Nation & States  

India seeks help from Islam scholars
to save hostages in Iraq

What is India News Service, July 24, 2004, 1700 hrs IST

As time ticks away for the three Indians seeking freedom from their captors in Iraq, India has approached Islamic scholars in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and sought their intervention for the release of the captives.

India hopes the religious scholars will make appeals to 'The Holders of the Black Banners' to free the abducted Indians. Indian officials have requested the scholars to get in touch with the religious ulemas and maulvis to help in impressing upon the group the need to release their prisoners. 

Meanwhile, Minister of External Affairs Natwar Singh on Friday termed the situation "serious". "I don't want to give any false hopes. It is a serious situation and has to be dealt with in a sensitive manner," Singh said on arrival from Islamabad, where he was attending the Saarc Foreign Ministers' meet.

Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahmed assured Parliament that the Kuwait-based employers were "willing to do everything necessary to ensure the safety and release of the hostages." He heads the crisis management group set up by the Govern-ment to tackle the situation. 

The three Indian hostages - Antaryami, Tilak Raj and Sukhdev Singh - working as truck drivers with transport company Kuwait and Gulf Link, were captured on Wednesday, along with three Kenyans and one Egyptian. The Iraqi kidnappers have threatened to behead a hostage every 72 hours unless these demands are met. The deadline expires Saturday.

Micro-hydel project at LoC: Governor Lt. Gen. (Retd.) S K Sinha has stressed the need for extending basic facilities to the people of remote areas, saying that prosperity of the nation would remain a distant dream unless the benefits of development percolates down to all the segments of society.

Nawaz was not aware of Kargil plan: Former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif was not aware of the Kargil Operation when he received his Indian counterpart Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Lahore on Feb 20, 1999, according to a new book.

Pakistan wants UN to dismantle Gaza fence: The National Assembly on Friday adopted a unanimous resolution praising the International Court of Justice's verdict that declared Israel's move to erect a fence around Gaza areas illegal.

Many senators condemned the government for disallowing opposition parties to carry out political activities in the country, particularly in Sindh and Balochistan. 

Raza Mohammad Raza of the Pukhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) said his party had planned to hold a protest demonstration in Quetta on Thursday against the poor law and order situation. However, he added, the provincial government sabotaged the plan by deploying a large contingent of the Frontier Constabulary at the venue. "There was a curfew-like situation in Quetta," he said. 

On one hand, he said, robbers and dacoits had been allowed to roam freely, on the other political parties did not have the right to even raise voice against it.

SP accuses Centre of phone tapping: The Samajwadi Party has accused the Congress-led Government of doing a 'Watergate' on its top leaders, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, in a bid to topple his government.

Manmohan asks Soren to quit: An embarrassed prime minister has written to coal minister Shibu Soren to put in his papers in the wake of the controversy over his "disappearance". 

Sena, BJP fined: The Bombay High Court today slapped a fine of Rs. 20 lakhs each on the Shiv Sena and the BJP for organising a bandh in July last year.

Janatar Mantar is 'protected': The Delhi High Court has upheld the Archaeological Survey of India's plea that the Jantar Mantar was a protected monument. 

Centre tells Karnataka to give water to AP: The Karnataka cabinet has decided against releasing Krishna water for now, saying the interests of Karnataka farmers would
be given priority. But the centre wants Karnataka to release water from the Krishna to Andhra Pradesh.