US warned ‘Pakistan is not Afghanistan’

By: Salman Alvi

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistani and US troops exchanged heavy fire in a tribal area on Pak-Afghan border in the second incident of cross-firing within a week, and Pakistani president Gen Musharraf held telephonic talks with US president Bush and state secretary Colin Powell on the situation.

According to local government officials a rocket launcher shell was fired from across the border into Pakistani territory on Friday. The fire was returned which resulted in heavy exchange of machine gun fire from both sides for over an hour.

The Nation newspaper reported that Musharraf, in his conversations with Bush, also protested the new registration procedures for Pakistani nationals in US asking him to remove the curbs.

Talking to Powell, the Pakistani President warned there should not be a repetition of aerial bombing by US planes. Powell assured him that utmost care would be taken in this regard by the allied forces in future, the daily said.

Tension between the two sides mounted after American forces bombed the Pakistani territory last weekend and in responding fire a US soldier was wounded. It was further aggravated when a US plane reportedly bombed an Islamic religious school on the Pakistani side of border.

The US warned that it would not tolerate any firing from Pakistani side. Islamabad refuted the warning saying that “Pakistan is not Afghanistan,” and that Pakistan will respond appropriately to stop violation of its territory or airspace by US forces.

END

Muslims fear in Indian Gujarat

By: Irfan Malik

AHMEDABAD, India: Muslims in the Indian riot-hit western state of Gujarat are living in fear following the sweep victory of a hard-line Hindu Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) in last month’s state elections.

This was remarked by Gujarati Muslims on Saturday.

According to reports anti-Muslim violence is going on in the state. On Thursday, some forty Muslim shops in a predominantly Hindu town Lunavada were looted and set on fire.

END

Bahrainis stage antiwar rally to support Iraq

By: Sultan Ahmed

MANAMA, Bahrain: Hundreds of Bahrainis rallied for the second consecutive week on Friday to protest against US possible war against Iraq expressing solidarity with Iraqis and Palestinians.

Parliamentarians, liberal political and human rights activists, and Arab residents of the Gulf archipelago were among the protestors.

“Listen, listen Abu Salman (Bahrain's King Hamad), your people are shouting against the Americans,” chanted the protesters carrying banners and placards. “It’s the oil US is after,” and “No bases, no assistance to a US attack on Iraq.”

The demonstration concluded with the signing of a petition to the US ambassador rejecting American war threats against Iraq.

In other development, Britain is reportedly planning to announce the deployment of thousands of troops to the Gulf to join the US buildup in preparation for a possible anti-Iraq war.

END

Azeri religious formations chief due in Iran

By: Special Reporter

BAKU, Azerbaijan: President Azerbaijan’s religious formations Rafiq Aliev will soon visit Iran on invitation extended by the head of Iran's Islamic Culture and Communications Organization Mahmoud Araki.

The press department of the Iranian embassy in Baku said that Aliev announced his willingness to visit Iran in a meeting with Iranian ambassador to Baku, Ahad Qezayi.

During meeting, the two sides expressed readiness to expand the bilateral cooperation on the regional and international issues as well.

Aliev hoped the Iran-Azerbaijan ties would improve in the future. Qezayi underlined the need for promotion of peace, consolidation of the regional security besides regional countries’ close cooperation.

END