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Indian army says Pakistan violated ceasefire

      New Delhi: The Indian Army on Wednesday said that Pakistan had violated a 14-month-old ceasefire between the nuclear-armed rivals after mortars were fired across the military line dividing Kashmir, wounding a young girl. New Vice chief of the Army staff, Lt. General Bhupendra Singh Thakur, who assumed the office on Wednesday, said that the Pakistani government should consider the case of violation seriously. "We take it as a violation of ceasefire and we would like to use restraint. And that is what we have done so far, we have not retaliated. I am sure Pakistan government will consider this case with all its seriousness and we will get some reply from the Pakistan regime," said Thakur. Pakistan denied the charge, which is nevertheless the latest in a string of setbacks to a slow-moving peace process between the South Asian rivals.

     The Indian army said the wounded girl had to be treated in a hospital after 15 mortar shells were fired late on Tuesday from Pakistani territory into Poonch district, 250 km (160 miles) north of Jammu, the winter capital of India's Jammu and Kashmir state. India says Pakistan arms and trains militants crossing into Indian Kashmir to join an insurgency against Indian rule there. Indian officials said five militants were killed while trying to sneak into Indian Kashmir in the same district earlier on Tuesday, and said the shelling could have been an attempt to provide cover to other infiltrators. Pakistan denied any violation of the ceasefire and said there had been no infiltration from its side. The peace process received another setback this month when talks to resolve a row over India's plans to build a dam in the disputed Kashmir region broke down in New Delhi. Although the nuclear-armed nations have come a long way since reaching the brink of war more than two years ago, there are no signs of a breakthrough on their central dispute over Kashmir. Kashmir has been disputed since India and Pakistan were carved out of British colonial India in 1947. The Himalayan territory, which is divided between the neighbours, has been the cause of two of their three wars.

Cabinet approves Rs 2,731 crore package for tsunami relief (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: The Union Cabinet today approved a package of Rs 2,731 crore for the relief and rehabilitation programmes in tsunami-hit areas except for Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Announcing the decision, Union Finance Minister P Chidamabaram said, this was the first phase of relief package - an immediate package of Rs 861 crore has also been approved. Meanwhile, it was also announced that a separate package would be announced for modernisation of tsunami-hit Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Government has also planned to offer soft loans to the worst hit fishing community. Eighty per cent of the tsunami-affected people belonged to this community.

Indo-Pak film stars to perform in tsunami concert on Feb 6 (Go To Top)

     Islamabad: After cricket stars from the subcontinent did their bit for the tsunami victims, it is now the turn of stars from the Indian and Pakistani art and film world to do their bit for the affected. According to the Daily Times, more than 200 Indian and Pakistani film stars and artists will perform in a concert to raise funds for the tens of thousands of people affected by last month's tsunami attack. The Indian and Pakistani film industry will come together for the first time for the mega song and dance concert to be held in Mumbai on February 6. While the Indian contingent will be represented by Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Sunjay Dutt, Aishwarya Rai, Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta, Sameera Reddy and Esha Deol, Sonu Nigam, Kumar Sanu and Rabbi, the Pakistani contingent will be represented by stars such as Meera, Mona Rana, Raahat Ali and Waaris Ali, along with the band Strings. The event's organizers have said that have not yet decided as to whether they would charge for the event's tickets. "While we have not yet decided on whether or not the show will be ticketed, it will be telecast on 17 local Indian television channels, The proceeds of the show will go towards the prime minister's relief fund," the paper quoted producer Bunty Walia as saying.