M A I N   N E W S

Pervez ‘linked’ to Rabita Trust

Washington, October 13
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf was until recently on the board of Rabita Trust, whose assets have been frozen by the USA and the UK for its links with Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaida network.

The Bush Administration officials had warned Musharraf about the impending action and “encouraged him to disassociate himself from what they described as its founder’s links to Al Qaida”, media reports said today.

However, to spare embarrassment to Musharraf who is under attack by fundamentalist Islamists calling for holy war against the USA, the Treasury Department only reveals where the trust is based, the New York Times reported.

It simply says about the trust that it is “led by Wael Hamza Jalaidan, a founder of Al Qaida and its chief of logistics.

The Rabita Trust, the paper said, has helped resettle refugees from Bangladesh to Pakistan for three decades.

“It enjoys top-level connections in Pakistan, including General Musharraf’s support. But Administration officials said its Secretary General, Wael Hamza Jalaidan, was an original founder of Al Qaida along with Bin Laden,” the paper says quoting the officials.

However, a spokesman for the Pakistani Embassy in Washington said he had no information about Musharraf’s links to the ‘charity.’

Also on the list is Yasin al-Qadi, a Saudi businessman. PTI

Pak may freeze JeM bank accounts

Islamabad, October 13
Pakistan said today that it may issue an advisory to the banks within the country to freeze accounts of militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad and other organisations whose accounts have been frozen by the USA for alleged links with Osama bin Laden’s network Al-Qaida.

The Pakistan Government would further look into the matter but may issue an advisory to the banks in order to protect their interests, Foreign Office spokesman Riaz Mohammad Khan said, giving a guarded comment on questions over the JeM and other Pakistan-based organisations figuring in the list released by the USA yesterday banning 39 entities.

“We have received some preliminary information from our embassy in the USA relating to this matter.

Powell coming
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 13
The much-awaited visit of US Secretary of State Colin Powell to India would take place on October 16 during which the Indian leadership is all prepared to put forth its views candidly on Pakistan’s continued support to terrorist and ‘jehadi’ activities in India. According to official sources here today, Mr Powell would come here from Pakistan on Tuesday evening and stay here for just a day.