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Sunday, February 15, 2009

Taliban free captive Chinese engineer in Pakistan

By NAHAL TOOSI, Associated Press Writer

ISLAMABAD – Pakistani Taliban militants have freed a Chinese engineer held captive for nearly six months, officials said Sunday, as fears rose over the safety of an abducted American threatened with imminent death by his kidnappers.

It was not immediately clear if a ransom was paid or militants were freed in exchange for Long Xiaowei's freedom, although a militant spokesman claimed the government had agreed to demands for the enforcement of Islamic law in parts of Pakistan's northwest.

Long's release came days before a planned visit to China by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.

Earlier this month, a Polish geologist held by Taliban fighters was apparently beheaded in a video obtained by news media and believed by the Polish government to be authentic. On Friday, the kidnappers of American U.N. official John Solecki threatened to kill him within 72 hours and issued a 20-second video of the blindfolded captive saying he was "sick and in trouble."

The abductions have underscored the overall deteriorating security conditions in Pakistan, a critical U.S. ally in the fight against terrorism, as it battles a Taliban insurgency in its northwestern regions bordering Afghanistan. On Saturday, a U.S. missile strike on a compound in an area where dozens of Taliban militants had gathered killed 27 people, intelligence officials said.

China also is a major ally and longtime financial supporter of Pakistan, and the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Beijing attached high importance to the case of the kidnapped engineer.

Long was freed Saturday and taken to the Chinese Embassy on Sunday morning, said Yao Jing, deputy head of China's mission in Islamabad. The engineer was in good condition and was expected to go back to China after a medical checkup, China's Foreign Ministry said.

Long and fellow telecommunications engineer Zhang Guo were kidnapped in August in the Dir region of northwestern Pakistan. They both escaped in mid-October, according to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency. Long hurt his ankle and was recaptured, while Zhang got away.

The Chinese ministry said Long arrived at the embassy under the escort of Pakistani military and police, but did not say how he came into Pakistani custody. Yao said he did not know if a deal with struck with the militants.

However, Muslim Khan, a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban in the Swat Valley, claimed the militants freed the Chinese captive after the government agreed to impose Islamic law in their region. Swat, a former tourist haven, is believed to be largely under militant control despite a lengthy army offensive.

"That was our only demand," Khan told The Associated Press via telephone. "Once Islamic law is imposed there will be no problems in Swat. The Taliban will lay down their arms."

Pakistani government and military officials either could not immediately be reached or declined comment Sunday on what secured the Chinese engineer's freedom.

Pakistan's government has made promises in the past to enforce already approved regulations relating to Islamic law in parts of the northwest as an olive branch in peace talks with militants.

Paying ransom or releasing militants in exchange for a hostage is not unprecedented in the Pakistan-Afghanistan region, though officials are generally loathe to confirm the terms because of concerns it might spur more kidnappings.

Gunmen seized Solecki on Feb. 2 in Quetta, a southwestern city near the Afghan border. The kidnappers have since identified themselves as members of the previously unknown Baluchistan Liberation United Front, indicating a link to separatists rather than to Islamists.

A U.N. statement said it was aware of a demand by the kidnappers for the release of 141 women allegedly held in Pakistan and was seeking "urgent contact to discuss ways of securing (Solecki's) release."

Meanwhile, Baluchistan provincial government spokesman Syed Kamran said it was offering a $31,363 reward "for any information leading to the recovery of the kidnapped U.N. official."

Pakistan Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik has said the abductors' demand was "highly unrealistic."

"I have shared that list of 141 women with authorities and all intelligence agencies. It does not have any reality," he said.

Tensions are especially high following the apparent slaying of the Polish geologist, Piotr Stanczak. If confirmed, it would be the first killing of a Western hostage in Pakistan since American journalist Daniel Pearl was beheaded in 2002.

Poland has asked the U.S. for help tracking down the Taliban militants suspected to have had Stanczak, whose body has not been recovered. Warsaw also has plans to issue an international warrant for their arrest.

Many Pakistanis believe the country is fighting Islamist militants, who have enjoyed state support in the past, only at Washington's behest. Disdain for the U.S. has risen as it has stepped up the missile strikes.

The strike on Saturday appeared to be the deadliest yet by American drone aircraft that prowl the border area. Two intelligence officials said dozens of followers of Pakistan's top Taliban leader, Baitullah Mehsud, were in the compound that was hit. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Rejoin democratic process, Sonia Gandhi tells separatists

Srinagar, Feb 14 : United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi Saturday asked separatists in Jammu and Kashmir to rejoin the democratic process, saying they should learn from the 'massive people's participation' during the recent assembly elections.

Speaking during the inauguration of the Srinagar International Airport here, Gandhi said: "Those sowing the seeds of hatred among members of different communities are actually friends of none."

She said the people of Jammu and Kashmir had expressed faith in democracy through largescale participation in the November-December elections to the state legislature.

"Those following the path of violence must learn a lesson from people's faith in democracy here," she said, and asked the separatists to join the democratic process.

"Peace and democracy are the only means to progress and prosperity," she said, adding that "the starting of the Srinagar-Dubai flight would open up avenues of employment and tourism for Kashmir".

Gandhi also flagged off a train service from Budgam in central Kashmir to Baramulla district in north Kashmir.

The inauguration of a new state-of-the-art terminal has raised the status of the Srinagar airport to an international one. The first direct Srinagar-Dubai flight is scheduled for departure from here later Saturday.

Gandhi claimed that despite the global economic crisis, India had not been impacted so seriously because of the policies of the UPA government.

"We have, in fact, provided relief to the people by reducing the prices of (cooking gas). History is made or unmade because of the steps taken by us, and we must therefore be very careful while taking decisions," she said.

Gandhi also hoped that the ruling National Conference (NC)-Congress alliance, headed by Omar Abdullah, would work for the prosperity of the people.

The new airport terminal, spread over 19,700 sq mt area, is made of glass and steel structures. The terminal is air-conditioned and centrally heated. It has escalators, public address systems, CCTVs for surveillance and flight display systems.

"There are 16 check-in counters. The airport can handle 500 domestic and 450 international passengers at one time," said an official at the airport.

The number of aircraft parking bays has gone up from four to nine.

Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad were also present at the airport function.

Gandhi flagged off the Mazhom-Baramulla train through a satellite link by pressing a button.

The train service was earlier till Srinagar. It now connects north and south Kashmir - a 100 km stretch.

Indian Kashmir opens international airport

India opened the airport in troubled Kashmir for international traffic for the first time on Saturday, as part of an effort to boost the Himalayan region's ailing tourism industry. Skip related content

Sonia Gandhi, head of India's ruling Congress party, inaugurated the new airport, as well as state carrier Air India's first flight to Dubai from the Srinagar International Airport.

"The start of Dubai-Srinagar international flight will help people (of Kashmir), businessmen and promote tourism," Gandhi said in her speech.

Security was tight in the new airport, which has opened just a little over a month after a new chief minister took office, promising to help heal a region hit by two decades of separatist rebellion against Indian rule that has killed thousands.

Air India Express, a discount subsidiary of the state carrier, will operate a weekly flight to Dubai initially, with more flights and other airlines added at a later date, said Aviation Minister Praful Patel.

Kashmir was once a top Asian tourism destination, popular among honeymooners, skiers, trekkers and anglers, and attracting about a million tourists a year until 1989, when simmering anger against New Delhi's rule burst into a violent rebellion.

Recently, visitors have started returning to the scenic Valley as violence declined significantly after India and Pakistan, who claim the region in full but rule it in parts, started a slow-moving peace process in 2004.

Last year, nearly 500,000 visitors traveled to the Valley to see its beautiful landscapes, tourism officials say.

Chambal gharials under threat; death continues

Bhind, MP, Feb 14 : Two more gharials -- a highly endangered crocodile species -- were found dead in the Chambal Gharial Sanctuary in Bhind district of Madhya Pradesh.

Taking into account the latest casualty figures, the number of gharials which have perished in the Chambal sanctuary within a small stretch falling in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh since December 26 has gone up to six, while 37 reptiles died last year in this state however, 76 were found dead at the Uttar Pradesh border.

Sanctuary Superintendent S C Bhadouriya said that the sanctuary stretched from Morena district's Pali area to Charaknagar area of Uttar Pradesh and about 1000 gharials found their abode.

''On December 26, a gharial's body was found in Gyanpura area and on January 11 three reptiles were found at Usedghat while two gharials perished yesterday,'' said Mr Bhoudariya.

After revelation of autopsy reports that most of the gharials died of some disease, a team of wildlife experts reached the sanctuary and started examining and counting the reptile.

Death of a large number of gharials in such a short span of time is a serious matter as more than 100 reptiles had died unnaturally last year in the Chambal river terrain and as a matter of fact, no cause of their deaths was detected yet.

The samples of dead gharials were sent to Jabalpur and Bareily (Uttar Pradesh) but no report arrived till date.