack took place some 150 nautical miles off Aden and INS Mysore was at a distance of nearly 13 nautical miles away from the merchant vessel when it picked up the SOS call.

The Navy flew its Marine Commandos on helicopters to the scene of the pirate attack and rescued the ship. MV Gibe was later escorted to safety, he added.

The Indian commandos recovered 15 assault rifles and two grenades along with other ammunition.

Out of 23 arrested pirates, 12 belong to Somalia while 11 are of Yemeni origin.

The Indian warship, the INS Mysore, was dispatched to the Gulf of Aden after a recent spike in piracy related crimes off the coast of Somalia.
Meanwhile, Andrew Mwangura, East Africa's Coordinator of the Seafarers Assistance Program (SAP) on Saturday said, a Greek chemical tanker, MV Action, was released by pirates and was currently sailing on safe waters amid fears that her three crew members were dead.

"MV Action was released by pirates. She is currently limping to safe waters. It is feared that three crew members lost their lives under questionable circumstances," Mwangura was quoted as saying by Xinhua, the Chinese news agency.

However, Mwangura did not say whether owners of the ship paid a ransom for the release of the vessel and how the three crew members died.

Somali pirates have hijacked some 40 ships this year and currently hold about 15 vessels and their crew, despite a growing number of international patrols to stop the attacks.

U.N. diplomats said the United States has circulated a draft Security Council resolution proposing that all nations and regional groups chasing pirates off the Somali coast be allowed to follow them onshore, on land and in the air.

Brand Pak a Terrorist State, Say NRIs

Over 100 activists of a US-based Indo-American group, affiliated to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday held a protest demonstration outside the United Nations headquarters in New York, demanding the world body declare Pakistan a ‘terrorist state’ in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.

"Nothing short of that would help," asserted supporters of the Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP), they dismissed sanctions against Pakistan-based Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a front organisation of the Lashkar-e-Tayeba (LeT) blamed for the November 26 attacks, and four of its men as a mere ‘eye wash.’

Pakistan never implemented its earlier ban on LeT and allowed its leaders to work in freedom to recruit and train terrorists and collect funds, they contended.

"What is different this time?" they questioned and sent a petition to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon demanding the world body to warn Pakistan with stringent action unless it reins in terrorists operating out of its territory.

Several participants said India should attack terrorist training camps inside Pakistan if Islamabad fails to do so within a short time.

They termed the Mumbai attacks, ‘most audacious’ and added that ‘weak action’ by Indian government had encouraged them.

Meanwhile, advocating a more balanced approach, NRIs for Secular and Harmonious India (NRI-SAHI) commended the Indian government for not escalating the situation on the borders with Pakistan while simultaneously sending a strong message to Islamabad against encouraging terrorist outfits.

Cautioning the opposition parties which are demanding ‘war’ with Pakistan, NRI-SAHI said any conflict would be ‘disastrous’.

"Children of both countries need books, need bread and not bombs and bullets," it said.

(Agencies)

Round Five: Violence Mars J&K Polls

Violence marred the fifth phase in Jammu and Kashmir's staggered elections Saturday, as anti-poll protesters clashed with police, resulting in the death of a protester in police firing. Around 40 percent polling was reported from the valley areas while 55 percent voting was recorded in Jammu region.

Officials were still collating poll related data and the average voting figures are expected to go up when the final figures are released.

Polling was held in 11 constituencies - six in Shopian and Pulwama districts in the Kashmir Valley and five in Jammu region's Kathua district.

"The percentages are likely to go up when we get the final figures," a poll official said here.

Secessionist calls and chilly weather notwithstanding -- large numbers of voters queued up to vote, registering an average of more than 60 percent, in the earlier four phases of the seven-phased polling in the state. The first phase was held on November 17, and the final phase is scheduled for December 24, before results are declared on December 28.

In Saturday's balloting, anti-poll protests were witnessed in three villages of south Kashmir's Pulwama district - Koil, Pahu and Karimabad.

A protester, identified as Muzammil, was killed and two others injured in Koil village where security forces opened fire at stone pelting protesters. Two critically injured protesters have been admitted to a Srinagar hospital, reported IANS.

"Ten security men were also injured when protesters resorted to heavy stone pelting on the security men in Koil," a police officer was quoted as saying by the news agency.

Though voting started on a low key in Wachi, Tral, Shopian, Pulwama, Pampore and Rajpora constituencies in the Valley, by afternoon it picked up as voters came out in fairly good numbers to exercise their franchise.

Among the 113 candidates in the fray in south Kashmir is Mehbooba Mufti, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) president, who is contesting from Wachi constituency in Shopian district. The main contest is between the PDP and the National Conference (NC), though there are candidates from other parties and independents also in the fray.

The voting percentage in Pampore, Tral, Shopian, Wachi, Rajpora and Pulwama is more than that recorded in the 2002 elections.

The separatists had called for a total poll boycott across the Valley and had also asked people to take out anti-poll marches to the Pulwama and Shopian district headquarters.

In summer capital Srinagar, authorities imposed strict restrictions to prevent the separatists' anti-poll marches and protests. Senior separatist leaders, including Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, continued to remain under house arrest in the summer capital though no incident of violence was reported.

In Kathua district of Jammu region, brisk polling was reported in all the five constituencies. "Till 3 pm, around 40 percent voting was recorded. The percentage is expected to go up," an election official there said.

In Kathua district, there are 66 candidates in the fray in the five constituencies of Bani, Basohli, Billawar, Hiranagar and Kathua. The main contest is between the National Conference and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) though the Congress has also fielded candidates in all the five seats.

Only one protest was witnessed in Kalibari area of Kathua constituency. More than 1,000 people staged a sit in on the Pathankote-Jammu highway to protest the delay in the opening of the polling station due to snags in the electronic voting machines.

Disowned Kasab Writes to Pak High Commission

Even as his country continued to disown and deny any links with him or any of the terrorists involved in the Mumbai terror strike, Mohammad Ajmal Amir Iman aka Kasab, who was arrested for involvement in the attack on November 26, has written to the Pakistan High Commission seeking legal assistance.

Kasab's letter has been forwarded by Mumbai police to the External Affairs and the Union Home Ministries for necessary action, Joint Commissioner of Police Rakesh Maria said.

He said that Kasab has also asked the Pakistan High Commission to take custody of the body of fellow terrorist Ismail Khan, who was killed in an encounter in south Mumbai the same night.

Kasab was the only terrorist captured alive by police while nine other terrorists involved in the terror attacks in Taj, Oberoi-Trident Hotels and Nariman House, besides Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) and Cama Hospital were killed.

Ajmal has been remanded to police custody till December 24.

However, the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi denied having received any letter from Kasab. "We have not received any letter," a Pakistan High Commission spokesman said.

Later in the day, a report on the Associated Press website – claiming to be based on a copy of Kasab’s confessional statement – said he (Kasab) had originally intended to seize hostages and call the media to make demands.

Kasab said he and his partner, who assaulted the CST, had planned a rooftop standoff, but they couldn't find access to a roof, read the report extracting from the statement.

Panel Advocates Revamp of Civil Services Exams

The second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC), in its latest report issued on Friday suggested a slew of changes for revamping the Civil Services Examination system and advocated for a new law to deal with various challenges posed by the bureaucracy besides underlining the need for training serving officers.

The commission headed by Congressman Veerappa Moily, has suggested bringing a new civil services law with provisions of performance-based continuation of service, accountability and new system for promotions and cadre allotment.

The 377-page report also calls for mandatory training at various stages of a civil servant’s career.

Moily, while releasing the report, said: "Every government servant should undergo mandatory training at the induction stage and also periodically during his or her career. Successful completion of these trainings should be a minimum necessary condition for confirmation in service and subsequent promotions.’’

He added that the objective of mid-career training should be the development of domain specific skills and knowledge apart from competence required for the changing job profile of an officer.

So far the commission has released nine reports on different subjects including public order, human resources and right to information, also recommends a new appraisal system for bureaucrats which, it said, should not only be transparent but also based on modern management techniques.

"The government should expand the scope of the present performance appraisal system of its employees to a comprehensive performance management system (PMS), it said." The report said the annual performance agreements should be signed between the department minister and the secretary of the ministry or heads of departments.

Major recommendations for Civil Services Aspirants

Permissible age for appearing in the Civil Services Examination should be 21 to 25 years for general candidates, 21 to 28 years for OBCs and 21 to 29 for SC/STs and physically challenged as against existing upper age limit of 30 for general, 33 for OBCs and 35 for SC/STs.

Number of permissible attempts should be 3, 5, 6 and 6 for general, OBC, SC/ST and physically challenged as against existing 4, 7 and unlimited (subject to age limit) for general, OBC and SC/ST respectively.

Present cut-off date for determining eligibility in terms of age (August 1 in the year of exam) may continue.

Number of short-listed candidates after preliminary exam should be two to three times the number of vacancies.

Preliminary Examination - Only one or two general studies papers (including Constitution of India, Indian legal system, Indian economy, polity, history and culture). There should be no optional subject — as is the current practice.

Main Examination — Only compulsory subjects (2 papers) and essay (one paper); no optional subject. Currently, aspirants have to appear in two optional subjects — two papers each — besides essay and general studies.

DoPT should finalise the syllabi of compulsory subjects for both the preliminary and main examination for the recruitment cycle of 2010.

Compulsory induction of officers of State Civil Services into IAS.

Compulsory cadre allocation for north-eastern states.

Taj to Reopen for Christmas

Reflecting the ‘never-say-die’ attitude of the city, the century-old Taj Mahal Hotel, one of Mumbai’s best known landmarks, will reopen for business on December 21, to witness Christmas revelry, less than a month after it bore the brunt of the November 26 terror strike on the commercial capital.

Hotel employees say they are ready to take in guests this Christmas season. Initially most of the guests will be accommodated in the modern building Taj towers, as it had suffered relatively less damage.

The hotel was badly damaged by sporadic fires ignited by terrorists, who took over the building. The hotel is currently under seal for risk assessment.

"We dedicate our reopening to the city of Mumbai as affirmation of the values of courage, resilience and dignity," says Raymond Bickson, MD and CEO of Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL), the hospitality arm of the famed Tata Group.

The Taj, with its roots in the era of the British Raj, was one of the prime targets of the terrorists in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Many guests which including foreign tourists were held hostage.

Taj Group Chairman Ratan Tata had pledged to rebuild every inch of the hotel to its original glory. The restoration cost is expected to run into crores of rupees as the hotel housed several priceless antiques.

BJP Mum over Raje, Mathur Differences

The BJP Central leadership on Saturday summoned former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje and state unit president Om Prakash Mathur to Delhi and asked them to stay in the capital till differences between the two were sorted out and reasons behind the poll debacle were out in the open.

Both Raje and Mathur arrived in Delhi on Friday at the behest of BJP President Rajnath Singh to discuss the causes that led to so many BJP rebels entering the poll fray in the state, which led to the defeat of the party in the recently concluded assembly outing.

"The two have been asked to stay in the capital. Meetings with them will continue o0n Sunday. The party leaders will also talk to other leaders from Rajasthan and then reach a conclusion," senior BJP leader and election in-charge of Rajasthan M Venkaiah Naidu said.

Raje and Mathur and Naidu remained closeted at the latter’s residence for nearly two hours on Saturday. However, after emerging from the meeting, Naidu informed the media that discussions were not yet complete.

Rajnath Singh, Raje met at NDA prime ministerial hopeful LK Advani’s residence, later in the day.

The meeting stretched on for more than two hours after which the leaders departed without speaking to the waiting reporters.

A source close to Advani said the party had decided not to speak on the issue till concrete progress was made and the differences resolved.

BJP wants to get to the bottom of the issues that led to the loss in Rajasthan and Delhi to prevent any damage in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, when Advani hopes to lead the party to a victory.