Awaz Apni

Awaz Apni Washington: Barack Obama’s holiday is over, the countdown to his inauguration has begun and the smoothest presidential transition in recent history is hitting some bumps in the road. Yesterday, hours before the President-elect arrived in Washington for a final fortnight of preparations before taking office, his choice as commerce secretary announced abruptly that he was withdrawing before facing tough questions about business dealings in Senate confirmation hearings. Bill Richardson, the New Mexico Governor, said that a pending investigation into a company that had contracts with his state “would have forced an untenable delay in the confirmation process”, — even though he insisted that had done nothing wrong. Mr Obama accepted the decision by Mr Richardson, a former rival for the Democratic nomination and the most prominent Hispanic politician in America, with “deep regret”. Last month a federal grand jury was reported to be investigating how a company that had already threa...

Awaz Apni WASHINGTON: President-elect Barack Obama spoke with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Saturday about the violence in Gaza, which has left as many as 228 people dead, two transition aides told media."The president-elect appreciated the call and the information from Secretary Rice," one aide said, adding that Obama initiated the eight-minute phone call. "He will continue to closely monitor these and other global events."Israeli airstrikes pounded targets in Hamas-ruled Gaza on Saturday and continued into the night, retaliating against Palestinian militants who have been escalating rocket attacks against southern Israel. The fighting sparked eight days after a six-month Egypt-brokered cease-fire between Hamas and Israel expired.Obama has pledged to make Middle East peace a priority from the beginning of his presidency. Arabs are calling for a more even-handed approach than the Bush administration, but Israel is expecting Obama to stay true to the pro-Is...

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CNews ISLAMABAD: President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari and Afghan President Hamid Karzai in a joint press conference here vowed to struggle jointly for peace and stability in the region.The two leaders while answering the questions of media men in a press conference here said the two countries would work jointly to face the challenges posed by the terrorism.Zardari and Karzai vowed to protest over attacks on the innocent people and unanimously said that the US strikes would not be helpful in the war against terrorists. Asif Ali Zardari further said that he has accepted the Presidency of Pakistan in the name of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and in the name of the martyrs of democracy.He thanked the people of Pakistan for their trust in him.He assured Afghanistan and all neighbouring countries that Pakistan intends to work with them for peace and prosperity.He called the government to take steps for filling the gap between the demand and supply.Afghan President Hamid Karzai earlier in his rema...

CNews WASHINGTON: US President George W Bush on Tuesday called President Asif Ali Zardari to greet him on his election and vowed Washington’s full support for the elected government’s efforts to defeat violent extremism. “This morning I called Pakistan’s newly elected leader President Zardari. I pledged the full support of America’s government as Pakistan takes the fight to the terrorists and extremists in the (Pakistan-Afghan) border region,” Bush said at the National Defense University, where he announced additional deployments for Pakistan’s insurgency-hit neighbor Afghanistan. The United States, he underscored “must also help the government of Pakistan defeat Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters hiding in the remote border regions of their country” as they pose threat to democracy in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. In the past year, the Taliban, al-Qaeda and other extremist groups hiding in these regions stepped up their attacks against the Pakistani government to stop the democratic progr...

WASHINGTON: President George W. Bush is committed to a strong Pakistan working to strengthen democracy and continue anti-terrorism efforts and looks forward to working with the government in wide-ranging areas, the White House said Monday following Pervez Musharraf’s resignation as president of the major non-NATO allied country.“President Bush is committed to a strong Pakistan that continues its efforts to strengthen democracy and fight terror,” National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.President Bush, he said, “looks forward to working with the Government of Pakistan on the economic, political and security challenges they face.”“President Bush appreciates President Musharraf’s efforts in the democratic transition of Pakistan as well as his commitment to fighting Al Qaeda and extremist groups,” Johndroe added.

CNews WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Sunday granting asylum to embattled Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was not currently under consideration by the United States."That's not an issue on the table, and I just want to keep our focus on what we must do with the democratic government of Pakistan," Rice told foreign news channel on Sunday when asked if Washington would give the Pakistan president asylum.She spoke as Pakistan's ruling coalition readied impeachment charges against Musharraf and gave him two days to step down.Asked if it would be in the best interest of Pakistan to have Musharraf resign, Rice said: "This is a matter for the Pakistanis to resolve."We have been supportive of democratic elections that took place in Pakistan. In fact, advocated for them."She said the United States had showed its support for the new government, citing President George W. Bush's recent meeting with Pakistani premier Yousuf Raza ...

CNews TBILISI: Russian warplanes attacked more targets around the capital Tbilisi, early on Monday (August 10) while U.S. President George W. Bush condemned Moscow's "disproportionate response" to the South Ossetian crisis. Russian planes bombed a military base and radar installation the interior ministry said, hours after France's foreign minister arrived in Georgia on a mediation mission. "We detected a lot of objects moving from Tskhinvali on our monitors, and as usual we sent the information to the control point and then we saw three jets moving from the territory of Azerbaijan. Then we got an order to leave the radar building, looked around and saw it was headwind from Tbilisi direction," said Alexander Zikov, head of the locator set, shortly after the attack. "The radar set controlled planes during taking off and landing. It controlled the military crafts as well and that is why it was targeted," said Zikov looking at the installation ablaze...

CNews BEIJING: President Bush on Monday sharply criticized Moscow's harsh military crackdown in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, saying the violence is unacceptable and Russia's response is disproportionate.The United States is waging an all-out campaign to press Russia to halt its retaliation against Georgia for trying to take control of the breakaway province of South Ossetia.Bush, in an interview said, "I've expressed my grave concern about the disproportionate response of Russia and that we strongly condemn the bombing outside of South Ossetia."On Sunday, Vice President Dick Cheney said that "Russian aggression must not go unanswered, and that its continuation would have serious consequences for its relations with the United States."The crisis over South Ossetia appeared to ebb as Georgian troops began retreating and honoring a cease-fire, a claim Russia disputed. U.S. officials said Moscow was only broadening its retaliation against Georgia fo...

CNews ON BOARD PRIME MINISTER’S SPECIAL PLANE: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that he has asked the Bush administration to differentiate between Pakistan’s economic and military assistance. The PM said that economic assistance should not be seen in the context of military aid and separate economic and military assistance should be provided to Pakistan. Talking to media persons on board his special plane, PM Gilani termed the visit successful where the top US administration showed support for Pakistan’s democracy and sovereignty. He said the government believed in the policy of trade rather than aid with United States, adding it would strengthen ties between the two countries. The Prime Minister said the Pak-US relationship would now be strengthened on new terms of ‘Peace and prosperity through partnership’. The PM said the World Bank and other international financial institutions were finalizing strategy to address Pakistan economic problems. He said that the people of Paki...

CNews ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani arrived here Thursday on the conclusion of his 4-day official visit to the United States. While in the US he held talks with the US President George W Bush besides meeting officials of the US administration. Prime Minister Gilani was received by Minister for Kashmir and Northern Areas Qamar Zaman Kaira, Minister for Law Farooq H Naek, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Tariq Majeed, Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and senior officials.

CNews WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s Minister of Defence, Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, Wednesday said that US President George W. Bush had expressed concerns over the role of Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency, the ISI.In an exclusive interview with CNews, Mukhtar said President Bush had expressed reservations on the role of “elements at some level in the ISI.”Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar said a number of significant matters came under discussion during the meeting with President Bush.“President Bush had complained that actionable intelligence shared with Pakistan got leaked much before its due time,” he said adding that President Bush also questioned as to “who is in control of ISI.”

CNews WASHINGTON: The US Senate has approved the spending of $48 billion over the next five years to treat and prevent the spread of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa and elsewhere around the world. The legislation more than triples the current $15 billion programme that has brought lifesaving drugs to some 1.7 million people with HIV/AIDS. The bill passed by a vote of 80-16. That sets up negotiations with the House on a final compromise. President George W. Bush has been a strong advocate for the global AIDS program and supports the bill.

CNews CRAWFORD, TEXAS: The United States appealed for calm and urged its "war on terror" ally Pakistan to press on with its elections after the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto on Thursday.Condemning the "cowardly" suicide attack that killed her, US President George W. Bush urged Pakistanis "to honor Benazir Bhutto's memory by continuing with the democratic process for which she so bravely gave her life."The attack at an election rally in the Pakistani city Rawalpindi sparked deadly riots and fears for stability in the nuclear-armed country, as well as overshadowing next month's planned elections, which Bhutto had been tipped to win.Bush telephoned Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to discuss the situation, the White House said, while US officials appealed for calm in Pakistan amid deadly riots following Bhutto's murder."The US strongly condemns this cowardly act by murderous extremists who are trying to undermine Pakis...

CNews Rawalpindi: Violence erupted in several cities after Bhutto, 54, was shot in the neck and chest at a campaign rally in Rawalpindi Thursday afternoon. A homicide bomber then blew himself up, killing at least 20 others. Bhutto's supporters erupted in anger and grief after her death, attacking police and burning tires and election campaign posters in several cities. At the hospital where she died, some smashed glass and wailed, chanting slogans against President Pervez Musharraf. The death of the charismatic former prime minister threw the campaign for the Jan. 8 parliamentary elections into chaos and created fears of mass protests and violence across the nuclear-armed nation, an important U.S. ally in the war on terrorism. Musharraf convened an emergency meeting with his senior staff where they were expected to discuss whether to postpone the election, an official at the Interior Ministry said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks. Presiden...

Benazir, Nawaz Sharif dabbling in dodging politics: Sheikh Rashid ISLAMABAD: Former Federal Minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmad has said that Benazir and Nawaz Sharif were engaged in dodging politics.Talking to Geo News, Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said that Muslim League-N was under pressure to contest elections, as they have a vote bank, but the leadership was not deciding. He said that it gets difficult for the candidates to remain sitting at home, when the election bugle sounds off.Regarding Jamaat-e-Islami, Sheikh Rashid said that it didn’t have vote bank as much, but it was a strong organization, however they could not win the election under only one umbrella.He further said that he didn’t consider any existence of the APDM, which has only three major parties, while the rest were ‘Tanga’ (carriage) parties. EC asks parties to appear on Dec 9 for symbols allocation (Updated at 1340) ISLAMABAD: With two of Muttahida Majlas-e-Aml parties already applied for election symbols individually, the Ele...

General elections to be held in February: Shujaat (Updated at 1450) ISLAMABAD: Government will hold elections in February and the state of emergency imposed by President Pervez Musharraf will be lifted very soon said President Pakistan Muslim League (PML) chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain announced Thursday.He made this announcement while addressing a joint press conference along with parliamentary leader of MQM Farooq Sattar and federal minister for Babar Ghauri.“ The election might be delayed for few weeks if necessary,” he said. “We are making all out efforts to lift the emergency as soon as possible,” Shujaat said. He called upon the allied parties to start preparations for the election. Joint committee of PML and MQM has been formed to launch election campaign, he informed. Lawyers boycott courts in Karachi (Updated at 1515) KARACHI: Karachi lawyers on Thursday continued boycott of the court proceedings against imposition of emergency in the country and condemned the measures taken...

CNews WASHINGTON: The White House reiterated that Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, had been a helpful ally in fighting terrorism and Pakistan offered sacrifices in the war against terrorism; accordingly, Washington will continue cooperation with Musharraf government. The White House released its new homeland security plan Tuesday, which it said "incorporates lessons learned from exercises and real-world catastrophes." "This strategy is a national strategy and not simply a federal strategy," Frances Townsend, President George W. Bush's homeland security adviser, told reporters at the White House. "We have enjoyed some of our biggest successes with our allies in Pakistan," Townsend said. She said the arrests of many top Al-Qaeda leaders have been made possible only with the cooperation of Pakistan. Townsend said Pakistan extended its cooperation to Britain to foil Al-Qaeda terrorist designs. Asked how the new report differs from an earlier Nat...