epaper-06-11-2011 by Pakistan Today

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pakistantoday.com.pk

Vol ii no 133 116 Pages lahore edition

sunday, 6 november, 2011 Zul-Haj 9, 1432

Bring it on, PM challenges Opp g

nawaz, Shahbaz not on same page over removing zardari g

Gilani says PPP primed to face any bid to unseat government South Punjab to become new province on public demand

LAHORE StAff REpORt

hAllENGING rival political parties to try if they could to topple the government, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Saturday said the government had been hearing since 2008 that it would be removed and welcomed those trying to achieve this as it was “primed for that”. Talking to reporters following the formal inauguration of commercial operations of Pakistan’s second communication satellite Paksat-1R in lahore, the PM said all “parties were desirous of opposition though they were in the government”. Urging rivals not to say anything that may offend anyone, he said “no force can topple the government”. The PM said South Punjab would become a new province because that was the wish of the people and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) would move a resolution in the Punjab Assembly for the creation of the same. The second objective behind the PPP’s decision of supporting the demand for a separate province in southern Punjab was that Punjab was too big to be controlled by one CM. he said PMl-N chief Nawaz Sharif had also supported the creation of a new province in his speech in Dera Ghazi Khan. To a question, he said when the resolution for a new province would be moved, it would become clear whether the PMl-N government actually supported the demand or not. he said a separate province was a longstanding demand of the people of southern Punjab and it would be created with the backing of the people. Continued on Page 04

Rana Sanaullah says PmL-n chief had only sanctioned rallies against corruption, not zardari

LAHORE: A prisoner hands over Eidi to his young son before being taken back to the jail from the district courts on Saturday. nadeem ijaz

india says better trade with Pakistan ‘to take some time’ NEW DELHI AgEnciES

New Delhi on Saturday played down confusion about whether Pakistan was granting India Most Favoured trading nation status, saying such a step “could take some time”. Earlier in the week, Pakistan’s cabinet announced it had approved a proposal giving India the status of “Most Favoured Nation” in a move towards normalising trade relations

between the two nuclear-armed rivals. The cabinet’s decision was seen as a breakthrough in thawing relations between the South Asian neighbours who have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947. But later Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani was quoted by media as saying that the Commerce Ministry had only been Continued on Page 04

related story | Page 02

In a stark revelation and an apparent backtracking from its stance, the Pakistan Muslim league-Nawaz (PMl-N) on Saturday said it had nothing to do with the “Go Zardari Go” campaign because party chief Nawaz Sharif never launched any such campaign as generally believed, “instead he unleashed a plan of protest rallies against inflation, corruption and load shedding”. Denying link between the PMlN’s Bhaati Chowk rally and Imran Khan’s procession at Minar-e-Pakistan, the PMl-N turned down the impression that the PTI and PMl-N had common stance towards the Taliban, adding that Imran Khan was an agent of the establishment. “The PMl-N protest rally at Bhaati Chowk on October 28 had a big flex hoarding behind the dice which carried four slogans — load shedding, corruption, overpricing and terrorism — and this showed that the protest rally had no association with Go Zardari Go campaign,” Punjab law Minister Rana Sanaullah said in a Saama TV talk show hosted by Pakistan Today Editor Arif Nizami. To a question, Sana clarified that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s speech at Bhaati Chowk was a reflection of his personal opinion

about Zardari and had no relation with party policy. however, giving benefit of doubt to the CM on his derogatory words against Zardari, he said words like “Al Tahrir Square” and “hanging some people upside down” were idiomatic. “Shahbaz believes in the rule of law and used them symbolically,” he added. Citing 2008, when Nawaz Sharif and Zardari were finalising the accord of Bhurban agreement, Sana said Nawaz sought Shahbaz’s point of view about Zardari through a paper chit and Shahbaz termed Zardari a liar and not trustworthy even then. however, the law minister said Nawaz hammered the deal to save the system. Continued on Page 04

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02 News

Sunday, 6 November, 2011

lAHoRE

Today’s

gaddafi is dead, why keep his name

NEWS

WoRld vIEW

godhra riot witness killed in indian gujarat

muslim scholars fight to dispel polio myths

Quick Look

Story on Page 09

Story on Page 05

Story on Page 17

PPP South Punjab a step for separate province: Wattoo LAHORE: Kashmir Affairs Minister Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo said on Saturday that bifurcation of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Punjab in two parts was a step for the establishment of a southern Punjab province. Talking to reporters at the residence of PPP General Secretary Jahangir Badr, after a meeting with him, he said the PPP would bring about a resolution for the southern province of Punjab in the Punjab Assembly at a suitable time. he said the southern Punjab province was the voice of the people and the PPP-led government could not ignore it as the PPP was the party of the people. he said that no one could oppose the resolution of a separate province of south Punjab as opposing the resolution meant one’s political death. App

Finance secretary responsible for Railways destruction: Bilour SIALKOT: Railways Federal Minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilour on Saturday blamed the Railways finance secretary for the current deteriorating situation of the Railways. According to sources, Bilour strongly criticised Finance Secretary Waqar Masood during a cabinet meeting. OnLinE

JI concerned over Haj hardships LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami(JI) expressed concern over the plight of haj pilgrims and the rise in urea and DAP prices. Talking to delegations at Mansoora, JI chief Munawar hasan on Saturday expressed concern over the hardships faced Pakistani haj pilgrims. he said, according to media reports, thousands of Pakistani pilgrims had not received tents and had to lie in the open or under bridges. he blamed the government for being corruption and not providing basic facilities to the pilgrims. he said the Rental Power projects were only a method to generate billions in commissions. he termed the US statement misleading that it would take Islamabad in confidence before drone attacks. Meanwhile, JI Secretary General liaqat Baloch termed the rise in the Urea and DAP prices by fertilizer factories and dealers a failure of the government. he asked the government to take notice of it or the JI and Kissan Board would start countrywide protests against the price hike after Eidul Azha.he said the price of fertiliser had gone up 100 percent in eight months. DAP bag are costing Rs 6,000. While the official price of Urea is Rs. 1325 per bag, farmers are getting it for Rs 2,000. StAff REpORt

Shot dead near Ring Road LAHORE: Saleem was shot dead in the jurisdiction of Badami Bagh on Saturday. he was shot near Ring Road while he was returning from a court hearing. Police said Saleem had killed Yasir’s mother in 2006. Five years later after a case hearing Yasir and an accomplice shot Saleem dead. The body was shifted to the morgue while a case was registered against Yasir. lAhORE: Two children died in a road accident in the jurisdiction of North Cantt police station late on Friday. Police said Minahil, 4, and Abdul Rehman, 10, old and their mother Nasira were hit by a car driven by squadron leader Mumtaz Begum on Sarwar Road on late Friday. Police said Minahial died on the spot while Abdur Rehman passed away at CMh after 12am while the mother sustained injuries. The bodies were shifted to the morgue and a case has been registered against Mumtaz Begum. StAff REpORt

Elders demand swift action PESHAwAR: Elders of Bara, Khyber Agency on Saturday demanded the government take effective action against militants and complete the military operation quickly. Addressing a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club, haji Kaptan Khan along with other tribesmen from Bara said that the security forces had launched four military operations in the agency but they had not succeeded in restoring peace in the region, adding that the people had to migrate to Jalozai camp and Peshawar each time. They said the earlier operations, with the code names of Daraghlam, Bia Daraglam and Khwah ba Di Sham, had not brought peace to Bara Tehsil, while the war victims had not been rehabilitated yet. StAff REpORt

QUETTA: Two sacrificial goats fight at the cattle market on Airport Road. OnLine

Pakistan and India will have to address many issues even after MFN status g

disadvantages include low-cost imports which might hurt steel, automobile and pharma sectors ISLAMABAD

AmER SiAL

VEN though Pakistan seems inclined to grant the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to arch rival India, which gave the status to Islamabad in 1996, both countries still need to overcome hurdles stopping them from accepting each other as trading partners with tangible actions. The government is consulting chambers of commerce to thrash out the issues for opening trade with India. however, the government has itself not carried out any to assess the impact on the manufacturing sector and job losses after opening up trade with India. The advantages to Pakistan include low cost raw material that will boost manufacturing, controlling inflation and more investment opportunities to tap a larger market. The disadvantages include low cost imports which might hurt the steel, automobile and pharma sectors, resulting in loss of jobs. The non-tariff barriers or NTBs are the obstacles that restrict imports but are not in the usual form of a tariff. Some NTBs are expressly permitted in very limited circumstances, when they are deemed necessary to protect health, safety, or sanitation, or to protect depletable natural resources. The NTBs include import quotas, special licences, unreasonable standards for the quality of goods, customs duty, export restrictions, limiting the activities of state trading, export subsidies,

countervailing duties, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures, rules of origin. Sometimes in this list they include macroeconomic measures affecting trade. Former commerce secretary Tasneem Noorani told Pakistan Today that the government should have conducted a scientific survey to assess the impact on Pakistani products, which could benefit or which could get affected from the bilateral trade. he said merely having a negative list would not be the best option as this would have to be under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. he said India was a large market but it had a very protective regime, besides it had also systematically applied NTBs against all its trading partners to restrict imports. The government has initiated consultation process with the chambers but they lack the required research to assess the impact of opening trade with India, which could hit the local manufacturing sector. A detailed survey would have provided the exact details of NTBs which would have provided Pakistan to conclude a better trade deal with India. Principal consultant at Impact Consulting, Zubair Faisal Abbasi, said removing Indian NTBs would be a tedious exercise and many rounds of parleys would be required to resolve issues for even one product. Giving an example, he said the Pakistani cement sector faced the arduous NTBs removal, which took years. Firstly, Indian officials wanted to visit the plants to take samples, which they said could only be certified from an Indian lab. They accept certificate only of an Indian lab even though Pakistani labs are also in-

ternationally recognised. later, Pakistani cement manufactures realised it was better to export to some other country instead of India. According to Commerce Ministry officials, the steel, auto and pharmaceutical sector products were likely to be placed under the negative list until agreement on NTBs was reached. A negative list for imports contains those items which the country considers could hurt its local manufacturing or create other problems. Under WTO rules, there should be proper reason for placing a product in the list otherwise any trading partner could challenge it with the WTO. But overall, it would allow imports of a majority of items, provided they meet the quality and standard requirements of the country. The scale of Pakistani manufacturing sector is small as compared to India and they are not competitive due to power crisis and quality issues. however, Pakistan’s main industry, textiles, is thought to be competitive enough to make inroads in Indian markets, provided NTBs are removed. Other than NTBs, India also employs technical barriers to trade. If one product has completed all the quality and standard certifications, they would put the file on hold for weeks and even after approval, they would restrict the number of trucks to lift the product from the border. Faisal Abbasi said the government should conduct detailed studies on sunrise and sunset industries due to trade with India. he said the scope for agri-business in Pakistan would be immense by opening up trade with India, but it was also essential that NTBs on flimsy grounds be curtailed.

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Sunday, 6 November, 2011

FoREIgN NEWS

ARTS & ENTERTAINmENT

SPoRTS

63 killed in attacks in northern nigeria

Shilpa Shetty is ‘Real’

Younis leads pakistan fightback

News 03 CommENT playing favourites: The MFN status is in our interest too.

Back to basics: The magistracy comes back.

Humayun gauhar says: Pakistani first and last: Talking positives…

Sarmad Bashir says: Against all odds?: Imran has a long way to go.

Qudssia Akhlaque says: Clinton digs in?: No more mixed messages please.

Story on Page 20

Story on Page 19

Story on Page 08

Articles on Page 12-13

November can be month of government change: Pagara KARACHI

OnLinE

AKISTAN Muslim league – Functional (PMl-F) chief Pir Pagara said on Saturday that November can be month for change of government besides change of weather. he was talking to a delegation of All Pakistan Muslim league (APMl). The delegation included APMl Senior Vice President Dr Ghulam Mujtaba, Brigadier haris Nawaz, Major hashim and Salma Wahid Murad. Pagara said that people were facing woes under the present regime and next government can mitigate their sufferings, adding that commissionerate system should be put in place at every cost. Regarding Pakistan Tehreek-e-In-

saaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s public meeting, he said Air Marshall Asghar Khan had also held public meeting, extending from the Airport to Metropol in Karachi, but what happened with him is before us. “I don’t want to insult Imran Khan but future will decide about him,” he added. There will be unification of all factions of Pakistan Muslim league (PMl), Pagara maintained. Talking about former president Parvez Musharraf’s return to Pakistan, he said, “I had already said that history of Changez should be studied with reference to Musharraf’s return to Pakistan. Those who have read his history should wait.” “If Parvez Musharraf seeks advice after his return to Pakistan then I will give, otherwise I am not servant of any one. I am man of my own will,” he said.

Cm hands over 92 yellow cabs lHC orders removal of two corrupt judges LAHORE

LAHORE

StAff REpORt

Court calls Sohail Tanveer’s wife ISLAMABAD: Civil judge Mazhar Abbas on Saturday summoned the wife of cricketer Sohail Tanveer, Nausheen Agha, to record her views on a suit of jactitation filed by Tanveer under Muslim Family Ordinance 1961 against his ex-wife. Tanveer’s counsel contended Nausheen had two children before her marriage with Tanveer. he alleged Nausheen was blackmailing him despite a divorce in April 2011. Nausheen had filed an application against Sohail a week ago, asking for an FIR against the left-arm pacer for threatening her but police refused terming it a family matter. StAff REpORt

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Saturday that the Yellow Cab Scheme will provide employment to the educated youth of Punjab. Addressing a ceremony held on the occasion of first phase of handing over vehicles to the successful applicants of the Khadim-e-Punjab Self Employment Yellow Cab Scheme. The ceremony was held in the Rawalpindi Art Council auditorium. Speaking at the occasion, Shahbaz said that 20,000 vehicles will be distributed under the first phase of the scheme. he said that Pakistan can be developed through austerity, hard work and honesty, adding that the poor people also had a right over resources of the country and the aim of yellow cab scheme was to give them their right. In the first phase of the scheme, vehicles have been handed over to 92 men and women out of 810 successful applicants of the Rawalpindi district. The chief minister said that this scheme was launched for the first time during Pakistan Muslim league – Nawaz (PMl-N) government in 1990-93 and it was a brainchild of PMl-N President Nawaz Sharif. he said that the aim of yellow cab scheme was to provide employment to the educated youth so that they could stand on their own feet, adding that it will dissuade peo-

StAff REpORt

ple from beggary. Shahbaz said that the process of distribution of 20,000 yellow cabs through transparent balloting was continuing in the province and the number of cabs to be distributed will be increased further. he said that the educated youth is an asset of our country and Punjab government has also launched a one billion rupees scheme for providing loans of Rs 50,000 each to 50,000 poor families for self-employment. he added that scholarships of one billion rupees were being given to 30,000 male and female students.

The lahore high Court (lhC) Chief Justice (CJ) Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry on Saturday passed orders to stop two judges from conducting judicial work after finding them guilty of corruption, dishonesty and misusing judicial authority in an inquiry conducted on complaints against them. According to a notification issued by lhC register Sohail Nasir, the lhC CJ has directed Secretary law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Division Government of Pakistan Islamabad to withdraw judicial work from the court of Main Zafar Iqbal Bohar, Judge/Chairman Drug Court Bahawalpur forthwith and expedite his removal from the said court. Zafar Iqbal was found guilty in an inquiry conducted by District and Sessions Judge RY Khan Ch Ameer Muhammad Khan on the complaint of corruption against him. The lhC CJ directed the federal law and justice ministry secretary to appoint someone else at the seat of judge/chairman Drug Court Bahawalpur after consulting with the court and lhC. The lhC had earlier placed services of Zafar Iqbal at the disposal of federal government for his appointment as judge/chairman of the Drug Court which fall under jurisdiction of the federal government.

SaaRC summit expected to build bridges ISLAMABAD StAff REpORt

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and seven other leaders from South Asian nations will participate in the 17th SAARC Summit to be held at Addu city in Maldives from November 10-11 focused on increasing connectivity among member states and building bridges. As many as eight government heads from South Asian region including the leaders of Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan will meet to discuss regional issues and ink four important agreements.

Another highlight is the expected sidelines’ meeting between Prime Minister Gilani and his Indian counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh during which the two leaders will try to give fresh impetus to the ongoing Indo-Pak peace process. Foreign office officials said the four agreements to be inked by the leaders of SAARC member states will cover the establishment of a SAARC Seed Bank, Multilateral Arrangement on Recognition of Conformity Assessment, Rapid Response to Natural Disaster and Implementation of Regional Standards. Member states are also expected to adopt a separate SAARC Charter of Democracy. Turkey’s application for ob-

server status in the organization will also be taken up during the Summit. At present nine countries including China, the United States and UK have SAARC observer status. The official engagement of the summit will begin on November 6 with the Standing Committee meeting of SAARC followed by joint secretary-level meetings of the eight member states. SAARC Foreign Secretaries will meet on November 7-8 to finalise the agenda of the Summit and the Summit Declaration. A meeting of foreign ministers will be held on November 9, prior to the Summit on November 10-11. The 17th SAARC summit’s theme is ‘Building Bridges.’

PM due in Russia to attend SCO moot ST PETERSBURG App

Prime Minster (PM) Yousuf Raza Gilani will arrive in Saint Petersburg in Russia on Sunday to represent Pakistan at the 10th heads of Government moot of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Gilani will attend the SCO summit on November 7, on the invitation of Russian PM Vladimir Putin, who expressed confidence that the forthcoming SCO session will promote cooperation between Pakistan and other member states. he had conveyed his desire to meet PM Gilani on the sidelines of SCO. Prime Minister Gilani will present Pakistan’s case at the SCO forum and will seek full membership of the organization. A Foreign Office statement said, “Pakistan desires to become a full member of the SCO on account of its immense potential to deal with common regional challenges.”

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04 News

Sunday, 6 November, 2011

Sindh CS denies restoration of magistracy

US general sacked over Karzai criticism KABUL Afp

Experts say provincial govt running without constitutional administration g

KARACHI

QAzi ASif

INDh Chief Secretary Rajan Muhammad Abbas on Saturday contradicted news run by several TV channels that the Sindh government had issued a notification regarding the restoration of magistracy system in the province. “No such notification has been issued,” he told Pakistan Today. he said there was a difference between legal and factual situation. It means the PPP-led government is still in hot waters in Sindh, as the provincial government is running without a constitutionally approved administration. Constitutional experts say that after the lapse of the Sindh governor’s ordinance about the revival of the SlGO 2001, every order passed by any government official or minister will be illegal and under Article 6 of the constitution, cases can be register against the Sindh chief minister, provincial ministers and administrative officers in this regard. The Save Sindh Committee (SSC) has announced that it would observe black day today (Sunday) if the Sindh Assembly’s Act is not revived. After an emergency meeting at hyder Manzil,

Jalal Muhammad Shah said the chief justice of Pakistan had noted that the Sindh government was running unconstitutionally and illegally. “No body is saying what kind of a system is working in the province after the lapse of the Sindh governor ordinance,” he said. PPP government’s coalition partner, the Pakistan Muslim league-Functional (PMl-F), said according to them the commissionerate system in Sindh had been restored. “All political parties in Sindh are against the nazim system,” PMl-F leader and adviser to Sindh Chief Minister Imtiaz Shaikh told reporters on Saturday. he said no system could be run “in the air”, adding that it required a notification regarding the revival of the act passed by the Sindh Assembly. On interim system, Dr Zulfiqar Mirza said the government must avoid any interim government as such a situation would not favour the PPP. he said Agha Siraj Durani was the “most corrupt minister”. “Next come Sindh home Minister Manzoor Wasan, Pir Mazahar, Zahid Bhurgri and Saifullah Dharejo,” Mirza said, adding that he would address a public meeting in Qasim Abad today (Sunday).

nawaz, Shahbaz Continued from Page 1 “So it is an established fact that Shahbaz has his own specific opinion about Zardari,” he added. To another query for calling Imran Khan as “Pagal [insane] Khan”, he said the contents of Imran’s speech were disappointing. “Imran warned of launching a civil disobedience movement if politicians did not declare their assets. Imran focused on politicians. What about judges, army generals and bureaucrats and others. It is a startling fact that Imran, who claims to be a mature politician, does not know that already there is a law applied by the Elections Commission of Pakistan on politicians for declaring their assets and per the law, politicians used to declare their

assets each year,” he said, adding that such statements forced him to call Imran insane. Calling Imran a cat’s paw of the establishment, Sana said the PTI and MQM processions were masterminded by the establishment. “MQM chief Altaf hussain, known for his long speeches, cut short his address to 30 minutes to facilitate Imran, who in return waited for Altaf’ address to conclude,” he added. “We also have doubts over the fact that only the establishment could make Imran’s show a success and this was what happened on October 30 at Minar-e-Pakistan,” he added. The law minister said Imran staged sit-ins whenever establishment needed him to do so to intensify pressure on the US.

SIAlKoT: Federal Information and Broadcasting minister dr Firdous Ashiq Awan distributing gifts among married couples on Saturday.

missing journalist found... tortured to death QUETTA S tA f f R E pO Rt

A bullet-ridden body of a local journalist who had been allegedly whisked away by personnel of an intelligence agency was found in Khuzdar district, around 360km Southeast of Quetta, on Saturday. According to police, people informed them after spotting a dead body lying in Gazgi area. Police rushed to the site and

Saudi king names Prince Salman defence minister RIYADH Afp

King Abdullah on Saturday named his half-brother Prince Salman, who is governor of Riyadh, as Saudi Arabia’s defence minister to succeed the late Crown Prince Sultan, state television Al-Ekhbariya said. Prince Sattam bin Abdul Aziz was appointed Riyadh’s governor in Prince Salman’s place, the report said, citing a series of royal decrees, under which Prince Khaled bin Sultan, the late crown prince’s son, was named deputy defence minister.

moved the body to Civil hospital Khuzdar for medico-legal formalities where the deceased was identified as missing journalist Javed Naseer Rind. The victim was shot in his head and chest while marks of torture were also visible on his body,” hospital sources said. Police, after completing legal formalities, handed over the body to heirs. Javed was the former deputy news editor and

columnist of Balochistan-based Urdu language newspaper Daily Tawar that is published from the industrial town of hub. he was picked up by intelligence personnel in plain clothes, from hub Information Technology (IT) Centre on September 10. he was the only son of his elderly parents. his family accused intelligence agencies for his abduction

and murder after torture. The Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ), in a statement, has strongly condemned the murder of Javed Naseer and demanded the government as well as intelligence agencies carry out investigation into his abduction followed by killing. Javed is the fifth local journalist who has been picked by personnel of intelligence and murdered after torture.

india says better trade Continued from Page 1 tasked by the cabinet to move forward on the issue in bilateral trade negotiations. Indian media reports said Pakistan was backtracking on granting India MFN status. But on Saturday, Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai urged patience. “According to the information available through the Pakistan government, the cabinet has approved the process of normalisation of trade relations of which most favoured nation is a part,” Mathai told reporters in New Delhi. “The actual implementation would be a culmina-

tion of the normalisation process which could take some time,” he said. Senior Pakistani government officials told AFP that Islamabad had decided “in principle” to give MFN status to India. While formal trade between the two most populous and largest economies in South Asia is a paltry $2.7 billion annually, unregulated trade, much of it routed through third countries, is estimated at $10 billion. India’s Commerce Minister Anand Sharma said he would lead a trade delegation to Islamabad next February at the invitation of his Pakistani counterpart,

Makhdoom Amin Fahim. JUDICIAL COMMISSIOn: India also welcomed Pakistan’s decision to send a judicial commission to interview witnesses connected with the 26/11 terror probe. “We look forward to the visit of the judicial commission,” Foreign Secretary Mathai told reporters. The commission is expected to record the statements of Mumbai Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate RV Sawant Waghule and investigating officer Ramesh Mahale, who had recorded the confessional statement of Ajmal Amir Kasab, convicted of the terror attack.

A United States general in Afghanistan has been fired after accusing President hamid Karzai and his corruption-plagued administration of being out of touch and ungrateful for American support. Major General Peter Fuller, deputy commander of NATO’s mission to train and equip Afghan forces, was dismissed after making “inappropriate public comments”, the NATO-led international force said late on Friday. Fuller’s comments made public some of the frustrations expressed privately by US and other foreign military officers and diplomats about working with Karzai and his government. In an interview published by news website Politico, Fuller said Afghan leaders did not fully recognise the human and financial cost borne by the United States in Afghanistan and were “isolated from reality”. he also directly criticised Karzai after the president said last month that Afghanistan would support Pakistan if Islamabad ever went to war with the United States.

Bring it on, Pm challenges opp Continued from Page 1 Asked about the planned name of the southern Punjab province, he said names do not matter, as “a rose would remain a rose no matter what it is called”. To a query on corruption charges levelled by the opposition, Gilani said all governments were accused of corruption, but only the federal government was being targeted. “If anyone has proof, he should take it to a court,” Gilani said. To another question about Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan’s demand of asset declaration, he said PPP leaders had already declared their assets. Asked about the present status of Pak-US relations and the US policy on drone attacks, he said diplomatic channels were being utilised to normalise the ties and that drone attacks were not being conducted with the government’s will. The prime minister said MFN status to India was taken in a wrong stride, adding that the government wanted trade with India just as with any other nation.

Pakistan ties with US, india improving: Khar g

Foreign minister says broad agreement with India to seek areas of progress g Says all including army in favour of good relations with India LAHORE/ ISLAMABAD StAff REpORt/REutERS

The country’s most troubled foreign relationships have improved in recent months, Foreign Minister hina Rabbani Khar said on Saturday, pointing to upcoming trade talks with New Delhi and broad agreement on regional security goals with the US as evidence. In an exclusive inter-

view with Reuters, Khar said negotiations to normalise trade with India would allow progress on other issues between the two nuclear-armed South Asian rivals. “I think it’s broadly agreed that we need to make some simultaneous progress on these issues,” she said, adding, “But there has been a great improvement in the environment. I think we can move for-

ward.” She strongly denied that Pakistan was not committed to finalising most favoured nation (MFN) status for India, as alleged by an unnamed Indian government official on Friday, who said Islamabad was “backtracking” on the issue in the face of domestic opposition. “There is absolutely no question of backtracking of cabinet approval of trade

normalisation with India,” she said. “I want to completely dismiss any indication that there’s any retraction on what we said.” US: Khar said relations with the US were also on the mend, with “a complete convergence of stated interests” on Afghanistan. “Nothing would make us happier than a strong government in Afghanistan,” she said. “I look at the last few weeks,

and relations with the U.S. have been generally positive. It’s basically the operational details to agree on.” She said stability in the region was of primary importance to Pakistan as it played a proactive role in building relations with neighbouring countries. “Promoting relations and enhancing economic as well as political ties with countries like Turkey, Afghanistan and India are

the cornerstone of the country’s foreign policy,” Khar said. The foreign minister said Pakistan’s proactive role in the 6th summit dialogue in Turkey as well as the trilateral dialogue in Afghanistan was another proof of Pakistan’s desire to promote regional peace, adding that Istanbul conference provided a good opportunity to build relationships.

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Sunday, 6 November, 2011

Eid is about sharing...are you?

Gaddafi is dead, why keep his name g

LAHORE

YASiR HABiB

FTER 14 days of libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s death, who was a close aide of former PM and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the Punjab government has swung in action to change the name of Gaddafi Stadium named after the slain leader 36 years ago in 1974. The ground was originally named lahore Stadium but renamed in 1974 in honour of Gaddafi after a rousing speech he gave at the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) meeting in lahore in favour of Pakistan’s right to pursue nuclear weapons. The dramatic development unrolled when the CM’s Secretariat received an application dispatched by Punjab Olympics Association (PbOA) Secretary Idrees haider Khawaja two weeks ago. The application recommended CM Shahbaz Sharif to rename Gaddafi Stadium after national heroes amid a heated debate amongst the public and even on social networking sites that no buildings should remain attached with Gaddafi, who earned notoriety as dictator of the Arab World in libya for 42 years, his nexus with terrorist groups and refusal to step down despite a burgeoning tide of change for democracy. Soon after NATO forces and libyan rebels started their drive against the dictator, Gaddafi, in his speech to the nation, had termed Pakistan and Afghanistan as countries “dictated by the US” and called upon his countrymen to stop libya from becoming either of the two countries. his negative remarks against Pakistan had hurt many, as he was respected in Pakistan due to his closeness with Bhutto and some contributions he had made

Proposal floated to change Gaddafi Stadium’s name, as former Libyan dictator met his end some days ago

to the country’s economy. Soon after his speech, people took to social networking sites to urge renaming of the stadium due to the dictator’s anti-Pakistan remarks. The PbOA secretary, in his letter, said that Gaddafi Stadium be renamed as Jinnah Stadium, Nishtar Stadium, liaqat Stadium or after the Pakistan Movement’s leading dignitaries who gave their blood for Pakistan. “The Punjab government has absolute power to change the name of Gaddafi Stadium, as the building and plot where the stadium is situated belongs to the Punjab Sport Board,” Khawaja said, while talking to Pakistan Today. he urged the CM to materialise the resolution without any delay. Punjab government spokesman Pervaiz Rashid said that the government would prefer to restore the original name of Gaddafi Stadium. “Its original name was lahore Stadium but changed afterwards,” he added. Rashid said that the original name should never be changed, as every name carried its own background, history and significance. About ownership of Gaddafi Stadium, he said that it might be property of the Pakistan Cricket Board but if it was confirmed that it belonged to the Punjab government, the decision was loud and clear that the original of name of Gaddafi Stadium would be restored. All over Africa, impoverished nations have Gaddafi Conference Centres and Gaddafi Stadiums all paid for with libyan oil money–not to mention the roads renamed in his honour. Some nations have already begun the process of cleansing Gaddafi’s name from their landmarks. In Sudan, Khartoum’s Burj Alfateh hotel– named after the date of the 1969 libyan Revolution and known locally as “Gaddafi’s Egg”-has quietly reverted to the name of its parent company, becoming the Corinthia hotel. The issue

PAgE 08

Cm ensures presence of doctors during Eid holidays LAHORE StAff REpORt

ThE bond which REnAmEd LAhoRE STAdiUm AS GAddAfi STAdiUm: Zulfikar Ali bhutto embraces muammar Gaddafi at the oic Summit in 1974 at Lahore.

to rename Gaddafi Stadium made headlines even in life of the dictator. Despite his volatile persona as a dictator, people had mixed feelings about him. Some quarters commended him for being among the group of Muslim leaders who challenged Western domination and sought real independence for their nations. Once, former US President Ronald Reagan had called Gaddafi a “mad dog”. likeminded people discouraged all moves to change the name of Gaddafi Stadium and other buildings, which are named after Gaddafi in different parts of the world. Various groups expressed hatred against Gaddafi for his ardent efforts to keep intact his dictatorship and cruel regime usurping fundamental rights of the people by hook or crook. Some termed him a “wild terrorist” after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest for crimes against humanity. his death scenario even forced his fans to change their mind when he was caught and killed scrambling into a water pipe for cover and later according to some reports was sodomised. After his death, inflammable debate unfurled about renaming of Gaddafi Stadium. Online polls suggested naming the stadium after Imran Khan, a son of lahore and a cricketerturned-politician who rocked everyone by his new debut as a crowd puller after organising a thunderous show of strength at Minar-ePakistan. Other proposals include commemorating former national cricket team coach Bob Woolmer, who was murdered in 2007 or Aleem Dar, who has been thrice named the ICC Umpire of the Year. Some voices favoured Abdul hafiz Kardar, who was Pakistan’s first official Test captain. The most compelling argument in his favour is that without him the stadium might not be what it is today. Kardar was appointed head of the Board of Control for Cricket in Pakistan (BCCP)-as the board was known in April 1972 by Bhutto, whom he was close to. Control of lahore Stadium, as it was known back then, was also given to the BCCP and it was Kardar who decided to set up the board’s offices there. Senator Tariq Azeem said that changing the name would mean turning away from historical connections. “he’s become a baddy now but if you go down that path we would have to change a lot of roads’ names,” he said. Gaddafi Stadium, which is located around Nishtar Park Sports Complex and surrounded by hockey and football stadiums, hosted the final of the 1996 World Cup. It was constructed in the late 1950’s.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Saturday that a comprehensive plan had been formulated for ensuring presence of consultants and doctors during Eidul Adha holidays. he was chairing a meeting of the dengue emergency committee. Shahbaz said that uninterrupted provision of medical facilities to the patients suffering from dengue and other diseases will continue during the Eidul Adha. he said elected representatives and administrative secretaries will visit hospitals during holidays and review measures taken in this regard. he directed officers that high Dependency Units (hDU) set up for dengue patients in Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Rawalpindi and Multan to be equipped immediately. Shahbaz said that the additional chief secretary and secretaries of health and irrigation will monitor the attendance of doctors and other arrangements in the hospitals, adding that a special control room has been set up in the office of the additional chief secretary for this purpose.

CCPo reviews Eid security plans LAHORE StAff REpORt

Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ahmad Raza Tahir ordered lahore Police to ensure effective implementation of his security plan on the eve of Eidul Azha. The CCPO said special camps had been set up in various markets by police where policemen in uniform and plain clothes, along with mounted police, lady police and snap checking would be in operation to ensure provision of comprehensive security to lahoris. he added that additional police forces would be deputed to various parks and recreational places during Eid days. he was addressing a high-level meeting of senior police officials at the Capital City Police headquarters, on Saturday. In his order, the CCPO directed the chief traffic officer (CTO) to ensure smooth flow of traffic during Eid holidays. he said police officials carrying metal detectors would be deployed at mosques and imam bargahs on Eid day. nEw nH&MP IG TAKES CHARGE: The newly appointed National highways and Motorway Police (Nh&MP) Inspector General (IG) Wajid Ali Durrani has taken charge of his post as Nh&MP IG, today. IGP HOSTS FAREwELL DInnER: Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Javed Iqbal hosted a farewell reception in honour IB Director General Aftab Sultan at the Punjab Police headquarters on Saturday.

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06 Lahore man killed, sacrificial animals stolen LAHORE: A 22-year-old was choked to death as robbers made away with his sacrificial animals in the Kahna Police precincts early Saturday. 22-year-old Muhammad Sajjad, resident of Kahna Village, took his two buffalos to a nearby field for grazing. Sajjad was later found dead in the fields by a passerby, who then informed the police. Police said Sajjad had been choked to death as he had marks on his neck. An FIR was launched by Sajjad’s father. SUICUDES: A 55-year-old man committed suicide in the Civil lines Police precincts on Saturday. According to the police, a man was found lying motionless near a Masjid inside Baghe Jinnah. The police said the man had taken poisonous pills, which were the cause of his death. The body was later moved to the mortuary for the autopsy. Meanwhile, an 18-year-old boy hanged himself at his place of employment in the Model Town Police precincts on Saturday. According to the police, Muhammad Sajjad, hailing from Azad Kashmir, worked at 33-34 h Block. Assistant Sub-Inspector Sikandar hayat speculated that Sajjad had committed suicide because of some family issue. he said the body had been taken back to Azad Kashmir. The deceased’s family refused to register an FIR. StAff REpORt

Hamesh’s remand extended LAHORE: An accountability court on Saturday extended the judicial remand of former Bank of Punjab (BOP) president hamaish Khan, former honourary consulate in Kazakhstan Seith Nisar, haris Steel Mills owner Sheikh Muhammad Afzal and Sheikh Munir till November 25. The accused are involved in BOP fraud case in which 12 billion rupees were embezzled. During the hearing the court allowed an application filed by Sheikh Afzal seeking court direction for his medical check-up in Sheikh Zayed hospital. The court, while extending their judicial remands, directed NAB authorities to file the reference against the accused by the next date of hearing RAJA RIAZ HAnDED OVER TO nAB: An accountability court on Saturday handed over owner of Raja Centre Main Market Gulberg Raja Riaz to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on physical remand till November 19. The accused, who has been an absconder since 2002, was arrested on November 4 from his residence in Defence. StAff REpORt

Sunday, 6 November, 2011

Banned outfits outsourcing hides collection LAHORE

AdnAn LOdHi

OllOWING the federal government’s ban on the collection of sacrificial animal hides, various banned militant and religious organisations are seeking the help of madrassas and clerics to acquire them, Pakistan Today has learnt. Meanwhile, religious clerics in various districts of the province supported the banned organisations and allowed them free use of madrassas as a platform to collect animal hides. The Eid holidays of madrassa students were cancelled: they were instead assigned duties to collect the hides of sacrificial animals during the three days of Eid, in cooperation with banned religious outfits. Sources said skins of sacrificial animals were a major source of funding for the banned organisations, and condemned law enforcement agencies for not taking action against it. A number of religious and militant organisations, banned due to their illegal activities across the

LAHORE

CINEmA

CINE gold PH: 35340000

Sozo WoRld PH: 36674271 Sozo gold PH: 35340000

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CINEmA CloSEd RA oNE THE THREE mUSKETEERS IN TImE RA oNE RA oNE RA oNE RA oNE RA oNE RA oNE RA oNE RA oNE RA oNE RA oNE RA oNE FoRCE Bol RASCAlS RA oNE RA oNE

TImE 3:00 Pm 6:00 Pm 8:00 Pm 10:00 Pm 1:00 Am 12: 00 Am 3:00 Pm 6:00 Pm 9:00 Pm 12:00 Pm 1:00 Pm 4:00 Pm 7:00 Pm 10:00 Pm 12:00 Pm 2:45 Pm 5:30 Pm 8:00 Am 11:00 Pm

hides collected on the occasion. The government has been known to make special arrangements each year to bar this practice, but these elements, using institutions like madrassa’s, still manage to collect skins. Similarly, across Punjab, elements of banned organisations are all set to collect animal hides tomorrow (Monday). Due to the expensive rates of individual sacrifice, many centres conducting joint sacrifices have been set up. Sources said it was at these centres that such elements were most active, as no one kept a track of where the skins were going at such centres. According to religious scholars, these elements have prepared lists of people and directed them to submit their animals’ skins to their group. he said religious clerics were the root cause of this violation against the government’s dictates. he added that it was a tragedy that

thousands of innocent madrassa students were being engaged by clerics for this purpose. Javaid Kasab, a man who has a leather business, said most hides coming to their factory post-Eidul Azha came from banned religious organisations, adding that these elements earned millions every year thus. he said they would earn even more this year, as the rates of animal hides had almost doubled, adding that the price of a cow’s skin was about Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 this year, while the skin of a goat would sell for Rs 1,000. Masroor Rizvi a religious scholar said according to Islami shariah the skins of sacrificial animals were part of the sacrifice and people ought to give them to needy people or charity organisations. he said the masses needed to understand the issue and thus avoid giving animal skins to such banned militant organisations.

Caught between inflation and profiteering imRAn AdnAn

dHA PH: 35747531 CINE STAR PH: 35157462

country, remain active because of the funding they receive through collection of sacrificial animal hides, they added. The federal government had earlier sternly ordered that no banned religious organisation, individual or NGO be allowed to collect the hides of sacrificial animals without obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the district administration. The government had warned that in case of violation, security personnel would arrest such elements and they would be punished under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. The federal government had also directed provincial governments to impose Section 144 in all districts to avoid clashes over the collection of animal hides on the eve of Eidul Azha. The government said only charity organisations could apply for permission to collect hides and would be required to attest in writing that they had no links to any banned outfit. This is not a new trend. Every year on Eidul Azha religious groups and militant organisations become extremely active and fuel their activities with the money generated through the sale of

Pre-Eid profiteering has tightened the noose around consumers’ necks. Prices of almost all everyday commodities, including seasonal vegetables and fruits, have witnessed a steep increase of two percent to 31 percent over the last seven days. Official price lists issued by the lahore Market Committee (lMC) indicate that red and green chilies, lemons, cabbages and tomatoes are among the vegetables that showed the biggest price increase, owing to nonavailability of effective price control. The prices of lemons and tomatoes have jumped up by Rs 25 and Rs 20, respectively, during the last seven days. Price lists show that while last Saturday lemons were being sold

for Rs 80 per kg, they are now being sold at Rs 105 per kg, owing to high demand. A similar trend was seen in the prices of tomatoes, which has been settled at Rs 86 per kg after an increase of Rs 20 per kg during the period under review. however, street vendors and retail shops are further exploiting the situation by overcharging by about 15 percent to 20 percent. During Eidul Azha, demand for both green and red chilies usually witnesses a sharp increase. Traders have managed to inflate their prices by over 27 percent in merely a week’s time. Official figures show that the lMC had fixed the price of green chilies at Rs 55 per kg last Saturday. They are now being sold at Rs 70 to Rs 85 per kg in retail markets. At the same time, red chilies are

available at Rs 350 to Rs 400 per kg, following an increase of Rs 50 to Rs 100 per kg. Onions are another ingredient whose consumption increases during Eid days. The increase in demand is reflected in its price, which has increased by over 10 percent to settle at Rs 48 per kg. however, consumers would find it hard to buy them at a fixed price, due to the high demand and rampant profiteering by traders. According to the official price lists, cabbages, carrots, potatoes and peas are some other vegetables displaying an increasing price trend. Their prices have increased by Rs two to Rs 10 per kg in retail markets. however, prices of garlic, ginger, spinach and cucumbers have shown a declining trend. lMC officials said prices of these commodities had declined because of surplus supply. A similar trend was seen in the prices of seasonal fruits. Prices of good quality oranges, sweet lime and various varieties of apples showed an increase between 10 percent and 23 percent. however, market surveys showed that seasonal fruits could not be found at fixed prices in retail markets. Sweet lime

and oranges were available at Rs 80 to Rs 100 per dozen, while their official prices were fixed at Rs 50 and Rs 66 per dozen, respectively. Various varieties of apples were being sold for Rs 100 to Rs 160 per kg, pomegranate for Rs 100 to Rs 130 per kg and guavas for Rs 36 to Rs 55 per kg. Market surveys indicated that fruit vendors and shopkeepers were overcharging consumers about 35 percent to 60 percent. Official price lists are not displayed at shops and carts, allowing vendors to charge high rates freely. Speaking to Pakistan Today, a greengrocer on Madina Road, Township, argued as to how a shopkeeper could sell vegetables and fruit below their own purchase price. he said due to inflation, the prices of all commodities had increased. Some commodities in the wholesale markets were being sold at higher rates than the retail price, he added. Retailers sold items of daily use only on a marginal profit, he said. The exorbitant increase in the prices of essential commodities was a clear manifestation of poor governance, raising questions on the functioning of the price control systems of the

provincial and district governments, as there was a marked difference between the official and retail prices, said a perturbed looking middle-aged woman at a city market.

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Sunday, 6 November, 2011

LAHORE

nAumAn tASLEEm

UYING of sacrificial animals gained momentum in the city’s markets because of the first Eid holiday on Saturday while prices still remained high. Transportation of animals by buyers also remained costly and troublesome, as transporters were demanding high fares. The number of customers doubled in the markets and as a result, sale of sacrificial animals increased sharply. It was the first holiday ahead of Eidul Azha and a majority of private and government offices and banks were closed and people got an opportunity to purchase sacrificial animals. The City District Government lahore (CDGl) established six points for purchasing sacrificial animals at lDA Avenue, Shahpur Kanjra, Saggian Bridge, Burki Road, Quaid-e-Azam Interchange Ring Road near China Scheme and Kacha Ferozepur Road. Sale and purchase at any other place was illegal and liable to action by the CDGl. Customers also faced problems in moving their vehicles and traffic got stuck at these markets. Although, the traffic police was deployed at these points but because of high number of customers and vehicles, traffic, most of the time, remained stuck. Sellers took a sigh of relief because of increase in number of customers. They said that there were very less number of customers for the last five days but Saturdays rush gave them a ray of hope. “I brought two dozens of goats on Monday but since then I sold only two,” seller Shaukat Ali at lDA Avenue Sales Point said, adding that he was very depressed due to a fewer number of customers. “But on Saturday, a large number of customers came for buying and I sold

Lahore 07

Sale of animals picks up as Eid nears I brought two dozens of goats on monday but since then I sold only two but on Saturday, a large number of customers came for buying and I sold one dozen goats and the rest would be sold today SHAukAt ALi

goat seller

one dozen goats,” he said, adding that the rest would be sold today (Sunday). Another seller Rafaqat hussain, who came from Okara, talking to Pakistan Today, said that sales often increased in the last two days before Eid. he said that prices of animals were not that much high and people, without any reason, were complaining about high prices. Rafaqat said that prices of fodders and other inputs had increased, therefore,

City School echoes with ‘trick or treat’ LAHORE StAff REpORt

The City School Central Region recently introduced two new student development programmes, The City-Zenship Programme and Youth leadership Programme. To kick start the programmes, a halloween themed-Bake Sale/Carnival–Sharnival 2011 was hosted at The City School Shalimar Campus. The intent of this event was to provide students with an opportunity to test their entrepreneurial skills, extract maximum returns from minimum investment and raise funds for a cause. Sharnival 2011 was arranged by students and coordinators with a great deal of zeal and zest. Students dressed up in their spooky costumes depicted the darker side of halloween. A fancy dress show and dance competition was also arranged for junior classes where minors had a chance to display their hidden talent. Students were encouraged to bake and sell different items under supervision of their class teachers. The school was able to raise a handsome amount of money for a cause. It provided a broader platform for students to express themselves in an effective manner. It also proved to be a healthy break for students and a podium to test their entrepreneurial skills and fundraising ability.

prices were high. “We have to spend around Rs 50 to 70 per day on one goat, therefore, prices are high,” he added. On average, a goat was available for Rs 15,000 to 30,000 while a cow was sold for Rs 45,000 to 80,000 depending upon the weight and age of animals. Customers said that it was the first holiday, therefore, they came to the market for purchasing animals. “I could not come to the market on week-

days because of my office schedule and but now as office has closed for Eid I have come to purchase a goat,” banker Abdul Majeed said, adding that prices of animals were very high but he had to perform the ritual at every cost. “No matter what the price is, one has to buy if he wants to sacrifice,” he added. Customers complained about expensive transportation for sacrificial animals. “Sale points are established far away from the city and it is a great trouble for the masses,” customer Jameel Ashraf said, adding that he had to pay Rs 1,500 for transporting a cow to his home at Garden Town. “last year, the market was not far away and I paid only Rs 500 for transportation but this year it was a great problem,” he said, adding that the CDGl should establish sale points near the city rather than establishing them far away.

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08 Lahore

Sunday, 6 November, 2011

Eid is about sharing...are you?

WEATHER UPdATES

28 °C High

People boast about their wealth and how many sacrificial animals they have bought without thinking of the poor who cannot even afford two meals a day

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PRAYER TImINgS Fajr Sunrise 05:00 06:22

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maghrib 17:10

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CITY dIRECToRY EmERgENCY HElP RESCUE EdHI CoNTRol moToRWAY PolICE PolICE govERNoR’S HoUSE CHIEF mINISTER’S HoUSE FIRE BRIgAdE BomB dISPoSAl mCl ComPlAINTS lAHoRE WASTE dISPoSAl

1122 115 130 15 99200081-7 99203226 16 99212111 99211022-29 1139

HoSPITAlS mId CITY 37573382-3 SERvICES 99203402-11 mAYo 99211100-9 gENERAl 35810892-8 SHEIKH zAId 35865731 SIR gANgA RAm 99200572 UCH 35763573-5 ITTEFAq 35881981-85 CmH 366996168-72 SHoUKAT KHANUm 35945100 JINNAH 111-809-809 AdIl (dEFENCE) 36667275 CHIldREN’S 99230901-3 dEFENCE NATIoNAl HoSPITAl 111-17-18-19

Blood BANK FATmId ISlAmIC AllIANCE

35863950 37588649/37535435

ComPlAINT WAPdA SUI gAS

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RAIlWAYS CITY STATIoN (INqUIRY) RESERvATIoN RAIlWAY PolICE

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LAHORE

XARi JALiL

AQOOB has become frail and wiry over the past year, since he has lost his job and finances have become even worse to deal with. he has four children, yet cannot afford to feed them much. All the money that comes in the house, which is on rent, is from odd jobs he does, and his wife working as a domestic help. Now that Eidul Azha is here, Yaqoob does not expect to celebrate at all, because he has hardly any money to pay for clothes, let alone even think of sacrificing any animal for food. In the very next neighbourhood, Muhammad Kamal is preparing to go to his village near Gujrat to celebrate Eid with his family. he has bought two goats this time and is aiming to sacrifice them on the first day of Eid. he has sent home money for his wife and children to have their clothes made, and says that they will celebrate at home. he makes no mention of giving anything to needy people such as Yaqoob. The spirit of Eid, especially Eidul Azha has become more and more centered around oneself over the subsequent years. Where the occasion is all about sacrifice, and forgoing something that is close to ones heart, it seems as if the general atmosphere is nothing but a growing sense of ostentatiousness, or flaunting ones wealth. In fact many people do consider buying animals a kind of a status symbol. Saba, a college student, reveals that some of her classmates often talk about how many cows or goats they will be getting this Eid. Not only is this in bad taste, she says, it can also make others who are underprivileged feel bad or embarrassed. “Sacrificing is your private matter, between you and God,” she says. “Why must everyone else know about how many animals you have bought for what price?” Saba says. As Saba says, people do often also openly discuss the prices of animals bought. Sacrificial animals have become so expensive over the years that it too easily becomes a status symbol. But more recently another trend of hoarding meat has become even more common. This also extends to those who don’t sacrifice any animal.

When platters and trays of freshly chopped mutton or beef appear in people’s houses, many often share this with others only when their freezer is so full there is no more space left. housemaid Saima admits privately that the family she works for is rather well off, but does not think much in terms of giving to her. Often she has to resort to asking for some extra cash, or kind. On Eid days, she says, they call her in for extra work, but at the end of the day she is given one packet of meat to take home. “Maybe they are not doing it on purpose, but all I know is that they don’t give it a thought to distribute the meat that comes in their house with poor people. Maximum, they will share it with their neighbours, who pass it on themselves. I know because I have seen this happen,” she says. This kind of hoarding of meat on Eid day is only expected to bring about a shallow satisfaction. But perhaps there are still some others among whom the spirit is still alive. Muhammad

Salman, a businessman, says that he could never ever think of storing so much meat in his home while several others do not even get vegetables or bread to eat everyday. “It is your duty, not just as a Muslim, but basically as a human to share what you get in such large amounts. Even if it is money that you get, you should give some to charity or someone needy whom you know,” he says. his sister agrees saying that it would be immensely selfish to keep this much meat for oneself, instead of giving it away. “The point is not to just conveniently give it away to your neighbours and friends, for whom it really makes no difference because they probably pass it on to someone else. The actual point is, to give it to those who starve day in and day out and would weep if they were offered such a luxurious meal at least once in a year. Give them more than you have ever imagined giving them: that will be true sacrifice,” she says.

AIRPoRT FlIgHT INqUIRY PIA RESERvATIoN

114 111-786-786

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Profit 01-11-2011zzzz_Layout 1 11/6/2011 4:19 AM Page 9

Sunday, 6 November, 2011

News 09

‘No relief to Baloch possible Pakistan wants relations with everyone on basis of equality due to security issues’ PESHAWAR

StAff REpORt

Balochistan security situation forces WFP to work through partner organisations g lack of funds means relief operations may be scaled down in december g

ISLAMABAD

ARif tAJ

NTERNATIONAl humanitarian organisations are unable to conduct assistance work in Balochistan due to security issues, the World Food Programme (WFP) on Saturday told Pakistan Today. WFP spokesman Amjad Jamal said, “We are facing serious security issues and cannot travel to many flood-affected areas in Balochistan. The security concern make us dependent on partner organizations but depend on partners entirely may affect monitoring and transparency despite a strong checking mechanism.” When asked if there was a funding shortfall, Amjad said the WFP was facing a critical shortfall of US$102 million for the flood aid operation in Sindh

and Balochistan. he said, “The WFP plans to reach 2.36 million people in November but without significant additional contributions, we will not be able to carry our operation further as sufficient supplies after November will not be available.” he also said that if funds were not provided WFP would either cut down supplies or reduce number of beneficiaries from December. Asked about operational updates, Amjad said the WFP exceeded its target of reaching 2.2 million flood-affected people during October in Sindh and Balochistan, with 2.5 million people receiving food rations. In September, 546,000 people received food assistance, more than 100,000 of whom have so far received a second onemonth ration. Talking about under-nourished children, Amjad spokesman said the

godhra riot witness killed in Indian gujarat AHMEDABAD OnLinE

Godhra riot witness Nadeem Sayyed, a Congress worker, was killed by unidentified men in Juhapura, Ahmedabad’s predominant Muslim ghetto on Saturday morning. he had testified in court in the Naroda Patiya massacre case, where thousands Muslims were killed in 2002. Sayyed was also a police informer. he was also friendly with media persons. he had rallied for a Congress ticket in the last year’s civic body polls in Ahmedabad. Sayyed had filed several PIls in the Gujarat high court over sanitation issues in the Johapura area. he had also filed numerous RTI applications seeking details of central funds to Gujarat government, lands acquired for industries, encroachment on government lands by the builders, civic amenities in his locality and personal assets of several politicians. last year, he was brutally assaulted by extremist hindu elements. “After the 2002 riots, he emerged as a social activist, who would take on politicians and anti-social elements. Over the years, he also became politically ambitious and a controversial figure,” a police official in Ahmedabad told Indian media.

Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) programme in Sindh has been initiated in 58 sites with eight partners to provide treatment for screened cases of moderate and severe acute malnutrition amongst young children and pregnant and lactating women. “So far some 56,000 children and 37,000 women have been screened. The under-nourished among them are receiving supplementary food, including more than 2,000 young children, 3,400 siblings and 1,200 women”, he said. he said safeguards have been built into distributions to ensure that traditionally marginalised groups (female-headed households, nonable bodied and the elderly) have equal access to assistance, such as separate distribution counters and direct delivery of food rations.

Issues of juvenile and women prisoners being addressed: Sitara PESHAWAR StAff REpORt

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Social Welfare and Women Development Minister Sitara Ayaz on Saturday said that the present government was making efforts to address the problems of juvenile and women prisoners. Talking to reporters after distributing Eid packages among the juvenile and women prisoners at the Peshawar Central Jail, she said, “We will take up the issue of speedy justice for the prisoners of minor cases with the Peshawar high Court chief justice for proper guidance.” Sitara said that jail was not only to punish people but also to reform them, adding that the prisoners could play a positive role in the development of the country by becoming productive citizens. The superintendent jail informed Sitara that the establishment of a school for education of juvenile prisoners and vocational centre for women was necessary. The minister assured the prisoners that their issues will be resolved.

absconding couple killed by girl’s father, brother GUJRANWALA muHAmmAd SHAfiQuE

Two lovers were slaughtered by the father and brother of the absconding girl in Karial Kallan area of Noshera Virkan police precincts on Saturday. Reportedly, 20-year-old Shamim, daughter of Karial Kallan’s landlord Bashir, developed friendship with Idrees and both eloped about six months ago to marry without permission of their parents. Recently, Bashir got a tip-off about the absconding couple’s residence and took his son Naveed along to look for them in Muridke. They broke into the house late last night and slaughtered Idrees and forcibly took Shamim to their village, where they

killed her as well. Muridke and Noshera Virkan police have lodged separate cases and started search for arresting the murderers. CYLInDER BLAST: Also, two engineers were killed and 10 labourers were injured when the roof of a factory collapsed after a gas cylinder explosion in Small Industries Estate No 2 near Khiali Shahpur. Per details, the cylinder explosion caused the roof of a plastic factory to cave in and all of the workers, including two chemical engineers who were brothers, got buried in the debris. Rescue work was started by the workers of the adjacent factory, who were later joined by Rescue 1122 staff. however, Engineer Tanvir and Engineer Zaheer could survive the accident.

Pakistan cannot put its sovereignty and national interests at stake just for the sake of friendly relations with another country, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Amir haider Khan hoti said on Saturday. “We wanted relations with everyone on the basis of equality. To steer out the region from the challenges and crisis confronting it, the countries of the region should work together,” hoti said. The bilateral relations between Pakistan and Iran based on historical, cultural, trade and religious harmony were inevitable for peace and stability in the region and in the current situation its importance has been increased manifold, he said. hoti’s visit to Sheraz and Asfahan on the invitation of Iran was reflective of his inner desire. however, he had to postpone his visit of Iran due to last year’s devastating floods. he expressed these views during a formal meeting with Governor General Dr Zakir Asfahani at Governor house’s Asfahan last night. Welcoming the chief minister and members of his entourage, the Asfahan governor expressed hope that people of both

countries will benefit from the visit. he also highlighted in detail the geo-historical background of Asfahan and struggle of Iranians during various ups and downs. Reciprocating the Iranian leader’s sentiments, hoti assured him that his visit will prove a launching pad and bilateral visits of delegations to give practical shape to the bilateral relations in a phased manner. The chief minister spell out in detail the resources and potentials available in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which can appropriately be explored through Iranian investment.

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10 News

Sunday, 6 November, 2011

musharraf hires firm to muster support in US ISLAMABAD StAff REpORt

Amidst “unfavourable” circumstances in Pakistan due to his alleged involvement in two high-profile murder cases, those of Benazir Bhutto and Akbar Bughti, former president Pervez Musharraf has hired the services of a lobbying firm in the US which would simultaneously boost his image in the US state institutions and represent his interests in the US. At a time when two Pakistani courts are closing in on Musharraf for his alleged involvement in the two murder cases, through Raza Bokhari (operating as North American Point of Contact, Office of General Pervez Musharraf), he has adopted legal and institutional procedure to win support of the US media and state administration. According to the agreement, Bokhari has the authority to enter into this agreement, and to act and make representations on behalf of General Musharraf. The agreement made on September 1 said, “This independent contractor agreement is made between Advantage Associates International ltd, a closely held corporation specialising in helping clients with governmental, political and international matters and General Musharraf through Raza Bokhari. The scope of work said Advantage will work with Bokhari to develop a strategy to represent Musharraf’s interest in the US. The parties will exert all manner of good faith and take all reasonable efforts to ensure performance and prevent repudiation by other parties connected with its activities which could affect its performance under this agreement. In consideration of Advantage’s work under this agreement, the total fee for the services to be provided to Advantage is $175,000. A monthly payment in the amount of 25,000 will be paid to Advantage for a period of seven months beginning on September 1 and ending on March 30, 2012. Bokhari agrees to reimburse Advantage for all reasonable expenses arising out of this Agreement, with any expenses over $250 pre-approved in advance. Source of payment for funds under this agreement may come from Bokhari or General Musharraf, the contract said. All Pakistan Muslim league (APMl) spokesman Fawad Chaudhry said the APMl North America Chapter would give funds to the ‘lobbying’ firm, adding that all main political parties of Pakistan had hired the services of lobbying firms abroad.

LOndOn: All pakistan muslim League president parvez musharraf addresses a public meeting at Luton city on Saturday. OnLine

31 organisations banned from collecting hides g

Interior ministry says violators will be booked under Anti-Terrorism Act ISLAMABAD

StAff REpORt

hE government has banned 31 proscribed organizations from collecting animal hides during Eidul Adha, warning them that violators will be booked under AntiTerrorism Act (ATA). The Interior Ministry has said, all those wanting to collect animal hides on Eid will have to obtain permission from the respective District Coordination Officer/District Magistrate. The updated list of banned organisation includes 31 organisations including lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipha-e-Muham-

mad Pakistan, Jaish-e-Mohammad, lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, Tehreek-e-Jaafria Pakistan, Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi, Tehreek-e-Islami, Al-Qaeda, Millat-e-Islamia Pakistan, Khuddamul-Islam, Islami Tehreek Pakistan, Jamiat-ul-Ansar, Jamiat-ul-Furqan, hizb-ut-Tehrir, Khair-un-Naas International Trust, Balochistan liberation Army, Islamic Students Movement of Pakistan, lashkar-e-Islam, Ansar-ulIslam, haji Namdar Group, Tehreek-eTaliban Pakistan, Balochistan Republican Army, Balochistan liberation Front, lashkar-e-Balochistan, Balochistan liberation United Front, Balochistan Musalla Defah Tanzeem,

Shia Tulaba Action Committee Gilgit, Markaz Sabeel Organization Gilgit, Tanzeem Naujawanan-e-Sunnat Gilgit and Peoples Aman Committee (lyari) Karachi. Members of the banned organizations cannot assemble, maintain office, continue activities and hold bank accounts. hide collectors cannot use loud speakers to ask for hides. Those dealing in purchasing animal hides are also directed to deal only with sellers who have the permission of competent authorities to collect the hides, the interior ministry said. No one will be allowed to snatch or force people to give hides to some particular group or party, the ministry said.

Primary teachers demand restoration of management cadre KARAK StAff REpORt

All Primary Teachers Association (APTA) on Saturday protested outside the office of the District Coordination Officer (DCO) Karak, demanding restoration of management cadre in education department. APTA Provincial Senior Vice President Shafeeq and District General Secretary Javed Iqbal Khattak led the protest march to DCO office from the Town hall. The protesters held placards and shouted slogans. They demanded the son quota should be restored and 25 percent quota should be given to the primary school teachers in promotion to the posts of Senior English Teacher (SET). The protesters said that time scale should be given to the teachers in the new service structure, adding that scale 14 should be awarded to primary school teachers and all the privileges given by other provinces to the primary school teachers should be given to them.

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Sunday, 6 November, 2011

Editor’s mail 11

A three-way tug of war Whosoever advised PMl(N) to take out rally against democratically elected president has done irreparable damage to the party and it may be difficult to recover from its aftereffects. Mian Shahbaz Sharif used very indecent and highly objectionable language against the president that tantamounts to treason. Their rally comprised of people brought from different cities as entire administration of Punjab was involved in bringing the people to the venue, causing great loss to the national exchequer for personal projection. I think it is a fit case of suo motu to proceed against the Punjab government for using poor people’s tax. A

Save mountains in Sindh bewildered PMl(N) Senator who claimed to have counted the chairs at Minar-e-Pakistan should have shown some grace in accepting that his assessment was wrong instead of insisting on the number of chairs. On the other hand, Imran Khan had challenged Sharif brothers that lahore was Nawaz Sharif’s fort that took very little time for Imran to run over. It was an excellent show by PTI where people thronged in lacs to show solidarity with Imran Khan. The crowd was not transported in government and police arranged vehicles, they all came on their own. The PMl(N) is bleeding and wounded to an extent that even major

surgery will not work. Despite differences with all the political parties, decency did not slip out at Imran’s rally. The MQM took out rally in Karachi to show their support in favour of the president. MQM is a big crowd puller party with excellent discipline in the ranks, unlike other parties. This grand competition between three parties has given three different results: firstly, the PMl(N) has been completely isolated from rest of the parties and the country, and reduced to just regional party with no chance of recovery; secondly, Imran Khan's PTI shall give tough time to PMl(N) in the coming elections and divide their vote bank that would only benefit the PPP; and thirdly,

the MQM has improved its position. The MQM gained enough by supporting President Zardari in this battle and now better understanding prevails amongst coalition partners, PPP, PMl(Q), PMl(F) and ANP. Just imagine the strength they would have in the coming elections. The only lesson to be learnt is that we must show tolerance, patience and must respect the institutions. People come and go but the institutions stay. Keeping in view the present state of political turmoil in the country, it is worthwhile to reduce the term of parliament to four years. MUKHTAR AHMED Karachi

Politics of rallies? If we see current political scenario of the country, it seems democracy in Pakistan is at stake. Most political parties are busy in politics of rallies and politics of confrontation while democracy always favours dialogue over confrontation. All political parties should resolve their issues with politics of reconciliation. Current democratic government is quite rational in this regard. It is emphasising politics of reconciliation rather than politics of rallies, re-initiating politics of horsetrading or the politics of 1990s. Pakistan has faced more than three decades of dictatorship and the confrontation which political parties are facing today, will only harm democracy. Although it is democratic right of the political parties to organise their public meetings, but if they go beyond their limits then the ultimate loss is of the masses. In case, in the result of these rallies law and order situation of the country becomes worse, and if Army takeovers then who will be the responsible? Political leadership of the country shouldn’t forget the loss which country faced in the result of army takeovers. The interest groups are the ultimate beneficiaries of this entire chaotic situation who didn’t want a stable Pakistan. Therefore, all the political parties at this critical time should show responsibility and shun their differences and work for nurturing democracy in Pakistan. At a time when world powers and regional players have an eye on Pakistan, unity among political parties is the need of the hour. HAFIZ MUHAMMAD IRFAN Islamabad

Selfish politicians There is another worrying weather forecast for lower Sindh and Balochistan which are still striving to recover from the devastation caused by recent torrential rains. We are living in a country where policies are made in emergency not for emergency. Now everyone, including government and opposition, is increasing its point score by organising rallies on different political issues but no one bothers for those people of lower Sindh and Balochistan who will be in heavy rains in a few days. I can't understand as to why our political parties are acting so selfishly. Why do they think only for their votes not for voters? I think it is high time to do something for these people. All the political parties should activate their workers in related areas to take preventive measures to minimise the losses that are expected in forthcoming rains. In any catastrophic disaster, three functions are most important and that three functions are: evacuating, feeding and rehabilitating. From these three functions, evacuation demands trained workers and rehabilitation requires a planned and long policy so general public can participate only in feeding. Besides, the most important function among these three is evacuation. It is ironic that our Disaster Management Authority can't perform it, at large scale, owing to lack of a large trained force. If we reserve at least two brigades of our army permanently for evacuating purpose, train them as needed and give them required sophisticated tools, it will be helpful for both the army and the stranded people. MUHAMMAD NADEEM Lahore

After ruthlessly cutting the trees, both dense riverside forests and tress along roads and highways, now the mafia in Sindh province is seen destroying millions of years old it’s beautiful and lofty mountains through dynamites and other explosive chemicals in various lower Sindh districts especially in Thatto, Jamshoro and Dadu. The effects of pollution are notorious though virtually unrecorded. This criminal act has brought a drastic disturbance to their way of life and standard of living that amounts to cultural genocide. It is reported that a few national and multinational companies, their contractors and the ministers and officials helping these companies in unlawful, unethical manner have taken possession of these mountains. Sindh as a province is not going to get any benefit from this but a chosen few whose greed can’t be catered to. Mountains are not only beauty of Sindh’s complete and classic geography but there are also millions of people who depend on these mountains. Since ruthless chopping down of forests has already caused environmental devastation, many districts of Sindh stand flooded and ruined where rural economy has been shattered. however, the president of Pakistan is appealed to take cognizance of this criminal act against mountain ecology and order strict action against the violators to check environmental degradations. HASHIM ABRO Islamabad

New allegations

Yet another hike Nepra has announced yet another increase of Rs 1.77 per unit of power while the cost of hydel electricity is stated to be 13 paisas per unit, hSD Rs 18.02 per unit, furnace oil Rs 14.81 per unit and cost of Karkey RPP was Rs. 42.57 per unit. Wisdom would demand that we must go for hydel route by all possible means to make power affordable for the masses otherwise the repeated increases in power rates would make it well sigh impossible for use and power thefts would rise consequently. It is

A good decision Almost all the letters which I read after the implementation of two weekly holidays were written by people in favour of this decision taken by the government. I am also in favour of this measure strongly. In the current circumstances, when the power and energy shortage has gone far beyond any control, taking such a step is indeed a wise decision. Yes, there are people who oppose this act saying that the country is already facing huge economic problems and in such a situation, minimising the number of workdays will only make matters worse. But I would like to remind these people that the secret behind a good economic system is the proficiency of the workers and their best utilisation of time. If all of us do genuine hard work in the first five working days and manage our time well, then it really doesn’t matter whether we get one day off or two days off in a week. Secondly, it is also a well-known fact that most countries in the world have a two-day weekend. And yet they are successful because they keep a balance between work and leisure. A two-day weekend also contributes in establishing a healthy, energetic and

good that the government has commenced work on the DiamerBhasha dams but other dams need to be looked into as well. We could not go on producing power from IPP and RPP units which would be disastrous for our economy and unbearable for the common man. Somebody ought to see the folly of using imported fuel to generate power at ever increasing cost. DR MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI Lahore

more constructive workforce because when the people have been given enough time to relax during the weekend, they will be naturally more attentive and awake on Monday. Apart from announcing a two-day weekend, the government should, of course, take more steps to reduce the rising power crisis, like constructing more dams and power plants, ensuring the closure of markets latest by 8pm and that of marriage halls by 11pm, and taking strict action against those involved in power theft. MADIHA VIQUAR Karachi

letter to Rana Sanaullah I want to suggest to Punjab law Minister Rana Sanaullah to stop issuing irresponsible statements against Imran Khan who has very rightly asked all politicians to declare their actual assets in their entirety. Mian Nawaz Shrif has a lot of credibility and public support, but it cannot be said about Asif Zardari who has become controversial for rampant corruption and other irregularities. The issue is that all those who have occupied any public office, be it elected or as civil servants must declare any assets ac-

quired by them, or their family members within Pakistan, or abroad, after or during their term of holding such offices. If Imran Khan's two sons own any property through inheritance from their mother or grandparents, then such assets are not an issue. It is those assets that have been purchased with no declared known mode of legitimate earning abroad by family members of public office holders which are an issue. In any case whatever assets any Pakistani has acquired after independence are because of opportunities offered by this country. Many citizens, who migrated from cities that now form India, came with hardly any mentionable assets. It is unfortunate that evacuee property which should have been scrutinised before allotment to those who filed claims for properties were never investigated for authenticity. In some instances even those who lived in the areas that comprise Pakistan and did not own even a house, have become beneficiaries of expensive evacuee property in lahore and other key locations in major cities like Peshawar, Rawalpindi, hyderabad, Multan, Mardan, Faisalabad, Karachi etc. IRFAN BUTT Karachi

The Pakistan army, forced into a war of the West against an internal enemy that is hard to decipher as they resemble us both in ethnicity and culture, has despite all its earnest efforts and good will is attracting nothing but aversion from both within and without. Nothing legitimises foreign interventions in the form of accusations aimed at our institutions, especially the army that has gone all out, overstretching itself to eradicate terror from within its own borders that not only aids its own country but proves beneficial to those across the border. For example, the clearing of Bajaur in 2010 served to restore peace in the Kunar and Nuristan provinces of Afghanistan along with regaining lost territory from the militant strongholds. A recent documentary by BBC has tried to display the ISI’s duplicitous role in providing training, safe havens and weapons to the Taliban. No substantial evidence, however, has been provided to buttress its claims. That the documentary uses statements of Taliban operatives that no one has heard of before is enough evidence of it being fabricated to aid the other side. Although Pakistan has been the victim of such grossly overblown allegations in the past, but this one coming so soon after Clinton’s visit is rather significant. Pakistan has denied all claims made by the documentary as incorrect and nonrepresentative of the Pakistani version, but is anybody listening? history is our greatest mentor as it differentiates for us between our real friends and foes. We must speak for ourselves before it is too late. LUBNA UMAR Islamabad

PPP beware “The world may be running out of clean water”. While the gold rusts, what should the iron do? Time for a ‘bigger’ change – roti, kapra, makan aur pani. Z A KAZMI Karachi

Imran's war against corruption Two public meetings, both with differing agendas, were held on 30 October, one in lahore, the other in Karachi. The lahore meeting by Imran Khan had an agenda for change, where hundreds of thousands came to voice their protest against rampant unchecked corruption and abuse of powers by those who have misruled this country during past nine years and driven it to bankruptcy and galloping inflation. Imran Khan carries with him no

baggage and therefore majority of people in this country, who have undivided loyalty to this country, or no vested interests and whose future is wedded to Pakistan, look up to him. While those parties holding power at the centre are sure to be wiped out, the PMl(N) vote bank has also suffered and their fate depends upon political roadmap that they give and follow in coming weeks and months. On other hand, the public meeting in

Karachi by three coalition partners, whose governance itself is the source of discontent amongst the masses, was held to maintain status quo and had nothing to do with respect for constitutional offices, or for democratic culture. The three beneficiaries of NRO have joined hands to evade accountability, not realising that patience of the people has run out and they have no more tolerance for abuses and plunder that has been going on for years by an establishment

dominated by corrupt politicians, khakis and civil bureaucrats. Change is in the air and when the people have decided, no power can stop this. Mere process of being elected should never be considered to be a right to assume powers. Those political parties who do not speak out against corruption stand no chance in a free and fair election. MALIK TARIQ ALI Lahore

Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. Fax: +92-42-36298302. E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

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12 Comment Playing favourites dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s

hat the cabinet did on Wednesday was to agree in principle to give the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India. The announcement was made presumably with an eye on the SAARC summit being held from November 9 to12, where Gilani and Singh will both be present. The Indian PM has now taken the initiative to send an invitation to Gilani for a meeting on the sidelines of the summit. The talks between the two, after the Khar-Krishna meeting in July, will hopefully take the much needed peace process a step forward. What remains to be done now is to dot the i’s and cross the t’s. Details related to the decision have however to be worked out in the right spirit. What has to be kept in mind is that at no other time in the past was Pakistan so badly in need of normalising relations with its neighbours. What must not be forgotten at the same time is that Pakistan still has serious differences with India which need to be resolved in the interest of peace in South Asia. This alone can create a win-win situation for the two estranged neighbours. Fears are being expressed that Indian goods would swamp Pakistan’s market elbowing out the local industry. The critics of the MFN need to be reminded that the SAFTA agreement already contains a list of 233 sensitive items which would not be allowed from India. This is besides another negative list which safeguards a number of Pakistan’s products which are less competitive than Indian products. There are also complaints that certain Pakistani goods are debarred from the Indian market through Non Tariff Barriers (NBTs). The commerce secretaries from the two countries have to sort out the issue through necessary flexibility when they meet on November 14-15 in New Delhi. Pakistan needs to take all stake holders on board to find out a workable solution to any genuine problem that might be caused by according the MFN status to India. Minor issues can be ignored with the hope that they too would be redressed once the relations between the two countries are back on track.

Back to basics The commissionerate again

he expiry of the Sindh local Government Ordinance 2001, re-promulgated by Governor Ishratul Ebad on August 4, has automatically revived the old administrative system across the province at a time when the ruling coalition is grappling with a number of problems. The PPP and the MQM were left with no choice but to accept the revival of the commissionerate system because under the 18th Amendment no ordinance can be promulgated for a second time. Both parties knew that they would have to table a consensus bill in the Sindh Assembly but despite concerted efforts they failed to prepare a mutually acceptable draft that could also address the grievances of other political stakeholders. The Sindh government rolled back the commissionerate system and replaced it with the Musharraf-era local government system to win back the Muttahida Qaumi Movement which had walked out of the ruling coalition. President Zardari had to intervene to neutralise the opposition from within his own party and the nationalist leadership to deal with the pressure being brought to bear upon the PPP for doing away with the old administrative system. The PPP legislators who have been frequently interacting with their party leadership had a point in seeking the uniform enforcement of the 1979 local Government Act in the province rather than letting Karachi and hyderabad function under the system introduced by the military regime in 2001. They believed it was meant only for the benefit of the MQM. Sindhis rose up in arms against the federal and provincial governments because they were concerned about the attempt being made to divide the province across ethnic lines. As the PPP and the MQM are now engaged in negotiations to prevent the tipping point turning into a full-blown crisis, they can do themselves a great favour by agreeing to enforce the commissionerate system in the province, at least for the time being. This could then be followed by comprehensive consultations among all the political stakeholders to evolve a broad consensus on what sort of system should be imposed in Sindh.

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36298305-10 Fax: 042-36298302 Karachi – Ph: 021-34330811-3 Fax: 021-34330900 Islamabad – Ph: 051-2287414-6 Fax: 051-2287417 Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Sunday, 6 November, 2011

Pakistani first and last counting our blessings

By Humayun Gauhar

y last article left me depressed me in the writing of it. I ended by asking: “Is there anything positive?” Yes there are, but they get submerged in the negative that outnumber and outweigh them. It depressed some others too in the reading of it. Unpleasant truths always hurt, and none more so than to their purveyor. It is an unpopular but necessary thing to do if one is to transform negative to positive. Someone has to take the jump: who better than one who can walk the plank. Else it’s betraying a God-given ability. Such abilities come with a purpose. like Iqbal said: Mujhay hai hukm-e-azan, La Ilaha il Allah –“I have been ordained to speak the Truth: ‘There is no god but God’.” Those who take unpleasant truths seriously have a chance of correction. Those who take refuge in misplaced patriotism stand still. Instead, they question the truth’s purveyor or take comfort in making comparisons to those worse off. They forget that it is the message that is important, not the messenger. Such people are typical ostriches – if I don’t see something, it doesn’t exist. look at the scorecard of the political match in lahore last Sunday. Winner (by default): Asif Zardari: loser: Nawaz Sharif. Man of the Match: Imran Khan. ‘The Imran Factor’ has burst into the national political equation and drawing room chatter – positive for many, an unpleasant truth for some. Why? Because whatever his detractors might say, Imran has been telling the truth for 15 years. Positive: The decline and pain we have been undergoing is an evolutionary learning process. If the learning is positive, it

will help us become a nation. Positive: like western economies, ours has not crossed the point of no return, only the official has. That’s positive because the phoenix does not rise until there are ashes. Our total economy, formal and informal, is twice as big as the official. The latter is ‘informal’ because government has not bothered to document it, though it is perfectly legal and not to be confused with the underground or black economy. Document and tax it and official bankruptcy will disappear faster than you can say “bailout”. We have a lot that is positive to build on. Our economic fundamentals are not as bad as Europe’s or America’s and with the right people and political will we can get out of the quagmire faster than you can imagine – and without handouts. Positive: Our nuclear programme, not because possessing WMD is anything great but because we have demonstrated that in a crunch we can rise to the challenge. Positive: There are many amongst us who are Pakistanis first and last, even those who are not Muslims. You only have to recall the Christian heroes of the 1965 war with India. We are born into our faith anyway, God be praised. It is the cleric’s religion that takes us off the correct path from which many Muslims have strayed. There are many amongst us who do not take western citizenship when we can and are called “stupid” for it by those who do or wish they could. That’s positive. Shows commitment. Nothing can force us out of our country for it is our country, the only one we have. We all serve our land in our own way with whatever talent and means God has given us. Do we make something of it or should we divide our loyalty and become second-class citizens in someone else’s country? Speaking for myself, God has given me everything that a man needs, and more, much more. In return, I try and tell the truth as I see it at the time. I am satisfied, at peace with myself. Not many people can say that. Not because I am anything great but because I am lucky. Despite much scepticism, Imran Khan’s rally in lahore was a resounding success, not least because his was not the usual rent-acrowd. People came voluntarily, wives in tow, children in laps. Imran did Nawaz Sharif and his party of sulking brats more damage than anyone had ever done. Come to think of it, Pakistan and its simple people were the

biggest winners. If Imran goes on like this in the rest of Pakistan, he could at least hold the swing vote come the next elections, if any, or even win them. I’m very happy for Imran: he has come a long way – scratchy beginning, slow start, but he’s scored his maiden political century. Well played, Sir! One century does not a winner make. There’s still a long way to go. lahore is not Pakistan. Imran has to make similar powerful showings in other provinces of Pakistan. The country is deeply splintered into fiefdoms –feudal lords and tribal warlords, worshipers of shrines and their custodians, dynasties and cults and all that is primitive, all being run by the Deep State. This “not having ‘winning’ candidates” bogey is nonsense. If Imran seems a likely winner, ‘winning candidates’ will run to him like hyenas to a kill and bears to honey. They are opportunists. The ‘political machine’ will come with it: it’s not rocket science. This is where Imran has to battle two contradictions. One: While Imran’s rhetoric is revolutionary his politics is traditional electoral. Revolutionary politics strives to destroy an iniquitous status quo; electoral politics seeks to preserve it. Two: If Imran gets into cahoots with ‘winning candidates’ most of who are corrupt, Imran may do well in elections but he will betray his revolutionary promise. his hints about possibly ganging up with certain established parties doesn’t portend well for revolution. Right now Imran cannot win power but he can be put in office by the Deep State, America included – the usual standard operating procedure. Is he willing to be their pretty face up front while our traditional puppeteers keep pulling the strings? With America seemingly having decided that, “If ‘Islamists’ cannot be prevented from taking power we will place our own moderate faces of Islam in office.” Imran is the perfect candidate to provide that face. Does he want that? Or does he wish to come to office and power with the support of the people? ‘Office’ and ‘power’ are two different things. Gandhi had great power but he never held office. Yousaf Raza Gilani holds high office but no power. Get it? Only one who has both can bring revolution. Eid Mubarak to you and yours. The writer is a political analyst. He can be contacted at humayun.gauhar786@gmail.com

a word about history Semantics and society

third Eye By M J Akbar

rare October snowstorm along the edge of the Atlantic can be the best of times and the worst of times. The trees along the highway between Philadelphia and New York put on their winter makeup of whitebright talcum while the low sky broods with grey intensity. The snowstorm stretched a two-hour drive to a disconcerting four. A book is a good companion for bad weather. It helps split the personality. half of me was engrossed in the anxious beauty of the storm while the other half flirted with facts about the first millennium in a splendid tome called Empires of the Silk Road: A History of Central Eurasia from the Bronze Age to the Present. history roams on many routes to the past, but a pretty good way to navigate is through the story of words. The next time

you are bahadur enough to ask your naukar-chakar to buy subzi at inflationary prices from the bazaar, and then give it to the bawarchi to cook, remember that each of the italicised words came to India from the silken route between China, Central Asia and Persia in the 13th and 14th centuries. Time, however, has altered the inflexion of meaning, and not for the better. During the supposedly stratified age of Mongol emperors and hordes, noker and chakar were warriors of the finest professional pedigree, and part of the protective ring around the ruler. It was a military aristocracy based on ability not birth; the chakar was a symbol of courage who looked upon “death as returning home”. In our allegedly democratic times, naukarchakar have been reduced to menial whipping boys. Chingiz Khan’s nokers were close enough to be considered friends, and formed the core of his imperial bodyguard known as kesig. The ba-urchi was the steward with special responsibility for the kitchen, one of the select braves or ba-aturs. The current incarnation of these terms, bawarchi and bahadur, is less than heroic, conjuring images of a chap wearing a lungi in Calcutta or a puny doorman in Mumbai. Khubilai Khan, the grandest of the Mongol-Chinese emperors, had 12,000 such bodyguards. Marco Polo reports

that the Khan had gifted each one with 13 robes in different colours, and estimated that the lot would have needed over a million yards of silk. Evolution is rarely in a hurry; the meaning took its time to change in India. As horseback conquerors settled down to become a comfortable ruling class, their court acquired the flab of sedentary power, and the ethics of older class and caste systems. Work had once lifted your status, now status became graded into cemented categories. Anyone in the ruler’s service became, well, a servant. The British added a contemptuous dimension to inherited hierarchies. They allotted the Mughal imperial court dress to cooks and attendants, and imposed their three-piece suits and neckties on the compradors that they co-opted into the second and third tiers of their Raj. Go to any Brown Sahib club in Delhi for confirmatory evidence. The Indian middle class, which has become the new ruling community in our post-independence democracy, has adopted the superioritycomplex of feudal and coloniser without the former’s generosity or the latter’s efficiency. American boys 50 years ago would dream of becoming cops who chased and killed robbers. There are no cops in America today. They are all police officers. It stands to reason. If you sit in an office, you are an officer. Train

drivers are called engineers, and when American politicians talk of their middle class they mean precisely those who were yesterday’s blue collars. language is a gauge of social esteem, and respect begins with self-respect. India is too large and complex to fit into any single dimension, but one senses that it is being jolted out of traditional mental shackles which defined a place for the poor on the outskirts of both the geographical and mental space by the young who will not accept shibboleths or assumptions of the past. The unprecedented uproar over the Rs 32-a-day poverty line is evidence. Economists were surprised because they had not changed their societal calculators in five decades. This quiet revolution is not led by those below the poverty line, but by those who will not accept a minimalist definition of poverty. The new Indian demands more accurate mirrors and more ambitious horizons. Dalit replaced the previous term for those who had once been outcast. In 10 years, naukar will either rise back to its Mongol meaning, or disappear from those Indian languages which use the word. The columnist is editor of The Sunday Guardian, published from Delhi, India on Sunday, published from London and Editorial Director, India Today and headlines Today.

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Sunday, 6 November, 2011

Comment 13

Clinton digs in?

against all odds?

mixed messages just won’t do

imran not quite there yet

cross currents By Qudssia Akhlaque

ill it be flip-flop again? Not unexpectedly many Pakistanis raised this question after the US Secretary of State hillary Clinton’s latest visit to Islamabad. Will the US Secretary of State stay the course of what some interpreted in Pakistan as Washington’s review of its Afghanistan policy. A tentative answer has come via Clinton’s October 27 testimony before the house Foreign Relations Committee in which the US Secretary outlines US’s “three-track strategy of fight, talk, and build, pursuing all three tracks at once, as they are mutually reinforcing.” however, the testimony has also been accompanied with on the ground attacks by both the Taliban and the US drones. The Clinton testimony does reinforce the view that her Islamabad trip helped PakistanUS to move forward, although the complications through 2011 have generated skepticism on both sides. US Secretary’s public pronouncements during her visit indicated that the US did finally see wisdom in partially buying-into Pakistan’s ‘give peace a chance’ policy to replace Washington’s ‘killkill’ policy towards the Taliban. The failed ‘kill-kill’ policy had prompted the Obama Administration to scapegoat Pakistan. however, in recent weeks this scapegoat Pakistan approach was diluted. Finally, in early October a high-level meeting in Abu Dhabi took place between top Pakistani and American officials including Gen Kayani and US National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon. During the meeting, the American side gave a 5-page US roadmap on the Afghan peace and reconciliation process. Significantly, Secretary Clinton’s visit to Pakistan was finalised after this meeting to

further iron out further differences and to clear atmosphere polluted by verbal bouts between Islamabad and Washington. During the Clinton visit, building on the 5-page roadmap, about a four-hour meeting was held at the PM house here with high-powered Pakistan-US delegations doing straight-talking. Pakistani delegation included Gen Kayani, DG ISI Shuja Pasha, Foreign Minister hina Rabbani Khar and Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir. The US was represented by Secretary of State hillary Clinton, CIA Chief Gen David Petraeus and an Assistant Secretary of Defence, among others. Past the ‘initial clearing of the air’ by the Clinton team regarding the US Secretary of State’s hard-hitting statements implying that the US would attack terrorist sanctuaries in Pakistan in case Pakistan failed to do so. Gaps between Islamabad and Washington, on the way forward on Afghan reconciliation were further narrowed down. From Pakistani side, while stressing upon the need to pursue the ‘give peace a chance’ approach, it was made clear to the US that Pakistan had no favorites among the Afghans. That it was looking to support an Afghan-led credible peace and reconciliation process. There was also discussion in this meeting about early convening of another Afghan loya Jirga as part of the reconciliation effort. Subsequently, Clinton acknowledged the progress made during the Islamabad talks. In her roundtable with Pakistani TV anchors while quoting Gen Kayani she declared: “We’re 90 to 95 on the same page.” Notably she also publicly ruled out boots on the ground against Pakistan and conceded the US had no evidence against ISI’s involvement in supporting terrorism and that Pakistan also believed that the reconciliation process in Afghanistan should be Afghan-led. Between Secretary Clinton’s own public statements, comments at the joint Press Conference with her Pakistani counterpart and reports from Pakistani side also about some understanding on the way forward in Afghanistan, the overall outcome of Clinton’s Islamabad visit was generally seen as useful and constructive. however, within less than three days of her departure Clinton’s interview with Bloomberg

News was interpreted by Pakistani media as the US Secretary of State going back on her commitment that US too will give peace a chance. Responding to a question she noted: “I have made it clear that there will be dire consequences for Pakistan as well as Afghanistan if this threat from the terrorist networks is not contained, at the very least…” The US Embassy in Islamabad then hastened to dispel that impression. Clinton’s testimony has appropriately sent a consistent policy message to all her listeners; the Americans, Pakistanis, Afghans and to the Taliban. The message clearly states the Obama Administration’s decision to engage the insurgents in a dialogue. Equally while acknowledging Pakistan’s own security requirements, it again warns Pakistan of the devastating fallout of continued terrorism within Pakistan. As if heeding her own advice, the messaging has been clear. During her discussion with the Pakistani anchors Clinton had observed: “I think sometimes our public messaging is not helpful. And therefore, we have to be more thoughtful and careful about what we say and when we say it.” Past the message, the challenge is now of taking the right action. The devil is in that detail. Since last week the developments on the military front, attacks in Afghanistan by the Taliban and the US drone attacks, are shifting the momentum to ‘fight-fight.’ Unless quick moves are not made by Washington and then by Islamabad to make overtures to bring the insurgent groups to the dialogue table, the gains regarding the reconciliation process, maybe overshadowed by a heightened ‘fight-fight’ dynamic. Meanwhile, the multilateral Istanbul Conference on Afghanistan has, as expected, made no advances on the reconciliation front. So now the ball is essentially back in Pak-US court to lead the Afghan-initiated reconciliation process in Afghanistan. The writer is a senior journalist and has been a diplomatic correspondent for leading dailies. She was an Alfred Friendly Press Fellow at The Chicago Tribune in the US and a Press Fellow at Wolfson College, Cambridge, UK. She can be reached at qudssia@hotmail.com

‘h

e came, he saw, he conquered’. That’s exactly how Tehreek-iInsaf supporters would like to portray Imran Khan after the massive rally at Minar-i-Pakistan last Sunday, the biggest ever since the late Benazir Bhutto’s homecoming in 1986. Almost two decades after leading a relatively weak side to victory in the World Cup, he played his masterstroke in politics, sending shivers down the spine of the league leadership which tried to cheat the masses once again by launching a “Go-Zardari-go” campaign after having played the role of a friendly opposition over the past three-and-half years. like his detractors, Imran was also stunned by the size of the crowd and thus unable to articulate. Probably he couldn’t say the things he wanted to or should have said. he had no programme to offer to the masses but still he gave a sense of hope to men and women, young and old, who are fed up with the corrupt ruling elite. They are the ones who want the old faces in politics to just get out of their way; they want to liberate themselves from the shackles of the looters and plunderers. And when it comes to their mistrust, they make no distinction between the PPP and the PMl(N). They are disenchanted by both. By Sarmad Bashir Shahbaz Sharif might have thought that he could consolidate his party’s votebank in the Punjab by training his guns at President Zardari. But he must be grossly mistaken. The offensive diatribe launched by him at the Bhati Chowk just ahead of the PTI’s grand show of strength led to the further isolation of the league, now striving hard for its political survival. The Party was left with no choice but to gradually distance itself from the CM’s rant with Punjab law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan making it clear that whatever the Chief Minister had said against the President was his personal view. And it was interesting to hear from him that Mian Shahbaz was just an ordinary party worker like him and the policy guidelines were set only by Mian Nawaz Sharif. There is no doubt that the PMl(N) has lately positioned itself as a challenger of the status quo after the PPP got itself aligned with the establishment. But when Rana Sanaullah points a finger of accusation at Imran Khan for playing second

politics Bazaar

fiddle to the powers that be, he seems to forget how the party he himself represents had emerged on the political scene. Zia being their patron-saint, the Sharifs didn’t go through any hassle to enter the corridors of power. Picked up as a counterweight to the PPP, they remained pliant to the establishment and never ruffled any feathers until Mian Nawaz was thrown out of power unceremoniously. But the lesson he might have learnt was to avoid taking the political confrontation to the point where those nursing Bonpartist tendencies could step in and send the democratic dispensation packing. This explains his policy of going one step forward and two steps backward with which the kid brother has not yet reconciled. That he is eager to see the back of the Zardari government much ahead of the Senate elections scheduled for March needs no elaboration. Snap polls remains his dream. But he must also be aware of the odds stacked against his party. Anti-incumbency factor coupled with the emergence of Tehreek-i-Insaaf as a major political force are the fears which might have compelled him to tread his path cautiously. Imran is still a long way from converting his public support into electoral victory. And it is only Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where he could expect to bag some seats and that too if he manages to rope in electable candidates. As far as Sindh and Balochistan are concerned, his party virtually doesn’t exist in these two provinces. But he can still give the Sharifs nightmares by playing the role of a spoiler and thus marginalizing the PMl(N)’s majority in the Punjab to a tiny minority. That said, the PTI Chief has yet to undergo many tests before he could rightly assess his support base. So far he has not taken any clear position on the Seraiki province or such other divisive issues elsewhere in the country. Then, of course, he will have to be mindful of the fact that his sympathetic approach towards the Taliban could deprive him of the fairly large chunk of the liberal supporters who were conspicuous by their presence at the Minar-i-Pakistan rally. last but not least our cricketerturned-politician will have to be extra cautious about the blurring of lines between his backing by the establishment and his politics of idealism which he continued to pursue religiously over the past 15 years since the launching of Tehreek-i-Insaaf in the mid 1990s. The writer is Executive Editor, Pakistan Today.

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14 Comment

Sunday, 6 November, 2011

To my sacrificial lamb We wish to inform you that tomorrow you will be sacrificed

elhi will be celebrating Eid tomorrow. last evening, I was walking the bylanes of Nizamuddin Basti and there was a goat tied to almost every door. This is a time when many of my hindu friends click their tongues and shake their heads before venturing out to say in a sad tone, “look, we’ve nothing against Muslims but just how could you people be so heartless to kill the very goat that you have raised?” What’s my reaction? I get pretty upset but I stay quiet and tell myself, “Ah, you ignorant people. By Mayank Austen Soofi What do you know of Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his son in the name of God? And no matter what you tender tandoori chicken-loving souls pretend to feel, I’m going to enjoy my meat.” I know so many people who lovingly raise their goats in their courtyards. The children feed them leaves; the fathers pat them affectionately. And on the day of the sacrifice, the bonding is still there and yet, God’s will must be obeyed. Talking of animals, I’ll tell you about two instances of love for stray animals that I recently came across in Delhi. One night last week, I was walking in Mathura Road, central Delhi, when I reached a pavement where a couple of homeless people were sleeping. One man was awake. lying on a woolen blanket, he was lov-

delhi calling

ingly patting a black dog. “She is Kaali,” the man said and identified himself as Ramesh. “I have no one in Delhi except her. I met her six years ago in this very place and since then she is living with me. I may go hungry but I make sure that Kaali gets her roti every night.” In the morning, Ramesh buys her bread and milk. During the day, he has to be away in Bhogal, a nearby market, where he works as a labourer. “I tell Kaali to stay in this pavement when I’m off to duty and she obeys me.” When Ramesh returns in the evening, Kaali never leaves his side. Patting her again, Ramesh said, “I have been betrayed by insaan (human beings) but she has always been nice to me. She is my family.” At that instant, Kaali turned her head towards Ramesh and wagged her tail. It was a beautiful moment. like Kaali, Kaloo was also a pavement dog. But now he has found a home in Jorbagh, one of Delhi’s most posh neighborhoods. But the problem with Kaloo is that he bites. “But he doesn’t bite everybody,” said the new mother of this black mongrel, an expat woman who is living in Delhi for three years. “Kaloo is very selective. he chooses his victims in a seemingly random fashion.” Though living in an upscale neighbourhood that is home to authors, publishers, artists and foreign correspondents, Kaloo knows no class divide. he has bitten his owner as well as the grocer’s deliveryman. Patting his head, Kaloo’s mother described him as “part German Shepherd, part Jack Russell Terrier, part wolf.” Sitting on her white sofa, she called out to Kaloo, saying, “Engage, engage, engage with me.” Wagging his tail, he looked up at his mistress be-

fore being distracted by me. he growled with suspicion. Just then the woman’s husband, the dog’s new father, entered the living room. “Kaloo has come a long way since he nipped me on my left ankle,” he said. The dog wagged his tongue, as if in agreement. Kaloo has lived in Jor Bagh longer than his new parents. he roamed the streets, barked at the residents and slept under the cars parked outside the bungalows. Infamous for being a biter, many people were scared to walk in front of him. however, Kaloo also succeeded in establishing friendships; to the colony’s chowkidars, he is a darling. “Kaloo was obviously mistreated,” said his mother. “That’s why he is so mistrusting of people and that’s why he bites.” Ironically, the best thing that Kaloo did in his life was to bite the man who would become his father. “After that incident, we decided that the safest thing for us to do would be to befriend Kaloo,” his mother said. “We wanted to get near to him and get him his shots.” Then the courting started in earnest. The woman won Kaloo with two pieces of chicken. he stopped barking and snapping at her and became a visitor to her house. She arranged for a vet to give him the shots. By looking at Kaloo’s teeth, the vet estimated his age to be six years old. Next, his new father got Kaloo a dog license at Motibagh NDMC Vetinary Clinic. It hangs around Kaloo’s neck like a medal so that municipal services do not mistake him for a stray and whisk him away. Early this year, the black mongrel was made a fully-fledged member of this Jorbagh household. “I think Kaloo has lived in someone’s house before,” the mother said. “I

Photo by mayank Austen Soofi

did not have to teach him how to lie on his bed. he was happy to have a collar and a leash. he also responds well to the affection.” But despite being a good housedog, Kaloo hasn’t kicked the habit of snapping at strangers. So his new life has come with a life sentence. While Kaloo is free to move around the house and the garden, he is taken out for walks in Jor Bagh lanes or in lodhi Road only on a leash. “Some people run away from Kaloo, some run to him,” Kaloo’s

mother told me. “People who don’t know us greet him by his name. he is so proud, grand and loving.” And now I must inform my proud, grand and loving lamb that tomorrow she will be sacrificed. Eid Mubarak. Mayank Austen Soofi lives in a library. He has one website and four blogs. The website address: thedelhiwalla.com. The blogs: Pakistan Paindabad, Ruined By Reading, Reading Arundhati Roy and Mayank Austen Soofi Photos.

after the US withdrawal A new security architecture

politact By Arif Ansar

s the US prepares to withdraw militarily from Iraq and Afghanistan, there is growing talk of Iran filling the vacuum. however, the US is in the process of laying the foundation of a new security architecture for the regions of Middle East and South and Central Asia. hillary Clinton’s high profile trip to Pakistan and Joe Biden’s to Saudi Arabia last month, provided clues to the shape of this emerging regional security framework. The recent death of Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz offered a diplomatic opportunity to friends and neighbors of the Saudi peninsula. The US sent a high-powered delegation to Riyadh, headed by Vice President Joe Biden to condole with King Abdullah, and renew their ties of friendship and partnership with the Al Saud family. According to media reports, the delegation included CIA director David Petraeus, Senator John McCain, Clinton-era defense secretary William Cohen, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, and the head of CENT-

COM General James Mattis. Joe Biden’s visit would go a long way towards improving USSaudi relations that were tense over how US disowned its former ally, hosni Mubarak of Egypt. The statement made by President Obama following Prince Sultan’s passing away, was full of praise for the Saudi royals, "he was a strong supporter of the deep and enduring partnership between our two countries forged almost seven decades ago in the historic meeting between President Roosevelt and King Abd al-Aziz Al Saud.” The US is being crystal clear in their backing for the monarchy, despite the numerous civil and gender rights problems in the country. The show of support and friendship from the US was also a signal to the rest of the region, and the Saudi population that the US is dug-in with the Saudis and condemnation of the monarchy would not be forthcoming in the event of an Arab Spring movement in the kingdom, as was the case with Egypt, Tunisia and libya. Earlier, Secretary of State hillary Clinton had led a similar high-powered delegation to Pakistan; to ease tensions between the two countries over affairs related to US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Pakistan’s performance in the fight against terror and the threat of more Operation Geronimo style unilateral actions. hillary Clinton’s and Joe Biden’s visits to the region can be seen as setting the foundation for a broader security architecture, that would follow US planned withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan.

This framework appears to have two-fold overt focus: continue to counter the terrorist threat and contain Iran. For achieving these goals, the US is moving towards more agile Special Forces kinds of operations, tactics and technologies. In this new approach, the US would depend on its regional allies to take the lead against terrorists. however, if the allies fail due to capability or intent, it would retain the initiative to act unilaterally, as the US is presently doing in the case of drone attacks in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia. According to media sources, the Saudi dominated Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is to play an integral role in this new security architecture, with smaller contingent of US forces placed in various Gulf countries. In all likelihood, US would also like to maintain a base in Afghanistan after withdrawal, an approach unlikely to be welcomed by some regional actors and Taliban. This US demand, if made, could potentially become a sticking point in the upcoming conferences, on the way forward in Afghanistan. Complete withdrawal of the coalition forces from the country has been one of the consistent demands of the Taliban, before progress could be made towards a political solution. During a panel discussion on the ‘Afghan Endgame’ held this week at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, influential former Secretary of State henry Kissinger said, “I have no [objection] in principle of negotiating with the Taliban, but for the purpose of ending the war, it’s the wrong sequence of events. The first ne-

gotiation in my view ought to be with surrounding countries.” he also urged the US to reach an agreement before it pulls out troops, and to push bigger withdrawals towards the end of the process. The US is clearly evaluating various formulations for the troop withdrawal process and is concerned about not having a military leverage. The other leg of this new security plan promotes regional integration and trade. According to the US State Department, the new American strategy for Central and South Asia sees Pakistan as an important ally in a new Silk Road, which connects these two regions. Talking to reporters at the fourth core group summit held in Islamabad before hilary’s visit, Mark Toner stated that the US considers the country strategically important but urged Pakistan to gel itself with the region’s economy. Toner also said that US special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Mark Grossman discussed “regional economic development along the vision of the new Silk Road that Secretary Clinton laid out in Chennai” when he met with the core group. During July trip to Chennai, hillary Clinton had urged India to team up with other regional countries in reviving the Silk Route. These meetings have probably convinced Pakistan in granting India the MFN status on November 2nd. In this context, it would be interesting to see how US deals with Iranian stakes in Afghanistan. It should be noted that cooperation between Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan had been growing before the assassination of Professor Burhanuddin

Hillary clinton’s and Joe Biden’s visits to the region can be seen as setting the foundation for a broader security architecture, that would follow uS planned withdrawal from iraq and Afghanistan. Rabbani in Kabul on September 20th. Pakistan has lately devoted considerable efforts towards improving its relations with Iran as it has with Saudi Arabia. According to former top adviser to late AfPak envoy Richard holbrooke, Vali Nasr, who also spoke at the Woodrow Wilson Center, Iran and Pakistan have both lost faith in the US strategy and are pursuing their own post-US withdrawal plans at this point. Furthermore, he stated that many people presently think the US regional engagement is about Afghanistan, however, moving forward; it’s going to be the least significant factor. The predominant concerns for US in the future are countering Al-Qaeda in Pakistan and containing Iran’s nuclear program. From this discussion, it’s clear that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, are the principals of this emerging US regional security framework. however, significant challenges remain; the inclusion of Pakistan would depend on how well it performs against the

Al-Qaeda linked groups and in facilitating the Afghan reconciliation process. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia appears to be onboard towards countering Iran but a lot will depend on the future trajectory of the Arab Spring. how forthcoming the Russians and Chinese are going to be towards these plans is yet to be seen, especially when US and Europe are for the first time operating out of economic weakness. As Dr Kissinger commented during his presentation at the Woodrow Wilson Center, managing coexistence and cooperation with the emerging powers has become a fundamental long-term strategic issue for the US, which it never had to deal with before because of its material superiority, and this adjustment may not end with a grand reconciliation. The writer is the chief analyst for PoliTact (www.PoliTact.com and http:twitter.com/politact) and can be reached at aansar@politact.com.

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15 Foreign News 7 dead as clashes continue in Syria Sunday, 6 Novermber, 2011

damascus blasts US for ‘blatant interference’ g Peace deal failure would be ‘catastrophic’ for Syria: Arabi DAMASCUS

Afp

lAShES in the restive Syrian city of homs killed three civilians, while four proregime militiamen died in Idlib province on Saturday, a human rights group said. “At least three civilians were killed by gunfire and heavy machinegun fire in homs,” said the Syrian Observatory for human Rights. In the northwestern province of Idlib, near the border with Turkey, “four (Shabiha) militiamen loyal to the regime were killed by suspected deserters in the town of Saraqeb,” added the Britainbased Observatory. On Friday, Syrian troops killed at least 23 people when demonstrators took

to the streets denouncing “despots and tyrants,” as world powers cast doubt on the regime’s commitment to a peace deal agreed with the Arab league. The plan calls for an end to violence, the release of those detained, the withdrawal of the army from urban areas and free movement for observers and the media, as well as talks between the regime and opposition. Members of the UN human Rights Council said they seek to “shine a spotlight” on violations in Syria as a UN commission of inquiry prepared to file later this month a report on the violence-wracked country. Meanwhile, Damascus on Saturday strongly condemned Washington after the US State Department advised Syrians against surrendering following an amnesty for those who give up weapons. “The American administration dis-

closed again its blatant interference in Syria’s internal affairs, and its policy which supports killing, in addition to its funding of the terrorist groups in Syria,” SANA state news agency said citing a foreign ministry official. Syria’s interior ministry announced an amnesty on Friday for people who surrender their weapons between Saturday and November 12 in a concession to mark the Eidul Azha feast, state television reported. The State Department on Friday advised Syrians against surrendering to President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. “I wouldn’t advise anybody to turn themselves in to regime authorities at the moment,” said spokeswoman Victoria Nuland, adding Assad’s regime had so far failed to live up to a deal to end eight months of violence struck on Wednesday. “This would be about the fourth

Four killed as bombs target Iraq Sunni militia

US hints it would not object to Brotherhood win in Egypt

BAGHDAD REutERS

Four bombs exploded near the home of a local leader of a government-supported Sunni militia north of Iraq’s capital on Saturday, killing four people and wounding eight others, police and health sources said. The attack follows a major assault on Thursday on the Sahwa militia, which helped turn the tide of the war by taking up arms against al Qaeda. Six people were killed and dozens wounded when bombs exploded near a group of fighters as they lined up to receive their pay in the city of Baquba. Iraqi security forces and Sahwa members have been frequent targets in recent weeks as militants try to destabilise Iraq’s fragile, cross-sectarian government while the United States withdraw its remaining 33,000 troops. The four bombs exploded near a house in Taji, 20 km north of Baghdad, a mixed area of Shi’ites and Sunnis that was once a battlefield for al Qaeda and the Mehdi Army Shi’ite militia. “Two bombs went off near the house of Isa Kadhim, a Sahwa leader in Taji town, killing his brother, his wife and two of his children,” a police source said. “A few minutes later, another two bombs went off close to the first explosions, wounding eight people in the area.” The sectarian slaughter of 2006-07 has ebbed but al Qaeda-linked Sunni insurgents and Shi’ite militias still carry out scores of bombings and other attacks each month, more than eight years after the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam hussein. US troops are scheduled to withdraw completely by the end of the year.

WASHINGTON Afp

7 killed in British motorway pile-up LONDON Afp

A 27-vehicle pile-up on a British motorway sparked explosions and an inferno, leaving seven people dead and 43 injured, police said Saturday. Television pictures showed a line of cars and trucks engulfed in flames following the massive crash at around 2030 GMT Friday on the M5 motorway near Taunton, southwest England. Blazing trucks fell onto their sides and people desperately tried to prise open the doors of cars to help trapped motorists escape in chaotic scenes after the crash, which happened in foggy and wet conditions. Witnesses said they heard explosions as vehicles went up in flames and saw debris and casualties strewn across the road. Around 50 firefighters battled to free people who were trapped in the wreckage of their vehicles on the northbound carriageway. A long stretch of the primary route through England’s southwest remained closed. Assistant Chief Constable Anthony Bangham, of Avon and Somerset Police, said “several people” lost their lives in the crash but did not give a precise figure.

to end violence in Syria would be “catastrophic” for the country and region. “The failure of the Arab solution will have catastrophic consequences for the situation in Syria and the region,” he said in a statement, while calling for an immediate end to the bloodshed. The statement was issued after Arabi met Burhan Ghalioun, the Paris-based leader of the dissident Syrian National Council. Arabi “called on the Syrian government to take immediate measures to implement the Arab plan, to which it committed itself,” the statement said. The plan, agreed on Wednesday, calls for an end to violence, the release of those detained, the withdrawal of the army from urban areas and free movement for observers and the media, as well as talks between the regime and opposition.

amnesty that they’ve offered since I took this job about five months ago,” she told reporters. “So we’ll see if it has any more traction than it’s had in the past.” SANA, citing the ministry official, said Syria “condemns these irresponsible statements which only aim at inciting sedition, supporting the acts of killing and the terrorism practiced by the armed groups against the Syrian citizens.” “The Syrian government calls on the international community to stand against these policies which contradict with the provisions of the international law and the UN Security Council’s resolutions related to combating terrorism and financing it,” added the English-language report. Meanwhile, Arab league chief Nabil al-Arabi warned on Saturday that the failure of a deal brokered by his organisation

ISHINomAKI: Tibetan spiritual leader, the dalai lama, is welcomed by Japanese children during his visit to hard-hit areas devastated by the march 11 earthquake and tsunami, on Saturday. aFP

The United States would be “satisfied” if fair parliamentary elections in Egypt produced a Muslim Brotherhood victory, President Barack Obama’s pointman for democratic transitions in the Middle East said late Friday. “I think the answer is yes, I think we will be satisfied, if it is a free and fair election,” the newly appointed special coordinator for Middle East transitions, William Taylor, said when asked about what the US reaction would be if the Islamist party comes out ahead in elections starting this month. “What we need to do is judge people and parties and movements on what they do, not what they’re called,” Taylor told a forum at the Atlantic Council, a Washington thinktank. In June Secretary of State hillary Clinton said Washington had been in “limited contacts” with the Muslim Brotherhood as part of an effort to adjust to Egypt’s political upheaval. But the talks drew ire from some Republican US lawmakers who expressed concern that the Brotherhood would seek to establish Muslim Sharia law in Egypt and North Africa. The region has seen unprecedented change this year in the “Arab spring” movement, notably in Egypt, libya and Tunisia where longstanding dictatorships were toppled, in large part by people’s revolutions. “These revolutions, this movement toward democracy has the ability to repudiate the terrorist narrative,” Taylor said. But Cairo was plunged into turmoil this week when the militarycontrolled transitional government announced plans to take greater control of the formation of a new Egyptian constitution. “I do see it as a problem,” Taylor, who visited Cairo last week and met with several military leaders, warned about a possible renewed military power grab in Egypt, adding that such a move would “lead to a bad place — authoritarian again.”

israel frees six of 27 detained on flotilla JERUSALEM AgEnciES

Israel has freed six of 27 passengers and crew who were aboard two ships intercepted by its navy while trying to run the Jewish state’s blockade on the hamas-run Gaza Strip, an official said on Saturday. Commandos boarded the Irishflagged Saoirse (Freedom) and the Canadian ship Tahrir (Arabic for liberation) in international waters off Gaza on Friday before the navy escorted them to the port of Ashdod, the

military said. Interior ministry spokeswoman Sabine hadad said the six released included an Israeli Arab, two Greek crewmen and three journalists — from Egypt, Spain and the United States. She said the remaining 21 people were still being held at a detention facility in Ramla near Tel Aviv, after questioning by immigration authorities. Asked when the 21 activists were expected to be freed, hadad explained the deportation process requires them to see a judge, a process that would

take at least 72 hours. At the end of the process, Israel would fly the activists back to their homelands, she said. Fourteen of the activists held by Israel were Irish, the rest are from Canada, Scotland, Australia and the US. Israel has blockaded Gaza since the Islamist group hamas seized control of the territory in 2007, saying its blockade is necessary to prevent weapons from entering the coastal territory, which is run by the Islamist hamas movement. A UN report on Israel’s interception

of the Turkish aid ship said the blockade was a “legitimate security measure”, but added that Israel had used unreasonable force in its raid on the ship. Turkey expelled Israel’s envoy and froze military cooperation with Israel over the Jewish state’s refusal to apologise for the killings. Pro-Palestinian groups behind the latest attempt to reach Gaza by sea condemn the blockade as illegal and inhumane. A spokeswoman for the Irish Ship to Gaza group said on Friday they would continue to send boats until the blockade is lifted.

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Sunday, 6 Novermber, 2011

Foreign News 16 Coalition to protect euro membership, says greek Pm ATHENS REutERS

gENoA: A rescue worker on Saturday searches through overturned vehicles after a storms hit northwestern Italy, killing at least six people and flooding parts of genoa a week after torrential rain ravaged nearby coastal areas. ReUTeRS

Yemen army kills 5 qaeda suspects ADEN Afp

Five Al-Qaeda suspects were killed in artillery shelling by Yemen’s army in the country’s restive southern city of Zinjibar, officials said on Saturday. “The army’s 25th Mechanised Brigade fired artillery shells late Friday at an area in Zinjibar’s east killing five Al-Qaeda militants,” an army official told AFP. A local official in the nearby town of Jaar, an Al-Qaeda stronghold, confirmed the bodies of “five Al-Qaeda militants” were brought to the town from Zinjibar. Tribesmen and the Yemen’s army have been battling militants from the “Partisans of Sharia (Islamic law)” who are believed to be close to Al-Qaeda in the country’s southern and eastern regions. Yemen has been gripped by violence as the government in Sanaa has become weakened by anti-regime protests that have rocked the country since January. The international community has expressed fears the power vacuum in the impoverished country could play into the hands of Al-Qaeda. hundreds have died in battles between security forces and protesters, and security forces and Al-Qaeda fighters, amid growing fears the extremists will exploit the fragile political situation to seize Yemen’s restive regions.

45 saved in Chinese mine rescue BEIJING Afp

Forty-five miners trapped underground after a rock blast in a Chinese coal mine were brought to the surface Saturday in a rare successful rescue, CCTV state television reported. Eight people had been confirmed killed by Thursday’s accident at the Qianqiu colliery in the central province of henan, it said. Another 21 had earlier been brought out. Emergency personnel had to dig a tunnel at a depth of several hundred metres to reach the trapped men, and CCTV — which covered the rescue live — showed miners emerging from the colliery’s main lift more than 36 hours after the blast. The last miner to be rescued was carried out on a stretcher and immediately taken away by ambulance. While mining accidents are common in China, it is unusual for so many people to be successfully brought to the surface alive.

63 killed in attacks in northern Nigeria KANO

Afp

OMB and gun attacks targetting police stations and churches in the northeastern Nigerian city of Damaturu left at least 63 people dead and some 100 injured, witnesses and a Red Cross source said Saturday. The attackers bombed a city police headquarters, three other police stations and six churches in Damaturu late Friday after similar raids in another city that had already been the target of attacks by an Islamist sect. A Red Cross source said 63 people were “confirmed dead” in the city, but he asked not to be named. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but residents of Damaturu blame the Islamist sect Boko haram, which is based in the

nearby city of Maiduguri. A senior local government official in the city who said he did not have permission to speak to the media said the hospital was full to the brim with the injured following Friday’s attacks. “The general hospital is full with people who were injured in the attack. If I say there are hundreds injured, it’s not an over-estimation. Everywhere is full with the injured,” he said, without giving a death toll. The authorities were not immediately available for comment. Gunmen bombed police posts and churches in the city before engaging in gun battles with security forces, hours after a lunchtime suicide attack targeted an army base in Maiduguri. A mason working at a police hQ in Damaturu at the time of the attack said he saw the bodies of five policemen as he made good his escape after

the bomb went off. he said he saw several others injured as he scaled a fence to flee the scene. Nigeria’s north is predominantly Muslim, with pockets of Christian communities. In a mainly Christian neighbourhood of Damaturu called Jerusalem, six churches were bombed in addition to a police station. “A police station and a mechanical workshop of the police were attacked. Six churches in the area were also bombed,” said resident Edwin Silas, adding: “The whole city is traumatised.” Soldiers and police have mounted checkpoints in parts of the city, searching vehicles and carrying out pat-downs of drivers and passengers. In the town of Potiskum, a grenade narrowly missed a police station and an ensuing gun battle left at least one policeman dead.

Prime Minister George Papandreou told the Greek president on Saturday that the nation had to forge a political consensus to prove it wanted to keep the euro, launching his push for a new coalition government to save the nation from bankruptcy. hours after surviving a parliamentary confidence vote, Papandreou told President Karolos Papoulias that Greece had to avoid early elections, as he pushed for a broad-based government to secure a bailout — the main weapon in the euro zone’s battle against its spreading economic crisis. “My aim is to immediately create a government of cooperation,” he told the president in the presence of reporters before the two leaders began talks behind closed doors. “A lack of consensus would worry our European partners over our country’s will to stay in the euro zone.” “Consensus is the one and only way,” Papoulias responded. In a late night speech to parliament, Papandreou said the new coalition should be formed to ram the 130-billion-euro ($179 billion) bailout deal through the assembly, the last financial lifeline for a nation that is due to run out of money in December.

ATHENS: greek Prime minister george Papandreou scrambled on Saturday to form a national crisis government to implement a crucial eurozone rescue package, fresh from winning a nail-biting confidence vote. aFP

US plot suspect is anti-Tehran militant: iran g

Foreign minister does not fear new UN nuclear report TEHRAN REutERS

Iran has complained to the United Nations about a US accusation it tried to assassinate a Saudi diplomat, saying one of the alleged plotters Washington calls an Iranian military official is really a member of an antiTehran rebel group. Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said on Saturday the plot was part of a multi-pronged US strategy to smear Tehran, a process he said would continue next week when the UN nuclear agency publishes a report western diplomats say will contain new evidence about Iran’s nuclear programme. The complaint to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon turned the US accusation that Tehran supports terrorism back onto Washington, Salehi said. “This letter contains our complaint about the plots of the United States, reliable information that we have of the US involvement in those plots,” he said

in a news conference broadcast live on the English language channel Press TV. On its website, Press TV reported the letter said a suspect who US prosecutors have identified as an Iranian military official is actually a member of the exiled Iranian rebel group Mujahideen Khalq Organisation (MKO). One of two men charged with plotting to kill the Saudi ambassador to Washington, 56-year-old IranianAmerican Manssor Arbabsiar, pleaded not guilty at a court hearing in New York last month. The second, Gholam Shakuri, is still at large and US officials say he is a member of the Quds Force, an arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, who approved the plan to hire Mexican gangsters to murder Saudi Ambassador Adel al-Jubeir. The semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Oct. 17 that Shakuri was a member of the MKO, also known as the People’s Mujahideen Organisation of Iran (PMOI), based in Iraq and listed as a terrorist group by the United States.

Citing “informed sources”, Mehr said Shakuri had travelled to Washington and to the MKO base at Camp Ashraf in Iraq. Iranian officials did not initially comment on the report which said Interpol had discovered Shakuri’s true identity, but Press TV reported on Saturday it was now in the letter delivered to Ban. “LET THEM PUBLISH”: Washington is using what it says was a foiled plot to help bolster international support to tighten sanctions on Iran which it accuses of developing nuclear weapons and sponsoring terrorism, charges denied by Tehran. Israeli and western media have increased speculation in recent days that Israel might launch a strike on Iran’s nuclear sites. Some analysts say that, rather than any firm evidence military action is imminent, the chatter reflects efforts to increase diplomatic pressure on Tehran. Salehi said Iran did not fear possi-

ble revelations in a report to be issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Wednesday that western diplomats say will make a “compelling case” the Iranian nuclear programme is not entirely peaceful. “They are claiming that they are going to publish new documents. We know what the truth is — let them publish them and we’ll see what happens. Will they not be called into question as an agency that is under pressure by foreign powers?” Salehi said. The IAEA report, the assassination plot and accusations about human rights abuses were a “three-pronged attack from the West against Iran ... just an assault to pressure Iran into subjugation,” he said. Salehi repeated the stance of Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who has said Iran has 100 “undeniable documents” proving US involvement in terrorism. (Additional reporting by Mitra Amiri; Editing by Sophie hares)

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Foreign News 16 Coalition to protect euro membership, says greek Pm ATHENS REutERS

Yemen army kills 5 qaeda suspects ADEN Afp

45 saved in Chinese mine rescue BEIJING Afp

63 killed in attacks in northern Nigeria KANO

Afp

US plot suspect is anti-Tehran militant: iran g

Foreign minister does not fear new UN nuclear report TEHRAN REutERS

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Sunday, 6 November, 2011

FASHION nEW YORk: Enrique Inglesias performs at madison Square garden. aFP

denies having met ‘baby momma’ NEW YORK

AgEnciES

EEN pop sensation Justin Bieber said on Friday he had never once met the 20-yearold woman who alleged that the singer was the father of her baby boy who was born three months ago. According to the tabloid Star magazine, Mariah Yeater says she and Bieber, 17, had sex backstage at one of his shows in los Angeles. The magazine said Yeater’s lawyers had filed a paternity lawsuit on Monday. Bieber, however, told the hosts of the Today show that the claims were without foundation. “I would just like to say that none of those allegations are true,” he said, as hundreds of fans who had gathered outside the show’s New York studios screamed in support of the young star. When asked again about the woman’s sex claim, Bieber said: “I have never met her.” A statement released by the singer’s publicist on Wednesday said his lawyers had not seen the suit reportedly filed by Yeater, but said “it’s sad that someone would fabricate, malicious, defamatory and demonstrably false claims”. “We will vigorously pursue all available legal remedies to defend and protect Justin against these allegations,” it added. Bieber soared to stardom after videos of his performances were posted on YouTube, with his album “My World 2.0” hitting the top of the US charts in 2010. his music video ‘Baby’ is one of the most-watched clips ever posted on YouTube, with more than 640 million viewers.

itALY: Noomi Rapace holds her marc’Aurelio Award for Best actress. aFP

mYANmAR: Chinese disabled people’s performing arts troupe performs during a show at the National Theatre. aFP

CAlIFoRNIA: Singer Nadeea attends ‘miss Bala’ Centerpiece gala after party. aFP

itALY: Roberto Bolle arrives with Carmen Chaplin for the awards ceremony at the Rome International Film Festival. aFP

Should we expect a turkey-and-stuffing dress? NEW YORK AgEnciES

lady Gaga is coming for Thanksgiving, via a 90-minute, prime time television special on ABC on November 24 which she will direct herself, the network said on Friday. ‘A Very Gaga Thanksgiving’ will feature Gaga performing eight songs for friends and family, as well an interview with Katie Couric. Performances will include a duet of ‘The lady is a Tramp’ with Tony Bennett, as well as her newest single, ‘Marry the Night.’ And what holiday special would be complete without

‘White Christmas’? “We all know lady Gaga is a phenomenon”, said Couric. “This is a chance to see more of who she is beneath the wild costumes and staged musical numbers”, hinting that the singer known for her over-the-top theatricality might eschew outfits like the famous meat dress she wore at the Video Music Awards. Celebrity chef Art Smith will stop by to help Gaga, 25, prepare a Thanksgiving feast of deep-fried turkey and waffles for her guests, ABC said. The pop music phenomenon will also open up about her relationships with family and friends, share stories from her past and reflect on what her life is like now living in the white hot spotlight of fame, ABC said.

Another golden voice falls

silent

MUMBAI: legendary singer-composer Bhupen hazarika died at the age of 86 in a hospital in Mumbai on Saturday after a multi-organ failure. hazarika, who was on the ventilator for four months and had been in and out of hospital, passed away at 4.37 p.m. at Kokilaben hospital in India’s entertainment capital. his long time companion, filmmaker Kalpana lajmi, his nephews and some well wishers from his home state of Assam were at his side when he died. his body will be flown to Guwahati Monday and kept at Judges Field for two days for people to pay homage. The Assam government took the responsibility to fly the body from Mumbai to Guwahati and organise the last rites. Known for his haunting, resounding melodies like ‘Dil hoom hoom kare’ and ‘Ganga behti ho kyon’, hazarika was a Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner. his lyrics and voice lent a special flavour to several Bollywood songs and put the spotlight on music from Assam. his death cast a pall of gloom on his millions of fans. Many in Assam were grief stricken as news of his death spread. AgEnciES

mumBAi: vidya Balan attends the music launch event for ‘The dirty Picture’. aFP

LOndOn: A Christie’s auction house employee shows photographers a 17th century rhinoceros horn ‘hundred boys’ stem cup. aFP

Shilpa Shetty is

‘Real’

MUMBAI: Shilpa Shetty has always been passionate about movies however; the actress is happy taking a sabbatical. She last sizzled in a scorching item song of Dostana, seducing Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham on the beaches of Miami. Post the peppy dance track, Shilpa Shetty has been only seen promoting her business ventures. IPl, Yoga DVD, would be production house foray into real estate. “I am happy about taking a sabbatical. I love doing films but I am extremely real. When I stopped doing films, no great offers were coming my way. There was no great work happening. I had to stay in people’s minds and when the Dostana track came my way, I took it. I never intended to be an item girl. The song was a huge hit but I didn’t want to do the same thing over and over again either” states Shilpa with complete modesty. The actress is enjoying her ‘happy’ phase. “My priorities have changed. I am planning to launch my production house soon. I have people along with me who handle the businesses. I am learning a lot from my husband on the business front. You have to update yourself. You can’t restrict your knowledge to films. My goal is to achieve personal happiness.” The actress concluded, “I’d love to act but not for the next two years at least.” AgEnciES

SRK discouraged to make

‘Ra.One’ sequel? MUMBAI: SRK, who will be busy with multiple projects next year, denies that they have any plans for the ‘Ra.One’ sequel anytime soon. No sooner that a film clicks at the boxoffice these days that the people associated with it announce of its

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18 18 animated movies contend for

Oscar

MONITORING DESK

N the end, the Best AnimatedFeature category hit its magic number with room to spare. The Academy announced on Friday that 18 films have qualified to compete in the category for this year’s Oscars, meaning that the field will have five nominees for only the third time in the category’s 10-year existence. A field of 16 is required to trigger the move to five nominees. This is the second-biggest year for entries in the category; two years ago, 20 films qualified. Several of the films still have to complete their week-long qualifying runs to become eligible.

itALY: Actress Carey lowell, Richard gere’s wife, arrives for Rome International Film Festival. aFP

new York: Pitbull performs at madison Square garden. aFP

The list of qualifying films include ‘The Adventures of Tintin’, ‘happy Feet Two’ and ‘Mars Needs Moms’, all of which were made using the motion-capture technique. Academy rules specify that the technique in itself does not qualify as animation, but the filmmakers were asked to speak about their intent in using the process to the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch, which ruled that all three were eligible. Also read: Will the Academy Deny Spielberg an Animated Film Oscar for ‘Tintin’? The Foreign-language entry from the Czech Republic, ‘Alois Nebel’, which uses the rotoscope technique, also qualified. The list of 18 films included one, ‘Wrinkles’, a Spanish-language, adultoriented work set in an old-age home. The film came out of the blue and virtually never figured into category-watchers’ forecasts of what films would make up the field. Unlike most recent years, there is no prohibitive frontrunner in the category at this point. While a string of Pixar films have been clear favorites and eventual winners for four consecutive years (‘Ratatouille’, ‘Wall-E’, ‘Up’, ‘Toy Story 3’), this year’s ‘Cars 2’ is not the runaway favorite. Among the films expected to compete with ‘Cars 2’ for the award are DreamWorks’ ‘Puss in Boots,’ Steven Spielberg’s ‘The Adventures of Tintin,’ Gore Verbinski’s ‘Rango’ and Blue Sky Studios’ ‘Rio’ – though in a notably unsettled year in the category, nominations could easily go to smaller movies on the list as well.

Why do fingernails on chalkboards sound so horrible MONITORING DESK

itALY: Richard gere poses with the marc’Aurelio Award for lifetime Achievement. aFP

cALifORniA: Actress Evan Rachel Wood arrives at the lA Times Young Hollywood Roundtable. aFP

sequel. At times even before it’s released! Same was the case with Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Ra.One’ and rumours were rife that there would be a sequel to it. however the producer, Shah Rukh Khan, himself confirmed that there is no such development on the anvil. Is it because the superhero film has received a mixed response at the box-office? All that SRK says is that he is busy with other projects lined up as of now which include a film with Yash Chopra, Rohit Shetty and Vishal Bhardwaj each that will keep him busy for quite some time. “If we get a story that’s worthy enough for the sequel, we shall think of it”, claims Shah Rukh. But there’s absolutely no such plan for a ‘Ra.One 2’ as of now! AgEnciES

Much time has been spent, over the past century, on working out exactly what it is about the sound of fingernails on a blackboard that’s so unpleasant. A new study pins the blame on psychology and the design of our ear canals. Previous research on the subject suggested that the sound is acoustically similar to the warning call of a primate, but that theory was debunked after monkeys responded to amplitude-matched white noise and other highpitched sounds, whereas humans did not. Another study, in 1986, manipulated a recording of blackboard scraping and found that the medium-pitched frequencies are the source of the adverse reaction, rather than the the higher pitches (as previously thought). The work won author Randolph Blake an Ig Nobel Prize in 2006. The latest study, conducted by

musicologists Michael Oehler of the Macromedia University for Media and Communication in Cologne, Germany, and Christoph Reuter of the University of Vienna, looked at other sounds that generate a similar reaction — including chalk on slate, styrofoam squeaks, a plate being scraped by a fork, and the ol’ fingernails on blackboard. Some participants were told the genuine source of the sound, and others were told that the sounds were part of a contemporary music composition. Researchers asked the participants to rank which were the worst, and also monitored physical indicators of distress — heart rate, blood pressure and the electrical conductivity of skin. They found that disturbing sounds do cause a measurable physical reaction, with skin conductivity changing significantly, and that the frequencies involved

Padma does not

parent alone

After welcoming her daughter last year, Padma lakshmi was faced with raising Krishna Thea on her own; Twenty months later, however, parenting has evolved into a group effort. “In truth, I am a single mother. But I don’t feel alone at all in parenting my daughter,” the “Top Chef” host, whose support system includes extended family and friends said. “Krishna has a whole other side of her family who loves her, too. And so Krishna is parented by me, but also by her grandmother and aunts and cousins and uncles and friends.” Admitting it certainly “takes a village” to raise a child, lakshmi, 41, is thrilled her daughter is growing up in a diverse environment. “The more who encompass her, the more different kinds of people who are in Krishna’s life, the better off she is,” she says. Despite lakshmi’s success in the spotlight, she maintains a tight circle of trust around her daughter and shields Krishna from the public eye. mOnitORing dESk

with unpleasant sounds also lie firmly within the range of human speech — between 2,000 and 4,000 hz. Removing those frequencies from the sound made them much easier to listen to. But, interestingly, removing the

noisy, scraping part of the sound made little difference. A powerful psychological component was identified. If the listeners knew that the sound was fingernails on the chalkboard, they rated it as more unpleasant than if

The

Gaddafis loved to party! Canadian pop singer Nelly Furtado’s Twitter admission that she performed for members of embattled libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi’s family puts her on a select but growing list of top-flight entertainers who had done so. “In 2007, I received 1million$ from the Gaddafi clan to perform a 45 minutes show for guests at a hotel in Italy,” read a tweet on Furtado’s official account. “I am going to donate the $.” Between U.S diplomatic cables posted on Wikileaks and artists’ own admissions, no less than five performers have entertained the Gaddafis at a host of international locales. The Caribbean island of St. Barts was the site for a New Year’s Eve party thrown by Mutassim Gaddafi, libya’s national security adviser and one of the deceased dictator’s sons, in 2009. R&B stars Beyonce and Usher were the entertainment in what the cables called a $1 million personal concert. The same son on the same island a year earlier paid another $1 million to hear Mariah Carey sing, the cables said. She sang four songs. In 2006, the Gaddafis brought pop star lionel Richie to libya to perform. The concert marked the 20th anniversary of a U.S. raid on the North African country. mOnitORing dESk

they were told it was from a musical composition. Even when they thought it was from music, however, their skin conductivity still changed consistently, suggesting that the physical part of the response remained. That physical response is likely generated by the shape of the human ear canal, which prior research has shown to amplify frequencies in the range of 2,000 to 4,000 hz. What seems to happen, the researchers reckon, is that when a screech on a chalkboard is generated, the sound is amplified within our ears to painful effect. The next step for the researchers is to further explore the parameters of unpleasant noises, with the eventual goal of trying to mask those frequencies within factory machinery, vacuum cleaners or construction equipment. For the time being, though, it’s probably best to steer clear of blackboards.

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The comeback anthology Page 4

Sunday, 6 November, 2011

Pages: 8

EvEr y suspEctEd playErs

OperatiOn LAHORE

ASHER Butt

AKISTAN Cricket Boardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new chairman Zaka Ashraf has announced plans to hold detailed inquiry into the spot-fixing fiasco and all previously suspected players will also be investigated, it was learnt on Saturday. Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were given sentences ranging from six to 30 months on Thursday for their role in a gambling-inspired plot to bowl deliberate no-balls in the fourth Test against England at lord's last year. Talking to journalists here on Saturday, Zaka said the board has asked for the detailed report of the Southwark Crown Court which would be thoroughly studied along with the ICC Commission Report and the evidences will be scrutinised to find out where the fault lies and who was responsible for the entire issue. "We will try to investigate the circumstances and the negligence that led to the spot-fixing scandal that has badly hurt the image of Pakistan cricket," he said. "When the scandal happened, we had our anti-corruption officers present with the team and we want to know how this happened," he added. The three former internationals had already been banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for a minimum of five years. Ashraf, who took over as PCB chief last month, said he would also be sending a letter to the ICC reiterating Pakistan's support for the anti-corruption drive by the world governing body. "The PCB will never support players who are found involved in corruption or fixing. We want to assure the ICC that we will cooperate in any investigation initiated by them," he added. Media reports suggested the ICC anti-corruption and security unit could launch a more detailed investigation into fixing allegations on basis of the evidence submitted to the Southwark Crown Court during the trial of the three players. Ashraf said the PCB would also be asking the government to legislate a Parliamentary law that makes fixing or corruption in cricket a criminal offence.

PCB to probe suspects

in light of Southwark Crown Court and ICC Commission reports

A genuine inquiry or another attempt to sweep the issue under the carpet?

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Sunday, 6 November, 2011

the inevitable has happened The new PCB chairman will only be as good as the people he has around him SportS thiS Week

ALI AKBAR

hE inevitable has happened. Three of Pakistan’s favourite cricketing children have been sentenced to jail terms by a court in london, along with Mazhar Majeed, their avaricious handler. In spite of the sadness that we all feel, this was the only step that the court and jury could have taken, considering the weight of incontrovertible evidence against them. There were a rash of impassioned statements on television chat shows, saying why Raina or Warne or Jadeja were not imprisoned or that so many others were also doing the same thing. But no one has claimed that life is fair. Many have gotten away, with murder, so to speak, while these three got caught. They have to be made an example of and they should feel fortunate that the sentences were not much harsher. In any event, two stellar cricketing careers have been destroyed by the lust and greed for ill gotten money. The greatest blame goes to the captain, Salman Butt who orchestrated this whole sordid affair. Mohammad Asif shares the blame while the teenager, Mohammad Amir might be given a softer condemnation. he is young and from a poor background and got caught up in the excitement of making some extra money being dangled in front of

Players being transported to jails. Careers have been destroyed by the lust and greed for ill gotten money. him by his captain. A career every bit as exciting, potentially as that of Wasim Akram has been destroyed. Salman Butt should hang his head in eternal shame. This does not just stop here. The ICC is also investigating, rightly in the view of this column, the activities of Kamran

The most important part of zaka’s job would be the selection of his management team.

Akmal and Wahab Riaz. Akmal gained worldwide notoriety by dropping four catches and purposely missing a straightforward stumping in a Test in Australia. The stumping miss was so blatant that it raised eyebrows everywhere. Riaz gleefully put on a currency laden jacket in front of the kabab shop in london. It is said that it takes seven players to fix a Test match, so there must be a couple of others. The wicketkeeper has to be a key member of this group and perhaps that is why Pakistan’s wicketkeeper Zulqarnain haider panicked and ran off to london because he was in the key fixing position and was not playing ball. And now we have another Akmal behind the stumps, although nothing untoward seems to have happened in his presence. All this contrasts spectacularly with the activities of Pakistan’s favourite cricketing son, Imran Khan. After a splendid career, Imran decided his purpose in life was to help humanity and just as on the cricketing field, he has succeeded beyond all expectations. The cancer hospital, the university are glowing examples of his charity work. The mammoth public meeting he addressed on October 30 in lahore is a fitting tribute to his stature as a political figure and quite possibly, a future national leader. It is to his credit that his political opponents could only dig up two things that he may have done wrong in all his years.

One was that he admitted experimenting with a bottle top while playing in an already decided county match and that he helped someone with placing spread bets. how petty can politicians get. Incidentally, betting is a legal activity. What is illegal is the fixing of matches. Imran could play a major role in trying to convince the British government to pardon Mohammad Amir. The boy is young and impressionable. he also happens to be the best young bowling talent in cricket. Among the three convicts, he is the only one who deserves any sympathy at all. It is high time that the PCB also acts to clean its foul smelling stables. They should appoint a no nonsense, clean chief executive officer who is respected and feared by the players. This CEO should have the moral authority to be able to take match-fixing by the scruff of its neck. he should be highly respected by the international cricketing community, so that he can assist the chairman in his bid to bring cricket back to Pakistan. Only a couple of such names come to mind. Ehsan Mani has been chairman of the ICC. he has impeccable credentials as a cricket administrator and is respected internationally. The CEO position would be a couple of steps down for him. he would have made an excellent chairman. There are a couple of other names being floated about. One of them has gained a

bit of notoriety as having reportedly tried to fix a veterans’ cricket match in India and being banned for his troubles. The one name that immediately springs to mind is that of Majid Khan. he was CEO under Zulfiqar Ali Shah and ran the PCB with unprecedented command and authority. his staff consisted of 13 people as compared to the hundreds who were later employed by subsequent administrations. The players respected him because in his prime, he was a batsman of the rarest class who would have walked into any team. The players were terrified of incurring his wrath. One shudders to think of what he would do to any cricketer even suspected of being a match fixer. Majid has unprecedented respect in international cricketing circles and his presence in the PCB would immediately improve its standing in world cricketing circles. The chairman could also rest easy and focus on the larger things, knowing that the PCB’s daily running was in knowledgeable and trustworthy hands. The new PCB chairman will only be as good as the people he has around him. having a good reputation as a manager and administrator, he would certainly be aware of this. There is no point having sycophants and yes men, because however good they may make him feel, they will be a negative factor in the task at hand, the developing and running of Pakistan’s favourite sport.

The bigger criminals are still at large Comment RICHARD WILLIAMS The sight of prison vans leaving Southwark crown court ought to be sending chills down the spine of every professional cricketer in a position to accept the kind of inducements that have brought prison sentences for Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir. We know that the arrest and conviction of the men responsible for the Great Train Robbery almost half a century ago did not put an end to armed theft, but the spectacle of the careers of three of the world's most talented players lying in ruins and probably beyond repair should, as Justice Cooke intended, at least provide some sort of a deterrent to others tempted to follow the same path. A blow was being struck for the integrity of professional sport, in an attempt to help preserve the fundamental transaction between the player and the spectator, who must believe in what he or she is seeing. It is a belief challenged most frequently by the spectre of doping, whether affecting sprinters, cyclists, weightlifters or snooker players. But the detection of the individual use of performance-enhancing drugs is more

straightforward than that of collective match-fixing and spot-fixing, which is why the trial of the Pakistani trio and their agent, Mazhar Majeed, is such a rare example of its type, and so important at a time when modern communications enable gambling interests to extend their tentacles ever further. Football – notably in the 1964 case of the Sheffield Wednesday players Tony Kay, Peter Swan, and "Bronco" layne – and tennis and horse racing are among other sports to have been touched by the rigging of results. But not since baseball's infamous 1919 World Series, when eight members of the Chicago White Sox conspired with a professional gambler, Joseph "Sport" Sullivan, and the New York gangster Arnold Rothstein to lose to the Cincinnati Reds, has there been a trial quite like the one that finished in london on Thursday, exposing an attempt to affect a match at the very pinnacle of the sport in question. The baseball players were lucky in that administrative errors led a Chicago grand jury to acquit them of criminal charges, although they were never allowed to play the game again. The three cricketers have been banned from their sport for specified terms, but it is hard to see them returning, with the possible ex-

ception of Amir, who was 18 at the time of the offence and was described by the judge as "unsophisticated, uneducated and impressionable". Justice Cooke took upon himself the responsibility of acting not just for society in general, which is his usual remit, but for the game of cricket –"the very name of which," as he said in his sentencing remarks, "used to be associated with fair dealing on the sporting field. 'It's not cricket' was an adage. It is the insidious effect of your actions on professional cricket and the followers of it which make the offences so serious." If he seemed momentarily, in his wig and robes amid the full panoply of English law, to be speaking for the chaps in MCC ties drinking their pink gins in the long Room at lord's and dreaming of golden afternoons before the war, then it is worth listening to the response of Ali Shujaat, the head of lahore's cricket

The influence of corruption on almost every aspect of life in Pakistan may have distorted their view of the seriousness of a little light spot-fixing

academy, of which Butt was a graduate. "I am feeling bitter that the judge was so kind. I was looking forward to longer sentences." Someone such as Shujaat, far more than any figure of the old cricket establishment, represents the heart of the 21st-century game, which is to be found in the subcontinent. his words were those of a man with a clear sight of the present dangers that threaten to corrupt its soul beyond hope of redemption. The revelation that the late hansie Cronje had been an organiser of fixed matches while captain of South Africa, made as a result of investigations by the Delhi police 11 years ago, came as a terrible shock to the sport. The case of Butt, Asif and Amir, revealed by a newspaper during the 2010 lord's Test between England and Pakistan, was even worse because the allegations, now proven, seemed to be part of a much wider, more systematic phenomenon. There was something almost matter-of-fact about the way the men behaved as they went about organising the schedule of noballs, drawing a gifted 18 year old from an impoverished background into their schemes as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The fear must be that the Interna-

tional Cricket Council's anti-corruption unit, whose five regional officers represent half the number recommended by its former chairman, lord Condon, lacks the resources and the special expertise deployed by Fleet Street. While Mr Justice Cooke's action may indeed exert a deterrent effect, the demise of Rupert Murdoch's Sunday tabloid may have lessened the chances of such activities being exposed in the future. If the best that can be said on behalf of Butt, Asif and Amir is that the influence of corruption on almost every aspect of life in Pakistan may have distorted their view of the seriousness of a little light spot-fixing, it might also be pointed out that the real criminals were not in the dock in Southwark, a point to which the judge alluded while sentencing Amir. "You have referred, in material presented to the court, to threats to yourself and your family, saying that there are significant limits to what you can say in public," he said, going on to give credence to "those threats and the strength of the underworld influences who control unlawful betting abroad". The Arnold Rothstein of the Fourth Test remains in the shadows. tHE guARdiAn

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Sunday, 6 November, 2011

CRICkET OvERkILL

timE to arrEst the dwindling interest is now Comment FAIzAN zAKARIA POLANI

N October 18, as Pakistan-Sri lanka series got underway, a somewhat rare occurrence took place. It was the first time since March 2004 that all ten test playing nations were in action simultaneously, in five different bilateral series. While Pakistan was playing Sri lanka, India was taking on England, West Indies was battling Bangladesh, Zimbabwe was hosting New Zealand, and Australia was up against South Africa. With so much cricket going on simultaneously, one cannot help

but wonder whose purpose does this cricket overkill serve? Ever since Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket, and especially after the advent of multiple Twenty20 cricket leagues across the globe, cricket has become a money-spinning enterprise for the cricketers. With cricket now being played year round, owing to the high volume some might say that the players are the ones benefiting the most. While that holds true to a great extent, one also has to take into account the toll this is taking on the bodies of the players. Anyone who saw Zaheer Khan hobble off the field after bowling only 13.3 overs on the first day of India’s long, woeful summer in England would agree.

Moreover, with some players retiring from one form of cricket in a bid to prolong their career in the other, while others strategically taking some time off to save themselves for the tougher contests, it becomes evident that the bodies of modern-day athletes aren’t able to withstand the wear and tear that such a high volume of competitive sport inflicts on their bodies. (The use of word ‘athletes’ instead of ‘cricketers’ is deliberate; earlier this year, world number two Rafael Nadal expressed concerns regarding the gruelling tennis schedule. later on others, including the likes of Britain’s Andy Murray and world number Novak Djokovic, echoed Nadal’s thoughts, with the

Empty seats in an India-England match in Bangalore worried the BCCI and the ICC. FiLe PhOTO

former even hinting at a possible players’ strike). As a result of the excessive cricket, even the most ardent fans seem disinterested in the sport. In India – where cricket is treated as religion and cricketers holier than deities – very few believers came to witness Dhoni’s men avenge the thrashing they received in England. Given that it was India’s first home series after their triumphant World Cup campaign, one would have expected a much better turnout, but at each of the five venues one could one could see rows upon rows of empty seats symbolizing dwindling interest due to the abundance of cricketing action. Even at the Eden Gardens, with India just one win away from sweeping the series, people were reluctant to fill the stands. The low ticket sales might not make the authorities press the panic button, since the majority of revenue is generated through the sponsorship deals and television rights, but the dwindling interest must not be shrugged off. There is another aspect: the lack of interest was evident in the TV ratings, and these matches had a lower audience than that of the IPl and the final of the Champions league T20 final. These statistics reiterate the point that the viewers are more concerned with the quality of cricket than the quantity. Going back to the tennis overkill analogy, recently the 2012 version of the hong Kong Tennis Classic, which has featured the likes of Roger Federer and JohnMcEnroe in the past, was cancelled due to the inability of the organisers to find a title sponsor. Given the organisers’ insistence on quantity, even at the expense of the quality, cricket tournaments might suffer the same fate. high time for the organisers to sit down and brainstorm whose purpose does this cricket overkill serve?

Sentence too harsh for Aamer EXpERt cOmmEnt

mICHAEl ATHERToN It's a fundamentally sad day seeing Test cricketers hauled off to jail. I don't see how anyone can take any joy from that. Some good may come of it because there's a heavy deterrent there with three custodial sentences handed out of varying degrees. My view is that the sentences handed out by the ICC were firm enough. Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif's careers are over, while Mohammad Aamer got five years. I don't see how by sending Aamer to Feltham Young Offenders' Institution, which is a pretty grim place, he'll gain anything from that. The judge has been scrupulously fair throughout a complex case. You can argue he did the right thing by separating the sentences as he figured that Salman Butt had greater culpability. Aamer messed up, as he himself has admitted but there were many mitigating circumstances that put his case slightly different to Butt and Asif. his background, his youth and, as the judge said, the fact the cap-

tain pushed him into corruption, which is why I don't think a custodial sentence was fair. Once you've seen out your sentence, society is duty bound to let you have another chance. You can't say: 'You make a mistake at 18 and that's it for the rest of your life'. I don't see that as being just I'm not sure he'll be in a physical or mental condition to come back into the game (in five years' time) but if he is, then he should be welcomed." The ICC have now sent out a clear warning that spot-fixing investigations would continue as they try to eliminate criminality from the game. The problem is that people have assumed listening to what Mazhar Majeed said during the trial about the phone transcripts that he's talking accurately and honest. This is a guy exaggerating to the last degree. he's in debt, he sees with a journalist the chance to make a few quid and exaggerates his influence over Pakistan cricket. Ronnie Flanagan (the chairman of the ICC's anti-corruption unit) knows a lot about the current state of the game and says that by and large the majority of cricketers are clean. But several more Pakistan players have been named in the trial and in the original tribunal form Doha. They'll be worried and any cricketer who has been corrupt or is in the process of being corrupted should rightly be worried as well.

1877: Test cricket’s first gambling victim Comment MARTIN WILLIAMSON

tEd pOOLEY: An excellent wicketkeeper but an inveterate gambler. At the end of a week when cricket's reputation was severely dented by the criminal conviction of three players who were prepared to be party to gambling on events in a game, it is easy to think that this is a modern phenomenon. And yet the England side for the first Test ever, against Australia in March 1877, took to the field without their first-choice wicketkeeper as he was languishing in a prison cell in New Zealand after being arrested as a result of an altercation at the end of a match where he had wagered money. A long-serving Surrey professional, Ted Pooley was widely respected as a player and was chosen to tour Australia and New Zealand with James lillywhite's side in the winter of 1876-77. however, Pooley's reputation was tarnished by his quest to make money at every opportunity. That was far from rare in that era, but even by the standards of that time, Pooley was a heavy gambler. It was chasing a quick buck that led to his being marooned in Christchurch, New Zealand as England and Australia met for the first time at Melbourne. Pooley's career was anything but dull. In 1873 he was suspended by Surrey after an incident at Bramall lane, where it was widely rumoured that he took a bet. Pooley certainly won a bottle of champagne for a minor wager with a colleague, drank it for breakfast and consequently was replaced as wicketkeeper after lunch. The gruelling eight-month trip under lillywhite was punctuated by a visit to New Zealand, where most of the matches were odds games (playing XXII of Auckland, for example). Betting was a key feature of all these matches, with odds published in the local newspapers. Match reports often included descriptions of the wagers and purses on offer. England undertook an arduous journey to the west coast, while Pooley, sidelined by a leg injury, went straight to Christchurch. Pooley stood in the match as one of the umpires. That evening Pooley confronted Donkin in the smoking room of the hotel they were staying in and the pair argued. Shortly after, as Donkin and a friend headed out to a theatre, it was claimed Pooley ambushed him, hitting him three times in the face. later, Donkin returned to his hotel to find, according to the North Otago Star, "every particle of his wearing apparel torn to shreds". Pooley moved on with the squad to Dunedin but the trouble followed him. While on the pitch he was constantly distracted by a flurry of telegrams demanding his return to Christchurch. he initially refused but at the end of the match Pooley and Alfred Bramhall, the baggage man, were arrested in connection with the assault and released on bail but told not to travel. The remainder of lillywhite's party went on ahead. A Christchurch magistrate decided that Pooley had thrown the first blow in the altercation with Donkin and fined him £5 for assault. Pooley was still not in serious trouble, although out of pocket, however, Donkin laid another charge, accusing Pooley and Bramhall of wilfully destroying his property. By the time the case was heard in Christchurch's Supreme Court , Pooley and Bramhall had been on bail for four weeks. While the evidence was largely circumstantial, a waiter told the court that Pooley had instructed him to tell Donkin that "if he sleeps there [in his room] tonight he'll find himself half-dead in the morning." Pooley eventually landed back in England on July 9, 1877, almost a month after the rest of his team-mates and two months after the birth of his second child. wHAT HAPPEnED nExT?: By the time the tour party arrived back home, Pooley was 35 and past his best. he never did play for England, and only carried on representing Surrey for a few more years. There are those who say that it was the incident in New Zealand which started the slow decline which culminated with him dying broken and bankrupt in a london workhouse 30 years later.

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Sunday, 6 November, 2011

the comeback anthology A collection of blockbusters a propos Pakistan cricket, a massive backlash Down Under, the anecdotes of kabaddi, and Super Mario all baSeS Covered KUNWAR KHULDUNE SHAHID

ITh Pakistan cricket shrouded by fixing ignominy and jail sentences, the on-field matters which are endowing us with veritable causes of sanguinity, beg our attention. The third day is being veered towards its end in the final Test at Sharjah with Pakistan holding a 10 lead in the series, the ODI squad has been announced and features megastar comebacks. Our hockey side has floored the top ranked side in the world in their own backyard. Also, featuring in this omnibus of chartbusters is a World Cup; after the Rugby World Cup kept this space animated for the past couple of months, the quest for Kabaddi’s holy Grail is another thrilling prospect. The mini-series is rounded off by our favourite video game

tific revelation of the decade? Therefore his domain has been restricted to the limitedovers format. This column has highlighted Afridi’s ‘world-beating’ trade fairs which make him a bungling liability wrapped in an extravagant packaging. Sans considering a couple of innings against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, Afridi has three scores of 50 or more in almost 5 years – needless to point out that distinction in inexplicable idiocy with the willow dominates most outings. Although he has evolved into a useful spinner – not a world conquering one that his skewed World Cup tally ostensibly implies – he needs to be channelised properly to dig out the best out of him; this particular task needs to be performed by someone not called Shahid Afridi. how Misbah handles Afridi is going to be pivotal, because on paper, this is the strongest ODI ensemble that we have gathered for a while. Afridi’s spin can be coalesced into a nimble-fingered gamut of spin bowling, with hafeez and Ajmal pro-

years. Razzaq in the perennial unsung hero; he is a striking face, a fashionable hairdo and an extroverted persona away from being recognised as an all-time great of Pakistan Cricket. Unlike most – notably You-know-who – Razzaq beholds responsibility, oozes dependability and the steel to stand tall against the odds. If this column were to list Razzaq’s match-winning contributions, the scribe would need a month worth of fullpage columns just to squeeze in the catalog. A notable example of overlooking the man’s contribution came after the T20 triumph in 2009, when Afridi’s contribution – although meaningful – in chasing down a mediocre total of 138, was extolled to divine proportions and the man who played the pivotal role in restricting the lankans with a trio of wickets up-top was hardly given his fair share of approbation. And recently, Razzaq was unjustly dropped after the ODI World Cup, after hardly been given an opportunity to shine. how, one of the cleanest hitters, was made to bat at number eight, while Afridi – self proclaimed bowler whose batting is a bonus – continued to bat above him and dutifully created disarray is the cricketing puzzle of 2011. Razzaq was the only batsman who stood up in pool loss against New Zealand, made pivotal contributions with both bat and ball against Australia, then he was dropped after the Mohali debacle and even Younis Khan – tests and ODIs are a different ballgame – managed to get back in the team before our star all-rounder. We have a serious problem gauging the influence of personnel and one just have to look at the remarks expounded by the English media to get a hold of the Razzaq’s standing in the game. Misbah must ensure that Razzaq bats up the order, and he could even open the innings – something he has successfully done for leicestershire and Middlesex – and give us a soaring start. Nevertheless the gladiator is back and promises to instill his warrior-like spirit into the squad…

starting off with the Champions Trophy next month. Nevertheless, we have overcome the most strenuous task in hockey; we seamlessly executed the slap shot.

RAidERS Of tHE LOSt ARk Kabaddi is a sport rich in heritage, but one that has expanded to all the metaphorical corners of the globe. The fourth World Cup – the second edition of 2nd Pearls World Cup in Punjab, India – is underway with three-times champions India looking to defend their crown in front of the home faithful. Pakistan were the runners-up last time round in 2010, and are one of the

heavyweights in the sport. 14 teams have been divided into 2 pools and the quest to take home the glory has commenced. The sport in undoubtedly back in the spotlight that it deserves. USA has already sprung a titanic surprise by beating us 43-39. In a nail-biting encounter we managed to tie the score at 37-37 – after being down 2320 at halftime – but the Americans outdid us courtesy an inspirational show in the dying moments by Mike Seattle. Watch this space for more commentary as the tournament unfolds in the eastern vicinity. The raiders have been unleashed with only goal in their mind.

SupER mARiO The final installment features two virtuous strikers at the vanguard of their sides upsurge. First up is Mario “Why Always Me” Balotelli, whose contribution at Old Trafford for City has been etched in the club’s folklore for ages to come. If it hadn’t been for his antics Super Mario would have been hailed as the world class striker that he is. Balotelli has followed up his massive show against United by playing a vital role in the 3-0 Champions league win over the Yellow Submarines to ensure that City’s season is back on track in Europe. he should now be Aguerro’s first choice strike partner. Super Mario part II, pays tribute to Munich’s goal-scoring Mario Gomez. his hat-trick against Napoli was a breathtaking display of center-forward play – albeit within the realm of ‘making it look so easy’ – as he continues his goalspree in Europe and in Germany. Bayern’s silverware aspirations hinge on Gomez’s goals and Schweinsteiger’s displays as the principal protagonist in midfield.

Razzaq the unsung

ofhero Pakistan

SLAp SHOt

misbah needs to handle Afridi with care. character, who has reincarnated – not once but twice– in the realm of football.

pASSiOn in tHE dESERt As I write this Azhar Ali has blocked a herath delivery with his picture perfect defense, as the second session began on the second day of the third Test. The lunch break was sandwiched by Younis Khan and Azhar Ali reaching the fifty run mark as Pakistan riposte strongly to Sri lanka’s total of 413. A draw is very much on the cards, as the Sri lankan bowling lacks the cutting edge to take 18 wickets over the course of two and a half days during which they would have to bat again as well. The pitch is deteriorating, but with the scorching heat and the severe conditions of the desert, our batting should negotiate whatever the Sri lankans throw at them.

tHE mummY REtuRnS The ODI squad announcement has been dominated by the boom – pun intended – of Shahid Afridi’s comeback. After Waqar Younis’ retirement was coupled with Ijaz Butt’s departure this was to be expected; and now the germane question is that what exactly does this mean for Pakistan Cricket? Afridi has declared himself to be inapt for the longest version of the game – scien-

viding the off-spin options. Add Gul’s world class ODI repertoire, Junaid Khan’s promising portrayals and Razzaq’s nifty contributions in the pace department and you get a top-drawer bowling lineup. however reliance on Afridi’s batting is a ‘no-go’ realm. he has even penetrated out of the jurisdiction of being labeled as a gamble, with his recent performances. The probability of him turning up with the bat is akin to locating a needle in a haystack with your eyes blindfolded. hence, he should bat after Sarfraz and definitely not above Razzaq. A little heads-up about Afridi’s captaincy inspirations; he has stated that he would like to play for Pakistan whether he is the captain or as a regular player. A sane senior pro would’ve shelved the talk of captaincy for a while, but Boom Boom’s lust for captaincy is as unambiguous as blind man with a dog stumbling around the footpath. The mummy has returned; the best we can hope is that it jolts the opposition rather than the more plausible happening of scaring the hell out of us.

gLAdiAtOR While Afridi’s comeback hogs the headlines, Razzaq’s return to the side has been ignored – much like his genuinely world class performances in the green shirt for 15

Our boys – the flag-bearers of the national sport – have had mixed fortunes off-late as they build towards the hallowed goal of shining in the london Olympics next year. A cataclysmic World Cup campaign in India was followed by a momentous Asian Cup conquest in Guangzhou that instigated buoyancy. The gallant show in the Azlan Shah Cup was promising but the European tour in the summer triggered the homecoming of scepticism again. The inaugural Asian Champions Trophy and the rampant Super 9s tournament again witnessed dexterous maneuvers without groundbreaking accolades. however the Tri-Nation triumph down-under on was one staggering triumph! After edging out India to reach the final – always a morale booster – we turned on the heat against the Kookaburras in a breathtaking display of counter attacking hockey. It was the mother of all comebacks, so to speak. We had been pulverised in the pool games by the Aussies, letting in 13 goals in 2 matches. We hadn’t beaten them since 2005, and despite coming close intermittently, toppling Australia had eluded us for years. The well-taken goals by Tauseef, Imran, Sohail Abbas – vindicating his importance in the twilight of his career – and Shakeel Abbasi resulted in a 4-3 triumph over a team that has been invincible at home. however we must not rest on our laurels, since the chinks in our armour are quite conspicuous as well. We have to be consistent, improve our goal-difference and sure up our defense as we embark on our assault over major hockey silverware,

A moral boosting win for us before next month’s Champions Trophy.

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23 Ferguson has turned Manchester United into one big loyal family Sunday, 6 November, 2011

timELinE: Sir Alex Ferguson's 25 years at man United From Cantona to City's 6-1 win, the highs and lows of Sir Alex Ferguson's record-breaking old Trafford reign WELcOmE 6 November 1986 Alex Ferguson leaves Aberdeen after a hugely successful spell, to replace Ron Atkinson at manchester United 'tA-RA' december 1989 It is widely reported that Ferguson is close to being sacked after a dismal start to his fourth season. A banner is unveiled at old Trafford saying: "Three years of excuses and it's still crap ... ta-ra Fergie" ROBinS 7 January 1990 United beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 at the City ground in the FA Cup third round, with a goal from mark Robins. The win is believed to have saved Ferguson's job. In may, United win the Cup giggS 2 march 1991 Ryan giggs makes his league debut in a 20 defeat by Everton. The Welshman will break Sir Bobby Charlton's record of 756 appearances for the club cAntOnA 26 November 1992 In a conversation instigated by the leeds United manager, Howard Wilkinson, about the availability of denis Irwin, Ferguson agrees the £1.2m signing of the French forward Eric Cantona fiRSt titLE 2 may 1993 Inspired by Cantona in the second half of the season, United beat Aston villa to the Premier league title, the club's first for 26 years. They and Ferguson have won 11 more since AWARdS August 1993 Ferguson receives the first Premier league manager of the month award. He has won another 25 dOuBLE 14 may 1994 Ferguson wins his first league and Cup double in English football, Cantona scoring twice as United beat Chelsea 4-0 in the FA Cup final kung fu 25 January 1995 Ferguson persuades Cantona to stay at old Trafford after he is suspended for eight months for attacking a Crystal Palace fan, matthew Simmons, at Selhurst Park cRiticiSm Summer 1995 After being pipped to the title by Blackburn and losing the Cup final to Everton, Ferguson is heavily criticised by United fans for allowing Paul Ince, mark Hughes and Andrei Kanchelskis to leave the club RAntS 27 April 1996 Perhaps Ferguson's most famous "mind games" inspire an infamous rant from the Newcastle United manager, Kevin Keegan. United's youngsters go on to win the league and Cup double Au REvOiR 22 may 1997 A month after a disappointing Champions league semi-final defeat by Borussia dortmund, but having won a fourth league title, Eric Cantona retires from football tREBLE 26 may 1999 Arguably Ferguson's crowning achievement: a remarkable 2-1 victory over Bayern munich in the Champions league final caps an unprecedented treble ARiSE 12 June 1999 Ferguson becomes Sir Alex, following in the footsteps of Sir matt Busby, who was knighted following United's first European Cup victory in 1968 StAm 27 August 2001 Jaap Stam is sold to lazio after claiming in his autobiography that Ferguson made an illegal approach for him three years earlier, when he was at PSv Eindhoven REtiRE 27 February 2002 Ferguson signs a contract extension, despite having claimed he would retire at the end of the season. misses out on a Champions league final in glasgow HAiRdRYER 15 February 2003 Ferguson's changing-room rage spills over after an FA Cup fifth-round defeat by Arsenal. david Beckham emerges from the old Trafford tunnel with stitches over his eye ROnALdO 12 August 2003 Having sold Beckham to Real madrid Ferguson, urged on by his players, signs the 18-yearold Cristiano Ronaldo from Sporting lisbon HORSES 18 November 2003 Ferguson begins legal proceedings in a dispute with the manchester United shareholder John magnier over the ownership of a racehorse, Rock of gibraltar. The dispute is settled out of court BBc 27 may 2004 The BBC airs a controversial documentary, Father and Son, about football agent Jason. Sir Alex describes it as "nonsense" and refuses to speak to the BBC for seven years gLAzERS may 2005 The glazer family buy manchester United and confirm that Ferguson will remain in his position. Ferguson is criticised by some fans, for being seen to endorse the takeover kEAnE 29 october 2005 Following a 4-1 defeat by middlesbrough, the inspirational captain Roy Keane takes several team mates to task in an interview with mUTv. The Irishman leaves the club two weeks later gOALS 23 december 2006 Ronaldo scores United's 2,000th goal under Ferguson, in a 3-0 win over Aston villa mOScOW 21 may 2008 Ferguson wins his second Champions league trophy after a sudden-death penalty shootout victory over Chelsea in moscow. Ronaldo had scored United's goal in a 1-1 draw SiR mAtt 19 dec 2010 Ferguson breaks Sir matt Busby's record and becomes the longest serving man United manager nO19 14 may 2011 overcomes what he considered his greatest challenge, knocking liverpool "off their perch" by sealing United's 19th league title, one better than the total for the Anfield club dERBY 23 october 2011 A fortnight before his 25th anniversary with the club, Ferguson suffers his biggest defeat as United manager, a humiliating 6-1 loss to manchester City at old Trafford

EXpERt cOmmEnt

mICHAEl vAUgHAN

’VE been to some sporting dinners and occasions in my time, but there hasn’t been much to rank alongside Thursday night’s function at Old Trafford, where we celebrated 25 years of Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign at Manchester United. It was a huge honour for me to be in that room, filled with the great players of the last quarter century and beyond. Probably the only significant figures who weren’t there were David Beckham, Eric Cantona and Roy Keane. Other than that, you saw everyone, from the senior generation of Denis law, Bobby Charlton and Paddy Crerand to the big names of the 1980s and 1990s: Bryan Robson, Paul Ince and Gary Neville. The attention to detail was minute. There was a video montage of highlights for all the major players, running all the way down to recent arrivals such as Ashley Young. Sir Alex himself went around the room, speaking to all the guests and making them feel welcome. People who don’t know him probably hear all the hair-dryer stories and think he is some sort of ogre, but in fact his ability to connect with people is extraordi-

nary. What came across is the way he has turned Manchester United into one big family. Everyone who has ever played for the team still feels part of the club. And so do the people who work in support roles. You hear about staff who have been at Old Trafford for 50 years, or the women at the Carrington training ground who go back 30 years. Sir Alex makes them all part of the first XI’s success, from the physios to the cooks, no matter how small or big a job they do. That’s probably why there was a real sense of warmth around the room, both towards the club and towards Sir Alex himself. he leaves no stone unturned. I think he’s the best psychologist in the world. My time as England cricket captain gave me some small insight into the way successful teams work, but he’s got it all. he probably doesn’t know he’s doing it half the time — it just comes naturally to him — but he knows what to say at the right time, when to turn the volume up and when to be gentle with people. he deals brilliantly with the daily challenges of sport, the triumphs and the disappointments, but he is also a mentor to the players, someone who helps them with their lives away from Old Trafford. he is like a father figure to them, and I’m sure they are petrified of him, in the way that some fathers inspire a sort of devoted but fearful affection. When he arrives at training, they’ll have a quick look and check he’s there, and the intensity will just pick up by 20 per cent. But it’s not all about being stern. he has a very humorous side

and will make them laugh. And although they might look at the floor when he is telling them off, they wouldn’t be afraid to go and see him for a quiet chat either. That’s the real skill of leadership. Sir Alex will be 70 in December and he has a wealth of experience that no other manager can match. I’m 37 and still learning, so I listen carefully to everything he says, and I find I can always relate to it. he has been there as a player and as a manager, he has done it all. For anyone who works in sport, he is the ultimate role model.

Pakistan get Serbian football coach LAHORE StAff REpORt

The Pakistan Football Federation has appointed a Serbian coach Zavisa Milosavljevic to work at the grass root level and select players from different PFF tournaments. The move is meant to infuse fresh blood in the national team while the long standing coach Tariq lutfi has been sidelined as the head coach of the team. Addressing a press conference here on Saturday at the PFF Football house, PFF secretary Col (retd) Ahmed Yar informed that Zavisa has been hired for two-years and during the next 24 months he will not only train players at the grass root level but also identify national aspirants good enough to make their mark at the top. “In order to develop football on modern lines, the PFF needs a profes-

sional approach and his appointment is part of that vision,” said Col Ahmed Yar. he further informed that the twoyear contract would be extended for another two years with mutual consent depending upon his performance with the PFF. Zavisa throughout his career as football coach had trained Serbian national U-16, U-19 and U-23 aspirants of football game. he was also the head coach of lesotho senior national team (South Africa). Milosavljevic is an A category coach with a Masters degree in Physical Education and is a Professor of Physical Education. lodhi said that one of the advantages of hiring a foreign coach is that local players will get modern training. The new training methods that are brought in by foreign coach may make a very big differ-

ence in the improvement of the game. local players can gain new knowledge and ability that are passed on by different coaching methods. lodhi praised PFF president Syed Faisal Saleh hayat Saleh hayat and said that the main objective of hiring this professional coach is to enhance and expedite youth development through PFF. he hoped this will bring excellent results in times to come and will boost the ability of the young football players. Milosavljevic while speaking to the media at PFF house has said that his game plan shall be: target, analysis, vision, action and control. “his ambition is to introduce our players according to international standards and enrich them about the tactics and techniques of the game so that they able to meet the international standard in football game,” he added.

lAHoRE: PFF Secretary Col (retd) Ahmed Yar Khan with new coach zavisa milosavljevic from Serbia at the press conference. STaFF PhOTO

mANCHESTER UNITEd dREAm XI pEtER ScHmEicHEL He cost £560,000 in 1991 and therefore ranks among the great bargains. The dane reinstalled a stability to manchester United that let them prosper. For much of the time when United regained the title in 1993 he appeared invincible. There was a personality in proportion to his imposing physique that deterred forwards who were already aware of the shot-stopping excellence. gARY nEviLLE He may not have been stirring in his advances on the flank, but the right-back could deliver a good cross from distance and thus took a little of the defenders' attention from david Beckham. The combativeness of Neville may have rankled with opposition fans, but it was a factor in United's control of that period. RiO fERdinAnd There is an inevitable poignancy about a centre-back now succumbing to wear and tear, but for much of his time with the club he has been a mobile defender who could glide across the turf to halt attacks. In days gone by he might have been a sweeper and his all-round play assisted United in building from the back. JAAp StAm It was no accident that the advent of the centre-half coincided with a spree of trophies that included the Champions league. His outspoken nature was a cause of trouble and he was moved on to lazio, but he made an impression that will not be forgotten. dEniS iRWin As with Neville, the full-back was reliable as a defender and also knew how to take some opponents away from Ryan giggs. In addition there was a composure in his delivery of free-kicks and the Irishman was trustworthy, too, from the penalty spot. That dependability counterbalanced the verve in United ranks. cRiStiAnO ROnALdO Although david Beckham deserves great credit for achieving so much with a relatively narrow repertoire, the Portuguese was devastating and made his individualism count. The seasons from 2006-07 to 2008-09 saw him score a total of 66 league goals as United won three titles in a row. There was also the prize of the Champions league in 2008, where he scored in the final before missing a penalty in the shoot-out. ROY kEAnE He would typically be described as combative, but he was also a stabilising presence in midfield. His command and control were essential in United lineups where the flair and attacking intent would otherwise have caused a certain brittleness. There was range to his talent, too, as was demonstrated by half a dozen Champions league goals in the 1999-2000 campaign. pAuL ScHOLES Few players have such a blend of imagination and determination. The competitiveness could go too far when he launched into dangerous and inept tackles, but, regrettable though it was, that was also a sign of his allegiance to the club. His superb timing made him an implausible if frequent scorer as a seemingly slight figure got into pockets of space despite the fact that defenders knew he was coming. RYAn giggS An attacker who hopes for a long and glorious career has to be able to adapt. That task must be hard for a player who probably took his searing pace for granted as a young footballer. giggs had the intelligence and readiness to add more variety to his play so that there were and still are hints of the playmaker about the Welshman. ERic cAntOnA It is difficult to think of old Trafford as a place for featureless footballers, but Cantona, following the transfer from leeds United for £1.2m, brought a particularly memorable showmanship to the club, as well as volatility that could lead to a red card and an attack on a fan at Crystal Palace. The element of surprise was more often found in the performances and, in his time, the winning of the league came to seem part of the natural order. Ruud vAn niStELROOY There was nothing cunning or unexpected about the purchase of the dutchman. The forward cost over £19m from PSv Eindhoven in the spring of 2001. His five seasons at United amounted to a prolonged vindication of that fee. A striker with the build of a target man and the mind of a poacher scored 150 goals.

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Sunday, 6 November, 2011

PAkISTAN vS SRI LANkA

ANd NOw tO overs limited formats Comment MUHAMMAD BUTT

ONGRATUlATIONS to Team Pakistan on winning the second Test. The triumph in the end turned out to be pretty emphatic with Sangakarra’s dismissal early on the fourth day proving to be critical. By the time you read this, the Test series would be winding down to its finish and hopefully Pakistan will emerge victorious from that as well. The Test series is to be followed by five ODI’s and a single T20. Going by its recent form, Pakistan would have to be slight favourites. Under the leadership of Misbah ul haq, Pakistan have looked stable and united and this has transpired into series wins against Zimbabwe, the West Indies and the Black Caps. The same cannot be said about the Sri lankan camp though. Their performances under Tillekaratne Dilshan have been anything but overwhelming. Winless in Tests, defeats against England and Australia in ODI’s means Pakistan will be facing a side lacking direction and confidence. That said, the lankans are a dogged outfit as evident from the Tests and must not be taken lightly. AFRIDI AnD TEAM HARMOnY: Both teams have announced their squads and predictably the return of the charismatic underperformer, Shahid Afridi has dominated the discussions. Afridi is likely to waltz back into the starting eleven but this could come at the cost of upsetting the balance and more importantly the harmony of the team. Depending on the composition of the team, the number 6 spot is most likely going to be up for grabs with the trio of Afridi, Malik and Razzaq fighting it out. Another Pathan who is likely to feature but shouldn’t is Younus Khan. limited overs cricket has never been Younus’s forte and at 34,

Azhar Ali’s variety of strokes has been impressive in the Test series. Pakistan should be looking to blood in talented youngsters like Asad Shafiq, who are perhaps more suited to the demands of the shorter format. Mohammad Ilyas, the acting chief selector, is perhaps the only one who is likely to offer any reason (illogical most likely) for the inclusion of his son-in-law Imran Farhat. The rest of us are just as confused. Wahab Riaz is the most notable absentee. Rumour has it that he’s been overlooked due to his alleged involvement in the spot-fixing scandal but even in his absence, Pakistan are likely to field a strong bowling attack spearheaded by Gul and backed up by the cunning Saeed Ajmal and the promising southpaw Junaid. RETURn OF LAnKAn BOwLInG TEETH: Sri lanka meanwhile will be buoyed by the return of Malinga and Dilhara Fernando. The lankan

fans will be hoping that these two can provide the cutting edge that has been missing from the bowling attack during the Test series. Suraj Randiv and Jeevan Mendis will provide backup in the form of spin. The form of Jayawardene is a slight worry but that aside, Sri lanka holds a formidable batting line up bolstered by the return of Upul Tharanga. Fielding is one department where Sri lanka has a definite edge over Pakistan and their ability to save 15-20 runs may well turn out to be crucial. One would expect the pitches to be flat with plenty of runs to offer and much hard work for the bowlers. With the sides evenly matched, the most interesting battle will be between the two captains. The recent change in rules has necessitated the need for flexible and proactive leadership; teams can now

no longer wait till the 45th over for the batting power play to be thrust upon them or rely on their spinners in the middle overs to stifle the innings. The subcontinental outfits over the years have relied on their wily spinners especially in the middle overs but the new rule where two balls will be used from each end means that spinners who tend to enjoy the older and softer ball will have to quickly adapt to bowling with a relatively newer ball. The art of reverse swing is also likely to suffer reinforcing the notion that cricket is no longer an even battle between bat and ball. In the light of these little subplots it will be particularly engrossing how both sides approach the series in terms of tactics. All said and done, it is fair to say that we will be in for an evenly contested and keenly fought battle.

Butt got away lightly Comment MUSHTAQ MOHAMMAD It is so sad that we are talking about the shame of Pakistan cricket again. I don’t feel sorry for the players being sent to the jail – I have sympathy only for Pakistan cricket because its image has once more been dragged through the mud. The maximum sentence that could have been applied in london was seven years and, in the case of Salman Butt, that would not have been too much. he was the captain who influenced this whole thing. And the agent should have got the same. I’m angry with Butt and can’t believe he got away so lightly. If he had not been caught he would almost certainly have carried on doing these dirty things. It’s a pity because Salman won two Tests as captain and he was showing that he might become a very good captain of Pakistan. he had a lot of talent, but he also had a corrupt mind. he is the one most responsible for bringing disgrace on Pakistan cricket. It also surprised me that Mohammad Asif received only a year. That really surprised me. he is 28 and not exactly a youngster. he should have got four years at least. In the case of Mohammad Aamer, I believe the judge was exactly right. he was only 18 years old. Potentially he still has a future in front of him. he was almost as big a victim as the game itself, because he should have been protected. But, having said that, had he not been punished strongly enough, he might have been tempted to do it again in the future. looking at the bigger picture, there are other names who will be looking over their shoulder now. It is up to the PCB and ICC to find enough evidence to punish them. If they can do that they should be banned and kept well away from the game, not allowed to play in first-class cricket, not allowed to coach in any form of the game, not allowed to even commentate on it. That is how India dealt with Mohammad Azharuddin, Manoj Prabhakar and Ajay Jadeja when they had these issues. If they can’t find the evidence but still have strong suspicions then such players should be kept away from selection of the Pakistan team. Telegraph

asif to be moved to an ‘open’ prison

People deserve a second chance in life EXpERt cOmmEnt

mICHAEl HoldINg What I saw on that particular day, it seemed to me - and again, I'm not trying to read people's minds or be some psychologist - that Mohammad Aamer did not necessarily want to do what he did at that time. It will be a great waste if the 19-year-old does not return to the game in the future. When I was approached by Mohammad Aamer's lawyers - because I think they recognised how distressed I was that he was involved in all this at a tender age - they asked me just to write to the judge to say on Mohammad Aamer's behalf what I thought of him as a cricketer. Obviously I don't know him as a person; I was just talking about what I saw in Aamer as a cricketer and what I thought he could contribute to the game in the future. That's all I did - I wrote a letter to the judge; I wasn't asking for any leniency for him. I was just asking the judge to look at the fact that he

is such a young man with such talent and someone that the game could use in the future. Someone of 18 years old knows exactly what he is doing; you can't really say that at 18 years old that you aren't conscious of doing wrong. But I can also understand that someone of 18 years old coming from the background from which he has come, can be influenced and I think that people deserve second chances in life. I believe Aamer might have been a reluctant participant in the fixing saga. Perhaps he would have done it at another time, I have no idea, but it seemed to me that he was being convinced to do what he did because if you listen to my commentary at the time I said 'the captain and the bowler are having a very long discussion' and at the end of this discussion I said 'let us see what the discussion has brought'. There was no field change, nothing. I said 'well, no change so far'. I am obviously thinking that they were just discussing tactics or what they should do to this particular batsman because he was bowling so well and Pakistan were on top, but looking back at it with hindsight I can now only conclude that he was being convinced to go through with what had been planned and perhaps he didn't necessarily want to be doing it. I hope the sentence acts as a deterrent to others who may be think-

ing about doing the same thing, not just in England but any cricketer anywhere in the world. Any country anywhere in the world that catches people doing this sort of thing should be doing the same thing that they have done in England, because we certainly need to stamp this out of our game. Cricket will recover from this.

What the ICC and all cricket boards around the world need to do, though, is make sure that it is not a news journalist or a police officer tapping someone's phone who finds the next person who is cheating. They, with their anti-corruption unit, should be a lot more proactive; they should be able to weed out some of these people.

I felt mohammad Aamer did not necessarily want to do what he did at that time.

LONDON AgEnciES

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif will this week be moved to an open prison, according to a close friend, which will allow him more freedom and privileges than at a closed prison where more dangerous criminals are housed, reported Cricinfo. The friend of former world No.2-ranked bowler Asif, who was sentenced to a year in prison on Thursday for his part in the spot-fixing conspiracy, revealed to ESPNcricinfo that Asif is likely to be moved by the end of next week. A call was made to the solicitors of Salman Butt but they did not confirm or deny whether this was also true for their client. Asif is currently being imprisoned at the high-security jail in Wandsworth, along with his former captain and co-conspirator Butt. It could not be confirmed if agent Mazhar Majeed was also at the same prison. Teenager Mohammad Aamer is thought to be at Feltham Young Offenders Institution, which has a reputation for being a harsh environment for inmates. "I have only spoken to Asif a couple of times on the phone, I haven't been able to visit him just yet, but he has been told he will be moved to an open prison and that should happen within the next five to seven days," the friend told ESPNcricinfo. The British prison system is divided into four categories A-D, with A being for criminals who are considered a danger to the public or national security. D category is for prisoners who are not considered a risk to society and not expected to attempt escape. They are also likely to have more privileges like being able to wander around the grounds when they wish and have free access to the internet and other leisure options.

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Sunday, 6 November, 2011

FIvE BEST TEAMS IN CRICkET HISTORy

Windies’ domination most complete ever a brand of aggressive, fast-scoring cricket that swept opponents aside. Blessed with at least two great bowlers legspinner Shane Warne and seamer Glenn McGrath - this Australia side also boasted awesome batting strength: at one stage in 2002, six of their top seven batsmen were ranked in the top ten. The likes of Ponting, hayden and langer could all justifiably claim to be great players. Even in such rarefied company, however, a few individuals stood out. As captain, Steve Waugh instilled a selfless, ruthless culture that endured long after his own retirement, while Adam Gilchrist, as wicketkeeping allrounder, scored his runs with such speed that it broke the spirit of many opponents. Warne, armed with superb control and an ability to turn the ball prodigious distances on even the most docile pitch, tormented batsmen for 15 years, while McGrath's control ruined many a career. There were setbacks along the road: a very strong India side defeated them in 2001, while England claimed back the Ashes in 2005. On each occasion, however, Australia regrouped and avenged their defeat. England were slaughtered 5-0 in 2006/07 and India were beaten in India in the 2004/05 series.

Comment GEORGE DOBELL

WESt indiES 1976-1995 has any team in any sport every dominated as completely as this West Indies side? At one stage, between 1980 and 1994, they went 15 years without suffering a Test series defeat and, between March and November 1984, they won a then-record 11 Tests in a row. As Michael holding put it: "We hammered everyone." Much of their success was built upon a battery of wonderfully skilful fast bowlers. The likes of Marshall, Roberts, holding, Garner and Croft tested not only the techniques of batsmen, but their courage, too, as they were peppered with ferocious short-pitched deliveries. It says much for the strength in depth of West Indies at the time that bowlers as fearsome and talented as Sylvester Clarke played only 11 Tests. But this wasn't a success based simply on great fast bowling. Captained by Clive lloyd, who managed to unite individuals from the disparate nations of the Caribbean into a harmonious team, they were trained to their optimum by physio Dennis Waite - a trailblazer in an age of semiprofessionalism - and possessed several indisputably great batsmen including Sir Viv Richards - who many opponents insist was the finest they have seen - Brian lara and the superb Bajan opening partnership of Greenidge and haynes. There were some hiccups: most of the first choice team was briefly banned for its involvement in Packer's World Series Cricket, while rebel tours accounted for other players. Some might also bemoan the lack of a quality spinner. But the strength in depth of Caribbean cricket was formidable. At one stage in 1984, three of the top five batsmen (Richards, Greenidge and lloyd) and three of the top six bowlers (Garner, Marshall and holding) in the Test rankings were West Indian. Between 1980 and 1994-95 West Indies went a record 29 suc-

viv Richards: A batting genius, widely regarded as one of the best ever. cessive series without defeat (the next longest sequence is 16 series by the Australian team of 2001 to 2004/05), a record 27 Tests without defeat (between Jan 1982 and Dec 1984) and eventually beat all regular opponents home and away.

AuStRALiA 1999-2008 According to the official ICC rankings, the Australian team of 2007-08 is the highest rated in Test history. It's not hard to see why. Twice (once between Oct 1999 and Feb 2001 and once between Dec 2005 and Jan 2008) Australia won 16 successive Tests (no other team has managed more than 11 successive wins) with a superbly balanced team playing

AuStRALiA 1948 The first Test team to remain undefeated throughout an entire tour of England, this Australian team earned the nickname "The Invincibles". They played 34 matches (31 of them first-class), winning 25 (17 by an innings, two by 10 wickets and another by over 400 runs) and drawing the rest. They defeated England 4-0 in the five-Test series. It is true that England, wearied and weakened by war, were not at their strongest. They had, after all, just returned winless from a tour of the Caribbean. But Australia, sans Bradman, went on to thrash South Africa in a similarly comprehensive manner and boasted a team of considerable individual talent that would surely have excelled in any era. Remarkably, all five Wisden Cricketers of the Year were selected from the Australian tour party: the prolific lindsay hassett, the tireless left-arm seamer Bill Johnston, the brilliant fast bowler Ray lindwall, the elegant left-hander Arthur Morris and the superb wicketkeeper Don Tallon. Add to them the likes of batsmen Sid Barnes, allrounder Keith Miller and a young Neil harvey and a clear picture emerges of the strength of the Australian squad. And then there was Bradman. While he celebrated his 40th birthday during the tour and was, by his own remarkable standards, on the decline, "The Don" still managed 11 centuries during the summer. he remarked in the 1980s that, in his opinion, the Invincibles remained the finest Australian team he had seen.

michael Holding led a ferocious WI attack. were denied the international careers their ability merited. Among the batsmen in that '69-70 team were Barry Richards - dubbed "a batsman of staggering talent" by John Arlott and playing the only four Tests of his career and Graeme Pollock, who was credited by

EngLAnd, 2009-2011

SOutH AfRicA, 1969-70

The Australian team of 2007-08 is the highest rated in Test history.

When South Africa thrashed Bill lawry's Australians 4-0, it should have marked the beginning of a new era in Test cricket. Instead it marked an end. The South African side, victims of their government's apartheid policy, were instead ostracised from Test cricket for more than 20 years. As a result, some of the most talented cricketers the world has seen

lock (who claimed 116 wickets from just 28 Tests) and was bolstered by the considerable all-round talent of Eddie Barlow, who averaged almost 46 with the bat and 34 with the ball in his 30 Test career. Trevor Goddard didn't enjoy the best of series, but must be considered one of South Africa's leading allrounders, while Denis lindsay was a fine wicketkeeper who was good enough to win selection as a specialist batsman. It says much about the strength of the South African side that Ian Chappell, who many regarded as the finest batsman in the world at the time, could average only 11 in the series.

England of 2011 have inflicted crushing defeats upon India, Australia and Sri lanka. Bradman as being the best left-hander he saw. The bowling attack, meanwhile, included the ferocious pairing of Mike Procter (who finished with a Test bowling average of just 17 from his seven Tests) and Peter Pol-

A controversial choice, perhaps (and only just edging the England side of 1911-12), but the statistics of England's recent success are compelling. England have won eight (and drawn one) of their last nine series and 20 of their last 31 Tests. Perhaps even more impressively, 10 of those victories have been by innings margins. Four of England's batsmen are rated in the top ten and five of their bowlers are in the top 11 of the Test rankings. They have a well-balanced bowling attack that offers pace, bounce, swing and spin and a strong batting line-up including several men - Pietersen, Cook, Strauss and Bell - who all look set to surpass the current English record of 22 Test centuries. Not only that, but they have inflicted crushing defeats upon India, Australia and Sri lanka who have, in recent times, all been vying for top positions in the ICC Test rankings. No team has ever gone to Australia and inflicted three innings defeats in a series, while the Indian team defeated 4-0 in 2011.

SULTAN JOHOR JUNIOR HOCkEy

Quartet from Tanvir Dar HA makes Pakistan squad Comment IJAz CHAUDHRY The Sultan Johor Junior hockey tournament that commenced in Johor Bahru, Malaysia on Saturday (event to run from November 5 to 12) has a very strong lineup. In fact, it would not be wrong to term it as an unofficial AsiaOceania or Australasia junior championship. The top four Asian nations: South Korea, Pakistan, India and Malaysia as well as Australia and New Zealand will all be present. The tourney will be staged in the stadium built for the 2009 Junior World Cup’s final round. like the Sultan Azlan Shah tournament for the national teams, the Sultan Johor Junior tournament will also become an annual event. It has already been sanctioned by the FIh and will be a part of its calendar. The Pakistani junior squad includes four players from Tanvir Dar hockey Academy. The lahore-based, privately run academy

running without any help from government or the PhF has become a consistent source of exciting young talent for the Pakistan hockey. The Tanvir Dar hA quartet in the national junior squad consists of two defenders and an equal number of forwards. Both the fullbacks, Aleem Bilal and Khalid Bhatti are tall and rangy. They already have figured in major international victories. Aleem, who hails from Peer Mahal in district Toba Tek Singh, figured in the Pakistan’s victorious team of the Under-18 Asia Cup in November 2009. The lahore boy Khalid Bhatti, also has a notable achievement: having figured in the gold medal winning Pakistan junior side at the 2010 SAF games in Dacca. The two strikers from the Dar hA, Arsalan Qadir and Bilal Qadir have not only been part of international triumphs of Pakistan junior squads but have also achieved individual distinctions. If the D.G. Khan boy Arsalan, with 10 goals, was the joint top scorer at the inaugural youth Olympics last year where Pakistan

Tanvir dar Hockey Academy. Cutting rough diamonds into real gems (2) won the silver medal, the mercurial Bilal Qadir of Peer Mahal was the top scorer at this year’s junior Asia Cup in Singapore. They first wore the Pakistan junior colours

for the victorious squad of the Under-18 Asia Cup in late 2009. Now, the duo is knocking on the doors of the Pakistan team. Both have been included amongst the probables for the

senior national side this year. Arsalan attended the camp for the European tour this July while Bilal was called for the first Asian Champions Trophy in September.

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Sunday, 6 November, 2011

WELEGEdARA GIvES SRI LANkA THE EdGE

Younis leads Pakistan fightback

victorious Pakistan hockey team returns home LAHORE StAff REpORt

SHARJAH: Pakistan’s cricketer Younis Khan (R) is watched by Sri lankan’s wicketkeeper Kaushal Silva as he plays a shot. aFP

ScOREBOARd SRi LAnkA, 1st innings: 413 (k. Sangakkara 144, t. dilshan 92; Saeed Ajmal 4-132) pAkiStAn 1st innings (overnight 35-2) mohammad Hafeez c Jayawardene b Welegedara 6 taufiq umar st Silva b Herath 19 Azhar Ali b kulasekara 53 Younis khan b Welegedara 122 misbah-ul Haq not out 50 Asad Shafiq c Silva b Welegedara 16 Adnan Akmal lbw b Herath 7 Abdul Rehman not out 3 EXtRAS: (lb1, nb3, w2) 6 tOtAL: (for six wkts) 282 fall of wickets: 1-8 (Hafeez), 2-35 (umar), 3-133 (Ali), 4-233 (Younis), 5-258 (Shafiq), 6-277 (Akmal) Bowling: Welegedara 25-7-62-3 (w1), prasad 4-0-90, kulasekara 21-7-55-1 (nb3), Herath 32-10-73-2 (w1), Randiv 21-5-64-0, dilshan 7-1-18-0 OvERS: 110 tOSS: Sri Lanka umpiRES: Simon taufel (nzL) and Shahvir tarapore (ind) tv umpiRE: Shozaib Raza (pAk) mAtcH REfEREE: david Boon (AuS)

SHARJAH

Afp

ACEMAN Chanaka Welegedara took two wickets with the second new ball, including that of centurion Younis Khan, to give Sri lanka the edge in the third Test against Pakistan at Sharjah stadium here on Saturday. The 30-year-old left-arm paceman dismissed Younis (100) with the first delivery of the second new-ball and then had Asad Shafiq (16) in the same spell to leave Pakistan at 282-6 at the close on the third day. Sri lanka, who scored 413 in their first innings, still lead by 131 runs and are seeking a big first innings lead to give them a chance of levelling the series after losing the second Test by nine wickets in Dubai. The first Test in Abu Dhabi ended in a draw. With just two overs to go leftarm spinner Rangana herath removed

Adnan Akmal, leg before wicket for seven to leave Sri lanka on top. At the close, skipper Misbah-ul haq, who reached his 13th half-century in the penultimate over, was unbeaten on 50 and Abdul Rehman was three not out. The first two sessions had belonged to Pakistan as Younis added 98 for the third wicket with Azhar Ali (53) and another 100 with Misbah for the fourth wicket but Welegedara’s double strike slumped Pakistan from 233-3 to 258-5. Younis had completed his 18th Test hundred with a sharp single off Welegedara in the last over before tea, taking 188 balls which included eleven fours and a six. Misbah was mostly blocking before hitting the 53rd delivery he faced for his first boundary, ensuring Pakistan didn’t lose sight of winning 2-0 if they want to replace Sri lanka at number five and jump one place up the current test rankings. After tea, both the batsmen upped

the tempo as Younis hit a boundary and six off herath to take Pakistan past the follow-on mark of 213, before notching another four off a reverse sweep as Sri lanka delayed the second new ball until the 91st over. The new ball was effective as Welegedara struck with the first delivery, bowling Younis with a sharp incoming delivery. Younis hit 12 boundaries and two sixes during his 211-ball knock. Welegedara, who finished with 3-62 off 25 overs, then had Shafiq caught behind. Sri lankan bowling coach Champaka Ramanayake praised Welegedara’s bowling. “he bowled superbly on a flat track and deserves a five-for,” said Ramanayake. “If we get them out quickly on Sunday we can force a win here which would be great.” Pakistan’s interim coach Mohsin Khan deplored the loss of two quick wickets. “It’s a pity that we lost two wickets at the end,” said Mohsin, a former opener. “I would have liked Younis still batting, but he played wonderfully well for his hundred.”

The victorious Pakistan hockey team returned with the Tri-Nation Tournament trophy on early Saturday morning. The team was brimming with confidence and looked in good state of mind for the upcoming tournament. Pakistan beat Australia in the final of the tournament held in Perth in its buildup for the Champions Trophy and the next year’s london Olympics. Talking to journalists on arrival team manager Khawaja Junaid said that the win has given the team great confidence and they will prepare even harder for the upcoming events. “Their immediate target is the Champions Trophy to be held in the New Zealand in December and then comes the Olympics Games and the win has come as a boost for the players ahead of these events,” said he. he further added that the hard work of the players have started to pay off. “Not much changes are required in the team and all we need to do is experiment different combinations in the field and overcome some of the weaknesses identified during the Australia tour,” he maintained. To a question, Kh Junaid said that the International hockey Federation has given a letter of appreciation to the Pakistan team for keeping its patience during the match against India. Pakistan and Indian hockey players had a stick-fight in their opening match of the three-nation tournament which left some of the Pakistan players injured including Mohammad Imran and Shafqat Rasool which led to bans on five Indian players and officials by the FIh. “The FIh has praised the behaviour of the Pakistan players particularly for keeping their cool during the fight against India,” he maintained.

Pakistan outclass Sri lanka in Kabaddi World Cup LAHORE StAff REpORt

Pakistan outclassed Sri lanka in their second pool match of the Kabaddi World Cup in India on Saturday. Pakistan defeated Sri lanka by 71-9. In the other matches of the day, Norway beat Argentina by 62- 25 while USA defeated Italy by 56-37. Pakistan will face Italy in their third pool match on Monday.

Afridi claims approaches by jailed Majeed KARACHI Afp

Returning Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi claimed Saturday he was approached by now imprisoned players' agent Mazhar Majeed on several occasions, but refused to speak with him because of "suspicions". Afridi, who handed captaincy to Butt after losing the first Test to Australia on the same tour last year, said Majeed had tried to befriend him. "he always tried to contact me personally in the hotel and wanted time to meet me but I avoided him all the time because I had my suspicions that he was not trustworthy and involved in betting," Afridi said in a interview with Pakistan private television Express. Majeed during his testimony revealed "it was tough to lure Afridi." Afridi also rejected Majeed's claims that some players were fixing matches under his captaincy. "I never felt that any player was

doing something wrong and deliberately trying to let me down. I would have been the first man to throw them out and deal with it strongly," said 31-year-old Afridi. In london last week Butt was handed a 30-month sentence, Mohammad Asif 12, Mohammad Aamer six and their agent Majeed 32 months respectively for their roles in the fixing affair. The sentencing follows cricket bans handed down to the players at an International Cricket Council (ICC) disciplinary hearing in Doha, Qatar, in February this year. Butt was banned for ten years (five suspended), Asif for seven years (two suspended) and Aamer for five years. All three players

have filed appeals against their bans at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in lausanne, Switzerland. Following last week's sentencing, Afridi said he felt sorry for 19-year-old Aamer. "Aamer is a great talent and I believe because of his age he was trapped into this scandal," said Afridi of Aamer, who was sent to youth offender's institution in Feltham, England. Afridi was recalled to Pakistan's one-day squad to face Sri lanka later this month, coming out of self-imposed retirement. Afridi fell out with coach Waqar Younis and also with now replaced Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt after he was replaced as one-day captain in May this year.

Govt seeks repatriation of disgraced cricketers ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan government on Saturday directed the PCB and its high Commission in the UK to submit a detailed report on a recent spot-fixing case in order to repatriate three jailed cricketers. Interior minister Rehman Malik told reporters a meeting had been held with a view to seeking repatriation of the guilty players. "During a high-level meeting president Zardari on Friday directed the PCB to submit a report which should include recommendations on how to avoid a repeat of such incidents," said Malik. "The government would consider bringing the three players home. We have also requested Pakistan’s high Commissioner to the UK, Wajid Shamsul hassan, to provide necessary legal aid to them and he has been asked to submit a report." Malik, who said the players could still be innocent, termed the whole episode "unfortunate." "It's unfortunate what happened, the government will form a commission to investigate the matter thoroughly and the players will not be left alone," said Malik. In a separate investigation, the International Cricket Council had also banned the three cricketers for a minimum of five years. "Despite their guilty verdicts in both the ICC hearings and the recently concluded criminal trial in london, we cannot rule out the possibility of any of the convicted players being innocent." Afp

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Sunday, 6 November, 2011

Islam abhors terrorism, preaches tolerance: grand mufti MOUNT ARAFAT

mAkkAH: Haj pilgrims attend friday prayers at the masjid al-Haram. ReUTeRS

Cops, TTP militants indicted in Benazir murder case RAWALPINDI kASHif ABBASi

An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Saturday indicted two former police officers and five militants in the murder case of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. On Saturday, special ATC judge Shaid Rafique resumed the hearing of the case at Adiala Jail. All accused, including former CPO Saud Aziz and SP Khurram Shahzad, were present in the court when they were indicted. The police officers and other accused denied the charges and demanded trial. The police officers were accused of security breach and failure to provide protection to Benazir Bhutto during her last public meeting. They were charge sheeted for sending away a contingent of four cars providing Benazir’s Prado jeep box security, neglect of duties, ordering a hosing down of the crime scene before collecting evidence and not conducting autopsy of citizens

killed with Benazir in 2007 blast at liaqat Bagh. They were also accused of being part of ‘conspiracy’ to kill Benazir Bhutto. The five other accused, said to be affiliated with banned militant outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), are Sher Zaman ,hasnain Gul, Abdul Rasheed, Rafaqat hussain, and Aitzaz Shah. They are accused of preparing a suicide bomber and bringing him from the tribal areas to Rawalpindi to carry out a suicide attack on the rally. All seven accused deemed the charges made against them ‘baseless and cruel’. Accused Sher Zaman refused to sign the charge sheet. After framing charges, Judge Shahid Rafique directed the prosecution to produce witnesses to the court on next hearing and adjourned the hearing of the case till November 19. Former military dictator General (r) Pervez Musharraf, living in self-imposed exile in England , is also a wanted criminal in the murder case. The ATC had issued

Taliban kill 5 soldiers in NWA MIRANSHAH Afp

Taliban militants launched an attack on a military convoy in the country’s northwestern tribal belt on Saturday, killing five soldiers and injuring three others, security officials said. The convoy came under attack near Razmak town, more than 50 kilometres south of Miranshah, officials said. “The convoy was moving from one area to another when Taliban militants attacked it, killing five soldiers and wounding three others,” a security official in Peshawar told AFP. Another security official in Miranshah confirmed the incident, saying militants were armed with rockets and automatic weapons. “They also hurled grenades in the attack,” the official said. Troops retaliated immediately with small and heavy weapons but there was no report of Taliban casualties, he added.

his arrest warrants in February. The former president is accused of failure to provide Benazir Bhutto adequate security. he was also accused of being part of the ‘broad conspiracy’ to assassinate his political rival before the 2007 general elections. Declaring him a proclaimed offender, the ATC had ordered his bank accounts be frozen and his property confiscated. later, Musharraf’s wife Sehba Musharraf filed an application with ATC against the freezing of accounts and confiscation of property. On Saturday, the ATC briefly heard Sehba’s application but Sehba’s lawyer was not present before the court and the court deferred the matter till November 19. A UN inquiry commission report released last year said any credible investigation should not rule out the possibility that members of the military and security establishment were involved in the killing, though it did not say who it believed was guilty.

Bomber dies in failed suicide attack in Quetta QUETTA SHAHzAdA zuLfiQAR

A suspected suicide bomber was killed in an explosion before reaching his target, as a convoy of Frontier Corps narrowly escaped a remote controlled bomb attack, in the outskirts of Quetta on Saturday. hamid Shakil, Quetta DIG operations, said a suspect carrying around two-anda-half kilogrammes of explosives was killed when the explosives detonated in a seasonal nullah close to Imambargah Baqir located near Kirani Road of hazara town. “It was a failed suicide attack, the bomber was heading to a Shia population area in hazara town,” Shakeel said. “A Shia mosque is also located in the area. Apparently Shias were the target but the explosives went off before time.” he said the bomber was identified as Pervaiz Elahi, resident of Dera Murad Jamali. Separately, a convoy of Balochistan Frontier Corps narrowly escaped a bomb attack at Mian Gundi area, in the outskirts of Quetta. No loss of life was reported except minor damage to one of the vehicles.

man tries to hurl shoe at musharraf LUTOn: A man tried to hurl his shoe at former president Pervez Musharraf while he was addressing a gathering of the Kashmiri community in luton. It was the second such attempt on the former president. In February, a man threw a shoe at Musharraf when he was addressing a gathering in Britain. Security personnel promptly got hold of the man and took him away from the venue. Another man raised slogans against Musharraf. Addressing the gathering, the All Pakistan Muslim league chief said Pakistan Muslim league-Nawaz chief Nawaz Sharif wanted to sell out Kashmir and the present government was not running national affairs properly. he said the people in Pakistan were seeking a third political force and it was due to the wrong policies of the politicians that Pakistan stood alone in the world. Musharraf said Pakistan progressed in eras of military rule. nni

Published by Arif Nizami for Nawa Media Corporation (Pvt) Ltd at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore.

AgEnciES

ElIVERING the haj Sermon from Masjid-eNimra on Saturday, Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia Sheikh Abdul Aziz exhorted the faithful to introduce Islam as a dynamic religion to the world through their acts and deeds as more than two million Muslims gathered on Mount Arafat and its surrounding plain, marking the peak day of haj. The pilgrims filled the mosque and the nearby streets and camps for collective prayer, led by the grand mufti. “Islam is the solution for the problems” of Muslims, he said in a speech, warning the faithful of “a media and cultural invasion that seeks to weaken (their) faith”. he urged Muslims to solve their problems “without interference from their enemies”, condemning those who want to “provoke hostility between you and your leaders”. Swarms of pilgrims who had spent the night in Mina, some 10 kilometres northwest of Arafat surged through the roads leading to the mountain after midnight. Many traveled on buses, while others set off on foot from Mina, a tent-village that comes to life only during the five-day pilgrimage. About 350, 000 took the Mashair Railway, also known as the Mecca Metro, to go to Mount Arafat and its surrounding plains, where holy Prophet Mohammed (PBUh) delivered his final sermon. After sunset, pilgrims move to Muzdalifah, half way between Mount Arafat and Mina, to spend the night. On Sunday, they return to Mina after dawn prayers for the first stage of the symbolic “stoning of the devil” and to make the ritual sacrifice of an animal, usually a lamb with the beginning of Eidul Adha. On the remaining three days of the haj, the pilgrims continue the ritual stoning before performing the circumambulation of the Kaaba shrine in Mecca and then heading home. however, the gathering in the plains around Mount Arafat symbolises the climax of the haj. GHILAF-E-KAABA REPLACED: Meanwhile, the ceremony of replacing the Ghilaf-e-Kaaba took place on Saturday and was attended by the management of haram Sharif representing the King of Saudi Arabia and the representatives of the factory, which manufactured the cover. The old Ghilaf will be torn into pieces and will be gifted to the heads of different Islamic countries, per the tradition.