ACCUSED/RESIGNED/CONTROVERSY

Salam Fayyad

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad resigned on 13 April 2013 after falling out with president Mahmud Abbas. Salam Fayyad was tasked with the role of caretaker for the current government until a new prime minister is appointed. Fayyad held the finance portfolio as well as the premiership before Qassis’s appointment in May 2012. His economic policies were being crticised by Abbas’s ruling Fatah movement. The world community gives credit to Fayyad with building a sound institutional framework for the Palestinian Authority ruling over West Bank area. His resignation could hinder implementation of an agreement with Israel.

Ahmed Moaz Al-Khatib

The opposition Coalition President of Syria, Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib announced his resignation from Syrian National Coalition (SNC), the opposition of Syria, on 24 March 2013. Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib declared that he was resigning so that he could work with more freedom which was devoid to him in the official institution. His statement followed an invitation by the Arab League to opposition coalition for attending the summit in Qatar on 26 March 2013.

It is important to note that his resignation could raise opposition division concerns. Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib is said to be the former imam of Omayyed mosque as well as moderate Islamist. He rose to be the respected political figure of Syria. He was elected to the post of Opposition leader in Doha in November 2012.

Giulio Terzi

Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi resigned on 26 March 2013 in the wake of a dispute with India over the 2012 killing of two Indian fishermen by two marines while there are on anti-piracy duty. Italy has agreed to send two Italian marines accused of the crime to India to face trial, after initially refusing to return them. The marines, Salvatore Girone and Massimiliano Latorre, are facing trial in India over the shooting dead of two fishermen off the southern state of Kerala in February 2012 when they were deputed to protect an Italian commercial tanker from pirates. The dispute began after Italy allowed the two suspects to return to Italy in February 2013 to vote in national elections. Rome’s initial refusal to send them back angered Indian government officials and Supreme Court justices, who noted that the Italian ambassador had given assurances to the court that the marines would come back to India after the elections. On 11 March 2013 the outgoing technocrat government of Mario Monti in Italy said it would not send the marines back because Indian courts did not have jurisdiction over the incident, which as per the Rome occurred in international waters.

Mirza Himayat Baig

Mirza Himayat Baig, the lone convict in the Pune German Bakery blast case, was on 18 April 2013 sentenced to death by a Pune Sessions Court. Additional Sessions Judge N P Dhote handed down the capital punishment to Baig for murder and criminal conspiracy, besides under provisions of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and Explosive Substances Act.

The court had accepted the prosecution’s contention that it was a carefully planned attack to terrorise the public in general by causing extensive damage to life and property. All the accused have links to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba or home-grown terror outfit Indian Mujahideen. German Bakery located in posh Koregoan Park area was a popular food joint of youngsters in the city. Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad investigated this gruesome attack. They arrested Himayat Baig and sized explosives from his residence.

They also indentified other accused which includes Mohsin Choudhary, Yasin Bhatkal, Riyaz Bhatkal, Iqbal Bhatkal and Faiyaz Kagzi.

However all other accused are absconding. Baig is the only accused in this case who has been arrested, tried and convicted for the terror attack. The blast had left 17 people dead, including five foreigners, and 64 wounded at the popular eatery on 13 February 2010.