Sharif says Goodbye to Politics and Pakistan

"There must have been some good reasons that I took this decision for."

    -- Pakistan military ruler Gen. Pervez Musharraf on sending Nawaz Sharif, the deposed prime minister, into exile in Saudi Arabia.

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            --Dileep Padgaonkar, former editor of the Times of India, on the recent shooting spree in Delhi's historic Red Fort.

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"The ultra-leftist and ultra-rightist forces are using the Maoist rebellion to weaken democracy in Nepal."

        -- Narahari Acharya, a spokesman of Nepali Congress.

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"I can assure you that I will not let this issue drop. We are trying to make others move."

            -- U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in a recent remark on movement for democracy in Burma.

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"We all should try to create an environment of security through multilateral and international guarantees."

-- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohsen Aminzada while commenting on a proposed gas pipeline linking Iran, India and Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD -- Politics in Pakistan took a dramatic turn in December when Nawaz Sharif, former prime minister, suddenly decided to disappear from the political scene as well as the country for good following a clandestine deal with the military ruler who had toppled him in October last year. Full Story

Subversion Reigns Supreme Amidst Ceasefire

NEW DELHI -- It was a kind of coincidence. An uneasy lull prevailed within the ramparts of the Red Fort on that December 23 evening. However, just a few hundred meters away, Chandni Chowk - the eternal shoppers' delight for residents of Delhi buzzed with activity. This being the festive Eid season for Muslims, the excitement was understandably higher. Full Story

International Community Holds Key to Peace in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO -- The year 2000 ended on a cautiously optimistic note in the war-torn island nation of Sri Lanka. Despite Sri Lankan foreign minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar rattling about the government's ability to continue war even though ostracized by the international community, there is tremendous pressure on both sides to start talks. Full Story

Pressure Mounts to End the So-Called "People's War" in Nepal

KATHMANDU -- In no way did Nepal-the only Hindu kingdom in the world with newfound democracy and growing interaction with the global community-look an ideal hinterland for the Che Guevera-style Maoist revolution. But it did happen nearly five years ago when a little known, ultra-left outfit, Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), decided to launch what it called a "people's war" in the remote and impoverished western hills of the country in early 1996. Full Story

Election Fever Grips Political Parties in Bangladesh

DHAKA -- Political parties in Bangladesh are now busy drawing strategies for the next general election, which is still a year away. Though they have not formally announced them, the two camps -- the combined opposition led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the other camp led by the ruling Awami League (AL) -- have launched their campaigns. Full Story

Aang Suu Kyi Keeps Her Fight for Democracy Alive

KARACHI -- Given the recent failed attempt by Aang San Suu Kyi to leave Rangoon defying again the military junta's ban on travel outside the capital, which was followed by a crackdown on her party, things seem to be heating up in the political arena of Burma. Her loud statements to launch a "war of endurance" to force the junta to allow her to travel freely ... Full Story

India's External Debt Rises to an All-Time High

NEW DELHI - It's going to be a winter of discontent for India's Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha. India's total external debt touched an alarming $99 billion at the end of December last putting the nation among the top ten indebted countries in the world. Full Story

Multibillion-Dollar Gas Pipeline Links Iran, India & Pakistan

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan and India, two archrivals of South Asia, are heading toward the first major cooperation, and talks for a multibillion-dollar gas pipeline from Iran to India via Pakistan are progressing well. A tripartite memorandum of understanding among Pakistan, Iran and India is expected within months, officials of Pakistan's Petroleum Ministry have said. Full Story

Bangladesh Economy Faces Challenges from Within and Outside

DHAKA -- Bangladesh economy, management of which often come under strong criticism of various world bodies, showed some resilience in first two months of fiscal 2000 but continued to remain under pressure of intractable odds which are beyond its control.Full Story 

Big Time for the Big B on Small Screen

BANGALORE -- Between 9 and 10 p.m. from Monday through Thursday, much of urban and semi-urban India comes to a standstill. Shops are empty and families are riveted to the idiot box to watch a handsome, middle-aged man hosting a quiz show amidst impressive sets. Full Story