E paper pdf (03 12 2014) khi by Pakistan Today

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Junaid Jamshed strikes the wrong chord

Wednesday, 3 December, 2014 Safar-ul-Muzaffar 10, 1436

Rs 17.00 Vol V No 152 16 Pages Karachi Edition

SINGER-TURNED-PREACHER BOOKED IN BLASPHEMY CASE EVEN AFTER APOLOGISING FOR ‘MISTAKE’ SUNNI TEHREEK SAYS BLASPHEMY UNFORGIVABLE SIN, PUNISHABLE BY DEATH STORY ON PAGE 04

SignS of thaw in govt, Pti Standoff PM SAYS READY TO HOLD MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE WITH PTI

QURESHI SAYS PTI MAY CALL OFF DEC 8 PROTEST IF GOVT RESUMES TALKS BY 6TH

DAR SAYS GOVT READY TO RESUME TALKS BY DEC 6 OR 7TH IF PTI WITHDRAWS PROTEST CALL STORY ON PAGE 03

PTI leaders left red-faced after Khan’s solo flight ZARDARI SAYS KHAN LACKS POLITICAL WISDOM STORIES ON PAGE 03

JILLANI UNCONVINCED; NO BREAKTHROUGH PM, SHAH PICK FOUR EXPECTED IN TALKS NAMES FOR CEC WITH INDIA: AZIZ SC warns of issuing contempt notices to PM, Opp leader, gives govt Dec 8 deadline for CEC’s appointment STORY ON PAGE 02

PM’s adviser sees Modi administration a hurdle in resumption of bilateral dialogue STORY ON PAGE 02

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02 NEWS

Wednesday, 3 December, 2014

Jillani unconvinced; PM, SHaH Pick Four naMeS For cec SC WARNS OF ISSUING CONTEMPT NOTICES TO PM, OPP LEADER, GIVES GOVT DEC 8 DEADLINE FOR CEC’S APPOINTMENT ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

HILE a federal minister Tuesday failed to convince Justice (r) Tassaduq Hussain Jillani for the slot of chief election commissioner (CEC), Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah have shortlisted four names for the vacant seat. The shortlisted candidates are Justice (r) Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan, Justice (r) MianShakirullah

Sc orders federation, ecP to file replies in electoral reforms case ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan Tuesday ordered the federation and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to submit their replies for not implementing court’s order in electoral reforms case. Enraged over the issue of electoral reforms, Justice Saqib Nisar said that the “court is not a laundry to remove political grime”. He warned the federation and ECP that elections of 2013 would be revoked or a contempt notice would be issued in case of not implementing court’s order. Justice Nisar stated that Pakistan was made in the name of democracy and democracy is based on transparent elections, so a strong legislature is needed to inspect the electoral system. On the other hand, the ECP’s lawyer Munir Paracha said that the court did not have authority to give suggestion of legislation on electoral reforms. Dissenting with his statement, Justice Nisar told Paracha to inform the attorney general if he did not like SC’s decision. The court has adjourned the hearing till the second week of January and directed the federation and ECP to submit their replies on the issue. STAFF REPORT

PM gives go-ahead for 1,000 kP schools ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has approved the construction of 1,000 schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Sharif had earlier announced that the government will construct schools in KP areas that were hit by the 2005 earthquake. The education centres will be made in Shangla, Batgaram, Mansehra and Abbottabad at a cost of Rs 8 billion. The prime minister has instructed the concerned authorities to complete the projects within a year. APP

Jan, Justice (r) Tariq Parvez Khan and Justice (r) Mian Muhammad Ajmal. These names will now be forwarded to the parliamentary committee. Sources said that the premier, who left for London on Tuesday to attend a conference on Afghanistan, will be in contact with Shah over the phone in this regard. Earlier, the government had decided to again convince Justice (r) Jillani to reconsider accepting the nomination which he had earlier rejected; however, the federal minister tasked with the assignment failed to persuade the former CJP into accepting the offer. According to sources, Justice (r) Jillani’s refusal is not only attributable to the public pressure by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) but also the judiciary’s apprehensions on having their former chief repeatedly appear in court as a respondent on Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)’s behalf in several cases. Names of Justice (r) Jillani and Justice (r) Rana Bhagwandas were excluded from the list after both re-

jected the nomination, while PTI’s nominee Justice (r) Nasir Aslam Zahid’s name was also dropped. SC WARNS OF CONTEMPT NOTICES: In the meanwhile, the Supreme Court (SC) has made it clear that it will consider issuing contempt of court notices to the prime minister and the opposition leader if they fail to appoint a new CEC till December 8. As a three-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Nasirul Mulk heard the case Tuesday, Attorney General Salman Butt told the apex court that PM Sharif and Shah held a meeting Monday on the matter and a lot of progress has been made on appointment of the CEC. He expressed hope that the matter will be resolved till December 5. The office of the CEC fell vacant after the resignation of Justice (r) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim on July 30, 2013. The Supreme Court also made it clear a couple of days ago that it will withdraw its judge Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, who is currently working as acting CEC, on December 5.

Aziz says no breakthrough expected in talks with India PM’S ADVISER SEES MODI ADMINISTRATION A HURDLE IN RESUMPTION OF BILATERAL DIALOGUE ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Pakistan does not expect any breakthrough on resumption of bilateral dialogue with India while the Modi-administration is in-charge of affairs, Adviser to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz said on Tuesday. Aziz was speaking to reporters after inaugurating the annual conference of the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics. “India has suspended [the] dialogue process and now it’s their responsibility to resume it,” he said. Earlier in August, India had called off foreign secretary-level bilateral talks with Pakistan following criticism of Pakistani High Commissioner Abdul Basit’s meeting with Hurriyat leader Shabir Shah. Aziz also lamented the attitude of the Indian government towards the Kashmir dispute and said that the neighbouring country wanted to link Kashmir with terrorism to divert the world’s attention. “Over the last 40 years bilateralism has failed on Kashmir and that’s why Pakistan wanted to engage international community on the matter,” he remarked. Aziz said that friendship with India could only be possible without compromising on our self-respect, honour and equality.

In December last year, Pakistan and India had pledged to uphold the 2003 LoC ceasefire accord which had been left in tatters by repeated viola-

tions that year. The truce breaches had put the nascent bilateral peace dialogue on hold. The Himalayan territory of Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan by the UN-monitored de facto border of LoC but is claimed in full by both the countries.

Fresh elections sans electoral reforms not acceptable: Haq JI CHIEF URGES GOVT TO INITIATE TALKS WITH PTI TO FOIL ‘CONSPIRACY OF FOREIGN ELEMENTS AGAINST PAKISTAN’ LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Amir Sirajul Haq has said that fresh elections will not be acceptable without electoral reforms and demanded that the government should consult all political parties regarding the appointment of a chief election commissioner (CEC). Inaugurating the office of an Islamic nongovernmental organisation (NGO) Sanabul Khair at Wahdat Road Tuesday, the JI chief urged the government “to shake off its ego and take the initiative of announcing a date and place for talks with Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI), adding that if government-PTI talks were not resumed soon, there could be a big mishap “as the US is “conspiring to plunge Pakistan into a civil war like in Iraq and Syria”. “A siege had already been laid down on all sides of Pakistan. India has been shelling our borders for several months, skirmishes are ongoing on the Pak-Afghan border while Iran is also not satisfied over the border situation. Such a tense situation requires complete national unity,’ said Haq. Vowing to bring all political parties on one platform “to serve the masses”, the JI chief welcomed the meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the National Assembly Opposition Leader Khurshid Shah to decide upon a CEC but added that “it was essential to take other parties into confidence as well”. Haq said the nation wanted to know the facts regarding the allegations of poll rigging, adding that a judicial commission for enquiry into the alleged rigging “should have been set up by now”. Haq said he would announce a road map for an Islamic Pakistan on December 25 in Karachi, adding that JI had decided to take other parties in confidence and evolve a consensus to solve the people’s problems. The JI chief reiterated his demand to the government to make efforts for the safe return and rehabilitation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) of the tribal agencies. “The tribesmen are developing hatred for the government because of the terrible conditions they have to endure,” said Haq, adding that thousands of tribesmen who had earlier crossed over to Afghanistan, had returned to the country on his request but “are still without a shelter and other basic facilities and are worried about their future”. INP

Key commanders, foreign terrorists among 52 terrorists killed in tribal offensives PESHAWAR STAFF REPORT

At least 52 suspected terrorists, including foreigners and key commanders, were killed on Tuesday during air strikes conducted by fighter jets in the Dattakhel area of North Waziristan Agency (NWA) and clashes between the security forces and militants in Orakzai and Khyber agencies. Security sources said 30 terrorists, including two key commanders and several foreign fighters, were killed in the blitz which was carried out in a jungle in Dattakhel. Two vehicles were also destroyed in the strikes. Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed the deaths of at least 17 suspected terrorists, many of whom were alleged to be foreign fighters. Meanwhile, at least seven suspected terrorists were killed and six others were in-

jured in a clash with security forces in Akakhel area of Khyber Agency early Tuesday morning. Moreover, at least 15 terrorists were killed and many others injured as security forces repulsed an attack on a checkpost situated in Shirin Dara area on the border with Tirah Valley in Orakzai Agency. Sources said that about 60 terrorists attacked a security checkpost in Shirin Dara with heavy weapons but the forces repulsed the offensive. Anticipating a military operation in their areas in Tirah valley, hundreds of families have started leaving their houses in Dars Jumaat, Shaddaly, Darota and Kulla areas of Akakhel. The latest offensive Khyber-I was launched amidst Operation Zarb-e-Azb, a full-fledged military operation being conducted by the Pakistani military against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and all other terrorist groups in NWA.

DRONE STRIKE KILLS SIX MILITANTS NEAR AFGHAN BORDER VILLAGE PESHAWAR STAFF REPORT At least six suspected militants were killed in a US drone strike in Renay-Parchao area of Afghanistan bordering Khyber Agency on Tuesday. Renay-Parchao is a small village in Afghanistan on the bank of the Kabul River just across the Pakistani border in Loe Shalman area in Khyber’s Landi Kotal subdivision. Pakistani intelligence sources said that the US drone fired two missiles targeting militants in two pick-up trucks, destroying them completely.

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Scores of others were also injured in the drone attack, they said. The identity of the militants is yet to be ascertained, but sources said that the dead included “some key militants belonging to the Tehreeke-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Swat chapter”. The attack comes a day after Afghan officials said a separate US drone strike killed five insurgents, including three Taliban commanders, in Shirzad district of Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan. Last week, Mullah Fazlullah, the chief of the TTP, escaped a US drone

strike in Nazyan village of Nangarhar. Intelligence sources said that the US drone fired four missiles on a compound close to the PakistanAfghan border on reports that the militant chief was in the area. The strike left at least five Pakistani and Afghan militants dead, but Fazlullah was reported to have narrowly escaped the attack. There was no confirmation of Tuesday’s drone strike from either the Afghan government or the CIA, which allegedly operates drone operations along the PakistanAfghan border.

Wednesday, 3 December, 2014

NEWS

SignS oF tHaW in govt, Pti StandoFF PM SAYS READY TO HOLD MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE WITH PTI LONDON/ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

HE government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday reached out to each other in a bid to revive the dialogue process, as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that the ruling party was ready for meaningful dialogue with the party of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan. Talking to reporters at London’s Heathrow Airport, Sharif said that PTI’s calls to shut down the country would not only be inappropriate but disastrous, and that Pakistan is being played with in an unfortunate manner. He said that his government strongly believed in settling issues through talks. “We are the democratic people. The negotiations should be constructive. If they want to talk, we would have no objection,” he

QURESHI SAYS PTI MAY CALL OFF DEC 8 PROTEST IF GOVT RESUMES TALKS BY 6TH

added. The prime minister made the remarks after arriving in the United Kingdom to attend the London Conference on Afghanistan. When speaking of an enquiry into alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections, Sharif said that the issue should have been raised earlier on. He also criticised the PTI govt in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), saying that educational institutions are in bad shape and that jails were also broken in the province. “First make a new KP and then think about making a new Pakistan,” the PM said, addressing PTI Chairman Imran Khan. PTI MAY CANCEL DEC 8 PROTEST: Later in the evening, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi told a talk show that he could request Imran Khan to call off the ‘shutdown’ protest in Faisalabad scheduled for Dec 8, if the government resumed the negotiations by Dec 6. Qureshi said that if Finance Minister Ishaq Dar gives an

assurance to the PTI that the government would restart the talks by Dec 6, then “I

DAR SAYS GOVT READY TO RESUME TALKS BY DEC 6 OR 7TH IF PTI WITHDRAWS PROTEST CALL

will try to persuade my party to call off the protest”. Talking on the same show,

Finance Minister Dar said that if the PTI called of its Dec 8 protest, the government would resume the dialogue process by Dec 6 or 7. “I am ready to go an extra mile for this, and will reach out to the prime minister,” said the minister. Earlier addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Dar said the government is ready to resume talks with the PTI from the point they were earlier broken off. “The government sincerely wants to solve the current political turmoil through talks but sincerity should be displayed by both sides,” said Dar. On the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Dar said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and National Assembly Opposition Leader Khurshid Shah will finalise a name for the CEC’s office by December 5. He added that if the PM and Shah failed to agree upon a name, the decision would be made by the parliamentary committee.

PTI leaders left red-faced after Khan’s solo flight SENIOR PTI LEADERS CRITICISE KHAN FOR USING ‘INAPPROPRIATE’ WORDS SUCH AS ‘LOCKDOWN’ DURING NOV 30 GATHERING AND ANNOUNCING PROTEST DATES WITHOUT CORE COMMITTEE’S APPROVAL, COMPELLING PTI’S QURESHI TO ANNOUNCE REVISED SCHEDULE Saad was ready to abandon Sharifs for khan in 2006 Federal Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique has admitted that he wanted to join the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) when the Sharif family was in exile, news channel ARY News reported. Speaking in ARY News’ program ‘Off The Record’, Rafique said that he met PTI Chairman Imran Khan in 2006, adding that political commentator Haroon Rasheed had arranged their meeting at Parliament Lodges. “Imran Khan offered me the post of PTI central secretary general,” Rafique told the talk show host. Joining the conversation, Haroon Rasheed said that following the meeting with Imran Khan, Rafique called on Nawaz Sharif in London where he made a deal with the now prime minister to get PML-N tickets for his wife Ghazala Saad and brother Salman Rafique. MONITORING DESK

ISLAMABAD MIAN ABRAR

Pakistan Today has learnt that the top ranks of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) harshly criticised their party chief Imran Khan over his use of words such as “lockdown” as he announced “Plan C” on Sunday, leaving them red-faced and compelling the party hierarchy to reschedule the entire plan and announce a revised schedule only 16 hours later. Despite an impressive power show by PTI on Sunday, national media and political leaders lambasted Khan for using “inappropriate and harsh words” by threatening to “lockdown the entire country” on December 16 if the government did not resume dialogue with PTI for formation of a judicial commission for election audit. The politicians had claimed that Khan had chosen December 16 which was the day when “Pakistan Army suffered a defeat on the hands of Indian forces who had breached international laws and invaded East Pakistan, now called Bangladesh”. Sources in the PTI told Pakistan Today that the criticism started soon after Khan’s speech as the dates announced for the protests were not finalised in the recent core committee meeting of the party ýwhile words such as “lockdown” or “jam” were also not approved by the decision-making body. “The PTI core committee had approved a proposal to announce Plan C comprising a schedule for staging sit-ins on major roads in three ýmajor commer-

cial hubs of the country – Lahore, Karachi and Faisalabad. However, the use of harsh words and wrong dates provided an opportunity to our critics and opponents to tag PTI as ‘enemy of Pakistan’,” the source added. The source said that the top party leaders were annoyed over Khan’s close aides suggesting him controversial dates for the protests and asking him to use such words which triggered misunderstanding, compelling PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi to make clarifications the other day. Another PTI leader said that senior party leaders, including Justice (r) Wajihuddin Ahmed, Hamid Khan, Shafqat Mahmood and Dr Arif Alvi hadý expressed their reservations in their separate messages to Imran Khan. The source added that since Lahore was home to the Sharif family and Punjab chief minister was looking for a strategy

to foil PTI’s move, the party had decided that the Lahore protest should be kept in the end so that a momentum could be achieved prior to the Lahore sit-in. “The core committee had decided that sit-ins would be staged on major roads and avenues of Faisalabad, Lahore and Karachi to ensure that traffic is stopped to register our protest. However, a wrong message of lockdown was conveyed due to Khan’s use of words and the spin-doctors of PML-N government took advantage of the situation, trying to tag PTI as anti-people and against the business community,” the source said, adding that due to the same reasons, Qureshi had to clarify the situation and present the revised schedule. When asked whether the party was involved in a major controversy over the lockdown announcement of the party in major cities of the country, Justice (r) Wajihuddin Ahmed said thatý the matter was a subject of debate within the party thus he could not breach party’s trust by making a statement. However, he said that the party had evolved a strategy to pressurise the government to bring them to the dialogue process. “Although an agreement on broad points had been achieved during previous meetings with the negotiators yet the nitty-gritty of dialogue was not discussed. PTI wants electoral reforms and since the local body polls are nearing, reforms process is a must,” he added. Asked whether the PTI wanted a lockdown of major financial hubs of the country, Wajihuddin said that nobody was happy with locking down the country.

ASAD UMAR DARES GOVT TO AUDIT PTI, PML-N LEADERS’ ASSETS ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday challenged the government to an audit of the assets and taxes paid by the leadership of PTI and ruling Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N). Addressing a press conference, PTI leader Asad Umar challenged the government to hold a “transparent audit of the assets details” of Federal Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and PTI Chairman Imran Khan and their families. “I am also ready for a transparent audit of my assets as well as the assets of my family,” said the PTI leader. Responding to Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervaiz Rashid’s allegations against Khan’s of tax evasion, Asad said the

PTI chief earns money by “writing articles and delivering lectures”, adding that “Khan brings his foreignearned money back to Pakistan”. The PTI leader also “thanked” the information minister for “taking up the important matter of tax evasion”. Denying allegations of default on payment to DJ Butt, Asad, “People of Pakistan donate money to PTI to conduct party events,” adding that the party has the audit report of “all its expenses”. Earlier in the day, Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid urged PTI leader Asad to explain the PTI chief’s “foreign services”. He alleged that around 80 per cent legislators of PTI were taxevaders and “evidence about taxevasion by PTI parliamentarians has already been presented.”

GOVT, PTI TRADE BARBS OVER ANTI-KHAN ADS INFO MINISTRY DISMISSES PTI’S ‘DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE’ REGARDING ‘MISUSE ’OF PUBLIC FUNDS ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information on Tuesday denied allegations levelled by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders that the government issued release orders of anti-PTI advertisements aired on various news channels prior to PTI’s November 30 show in Islamabad. Commenting on the joint press conference of PTI senior leader Asad Umar and Central Information Secretary Shireen Mazari, an Information Ministry spokesperson said, “The release order shown by PTI leaders for release of advertisements on November 29 and 30 is baseless.” The PTI leaders have falsely attributed the release order of a private advertisement agency for the release of advertisements as orders of the Information Ministry, said the ministry spokesman. Earlier in the day, PTI leader Mazari had criticised the government for levelling false allegations against PTI and had in turn alleged that the Information Ministry misused funds meant for generating awareness among the masses “to wage propaganda to defame political opponents”. “The Information Ministry issued funds to a private company on November 29 and November 30 to broadcast advertisements against PTI,” she alleged and also presented “documentary evidence” of the release of the funds. STAFF REPORT

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Zardari says khan lacks political wisdom LAHORE: Looking down on Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan as a politician devoid of political wisdom, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari Tuesday bawled out at his party’s “suspected future defectors”, who were likely flapping their wings to fly to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) camp. “Be my guest, if you want to part ways with Bhutto’s party to join those (PTI) who are wrapped around ‘umpire’s finger’. If you cannot serve the workers/people then party doesn’t need you anymore,” the PPP leader told his party’s leadership as well as workers at Bilawal House. Taking a jibe at Imran Khan, Zardari said the PTI chief had called for shutting down the entire country on a date when East Pakistan was lost. Making an allusion to Khan’s ‘blockupation’ like protest campaign, he said that the federal capital was not ‘Somnath Temple’ which anyone could invade as many times as wanted. “We cannot jam the country because the nation, politics, and history cannot be punished for ‘one’ crime,” Zardari said, claiming he was cognizant of what was going on and had his eyes on everything. He said that PPP, for the first time raised slogan of ‘Go Baba Go’ but did not let the system collapse. Commenting on the PPP’s performance during its five year rule, the former president said their administration had restored the constitution in its real shape and introduced the ‘Haqooq-e-Balochistan’ package. However, he conceded that his party had failed to embrace its workers. Zardari lamented that estranged party leaders, whom he had entrusted with crucial responsibilities, had failed to deliver. “I gave important responsibilities to those who were lying on beds and were out of politics for last 20 years, and now, they are busy in groupings.” The PPP co-chairman warned party leaders that if they failed to reconcile with workers or failed to stop making groups within the party, then they may find little space for themselves in the party. Zaradri also reiterated his commitment to strengthening democracy in the country, adding that “we [PPP] will not anyone derail it and we do not want anyone to set a tradition which can be dangerous for democracy in any way.” “Parliaments of the world’s best countries may have flaws but democracy should continue,” he said. STAFF REPORT

04 NEWS

Wednesday, 3 December 2014

Junaid Jamshed strikes the wrong chord SINGER-TURNED-PREACHER BOOKED IN BLASPHEMY CASE EVEN AFTER APOLOGISING FOR ‘MISTAKE’ LAHORE

UMAIR AZIZ

N FIR [First Information Report] has been lodged against singer-turned-preacher Junaid Jamshed in a Karachi police station on charges of blas-

phemy. According to details, the District South Courts in Karachi ordered the Risala Police Station to register an FIR on the complaint of Pakistan Sunni Tehreek (PST) Rabita Committee member Mubeen Qadri. The FIR No. 234/2014 has been filed under Sections 295-C and 298-A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). PST media coordinator Muhammad Faheem Qadri told Pakistan Today that according to “Shariah”, blasphemy was an “unforgiveable sin, punishable by death”. “Former singer Junaid Jamshed has blasphemed against the Prophet (PBUH) and

SUNNI TEHREEK SAYS BLASPHEMY UNFORGIVABLE SIN, PUNISHABLE BY DEATH

Umhat-ul-Momineen (mothers of the faithful). The government should arrest and punish him for the crime,” Faheem said, adding that the police was yet to move against the famous TV personality. “It has been observed in the past as well that the government’s inaction gives rise to extremism. We have lodged an FIR against the blasphemer and now the government should initiate action so that no one else should dare take such a step again,” he said. Meanwhile, the incident has sparked a debate on the application and handling of the blasphemy law by various religious schools across the country. Only hours after the PST announced protests against the allegedly blasphemous comments about Hazrat Ayesha (RA) passed by Jamshed in a TV program, Tableeghi Jamaat senior cleric Maulana Tariq Jamil issued a video in which he distanced himself and his Jamaat from Jamshed’s act.

LEBANON DETAINS WIFE, SON OF IS CHIEF BAGHDADI

TABLEEGHI JAMAAT’S MAULANA TARIQ JAMEEL DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM JJ

“To err is human and he [Jamshed] might have done it in ignorance and lack of knowledge. However, these are not the beliefs of either me or the Tableeghi Jamaat and no one should associate them with us,” Jameel said in the video footage. PST’s Faheem however insisted that Jamshed is the media coordinator of the Tableeghi Jamaat and has been preaching their ideology for all these years. However, Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) Chairman Maulana Tahir Ashrafi said Jamshed has no connection with any religious organisation, including the Tableeghi Jamaat. “I am in no place to issue a Fatwa (edict) against the accused, who has no doubt committed a mistake, for which he should apologise to the entire Ummah which is deeply hurt because of his remarks,” he said, adding that only a Mufti could pardon the accused. However, there were huge protests against Jamshed even on Tuesday in var-

ious parts of the country despite the apology issued by him in a video message on the social media. “I have committed a mistake out of ignorance. Anyone who disrespects the companions or Umhat-ul-Momineen is banished from the faith and I tender an apology to the entire Ummah for hurting their sentiments,” Jamshed, who was seemingly in tears said in his video message. Following Jamshed’s apology, Jamia Binoria’s Mufti Naeem recorded his comments on the social media in a video message late Wednesday saying, “Everyone knows that he (Junaid Jamshed) is a man devoid of knowledge as he joined this line (preaching) after abandoning his music career. It is good however, that he abandoned that line (music). He committed a mistake and we, along with other ulema (scholars/clerics), brought the matter to light.” “However, now he has repented and

ALTAF DEMANDS ‘NAMALOOM AFRAAD’ EXPLANATION; PPP UNWILLING

BEIRUT AGENCIES

Lebanese forces have detained a wife and son of Islamic State group chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi near the Syrian border, security and military sources said on Tuesday. “Military intelligence detained one of his wives, who was travelling with their son, near (Lebanese border town) Arsal 10 days ago,” a security source said. A military source confirmed the arrest and said the woman was a Syrian national, and her son was around eight years old. Lebanese daily As-Safir, which first reported the arrest, said it was carried out “in coordination with foreign intelligence agencies”. The security source said the wife and child were taken to the defence ministry headquarters in Yarze “where investigations were continuing. “ The security source said the arrest had been kept secret while security arrangements were made. Baghdadi was proclaimed “caliph” of IS’s self-declared Islamic “caliphate “spanning territory in Syria and Iraq in June. He was put on the US “terrorism” watchlist in October 2011, and there is a $10 million (eight million euro) bounty for his capture.

Memon threatens to move British court against MQM chief as latter demands explanation of Bilawal Bhutto’s ‘na-maloom afraad’ remark made two months ago LAHORE/KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Responding to Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain’s demand for an enquiry into Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chariman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s “threatening statement”, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon has said that PPP would not give any clarification to the MQM. In a statement issued Tuesday, Memon claimed that Bilawal did not give a threatening statement but “only uttered the truth”. “If Altaf Hussain wants to go to court against PPP chairman than he can fulfil his wish,” he said, adding that PPP would move British court with evidences against MQM chief. Earlier, Hussain demanded an explanation from Bilalwal over the latter’s remarks on October 6, calling

for “reigning in na-maloom afraad (unidentified persons)”. The MQM chief has also asked the chiefs of law enforcement agencies (LEAs), former president Asif Ali Zardari, former interior minister Rehman Malik, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and Sindh Gover-

nor Ishratul Ibad Khan to answer his query within 15 days after holding an enquiry into Bilawal’s statements. In his statement, Hussain asked on what basis did Bilawal level such allegations and issued a threat against him. Hussain further said that if the PPP chairman, co-chairman and the party’s Central Executive Committee failed to address his query, he would be left with no option but to take legal action against Bilawal for using threatening language against him. Addressing a gathering of family members of people killed in the 2007 Karsaz blast, the PPP chairman, on the first day of Eidul Azha, had called upon the MQM chief to ask his ‘namaloom afrad’ to take caution. Bilawal had warned that if any PPP workers were hurt, he would, like the London Metropolitan Police, make the MQM chief’s life miserable.

NA PASSES RESOLUTION URGING GOVT TO IMPROVE PIA AIR SERVICE ISLAMABAD INP

The National Assembly Tuesday passed a unanimous resolution calling upon the government to take immediate steps to improve the air service of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). The resolution was moved by Shahida Rehmani. Earlier, lawmakers Abdul Kahar Khan Wadan, Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, Sahibzada Muhammad Yaqub, Parveen Masood Bhatti, Iftikharuddin, Sahibzada Tariqullah, Nabeel Gabol, Moeen Wattoo, Sheikh Salahuddin,

Abdul Rashid Godail, Syed Imran Ahmed Shah and GG Jamal spoke about the resolution. They demanded that the cancelled domestic and international flights of PIA to various destinations should be restored. They also demanded that recruitment in PIA should be made purely on merit and “not on basis of political affiliations”. Winding up the discussion on the resolution, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmed told the House that the government has taken a number of steps to improve the performance of the national flag carrier.

The prime minister has granted a financial package to reduce the debt burden of PIA, he said, adding that “small planes are being taken on wet and dry lease to improve the performance of PIA”. “PIA annually incurs losses to the tune of Rs48 billion but the losses are being gradually reducing as a result of the steps taken by the government,” said the state minister, adding that “mismanagement and corruption” were the major causes of PIA’s failure and “the government has taken steps to eliminate corruption from the organisation”. After some members criticised “the

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closure of gas supply and low gas pressure to domestic consumers by the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines in most areas”, Parliamentary Secretary for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shehzadi Umerzadi told the House that “no gas load management is being carried out in domestic and commercial sectors” “Although there is a daily shortfall of 2,000 million cubic feet of gas but there is no drop in gas pressure in the domestic sector since November 26,” she said, adding that the major brunt of the gas load management is being borne by the industry in Punjab.

has apologised after joining his hands in front of the entire Ummah. Thus, no one should use this case to spread fitna (pugnacity) in Karachi and in our country. Anyone who uses this fitna to create a rift between sects is clearly showing that person’s jealousy against Junaid Jamshed. These times are full of fitna and we should stay clear of it,” he said while quoting a Quranic verse stating, “Verily, Allah loves those who repent”.

50 PAKISTAN-ASSEMBLED JF17 FIGHTER JETS INDUCTED INTO PAF: PAC CHIEF KARACHI: The head of Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) said on Tuesday that 50 home-assembled multi-role JF-17 Thunder fight jets have been introduced into its air force. Air Marshal Javed Ahmed, chief of the state-owned Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), said the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) had already received 50 of the home-made aircraft and that the supply of the second block is expected to start this month. The JF-17 was first introduced to the PAF in 2007. “The five aircraft of the next block would be inducted (into PAF) this year,” Air Marshal Javed Ahmed, told AFP on the sidelines of International Defence Exhibition And Seminars (IDEAS) 2014 in Karachi. Pakistan has been manufacturing the JF-17 aircraft since 2009 with the help of the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation of China (CACC). In addition to block one, block two is now in production which has advanced avionics and mid-air refuelling capabilities. The PAF intends to induct at least 200 JF-17s into its fleet to replace the ageing F-7s and Dassault Mirage-III. The PAF also has explored the possibility of acquiring the J-10s and last month enquired about the new range of stealth aircraft, J-31, that China unveiled during an airshow in Zhuhai. STAFF REPORT

SUSPECTED EBOLA CASE EMERGES IN ISLAMABAD ISLAMABAD: A 41-year-old man has been kept under isolation at PIMS Hospital in Islamabad on suspicion of contracting the deadly Ebola virus. The patient, identified as Tasavur Hussain, has been kept at an isolation ward in the hospital. However, he is not being observed by doctors as kits for protection of doctors are not available. Hailing from Chakwal, Hussain returned from Uganda last month and was shifted from Shifa International Hospital to PIMS. According to initial reports, the patient has been isolated as a precaution owing to symptoms similar to that of Ebola, even though he has returned from Uganda which is not an Ebolainfected country. This is the third suspected Ebola case in Pakistan. STAFF REPORT

NEWS 05

Wednesday, 3 December, 2014

Gunmen slaughter 36 in fresh northeast Kenya attack NAIROBI: Gunmen have massacred at least 36 quarry workers in a fresh attack in Kenya’s northeast, police and the Red Cross said on Tuesday, the latest in a series of strikes in the troubled region bordering war-torn Somalia. The attackers’ sprayed gunfire at tents where the workers were sleeping in the early hours of Tuesday morning near the town of Mandera, where Somalia’s al Qaeda-affiliated Shebab and other militia have carried out a string of raids, Kenyan media said. The gunmen then separated non-Muslims from the other workers, beheaded several and executed the rest with a bullet to the head, police sources and media reports said, a pattern of attack similar to the killing of 28 people on a bus in the same region last month. The quarry killings follow a separate attack Monday night in the town of Wajir — which like Mandera is close to the dangerous border with war-torn Somalia — which left one person dead and 12 wounded when gunmen hurled grenades and fired into a bar. AGENCIES

Indian Christians protest as fire destroys church NEW DELHI: Hundreds of Christians protested outside police headquarters in India’s capital on Tuesday, suspecting foul play after a fire destroyed a church. While the cause of Monday’s blaze at the St. Sebastian’s Church in a northeast suburb of New Delhi was not known, the Delhi Catholic Archdiocese said that “mischief” was suspected. “The entire interior, including the Altar, the Holy Bible and Cross were reduced to ashes,” a statement from the archdiocese said, adding that forensic samples retrieved from the church, which was built in 2001, smelled of fuel. There was no immediate comment from police, and several phone calls to officials went unanswered. Delhi’s Archbishop Anil Couto asked India’s government to order an investigation into the cause of the fire. Hundreds of Christians gathered in front of police headquarters, demanding a swift investigation. Some carried placards that read “Church burning(equals)nation burning.” AGENCIES

FrenCh MPs vote In Favour oF reCoGnIsInG PalestIne state MPS VOTED 339 TO 151 IN FAVOUR OF A MOTION THAT INVITES PARIS TO RECOGNISE THE STATE OF PALESTINE ‘AS AN INSTRUMENT TO GAIN A DEFINITIVE RESOLUTION OF THE CONFLICT’ PARIS

AGENCIES

RENCH lawmakers voted on Tuesday in favour of recognising Palestine as a state, following similar moves in Britain and Spain as European countries try to restart the stalled Middle East peace process. The highly symbolic vote in the lower house National Assembly is not binding on French government policy but is likely to spark fury in Israel, whose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned it would be a “grave mistake.” MPs voted 339 to 151 in favour of a motion that invites Paris to recognise the state of Palestine “as an instrument to gain a definitive resolution of the conflict”. Palestinians are seeking to achieve statehood in Gaza and the Israeli-occu-

pied West Bank with east Jerusalem as the capital. With little progress on reaching a settlement, they have been lobbying foreign powers for international recognition. During a debate on the issue Friday, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius stressed that Paris would recognise Palestine if diplomatic efforts failed again and urged a resolution to the Middle East conflict within two years. France is spearheading a drive at the United Nations to unfreeze the moribund peace process and the Palestinian envoy to the UN said earlier Tuesday a draft resolution could be submitted to the Security Council by mid-December. This European initiative was expected to be discussed in Brussels when US Secretary of State John Kerry holds talks with European ministers during a NATO meeting. “If these efforts fail. If this

DHAKA A Bangladesh court on Tuesday found an award-winning British journalist guilty of contempt for questioning the official death toll of three million in the country’s 1971 independence war. Judges from a special war crimes court ruled that a blog and two other articles written by David Bergman “hurt the feelings of the nation” and ordered him to pay a 5,000 taka ($65) fine or go to prison for a week. The case was seen as a test of the country’s commitment to free speech after Bergman cast doubt on the official version of one of the most contentious issues in Bangladesh’s short history. Delivering the verdict in the capital Dhaka, presiding judge Obaidul Hassan told the courtroom that “freedom of expression can be exercised in good faith and public interest”. “David Bergman neither has good faith nor an issue of public interest,” the judged added. The International Crimes Tribunal, a domestic court which has found several top opposition leaders guilty of mass murder, asked the government to probe Bergman’s reporting on its work. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has justified the trials on the grounds that the scale of bloodshed in Bangladesh’s war of secession from Pakistan demands that perpetrators be brought to justice, even four decades later. But critics say her government has deliberately exaggerated the death toll as a way of intimidating her opponents and countering unease from abroad about a trial process lacking any international oversight. But Hasina’s government says Bangladeshi militants were behind some of the most brutal killings, including the mas-

Palestinians hold a French and Palestinian flag as they call for France to vote for the recognition of a Palestinian State outside a French and German language training centre in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Tuesday.

last attempt at a negotiated settlement does not work, then France will have to do its duty and recognise the state of Palestine without delay and

we are ready to do that,” Fabius told MPs on Friday. The French vote came hot on the heels of a near unanimous vote in favour of recog-

nising Palestine in the British and Spanish parliaments, as Europeans seek alternative ways to push forward efforts towards peace. Sweden’s government went even further, officially recognising Palestine as a state in a controversial move that prompted Israel to recall its ambassador. IsRAEL WARNs: The French parliament’s vote on Tuesday in favour of recognising Palestine as a state will harm the peace process and is the wrong message to send to the region, Israel warned. “Israel believes that the vote in the National Assembly… will reduce the possibility of achieving a deal between Israel and the Palestinians,” the Israeli embassy in Paris said in a statement. “Decisions of this nature harden the Palestinian position and send the wrong message to the people and the leaders of the region,” added the embassy.

India, France say will press ahead with Rafale deal NEW DELHI AGENCIES

The French and Indian defence ministers agreed to press ahead with negotiations on the sale of 126 Rafale fighter jets to India, both sides said Tuesday, after slow progress cast doubt on the estimated $12 billion deal. Successive deadlines to complete one of the world’s biggest airline contracts have slipped by, leading to reports

that Britain’s Eurofighter could try to reenter the race. French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said negotiations were “proceeding well” after he met his newly appointed Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar in New Delhi on Monday. “For a project of this scale and such complexity... the pace is comparable to that of other negotiations,” he said in an interview with Indian daily The Pioneer Tuesday. “Both our governments share the will to conclude it (Rafale

Bangladesh court convicts UK reporter of contempt for questioning 1971 toll claim AGENCIES

ISRAEL SAYS FRENCH VOTE WILL HARM PEACE PROCESS

sacre of intellectuals. Most independent estimates say the actual toll of war dead is in the hundreds of thousands. ‘NO scOpE tO AppEAL’ Bergman’s lawyer Mustafizur Rahman said the court verdict was a big disappointment but there was “no scope” to launch an appeal. “It was our submission before the tribunal that the laws of Bangladesh permit constructive criticism of court orders and proceedings in a restrained language by a person having knowledge of its affairs,” Rahman told reporters. “It was our submission before the tribunal that David Bergman acted within those bounds.” “David Bergman has never been against the process of the tribunal. As a matter of fact, he brought attention to the issue of prosecuting persons having committed war crimes in 1971 at a time when the rest of the world was on the verge of forgetting this issue.“ The 49-year-old Bergman won a British television award in 1995 for a documentary exposing alleged war criminals who had taken refuge in the United Kingdom. Lawyer Abul Kalam Azad, who filed the petition against Bergman, said the judgement was “fair and right”. “No one has the right to question the three million death toll in the 1971 independence war. It is a settled issue,” he added. Bergman, who is an editor of local English-language daily New Age and also writes for Britain’s Daily Telegraph, has been living in Bangladesh for more than a decade. He is married to a top human rights lawyer. His conviction came when Bergman was writing a series of reports in the New Age on the alleged involvement of the country’s security forces in the abduction and disappearance of 19 opposition activists before disputed elections held in January of this year.

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deal) and this is, of course, essential.” The pair discussed “all issues including Rafale”, an Indian defence ministry spokesman said. “It was decided that whatever differences still existed would be resolved in a fast-track manner.” French company Dassault Aviation won the right in 2012 to enter exclusive negotiations with India to supply 126 fighters after lodging a lower bid than rival firm Eurofighter. The deal would see Dassault supply

18 Rafales — twin-engine multi-role fighters — by 2015. India, the world’s top weapons importer, is in the midst of a $100-billion defence upgrade programme and experts say it urgently needs the jet fighters to maintain a combat edge over nuclear rival Pakistan. The remaining 108 would be made by state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd under technology transfer agreements with India, which is keen to boost homemade defence manufacturing.

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06 KARACHI

WEATHER UPDATES WEDNESDAY

340C 180C

THURSDAY

330C 200C

FRIDAY

320C 190C

SATURDAY

330C 180C

Wednessday, 3 December, 2014

CITIZENS CRIME ERADICATION COMMITTEES TO BE FORMED IN DISTRICTS KARACHI STAFF RePORT

Sindh Interior Secretary Dr Niaz Ali Abbasi on Tuesday said the Citizens Crime Eradication Committees would be formed in every district of the province comprising non-political reputable people. He said this while addressing 26 assistant superintendent police of 41st specialised training programme being held in National Police Academy Islamabad who are on educational visit in Sindh. Additional IG Karachi Ghulam Qadir Thebo and DIG Headquarters Abdul Aleem Jafri were also present on the occasion. The interior secretary said the committees would be formed under the supervision of interior secretary at provincial level, commissioners at division level and deputy commissioners at district level. “Non-political people of good repute and non-governmental organisations would be included in the committees. The representatives of civil society would have important role in the committees. Masses could contact the committees for complaint against police and crimes,” he said. Abbasi said steps were being taken to construct a jail for dangerous terrorists on a land of 500 acre in Jamshoro. He warned soon after reviewing the performances of police officers in Sindh, strict action would be taken against the SHOs and DSPs who could not perform well and failed in controlling crimes. He asked the under-training police officers to fear from God and perform their duties with honesty and hard-work and ensure easy justice to common men. Abbasi said they had to bear important responsibilities in future; therefore, they should prove to be an iron wall against the race of bribe and money.

KARACHI: A traffic mess in city. INP

Medics at Major TWO FALL PREY TO VIOLENCE hospitals go on strike KARACHI

KARACHI

STAFF RePORT

Two persons were killed in separate incidents of violence in the city on Tuesday. In the first incident, body of a man, Mubarak Ahmed, 70, son of Muhammad Rafiq, resident of Korangi crossing, was found in a house in Ibrahim Haidri area. It was shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for medico-legal formalities. The motive behind the killing could not be ascertained yet. However, police have started probe into the case. Similarly, a 35-year-old unidentified man was found dead from Pir Baksh Road in Taiser Town. The body was shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH) for an autopsy. The motive behind the killing could not be ascertained yet.

The Sindh health employees action committee observed a token strike in all major hospitals of the city on second consecutive day on Monday against the government plan to privatise big healthcare entities. The token strike was observed in Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Civil Hospital Karachi, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, National Institute of Child Health, Lyari General Hospital and other healthcares. The OPD services in these hospitals were suspended for an hour. The paramedical staff and nurses associations and doctors’ forum also

observed token strike in different cities and towns of Sindh province. Sindh Paramedical Staff Welfare Association leader Akhlaq Ahmed Khan said paramedics and nurses were fighting for patients’ right and there was no question to end the strike in hospitals until withdrawal of the plan to privatise public hospitals in Sindh province. Visiting OPD patients of Civil Hospital Karachi showed concern over the hospitals sale out plan and said provision of health facilities to public was prime responsibility of the government. “The privatisation plan of the hospitals is not acceptable to them,” the patients said. On the call of Sindh Health Employees Action Committee, a token

strike was also observed in Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center where OPD services remained suspended for two hours. The members of Sindh Health Employees Action Committee Haq Nawaz Sial, Ismail Jiskani, Abdul Wahid and Ameer Ali said that a peaceful protest would continue till withdrawal of privatization plan and resolving the service structure of employees. The Sindh Health Employees Action Committee leadership said a token-strike would continue across the province until acceptance of their demands. According to reliable sources, the health secretary called an important meeting of paramedics and nurses leadership on December 4 to discuss the lingering issues.

CID SEIZES 100KG OF EXPLOSIVES IN RAID KARACHI ONlINe

The Crime Investigation Department (CID) of police conducted a raid in Karachi’s Orangi Town and recovered 100 kilograms of explosives on Tuesday. The raid in Orangi’s Mominabad area was conducted by the Anti-Extremism Cell (AEC) which also recovered 13 mobile phones, six police uniforms, six ball bombs, six batteries, three suicide jackets, three hand grenades, three pistols, several government number plates and remote controls. In-charge of AEC CID Ali Raza told a private TV channel that when the police reached the factory, an encounter ensued with members of a banned organisation. However, the men managed to flee and additional police teams were deputed for their arrest. Targeted operations led by Rangers’ forces with the support of police are ongoing in the city under a directive issued by the federal government against criminals already identified by federal, military and civilian agencies.

SHC seeks details of houbara bustard hunting licenses

KARACHI STAFF RePORT

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday required from the federal authorities the documents regarding licenses issued to

the Arab dignitaries for hunting the endangered houbara bustard in Pakistan. Headed by Justice Ahmed Ali M Shaikh, a division bench directed the federal law officer to file comments of foreign affairs secretary, interior secretary

and others on the petition that challenged the legality of special permission for hunting endangered species. The petitioner, Lal Khan Chandio and Rahib Kalhoro, submitted that the federal government had issued licenses to various

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Arab dignitaries for hunting the endangered houbara bustard (locally know as Tiloor) in violation of the international laws. This was not the first time the government had issued the permits rather this illegal act was being perpetuated since many years. Apart from the foreign dignitaries, the local influential persons were also involved in hunting in collusion with the provincial authorities. The petitioners alleged that they had taken over their fields spreading over thousands of acres and were hunting with dignitaries of Arab countries the protected species. They said the owners, workers and peasants were not being allowed to enter their fields and look after their crop and livestock. The counsel for the petitioners told the judges that houbara bustard was also figured on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list as vulnerable which was feared to be decreasing by 30 per cent a year in Pakistan alone. He said this bird was declared among the endangered species in 1912 and a permanent ban on its hunting was placed in 1971. Although a ban already existed, another ban was imposed on hunting in 1992, albeit with provision of special

temporary license for Arab royals. He said this provision was also struck down by the court when it was approached but the practice of hunting was still continuing unabated. In response to the court notice, provincial law officer filed comments of Sindh wildlife department stating that hunting of the endangered wildlife was not permitted in the areas declared as wildlife sanctuaries and national parks. However, under section 16 of the Sindh Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1972, the government may declare any area as Game Reserve, where hunting and shooting of wildlife shall not be allowed except special permits, which may specify the maximum number of animals or birds that may be killed or captured in the area. It was stated that after the passage 18th amendment, the allocation of areas to the Arab dignitaries was mandate of the foreign affairs ministry, adding that the foreign dignitaries, head of Gulf States and member of royal families were eligible for that permission. The permit stipulates the code of conduct for hunting and no gun is used for hunting as Arabs use falcons for hunting houbara bustard.

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Wednessday, 3 December, 2014

PAF IS CAPABLE OF RETALIATING TO ANY AGGRESSION: AIR CHIEF KARACHI INP

Pakistan Air Chief (PAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafiq Butt has said that the PAF has the capabilities to give a befitting response to those casting an evil eye on Pakistan.Talking to media persons at IDEAS-2014 at Karachi Expo Centre on Tuesday, the air chief said that though the PAF was outnumbered but its professionalism, commitment and capabilities were more than enough that no one could raise evil eye towards them. He said the PAF was ever alert for the defence of the country. He however said that Pakistan was a peace-loving country and had no aggressive designs. He said no power on earth could stop Pakistan to make defence preparations for preservation of peace and sovereignty of our country. In reply to a question, Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafiq Butt said that many countries were showing interest in JF-17 Thunder aircraft which most and at the same time cost effective. He said negotiations were going on with some countries for deal. He said relations between Pakistan and Russia had been restored and they had become friendly countries. He said he was the first to visit Russia and after that there had been exchange of several visits. To another question, the air chief said Pakistan is making drones and using them too.

KARACHI: Supporters of Sunni Tehreek protesting against Junaid Jamsheed at Numaish Chrowngi. INP

600 sq yards plot approved for gurdwara: etpB chairMan KARACHI

APP

HE federal government has approved 600 square yards plot for the establishment of Sikhs’ Gurdwara in the city. Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Chairman Siddiqul Farooq said this at a meeting on Tuesday at the Trust’s office with the committee formed for the Gurdwara Nankana Sahib Karachi. The committee is headed by Sardar Manmohan Singh. Its members include Sardar Bhola Singh, Sardar Jeet Kumar, Nanki Bai, Johar Lal, Suresh Kumar, Jag Mohan and Sardar

Manjeet Singh. He also informed that the annual grant for Sadhu Bela, Hindu temple in Sukkur, had been increased from Rs 1 million to Rs 1.5 million. Siddiqul Farooq said the government would ensure full protection to the worship places of Hindus and Sikhs and Sikh pilgrims. The ETPB chairman said that disputes between the Sikhs and Hindus including the Bagh Nari temple’s issue would be resolved soon. He informed that a fibre glass boat of Rs 1 million had been provided to Sadhu Bela temple while the old boat was being repaired. Siddiqul Farooq assured that the government would provide complete security to the pilgrims visiting Sadhu Bela and Mirpur Mathelo Hayat Petafi Darbar.

SHC again summons official on petition against encroachment of amenity plots KARACHI STAFF RePORT

KARACHI: A man connects a wire for pilfering electricity in Lines Area. ONlINe

ALTAF DEMANDS HIGH-LEVEL PROBE INTO MQM’S ACTIVIST MURDER KARACHI ONlINe

Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain decried the murder of party worker and demanded that the extra-judicial murder be investigated at high level. Clamouring for justice, Altaf Hussain also called for the personnel involved in the killing to be brought to book. The spate of killing of citizens under custody should be stemmed

forthwith, he emphasised. It should be mentioned here that two unidentified gunmen riding a motorcycle killed two men associated with the MQM late Friday night (November 28) in Chishti Nagar area of Orangi Town within the limits of the Iqbal Market police station. Witnesses said the deceased were shot multiple times resulting in serious injuries to the two. Later, they were rushed to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where they passed away owing to crit-

ical condition. Shahid Hussain, 35, son of Muhammad Hussain was party’s activist and was associated with the unit 118-B. And, Shahbaz, son of Muhammad Nawaz was the party’s supporter. Reacting to the MQM chief’s demand after midnight, the city police chief summoned a report in connection with assassination of the Muttahida worker. According to police a spokesman, the SSP Malir has been designated to table the report within 24 hours.

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The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday once again summoned the district municipal corporation central’s administrator along with explanation for allowing commercial activities on the amenity plots in North Nazimabad area. A division bench headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah had taken up a petition filed by Syed Ashraf Hussain, president of an NGO, who approached the court against the civic authorities for allowing illegal use of plots meant for recreational activities. The petitioner submitted that the Karachiites had been facing difficulties owing to lack of proper civic facilities and unlawful occupation of the amenity properties by land grabbers in cahoots with the local administration. He said the municipal authorities had allotted several plots earmarked for the parks and playgrounds for the commercial activities in North Nazimanbad. He

added that he had approached the provincial ombudsman against this illegal acts but the matter was yet to be decided. The petitioner said the North Nazimabad town officer had also admitted before the ombudsman that municipal authorities had temporarily allotted the private company an amenity plot for setting up its outlet of pizza hut for a period of five years under an agreement. In similar way, he said, the other plots were allotted. He pointed out that an area around two flyovers in North Nazimabad was also encroached upon by a builder for a project known as Saima Bridge View, adding that the space around the flyovers was left for parks and expansion of roads but the same was also occupied. The petitioner said this illegal allotment of amenity properties under the garb of generating funds for the corporation was ongoing in the area and residents were deprived of the recreational facility. He pleaded to the court to restrain the municipal authorities from allowing commercial use of the amenity plots and cancel all agreements in this regard.

08 COMMENT

Wednesday, 3 December, 2014

The fourth great war, for modernity

Breaking the gridlock

Any failure of modernity is an invitation to an imagined past

Both Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan have a chance to make it work

rOM shutting down big cities and finally the entire country, Imran Khan has come down to holding protests and blocking only the arteries of various cities. He does not insist on closing businesses and stopping the traffic. The children could go to schools and the employees to their workplaces. This is a far cry from the total closures initially visualised. The hawkish government ministers who are all the time on the lookout for an opportunity to pounce upon Imran Khan have suddenly gone on the backfoot. The ‘no talks under threat’ mantra was heard no more once Nawaz Sharif agreed to hold talks. There is no shortage of hawkish elements in the PTI or the PML-N. Many think their presence has kept the pot boiling and that an understanding between the two sides might have been possible if these elements had been kept by the leadership at bay. Fiery statements from one side invariably lead to the effluence of the reserve of arrogance on the other side. The tendencies feed each other. The hawks play upon the survival instinct of their leadership which is convinced that it would be a loser if it did not give a tit for every tat. This pushes the system towards the brink. A look at the CVs of various leaders of PTI would bear out that most of them have never taken part in any agitation, let alone the type of “gherao, jalao” advocated by the Awami Muslim League chief. In case the two leaders take the initiative, the barrier between the two sides can be broken. Being the head of the government Nawaz Sharif has a greater responsibility to act to put an end to the standoff. The prime minister could once again ask the SC to form a commission to look into Imran Khan’s complaints. Another visit by Nawaz Sharif to Bani Gala is likely to persuade Imran Khan of his sincerity. This may also provide Imran Khan a way out. Better give and take rather than push the system to the breaking point.

Matter of the CEC No more last chances

OW that the Supreme Court has extended the timeline for appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner till Dec8 – despite the attorney general’s request for Dec5 – this time the court’s deadline must not pass without necessary action. Dec5 would have been rather awkward for the prime minister anyway. The Afghan conference in England ties him till Dec4 at least, and now he will have some time to enjoy his London real estate investments should he so choose. But with the SC now threatening action against Nawaz Sharif and Khurshid Shah, the former might be eager to return as soon as he can. Also, in the interest of clarity, it is best if controversy is avoided. Talk of sticking with former CJ Jillani, despite some parties’ reservations and his own refusal earlier, can set a dangerous precedent since it has connotations that exceed politics. The Supreme Court Bar Association and Pakistan Bar Council have cautioned against it because there can be instances where the CEC might have to appear in the SC where he was once CJ, which can create problems. There is also the danger of such practices becoming routine, and judges beginning to eye political favours, which could affect the court’s impartiality. Nobody, especially the prime minister and leader of the opposition, need reminding that the matter has gone unresolved for far too long. The SC, too, will have to take stern action if practices of the past are repeated. That Nawaz has tasked Ishaq Dar to liaise with Khurshid Shah will not cut it, especially since the prime minister himself has been unable to break the ice despite numerous SC deadlines. It is time that the matter is resolved amicably. They must be careful that the nominee does not come with political baggage, and that they are able to address reservations of other political parties. Hopefully, they will not disappoint this time.

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami

ArS begin with a preamble, mostly confused, and end with a postscript, often bitter. The link between Versailles in 1919 and 1939 is standard knowledge. The Cold War began at Yalta, where Europe was divided between victors who then mobilised to protect what they had won. If the Cold War ended with Soviet defeat in Afghanistan, then that is precisely where the war against terrorism began. It should not come as a surprise that allies in Afghanistan turned on each other almost immediately after victory. The conquerors of 1945 did much the same. But if America and Europe are shocked by the sudden swell of Islamism, it is only because they ignored the second narrative of 1919, the dismemberment and colonisation of the last great Muslim empire, the Ottoman Caliphate. After a troubled century, the First World War has looped back to link with the fourth. Less than seven decades before 1919, Britain had buried what was left of the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, home to the largest ethnic Muslim population in the world. [The more ribald Victorian politicians teased their Ottomans with the thought that Queen Victoria was the real Caliph, since she had far more Muslim subjects.] In 1919, a startling thing happened:

Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad Joint Editor I

Education for girls My father always emphasised on my studies. Since I was a little girl, he told me he wanted to see me working when I grew up. If I did that, I could buy all the dollies in the world since I’d be very rich and this, of course, attracted me. I would go to school every day and watch my cleaning lady’s son go as well but not her daughter. The young girl, barely 16, would stay home and help clean the house. I didn’t realise the problem till I grew up a little bit. It wasn’t like she didn’t want to go to school, but the family didn’t feel the need for her to go to school. Sometimes that is a problem with boys also who help out the family to earn some money. But when it comes to girls’ education, the mindset in our community is generally less accommodating. They let their sons go to school to study, but think, as women, their daughters have no business there and are meant to stay home to cook and clean. This is observed especially in small villages but also in cities. This is in sharp contrast to the fact that girls often outdo boys in examination. I once watched a documentary in which a woman interviewed a group of men asking them why they did not send their daughters to school after they reach a certain age. Their answers were similar. They all told the woman that they did not like strange men staring at their daughters. They thought it was disrespecting and they did not appreciate it. Girls should be allowed to go to school. Their fathers shouldn’t be ashamed but be proud of it. Girls and boys should have equal rights to education and everything else. Our society needs to understand that we as young girls have equal ambitions as any boy of our age. Our dreams are for a better future and a prosperous Pakistan. MARIAM AGHA A student of grade 8 Lahore

Little girls of Bajaur

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9 Fax: 021-35381208

This piece was written as a theme for discussion at the plenary of the Halifax International Security Forum, held between 21 and 23 November. Mobashar Jawed Akbar is a leading Indian journalist and author. He is the Editorin-Chief of The Sunday Guardian. He has also served as Editorial Director of India Today.

Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. Fax: +92-42-32535230 E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively

Editor’s mail

Over thirty five little girls, mostly from Bajaur, somehow are transported through hundreds of security check posts scattered along FATA, KP, Punjab and Sindh, traded

Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36375963, 042-36375965

M J AkbAr

on the left or right, gravitated towards soft or hard dictatorships. The West did not help by using war, or regime change through more insidious means, to protect its domination. Any failure of modernity is an invitation to an imagined past. As other models, from royal paternalism, to Nasserite populism, to Baathist liberalism, to Army despotism, and finally a brief upsurge of democratic spirit, collapsed, or were suppressed, the last idea standing was a return to faith. Except that no one quite knew what this meant in a contemporary context. What transpired was less the faith of Medina and more the reinvention of thinkers like Abdul Wahhab in Arabia and Shah Waliullah in India, who fed insecurity and extremism into despair to arouse a jihad that has become demented in its search for chaos wrapped in the illusion of liberation. The degeneration has been swift. Today the region between Pakistan and North Africa is an arc of turbulence, in which most governments survive in isolation while nations spin out of control. A fundamental requirement of jihad in Islamic theory is that it can only be declared by the state. The dangerous proliferation of maverick jihad is evidence of the dangers when practice abandons theory. This, however, is little solace to this jihad’s targets: the “far enemy”, principally America; the “near enemy”, or those hostile to them in their immediate environment; and the “third enemy”, countries which “occupy” Islamic space. India and China [because of Muslim-majority Xinjiang] are in the last group. When, or how, this war will end is difficult to assess. But we can be certain of this: it will devastate Muslim communities long before it damages others.

every single Muslim land was colonised or occupied by Europe. The humiliation was almost too much to bear. As Muslims from the Ganges to the Nile searched for revival, they also took comfort in lament. A powerful motif was the romance of the Caliphate, which became more glorious in memory than it had ever been in reality. The Caliphate represented security for Islam and its holy cities in an age when Muslims were under siege; it was an emotional symbol of glory; and its law, Sharia, was reassuring to Muslims who perceived it as a safety net against the potential tyranny of their own despots. In India, Mahatma Gandhi used the high-voltage appeal of the Caliphate to draw Muslims into his mass campaign, between 1919 and 1922, against British rule. The ultimate irony, of course, was that Turkey abolished the Caliphate in 1924. Turkey, under Mustafa Kemal, took a rational route into the 20th century. It recognised that Caliphs, like the Hapsburgs and Tsars, belonged to an age that had outlived its utility. The Indian Muslim elites eased their anxieties by carving out, with a British knife, a separate state in 1947, Pakistan, a unique country that straddled either side of a subcontinent and fondly believed that faith could unite what God’s geography had divided. Pakistan could have become a Turkey in South Asia; instead it attempted to mix theocratic impulses with democratic intentions, and succeeded in achieving the worst of both worlds. Pakistan became the first Islamic state in the post-colonial era, and, inevitably, a sanctuary for myriad terrorists flying the flag of jihad in order to gain popular legitimacy. The Arab world was cut and stripped with abandon by its British and French masters after 1919, and turned into a haven for neo-colonisation. Neo-colonisation, of course, is the grant of independence on condition you do not exercise it. This might have worked if it had been accompanied by economic empowerment and democratic freedoms, but perhaps the suggestion itself is a contradiction. Family systems soon blurred the difference between personal wealth and national resources. Every experiment, whether born

like chickens by what is conveniently being called an unregistered madrassah, and yet the state remains unmoved to its constitutional and moral obligations. Except the few in media, others have failed to give it proper coverage because in their opinion it lacks spice necessary for ratings. In a country where slave trade thrives, child sexual molestation is becoming more pronounced, and terrorist outfits are recruiting innocent children to blow themselves up, this should have sent shudders in the corridors of power and those who have assumed unto themselves custody of morality. Have we forgotten how unaccompanied minor children were allowed to be sent illegally as camel riders to countries in the Gulf region by powerful nexus involved in illegal human smuggling, and nothing was done until there was an international condemnation and outcry? Those involved were too powerful and none was prosecuted for this heinous crime. Where was FIA, police and others involved in intelligence gathering in a country on high alert when these girls travelled all the way to Karachi? Should we thank two governors involved in arranging their transportation back to Bajaur, or condemn all provincial governments involved for their failures and federal government responsible for FATA? After the 18th amendment, all provincial governments are responsible for providing education, not outsourcing it to madrassas. This incident should jolt us out of daydreaming and awaken us to ugly ground realities and depths of moral deprivation we have sunk to. MALIK TARIQ Lahore

Urdu: the forgotten national language The constitution of Pakistan recognises the national status of Urdu, but all elected and non-elected governments have sincerely tried to avoid its implementation. Undoubtedly, Urdu is our national language which binds all the federating units of the country. Nowadays, Urdu has started replacing Punjabi in

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

CMYK

domestic workers, business, trade, industry and is growing popular in semi-urban and rural population as well. The pass percentage of Urdu is very high at all levels of examinations. Though English is favourite with people in power yet more students fail in it than in Urdu. The level of speaking and writing English is dismal. Unfortunately, daily use forms, applications, information and other petty needs of people are all presented in the Queen’s English. No one can deny the importance of English in higher education and research but for Pakistan’s sake Urdu must be fully introduced up to matriculation and implemented in public and private sectors. DR S ANWAAR A BUGVI Lahore

General’s last hurrah This is reference to decision by Special Court hearing Pervez Musharraf’s trial and comments by analysts that the general may have the last laugh. Hazrat Ali is on record that a state can survive without faith in Almighty, but not without justice. When UK was subjected to severe bombardment, Churchill stated that as long as courts functioned and justice was being done, the work of government would continue. I only hope that judiciary is not ridiculed and damage that Musharraf tried to inflict upon it is not affected in this trial. One can only pray that the law of necessity does not resurface. Can his supporters tell this to the nation: ‘Did he do justice to his uniform when he stood up on 12 May, 2007, in Islamabad, raised his fists while referring to massacre in Karachi where over 50 innocent citizens were killed and proudly proclaimed it to be a display of his powers?’ May God have mercy on Pakistan and may Quaid’s vision and legacy of a modern, democratic welfare state survive and strengthen, and the curse of bribery, corruption, hoarding and black marketing be eradicated! ALI MALIK TARIQ Lahore

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

WORLD VIEW 09

Wednesday, 3 December, 2014

behind the increased violence in Kabul

Can China bring peaCe to afghanistan?

Wall Street Journal Michael KugelMan

In recent weeks, the Afghan capital–long regarded as the most secure place in that volatile country–has been rocked by attacks. Insurgent violence has been heavy in Kabul all year. But things have been particularly intense of late, with about a dozen attacks over the past two weeks, including an assault on a foreign guesthouse and the attempted assassination of Kabul’s police chief. Afghan officials and some analysts blame the increased violence on two recent developments that have angered the Taliban. One is the decision by Afghanistan’s new president, Ashraf Ghani, to sign a bilateral security agreement that ensures a modest US military force will remain in Afghanistan next year. The other is President Barack Obama’s decision to give this force a combat mandate. But Taliban fighters are likely to have three additional reasons for ramping up attacks: 1. Because they can. It really is that simple. All year, insurgents have been testing the fighting capacities of Afghan security forces as foreign troops draw down. The results are in, and militants are taking full advantage: While the Taliban is not in a position to seize large swaths of territory from Afghan security personnel akin to what Islamic State militants did in Iraq, Taliban fighters can still blow things up at will–no matter how supposedly secure the targets are (and, in all likelihood, with occasional assistance from sympathisers within the Afghan security forces). The Taliban’s increased attacks represent acts of defiance, not desperation. 2. They want to humiliate the United States. US officials fervently want some semblance of a peaceful, orderly withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Taliban wants the Americans to enjoy no such thing. It likely hopes to maintain, if not intensify, the stepped-up pace of attacks through Dec. 31, when the drawdown is complete, so that US troops are withdrawing under fire–a presentday (though considerably less dramatic) version of US military helicopters rescuing the last Marines in Vietnam as enemy forces approach. 3. They wish to strengthen their position in future peace talks. One might understandably interpret an escalation in attacks as a rejection of reconciliation with Kabul, not as a sign of receptivity. Given that past peace efforts have failed and that powerful hard-line Taliban factions are fundamentally opposed to reconciliation, peace remains a remote prospect. But President Ghani wants to pursue reconciliation. Accordingly, the Taliban may calculate that an escalation in attacks, coupled with the greater threat the Taliban could pose after the drawdown is complete, would drive up its bargaining power (read: leverage) in hypothetical peace negotiations, and allow it to press for major concessions from Kabul. Regardless of why they are happening, the surge in attacks poses an early test for President Ghani. His job won’t get any easier this week; he’ll be trying to secure economic assistance from spooked supporters at a donor conference in London. Michael Kugelman is senior associate for South Asia at the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars.

BBC

ahMed rashid

EIJING’S efforts include an invitation for the Taliban to visit China. Yet sceptics may well ask whether China, which has never played such a mediating role outside its borders before, can succeed where the US, NATO and Afghanistan’s neighbours have so far failed. ‘’For the past 13 years the US and NATO have been playing a major role in Afghanistan and we made a contribution and gave them support - but now with the US leaving, Afghanistan is facing a critical period,’’ Ambassador Sun Yuxi, China’s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, told the BBC. In his first interview to Western media, Ambassador Sun said: ‘’We are ready to do more, we want to play a bigger role. “We would welcome the Taliban in any neutral venue such as in China. We will make negotiations happen but the process must be Afghanowned and Afghan-led - the agenda must be proposed by Pres-

ident Ashraf Ghani,’’ he added. FACILITATING TALKS President Ghani has already visited Beijing to ask the Chinese to play just such a mediating role and to put pressure on Pakistan, which is a close ally of China, to let the Afghan government meet with Taliban leaders living in Pakistan. Islamabad’s powerful military, which takes all major foreign policy decisions, has indicated it is willing to consider a peace process once the Afghans come up with one. Ambassador Sun said that China had already established several forums for discussion on how to bring in neighbouring states and others to support reconciliation in Afghanistan. ‘’One tripod involves talks between China, Afghanistan and Pakistan, the second is a group of regional countries called ‘six plus one’, which involves US, Russia, China, India, Pakistan and Iran and the one being Afghanistan. This group has already met twice,’’ said Mr Sun. Another ‘tripod’ group that Western diplomats say has held several meetings, but which the Chinese are reluctant to talk about, is China, US and Afghanistan. This grouping is seen to be especially vital as the US withdraws from Afghanistan. The Chinese have said they will never deploy troops in Afghanistan, but they are certain to become the major power in the region. The US, which is undergoing a strategic shift away from the PakistanAfghanistan region, is not averse to a larger Chinese role if it involves keeping the peace and keeping out the militants. ‘TERRORISM’ THREAT The international forums being sponsored by the Chinese

are trying to achieve multiple aims - to support reconciliation in Afghanistan, but to bring countries like India and Pakistan and Iran and Pakistan to the table to iron out their mutual rivalries which have stymied every peace process in Afghanistan since the 1980s. The appointment of Sun Yuxi, 63, who has specialised in Afghanistan since 1981 when as a young diplomat he helped provide Chinese arms to the Afghan mujahideen fighting the Soviets, is a strong signal that China is serious. Fluent in English, articulate and friendly Mr Sun is clearly equipped with extraordinary powers from his leaders to make things happen. The reasons for this diplomatic outing by China, when it has never helped mediate an international conflict before, is the risks it faces from the south. Cheap Afghan opium is flooding China while Uighur Islamic extremists from Xinjiang have been accused of carrying out acts of terrorism. Hundreds of them are based in the badlands of

Pakistan and Afghanistan and are supported by the Taliban and alQaeda. In fact China faces an increasing national security threat if militant groups continue to find sanctuary in Afghanistan and Pakistan. ‘’We support a peace process because we are also victims of terrorism,’’ says Mr Sun. REBUILDING NORTHSOUTH CORRIDOR ‘’Our larger strategy is also economic development - the construction of the Silk Road which includes Pakistan and Afghanistan,’’ said Ambassador Sun. China is investing billions of dollars in a road and rail transportation network that will stretch from western China to Germany crossing dozens of countries. Afghanistan, rich in minerals and oil that China is keen to exploit, is a critical part of that network. China wants to build a northsouth economic corridor through Pakistan that would carry energy from the Gulf to the Chinese border nearly 2,000 miles in the north. China’s funding of such

mammoth projects could become a huge lure for Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Taliban to come to the peace table. Diplomats describe it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to kick-start the two redundant economies of Pakistan and Afghanistan. More than $100bn (£64bn) will be involved in building the Afghan and Pakistani spurs of the Silk Route. China wants to exploit the mineral deposits of Afghanistan and is prepared to build a railway from Kabul to Xinjiang in China, while similar mammoth schemes are being prepared for Pakistan. But nothing will happen until the numerous wars in the region come to an end. That includes the insurgency in Balochistan, the violence in Karachi and the Taliban insurrections in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Much will depend on whether the Pakistan army is prepared to seize the moment and push the Afghan Taliban to the peace table. Diplomatic sources say the Chinese have already established their own contacts with the Taliban. However, China is unlikely to get itself involved in the nittygritty gritty of peace talks between President Ghani and the Taliban. It wants to make the introductions, provide a neutral venue and let the two sides get on with it, which is why China is now anxiously waiting for a peace plan from Ashraf Ghani and support from Pakistan’s military. Ahmed Rashid is a Pakistani journalist and author based in Lahore. His latest book is Pakistan on the Brink - The Future of America, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

ASIA IS ON THE BRINK OF A GOLDEN ERA. HERE’S WHY.

Huffington PoSt Kishore Mahbubani

Asia will experience a new golden era of peace and prosperity over the next 10 years. The export-led growth model of the past will no longer work for the major Asian economies. Hence, we are unlikely to see a return to double-digit growth. If the major Asian economies, especially China, India and Indonesia, are able to maintain growth rates of around 7 percent a year, this will be a major achievement. Fortunately, this is within their reach. Three factors will drive this. - The first factor is an almost unbelievable accident of history. It is truly remarkable that the three most populous Asian countries, namely China, India and Indonesia, have simultaneously put in place dynamic and reform-minded leaders who can be expected to transform their countries over the next decade. - The second factor is the consolidation of the “Deng Xiaoping-Lee Kuan Yew consensus” on national development. We have just seen three remarkable back-toback leaders’ meetings in East Asia: APEC in Beijing, East Asia Summit in Naypyidaw and the Group of 20 in Brisbane. An amazing number of new agreements were signed. There was also a historic (albeit unsmiling) handshake between President Xi Jinping of China and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, laying to rest fears of a China-Japan war. What was the key underlying factor that explains the success of these meet-

ings? The simple answer is that, North Korea excepted, there is a remarkably wide and deep consensus among regional leaders that they should focus on modernisation and pragmatic development. This explains why East Asia is functional while the Middle East remains dysfunctional. Our region has been infected by a silent, healthy virus of modernisation. Because it is silent, the Western media has not noticed and continue to predict doom. - The third factor is the explosion of the Asian middle-class population from 500 million in 2010 to 1.75 billion in 2020. Multinational corporations have spotted this trend. Many of these MNCs are ahead of their governments and have stepped up their presence in the region. Singapore has the potential to be the biggest beneficiary of this big shift to Asia. Pessimistic Western consumers will not drive global demand. Instead, optimistic Asian consumers will gradually pick up global demand. It would be foolish to pretend that all will be rosy in the region. Several geopolitical clouds will continue to affect the region. Five deserve mention. BUT THERE ARE CLOUDS The most important geopolitical relationship is always between the world’s No. 1 power (now the US) and the emerging No. 1, now China. In theory, US-China relations should hit a new peak of rivalry in the next decade, because, this year, China will surpass the US and become the world’s biggest economy in purchasing power parity terms. Curiously, the US-China relationship is remarkably stable. Indeed, there is even some sun showing through what should be the darkest geopolitical cloud, as demonstrated by the extraordinary climate change agreement reached between Mr Xi and US President Barack Obama. The most dangerous relationship this year was that between China and Japan. Many feared that they would go to war. Instead, they shook hands. If Mr Abe can restrain his nationalistic tendencies and focus on firing economic arrows to jumpstart Japan’s economic growth, this troubled relationship can remain under control. Several Chinese leaders may have

also realised that China went overboard in browbeating Japan in recent years. The most important future geopolitical relationship is between the world’s next No. 1 and No. 2 economies, namely China and India. When Mr Narendra Modi became prime minister of India, there was hope of a major breakthrough. However, the border issue continues to bedevil this relationship. The world will look upon Mr Modi and Mr Xi to wisely overcome this nagging issue. Logically, Russia should have been drifting closer to Europe and the West to balance a rising China. Instead, the opposite has happened. The accident in Ukraine disrupted geopolitical logic. If Western leaders were as pragmatic as Asian leaders, they would have found a compromise. Instead, the West went back to its usual self-righteous tendencies and imposed sanctions on Russia. This geopolitical loss by the West has been a gain for Asia, as seen by the US $400 billion (S$520 billion) Russia-China energy deal. Finally, the Islamic State group emerged as a complete surprise. It would have been ignored if innocent Westerners had not been killed. The decapitations forced the West, especially the US, to react. However, ISIS does not pose a great global threat. It is an isolated tumour. DON’T BELIEVE THE ANGLOSAXON MEDIA To understand how these five geopolitical clouds will affect Asia, please do not rely on the dominant Anglo-Saxon media. Some of their editors are trapped in a narrow and often ideological AngloSaxon mental universe. For example, the Anglo-Saxon media has been predicting the collapse of the Chinese Communist Party for almost 25 years. I predict that they will continue to do so in the next 10 years. I also predict that the CCP will last the next 10 years. There is a great global demand for an authoritative voice on Asia’s resurgence. When the British Empire reigned supreme, the Times of London served as the newspaper of record. When the American century began, the New York Times emerged as the newspaper of record. As the Asian century unfolds, The Straits

Times is well poised to be the newspaper of record for the Asian century. Fortunately, The Straits Times already has a group of excellent Asian correspondents in place. It has the product. All that the ST has to do is to create a new package of news on Asia for the rest of the world. ASEAN IS KEY ASEAN will have to play a critical role in the coming decade. Few in the world have given ASEAN enough credit for the culture of musyawarah and mufakat (“consultation and consensus” in Bahasa Indonesia) developed in Southeast Asia. More importantly, ASEAN has also infected the rest of East Asia and South Asia with a similar culture. This is why all the major regional powers, including the US and Russia, “trust” ASEAN to provide a credible neutral platform to enable them to engage each other. However, to play this leadership role credibly, ASEAN must retain its cohesion (and avoid incidents like the breakdown in the ASEAN consensus in Phnom Penh in July 2012) and ensure that the ASEAN Economic Community is a success after it is launched next year. ASEAN countries must overcome their schizophrenic attitude towards ASEAN economic cooperation. The only way to overcome this attitude is to use the force of reason. Any rational economic analysis will show that no ASEAN market, not even Indonesia’s, is big enough to compete with China and India if they take off. ASEAN companies need a bigger playing field if they are to become competitive. Hence, next year, led by Malaysia, ASEAN leaders must bite the bullet and push economic cooperation to the next level. In short, all the trends are pointing towards a new golden era for the region. To understand their own futures, the Asians must believe in themselves and develop new positive global narratives to supplement the dominant negative Western narratives. This is an excerpt from a recent keynote address by Professor Kishore Mahbubani, dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, at ST Global Outlook Forum.

10 BUSINESS CORPORATE CORNER

Wednesday, 3 December, 2014

Bulls dominate stocks market as cPi numBers diP to 11yr low KARACHI

ISLAMABAD: Ufone President and CEO Abdul Aziz and PVTC Chairman Faisal Ijaz Khan exchange documents after signing an agreement under which Ufone will provide telecom solutions to Punjab Vocational Training Council. PR

Panasian Group and mohiuddin Foundation donate to wFP ISLAMABAD: As part of their community responsibility, Panasian Group and Mohiuddin Foundation have contributed PKR 1 Million to the World Food Programme (WFP) to support their flood relief efforts in Pakistan. The cheques were presented to Ms. Lola Castro, Representative/Country Director WFP Pakistan by CEO of Panasian Group and Chairman of Mohiuddin Foundation on November 20th. Panasian Group has an active corporate social responsibility programme through which it supports various development and philanthropic interventions. The Mohiuddin Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of the people of Pakistan, especially during the times of disasters. PRESS RELEASE

HBl launches new internet banking services

KARACHI: HBL, Pakistan’s largest bank, launched its new internet banking service for its customers on the 30th of November, 2014. HBL highly values its relationship with its customers and with this revamped service, it aims to provide them with an enhanced customer experience providing them a comprehensive range of features and functionalities empowering them to have a greater control of their finances. The launch event was held at Dolmen Mall, Clifton, Karachi which comprised of day long festivities. In attendance as the chief guest was Nauman K. Dar - President & CEO – HBL along with other senior executives of the bank; SimaKamil- Head Branch Banking, Fareed HosainCIO, FaiqSadiq- Head Payment Services amongst others. PRESS RELEASE

ISMAIL DILAWAR

HE Karachi stocks market witnessed a bullish trend Tuesday as the analysts said investors’ sentiments were boosted by the inflation numbers which dropped to an 11-year low during November. Easing consumer price index (CPI) inflation, which the analysts believe would clock in at six percent during fiscal year 2014-15, would pave the way for further monetary easing by the central bank in its monetary policy statement due in January next year. The analysts said the month’s CPI reading was lowest since November 2003 when the index had stood at 4.2 per cent. Amid higher trades, Tuesday saw the KSE 100-share index gaining 381 points or 1.22 per cent to close at 31,680.72 points as against 31,299.72 points of Monday. With intraday high and low, respectively, standing at 31,721.83 and 31,299.72, the trading volume at the ready-counter was recorded at 337.8 million shares, showing a growth of Rs 14 million shares when compared to 323.9 million of

the previous trading session. The day saw 397 scrips exchanging hands. Overall value of the stakes traded contracted to Rs 15.6 billion from Monday’s Rs 17.7 billion. Of the traded stocks, 258 gained value, 125 lost and 14 remained unchanged. The market capitalization rose slightly to Rs 7.2 trillion from Rs 7.1 trillion of the previous session. The free-float KSE 30-share index gained 288.61 points and ended at 20,636.17 points. “Stocks closed high amid higher trades after CPI inflation stood 11 year low in Nov ‘14 at 3.96pc (Year-onYear),” viewed equity analyst Ahsan Mehanti. Expectations for SBP discount rate cut, fall in NSS rates and easing political concerns after PTI altered dates for protests played a catalyst role in bullish activity at KSE, opined Mehanti, a director at Arif Habib Corporation. Backed by declining international crude oil prices the CPI inflation in the country is

CEO SUMMIT ASIA: SPEAKERS SAY PAKISTAN HAS GREAT POTENTIAL TO ACHIEVE KARACHI PRESS RELEASE

Prominent speakers at the CEO Summit Asia 2014 emphasized that there was immense potential and resources in the country and if the resilient people were properly guided they could push the country into a developed one as they overcame devastated floods and earthquakes within shortest possible time. However, they said the people could not harness the national resources because of various reasons including lack of professional approach, bad law and order situation across the country that is inter-related with structural problems. This mess has created fear of uncertainty in all spheres of life, they added. They were speaking at the CEO SUMMIT Asia 2014, CEO Performance Award 2014 & Book Re-Launch 100 Performing CEOs & Leaders of Pakistan 2014 organized by CEO Club Pakistan & Manager Today. This year conference theme is “PAKISTAN- A LAND OF OPPORTUNITIES”. Those who spoke on the

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in November 2014 at a faster pace than in September 2014, say the company executives in the MCB Purchasing Managers Index (PMI). The MCB PMI reading was registered at65.65 for the month of November 2014.A reading above 50 shows expansion in the manufacturing sector and economy. New Orders and Production Indices reported a value of 76.6 and 67.2 respectively. The Employment Index registered a reading of 56.5 while the Prices Paid and Prices received Indices showed the readings of 64.0 and 64.8 respectively. MCB PMI: Manufacturing expanded in November as the MCB PMI index registered a reading of 65.65.November 2014 reflects the 6thconsecutivereading of growth in the manufacturing sector but at

a faster pace than the previous reading of September 2014.A good reading enhances the attractiveness of an economy. The magic number for the PMI is 50. A reading of 50 or higher generally indicates that the manufacturing is expanding. If manufacturing is expanding, the general economy should be doing likewise. As such, it is considered a good indicator of future GDP levels. Another useful figure to remember is 42. If the number falls below 42, over a period of time, it generally indicates contraction in the overall economy and recession could be just around the corner. The index value between 42 and 50 indicates that economic growth is anemic and flat. Therefore, the November 2014 PMI indicates growth for the 6thmonth in the overall economy and expansion in Pakistan’s manufacturing sector but at a faster pace. New Orders: New Orders Index reg-

pened on Tuesday as equity analyst Mehanti said an oversold oil sector led the day’s rally followed by leveraged stocks in cement, textile and fertilizer sectors. The list of 10 best performing scrips was topped by K-Electric Limited which counted 8.24 million of its listed shares as traded on the day. The utility’s stakes made a 0.2paisa gain to close at Rs 8.26. Others to follow were PIA with 26.1 million share trading, Summit Bank 13.9 million, Jahangir Siddiqui 13.1 million, TRG Pakistan 13 million, Bank Al-Falah 12.7 million, Azgard Nine 11.5 million, Engro Fertilizer 10.8 million, Maple Leaf Cement 9.9 million and Engro Foods 9.9 million shares. “Coupled with likely improvement in forex reserves position, we expect higher cut in policy rate in 2015,” viewed analysts at Topline Research. Another senior equity analyst Khurram Schehzad said: “there is a lot of value potential left to be topped at the country’s stocks market which stood the best performing equity market in November and the second best frontier market in CY14 to date.”

Russian company has oﬀered restructuring of KSM: Dar ISLAMABAD APP

occasion are Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan Governor Sindh, Sajjad Saleem Hotiana, Chief Secretary Government of Sindh; Dr Ishrat Husain, Director & Dean, IBA & Former Governor SBP; Shemin – Advisor – CCN & Fox News - Estate Investor, Wealth Investor- USA; Jason Gilbert, High Impact Business Leader, Political Analyst, and Philanthropist-USA; Shireen Naqvi, CEO, School of Leadership (SOL); Nadeem Hussain – President & CEO, Tameer Microfinance Bank; Atif Bajwa – President & CEO, Bank Alfalah; Khalid Awan – Chairman, TCS and Jawad Qureshi – CEO, KKT. Natasha Hussain (Natty); Aamir Niazi – President PSTD, COO - International Textile;

MCB PMI FOR NOV 2014 INCREASES TO 65.65 FROM 60.39 IN SEPT 2014 NEWS DESK

considered to be a major determinant for the State Bank to decide its monetary policy which currently stands at 9.5 percent. “The lower CPI indicates that further 50-100bps room is still available in SBP discount rate,” said Abdul Azeem, an analyst at InvestCap Research. The low interest rates scenario, the analyst said, would provide further impetus to the country’s equity market, particularly the leveraged sectors. This is what exactly hap-

istered a reading of 76.6 in November 2014. This represents growth in the new orders index for the 6thconsecutive reading but at a faster pace than the last value recorded in September 2014 (66.8). PrOduCtION: Production Index registered a value of 67.2 in November2014 which showed an increase of 5.2 compared to the previous reading of 62 in November 2014. eMPlOyMeNt: MCB PMI Employment Index registered a reading of 56.5 in November. The MCB PMI survey shows a slight increase in the pace of hiring in November 2014 as compared to the previous reading of 55.3 in September2014 due to the uptick in production levels. suPPlIer delIverIes: Companies reported a slightly slower delivery time as the index value increased from 53.2 in September 2014to 57.0 in November 2014for the 6thMCB PMI reading. The slower delivery time indicates the surge

Uzma Bashir – CEO , Engage HR and Junaid Iqbal – CEO, Elixir Securities were the moderator of the event. Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan said: “A clear vision and sense of ownership not only brings up good leaders but helps build great institutions as well. He said that institutions were beyond individuals leading the institutions, and true leadership was vital to the entire socioeconomic growth of the country. Speaking on the subject of Thought Leadership In Knowledge Economy Dr Ishrat Hussain said: “Business leaders face challenges both internally and externally, but business leaders cannot take good decisions internally, without considering the external issues and problems”.

in economic activity, as the new order and production increases, putting suppliers under pressure. A number below 50 indicates faster deliveries and cooling down of the economy, while a reading above 50 indicates slower deliveries and growing economy. INveNtOrIes: The Inventories Index recorded a number of 60.2. The November 2014 index value shows an increase of 2.4 from index value of 57.8 in September. This increase in inventory level is in line with the production level sub-indicator which also increased by 5.2 to fulfill new orders which increased by 9.8 points. PrICes: In November the MCB Prices Index registered a reading of 64.0 (previous 67.9) and 64.8 (previous 65.0) in prices paid and prices received respectively. This indicates that companies paid lower prices for the input materials (primarily oil) to their suppliers in November than they did in September 2014. Although this decline in their input prices is yet to be passed to their customers fully as many manufacturers (50.0%) kept the prices received unchanged. This would improve their gross profit margins (reduced cost of goods sold) if the manufacturers refrained from passing the benefit of lower input prices of their customers.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has urged business to take advantage of huge potential for export of food items to the Russian Federation. Addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Tuesday, he said Russia had banned agricultural products from Europe in reaction to sanctions imposed on his country providing a window of opportunity to their farmers and businessmen. He said Russia used to import agricultural products worth 16 billion dollar from Europe and Pakistan could capture a share from it. The minister said during his recent visit to Russia, fruitful talks were held for mutual cooperation in trade, industry and investment. He said the Russian company that set up Karachi Steel Mills offered to extend support for restructuring of the mills and its expansion programme. A Russian bank offered one billion dollar for restructuring of the Mills and other projects. Ishaq Dar said Pakistan had proposed to the company to consider joining a strategic partner in the Steel Mills through a transparent process. He said the two countries had also agreed to promote cooperation in the banking sector. He said the government had offered to facilitate resolution of 17 year old trade dispute between private sector of Pakistan and the Russian government by next month. He said Russia had also offered cooperation in CASA-1000 and TAPI gas pipeline projects. The finance minister expressed the confidence that the target of 15 billion dollar foreign exchange reserves would be achieved by 31st of this month.

LEISURE 11

Wednesday, 3 December, 2014

HaGaR tHE HoRRIblE

aries

taurus

gemini

Oftentimes, you can run into a wall, get up and continue in the same direction as if the obstacle has mysteriously vanished. But other times a muchneeded reality check stops you in your tracks.

You may have high hopes about opening your heart and sharing your feelings today as the Moon harmonizes with romantic Venus and excessive Jupiter. However, someone's cold shoulder might cause you to change.

You are so excited by all the possibilities ahead that you could lose touch with the relationship dynamics right in front of your nose. You expect so much from your friends today that they don't have a.

cancer

leo

virgo

You can work yourself up into a state of agitation today because you fear being rejected, especially if you have something significant to say. You wish you could keep your feelings to yourself so you didn't.

A plethora of big ideas are floating around in your head today, yet it might be too soon to let others in on your thought process. There are options to be considered and plenty of work still to be done.

Your decisions are complicated by someone else's assumptions or limitations. You may be willing to move forward with a project or deepen a relationship, yet it takes two to tango. Be careful; don't fall.

libra

scorpio

sagittarius

You don't know what to expect now because people are acting out of character. You might be tired of trying to anticipate the reactions of friends or coworkers, prompting you to retreat and limit your communication.

You are your own greatest enemy today if you let doubt stop you from jumping in and performing a job that you haven't done before. There isn't necessarily anything you can do to better prepare yourself.

It doesn't matter if you are running behind on a job or not; everything still takes longer now than you originally planned. But don't let discouragement slow you down even more, because you can be productive.

dIlbERt

GaRFIEld

baldo

capricorn

aQuarius

pisces

Your resistance to distractions crumbles today as you grow increasingly bored with your current work. Although you have the ability to exert your willpower, your self-discipline is waning, especially if.

Declining a social invitation may be the wisest thing to do because it's all too easy to scatter your energy today. However, you might end up working too hard with little to show for your efforts unless.

Although your friends and workmates are fantastic sources of wisdom now, the financial decisions you must make are yours alone. However, you can still share your perspective as long as you don't get distracted.

cRosswoRd

sUdokU

woRd sEaRcH

ACROSS

bRIdGE

How to play fill in all the squares in the grid so that each row, column and each of the squares contains all the digits. the object is to insert the numbers in the boxes to satisfy only one condition: each row, column and 3x3 box must contain the digits 1 through 9 exactly once.

flank guess invention lover manic mere model night noise rough short solely thee tier train transgression troll vent warble

Today’s soluTions

Not a clUE

cHEss white tO PLAY AND MAte iN twO MOVes 8

crossword solution

7 6 5 4 3 2

chess solution

1.Qxf8+ Qxf8 2.Rxh7# *

sudoku solution

1 made smooth (11) 9 taking for granted (9) 10 huge success (3) 11 traditional christmas card bird (5) 13 v-shaped stripe (7) 14 drag one's feet (6) 15 describing pooh or yogi? (6) 18 small chinese dog, like a pekingese (4-3) 20 of sound (5) 21 count up (3) 22 place for after-dark entertainment (9) 24 election night pendulum? (11) DOwn 2 years since birth (3) 3 active during the day (7) 4 each (6) 5 bird — emblem of power (5) 6 from the years 1901 to 1910? (9) 7 substance or activity stimulating carnal desire (11) 8 welsh football team (7,4) 12 rounded glass feature (3,6) 16 badge of office or honour (7) 17 enthusiastic (4-2) 19 Joint — tonne (anag) (5) 23 baked dish (3)

another arts because bent blame blight brawn candid cans carol chart chirp clinch croon dangle deduce faint fence figure

Wednesday, 3 December 2014

ARTS

HIV abIlIty to cause aIDs weakenIng oVer tIme: stuDy LONDON

AGENCIES

APID evolution of HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus, is slowing its ability to cause AIDS, according to a study of more than 2,000 women in Africa. Scientists said the research suggests a less virulent HIV could be one of several factors contributing to a turning of the deadly pandemic, eventually leading to the end of AIDS. "Overall we are bringing down the ability of HIV to cause AIDS so quickly," Philip Goulder, a professor at Oxford University who led the study, said in a telephone interview. "But it would be overstating it to say HIV has lost its potency -- it's still a virus you wouldn't want to have." Some 35 million people currently have HIV and AIDS has killed around 40

million people since it began spreading 30 years ago. But campaigners noted on Monday that for the first time in the epidemic's history, the annual number of new HIV infections is lower than the number of HIV positive people being added to those receiving treatment, meaning a crucial tipping point has been reached in reducing deaths from AIDS. Goulder's team conducted their study in Botswana and South Africa -- two countries badly hit by AIDS -- where they enrolled more than 2,000 women with HIV. First they looked at whether the interaction between the body's natural immune response and HIV leads to the virus becoming less virulent or able to cause disease. Previous research on HIV has shown that people with a gene known as HLAB*57 can benefit from a protective effect against HIV and progress more slowly than usual to AIDS. The scientists found that in

MANKIND’S ALCOHOL HABIT 10 MILLION YEARS OLD

Mankind’s ancestors were consuming alcohol ten million years ago, according to US researchers - far earlier than the previously assumed 9,000 years. Their genetic findings could also throw new light on alcoholism. The team led by molecular biologist Mathew Carrigan found widespread ancient traces of the digestive enzyme ADH4 - which helps rid the body of alcohol - in 28 mammals, including 17 primates. They reconstructed the enzyme’s evolution and concluded that 10 million years ago a genetic change emerged, enabling the ancestors of primates and Homo sapiens to break down or metabolize alcohol in their digestive tracts. Key advantage amid climate change: It gave them a key advantage in the search for food during a sharp change to a dryer climate that saw grasslands replace forest in ancient eastern Africa, said the study published in the latest edition of PNAS - the Proceedings of the National Academy of

Sciences. That habitat change forced hominoids to forage on the ground for fallen, fermenting fruit that had a high level of consumable alcohol or ethanol compared to fruit in trees. “The ADH4 enzyme in our more ancient and arboreal [forest] ancestors did not efficiently oxidize ethanol,” the study concluded. “This change suggests that exposure to dietary sources of ethanol increased in hominoids during the early stages of our adaptations to a terrestrial lifestyle.” stealing frOm tOurists: One species showing this ability to process alcohol are Vervet monkeys, introduced from Africa to the Caribbean island of St. Kitts 300 years ago. Some of the descendant Vervets seek out and consume alcoholic beverages, which they steal from tourists, the study said, because they lacked their native food and there was an absence of fermenting sugar cane stalks left after harvest. ecOlOgical view Of mOdern diseases: The team, led by the University of Florida biologist, said the findings could also help in understanding modern-day diseases such as alcoholism in an ecological context. Experts increasingly attributed ailments such as diabetes and obesity to insufficient time given to Homo sapiens to adapt genetically to high-sugar and high-fat diets. COURTESY DW

IRAN PRODUCES FIRST NANO-TECH SOFT NATURAL DETERGENT Iranian scientists have designed and built the first soft natural detergent, using nano-technology, for the first time in the world, Fars news agency reported. Managing Director of the Producing Company Mehrtash Hedayatimanesh said that the new detergent composition is the first one in the world produced through initiative formulations and methods. It is of high cleaning power and capable of washing all types of dirt from LCD, LED, glass, fabric, ceramic and all types of surfaces. The product with strong anti-bacterial properties does not cause allergy or impose destructive impacts on environment. APP

Botswana, HIV has evolved to adapt to HLA-B*57 more than in South Africa, so patients no longer benefited from the protective effect. But they also found the cost of this adaptation for HIV is a reduced ability to replicate -- making it less virulent. The scientists then analysed the impact on HIV virulence of the wide use of

AIDS drugs. Using a mathematical model, they found that treating the sickest HIV patients -- whose immune systems have been weakened by the infection -accelerates the evolution of variants of HIV with a weaker ability to replicate. "HIV adaptation to the most effective immune responses we can make against

it comes at a significant cost to its ability to replicate," Goulder said. "Anything we can do to increase the pressure on HIV in this way may allow scientists to reduce the destructive power of HIV over time." The study was published on Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Hotter, weIrDer: How clImate Has cHangeD eartH WASHINGTON AGENCIES

In the more than two decades since world leaders first got together to try to solve global warming, life on Earth has changed, not just the climate. It’s gotten hotter, more polluted with heat-trapping gases, more crowded and just downright wilder. The numbers are stark. Carbon dioxide emissions: up 60 percent. Global temperature: up six-tenths of a degree. Population: up 1.7 billion people. Sea level: up 3 inches. Ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica: down 4.9 trillion tons of ice. “Simply put, we are rapidly remaking the planet and beginning to suffer the consequences,” says Michael Oppenheimer, professor of geosciences and international affairs at Princeton University. To see how much the globe has changed since the first such international conference — the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 —a foreign news agency scoured databases from around the world The analysis, which looked at data since 1983, concentrated on 10-year intervals ending in 1992 and 2013.

Our changing wOrld by the numbers:

wild weather: Since 1992, there have been more than 6,600 major climate, weather and water disasters worldwide, causing more than $1.6 trillion in damage and killing more than 600,000 people, according to the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters in Belgium, which tracks the world’s catastrophes. While climate-related, not all can be blamed on man-made warming or climate change. Still, extreme weather has noticeably increased over the years, says Debby Sapir, who runs the center and its database. From 1983 to 1992 the world averaged 147 climate, water and weather disasters each year. Over the past 10 years, that number has jumped to an average 306 a year. Sapir and others say it would be wrong to pin all, or even most, of these increases on climate change alone. Population and poverty are major factors, too. But they note a trend of growing extremes and more disasters, and that fits with what scientists have long said about global warming. It’s this increase that’s “far scarier” than the simple rise in temperatures, Uni-

CMYK

versity of Illinois climate scientist Donald Wuebbles says. temPerature: It’s almost a sure thing that 2014 will go down as the hottest year in 135 years of record keeping, meteorologists at NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center say. If so, this will be the sixth time since 1992 that the world set or tied a new annual record for the warmest year. The globe has broken six monthly heat records in 2014 and 47 since 1992. The last monthly cold record set was in 1916. So the average annual temperature for 2014 is on track to be about 58.2 degrees (14.6 degrees Celsius), compared with 57.4 degrees (14.1 degrees Celsius) in 1992. The past 10 years have averaged a shade below 58.1 degrees (nearly 14.5 degrees Celsius) — six-tenths of a degree warmer than the average between 1983 and 1992. the Oceans: The world’s oceans have risen by about 3 inches since 1992 and gotten a tad more acidic — by about half a percent — thanks to chemical reactions caused by the absorption of carbon dioxide, scientists at NOAA and the University of Colorado say. Every year sea ice cover shrinks to a yearly minimum size in the Arctic in September — a measurement that is considered a key climate change indicator. From 1983 to 1992, the lowest it got on average was 2.62 million square miles. Now the 10-year average is down to 1.83 million square miles, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. That loss — an average 790,000 square miles since 1992 — overshadows the slight gain in sea ice in Antarctica, which has seen an average gain of 110,000 square miles of sea ice over the

past 22 years. On land: The world’s population in 1992 was 5.46 billion. Today, it’s nearly a third higher, at 7.18 billion. That means more carbon pollution and more people who could be vulnerable to global warming. The effects of climate change can be seen in harsher fire seasons. Wildfires in the western United States burned an average of 2.7 million acres each year between 1983 and 1992; now that’s up to 7.3 million acres from 1994 to 2013, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. And some of the biggest climate change effects on land are near the poles, where people don’t often see them. From 1992 to 2011, Greenland’s ice sheet lost 3.35 trillion tons of ice, according to calculations made by scientists using measurements from NASA’s GRACE satellite. Antarctica lost 1.56 trillion tons of ice over the same period. the air: Scientists simply point to greenhouse gas emissions, mostly carbon dioxide, that form a heat-trapping blanket in our air. There’s no need to average the yearly amount of carbon dioxide pollution: It has increased steadily, by 60 percent, from 1992 to 2013. In 1992, the world spewed 24.9 billion tons of carbon dioxide; now it is 39.8 billion, according to the Global Carbon Project, an international consortium. “The numbers don’t lie,” said Michael Mann, a climate scientist at Penn State. “Greenhouse gases are rising steadily and the cause is fossil fuel burning and other human activities. The globe is warming, ice is melting and our climate is changing as a result.”

Wednesday, 3 December, 2014

ARTS

pakistani BanD helD Back from performance By mumBai police ENTERTAINMENT DESK

eRFoRMANCe of Pakistani band Sachal Jazz ensemble in Mumbai was called off on Monday evening at the eleventh hour as the city police withheld permission for the seven Pakistani band members to perform, Times of India reported. The Lahore-based band consists of three British citizens and seven Pakistanis. The last-minute cancellation left a 1,000 strong crowd that had gathered to hear the internationally renowned band deeply disappointed. The performance was to begin at 7:00pm; the show was cancelled at 7:40pm after the permissions failed to come through. Reportedly, the three UK citizens in the band were given approval by the police to perform in the city, but the permissions to the Pakistanis were withheld. Sources in the police special branch said the department sat on

the application from the band to perform in the city in the wake of the current India-Pakistan tensions. "There have been cases in the past where the situation has turned violent after approval was given to organise such concerts," said the source. Band Member Jay

Visvadeva, in a press statement, expressed his disappointment over the event. “Whilst our Indian partners and officials at the venue tried to salvage the evening's clearances, no response was forthcoming from the Maharashtra Police and

only the Chief Minister of Maharashtra who would have been the final arbiter on the matter was unreachable,” he stated. “I am also told that many producers of international bands are reluctant to come to Mumbai because of the heavy handedness of

the bureaucracy here because they tend to exhibit a lack of basic sensitivity toward any artistic endeavour or production which is set apart from the norm”, he said while announcing that “due to the chain of events, Sachal Jazz ensemble will be leaving India with-

out any further performances.” “It seems somehow ironic that whilst the renowned Gundecha brothers from Bhopal are touring Karachi and Lahore in Pakistan at this moment and Ganasaraswati Kishori Amonkar has just given an outstanding concert in Dhaka, Bangladesh that the Sachal ensemble will be heading home from India tomorrow without having played a note in Mumbai. With the eyes of the world on India, now more than ever, one cannot help but feel that at best an own goal has been scored,” he further added. Meanwhile, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt has also condemned the behaviour by the authorities. "The more things change, the more they remain the same. When our Prime Minister invited the prime minister of Pakistan to the swearing in ceremony, it made us believe that a new dawn was here. But if this news of the performance being disrupted is true then it proves that nothing has changed,” he said.

rashiD naz to play terrorist in BollywooD’s ‘BaBy’ FINAL PART MAKES DEBUT IN LONDON

LONDON AGENCIES The stars were out for the world debut of 'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies' in London. The film, which is based on J.R.R. Tolkien's novel 'The Hobbit', is the final part of Peter Jackson's trilogy set in the mythical realm of Middle Earth. Jackson, who first brought Tolkien's celebrated works to the big screen when he directed 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy, had originally intended for 'The Hobbit' to be two movies, but he eventually found he had enough material to make three films. 'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies' shows the hobbit Bilbo Baggins on his quest with Gandalf the wizard and 13 dwarves to claim a vast horde of treasure kept by the dragon Smaug at The Lonely Mountain, which was once a dwarf kingdom. The film also features a huge confrontation between an army of orcs and an uneasy alliance of elves, men and dwarves. Richard Armitage, who stars as the lead dwarf Thorin Oakenshield, said it was emotional that his own journey into Middle Earth had come to an end. "It is. It's a great night, though. To get to come and celebrate Pete's work from the past 15

years - it'll be his last investigation of Middle Earth and it's a big celebration, the final piece of the jigsaw." Martin Freeman, who stars as Bilbo, said he felt 'The Hobbit', which is only one book compared to the three that Tolkien dedicated to 'The Lord of the Rings', did end up working as a trilogy and that Jackson's decision was vindicated. "Yeah, I think so. And I think, well, I think these people think so and there will be many besides who are aching to see it. Yeah, I mean I really, I really like it as a trilogy actually. I trust Peter and I trust Fran and Phil his writers and artistically they wanted to put more into it." Ian McKellen, who starred as Gandalf, took in the huge crowd that had gathered for the premiere, with many dressing up as Middle Earth characters and said, "Before these people were born we were making 'Lord of the Rings'. And that's a good sign isn't it? Because their kids are going to see the movies. It's not the end. Movies will carry on and on and on being seen over and over again," he said. 'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies' opens in UK theatres on December 12 and December 13 in Pakistan.

The first look of Pakistani actor Rashid Naz in Bollywood’s upcoming film BABY has been revealed. Rashid has been roped in to play Maulana Abdul Rahman, who is the mastermind and founder of one of the most deadliest and most active fundamentalist terror groups across the world. Known for its fiery speeches and ability to instigate, he has trained his guns to cause major harm to India and is on the most wanted list of FBI, Interpol And the Indian agencies. This action thriller is helmed by director Neeraj Pandey and stars Akshay Kumar, Rana Daggubati, Anupam Kher, Danny Dengzongpa and others. The film is set to release on 23th January, 2015. ONLINE

Veteran comic actor DeVen Verma passes away Veteran Hindi film and television actor Deven Verma passed away in Pune on Tuesday, reported Indian Express. He had been unwell for some time and was suffering from heart problem and diabetes. He was 77 and is survived by his wife Rupa Ganguly, who is the daughter of late famous actor Ashok Kumar. Born and brought up in Pune, Verma had worked in several famous films and was particularly known for his comic roles in films such as Angoor, Golmaal, Rang Birangi, Chori Mera Kaam and Chor Ke Ghar Chor among others. Among the new films in which he acted were ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’, ‘Ishq’, ‘Kya Kehna’, ‘Salaakhein’, ‘Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai’ and ‘Hulchul’. His last Hindi film was ‘Calcutta Mail’ that released in 2003. ENTERTAINMENT DESK

Feminism is misunderstood: Freida Pinto Indian actress Freida Pinto, who rose to fame with oscar-winner ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, says the feminism advocates gender equality but is largely misconstrued as an anti-male concept. The 30year-old actress says feminism is the need of the hour as gender bias is a sad reality today. “Feminism to me is equality. There is no man over woman and vice versa. Feminism is a very misconstrued and misunderstood topic. “As soon as we say feminism, it does not mean all men should become subordinate and women should be the ones who rule the world. The only way we can have a progressive and successful country or world is when men and women treat each other as equals,”

Freida told an Indian news agency. The young star says though men and women have different roles to play, they should complement each other rather than outdoing one another. “There are certain roles that men play and others that women play. Clearly there is a reason why women carry the baby but that does not mean the man cannot help out with the caring of the child. “Father is as much a nurturer as the mother. I grew up with that equality so I can say people who understand feminism understand that men and women are equal but have different roles to play,” she said. AGENCIES

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SALMAN KHAN APOLOGISES TO EX KATRINA FOR LEG PULLING Actress Katrina Kaif was reportedly upset over the way her ex, Salman Khan took a dig at her at his sister Arpita Khan's wedding. Reports suggested that the actress was miffed about the fact that the video of the incident was leaked online. During celebrations of his sister’s wedding, Salman had referred to Katrina as Katrina Kapoor, in reference to her current relationship with actor Ranbir Kapoor, and had commented cheekily on how she had missed the opportunity to be Katrina Khan. However, according to a video report on Yahoo, the actor has reportedly apologised to the actress and clarified that he was just joking and didn't intend to hurt her feelings. The report claims that the actor visited Katrina at her residence to apologise and Katrina accepted the apology with a smile. COURTESY TIMES OF INDIA

14 SPORTS

Wednesday, 3 December, 2014

Swap between first two games of Australia tri-series SPORTS DESK The first two matches of the one-day triseries in January will swap in order, as a result of the rescheduling of the AustraliaIndia Test series that was announced late on Monday. The series was to begin at the MCG on January 16 with a clash between Australia and India, before Australia played England at the SCG on January 18. However, those two matches have now traded places in the schedule, with Australia-England in Sydney to begin the series on January 16, followed by AustraliaIndia in Melbourne on January 18. Cricket Australia said in a press release that the change was required “to provide the Indian players appropriate recovery time after the tour match which follows the Sydney Test”. India will play a one-day tour game with date and venue yet to be confirmed, instead of the warm-up game they were to play against England at Drummoyne Oval in Sydney on January 12. REVISED TRI-SERIES SCHEDULE: Friday, Jan 16, aus v Eng, sCg sunday, Jan 18, aus v ind, MCg TuEsday, Jan 20, Eng v ind, gabba Friday, Jan 23, aus v Eng, blundsTonE arEna Monday, Jan 26, aus v ind, sCg Friday, Jan 30, ind v Eng, WaCa sunday, FEb 1, Final, WaCa

Gayle to continue playing for Lions COURTESY CRICINFO

ESPITE pulling out of the West Indies squad for the forthcoming Test series against South Africa, Chris Gayle will turn out for his South African franchise, the Lions, in Sunday’s Ram Slam T20 competition playoff and, if they win, next week’s final. Gayle sustained a back injury while in South Africa, which will make batting for long periods of time difficult but he should be able to manage the demands of the shortest format. “His back is not holding up very well and I can’t see him managing five days. I’m not surprised he has had to pull out of the Tests. Still, he has committed to playing for us in these games,” Geoffrey Toyana, the Lions’ coach told ESPNcricinfo. Gayle will be rested for Lions’ Wednesday fixture

against the Knights, which will determine who will host the playoff. That will bring to three the number of matches Gayle has missed in the Lions’ campaign as he has battled with his fitness. Gayle sat out matches against the Cobras and Knights on November 14 and 16, little over two weeks ago, but recovered enough to return. The extent of Gayle’s injury became evident on Sunday in Bloemfontein, where Lions lost to Dolphins. “We were getting into the car to drive back and he was really battling to get in. We could see he was struggling,” Toyana said. He has also battled with bat in hand recently, with scores of 11, 3, 8 and 6 from his last four matches, after making an explosive start to the tournament. Gayle scored the competition’s first century, off just 55 balls, in East London, sandwiched between two fifties, one on debut

for the Lions. He is the competition’s third-highest run-scorer with 242 runs from seven innings at 40.33 and Toyana said he has “had a big impact” on the Lions’ change room. “Although he is quite a quiet guy, he has really made a difference to some of the younger guys with helping out and offering advice, and just in general to the dressing-room morale,” Toyana said. “We think he has really enjoyed himself here and that he may want to come back to play for the Lions.” Gayle had previously been linked to another South African franchise, the Dolphins, whom he had signed with in the 201112 and 2013-14 seasons. He never played a game for them after injuries kept him out of both campaigns. This time, however, he has been a key member of a Lions’ outfit looking to restore glory after tro-

phy-less last summer that gave Toyana second-season blues. Toyana enjoyed a breakthrough first season in charge, when the Lions shared the 2012-13 one-day cup and won the twenty-over competition, to qualify for the Champions League T20. They are hoping to repeat that this summer but will need victory over the Knights in the playoff to guarantee a top-two finish. Toyana

knows that even if they manage that, it is unlikely Gayle will be available for the Lions for the CLT20 but, if he is, “that would be fantastic.” Gayle will leave South Africa after the Lions’ campaign ends but may return later in the summer. West Indies are due to play three Tests, three T20s and five ODIs from December 17 before heading to the World Cup.

It’s going to be pretty bloody hard: Harris

SPORTS DESK Ryan Harris bowled sixty balls at Queensland training on Tuesday. Not a single one was a bouncer.

While this was primarily so he could hone issues of rhythm and technique, Harris’ reluctance to send down a short ball spoke much for the changes wrought to cricket by the death of Phillip Hughes. So did the

fact that two days out from what would have been day one of the Gabba Test, Harris was at Allan Border Field in his state colours. Harris, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and company must wrestle with one of the many awfully mixed emotions arising from Hughes’ death. They have been reminded of the destructive power of the bouncer, reeled at this fact, and yet must eventually find a way to harness it again. It will take time. “It’s inevitable it’s going to happen - I’ve been bowling bouncers for a long time and I’ve hit guys before,” Harris said in Brisbane. “It’s part of the game but it just gives you that extra bit of doubt now about a very small percentage of what happened. I’m sure we’ll get back eventually to the way we were playing last summer, but it’s going to be tough because we base our game on aggression.” That question will take longer to answer than a more immediate one, around who will consider themselves fit to play in the first Test in Adelaide from December 9. Harris has experienced this dilemma before, when his mother Gai died of lung cancer in 2006. Even so, he remains unsure of when he will be ready. “I’m still thinking about it, I’ll see how I go tomorrow,” Harris said of Hughes’ funeral in Macksville. “Every individual is different. Personally I’ve lost my mother before and the best thing for me was I was probably pushed to play for my father and my brother and it probably helped. But even still, it’s going to be tough for some boys. It’s going to be tough for me. “I’m going to have to work it out when we get to Adelaide and see how I feel. I feel good having been out today, which was good. Keeping busy this morning has allowed me not to sit around and think about tomorrow, to be honest. Each individual is different. The boys who were there and witnessed what happened … I can’t speak for them because I couldn’t imagine what they’re going through.”

Hughes family wants big crowd at funeral SPORTS DESK Phillip Hughes’ family hopes as many people as possible will attend his funeral in Macksville on Wednesday. Approximately 5000 mourners are expected to attend the funeral service, which will take place at 2pm in the sports hall at Macksville High School, with overflow areas on the school’s two sports ovals. Cricket Australia also expect 300 to 400 dignitaries and past and present players to attend the service, including the entire New South Wales and Australia Test squads. James Henderson, Hughes’ manager, told reporters in Macksville on Tuesday that despite the limited capacity of the school hall, the family hoped anyone who wanted to attend would do so. “For the people who aren’t able to get into the hall, the family has made arrangements for several overflow areas at the local high school,” Henderson said. “So everybody should come to cel-

ebrate Phillip’s life. That’s what the family wants.” After the service, players will form a guard of honour and a public procession will then follow the hearse through Macksville. “People who are at the high school during the service are asked to line the streets and pay the most fitting farewell to Macksville’s favourite,” Henderson said. “Also tomorrow evening, the whole town will stop to celebrate Phillip’s life. The family wants to see as many people as it possibly can.” Hughes died at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney on Thursday after being struck by a bouncer during the New South Wales-South Australia Sheffield Shield match at the SCG on Tuesday last week. Henderson said the Hughes family had been touched by the support shown by the public since the tragic event. “The past week has certainly been a very, very difficult time for the family and for the broader community,” he said.

“And they’ve been very moved from the support that’s come from here in Australia and obviously all the way around the world, where Phil’s untimely and sad passing has affected so many people.

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“They’re very proud that their son has made such an impression on people who knew him and obviously people now who have come to know him in this unfortunate circumstance .

Shakib likely to get Big Bash go-ahead SPORTS DESK BCB president Nazmul Hassan has said Shakib Al Hasan’s participation in this season’s Big Bash League is all but confirmed. Hasan said the decision to overturn the embargo on his No-Objection Certificate (NOC) will be made official on Thursday after collecting the board members’ signatures over the next two days. Three weeks ago, Hassan had said Shakib was close to regaining his NOC for showing “leadership skills” in the Test series against Zimbabwe. Now he said Shakib would get a decision in time to find a Big Bash team, ahead of the tournament that begins on December 18. Shakib has played two Big Bash matches for Adelaide Strikers in the 2013-14 season. “I think we will get a decision by tomorrow since our board meeting is still some time away,” Hassan said. “I have spoken to Shakib even today. We will get everyone’s signatures by tomorrow. I am going abroad tonight, will return on Thursday. We are not making the decision in the meeting. “We already got most of the directors’ verbal decisions. We have some left. We will make an official decision on Thursday when I arrive at the airport. If it was my decision, I would have said he can play [in the Big Bash]. But the board takes the decision. I don’t have the right to give the decision on my own. But since we are taking a board decision, we don’t want to take it without prolonged discussion among ourselves.” On July 7, Shakib was banned for six months and told he wouldn’t be granted an NOC to play in overseas competitions until the end of 2015. He was punished for “serious misbehaviour” with Chandika Hathurusingha, the Bangladesh coach, and an altercation with a spectator during the first ODI against India in Mirpur. On August 26, the BCB reduced his ban by three a half months, letting him play from September 15. Shakib was then made vicecaptain for the ODI series against Zimbabwe. He was man of the series in the Tests against Zimbabwe and played a stellar role in Bangladesh’s 5-0 ODI series win.

Wednesday, 3 December, 2014

AustrALiAn Open tweAks heAt pOLicy fOr 2015

SPORTS DESK

USTRALIAN Open organisers have tweaked their ‘Extreme Heat Policy’ for next year’s tournament after being accused of forcing players to perform in “inhumane” conditions during a heatwave in January. Despite water bottles melting, ballboys collapsing and players vomiting and passing out when temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) for four days at this year’s tournament, play was stopped for only four hours on the outer courts.

“The decision on implementing the heat policy will take into account the forecast once the ambient temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius, and the Wet Bulb Global Temperature reading exceeds 32.5. “When conditions exceed these levels the referee is taking into account the forecast and state of play when making his discretionary call.” Rather than use the raw Celsius readings to assess the heat, organisers prefer to use the WBGT composite, which also gauges humidity and wind to identify the perceived conditions. In another change, when the policy is enacted matches in progress will continue until the end of an even number games in that set or completion of tie break, limiting the exposure of players to the heat. The loudest complaints in January came from Canadian player Frank Dancevic, who lambasted organisers after collapsing during his first round match on an uncovered outside court. “I think it’s inhumane, I don’t think it’s fair to anybody, to the players, to the fans, to the sport, when you see players pulling out of matches, passing out,” he said. “Having players with so many problems and complaining to the tournament that it’s too hot to play, until somebody dies, they’re just keep going on with it and putting matches on in this heat.” Meteorologist Bob Leighton said long-range forecasts indicated that there would be no similar heatwave this year at the January 19 to February 1 tournament at Melbourne Park. “At this stage it’s looking like a normal summer, perhaps slightly warmer, with only one day hitting around 40 degrees, and little or no rain forecast,” he said.

There was a groundswell of criticism from players, mainly over the lack of transparency about when the policy would be implemented as it was entirely at the discretion of the tournament referee and not triggered by temperatures reaching a certain level. Tournament director Craig Tiley said on Tuesday the addition of a roof over a third showcourt, the Margaret Court Arena, would mitigate the effects of hot weather and he hoped the changes to the policy would make matters clearer to players. “The heat policy, as always, will be applied at the referee’s discretion,” Tiley said.

TENSION WITH NICO ROSBERG NOW GONE: LEWIS HAMILTON SPORTS DESK Lewis Hamilton says tensions between himself and Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg have gone now that their battle for the Formula 1 world championship is over. The Mercedes duo endured some turbulent times in 2014, including a public falling out in Monaco and an on-track clash in Belgium. Speaking at Mercedes’ Stars & Cars event in Stuttgart last weekend, Hamilton said that the situation with Rosberg - who congratulated him immediately after he won the title in the Abu Dhabi GP - was now much better. “You saw Nico come over after the race and I think that underlines the respect we have for each other,” he explained. “Even though we had difficult times during the year we came out strong. “We had a filming day the other day and it is like all the tension from the season has disappeared. “You go back to being two normal individuals, going back to talking about normal things guys talk about.” Hamilton reckons that Rosberg’s speed this year forced him to raise his game, which only served to help Mercedes. “This year Nico set the bar incredibly high,” said Hamilton. “He was very fast and competitive. He was determined and drove incredibly well. “Being in the same car, with the way technology is now, we were constantly pushing each other and constantly having to raise the bar. So we were both at our best.” ROSBERG SAYS FOCUS ON 2015: Rosberg’s dis-

appointment at losing out on the title did not last long, as he was back driving for Mercedes in the post-Abu Dhabi GP test. And having just lost out to Hamilton this year, he has vowed to come back stronger next year. “I fought until the very end - as the opportunity was always there,” Rosberg said.

“It was a great experience of course, but now we had the test last Tuesday I am already focused on 2015. “It is an awesome challenge. Lewis’ level is extremely high, and this year he was the best driver on the grid. “So I look forward to the battle next year and try to be even stronger.”

Sebastian Vettel living childhood dream at Ferrari SPORTS DESK Quadruple Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel says he is living a boyhood dream after completing his first weekend at Maranello as a Ferrari driver.

The German, who left Red Bull at the end of the season after losing his title to Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton, spent three days at the Italian team’s factory meeting key people and driving a 2012 car. The Ferrari website said the 27-

year-old met chairman Sergio Marchionne and new team principal Maurizio Arrivabene on Monday after talks with engineers and time in the simulator over the weekend. On Saturday, he completed nearly 100 laps of the Fiorano test circuit - a

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place he visited many years ago as a fan hoping to get a glimpse of his hero Michael Schumacher at work. “Looking back to the years when I was 11 or 12, trying to look over the fence and trying to see a glimpse of Michael running on the track, well today I was the one running,” said Vettel. “There are a lot of fairytales about Ferrari and how it feels to drive a red car and in the end I can only confirm these fairytales,” he added. “It’s not just a story, it’s a true legend that exists and it feels really, really special to become part of that and to be inside the car, to see the people coming, running to the track and trying to climb the walls to see the car.” Vettel, who has agreed a three-year contract, replaces Spaniard Fernando Alonso at Ferrari after the double champion made it clear he wanted to leave. Ferrari finished a dismal fourth overall this season, their first since 1993 without a race victory.

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Kroos was right to choose Madrid over Man United: Jupp Heynckes Former Bayern Munich boss Jupp Heynckes says Toni Kroos deemed a move to Real Madrid rather than Manchester United better for his career. Heynckes claims he tried to persuade the 24-year-old to remain at the Allianz Arena but admitted he was unable to stand in his way when Madrid came calling, while the player himself was not interested in a move to Old Trafford. The midfielder joined the Spanish giants from Bayern in the summer for a fee reported to be anywhere between €25m and €30m, and has since been a revelation in Carlo Ancelotti’s star-studded line-up. “Right now there is no better footballer in the world in his position and he plays the midfield role so cleverly,” Heynckes told Kicker. “I’d rather he’d stayed at Bayern and I advised him to, but we spoke on the telephone during the World Cup and he told me the move was perfect. For him, on a personal level, it’s another step that suits him.” Heynckes says he has not been surprised at how well the German international has adjusted to the demands of life at the Santiago Bernabeu. sPorTs dEsK

Slump made me stronger, says world number one Park World number one Park In-bee believes a prolonged slump after her breakout year in 2008 has made her a stronger golfer. The South Korean, who married her swing coach earlier this year, also told Reuters that 2014 had been the most consistent season of her career, even though she won just one major. Park was on a tear in 2013, winning three majors in a row and claiming six titles on the leading LPGA Tour. “Of course, I had a great year last year, so this season’s three wins may seem a little less compared to that, but I am very happy with myself this year,” she told Reuters. “The biggest accomplishment for me was that I consistently made it to the top 10 more than previous years and showed a more consistent performance.” Park was a top 10 finisher in 17 of the 22 LPGA tournaments she entered in 2014, six more that the previous year, a consistency that has brought her near the $10 million mark in earnings on the tour. sPorTs dEsK

froome to focus on tour de franc in 2015 Chris Froome insists his main priority for 2015 will be getting his hands back on the Tour de France yellow jersey. Froome was unable to defend his 2013 Tour de France title this year after withdrawing during the fifth stage following a series of crashes which caused hand and wrist fractures. Italy’s Vincenzo Nibali went on to claim victory however Froome returned to fitness in time to finish second behind Spain’s Alberto Contador at the Vuelta in August. And as he targets the Ruta del Sol on February 18 for his first race of the new year, Froome admits his sights are well and truly set on another assault on the Tour de France in 2015. “I’ve enjoyed my time off, and now I am concentrating on preparing myself mentally and physically for the season ahead,” Froome said on his personal website. “I’ve started training in the warm weather in South Africa where I have been able to get some decent miles in on the bike. “Of course, together with the team, we’ve had to prioritise some events over others, but the Tour will remain my main focus for 2015. “The concept of doing all three Grand Tours in a season has got appeal but having said that, I know how hard it is to do two Grand Tours while targeting the overall win. sPorTs dEsK

SPORTS Wednesday, 3 December, 2014

PCB asks ICC for daTe To TesT ajmal T

Hesson lauds New Zealand’s adaptability

SPORTS DESK

he Pakistan Cricket Board has asked the ICC for a date for the official testing of Saeed Ajmal’s reworked action. Ajmal underwent his third unofficial test at Loughborough University on December 1 after which the PCB applied for a reassessment of his reworked action in order to have him available for the World Cup. Ajmal had undergone two unofficial tests in November and his offspinner and faster balls were found legal, but his doosra was still over the 15-degree limit. It is understood that Ajmal looked confident and ready for the official test after the rehabilitation phases and wanted to be tested officially with the ICC’s independent biomechanics expert. he was earlier supposed to play domestic cricket in Pakistan but preferred to go through the test to get his name cleared. Pakistan had already named their preliminary squad of 30 players, including Ajmal, for the 2015 World Cup. The final 15man squad is expected to be named in the second week of January and PCB wants to push for Ajmal’s inclusion by getting his name cleared by the ICC. Ajmal was suspended from bowling in September after his action was deemed to be illegal for all deliveries. Ajmal’s elbow extension was going up to 42 degrees on average in the official tests conducted which led to his suspension. he has been undergoing extensive remedial work on his action for the last two months with former spinner Saqlain Mushtaq. The first phase of the rehabilitation was carried out at the PCB’s National Cricket Academy in Lahore and Ajmal was then sent to the facility of biomechanics laboratory at Loughborough.

CRICKET-LOVING BUSINESSMAN TO FUND PAKISTAN TEAM IN INDIA KaRachi AGENCIES

Pakistan men’s hockey team will take part in next month’s Champions Trophy in India after a high-profile businessman and cricket fan has agreed to bear the expenses of the team for the tournament, a top official of the national federation said on Tuesday. Pakistan hockey Federation secretary Rana Mujahid said that the players would be leaving for India on schedule as the financial issues facing the team have been resolved. “Nadeem Omar has kindly agreed to bear our expenses for the tournament which is very important for us,” Mujahid told a press conference. Participating teams have to not only arrange their own air travel but also pay for the five-star accommodation in for the December 6-14 event in

Bhubaneswar. “It is a very expensive venture for us considering we are still awaiting special funds from the government to bail us out. At this time, the involvement of Nadeem Omar has bailed us out of an embarrassing situation,” Mujahid said. Omar is well known in Pakistan cricket circles for his passion and involvement in cricket and runs one of the most successful clubs and departmental sides by the name of Omar Associates in the country. Several Pakistan players including Asad Shafiq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Anwar Ali, Shaan Masood are senior members of his team. Omar said he decided to become involved in hockey because it was the country’s national sport and he could not bear to see the financial crunch it was facing.

New Zealand have been undefeated over their last five Test series. This year, they had clung to a 1-0 lead over India with a stunning show of defiance in Wellington, trumped hosts West Indies 2-1 for their first series win away from home against a Full Member in 12 years, and capped it off by coming from behind to draw with Pakistan, a team they have tended to struggle against. Mike Hesson, the head coach, was pleased with how his team has adapted to the challenges they have faced in the past 15 months. “There’s a lot of satisfaction from the group and how we’ve got about it in different conditions,” he said. “Obviously we’ve been able to create history in West Indies and to win a Test over here, where historically we really struggle - ‘96 was a really good tour for the Black Caps over here, but other than that we’ve got a history of losing pretty badly over here. “So to be able to bounce back from 0-1 gave the team a lot of satisfaction.” SPORTS DESK

Gul’s return boosts Pakistan ahead of T20s Paceman Umar Gul’s return boosts former world champions Pakistan against an understrength New Zealand in the two Twenty20 internationals starting in Dubai on Thursday. The 23-year-old returns from a knee problem which kept him away from international cricket since the fifth edition of the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh in April this year. His inclusion will help Pakistan overcome the absence of ace offspinner Saeed Ajmal who is suspended from international cricket after his bowling action was found illegal in September this year. Gul is the second highest wickettaker in the shortest format of the game with 80 in 56 games, five behind Ajmal’s 85. He famously took 5-6 in a World Twenty20 group match against New Zealand at The Oval when Pakistan won the title in 2009. Pakistan will hope their pace attack, which also includes the lanky 7 feet, one inch (2.1m) Mohammad Irfan, supplements the bowling attack which has spinners in Raza Hasan and Shahid Afridi. Pakistan had a miserable World Twenty20 in Bangladesh where they failed to reach the last four for the first time in five editions of the tournament. That prompted captain Mohammad Hafeez to step down, giving the responsibility to allrounder Afridi for a second stint. But Afridi’s return as captain wasn’t auspicious as Pakistan lost the only Twenty20 against Australia in Dubai in October by six wickets. Afridi said Pakistan will not underestimate New Zealand who are without their dashing skipper Brendon McCullum who, along with pacemen Tim Southee and Trent Boult, have returned to New Zealand to prepare for the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka. SPORTS DESK

PETERSON BACK IN SOUTH AFRICA TEST SQUAD SPORTS DESK Stiaan van Zyl will make his Test debut against West Indies after he was named as JP Duminy’s replacement for the Centurion Test. The squad includes two uncapped players in Lions’ duo Temba Bavuma, a top-order batsman, and Kagiso Rabada, the young seamer who was part of South Africa’s World Cup winning Under-19 outfit earlier this year, and the recalled Robin Peterson. Peterson is the only specialist spinner in the squad, which is without Dane Piedt, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, and Imran Tahir whose Test career could be in decline after he was dropped. Peterson was not part of South Africa’s traveling party to Sri Lanka or Zimbabwe but was given an international lifeline in the recent limited-overs tour of Australia and will now be back in whites as well. Peterson has played one Test against West Indies before, in 2003-04 when Brian Lara took 28 runs off him - the most expensive over in Test cricket at the time. There was no room for last season’s second-highest wicket-taker in the firstclass competition, offspinner Simon harmer, or any of the other reserve bats-

men. Farhaan Behardien, David Miller and Rilee Rossouw were all overlooked in favour of van Zyl. Convener of selectors Andrew hudson confirmed van Zyl will play, albeit out of position at No.7, but may only get

one game. Duminy is expected to be passed fit at some point in the series and was targeting the Boxing Day Test for a recall. “We have been very pleased with the way the Test squad has performed in its

last three outings,” hudson said. “Part of this has been the result of consistency in the selection process and also establishing a pecking order. Stiaan was the reserve batsman against Zimbabwe so he is the logical choice to replace Duminy.” Van Zyl is a regular No.3 and was even tipped to open the batting following the flagging form of Alviro Petersen but will now be asked to do another job. In Duminy’s absence, van Zyl will be required to marshal the lower order and may even be called on to bowl some of his mediumpace. Duminy offered South Africa a slightly more than part-time option with ball in hand and van Zyl, with 35 first-class wickets to his name, could do the same. South Africa’s first-choice bowling pack will not want to leave too much for van Zyl to do, though. Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel are all fully fit and will play, with Kyle Abbott waiting in the wings. Rabada, who played two T20s during South Africa’s recent visit to Australia, is unlikely to play but has been identified as next in line. The 19-year-old only has seven first-class matches to his name but has already taken 25 wickets at 24.84 and his express pace has excited the selectors.

Published by Arif Nizami at Plot No 79, Sector 24, Korangi Industrial Area Karachi.

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Similarly, Bavuma’s temperament has earmarked him as a future possibility. The 24-year-old batsman has been playing first-class cricket for six seasons and has an average of 35.95. he was the sixthhighest run-scorer last season with 714 runs at 39.66. Neither Bavuma nor Rabada are likely to play but hudson explained they are being introduced to an environment they will spend more time in in the future. “We want to bring players, whom we have identified as having international potential, into the team environment. This is a policy that has worked well in the past with the likes of Faf du Plessis, Dean elgar and Quinton de Kock,” hudson said. SOUTH AFRICA TEST SQUAD FOR WEST INDIES SERIES: hashim Amla (capt), AB de Villiers (vice-capt), Alviro Petersen, Dean elgar, Faf du Plessis, Stiaan van Zyl, Quinton de Kock, Vernon Philander, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Temba Bavuma, Kyle Abbott, Kagiso Rabada In: Robin Peterson, Temba Bavuma, Kagiso Rabada Out: JP Duminy, Dane Piedt, Imran Tahir, Wayne Parnell