Princes at Diana memorial service

BRITAIN'S Prince Harry called Princess Diana "the best mother in the world" at a memorial service on the 10th anniversary of her death today that reduced hundreds of public mourners outside the venue to tears.

Harry, who was 12 when his mother died, also spoke of the sense of loss he and his brother Prince William still feel, a decade after their mother was killed in a high-speed car crash in a Parisian tunnel.

“William and I can separate life into two parts,” he told 500 guests at the Guards Chapel in central London as his elder brother bowed his head in the front row.

“There were those years when we were blessed by the physical presence beside us of both our mother and father and then there are the 10 years since our mother's death.”

William and Harry spent months organising the event, attended by Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Diana's two sisters and brother, plus friends like Sir Elton John who sang at her funeral.

It was the main event to commemorate Diana on the anniversary, although a crowd of her supporters also gathered outside her former home to pay their own tribute.

The 22-year-old prince, who is now an army officer like his brother, said his mother would “always be remembered for her amazing public work”.

“But behind the media glare, to us, just two loving children, she was quite simply the best mother in the world,” he added.

“We would say that wouldn't we? But we miss her.”

He concluded his speech by saying: “She made us and so many other people happy - may this be the way that she is remembered.”

Members of the public were not admitted, but hundreds gathered outside the chapel to listen to the service through loudspeakers.

Harry's address reduced many of them to tears and earned a loud round of applause at the end.

William, 25, read a Bible passage at the ceremony, which featured music by Mozart, Rachmaninov and Faure and concluded with a rendition of the national anthem.

Conspicuous by their absence were Charles's second wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall - described by Diana as the third person in her marriage after a long-term affair with Charles - and Mohamed Al Fayed, father of the princess's boyfriend Dodi Fayed who also died in the crash.

Camilla pulled out on Sunday saying she did not want to distract from the proper purpose of the occasion, while Fayed, who insists the couple were killed in an establishment plot, was not invited.

The Egyptian millionaire hosted a two-minute silence at upmarket London department store Harrods, which he owns, attended by about 100 people.

Last year, a report from Lord John Stevens, former head of London's Metropolitan Police, ruled out any conspiracy and said that the crash, which also killed the car's driver Henri Paul, was a “tragic accident”.

William and Harry's girlfriends, Kate Middleton and Chelsy Davy, were also absent from the service.

Diana's death generated an unprecedented outpouring of public grief in Britain.

One million people took to the streets of London for the funeral and some say the episode changed the country.

The tragedy also forced the royal family to present itself as a more open and inclusive institution.

The gates of Diana's home, Kensington Palace in London, were festooned today with flowers and poems left by admirers, a crowd of whom held their own memorial service, led by a retired priest.

Eileen Heathey, 56, from London, said Diana would be remembered for her compassion.

“That's what I remember her for - her caring and understanding,” she said.

"She had a lot of hurt in her own life that made her do what she did."

Flowers also piled up at Althorp, Diana's childhood home and final resting place, which broke with tradition by opening to the public for the anniversary.

Kensington Palace is also hosting an exhibition in her memory, as is London's National Portrait Gallery.

And the BBC is rescreening her funeral in full on a digital channel tomorrow.

Image From Reuters

Bail granted to Salman Khan

Actor Salman Khan, who was granted bail by the Jodhpur bench of Rajasthan High Court on Friday in the Chinkara poaching case, walked out of the Jodhpur Central Jail at 1800 hrs (IST).

Salman, who boarded a chartered flight to New Delhi after his release, reportedly broke down into tears when he heard the news.

Salman Khan's lawyer Dipesh Mehta, who accompanied the actor when he was released, explained the conditions the court has imposed while granting bail for him.

“The honourable court has granted him bail by suspending the sentence and directed him to give a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh along with two sureties of the like amount to the satisfaction of the honourable Chief Judicial Magistrate at Jodhpur,” said Mehta,

While it was a moment of celebration for Salman and his family, animal rights activists say the actor's got away lightly.

"Its absolutely appalling. This is not even his first conviction. The court hasn’t considered that he has four other cases against him. He has beaten co-stars, run over five people, bribed witnesses, he's been shown on TV holding a gun in his hand. Isn’t he a menace to society?" animal Rights' activist Maneka Gandhi said on hearing the news of Salman’s bail.

The actor had filed a revision petition in the High Court against the sentence given to him by the sessions court. Khan will have to now appear before the court on October 24 for the hearing on that petition.

Khan has been in Jodhpur Central Jail for the past seven days after a sessions court upheld his five-year jail term in the 1998 Chinkara poaching case.

The hearing on his bail plea had been deferred several times. When it came up after a string of holidays earlier this week, the Judge G K Vyas withdrew from the case, saying that as a lawyer, he had once represented one of Salman's co-accused in court.

The Rajasthan government had said earlier that it would oppose Khan’s bail plea.

Nawaz Sharif to return on 10th September

Nawaz Sharif to return on 10th September

Leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (N), Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif said that he along with his brother Mian Shahbaz Sharif would land at Islamabad airport on September 10 and then would go to Lahore via G.T. Road.

Addressing the press conference in London, the former prime minister said that with the message of consolidarity and unity they would land at the same place where his democratic government was attacked in the night of October 12.

Nawaz Sharif said that the government cannot send them again in exile after the Supreme Court�s decision.

The former prime minister said that the Pakistan Muslim League (N) and the APDM have also endorsed the decision of their returning home.

He said that he knows there would be difficulties for them and the government would want to make difficulties for them in the country but his party workers are not afraid of batons of police.

The former prime minister said that he has no personal but a national agenda.

He demanded from General Pervez Musharraf to leave both seats of the president and the army chief and said that the power be handed over to the chairman of the Senate.

Pakistan condemns sketch of Prophet in Sweden

Pakistan condemned on Thursday what it described as an offensive and blasphemous sketch of the Prophet Mohammad in a Swedish newspaper.

Cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad published in Danish newspapers sparked widespread anger and deadly protests in several Muslim countries, including Pakistan, in early 2006.

Muslims believe images of the Prophet are forbidden.

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry said the sketch was published in the Swedish newspaper Nerikes Allehanda. It did not say when.

“Regrettably, the tendency among some Europeans to mix the freedom of expression with an outright and deliberate insult to 1.3 billion Muslims in the world is on the rise,” the ministry said in a statement.

“Such acts deeply undermine the efforts of those who seek to promote respect and understanding among religions and civilisations,” it said.

The Swedish charge d’affaires was summoned to the ministry and a strong protest was lodged with him, the ministry said.

The ministry said the Swedish diplomat said his government shared the views of the Muslim community and the publication of the sketch was unfortunate.

Taj Mahal closed after riots in Agra

The world-famous Taj Mahal was closed to tourists on Wednesday after officials in the Indian city of Agra imposed a curfew following riots that left one person dead and 50 injured.

Rioters fought pitched battles with police, pelting them with stones, glass bottles and setting vehicles alight, after a speeding truck had crushed four Muslims to death in the morning.

News of the accident spread quickly and residents spilled onto the streets, witnesses said.

The Uttar Pradesh state government issued an advisory, asking tourists to stay in their hotels until order was restored in the city

Katrina Kaif Visits Salman Khan in Jodhpur Jail

Actress Katrina Kaif visited Bollywood star Salman Khan in Jodhpur jail today. The jail meeting of Katrina and Salman was last for 45 minutes. His brother Arbaz Khan and sister Alvira were also present in the meeting.

Security arrangements in Jodhpur Jail were beefed up on the occasion. A large number of local fans and media men were also present outside the jail premises.

Salman, who has been sentenced to five years in prison for hunting an endangered deer nine years ago, surrendered himself to Rajasthan Police on Saturday following an arrest warrant.

The district and sessions court in Jodhpur on Friday dismissed the actor's plea against the five-year jail term handed by the chief judicial magistrate's court.

Shoaib Akhter Not to Join ICL

Enigmatic pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar has said that he is not planning to join the Indian Cricket League (ICL) even though he is in touch with them.

Speaking to reporters on the opening day of the national training camp at the Gaddafi Stadium for the Twenty20 World Championship to be held in South Africa next month, Shoaib expressed that he wanted to give his best to Pakistan, adding he was eagerly waiting for the chance to do so not just in the global Twenty20 event but also in the three forthcoming series against South Africa, India and Australia.

Commenting on the recent row with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over skipping the national camp in Karachi and the Rs300,000 fine which had been imposed on him, Shoaib said it would have been better had the board quietly resolved the issue itself. He also hoped that instead of delivering notices to the players the PCB would focus more on the game of cricket.

In this instance, the PCB’s appellate tribunal had later set aside the penalty asking Manager Talat Ali Malik to hold fresh inquiries giving the bowler equal opportunity to defend his case.

Shoaib had not been able to appear before the disciplinary committee as the letter summoning him could not be delivered to his address. Giving his view on the issue, Shoaib said there was no space to write one’s residential address on the central contract document, therefore, he said, he did not write it.

The head of the tribunal, Mueen Afzal, and PCB’s Chief Operating Officer Shafqat Naghmi have admitted this mistake saying that neither the fast bowler wrote his proper address on the central contract nor did the board check for it.

Benazir Bhutto wants to share Power with Mush

Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto on Tuesday urged President Pervez Musharraf to present a power-sharing reform package by the end of August, saying her party was becoming jittery with approaching elections.

"I have shared with General Musharraf that my party is getting very upset, because elections are around the corner, and that, by the end of this month, we really need to know where we stand," she told the American PBS television network.

"We either have a package or we don’t have a package," she said. "And if we have a package, well, then, we need the measures that we’ve agreed upon to come into play."

Bhutto, who served as Pakistan’s prime minister from 1988-1990 and 1993-1996, offered her view after she was asked by the US network how long it would take for her to conclude that Musharraf was not serious about sharing power with her.

Leading the highly influential Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) from exile in London and Dubai, Bhutto met with Musharraf in an unannounced session in Abu Dhabi last month but neither has publicly admitted to the meeting.

The session was aimed at discussing a possible power-sharing deal ahead of presidential elections between September 15 to October 15 and general elections late this year or in early 2008.

Bhutto said if she was not able to cut a deal with Musharraf, she still intended to return to Pakistan and campaign for her party and join other moderate political parties "to try and bring about a transition.

"I hope it doesn’t come to a breakdown in the negotiations between General Musharraf and the PPP. But, at the end of the day, we can’t afford to be contaminated by his unpopularity without getting the price for democracy," she said.

US officials believe that an alliance with Bhutto would be Musharraf’s best chance of remaining president, reports have said, noting declining domestic support for Musharraf, a key US "war on terror" ally.

The White House had said that top US officials had met with major Pakistani political players recently in an effort to bring about "a moderate political center" and free and fair elections there.

Bhutto dismissed reports that the United States was behind a "plot" to forge the power-sharing deal but acknowledged that Washington was being kept informed of developments.

"There’s no great US plot, as speculated in some of the Pakistani press, to put together General Musharraf and the Pakistan People’s Party, but certainly the United States has a key interest in the stability of Pakistan.

"None of those reforms, other than transparent ballot boxes, have actually been enacted. So, now there’s a nervousness within my party that, if they haven’t been enacted, and we are on the eve of a general election, then when are they going to be enacted?," she said.

As for criticism that by forging an alliance with the military ruler, she was "selling out" to Musharraf, Bhutto said, "What we are seeking is a compromise that could help bring about a stable, democratic, civilian order in Pakistan.

"And it’s for the people of Pakistan then to vote in the party or the leaders they would like to see lead them."

China, Pak discussing nuclear deal

China and its "all-weather" ally Pakistan are discussing an agreement similar to the one India has reached with the US on the civilian nuclear cooperation to maintain the regional security balance, sources said here today.

Even as the two old allies discuss a nuclear deal, China’s reservations over the Indo-US deal and the boundary issue may be clouding Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s maiden visit to Beijing, which is likely to take place towards the end of the year, they said.

Since Pakistan has pleaded with China at the highest level not to let it down in the nuclear balance with India, Beijing is apparently working out a nuclear deal with Islamabad, in case the Indo-US nuclear agreement is okayed by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the sources told PTI here preferring anonymity.

While China was apparently taken aback by the finalisation of the 123 Agreement, Beijing now hopes that the opposition within India itself will wreck the Indo-US nuclear deal, the sources said.

At the same time, China is making active preparations for a counter-deal involving Pakistan, they said, while taking note of the recent spate of critical reports on the Indo-US nuclear agreement in the official Chinese media.

The China-Pakistan defence ties and the implications of the Indo-US deal on Beijing and Islamabad came up for detailed discussions here this month when Chairman of Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Gen Ehsan Ul Haq, visited Beijing.
During talks with Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong and Defence Minister Cao Gangchuan, the Pakistani side was assured that Beijing would further step-up its support to ensure the security of the country and maintain regional balance in South Asia, the sources said. Haq had led a high-profile military delegation comprising representatives of three services as well as Ministries of Defence and Defence Production and Joint Staff Headquarters.

During his stay in Beijing, Haq also met Vice Minister of Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (COSTIND) Jinchung Long, Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo - also the Special Representative of China to the India-China boundary talks - and Chief of Army Gen Liang Guanglie.

China also sent its Assistant Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai to Islamabad early this month, who called on President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Foreign Minister Khurshid M Kasuri among others, discussing the draft of the Sino-Pakistan civilian nuclear deal among other issues, the sources said.

If Beijing and New Delhi fail to find common ground on the Indo-US deal and achieve marked progress on the vexed boundary issue, the atmosphere will not be conducive for a Prime Ministerial visit, they said.

While no date has been announced for Singh’s trip to China, active preparations are on for the high-level visit.

The sources said that of late, Sino-India relations have faced turbulent times, mainly due to Beijing’s opposition to the Indo-US nuclear deal, stalemate on the boundary negotiations and India joining forces with the US, Japan and Australia to promote "democracy" in Asia.

An Article By PTI.

ICL Offers Asif Rs 100 million

Stepping up their player signing up drive, the Indian Cricket League has wooed Mohammad Asif with a more lucrative second offer of Rs 10 crore, local media reported today. "The ICL has offered Asif Rs 100 million for a three-year contract and the pacer is carefully assessing the various aspects of the offer before taking a decision next week," the ‘Dawn’ reported today quoting Pakistan Cricket Board sources. The ICL had last month offered Rs 9 crore each to Asif and fellow fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar which they had refused. The sources also said the PCB was concerned about the congregation of several Pakistan players in London and were wary of their intentions to join the rebel League. Younis Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Mushtaq Ahmed and Shahid Afridi are all in England these days where a former Test captain and wicketkeeper is intensely lobbying for the ICL, said the sources.

India-US deal works as catalyst for Pak N- programme

With the India-US nuclear deal in mind, Pakistan has decided to accelerate its nuclear programme with President Pervez Musharraf issuing directives to scientists in this regard, Online news agency reported Saturday.

Quoting reliable sources, Online said the National Command and Control Authority had discussed in detail the matter of disturbance of strategic balance after the India-US deal and it was decided that Pakistan would continue developing its nuclear and missile programme.

The work on the Khushab reactor would be speeded up while four-five new nuclear reactors would also be installed.

The sources said the Pakistan government had rejected any US pressure in this regard and clarified that it would take all necessary steps to ensure its sovereignty and defence and the strategic balance in the region would be maintained at all costs.

The acquisition of the latest technology would also be ensured. In this regard, Musharraf has given a go-ahead to Pakistani scientists, aiming to continue the development of the country's nuclear and missile programme.

In September and October, both ballistic and cruise missiles would be tested, enhancing the strategic ability of Pakistan, military sources said.

Pakistan will also acquire assistance from countries having latest technology aiming to meet its increasing energy needs.

Microsoft ups Hotmail storage to 5 GB

Microsoft Corp. will soon let users of its Hotmail service store 5 gigabytes of photos and other e-mail messages, more than double the previous limit.

Of course, only a small number of Hotmail users will ever approach that threshold, a reality the software maker acknowledged in a blog post this week outlining the storage boost and other upgrades to the free, Web-based service.

"Just when you were wondering how you'd ever fill up 2 or 4 GB of mail, we've given you more storage," wrote Ellie Powers-Boyle, a program manager for Windows Live Hotmail.



Microsoft's new limit, from 2 GB currently, will leapfrog Google Inc.'s nearly 3 GB. Yahoo Inc. and Time Warner Inc.'s AOL e-mail services already include unlimited free storage.

Yahoo has the most active users in the United States among Web-based e-mail services, according to Nielsen/NetRatings. Hotmail ranks second, followed by AOL at third and Google's Gmail at fourth.

Microsoft said Hotmail will also get faster in coming weeks thanks to performance improvements. E-mail users will also see a new "report phishing" button and a way to combine duplicate contacts in the address book.

When Hotmail users log in, they currently see a page filled with news headlines and photos from Microsoft's MSN sites — not their inbox. Soon, Microsoft will let users choose to go straight to their e-mail and skip the extra content.

"We know this is going to be a big hit with a lot of you out there in blog land," Powers-Boyle wrote.

Benazir Not to deal with Mush on dual posts

Benazir Not to deal with Mush on dual posts

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has said there is no agreement with Musharraf about allowing him to hold the dual posts of Army Chief and President, but the issue need not be the reason for breaking the talks and could be settled in court.

Benazir Bhutto, addressing a meeting of her supporters in the city Saturday evening, also said she would call a meet of top officials of her Pakistan People's Party (PPP) here towards the end of this month.

Sources close to her said she is expected to brief them on her meeting with President Musharraf and discuss the future course of action in view the forthcoming elections, including her possible return to the country.

She told her supporters that there is no agreement with Musharraf that he should continue to hold both the posts of Army Chief and President. But she had only said that that need not be the reason for breaking the talks.

Whether Musharraf can hold both the posts is something that would be challenged in court, Benazir said.

She said that she plans to return to Pakistan sometime between October and December but described as "exaggerated" reports that she would definitely go back before Id which falls in the middle of October.

However, Benazir did say that she would like to return before Id if possible.

Obama calls Pakistan 'constructive ally'

Democratic presidential contender Sen. Barack Obama said it is critical for Pakistan to be a constructive ally in fighting al-Qaida, a week after threatening military action if President Musharraf did not act.

Obama and his spokesman offered measured criticism of the Bush administration's actions and policies on Pakistan. The candidate twice declined an opportunity to explain the difference between his proposals and the White House's, but expressed sympathy for Musharraf, who faces a growing militant backlash in his Muslim nation.

''President Musharraf has a very difficult job, and it is important that we are a constructive ally with them in dealing with al-Qaida,'' Obama said Wednesday.

Obama did not repeat the most incendiary line from his foreign policy speech last Wednesday, when he promised: ''If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won't act, we will.''

That pledge set off ripples of resentment in the relationship between Washington and Islamabad, prompting Pakistani officials to warn against U.S. incursions into their country.

Tariq Azim, Pakistan's minister of state for information, said talk from the United States about the possibility of U.S. military action against al-Qaida in Pakistan ''has set alarm bells ringing and has upset the Pakistani public.''

Azim cited Obama as an example of someone who had made such comments and said Obama's recent remarks were one reason the government was debating whether to declare a state of emergency.

A call to Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs for comment was not immediately returned Wednesday night.

President Bush was vague on Monday when asked whether he would consult with Pakistan before chasing al-Qaida leaders into Pakistan. Last year, he offered a clearer answer, saying he could not send thousands of troops into Pakistan to search for Osama bin Laden without an invitation from the government. ''Pakistan's a sovereign nation,'' Bush said then.

Asked Wednesday whether there was any difference now between his position and the Bush administration, Obama twice sidestepped the question, once saying he did not know Bush's stance and then saying he did not speak for the White House.

Obama repeated his insistence that, ''We can't send millions and millions of dollars to Pakistan for military aid, and be a constant ally to them, and yet not see more aggressive action in dealing with al-Qaida.''

Bush recently tried to ensure just that, signing into law a measure that ties U.S. aid to Pakistan to progress in combating militants. Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said the senator's broader criticism is that Bush ''has not asked more of the Pakistanis.''

The closest Obama came to directly criticizing the Bush administration on the matter was to cite a report in The New York Times that said then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld had called off a raid against al-Qaida leaders in Pakistan in 2005, despite having actionable intelligence.

Gibbs went a step further than the candidate in a subsequent telephone interview, saying that the aborted raid showed ''the White House actually doesn't have a policy'' on Pakistan.

''The American public needs to understand these issues because part of what's at stake in this next, upcoming foreign policy debate is the need to shift resources out of Iraq, in part to attend to these problems,'' Obama said.

''If the American people don't understand that this is where the real threat is, that we're on the wrong battlefield right now, then we may get confused and elect a president who continues down the wrong road instead of the one that's really going to make a difference in terms of our security.''

In Islamabad, Azim said Musharraf's government is not ruling out imposing emergency because of ''external and internal threats'' to Pakistan and deteriorating law and order in the volatile northwest near the Afghan border. He referred to recent military action against militants in northwestern border areas that he said had resulted in the deaths of many soldiers.

Emergency will not be imposed, says Mohammed Ali Durrani

Seeking to put an end to speculation here that it could impose emergency in the wake of deteriorating law and order situation in the country, Pakistan government today insisted that it will not go in for the measure.

The decision not to impose emergency was taken at a high-level meeting presided over by President Pervez Musharraf here, Information Minister Mohammed Ali Durrani said.

Ruling PML-Q President Shujaat Hussain, who earlier said that a decision will be taken by late afternoon, also contradicted reports that emergency would be imposed in the country.

Those who are giving such advices to Musharraf cannot be regarded as his well-wishers, he told media here.

The remarks of Durrani and Hussain came following intense speculation here that emergency could be imposed in Pakistan because of deteriorating law and order due to suicide attacks launched by suspected pro-Taliban militants, especially in the country's tribal belt bordering Afghanistan.

Last night, Minister of State for Information Tariq Azim told private Geo television channel that condition was ripe for emergency and the government was seriously considering the measure.

Musharraf seeks to be reelected as the president by present assemblies

Amid consultation meetings with the government allied parties, which continued here on the second consecutive day, President General Pervez Musharraf said Monday that he will be reelected as the president in uniform by the present assemblies.

However, he said, the decision whether to shed the uniform or not will be taken after the forthcoming general elections.

He was addressing the parliamentarians and notables of Pakistan Muslim League at the Chief Minister House.

“The talks on the uniform issue could be held after the holding of the forthcoming general elections,” he was quoted as saying.

The country has made unprecedented progress during the past eight years’ time, the president said.

Briefing media, spokesman of the President, Maj. Gen. (Retd) Rashid Qureshi, emphasised on the occasion that the country has made a record progress during the past seven to eight years.

He said the President pointed out that from the brink of bankruptcy, Pakistan is now at a level which was never achieved in the past six decades of its existence.

Pakistan is at a jump off point where the rise of the country cannot be stopped.

The President said the country needs support of the masses as well as the political parties in the struggle against terrorism, extremism and violence.

This, he added, requires concerted efforts of the people as well as the leaders.

The spokesman said President Gen. Musharraf informed that last year there was a direct foreign investment in the country to the tune of dollar 6.7 billion.

He said any act of terrorism or extremism affects the investment climate.

The spokesman said the President stressed that we would have to resolve the issue of terrorism and extremism through our own efforts.

He pointed out that he had the honour of entering the Holy Kaaba and visiting “Roza-i- Rasool (PBUH)” six or seven times and he first prayed for the solidarity, progress and prosperity of Pakistan and its people then he prayed for himself and his family.

The President also apprised the PML parliamentarians about his thinking with regard to the problems being faced by the country.

The address of the President was followed by a question answer session.

The audience demonstrated appreciation of the President’s stance by lively clapping on a number of occasions during his address.

All the participants expressed agreement with the point of view of the President.

They were of the view that this is the way of carrying the country forward.

They further said if the country continues to progress at the same pace it will become a leading nation in South Asia in the next four to five years.

Expressing his views, Sindh Chief minister Dr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim, said Pakistan really needs President Pervez Musharraf.

He said the PML would always continue to support President Musharraf.

Sindh Chief Minister said Pakistan has achieved a record progress under the leadership of President Musharraf.

'Naya Daur' : Relive the classic!

Come to think of it, who'd be interested in watching a film that first released 50 years ago? There're chances that people may've caught it on TV or DVDs. Or, to be brutally frank, they might want to give the film a skip. But 'Naya Daur', even after 50 years of its first release, has the magnetism to keep your eyeballs focused to the silver screen.

Sure, rural themes are rarely attempted these days and storytellers have moved on to greener pastures [read urban themes]. Also, the film lacks the visual appeal to entice the viewer of today, but despite the oddities, 'Naya Daur' works for several reasons…

[a] It depicts the triumph of the human spirit, which can never go out of fashion;

[b] The relationships [Dilip Kumar-Ajit, Dilip Kumar-Vyjayantimala] are so human and believable;

[c] O.P. Nayyar's lilting score is unforgettable;

[d] The man versus machine race in the penultimate reels is astounding.

It's very difficult to review a classic. But even at the cost of sounding repetitive, let's say that they don't make films like 'Naya Daur' anymore. Besides, over the years, we've seen a lot of clones of Dilip Kumar, Vyjayantimala and Ajit. Watching the originals is a different experience altogether!

Dilip Kumar lives the role of Shankar, an upright villager who revolts against the city-bred Jeevan. There were no acting schools then, no dubbing theatres to enhance your performance, not much technical support to make you look smashing. Yet, Dilip Kumar's performance strikes a chord even today. Commendable performances come in from Vyjayantimala [natural], Ajit [fiery], Johny Walker [exceptional], Nasir Hussein [first-rate] and Jeevan [nice].

Although B.R. Chopra made movies before and after 'Naya Daur', it will always remain one of the finest cinematic works to come out of B.R. Films. The power of a storyteller looms large as the reels of 'Naya Daur'unfold. Technically, the colorization is proper and the sound quality is sharp.

To sum up, 'Naya Daur' is a classic and will always remain one. To skip the film would be sacrilege. Go, relive the experience!

Pakistan slams Obama's attack warning

Pakistan accused Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama of “sheer ignorance” on Thursday for threatening to launch US military strikes against Al-Qaeda on Pakistani soil.

Obama warned Wednesday that if he is elected president, he would order US forces to hit extremist targets on Pakistan’s frontier with Afghanistan if embattled military ruler President Pervez Musharraf failed to act.

“Such statements are being made out of sheer ignorance,” Pakistan’s Minister of State for Information, Tariq Azeem, told AFP. ”They are not fully apprised about the ground realities and not aware of the efforts by Pakistan.”

Islamabad has bristled against a string of similar threats in recent weeks by the administration of US President George W. Bush, whose top counter-terror official in July refused to rule out US strikes in Pakistan.

Musharraf, struggling to contain a wave of Islamist violence unleashed by the army’s bloody storming of the radical Red Mosque in Islamabad three weeks ago, himself firmly rejected any US action last week.

“We have said before that we will not allow anyone to infringe our sovereignty,” Azeem said.

“If there is any actionable intelligence they should tell us and only our forces will take action on it and they are quite capable of it.”

The minister suggested that Obama’s comments were prompted by Washington’s inability to curb the ongoing Taleban insurgency in neighbouring Afghanistan, where US-led forces toppled the hardline regime in late 2001.

“This seems to be a reaction to their own failure in Afghanistan to control the US casualties and instead of addressing the situation there, they are finding scapegoats and damaging their own cause,” Azeem added.

Pakistan foreign ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam on Wednesday warned against “point-scoring” by US presidential candidates on vital security issues.

Musharraf abandoned Islamabad’s support for the Taleban in the wake of the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

He has said that a top US official warned that Pakistan would be bombed back to the “stone age” if it failed to join Washington’s ”war on terror”.

Renaming Nwfp To Afghania !!!

An Islamic alliance ruling Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province bordering Afghanistan has proposed changing the region’s name to “Afghania”, a provincial minister said on Wednesday.

The NWFP government’s request to the federal government in Islamabad is likely to rekindle an old debate over the name of the region dominated by ethnic Pashtuns, who live on both sides of the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“Constitutionally there is no bar on us to rename the province on our own but we want to resolve this issue in an amicable manner,” Malik Zafar Azam, NWFP’s law minister, told Reuters.

He said the provincial government had conducted a survey to find an alternative name for the region, designated North West Frontier Province since the days of the British Raj in pre-partition India, and most people favoured “Afghania”.

“We have firmed up our proposal and plan to put it before the federal government’s inter-provincial coordination committee in its next meeting.”

Central government officials were unavailable for comment.

Pashtun nationalists have long demanded the old colonial name be changed as it only indicates a geographical location rather than the ethnicity of its inhabitants, as in the other three Pakistan provinces -- Punjab for Punjabis, Sindh for Sindhis and Baluchistan for Baluchis.

The nationalists had proposed “Pakhtunkhwa” as the new name for the province after its Pashtun, or Pakhtun, population, but the central government is fearful it would revive old differences with Afghanistan over the Pashtun territory, known as Pashtoonistan, straddling both sides of the border.

Afghanistan has never recognised the 2,640 km (1,610) frontier, known as the Durand Line after the British colonialist who drew it. Afghans say the border robbed Afghanistan of land it traditionally held and it unfairly divides Pashtuns.

The Pashtoonistan issue strained relations between the two neighbours in the 1950s and 1960s, although it faded after Islamists gained influence in the border areas in the 1970s.

The presence of a large number of Pashtuns in Pakistan’s ruling establishment is another reason why the issue has lost traction.

Observers say the new proposal by the Islamic Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal alliance, which rose to power by exploiting anti-American sentiments in the region in 2002 after US intervention in Afghanistan, could be a move to win sympathies of Pashtun tribes ahead of elections due later this year or in early 2008.

Pashtun nationalists said provincial assemblies had passed resolutions to change the name to Pakhtunkhwa and they could not support the name proposed by Islamists.

“We stand by our proposal that the province should be named Pakhtunkhwa. It is a centuries old name for our land and that’s why we support this,” said Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, vice president of the Awami National Party, the main nationalist group in the province.

Bollywood stands firm behind jailed Sanjay

A premiere was cancelled, film shoots were halted and some nightclubs called off weekend parties as India’s entertainment industry reacted with shock to the jailing of a top actor for acquiring guns from gangsters.

Sanjay Dutt, 48, was sentenced to six years in prison on Tuesday for taking an AK-56 rifle and a pistol from those blamed for a string of bombings that killed 257 people in 1993.

Many in the Hindi-language film industry, popularly called Bollywood, expressed dismay at the punishment.

“Six years for an act of recklessness -- that’s too harsh,” said filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, who helped resurrect Dutt’s career with two big hits after he was freed on bail in the 1990s.

For a man who reportedly took to drugs in high school, hobnobbed with India’s most-wanted criminals and whose private life constantly made headlines, Dutt retains the sympathy of the industry and millions of fans who see him as a victim of his star lineage and own fame.

Such is the fascination for the son of the legendary Bollywood couple Sunil and Nargis Dutt that even the judge who sentenced him could not help betray his emotions.

“You have to have faith in yourself, Sanjay,” judge P.D. Kode was quoted as telling Dutt in a conversation in his chambers late on Tuesday.

The judge, who held the media’s attention expertly by holding Dutt’s verdict until the end of the 14-year trial, drew parallels with legendary Hollywood star Gregory Peck.

“He was acting till the age of 100 and you have to do the same,” he told Dutt. “I have only done my legal duty. I have only taken away six years from you.”

Sympathy vs justice

Some shocked fans wrote letters in blood urging the court to free their hero, some offered to do his time in jail, millions discussed the sentence on the streets, and newspapers devoted special pages to the story.

The premiere of a colourised 1950s film was cancelled at the request of its ageing star, Dilip Kumar, a close friend of the Dutts who had watched the actor grow from childhood.

A nightclub frequented by Dutt cancelled its anniversary bash and others called off their weekend specials. Some directors deferred their shooting.

“He is the true destiny’s child. What will he do if his luck is bad,” said Raja Chand, a fruit vendor and a Dutt fan who was present outside the court on Tuesday.

“First his wife died, second wife divorced him, his daughter does not live with him and then all this legal problems.”

But through all his troubled years, Dutt has managed to stay at the top of Bollywood, with his biggest hits being a two-series film in which he played a funny, do-gooder gangster.

The second of the two films saw him espousing the non-violent principles of Indian freedom hero Mahatma Gandhi.

The films portrayed Dutt’s character as a man with a heart of gold who messes up despite his best intentions, which some critics and supporters said mirrored his own life.

Newspaper editorials, however, said there was a need to look at the whole case objectively and Dutt had to pay his dues.

“Sympathy for Sanjay Dutt is understandable but not ultimately relevant,” the Indian Express said.

“Misspent youth, basic good nature, the subtext of a tragic ’hero’ -- none of this can be allowed to legally explain possession of illegally procured lethal weapons courtesy shady suppliers,” it said. “In the case of Sanjay Dutt, the law has taken its course. No more, no less.”

Musharraf seeks harmony with CJP

Pakistan’s embattled President Pervez Musharraf says he hopes for “harmonious ties” with the recently reinstated chief justice he had tried to fire four months ago in a move that ultimately weakened him politically.

Musharraf, now passing through what is widely seen as the most beleaguered phase of his eight-year rule, suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry in March on charges of misconduct.

That sparked a countrywide campaign against the move by the lawyer community and opposition groups, and the Supreme Court quashed the charges and reinstated Chaudhry on July 20.

In his first comment on the judgement, Musharraf said he accepted it and would honour it.

He had personal relations with Chaudhry and hoped to maintain them, he also said.

“We had family ties and hope to maintain (the) same harmonious ties in future,” the official Associated Press of Pakistan quoted him as telling a ceremony late on Tuesday.

Musharraf, who is also army chief, said he held judges in “highest esteem” and had never tried to politicise the judiciary.

The judgement against his move came when U.S. ally Musharraf also faced growing difficulties keeping a lid on security problems as he seeks election to a second term this year.

Pakistan has seen a wave of bomb and suicide attacks since a bloody army assault last month on Islamabad’s Lal Masjid or Red Mosque, a stronghold of Islamist militants.

At the same time Musharraf is under increasing U.S. pressure to step up action against Al Qaeda and other militants entrenched in a lawless tribal belt on the Afghan border.

A bill U.S. President George W. Bush is expected to sign ties U.S. aid for Pakistan to progress against the militant groups.

Movement of military and paramilitary convoys in and around the border regions has become more frequent and check-posts have been reinforced in recent weeks, although the government has not linked the steps to U.S. demands.

In a video posted on Tuesday, an Al Qaeda leader, Abu Yahya Al Libi, called on Pakistanis to overthrow Musharraf, accusing him of helping Washington kill Muslims in Afghanistan.

Musharraf survived two Al Qaeda-inspired assassination attempts in 2003.

He plans to seek re-election in September or October from the existing assemblies while remaining in army uniform. General elections are due later this year or in early 2008.

Many analysts believe Musharraf’s move to sack Chaudhry might have been motivated by fears the judge could block his plans.

Last week, Musharraf met secretly with self-exiled former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in Abu Dhabi in an effort to reach a power-sharing pact before elections.

She represents the most liberal opposition party and would be likely to back him in