* Agree to increase frequency of two bus services from fortnightly to weekly
* Introduce triple entry permits from October 1

NEW DELHI: Despite a ‘chill’ in talks owing to India accusing Pakistan of involvement in the bombing at its Kabul embassy, both countries on Monday announced a series of Kashmir-related confidence building measures (CBMs).

Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and his Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir announced the cross-border CBMs at separate press conferences after holding talks and initiating the fifth round of the composite dialogue. The two sides agreed upon these measures during a meeting of the Pak-India Working Group in Islamabad last Friday.

Increase frequency: Both sides announced that they would increase the frequency of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus from fortnightly to weekly from August 21, adding that they would also increase the frequency of the Poonch-Rawalkot bus service to weekly from August 25.

The two countries also announced that the Rawalkot deputy commissioner and the Jammu regional passport office would become the designated authorities for the Rawalkot-Poonch bus service with effect from October 1.

The designated authorities would also start to exchange applications for entry permits by e-mail from October 1. However, these would require to be substantiated with hard copies. Also from October 1, clearance time of permits would be reduced to within a week in case of emergencies like the death of a close relative across the Line of Control. The stay in such cases would be limited to a maximum of seven days.

Both sides have also decided to take steps to reduce processing time for applications and conduct monthly co-ordination meetings of the designated authorities, with a provision to convene urgent meetings whenever needed.

Triple-entry: Referring to triple-entry permits, the two sides announced that a separate form has been finalised and all three entries would have to be from the same crossing point.

They also agreed to allow a maximum of 60 people per crossing. The sides said that a list of commodities that could be traded with zero tariff regimes was also exchanged in the Islamabad meeting and each side now had to indicate the items it was willing to receive. The chambers of commerce from both sides of the LoC would visit the region as soon as possible to recommend modalities of trade, they added.


ISLAMABAD: Javed Iqbal Jafferi – counsel for Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan – expressed reservations about Islamabad High Court (IHC)’s Monday verdict regarding Dr Khan’s alleged detention and said he would file a review petition. Jafferi said Dr Khan does not agree with the verdict and believes he was given little relief.


* IHC allows meetings with close relatives after security clearance

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday restricted nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan to interact with media, allowing him however to meet his close relatives subject to security clearance.

Justice Aslam said strict security arrangements would be taken for Dr Khan’s visits to the Science Foundation for research.

“The detenue will not convey, transmit or relay any comments or give interview to any channel, reporter, print or electronic media in any manner, whatsoever in respect of [the] issue of proliferation,” the court ruled in its verdict on a habeas corpus petition filed by advocate Javed Iqbal Jafferi against the alleged detention of Dr Khan.

The verdict comes less than three weeks after Dr Khan implicated the army in proliferation.

“No restriction will be placed on his visit within Pakistan to meet any of his close relations subject to security clearance. He will however not convey any information regarding [the issue of] proliferation,” the verdict said. The court further ruled that Dr Khan shall be provided health care facilities by a doctor of his own choice.


LAHORE: Al Qaeda commander in Afghanistan and close aide of Osama Bin Laden Mustafa Ahmad Abu Yazeed alias Sheikh Saeed said on Monday that a Saudi member of Al Qaeda carried out the suicide attack on Danish embassy in Islamabad on June 2.

In an interview with Geo News, Saeed said there was no Muslim present at the Danish embassy at the time of the attack.


LAHORE: Civil society representatives, journalists and lawyers protested against intolerance and extremism in the country at the Lahore Press Club on Monday.

Dozens of people, carrying placards inscribed with slogans against extremism, intolerance and suicide attacks, attended the protest and shouted slogans against religious rigidity.

Joint Action Committee Convener Shahtaj Qazlbash said that a few people wanted to ‘hijack’ the nation in the name of Islam. HRCP Director IA Rehman said theocracy and Pakistan could not co-exist while commission Chairwoman Asma Jahangir denounced extremists for threatening daily Aaj Kal.

SAFMA General Secretary Imtiaz Alam told the gathering that the media could not be barred from expressing its opinion.

Daily Times and Aaj Kal Editor-in-Chief Najam Sethi said the media had gained freedom of expression after great sacrifices. “No one has the right to suffocate the voice of the media. The media has always raised its voice against extremism and it will continue to do so,” he added.

Lahore Bar Association President Manzoor Qadir, SCBA media co-ordinator Azhar Siddique, Abdullah Malik and others also joined the protest.


NEW DELHI: India’s peace process with Pakistan is “under stress”, Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said on Monday, repeating allegations that ‘elements’ in Islamabad were behind a suicide attack at the Indian embassy in Kabul. “All our information points to elements of Pakistan being behind the blast,” he told reporters following talks with his Pakistani counterpart. The talks are happening at a “difficult time in our relationship with Pakistan”, he added. In this context, he referred to the recent violations of the ceasefire along the Line of Control, cross-border terrorism and incitement of violence in Jammu and Kashmir. However, he added, India nonetheless considers it “important that the dialogue continue in order to address our concerns”, The Associated Press reported. At a separate press conference, Pakistan Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir said allegations that Pakistan was in any way involved in the attack were ‘baseless’. “If they share this intelligence we will ally any misgivings they have,” he said. He said his country was not bound to prove its credential in the fight against terrorism, adding, “Pakistan is not on probation.” Pakistan also conveyed various concerns to India during the talks but would not discuss them through media, he added.



http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?date=7/22/2008

__________________
Regards,
P.R.