Tag Archives: lifestyle
Sharif upset over border clashes, calls for peace
Sharif upset over border clashes, calls for peace (IANS) / 9 August 2013 Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed “sadness” on Thursday over the border clashes in Kashmir, and said India and Pakistan must take “effective steps” to restore normalcy on the frontier. Sharif told foreign ministry officials here that he was sad over the incidents involving Pakistani and Indian troops along the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Jammu and Kashmir between the two countries. ‘The prime minister said it was imperative for both India and Pakistan to take effective steps to ensure and restore ceasefire on the LoC,’ a foreign ministry statement quoted him as saying. Sharif’s comments came as Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony earlier in the day formally accused the Pakistan Army of killing the five soldiers in Indian territory early Tuesday. Antony’s previous statement blaming ‘heavily armed terrorists’ and others in Pakistani military uniform led to a storm, with the opposition accusing him of trying to take away the blame from the Pakistan Army. Without referring to the death of the Indian soldiers, the statement said the clashes – two Pakistani soldiers were later wounded by Indians – had flared up tensions between India and Pakistan leading to ‘loss of precious human lives’. Sharif, who took power in June, emphasised that existing military-to-military channels could be more optimally used to prevent misunderstanding between the two neighbours. The present crisis, he said, should not be allowed to escalate. ‘Pakistan … is prepared to discuss steps with India for further strengthening of existing mechanisms both at the political and military levels,’ the statement quoted him as saying. This is the first major diplomatic crisis Sharif is facing and it comes ahead of a planned meeting between him and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September. Sharif said it was incumbent upon the leaders of India and Pakistan ‘not to allow the situation to drift and to take steps to improve the atmosphere by engaging constructively with a view to building trust and confidence’. He said he looked forward to his meeting with Manmohan Singh in New York, where he hoped to ‘discuss steps to further build trust and consolidate this relationship’. The prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to persist in its efforts to improve relations with India ‘through a constructive dialogue on all issues’. Those present at Sharif’s meeting included Information Minister Pervez Rashid and Advisor to the prime minister on National Security Sartaj Aziz. The Tuesday killings of Indian soldiers and the wounding of a sixth have led to calls in India that further talks with Pakistan must be called off. Continue reading
Beggar with Dh22,000 one of 72 arrested
Beggar with Dh22,000 one of 72 arrested Staff Reporter / 4 August 2013 As many as 72 people of different nationalities have been arrested by the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Police Directorate for begging, with several found with thousands of dirhams. One of the arrested beggars was found with Dh22,000 on him while another had Dh14,000, the directorate said, noting the pair were both Arab nationals who had gained the large amount in a short period of time. Of the 72 arrested, of whom 64 were males and eight were females, 33 were residing in the country illegally or in violation of the residency law. Their ages ranged between 21 and 71. The clampdown and arrests was due to the efforts of the anti-begging teams during the holy month of Ramadan with the cooperation of members of the public. The Directorate said there would be no tolerance with people found begging. “Begging is absolutely unacceptable and we will strictly confront it by tracking down and arresting the (perpetrators),” said Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Police Director Brigadier Maktoum Al Sharifi. The anti-begging squads aim to raise awareness amongst the members of the society and urge them not to take pity on such people, who use different approaches and methods to gain sympathy and money. “Begging is an open door for committing crime due,” he said, referring to thefts often committed by beggars who gained entry or were invited into others’ houses. He urged Emiratis and expatriates not to allow beggars to enter their accommodation, and not to pity them. Brigadier Al Sharifi said the public were aware of the reality of beggars as a result of the awareness campaigns by police. He urged the public not to hesitate in reporting beggars by calling the Operations Room (999) or any police station during Ramadan and on normal days, round the clock. Meanwhile, Sharjah Police arrested 191 illegals including 56 Arab beggars as part of its campaign targeting those who practice illegal jobs, mobile vendors and infiltrators. The police arrested mobile vendors who walk around in the streets, squares and public areas selling fake products and expired food items. Some of the illegals arrested were gathering and collecting cans and cardboards. afkarali@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
9 killed in Indian consulate blast in Afghanistan
9 killed in Indian consulate blast in Afghanistan (Reuters) / 4 August 2013 Suicide bombers attacked the Indian consulate in Afghanistan’s eastern capital Jalalabad on Saturday, killing nine people, including children, mostly in an adjacent mosque, officials said. Twenty-three people were injured. Guards at a checkpoint stopped the three attackers as their car approached the building around 10am, the office of Gul Agha Sherzai, governor of Nangarhar province, said in a statement. Two attackers leapt out of the car and a gunfight broke out, while the third remained inside and detonated his explosives. The blast badly damaged the mosque and dozens of homes and small shops in the area. All three assailants were killed in the explosion. The Taleban, which spearheads armed opposition to Western-backed President Hamid Karzai’s government, denied it was responsible. “Explosion in front of India’s Consulate in Jalalabad. All Indians officials safe,” Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said on Twitter. The bombing followed a world-wide travel alert issued by the United States on Friday, saying that Al Qaeda could be planning attacks in August, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. The United States has ordered the closure of 21 embassies and consulates on Sunday, including its Kabul mission. All the casualties were civilians, the governor said, though one health official said a soldier was among the injured. Most of those killed or injured were inside the adjacent mosque, according to Nangarhar police chief Mohammad Sharif Amin. India’s Kabul embassy came under attack in both 2008 and 2009, with dozens of people killed. The eastern border province of Nangarhar, and its capital Jalalabad, have long been a hotbed of insurgent activity. In June, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) decided to withdraw foreign staff and suspend some activities in the area after an attack that killed a guard and injured three others. The assault was the first of its kind on the strictly neutral ICRC in Afghanistan since it started operations in the country in 1987. On Friday, a five-hour battle between Afghan security forces and Taleban fighters in the province’s Shirzad district killed dozens of Afghan police and insurgents, officials said. Continue reading
