Pak army ‘controls militant groups’
ISLAMABAD, Aug 5 — One of the front-ranking Pakistan-based militant groups has said that it is the Pakistan army, and not the government, which controls them and even if the Nawaz Sharif government wants to contain the activities of the “Mujahideen” it cannot do so.

• Pak set for media war

China ‘orders war preparations’
HONG KONG, Aug 5 — Chinese leaders have accused the USA of backing Taiwan independence and have ordered the army to make further preparations for war, a newspaper reported today.

Kurdish rebels to pull out of Turkey
ANKARA, Aug 5 — Kurdish separatist guerrillas, issuing a direct challenge to Ankara, today declared they would obey a call by their leader Abdullah Ocalan to abandon their 14-year-old armed struggle and pull out of Turkey.

Rebels seize UN observers
FREETOWN, Aug 5 — Sierra Leone rebels have taken hostage a group of people including United Nations military observers, reporters and aid workers, an officer with the UN Observer Mission in Sierra Leone said today.

Joint naval drill by Japan and S. Korea

Iranian paper banned for 5 years

Clinton visit ‘likely to be unconditional’

WASHINGTON, Aug 5 (PTI) — US President Bill Clinton is likely to visit India early next year without any pre-conditions, National Security Advisory Board members N.N. Vohra and J.N. Dixit said here today.

Mr Vohra and Mr Dixit, who are visiting the USA to exchange views with American officials and opinion-builders on the post-Kargil scenario, said US officials had told them that Mr Clinton was “more or less clear in his mind that he wishes to go to the subcontinent, especially to India, early next year.”

The US officials said the agenda would remain what it was but the visit was not going to be based on any pre-conditions, Mr Dixit, a former Foreign Secretary, told reporters.

The USA had earlier linked a presidential visit to India signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). But New Delhi said it would not sign the treaty unless it was a part of a plan for total global nuclear disarmament.

The officials, however, said they would like the visit to be marked by significant results in various facets of Indo-US relations, Mr Vohra, a former Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, and Mr Dixit said.

The officials also reaffirmed that when Mr Clinton said in his joint statement with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that he would take “personal interest” in the Indo-Pak relations after Pakistani withdrawal from the Indian side of the LoC “there was no intention of mediation or intrusive peacekeeping efforts”, they said.

While there was acknowledgement that there were differences on certain subjects like non-proliferation, on the question of dual use technologies and restrictions, the defined objective of the US was to acknowledge the potentialities of an expanded relationship with India, Mr Vohra and Mr Dixit said.

However, the US officials felt that on non-proliferation and related areas “they would like India’s restrained and measured approach to find proper expression”, the Security Advisory Board members said.

Mr Dixit said though he and Mr Vohra did not raise the issue of US sanctions on India because they had no instructions, the Americans themselves brought it up.

The American side said on its own that “we (the USA) will have to look at that in the context of the new developments in our relations with India and see what we can do,” Mr Dixit said.

Asked whether they were convinced of a fundamental permanent change in Indo-US relations, Mr Dixit said one should always be cautious about making value judgements in the relations between any two countries.

“Every country devises and fashions its policies on the basis of a careful assessment of its interest and how a situation impinges on its interests,” he said.

He, however, said the assessment conveyed to them by the American side was that the Jaswant Singh-Strobe Talbott “conversations have been a useful exercise, they have been incrementally responsive to mutual concerns and mutual interests and they (the USA) wished to build on it.”

The visiting envoys said India wanted the Lahore process to be resumed as early as possible despite Pakistan’s incursions in Kargil But it would not allow”germs of a new partitions to be sown on the subcontinent”.

It must be clearly understood that the secular, multi-ethnic, multi-religious state was too precious to be partitioned again, they said yesterday at a luncheon meeting attended by think-tank members, members of the Pakistani and other embassies, officials of the State Department, Pentagon and Congress and mediapersons.

We have to return to the peace process, Mr Vohra said.

When a Pakistani correspondent suggested that New Delhi should allow the separation of Kashmir from India, the Dixit said. “We have carried out one partition and you have carried out two. No more partitions. We will not allow the germs of new partition to be sown on the subcontinent.”

Pak army ‘controls militant groups’

ISLAMABAD, Aug 5 (PTI) — One of the front-ranking Pakistan-based militant groups has said that it is the Pakistan army, and not the government, which controls them and even if the Nawaz Sharif government wants to contain the activities of the “Mujahideen” it cannot do so.

In a virtual defiance of the Pakistan Government, Syed Salahuddin, chief of the Hizbul Mujahideen who also heads the United Jehad Council (an alliance of 15 militant groups), also opposed any dialogue with India for which the Nawaz Sharif administration is repeatedly pressing.

Salahuddin, who as UJC chief was co-ordinating efforts of all the militant groups during the two-and-a-half-month Kargil conflict, told reporters in Lahore that Pakistan army personnel were fighting along with the “Mujahideen” against the Indian army in Kargil.

The “Mujahideen” do not “accept the Line of Control, the Simla Agreement or the Washington declaration,” he was quoted today by newspapers as saying.

Pak set for media war

ISLAMABAD, Aug 5 (PTI) — To counter the onslaught of Indian media, Pakistan has drawn up a comprehensive plan, including the launching of a 24-hour news channel and reviving the press section of foreign missions, after severe criticism of the official media policy during the Kargil conflict, newspaper reports said today.

The decision was taken yesterday in a Cabinet meeting which witnessed a large number of ministers launching scathing attack on Information Minister Mushahid Hussain for the failure to counter the Indian media campaign to put Pakistan on the defensive at the international level over the Kargil conflict, reports said quoting official sources.

Mr Hussain, however, presented a comprehensive media policy to deal with the situation and all its recommendations were immediately accepted, reports said.

The Cabinet approved a special grant of Rs 100 million to the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) for launching a 24-hour news channel in line with the Star News and Zee News channels of India.

The Cabinet also approved a grant of Rs 20 million to the PBC for establishing a new radio station in Skardu, close to the Line of Control the ‘News’ said.

Window on Pakistan
From hysteria to introspection

HYSTERIA, which is normal in times of armed conflicts between two countries, is now being replaced by some kind of introspection. Both the Pakistan Times and Nawa-i-Waqt have recently carried articles and even letters to the Editor which are not only critical of Pakistan’s handling of the Kashmir issue per se but also speak of the way of handling the Kargil conflict vis-a-vis India and the rest of the world.

Basically, these two leading dalies and Jung another respected newspaper, are these days highlighting several aspects of the not-so-happy relations between the two South Asian neighbours. Kashmir is the core issue, and most politicians and columnists, besides the editorial writers, lay stress on it. But then, the two countries have developed nuclear capability and this means that it is a dangerous situation in the region. Kunwar Kahlid Yunus said in the Pakistan Times,” The bilateral relationship with India is once again troubled , and more than one billion people of these two countries are again at each other’s throats — although too feeble to strangle each other. Martialism has succeeded over the logic of reasoning. Both countries appear ready to mortgage their remaining silver. India has a bigger economy, more resources and a larger industrial and financial base than Pakistan.”

“We have to rethink and readjust our income and spending now. Otherwise, it will be hard to survive in the next millennium as a proud nation. One think-tank of Pakistan had already cautioned us last year by saying: ‘If Pakistan tries to match India, bomb by bomb, missile by missile and tank for tank, it will shatter as certainly as a glass vase dropped upon a concrete floor’.”

Indeed very rational. The Pakistan Times editorial comment three days later was, “And, as regards the fear of a nuclear war in the Indo-Pak region, a good number of states of the contemporary world and their leaderships are convinced that the two countries in a state of belligerence for decades have not been able to forge peace, let alone lasting peace. Their conflicts are not only limited to Kashmir despite the fact that Kashmir is the main flashpoint of this region. Many other factors have contributed to the escalation in Indo-Pak conflicts, including the leaders’ gimmicks. Many a politician and their friends in the clergy have promoted religious strife and hatred pitting one against the other and never tolerated or facilitated understanding among the people who have always desired peace and tolerance”.

Throughout July the newspapers — some critical and some looking at the events keeping the interests of Pakistan and its rulers, particularly Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in mind — have argued for peace and a settlement of the old vexed issues. This is was necessary for economic development, justice and peace.

A letter by Mr Ahmar Khan Durrani in Jung summed up thus: “It has been almost 50 years with three (oops sorry 3.5) lost wars, losing half of the territory and enormous money. Are we fighting to ‘liberate’ Kashmir, to ‘expand’ our territory, to ‘help Islam? Just because it is good to fantasise one’s territory grow and see a powerful neighbour in agony. This is what is better known as ‘inferiority complex’. I believe that we always feel insecure and threatened and this is why we are always on the offensive. I used to think that after the nuclear blasts we’d overcome this inferiority complex and some parity would be restored. I believe Pakistanis are no nincompoops. Why do we allow ourselves to be fooled by politicians? In the recent Kargil (mis)adventure we were led to believe that a part of Kashmir was about to be liberated.

Do you really believe that if the Leh-Srinagar road is blocked Indian forces will surrender? Why this miscalculation? Who is responsible for it? And if they were so damn motivated then why this pulling back? It they knew this is what is going to happen then why was it started in the first place?

Mr Durrani also wrote, “Our army was shamelessly made a scapegoat by politicians. They were fighting in the icy heights while the generals were busy in thumping and chest beating rhetoric. Even the media was not allowed to say anything about the deaths of our soldiers (governmental pressure I guess). It looked as if Indian guns are shelling rose petals. Look at the Indian government. They listed their dead (it is not surprising to die in a war) and gave them heroic last rites, while the bodies of our soldiers are rotting in the valley.

What a disgrace! It is very easy to talk of patriotism. Just imagine that the people who died being fried alive in the Indian carpet bombing (most horrible of the deaths) are not even acknowledged as our soldiers. And we talk about patriotism. We cannot even give a decent burial to our war heroes. TOUCHE!”

— Gobind Thukral

Nirad Chaudhuri cremated

OXFORD, Aug 5 (PTI) — Mortal remains of Nirad C. Chaudhuri, an intellect of the rarest sparkle, were consigned to flames at a crematorium here this afternoon in the presence of a select gathering of his close friends from Oxford University.

The last rites of the renowned author was performed by his youngest son Prithvi Narayan who flew in here last night from Calcutta.

Among those who attended the funeral included Andrew Robinson, scholar and editor of higher education supplement of Times.

Chaudhuri, who chose to describe himself as "an unknown Indian" despite being one of the very well-known ones for incisive writings on Indian and English traditions, died at his Oxford home on August 1 aged 101.

The acting High Commissioner, Mr H.S. Puri, read out a message from President K.R. Narayanan in which he said in the passing away of Nirad Chaudhuri, "The world has lost an intellect of the rarest sparkle."

"His knowledge of the life and mores of undivided Bengal, of Bengali and Sanskrit literature, of our ancient epics and classics was matched by fluency in the languages and literatures of the West. Of English prose he was a virtual master, wielding it with the punctiliousness of a grammarian as well as the elan of a maestro," the President said.

"Just as Niradbabu's interests could range, in seeming contrariness, from music to firearms, he was an adept at dialectical fencing. Few could rival his intellectual sallies in swiftness and verve. One did not have to agree with him in order to admire his erudition, his humour and freedom of the spirit that lay behind his mental prowess. I mourn, with millions of his readers, the demise of a powerful intellect which will outlast his corporeal life in the shape of his brilliant literary works," Mr Narayanan said.

China ‘orders war preparations’

HONG KONG, Aug 5 (AP) — Chinese leaders have accused the USA of backing Taiwan independence and have ordered the army to make further preparations for war, a newspaper reported today.

The decision was taken at an annual closed meeting at the seaside resort of Beidaihe, where top Chinese leaders converge annually to set policy for the country and the Communist Party, Sing Tao daily reported.

Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Premier Zhu Rongji and Defence Minister Chi Haotian usually are among those attending the meeting, but their presence could not be independently confirmed.

Chinese leaders pointed out that Su Chi, Taiwan’s top official on China policy, had visited the USA just before Lee made the claims, and that gave them reasons to believe Su had secured U S support for Lee, the report said.

Kurdish rebels to pull out of Turkey
Heed Ocalan’s call to end violence

ANKARA, Aug 5 (Reuters) — Kurdish separatist guerrillas, issuing a direct challenge to Ankara, today declared they would obey a call by their leader Abdullah Ocalan to abandon their 14-year-old armed struggle and pull out of Turkey.

If Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerrillas withdraw from the mountains and valleys of eastern Turkey, the country’s army, scenting victory, must decide whether to harry them on the long march to hideouts in northern Iraq and possibly Iran. Certainly, politicians have shown no interest in talks.

Comments by President Suleyman Demirel suggested there was no change of approach in prospect.

“Orders such as ‘carry on the struggle” or `stop it’ in no way affect or remove the state’s determination in this struggle,’’ Anatolian news agency quoted him as saying. “The state has no need of anything to finish off this struggle.”

Earlier this week, Ocalan issued a statement from his island jail ordering the PKK to end the armed struggle and withdraw their forces outside the borders of Turkey, for the sake of peace, from September 1, 1999.

Ocalan’s call went further than the short-lived ceasefires of the past, but fell short of asking the guerrillas to lay down their weapons. Turkey responded coolly to the appeal and said it would never negotiate with the rebels.

The rebels have re-elected Ocalan their leader even though he has been held on Imrali prison island since his capture by Turkish special forces in Kenya in February. Effective control is in the hands of a group of field commanders at large in Iraq and Iran who may not all comply with the decision.

A Turkish court condemned him in June to hang for treason in heading the PKK’s fight for Kurdish self-rule in which more than 30,000 people have been killed. The sentence is now before the appeals court and, if upheld, will go to Parliament which will decide whether it should be carried out.

The appeals court is expected to start deliberations in early September after a judicial summer recess. But any execution could be delayed by a year or more while the European Court of Human Rights considers an appeal.

Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit today tentatively acknowledged Ocalan’s call for an end to fighting, but added that time would tell what it brought. He also categorically refused any negotiations with the guerrilla chief.

Rebels seize UN observers

FREETOWN, Aug 5 (Reuters) — Sierra Leone rebels have taken hostage a group of people including United Nations military observers, reporters and aid workers, an officer with the UN Observer Mission in Sierra Leone said today.

The group had gone yesterday to the Okra Hills about 65 km east of the capital, Freetown, where the rebels were due to hand over about 200 children abducted during the civil war in the West African country. The children were not released. Instead, the UN led group was detained by the rebels.

Some members of the group, including Bishop Giorgio Biguzzi of Makeni in northern Sierra Leone, were subsequently released.

Among those still being held today were Reuters reporter Christo Johnson, Pasco Temple, a journalist with Star Radio in Liberia, and Ade Campbell of Sierra Leone State Radio. UN Sources said they believed workers from Medicins Sans Frontiers (doctors without borders) and Roman Catholic agencies were among the hostages.

Joint naval drill by Japan and S. Korea

TOKYO, Aug 5 (AFP) — Japan and Korea conducted their first joint naval drill today by mobilising some 1,100 personnel and 11 aircraft and warships, drawing a furious reaction from North Korea.

“The first joint exercise by the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force and the South Korean naval forces is taking place today in the East China Sea,” a Japanese defence official said.

Iranian paper banned for 5 years

CAIRO, Aug 5 (AP) — Iran’s liberal Salam newspaper, whose closure sparked major riots in Tehran last month, has been banned for five years, the official Islamic Republic News Agency has reported.

It said the special clerical court also suspended the paper’s publisher, Mohammad Musavi Khoiniha, yesterday from working as a managing director of a newspaper for three years. Mr Khoiniha was convicted of defamation and spreading false information by the court last week.

Woman’s 20th child
BUDAPEST: A Hungarian woman has given birth to her 20th child and does not rule out having more. Ms Magdolna Fuzi (43) gave birth to a 3.7 kg boy without any complications, Hungarian newspapers said. The parents, whose oldest child is 26 and the second youngest three, said they had chosen to have so many children for religious reasons. —Reuters

Royal push to car
LONDON: A British motorist whose car broke down got the shock of his life when Prince William and Prince Harry rolled up their sleeves to help him push it down the road. Computer software salesman Simon Thompson was stranded near West London’s fashionable Sloane square when his BMW packed up with an electrical fault on Tuesday evening. —Reuters

Drawing returned
BONN: A drawing by Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh looted by the Nazis over 50 years ago from a Jewish collector was handed back to his family by a German museum. The Berlin-based Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation said it returned the drawing on Wednesday, estimated to be worth around 10 million marks ($ 5.5 million), to an English relative of Jewish manufacturer Max Silberberg who was killed in the holocaust. —Reuters

“Money from heaven”
RIO DE JANEIRO: Street sweepers in Rio De Janeiro were celebrating their good fortune Wednesday after discovering hundreds of envelopes filled with cash. Workers for the state-run sweeping company Comlurb found the envelopes after work in garbage they had collected in Rio’s Iraja suburb, on Wednesday. “That was money from heaven in the truest sense of the word,’’ said one lucky worker. —DPA

Charlie Sheen sued
LOS ANGELES: Hollywood’s bad boy Charlie Sheen has to answer charges in court that his bodyguard assaulted two Porn film actresses in the actor’s home. In a suit filed in the court last week, plaintiffs Erin Sieman and Christina Lee Stramaglia said Sheen, requested that they go to his home in the exclusive Malibu section of California last summer. They allege, however, that when they appeared at the door of Sheen’s home they were beaten by his bodyguard ‘Zippy’. —AFP

Woman kills mother
BUENOS AIRES: An Argentine teacher obsessed with end-of-millennium apocalyptic ideas stabbed her 89-year-old mother to death on Wednesday to “avert her being killed by the devil,” the police said. The 55-year-old woman confessed to the police she stabbed her mother, a French immigrant, with whom she shared an apartment in Martinez. —Reuters

Weather software
BEIJING: Chinese scientists have developed a numerical weather forecast system for use in planning satellite and military operations, Xinhua has reported. The agency quoted experts as saying on Wednesday that the system could provide meteorological services for local wars under high-tech conditions, as well as for choosing suitable times for satellite launchings and military operations. —AFP

Pak singer dead
LONDON: Pakistan’s leading playback singer Akhlague Ahmed, died in London on Tuesday, in virtual anonymity after losing a long battle against cancer which the fought off for over a decade. A truly gifted singer, Ahmed, with his tender and smooth voice, was sought after by most actors for songs in their films. — ANI