Nepal Maoists initiate talks
Though adamant on their demand for the Prime Minister’s resignation, Nepal’s Maoists have started informal talks with leaders of the ruling parties in a bid to find a way out to the political impasse that has threatened to derail the peace process.
Fresh from a massive street protest that crippled life in the national capital, the Maoists have decided to form an alliance with nine other political parties to pressure Mr Madhav Kumar Nepal to step down from the Prime Minister’s post.
The party had ruled out any formal dialogue with the ruling alliance until Nepal steps down to pave way for a national consensus government under their leadership. However, senior leaders of the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML separately met top Maoist leaders, including party chief Mr Prachanda in order to find a way out.
Key political parties intensified intra-party and inter-party consultations to avoid a constitutional deadlock as the term of the 601-member Constituent Assembly is ending on May 28, the deadline for drafting a new Constitution.
The meetings came a day after 10 political parties, including the Maoists, came under a banner to demand the resignation of Mr Nepal to allow a national consensus government to take office. The Maoists also indicated their willingness to discuss an alternative to Mr Prachanda for the post of PM in a national consensus government. The Nepali Congress leaders said they have asked the Maoist party to transform itself into a civilian force by managing their combatants and dissolving its paramilitary organisation the Young Communist League during a meeting. Nepali Congress general secretary Bimalendra Nidhi and central committee member Krishna Sitaula met Maoist chairman Mr Prachanda and vice-chairman Baburam Bhattarai in Kathmandu on Wednesday.
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Pak: Lakhvi moves SC to end case
shafqat ali
Islamabad
Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, a key suspect in the Mumbai attacks, has moved the Pakistan top court seeking end of the criminal proceedings against him.
Lakhvi, is currently being tried by an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi, adjacent to Islamabad.
On Tuesday, Khawaja Sultan Ahmed, counsel for Lakhvi, presented the confessional statement of Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist of 2008 Mumbai attacks, before a three-member bench of the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court adjourned the hearing of the appeal filed by Lakhvi for two weeks. The bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday after receiving the Kasab’s statement, adjourned the hearing. Justice Chaudhry observed that the bench needed time to go through Kasab’s 11-page-long confessional statement.
In his confessional statement, Ajmal Kasab named Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi as the ringleader in connection with the Mumbai attacks.
Lakhvi’s counsel, Khawaja Sultan Ahmed argued that under Section 48 of the Evidence Act whatever the statement Kasab’s had given before the Indian court has no legal value in Pakistan.
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