Asian Lite News Archive

Category: Asia News

  • Obama, Modi to talk militant ‘safe havens’ in Pakistan

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    By Arun Kumar  With US concerned about ‘safe havens’ in some area of Pakistan where extremists operate in virtual impunity, counterterrorism coordination would be a key topic of discussions between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Certainly the United States values the counterterrorism coordination relationship that we have with India. And we certainly…

  • Pakistan freezes bank accounts of Hafiz Mohammad

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      In an apparent move towards swift implementation of anti-terror acts, Pakistan Thursday froze the bank accounts of now banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), and restricted its leader Hafiz Mohammad Saeed from foreign travel. “Pakistan took this decision under the UN obligation and not under pressure from any other quarter, including John Kerry,” Pakistan foreign spokesperson Tasneem…

  • Pakistan bans Haqqani network

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      Pakistan has banned the Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD) and the Haqqani network after the US insisted it do so, a media report said . “The US has sought a ban on the Haqqani network and the Jamaat-ud Dawa but the matter was being delayed,” Dawn online quoted an interior ministry official as saying The Pakistani…

  • US warning reports baseless: Pakistan

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    Pakistan ambassador to the US Jalil Abbas Jilani denounced Indian media reports which alleged a warning, concerning President Obama’s visit to India, was issued by the US to the former. “The Indian media has a tendency to invent and exaggerate things,” said Ambassador Jilani, Dawn reported . “As a matter of fact, US Secretary of…

  • Modi confident in Sirisena on reconciliation

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    New Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena will promote reconciliation in his island nation with a vision for inclusiveness, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. Describing Sri Lanka as “a truly close neighbour and friend”, Modi offered New Delhi’s continued support and partnership to Colombo and the Sri Lankan people in “realising their aspirations”. The prime minister…

  • Pakistan extends Lakhvi’s detention

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      Pakistan government extended detention of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi by 30 days under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), a media report said. Lakhvi has been behind bars since Feb 19, 2009, after an FIR was registered with the Federal Investigation Agency against him for allegedly training terrorists and facilitating the 2008 Mumbai terror attack…

  • India, Lanka pledge to build better ties

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      Nine days after President Maithripala Sirisena took office, Sri Lanka and India pledged to deepen their relations, with New Delhi agreeing to work “closely and extensively” with Colombo. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj conveyed India’s views to her new Sri Lankan counterpart Mangala Samaraweera, who arrived here overnight on his first foreign trip after…

  • Pakistan in fuel crisis

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    Pakistan has a new crisis: widespread fuel shortages that have raised tempers all across the country and forced Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to sack top officials. Newspapers have reported scuffles at fuel stations in major cities as hundreds of cars and two-wheelers lined up for petrol and diesel – only to be told that none…

  • Musharraf indicted in murder case

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    An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Pakistan’s Quetta city  indicted former president Pervez Musharraf in a case related to the murder of Balochistan leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti in 2006, Dawn reported. Despite the ATC’s repeated orders, the former military dictator did not appear in the court Wednesday. In the court, Musharraf’s counsel Zeeshan Cheema submitted…

  • Pakistan backing proxy war in Kashmir

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    Indian Army chief General Dalbir Singh said Pakistan was supporting a proxy war against India in Jammu and Kashmir and the security challenges were growing due to the “active border”. Addressing the annual press conference ahead of Army Day, Gen. Dalbir Singh said the border with China was peaceful and confidence-building measures have been effective.…

  • Pakistan hangs seven more convicts

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      Seven more convicts were hanged in Pakistan taking the total number of executions to 17 since December last year, a media report said. The hangings took place in Karachi, Sukkur, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi jails, Dawn online reported. The executed terrorists were Behram Khan, Shahid Haneef, Muhammad Talha, Khaleel Ahmed, Zulfikar Ali, Mushtaq Ahmed and…

  • Lanka verdict a slap for Tamil extremists

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    By M.R. Narayan Swamy  It may sound bizarre but the defeat of Mahinda Rajapaksa in Sri Lanka’s presidential battle is a huge slap for LTTE supporters who had called for an election boycott by Tamils. Hardcore supporters of the militarily vanquished Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the West wanted Tamils living in the…

  • Sartaj Aziz accuse India for attacks

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    Pakistan prime minister’s key advisor Sartaj Aziz has said India is using the Afghan soil to carry out attacks against Pakistan. However, Indian involvement had decreased since the adoption of a joint Pakistan-Afghanistan policy to not let their respective territories be used against each other, Dawn online cited the prime minister’s advisor on National Security…

  • Lanka to probe alleged coup attempt

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      The new Sri Lankan government will launch an investigation into an alleged coup attempt by the former administration during the presidential election, a spokesman said. United National Party (UNP) MP Mangala Samaraweera said pressure had been exerted on police and army to prevent Maithripala Sirisena from winning the presidential election, Xinhua reported. But Samaraweera…

  • Sirisena replace Rajapaksa in Sri Lanka

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    Joint opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena was elected Sri Lanka’s new president, decisively defeating Mahinda Rajapaksa in an election the incumbent scheduled two years ahead of time hoping an easy win. Nearly a decade after he took power and later crushed the Tamil Tigers, Rajapaksa went down to his former health minister, who earned more than…

  • Lankan presidential battle ends

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    More than 11 million people voted across Sri Lanka in a close presidential race between incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa, in power since 2005, and joint opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena. Officials said more than 80 percent of the 14.5 million electorate exercised their franchise in what could turn out to be one of the tightest contests in…

  • Lanka must address Tamil issue: BJP

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      The winner of the Sri Lankan presidential election must first address the Tamil issue, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vijay Jolly said Wednesday. “Whoever wins in Sri Lanka should first address the Tamil issue,” he said, wishing “all the best” to both President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena. He said a…

  • No Afghan cabinet yet after 100 days

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    The Afghan presidential inauguration marked its first 100 days Tuesday but the government has yet to form a cabinet, although President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani vowed in his maiden speech Sep 29 to form a cabinet within 45 days. Presidential spokesman Nazifullah Salarzai said last week that the ministers-designate would be introduced within days. All ministries…

  • Pakistan parliament approves military courts

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    Pakistan’s National Assembly  approved the 21st Constitutional Amendment to pave the way for the establishment of military courts whose foremost aim is to deal strictly with terrorists. A two-thirds majority voted in favour of the amendment, Geo News reported. The 21st amendment to the constitution would provide constitutional cover to the trial of offences related…

  • BSF trooper killed in Pak shelling

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      A BSF trooper was killed in mortar shelling by Pakistan on the international border in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. The Border Security Force (BSF) constable – identified as Devinder Singh of the 9th battalion – was killed in shelling by the Pakistan Rangers on Khawada post, a police official said here.…

  • Two killed in Bangladesh clashes

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    Activists of Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League (AL)  clashed with supporters of the main opposition BNP, leaving two people dead and dozens injured. The victims were shot dead in a clash between AL activists and those of former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in Natore district. “Two people have died from injuries suffered…

  • Pakistani boat carried suspected terrorists: Parrikar

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      The occupants of a Pakistani vessel that blew up and sank off the coast of Gujarat were “suspected terrorists”, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said here. “I think they were suspected terrorists as they committed suicide. A normal boat even carrying drugs can surrender,” he told reporters on the sidelines of an event. “Why would…

  • Dhaka bans rallies and processions amid tensions

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      All rallies and processions have been banned in the Bangladeshi capital city in the light of simmering political tensions between the opposition and ruling parties, a media report said . The step was taken to curb spiralling tensions between supporters of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the ruling Awami League (AL) ahead…

  • Kashmir border calm after shelling

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    The Jammu and Kashmir border was quite, a day after Pakistani shelling killed two Indian soldiers and a civilian and forced hundreds to flee their homes along the frontier. Although no firing or shelling was reported Sunday, frightened villagers chose to stay away in makeshift camps in Samba and Kathua districts where they have been…

  • We want good ties with Pakistan: Rajnath

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      India wanted good relations with Pakistan, which should not resort to ceasefire violations, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said. “Pakistan is our neighbour and we want good relations with all our neighbours,” Rajnath Singh said, responding to a media query on the repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistan. “But the Pakistan government should also take initiative…

  • Pakistan hits out at Indian ‘hype’

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    Mumbai terror attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi was sent to 14 days’ judicial custody in an abduction case by a court here Thursday, even as Pakistan termed “unfortunate” the “unnecessary hype” created by India over the issue and also questioned lack of action in the Samjhauta blast case. The judicial remand order came as Lakhvi’s…

  • Afghans take over reins of security from NATO

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      Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announced that the country’s forces took over security responsibilities from the US-led coalition forces, which ended their 13-year-long combat mission in Afghanistan . President Ghani hailed the official transition of security responsibilities from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)-led international forces to the Afghan troops, according to media reports Thursday.…

  • Lakhvi challenges judicial remand

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    Mumbai terror attack mastermind Zaki-ur Rahman Lakhvi challenged his two-day judicial remand in an abduction case. Lakhvi’s counsel Rizwan Abbasi petitioned a district and sessions court, saying a false FIR had been registered due to pressure from India. A court in Islamabad Tuesday sent Lakhvi to two days judicial remand in the abduction case a…

  • AirAsia QZ8501 flight recovery begins

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      Indonesian officials said  sonar has detected wreckage from the missing AirAsia plane at the bottom of the Java sea and that three more bodies have been recovered, taking to six the number of bodies found. The officials were, however, unsure whether the aircraft, which went missing with 162 onboard Sunday morning enroute to Singapore…

  • Ban Ki-moon urges Pakistan to end executions

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    United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on the Pakistan government to bring an end to the executions of convicts and restore a moratorium on the death penalty. On Dec 25, Ban spoke over the phone with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and reiterated his condolences to the people, government and communities affected by…

  • Khaleda Zia appears in anti-graft court

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    Bangladesh police  used tear gas and rubber bullets against opposition protesters, as they clashed outside a makeshift court in Dhaka, where former prime minister Khaleda Zia appeared for hearing in two graft cases. The clashes began after activists of Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling Bangladesh Awami League party, allegedly attacked a Bangladesh…

  • Time for extraordinary measures: Sharif

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      Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that the country is facing an unusual situation and if strong measures are not taken, it will be unacceptable for the nation. Addressing a session of the national parliamentary leaders which is under way here, the prime minister said he was pleased with the fact that all the…

  • India warns of trans-border terror threats

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    By Arul Louis As the UN-mandated international combat mission in Afghanistan enters its final days after a democratic transfer of power in Kabul, a Security Council debate put the spotlight on the terrorist threats to the fragile nation with India warning of the support extremists get from “beyond borders” and tying together the this week’s…

  • Pakistan court suspends execution

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    The Sindh High Court (SHC) Monday suspended the black warrants of two convicts observing that proper legal procedures were not followed. The suspension of the warrants came after the SHC heard appeals filed by the families of Muhammad Azam and Ataullah alias Abdullah, who were member of banned organisations, The News International reported. The appeals…

  • Pakistan executes four more terrorists

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    Four prisoners, convicted for attacking former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf, were executed  at a district jail in Faisalabad. Zubair Ahmed, Rasheed Qureshi, Ghulam Sarwar Bhatti and Russian citizen Akhlaque Ahmed were shifted from the central jail in Faisalabad to another district jail late Saturday to be hanged, Dawn online reported. Family members were allowed to…

  • Pakistan plans counselling for traumatised children

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      Pakistan’s National Health Services (NHS) has prepared counselling session programme on post-traumatic stress management for the children who survived the gruesome Peshawar school attack, media reported Sunday. According to an official statement, sessions will be held with students, their families and teachers that would help them recover from the shock, Dawn online reported. A…

  • Pakistan begin terror executions

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    Two convicted Pakistani terrorists were executed , in the first capital punishment carried out in the country since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif lifted the 2008 moratorium on the death penalty in wake of the Peshawar school attack. The executed terrorists were Usman, a former soldier of the Army Medical Corps who was sentenced to death…

  • Execution of six Pakistani terrorists cleared

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      Pakistan Army Chief General Raheel Sharif has approved the execution of six terrorists who were sentenced to death by military courts, a media report said Friday. “Chief of Army Staff today signed death warrants of six hardcore terrorists convicted by the Field General Court Martial in accordance with law,” Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director…

  • Indian pressure gets Lakhvi back in detention

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    Mumbai attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, who was granted bail, has now been detained under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, a media report said . A government source told Dawn that the government has also decided to appeal in superior courts against Lakhvi’s bail. An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad granted…

  • Pakistan to begin executions from next week

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      Implementation of death penalty cases in Pakistan is expected to begin within a week with the country’s interior ministry working on the process of wrapping up mercy appeals of convicts, media reported Thursday. The interior ministry  sent 120 mercy appeals of death row inmates to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who will forward them to…

  • 26/11 key accused Lakhvi gets bail in Pakistan

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      Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and one of the main accused in the 26/11 Mumbai attack, was granted bail Thursday by Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC). The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) prosecutor disagreed with the bail request. However advocate Rizwan Abbasi, representing Lakhvi, appeared before the court as the bail pleas was…

  • Pakistan lifts ban on capital punishment

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      Pakistan  lifted a ban on capital punishment in terrorism cases, a day after 132 children were slaughtered by Taliban guerrillas in an army-run school here. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif revoked the ban on capital punishment in terrorism cases following which the terrorists facing death penalty could be executed, Geo TV reported. Nawaz Sharif described…

  • Modi leads the nation in two minutes silence

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other MPs on  observed two-minute silence in memory of Pakistan school terror victims. The Lok Sabha observed a brief silence in memory of those who lost their lives in a Taliban attack on a school in Pakistan’s Peshawar city Tuesday. As soon as the house assembled for the day, Speaker…

  • India condemn Peshawar school attack

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    President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi  “strongly condemned” the terror attack on a school in Pakistan’s Peshawar city in which at least 126 school children were killed. Mukherjee expressed “deep anguish” and “strongly condemned” the incident in which heavily armed terrorists launched a brazen attack on the army-run school. In a message, the…

  • The slaughter of innocents

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    In one of the worst acts of human savagery ever perpetrated, the Pakistani Taliban senselessly slaughtered 126 school children in a brazen terror attack launched by its heavily armed gunmen and suicide bombers on an army-run school in Pakistan’s Peshawar city in retaliation to Pakistan Army’s operation against extremists in North Waziristan. The horrifying attack…

  • 20 killed by Taliban in a Pakistani school

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    20 children were killed, many seriously injured and 500 students were trapped  when a group of heavily armed terrorists carried out an audacious attack on the Army Public School in this Pakistani city of Peshawar. Over 500 students and teachers are said to be trapped in the school, ARY news reported. The media report said that two…

  • Imran Khan shutdown Lahore

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      Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party, protesting since August against the alleged rigging in the 2013 parliamentary election, Monday imposed a shutdown here. PTI activists have gathered at various locations here, where they burnt tyres and blocked 18 areas, closing down vehicular traffic, Dawn online reported. The blocked areas include Mall Road, Liberty…

  • Parrikar talks tough on Pakistan

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      Even as India will try to use diplomatic steps to avoid a confrontation with Pakistan, one needs to teach lessons to “those who are rogue”, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said. Asked at the Aaj Tak-2014 conclave about the disturbances created by Pakistan along the border, he said India was not closing any options for…

  • Imran Khan shut-down Karachi

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      Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan’s party, protesting since August against the alleged rigging in the 2013 parliamentary elections, Friday imposed a shut-down in the port city of Karachi. Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) has announced their plan to block 11 spots in the city, where protests would be held by party leaders. The party, while terming it as…

  • NATO bombing kills schoolboys in Afghanistan

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    Five schoolboys were killed in a NATO airstrike in Parwan province in eastern Afghanistan, an Afghan police source told Efe news agency, but the incident could not be immediately confirmed by the international alliance. The victims, aged between 16 and 19, were playing volleyball in Seyagard district when the bombing took place Wednesday, according to…