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Sarabjit's family seeks Musharraf's intervention

     Chandigarh: The family of an Indian man facing execution for spying and involvement in bomb attacks in Pakistan in 1990 says they should be allowed to travel to Islamabad to seek an audience with President Pervez Musharraf to plead for his life. Pakistani Foreign Minister Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri said on Wednesday that it was up to President Musharraf to decide whether to pardon Sarabjit Singh alias Manjit Singh. Pakistan's Supreme Court last week upheld a death sentence imposed on Manjit Singh in 1991 for spying for India's intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, and involvement in bombings in the central province of Punjab. The decision stirred emotions in India after the man's family threatened to commit suicide if the execution was carried out. Kasuri said he discussed the issue with Musharraf on Tuesday. He said Singh could petition the Supreme Court to review its decision and if that failed he could appeal to Musharraf. Singhs sister said she would appeal to the Supreme Court to reconsider the death sentence. "I strongly feel that I should be granted a visa to Pakistan and meet the public to seek his release. I can stand in the court and say my brother is innocent. He belongs to a simple and poor family who cannot do such a thing. He is a harmless fellow who has not even killed a fly. I would like to request the judge to reconsider the sentence. This is not a punishment but a kind of murder," an emotional Dalbir Kaur said in Chandigarh. The call to save the convicted man comes at a time when relations between India and Pakistan have improved since they relaunched a peace process in early 2004. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is due to meet Musharraf in New York next month on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, said on Tuesday that he would speak to his Pakistani counterpart, Shaukat Aziz, and try to stop the execution.

Natwar Singh raises Sarabjit Singh issue with Pak envoy (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh met Pakistan's High Commissioner to India, Aziz Ahmed Khan this evening and is said to have raised the issue of having consular access to Sarabjit Singh, the man sentenced to death by Pakistan's Supreme Court. An official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, confirmed that Mr. Singh had discussed the matter again with the High Commissioner of Pakistan. He said the minister reiterated the fact that this is a humanitarian matter and also that there is a strong public sentiment in India for sparing the life of the individual. "Once again the matter of consular access being provided was taken up. We hope that things would move in a positive direction," the spokesperson said. On the question of whether consular access had been provided, the spokesperson said: "Not so far." The spokesperson also confirmed that India's High Commissioner to Pakistan Shivshanker Menon had met Pakistan Foreign Secretary Rias Muhammad Khan and taken up the Sarabjit Singh matter with him.

Bhikiwind shuts down for Sarabjit's release (Go To Top)

     Bhikiwind/Amritsar: Residents of Bhikiwind, the hometown of Sarabjit Singh, awarded the death sentence by a Pakistani court on charges of spying on Thursday, observed a shutdown, seeking his release. The town's residents gathered at the town's main market, holding placards and shouting slogans, claiming his innocence. Pakistan's Supreme Court had last week upheld a death sentence handed out to Singh in 1991 for spying for India's intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, and involvement in a series of bombings in Pakistan's Punjab province. Singh, whose family says his real name is Sarabjit, was convicted of involvement in three bomb blasts in the Pakistani cities of Lahore and Faisalabad and a case linking him to another in Multan was still pending.

Women's parliament quota gets messier, Muslims too want share (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: In another major blow for a controversial proposal seeking 33 percent quota for women in India's parliament, Muslim leaders on Thursday said they would not support it unless their community is assured of a share within the quota. The latest salvo comes a day after opposition BJP, which had given the UPA government a blank cheque on the proposal, backed out dashing any hopes of a consensus on the Women's Reservation Bill, which has been in troubled waters since its conception. The bill, introduced a couple of times since 1999, has been stalled due to stiff protests by a strong lobby of deputies, both ruling and opposition who also want a specific quota for weaker sections within the proposed 33 percent reservation. Even a new formula, which suggests increase in the total capacity of the Parliament implying a combined 900 seats in both houses, has failed to cut ice. "We have very clearly said that if there is any reservation for women, there should be quota within it for Muslim women. If not, we will not be with them, we will reject this proposal. If they do not heed our demands, there will be nation-wide agitation by the Muslims," said Shahid Siddiqui, from the Samajwadi Party, Rights groups meanwhile are up in arm against the government for failing to give women their rights, saying while Sweden has 45 per cent and some 25 countries have 20 to 30 per cent reservation for women. India is yet to implement any such legislation. Activists also say that the success of women as head in village bodies has only proved their strengths as good managers and key role players in governance.

NDA withdraws support to Women's Reservation Bill (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: In an unexpected move, NDA has refused to support the Women's Reservation Bill because it lacks consensus. "There is no consensus on the Bill in its current form as some parties are proposing several things, including quotas within quotas," BJP Parliamentary Party spokesman V K Malhotra told reporters after the meeting in which Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Law Minister H R Bhardwaj were also present. He added that NDA would rather support providing 33 per cent tickets to women to contest in poll than having quotas within quotas which its current form has. "There is near consensus on EC's proposal of making it mandatory for political parties to give 33 per cent tickets to women," he said adding in this case, there was no need to amend the Constitution and only the Representation of People's Act could be modified for the purpose. Patil said that despite some initial support from BJP and Left on this issue, a consensus on its format has not evolved as yet. Talking to the reporters, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said that enactment of the law in this regard has been delayed and steps should be taken to expedite it.

Mumbai Police raids, seals six dance bars (Go To Top)

     Mumbai: The Mumbai Police conducted raids on six dance bars in Saki Naka and Pawai area of the city late on Wednesday night. After the raids, the police confirmed the arrest of 190 people, including 79 dance bar girls. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 10, Mumbai Police, Ravindra Shengaonkar said, "We raided six dance bars, where there were bar girls, customers and staffs. We have arrested bar owners also. In total we have arrested 79 ladies and 111 customers. Under the section 294 of Indian Panel code and 332 (2) of Mumbai Police Amendment Act, we will take action against them." Shengaonkar also said that all the bars have been sealed. On the other hand, dance bar owners claimed that the raids were conducted to harass them. A dance bar owner, Nityanand Mali, said, "These women are working here. Police forcibly took them away. They are doing it only to harass us. The arrested people will be produced before a court today. Meanwhile, Manjit Singh Abroal, the spokesperson of the Dance Bar Owners Co-ordination Committee said: "The bill prohibits dance bar performances only, there should be no objection. Wherever they have discos, people are allowed to dance. The police has deliberately detained customers and waitresses and then arrested them." This is the first big raid conducted by the Mumbai Police since the dance bar ban came into effect on August 14 this month. The Bill to close the dance bars is being seen as a retrograde step,rendering a large number bar dancers unemployed, besides affecting the city's hotel trade.

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