The Londoner

GUWAHATI, India (AFP) — Six separatist militants were shot dead in a gunbattle with Indian paramilitary troops in the restive northeastern state of Manipur, officials said. The shootout between the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) rebels and the paramilitary Assam Rifles personnel took place in the thickly forested Hangbungminou area, 130 kilometres (81 miles) southeast of Manipur's capital Imphal, a defence spokesman said. "We had specific information about UNLF militants in the area and when our troopers reached the place the militants challenged us and in retaliatory attacks six rebels were gunned down," Colonel Lalil Panth told AFP by phone. There were no casualties among the security forces, he said. A large cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the dead rebels. The UNLF is an influential militant group fighting for an independent homeland for the majority Metei community in Manipur, which has a population of 2.4 million people and borders Myanmar. T

By Jay Shankar Feb. 22 (Bloomberg) -- India's communist rebels, known as Naxalites , are winning support from the rural poor as they expand an insurgency into 17 of the country's 28 states, targeting landowners and industry, Mehda Bisht, a defense analyst, said. The government has deployed a force of 1,500 soldiers and policemen in the eastern state of Orissa where the rebels last week killed 14 policemen. ``Naxals are very incipient now,'' said Bisht of the independent Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses'' and called for a special force to tackle the groups. The rebels operate across India in regions that contributed about three-quarters of the country's $775 billion gross domestic product in the financial year ending March 2006, according to government figures. The states include Maharashtra in the west, Uttar Pradesh in the north, the eastern state of West Bengal and the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. The rebels, inspired by China's

By Sajid Chaudhry ISLAMABAD: During the forthcoming visit of Chinese president in early 2008, Pakistan and China are set to sign agreements on Chinese investments in Gwadar Oil City, incentives for setting-up of Special Economic Zones (SEZs), Gwadar seaport development programme for expansion of bilateral trade and strengthening of investment relations. All these initiatives are considered to be essential for the success of Trade Energy, Transport and Industrial Corridor between Pakistan and China, a senior government official told Daily Times on Tuesday. A steering committee headed by deputy chairman Planning Commission and comprising minister of State for investment, secretary general revenue division, prime minister’s advisor on energy and members from all four provinces, and concerned federal ministries have been directed to prepare well before the visit of Chinese president and within 90 days incentive packages for realising the targets of the corridor. Energy advisor ha

ISLAMABAD: China’s Ambassador to Pakistan Luo Zhao Hui has said that Beijing intended to do more investment in Gawader Port Project as great investment opportunities are available in Pakistan. Addressing the inaugural ceremony of Hashoo Group’s Zaver Pearl Continental Hotel, Gawadar at a local hotel here on Friday, he said China would like to take advantage of the investor-friendly opportunities initiated by the government of the Pakistan. He said that Gwadar Project which is to be completed with China’s cooperation would prove a milestone in the country’s development. He observed that the future of Gwadar is bright as it connected China and Central Asian states to East and South Asian countries which would benefit the whole region in the near future. The Chinese envoy lauded Hashoo Group for establishing an international standard hotel in Gawadar and urged the need for further development of hotel industries in the area. He said that Pakistan offered vast investment opportunities

KARACHI, Feb 28 Asia Pulse - Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Muhammad Afzal Tahir says there is a plan to construct two big shipyards - one each at Gwadar on Balochistan coast and other at Korangi Creek in Karachi. Speaking at keel laying of first small-cum-utility ship Wednesday at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works KSEW, he these shipyards would be "fairly big ones. A great deal of work is going on in this regard." Admiral Tahir said it would be his desire to try and reactivate KSEW. Naval Chief, who is also Chairman, KSEW Board of Directors said he is doing whatever he could in this connection. "We also have the support of government and its functionaries for such a programme," he stated.

ZAHID KHAN, QUETTA Balochistan , besides being the largest province in terms of area, is strategically located and rich in mineral resources. The prosperity of the province has been held hostage by the military operation resulting in an ‘insurgency’. In this scenario, the completion and operation of mega projects such as the Gwadar Port cannot be guaranteed without the participation of the local people. The unrest in Balochistan also undermines Pakistan’s status as a reliable transit route for the Iran- Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline . Unless the causes of the local people’s resentment are addressed by the government, instances such as blowing up of gas pipelines will continue. It should have been clear to the government that resorting to force will not lessen the friction between the province and the federal government. The government should understand that the only way is to adopt a participatory approach, which has been the missing link in finding a solution to the Balochis

Sir Henry Mortimer Durand By Sikander Hayat I believe that there are two main solutions which can help resolve the issue of Durand line b etween Afghanistan & Pakistan. The first solution is that Afghanistan accepts Durand line. Both countries should remain in their boundaries and there are no more fights. But this solution is hard to sell to people on both sides of the border. These are same people with same ethnic origin, same religion and same values. The second solution is that Afghanistan and Pakistan form a confederation with no border checks so that people can cross over whenever they want. But people will only have the right to vote in one of the countries. This means that it will have to be declared where the permanent home of an individual is and they can only vote in that country. Pakistan and Afghanistan will keep their political entities intact but the free movement of people and finance will be guaranteed. Both countries will keep their separate armi