No de-escalation on LoC: Pak

DOHA, Nov 8 (AFP) — Pakistani military ruler General Pervez Musharraf has vowed to continue the policy of de-escalation on the international border with India he announced last month but announced no extension of the policy to the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

Gen Musharraf told the official QNA news agency yesterday that he regretted the absence of a favourable reaction from India to the de-escalation he announced on October 17, five days after he took control in a coup that ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

But he added he had not really been disappointed by the Indian reaction.

Gen Musharraf made no response to calls made by US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright last month after the Kargil conflict for the de-escalation policy to be extended to the Line of Control in Kashmir.

"The point here is that he did say he was going to withdraw them form the international border, but we would also like it done on the Line of Control," Ms Albright had said.

Gen Musharraf, on his second foreign tour since his coup, also promised that he would strengthen democracy in Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's new Foreign Minister Abdus Sattar on Monday charged India with "not reacting positively" to offers for improving bilateral relations and asserted that it has no plan to abandon its nuclear option.
"Pakistan wants to improve relations, but India does not give that prospect a chance. Instead of resolving difference on basis of law and justice it seeks to exploit power disparity to impose unilateral preferences," Mr Sattar said in his first press conference after assuming office.

"India is not reacting positively to offers for improving relations," said Mr Sattar, a former Pakistani High Commissioner to India considered a hawk on Islamabad's policies towards New Delhi.

Asserting that his nation will not give up its nuclear option, Mr Sattar said Pakistan, at the same time, would not be the first to conduct further nuclear tests nor would rush into signing the CTBT.

"Minimum credible deterrence will remain our policy," he declared saying that this did not mean the development of a full-scale strategic nuclear arsenal.

"We have no intentions of taking any provocative steps on the nuclear tests or signing the CTBT," he said.

Mr Sattar said Pakistan would not be rushed into signing the CTBT unless sanctions imposed by the USA on Islamabad were lifted.

"Our people need to be assured against a discriminatory approach on the past of one or more nuclear powers, offering rewards to one signatory but refusing to extend the same to another," the Pakistani Foreign minister said.

Although Pakistan has been suspended from the Commonwealth, and so will not be present at this week's summit in Durban. Mr Sattar said that situation was not expected to last, reports AFP.

"We attach great importance to the Commonwealth" he said.

"We have been told that Pakistan remains a valued member of the Commonwealth. There is no question at present of Pakistan's (permanent) suspension as a member of the Commonwealth," he added.

Kathua bus mishap toll rises to 60
From Our Correspondent

KATHUA, Nov 8 — Over 60 persons, including the Tehsildar of Bani, four policemen, 10 teachers, were killed and 17 injured in a bus mishap near here on Saturday. A Banihal route bus skidded off the road and fell down into a 350-foot gorge at Jandrali on the Bani-Basohli road in Kathua district.

A police spokesman said bus JKR 8725 was on its way from Bani to Basohli. It lost control near Bhoond Morh in Jandrali.

Fifty one passengers, including two policemen died on the spot. Nineteen others were injured, 10 of them seriously. Two bodies are still lying in the Sub-District Hospital, Basohli. Nine of the critically injured, including the Tehsildar, Bani, Mr Prem Singh, died on their way to hospital.

The accident occurred at 12.10 p.m. and the police team led by Mr R.K. Bakshi, SHO, Basohli, reached the spot at 6.30 p.m. Medical and police teams rushed to the accident site at 7 p.m.

Of the 60 killed 55 have been identified so far. About 10 seriously injured passengers were earlier admitted to Sub-District Hospital, Basohli. Some of them were later shifted to the Kathua hospital.

About 5,000 villagers gathered at the site of accident and held a demonstration against the administration for not rushing relief and rescue teams in time. They impeded the shifting of the bodies to the hospital. Due to power cut the rescue operations were hampered, said an eye-witness.

Mr Hyder Malik, Deputy Speaker, J&K Assembly, Mr Lal Singh, MLA Basohli, Union Minister, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, IGP police Mr Raju, DC Kathua, Mr Chaman Lal, SSP Kathua, Mr R.R. Swain visited the spot and the hospital.

Mr Chaman Lal said ex gratia would be released to the victims by the government and the Red Cross Society. Mr Surjeet Singh Slathia, Mr Ajay Salotra, Mr Bodh Raj Bali have expressed shock over the accident.

The dead included: Khurshid Begum w/o Asgar Ali r/o Jandrali, Basohli. Insar Ali s/o Iqbal r/o Dodla, Basohli. Asgar Ali s/o Ali Mohd r/o Dodla, Basohli. Mohd Rafiq s/o Ab Rashid r/o Dodla, Basohli. Insar Ahmed s/o Mohd Shafiq r/o Janu, Basohli. Rustam s/o Sooba r/o Jandrali. Joginder Pal s/o Jail Chand r/o Jandrali. Fatma Begum w/o Ramzan r/o Dodla, Basohli. Mushtaq Ahmed s/o Nazir Ahmed r/o Dodla. Bano d/o Umar Din r/o Vill. Jandrali, Basohli. Ismail Begum w/o Mangata r/o Vill. Janu, Basohli. Mukhtiar s/o Mangata r/o vill Janu, Basohli. Ravi r/o Kathua Daily Wager r/o Chandwan, Hiranagar. Mohd Din s/o Abram r/o Dodla, Basohli. Bitta Mohd s/o Mohd Rafiq r/o Dodala, Basohli. Bishan Lal s/o Jia Dev r/o Lowang, Bani. Dev Kalp w/o Shakti r/o Shoora Sandre, Bani. Nooran s/o Daltihay r/o Sandar, Bani. Riaz Ahmed Ct 274/K r/o Duggar, Bani. Rattan Chand Retd teacher r/o Boond, Bani. Laju s/o Heeru r/o Hote. Sonku s/o Gorkhu r/o Sandar Sahar, Bani. Sanjay Kumar s/o Nek Ram r/o Khadd, Bani. Bishamber Dass s/o Chander Lal r/o Ward No. 6, Basohli. Surinder Singh, RSS Worker, r/o Plassi. Mela Ram s/o Chattru r/o Sandar, Basohli. Prem Singh, Tehsildar, Bani r/o Kathua. Mohd Qasim Hajry r/o UP. Sharati pal s/o Badri Nath, r/o Akhnoor. Sardar Devi c/o Braham Kumari r/o Akhnoor Distt. Hans Raj Thakur r/o Duggan Dhar, Bani. Bansi Lal r/o Duggan Dhar Duggunu, Bani. Bishamber Dass r/o Rajbagh Hiranagar. Shashi Pal Singh r/o Ward No. 10, Kathua. Shouket Ali s/o Fiaz Ali r/o Chand Sers (UP). Dev Raj s/o Deewan Chand r/o Janu, Basohli. Ravi Sharma s/o Plassi, Basohli. Bhagu Ram Sapolia r/o Dhar Duggunu, Bur, Basohli. Mohd Hussain s/o Shoket Ali r/o UP. Rajesh Singh Jamwal Mohd Irfan s/o Ali Hussain r/o UP. Jai Singh s/o Swaran Singh r/o Palan, Basohli. Ganpat s/o Basanto Ward No. 6 Basohli. Krishan s/o Rana r/o Plassi, Basohli. J.E. Nasib Chand, PHE, Bani, r/o Ward No. 1, Kathua. Nar Singh, bus conductor.

Boy two and half years: Ravi Kumar r/o Chandwan Hiranagar, Lalit s/o Shanker Dass r/o Kota, Madan Lal, Alias Bittu, four-year-old boy, three-year-old girl, two minor children.

Kashmir VC escapes bid on life

SRINAGAR, Nov 8 (PTI) — The Vice-Chancellor of Kashmir University, Mr M.Y. Qadiri, escaped an attempt on his life and a couple had been killed since yesterday in militancy-related activities in the valley, official sources said today.

Militants hurled a grenade at the official residence of Mr Qadiri at the university campus in Nageen around 7 a.m. today, the sources told PTI, adding that the grenade missed the target and hit the outer wall of the house which suffered minor damage.

All members of Mr Qadiri’s family escaped unhurt in the incident.

No militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the act so far.

Meanwhile, according to sources, a couple was killed last night when security forces returned fire after they were attacked by militants at Nowhatta in downtown Srinagar.

They said militants attacked a security picket at Alamgari Bazaar injuring a security jawan. In the retaliatory fire by the securitymen, Mohammad Ashraf and his pregnant wife, who were going to Rainawari hospital, were injured and later succumbed to injuries.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police also arrested three top ultras of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba, including self-styled group commander Bashir Ahmed Najar, and recovered arms and ammunition from them last evening.