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| ‘Militants can precipitate war’ |
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Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Zardari says allegations may derail peace process
ISLAMABAD: The terrorists, who attacked India’s financial capital, had no links to any government, President Asif Zardari said on Monday.
The president called the attackers “non-state actors”, and warned against letting their actions lead to greater enmity in the region. Tensions between Pakistan and India flared after the attacks last week in Mumbai that killed at least 172 people and wounded 239 others.
“Such a tragic incident must bring opportunity rather than the defeat of a nation,” Zardari said in an interview with a television channel. “We don’t think the world’s great nations and countries can be held hostage by non-state actors.”
Zardari warned that militants had power to precipitate a war in the region. Talking to the Financial Times, he said provocation by rogue “non-state actors” posed the danger of a return to war between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
“Even if the militants are linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, who do you think we are fighting?” asked Zardari. “We live in troubled times where non-state actors have taken us to war before, whether it is the case of those who perpetrated (the) 9/11 or contributed to the escalation of the situation in Iraq,” said Zardari.
“Now, events in Mumbai tell us that there are ongoing efforts to carry out copycat attacks by militants. We must all stand together to fight out this menace.” “The architects of this calamity in Mumbai have managed to raise a threat on our other (eastern) border. As we have these people (militants) on the run along our western border (with Afghanistan), our attention is being diverted at this critical time,” said Zardari in the telephone interview from
Islamabad. The paper said a war on two fronts would put great strain on Pakistan’s democratic government, which is trying to rescue the country from near bankruptcy while also resisting a terror threat.
Meanwhile, talking to the Ismailis’ spiritual leader Prince Karim Aga Khan at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, President Zardari said baseless allegations by India could derail the peace process. Zardari said they would not compromise on their national integrity and security and India should desist from levelling allegations against Pakistan until there was substantial proof.
He said such statements would greatly affect the peace process between the two countries. Talking about the economic situation, the president said the IMF loan had helped in stabilising economy and the loan would be used for betterment of the people.
Prince Aga Khan urged both Pakistan and India to iron out their differences and work for the betterment of their peoples. He said funding and projects of the Aga Khan Foundation would continue.
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday said Pakistan will act responsibly in the wake of Mumbai attacks and demanded India to provide evidence before levelling any allegations.
Talking to CNN, Gilani said he has talked to world leaders to diffuse the situation. “We have talked to all our friends that they use their good offices to diffuse the situation,” he said. He was hopeful that there will be no escalation between the two countries in the aftermath of the Mumbai tragedy.
“I think it will be the other way round. It will not escalate because some responsible people have owned the responsibility of the intelligence failure,” he said in an apparent reference to the resignation of Indian home minister.
Gilani said India should provide some proof about Pakistan’s involvement in the Mumbai attacks. “We have yet to see evidence,” he added. He said the attacks were “something unusual” and people in India were in a state of anger. “They were in a state of mind which one can expect at that time. They said in anger something but now the dust has settled down,” he concluded.
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Three killed as Sh Rashid escapes attempt on life
By Shakeel Anjum
RAWALPINDI: Awami Muslim League (AML) Chief and a candidate for NA-55 (Rawalpindi) by-election Sheikh Rashid Ahmad was wounded, while three people — a guard and two party workers — were killed when four gunmen more |
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12 soldiers killed in South Waziristan
ISLAMABAD: Twelve soldiers embraced martyrdom while two others were injured in a clash with militants during the ongoing operation Rah-e-Nijat in South Waziristan Agency (SWA), the ISPR said on Monday.
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Plan to attack five-star hotel foiled
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Govt taking court for a ride
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Pakistan against arms race: Gilani
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Punjab-Sindh water row Centre’s intervention sought
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The Punjab has sai more |
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French, Dutch fight over giving LNG to Pakistan
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ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin and his team is all set to thwart the attempt of an unscrupulous combine of oil industry heavyweights and some functionaries of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Re more |
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Nine killed as no let-up in rains
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PESHAWAR: Nine people were killed and scores of others injured as heavy rains and snowfall lashed various parts of the country for the fourth consecutive day on Monday.
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Malik orders NUML closure as protest enters 5ht day
ISLAMABAD: The protest of the students of the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) against thrashing of Professor Malik Tahir by Registrar Brigadier (R) Obaidullah Ranjha entered its fifth consecutive more |
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Malik insists no Blackwater in Pakistan
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ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik while responding to an accusation from a PML-N parliamentarian told the National Assembly that Blackwater was not providing security to the president and the prime mini more |
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FBR gets list of properties rented out to foreigners
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ISLAMABAD: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has received list of properties from Foreign Office, which were in use of foreigners in Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar and Lahore, but these were not shown in annual tax more |
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Repealing of 17th Amendment
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The prime minis more |
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Three suspects held in Mohmand
By our correspondent
GHALLANAI: The security forces arrested three suspected persons during search operation in Safi subdivision of Mohmand Agency, official sources said Monday. The sources said the security forces carried out sear more |
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No presence of Blackwater, DynCorp in Pakistan, NA body told
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Govt urged to take up water issue with India
By Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat while urging the government to take up the issue of ‘water terrorism’ with New Delhi, has question more |
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Avalanche kills 17 Indian soldiers in held Kashmir
HELD SRINAGAR: Seventeen Indian soldiers were killed on Monday in an avalanche that slammed into a group of 70 combat troops at a high-altitude warfare training camp in Kashmir, the army said on Monday.
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Taliban defiant as Afghans flee ahead of assault
KANDAHAR: The Nato commanders urged the Taliban to surrender as troops dug in on Monday for a major assault on their key stronghold in southern Afghanistan, sending thousands of residents fleeing.
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Plea to freeze foreign accounts
By our correspondent
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday ordered the federal government to submit a reply within four weeks on a petition seeking freezing of accounts in foreign banks and recovery of illegal assets accumu more |
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Attack on Sh Rashid
RAWALPINDI: The PML-N candidate for by-polls from NA-55, Malik Shakil Awan, has announced suspension of electioneering for a day to mourn the death of those killed in the attack on the office of his rival, Shei more |
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Indian forces to halt Kashmir rally outside UN office
HELD SRINAGAR: The held Kashmir authorities deployed thousands of police and troops on Monday to prevent a protest outside the UN office here over the recent killing of two teenage boys by Indian security force more |
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briefs...
20 die in Afghan floods, avalanches
KANDAHAR: Twenty people have died in floods and avalanches triggered by some of the heaviest rain and snow in Afghanistan for 50 years, an official said on Monday. At more |
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ISSN 1563-9479 
