British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday evening.The two leaders discussed the prevailing situation in the region and bilateral ties.Prime Minister Brown offered the services of his government to help reduce tension between India and Pakistan as a result of the recent developments.

China has assured full moral, financial and material support to Pakistan in the wake of situation arose after terrorist attacks in Mumbai (India). China in a message to Pakistan’s top slot said that the country would assist Pakistan in any situation to overcome the problems and challenges being faced by it. The Chinese leadership is in constant contact with Pakistan to know the nature of assistance the latter requires and ensure its immediate availability.

President?elect Barack Obama on Monday said the United States will be engaged in “very delicate diplomacy” with regard to situation in South Asia following last week’s Mumbai attacks and sounded confident that the Pakistani government would follow its commitment to cooperate with the investigation. Obama, who unveiled his top national security team in Chicago, said he has been closely following the situation in the aftermath of the attacks.

“We are going to be engaged in some very delicate diplomacy in the next several days and weeks,” said Obama, who assumes presidential powers on January 20, 2009.

At the same time, he reiterated that the U.S. has one president at a time.

“I would be monitoring the situation closely, thus far I think the (George Bush) administration has done what is needed and try to get details of the situation and my expectation is that President (Asif Ali) Zardari of Pakistan, who has already said he will fully cooperate with the investigation, will follow through that commitment.”

He reiterated his incoming administration’s resolve to curb extremism with a comprehensive approach, combining security, political, diplomatic and economic elements.

“What I can say unequivocally is that both myself and my team that stands beside me are absolutely committed to eliminating the threat of terrorism and that is true wherever it is found. We cannot tolerate a world in which innocents are being killed by extremists based on twisted ideologies. And we are going to bring the full force of our power not only military but also diplomatic, political and economic to deal with those threats not only to keep Americans safe but also to ensure that peace and prosperity can exist around the world.” Obama said he has spoken to the Indian Prime Minister and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has briefed him about the situation.

It is pertinent to mention that relation between India and Pakistan has been deteriorating after Indian accusation of Pakistani involvement in Mumbai incident. According to a press relies from Awan-e-Sadar that in these telephonic talks various issues have been discussed. The President also accepted the invitation of France tour from his French counterpart and his tour to France is expected in January

He said, “She’s an American of tremendous stature who will have my complete confidence, who knows many of the world’s leaders, who will command respect in every capital, and who will clearly have the ability to advance our interests around the world.” “Hillary’s appointment is a sign to friend and foe of the seriousness of my commitment to renew American diplomacy and restore our alliances”, he added.

Hillary Clinton lost out to Obama when the two contested a bitterly fought race for the Democratic Party presidential nomination. Us president-elect Obama also announced nominations for other key National Security team posts as he said, “the time had come for a “new dawn of American leadership to overcome the challenges of the 21st century, and to seize the opportunities embedded in those challenges”.

He also announced that Robert Gates would remain as defence secretary, while retired Marine Gen. James Jones was named as White House national security adviser. Meanwhile, former Justice Department official Eric Holder was nominated as attorney general and Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano as secretary of homeland security.-SANA

ANDS places a high priority on the establishment of better planning and project management, greater transparency and efficiency in the way contracts are awarded and handled, and stricter fiduciary oversight. This will partly be achieved by the creation of a new agency to oversee Afghanistan’s roads.

Roads are essential to Afghanistan’s economic development. The country has a challenging terrain and a widely-scattered population. As a landlocked country, it depends on roads for trade with neighboring countries.

An improved and expanded road network will raise inter-city travel speed, create better conditions for inter-city freight and passenger services, cut operating costs, develop a more secure road travel system, and make road transport more attractive, safe, and timely for people and goods. This will benefit the Afghan economy, creating jobs, and bringing investment to regional and rural areas. Roads can also contribute to stability and security in remote parts of the country.

One special feature of the overall investment program is the inclusion of small but vital works, such as rehabilitation or construction of village access road, footpaths, and footbridges. Schools and medical clinics in the road construction areas will also be built.

“More than 40% of ADB’s lending to Afghanistan so far has gone into transport development,” said Juan Miranda, Director General of ADB’s Central and West Asia Department. “We recognize the vital importance of this contribution to rebuilding Afghanistan and its roads, which have suffered from neglect due to other priorities. The value of roads to the economy can only be sustained with improved links, new roads, and a continuing repair and maintenance system. We are aiming for that goal with this investment program.”

ADB has, to date, financed the improvement of nearly 1,100 kilometers of regional and national roads in Afghanistan, mainly in the north and northwest part of the country.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in the Asia and Pacific region through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region. In 2007, it approved $10.1 billion of loans, $673 million of grant projects, and technical assistance amounting to $243 million.-SANA

It particularly noted President Zardari’s emphasis that the two countries “should not fall into the trap of the militants.” The editorial also recognized President Zardari’s reaching out to India. “Mr. Zardari promised a no first use policy on nuclear weapons and spoke of an eventual ‘nonnuclear treaty’, the newspaper said, arguing that “a rapprochement with India would permit the Pakistani government to devote more military resources to the fight against terrorists.”

“The United States, in what’s left of the Bush administration’s term and right from the start of the Obama administration’s, must continue nudging these two rivals toward cooperation. As the bloodbath in Mumbai so vividly illustrates, terrorism is not only America’s enemy, but Pakistan’s and India’s as well,” the newspaper said.

The newspaper also praised Pakistan’s recent counterterrorism efforts along its Afghan border and said Washington wants the Pakistani army’s cooperation in fighting terrorism. “In recent weeks, U.S. officers in Afghanistan reported better results, crediting the Pakistanis with taking the offensive against the Taliban on Pakistani territory.”-SANA

“We Kashmiris feel hurt and our hearts bleed on seeing and hearing about these innocent killings. We express our profound sympathies with the families of those killed in these attacks,” said Qasim, demanding high level probe into these attacks and exemplary punishment to those found guilty in this crime against humanity.

The incarcerated senior leader of Hurriyat Conference (M) and chairman Jammu Kashmir Salvation Movement (JKSM) Zaffar Akbar Bhat, while condemning the attacks, termed them as unpardonable crime against humanity.

Zaffar expressed sympathies with the families of the victims of these terror attacks.
Condemning the attacks, the Islamic Political Party (IPP) chairman Muhammad Yousuf Naqash termed these as sheer acts of terrorism. “Such terrorists have neither any religion nor principle, they go on killing spree only to realize their interests,” said Naqsh in a statement today, expressing sympathies with the families of victims.

Dukhtaran-e-Kashmir general secretary Um-i-Aatirah, while condemning the blasts and firing on civilians in Mumbai, said, “Our hearts bleed at the death and destruction caused by these terror acts and we express solidarity and sympathies with the families of victims.”-SANA

President Zardari discussed with Akhundzada ways and means to qualitatively strengthen bilateral relations with Iran. Earlier, Akhundzada also called on the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Nawabzada Malik Ahmed Khan and had useful discussions on global, regional and key bilateral issues of mutual interest.

The Pakistani leadership assured the visiting dignitary of vigorous efforts being made for the safe and early recovery of the kidnapped Iranian envoy.-SANA

Expressing deep shock and sorrow over the Mumbai attacks, Congress senior leader and former chief minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad termed it highly condemnable. “The situation has now reached to the point where all the political parties and all the communities have to forget all the differences and join their hands to defeat the scourge of terrorism,” said Azad, in a statement.

National Conference patron and former chief minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah while strongly condemning the attacks said, “Whosoever is involved in these attacks is the enemy of humanity. We strongly condemn this barbaric act.” Terming the incident as an attack on the integrity and unity of the country, Dr. Farooq Abdullah expressed deepest sympathies with the families of the deceased and those injured.

Appealing the people to keep calm and cool, Dr. Abdullah said “Unity and integrity are the basics of our heritage and we should remain cautious about the elements, who want to create a divide among us. We should uphold the traditional communal brotherhood and secularism at all times”.

Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir strongly condemned the terrorist attacks in Mumbai and termed them as anti Islamic. In a statement, a Jamaat spokesman said, “We condemn terrorist activities at all levels. These are against the teachings of Islam. The killing of innocent people in these terrorist attacks is shocking.“Our sympathies are with the families of those who got killed and injured,” he said.
The Jamaat demanded a through probe into the incident by some credible international organization.

Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik, who is undergoing treatment at New Delhi, in a statement strongly condemned the Mumbai attacks. All Parties International Kashmir Coordination Committee, secretary general, Dr Misfar Hassan, in a statement said the Diaspora of Kashmiri origin in the UK are against any kind of terrorist activity whether it involves India or any other country. He said that such activities could be a conspiracy against the on going peace talks between India and Pakistan. “Until all the evidence is gathered and proved one cannot say with surety who has done such heinous acts,” he added.

Kashmiri Canadian Council strongly condemned the series of attacks and offered condolences to the families of the victims.Patron Jammu Kashmir Mahaz-e-Azadi, Muhammad Azam Inquilabi also denounced the Mumbai attacks and said such acts doesn’t serve any justification.

“These are sheer violation of basic human doctrines,” he said. He urged upon the leadership of India and Pakistan to seize the opportunity and come close to each other by shunning the blame game; which has been in practice since last six decades and address all the pending issues including the long pending Kashmir issue. “Kashmir is the nuclear flash point between two nuclear powers of the South Asia, the resolution of which can act as a bridge of friendship between India and Pakistan and can guaranty peace in the region,” Inquilabi said.-SANA

“There is undoubtedly a difficult security situation which is developing… but not a security crisis,” said the head of the delegation, Italian ambassador Giulio Terzi. “We should avoid any inclination to disillusionment and frustration or even worse to mutual recriminations between Afghanistan and its friends,” he said. “Instead, this is the time for the Afghan people and for the international community to redouble efforts and to redouble the spirit of joint partnership in overcoming these difficulties.”

In his meeting with the team, President Hamid Karzai demanded a “timeline” for the end of largely UN-mandated international military intervention in Afghanistan. The country was a key battleground for the US-led “war on terror” launched in 2001 with the invasion that toppled Afghanistan’s Taliban regime for harboring Al-Qaeda after the September 11 attacks on the United States.

Karzai also said it was “unacceptable” that pockets of his country were in control of Taliban insurgents despite the presence of nearly 70,000 international troops. Terzi said there was an expectation among all involved that the international intervention would be as short as possible, but it would also have to be sustained as long as needed and requires an increased engagement.-SANA

While India’s senior politician and Opposition leader L.K. Advani said on Thursday that various terrorist’s networks operating in the country wanted to destabilize India. Meanwhile, Indian journalist Kuldip Nayar said Indian security agencies had no clue about this attack and it was difficult to tell who was actually behind this act of terrorism.

Talking to media, senior journalist Nayar said that it was hard to identify the attackers, but added that they were holing some Israeli hostages. Nayyar quoted security agencies as saying that they had not received any report regarding this attack.-SANA

Talking to a group of visiting journalists, Eric Chevallier, special advisor to the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, who is also the spokesperson for the French foreign office, said the renewed interest and the new international push to solving the long standing Kashmir dispute ‘makes sense.’

He explained that if there is decreased tension on the Pakistan-India border with Kashmir, the Pakistani security apparatus could put enhanced efforts in securing the porous border Pakistan shares with Afghanistan. “Solving the Kashmir dispute will help everybody in the region,” said Chevallier.

He further said that resolving the Kashmir issue might also help avoid the cross border bombing of the tribal areas of Pakistan. Towards finding a negotiated settlement of the Afghan problem, France is hosting in Paris a special regional meeting of all the countries that are neighbors to Afghanistan, with the hope that a quick solution can be found to the Afghan crisis. Chevallier emphasized that ‘there is no military solution to the issue of Afghanistan’.

On the Kashmir issue, similar opinions have also been voiced by the incumbent Democratic administration in Washington DC. For India’s part, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has gone on record saying that the Kashmir dispute is a bilateral issue between the two neighbors. Further on being questioned as to whether France supports the UN plebiscite in Kashmir, Chevallier said, “The Kashmiri people should find a way to develop peace in the region.”-SANA

The agreement is the result of a year of negotiations with the US, with the Iraqis requesting several changes. Some groups fiercely opposed the pact in parliament and at mass rallies, demanding that US troops leave earlier. Iraq’s Presidential Council must still ratify the deal but its approval is expected. Iraq’s government has hailed the parliamentary session as the prelude to the return of full sovereignty to the country.

Of the 275 members of parliament, 198 were present, with 149 voting in favour. An initial Iraqi count had put the figure at 144.-SANA

Both the White House and the U.S. State Department denounced the attacks. Officials say President George Bush was informed and being updated on the situation. State Department spokesman Robert Wood issued a statement saying the United States stands ready to support Indian authorities as they deal with the “horrific” series of attacks.

He also said he was not aware of any American casualties. A spokeswoman for U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, Brooke Anderson, issued a statement saying the coordinated attacks on innocent lives demonstrate the grave and urgent threat of terrorism. She also said the U.S. must continue to strengthen partnerships with India and other nations to root out and destroy terrorist networks.

Both British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the European Union also condemned the attacks. European lawmaker Ignasi Guardans who was in the Taj hotel during the attack, told Spanish media that a European official was among those wounded.

In a statement, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said no cause or grievance can justify the indiscriminate attacks against civilians. He called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice swiftly.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said his government would provide any and all support to the Maharashtra state government in dealing with the situation.-SANA

PML-N Secretary Information Iqbal Ahsan told media persons after the meeting that concern of Pakistani people was conveyed to the British Foreign Secretary over violation of Pakistan’s airspace. Nawaz Sharif referred to the unanimous resolution of the parliament and said that missile attacks should stop.

The British Foreign Secretary appreciated the resolution of the parliament and agreed that it provides a very comprehensive framework for solution of the problem. He appreciated Pakistan’s concern for its sovereignty. Both the leaders also discussed relations between Pakistan and India and efforts to bring peace in South Asia. The PML-N leader highlighted the importance of resolving the Kashmir issue in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

UK wants to have close ties with Pakistan: Miliband
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said that his country desires to build closer collaboration and relations with the democratic government of Pakistan. Addressing a joint news conference along with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in Islamabad today, the British foreign secretary lauded Pakistan’s role in the fight against terrorism saying it is playing a pivotal role in the regional peace.

Miliband said that there should be close cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan for regional stability. The British Foreign Secretary said that his country is raring to provide cooperation to Pakistan in European Union. He said that several British Muslims and Pakistanis also accompanied him to Pakistan so that people to people contacts could be bolstered.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Pakistan is a peace loving country and we want peace to prevail in the region. Earlier, the two foreign ministers during a meeting discussed a host of issues including the bilateral relations, economic cooperation, war against terror and peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region.-SANA

Referring to the grave situation in Gaza, he urged Israel to seriously reconsider its policies which were endangering the lives of the besieged Palestinian people and also the peace process.

He said it is time to turn a new page for peace and stability in this region and security across the globe for generations. The Pakistani delegate urged the international community particularly the Quartet to ensure that urgent steps are taken to remove all impediments for peace.-SANA

“They’ve changed their strategic focus not to Afghanistan but to Pakistan, because Pakistan was the closest place where you have the nexus of terrorism and nuclear weapons.” Gen. Conway also offered a stark assessment of the Afghan situation, saying the Taliban has built a rudimentary command-and-control network that enables the group’s leadership to direct attacks across the country.

Gen. Conway said Pakistan’s best troops were deployed along its border with India and weren’t being used in the fight against the country’s militants. Pakistan’s leadership doesn’t yet seem to accept that terrorism poses an existential risk to the country’s future, he added. “Pakistan has to understand there’s a dire threat there that they have to act against,” he said.

Gen. Conway said the attacks had killed al Qaeda figures involved in planning attacks on targets in Europe and the U.S. “It is important that we keep them on the run,” he said. Still, he described the strikes as a “high-wire act” that risked damaging relations.

Gen. Conway said the U.S. military needed to reorient itself in response to the changing conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Iraq’s security situation has improved so much that for the first time it “smells like victory” there, he said. The gains should clear the way for the withdrawal next year of many of the 20,000 Marines currently deployed to the country, he added.-SANA

Miliband was last in Afghanistan in February when he visited with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Britain is the second-largest contributor of troops to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force of nearly 51,000 soldiers that is helping the Afghan government fight a Taliban-led insurgency.

There are about 8,000 British soldiers in ISAF, most of them based in the opium-growing region of Helmand which is also a Taliban stronghold. However, a British soldier was killed in an explosion in Helmand on Monday. The death took to 126 the number of British services personnel killed in Afghanistan since 2001, the year the Taliban was forced from government in a US-led invasion.

Whereas Britain Foreign Minister David Miliband is arriving in Islamabad on his two day visit on Wednesday. During the visit he will hold meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari to discuss the issues of mutual interest, present Afghan situation, war on terror, enhancement of bilateral relations, security situation of the region, US drone attacks on Pakistan and the role of Friends of Pakistan.

David Miliband would also hold talks with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Army Chief Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and other military and government officials. It would be a second visit of David Miliband to Pakistan from last six months.-SANA

“It warms my heart to visit what is probably the best refugee settlement in Iran, if not the world,” he stated as he surveyed the 100-hectare refugee community of solid brick houses, well-equipped schools and clinics and a mosque and community centre featuring a refugee art exhibit. At least 5 million Afghans have returned to their homeland since 2002 – more than 4 million of them with the help of UNHCR.

There are still almost 3 million Afghan refugees living in other countries, including nearly 1 million in Iran. Mr. Guterres praised the generosity and hospitality of the Iranian people toward refugees from other countries and for receiving millions of them in recent decades.

“And let’s be frank. Iran has done this with little support from the international community. I’m the first to recognize that the resources my office brings are disproportionate to the generosity of the Iranian Government and people,” he stated.

He also said he hoped that the Afghan refugees would be able to return home soon and begin rebuilding their lives. “It is difficult to find a nation in the world which has suffered so much in recent decades,” he said. “The best solution for refugees is to go back home in a voluntary, safe and dignified way. But we all feel a certain frustration that several years after the fall of the Taliban, there are still many impediments to return,” he noted.

Afghan refugees face a number of challenges upon their return to their home country, including shelter, land allocation, health, education and employment. Mr. Guterres, who arrived in Iran after four days in Afghanistan, said an international conference sponsored by the Afghan Foreign Ministry and UNHCR in Kabul last week had unveiled a new strategy aimed at overcoming many of those impediments.

There was a lot of support from both the Afghan Government and the international community at the meeting for incorporating the needs of returned refugees in the country’s five-year blueprint for rebuilding, known as the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS).-SANA

The two leaders held in depth discussions covering bilateral ties and regional and international issues of mutual interest. They expressed satisfaction over the existing cooperation between Pakistan and UAE in various fields and pledged to further strengthen their mutual ties especially in trade and investment.

The two leaders also held one on one meeting. During the meeting they focused to encourage the UAE public and private investment in various Joint Venture project in Pakistan particularly in energy, agriculture, construction and infrastructure development.

President Asif Ali Zardari was given a warm welcome when he arrived at Amari airport in Abu Dhabi on a two day official visit to United Arab Emirates. Earlier, the UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zaid Al-Nahan received the President at the airport. The senior officials of UAE were present on the occasion.

Pakistan Ambassador to UAE, Khurshid Ahmed Junejo and officials of Pakistan Embassy were also present at the airport. Later the two leaders drove to Al-Mashraf Palace for official talks. At Al-Mashraf Palace, formal ceremony was held in honour of President Asif Ali Zardari. He was presented a guard of honour and the national anthems of the two countries were also played on the occasion.-SANA

“Being a father of two daughters and the masses’ representative I hope you can relies the situation through which Dr. Aaffia is passing”, Qazi writes to the President. He said the role of the secret agencies was “cheapest” in her case as a citizen could not be handed over to any other country beyond judicial process.

He urged the government to uncover those faces who were involved in Dr. Aaffia’s case as they sold the nation’s daughter for the dollars and she had to under go from the miserable period of her life that marked by physical and mental torture, repeatedly rapping and separation from the children.

He expressed his feared that she was kept in Chronic Depressive Psychosis in order to deprive her of the memory on the name of psychological treatment. He also demanded of the government to take steps for the recovery of her other children.-SANA

The participants included 261 personnel from the US Army, Navy, Air force, Marines, Army reserves equivalent to the rank of Lt. Colonel and above, 33 Senior Civilians including representatives of National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security and 42 International fellows including one Brigadier from Pakistan.

He said that if cost on food per person was taken as one dollar per day per person, the sum comes up to 35 billion dollars so far, and as food is 50% of the expenses on how people live in their running costs, if you add another 50% for education, health and many other things, the total sum was over 72 billion dollars spent over this period of time, and if you take the capital expenditure of housing and many other such things, you can practically double it again - over 150 billion over many years . If the ancillary cots of United States were three trillion on the war on Iraq where it spent 600 billion dollars, the ancillary costs incurred by Pakistan can be well imagined.

Haroon said that the Afghan refugees took much from us. They impacted our environment, left us with a culture of Kalashnikovs, a weapon later used to challenge the government and drugs which has become a trauma in our society, he added. Today we have nearly gone broke, thanks to the IMF for having bailed us out.

Dilating on the relations between Pakistan and United States, Ambassador Haroon recalled that the first Prime Minster of Pakistan Mr Liaqat Ali Khan laid the Foundation of these relations when he visited United States on an official visit in 1950.Since then Pakistan has been maintaining close relations with the United States and has been a member of CENTO, SEATO and Baghdad pacts.

Pakistan’s relations with the United States became even closer as the two countries entered into closer co-operation in their support to the people of Afghanistan against the invasion by the Soviet Union in 1978.

Afghanistan, Ambassador Haroon said comprises of four distinct ethnic groups Pakhtoons, Tajeks, Uzbeks and Hazaras. These ethnic groups are distinct from each other and make Afghanistan a difficult country to govern, even when ruled by its own people. Its difficult and inhospitable terrain has only added to the miseries of any attempts by foreign power to subjugate it.

Ambassador Haroon said that the void left by the United States after the Soviets were defeated was filled by Taliban; they challenged the status quo and provided the people of Afghanistan religious education and their brand of Justice.

After 9/11, the United States eliminated the Taliban rule but failed to follow up with development. What was required was a strategy comprising a mix of political, military and development measures. The Americans failed to do so, providing an opportunity to Taliban to resurface, he added.

In response to a question regarding his advice for the next administration Ambassador Haroon reiterated his earlier proposal for the formation of a joint force of Pakistani, NATO and United States Troops as a border force to increase Co-ordination and curb terrorist across the Pak-Afghan border.

He also suggested the force should come under the command of Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani. This proposal was being made to end complaints of mistrust among coalition partners and provide much needed local experience, essential for success in Afghanistan.

Haroon said that their was a better understanding between the leadership of Afghanistan and Pakistan today and suggested that the new administration should increase economic assistance to Afghanistan and Pakistan so that economic activity can be generated and basic needs of the people can be addressed, this he said will not cost much. “This amalgam of diverse interests under the nomenclature of Taliban has taken upon us, it is now Pakistan’s war” said Ambassador. “If the Taliban are not defeated history is a witness that whenever Khyber was breached, the battle has been fought in Panipat” cautioned Haroon.

Major General Robert Williams Commandant of the College introducing the College and participants said that the United States War College (USAWC) is a premier US institution for the education of strategic leaders for the study of the development and employment of land power in a joint interagency and multinational environment. The participants are future military and civilian leaders of the United States.-SANA