Pakistan, China deny NY 
report on presence of Chinese 
troops in Gilgit-Baltistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China has denied an article published in New York Times on 26th August that Pakistan has handed over areas of Gilgit-Baltistan to China. 
The Pakistan Foreign Office strongly denied the news propagated in the US and Indian media claiming that ‘Galgit Baltistan’ region had been handed over to China, on Tuesday. "The Chinese were working on landslide, flood hit areas and on the destroyed Korakoram Highway with the permission of Pakistani Government," said Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit. 
Selig Harrison in his article, published in the New York Times, wrote that on invitation of the Pakistani government ‘seven to eleven thousand’ Chinese soldiers had entered Gilgit Baltistan area. Referring to the article, Basit said "The statements are based on incomplete information. Harrison has an anti-Pakistan mindset and has tried to deform the facts in his article to sensitize the situation."
China on Thursday dismissed reports saying troops of the People's Liberation Army are in a disputed area of Pakistan.
The New York Times ran an opinion piece last week which said up to 11,000 soldiers of the People's Liberation Army were in Gilgit, a northwest area of disputed Kashmir.
''The story that China has deployed some military in the northern part of Pakistan is totally groundless and out of ulterior purposes,'' Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said at a regular briefing.
''Some people are making fabrications to destroy relations between China, Pakistan and India but their attempt will arrive nowhere,'' she said.
The piece by Selig Harrison, director of the Asia program at the US-based Center for International Policy, said China wants control of the region to get clear road and rail access to the Gulf through Pakistan. It said many of the soldiers are working on a railway link.
The article comes amid reports of military unease between China and India.
Earlier this week China said it had not received word from New Delhi that it had suspended military exchanges, despite Indian media reports that relations had been put on hold after Beijing refused to grant a visa to a top Indian army general from the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir.
An anonymous senior Indian official was quoted in the Hindu newspaper Saturday as saying that future military exchanges and a joint exercise between Indian and Chinese defense forces would remain suspended until China resolves the issue.
China's Ministry of National Defense said in a statement faxed to The Associated Press that it had not suspended the exchanges nor received word from India about any suspension.
Indian media reports said the suspension was New Delhi's response to Beijing denying a visa for Indian army Lt. Gen. B.S. Jaswal, who was scheduled to join a military delegation to China.
Jaswal was denied a visa because he is responsible for army operations in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir, the reports said.
Jiang said such reports were untrue and that Beijing had no intention to interfere in the Kashmir dispute. ''As a neighbor and friend of both countries, China believes that the issue should be left to the two countries so that it can be properly handled through dialogue and consultation.''
India and Pakistan, an ally of China, both control part of the Himalayan region while claiming all of it. China also claims part of northeastern Kashmir that it says is part of Tibet.
While relations between China and India have improved in recent years, they are still testy over territorial claims dating back to a brief border war in 1962.
In recent years, India and China have held more than a dozen rounds of talks on settling the border dispute but have made little progress.
Beijing is also highly critical of India's support for the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 and set up a government-in-exile in the northern Indian hill town of Dharmsala. 
BJP concerned:
Expressing concern over reports of presence of Chinese troops in Gilgit-Baltistan region in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, a BJP member today wanted to know the steps India was taking to ensure safety and security of the nation.
Raising the matter during Zero Hour, Ramdas Agarwal referred to reports in New York Times about the influx of an estimated 7,000 to 11,000 soldiers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army in strategic Gilgit-Baltistan region.
"I want to ask the government how intelligence agencies failed to know about this development? Has the system collapsed that it was not aware of Chinese soldiers having reached PoK," he asked.
Agarwal said that at the recent Shanghai Expo, Chinese authorities took away from the Indian pavilion brochures which bore the map of India. "They objected to Arunachal Pradesh being shown as part of India in the map," he said.
 

India offers $20m in 
new flood aid to Pakistan
NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday offered another 20 million dollars in flood aid to Pakistan, the country's foreign minister said, boosting efforts to build goodwill between the estranged neighbours.
S.M. Krishna told parliament a fresh installment of 20 million dollars would boost India's total aid contributions for Pakistan to 25 million dollars.
"As a more concrete assessment of the damage inflicted by this natural disaster and the urgent needs of the people of Pakistan emerges, government has decided to increase its assistance to Pakistan from five million dollars," he said. 
Earlier this month, Islamabad described the initial offer as a "very welcome initiative" by India as the two countries look to get a stalled peace process back on track.
They have made major efforts in recent months to build confidence in their relations, which were badly strained by the Mumbai 2008 terror attacks, which India blamed on militants from Pakistan.
Pakistan initially delayed accepting India's first offer of flood aid, leading the United States to publicly urge Islamabad not to let rivalry stand in the way of helping its citizens in flood-ravaged regions.
Krishna said 20 million dollars would be sent to the UN-sponsored "Pakistan Initial Floods Emergency Response Plan" while the balance of five million dollars would go to the World Food Programme for its relief efforts.
 

Pakistan releases 200 
Indian fishermen 
KARACHI: Another batch of 100 Indian fishermen was released on Thursday by Malir jail authorities.
According to jail officials, the fishermen were released in the morning to facilitate their travel to Wagah border where they will be handed over to Indian officials.
The fishermen were arrested for violating Pakistani territorial waters. The government has ordered the release of 442 Indian fishermen as a gesture of goodwill. First batch of 100 fishermen was released on August 30 from Malir jail. The remaining fishermen will depart for India on September 4 and 6 respectively. 
Earlier on Monday, Pakistan released 100 Indian fishermen imprisoned for fishing in its territorial waters, officials said, after lobby groups said they were being detained beyond their jail terms. 
Another 342 fishermen will also be released in the coming week after serving their sentences, deputy superintendent of Landhi prison Shakir Shah told AFP.
Pakistan and India frequently seize each other's fishermen, accusing them of violating their respective zones in the Arabian Sea.
Two lobby groups for Pakistani fishermen had filed a case seeking the release of the Indian fishermen in Pakistan's Supreme Court, and it was still being heard when the authorities made the sudden decision to release them.
 

India willing to hold talks with 
any group in Kashmir: Chidambaram
NEW DELHI: Indian Government expressed its willingness to hold talks with "any group" from the Kashmir Valley wishing to come forward amid indications that it would be soon coming out with a series of measures to address the issue. 
"We hope to restart the dialogue process. We will talk to any group, any political party which is willing to talk to us," Union home minister P Chidambaram told reporters while presenting a report card of his ministry for the month of August. 
He was replying to questions on whether the Centre would kick-start political process of a dialogue with groups especially the separatists with violence showing signs of decline. 
The home minister made it clear that the Central government was willing to talk to all sections of people in Jammu and Kashmir. 
Sources in the Government have also indicated that a high-level meeting was scheduled in the next few days during which the Centre, in consultation with the state Government, will come out with specific meaures to address some issues which may bring relief to the people of the state. 
This includes relocation of security forces, employment package for militants, who have served their sentences and were unemployed, and a fresh surrender policy. 
In a related development, J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah, who is in the national capital, also met the home minister and discussed the situation in the state. 
 

Commission probing civilian 
deaths in Kashmir starts inquiry 
SRINAGAR: A judicial commission appointed by the Jammu and Kashmir government to probe 17 civilian deaths in the Kashmir Valley between June 11 to July 19 this year on Thursday started its process of inquiry. 
Secretary to the commission of inquiry Tariq Ahmad Banday issued a public notice, seeking information from persons, groups or organisations having any knowledge about incidents which led to the killing of 17 civilians, beginning with the death of 17-year-old Tufail Ahmad Mattoo after he was allegedly hit by a teargas shell at Rajouri Kadal on June 11. 
The notice was issued after modalities for functioning of the two-member commission were finalised by its head Justice (retd) Syed Bashiruddin Ahmad and member Justice (retd) Y P Nargotra during a meeting on Wednesday evening. 
" .. By this public notification, all individuals, groups of persons, associations, institutions and organisations having knowledge directly or indirectly of facts and circumstances" related to the incidents can furnish statements in the form of sworn affidavits by or before September 15. 
The commission was appointed by the state government on July 27 on the recommendations of the all-party meeting convened by chief minister Omar Abdullah. 
 

India says six rebels 
killed on Kashmir border
SRINAGAR: Indian soldiers have shot dead six separatist militants trying to cross over from Pakistan into the disputed region of Kashmir where popular protests against Indian rule have mounted in recent weeks.
India’s parliament was told last week that militants based in Pakistan have stepped up efforts to infiltrate into Indian-administered Kashmir before winter snow blocks the Himalayan mountain passes.
Such militants, India fears, could help worsen a violent uprising in Kashmir against New Delhi’s rule, which first broke out in 1989 and New Delhi says is being abetted by Pakistan.
Pakistan denies providing military aid to the rebellion and says it only extends moral and diplomatic support to what it calls an independence struggle by Kashmiris. The conflict has officially killed around 47,000 people.
"The army foiled a major infiltration attempt on the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri Sector, killing six terrorists," a statement by the ministry of defence said, referring to a military line dividing the two countries and which serves as a loose border.
"The operation was on till reports last came in."
Uri sector lies near Pakistan border northwest of Srinagar Kashmir’s summer capital.
 

Afghan Taliban kidnap 
10 labourers from Chitral
CHITRAL: Fifty armed persons, believed to be Afghan Taliban, kidnapped 10 labourers from a forest near Kalash valley of Bumburate here on Saturday night. 
Police sources told Dawn that the group of masked men kidnapped the labourers from the forest where they had been staying for the last one month to harvest the forest on commercial scale. 
All the labourers belong to Dhoke Dara village of Upper Dir district. A local contractor Haji Mohammad Khan had hired the services of 60 labourers for harvesting the forest. Some of the labourers told police that the kidnappers were in great hurry as they could take only 10 of them after searching the two rooms. 
The incident took place at 11pm on Saturday but the labourers could report to Ayun police station only the next day due to the remoteness of the area, a police officer said.  The consequent delay in police action helped the kidnappers cross into Afghanistan. 
The police officer alluded that revenge could be behind the incident as the people of Dhoke Dara had raised an armed lashkar last year to flush out the Taliban from their area. 
The kidnapped persons were identified as Mohmmad Zaman, Misal Khan, Mohammad Rasul, Sherzada, Naeem Khan, Bakhtawar Khan, Khoedad Khan, Umer Khan, Sher Alam and Mohammad Zada.
 

British Parliamentarians visiting 
Pakistan to oversee flood relief
LONDON: A team of British Muslim Parliamentarians is arriving in Pakistan on Thursday to oversee the distribution of relief goods and relief works being carried out by a UK-based charity.
The Parliamentarians including Lord Nazir Ahmed, MP Yasmin Qureshi and ex-MP Muhammad Sarwar will be accompanied by Chairman, Birmingham-based Muslim Hands charity Lakhtay Husain, will visit various flood hit areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Baluchistan, Sindh and Azad Kashmir.
Addressing a news conference here last night, Lord Ahmed praised the humanitarian work of Muslim Hands and said the charity has always been in the forefront of  disaster hit areas around the globe in providing relief and succour.
Lord Ahmed said during their stay in Pakistan and visit to the flood affected areas, they will see how the aid being provided by Muslim Hands is being spent on the flood victims.
He also mentioned that former MP Muhammad Sarwar who raised two million pounds for Pakistani floods in Scotland has already despatched medicines, shelter tents, food, water purification tablets and other relief items.
Lord Ahmed said Sarwar’s Ucare charity plans to construct 300 houses in the flood-hit areas in the four provinces of Pakistan. He said Parliamentarians will visit those areas where the destroyed homes are to be re-constructed.
Syed Lakhtey Hasnain explained the various relief measures undertaken by the charity which is working in 62 different places in the flood hit areas from Swat to Thatta.
He said KP Government has handed over Mohib Bande Tehsil to Muslim Hands where it is taking care of some 35,000 people affected by floods. Similarly, he said the charity has established camps in Quetta and Sibi for 6,000 and 5,000 people respectively who are being
provided with relief goods.
Additionally, he said the charity has set up 11 medical camps and is also taking care of the injured livestock and looking after animal welfare. Both Lord Ahmed  and Lakhtey Husain praised the generosity of the British people in contributing handsomely to Pakistan floods appeal. They also praised the role of Pakistan armed forces in the relief and rescue efforts.
Hasnain said some 500 Muslim Hands volunteers are working in different relief camps set up by the charity which has raised Rs.250 million in its flood appeal.
 

Uprising in Kashmir hints 
mood of people: Nazir Shawl
LONDON: Nazir Ahmad Shawl, Executive Director of Justice Foundation Kashmir Centre London, said the present uprising in Kashmir is a categorical intent of the people of Jammu and Kashmir for which they have been struggling for last 63 years.  They are no longer prepared to be lured by concessions or promises made by the Indian state or its leadership. Through this sustained struggle they are sending a  message to the international community, that’s its time for them to act, intervene and facilitate a result oriented dialogue.
It needs to be cautioned that certain facts are being deliberately distorted and confusions are being created. Autonomy or self rule within the Indian constitution is not acceptable. The present struggle is not for economic packages or good governance. 
The previous election results are also surreptitiously used by the Indian leadership to cover up there crimes and massive human rights abuse. Elections in Kashmir have never been credible, more over the previous elections were just a military operation as every pro freedom leader was denied the political space and placed behind the bars.
The present movement needs to be viewed as a declaration by the people of Jammu and Kashmir that nothing short of self determination is their ultimate goal and they must be given a choice to choose their own political future according to their aspirations in a free and impartial atmosphere.
 

Sanaullah blames federal 
govt for non-cooperation
LAHORE: After an attack on a religious procession in Lahore, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah on Thursday once again blamed the federal government for non-cooperation in fight against terrorism.
Sanaullah said that Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s help against terror attacks was only restricted to writing warning letters.
He claimed that people involved in terror activities in Punjab were coming from Waziristan.
The provincial law minister said that joint investigation committee had been formed to investigate the Karbala Gamay Shah attack.
 

Pak intelligence agencies warn
of terrorist attacks in Lahore
LAHORE: Pakistan's intelligence agencies have warned that the National College of Arts (NCA), sensitive installations, railway stations, shrines, imambargahs and other worship places in Lahore are at the risk of potential terrorist attacks during the last 10 days of Ramazan. 
According to the intelligence agency reports, the terrorists have also planned to abduct important religious and social personalities to deliver a fatal blow to national unity.
They also claim that the terrorists also want to create panic among the general public, and disturb law and order, The Daily Times reports.
Following the warning the Interior Ministry, the Punjab Home Department and all other concerned agencies have directed law enforcement authorities to beef up security across the city. 
The Pakistan Railways Inspector General (IG) has directed his staff to step up security at railway stations and be prepared to deal with any emergency situation during rush days near Eid.
 

Fake relief camp: Pak govt, 
Unicef officials blaming each other
ISLAMABAD: Media reports about a ‘fake relief camp’ set up in Charsadda for a few hours’ visit by Unicef’s executive-director Anthony Lake on Sunday has sparked a controversy over who was responsible for staging the drama. 
It was reported that following Mr Lake’s visit to the camp and the photo session there, the camp melted away soon after the Unicef delegation departed. 
However, there is now apparently a war of words going on between government officials and Unicef over who was responsible for the camp. 
Charsadda’s EDO (health) Dr Fazle Akbar said that he had no prior information of the relief camp set up at a public sector educational facility in the district.He said that Unicef officials from the Expanded Programme on Immunisation called him early in the morning and invited him to visit the camp. 
 "I was informed by them that a ceremony had been arranged by their organisation and that they were inviting me to the camp which did not exist before the ceremony," he said. 
The EPI is run by the Ministry of Health and supported by Unicef, WHO and other key international partners. 
KP’s EPI chief Dr Mujahid Hussain said: "We never arranged this event…..Unicef has fooled the innocent people of Charsadda district and the matter must be investigated by high officials. They [Unicef] are responsible for this whole drama." 
 

LHC issues notice to Ijaz Butt
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday issued a notice to PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt in the case regarding the accusations of match-fixing against Pakistani cricketers. 
The court adjourned the hearing of the case till September 7.
Petitioner Advocate Ishtiaque Ahmed had argued that match-fixing allegations had tarnished Pakistan's image.
He said players involved in the scandal should be tried on charges of sedition and their properties should be seized.
Ijaz Butt should also be included in the probe, the petitioner said.
 

Appropriate punishment
if charges proved: ICC
LONDON: The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) anti-corruption unit has been asked to submit a report within the next three days on an investigation into alleged corruption within the Pakistan team. 
Sharad Pawar, the president of ICC and a minister in the Indian cabinet, told reporters in New Delhi on Monday the issue had been discussed in a teleconference, which included the head of the council’s anti-corruption and security unit Ravi Sawani, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt and his English counterpart, Giles Clarke. 
 "We at the ICC are waiting for definite information from the PCB and our own anti-corruption unit. We hope to get something in the next two to three days’ time and that information would lead to appropriate action, if required," Mr Pawar said. 
Sharad Pawar ruled out any action against Pakistani players over the match-fixing scandal until investigations were completed. 
Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, said in a statement anti-corruption officials were assisting London metropolitan police with their separate criminal investigation. 
 "Make no mistake, once the process is complete, if any players are found to be guilty, the ICC will ensure that the appropriate punishment is handed out. We will not tolerate corruption in this great game," Mr Lorgat said. 
In Islamabad, the government set up a two-member FIA committee to carry out its own investigation. Members of the committee are scheduled to leave for London on Tuesday. 
 

Pietersen tweets his 
anger over England omission 
LONDON: A post on Kevin Pietersen’s Twitter account has said the batsman has been dropped from England’s Twenty20 and one-day international squads for the forthcoming series against Pakistan. 
The post, which has since been taken off Pietersen’s page on the social networking site, said "Done for rest of summer! Man of the World Cup T20 and dropped from the T20 side too... Its a ***k up!!.""
England is due to name its squads for the limited-overs series later Tuesday.
Pietersen, who is looking for a new county side after severing his ties with Hampshire, struggled for test runs against Pakistan in bowler-friendly conditions this summer.
The South African-born batsman was named the player of the tournament as England won the World Twenty20 in May.
England Twenty20 squad: P Collingwood (c), C Kieswetter, S Davies (wkt), R Bopara, E Morgan, L Wright, T Bresnan, M Yardy, S Broad, G Swann, R Sidebottom, J Anderson. 
England one-day international squad: A Strauss (c), S Davies (wkt), J Trott, R Bopara, P Collingwood, E Morgan, L Wright, T Bresnan, M Yardy, S Broad, G Swann, A Shahzad, R Sidebottom, J Anderson. 
 

Eurpoean Parliament chalks out 
strategy to help Pak flood victims
BRUSSELS: An emergency meeting currently underway at the European Parliament in Brussels to develop a strategy to help deal with the floods crisis in Pakistan.
European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, Kristalina Georgieva made a full presentation to the Committee detailing her visit to the effected areas. She also highlighted the emergency relief provided to date.
Sajjad Karim Member of the European Parliament took the floor and made the following intervention; "We have today convened this emergency meeting the first day that we are meeting as a Parliament since the flooding started. I hope this sends a very clear message to the people of Pakistan that the EU stands shoulder to shoulder with them in their time of need.
We must develop a two prong approach. Firstly to deal with the immediate emergency relief required within which we are playing our part.
Secondly, we must immediately develop a long term strategy. This must include capacity building to face any such catastrophic situations in the future. But also, we must build the capacity of the people of Pakistan to build their own way out of this situation. In this regard what do you propose to do to allow trade access for Pakistan to EU markets? I remind you that this house has on the table an approved resolution to grant Pakistan trade access since 2005 and that has been resisted by the Commission throughout. Will you take this very clear message back to your colleague Commissioners?"
Sajjad Karim MEP moved the resolution referred to in 2005 and it was approved with an almost unanimous vote of the European Parliament.
Ambassador of Pakistan to the European Union Jalil Jilani also addressed the
Committee and supported the arguments presented for greater trading access whilst appreciating the support provided by the EU to Pakistan so far.