Pakistan policy isolates Indian Muslims:

[candypreet]

Pakistan policy isolates Indian Muslims: cleric:-
Islamabad | May 11, 2005 9:41:11 AM IST
Islamabad, May 11 : An Indian Muslim cleric has blasted Pakistan's policy of promoting violence in Jammu and Kashmir, saying it has isolated Indian Muslims within the country.

"The Kashmir policy of Pakistan has isolated Indian Muslims from mainstream society. Events like Gujarat... are a result of Pakistan's jehad in Kashmir," the weekly Friday Special quoted Maulana Jalaluddin Umri, deputy chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami, as saying.

Maulana Umri went on to say that the very creation of Pakistan following the subcontinent's partition in 1947 had caused damage to Muslims who stayed back in India.

(IANS)http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=81617&cat=Asia

[candypreet]

a bump:) :) :happy_11:

[candypreet]

Srinagar, Sep 11 (IANS) Hundreds of Muslims aspiring to perform Haj this year, the holiest Muslim pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, organised a sit-in here Monday demanding increase in the quota for pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir.

"There are around 13,000 applications but the Haj quota allotted to us by the central government is only 5,617," Kashmir divisional commissioner Basharat Ahmad Dhar said.

The total number of Indian pilgrims to be allowed to go to the holy cities of Makkah and Madina to perform the Haj this year has been fixed at 100,000, he said.

"These 100,000 seats are distributed to the states in proportion to their Muslim population. We have a Muslim population of 6.79 million and accordingly we were originally allotted 4,818 seats, which were subsequently increased to 5,617," Dhar said.

He said Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the ministry of external affairs to increase the quota.

This year's situation contrasts with that of the last year when nearly 9,000 pilgrims went.

"That happened because of savings in some other states' quotas and the surplus seats were added to Kashmir," Dhar said.

Asked if the state government was in touch with private Haj operators to accommodate the applicants, the official said: "Anybody can perform the Haj using the services of private operators, but that is much costlier."

Even as the people shouted slogans against the government outside the civil secretariat, officials were hopeful that the centre would increase Kashmir's quota.

[candypreet]

China Pakistan’s true friend, says Maqbool

LAHORE: Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool has said that a warm and historic welcome would be accorded to Chinese President Hu Jintao on his arrival in Lahore. According to a press release on Friday, Governor Maqbool said in an interview with representatives from Chinese newspaper “China” that China was Pakistan’s true friend and Pak-Chinese friendship was everlasting. The governor said that the economic rise of China bade well for all of Asia, including Pakistan. He said cooperation between the two countries had expanded to power, pharmaceuticals, construction, oil and gas, light engineering, food processing and infrastructure development. He said that the huge investment by Chinese industrialists in Punjab was in the interest of both Pakistan and China. He said that Peoples Republic of China had modern technology and skilled manpower whereas Pakistan was an important country due to its geographical location, making it an economic junction for entire Asia and Europe. Governor Maqbool expected Punjab to provide an export base to South West provinces of China. staff report
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C11%5C25%5Cstory_25-11-2006_pg13_8

[candypreet]

PAKISTAN - Man loses ears, nose for love marriage
published: Thursday | January 4, 2007


MULTAN, Pakistan (Reuters):

Armed men cut off the ears and nose of a Pakistani man who married one of their tribe for love, after he and his family refused to hand over his wife, police said yesterday.

The attackers also chopped the ears off the man's brother and severed his mother's hand in the latest 'honour' crime to hit Pakistan's conservative rural areas.

Such crimes, including killings, are common in areas where marriages without the consent of girls' families are still taboo under centuries-old tribal and feudal traditions.

Mohammad Iqbal's wife, Shehnaz, was not at home when about 15 armed members of her clan attacked in the central city of Multan on Tuesday, demanding she be turned over.

Beatings

"The assailants, who were armed with small arms, daggers and axes, tortured Iqbal and cut off his ears and nose when he refused to produce Shenhaz," Naeem-ul-Hassan, a deputy superintendent of police, told Reuters.

"They dragged us on the floor and thrashed us before cutting our limbs," Mohammad Yasin, Iqbal's brother told Reuters from Nishtar hospital, where he was being treated along with his brother and mother.

Shehnaz married Iqbal out of choice last year and the couple left Multan, along with Iqbal's family, apparently for fear of reprisals from Shehnaz's relatives.

Arrests made

The family returned to Multan recently to celebrate the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha, marked on Monday.

Police have arrested five suspects, Hassan said.

Human rights groups say about 1,000 people are killed in honour-related crimes every year in Pakistan. In some cases, women who marry against their families' will and their in-laws are disfigured as punishment.
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070104/int/int5.html