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The art of leadership is saying no, not saying yes. It is very easy to say yes. –Tony Blair
NEWS
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Friday, 25 October, 2013
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tribal jirga threatens to target afghan Militant hideouts BAJAUR inP
A tribal jirga has threatened that it will target militant hideouts inside Afghanistan if the Afghan authorities fail to stop cross-border attacks. The warning was issued by a jirga attended by elders of the Mamond tribe of Bajaur Agency. The jirga was held, a day after a cross-border attack by militants on Sarkai village. The elders threatened they would target militant hideouts inside Afghan territory if such attacks continued. The elders assured the local administration of their full support in preventing cross-border attacks and promised to take strict action against the supporters of militants. "We appeal to the Afghan government to redress the issue of cross-border attacks on a priority basis. Serious steps should be taken to stop such activities because it is affecting relations between tribesmen of border areas on both sides," the jirga said. Hundreds of tribal elders and members of anti-Taliban militias participated in the jirga. Assistant Political Agent of Bajaur Agency Sohail Ahmed Khan and other officials of the local administration also took part in the meeting. The jirga discussed the law and order in border areas, activities of the "peace committees" or anti-Taliban militias and a strategy for preventing cross-border attacks. Addressing the gathering, khan urged the elders and members of the peace committees to mobilise tribesmen to protect their land against aggression by militants.
law Ministry’s order carries zardari's name
ISLAMABAD Online
The Law Ministry issued a new official government order under the name of former president Asif Ali Zardari, reported a private TV channel. Three presidential orders pertaining to the salaries of judges were issued on October 7 and were printed in the official gazette on October 9. Two of the documents bore President Mamnoon Hussain’s name on them while the third had the former president’s name on it. All three were issued and printed on the same dates creating the illusion that two presidents were in power at the same time. This comes a month after Zardari stepped down as president on September 8 and was replaced by Hussain on September 9.
loC firing: singh says ‘disappointed’ with nawaz INDIAN PM SAYS PAKISTANI COUNTERPART FAILED TO KEEP PROMISE FOR HOLDING PEACE
SAYS HE HOPES NAWAZ WOULD REALISE THAT LOC TENSIONS ARE NOT GOOD FOR EITHER OF TWO COUNTRIES
TELLS CHINESE TERROR FROM ‘NEIGHBOUR’ AFFECTS INDIA AND CHINA ALIKE
NEW DELHI
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S Pakistan and India continue to accuse each other of violating the ceasefire along the Line of Control, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said he was “disappointed” with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif for the continuous tension on the Indo-Pak border despite his promises to hold peace. Singh’s remarks against Sharif, his sharpest so far, come in the backdrop of continued violations of the ceasefire on the Line of Control. Returning from a two-nation visit to Russia and China, Singh said he hoped Sharif would recognise “at this late hour” that was a development that was not good for either of the two countries. Ignoring opposition criticism, Singh had met Sharif on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on September 29 despite attacks in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba sector. “Let me say that I am disappointed, because in the New York meeting there was a general agreement on both the sides that peace and tranquillity should be maintained on the border,” the Indian PM said. “This
india's Continued Violations May esCalate tension: fo iSlAMABAD: The Foreign Office has said continued LoC ceasefire violations from the Indian side are unfortunate and alarming which may further escalate the tension, undermining Pakistan’s efforts to improve relations with India. During the last two days, Indian troops have intensified violations and have carried out unprovoked firing on working boundary in Pukhlian, Chaprar, Harpaland Charwah sectors near Sialkot. The indiscriminate shelling on civilian population and targeting of 27 Pakistani posts has resulted in casualty of two civilians and one security personnel and serious injuries to 26 civilians, a Foreign Office statement read. “The Indian Border Security Force has fired almost 4,000 mortar shells and 59,000 rounds of machine gun fires, escalating tension across the LoC and the working boundary,” it stated. The Foreign Office further said Pakistani security forces exercised restraint and gave a measured and calibrated response to the unprovoked Indian aggression. Online has not happened. It has come to me as a big disappointment.” He recalled that they had decided at the same meeting that if the 2003 ceasefire had held ground for 10 years, it could be made to hold ground later on too. “The fact that this is not happening, is something which is really a matter of disappointment,” he added. The Indian PM going public with his “disappointment” is in contrast with a recent assessment of senior officials in the security establishment that the
ceasefire violations would have to be taken up at the meeting of the director general of military operations (DGMO) as decided at New York. It was also pointed that a detailed analysis of the firing incidents would be required to arrive at a firm conclusion. terror froM ‘NeiGhBour’ AffectS iNDiA, chiNA: Earlier while addressing future leaders at the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Party School, Singh warned that terrorism and radicalism emanating
from "our neighbourhood" had directly affected both India and China and could lead to instability across Asia. "India and China have also benefited from a largely stable global order and peaceful periphery. But we cannot take a stable political and security environment in our region and beyond for granted," he said. "If we look carefully, many of our challenges are common. Terrorism, extremism and radicalism emanating from our neighbourhood affect both of us directly and can create instability across Asia," Singh said, a day after he held wide ranging talks with the new Chinese leadership, including threats posed by alleged Pakistan-based terror groups. "Similarly, maritime security in the Pacific and Indian Oceans is vital for our economies just as peace and stability in West Asia and Gulf are essential for our energy security." The other day, Indian Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh said the prime minister had taken up the issue of terrorism emanating from Pakistani soil at the meeting with his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang. Restive Xinjiang province has been frequently hit by heavy violence between native Uygurs, Muslims of Turkic-origin and Han Chinese settlers in the past few years. China has blamed the East Turkmenistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, believed to be affiliated to al Qaeda, for violence in the troubled province.