Our forces are not an army of occupation. They are there to protect the life and liberty of the citizens, he said.
Ruling coalition partner People's Democratic Party on Sunday sought a special Cabinet meeting to discuss demilitarisation and withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said that women should not go to work for their own safety.
It was not immediately clear whether President Chandrika Kumaratunga wanted parliamentary approval of the plan before putting it into place.
The date for the oath ceremony of the new cabinet was decided after deliberations between the leadership of both the parties.
'The lack of a majority isn't the issue. He has enough in 240, especially as none of his allies can pull down his coalition.' 'That's why he's started as if this were just another, normal term. That pretence is vital for him.' 'The change for Modi 3.0 comes not from numbers, but from the new environment of contestation,' points out Shekhar Gupta.
The Karnataka state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to be more assertive in their approach to put to an end the free run of their coalition partner the Janata Dal-Secular.
Musharraf was definitely in a position to become a real peace-maker with the help of Manmohan Singh and Benazir Bhutto in 2007 but he missed this golden chance. He missed 2007 because he created a political turmoil in Pakistan by attacking the judiciary. He also missed a chance to win the Nobel Peace Prize along with Manmohan Singh due to his self-righteousness. He has missed everything now
Pakistan's Army is to ask the country's embattled President Pervez Musharraf to relinquish office in a week's time as its top brass would not want him to be impeached, a news report said on Saturday.
Among the major political parties, chief minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United is contesting in 35 of the 71 seats, followed by its ally Bharatiya Janata Party (29), while the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal has fielded its candidates in 42 and its coalition partner Congress is in the fray in 20 assembly segments.
"I am optimistic of some tangible movement forward on these crucial issues in the coming days," Mufti told PDP functionaries in Srinagar.
History, incidentally, has often been the stick that the BJP and the JD-U have used to beat each other with.
Pakistan People's Party co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari has categorically said that Yousuf Raza Gilani will be the country's new prime minister for five years and not for three months. Zardari said that he himself is not interested in the job, as is being implied. Local daily The News quoted him as saying that Gilani slept in Adiyala jail without any proper bed for three months but he never contacted his powerful friends and influential relatives for help.
Meghalaya Chief Minister J D Rymbai resigned on Saturday.
Kushwaha was absent at a get-together of the NDA in Patna on Thursday night and his party demanded that the next Lok Sabha and assembly polls be fought under his leadership.
There is a growing unease among Lok Sabha ticket aspirants in the Shiv Sena amid its decision to drop three sitting MPs and the ongoing seat-sharing talks between the Mahayuti partners, party sources said.
They assured that they will 'not try to topple the government' despite a ruling coalition partner threatening to quit over the issue.
Congress has adopted a wait-and-watch mode in Karnataka in spite of reports suggesting that it might extend outside support to the JDS if the latter severed links with the BJP. The final decision will be taken by Sonia Gandhi when she comes back.
The parties which gave chief ministers and sent scores of MPs to Parliament, drew a blank this time.
Earlier, Konyak had said NCP chief and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and the BJP leadership have been seeking his support for their respective sides. Meanwhile, BJP MP from Arunachal East Tapir Gao rejected reports of his switching over to Congress fold, but admitted that many Congress leaders had approached him to support the trust vote.
Charging the UPA top brass of aligning with industry chambers and not paying heed to coalition partners' demands, Left leaders on Friday said the forthcoming Budget should restore capital gains tax, rationalise corporate tax exemptions and export inc
Rymbai was directed to step down and hand over the mantle to his predecessor D D Lapang.
The defence minister indicated that major defence deals like building of French Scorpion submarines and multi-role fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force would go through.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Governor Rameshwar Thakur briefed Home Minister Shivraj Patil.
24 hours was all it took for the Congress to overturn its decision to boycott the TV debates on the exit poll results. Sudhir Bisht offers an explanation.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram faced a near empty house as the entire opposition led by BJP staged a walkout which was followed by Left allies, SP and coalition partner RJD.
He said the purpose of Gandhi's Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir is to remove the hatred and fear and not to unite the opposition parties under the banner of his party.
'The JD-U and RLSP will have to listen to whatever Amit Shah says.' 'The BJP has so much power that he will snub either of the two parties.'
Prasad was approached with queries by journalists at the airport, where he had reached, alongside son and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, to board a flight to Delhi for the coalition meeting on Tuesday.
Eighteen ministers inducted were of cabinet rank, nine each from the Congress and JD(S). Two JD (S) members joined as ministers of state.\n
