Curbs on media in Kashmir Valley
After seeking the Army's help to restore law and order, the Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday virtually banned the media in the Valley by imposing severe restrictions on journalists.
Authorities cancelled curfew passes issued to journalists and instructed the police and the CRPF not to allow any mediaperson to move around. Consequently, a number of journalists working for local, national and international organisations were not allowed to reach their offices.
PTI bureau chief in Srinagar A.M. Sofi was stopped by the CRPF in the Natipora area and asked to return home. “They told me that they had instructions from the top not to allow any journalist,” he said.
This reporter was not allowed to cross the Hyderpora bypass.
The police also clamped restrictions on the Press Enclave at Pratap Park, where most of the newspaper offices are located, asking the employees to stay indoors.
The cameras of some TV channels were seized. Cameras of NDTV and ANI were confiscated by the police on M.A. Road and newsmen of other channels were asked not to move out of their offices. “It is like marshal law,” one journalist said.
This is the first time that such restrictions have been put on the media.
District Magistrate of Srinagar Meraj Kakroo confirmed that all the curfew passes of journalists stood cancelled. “The Army is out so no curfew pass will be entertained,” he said.
No papers on Thursday
Newspaper owners have decided not to publish the papers on Thursday in view of the restrictions.
“How can we publish the paper when not a single person is allowed to move around,” Bashir Manzar, editor of English daily Kashmir Images, told TheHindu. He said such curbs were unheard of, that too in a democratically-elected set-up.
Showing posts with label Kashmir. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kashmir. Show all posts
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Holy row in Kashmir over 'Jesus tomb'
Holy row in Kashmir over 'Jesus tomb'
SRINAGAR - When a popular travel guide revived a decades-old debate by saying that a tomb in Indian-administered Kashmir may be the final resting place of Jesus Christ, the influx of foreign tourists and conspiracy theorists did not go down well with local Muslims - they insist the grave contains the remains of an ancient Sufi saint.
Lonely Planet took pains to add a disclaimer when it described the "Jesus tomb" in its latest edition for India, but this didn't stop curious foreigners flocking to the Roza Bal Shrine in downtown Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir's summer capital. Muslim youths responded by roughing up their tour guides.
The tomb's caretakers say it has two graves, both containingMuslim saints. The most recent, Syed Naseerudin, was a Medieval saint whose life is fairly well documented - it's the grave's earlier inhabitant that has drawn all the attention.
Yuz Asaf was reportedly a charismatic preacher who arrived in Kashmir from Israel with his mother, Mary, in 30AD. In Kashmiri his name means "the healer" or "the shepherd, the one who teaches others". His nickname, "Issa", is the local name for Jesus Christ.
The idea that Jesus survived the crucifixion and traveled to Kashmir with his mother or wife has been around for over a 100 years, and popular novels like Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code have renewed public interest in alternative versions of Biblical history.
"The tomb's history was recorded from 112 AD, much earlier than the advent of Islam and around the same time Jesus Christ lived," said Suzanne Olsson, the New York-based researcher and author of Jesus in India, The Lost Tomb. "There is no question of the tomb containing any Muslim saint."
But both Christians and Muslims dismiss the idea as blasphemy. Both religions say Jesus Christ was taken by God into heaven, while some Islamic and Christian sects say there will be a "second coming" of Jesus Christ.
"Yuz Asaf and Syed Naseerudin are buried here and both are Muslims," Mohammed Amin Ringshawl, the caretaker of the small tomb, which is surrounded by a nondescript, one-storey shrine, told Asia Times Online.
Louis Jacolliot, a French barrister, colonial judge, author and lecturer is credited with first propounding the theory that Jesus spent time in India. His book, La Bible dans l'Inde, ou la Vie de Iezeus Christna (The Bible in India or The life of Iezeus Christna), was first published in 1869.
There is no record of Christ's life between the ages 12 to 30 in the New Testament, and researchers have been trying to piece together the era known as "the missing years" for centuries.
In 1890, Russian author Nicolas Notovitch published The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ, which referred to Buddhist scrolls found in a monastery in the Ladakh region of Indian-administered Kashmir. The scrolls, according to Notovitch, described Jesus as coming to India and living and studying Buddhism there in the "missing years".
The controversial Ahmadiyya sect, which believes that Jesus was a mortal who died a natural death in India, has released numerous books on the theory. Most famous is Jesus in Heaven on Earth, written by Khawaja Nazir Ahmad in 1952.
Aziz Kashmiri, a local journalist, co-wrote a book in 1973 with professor Fida Hassnain that claimed Jesus died in Kashmir at the ripe old age of 120. Hassnain, a former director of Archives, Archaeology, Research and Museums for Jammu and Kashmir, also co-authored a book with Olsson entitled Roza Bal, Beyond the Da Vinci Code.
Alongside the dozens of factual books published on the matter, the heavily researched thriller The Rozabal Line, by Ashwin Sanghi was published in 2007.
Authors who claim Christ is entombed in Roza Bal say the evidence is conclusive.
"At Roza Bal tomb the sarcophagus is laid in an east-west direction, in line with Jewish traditions, rather than the Muslim tradition of north-south," said Olsson. The researcher added that the sarcophagus in Roza Bal was covered with a gravestone laid in a north-south direction to give it a Muslim identity.
At the shrine, the footprints of Yuz Asaf are carved into stone, showing some peculiar injuries. "These can only have been caused only when a nail is pierced through the feet laid one over the other during crucifixion," said Olsson, adding, "There is no history of crucifixion in Asia." A recent documentary by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on the subject used computer graphics to recreate the wounds.
Professor Hassnain claims Jesus chose Kashmir as his destination because Kashmiris and Afghans originate from the "10 missing tribes of Israel". He says the people settled in the new countries after being driven out of Israel by the Assyrians in around 720 BC. "Jesus had come to preach among his own people," according to Hassnain.
Many tribes in Kashmir call themselves "Bani Israel" (children of Israel). Local tour operators say Jesus passed through the famous tourist spot Yus-Marg (Meadow of Jesus), a beautiful valley, during his journey into Kashmir.
"On his way [to Kashmir] the mother Mary passed away in [what is now] Pakistan and a shrine was built there at present-day Murree [derived from Mary]," said Olsson. She says the connection between Kashmir and Jewish traditions is strengthened by the presence of graves of the Prophet Moses and his brother Aaron at Bandipora and Harwan in Kashmir.
"The grave of Moses is also in the Jewish tradition of east-west. There are many more similarities between Kashmiris and the Middle East socially and culturally," said Olsson.
A former caretaker of the Roza Bal shrine, the late Basharat Saleem, claimed to possess a family chart that proved he was a direct descendant of Yuz Asaf. The word Roza Bal is derived from the Kashmir term Rauza-Bal, meaning "tomb of the prophet".
Olsson say she hopes DNA testing would yield a major breakthrough in her theory. Olsson, who claims to be the 59th descendant of Jesus Christ, plans to return to Kashmir soon to obtain permission from the authorities to conduct a DNA test at the Roza Bal shrine. Given the shrine's sensitive nature, this is highly unlikely.
Locals vehemently oppose the testing, saying it would be a desecration of the shrine. Olsson's DNA project is not just limited to Roza Bal, she is working on other related graves, particularly at Murree, where she reportedly enjoys the government's support.
"The Islamic republic of Pakistan has been most cooperative," said Olsson. "Famous Pakistani archaeologist, the late Dr Ahmad Dani, was the lead archaeologist for this project."
She said a Pakistan television channel's offices had been built above the site, making the exact grave site difficult to find. "We could be able to locate it with ground-penetrating radar, but we will need the help of the army," said Olsson. She added that another major challenge was finding the US$40,000 needed to fund the DNA tests, which are to be carried out at Oxford University in England.
Olsson said the Roza Bal test would be part of a large, ambitious project called "The DNA of God", which would study seven grave sites in Pakistan, Kashmir and Tibet.
If the project ever does make it to Kashmir, it is likely to have a heated reception. "These crazy researchers and some Ahmadiyya sect academicians are just spreading lies by saying that Yuz Asaf in reality is Jesus Christ, which we are not going to tolerate," said a youth who lives near the shrine.
Sitting on an uneasy calm after a 20-year-long anti-India insurgency, the Jammu and Kashmir government is also unlikely to sanction anything that could spark religious violence. And the tomb's caretaker, Ringshawl, told Reuters in late April that the shrine was now officially closed after Olsson allegedly tried to break in to carry out a DNA test.
"The foreigners are hurting Muslim sentiments, so to avoid any trouble we have locked the sanctum sanatorium," he said.
SRINAGAR - When a popular travel guide revived a decades-old debate by saying that a tomb in Indian-administered Kashmir may be the final resting place of Jesus Christ, the influx of foreign tourists and conspiracy theorists did not go down well with local Muslims - they insist the grave contains the remains of an ancient Sufi saint.
Lonely Planet took pains to add a disclaimer when it described the "Jesus tomb" in its latest edition for India, but this didn't stop curious foreigners flocking to the Roza Bal Shrine in downtown Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir's summer capital. Muslim youths responded by roughing up their tour guides.
The tomb's caretakers say it has two graves, both containingMuslim saints. The most recent, Syed Naseerudin, was a Medieval saint whose life is fairly well documented - it's the grave's earlier inhabitant that has drawn all the attention.
Yuz Asaf was reportedly a charismatic preacher who arrived in Kashmir from Israel with his mother, Mary, in 30AD. In Kashmiri his name means "the healer" or "the shepherd, the one who teaches others". His nickname, "Issa", is the local name for Jesus Christ.
The idea that Jesus survived the crucifixion and traveled to Kashmir with his mother or wife has been around for over a 100 years, and popular novels like Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code have renewed public interest in alternative versions of Biblical history.
"The tomb's history was recorded from 112 AD, much earlier than the advent of Islam and around the same time Jesus Christ lived," said Suzanne Olsson, the New York-based researcher and author of Jesus in India, The Lost Tomb. "There is no question of the tomb containing any Muslim saint."
But both Christians and Muslims dismiss the idea as blasphemy. Both religions say Jesus Christ was taken by God into heaven, while some Islamic and Christian sects say there will be a "second coming" of Jesus Christ.
"Yuz Asaf and Syed Naseerudin are buried here and both are Muslims," Mohammed Amin Ringshawl, the caretaker of the small tomb, which is surrounded by a nondescript, one-storey shrine, told Asia Times Online.
Louis Jacolliot, a French barrister, colonial judge, author and lecturer is credited with first propounding the theory that Jesus spent time in India. His book, La Bible dans l'Inde, ou la Vie de Iezeus Christna (The Bible in India or The life of Iezeus Christna), was first published in 1869.
There is no record of Christ's life between the ages 12 to 30 in the New Testament, and researchers have been trying to piece together the era known as "the missing years" for centuries.
In 1890, Russian author Nicolas Notovitch published The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ, which referred to Buddhist scrolls found in a monastery in the Ladakh region of Indian-administered Kashmir. The scrolls, according to Notovitch, described Jesus as coming to India and living and studying Buddhism there in the "missing years".
The controversial Ahmadiyya sect, which believes that Jesus was a mortal who died a natural death in India, has released numerous books on the theory. Most famous is Jesus in Heaven on Earth, written by Khawaja Nazir Ahmad in 1952.
Aziz Kashmiri, a local journalist, co-wrote a book in 1973 with professor Fida Hassnain that claimed Jesus died in Kashmir at the ripe old age of 120. Hassnain, a former director of Archives, Archaeology, Research and Museums for Jammu and Kashmir, also co-authored a book with Olsson entitled Roza Bal, Beyond the Da Vinci Code.
Alongside the dozens of factual books published on the matter, the heavily researched thriller The Rozabal Line, by Ashwin Sanghi was published in 2007.
Authors who claim Christ is entombed in Roza Bal say the evidence is conclusive.
"At Roza Bal tomb the sarcophagus is laid in an east-west direction, in line with Jewish traditions, rather than the Muslim tradition of north-south," said Olsson. The researcher added that the sarcophagus in Roza Bal was covered with a gravestone laid in a north-south direction to give it a Muslim identity.
At the shrine, the footprints of Yuz Asaf are carved into stone, showing some peculiar injuries. "These can only have been caused only when a nail is pierced through the feet laid one over the other during crucifixion," said Olsson, adding, "There is no history of crucifixion in Asia." A recent documentary by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on the subject used computer graphics to recreate the wounds.
Professor Hassnain claims Jesus chose Kashmir as his destination because Kashmiris and Afghans originate from the "10 missing tribes of Israel". He says the people settled in the new countries after being driven out of Israel by the Assyrians in around 720 BC. "Jesus had come to preach among his own people," according to Hassnain.
Many tribes in Kashmir call themselves "Bani Israel" (children of Israel). Local tour operators say Jesus passed through the famous tourist spot Yus-Marg (Meadow of Jesus), a beautiful valley, during his journey into Kashmir.
"On his way [to Kashmir] the mother Mary passed away in [what is now] Pakistan and a shrine was built there at present-day Murree [derived from Mary]," said Olsson. She says the connection between Kashmir and Jewish traditions is strengthened by the presence of graves of the Prophet Moses and his brother Aaron at Bandipora and Harwan in Kashmir.
"The grave of Moses is also in the Jewish tradition of east-west. There are many more similarities between Kashmiris and the Middle East socially and culturally," said Olsson.
A former caretaker of the Roza Bal shrine, the late Basharat Saleem, claimed to possess a family chart that proved he was a direct descendant of Yuz Asaf. The word Roza Bal is derived from the Kashmir term Rauza-Bal, meaning "tomb of the prophet".
Olsson say she hopes DNA testing would yield a major breakthrough in her theory. Olsson, who claims to be the 59th descendant of Jesus Christ, plans to return to Kashmir soon to obtain permission from the authorities to conduct a DNA test at the Roza Bal shrine. Given the shrine's sensitive nature, this is highly unlikely.
Locals vehemently oppose the testing, saying it would be a desecration of the shrine. Olsson's DNA project is not just limited to Roza Bal, she is working on other related graves, particularly at Murree, where she reportedly enjoys the government's support.
"The Islamic republic of Pakistan has been most cooperative," said Olsson. "Famous Pakistani archaeologist, the late Dr Ahmad Dani, was the lead archaeologist for this project."
She said a Pakistan television channel's offices had been built above the site, making the exact grave site difficult to find. "We could be able to locate it with ground-penetrating radar, but we will need the help of the army," said Olsson. She added that another major challenge was finding the US$40,000 needed to fund the DNA tests, which are to be carried out at Oxford University in England.
Olsson said the Roza Bal test would be part of a large, ambitious project called "The DNA of God", which would study seven grave sites in Pakistan, Kashmir and Tibet.
If the project ever does make it to Kashmir, it is likely to have a heated reception. "These crazy researchers and some Ahmadiyya sect academicians are just spreading lies by saying that Yuz Asaf in reality is Jesus Christ, which we are not going to tolerate," said a youth who lives near the shrine.
Sitting on an uneasy calm after a 20-year-long anti-India insurgency, the Jammu and Kashmir government is also unlikely to sanction anything that could spark religious violence. And the tomb's caretaker, Ringshawl, told Reuters in late April that the shrine was now officially closed after Olsson allegedly tried to break in to carry out a DNA test.
"The foreigners are hurting Muslim sentiments, so to avoid any trouble we have locked the sanctum sanatorium," he said.
Monday, April 26, 2010
SubContinentFocus, Todays Highlights: India, Afghanistan discuss Taliban, regional security, Pakistan electricity crisis and trouble in Kashmir
SubContinentFocus, Todays Highlights: India, Afghanistan discuss Taliban, regional security, Pakistan electricity crisis and trouble in Kashmir
Afghan President Hamid Karzai held talks with Indian leaders on Monday about his efforts to reach out to the Taliban for a negotiated settlement of the nine-year old conflict in his country.
New Delhi fears any Afghan plan to broker a deal with the Taliban will undermine its security and give rival Pakistan greater influence there. Pakistan, one of a handful of countries that recognised the Taliban regime before the U.S. invasion in 2001, is seen as a key player in any plan for reconciliation.
"We discussed... reintegration and reconciling of those elements of the Taliban and others who have accepted the Afghan Constitution, who are not part of al Qaeda, who are not part of any terrorist network," Karzai said after talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Karzai has proposed a plan to reintegrate low-level fighters back into Afghan society and also sought to reconcile with senior insurgents provided they give up weapons.
An immediate breakthrough is unlikely, analysts say, pointing to previous offers to re-integrate fighters that failed to make much progress. The Taliban have also rejected any offer of talks saying foreign forces must first leave Afghanistan.
"The prime minister and I discussed the situation in Afghanistan, the situation in the region and our common struggle against terrorism and extremism," Karzai said reading from a statement.
Karzai will be travelling to Bhutan on Tuesday to attend a regional summit where the prime ministers of India and Pakistan will also be present and could meet, Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna said on Monday.
"I am not ruling it out," the state-run Doordarshan channel quoted him as saying in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, of a possible meeting between the leaders of India and Pakistan.
The rivalry between India and Pakistan has extended to Afghanistan where the two are battling for influence.
New Delhi saw a militant attack on a Kabul guest house that killed six Indians in February as a signal of efforts to reduce New Delhi's influence in Afghanistan. It was the third major attack against Indian interests in two years.
"I conveyed to President Karzai that the perpetrators of such attacks will not succeed in undermining India's commitment to assist the Afghan people," Singh said in his statement.
Pakistan denies any involvement and in turn accuses India of using Afghan territory to destabilise its troubled Baluchistan region.
New Delhi has several developmental projects in Afghanistan, including construction of power lines and highways worth $1.3 billion.
On the other hand, Pakistani government announced on Thursday measures to cut state electricity consumption by half, as Pakistan battles a chronic energy shortage which is inflaming public anger and stifling industry.
Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, the pakistan PM told a news conference that the main reason for the shortage is that past governments failed to anticipate growth in demand and delayed implementing power and dam projects that would have boosted output.
Moreover, mogul Lalit Modi the head of India's $4 billion cricket premier league was removed from his post on Monday after a scandal that has ensnared top politicians and strained the ruling coalition.
Lastly, insurgency in kashmir continues, marches agaist the death sentences of 1996 Lajpat nagar prisoners, police clashes with the youth and ban on islamic channels still continues.
New Delhi fears any Afghan plan to broker a deal with the Taliban will undermine its security and give rival Pakistan greater influence there. Pakistan, one of a handful of countries that recognised the Taliban regime before the U.S. invasion in 2001, is seen as a key player in any plan for reconciliation.
"We discussed... reintegration and reconciling of those elements of the Taliban and others who have accepted the Afghan Constitution, who are not part of al Qaeda, who are not part of any terrorist network," Karzai said after talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Karzai has proposed a plan to reintegrate low-level fighters back into Afghan society and also sought to reconcile with senior insurgents provided they give up weapons.
An immediate breakthrough is unlikely, analysts say, pointing to previous offers to re-integrate fighters that failed to make much progress. The Taliban have also rejected any offer of talks saying foreign forces must first leave Afghanistan.
"The prime minister and I discussed the situation in Afghanistan, the situation in the region and our common struggle against terrorism and extremism," Karzai said reading from a statement.
Karzai will be travelling to Bhutan on Tuesday to attend a regional summit where the prime ministers of India and Pakistan will also be present and could meet, Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna said on Monday.
"I am not ruling it out," the state-run Doordarshan channel quoted him as saying in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, of a possible meeting between the leaders of India and Pakistan.
The rivalry between India and Pakistan has extended to Afghanistan where the two are battling for influence.
New Delhi saw a militant attack on a Kabul guest house that killed six Indians in February as a signal of efforts to reduce New Delhi's influence in Afghanistan. It was the third major attack against Indian interests in two years.
"I conveyed to President Karzai that the perpetrators of such attacks will not succeed in undermining India's commitment to assist the Afghan people," Singh said in his statement.
Pakistan denies any involvement and in turn accuses India of using Afghan territory to destabilise its troubled Baluchistan region.
New Delhi has several developmental projects in Afghanistan, including construction of power lines and highways worth $1.3 billion.
Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, the pakistan PM told a news conference that the main reason for the shortage is that past governments failed to anticipate growth in demand and delayed implementing power and dam projects that would have boosted output.
Moreover, mogul Lalit Modi the head of India's $4 billion cricket premier league was removed from his post on Monday after a scandal that has ensnared top politicians and strained the ruling coalition.
Lastly, insurgency in kashmir continues, marches agaist the death sentences of 1996 Lajpat nagar prisoners, police clashes with the youth and ban on islamic channels still continues.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Kashmir will get Taj In May 2010
Boosting Kashmir’s ailing tourism sector, the Taj group is launching a luxury hotel in the Valley. The project is a joint venture between the Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) — a part of the Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces — and Saifco Hill Crest Hotels Private Limited.
While the managing director of Saifco Hill Crest Hotels declined to comment, Tourism Director Farooq Ahmad said “they (Saifco) told us that the hotel will be commissioned on May 1.” A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two companies was signed in December 2009, in the presence of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Announcing the addition to its “Vivanta family” — the Taj group’s recently launched brand — a press release issued by the hotel chain said: “Over the last few years, the tourism industry in J&K has seen a distinct upswing. The Indian Hotels Company Ltd has tapped into this upsurge and has added to its portfolio in keeping with its domestic expansion plans”.
The hotel will be constructed on a hillock in the foothills of Zabarwan Mountains, offering a panoramic view of the Dal Lake as well as Srinagar city, its forts and the Tulip Garden. Spread across six acres, it will have 89 rooms, with suites and guest rooms in villas. The site is about 20 kilometres from the Srinagar airport.
“After the Gulmarg cable car and Royal Springs Golf Course, this will be a big addition to the tourism infrastructure. This collaboration will encourage more hotels to launch joint ventures in the Valley,” said Ahmad.
“This will help revolutionise tourism in Kashmir,” said Riyaz Qureshi, a tourism expert. “One of the main obstacles in tourism here is that we do not have the requisite infrastructure for high income tourists,” he said.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Himachal and Kashmir Tourism to battle for Top Summer Destination
As the temprature is rising in India, Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir Tourism are all set to fight for the top summer destination. For years Himachal Tourism has been winning most of the summer tourists in India.
But this year Himachal has got a new challenger, Kashmir. Govt in Jammu and Kashmir has gone all guns blazing to promote tourism in the state. They have dubbed 2010 as the Visit Kashmir. Their efforts started to show signs in January itself, when state got more than expected tourists.
Kashmir also edged out Himachal Pradesh and witnessed huge numbers of tourists in early part of March which is unusual for the state. Coming into the April, Kashmir has taken the important momentum.
But Himachal has also striked back, in past 7-10 days Himachal is also flooded with tourists. Sensing the competition from Kashmir, Himachal has now offering special packages for honeymoon couples and also trying level best to glorify Shimla.
Both of the states are going to battle it out for next 2-3 months. Right now both stands equal and predicting a winner is not easy. However there is another dark horse in the race which can spoil the party for both states which is Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand also have several summer tourists spots along with some Pilgrimage sites which are scheduled to open in May.
Kashmir also edged out Himachal Pradesh and witnessed huge numbers of tourists in early part of March which is unusual for the state. Coming into the April, Kashmir has taken the important momentum.
But Himachal has also striked back, in past 7-10 days Himachal is also flooded with tourists. Sensing the competition from Kashmir, Himachal has now offering special packages for honeymoon couples and also trying level best to glorify Shimla.
Both of the states are going to battle it out for next 2-3 months. Right now both stands equal and predicting a winner is not easy. However there is another dark horse in the race which can spoil the party for both states which is Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand also have several summer tourists spots along with some Pilgrimage sites which are scheduled to open in May.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
'India has failed to craft Indians out of Kashmiris'
The Hindu : News : Democracy in Pakistan will help resolve Kashmir issue: Sayeed
In a statement issued in Jammu, Mr. Sayeed said the changes sought through the constitutional package introduced in Pakistan's Parliament could strengthen democratic forces throughout South Asia, create a sobering effect, and help build bridges of understanding.
Mr. Sayeed said the rare unanimity witnessed among the political parties of Pakistan in arriving at the reform proposals should be seen as a positive development in the growth of democracy in the region. India has the highest stakes in this development which needs to be appreciated, he said.
Referring to the emergence of a strong civil society in Pakistan, Mr. Sayeed said it had performed creditably both against military dictatorship and terrorism. While various instruments of the state like the judiciary, the executive and the media will still take time to develop into a cohesive system, the process could be accelerated with help from Indian institutions, he added."
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Negotiations over water issues between Pakistan and India ended.
The Pakistani delegation is led by Indus Water Commissioner Jamaat Ali Shah. Naga Nathan is leading the nine-member Indian delegation.
The main agenda of first day was to decrease of water level in River Chenab and the construction of Nemobaaz Go and Chotak power plants at the River Sindh by India that will block 35,000 foot per acre water.
Pakistan put forward proposal of telemetry system to measure flow of water between India and Pakistan. Indian delegation told media that objections raised by Pakistan shall be examined.
Both delegations discussed issues regarding agriculture and hydro-electric use of water.
These talks are held under Indus Water Treaty, signed by Pakistan and India in 1960 to fairly distribute water between both countries. But the Pakistani government, since long, is saying that India is violating the treaty through construction of new projects, thereby decreasing quantum of water flow to Pakistan.
Pakistan has raised reservation over Chutak and Nimoo Bazgo projects built by India in India-controlled Kashmir that are affecting water flow in the Indus River. Indian officials handed over designs of the Chutak and Nimoo Bazgo water projects to Pakistani officials.
Technical matters and telemetry system would be discussed in the talks and Pakistan will demand water figures during the talks.
On Feb. 25, Pakistan and India resumed talks that were suspended 16 months ago by the 2008 deadly Mumbai attacks and in the talks Pakistan raised its concerns over dams built by India in India-controlled Kashmir.
In his recent visit to South Asia, U.S. defense secretary Robert Gates said that the water crisis between Pakistan and India could trigger war between the two nuclear nations and it is pertinent to mention that both the countries have a long history of rivalry and three wars have been fought between the two countries since 1947.
In strategic dialogue with Pakistan on March 24, the U.S. ruled out any mediation role between India and Pakistan, but it welcomed a dialogue between the two South Asian nations, including on the issue of Kashmir.
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