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Pakistan to
send ISI chief
to
India ISLAM
ABAD: Prime
Minister Syed
Yousuf Raza
Gilani on
Friday extended Pakistan’s
support to India in jointly
combating extremism and
terrorism and offered to
send its intelligence chief to
help with Mumbai
investigation. Prime
Minister Gilani telephoned
his Indian counterpart Dr.
Manmohan Singh and
strongly condemned the acts
of terrorism in Mumbai.
ISLAMABAD: The moon
for the month of Zilhaj was
not sighted thus Eid-ul-Azha
will fall on December 9
(Tuesday).
The Central Ruet-i-Hilal
Committee met here at
Ministry of Religious Affairs
with its Chairman Mufti
Muneeb-ur-Rehman in the
chair for sighting of the
Zilhaj moon. The meetings
of zonal and provincial
committees were also held in
their respective cities.
Mufti Muneed-ur-Rehman,
on receiving no evidence of
moon sighting, announced
that the first day of Zilhaj
Eid-ul-Azha will
celebrated on December 9.
be
MUMBAI: Commandos
ended a siege of the luxury
Oberoi hotel on Friday while
other forces rappelled from
helicopters to storm a
besieged Jewish center, two
days after a chain of militant
attacks across India's
financial center left at least
143 people dead and the city
in panic.
While explosions and
gunfire continued
intermittently at the elegant
Taj Mahal hotel Friday
afternoon, officials said
commandos had killed the
two last gunmen inside the
nearby Oberoi.
``The hotel is under our
control,'' J.K. Dutt, director
general of India's elite
National Security Guard
commando unit, told
reporters, adding that 24
bodies had been found.
Dozens of people – including
a man clutching a baby –
had been evacuated from
Oberoi earlier Friday.
The airborne assault on the
center run by the ultra-
orthodox Jewish outreach
group Chabad Lubavitch
was punctuated by gunshots
and explosions – and at one
point an intense exchange of
fire that lasted several
minutes – as forces cleared
it floor by floor, according to
an Associated Press reporter
at the scene. By Friday
afternoon, the commandos
had control of the top two
floors.
One camouflaged
commando came out with a
bandage on his forehead,
while soldiers fired smoke
grenades into the building
and a steady stream of
gunfire reverberated across
narrow alleys.
Israel's ambassador to
India, Mark Sofer, said they
believed there were up to
nine hostages inside. Their
fate was not clear. Sofer
denied reports that Israeli
commandos were taking part
in the operation.
Moshe Holtzberg, a 2-year-
old who was smuggled out of
the center by an employee, is
now with his grandparents.
His grandfather told Israel
Radio on Friday that he had
no news of Moshe's parents.
More than 143 people were
killed and 288 injured when
suspected Islamic militants
attacked 10 sites in Mumbai
starting Wednesday evening.
Security officials said their
operations were almost over.
``It's just a matter of a few
hours that we'll be able to
wrap up things,'' Lt. Gen. N.
Thamburaj told reporters
Friday morning.
The group rescued from the
Oberoi, many holding
passports, included at least
two Americans, a Briton,
two Japanese nationals and
several Indians. Some
carried luggage with
Canadian flags. One man in
a chef's uniform was
holding a small baby. About
20 airline crew members
were freed, including staff
from Lufthansa and Air
France.
``I'm going home, I'm going
to see my wife,'' said Mark
Abell, with a huge smile on
his face after emerging from
the hotel.
Abell, from Britain, had
locked himself in his room
during the siege. ``These
people here have been
fantastic, the Indian
authorities, and the hotel
staff. I think they are a great
advertisement for their
country,'' he said as security
officials pulled him away.
The well-coordinated strikes
by small bands of gunmen
starting Wednesday night
left the city shell-shocked.
Late Thursday, after about
400 people had been brought
out of the Taj hotel, officials
said it had been cleared of
gunmen. But Friday
morning, army commanders
said that while three
gunmen had been killed, two
to three more were still
inside with about 15
civilians.
A few hours after that,
Thamburaj, the security
official, said at least one
gunman was still alive inside
the hotel and had cut of
electricity on the floor where
he was hiding. Shortly after
that announcement, another
round of explosions and
gunfire were heard coming
from the hotel.
Earlier Friday, Pakistan's
Defense Minister Ahmed
Mukhtar, in Islamabad,
denied involvement by his
country: ``I will say in very
categoric terms that
Pakistan is not involved in
these gory incidents.''
The gunmen were well-
prepared, apparently
scouting some targets ahead
of time and carrying large
bags of almonds to keep up
their energy.
``It's obvious they were
trained somewhere ... Not
everyone can handle the AK
series of weapons or throw
grenades like that,'' an
unidentified member of
India's Marine Commando
unit told reporters, his face
wrapped in a black mask. He
said the men were ``very
determined and
remorseless'' and ready for
a long siege. One backpack
they found had 400 rounds
of ammunition inside.
He said the Taj was filled
with terrified civilians,
making it very difficult for
the commandos to fire on
the gunmen.
``To try and avoid civilian
casualties we had to be so
much more careful,'' he
said, adding that hotel was a
grim sight. ``Bodies were
strewn all over the place,
and there was blood
everywhere.''
A U.S. investigative team
was heading to Mumbai, a
State Department official
said Thursday evening,
speaking on condition of
anonymity because the U.S.
and Indian governments
were still working out final
details.
These attacks were more
sophisticated and more
brazen.
They began at about 9:20
p.m. with shooters spraying
gunfire across the
Chhatrapati Shivaji railroad
station, one of the world's
busiest terminals. For the
next two hours, there was an
attack roughly every 15
minutes _ the Jewish center,
a tourist restaurant, one
hotel, and then another and
two attacks on hospitals.
There were 10targets in all.
Indian media showed
pictures of rubber dinghies
found by the city's shoreline,
apparently used by the
gunmen to reach the area.
Both the luxury hotels
targeted overlook the
Arabian Sea.
A previously unknown group
calling itself the Deccan
Mujahideen claimed
responsibility in e-mails to
several media outlets.
Survivors of the hotel
attacks said the gunmen had
specifically targeted Britons
and Americans, though most
of the dead seemed to be
Indians and whoever else
was caught in the random
gunfire.
One of the gunmen
``stopped once and asked,
'Where are you from? Any
British or American? Show
your ID,'' Alex
Chamberlain, a British
citizen dining at the Oberoi,
told reporters.
Among the dead were two
Australians and Japanese,
said the state home ministry.
An Italian, a Briton and a
German were also killed,
according to their foreign
ministries.
The United States, Pakistan
and other countries
condemned the attacks.
KARACHI: The value of
rupee against dollar in the
inter-bank today showed
weakening trend, as dollar is
being bought at Rs78.87 and
sold at Rs78.97.
Forex market dealers said
that the value of rupee was
seen lightly under pressure,
as the importers made some
purchases of dollars.
Experts said that one of the
reasons for rupee being
under pressure was the
existing low foreign
exchange reserve, although
the receipt $3.10 billion
tranche of IMF loan would
help boost the reserves, but
the pre-IMF tranche
reserves amount during one
week diminished by further
$40 million.
Dollar in the open market
today is being bought at
Rs77.50 and sold at Rs78.10.
PESHAWAR: Naimat Ali
has emerged victorious in
the 14th Tour de Pakistan
International Cycle Race,
conducted from Karachi to
Peshawar.
Forty-two riders participated
in the final stage of the cycle
race, conduced from
Rawalpindi to Peshawar
today. The cyclists covered a
distance of 163 kilometers in
the last stage of the event.
Naimat Ali from Sui
Southern Gas Company
(SSGC) covered the total
distance in 44 hours, 45
minutes and 55 second and
secured first position.
Runner-up Haroon-ur-
Rashid from Wapda covered
the distance in 44 hours, 56
minutes and 32 seconds
while Sri Lanka’s
Mismanage Perera took 44
hours, 58 minutes and 48
seconds to complete the
distance. Perera got third
position in the competition.
Tour de Pakistan, which
commenced from Karachi,
concluded on Friday in
Peshawar.
NEW DELHI: At least 17
foreigners died in the
militant attacks in Mumbai,
according to
announcements by officials
in India and in the victims'
home countries.
"Three of those killed were
Germans, one Japanese
national, one Canadian and
one Australian," India's
Internal Security Secretary
M. L. Kumawat said on
Friday.
Kumawat said the
information was based on
reports from commandos
who fought gunmen in two
Mumbai hotels and a Jewish
cultural centre.
The bodies of five Israeli
hostages were also recovered
later Friday from the Jewish
centre after it was stormed
by Indian troops, an Israeli
diplomat said.
The US State Department in
Washington said two US
citizens, a father and
daughter, were also among
those killed in the attacks.
It identified them as Alan
and Naomi Scherr and said
they were members of the
Synchronicity Foundation, a
meditation community in
Virginia.
In Paris, French Foreign
Minister Bernard Kouchner
said in a statement that two
French nationals had died.
The Singapore foreign
ministry said Lo Hoei Yen,
28, was killed after she was
taken hostage in the
Oberoi/Trident hotel.
The previous day a British-
Cypriot businessman was
named by the British
government as among the
dead.
Andreas Liveras, 73, was
killed hours after he gave an
interview describing how he
was trapped in the Taj
Mahal hotel.
The overall death toll stood
at least 130 on Friday
evening, but was expected to
rise as little information was
available about the various
scenes of carnage.
More foreign deaths were
likely to come to light as the
security operation
progressed.
Among the injured were
victims from China, Oman,
the Philippines and several Prime Minister Syed Yousuf
European countries, Raza Gilani, Chief of Army
officials said. Staff (COAS) General
lAHORE: Five alleged Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and
dacoits have been killed in a some federal ministers
police encounter here in participated in the meeting.
Nister Colony.
The prevailing situation due
Police raided Glaxo Town to the recent incidents of
on a tip-off regarding terrorism in Mumbai came
presence of five dacoits in under discussion. President
the area. Zardari assured India of
Seeing the police Pakistan’s full cooperation
approaching, the alleged in investigating the Mumbai
dacoits opened fire at them. Terror attacks. “But let the
The police retaliated by evidence come to light and
returning the fire and as a investigation take its
result all the five of these course”, he said.
dacoits were killed.
The President said terrorism
According to police, the is “regional threat, this is a
leaders of these criminals world threat and all the
identified as Saeed and Asif reason we have to stand up
were wanted in 30 different against this threat together.
criminal cases including He said there was complete
kidnapping for ransom and unanimity of views between
a killing. Pak army and the civilian
government. Zardari said
ISLAMABAD: Deposed the government had already
chief justice Iftikhar taken stern action militants
Mohammad Chaudhry has outfits being named by
arrived back here at the India.
Benazir Bhutto Shaheed
International airport this Indian media, analysts pour
morning. venoms against Pakistan
KARACHI: Mumbai
Iftikhar Mohammad carnage drop scene has
Chaudhry was warmly ended, but the Indian media
welcomed at the airport and political analysts
when he returned home without any evidence hastily
after visiting the United started the blame game
States. against Pakistan as usual
and poured venoms
polluting the atmosphere
that so laboriously had been
built up after years of
confidence building
measures.
National Security Guards ‘s
ISLAMABAD: President commander declared the
Asif Ali Zardari chaired an operation completed after
important meeting at the over 59 hours of militants’
President House late rampant carnage all over the
Saturday. vintage points in Mumbai,
which left nearly 200 dead
and over 300 wounded.
However, the Indian media
true to its traditional hate
postures towards Pakistan
lost no time in blaring all
those scum, which pointed
fingers towards Pakistan
and holding it responsible
for the tragic incident
without any basis and
evidences at all.
Indian anchors and analysts
appearing on different
channels across the country
with one voice went on
analyzing the incident
purely based on the figment
of their imaginations in a
way that could by all means
give the perception of
Pakistan’s involvement in it.
Indian media tasked to
propagate against Pakistan
made out such fake stories
that ISI and Pak Army had
trained the militants, who
were brought to Mumbai in
a boat, while the body of one
Amar Singh Tandal was also
reportedly found in it, who
belonged to Pakistan and
had remained in Pakistan
jail for one year. Sobhaday
in Raj Deep Sir Desai show
on CNN/IBN said that we
know where their campus
were.
Following Pakistan Foreign
Minister’s press briefing,
one anchorman of CNN
India in his comments said
that Pakistan was providing
cover to the involved
militants’ groups. One more
Indian channel, India TV
openly hurled blames on
Pakistan for these attacks
and dared to say without any
proof that attackers had
come from Pakistan.
Star News channel in their
run race for propaganda
against Pakistan tried to be
more creative and
discovered one Chacha
Rahman as mastermind of
the attacks and
claimed that he
was Lashkar-e-
Taiyyaba
commander from
Karachi.
Zee TV also joining in the
propaganda blamed that the
militants were supplied arms
and weapons from Karachi
and in its effort to remain
one-up straightaway blamed
Pakistan Navy assisting
elements involved in the
attacks.
Indian leaders’ problems
known to all that they are
trying to hide their
weaknesses and utter
intelligence failures and find
it safe putting blames on
Pakistan, but the Indian
media should have behaved
responsibly in view of the
delicate situation emanating
after the attacks, which
much to the saner elements’
disappointment, it miserably
failed.
Indian Home Minister
resigns over Mumbai attacks
NEW DELHI: India's Home
Minister Shivraj Patil has
submitted his resignation in
the wake of attacks in
Mumbai that left nearly 200
people dead.The resignation
has been submitted to Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh,
according to media
reports.There was no
immediate word if the
resignation had been
accepted.
Pak-India border: ceasefire
holding, says Athar Abbas
ISLAMABAD ( 2008-11-30
15:17:14 ) :Military said on
Sunday the country's
ceasefire with India was
holding and there was no
military build-up at the
border in the wake of the
Mumbai attacks.
The military was responding
to Indian media reports that
India has cancelled a five-
year-old ceasefire at the
border of the disputed
Kashmir region, as tensions
grow over accusations of
that the attackers came from
Pakistan.
"We have seen reports in
media suggesting
suspension of ceasefire (in
Indian occupied Kashmir)
and movement of troops on
the Indian side of the
border," chief military
spokesman major general
Athar Abbas told AFP.
"As far as the official
authenticated reports are
concerned there is no such
movement or mobilisation of
troops. The ceasefire is
holding."
Three security personnel
killed in Bannu attack
BANNU ( 2008-11-30
08:44:40 ) :
Three security personnel
were killed and 14 sustained
injuries as insurgents
attacked a Police Post at
Baran Pul in Bannu district
early on Sunday.
According to security
officials, a dead body,
probably of a militant, has
been found on Bannu-
Miramshah road. However,
it is not clear that how many
attackers died in the armed
skirmish between the
security personnel and law
breakers.
The Police officials
informed that the insurgents
attacked the check post late
last night and the security
personnel retaliated will full
might.
PM takes serious note of
situation in Karachi
ISLAMABAD ( 2008-11-30
16:28:50 )
:Prime Minister Syed Yousaf
Raza Gilani on Sunday took
a serious note of the
situation in Karachi and
sought a report from the
Advisor on Interior, within
24hours.
The prime minister also
directed the provincial
authorities to take strict
action against the law
violators and said no one
will be allowed to put at risk
the lives and property of the
people.
Tribesmen urge govt to shift
army, vow of protecting
western borders
NORTH WAZIRISTAN
( 2008-11-30 17:07:55 )
:Local tribesmen, while
condemning blame game by
India against Pakistan, have
urged the government to
shift the army from tribal
belt and fully concentrate on
Easter border of the country.
Addressing a joint press
conference here on Sunday,
tribal elders, elite and
Maliks assured the
government of full
protection of western
borders of by country by
three million tribesmen.
“Government should rely on
tribesmen over protection of
western borders and give
them a chance to fight any
one daring to cross border
with nefarious designs,” the
tribesmen added.
Those who addressed the
press conference included
Malik Muhammad Afzal
Khan Darpakhel, Malik Gul
Akbar Khan, Malik
Habibullah, Malik Haji
Hazratullah, Malik Qismat
Khan Kabulkhel, Malik
Usman and Malik Abdul
Qadir.
The tribesmen strongly
criticised India for putting
the blame of Mumbai
carnage on Pakistan without
showing any solid evidence.
They said it seemed that a
conspiracy has been hatched
for blaming Pakistan and its
people.
The tribesmen assured the
government that they are
ready for rendering any sort
of sacrifice for the
protection of the motherland
and will not let the nation
down in case their services
were required.
The tribesmen also
requested the government to
stop operation in Fata and
restore the confidence of
tribal people on state.
The tribesmen warned India
and all those elements trying
to destabilize Pakistan that
any adventure would meet
strong resistance by Pak
army and the valiant
tribesmen.
Business
Petrol price down by Rs 9,
Diesel by Rs 5
KARACHI ( 2008-11-30
18:30:36 )
:The government on Sunday
reduced petrol price by Rs 9
per litre and diesel by Rs 5.
The changed prices will be
effective from Monday, Aaj
TV reported.
No re-finance facility for
yarn and fabrics, says
Shamshad
RECORDER REPORT
MULTAN ( 2008-11-30
05:05:08 ) :State Bank of
Pakistan (SBP) Governor Dr
Shamshad Akhtar has ruled
out the possibility of
providing re-finance facility
on yarn and fabrics,
describing it harmful to
value-added industry.
She said the government
had provided financial
assistance of rupees one
trillion to textile sector to
bring it at par with the
modern world.
She was speaking at a
meeting of the executive
committee of Multan
Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (MCCI), chaired by
Khwaja Muhammad
Jalaluddin Roomi on Friday
night.
The SBP Governor said the
impact of global oil and
edible items' price hike
should have been passed on
to the consumers much
earlier as delay in doing so
dealt a blow to the national
economy, and added the
delay was caused by a
change of government.
She said shortfall in major
crops and rising prices of
commodities in the
international market hit
hard the national economy.
"We had no other option but
to procure wheat and oil at
exorbitant prices. Dr
Shamshad dubbed the
reports of banks going
bankrupt as baseless,
claiming that the banking
sector in Pakistan was stable
and rather profitable, with
45 banks currently operating
in the country.
She said there was a steep
rise in loans advanced to the
private sector by the banks
as the total volume of these
advance payments had
touched Rs 400 billion.
Previously, the banks used to
offer loans to the large
corporate organisations
alone, but now every one
was being given loans, she
added.
The SBP Governor said a
comprehensive agenda for
the growth of financial
sector had been evolved, and
"we are currently
concentrating on
development finance as 16
field offices have been set up
across the country for this
purpose, while the
government has allowed
opening up of eight new
micro-finance banks that
would initially benefit at
least 1.6 million people. The
number of beneficiaries will
increase to three million,"
she said. The SBP governor
said the
Corporation of Pakistan
Trading
(TCP) had chalked out a
"procurement line of
action" and the central bank
was considering the
problems and demands of
cotton ginners and rice
millers.
She said the country had to
pay 11.3 billion-dollar oil
bill in the recent past, which
proved a bane of economy.
Dr Shamshad Akhtar said
the total volume of
agriculture loans soared to
Rs 211 billion from Rs 50
billion with a ratio of last
year's 30 per cent (annual)
increase, while the
increasing ratio from July to
November was 19 per cent.
$0.55 billion spent on wheat
import in four months
KARACHI ( 2008-11-30
04:54:18 ) :The country's
wheat imports have
witnessed a sharp jump of
some 1800 percent during
four months of the current
fiscal year due to ineffective
government policies, besides
unchecked smuggling and
hoarding of the commodity,
sources said.
They said that the previous
government's poor and
uncleared policies had made
the country to spend over
$0.5 billion on wheat import
to meet the domestic
demand. Although, the
country has achieved a
production of some 23
million tons wheat during
the current year, the rising
smuggling and hoarding
trend compelled the new
government to import wheat
to cope with its flour crisis,
they added.
Official statistics show that
the government spent $0.55
billion for import of this
commodity during July-
October of fiscal year 2009
as compared to $28.9 million
in same period of 2008,
depicting an increase of
$0.526 billion. In terms of
volume, 1.33 million tons
wheat was imported during
July-October 2009 as
against 60,449 tons in the
corresponding period of
2008, a raise of 2105
percent.
Sources said that Trading
Corporation of Pakistan has
finalised deals for import of
over 1.75 million tons red
wheat, while 0.75 million
tons white wheat deals
would be finalised soon,
following federal
government decision to
import 2.5 million tons
wheat.
Although, the federal
government is importing
enormous quantity of wheat
to reduce the supply and
demand gap, the price of
wheat and its flour is still at
peak level, they added. They
said that wheat is being sold
at Rs 2700 per 100 kg bag
and wheat flour at Rs 30-35
per kg in the domestic
market. However, it is likely
that after the arrival of new
crop wheat and its flour
prices would decline.
Sports
 before deciding anything." promiscuity with a hepatitis-
C patient.
The Indian team did not go
on a full tour of Pakistan for Dr Shabana said that the
India says no decision yet on nearly 15 years until 2004 virus could also be
Pakistan tour due to political tensions transmitted from an infected
mother to her baby,
NEW DELHI ( 2008-11-30
18:55:19 ) :The Indian Science conceived during her illness.
government is yet to decide
whether to allow the and She said infection was seen
in two to five per cent of
national cricket team to tour
Pakistan, amid serious
doubts following the attacks
technolog newborns
mothers.
of infected

in Mumbai, a government
spokesman said on Sunday.
y The doctor advised patients
on dialysis, persons born in
hyper- endemic areas,
"Since the tour is in injecting drug users,
January there is still some pregnant women, families of
time, we are discussing the the hepatitis-C patients and
issue," foreign ministry those who had received
spokesman Vishnu Prakash unscreened blood to get their
told Reuters. blood screened for
The Board of Control for the virus.
Hepatitis C can be treated:
Cricket in India (BCCI) has
Expert
sought permission to tour However, she said, there was
amid security concerns over no evidence that breast
SUKKUR ( 2008-11-29
playing in that country. feeding, kissing, hugging,
21:51:50 ) :Sixty to 80 per
cent of hepatitis-C patients, sneezing, sharing utensils or
Indian media quoted glasses may cause HCV
in the world, manage to fully
unnamed cricket officials on transmission.
recuperate after proper
Sunday as saying the tour
treatment and this is
appeared doubtful. Indian
possible, if the disease is
board secretary N.
detected in its early stages,
Srinivasan refused to
said senior physician, Dr
comment.
Shabana Solangi.
There have also been reports
Addressing a public
that some England players
awareness program here on
are reluctant to return to
Saturday, she said monthly
India later this week to play
expenses of the treatment in
a two-test series.
Pakistan ranged between Rs.
8,000 to Rs. 11,000.
The Pakistan tour would
depend on a security
She said 35,000 cases of
assessment, Prakash said.
acute hepatitis-C were
detected each year in the
"Before any tour is
country and that the virus
undertaken an advance team
could be transmitted
goes and carries out an
through contaminated
assessment. The team has
blood, infected syringe,
not gone.
surgical instrument, shaving
razor and tooth brush
"We will wait for the team's
respectively besides intimate
visit and its report on return