RIYADH (AFP) - Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Saudi Arabia Sunday hoping to repair ties with America s longstanding ally, which have frayed over the Syrian conflict and US outreach to Iran.
The top US diplomat was already on the second stop of an 11-day trip which has become an exercise in damage control, as the regional turbulence unleashed by the Arab Spring stirs tensions with longtime US partners.
Saudi Arabia, locked in a decades-long rivalry with Iran, is concerned that proposed Syrian peace talks could leave a Tehran-backed regime in Damascus and that a breakthrough in nuclear negotiations could lead to a US rapprochement with Iran.
The conservative oil-rich kingdom has grown increasingly nervous over the past two years as popular revolts have toppled onetime allies in Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen and spread turmoil across the region.
In an unprecedented move last month, Saudi turned down a coveted non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in protest at the world body s failure to end the war in Syria, which has left over 120,000 people dead.
Earlier Sunday in Cairo, Kerry acknowledged that while there might be differences over "tactics" in ending the Syrian conflict, the end goal for the United States and its allies was the same -- a transition of power.
Riyadh, one of the main backers of the Syrian opposition, was reportedly angered when US President Barack Obama last month put on hold threatened military strikes against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad s regime.
While acknowledging that "some countries" wanted the United States to act differently on Syria, Kerry insisted that "differences on individual tactics on policy do not mean a difference on (the) fundamental goal of the policy."
"We all share the same goal ... that is the salvation of the state of Syria and a transition government put in place ... that can give the people of Syria the opportunity to choose their future," Kerry said during a press conference with Egyptian foreign minister Nabil Fahmy.
Kerry also said the US would stick with its friends as they navigate the turmoil unleashed by the Arab Spring, which has led to the rise of powerful new extremist groups in Libya and Syria.
"We will be there for Saudi Arabia, for the Emirates, for Qataris, for the Jordanians, for the Egyptians and others. We will not allow those countries to be attacked from outside. We will stand with them," he told reporters.
Sunday, 3 November 2013
US to back Egypt interim govt
CAIRO (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday his country is committed to working with Egypt s interim rulers, on his first visit to Cairo since the army ousted president Mohamed Morsi.
On the eve of the opening of Morsi s trial, Kerry was in Cairo to shore up ties with a key ally and ensure it moves ahead on plans to restore democracy just weeks after Washington suspended aid to the country.
"We are committed to work and we will continue our cooperation with the interim government," Kerry told a joint news conference with Egyptian foreign minister Nabil Fahmy, urging "inclusive, free and fair elections".
"The United States is a friend of the people of Egypt, of the country of Egypt, and we are a partner," he said.
Kerry also played down Washington s suspension just weeks ago of part of its $1.5 billion in annual aid to Cairo.
"US-Egyptian relations should not be defined by assistance," Kerry said, adding direct aid would continue to Egyptians and to help efforts to "counter terrorism".
In a move that angered Cairo, Washington last month said it was "recalibrating" aid to Egypt -- including about $1.3 billion for military assistance -- and suspending delivery of items like Apache helicopters and F-16 aircraft.
Kerry -- the most senior figure of the US administration to visit since Morsi s July ouster -- will also meet interim president Adly Mansour and powerful military chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
The top US diplomat said Washington believed "the US-Egypt partnership will be strongest when Egypt is represented by a democratically elected government".
He condemned violence since Morsi s ouster, but said nothing about Morsi himself.
"I want to say very, very, very clearly: the United States condemns all acts of violence... against churches, against worshippers... in Sinai ... in the streets of the country," Kerry said.
More than 1,000 people have been killed in Egypt as security forces engage in a sweeping crackdown against supporters of Morsi who have tried to stage near daily protests against the Islamist president s ouster.
Fahmy, who has previously criticised the aid suspension, offered a more upbeat assessment of US-Egyptian ties on Sunday.
"I said a few days ago that Egyptian-American relations were tense, and I believe after my talks with the US secretary of state today that there are good indications that we seek to resume these relations in a positive manner," said Fahmy.
The United States had for three decades supported Morsi s predecessor Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted by a popular uprising in 2011, relying on Egypt to help maintain stability in the volatile region.
Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood member who became Egypt s first democratically elected president, was toppled by the military on July 3 after a single turbulent year in power that deeply polarised Egyptians.
According to the interim government s timetable, parliamentary elections are to be held by mid-2014 followed by presidential polls.
Kerry s visit is the first stop on a packed 12-day trip which will also take in Saudi Arabia, Israel, Bethlehem, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria and Morocco.
The aim of squeezing in a Cairo stop was to examine progress on "issues that are important to the United States" such as freedom of assembly and the press, protection of minorities, the participation of civil society and human rights.
The US would be informed by "a constant review of progress to help us understand how well the Egyptians are moving along their roadmap (and) when it s appropriate to lift some of the holds that we have on the equipment," a senior State Department official said.
The timing of the visit is awkward however, coming on the eve of Morsi s trial, with 14 others, on charges of inciting the murder of protesters outside the presidential palace in December 2012.
Washington has called for Morsi s release and an end to politically motivated trials but has also stopped short of denouncing his ouster as a coup.
"Mr Morsi proved unwilling or unable to govern inclusively, alienating many Egyptians," Acting Assistant Secretary Beth Jones said last week.
The military had responded to "the desires of millions of Egyptians who believed the revolution had taken a wrong turn," she added.
On the eve of the opening of Morsi s trial, Kerry was in Cairo to shore up ties with a key ally and ensure it moves ahead on plans to restore democracy just weeks after Washington suspended aid to the country.
"We are committed to work and we will continue our cooperation with the interim government," Kerry told a joint news conference with Egyptian foreign minister Nabil Fahmy, urging "inclusive, free and fair elections".
"The United States is a friend of the people of Egypt, of the country of Egypt, and we are a partner," he said.
Kerry also played down Washington s suspension just weeks ago of part of its $1.5 billion in annual aid to Cairo.
"US-Egyptian relations should not be defined by assistance," Kerry said, adding direct aid would continue to Egyptians and to help efforts to "counter terrorism".
In a move that angered Cairo, Washington last month said it was "recalibrating" aid to Egypt -- including about $1.3 billion for military assistance -- and suspending delivery of items like Apache helicopters and F-16 aircraft.
Kerry -- the most senior figure of the US administration to visit since Morsi s July ouster -- will also meet interim president Adly Mansour and powerful military chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
The top US diplomat said Washington believed "the US-Egypt partnership will be strongest when Egypt is represented by a democratically elected government".
He condemned violence since Morsi s ouster, but said nothing about Morsi himself.
"I want to say very, very, very clearly: the United States condemns all acts of violence... against churches, against worshippers... in Sinai ... in the streets of the country," Kerry said.
More than 1,000 people have been killed in Egypt as security forces engage in a sweeping crackdown against supporters of Morsi who have tried to stage near daily protests against the Islamist president s ouster.
Fahmy, who has previously criticised the aid suspension, offered a more upbeat assessment of US-Egyptian ties on Sunday.
"I said a few days ago that Egyptian-American relations were tense, and I believe after my talks with the US secretary of state today that there are good indications that we seek to resume these relations in a positive manner," said Fahmy.
The United States had for three decades supported Morsi s predecessor Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted by a popular uprising in 2011, relying on Egypt to help maintain stability in the volatile region.
Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood member who became Egypt s first democratically elected president, was toppled by the military on July 3 after a single turbulent year in power that deeply polarised Egyptians.
According to the interim government s timetable, parliamentary elections are to be held by mid-2014 followed by presidential polls.
Kerry s visit is the first stop on a packed 12-day trip which will also take in Saudi Arabia, Israel, Bethlehem, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria and Morocco.
The aim of squeezing in a Cairo stop was to examine progress on "issues that are important to the United States" such as freedom of assembly and the press, protection of minorities, the participation of civil society and human rights.
The US would be informed by "a constant review of progress to help us understand how well the Egyptians are moving along their roadmap (and) when it s appropriate to lift some of the holds that we have on the equipment," a senior State Department official said.
The timing of the visit is awkward however, coming on the eve of Morsi s trial, with 14 others, on charges of inciting the murder of protesters outside the presidential palace in December 2012.
Washington has called for Morsi s release and an end to politically motivated trials but has also stopped short of denouncing his ouster as a coup.
"Mr Morsi proved unwilling or unable to govern inclusively, alienating many Egyptians," Acting Assistant Secretary Beth Jones said last week.
The military had responded to "the desires of millions of Egyptians who believed the revolution had taken a wrong turn," she added.
Iran envoy elected to lead gas-producing bloc
TEHRAN (AP) - A former head of Iran s central bank was elected Sunday to head a 13-nation bloc of gas-producing countries as Tehran looks beyond its sanctions-hit crude oil sales to bring in vital revenue and explore new energy markets.
Iran has tried aggressively looked to its vast natural gas reserves and refined petrochemical products to bypass US-led sanctions over Tehran s nuclear program. The sanctions have concentrated on Iran s oil exports cutting them in half over the past two years and other measures such as blocking access to international banking networks.
Iran has sought to ease the sanctions as part of deal-making during nuclear talks with world powers, which resumed last month amid groundbreaking diplomatic overtures between Washington and Tehran. The next round of negotiations is scheduled to begin Thursday.
The presidency of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum does not carry the same clout as leading the oil cartel OPEC because of intense rivalries and policy disagreements among the members.
But it highlights Iran s efforts to retool its export economy under the sanctions pressures. Iran has the world s second-biggest gas reserves after Russia, but has relatively small exports and instead has concentrated on the massive domestic market.
A former central bank chief and veteran diplomat, Mohammad Hossein Adeli, was chosen as the group s president through 2015, state TV reported.
The bloc includes major gas exporters Russia and Qatar as well as Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Other members are in Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
Earlier Sunday, Iran s oil minister Bijan Zanganeh urged gas-producing countries should focus on their common interests, promoting greater use of the fuel and ensuring stable pricing.
Iran produces some 550 million cubic meters of gas per day. Less than 10 percent is exported, mainly to neighboring Turkey and Armenia. Iran plans to export more to Iraq and Pakistan in the future.
Iran has tried aggressively looked to its vast natural gas reserves and refined petrochemical products to bypass US-led sanctions over Tehran s nuclear program. The sanctions have concentrated on Iran s oil exports cutting them in half over the past two years and other measures such as blocking access to international banking networks.
Iran has sought to ease the sanctions as part of deal-making during nuclear talks with world powers, which resumed last month amid groundbreaking diplomatic overtures between Washington and Tehran. The next round of negotiations is scheduled to begin Thursday.
The presidency of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum does not carry the same clout as leading the oil cartel OPEC because of intense rivalries and policy disagreements among the members.
But it highlights Iran s efforts to retool its export economy under the sanctions pressures. Iran has the world s second-biggest gas reserves after Russia, but has relatively small exports and instead has concentrated on the massive domestic market.
A former central bank chief and veteran diplomat, Mohammad Hossein Adeli, was chosen as the group s president through 2015, state TV reported.
The bloc includes major gas exporters Russia and Qatar as well as Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Other members are in Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
Earlier Sunday, Iran s oil minister Bijan Zanganeh urged gas-producing countries should focus on their common interests, promoting greater use of the fuel and ensuring stable pricing.
Iran produces some 550 million cubic meters of gas per day. Less than 10 percent is exported, mainly to neighboring Turkey and Armenia. Iran plans to export more to Iraq and Pakistan in the future.
NATO supplies must be blocked: Imran
LAHORE: Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan has said that if he had been the prime minister of Pakistan, he would have ordered Pakistan Air Force to shoot down the US drones.
Imran said this while talking to Dunya News programme ‘On the Front’ on Sunday.
Lauding the decision of KP Chief Minister to suspend the NATO supplies, he said he would have quitted PTI if its government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had not taken this decision.
He said the killing of Hakimullah Mehsud by US drone had established the fact that America did not want peace in the region and War on Terror was US war not of Pakistan.
“US War on Terror has destroyed Pakistan,’ he said, adding Pakistan was suffering Rs 90 billion loss every month in the war.
He said killing of Hakimullah Mehsud just when govt-Taliban talks were about to start was very significant.
Imran said Peshawar High Court had declared that drone attacks were tantamount to war crimes.
He declared that NATO supplies would be suspended in case of another drone attack.
“This would be a clear message to US that Pakistani nation was united in defense of its territory,” Imran said.
Imran said this while talking to Dunya News programme ‘On the Front’ on Sunday.
Lauding the decision of KP Chief Minister to suspend the NATO supplies, he said he would have quitted PTI if its government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had not taken this decision.
He said the killing of Hakimullah Mehsud by US drone had established the fact that America did not want peace in the region and War on Terror was US war not of Pakistan.
“US War on Terror has destroyed Pakistan,’ he said, adding Pakistan was suffering Rs 90 billion loss every month in the war.
He said killing of Hakimullah Mehsud just when govt-Taliban talks were about to start was very significant.
Imran said Peshawar High Court had declared that drone attacks were tantamount to war crimes.
He declared that NATO supplies would be suspended in case of another drone attack.
“This would be a clear message to US that Pakistani nation was united in defense of its territory,” Imran said.
Govt confused over drones, US ties: Gilani
KARACHI: Former Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani has said that government is circled by confusion over drone attacks and relations with America.
Talking to media at Karachi Airport on Sunday, Gillani reminded that his government not only blocked NATO supply but not participated in Bonn conference also in reaction over Salala check post attack.
“Pakistan Peoples Party had demanded apology from US, while asked the Parliament to review arrangements regarding agreements with US and vacated Shamsi Airbase from US control after Salala check post attack,” he said.
Secretary General PPP, Latif Khosa lambasted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz over Local Bodies elections in Punjab.
He said that Sharif Brothers took birth from Marshal Laws that is why PML-N wants escape from LB polls.
“Federal government is failing to restore peace despite the fact that all parties has given free hand to government in this regard,” Khosa added.
Talking to media at Karachi Airport on Sunday, Gillani reminded that his government not only blocked NATO supply but not participated in Bonn conference also in reaction over Salala check post attack.
“Pakistan Peoples Party had demanded apology from US, while asked the Parliament to review arrangements regarding agreements with US and vacated Shamsi Airbase from US control after Salala check post attack,” he said.
Secretary General PPP, Latif Khosa lambasted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz over Local Bodies elections in Punjab.
He said that Sharif Brothers took birth from Marshal Laws that is why PML-N wants escape from LB polls.
“Federal government is failing to restore peace despite the fact that all parties has given free hand to government in this regard,” Khosa added.
Legendary folk singer Reshma laid to rest
LAHORE: Reshma, known as Nightingale of the Desert was laid to rest here on Sunday.
Her funeral prayer was offered in Imamia Colony in Shahdara on Sunday. Relatives‚ artists and well wishers of Reshma attended her funeral.
Reshma passed away after protracted illness in Lahore on Sunday morning. She was sixty-six. She had been suffering from throat cancer and was in coma for the last two months.
Reshma was born in village Loha‚ Tehsil Ratangarh district Churu near Bikaner‚ Rajasthan to a Banjara (Gypsy) family around 1947. Her father Haji Mushtaq was a camel and horse trader from Malashi. She belonged to a tribe which had converted to Islam. Her tribe migrated to Karachi shortly after the Partition of India‚ when she was just one month old.
She did not receive any formal education and spent much of her childhood singing at the shrines of the mystic saints of Sindh.
When she was twelve years old‚ she was spotted singing at Shahbaaz Qalandar s shrine by a television and radio producer‚ who arranged for her to make a recording of "Laal Meri" on Radio Pakistan.
She became an instant hit and since that day‚ Reshma has been one of the most popular folk singers of Pakistan‚ appearing on television in the 1960s‚ recording songs for both the Pakistani and Indian film industry‚ and performing at home and abroad.
Some of her famous numbers are "Dama Dam Mast Kalandar"‚ "Hai O Rabba nahion lagda dil mera"‚ "Sun charkhe di mithi mithi cook mahiya meinu yaad aunda"‚ "Wey main chori chori"‚ "Ankhiyan no rehen de ankhyan de kol kol".
The last was used by Raj Kapoor in Bobby‚ "Ankhyon ko rehne de ankhyon ke aas pass"‚ sung by Lata.
Reshma’s fame had crossed the border‚ thanks to pirated tapes. She was able to perform live in India much later‚ during the 1980s when India and Pakistan allowed exchange of artists.
Subhash Ghai used her voice to great effect in the film Hero‚ which featured one of her most famous songs‚ "Lambi Judai".
During her career she was invited to meet Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
In October 2002‚ Reshma performed at the Brunei Gallery in London to a packed fall of Pakistani expatriates.
In 2004‚ she recorded "Ashkan Di Gali Vich Mukaam De Gaya"‚ which was used in the Bollywood film Woh Tera Naam Tha‚ and was also a hit record in India.
In January 2006‚ she was one of the passengers on the inaugural Lahore-Amritsar bus‚ the first such service linking both parts of the Punjab since 1947. The bus had 26 passengers in total of whom 15 were Pakistani officials‚ and Reshma had booked seven seats for herself and her family.
Her last residence was in the area of Icchra in Lahore Pakistan. She was a vegetarian. Her younger sister Kaneez Reshma is also a professional singer.
Reshma was diagnosed with throat cancer in the 1980s‚ in later years her health deteriorated. Her health deteriorated to such an extent that she was hospitalised in Lahore‚ in Doctors Hospital on 6th April 2013. Reshma fell into a coma in October 2013 and died on 3rd November 2013.
She was also awarded with Sitara-i-Imtiaz.
President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif, MQM chief Altaf Hussain, PTI chief Imran Khan and others expressed profound grief and sorrow over the demise of the renowned singer.
They prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and for the courage of the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss with fortitude.
Her funeral prayer was offered in Imamia Colony in Shahdara on Sunday. Relatives‚ artists and well wishers of Reshma attended her funeral.
Reshma passed away after protracted illness in Lahore on Sunday morning. She was sixty-six. She had been suffering from throat cancer and was in coma for the last two months.
Reshma was born in village Loha‚ Tehsil Ratangarh district Churu near Bikaner‚ Rajasthan to a Banjara (Gypsy) family around 1947. Her father Haji Mushtaq was a camel and horse trader from Malashi. She belonged to a tribe which had converted to Islam. Her tribe migrated to Karachi shortly after the Partition of India‚ when she was just one month old.
She did not receive any formal education and spent much of her childhood singing at the shrines of the mystic saints of Sindh.
When she was twelve years old‚ she was spotted singing at Shahbaaz Qalandar s shrine by a television and radio producer‚ who arranged for her to make a recording of "Laal Meri" on Radio Pakistan.
She became an instant hit and since that day‚ Reshma has been one of the most popular folk singers of Pakistan‚ appearing on television in the 1960s‚ recording songs for both the Pakistani and Indian film industry‚ and performing at home and abroad.
Some of her famous numbers are "Dama Dam Mast Kalandar"‚ "Hai O Rabba nahion lagda dil mera"‚ "Sun charkhe di mithi mithi cook mahiya meinu yaad aunda"‚ "Wey main chori chori"‚ "Ankhiyan no rehen de ankhyan de kol kol".
The last was used by Raj Kapoor in Bobby‚ "Ankhyon ko rehne de ankhyon ke aas pass"‚ sung by Lata.
Reshma’s fame had crossed the border‚ thanks to pirated tapes. She was able to perform live in India much later‚ during the 1980s when India and Pakistan allowed exchange of artists.
Subhash Ghai used her voice to great effect in the film Hero‚ which featured one of her most famous songs‚ "Lambi Judai".
During her career she was invited to meet Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
In October 2002‚ Reshma performed at the Brunei Gallery in London to a packed fall of Pakistani expatriates.
In 2004‚ she recorded "Ashkan Di Gali Vich Mukaam De Gaya"‚ which was used in the Bollywood film Woh Tera Naam Tha‚ and was also a hit record in India.
In January 2006‚ she was one of the passengers on the inaugural Lahore-Amritsar bus‚ the first such service linking both parts of the Punjab since 1947. The bus had 26 passengers in total of whom 15 were Pakistani officials‚ and Reshma had booked seven seats for herself and her family.
Her last residence was in the area of Icchra in Lahore Pakistan. She was a vegetarian. Her younger sister Kaneez Reshma is also a professional singer.
Reshma was diagnosed with throat cancer in the 1980s‚ in later years her health deteriorated. Her health deteriorated to such an extent that she was hospitalised in Lahore‚ in Doctors Hospital on 6th April 2013. Reshma fell into a coma in October 2013 and died on 3rd November 2013.
She was also awarded with Sitara-i-Imtiaz.
President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif, MQM chief Altaf Hussain, PTI chief Imran Khan and others expressed profound grief and sorrow over the demise of the renowned singer.
They prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and for the courage of the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss with fortitude.
‘Kashmir-EU Week’ to held at EU parliament in Brussels
Brussels: PR; A week long programme on Kashmir would be organised by International Council for Human Development (ICHD) and Kashmir Council EU at European Parliament building in Brussels from Monday, Nov 11, 2013.
The programme ‘Kashmir EU Week’ would be contained a seminar, video casting of a documentary and a photos and handicraft exhibition on Kashmir. Member EU parliament Sajjad Karim would be host of the programme which is being organised by International Council for Human Development (ICHD) with the collaboration of other organisations including Kashmir Council EU and World Kashmir Diaspora Alliance at the EU parliament.
Chairman of the Council Ali Raza Syed who is coordinator of the programme in a statement said, creating awareness about the large scale human rights violations in Indian Held Kashmir (IHK is main objective of the programme. A number of intellectuals, experts and parliamentarians would attend the opening ceremony of the programme.
Chairman Kashmir Council EU Chairman said that the people of Kashmir have offered matchless sacrifices for the resolution of Kashmir dispute and the use of brute force and arrests cannot stop them from continuing the struggle to achieve the inalienable right to self-determination.
Chairman Kashmir Council EU said, we are struggling to find out the ways of peace and prosperity in the South Asia because peace is necessary for the social development of people of the region. He said, we appeal to international community specially EU to play their effective role for peaceful resolution of Kashmir dispute, so that the issue to be settled according to the wishes of the Kashmiris.
He said, Kashmiris are a peaceful nation and all the independence nations and states should help in peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute.
Ali Raza Syed said that the It has been determined to continue the peaceful liberation of Kashmir struggle till its logical end.
He said that Jammu and Kashmir was internationally acknowledged disputed territory and it is duty of the international community to help for a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir problem.
About the dialogue Chairman Kashmir Council EU said, Kashmiris are the main party of the issue and the dialogue can not be productive and successful without their participation.
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