India

MEA summons Pak high commissioner

sitansu — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:53:18 +0530

In the wake of Mumbai terror strikes, the Ministry of External Affairs on Monday summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik to lodge protest over Pakistan's failure to curb terrorism emanating from its soil.

Malik was called by Joint Secretary (Pakistan) in the MEA T C A Raghavan who issued a demarche to him on the Mumbai strikes which is suspected to have been carried out by "elements" based in Pakistan, sources said.

Investigations into the three-day Mumbai terror strikes have shown that the plan to carry out the attacks was hatched in Pakistan and the perpetrators of the ghastly act came from Karachi by ships and boats.

Islamabad has been in a denial mode but India says it has hard evidence to show Pakistani link.

Pak army to stop operation against local militants

sneha — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:10:28 +0530

In the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, Pakistan Army chief has informed the country's leadership that if tensions with India mount further, the military has to move troops from its restive tribal areas to the eastern borders, ending the war against local militants.

Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani told President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani if India escalates tensions, then Pakistan has to move its troops from the tribal areas to the eastern borders and it would not be possible to continue the war against terrorism, reports said.

Kayani met Zardari and Gilani twice on Saturday and informed them about the operational preparedness of Pakistan's armed forces to meet any eventuality.

Meanwhile, militant groups in Pakistan's lawless tribal areas contacted the government following an increase in tensions with India and offered a truce if the army stops its operations against them.

As a sign that the ceasefire offer may be accepted, the Pakistan Army has declared to the media that "some notorious militant commanders, including Baitullah Mehsud and (Maulana) Fazlullah, (are) 'patriotic' Pakistanis", the pro-establishment The News daily reported on Monday.

Mehsud, blamed by former President Pervez Musharraf's regime for the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto, and Fazlullah have been fighting the army for the past four years.

Aftermath

The "aftermath of the Mumbai carnage has suddenly turned terrorists into patriots", the daily said.

"We have no big issues with the militants in (the tribal areas). We have only some misunderstandings with Baitullah Mehsud and Fazlullah. These misunderstandings could be removed through dialogue," a top security official told Pakistani journalists on Saturday.

The report said, "Indian allegations against Pakistan have suddenly forced the military establishment in Pakistan to finally accept that they are not fighting an American war inside the Pakistani territory."

Munir Orakzai, the leader of a grouping of 12 parliamentarians from the tribal belt, said, "I see a bright ray of peace in the tribal areas and if we come out of the American pressure, I can guarantee that there will be peace in the tribal areas in a few days and we will be ready to fight against India on the eastern border along with the Pakistan Army."

A top government official told the daily that "some late night telephone calls made from Washington and London helped to cool down the temperature in New Delhi and Islamabad."

Despite the assurances by President Zardari on sending a director of the Inter-Services Intelligence to India for helping probe the Mumbai attacks, it has been decided by the government that no ISI official will visit India in the next one week, the report said.

Some federal ministers openly criticised Prime Minister Gilani for "giving an assurance to India that the ISI chief will go to New Delhi" as he made the decision without consulting his cabinet colleagues.

The cabinet advised Gilani that no ISI official should be sent to India in the near future.

The cabinet also agreed that "Pakistan will not come under any Indian pressure but efforts will be made to decrease tensions without annoying the public opinion".

English team set to return to India by Friday

megha — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 09:57:42 +0530

Kevin Pietersen and his teammates are set to return to India by Friday to play the two-Test series, the first of which would be shifted from Ahmedabad to Kolkata, according to media reports in London.

According to a report in 'The Guardian', the English cricketers would return to India on Thursday or Friday and the warm-up match, originally scheduled in Vadodara from Friday, is likely to be shifted somewhere near Kolkata.

However, the report added, everything would depend on the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) being convinced about the security arrangements in India.

"The ECB will present the players with a safety report today and is likely to confirm on Tuesday that the tour will resume later in the week," it said. "There is some concern about the team hotel in Ahmedabad, which is in the middle of the city," the report added.

Following the terror strikes in Mumbai, the England team returned home abandoning the last two ODIs against India and some of the players have developed cold feet about returning for the Test series.

Following the developments, ECB chairman Giles Clarke has hastily returned from a business meeting in Colombia while CEO David Collier cut short his holiday in the United States to participate in a teleconference with their Indian counterparts.

"It is understood that the ECB is also talking to the Indian and British governments, high commissions in Indian cities, security advisers and other risk assessment experts in order to give the cricketers a thorough dossier on safety issues in India," the daily said.

In case they return, the England team might miss the services of Steve Harmison and Andrew Flintoff who are reluctant to go back to India. Pacer James Anderson might also stay back to be with his pregnant wife.

Their possible pull out, however, would not count against them, selector Geoff Miller said.

"Players need to be on their full mettle. There is no point in anyone going out there if their mind is on physical self-preservation. We need them performing with bat and ball. But, depending on the character involved, it might not be right for some," he said.

"At the moment nothing has been confirmed with any of the players. We are committed, as it stands, to playing in those two Test matches, subject to safety and security advice.

The support we've had in India has been incredible. Cricket is a galvanising force in that country and that's got to be taken into account as well," he said.

No troop mobilisation along Indo-Pak border: Pak Army

sitansu — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:40:50 +0530

Dismissing reports of any "unusual" movement or build-up of troops along the Indo-Pak border in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, the Pakistan army on Sunday said "there is nothing to worry about".

Maj Gen Athar Abbas, the Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations, said the ceasefire along the borders in Jammu and Kashmir too was holding.

"There is nothing to worry about. I would not like to make any speculative comments about the situation," Abbas told PTI.

“There were no official authenticated" reports of any "unusual movement, change or build-up (of troops) on this side or that side of the border," he said.

Abbas also noted that the Indian government or security establishment had not made any comment regarding any change in the ceasefire along the Line of Control or international border in Jammu and Kashmir and the truce was holding.

"Therefore, it (the ceasefire) is as it was," he said.

The comments by Pakistani military's chief spokesman came in the wake of media reports on a background briefing on Saturday by unnamed senior security officials warning of mounting tensions with India as a result of the terror strikes.

They said up to 100,000 Pakistani troops could be diverted from fighting militants on the Afghan frontier to be deployed on the Indian border.

The officials had also said that the next two days would be crucial in determining how the situation would unfold.

Indian Army also denied reports that New Delhi was mobilising troops on the border with Pakistan, scotching speculation in this regard.

Also Read:
No army mobilisation on Pak border: Indian Army
Pak to deploy extra troops along Indian border

Pakistani bloggers show solidarity with Mumbaikars

manoj — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 15:04:09 +0530

As tensions mount between Pakistan and India, Pakistani bloggers are going the extra mile to show solidarity with Mumbaikars.

"And so, in prayer and in solidarity, I stand today with Mumbaikars everywhere. In shock at what has happened. In fear of what might happen yet. In anger at those who would be so calculated in their inhuman massacre," wrote Adil Najam, who blogs at All Things Pakistan.

"In sympathy with those whose pain so hurts my own heart but whose tears I cannot touch, whose wounds I cannot heal, and whose grief I cannot relieve."

Najam, who once visited the Taj and Oberoi hotels in a bid to spot "Bollywood bigwigs", wrote: "The first time I ever visited the Taj Mahal Hotel was with my wife. We had been married just weeks and were not staying at the Taj but went to the historic 'Sea Lounge'.

"We went to the Oberoi Hotel (too) on the same visit in the naive and mistaken belief that we would find Bollywood bigwigs hanging out there. My words of condemnation will not change the actions of those who have committed such heinous murder and mayhem. Nor will my words of sympathy diminish the agony of the victims. But speak out I must...And, so, to any Mumbaikar who might be listening, I say: I stand with you today. In prayer and in solidarity," Najam wrote.

Nearly 200 people were killed and hundreds injured in a string of coordinated terrorist attacks in Mumbai. India has linked Pakistan-based elements to the attacks, a charge denied by Islamabad.

Another avid blogger wrote an "Ode to Bombay" on the popular e-zine "Pak Tea House".

"Once again they have attacked, at the heart of Bombay. Bombay is everything which they hate. Bombay is Freedom, Bombay is Life, Bombay is Music, Bombay is Light. This is the attack on (the) city of Lights," Ali Shahryar wrote.

"They will fail to destroy India, they will fail to destroy the thousands of years-old tradition of culture of tolerance and wisdom. Bombay lives, united and whole, full of lights and music, it will once again be. Prophets of darkness can never defeat Light. Because Light is eternal," he wrote.

Following Najam's post, a blogger known as BrassTacks wondered if Najam was an Indian agent.

"Why did you never write about the blasts in Islamabad and Lahore? Why only worry about India? I think this is an Indian agent website," BrassTacks comment read.

Another blogger Babar asked if Najam would be welcomed in Mumbai.

Some others condemned the act of terrorism but were upset at the "finger-pointing at Pakistan".

A blogger wrote: "Unlike Adil Najam, I am really not too keen to be a Mumabite, Delhite...or whatever Indian especially when the Indian PM points a finger at my country, Pakistan, for this crime without rhyme, reason or solid proof."

But some bloggers frankly admitted that Pakistanis were not as "innocent" as they were being made out to be.

"I am also a Pakistani but frankly I am not too sure of (the) innocence of our people. Let us face it. It is not just current attack in Mumbai, but several other terrorist attacks carried out in other countries including those in Pakistan have shown linkage to Pakistan," wrote Bunty.

"Such elements are (the) scourge of any civilized society and need to be flushed out without regard to their nationality. Pakistan government should give full cooperation (in the) Mumbai investigations and if any Pakistani is found involved in this, he should be punished as any criminal," he added.

One post by a Pakistani blogger known as "I, Me, Myself" read: "Words that heal are perhaps the need of the hour! Yours definitely are! Thank you!"

India calls off Pak tour

manoj — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 14:34:04 +0530

The Indian cricket team will not be undertaking its scheduled tour to Pakistan, which was due to begin in January 2009.

The news comes as tensions between the two neighbours escalate in the wake of the terror attacks in Mumbai.

India was scheduled to play three tests and five one dayers in Pakistan.

Pak to deploy extra troops along Indian border

megha — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 14:07:11 +0530

Pakistan's security apparatus has said that up to one lakh troops could be redeployed along the border with India after diverting them from fighting militants in the restive Afghan frontier.

The next two days would be crucial in determining how the situation would unfold, senior security officials were quoted as saying by the local media on a background briefing organised for Pakistani journalists on Saturday.

Pakistan would wind up its "war on terror" on the Afghan borders if the situation in the east "spiralled out of control", the officials were quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper. The top officials categorised the current state of Pakistan-India relations as "tense".

"They (Indians) are taking the escalation level up at a very brisk pace," one official said.

Describing the situation as "crisis-like", the officials said Pakistan would pull out "all the troops" now deployed in the country's northwest if India deployed forces on its border with Pakistan. There are about 90,000 to 100,000 troops fighting pro-Taliban militants in the tribal belt, the officials said.

India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire along the borders in Kashmir in late 2003, allowing Islamabad to divert more troops for quelling a raging Taliban-led insurgency in North West Frontier Province and adjoining tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.

The US has described the tribal belt as a safe haven for Taliban and al Qaida elements.

If tension escalated with India, the "war on terror won't be our priority", a security official said during the briefing. He said the Pakistani security establishment would not "leave anything" on the Afghan border if troops were diverted to the Indian frontier.

Pakistan's stand had also been conveyed to US and NATO, whose forces are battling the Taliban in Afghanistan and need the support of the troops on the Pakistani side of the border.

The officials claimed that no clue had been found so far about the involvement of "any Pakistani entity in the Mumbai attacks". One official said: "If Indians have any evidence, they should share with us."

The officials said India had only officially conveyed that the conspiracy behind the Mumbai attacks was "hatched in Pakistan".

Another official was quoted as saying that there was "no involvement of any Pakistani institution in any manner" in the Mumbai attacks.

The officials also said they were "shocked" to see the "level of sophistication" involved in the attacks in Mumbai and that India "was not ready for that".

Some media reports quoted the security officials as saying that External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee had "threatened Pakistan and its leadership" and this had "forced Pakistan to adopt a tougher line".

India had put its Air Force on high alert, the officials claimed, adding Pakistan would take measures to "ensure its security and safeguard its interests." Pakistani troops and the Air Force have been put on "high alert" due to the tensions with India, The Nation daily reported.

"We're very vigilant. If there is any threat we are ready for that," an official was quoted as saying.

The Nation also quoted the officials as saying that Indian authorities should "come to Pakistan with evidence", if any, of a Pakistani link to the attacks. They said the visit of any Inter Services Intelligence official to India "was also in doubt" and unlikely to happen "in the near future".

Meanwhile, army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha met on Saturday to discuss the situation in the wake of the terror attacks in Mumbai that killed 183 people and injured hundreds more.

Pietersen 'ready to return to India'

megha — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 12:47:44 +0530

Most of his teammates may still be undecided about their decision to tour India, but England captain Kevin Pietersen has said he would return to India for the Test series, provided security adviser Reg Dickason okays the tour.

Back in the comfort of his family, Pietersen said that he could not sleep since terror struck Mumbai, but asserted that terrorism should not be allowed to play spoilsport.

"We can't allow these cowards to run our game," Pietersen wrote in Sunday’s News of the World.

"It puts it all into perspective when you see blood on the streets. But if Reg gives us the OK, then I'll be back for the two Test matches and complete the tour. He has been around the block and I trust his judgment 100 percent. If he says it is safe to go back to India for the first Test in 11 days, then you can count me in," added the England captain.

Pietersen, however, made it clear that he would not force any teammate to join the touring party.

"It is a brutal situation and a world tragedy. So if any of the lads decide they don't want to return, then that's fine with me; they have got wives and kids to think about," he said.

Horrified by what he saw on television, Pietersen said that it was a close shave for the English cricketers.

"We were on the team bus coming back from Cuttack when we heard news of the horrific slaughter of innocent people in Mumbai. We were 800 miles from the attack but suddenly we felt very vulnerable, especially as we had stayed at the targeted Taj Mahal Hotel just two weeks ago," he said.

"We were due to go back there for the second Test all our whites and blazers for the Test matches are still in there somewhere. I will never forget it. I was walking down those steps only days ago to have a quick drink with a mate on his boat; now they are the scene of a tragedy," Pietersen said.

"It could have been one or all of us being carried out in a body bag. And when you see something like that you sense danger around every corner," he added.

"And when you hear that the terrorists are singling out English tourists, it sends a shiver down your spine. In cricket-mad India who could be more high profile than the England team? And who could be more high profile than their captain? It makes my blood run cold," Pietersen said.

The South African-born cricketer said as England captain, he was ready to face any opposition but certainly not terrorists.

"You don't expect to have to deal with tragedies like this when you take on the captaincy...Field placing, bowling changes, declarations and bad light you expect not cold-blooded murder," he said.

Emotionally drained by the episode, Pietersen plans to attend Sunday’s Chelsea vs Arsenal match to take his mind off the incident.

"Before we decide what we are going to do I'm going to take time out to go to Stamford Bridge to cheer on my mate Frank Lampard today. I need something to take my mind off this carnage," Pietersen said.

Pak may relocate 1 lakh army personnel to Indian border: Report

sitansu — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 20:40:55 +0530

Pakistan may relocate around 100,000 military personnel from its restive border area with Afghanistan if there is an escalation in tension with India, which has hinted at the involvement of Pakistani elements in the Mumbai carnage, a media report said on Saturday.

Private channel Geo News reported that Pakistan's military and intelligence sources told a select group of journalists on Saturday that NATO and American command had been told that Islamabad would be forced to relocate its military from the borders with Afghanistan if there is escalation in tension with India, where nearly 200 people were killed in the multiple terror attacks on the Indian financial capital.

"These sources have said NATO and the US command have been told that Pakistan would not be able to concentrate on the war on terror and against militants around the Afghanistan border as defending its borders with India was far more important," Geo News quoted senior Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir as saying.

He also said the sources had briefed the media that the decision not to send the ISI chief Lt Gen Shuja Pasha to India was taken after Indian foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee used a very aggressive tone with Pakistani officials on telephone after the Mumbai attacks.

"The decision to not send the ISI DG to India was taken because Mukherjee used strong words with Pakistani officials and warned of consequences," Mir quoted the military sources as saying.

US fears Pakistani role in Mumbai attacks

sitansu — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 18:01:17 +0530

US officials are worried about a possible surge in violence between India and Pakistan after the bloody attacks in Mumbai that killed at least 183 people, including five Americans.

To ease tensions, intelligence officials are searching urgently for clues that might identify the attackers even as Indian officials claim "elements in Pakistan" were involved.

FBI agents were preparing to fly to India to investigate the bloody attacks in the Indian financial capital as the State Department warned US citizens still in the city that their lives remain at risk.

A US counterterrorism official said some "signatures of the attack" were consistent with the work of Pakistani militant groups known as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed that have fought Indian troops in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir and also are reported to be linked to al Qaida.

But the official emphasised it was premature to pinpoint who was responsible for the attacks. Another official, specialising in counterintelligence, also cautioned against rushing to judgment on the origins of the gunmen who waged a two-and-a-half-day rampage through India's leading commercial center before being killed.

The US officials spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.

India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir. US officials are concerned about a flare-up in animosity similar to one that occurred after Pakistani militants attacked the Indian parliament in December 2001, the officials said.

Underscoring those fears, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called the foreign minister of India twice, along with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, since the crisis began.

"There were very worrying tensions in the region," said Gordon Duguid, a State Department spokesman.

"She was calling the president of Pakistan to get his read on how those tensions might be affected," Duguid said.

As US officials worked to ease hard feelings between India and Pakistan, a tentative rapprochement between the two nuclear-armed rivals could hang in the balance.

Pakistan's ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani, said in a statement that his country is "confronting the menace of terrorism with great vigor." Haqqani insisted "it is unfair to blame Pakistan or Pakistanis for these acts of terrorism even before an investigation is undertaken."

President George W Bush pledged cooperation with Indian authorities and mourned the deaths of at least 183 people at the hands of gunmen.

"My administration has been working with the Indian government and the international community as Indian authorities work to ensure the safety of those still under threat," Bush said in statement on Friday.

Bush was receiving regular updates, White House press secretary Dana Perino said on Friday night. Senior administration officials were focused on ensuring that Americans were being helped in every way possible, she said.

Duguid, the State Department spokesman, cautioned that "Americans are still at risk on the ground," and repeated calls for US citizens not to travel to the stricken city at least through the weekend.

Officials were working out the final details with Indian diplomats on Friday for the departure of an FBI team, said US authorities, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because of the delicate nature of the operation. A second group of investigators was on alert to join the first team if necessary.

US officials were checking with Indian authorities and hospitals to learn more about the extent of casualties.

Duguid said consular staff would continue to work with Indian police until all missing Americans were accounted for.

US officials have activated a phone tree to contact American citizens who registered with the US consulate in Mumbai, State Department spokesman Robert McInturff said.

President-elect Barack Obama has spoken by telephone with Rice about the attacks and received several intelligence briefings, State Department officials said. They said Rice spoke again on Friday with Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

"These terrorists who targeted innocent civilians will not defeat India's great democracy, nor shake the will of a global coalition to defeat them," Obama said in a statement.

"The United States must stand with India and all nations and people who are committed to destroying terrorist networks, and defeating their hate-filled ideology," he added.

The State Department set up a call center for Americans concerned about family members who may be in Mumbai. The number is 1-888-407-4747.

Also Read:
Obama hails India's 'great democracy' in face of terror

India Inc stands with forces; calls for tougher govt action

manoj — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:44:48 +0530

India Inc on Saturday exuded confidence that business will be back to normal from Monday and heaved a sigh of relief as the 60-hour terror horror got over.

While urging Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for tougher laws against terrorism so that dastardly acts witnessed in the financial capital since Wednesday are not repeated elsewhere in India, apex industry chambers said the economy will recover fast from the blow.

"Even yesterday stock market in the midst of the battle showed some resilience, this is an indication as to how India and its people take these dastardly activities of terrorists in their stride. We expect that by Monday the regular financial parameters and fundamentals will come back into play," FICCI Secretary General Amit Mitra told PTI.

Mitra, however, reminded the Prime Minister to keep his words for tough action against terrorism.

"We expect that the commitments made by the Prime Minister of tougher laws against terrorists and centralized single agency for dealing with such situations will come into force sooner or later," he said.

Singh, on Thursday, had stated that "strongest possible measures" would be taken to deal with terrorists and their supporters.

Expressing confidence that the attack would not have any long lasting impact on foreign investments in India, Mitra said: "India is a natural destination for potential investors in the future. $25 billion have come as FDI, we expect the flow to continue even if slightly muted, given the global circumstances."

Assocham Secretary General DS Rawat also expressed confidence that India would recover fast from the blow although it could face a temporary setback.

"I think it will recover fast. It will definitely have temporary impact but in two months everything will be normal," Rawat said.

He said the worst hit sectors could be tourism, as the number of tourists was already down by 10 percent and the message gone worldwide will further affect it by at least 25 percent in the peak season of October-March.

Rawat said stringent actions should be taken against people found guilty. "No one should get the political advantage and the entire nation should fight it unitedly and treat it as a war on the nation."

Mitra said the long overdue police reforms need to be set in motion.

"These measures, if taken with determination and in consultation with the opposition will go a long way towards reducing the feeling of insecurity," he added.

Financial blow

Rawat also said that the blasts had caused a blow of nearly Rs 4,000 crore to the financial capital of the country, industry experts said.

"It is an overall loss of the economy as hotels, shops and all businesses were closed. A minimum of Rs 1,000 crore per day is lost when such a shut-down takes place," Assocham Secretary DS Rawat told.

"If you take the impact for four days due to the siege, then the overall loss could be over Rs 4,000 crore," he added.

On Thursday, the Bombay Stock Exchange, National Stock Exchange and Commodity exchanges were shut and many of the corporate offices had reported skeletal staff presence as security forces tried to overcome terrorists, who struck at different parts of the city.

Combined daily turnover of the BSE, NSE and the commodity exchanges is about Rs 32,710 crore.

The attack on the city, which is also the entertainment hub of the country, has greatly affected the television and movie industry with a loss of about Rs 10 crore, estimated during the last three days of terrorist attacks.

According to a film producer, who did not wish to be named said the biggest hit was the theatre business losing about Rs eight crore due to closure of screens.

"TV and film production business is anyway affected and has suffered a loss of about Rs two crore," he added.

Meanwhile, FICCI President Rajeev Chandrasekhar has announced donation of Rs one crore to the families of NSG and Maharashtra Police officials and jawans, who laid their lives fighting terrorists in Mumbai.

Money would be sent to the families of Major Sandip Unnikrishnan and Havaldar Gajinder Singh of NSG, Chief of Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad Hemant Karkare and 16 officials and jawans of the Maharashtra Police by the industry chamber by Monday.

"They are the true heroes who led the fightback against terror. Let's never forget them and remember to do our bid for our country and its war against terror," FICCI chief said.

The chamber would raise more funds for the heroes who fought against the terror unleashed in Mumbai's Taj Hotel, Trident Oberoi and Nariman House, a FICCI official said.

President seeks joint action against terror

manoj — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:10:48 +0530

Indian President Pratibha Patil urged the international community on Saturday to come together in ending violent militant acts after a prayer at a Hindu temple in Bali, Indonesia.

Patil is on a six-day visit to Indonesia, and has continued a tour of Southeast Asia despite the deadly militant attacks in Mumbai.

"I hope this is the right time for people of all the regions and communities to work together for peace and happiness for mankind," Patil told reporters.

She said that prior to her visit to Indonesia she had met Vietnamese leaders, who had also condemned the extremist acts.

"It has been unanimously decided that terrorism is high on the agenda of the international community and we must jointly and relentlessly fight it," Patil said after praying with local leaders on the island, that was itself hit by Islamist extremists in 2002 when bombs claimed the lives of 202 people.

"I prayed for the peace and happiness of mankind, peace and prosperity for India and other countries. I prayed that good sense prevails on all the people so that such acts of terrorism not occur again," she said.

Patil is scheduled to meet her Indonesian counterpart Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta on Monday, a spokesman for Indonesia's foreign ministry said.

The visit by the Indian president is a follow-up to a 2005 state visit by Yudhoyono to India. A number of agreements are set to be made, including on youth development, sport and agriculture, according to the foreign ministry

A spokesman for the Indian embassy in Jakarta, Sugandra Jaram, earlier said he was unaware of any plan to abandon Patil's trip in light of militant attacks on the Indian commercial capital of Mumbai, which killed at least 155 people.

Sino-India trade to reach $55 bn

sitansu — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:27:13 +0530

Bilateral trade between India and China will reach $55 billion by the end of December, surpassing the $60 billion target for 2010, Chinese Consul-General Mao Siwei said on Friday.

At a seminar organised by the Asiatic Society Mao said, during the visit of Prime Minister Manomohan Singh to China, the two countries had set a trade target of $60 billion which would be surpassed.

Recalling External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's recent announcement in Guangzhou that China had become India's largest trading partner, Mao said bilateral trade was a driving force behind Sino-Indian relations.

"I believe that the surge in bilateral trade between India and China is not a chance phenomenon, but the logical result of mutual complementaries in the economic strength of our two countries," he said.

Pointing out that Sino-Indian relations saw a thaw since the 80s after the coldness of the 60s and 70s, Mao said a big leap had been made over the past decade.

"My understanding is that the basic consensus that both China and India do not consider each other as a security threat has paved the way for the development of bilateral relations over the last 10 years," the envoy said.

He said, however, some 'outstanding issues' needed to be resolved in further strengthening the Sino-Indian ties.

Blaming the media for maintaining a negative picture of China, he said reports about Chinese incursion into the Indian territory were sensationalised.

"There is a dispute because there is no demarcation of the border," Mao added.

India's cricketing future in chaos: Oz media

sneha — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:55:21 +0530

The Mumbai terror attack has brought cricketing super-power India on its knees and it could join Pakistan in the no-go destination list if foreign players refuse to participate in the postponed Champions League Twenty20, said the Australian media.

"A landmark precedent has been created with the postponement of the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 tournament, with cricket's new base -- India -- in danger of losing its status as a safe destination for players following yesterday's terror attacks in Mumbai," said The Sydney Morning Herald.

"With Australia and most major nations due to play a large portion of their cricket on the subcontinent from now on, the decision to delay the league in India could have dire consequences for future series - as has been the case for terror-ravaged Pakistan," it added.

The Champions League Twenty20 was scheduled next month from December 3 and Mumbai was one of the venues for the cash-rich mega event.

The Herald Sun said the attack, that killed over 100 people, has put international cricket in "crisis".

"The Mumbai terrorist massacre has ripped the heart out of Indian cricket with Australia suspending all cricket-related travel to the country."

"World cricket was in crisis last night with the game's most powerful nation on its knees and next week's multi-million dollar Champions League tournament postponed," it said.

The Australian felt a chaotic future awaits Indian cricket which will now struggle to alley security fears of visiting teams.

"Indian cricket's short-term future is in chaos and its long-term prospects under serious question after terror attacks in Mumbai."

"The killings and carnage sent a shiver down the spine of the international game as the targeted hotels, the Taj Mahal and Oberoi, have long been favoured by players and officials," it said.

"Mumbai is the favourite destination of all cricketers on the subcontinent and it is where the heart of subcontinental cricket resides," it added.

India rejects US intervention on Kashmir issue

wali — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 23:45:29 +0530

Amid reports that the next US administration might appoint former President Bill Clinton as a mediator on Kashmir, India on Wednesday night rejected any third party intervention and asserted that the matter would have to be addressed bilaterally with Pakistan.

The assertion by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee came after his talks with Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi during which the two sides agreed on the need to resolve outstanding issues expeditiously and enhance the bilateral ties in trade and other fields.

The two sides also discussed the problem of terrorism, with Pakistan saying that it is a "common threat" and should be fought jointly by the two countries.

Addressing a joint press conference with Qureshi after their 90-minute talks, Mukherjee said the two sides discussed ways to build on the initiatives taken to improve ties, including launching cross-LoC trade and in-principle agreement to open the Wagah-Attari and Khokhrapar-Munnabao borders for commerce.

When referred to reports that the Barack Obama administration could appoint Clinton as a mediator on Kashmir, Mukherjee said "Jammu and Kashmir is essentially a bilateral issue which we have agreed to resolve bilaterally from the Simla agreement to Lahore Declaration".

He said the issue is to be resolved through bilateral talks between the two countries. "Therefore, there is no question of any intervention by any third quarter," he said.

To a question, Qureshi said Kashmir is an "important segment" of the dialogue process between the two countries and pointed out that Foreign Secretaries of the two countries would be discussing it under the fifth round of Composite Dialogue which has got underway.

India off to a good start in Hong Kong

megha — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:59:16 +0530

Arvind Bhatt stunned world number eight Joachim Persson of Denmark in straight-games as India made a resounding start to their campaign at the Hong Kong Super Series with all the shuttlers winning their singles opening round match in Hong Kong on Wednesday.

Olympic quarterfinalist Saina Nehwal started the proceedings for India, staving off the challenge of Thai Salakjit Ponsana 21-19 22-20 in a 33-minute contest.

Arvind Bhatt then pulled off a stunner, beating world number eight and sixth seed Joachim Persson of Denmark 21-17 21-17 to advance to the second round.

Persson could not negotiate the smashes of Arvind as the world number 41 wrapped up the match in just 29 minutes to emerge as the winner.

Chetan Anand also made it to the next round but unlike Arvind he had to break some sweat before unsettling Czech Petr Koukal 21-18 17-21 21-13 in a 50-minute guelling battle.

India had just one disappointment, when Saina and her doubles partner Anna Rice of Canada were handed out a straight-game defeat by the Malaysian duo of Chiou Hwee Haw and Pek Siah Lim.

Saina-Rice were thumped 16-21 11-21 by the Malaysians in a lopsided match that lasted just 27 minutes.

Indian, Pak hackers deface govt websites

manoj — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:41:46 +0530

Indian and Pakistani hackers are engaged in a round of tit-for-tat defacing of government-run websites of the two countries, targeting such major organisations as India's oil and gas major ONGC and its Pakistani counterpart OGRA.

The cyber warfare began in mid-November when an Indian group of hackers known as HMG or "Guards of Hindustan" defaced the website of Pakistan's Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority and deleted all its data.

The move created a buzz in cyberspace as HMG had earlier hacked a number of Pakistani communities on the social networking website Orkut.

Apparently acting in retaliation, a group calling itself the Pakistan Cyber Army (PCA) on Tuesday hacked five Indian websites, including those of ONGC, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), Indian Railways and the Kendriya Vidyalaya in Ratlam.

While the websites of ONGC and Indian Railways were quickly restored, the IIRS website is still blank. In a message posted briefly on the ONGC website, PCA said the hacking was carried out in retaliation for the hacking of the OGRA website.

"Back off, go read some course books, else you will lose both, your name and this game. We will literally smoke your doors off like other groups did before," said the message from PCA.

Responding quickly to the actions of the PCA, HMG took control of the website of Kendriya Vidyalaya in Ratlam. The website still features a message from HMG asking the site owner to fix its "flaws."

"Ur site was hacked by Pakistani hackers, now ur site is in our Indian hackers' control," said the message from HMG.

After internet usage became popular in the Indian subcontinent in the early 1990s, Indian and Pakistani hackers including those based in the West often engaged in tit-for-tat defacing of websites of both countries.

Those activities subsided after a few years. Hackers cannot control a website permanently even if they break into it.

They usually post a fake page on a hacked website.

Ironically, PCA has asked Indian authorities to take action against HMG for hacking Pakistani websites "or get ready for more action."

India asks parties in Middle East to eschew violence

tejas — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:38:23 +0530

Appealing to all parties in the Middle East to eschew violence, India has stressed on the necessity of arriving at a "lasting and durable solution" to various inter-related tracks that constitute problems in the region.

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Indian MP Saleem I Shervani warned the international community against allowing the tragedy in the Middle East to continue to fester in the inter-connected world.

"We must seize the moment, in our collective interest, so as to enable the vision of an independent, viable and sovereign State of Palestine, living side-by-side and in peace with Israel, and a larger Middle East whose constituent nations remain at peace with each other and with the world at large," he said.

Despite the hope engendered by the Annapolis meeting almost a year ago, the lack of substantive progress remains a matter of abiding concern, he said, expressing "grave concern" over Gaza remaining cut off because of Israeli blockade and barriers to free movement in the West Bank.

Expressing concern of "relentless" expansion of "illegal" settlements on occupied Arab lands and construction of separation wall by Israel, he said they accentuate the already existing problems.

All acts of violence, no matter by whom, only vitiate the atmosphere for a result-oriented dialogue based on trust, without which no solution is possible, he said.

"This is in no party's interest, as it makes it hard for the parties to make the necessary compromises to resolve the key issues relating to an independent, sovereign and viable Palestinian State, a solution to the problem of refugees, and the question of Jerusalem," Shervani added.

At the same time, several of the fundamental issues relating to the occupation of other Arab territories in Lebanon and the Syrian Golan remain unresolved. These too add to a sense of frustration and desperation within the affected states.

Such issues have the potential of exacting an immediate and long-term impact on the lives of the people, potentially contributing more fuel to an already combustible situation.

It is for this reason, he said, that India consistently urges all parties to eschew violence and exercise restraint.

Under the present circumstances, Shervani said, the possibility of creating a sovereign, viable and independent State of Palestine seems difficult.

While resolution of the six decade-long "tragedy of Palestine" will have an important impact on the situation in the Middle East, he emphasised, peace in the Middle East also requires forward movement on other tracks of the peace process.

"India is encouraged by regional efforts to resume the process of negotiations on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks, and we commend in particular the effort facilitated by Turkey to re-energize the Syria-Israel track.

"We look forward to the early resolution through dialogue of the long-standing occupation of the Syrian Golan, to which this General Assembly annually commits itself," Shervani added.

Bangladesh thump India in ICL world series

manoj — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:58:22 +0530

A sensible, unbeaten half-century by Shahriar Nafees helped ICL Bangladesh beat ICL India convincingly by five wickets in a crucial league match of the T20 World Series at the Sardar Patel Stadium on Tuesday.

Nafees mixed caution with aggression to see his side through with three balls to spare and register their first victory in the tournament after India posted a, not huge but competitive, score of 164 for eight in their allotted 20 overs.

With Bangladesh's victory, the tournament has opened up with India, Bangladesh and the World XI registering one win each.

The Bangladesh chase on Tuesday, however, began on a disastrous note as Rajamani Jesuraj picked up Nazimuddin (2) on the fourth ball of the opening over.

The Bangladeshi opener heaved at a good length delivery outside the off stump, only to get the outside edge, and Ali Murtaza at third man did the rest.

Nafees, who hit four sixes and four boundaries in his unbeaten 70 off 53 balls, was at the business from the word go. He adopted a sensible approach of dealing in singles and indulging in the occasional big hits, while reserving his best for later on in the game.

He was also helped by Aftab Ahmed's (26 of 18) improvised batting. However, some out-of-the-box thinking by India skipper Rajagopal Satish saw the end of the 52-run first wicket partnership between Ahmed and Nafees.

Satish replaced Reddy with Ali Murtaza in the eighth over after the latter gave only two runs in his opening over and Reddy reposed his captain's faith and struck gold, castling Ahmed's stumps.

But it wasn't enough for India as after the downfall of Ahmed, came in another danger-man in the form of Alok Kapali.

Kapali, who made the first-ever century of the ICL last month, made up for his poor show against World XI, hitting two fours and four sixes in his 23-ball 44 run innings.

The duo of Kapali and Nafees were in a murderous mood, but Reddy once again came to India's rescue, getting the vital wicket of Kapali.

He was ably supported by a well judge catch by Jesuraj in the mid-wicket boundary.

India's misery with poor fielding continued for the second day on the trot. After four dropped catches against Pakistan in the earlier game, Ambati Rayudu squandered the all important catch of man-of-the-match Nafees with Bangladesh needing 15 off 11 balls.

The last nail in India's coffin was dug when Nafees hit Murtaza for a four and a six in the last over and then finished up the run chase with a single.

Jesuraj and Reddy were the best Indian bowlers on display, picking up two each for 25 and 32 runs respectively in their four-over spell.

Earlier, a late blitzkrieg by skipper Satish saved the day for ICL India. Satish, who arrived at the crease at the score of 107 for five in 14.6 overs, struck the Bangladeshi bowlers to all parts of the ground in his quick-fire 44 off 20 balls.

He hit as many as four sixes and two boundaries in his 33-minute stay.

Crisis has 'grave implications' for Indians in UK

manoj — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:52:23 +0530

There are "grave implications" of the current economic downturn for 1.5 million people of Indian origin working and living in Britain, according to the Indian Workers Association (IWA).

The IWA cautioned that as in the past, rising unemployment and economic hardships may lead to people directing their anger against migrants, including those who have roots in India.

"Repercussions of this crisis could have grave implications for the migrant population, including the 1.5 million people of Indian origin living in Britain," IWA Secretary General Harsev Bains told PTI.

Bains said that according to a recent memo from the Home Office, a rise in anti-immigrant sentiment and ethnic tension was being anticipated in the near future.

The hardships of the 1930s had turned some Britons against foreigners with the rise of fascism and the cyclic recession of the 1980s gave way to race riots, he said.

With the opening up of European borders, immigration has increased dramatically and with it the electoral base of the parties of the far right.

The IWA, one of the oldest ethnic organisations in Britain, was set up in 1938 to further the cause of India's independence.

Over the years, it has been in the forefront of several anti-racism struggles.

The IWA was set up in Coventry but it was the arrival of immigrants from Punjab during the 1950s that led to its expansion all over the UK.

UN to send Obasanjo on second Congo peace mission

manoj — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:26:13 +0530

Special envoy Olusegun Obasanjo will embark on a second peace mission to Congo this weekend, the UN said on Tuesday, as AFP learnt of a row developing with Kinshasa over Indian peacekeeping troops.

Obasanjo, a former Nigerian president who undertook a first trip as UN envoy to the Democratic Republic of Congo on November 15-16, will arrive in Kinshasa on Saturday and hold meetings with President Joseph Kabila, the UN said.

Obasanjo will then travel to Goma, capital of eastern Nord-Kivu province and the frontline of the conflict between Laurent Nkunda's rebels, the Congolese army and an assortment of militias.

A spokesman for the rebels confirmed the trip and said they were expecting Obasanjo on Sunday.

The announcement came as AFP was read a letter from the Congolese government to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon asking him not to send any more Indian troops to reinforce its peacekeeping mission.

India is not mentioned by name, but diplomatic sources told AFP there was no doubt the letter was referring to the large Indian contingent of MONUC, the UN peacekeeping mission.

"In view of the numerous abuses of power carried out by certain troops within MONUC, the (Congolese) people would not understand if soldiers from the same country would be used to boost numbers within MONUC," says the letter, which was read to AFP by diplomatic sources.

Indian peacekeepers have been accused of sexual abuse and MONUC admitted in August that some Indian troops could have been involved.

The letter could prove a major diplomatic embarrassment to the UN.

Some 90 percent of the peacekeepers patrolling the troubled Nord-Kivu region are from India and New Delhi is also providing assault helicopters for the mission.

The UN Security Council voted last Thursday to send 3,000 reinforcements to the country. Which countries will supply the extra troops and when is still to be undecided.

Status of refugees

The UN has been criticised for failing to protect the estimated 250,000 displaced people by both the rebels and government forces.

Also on Tuesday, the United Nations refugee agency said it would start to transfer 30,000 vulnerable people from camps for safety reasons.

"Tens of thousands of displaced Congolese civilians in the Kibati camps are in a dangerous situation as the warring parties remain in close proximity," said UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesman William Spindler.

The UNHCR had already warned of the plight of 67,000 people in the Kibati camps last week after a 20-year old woman was killed by a stray bullet during what residents described as a foiled attempt by soldiers to kidnap a girl.

"Soldiers also looted several huts and working premises of several NGOs working in the camp," Spindler said.

He said that the first transfers will see vulnerable, young, sick and elderly people moved by truck or on foot to existing camps on the western outskirts of the city of Goma, with UN peacekeepers providing security.

The UN also estimates that as many as 150,000 children have been prevented from going to school since the outbreak of the conflict.

Humanitarian groups have expressed concern over the plight of more than 250,000 people who have been displaced since fighting erupted between the rebels and government forces in August.

The UN's World Food Programme said it had distributed supplies to nearly 145,000 displaced people in the past week and aimed to provide aid to as many as 400,000, despite a lack of security and inclement weather.

The worsening situation saw Human Rights Watch and a number of other pressure groups wrote to UN Human Rights Council president Martin Uhomoibi earlier this month urging a special session and calling on the body to appoint an envoy to report on human rights in the region.

The Council agreed to hold a session and said it would take place this Friday. The decision followed a request tabled by France on behalf of EU countries and others including Argentina, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Switzerland and Ukraine.

Menon to meet Obama team next week

sitansu — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:46:51 +0530

India will make its first high-level contact with the incoming administration of President-elect Barack Obama when Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon goes to the US next week to meet key figures of the transition team.

Menon is likely to meet influential figures in the transition team that includes Wendy Sherman, the co-chair of the state department's Agency Review Team, which is tasked with preparing policy and personnel for the soon-to-be-named secretaries.

He is also expected to meet Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns, who served as Washington's chief interlocutor during the last lap of the nuclear deal, official source said.

Burns is likely to acquire an important position in the foreign policy establishment in the Obama presidency.

India is optimistic about sustaining the momentum of its relations with the US that were revolutionized by a landmark nuclear deal under the George Bush presidency. Obama has made it clear that he will not re-open the nuclear deal, but has underlined at the same time his commitment to revamping the non-proliferation architecture that could include a ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

In his meetings with Obama's transition team, Menon is expected to focus on a range of issues, including nuclear trade, terrorism and climate change, that could hold the key to the evolution of the India-US relations in the future. In an interview ahead of his election as the 44th president of the US, Obama had indicated his desire to appoint a special envoy on Kashmir that caused much unease in New Delhi.

Obama also articulated his new approach to the war on terror and continuing instability in Afghanistan that could involve a proactive involvement of Pakistan and a likely US role in the resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

India has made it clear many a time that Kashmir is a bilateral issue that is being discussed by India and Pakistan in the framework of the composite dialogue and has objected to any perceived third-party intervention. Menon is likely to reiterate this view when he meets key figures associated with the foreign policy in the Obama team.

It will also be Menon's effort to encourage the US to consult India on key regional issues. The consultations on regional issues had become part of practice under the Bush presidency. When Bush met Manmohan in Washington September 25, he made it a point to thank the Indian prime minister for his valuable inputs on the region that included the situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

India looks to central Asia for securing oil, gas supplies

sneha — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:10:41 +0530

India is looking for greater “synergy in energy” with central Asian countries, Petroleum Minister Murli Deora said in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Deora said ONGC Videsh Ltd, the overseas arm of India's Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), has made its largest investment of $8 billion in Russia's Sakhalin 1 oilfield project.

Additionally, he said, India is in discussion with Turkmenistan to source gas from that CIS nation through a multinational pipeline. India already produces gas in Tajikistan and is looking for opportunities in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.

Deora was speaking at the two-day India-CIS roundtable on hydrocarbons being jointly organised by the ministry of petroleum and natural gas and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Referring to the current volatility in oil prices, the minister said oil suppliers and consumer countries should enter into a stable and secure arrangement.

“We feel that it would be in our common interest to have a more stable and secure arrangement for supply of oil to consumers, along with a sustainable pattern of oil prices beneficial to both the producers and consumers," he said.

"Greater stability in oil prices will also ensure that there is enough long-term investment in the sector so that access to oil is not restricted," Deora said, adding, "We also seek greater transparency in formulation of oil prices so that a healthy market could be put in place.”

Inter-faith champion terms suicides un-Islamic

manoj — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:10:20 +0530

Muslim girls in school in the UK.

Inter-faith champion terms suicides un-Islamic

Tue-Nov 25, 2008

London / Indo-Asian News Service

With both countries facing the common threat of suicide bombings, India-born inter-faith champion Lord Khalid Hameed says a recent British exercise in bringing Muslim and Jewish students together holds important lessons for India.

"There is absolutely no room for suicide in Islam," said Hameed who has been visiting top British universities along with a group of like-minded parliamentarians, addressing challenging religious issues.

Their visits follow reports of campus tensions between Muslim and Jewish students in Britain.

"I'd say the same thing to Muslim youth audiences in Britain and in India," the Lucknow-born Hameed, who was honoured with a Padma Shri in 1992 for services in the field of medicine, told IANS in an interview.

"You need to come out of the margins and participate in nation-building. Be non-violent, go in for education and put in hard work. At the end of the day, the solution is education, education, education. The problem is that Muslims lack credible, sincere and honest leadership. There are no leaders - the community is like a ship with no anchor and no captain, travelling in all directions in turbulent waters," he said.

Hameed, a successful medical entrepreneur who is chairman of the Alpha Hospital Group and CEO of the planned super-speciality London International Hospital, said he was frank in his exchanges with the youth he met.

"I told them all these young people (who support terrorism) are totally un-Islamic. There is a blanket prohibition of suicide under Islam. And just as the Upanishads (Hindu scriptures) talk about the world as a single family, so Islam says that noble people look after strangers as they would look after themselves," he said.

One problem, according to him, was that the Quran has been heavily edited by "various sides to their own advantage."

"Once you start editing a holy book, you risk losing the gist of the message, which includes, 'You shall not kill, you shall not take innocent life and you shall not take your own life'," he added.

Hameed, who has so far visited the universities of Middlesex, Oxford and Birmingham with other peers and MPs belonging to the Co-Existence Trust, a cross-party NGO, said Muslim youths also suffered from a "phobia of strangers" among host cultures.

"Everything about them is seen as 'different' - their clothes, rituals, food, skin colour... Therefore, you have people saying 'They are taking over our jobs, hospital beds, education'," he explained.

Hameed said one question he has been asked repeatedly by students is how democracy protects citizens from what are seen as deliberate provocations, such as cartoons about Prophet Mohammed.

"My reply is that here you have the freedom to practise your own faith. In return, because you love democracy, you have to exercise your democratic rights and protest. The bomb is not the answer," Hameed said.

The tour, which takes in some of Britain's biggest universities, is aimed at addressing campus tensions flowing chiefly from the Middle East conflict.

The conflict has led to Jewish and Muslim students in Britain leaving hostile message on Internet sites, putting up inflammatory posters on campuses and Muslim youth joining extremist groups.

Hostilities are reported to have intensified during the 2006 war between Israel and Lebanon, when police were alerted.

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India, Turkey and Israel to discuss gas pipeline

manoj — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:39:29 +0530

A plan to pipe oil and gas from Turkey to Israel and then ship it to India will be discussed when officials from the three countries meet soon, media reports said on Tuesday.

The proposal would allow India easier access to energy supplies from Central Asia and the Caspian region, the Press Trust of India quoted Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying.

Erdogan was speaking on Monday during a meeting with business leaders in Bangalore.

The proposed route comes after a long-planned pipeline that would have linked India to Iran through Pakistan failed to materialize, held up by disagreements over costs, Indian fears about the pipeline's security and strong US opposition.

Turkey has positioned itself as a regional energy hub for routes bypassing Iran.

The planned pipeline would run from the Caspian region to Turkey's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. From there a pipeline would run to Israel's Eilat port on the Red Sea.

Shipping the crude and gas from Eilat would allow Indian tankers to avoid the Suez Canal.

Turkish Energy Minister Hilmi Guler told an Indian financial paper that Turkey had already conducted a feasibility study for the project and officials would likely meet in Turkey in the next month.