Hafiz Saeed against MFN status to India

KARACHI, Jan 15: Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the alleged mastermind of the Mumbai attacks, has opposed the grant of Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India, saying it "is like shooting ourselves in the foot".

He also alleged that America and India were behind moves to keep Pakistan constantly embroiled in this so-called war on terror.

"Granting them MFN status is like shooting ourselves in the foot. The Pentagon and India are behind moves to keep Pakistan constantly embroiled in this so called war on terror," he said.

Speaking at a news conference in Pakistan's commercial capital, Karachi, Saeed said, "Pakistan needs to pursue a two pronged strategy of negotiations and talks with Jihad and to bring India on the path of talks."

The JuD chief was in the city in connection with the organisation of the Difaa-e-Pakistan council meet planned for February 12.

Saeed said the purpose of the meet was to protest NATO attacks in Pakistan and the decision to grant MFN nation status to India.

JuD has also put up anti-India posters and banners in the city.

'No plans' for Western military action on Syria, Iran

LONDON, Jan 15: Western nations have no immediate plans for military action to stop the repression of protests in Syria or to halt Iran's nuclear programme, Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Sunday.

Asked if there was a possibility of a no-fly zone in Syria like the one imposed over Libya last year, Hague said there was "no serious prospect" of a UN resolution on the subject.

"We haven't been looking at a no-fly zone," Hague told Sky News, saying it would be only effective in tandem with other measures, and that the Syrian regime had not been relying on air power to repress protests.

"There is no serious prospect certainly at the moment of the United Nations Security Council agreeing any resulution at the moment, let alone agreeing a resolution comparable to anything that happened in Libya."

But he said that if the current Arab League monitoring mission in Syria does not work "I hope they (the Arab League) will come to the UN and suggest a way forward that we can all get behind."

Hague was also cool on suggestions by Qatar that Arab forces should be sent into Syria to stop the deadly 10-month crackdown on dissent by President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

On Iran, Hague warned that Tehran's "dangerous" nuclear drive threatened profileration across the Middle East.

"We must not be put off further sanctions by bluster or statements from Iran," Hague said, adding that he hoped European Union foreign ministers would agree new measures when they meet on January 23.

"If it continues it will produce nuclear profileration across the Middle East, which will then be extremely dangerous for the people of Iran, for the whole region and for the peace of the world."

Hague refused to rule out military action against Iran but said Britain was not calling for it.

"We've never ruled anything out, we've not ruled out any option, or we've not ruled out supporting any option, we believe all options should be on the table, that is part of the pressure on Iran, he said.

"But we're clearly not calling for or advocating military action, we're advocating negotiation, meaningful netogiations, if Iran will enter in to them."

The West accuses Iran of trying to produce a nuclear weapon, but Iran says its programme is for civilian use.

14 killed in Bomb strikes Shiite procession in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Jan 15: At least 14 people were killed and 20 wounded on Sunday in Pakistan’s eastern province of Punjab when a bombing targeted a Shiite procession, government officials said.

The blast took place when about 300 people were gathered outside a Shiite mosque in Khanpur city to mark 40 days after the Ashura anniversary commemorating the slaying of Prophet Mohammad’s grandson Imam Hussein in 680 AD.

Mohammad Mushtaq, the top regional civilian administrator, said it was not clear if it was a suicide attack or a remote-controlled explosive device.

Jam Jamil, the medical officer at the city’s main hospital said they had received 10 bodies, while there were reports that 14 people died while being moved to hospitals in the nearby city of Rahim Yarkhan.

There was no immediate official confirmation of these deaths.

“More than 20 people are injured,” said Mr. Jamil.

Following the attack, angry Shiite Muslims took to the streets and got into a scuffle with police.

Pak SC to decide on fate of Zardari, Gilani on Monday

ISLAMABAD, Jan 15: The fate of Pakistan's embattled leaders, including President Asif Ali Zardari, could be decided on Monday when the Supreme Court takes up the memo scandal and high-profile graft cases even as the beleaguered government has turned to Parliament for crucial support.

The National Assembly or lower house of parliament is expected to vote on Monday on a resolution that seeks endorsement and support for "efforts made by the political leadership for strengthening democracy" and calls for reposing "full confidence and trust" in them.

Even as parliament considers the resolution, a 17-member bench of the apex court will resume hearing of a case related to the reopening of corruption cases that were closed under the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), a graft amnesty issued by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in 2007.

A judicial commission appointed by the apex court to investigate a mysterious memo that sought US help to prevent a feared military coup in Pakistan last year will also continue its proceedings on Monday.

Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz, who triggered a storm in the country's political circles by making public the memo, is slated to testify before the commission on Monday though doubts continue to surround his plans to travel to Pakistan.

The Supreme Court had warned last week that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani could be disqualified and that action could also be taken against Zardari if the government kept defying its orders on the NRO issue.

The court had said that Gilani "may not be an honest person on account of his not being honest to the oath of his office". It further warned that the President could face the "same consequences" for violating his oath of office.

Amidst the pressure from the judiciary, the government has been engaged in a bruising confrontation with the powerful military over the memo scandal.

The apex court accepted Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani's request for an independent probe into the matter while rejecting the government's contention that the issue should be investigated by a parliamentary panel.

Tensions between the government and the military reached a peak last week after Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said the army and intelligence chiefs had acted in an "unconstitutional and illegal" manner by filing affidavits on the memo issue in the Supreme Court without getting the government's approval.

India-China talks next week in New Delhi

NEW DELHI, Jan 14: The fresh round of India-China Special Representative talks, which were postponed in November, will now be held on 16th-17th January in New Delhi.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Ministry of External Affairs said the Indian delegation to the Talks will be led by National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon while the Chinese delegation will be led by State Councillor Dai Bingguo.

"In addition to discussions on the India-China boundary question, the two sides will hold discussions on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest," the ministry said.

The 15th round of talks between the Special Representatives of India and China were to be held on 28th-29th November 2011 in New Delhi but were postponed after the Chinese demanded that the Global Buddhist Congregation being held here from 28th November be cancelled as Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama was scheduled to address it.

New Delhi is believed to have told Beijing that India is a democratic country and there was no restriction on freedom of speech. Hence, China's demand could not be met.

Dalai Lama is a persona non grata with the Chinese government.