PESHAWAR: In yet another grisly attack, at least five persons including two policemen were killed and twenty one received multiple injuries when a suicide bombers hit a checkpost located near the State Life building in Saddar bazaar locality on Thursday.

Reports reaching here said that suicide bomber blew himself up closed to the checkpost killing five persons and injuring dozens others who were later rushed to Lady Reading hospital. Sources said that some of the injured are said to be in critical condition. Senior minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour while confirming the death told said that it was a suicide attack, which played havoc in the busy Saddar bazaar locality.

People said that it was a powerful blast, which damaged the adjacent PIA building and leaving the windowpanes of nearby shops smashed. Some of the building developed cracks because of the intensity of the blast. Law enforcement officials, district administration and police and rescue staff reached the spot and started rescue operation and shifted the injured to nearby hospitals.

Meanwhile, in their separate messages, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani strongly condemned the bomb blast near State Life Building on Arbab Road.

President Asif Ali Zardari, in his message reiterated the perpetrators of such heinous crime would not be spared. He expressed condolence over the loss of innocent lives and said the government was committed to root out terrorism from the country.The Prime Minister vowed that the terrorists were the country’s biggest enemies and effort would be made to banish the scourge of terrorism from the country.-SANA

ISLAMABAD: The first session of the Pakistan-Turkmenistan Joint Ministerial Commission was held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on August 3-4, 2009. The Pakistani delegation was led by Nawabzada Malik Amad Khan, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. The Turkmenistan side was headed by their Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov.

The Minister of State also called on Mr. Gurbanguli Berdimuhammedov, the President of Turkmenistan and discussed prospects of improving bilateral economic and political relations. He also held sideline meetings with Mr. Annaguly Deryaev, Minister for Oil and Gas Industry and Minerals Resources, and Mr. Ata Gulyiev Nokergvly Hoja Gulyevich, Minister for Commerce and Foreign Economic relations.

A protocol was signed wherein the two countries agreed to speed up the project for supply of Gas from Turkmenistan to Pakistan. In addition to this, the Turkmenistan Government also offered export of electricity to Pakistan.

Both governments decided to form working groups on Commerce & Trade and Food & Agriculture. The group on Commerce & Trade will discuss and finalize the list of goods and services for enhancing bilateral trade between the two countries.

It was also agreed that the business community of both countries will interact with each other to promote trade and investment and joint investment projects. There will be regular exchange of trade delegations and participation in fairs/exhibitions in each other’s countries.

Both countries also agreed to negotiate a transit trade agreement that will facilitate and expand trade volume between the two countries. The working group on food and agriculture will study and identify areas of cooperation between the two countries, including information sharing in agriculture research, seed productions research system, agriculture training, and livestock and fisheries.

The two countries also agreed to activate the forum of political consultations between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs as well as the agreement on Science and Technology signed in 1994 and to convene the meeting of experts by the end of 2009.

The Turkmenistan Government also thanked the Government of Pakistan for its offer of facilities in the field of higher education, vocational training courses, WTO Rules and Agreements and short term training courses offered by the Government under Pakistan Technical Assistance Programme. NNI

BEIJING: Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir visited Beijing for the third round of Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue held on 12-14 May 2009. The Foreign Secretary has had extensive interaction with the Chinese side, including separate meetings with State Councillor, Foreign Minister, Vice Foreign Minister and Assistant Foreign Ministers. The entire spectrum of bilateral relations was reviewed and views were exchanged on all regional and international issues of common interest.

The Foreign Secretary conveyed the cordial greetings of Pakistani leaders to the Chinese leadership as well as special message from Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani for Premier Wen Jiabao. The Chinese side noted that President Zardari’s three visits to China within a short span of time since taking office were testament to Pakistan’s strong commitment to the advancement of Pakistan-China relations.

During the Strategic Dialogue, both sides emphasized the deep-rooted and abiding nature of the Pakistan-China relationship serving the fundamental interests of the two peoples and the cause of peace and stability in the region and beyond. It was stressed that the security and stability of Pakistan and China was intertwined and indivisible.

China affirmed strong support for Pakistan’s efforts to advance its core national objectives of security and economic development. China expressed full confidence in the national efforts of the leadership, state institutions, and people of Pakistan to address and overcome the challenges of militancy, terrorism and extremism. In the context of defeating the forces inimical to Pakistan’s security and social stability, China conveyed the commitment to further reinforce its political, moral and material support to Pakistan. China expressed full support for Pakistan’s efforts to safeguard its sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Pakistan.

The two sides agreed to deepen and broaden the Pakistan-China Strategic Partnership in all aspects. They decided to undertake comprehensive and coordinated efforts to promote region-wide peace, security and stability and reiterated their determination to optimally utilize complementarities for the realization of the vision of common development and shared prosperity. They noted with satisfaction the growth in bilateral trade and economic cooperation through mega projects and agreed to identify pragmatic ways to intensify these bonds. China conveyed renewed assurances of continued support to the process of economic development of Pakistan.

The Foreign Secretary conveyed deep appreciation for China’s prompt action in extending emergency relief assistance to Pakistan to meet the needs of the internally displaced people. As part of the Strategic Dialogue, the two sides also covered a broad range of regional and international issues including situation in Afghanistan, South Asia, global financial crisis, disarmament, cooperation in international fora, and the UN.

It was agreed to further pursue the process of close consultations and cooperation on all areas of common interest at the regional and global planes. The Foreign Secretary also met with Chairman of Board of the China Development Bank Mr. Chen Yuan. He also had interface with the Chinese think-tank community and met separately with the members of the China Institute of International Strategic Studies (CIISS) and the China People’s Institute of International Affairs (CPIFA).

The Foreign Secretary’s delegation included Vice Chief of General Staff Major General Waheed Arshad and senior security representatives, officials from the bilateral and multilateral Divisions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and members of the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing. NNI

ISLAMABAD: The geo-political and geo-strategic situation of Pakistan and Afghanistan offers enormous opportunities for regional cooperation as both countries provide a strategic and social-cultural connect to South Asia and Central Asia. This was stated by Minister of State for Investment Saleem H. Mandiwala while addressing the Business Conference on the sideline of 3rd Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan here on Wednesday.

He said the current volume of trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan stands 1.23 billion dollars which is expected to increase further in the years to come with the expansion of trade. The Minister said Pakistan intends to boost trade and business activities and in this regard a number of MOUs have been signed. Referring new trade and transit agreement recently signed between the two countries in Washington, he said it will increase trade with Afghanistan and boost economic activities.

He said Pakistan has been spending three hundred million dollars in the reconstruction of Afghanistan and to improve health and education sectors besides construction of Torkhum-Jalalabad Highway. He said Pakistan is engaged in building a parallel carriageway.

He said currently Pakistan is constructing the two hundred bed Jinnah General Hospital and Thalacemia Centre in Kabul. Another hospital in Logar and a Kidney Centre in Jalalabad will be setup besides a hostel in Kabul.

The Minister said Pakistan has also announced one thousand scholarships for Afghan students and proposed setting up of model villages for Afghan returnees for skill development. He said Pakistan is the most important and pivotal country in the regional scheme of expanding opportunities and its contribution is viable and sustainable to achieve the common goals towards economic interdependence and individual progress. NNI

NEW DELHI: India on Sunday welcomed President Asif Ali Zardari’s remarks that India is not a threat to Islamabad, saying it is a positive step towards the peace process between the two neighbors. “It is a positive step. It looks to be a positive step towards the peace process. Pakistan should now concentrate only on Taliban militants who are a threat to the world security,” an Indian External Affairs official told Chinese news agency on condition of anonymity.

For the first time, a top Pakistani leader like Zardari has said that India is not a threat to Pakistan and terrorists inside the country is the worst threat for Pakistan. “Well, I am already on record. I have never considered India a threat,” Zardari told an interview on the PBS news channel’s popular show “News hour With Jim Lehrer” in Washington DC Saturday.

“I have always considered India a neighbor, which we want to improve our relationship with. We have had some cold times and we have had some hard times with them. We have gone to war thrice, but democracies are always trying to improve relationships,” he said.-SANA

WASHHINGTON: President Asif Ali Zardari and his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai here Saturday held a joint meeting with the President of World Bank Group and pledged to improve regional economic cooperation. It was agreed that the two countries will facilitate electricity trade between the Central and South Asia. They viewed the development of CASAREM and its first project, the CASA 1000 project as central to the facilitation of regional electricity trade. As a first step in the development of CASAREM, the CASA 1000 Project will allow the export of existing surplus hydropower from Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic to South Asia during the summer months.

The two Presidents noted that, together with the government of the Republic of Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic, functioning Inter-governmental Council has been established in 2007 and Secretariat in 2008 with the objective of developing CASAREM and the CASA 1000 Project. They further noted that the four governments signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) in August 2008 that expresses their mutual commitments to CASAREM and CASA 1000.

In recognition that the development of a regional electricity market would be beneficial to them and to the region as a whole, the two Presidents agreed to continue to strengthen their bilateral cooperation with Tajikistan and Kyrgyz Republic in the development of both CASAREM and its first project, CASA 1000.

In this connection, it was agreed that they would instruct their representatives to take further steps that may be necessary to ensure the effectiveness and enforceability of the IGA and will endeavor to complete all actions pertaining thereto on an urgent basis.

It includes determining economic viability of the project and tariff estimation and signing of the Joint Development Agreement (JDA), preferably during the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECC-A) to be held in Islamabad on May 13-14. This will facilitate the further development of the various commercial agreements and the selection and contracting party on international competitive bidding basis.

The two Presidents noted their appreciations for the technical assistance being provided by the World Bank, International Finance Corporation (IFC) through IFC Infra Ventures, Islamic Development Bank, and Asian Development Band and support of the United States for the development of CASAREM and CASA 1000 Project. They affirmed their intent to seek financing from these international finance institutions for the CASA1000 project.

The two Presidents recognized that the completion of CASA 1000 “which is being designed to accommodate an expanded volume of power in the future “ will catalyze additional energy investments and trade both in the four CASA countries as well as the region and that it could have a positive demonstration effect for other regional infrastructure projects between their two countries, such as the up-gradation of Peshawar-Kabul road and the Peshawar-Kabul Rail link.-APP

WASHINGTON: The United States will soon provide $400 million in emergency economic assistance to Pakistan, President Barack Obama said as he vowed to support the democratic government as quickly as possible towards overcoming militant insurgency. “We are helping Pakistan combat the insurgency within its borders—including $400 million in immediate assistance that we are seeking from Congress, which will help the government as it steps up its efforts against the extremists,” Obama said, emerging from trilateral talks he hosted with President Asif Ali Zardari and his Afghan counterpart.

According to sources the immediate assistance will help meet some of the immediate priorities for socio?economic development of the people. The assistance will help the country deal with the humanitarian needs arising from the fight against insurgents.

The White House is urging Congress to move quickly on economic assistance initiatives designed to help the government deliver services for the Pakistani people.

“Within Pakistan, we must provide lasting support to democratic institutions, while helping the government confront the insurgents who are the single greatest threat to the Pakistani state,” Obama said.

“And we must do more than stand against those who would destroy Pakistan ? we must stand with those who want to build Pakistan. And that is why I’ve asked Congress for sustained funding, to build schools and roads and hospitals. I want the Pakistani people to understand that America is not simply against terrorism—we are on the side of their hopes and their aspirations, because we know that the future of Pakistan must be determined by the talent, innovation, and intelligence of its people,” he said.-APP

Washington: The United States has said that Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal is dispersed and has a very solid command and control structure in place, as media reports resurfaced that the US is very concerned about preventing nuclear weapons of Pakistan from falling into the hands of Taliban or extremist groups.

“Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal is dispersed. There, as I said, is a very solid command and control structure in place with regard to that arsenal,” the State Department Spokesman, Robert Wood, told reporters in reply to a question at his daily press briefing.

However, the spokesperson denied responding to the question if the US knew where these nuclear arsenals are being kept in Pakistan. “I really don’t want to talk about … that’s getting into intelligence,” he said.

Responding to a question about the Obama Administration trying to reach out to opposition leaders, in particular Nawaz Sharif, Wood said the US is reaching out to all groups in Pakistan to encourage them to step up to the plate and meet the challenges that confront them, both economically and politically; the threat from terrorism within and without.-ONLINE

My best wishes to all ……

Peace is what everybody wants , a peaceful life , a peaceful atmosphere. When we look our country is going towards a peaceful solution of its current problems; suddenly something unusual happens to disappoint us. Sometimes target become Karachi sometimes other areas. We Pakistanis are a peaceful nation, why can’t we live like a one peaceful unit.

Lets take a responsibility my brave Pakistani brothers and sisters!!!

Show the world what we are and what we are to do. Why every time we talk as a Sindhi , as a Punjabi , as a Balochi and as a Pathan. Why don’t we start talking like a Pakistani because we are Pakistanis and we are a peaceful nation. Show the world that we are one and we are united .

It’s not our war which we are fighting , we are shedding our own blood, for which we ourselves are responsible somewhat. We cannot control our feelings, our emotions which we should— and Thus we are falling easily in the hands of our enemies. They are using us as a sitting ducks. This is all because we are not united. We should shun our differences as soon as possible for our own good.

There are many hidden hands which are not letting us to live like a peaceful nation and for this i blame no one but ourselves. We are so pathetic we just don’t want to mend our differences because we cannot see our brother living happily and peacefully. No one will come from outside to let us live happily and peacefully it’s we who should take some responsibility and start acting like a peaceful nation .

We should cut the roots of this menace who has taken full control of our minds and the only solution which i see my brothers and sisters is in the footsteps of our Holy Prophet(p.B.U.H) . Please please pay heed to it as quickly as possible otherwise the world is changing drastically and our coming generations will not forgive us for our wrongdoings and above all ALLAH will not forgive us . It’s an old saying that GOD help those who help themselves .

May ALLAH have mercy on all muslims and Pakistan!!!!!!!!!!!

RAWALPINDI: Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), General Tariq Majid, chaired the meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee at Chaklala, Rawalpindi on Thursday. Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Naval chief Admiral Noman Bashir, Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, and other senior military officials from three services also attended the meeting..

The participants of the meeting were given comprehensive briefings on the external and internal security situation with specific focus on the evolving internal challenges and the measures to improve domestic stability.

Examining the prevailing situation in Malakand Division, the Committee expressed its satisfaction over the progress of operations in Lower Dir, Buner and adjoining areas and resolved to extend maximum support to the Government in stamping out any spill over of militancy in these areas with zero tolerance.

The Committee also discussed the security situation in Balochistan and Karachi. Dilating upon response to the myriad of security challenges confronting the country, the Committee underscored the need for a comprehensive national response.

The Committee strongly dismissed the undue alarm being created by certain quarters, especially the western media, indicating dangers to our strategic assets, terming these as unfounded. The Committee expressed full confidence in the robust custodial controls and multi-layered arrangements put in place to ensure fail-safe security of these assets.

The Committee also evaluated the revised US Policy on Afghanistan and Pakistan with a view to making security related recommendations to the Government.