Pakistani nuclear weapons are heavily deployed near its border with India

WASHINGTON: Pakistan has doubled its nuclear arms stockpile to 110 warheads, developing new weapons to deliver them and significantly accelerating production of uranium and plutonium for bombs to edge ahead of India.

Islamabad's nuclear weapons stockpile now totals more than 110 deployed weapons in a sharp jump from an estimated 30-80 weapons fours years ago, 'Washington Post' reported.

"Pakistan has expanded its nuclear weapons production capability rapidly", the Post quoted David Albright President of the Institute for Science and International Security as saying.

Albright said that based on accelerated production of plutonium and highly enriched uranium, Pakistan may now have an arsenal upto 110 weapons.

The non-government US analyst said that while continuing to produce weapons-grade uranium at two sites, Islamabad has sharply increased its production of plutonium, enabling it to make lighter warheads for more mobile delivery system.

Pakistan's has developed a new missile Shaheen II, with a range of 1,500 miles which is about to go into operation deployment. The country has also developed nuclear capable land and air launched cruise missiles, the Institute said in a new report.

"The Pakistanis have significantly accelerated production of uranium and plutonium for bombs and developed new weapons to deliver them. After years of approximate weapons parity, experts said, Pakistan has now edged ahead of India, its nuclear-armed rival", Washington Post said.

The paper said while Pakistan has produced more nuclear-armed weapons, India is believed to have larger existing stockpiles of such fissile material for future weapons.

Dubbing Pakistan as one of the world's most unstable region, Post said an escalation of nuclear arms race in South Asia possess a dilemma for Obama Administration.

It said in politically fragile Pakistan, the Administration is caught between fears of proliferation or possible terrorist attempts to seize nuclear materials and Pakistani suspicions that the US aims to control or limit its weapons programme and favours India.

Quoting Pakistan's Defense attache at its embassy in Washington, Post said the number of Pakistani nuclear weapons are heavily deployed near its border with India.

The paper said that in December 2008, Peter Lavoie, US national intelligence officer for South Asia, told NATO officials that "despite pending economic catastrophe, Pakistan is producing nuclear weapons at a faster rate than in any other country in the world".

Will expose the Ministers, Politicians, Bureaucrats: Hilal War

By: Ajaz Ahmad
Srinagar, 2 Feb:  editor.kmw  An emergency meeting PPP was presided over by Engineer Hilal Ahmad War was held at the Rajbagh Headquarters of the People’s Political Party (PPP)   wherein it was declared that the party won’t allow the culprits of the infamous 2006 sex scandal to go scot-free, reports Kashmir Media Watch.

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The meeting was held in response to the ‘clean chit’ that the main accused Raman Mattoo, a former Minister, Iqbal Khandey, Principal Secretary (Planning) former Additional Advocate General Anil Sethi etc.were given by Two main victims-cum-witnesses who  were  being forced to retract from their earlier statement under a big conspiracy to  pave the way for CBI court to give ‘Clean Chit’ to the accused Ministers, Bureaucrats and Police officers etc.Recently two key witnesses and ‘victim’ turned hostile in the Kashmir sex scandal case, a 25-year-old ‘rape victim’ and a 45 year old Police Constable, key witness in the case has retracted from their statement in the CBI special court in Chandigarh.

Chairman PPP, Hilal Ahmed War said Kashmiris will never forgive the culprits of the well planned sex racket through which innocent girls were lured and exploited. “It was a well planned policy to involve innocent Kashmiri girls, both by blackmail and temptation, into flesh trade, so that immorality and promiscuity could be infused into Kashmiri society which would be a great impediment to the freedom movement,” said War adding “Agencies have always been  on a hunt for innocent people in Kashmir to not only dilute our values but also to draw the attention away from the Kashmir issue.”

It was decided in the meeting that PPP would fight tooth and nail to expose all the people involved in the scandal. “We will not forgive anybody,” said PPP Chairman. He said PPP has a complete list of all the bureaucrats, ministers, politicians, businessmen and everyone else who was a part of the racket in one way or the other. “We will definitely come out with the detailed, complete list at the right time,” said War adding “If an honest investigation would have been carried out, we would have seen the real face of a number of our ministers and bureaucrats and some so called respectable citizens.”

Mr.War said, “Some favourite  Ministers of PDP- Congress Coalition Government ,involved in the infamous Sex Scam 2006, were left scot- free by CBI, few of them Cabinet Ministers in Present Govt. are also using their influence to hush up the case fearing that if the case would be investigated their names would figure”. PPP Chief, appealed the Jammu and Kashmir Govt to reinvestigate the infamous Sex Scam of 2006 and punish all those Ministers, Political leaders, Bureaucrats and other officials involved in the exploiting underaged girls inkling those who were let-off by CBI, failing which PPP will be constrained to take the case in People’s Court. He further said that we will come up with a Solid Evidence –cum-Proof.

The infamous sec racket, had shook the valley, protests from all quarters had shaken the administration. The political parties in power, political parties without power, separatists, social groups, citizens, lawyers and even bollywood had demanded answers from the government as well as a thorough probe. The Government of Jammu and Kashmir had handed over the case to the federal investigation agency of India, the Central Bureau of Investigations, but has saved the favourite ones. This has satisfied none. According to reports Nine Ministers of the previous coalition government figured in the 2004 investigations and Mufti Sayeed personally intervened to save his government.

He said his party cannot allow eyewash in the name of probe. “Kashmiris will stand up and we will make sure nobody among the exploiters is spared,” he said.

War also threatened to launch a full-fledged agitation if the culprits were not brought to the book. “If these criminals are not named and punished, we will not take it hands down.” He said that the girls were first exploited and are now being threatened into submission. “They are threatening these girls to fall in line with them to save these people,” said War “We will never allow this. These girls were first victimized physically and now they are constantly being harassed to hush up the truth.” (Writer-South Asia)

British Muslim population could double in 20 years

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London, 31 Jan: THE population of Muslims in Britain could almost double to 5.5 million within 20 years, according to new research. According to a worldwide study by a Washington think-tank the growth will mainly be driven by immigration, reports Christian Messenger.

Pew Research Center researchers have made projections that the world’s Muslim population could increase by about 35 per cent over the next two decades.

The report noted that today the number of Muslims make up 4.6 per cent of the population in the UK. However, Pew researchers predict an increase to more than eight per cent by 2030.

Speaking about the Muslim share of the population, the report said: “The greatest increases – driven primarily by continued migration – are likely to occur in Western and Northern Europe, where Muslims will be approaching double-digit percentages of the population in several countries”.

The Pew report also cited high birth rates. It said that “generally, Muslim populations tend to have higher fertility rates (more children per woman) than non-Muslim populations”.

A survey conducted last year revealed that most Britons are concerned about the growing influence of Islam in the UK and believe that Islam is dividing the nation.

The annual British Social Attitudes survey found that 52 per cent of the population believe that Britain is deeply divided along religious lines, with just one in four people feeling positive about Islam.

The survey also revealed that 55 per cent of the population would be strongly opposed if a large mosque was built in their area. The results suggest that unhappiness over the influence of Islam is now a matter of national concern. (Writer-South Asia)

BJP, Kashmir and Article 370

Srinagar, Jan. 30: It is impossible to think of abrogation. It can’t be amended by taking recourse to the usual provision of amendment provided by the Constitution of India, article Zahoor Hussain Bhat in Rissing Kashmir.

At the time of partition of Indian Subcontinent, India was conceived as a federation of States. Upon the creation of the independent Dominion of India, the princely States of the erstwhile British India were offered the choice to join either the Dominion of India or the Dominion of Pakistan.

 A third alternative of remaining independent of the two Dominion was also offered by the Dominion Power. In case of Jammu and Kashmir the Maharaja of Kashmir signed the Instrument of Accession to the Dominion of India. Under this Instrument, he surrendered the jurisdiction of three subjects-Defence, External Affairs and Communications. This action of the Maharaja was endorsed by the premier Political Party of the State, National Conference. The accession of the State thus established and was given legal and constitutional validity and sanction by the incorporation of Article 370 in the Indian constitution which defined the State’s special relationship with India.

The State is yet to recover from 2010 shock that has consumed its economy and lives. Now the BJP desires to set the Valley on fire again. The plan to hoist tricolor at Lal Chowk by BJP Youth Wing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha’s (BJYM) has already started a war of words with separatists, the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah sees it as an unnecessary provocation. Ironically BJYM Chief Anuraj Thakur said, “Tensions were created because of stone pelting incidents. Many soldiers of the country were wounded. Was there no tension then? We are hoisting the flag for national integration. We want Article 370 to go and Jammu and Kashmir to be fully integrated with India.” This clash is nothing but of egos.           

BJP may hoist the tricolor at the historic Lal Chowk but it is impossible to think of abrogation of Article 370. Article 370 can not be abrogated or amended by taking recourse to the amending provisions of the Constitution which apply to all the other states because Article 368 has a proviso that says no constitutional amendment “shall have effect in relation to the State of Jammu and Kashmir” unless applied by order of the President under Article 370. That requires first the concurrence of the State government and subsequent ratification by its Constituent Assembly.

Article 370 of the Constitution is reproduced for the readers;
370. Temporary Provisions with respect to the State of Jammu and Kashmir
(1) Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution.
(a) the provisions of article 238 shall not apply in relation to the State of Jammu and Kashmir;
(b) the power of Parliament to make laws for the said State shall be limited to;
(i) those matters in the Union list and the Concurrent list which, in consultation with the Government of the State, are declared by the President to correspond to matter specified in the Instrument of Accession governing the accession of the State to the Dominion of India as the matter with respect to which the Dominion Legislature may make laws for that State;
(ii) such other matters in the said lists, as, with the concurrence of the Government of the State, the President may by order specify.
Explanation: For the purpose of this article, the Government of the State means the person for the time being recognised by the Presidents the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir acting on the advice of the Council of Ministers for the time being in office under the Maharaja’s Proclamation dated the fifth day of March, 1948;
(c) the provisions of article 1 and of this article shall apply in relation to that State;
(d) such of the other provisions of this Constitution shall apply in relation to that State subjects to such exceptions and modifications as the President may by order specify:
Provided that no such order which relates to the matters specified in the Instrument of Accession of the State referred to in paragraph (i) of sub-clause (b) shall be issued except in consultation with the Government of the State:
Provided further that no such order which relates to matters other than those referred to in the last preceding proviso shall be issued except with the concurrence of that Government.
(2) If the concurrence of the Government of the State referred to in paragraph (ii) of sub-clause (b) of clause (1) or in the second proviso to sub-clause (d) of the clause be given before the Constituent Assembly for the purpose of framing the Constitution of the State is convened, it shall be placed before such Assembly for such decision as it may take thereon.
(3) Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing provisions of this article, the President may, by public notification, declare that this article shall cease to be operative or shall be operative only with such exceptions and modifications and from such date as he may specify:
Provided that the recommendation of the Constituent Assembly of the State referred to in clause (2) shall be necessary before the President issues such a notification.

A careful study of the text reveals six special provisions for Jammu and Kashmir:

First, it exempted the State totally from the provisions of the Constitution of India providing for the governance of the States. It was allowed to have own constitution within the Indian Union.

Second, Parliament’s legislative power over the State was restricted to three subjects defence, external affairs and communications. The President could extend to it other provisions of the Constitution to provide a constitutional framework if they related to the matters specified in the Instrument of Accession. For all this, only “consultation” with the State Government was required since the State had already accepted them in 1947 by the Instrument of Accession.

Third, if other “constitutional” provisions and other Union powers are to be extended to the State of Jammu and Kashmir the prior “concurrence” of the State Government was required.

The fourth feature is that even that concurrence alone did not suffice. It had to be ratified by the State’s Constituent Assembly. This is often overlooked. Article 370 (2) says clearly: “If the concurrence of the Government of the State be given before the constituent assembly for the purpose of framing the Constitution of the State is convened, it shall be place before such Assembly for such decision as it may take thereon.”
The fifth feature is that the State Government’s authority to give the “concurrence” lasts only the State’s Constituent Assembly is “convened”. It is an “interim” power. Once the Constituent Assembly met, the State Government can not give its own “concurrence”. Still less, after the Assembly met ad dispersed. Moreover, the President can not exercise his power to extend the Indian Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir indefinitely. The power has to stop at the point the State’s Constituent Assembly drafted the State’s Constitution and decided finally what additional subjects to confer on the Union and what other provisions of the Constitution of India it should get extended to the State rather than having their counterparts embodied in the State Constitution itself. Once the State’s Constituent Assembly has finalised the scheme and dispersed, the President’s extending powers ended completely.

The sixth special feature the last step in the process, is that Article 370 empowers the President to make an order abrogating or amending it. But for this, also “the recommendation” of the State’s Constituent Assembly “shall be necessary before the President issues such a notification”.Writer can be contacted at:  zahoorbhat786@yahoo.in