Naval chief denies Kasab entered India from Pakistan

* Admiral Bashir says ‘if Kasab did go from here, when he entered Indian waters, where was the Indian Navy?’
* India rejects claim

KARACHI: Naval Chief of Staff Admiral Nauman Bashir said on Friday he had no proof that Ajmal Kasab – the lone surviving gunman arrested after the Mumbai attacks –used Pakistani waters to reach India.

“I do not have any proof, so I cannot confirm that claim,” said Nauman while addressing a press conference on upcoming multinational naval exercises, to be hosted by Pakistan. “The Indian navy is much larger than ours, and if Ajmal Kasab had gone from here, then what were their coastguards doing and why they did not stop the terrorists?” the naval commander was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency. Nauman declined further comment on the Mumbai attacks. “There are many questions about the Mumbai attacks which need to be answered and until then, we cannot make any comment.”

Indian rejection: According to the Times of India, New Delhi on Friday rubbished the Pakistan Navy chief’s claim. “The dossier handed over to Pakistan was irrefutable and solid on facts,” Home Minister P Chidambaram was quoted as saying at a press conference.

According to AFP, India’s junior foreign minister, Anand Sharma, also rejected the naval chief’s claim, and said Pakistan was engaging in ‘multiple speak, duplicity and denial’ and had ‘created this confusion’.

Indian police have charged Kasab with murder and ‘waging war’ against India.

General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani honored at US Army College

WASHINGTON: Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani who is on an official visit to USA, today visited Command and General Staff College at Fort Leaven Worth, Kansas.

On arrival Lieutenant General William B. Caldwell, IV Commandant US Army Command and General Staff College received him. Later a simple and graceful “International Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony” was held.

In this prestigious ceremony, photograph of COAS was placed in US Army International Hall of Fame. General Kayani is the 4th Pakistani graduate of US Army Command and General Staff College who has been conferred upon this honour on obtaining 4 star rank. At the end of the ceremony National Anthem of Pakistan was also played.

Fire Erupts in Marriott Hotel Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Fire erupted in two floors of five-star Marriott Hotel here in capital, A Pakistan news reported on Thursday.

Four fire brigades of Capital Development Authority (CDA) immediately reached the scene.

Fire fighters are tackling the blaze which firstly erupted at basement and then moving to upper floors and basement. The hotel has been evacuated after the fire.

No motive behind the fire eruption has been ascertained as yet, however reportedly there was wooden work underway at the basement.

Three persons were injured while tackling the blaze, later they were rushed to hospital.

No active system to tackle the blaze has been witnessed during the incident even after the deadly fire of September 2008 which fully destroyed the five-star hotel.

The hotel was opened a month back after its renovation and rebuilding.

Sharif brothers declared ineligible, Shahbaz no more Punjab CM

ISLAMABAD: The three-member Bench of Supreme Court has disposed off Sharif brothers’ electoral eligibility case by declaring them ineligible for contesting elections in its two-line short order announced here.

Shahbaz Sharif under this verdict has lost his seat in the provincial assembly and being no longer member of the Punjab House, he is no more Punjab chief minister, as SC has annulled the earlier notification about his being chief minister.

This case was under hearing of the SC three-member Bench headed by Justice Musa K. Laghari for the last eight months, in which, the Attorney General of Pakistan, Latif Khosa giving his arguments said that Punjab chief secretary and speaker were not the party in the case. Attorney General said that all the judges have taken oaths under the constitution and talking about the oath of the interim constitution was irrelevant.

He said that Nawaz Sharif’s proposer and seconder could become parties in the case if the court permits them and their becoming parties was not necessary. He further said that it was the discretion of the judge to withdraw from the Bench and no one could direct him to pull out.

On conclusion of the arguments, after a short break, the Bench disposing off the Sharif brothers’ eligibility case declared them ineligible.

Following the verdict, Sharif brothers’ lawyer, Akram Sheikh told media that the decision was as expected, as the government was giving dictation to the judges. He said that Sharif brothers were declared ineligible on the orders of President Zardari. He said that the judges would be made accountable on the Day of Judgement. Akram Shiekh said that now it was up to the people to decide if the verdict was on merit. He said that he couldn’t comment on the incomplete two-line judgment. This decision would be presented as bouquet to President Asif Zardari on his return from the China tour.

ML-N workers in sizable number were present on the occasion of the announcement of verdict raising slogans in favour of long march and Sharif brothers. Security arrangement remain tightened in the capital city here. (The News)

Nawaz claims to have taken Kargil war blame to save army image

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League (N) Chief Mian Nawaz Sharif has revealed that the Kargil operation was planned and executed by the army under the then COAS General Parvez Musharraf’s leadership without his knowledge.

Addressing PML (N) General Council meeting at Raiwind on Saturday, Nawaz Sharif said Musharraf launched the Kargil operation soon after the visit of former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Lahore.

Nawaz said he established contact with the then United States President Bill Clinton when Indian PM Vajpayee informed him of the Kargil operation. He said despite his busy schedule, Clinton met wit me (Nawaz). Nawaz said he claimed the blame of Kargil war to save army’s image.

PML (N) chief said he was fortunate to have loyal workers in the party. On lawyers’ movement, Nawaz said success of this movement would ensure prosperity and security of Pakistan.

Bid to bomb Karachi bank foiled

KARACHI: Security guards of a bank foiled a suicide attack in New Sabzi Mandi area of the city here.
The suicide bomber wanted to enter into the bank but the security guards gunned him down. According to DIG East Zafar Bokhari, the suspected bomber was killed in a police encounter.

Google Earth Exposes Secret U.S. Drones at Pakistan Base in 2006

Despite denials from Washington and Pakistan, satellite imagery captures what appear to be three U.S. Predator drones outside a hangar at the Shamsi airbase in Pakistan's southwest.


The U.S. was secretly flying unmanned drones from the Shamsi airbase in Pakistan's southwestern province of Baluchistan as early as 2006, according to an image of the base from Google Earth, the Times of London reported Thursday.

The image -- that is no longer on the site but which was obtained by The News, Pakistan's English language daily newspaper -- shows what appear to be three Predator drones outside a hangar at the end of the runway.

The Times also obtained a copy of the image, whose coordinates confirm that it is the Shamsi airfield, also known as Bandari, about 200 miles southwest of the Pakistani city of Quetta.

The Times reported yesterday that the CIA was secretly using Shamsi to launch the Predator drones that observe and attack Al Qaeda and Taliban militants around Pakistan's border with Afghanistan.

U.S. special forces used the airbase during the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, but the Pakistani Government said in 2006 that the Americans had left and both sides have since denied repeatedly that Washington was using Pakistani bases.

Two senior U.S. defense officials told FOX News that no Predator unmanned aerial vehicles are currently or have recently been based on Pakistani territory, despite a statement by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, at a recent Congressional intelligence hearing.

However, they could use the Shamsi air base if they needed to. The base is well known to the U.S. military and was used by the Americans in 2001 and 2002 at the beginning of the war in Afghanistan.

One U.S. official told FOX News the U.S. has been flying "Predators or UAVs" in Pakistan since 2002.

There have been 30 strikes since August with 11 top leaders of Al Qaeda taken out, according to intelligence reports.

Senior officials also confirm that Pakistan has been aiding the U.S. in its Predator unmanned aerial vehicle strikes in Pakistan's tribal areas, despite its leaders very public protests that they see the strikes as a breach of sovereignty.

Both President Asif Ali Zardari and General Ashraf Kayani, the head of Pakistan's army, have turned a blind eye to the strikes. According to the officials, these two leaders have launched no protests behind the scenes to U.S. officials about the strikes.

Any public protests have been for public consumption inside Pakistan. One official, however, says that not all elements of the Pakistani government are aware of this cooperation or support it - suggesting other civilian leaders may not be onboard.

(Fox News Report)