E-paper PakistanToday ISB 2nd December, 2011 by Pakistan Today

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President Zardari says he’s willing to face any challenge

No threat of judicial, military coup, says Gilani

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Afridi’s five leads rout of Bangladesh PAGE 20

pakistantoday.com.pk

rs15.00 vol ii no 156 22

Friday, 2 december, 2011 muharram-ul-Haram 6, 1433

Battle lines drawn

Memo a bid against Case is a conspiracy sovereignty: SC against Zardari: PPP Seeks replies from president, COAS, ISI chief within 15 days g Forms enquiry commission headed by former FIA chief, tells Haqqani not to leave country g Nawaz tells court he has lost trust in parliament

Party says Nawaz conspiring to get president tried for treason g Babar Awan says govt will not surrender its authority to form commissions g Zardari holds meeting with PPP ministers to discuss court orders

ISLAMABAD

MASOOD REHMAN

n a dramatic development, the memogate case, which had seemingly been overshadowed by Saturday’s nAtO/iSAF attack in Mohmand Agency, resurfaced with a bang on thursday as the Supreme Court, admitting the petitions for a regular hearing, observed that the memo seemed to be an attempt on the sovereignty of the country, sought replies from the president, the army chief and the inter-Services intelligence (iSi) chief within 15 days and formed an enquiry commission with a direction to the Parliamentary Committee on national Security to forward all details of the issue to the commission. the apex court appointed former Federal investigation Agency (FiA) director general tariq Khosa the head of the commission to collect evidence in the memo issue and told him to submit his report within three weeks. the court directed all the provincial governments and the security agencies as well as Pakistan’s missions abroad to cooperate with the commission in collection of evidence. the court also empowered the commission to seek assistance of any retired police officers to complete the task. the Cabinet Division was also told to provide full logistical support to the commission. the mood of the court with regard to the case was clear from the very outset with the remarks and the observations of the judges - who were apparently convinced that a conspiracy against the state and the army had been hatched - as Chief Justice iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, who was heading the nine-member bench hearing the case, noted that interior Minister Rehman Malik had reportedly stated that a communication did take place between Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US husain haqqani and

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief Nawaz Sharif leaves the Supreme Court on Thursday after attending the hearing on his petition filed against the memo scandal. The Pakistan People’s Party alleged that Nawaz was conspiring against President Asif Ali Zardari and wanted to get him tried for treason. afp Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor ijaz. HAQQANI: the court told haqqani not to leave the country, observing that the interior and Foreign Ministry would be responsible if he did. the court told the government that a special prosecutor general should be tasked with collecting pre-trial evidence from the persons involved in the matter as well as the other parties concerned to determine the legal status of the memo along with the reasons that necessitated its writing. Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul haq told the court that in response to a parliamentary resolution and on orders from the prime minister, the matter of the memo was sent to a 14-member Parliamentary Committee on national Security, which would begin examining the matter after Muharram, thus the matter may be referred to it. the court held that although it did not

differ from the mandate of parliament, the committee had no constitutional mandate to investigate the issue. to a court query, the attorney general stated that the issue could be investigated under the Army Act but the court said if the committee had any evidence, it should hand it over to the enquiry commission. the chief justice observed that the court could not compromise on the sovereignty and defence of the country. After hearing Pakistan Muslim Leaguenawaz (PML-n) President nawaz Sharif, who had once appeared in court as an accused in the 1990s, the court accepted the pleas for regular hearing under Continued on page 04

legal experts divided on presidential immunity | page 21

ithin hours of the Supreme Court’s orders on the memo controversy on thursday, defiant Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders questioned the impartiality of the superior judiciary, saying Pakistan Muslim League-nawaz (PML-n) President nawaz Sharif was conspiring to get President Asif Ali Zardari tried for treason but the government would never surrender its authority of forming commissions. “Memogate will be defended in court and the government will continue the probe through the Parliamentary Committee on national Security and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani will brief the committee today on the memo controversy,” former law minister Dr Babar Awan told reporters at a crowded press conference along with information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Religious Affairs Minister Syed Khurshid Shah and PPP information Secretary Qamar Zaman Kaira. “there is a law under which forming any commission is a prerogative of the executive. Until we are in power, we will not surrender the authority of the executive and parliament,” he said, clearly hinting that the government would not implement the court orders to form a commission to probe the controversy. ZARDARI HOLDS MEETING: Earlier, after the court orders, Awan briefed President Zardari on the court proceedings. Later, the prime minister also joined the meeting. During the meeting it was also decided that the leadership of the coalition government would be consulted.

Strike without permission, Kayani tells troops g

Army chief suspends chain of command system to allow officers to take timely action against aggression ISLAMABAD SHAIq HuSSAIN

Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani has directed the ranks and cadres of military to give befitting response to any foreign aggression and take a decision in this regard on the spot as the “command of chain system” has been suspended owing to serious circumstances in the wake of recent nAtO strikes on Pakistani border posts in Mohmand Agency, which killed 24 soldiers. the attack by nAtO on Saturday, which is dubbed as “intentional and deliberate” by the civilian and military leadership, has led to great anguish and anger among the ranks of the armed forces and it has been decided not to tolerate such assault in future and give it befitting response.

General Kayani held a crucial meeting with his military commanders a day after the nAtO strike at the General headquarters (GhQ) but its details were not shared with the media. After the meeting, the army chief sent a letter to the armed forces in which important decisions taken at GhQ were conveyed to them. in accordance with the decisions, there would be no need to follow the army’s command and chain system and any official or soldier, at any particular place, would be allowed to take a decision on his own without waiting for the orders from the top so that any aggression from outside would be matched. “the decision has been made owing to the breaking down of the communication system as result of the nAtO strike on the Pakistani border post in Mohmand Agency,” an official said.

MIAN ABRAR

the nAtO strike, which was unexpected, led to a great loss of life as the army was not anticipating any such aggression from its allies and the Pakistani soldiers were taken aback. “the army chief in the meeting declared that no foreign aggression would be allowed in future and all possible measures are being taken to defend the country,” the official said. Apart from doing away with the command and chain system, some other important steps are also being taken such as reinforcement of troops on the Pakistani side of the border and also to increase the surveillance flights of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on the country’s border with Afghanistan.

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paK-UaE RELaTIONS: NEW HORIZONS By Mahmoud Ansari the bilateral relations between the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan are acquiring new dimensions at all political, economic and social levels emerging into trust-worthy strategic partnership. it is hoped that the 10th UAE-Pakistan Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) held in Abu Dhabi during 14-15 november and the Magnificent 7 UAE Expo” in Karachi on 30th november would further strengthen their economic relations in the immediate future. Right from the beginning , the UAE has been famous among all comity of the world due to its generous humanitarian assistance, stability, tolerance, innovation, vision for better health and education. now, it has become hub of investments, re-exports, technologies, tourism, and the last not the least, renewable energies. in Pakistan, it encourages investment and calls for greater trade and commerce activities. UAE is one of the largest investors in the country but bilateral trade has been steadily growing over the years and people-to-people contacts are constantly on the increase. Infinite Bonds the founder of UAE Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al nahyan was keen to give an impetus to the bilateral relations between the

Pakistan today

Friday, 2 December, 2011

two countries from the very beginning. it was further strengthened and patronized by h.h. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al nahyan, the President of the UAE and h.h. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Vice-President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. Both countries reaffirm their strong commitment to further reinforce the bonds of friendship. they urge the need to expand the horizon of their bilateral cooperation in diverse fields reflecting deep-rooted and historic ties. Around 1.4 million Pakistani expatriates are working in UAE .they sent $ 2.45 billion being the highest remittances in the current fiscal year which contributed significantly in the macro-economy of Pakistan. Investments the UAE is the largest investors in Pakistan among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). the report of the UAE Ministry of Foreign trade showed that public and private sectors invested about $3.74 bn in Pakistan during 2004- 2010. the report indicates that multinational companies have made investments in different sectors in Pakistan including the Emirates national Oil Company, “Enoch”, the international Petroleum investment Company “iPiC” the Emirates telecommunications Corporation “Etisalat”, Dana gas, Al 8

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H.H Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi

H.E. Essa Abdulla Al Basha Al Noaimi

Minister of foreign Trade United arab Emirates - UaE

ambassador & Head Of UaE Mission In pakistan UaE Embassy, Islamabad

am delighted to welcome you on board “Magnificent 7” UAE Expo 2011, from the 30th of november to the 2nd of December 2011 at Expo Centre Karachi. the economic and social co-operation between Pakistan & UAE has been exemplary throughout the history of these two relatively young countries. the strength of this association lies in the understanding of mutual interests, stemming from genuine concern for each other. Both countries have played a vital role in each other’s nation building throughout and this affiliation of help and support continues to this day. UAE is the land of fusion, of old and new, present and

future, technology and heritage, modern and traditional, opportunity and development, all blended within the rich culture of the Magnificent 7 States of the Emirates. UAE Expo 2011 is derived from the philosophy of economic openness to the world and positive interaction with trade partners. it is based on the principles of parity and mutual interests. this exhibition is intended to deepen the economic collaboration and bilateral trade between the brotherly states of Pakistan and UAE. i am thankful to the Consulate of the United Arab Emirates in Karachi for the idea of Magnificent 7 – UAE EXPO 2011 intended to maximize cooperation in commer-

H.H Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi Minister of Foreign trade United Arab Emirates - UAE

cial and business opportunities, devise a system of international commercial relations, as well ensure a remarkable commercial and economic standing for our country.

HE. Suhail Bin Matar Al- Ketbi Consul General (Karachi) United arab Emirates

akistan and UAE have been allies since the foundation for our great nation was laid 40 years ago on 2nd December, 1971. the relationship has grown to become an example of co-operation and friendship, with mutual respect and unconditional concern. People of Pakistan have played a vital role in the development of UAE and UAE has always been at the forefront in support of Pakistan through thick and thin. in the field of trade and industries, relationship between both countries has been

strong as Pakistan and UAE have strong bilateral commercial interaction since long and if present is of any beckoning all indication are that future will follow suit. Being one of Pakistan’s major trading partners and the second largest source of home remittances for the country, bonding between the two nations has been a significant stepping stone towards the betterment of the entire Muslim nation, while providing ample opportunities to further strengthen mutual ties. having witnessed UAE rapidly striding towards

HE. Suhail Bin Matar Al- Ketbi Consul General (Karachi) United Arab Emirates

growth and prosperity, i can graciously testify the immense 8

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hE December 2nd 1971 was a day awaited by the People of the United Arab Emirates for complete transformation of their political, socio-economic and educational system into broad spectrum based on common faith and trust of our people in their visionary leadership pinnacled with ambitions for better future. During the last 40 years, massive achievements have been made through the incredible efforts of our people to make the dream that once bedded sand dunes of the desert come true, it was indeed the strong determination and will to meet the challenge of the future and create miraculous turn-around that has transformed the country’s traditional economy to one of the best knowledge-based economy and hub of technological advancement through the vision of the Founder of the modern State late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al nahyan (May Allah rest his soul in peace). he is the one who said that the citizen is the real wealth of the nation. Our foreign policy is articulated on the principle of strengthening friendly relations based on common interests, mutual respect and peaceful existence with all countries of the world. the UAE is following an effective economic strategy based on openness and diversification of income sources, attraction of investment and

His Excellency Eisa Abdullah Albasha Al Nuaimi Ambassador & head Of Uae Mission in Pakistan Uae Embassy, islamabad

harness all resources to achieve high growth in development. the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) amounted to Dhs. 1093 billion in 2010 of which Dhs.749,2 billion from non oil sectors and Dhs. 343.9 from the oil sector. the Ministry of Economy expects the growth of Gross Domestic Product to record 3 to 3.5 percent this year. the officials in the United Arab Emirates and the islamic Republic of Pakistan significantly emphasize for further strengthening of the bilateral relations with greater economic cooperation based on common religion and heritage ties and geographical proximity. Encapsulated in a legal framework, the agreements and initiatives have further strength8

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Pakistan today

Friday, 2 December, 2011

‘New branches of DIBPL beating their own targets’ ■ Dubai Islamic Bank Pakistan Limited President/CEO Junaid Ahmed says the bank plans to expand its network to 75 before year-end

By Ali Athar

unaid Ahmed joined Dubai islamic Bank Pakistan Limited as President and Chief Executive Officer in August 2010. he is a seasoned banker with over thirty three years of richly diversified experience in the areas of General Banking, Foreign Exchange, treasury, Corporate and investment Banking with leading banks in Pakistan and the Middle East. he started his career as a trainee Officer with BCCi, Pakistan in October 1977. he worked in the UAE Banking industry for over 30 years in different position. Among the notable achievements he had been instrumental in steering Union national Bank which was established after the closure of Bank of Credit and Commerce in 1991, to become one of the largest Banks in the UAE. he set up the Corporate Banking platform under centralized structure within Union national Bank, UAE where he served as head of Corporate & investment Banking. he joined Dubai islamic Bank, UAE as head of Private Banking in October 2003 where he established the Private Banking business within the Bank. he served for four years as head of Corporate & investment

Banking in Dubai islamic Bank, UAE. he developed strong footing of Corporate & investment Banking in DiB within UAE and the Gulf region as well as creating many cross sells initiatives. his last assignment, prior to joining Dubai islamic Bank Pakistan Limited (DiBPL) was Chief of international Business, Dubai islamic Bank, UAE. As Chief of international Division, he managed to turn around the business of DiB Pakistan Limited into a profitable institution. he was instrumental in converting and setting up a full fledged islamic Bank in Jordan, the Jordan Dubai islamic Bank that opened its first

branch in January 2010. he also developed a phased strategy for Bosna Bank international, Bosnia and post implementation, the Bank has started showing positive results. Along with serving as the CEO for DiBPL, he has also served as Director on the Board of MESC - Jordan Dubai islamic Bank, Bank of Khartoum- Sudan and Bosna Bank international – Bosnia herzegovina. DiBPL has just completed five years in Pakistan. how would you describe the overall Bank’s journey? Dubai islamic Bank Pakistan Limited (DiBPL) commenced its operations in Pakistan in 2006. By the grace of Allah, we have completed five successful years in Pakistan. During this tenor, the Bank has strived to offer state-of-the-art islamic Banking products and services to its customers and hopes to continue maintaining this tradition further. DiBPL as a fresh new entrant in the Pakistani islamic banking industry faced emerging competition with steadfast determination. the Bank currently enjoys a short-term credit rating of A-1 and long-term credit rating of Single A. We are proud to be one of the fastest-growing banking networks of Pakistan currently standing at 73 branches in 28 cities. We have plans for further expansion of our network to 75 by the end of year 2011.

We have strived to make islamic alternatives for all conventional products that serve genuine needs of trade and business so that our segment of population embracing islamic Banking can be fully benefited. Our diversified product portfolio includes Current & Savings Accounts, term Deposits, Foreign Currency Accounts, Auto and home Finance, takaful Savings Plan and Priority Banking. in addition, DiBPL has been a pioneer in offering the most comprehensive portfolio of state-of-theart Alternate Delivery Channels (ADCs) giving 24/7 banking access to customers comprising of internet Banking, SMS Banking, AtMs and Cash Deposit Machines. DiBPL also offers world class

expertise in Corporate, SME and investment Banking services. DiBPL’s investment Banking provides its clients with a unique combination of expertise, broad range of investment banking/financial services

and access to top regional decision makers. Our exquisite Cash Management services help businesses reduce turn-around times for numerous cash flow activities along with providing real-time reporting

services. Overall, DiBPL’s Corporate Banking pays attention to the intricate details of business needs in today’s world to give to them the 8

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Pakistan today

Friday, 2 December, 2011

UAE celebrates its 40th National Day By Syed Turab Shah

n 2nd December 2011, the United Arab Emirates celebrates its fortieth national Day, completing four decades since the establishment of the state in 1971. not surprisingly, the occasion is being marked with celebrations throughout the seven component emirates of the federation, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ra's al-Khaimah, Ajman, Umm alQaiwain and Fujairah. Located in the south-east corner of the Arabian peninsula, the seven emirates, formerly known as the 'trucial States', were in treaty relations with Britain for 150 years. With the announcement by the British that they would be withdrawing from the region in 1971, the rulers of the emirates, led by the UAE's founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Ai nahyan, decided to form a federation, to work together to bring prosperity and development to their people. Aided by the vision of Sheikh Zayed, who believed that the revenues from the oil and gas resources of his own emirate, Abu Dhabi, should be put to use in the service of the inhabitants of the country as a whole, the UAE has subsequently emerged as one of the fastest growing and most stable countries in the Middle East region. Sheikh Zayed himself died in 2004, after over thirty years as President. the process of growth, however, has continued under the leadership of his son and successor as President, his highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Ai nahyan, the Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, his highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Ai Maktoum, their fellow members of the UAE's Supreme Council of Rulers and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, his highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Ai nahyan. Despite the vicissitudes of the global economy in recent years, the programme of development is still firmly under way. the guiding principles that underlie the success of the state, originally laid down forty years ago, remain fundamental elements in the policies of the UAE's Government. One was that the resources deriving from Abu Dhabi's oil and gas should be shared across the country in the development of its infrastructure. A second was that, as Sheikh Zayed put it, 'the country's real wealth is its people', and that, in consequence, particular effort should be made to ensure that they should benefit from the best available access to education, health care and social services, to equip them, both men and women, to play their full part in the country's growth. today, women account for around 70 per cent of all university graduates in the country and fill around two thirds of government jobs, providing four members of the Cabinet, ambassadors and even air force pilots, evidence of the

country's success in empowering its women. A third principle, in recognition of the fact that the UAE was a country that would attract people of many nationalities, was that it should be a country where a spirit of tolerance between those of different communities and faiths should prevail, yet one where its own national culture and heritage should be both cherished and protected. Although firmly committed to the islamic faith of its citizens, the UAE is now home to over 40 churches and cathedrals as well as to places of worship for other faiths. And the fourth principle, looking outside the country, was that the UAE was to seek to promote dialogue, co-operation and the resolution of conflicts, both within the Arab world and the broader islamic community and within the wider international community. Over the course of the past year, important steps have been taken, both at home and abroad, in the further implementation of those principles. in both areas, the continuity in policy is notable. indeed, that continuity has been crucial in the UAE's progress over the last forty years. in 2011, a year when dramatic and often violent change has rocked much of the Arab world, as peoples seek Governments that are more responsive to their economic, social and political needs, the United Arab Emirates has been able to continue on a steady path of evolutionary development. thus, for example, in September, an important step forward was taken in the widening of popular participation in the process of government, through an expansion of the electorate for the country's parliament, the Federal national Council from under 7,000 to 129,000, representing almost 30 per cent of the potential electors. While participation in the elections themselves was smaller than had been anticipated - an indication of a broad degree of satisfaction with the current system plans are now being drawn up for an extension of the powers of the FnC itself, while its members set about the important task of serving as elected representatives of the country's citizens at large. Meanwhile, Government displayed its continued commitment to the upgrading of the social and economic infrastructure of the smaller emirates which, unlike Abu Dhabi and Dubai, lack resources derived from oil and gas revenues and from thriving commercial and tourism sectors sufficient to be able to finance their own growth. Following an extensive tour of these emirates early in the year by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, hh Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, designed to identify the most urgent needs for investment, President hh Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed ordered an immediate allocation of Dh 5.7 billion (around US $ 1.55 billion) for expansion of the water and electricity network and for upgrading of the local health care services and of

housing for UAE citizens. As the implementation of these instructions got under way, further areas for investment were also identified, funded both by the Government of Abu Dhabi and by the federal UAE Government. this is, of course, a process that will take some time to complete. While the UAE's annual budgets have always been heavily focused on the provision of services, the provisional federal budget for the year 2012, issued in October, included increased allocations for development expenditure. Within the overall budget, amounting to Dh 41.4 billion (US $ 11.2 billion), the social services, including health care, education and housing, accounted for 47 per cent of the total. Of this education, including higher education, will receive Dh 8.26 billion ( US $ 2.25 billion) or 19.6 per cent, the bulk of which will be spent on plans to build new schools and other educational institutions and to upgrade the educational environment. A further Dh 5 billion (US $ 1.36 billion) is allocated to the Federal Water and Electricity Authority, to permit continued expansiol1 of tile Aatllority's networks ill Ra's al-Kllairnall, Ajfllal1, Uiiiiii al- Qaiwain and Fujairah. Power and water projects in the other emirates continue to be funded by the local Governments. the budget also offers evidence of the success of a longstanding policy that the federal Government should make progress towards being able to fund its own programmes, with revenues from fees and services being expected to raise around Dh 25.5 billion (US $ 6.9 billion) or just over 61 per cent of the total budget. this has been achieved despite the fact that the UAE remains, with a few exceptions, a tax-free economy and one, moreover, where there are no controls on the inflow or outflow of capital or profits, in line with keeping the country a free market economy. naturally, the revenues from oil and gas production continue to provide an important contribution to the national economy. With the fourth largest oil reserves in the world and with a production rate of around 2.5 million barrels a day, primarily from Abu Dhabi, as well as the fifth largest gas reserves in the world, the UAE remains one of the world's largest producers of hydrocarbons. A large-scale investment programme is under way to increase sustainable production capacity of both onshore and offshore oi/fields in Abu Dhabi while during the course of 2011 work proceeded according to schedule for the bringing on stream of new oilfields both in Abu Dhabi and in Dubai. the success of a longstanding programme to diversify the sources of national income, however, has meant that oil and gas revenues now account for only about thirty per cent of Gross national Product, despite relatively high oil prices. tourism, a rapidly growing sector, now accounts for well over 10 per cent of GDP, with over twelve mil-

lion visitors a year making their way to the country, stimulating continued growth in the country's national airlines, in particular Abu Dhabi's Etihad, Dubai's Emirates and FlyDubai and Sharjah's Air Arabia. the country's seaports, too, are contributing to the growth of the tourism sector, attracting dozens of cruise liners a year, although the more conventional seaborne trade and commerce continue to account for most of the UAE's shipping business, along with marine bunkering, where the East Coast port of Fujairah is now the second largest bunkering port in the world. Another indication of the health of the local economy is provided by its non-oil foreign trade, which rose by 14 per cent in 2010, to Dh 754.4 billion (US $ 205.3 billion), compared to 2009. Exports rose by 27 per cent and re-

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PAK-uAE RELATIONS

exports by 26 percent, with nonoil imports rising only by 8 per cent. Foreign trade has continued to rise in 2011. Another important sector, construction, which employs over

half of the total labour force, has begun to recover from the sharp downturn in 2008 and 2009 that occurred as a result of the first phase of the current global economic crisis.

Ghurair, Emaar, DP World, Abraaj Capital, thani, Danata, Atharihra agricultural Company, Gulf Pharmaceutical industries â&#x20AC;&#x153;Julfar,â&#x20AC;? the Emirates investment Group, the Arab Company for Packaging, Al nasser holdings. Pakistan offers vast opportunities for foreign direct investments and joint ventures in infrastructure development; electricity generation, water desalination, agricultural based industries, insurance and real estate. Prospects of initiating joint ventures in aluminum products, agriculture (horticulture, farming, dairy farming and livestock, financial sector, housing prefabricated houses and affordable low income houses are bright. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) can also be tapped.

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JuNAID AHMED convenience they require. Our journey has been marked with numerous achievements and valuable experiences. As a Bank, we wish to take forward our learning’s of the past five years and transform them for the better in the coming future. how is DiBPL able to provide “World Class Banking-the islamic Way?” DiBPL has always sought its strength in its slogan. Being the First islamic Bank of the world and having a global presence in the UAE, Jordan, turkey, Sudan and Bosnia, we are in a position to offer the best mix of banking services to our customers. having access to the banking practices of innovative modern markets, we have a pool of knowledge to enable our customers to benefit from. Our Shari’a advisors play a crucial role in providing Shari’a-complaint solutions and alternatives for all those products that serve genuine requirements of the financial sector. Overall, our international presence with highly experienced management team enables us to provide World Class Banking- the islamic Way. What to you are the greatest achievements of DiBPL so far? DiBPL can proudly claim to have achieved a lot in a short span of time. Currently, we are one of the fastest-growing banking networks of Pakistan with 70 branches in 27 cities. MashaAllah, our new branches are showing outstanding performance and beating their own targets. We are planning to expand our network further to 75 before the end of year 2011. Along with nation-wide network, we have one of the widest arrays of banking products and services under one roof. the Bank has made an attractive profit of PKR 168 Million before tax in the first half of 2011. We have established a sustainable and growing market share in the banking sector with our corporate and consumer banking propositions that cater to the unique and halal financial needs of business entities and individuals alike. Since inception, our focus has been on providing unique services to our customers. in this respect, we have first-mover advantages in a variety of banking services such as Bancatakaful, Branchless Banking and Cash Management Services. Also, we are the only islamic Bank in Pakistan to be offering Platinum Banking, Mobile internet Banking and SMS Banking. in the area of Consumer Banking, DiBPL has remained actively cognizant of the industry dynamics and customer needs by offering a number of world class products and services. DiBPL’s Auto Finance registered a volume of Rs 2.9 billion within 9 months of its launch. in a market where cut throat competition persists, this reflects a great success for the Bank. Similarly, DiBPL’s home Finance facility reached the fastest billion mark in the entire banking industry within the first three months of launch only. Within the first year of its launch, DiBPL home Finance registered a volume of Rs 2.6 billion, which is the fastest growth rate in the entire industry. DiBPL has also played a pivotal role in various Sukuk transactions. From its structuring capability to distribution and coverage strength, DiBPL has added immense value to the Sukuk issued in Pakistan so far. DiBPL has been engaged in major Sukuk transactions such as Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works Limited (KSEW), Power Development Authority (WAPDA),Engro Chemicals Pakistan Limited (ECPL), Sui Southern Gas Company Ltd. (SSGC) and Sitara Chemical industries Ltd. (SCiL). DiBPL’s Sukuk transaction for Engro Chemicals Pakistan Limited (ECPL) received the Best Pakistan Deal award for 2007 from islamic Finance news, the industry’s leading publication. in addition, DiBPL was the Shari’a and Structuring Advisor for the Rs 191 Billion Government of Pakistan Sukuk.

Pakistan today

Friday, 2 December, 2011

What do you think are the major misconceptions about islamic Banking that people have? how can these misconceptions be eradicated? halal source of income is indeed a sensitive and debatable topic but it is not a subject to be avoided. it has been given immense importance in islam and as a Muslim country; it is the responsibility of the learned to pass the knowledge to the less educated. the major misconception that some people may have in Pakistan is that islamic banking and conventional banking is the same given that usually the end commercial results may also be the same. new customers often raise an array of questions such as how the profit rates are so similar between islamic and conventional banks and why islamic Banks never distribute losses even though their financial statements maybe indicating a loss. islamic banks may have a “look and feel” similar to conventional banks, but this is primarily because the islamic Banks strive to offer halal products at competitive prices, while there are substantial structural differences between islamic banking products and their conventional counterparts. the basic requirement of Shari’a is that you need to undertake asset-based transactions under the set islamic Modes of Finance. in addition, all standard operating procedure of the islamic Bank need to be 100% Shari’a compliant. it’s the same as halal and haram meat. A McDonalds Burger in Karachi and new York may look alike, taste alike and feel alike. the processing however at the backend backed up by a recognized FAtWA (Shari’a pronouncement) which is certainly different, makes one halal and the other non-halal. islamic Banks measure their profit rates using the KiBOR or Discount Rate as declared by SBP. this measurement is purely used as a benchmark and does not in any way render the Bank’s transactions unislamic. the KiBOR and Dicount Rate benchmarks in the absence of an islamic inter Bank rate is only set to enable wide acceptance and recognition by our customers. in addition, the financial statement may indicate a loss in terms of a particular islamic Bank’s overall profitability as the expenses of the Bank may outpace its income/profit from the Mudaraba, just like an individual whose home expenditure may be more than his income from his salary or business. however, based on the strong Shari’a approved profit allocation model under Mudaraba, the investments of the deposit holders are appropriately diversified in case of losses which may result in lower profits to the deposit holders in such cases. the perception present in the market is due to lack of awareness regarding islamic Banking products. however, by the grace of Allah most of these misconceptions are gradually fading away. Even though there are numerous steps being taken from dedicated courses in universities to seminars and various articles in newspapers on islamic Banking, the television media can be an important way of removing the misconceptions of the people. Reputed and trusted ulemas can be given airtime to explain the concepts of islamic Banking to the people and take their live queries. how fruitful was your recent Ad campaign? What was the major message that you wished to give to your audience? DiBPL’s recent AD campaign had a two pronged approach which included enhancing the corporate image of the Bank and advertising our unique products. the corporate campaign was aimed at reflecting upon the achievements of DiBPL that the Bank has enjoyed since inception and held the message that banking with us will offer our customers the best blend of traditional and modern Banking practices in line with our islamic values. Our Corporate Ad showed upon our Dubai base as our strength and reflected it as the modern side of islamic Banking. Our product specific ads were aimed at marketing our unique product range comprising of the Cash Manager Account, Fixed De-

posits, Platinum Banking, Junior Account and E-Savings Account. Each product has its own unique standing, with most of these not being offered by any other islamic Bank. Alhamdulillah, our Ad Campaign efforts have paid off in raising awareness of DiBPL amongst the masses and generating higher sales for many of our products. this we can say seeing the rising statistics of our call centre calls rate and more customer flow-through rate in branches. We look forward to this Ad Campaign to open up newer avenues for us in the future as we intend to make AtL and BtL marketing a regular feature of our banking activities. how do you withstand the tough competition in islamic Banking industry? Competition has been tough in the islamic Banking industry in terms of capturing market share from the existing conventional banking industry and from the new growing bankable population particularly in the rural and unserved areas of Pakistan. however, DiBPL has endeavoured to remain at par with the competition by using a focused approach whereby we have made niche market products for a segmented group of customers. For example, our Platinum Banking, one of its kind in the Banking industry has successfully drawn deposits from the elite class of DiBPL. We are proud to continuously invest in infrastructure and technology which has enabled us to produce state-of-the art products that can easily stand strong against even conventional banks. Like we rightfully claim that our portfolio of Alternative Delivery Channels (ADCs), targeted towards the techsavvy range of customers is amongst the best in the industry. Likewise, other than the massmarket products, a targeted approach is our strength which only comes from continuous investment in technology and human resources. What do you feel are the key factors in contributing to DiBPL’s success? Our valued human Resources are our key strength. Where on one hand we believe in capitalising on our experienced staff members who have been our key counterparts since inception, we continuously bring in fresh blood to keep the Bank at par with the changing market conditions. Our renowned Sharia Board has been our great support in aligning all our activities with the islamic principles to ensure that our products and services are purely halal. Our association with UAE is also a contributing factor to our wellbeing as there is a continuous transfer of knowledge here. We are able to combine the best of the modern developed world with a traditional touch to our customers in Pakistan. Moreover, we feel that as a Bank, we are in a constant mode of learning and hence improving. We learn from our own mistakes, inefficiencies and weaknesses and look to them with an optimistic view. the reason for our business existence draws its roots from an islamic path of guidance and an act of virtue, which is intrinsically a factor of success for us as we strive to do an act of righteousness in the name of Allah. What are DiBPL’s plans for the future? Eyeing the future in a very competitive islamic Baking industry of Pakistan, we wish to provide not just islamic products but offer our customers a distinctively unique range of islamic Banking financial solutions. Our plans for next year include taking our branch network to 100 along with developing further new niche-market products. We intend to use the best mix of innovation, talent and technology to achieve the dual goal of spreading the wings of islamic Banking far and wide. in this effort, we will undertake more marketing campaigns to reflect upon the virtues of Sharia-complaint banking and the launch of Shari’a compliant products and solutions for banking products that serve genuine needs of the economy and finance.

8 continued from Page 02

H.E. ESSA ABDuLLA AL BASHA ened the bilateral relations between UAE and Pakistan. Soon after my arrival to islamabad, two months ago, to start my new diplomatic assignment, i took the initiative with a zeal and determination to scale up the level of bilateral relations between the two countries in all political, economic and social spheres and interaction between the people of the two countries. i have a background of our relationship with Pakistan of many years, during which the United Arab Emirate firmly stood with Pakistan at all times. the social welfare projects of the United Arab Emirates in Pakistan are more than 200. these include hos-

pitals, clinics and health care centers. his highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al nahyan’s two hospitals situated in Muzaffarabad and Rawalakot, costing about 50 million US dollars are the prime examples of our generous humanitarian assistance programs. the projects also include a university, several colleges and schools, roads, power projects and Wildlife reserves in the different parts of the country. Sheikh Khalifa city in Balakot has been completed and the constructed houses will soon be handed over to the victims of the devastating earthquake. Most vital, is the “Emirates project to assist Pakistan” which is underway to rehabilitate the infrastructure services by constructing

roads, bridges, schools, health clinics, water purification and treatment plants in Khyber Pakhtoon Khwa Province and the tribal belt of Pakistan. the UAE is one of the first countries to provide economic aid with the help of Abu Dhabi Development Fund and humanitarian assistance though teams from the UAE Armed Forces, Zayed Foundation for Charitable & humanitarian works, Khalifa bin Zayed Al nahyan humanitarian Foundation, the Red Crescent Authority, Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum humanitarian and charitable Foundation and Sharjah Charity Association and others. Moreover, in recent years the UAE has emerged a major leading donor in the world.

8 continued from Page 02

HE. SuHAIL BIN MATAR AL- KETBI importance of support and help from the people of Pakistan in Emirates in various fields. We would like to elevate our collaboration with Pakistan to even higher levels in political, economic, and social forums. in order to cherish this cordial and mutually rewarding relationship and to explore more avenues of joint collaborations, the Consulate of the United Arab Emirates Karachi is organizing “Magnificent 7” UAE Expo 2011 from november 30 to December 02, 2011 at Karachi. i invite all my distinguished friends of the corporate world to actively participate in this significant event to make it a grand success.

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06 islamabad

Friday, 2 December, 2011

Huge loss feared in Blue Area bank blaze

Late response by civic agency’s fire dept adds ‘fuel to the fire’ ISLAMABAD

FAZAL SHER

hOUGh no loss of life was reported in the fire, which erupted on thursday morning in a multi-storey plaza of a private bank in the Blue Area, the blaze, however, caused an immense damage to the building. the losses could have been averted if the said building had proper fire safety system. the fire broke out on the eighth floor of the United Bank Limited (UBL) building located on Jinnah Avenue near the Red Zone area around 8:45 am and engulfed the other storeys soon, said eyewitnesses and officials of fire brigade. According to initial investigation, the fire erupted due to a short circuiting. the fire completely gutted three floors of the building and partially damaged others. After the incident the CDA’s fire brigade, Rescue 1122, ambulances and rescue teams reached the site and started fire extinguishing and salvage work. Some helicopters were used to survey the damages. An emergency was declared at various city hospitals immediately after the incident was reported. According to eyewitnesses, the CDA’s fire department were late to arrive at the scene and hence the fire spread to other parts of the building. “the fire-fighters reached the site after almost an hour and damages could have been minimised by the CDA’s fire department’s timely response”, one of the witnesses told this scribe. CDA Chairman imtiaz iniyat Elahi, who was also present at the site, told reporters that the apparently fire had erupted due to short-circuiting and that further investigation was underway to ascertain the actual cause. he maintained that the fire department officials had reached at the blaze site within ten minutes of the incident and the situation was under control due to their “prompt action”. the blaze caused panic in the entire neighbourhood since high flames and huge clouds of smoke could be seen from afar. heavy contingents of police, along

with the bomb disposal squad, were also present there. the police bomb disposal squad conducted a search operation. the bank blaze was finally brought under control after more than five hours. CDA’S PRESS STATEMENT: A CDA’s press statement issued here said the Emergency & Disaster Management of the authority successfully extinguished the blaze at the United Bank Limited (UBL) building and managed to save precious lives of seven people who were rescued from the 14th floor of the building. it said CDA Chairman imtiaz inayat Elahi, Administration Member Shaukat Ali Mohmand, Emergency & Disasters Management director monitored the operation on the spot. the statement said an estimated 150 CDA personnel took part in the operation, which involved 13 fire tenders, two snorkels, seven ambulances, two commander vans and 25 water tankers. “the Control Room of Emergency & Disaster Management, CDA received a call at 0903 hours PSt on thursday morning. the call was made by a supervisor of the UBL-towers named Muhammad irfan. the reporting room immediately dispatched the “First Crew Vehicle no Ft-04” to the blaze site”, the statement said, adding that after the initial sight assessment and spread of fire across the 8th & 9th floor, the first crew informed the reporting-room calling for instantaneous dispatch of snorkels & aerial ladders. Soon after that, the statement said, a special backup support contingent of around 80 fire fighters, 57 rescuers, 7 CDA Cares men and 1122 paramedical staff with fully equipped seven ambulances were available on the scene. the rescuers team searched the 8th & 9th floor and carried out rescue work while the fire fighting continued alongside. the entire site was cleared after “unsurpassed” rescue and salvage efforts by 4pm, the statement added. PROBE ORDERED: Meanwhile, the islamabad chief commissioner has ordered an investigation into the incident of which Assistant Commissioner Muhammad Ali would be the inquiry officer.

No emergency exits in multi-storey buildings ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Most of the multi-storey buildings in capital city lack emergency exits, built-in fire safety system and standard electricity wiring, thanks to the apathy and negligence of the Capital Development Authority. Most of the blaze incidents, such as Shaheed-e-Millat Secretariat fire, Marriott hotel inferno, Parliament house fire and recently reported Karachi Company blaze in which several people were killed, took place because of the CDA’s oversight. According to a survey conducted by the Capital Development Authority (CDA), a large number of multi-storey shopping plazas in the city have no emergency exits and there the quality of wiring is also said to be substandard. the owners of those plazas, who have spent millions of rupees

on construction, were also least bothered about the building safety measures, said a CDA official while talking to Pakistan today. the official, seeking anonymity, said the plazas located in the Blue Area, Karachi Company and some buildings in different market centres were without any safety exit systems and that could lead to big catastrophes. “After facing strong criticism after Marriott bombing and the Karachi Company blaze, the CDA’s Disaster Management Authority (DMA) constituted fire safety laws to make the emergency exits mandatory,”, he said. he said that under the law, the CDA could only approve the design of only those multi-storey plazas and residential buildings that had proper emergency exits and anti-fire system in their construction plans. “the DMA is required to check all these safety measures before any new building becomes functional”, he added. he said the CDA was planning to issue notices to the owners of all major buildings, give them six-month time to set up emergency exits, failing which they would have to pay heavy fines. the DMA has constituted different codes regarding emergency exits for commercial buildings, hospitals, institution, residential buildings and warehouses, he added.

CDA’s fire department under-equipped to tackle high-rise blazes ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Despite a mushroom growth of high-rises in the capital city, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) is doing little to equip its fire brigade units to cope with fire emergencies. the absence of modern fire fighting equipment to douse down fire at high-rises could maximise damages in case of any big blaze. the situation is extremely worrisome for citizens since frequent fire incidents that expose the unpreparedness of the CDA’s fire response units. the authority had badly failed to put out the fires in incidents such as Marriott blaze Shaheed-i-Millat Secretariat fire. Even the CDA’s response to the thursday’s Blue Area bank blaze was being dubbed as unsatisfactory, and all those incidents caused damages of millions of rupees, a CDA official admitted while talking to Pakistan today. the official, whishing not to be named, said the civic body had purchased some fire fighting vehicles in 2006, which could operate only up to 68 meters’ height while some existing and under-construction buildings are 100 meters high. “And yet the CDA purchased that equipment for Rs 600 million without bothering about the actual needs”, he said. the official said that the construction of high-rises was continued at a large scale but the CDA department’s emergency response measures were lagging behind. “the authority allocates huge funds for other projects but nothing is being done to upgrade the fire brigade capacity. he said the CDA’s fire brigade lacked latest fire fighting equipment and professional staff.

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Friday, 2 December, 2011

islamabad 07

Prices of 22 daily-use items increased ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

hE prices of 22 commodities have increased by 8 percent in november as compared to the preceding month. A report issued by the Free and Fair Election network (FAFEn) stated that the fruits, cooked items, vegetables, milk and medical services registered an increase in prices while those of some rice varieties, sweeteners, firewood, spices

PML-N criticises govt’s attitude towards accountability bill ISLAMABAD TAHIR NIAZ

PML-n parliamentarians strongly protested on thursday over what they saw as continuing delaying tactics being used by the national Assembly Standing Committee on Law Chairwoman nasim Akhtar Chaudhary to block the passage of the new accountability bill and skip debate on the bill’s contents and the PML-n dissenting note on the issue, with PMLn’s Anusha Rehman labeling the chairwoman a ‘dictator’. As expected, the Standing Committee on Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs was again unable to achieve a breakthrough on the bill when the chairwoman abruptly called off the meeting as the PML-n members wanted to speak on it. the committee took up the note of dissent submitted by the PML-n members on the new accountability law towards the end of the proceedings despite the fact that the PML-n members insisted that the matter should be taken up per the agenda. the PPP and PML-n are at odds over some of the clauses of the bill for the last over two years and around 40 meetings of the committee have failed in resolving the controversy so far. One of the major defects in the proposed bill in the eyes of the PML-n is that the bill was not retrospective and therefore provides amnesty to all former holders of public offices (hOPO). the nawaz-led party also objected to the definition of hOPO as it applied to only politicians and excluded all bureaucrats, office-holders of local bodies and members of armed forces from the definition. the third PML-n note of dissent objected to the definition of “Corruption and Corrupt Practices”. it believed that the bill had a very narrow definition of “Corruption and Corrupt Practices”, excluding even ownership of assets disproportionate to known sources of income. the PML-n said the bill included a scandalous provision that an hOPO could not be prosecuted after three years of the expiry of his term in office. it also objected to the punishment for the offence which was reduced from the current 14 years of imprisonment to seven years. the PML-n and the PPP are also in controversy over the appointment of head of the accountability commission. the PML-n said the chairman should be a serving judge of the Supreme Court while the PPP was of the opinion that anybody eligible to be a judge of the Supreme Court could be appointed as its head. As the PML-n wanted discussion over its note of dissent, the chairwoman said one of the committee members, Ejaz Virk through a message, had requested deferment of the debate as he wanted to give his ‘worthy’ views on the issue and later abruptly adjourned the meeting, telling PPP parliamentarian Ghafoor Chaudhry that he had to attend a funeral ceremony, leaving the PML-n members ‘mourning’ the decision.

and condiments went down by 4 percent, while 11 commodities remained stable. the FAFEn governance monitors collected the prices of 52 commodities from 171 retail outlets across the country, the report claimed, adding that the highest recorded increase of 56 percent was in the price of onion with 47 percent in tomatoes and 4 percent in potatoes. On the other hand, the prices of red and golden apples, and bananas increased by 11, 10 and 7 percent respectively. Among spices and condiments, garlic and ginger registered an increase

of 3 and 2 percent in prices while salt, red chilli powder and turmeric fell by 5, 4 and 3 percent respectively. Of the prices of pulses monitored, only gram recorded a 1 percent hike but those of red beans (4 percent), washed moong (3 percent), black gram (2 percent), washed mash (1 percent) and chickpeas (1 percent) came down. the prices of all the cooked products - plates of beef, vegetable, pulses, a cup of tea and plain chapatti went up by 6, 3, 2, 2 and 1 percent respectively, possibly because of the change in prices of other

inputs and fuels or an increased demand of these commodities with the change in season. Among kitchen fuels, the price of LPG increased by 1 percent while that of firewood was down 1 percent, despite its increased demand in winter. the average prices of commodities including mutton, vegetable ghee, cooking oil, wheat grain, wheat flour, mustard oil, white beans, kerosene oil, washed masoor and broiler chicken live remained unchanged between October 10 and november 10.

WorLD AiDS DAY

‘Health Ministry facing funds’ shortage’ ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Owing to socio-cultural sensitivity, stigma and limited access to services, only 4,885 people living with hiV are registered for treatment whereas the current estimated number of AiDS patients in Pakistan is 98,000. this was disclosed here on thursday at a seminar, jointly organised by national AiDS Control Programme (nACP), UnAiDS and Ministry of inter-Provincial Coordination.

While speaking on the occasion, nACP Manager Dr Sajid Ahmad said that after the devolution of the Ministry of health, the programme is running short of funds. he said, according to the estimated number, 91,000 injected drug users, 63,000 male sex workers, 43,000 homosexual sex workers and 136,000 female sex workers are vulnerable to hiV/AiDS. he said that low level of literacy and awareness, high number of at-risk population, strong sexual networks, highly vulnerable youth,

inadequate blood transfusion practices, unsafe injection practices, silence and denial of having disease and stigma or discriminations were main risk factors in Pakistan. Federal inter-Provincial Coordination Secretary Amjad Ali said, “Pakistan is still at awareness stage and, unfortunately, we are not handling this issue seriously. this institution should enhance the level of awareness to protect people.” Artist Khalid Abbas Dar also spoke on this occasion.

Senior-Level Strategic Planning workshop concludes ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

First Senior-Level Strategic Planning workshop for the heads of departments (hODs) of the Quaid-i-Azam University organised by the higher Education Commission (hEC) concluded here on Wednesday. the purpose of the two-day workshop was to equip the University Management Cadre with modern governance tools and help them to adopt change. Addressing the concluding session, hEC Learning innovation Division (LiD) Director General Ms. noor Amna Malik briefed the audience about the hEC’s initiatives regarding university governance. She said the LiD was a national hub for in-service Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and certification of higher Education academic and Management across Pakistan to meet and enhance their professional needs through open and customised professional programmes at national & international level. She said Modern University Governance Program (MUG) was a revolutionary step for the Management Cadre of Universities for continuous capacity building and professional development through latest tools, techniques and international practices in university governance and leadership. QAU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dr Masoom Yasinzai while delivering a lecture on the importance of “Strategic Planning and Role of Universities” said there was a need to change the status of universities as stand-alone entities. “We are not in the era where universities are just supposed to be the places where only teaching learning takes place and new knowledge is generated. People today expect that universities should change their role and take part in building societies, communities and ultimately building the nation,” he added. he urged the heads of departments and senior faculty members that besides basic research they should also concentrate on applied research which was extremely important for the socio economic uplift of the country. Former president of two American universities Dr Mary Linda Armacost was the resource person of for this workshop. the second day training covered the areas of Basic Principles and Processes involved in Strategic Planning, SWOt Analysis of QAU in Small Groups and Strategies for Overcoming the Barriers, Sharing of Vision and Mission Statements and Goals with other stakeholders, Design of Strategic Planning, and Action Plans for departments.

UNrEStrAiNED AMBitioNS

Control over fDE initiates tug of war Ministry of Professional and Technical Training and Capital Administrative and Development Division lock horns over the issue g Federal Minister Riaz Pirzada lobbies to get Prime Minister Gilani’s approval

ISLAMABAD KASHIF ABBASI

the high-ups in the Ministry for Professional and technical training (Ptt) and Capital Administrative and Development Division (CADD) have entered into a row over the administrative control of the educational institutions run by the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), it has been learnt. Minister for Ptt Riaz hussain Pirzada has been lobbying for the control of FDE while top notch officers of CAAD are vying not only to defend the FDE but also reversal of the Federal Board of intermediate and Secondary Education (FBiSE) to its jurisdiction. Earlier, the FBiSE was an attached department of CAAD but its administrative control has recently been given to the newly established ministry. A source privy to the developments taking place in both the organisations told Pakistan today that Pirzada was

busy in hectic lobbying to take over administrative control of FDE-run educational institutions while top guns of the CAAD were mulling counter moves. talking to Pakistan today, CAAD Secretary Junaid iqbal said the CAAD was established to look after the affairs of educational institutions and health department in the islamabad Capital territory (iCt), therefore, the FDE-run institutions should remain under its administrative control. “Our version is clear. the FDE-run institutions are not parting educational and vocational training; therefore, there is no justification of their shifting to Ministry for Professional and technical training.” the secretary said instead of taking administrative control of the FDE, the FBiSE should again controlled by the CAAD. Currently, the FDE is running 418 educational institutions, including 208 primary schools, 58 middle schools, 102 secondary schools, 20 higher secondary schools and 30 col-

leges. A source said FBiSE Chairperson Shaheen Khan was behind the lobbying as the CAAD high-ups did not move her summary to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani for extension while the FBiSE was under the control of CAAD. Later, the prime minister gave administrative control of FBiSE to the newly-established Ptt, where Pirzada recommended Shaheen’s for extension in her contract. Pirzada at a press conference some days ago had said that he would forward a request to the premier to bring schools working under the federal government under his ministry. the source said during the prime minister’s visit to the Ptt expected today (Friday), the minister would give him a detailed presentation for taking control of the FDE-run schools. On the other hand, the teachers of FG colleges have also demanded the government to give the FDE schools and colleges to the administrative control of the new ministry.

“the CAAD has virtually failed to address the issues faced by the teachers, as an incompetent officer has been given the task to tackle the matter,” said Prof tariq of h/8 College. he said teachers haD been struggling for the last one year for up-gradation in line with the package announced by the prime minister but the CAAD had failed to resolve the promotion-related issues. talking to Pakistan today, Federal Government College teachers Association General Secretary Prof tahir Mahmood said due to the inefficiency of CAAD officers, anxiety was mounting again among the teachers’ community as the notification of up-gradation had sparked ambiguities. he said since the CAAD had failed to ensure effective performance, the administrative control of the FDE should be given to the newly-established ministry. “We are ensuring our full support to the minister for Ptt,” he added.

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08 islamabad

‘Islamabad’s fears of Moscow are misplaced’

WEATHER UPDATES

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Asr 16:00

Maghrib Isha On sunset 19:00

CITy DIRECTORy EMERGENCy HELP POLICE EMERGENCy AMBULANCE RESCUE HILAL-E-AHMER EDHI FOUNDATION BOMB DISPOSAL FIRE BRIGADE CENTRE CIvIL DEFENCE

15 115 1122 9250488 2827844 9270698 16 9262830

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COMPLAINT

Chinese journalist at a roundtable says Pakistan is emotionally pro-China but psychologically pro-US g Argues America wants to restrict radicalisation in Pakistan, make it a liberal and secular state

ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

ROF Zhou Rong, the chief of South Asia Bureau of a Chinese daily the Guang Ming, on thursday argued that since india had become a world sought-after country and was gravitating towards the US, the Russians would also be interested in sorting out differences with Pakistan, adding that islamabad’s fears of Moscow were misplaced. he described Pakistan as the best friend of China and listed Russia the second best. Speaking at a roundtable discussion, organised by the institute of Regional Studies (iRS), Zhou said China would welcome

improved relationship between two of its friends but cautioned against the Pak-US ties, based on incongruent and at times divergent interests. he said that Russia’s reach had shrunk significantly after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 and it was now far away from Pakistan to threaten it militarily. he also did not think that Russia would be interested in doing that at any point in the near future. therefore, he emphasised Pakistan should improve relations with Russia while putting aside its fears based on strayed thinking. Zhou maintained that Pakistan was emotionally pro-China, but psychologically pro-US because of the long-standing institutional relationship it had enjoyed with the lat-

ter. he attributed the good relations between the two countries partly to the fact that many among Pakistani elite had studied or stayed in the US and still preferred sending their children there for studies. he said though China was never bothered by Pakistan’s relationship with the US and it actually benefited from the process in developing its own ties with America. Summarising US policy interests with respect to Pakistan, Zhou said, “the US wants to utilise, restrict and reform Pakistan.” he elaborated that the US aimed at utilising Pakistan in the war on terror, restricting its growing religious radicalism and reform it to make it a liberal secular democracy.

AIOU MS/M Phil and Sindhu Bachao Tarla activists PhD admissions observe hunger strike against WB starting from 12th ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

three dozen Sindhu Bachao tarla (SBt) activists are observing a two-day hunger strike in front of the World Bank office for their plight caused by the World Bank funded taunsa Barrage Rehabilitation Project and to highlight their sufferings. they were of the view that it was the failure of the newly revamped taunsa Barrage undertaken with the help of foreign loans totalling Rs 10 billion that led to the devastation of the Muzaffargarh District in Punjab Province. they said the barrage had failed mainly because of its inappropriate design, inattention to the raising and strengthening of protective embankments, dysfunctional computerised control system of hoist gates and an absence of hill-torrents management. they demanded both the World Bank and provincial government initiate the process of accountability in the light of the report of the Punjab

Judicial Flood Enquiry tribunal. they also asked the World Bank to cancel the loan allotted to taunsa Barrage Rehabilitation Project and to allocate it to the rehabilitation of severely affected local communities with the commitment of the provincial government. the SBt activists asked the World Bank to stop financing the rehabilitation project for the Jinnah Barrage because the project not only deliberately ignored cost effective alternative options but it was also bound to cause huge financial losses to local communities because of irregular irrigation supply during the construction phase. the activists demanded the World Bank ensure the fulfillment of all commitments with respect to the compensation of losses made during the resettlement plan of taunsa Barrage Rehabilitation Project. they said they would launch the “Occupy World Bank” campaign in the near future if their demands were not positively responded to.

City school holds ‘Business Expo-2011’ ISLAMABAD

WAPDA SUI GAS

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RAILWAyS CITy STATION (INqUIRy) RESERvATION RAILWAy POLICE

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he added that Pakistan could not become a secular democracy because of its strong islamic roots while modern undercurrents in the society prevented it from turning into a theocratic state ruled by taliban. Zhou said Pak-China relationship was exceptional because of being instinctive, adding that the two countries needed to develop a energy and trade corridor through the sea routes that had been talked about for the past six years. he also wanted Pakistan and China to develop a train route across the PakChina land border through Xinjiang and Gilgit-Baltistan. he added that Pakistan would have to proactively persuading the Chinese government to initiate the rail-link between the two countries.

STAFF REPORT

the City School on thursday organised the ‘Business Expo 2011’ at its Capital Campus, to display new and fresh business ideas which can be brought into the market. the teams demonstrated their creativeness and skills in producing and marketing new products. the Business Expo was a great success and was praised by the chief guest, Federal Secretary Javaid Zafar (rtd), currently working as an English Lecturer in COMSAtS. Other honourable guests included entrepreneur and founder of iKOnAMi Baber Khan and Bahria town General Manager and Coordinator Shahzad Akhtar. the students showcased own innovative business ideas and were awarded for their efforts. the chief guest then addressed the students with inspirational words. Special guest the City School Assistant Regional Director (north) Rabia najam awarded the prize winners with shields. the prizes were distributed in three categories for the most enterprising idea, awarded to itECh, the most promising plan awarded to ChASE BAnK, and most successful business venture which was given to PAK hEROES. “We hope that such events will boost the confidence of our students and will make them successful entrepreneurs in their respective fields in the future,” najam said on the occasion.

AKCENt LivE iN iSLAMABAD

ISLAMABAD: Postgraduate admissions of the Allama iqbal Open University (AiOU) for the Spring Semester 2012 are starting from 12th December, 2011 simultaneously across the country. this was announced by the AiOU Admissions Director Syed Zia-ul-hasnain naqvi here on thursday. he said admission forms and prospectuses would be available from the main campus of the University as well as from its 36 regional campuses across the country. he added that passing grades in ntS (General) for MS/M.Phil and ntS (Subject) test for Ph.D Programmes were required. naqvi said only the applications of successful candidates would be processed for interviews. the applicants could visit the AiOU website www.aiou.edu.pk for further details. STAFF REPORT

DHR stages demo against NATO strike ISLAMABAD: Defence of human Rights and Public Services trust Chairperson Amina Masood Janjua on thursday said the government must review its foreign policy and relations with the US after the recent nAtO attack. Addressing reporters after a demonstration at Parade Avenue, Janjua demanded the government to pressurise the US for immediate release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui. “the government should immediately release all missing persons and sever all kinds of relations with the US to end lawlessness in the country,” she said. “We vehemently condemn the cruel attack of nAtO forces backed up by the US and stand shoulder-toshoulder with Pak Army. it is due to the government’s flawed foreign policy that no Pakistani is safe in his own territory.” STAFF REPORT

AN iLLUStrAtioN of pAKiStAN

CApoEirA iSLtoWN

COLLEGES / UNIvERSITIES INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIvERSITy 9260765 BAHRIA UNIvERSITy 9260002 NUML 9257677 qUAID-E-AZAM UNIvERSITy 90642098 ARID AGRICULTURE UNIvERSITy 9290151 FJWU 9273235 RIPHA INTERNATIONAL UNIvERSITy 111510510 NCA RAWALPINDI 5770423 PUNJAB LAW COLLEGE 4421347

DATE: TUESDAy DEC 27, 2011 6:00 PM vENUE: ISLAMABAD

DATE: NOv 29 - DEC 25, 2011 vENUE: ISLAMABAD

The band is set to visit Pakistan once again, this time to It's capital. Performing smashing hits like "That's My Name", "My Passion", "Stay with Me" & the new track " Feelings on Fire " they are sure to set the stage ablaze and make you sway.

Do you have a passion for photography? Are you the one whose click could change how we see things? What about using your passion for a greater cause? If yES is the answer here’s your chance!

DATE AND TIME: EvERy FRIDAy 6:30-7:30PM vENUE: KHAAS ART GALLERy ISLAMABAD Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dancing, ritual combat & music in a unique synthesis of self defense and rhythm.

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Friday, 2 December, 2011

‘Withdraw fuel surcharge in electricity bills or we’ll burn GEPCO again’ GUJRANWALA: the people of Gujranwala held large protests on thursday in front of the Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO) office at Alam Chowk against the imposition of a ‘fuel adjustment surcharge’, and threatened to torch the office if the government did not reverse the move. the protesters blocked the road for almost an hour and raised slogans against the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA). On October 3, people in Gujranwala burned GEPCO offices to protest against the prolonged blackouts. ilyas Ghuman, a protestor talking to Pakistan today, said, “i am a salaried person and earn only Rs 8,000 every month, while the electricity bill is Rs 3,500. Someone please tell me how i can manage bread for my children for the whole month.” he said that governments in other countries worked to minimise the problems of the masses, but in Pakistan corrupt governments keep the masses overburdened so that they could not see beyond their problems. Another protester Masood Butt said the national Electric Power Regulatory Authority (nEPRA) and the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) were illegally receiving the fuel adjustment surcharge for last several months. STAFF REPORT

Protests against NATO, US go into 5th consecutive day g

Student groups, political activists, transporters urge government to leave US war on terror PESHAWAR ABDuR RAuF KHATTAK

n order to condemn recent nAtO air strikes on Pakistani posts in Mohmand agency, people from different walks of life, particularly students and activists of various political parties, on thursday protested for the fifth consecutive day and demanded cutting ties with the United States. terming the attacks an unprovoked aggression on the sovereignty of the state, they asked the government to revise its foreign policy and quit the US alliance against the war on terror. Separate rallies taken out by Pakistan Muslim League-nawaz (PML-n) leader Shazia Aurangzeb, activists of the Muslim Students’ Federation (MSF) mainly from the Government College of technology and the Agriculture University Peshawar, united at the Sher Shah Suri Road in front of the Peshawar Press Club. they were carrying

Imran for legal action against Sunday Times LONDON MAJID KHATTAK

Pakistan tehrik-e-insaf (Pti) Chairman imran Khan’s legal team in the UK has initiated action against The Sunday Times newspaper after it published an article entitled ‘imran the inevitable’ on november 20, 2011. the said article had claimed that imran Khan met US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter in the presence of interservices intelligence (iSi) chief General Ahmed Shuja Pasha. the article had also claimed that the Pti chief is enjoying the support of Pakistan’s military. Pti UK Coordinator Rabia Zia told Pakistan today that Khan’s solicitor in London Mahtab Aziz has written to the Sunday times regarding the article, saying that the article has damaged the Pti chief’s “political standing and reputation among the Pakistani public by implying that he is backed by the Pakistan army, which directly goes against Khan’s principles and political ideology that he stands for and for which he has made many sacrifices”. the letter stressed that Khan will always be independent of “any influence by the vested interests of Pakistan’s powerful military and establishment”. Mahtab Aziz said that imran Khan has taken this issue very seriously and felt very aggrieved about the article’s main theme, accusing the paper of going “against the grain of our client’s political vision”. he said, “there is neither any support for Khan’s campaign by Pakistan’s security establish-

ment, nor have you furnished any evidence to support it,” adding that Pti believed that change in Pakistan can come by “severing the shackles of the establishment”. the letter gives a reference to both Ambassador Cameron Munter’s denial on the news programme Capital talk and Military Spokesman Major General Ather Abbas’s denial that any such meeting had taken place. the defamation claim says that Khan met Munter on various occasions but the “factual inaccuracy” in reporting has “damaged our client’s standing among the Pakistani public as it implies that there is tacit support for Khan’s campaign not only by the United States but also by Pakistan’s inter Services intelligence (iSi)”.

Pakistan observes Shahbaz airbase International AIDS Day already under ISLAMABAD: the international AiDS Day was observed in Pakistan on thursday with an aim to unite people in the fight against the disease, and to ask for their support for people infected with hiV. the theme of the World AiDS Day 2011 is “Getting to Zero” by striving for zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero AiDS-related deaths. the World AiDS Day was the first ever global health day, and the first commemorated in 1988. today, many scientific advances have been made in the hiV treatment, and there are laws to protect people living with hiV. Experts emphasised on more progress on education, prevention, testing, and treatment of hiV-AiDS to achieve the ambitious goal of completely halting the spread of the deadly disease. According to UnAiDS estimates, the number of people living with hiV-AiDS in Pakistan is 97,400, out of which about half live in Sindh, with 80 percent of them in Karachi. in other words, Karachi alone has a population of 40,000 people living with hiV-AiDS. APP

news 09

PAF control RAWALPINDI APP

Clarifying a news report regarding Shahbaz airbase, a spokesman of the Ministry of Defence on thursday said Shahbaz airbase was already under Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) control. in a statement, the spokesman said the news report attributed to the Minister of Defence Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar regarding control of the Shahbaz airbase was not true. “the defence minister had stated that Shahbaz airbase was totally under PAF control and the US had no control over it,” he said.

banners and placards inscribed with slogans against nAtO, and the US leadership. Besides, activists of the PML-Like Minded group led by Malik Riaz and the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) were also seen in the demonstration. the flow of traffic at the main Saddar Road was also badly affected and long queues of vehicles were observed for hours even after the protest ended. the infuriated students chanted loud slogans against the US and nAtO commanders for deliberate attacks on the Pakistani border posts which killed 24 soldiers. they warned that the Pakistani nation would not tolerate such attacks any more in the future, and that the Americans would have to face serious consequences if they dared to commit any such adventurism. they demanded the government to boldly resist the foreign aggression, instead of mere condemnations. they also demanded the authorities to permanently close nAtO supply routes through Pakistan, exile the

US ambassador and declare the US an “unfavoured state”. Meanwhile, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter of the All Pakistan

transporters’ Association also protested against the attacks at the Gt Road and then marched towards Peshawar Press Club.

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10 news

Friday, 2 December, 2011

Troops kill 9 militants in artillery fire PESHAWAR STAFF REPORT

t least nine militants were killed when security forces targeted their hideouts with artillery in Upper tehsil of the Mamozai area on thursday. Sources said that security forces also destroyed three hideouts of militants in the remote hilly areas of Mamozai. the areas targeted during the military raid include Satar Sum, Shaho Khail and Shanaori. As the military offensive is gaining momentum, numerous people have started migrating to safer places. the people of Mir Qalam Khail, Ado Khail, torsimat, Akhunzadgan and Arghanjo and others areas are migrating to hango through intricate routes. Security forces have also launched a search operation in the area and arrested several suspects from the Argahnjo area of Orakzai Agency. During the last 16 days of military operation, security forces have claimed killing 83 militants and injuring 72, while destroying dozens of militant hideouts.

Blast damages peshawar DCo office wall PESHAWAR: A low intensity blast partially damaged the boundary wall of the Peshawar district coordination officer’s (DCO) office at the Bacha Khan Chowk on thursday morning. no casualties were reported. Police said that unknown miscreants had planted 700 grams of explosive materials near the boundary wall in front of the DCO office, which went off at 6:30am on thursday. the blast caused fear and panic in the area while heavy contingents of police rushed the blast site to examine the nature of the explosion. Edhi ambulances and Fire brigade squad also reached, but no human casualties were reported. Police and bomb disposal squad cordoned off the area and started investigation. Keeping in view the advent of the holy month of Muharram, police have beefed up security across the city and heavy contingents of police and frontier constabulary have been deployed at all the entry A photographer looks at the site of blast near DCO Bacha Khan Chowk. points of Peshawar. STAFF REPORT

ONLINE

TORs of memo probe should be made public: PILDAT ISLAMABAD: PiLDAt – a dialogue group on civil-military relations – has welcomed the government’s decision to investigate the issue of alleged memo through the Parliamentary Committee on national Security. however, the group demanded that the terms of reference of the investigation by the parliamentary committee should be made public. it also asked that the timeframe of investigations and the key milestones of the probe be shared with the public. the group believed this move would strengthen the parliament’s oversight on executive and security issues. the group met in islamabad today and included the following members: former Balochistan governor Lt General (r) Abdul Qadir Baloch; Defence analyst Dr hasan Askari Rizvi; former Sindh governor Lt Gen (r) Moinuddin haider; Daily Pakistan Chief Editor Mujib-ur-Rehman Shami; Dr Parvez hassan; former federal secretary Rustam Shah Mahmond; former minister Shafqat Mahmood; former Punjab governor Shahid hamid; former ambassador Air Vice Marshal (r) Shahzad Chaudhry; Senator SM Zafar; Lt Gen (r) talat Masood, former federal secretary tasneem noorani; PiLDAt Executive Director Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, and PiLDAt Joint Director Aasiya Riaz. PRESS RELEASE

Shunned HIV victims fight pariah status

KARACHI AFP

Shunned by their families and society, Rubina and iqbal are a couple who have struggled for years to win their lives back and spread a message of respect for fellow victims of hiV/AiDS. Rubina naz, 33, one of 12 children born to a labourer, was diagnosed with hiV four years ago, a year after her drug-addicted husband passed away. “i didn’t know what it was until i was tested positive. i was afflicted with this horrible disease by my first husband, who was an AiDS victim,” said Rubina. they married when she was 16 years old and had two daughters and two sons together, but Rubina was unaware of her husband’s illness until she read his medical tests after his death and friends advised her to take her own. Finding out she was hiV positive ruined her life. “My in-laws threw me out and took my kids. Even most of my own family treated me like a sinner and stayed away when i was desperate to be helped. those days were horrible,” she said. Pakistan, the second-largest country in South Asia, stands a few steps behind india and nepal in terms of the extent of the hiV epidemic. the national AiDS Control Programme says Pakistan is a “low prevalence, high risk” country, with low rates of the virus across the general population but a high concentration among risk groups such as injecting drug users. Un figures from 2009 show that there are an estimated 97,400 cases of hiV/AiDS in Pakistan. Rubina’s meals were always served separately to the rest of her family, who were fearful of contracting the disease, but with her mother’s support she says she has overcome prejudice. She now works as a kitchen assistant at charity Pakistan Society, dedicated to helping hiV positive people, which is where she met her new husband Mohammad iqbal, 35, who is hiV positive and recovering from drug addiction. iqbal was a tailor in his teens when he was introduced to heroin by friends. he contracted the virus 10 years ago by sharing needles to inject the drug.

“My addiction shocked my parents, who both died early, then my brothers threw me out of home and i was forced to live on the streets,” he said. A charity gave him the tests that led to his diagnosis. But it was another three years before he decided to get well.“Continuous hatred towards me wore me out. i decided to live a meaningful life or end it. i opted to live and agreed to get rehabilitated,” he said. Rubina and iqbal found each other in the kitchen, which serves food to patients and visitors at the charity’s medical centre. “now i don’t hesitate to see myself in the mirror. i am regaining my lost respect in the world,” iqbal said. Rubina’s in-laws have agreed to allow her children to see her regularly and iqbal’s brothers have permitted him to rejoin the family. Anti-retroviral drugs that treat the illness are provided free of charge at state-run hospitals, clinics and health centres across the country, meaning that those diagnosed have the chance of a relatively normal life. So long as Rubina and iqbal continue to take their daily medication and maintain a healthy lifestyle, Pakistan Society head Saleem Azam said their prognosis is good and their life expectancy should not be affected. Azam said women are the least documented victims. the 2009 survey revealed that 15 percent of wives of injecting drug users in just one district, Larkana are hiV sufferers. But Azam said the actual incidence may be much higher as many cases go undetected. Rubina and iqbal have taught their families to respect hiV-positive people but say they will continue their quest to educate the rest.

My in-laws threw me out and took my kids. Even most of my own family treated me like a sinner and stayed away when I was desperate to be helped RuBINA

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Friday, 2 December, 2011

Editor’s mail 11

Imran Khan and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Many columnists and commentators have compared the meteoric rise of imran Khan with that of Zulifikar Ali Bhutto’s rise and emergence of Pakistan Peoples Party in the 1970s. Both leaders have the same kind of appeal and Khan, like Bhutto, is riding on a wave for change and their popularity is based on immense public support. however, Bhutto’s slogan of "roti kapra aur makan'' instantly appealed to the masses as it promised them relief and basic necessities of life. Bhutto understood the mob mentality and raised a slogan which made him a darling of the masses. As against this imran Khan’s anti-corruption, bad governance, across the board accountability and anti-drone attack rhetoric do not have an instant appeal for the poor masses of the country. Ordinary people are more interested in jobs, reduced cost of living and provision of basic necessities of everyday living. imran Khan thus is a somewhat an

Tackling poverty

elitist leader and has mainly attracted the youth and educated middle class. he has not yet developed appeal among masses which Bhutto had and which made him a leader of the masses. imran Khan, however, has certain other advantages which Bhutto did not have. Khan’s main advantage is that people are sick and tired of other major political parties and leaders who have failed to deliver in government and opposition. People want a change and want to give imran a chance who is a new option. imran has no major problem as other political leaders are all discredited and disliked. there is no leader on the political horizon who is even close to Khan in popularity. he has shown tremendous perseverance and willpower and has not given up his mission despite being in the political wilderness for over a decade and a half. A lesser mortal would have given up but not him. As against this, Bhutto struggled only

for about five years. Prior to that he was an important cabinet minister in Ayub regime and parted ways with Ayub Khan as a matter of principle over the tashkent Declaration. Bhutto had other big advantages, like a political background and the gifts of sheer brilliance and of being a great orator. imran Khan is a well-educated, wellspoken and handsome cricketing-hero-turned-politician. Even though he does not have Bhutto’s brilliance and intellect, he compensates them with his persistence, hard work, sincerity of purpose and self-confidence. imran Khan’s catchword "change" has caught the fancy of the youth and middle class. however, he must be very careful in selecting his party nominees and candidates who are to contest the elections. if he puts up too many electable old faces who are now joining his party by dozens, as his candidates, his wave for change will collapse under their

weight. it must be understood that there is a wave for a complete change and this is the driving force behind Khan’s immense popularity. Shah Mahmood Qureshi is a good addition to the party since he is clean, welleducated and eloquent. But Khan has to be extremely cautious in future lest his “tsunami” subsides too quickly and the wave for a change runs out of steam. he should stick to his principles and not accept unscrupulous turncoats even if they seem good candidates now. he is a risk taker and should place all his bets on the wave of complete change. the greater the risk, the greater the gains. hopefully, Khan will be more selective at the time of granting party tickets because right now he does not seem to be in a position in stopping people from joining his party as it is open to everybody. ZAHEER AHMED Islamabad

The new buzz word nearly after 64 years of independence, the country has come back to the stage it had started from. Before partition, there were protests in every major city and department in which the indians and the Muslims would not work but instead protest demanding for a separate homeland. today we see every department/sector of the economy protesting for their own separate demands making it difficult for the government to tackle and satisfy the claims of those departments in one go. the people seem to be exercising their 'democratic power a bit too much'. i am no politician or a journalist to comment on the acts of the people but as a layman what i see and hear is the start of something that may not well be suitable for the country in its current position. the inflation is increasing at an exponential rate. in such a situation protesting and not doing or not letting other people work might well act as the last nail in the coffin. From the list of top 10 countries with the highest economic growth to the one with the highest inflation we should really think again before doing such unproductive acts. i do agree protests are probably the only way and option we are left with to make the people with authority take a notice of our suffering but these protests should not be at the expense of losing out what little we gain. With the recent closure of markets on the 5th of this month, the daily wage earners probably had to sleep hungry as they could not go to work. the government in my view should punish these protesters rather than negotiate with them and give more air to other people to follow suit. the government should make a point that no one has the authority to challenge the government's writ. AFFAN H KHAN Karachi

Rolling in the deep Sure, the nAtO attack has violated the sovereignty of our country but the question is will the government really upset its relations with the US by closing nAtO supplies and risk losing a vital source of income? Will we be rolling our sovereignty in

Deceptive tactics this in reference with a news report that talks about the deception of Jamatud-Dawah. it is told that children from different schools were brought to Lahore Press Club to hold a protest demonstration on the pretext of a school trip. Permission slips were signed by parents and children between 10-15 years of age were brought to Lahore to participate

Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime. Poverty has many dimensions in Pakistan. the poor in Pakistan have not only low income but also lack access to basic needs such as education, health, clean drinking water and proper sanitation. Poverty in Pakistan has historically been higher in rural than urban areas. At present, one third of the country’s population continues to live below poverty line. “Society comprises of two classes, those who have more food than appetite, and those who have more appetite than food.” --nelson Mandela A number of factors explain the existence of and increase in poverty in the last decade. however, poor governance is the key underlying cause of poverty in Pakistan. With regard to economic factors, decline in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate is the immediate cause of the increase in poverty over the last decade. Lack of education, large scale imports and over-population are other causes of poverty. Reforms in the educational sector and syllabi in educational institutions should be made to teach the students not only about their subject matters but to be productive. the system should concentrate on skill development and vocational and technical training. Amendments should be made to the governance policy of the resources to make it reach those who need it most. Proper family planning and population control should be exercised since poverty is also a matter of fewer resources and more consumers. Allow privatisation but in a restricted way, preventing the application of privatisation to public services such as electricity and gas. Allow foreign direct investment ensuring that the investment and their profits are distributed rationally across the country, thereby giving the poverty stricken areas the opportunity to take their share of the products of these investments. Formulate long term strategies for poverty reduction or eradication and performing periodic evaluation of progress for effectiveness. ZUHAIB ODHO Karachi

Appeal rejected the deep or our economy? the choice is a difficult one, so choose wisely. MUBASHIR MAHMOOD Karachi

in a protest demonstration against the recent attack by nAtO forces on Pakistan Army posts on Afghan border. in this protest demonstration, speakers vowed to convert Pakistan into a taliban state and assured army of their full support. Such a deception extended by a banned religious outfit is highly condemnable. it is also the duty of parents to keep a close eye on the activities of their children and their schools. tactics like

this are part of the larger conspiracy of turning Pakistan into an extremist state as children of this age group are most vulnerable and can be easily brainwashed. Before anything, banned outfits shouldn’t be allowed to operate freely and to hold protest demos. Secondly, there should be legal action against those responsible for such deception. ZULFIQAR HAIDER Islamabad

the court in London’s rejection of the appeal by our cricketers against their jail sentence is a good decision as next time nobody will try to do this shameful act of match-fixing, cheating and disgracing their country. i think this punishment is totally justified. MARYAM PERVEZ KHAN Rawalpindi Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan Fax: +92-42-36298302 E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters may be edited for length and clarity. It would be appreciated if letters were addressed to Pakistan today exclusively.

ally vs ally

‘t

he assumption that it (Pakistan) has no choice but to obey America may turn out to be a dire strategic error.’ – Simon tisdall in The Guardian, november 27, 2011 in the early hours of the first day of the islamic new Year US/nAtO forces struck a clearly demarcated Pakistani Check Post in the Mohmand Agency of Pakistan’s Federally Administered tribal areas. two officers of the Pakistan Army and 22 soldiers were killed with another 13 seriously injured. the strikes, which Pakistani officials said had involved both helicopters and fighter jets, took place at two military posts in Salala, a village in Pakistan's Mohmand tribal region near the border with Kunar province in Afghanistan. Commenting on the incident in The Guardian of november 27 Simon tisdall wrote – “but Washington should treat it with deadly seriousness all the same, for this latest outrage is another fateful

signpost on the road to a potential security and geostrategic disaster that may ultimately make Afghanistan look like a sideshow – since 2001, Pakistan has struggled under a plethora of imperious American demands, demarches and impositions that are at once politically indefensible and contrary to the perceived national interest …the belief that weak, impoverished, divided Pakistan has no alternative but to slavishly obey its master's voice could turn out to be one of the seminal strategic miscalculations of the 21st century”. Pakistan’s response to the attack on its troops came after the Army Chief had consulted and briefed senior commanders and the nations’ highest decision making body – the Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) – had met and considered response options. the statement issued by the DCC on the nAtO/iSAF attack on border posts, 26 november 2011 was clear and unambiguous: “the DCC noted that strong

protests had been lodged with the United States and at nAtO headquarters in Brussels conveying in the strongest possible terms Pakistan’s condemnation of these attacks which constituted breach of sovereignty, were violative of international law and had gravely dented the fundamental basis of Pakistan’s cooperation with nAtO/iSAF against militancy and terror. nAtO/iSAF attacks were also violative of their mandate which was confined to Afghanistan. Pakistan had clearly conveyed to US/nAtO its red lines which constituted an integral element of Pakistan’s cooperation that was based on a partnership approach. the attack on Pakistan Army border posts is totally unacceptable and warrants an effective national response. in accordance with the resolution of the Joint Session of the Parliament of 14 May 2011, the DCC

decided to close with immediate effect the nAtO/iSAF logistics supply lines the DCC also decided to ask the US to vacate the Shamsi Airbase within 15 days. the DCC decided that the government will revisit and undertake a complete review of all programmes, activities and cooperative arrangements with US/nAtO, including diplomatic, political, and military and intelligence. the Prime Minister will take the Parliament into confidence on the whole range of measures regarding matters relating to Pakistan’s future cooperation with US/nAtO/iSAF, in the near future.” Pakistanis cannot help but recall earlier incidents – the attacks in September 2010, the Raymond Davis fiasco, the Osama raid, recent media articles targeting the Pakistan military and iSi and of course the most recent event now being called ‘Memogate’. Wayne

Madsen, reported that “Pakistan is next on the target list of nations that will soon be feeling the military muscle of the United States...unlike other Muslim nations that have been subjected to the US military intervention, including Afghanistan, iraq, Somalia, Yemen, and Libya, Pakistan’s ultimate prize for the West is its nuclear weapons arsenal…” Another media piece dubbed Pakistan the ‘ally from hell’. Much will depend on how the US and nAtO decide to proceed in this matter. there is outrage and anger in Pakistan as Pakistanis watch heart rending scenes of grief at the funerals of those killed. Pakistanis are used to burying their dead and the Pakistan military is paying a heavy price but to be killed by those you consider allies and that too in your own territory is not acceptable. Close air support, the supposed reason for the attack, is provided to extricate ground troops from an undesirable situation or to take out a high value tar-

get identified by ground troops or other means or to push forward an attack as part of a coordinated plan. You do not call for air support against small arms fire or flares assuming that there was a fire fight at all. Ground operations in the vicinity of allied or friendly forces are always coordinated in advance. Air attacks are always on clearly identified targets. Friendly fire can kill own troops in the fog of ongoing battles but not in an isolated case where the rugged terrain actually makes check posts stand out and act as reference points – especially check posts established to control cross border movement. An investigation may lead to the answers but what has been done cannot be undone. Spearhead Research is a private centre for research and consultancy on security, headed by Jehangir Karamat. Spearhead analyses are the result of a collaborative effort and not attributable to a single individual.

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12 Comment The boycott Missed opportunity?

akistan needs international support on its present dispute with the US. it also has to convince the world that the solution it has about the future of Afghanistan is the best way out of the imbroglio. the Bonn conference offers an opportunity to achieve both the objectives. After ruling out a military solution to the latest dispute with the US, the only way left for Pakistan is to settle the mater through diplomacy. the decision to boycott the Bonn moot comes, therefore, as a surprise. here is a forum where Pakistan can forcefully present its case on the killing of Pakistani troops in Mohmand, continuing drone attacks and disregard for its territorial sovereignty. it can seek an in-house debate and hold talks on the sidelines of the conference to vindicate its position. A protest registered at the moot would be far more forceful than a decision to opt out of the talks. the Bonn conference is scheduled to take important decisions regarding post-2014 Afghanistan which is of vital interest to Pakistan. islamabad is considered a key player in the efforts to bring peace to Afghanistan because of geographical proximity, historical ties with Kabul and a close association with the events since the 1980 Soviet military intervention. the appeals made to islamabad to attend the moot by Afghanistan, the US and a number of European countries indicate they recognise islamabad’s clout. Only by an active participation in the talks can Pakistan ensure that no measures are endorsed which are likely to harm its long term interests. By boycotting the moot islamabad would be painting itself in the corner. it would provide an opportunity to its opponents to maintain that instead of being a part of an international move to resolve the issues peacefully, islamabad prefers to use some of the militant groups to further its interests in Afghanistan. the destinies of Pakistan and Afghanistan are intertwined. Peace and stability in Pakistan is dependant on the end of militancy in Afghanistan. Realising the fact, Pakistan had joined hands with the US in the fight against terrorism. there is no other way out than continuing the fight together meanwhile keeping mutual differences within manageable limits.

Before the polls Autonomy for the commission

he mere occurrence of elections, we are tutored, does not imply the presence of democracy. there is more to democracy than elections. it is, in fact, a process, which, if left to itself, constantly corrects itself far better than any attempt at benevolent, intelligent design by non-representative authoritarians. Part of the eventual desired ideals are a free (and fair) media, an educated electorate, citizens’ vigilance, the independence of the judiciary, robust political parties etc. Discussions of the above usually come about when third world republics carry out polls only to elect autocrats; such democracies might even have international polling observers who testify the impartiality of the process but still yield majoritarian dictators. But such debates are the luxury of states that actually do have periodic polls. At the very basic, having free and fair elections are an achievement in their own right for states that are beset with monarchic histories, ethnic conflicts, ideological upheavals or praetorian settings. the maintenance and strengthening of the polling machinery in a government cannot be overstated. the Election Commission of Pakistan’s recent summary to the PM secretariat demanding full financial autonomy should be considered seriously. From financial autonomy and the ability to make human resource decisions stem the independence of an organisation, be it the election commission or a local municipal corporation. the issue of the tenure of the commission’s chief is also a recurring one. A suitably lengthy term is a means to ensure much thought is put into electoral reform and then executed properly. there is no task more noble, more humbling than seeking out votes from one’s peers. the government owes it to the republic for this noble task not only to be free, fair and impartial but also to be seen to be free, fair and impartial. An independence of the election commission and its allied machinery would be a step in that direction.

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor

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

Friday, 2 December, 2011

Establish the baseline use the legal to underpin other responses

By Ejaz Haider

akistan is out of the Bonn conference. Shamsi airbase is to be vacated. nAtO supply lines have been blocked. What will United States-Pakistan relations look like beyond this point? First, as i have noted elsewhere, the charade of a strategic partnership needs to end. this was always a transactional relationship grounded in coercive diplomacy. the nAtO attack – even if ‘accidental’ – has pulled the covers off it. the reported decision by the US President Barack Obama to not offer formal condolences on the deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers, despite a request to this end by the US ambassador to Pakistan, is a telling statement on this relationship. it would help to acknowledge publicly what the two sides, at the highest level, have known for some time. Pakistan’s foreign minister, hina Rabbani Khar, has said Pakistan will review the entire gamut of relations. that’s a good start. however, it is important to note that a realistic review does not mean Pakistan has to necessarily embark on a collision course with the US. But expectations of what they can do for each other must be pared down. Some of it is already on the table, for instance the need by both sides to take all measures to curb non-state terrorism. Pakistan must continue to do what it can, given its constraints, to put down such groups on its soil. the US-led coalition should be responsible for doing the same in Afghanistan. those who cross the border from Afghanistan to attack Pakistani interests are to be fought by Pakistan while those who go east to west should be iSAF’s. the border is porous, and if the US-led coalition cannot prevent west to east movement, it is downright dishonest to expect Pakistan to be able to do that for the reverse. there are ways in which Pakistan can counter the accusations that go both ways: that it is not doing enough to curb militant movement from east to west and that it is also harbouring the

Afghan taliban without any reference to how the elements Pakistan is supposedly harbouring enter Pakistan in the first place. Pakistan must also agitate the issue of fencing the border at certain places, a proposal that came up some years ago but was shot down by Kabul. there is inherent contradiction in the position which blames Pakistan for not doing enough to stop the east-west movement and then turns around, when Pakistan proposes measures, and accuses Pakistan of hardening the border and by doing that separating the tribes either side of the Durand Line. When i raised this point at a recent conference in Berlin on Afghanistan, many Afghans said to me that their country will never accept the Durand Line. Afghanistan wants to beat Pakistan both ways because it does not want recognition of the Durand Line and accepting fencing is the path to state practice under international law which can then be cited. Americans know this and they have been less than honest about it. We also know, now because of at least three incidents (there have been more) – Raymond Davis, bin Laden, Mohmand – that the US will happily and readily sacrifice any larger strategic partnership with Pakistan to satisfy its operational goals. this is just one flaw. the other is in the US’ higher strategy. in nov 2010, when Obama went to india on a 5-day visit, this is what i wrote in an op-ed for The Hindu: “Behind all the nice talk about setting the world right through a Lockean cooperative framework lurks Mr. hobbes... Mr. Obama... (de-hyphenated) Pakistan and india by not including Pakistan on this visit even as Pakistan is supposed to be a vital strategic partner and a state that is, presumably, going to determine, by his own admission, not only the future of this region but of the entire world. this would be amusing if it did not indicate a deep policy flaw.” So, steps have to be taken to review relations. however, the many Pakistanis who want a direct military response to the US need to understand two things. One, in an asymmetric relationship, the weaker side should not go for a direct response. it makes no sense to play on a pitch that favours the stronger side. the trick is to find the space between inaction and direct action and to reduce the possibility of coercion by the stronger side without compromising on one’s strategic concerns. inter-state dealings are not about emotions but working out a sustainable course of action. Let me specify two such courses of action. One,

why should nAtO be conducting the inquiry into an incident involving fire by its own troops? Pakistan should insist on an inquiry that involves nAtO, Pakistan and a third entity. Pakistani officials have said the inquiry will go nowhere but have not suggested proactively the acceptable composition of any such inquiry. two, the supply lines. the routes should remain blocked until the results of an impartial inquiry, a US apology, and – if it is proved that its troops fired at and killed Pakistani soldiers without any reason and in violation of established SOPs – compensation. But – this is important given the absence of any strategic partnership – Pakistan is under no obligation, even under the Un Security Council legal regime on terrorism, to allow supplies through its land to Coalition troops to help in their war effort in Afghanistan. the only thing Pakistan can, and should, do is to let in only those goods and materials that are important to the development of Afghanistan and for which Kabul provides islamabad a list. All such goods must clear customs at the port of entry and checked. the US should be informed that no materials, including fuel, that help its war effort can pass through Pakistan. Statements emanating from the US show that America can do without the Pakistani route. Pakistan should welcome another choice by the US. the next step should be the use of airspace. the US may be told that it can use Pakistani airspace only for non-military purposes. As for drones, islamabad needs to take the issue to the UnSC, whose legal regime is very clear on the fact that no state can operate in the airspace or on the territory of another state without the latter’s permission. this means the US can operate the drones only if it shares information on what targets it wants to engage and why. if the US operates its drones without islamabad’s permission, it will be in violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and also of the UnSC legal regime. none of this will make the US happy. none of what has happened makes Pakistan very happy. there’s realpolitik in all this. But by taking the legal route in consonance with its own law as well as the UnSC regime, Pakistan would be establishing a baseline. Anything that the US does after that would establish a clear violation for which the onus will be on Washington. Pakistan could make its choices more clearly beyond that point. The writer is Executive Director of Jinnah Institute. The views expressed are his own and do not necessarily reflect JI’s policy

The devil we know…

Jottings By Agha Akbar

n recent years, the Pak-US relationship has never been an easy one. the bonhomie that the brass of both countries displayed in public only barely masked the massive distrust on either side, with the US definitely more vocal about it. But the skids were really put under it once OBL was taken out in a brazen attack deep in Pakistan on May 2. the assaults, albeit mostly verbal until now, from all quarters in the US have since come thick and fast, with Pakistan’s military establishment blamed for much of everything that has gone wrong in Afghanistan. in the Pakistani quarters concerned, the resentment already ran deep. the nov 25 nAtO helicopter gunship attack killing 24 Pakistani soldiers on a border checkpost only made it erupt. Our generals saw red, but given our ‘technological backwardness’ a military retaliation was not an option even to be contemplated. the nAtO supplies were blocked, an ir-

reversible deadline to vacate the Shamsi Airbase (why this closure was not extended to the Shahbaz Airbase is perplexing though, for there even the fig leaf of having let it to the UAE which sublet it to the US does not exist) was set. there was also talk of taking up the matter to the UnSC which hasn’t ripened into action yet, while the Bonn conference was boycotted. All this stands duly endorsed by the federal cabinet, though the efficacy of the last measure is in question. With 90 countries attending, the avowed purpose of the conference is to form policy on post-2014 Afghanistan and its internal and external arrangements. though a similar exercise at istanbul some time ago was a futile endeavour, but by absenting itself Pakistan definitely loses an opportunity to present its case on a policy forum, where it could also have put some egg on nAtO and the US face by raising the issue of the latest killings. Since our track record of blowing hot and cold with the US and its so-called war on terror is not an enviable one, and we have quite often choked on our anger after some placatory moves from Washington, one is not certain for how long this altercation will last. this however is a decent opportunity to stand back and have some measure of the extent of our fall from (the US) grace and how it has come about that our military posts

were now coming under deliberate, murderous ‘friendly’ fire. trumpeting about violation of sovereignty and inciting the public fury mostly through certain known entities or blaming the present civilian government will just not do. the Afghan imbroglio, the chummy relations with the US in this regard in the 1980s and in the decade just past, with the creation of the taliban in the interregnum, the unrequited love for depth in Afghanistan and the damage that it has wreaked on us have been the security establishment’s handiwork. Again our major difference with the US seems to stem from our justified anxiety in having a bigger say in the post-2014 Afghanistan than our ‘friendly’ eastern neighbour. Encirclement or a two-front war is indeed a political and military nightmare. that and the US’ failure in eliminating the taliban despite its much-touted ‘surge’ and later failure in negotiating with them, have turned Pakistan into a convenient whipping boy for American leaders’ own mistaken policies. Remember november 2012 is at hand as far as the US presidential elections are concerned. And things are not likely to stop here. For the taliban are equally determined to wait it out until 2014 before promptly reclaiming Afghanistan – at least its southern and eastern parts where even now its writ runs more than the Karzai

government’s, which without its American props would have as much a chance of survival as a snowball in hell. Given that scenario, unless the settlement includes the taliban, Pakistan is going to remain in the US crossfire. not just Pakistan but none of the neighbouring nations want the US here, but it is the elephant that has forced its way into the room, and no one can take it out – unless it vacates the place of its accord (which it says it would in 2014, but not lock, stock and barrel, aiming to retain its military bases with sizable presence). Even so it is quite right that, though late by a decade in the present instance, Pakistan has started seeing things in the proper perspective, in what is being proclaimed as its requirements and national interest. the US needs Pakistan, for there is no solution to the Afghan imbroglio and no honourable exit without the latter. that is a situation that should be used to our advantage – with diplomacy taking an upper hand. hopefully, the matter will be settled to the satisfaction of all the regional countries before the next US elections, as most of the presidential candidates are already breathing fire against Pakistan in their primary debates. Better to live with the devil you know… The writer is Sports and Magazines Editor, Pakistan today.

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Friday, 2 December, 2011

pak Studies for Dummies Hoodwinking history by being clever-and-a-half

By Ali Aftab Saeed

tudent of Matric? intermediate? Bachelors? Fear no more and rejoice, for your Pakistan Studies-related troubles are finally over. the following is for the benefit of people like you, who have gone through severe mental torture and physical pain while preparing for the Pak Studies exams. the trick is to focus not on what you know but what the examiner is looking for in the answers. For some reason, Pakistan Studies kick-starts with Muhammad Bin Qasim. You don’t have to read anything about the whole episode since you now have enough information on Memogate to attempt the question on Qasim’s intervention in Sindh, except the fact that the alleged woman who wrote him the letter was a victim while the alleged contrivers of the memo have committed high treason. Let’s not get bogged down in trivial details though and let’s focus on the big picture. nobody contributed more to islam in the subcontinent than Mehmood Ghaznavi (you can thank your lucky stars if Shah Mehmood Qureshi turns out to be the ‘Dhaaga Peer’ of your examiner). By the way, usually there’s never a question raised on either Ranjeet Singh or Sir Syed. in case you get one, screw Ranjeet but remember to go easy on Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. Granted, he never was such a great guy, but we have kind of forgiven him with time. We then come to the Mughal dynasty. the ‘Golden Era’ of our history when all the emperors used to weave straw pray mats to make their ends meet, except for Akbar who was a drunkard, married hindu

women, and invented his own religion. it doesn’t matter in the least if you still can’t fathom why the Khilafat Movement was carried out in the indian subcontinent while the indigenous ignorant masses of turkey referred to the godless Mustafa Kamal as Ataturk - their father. the point, folks, is not to inquire but to score marks. thus, when this question pops up in the paper – and it will in most examinations – skipping the unnecessary details and expounding under one heading “Gandhi ki syaasi qalabazi” (Gandhi’s political summersault) insures full marks. no exam is complete without the Fourteen Points of the Quaid e Azam. it says fourteen, but you only have to jot down thirteen - exclude the one which says “Full religious liberty, i.e. liberty of belief, worship and observance, propagation, association, and education, shall be guaranteed to all communities.” Skim through the question paper and look for the two nation theory. Wherever you find it – trust me, you will find it – is a good place to copy paste this line: “the two nation theory was inevitable because the Hindus consider cow their god, while we eat it.” there! Congratulations, you have the examiner’s heart right in your palm now. in case you don’t want to attempt any further questions, just add another line to the above statement and you are free to leave the examination hall with the mission accomplished. this line: “the two nation theory was founded the day the first Muslim set foot in the subcontinent.” invaluable tips on wars: Remember that never once in our entire history did we either start a war or lose any, never mind what nazir naji says about 65 he is not a even a graduate! india conspired in 71, manipulated our naïve Muslim brothers with its evil machinations, resulting in the Fall of Dhaka. there is no need to mention that you watched that surrender video on Youtube. We made Russia flee from Afghanistan without any foreign help (don’t watch Charlie Wilson’s War before your exam) .We would’ve

had Kashmir as well if it hadn’t been for nawaz Sharif chickening out on Kargil. Fortunately though, recent endeavours are yet to be a part of the syllabus; iSPR hasn’t approved the text yet. Just remember the tenures of all the Presidents and Prime Ministers. Don’t try to be smart about army coups. All the martial laws were the need of the hour. On each occasion, the people begged the army to save Pakistan. Each time, the general in charge succeeded in saving Pakistan. On our relations with neighbouring countries: the best are with Saudi Arabia, though Saudi Arabia isn’t our neighbour - nobody ever bothered correcting this and neither shall you! China comes second, india still practices Chanakya politics and has refused to accept us as a sovereign state; hence they never got a number in our ‘Friends Forever’ list. We share our longest border with Afghanistan and we are always the first to help them when they are in need. We would have liked iran and Russia a little more than we do if they didn’t fall for the traps india sets for them to go against us. As for Bangladesh, it still repents getting played by india but overall relations with them are friendly because we magnanimously chose to forgive them. After all, what is a momin if not a forgiving man. We are an agrarian country by all the longitudes and latitudes. We have all the four seasons, brag that this is a haven for tourists. Again, no need to be clever with Swat being a cantonment rather than a tourist spot anymore. there you go, i believe i have covered all the FAQs from the past papers and scavenged the really useful material out of the textbooks as well. Writing lengthy answers to get passing marks is a myth. the whole deal lies in giving the required answers. Soaked almonds and Surah Yaseen do help! The writer is a member of the band Beygairat Brigade that has recently released the single Aaloo Anday.

Comment 13

Course correction? No more Mr Nice Guy

Cross Currents By Qudssia Akhlaque

he government has wisely followed through with the decisions taken at the november 26 Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) regarding aerial attacks on Pakistani border posts in Mohmand Agency by US-led nato-iSAF forces. the question now is if these decisions are quick tempered responses or a result of careful examination of the problems and challenges that have resurfaced after the november 26th attack. What are these decisions aimed at achieving? Will these decisions be reversed under ‘friendly’ pressures or will they be followed through as part of a comprehensive strategy in pursuit of well-defined strategic ends? the state of Pakistan and its people have high stakes in ‘course correction’ and an eventual renegotiation of honourable terms of cooperation with US. it appears that finally after the loss of tens of thousands of Pakistani lives at the hands of the US-led troops in Afghanistan, islamabad is likely to review all aspects of its strained relationship with the US, an important but not the most trusted ally of Pakistan. there are promising signs that this time around there shall be no waffling and wavering on the position Pakistan has taken after the deadly nAtO strikes. the most significant decision is the immediate suspension of nato/iSAF logistics supply lines – a major setback to the US and its allied forces as reportedly 95 per cent of the coalition supplies go to Afghanistan via Pakistan. Equally important is the 15-day ultimatum given to the US to va-

cate the Shamsi Airbase. Requests for a review of the Shamsi Airbase decision have already been turned down. While endorsing all the decisions of the DCC emergency meeting, the cabinet meeting on tuesday also decided that Pakistan would boycott next week’s Bonn Conference. the speedy response by the civil and military leadership to has been impressive and measures announced so far have proven effective. On the diplomatic front too Pakistan moved swiftly. it lodged strong protests and condemnation of these attacks with the US, nato headquarters in Brussels and Un Security Council, underlining that these represented breach of sovereignty, violation of the Un Charter, international law and the terms of cooperation with nato/iSAF. Pakistan has clearly conveyed to the international community that this time the US-led nato and coalition forces cannot get away with cold-blooded murder on the pretext of self-defence. turkey, a nAtO-member, was the first country to condemn the strikes and express solidarity with Pakistan. China, Russia and the OiC have also condemned the attack and backed Pakistan’s demand for a joint probe. All self-respecting Pakistanis want the government to stay the course and send a clear, strong signal to the world that we mean business. An emphatic “no” from Pakistan at this critical juncture to external pressures and intervention will in no measure weaken Pakistan’s position but strengthen it. there are times in history when countries have to think beyond the economic, political, military and diplomatic calculations. Sovereignty and territorial integrity must come first and need to be safeguarded at all costs. When red lines drawn by Pakistan for cooperation with US nato-iSAF in the ongoing campaign against terrorism are repeatedly, deliberately and blatantly disregarded and even as a key US ally we are made the target, apologies become meaningless. this is evident by the fact that in the

last three years 72 Pakistani troops were killed and more than 250 injured in eight crossborder nato attacks. And not to mention the countless innocent civilians who have died in the US drone strikes that continue unabated in the tribal areas. this year alone has seen more than 57 drone attacks so far. in official briefings by civil and security establishments, there are always ready and detailed statistics on troop casualties and injuries in the fight against terrorism. however, there is hardly any mention of the civilian casualties in drone attacks. One wonders why the loss of a Pakistani civilian’s life is not counted; and what exactly is the difference between the value of an innocent Pakistani’s life and that of a foreign soldier in Afghanistan? this may well be a turning point for us as a country. As our civil-military leadership, opposition parties and the public support the ‘course correction’ there are good chances of us redeeming ourselves and confronting head-on the forces hell-bent on destabilising Pakistan. time has come for us to assert ourselves, set our own national agenda and not follow blindly the donor or US-dictated policies. When we learn to say ‘no’ in the enlightened interest of Pakistan, the world will take us more seriously and above all respect us as a nation. One that stands united and steadfast against all odds and adversities. We must have faith in ourselves as a nation and Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s Pakistan. God-willing in good time it shall emerge stronger despite multiple problems as each challenge presents a unique opportunity that makes us more resilient than before. it is darkest before dawn. The writer is a senior journalist and has been a diplomatic correspondent for leading dailies. She was an Alfred Friendly Press Fellow at the Chicago tribune in the US and a Press Fellow at Wolfson College, Cambridge, UK. She can be reached at qudssia@hotmail.com

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14 Foreign news

Friday, 2 December, 2011

Clinton pushes reform in historic Myanmar talks g

US urges severing of ‘illicit ties’ with North Korea China calls for end to Myanmar sanctions g

NAYPYIDAW

AFP

S Secretary of State hillary Clinton won promises of further reforms from Myanmar’s rulers in historic talks thursday, but said it was too soon to end sanctions after decades of repression. Paying the most senior US visit in more than half a century to a nation long distrustful of the West, Clinton offered only cautious incentives to encourage more action, despite a call by China for Western sanctions to be lifted. Clinton said Myanmar’s leaders “assured me that progress would continue and broaden” and

she welcomed the removal of restrictions on democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, whom she will meet later thursday in the commercial hub Yangon. “We’re not at the point yet that we can consider lifting sanctions that we have in place due to our ongoing concerns over policies that have to be reversed,” she said after talks with President thein Sein, a former general. “But any steps that the government takes will be carefully considered and ... will be matched because we want to see political and economic reform take hold,” she told reporters in Myanmar’s isolated showcase capital naypyidaw. thein Sein, who took charge in March after Myanmar nominally ended decades of military

rule, himself hailed a “new chapter in relations” as he met Clinton at his imposing palace decked out with chandeliers and gold-leaf chairs. Since last year, Myanmar has freed Suu Kyi from years of house arrest, held dialogue with the nobel Peace Prize winner and released hundreds of political prisoners. Suu Kyi hopes to run in by-elections early next year. Clinton’s delicate Myanmar trip is a test-case for President Barack Obama’s policy of engaging US adversaries. Upon taking office, Obama promised to reach out to all who “unclench their fists” but regimes such as iran and Syria have instead led deadly crackdowns on the opposition. Obama personally an-

nounced Clinton’s visit during a trip last month to indonesia, part of his administration’s renewed focus on Asia amid concerns in much of the region about an assertive China. She announced few immediate steps by the United States, where laws set by Congress maintain a sweeping ban on trade with Myanmar and require Washington to block international assistance to one of the world’s poorest nations. Clinton said the United States would open talks with Myanmar to start joint searches for the remains of troops killed in World War ii, when the strategically placed country was a major battleground. Clinton also invited Myanmar to join as an observer

the Lower Mekong initiative, a US programme that offers cooperation on health and the environment in Southeast Asian nations. “these are incremental steps and we are prepared to go further if reforms maintain momentum. in that spirit, we are discussing what it will take to upgrade diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors,” Clinton said. “Over time, this could become an important channel to air concerns, monitor and support progress and build trust on both sides,” she said. Clinton will meet twice with Suu Kyi – first for dinner thursday and then for more formal talks on Friday morning. Clinton also welcomed what she said were efforts by the regime to resolve

ethnic conflicts in the country formerly known as Burma, which has been torn by decades of intractable insurgencies. “But as long as the terrible violence continues in some of the world’s longest-running internal conflicts, it will be difficult to begin a new chapter,” she said. the top US diplomat also called on Myanmar to cut “illicit ties” with nuclear-armed north Korea and said the regime had given assurances that it was not cooperating with Pyongyang. “i was frank that better relations with the United States will only be possible if the entire government respects the international consensus against the spread of nuclear weapons,” she said.

‘No Israeli attack on Iran anytime soon’ JERUSALEM REuTERS

NAyPyIDAW: Myanmar President Thein Sein meets with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a meeting at the President’s Office on Thursday. Clinton is travelling to the country in the first visit by a US Secretary of State in more than 50 years. afp

Amnesty accuses Saudi Arabia of repression DUBAI AFP

Amnesty international has accused Saudi Arabia of conducting a campaign of repression against protesters and reformists since the Arab Spring erupted, in a newly published report. “the last nine months has seen a new wave of repression in Saudi Arabia as authorities have cracked down on protesters and reformists on security grounds,” the rights watchdog said in a statement issued late Wednesday. “While the arguments used to justify this wide-ranging crackdown may be different, the abusive practices being employed by the Saudi Arabian government are worryingly similar to those which they have long used against people accused of terrorist offences,” he said. Saudi Arabia has been spared much of the unrest that has swept the Arab world this year and toppled autocratic leaders in three countries – tunisia, Egypt and Libya. And Amnesty accused the authorities in the conservative Sunni kingdom of detaining “thousands of people, many of them without charge or trial, on terrorism-related grounds.”

Shared sacrifices allowed Iraq war to end: Biden VICTORY BASE COMPLEX AFP

US Vice President Joe Biden thanked US and iraqi forces on thursday for their shared sacrifices, saying they had made it possible to end the war. “We’re gathered here to thank the armed forces of iraq and America, and to honour your sacrifice, to honour your success, as well as your commitment,” Biden said at a ceremony at Al-Faw palace in the sprawling Victory Base Complex near the capital. “Because of you ... and the work those of you in uniform have done, we are now able to end this war,” Biden said at the ceremony attended by iraqi Prime Minister nuri al-Maliki, President Jalal talabani and US ambassador James Jeffrey. “All of you sitting before me today have laid the foundation for a long-term strategic partnership between our nations, and also for an iraq that, against all odds, can serve as a source of stability not only for its people, but here in the region, and for years to come. “i think it’s fair to say, almost no one thought that was possible a few

18 dead in attacks in Diyala province BAQUBA: Attacks in iraq’s Diyala province, north of Baghdad, killed 18 people on thursday, 10 of them in a market bombing in the town of Khalis, medical and security officials said. the bloodshed came as US Vice President Joe Biden was in iraq to usher in a new phase in relations between Washington and Baghdad nearly nine years after the US-led invasion. in a separate attack, gunmen using silencers raided three homes in the Diyala village of Jil al-Said, south of Baquba, killing eight people, among them two commanders of an anti-Qaeda militia and members of their families, the army colonel said. the Sahwa militia are made up of Sunni Arab tribesmen and former insurgents who joined forces with the US military against Al-Qaeda from late 2006, helping turn the tide against the jihadists. AFP years ago,” Biden said. US President Barack Obama announced on October 21 that US troops would leave iraq by the end of 2011, bringing to a close an almost nine-year war that has left thousands of US soldiers and tens of thousands of iraqis dead, and cost hundreds of billions of dollars. “President Obama and i came to

office absolutely determined to bring this war to a responsible end. “At the end of this month, we will keep our promise to remove our remaining troops from iraq.” About 13,800 US soldiers are still in the country, and seven US bases remain to be handed over, according to US military spokesman Major General Jeffrey Buchanan.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said thursday an israeli attack on iran is not imminent but all options remain open to stop what israel sees as an iranian bid to develop nuclear weapons. “We have no intention, at the moment, of taking action, but the State of israel is far from being paralyzed by fear,” Barak told israel Radio. “it must act calmly and quietly – we don’t need big wars.” Barak was interviewed a day after the top U.S. military officer said he did not know whether israel would alert the United States ahead of time if it decided to strike iran, the Jewish state’s archadversary in the Middle East. General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also acknowledged differences in perspective between the United States and israel over the best way to handle iran and its nuclear program. in the radio interview, Barak said “israel would be very glad if sanctions and diplomacy could bring the iranian leadership to a clear decision to abandon its nuclear military program.” But, “unfortunately, i think that is not going to happen.” Asked about Dempsey’s remarks, Barak said israel “greatly respects the United States” and maintained a continuous dialogue with its main ally on security issues. “Certainly, a non-diplomatic option is the last option, and i think everyone agrees with the fact that all options are on the table,” the israeli defense chief said.

US protesters vow to shut down West Coast ports LOS ANGELES AFP

Occupy movements plan to shut down major ports along the US West Coast and Canada’s Pacific seaboard in a day of action next month, they said. in an announcement hours after a twomonth old anti-Wall Street protest camp was evicted in Los Angeles, they said they plan to strike back against the “nationally coordinated attack on the Occupy movement.” Local Occupy movements in San Diego, LA, Oakland, Portland, tacoma, Seattle will support the December 12 day of action, they said. “We are also striking back against the nationally coordinated attack on the Occupy movement. in response to the police violence and camp evictions against the Occupy movement, this is our coordinated response against the 1 percent. “On December 12th we will show are collective power through pinpointed economic blockade of the 1%,” she added.

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Friday, 2 December, 2011

Foreign news 15 Second wave of Afghan transition kicks off CHARIKAR AFP

KIWANJA: Amid fears of renewed violence in the wait for preliminary presidential election results, internally-displaced Congolese families live in squalid conditions in camps made of igloo-shaped huts with mud walls, patched by wooden sticks, dried palm leaves and UNHCR sheets for shelter. These camps are home to more than 2,000 people who fled their homes to escape fighting between rebel groups and the Congolese armed forces. afp

EU slaps further sanctions on Iran g

EU ministers discuss fate of Iranian exiles in Iraq g Rome summons Iran’s charge d’affaires over mission attack BRUSSELS

AFP

UROPEAn Union foreign ministers slapped sanctions on more than 180 iranian companies and individuals thursday over tehran’s refusal to meet international demands to halt sensitive nuclear work. the ministers also agreed to continue working on extra punitive measures that could target iran’s vital energy sector, a diplomat said. Britain and Germany called for sanctions to financially isolate iran as EU foreign ministers gathered to consider tough new measures against tehran due to fresh concerns over its nuclear programme. thanking European Union countries for their “emphatic support” following the storming of Britain’s embassy in iran, Foreign Secretary William hague said “i hope we will agree today additional measures that will be an intensification of the economic pressure on iran. “Peaceful legitimate economic pressure particularly to increase the isolation of the iranian financial sector,” he added.

German counterpart Guido Westerwelle said the aim of sanctions “is to dry up iran’s financial sources.” the ministers slapped an assets freeze and travel ban on a further 143 iranian companies and 37 people. But they remain divided over extending the blacklist to the country’s oil sector or freezing the assets of it’s central bank. Britain, France and Germany and Sweden favour oil sanctions, but with Spain, Greece and italy significantly dependent on oil from iran “there will be no oil sanctions” announced thursday, an EU diplomat said. “i’m sure there’ll be a discussion” on oil sanctions, hague said. “i think there will be a variety of views, i dont know what the outcome of that is going to be.” Sweden Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said he would argue in favour of an embargo on iranian crude, which in 2010 amounted to 5.8 percent of total EU imports, making the country the fifth supplier at the time after Russia, norway, Libya and Saudi Arabaia. Of that total, Spain accounted for 14.6 percent, Greece for 14 and italy for 13.1 percent. Meanwhile, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on

thursday called for a “satisfactory outcome” in the complex relocation of 3,400 iranian dissidents due to be expelled from a camp in iraq. As EU foreign ministers prepared to discuss controversial efforts to close Camp Ashraf north of Baghdad, Ashton said she had held talks on the issue both with US authorities and with Un officials monitoring iraq’s closure of the camp. Camp Ashraf has been home to members of the People’s Mujahedeen Organisation of iran (PMOi) since the 1980s. But iraq is intent on closing it by year’s end in what PMOi leaders say is a plot designed by tehran to eliminate the dissidents. PMOi exiles in Europe, who staged a demonstration outside EU offices thursday, have enlisted the support of around 100 European parliamentarians who have warned of the impending “slaughter” of the dissidents failing the presence of Un or US forces to protect them. iraq says it is exercising its sovereignty in closing the facility which has been home to the exiles for 30 years. Ashton is to ask ministers how many refugees each country can take, with others going to the United States, Canada and Australia. Meanwhile, iran’s charge d’affaires

in Rome, Mehdi Akouchekian, was summoned by italy’s foreign ministry following the “intolerable” attack by protesters on Britain’s embassy in tehran. the italian government expressed its “strong condemnation” of the “violent and intolerable” attack and stressed its “solidarity with the British government,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. “italy will evaluate, along with other European Union countries, how to react to make sure such an episode will not happen again,” it said. IRAN FREES 11 HELD FOR STORMING BRITISH COMPOUND: iran has released 11 protesters detained for storming the British diplomatic compounds in tehran, a report said on thursday, after iran’s top lawmaker described Britain’s response as “unjustifiable.” the protesters were released late Wednesday after being arrested during the temporary seizure of the British diplomatic residence in tehran on tuesday. the iranian foreign ministry expressed regret over the incident, and a senior police commander was quoted as saying that a number of protesters had been arrested and others were being sought.

A second wave of Afghanistan’s transition from nAtO to local control officially started thursday as international forces handed over most of a peaceful province. All but two districts of Parwan province, north of the capital Kabul, are being handed to Afghan control. the area is the first to transition formally after President hamid Karzai announced Sunday a list of six provinces, seven cities and dozens of districts which are expected to switch in the coming weeks. the transition process should allow foreign combat troops to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014. the handover was confirmed by interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi. two districts in the province – Shinwari and Siagerd, where armed insurgents are believed to have more influence than in other parts – will not be included in the second wave of transition. the first stage of transition began in July, with seven areas handed over. Around 140,000 foreign troops are in Afghanistan, nearly two-thirds of them from the United States, battling a taliban-led insurgency.

Donors agree on new ‘transparent’ aid partnership BUSAN AFP

Donors from 160 countries including China agreed on thursday to form a worldwide partnership to ensure tens of billions of dollars in foreign aid goes to help the neediest. their declaration came at the end of the world’s premier aid forum, at which Western countries tried to bring emerging donors like China which does not co-ordinate with other major aid-givers - into the international fold. But private groups expressed regret that the deal was not binding. the agreement “will only live up to its historic potential if nations follow through on their promises”, said BetterAid, a coalition of private aid organisations. it said an initially reluctant China had supported the declaration on condition it was voluntary. About 3,500 government and private officials took part, debating ways to spend aid better and to co-ordinate efforts by traditional donors with emerging economic powerhouses like China, Brazil and india.

EU stiffens economic sanctions on Syria g

Arab League rejects foreign intervention in Syria at EU talks BRUSSELS/ CAIRO AFP

the European Union tightened sanctions against Syria’s energy and financial sectors on thursday in order to punish President Bashar al-Assad’s regime for its crackdown on dissidents, diplomats said. EU foreign ministers adopted bans on exporting gas and oil industry equipment to Syria, trading Syrian government bonds and selling software that could be used to monitor internet and telephone communications. Meanwhile , Arab League chief nabil al-Arabi rejected any foreign intervention in Syria on thursday as he joined European Union talks aimed at ramping up pressure on the regime over its crackdown on dissidents. “We reject any accusation that the Arab League is inviting any intervention,” Arabi said on arrival for a lunch with EU foreign ministers. “Every decision taken by the

Arab League rejects an intervention,” he added, days after the pan-Arabic body imposed its own unprecedented sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem accused “some League members” this week of “pushing to internationalise the conflict.” Meanhile, the brother of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, several ministers and telecom magnate Rami Makhluf are on a list of 17 senior figures to be targeted by Arab League sanctions, officials said thursday. Under the economic measures agreed this week by the 22member organisation, they would be banned from travelling in the region and have any assets in Arab countries frozen, if the list is confirmed at a meeting on Saturday. Ministers from Qatar, Egypt, Algeria, Oman and Sudan are to meet in Doha on Saturday. Other countries have been invited, but iraq has already said it will boycott the Arab League measures.

TAIPEI: Dozens of volunteers join a human chain in the form of a red ribbon, the symbol of ‘love and care’ for HIv and AIDS carriers worldwide, on World AIDS Day. The theme of the 2011 global campaign to fight AIDS is ‘Getting to Zero’. afp

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Friday, 2 December, 2011

Nude Lady Gaga reveals all on

bad romance

LOS ANGELES

AGENCIES

CCEntRiC ‘Bad Romance’ songstress Lady Gaga says she has an “inability to know what happiness feels like with a man,” in typically outspoken comments accompanying a nude magazine photospread. Gaga posed for a series of trademark Annie Leibovitz pictures on the cover and inside pages of the latest edition of Vanity Fair — including one shot of her naked, being painted by veteran crooner tony Bennett. “i have never felt truly cherished by a lover. i

how often have you come across a Rs 0.4 million ($100,000) silk saree? Chennai Silks, a textile unit has come up with one of its kind and it is seeking an unmistakable entry into the Guinness Book of World Records for being the most unique and expensive saree. the exceptionally stunning saree is meticulously woven with 12 precious stones and metals to depict 11 of Raja Ravi Verma’s popular paintings. Explicitly projected is ‘Lady Musicians’, one of the painter’s very famous works that displays women belonging to diverse cultural backgrounds. Besides, the border of the saree pictures 10 other paintings of the artist that pays tribute to 20th century artist. the best part of the saree being that the women in the paintings are intricately hand-woven and beautified with jewels of gold, diamond, platinum, silver, ruby, emerald, yellow sapphire, sapphire, cat’s eye, topaz, pearl and corals. Already in the Limca Book of Records, this Rs 0.4 million saree will be the first silk saree that required the use of 7,440 jacquard hooks and

Bachchans

LOS ANGELES: Katy Perry announces the nominations for Album of the year during the Grammy Nominations Concert.

have an inability to know what happiness feels like with a man,” she told the magazine, suggesting she might be destined to be a single Lady forever. And she added: “i say this honestly, and this is my new thing as of the past year: when i fight with someone i’m in a relationship with, i think, ‘What would my fans think if they knew this was happening?’ “how would they feel about my work and about me as a female if they knew i was allowing this to go on?’ And then i get out,” she said. Gaga — who was due to appear Wednesday night at the annual Grammys nomination show in Los Angeles — appears in a lavish red two-piece and over-sized hat on the front of the magazine. inside pictures include her washing furs in a laundromat, eating at a hot dog stand dressed in a vast golden dress — and a shot of her naked, posing on a rug with her back arched for Bennett, in an artist’s studio. She says her relationships tend to follow a same destructive pattern, especially if her partner is as creative as she is. “it starts out good,” she says. “then when i’m in these relationships with people who are also creative, or creative in their own way, what happens is the attraction is initially there and it’s all unicorns and rainbows. “And then they hate me... if i go to the piano and write a quick song and play it back, they are angry with how fast and effortless it is. that’s who i am, and i don’t apologize for it.

This saree is costlier than a ferrari! MONITORING DESK

IN LIMELIGHT

66,794 cards during the weaving process. A group of consummate workers took nearly 4,680 hours to complete it.

MUMBAI: vidya Balan poses during the promotional event of ‘The Dirty Picture’.

MUMBAI: Kareena Kapoor and Imran Khan pose at the promotion of ‘Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu’.

I have

to sell Beti B’s pics? contaminated

MuMBAI: It’s been some time that Abhishek and Aishwarya’s little daughter is back home, and the name hunt is still on for their little one, among other things. It has been heard that many a newspaper agency is waiting with bated breath for as much as a single

picture of Baby B, but have been solemnly disappointed as the Bachchans claim this to be too personal an affair and refuse to oblige. Rumour also has it that even the foreign media is trying to get hold of this big exclusive and have even offered the family a substantial sum of money running into crores. Well, insiders say that members of the Bachchan family aren’t even considering giving away or even selling the pictures of the family’s new member! “It can be remembered that there were rumours of the Bachchans even selling the photographs of the very private marriage ceremony of Aishwarya and Abhishek. But the Bachchans didn’t do any of that and proved them all wrong. This time, too, people are speculating, but it’s highly improbable that the Bachchans will sell the rights of these,” a source said. AGENCIES

MuMBAI: Emraan Hashmi, who has earned the tag of Bollywood’s ‘serial kisser’ for his bold acts and Casanova roles, says he has “contaminated” the tinsel town with his infamous lip locks. “I have contaminated the film industry. If not I, then someone else would have done those bold acts. Cinema has to evolve. I was the face of something that was bold, that raised eyebrows. Some of the cultural dictators of the film industry said what he (Emraan) has done, this is not Bollywood, what kind of films are these, this is not our culture,” Emraan told reporters. “As far as audience wants to see it then how can it be wrong and as long as there is market for this. Sexuality, boldness, vulgarity...it depends on every person, everyone has a different perception,” he said. Ask him if the ‘serial kisser’ tag has helped him or damaged his reputation, Emraan said, “I don’t know if it is still helping me or damaging my career right now.

Bollywood: Emraan Hashmi

Something is working...because my films are working. Eventually no one gives a damn about what someone writes or thinks about the onscreen image. As long as your products like ‘Dirty Picture’, ‘Murder’ are good no one really thinks of the image.” AGENCIES

Ranveer Singh’s

hairdo revamped

MuMBAI: Hair designer Sapna Bhavnani creates four new looks for Ranveer Singh for his forthcoming films. When you are not really blessed with a Greek God face, then you need to pay attention to what you wear and how you do up your hair; because a good combination of talent and a well-groomed appearance can make you work in Bollywood. Ranveer Singh, a talented actor has realised this, and worked hard on how he looks for his forthcoming film ‘Ladies vs Ricky Bahl’. His new look has been designed by ace hair designer Sapna Bhavnani. His unkempt, casual T-shirt look has been replaced with four distinct new looks that flatter his personality - some with neatly combed oiled hair, moustache, gelled hair and more. After the success of ‘Band Baaja Baaraat’, Ranveer is once again teaming up with Anushka Sharma for this romantic comedy. AGENCIES

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17 LOS ANGELES: Michael Jackson's sister La Toya Jackson (C) arrives outside the courthouse for the sentencing of Doctor Conrad Murray.

Kanye West, Adele among top nods for Grammys LOS ANGELES AGENCIES

S rapper Kanye West won the most nominations for next year’s Grammys announced Wednesday, followed closely by British singer Adele, continuing her awards success despite recent health woes. West was nominated in seven categories for the music industry’s top awards, to be given out February 12, while Adele got six nods — including three of the key categories, as did Foo Fighters and Bruno Mars. Lady Gaga was arguably the star of the nominations show at the nokia theatre in Los Angeles, opening and closing the hour-long concert although she is only nominated in three categories this year. Adele’s ‘Rolling in the Deep’ was tipped for Record of the Year along with folksters Bon iver for ‘holocene,’ hawaiian crooner Bruno Mars’ ‘Grenade,’ ‘the Cave’ by British folk rockers Mumford and Sons and Katy Perry’s ‘Firework.’the Lon-

don songstress’s album ‘21’ also led the nods for Album of the Year, and will fight it out with the Foo Fighters’ ‘Wasting Light,’ Lady Gaga’s ‘Born this Way,’ Bruno Mars’ ‘Doo Wops and hooligans’ and Rihanna’s ‘Loud.’ Kanye West’s seven nods include ‘All of the Lights’ for Song of the Year, up against Mumford and Sons’ ‘the Cave,’ Mars’ ‘Grenade,’ Adele’s ‘Rolling in the Deep’ and Bon iver’s ‘holocene.’in the running for Best new Artist — the category which Adele won in 2009 — are the Band Perry, Bon iver, J. Cole, rapper nicki Minaj and Skrillex — the latter was shortlisted for five awards, as was Lil Wayne. Adele has continued to attract awards nods and gongs despite being dogged by throat problems which forced her to cancel all engagements for the rest of the year in October, and to undergo surgery. “She’s just completely rooted in the music. She definitely pours her heart out in everything she does,” said Grammynominated Canadian R and B singer Melanie Fiona, after the star-studded LA show.

MUMBAI ZEENEWS

PARIS: British singer Paul McCartney performs at the Bercy Palais-Omnisport.

Bollywood bombshell Katrina Kaif rocked the nation with her moves in ‘Sheila Ki Jawani’ last year and now she is all set to take on her fans with ‘Chikni Chameli’ in ‘Agneepath’. Apparently, Kat is working really hard and rehearsing day in day out for the anticipated item number which costars Sanjay and hrithik can’t stop raving about her. At the same time Kat is also very excited to have finally found the opportunity to work with Karan Johar. She said, “Dharma, Karan and i were to work together on ‘Dostana 2’, but that got deferred. i have always wanted to do something with Karan, so when he told me about the concept of the ‘Chikni Chameli’ item number, i loved it. My reason for doing it is because Karan

Asin sheds her MUMBAI AGENCIES

Asin thottumkal says that people in Bollywood initially found her to be aloof but that isn’t her true self. On the ‘housefull 2’ sets people found a completely different Asin. Says a source close to her, “She is very friendly by nature and likes to mix with the unit and sit and eat with them while shooting rather than sit in a corner or stick to her van. She has even made her own set of friends in Mumbai and is seen enjoying their company especially over weekends. She feels when you are working with people you need to be friends, too.”

is such a nice person and has been really good with me. After i heard the song and dance director Ganesh Acharya gave me a dry run, i took it up as a challenge and actually had a lot of fun doing it.” Both Sanjay and hrithik are extremely impressed with Katrina’s energy and Ganesh’s choreography in the song. they feel that not only will Kat’s item girl avatar will escalate to a new level after this song but Ganesh is the only choreographer in the industry who understands the pulse of masses in india. Sanju said, “he has interpreted this song in a very desi way. Our jaws dropped when Kat did the entire song for us during the rehearsal.” hrithik rounded it up by adding, “the audience will be spellbound by Katrina as ‘Chikni Chameli’. She is the most hardworking co-star and is unbelievable.”

Ashton Kutcher

‘swarmed’ LOS ANGELES: Ashton Kutcher, whose six year marriage to Demi Moore crumbled last month, was reportedly “swarmed” by girls during a night out when he visited his hometown in Iowa during Thanksgiving. According to Us Magazine, the 33-year-old actor’s night out in Cedar Rapids saw him visiting local sports bars where he allegedly lapped up the attention lavished upon him by the local women. “He was drinking beer, and girls kept coming up to him,” the Daily mail quoted a source as telling the publication. “He loved the attention. Girls were hugging him and shaking his hand. After a three hour drinking session with old friends, Kutcher turned down an invite from a group of women to visit a strip club. He was swarmed by girls. A few tried to convince him to go to a strip club... but he declined” the source added. AGENCIES

by girls during night out

I might not be an actress

forever:

Charlize Theron

LOS ANGELES: Charlize Theron has admitted that she has no idea how long she will remain an actress. According to Los Angeles Confidential magazine, the 36-year-old actress also revealed that it is the uncertainty of her profession that makes it all the more interesting. “I don’t know if I feel I’m here to stay, but that’s a good thing. That keeps you on your toes,” Contact music quoted her as saying. “I think this is an industry where you can’t get too comfortable. It’s constantly churning with great talent, and you’ve got to raise the bar and try to push yourself. I don’t ever want to kind of feel, ‘yeah, I’m here. I made it.’ I think that would probably be the time to retire,” she added. AGENCIES

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Friday, 2 December, 2011

Wozniacki to play in Sydney International Page 23

Afridi’s five leads rout of BD DHAKA

AFP

hAhiD Afridi grabbed five wickets for 23 runs and then kept his cool in a batting crisis as Pakistan overcame Bangladesh by five wickets in the first one-dayer in Dhaka on thursday. the leg-spinner ripped through the Bangladesh line-up as the hosts were bundled out for 91 after electing to bat at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium -- with seven batsmen failing to reach double figures. Pakistan lost five wickets chasing the modest target which was eventually overhauled in the 26th over to give the tourists the lead in the three-match series. Seamer Rubel hossain and spinner Shakib Al hasan claimed two wickets apiece to leave Pakistan struggling at 635, before Afridi took his team home with an unbeaten 24 off 23 balls. As the runs dried up on the turning wicket, Afridi broke free with three successive fours off

SCOREBOARD BANGLADESH: Tamim Iqbal lbw b Hafeez 0 Shahriar Nafees c Malik b Afridi 7 5 Naeem Islam c Misbah b Gul 11 Mushfiqur Rahim c Sarfraz b Malik 15 Shakib Al Hasan c Akmal b Afridi Mohammad Mahmudullah c Sarfraz b Afridi 1 Nasir Hossain c Sarfraz b Cheema 21 Farhad Reza lbw b Afridi 1 Abdur Razzak c Younis b Ajmal 3 Shafiul Islam c Sarfraz b Afridi 0 15 Rubel Hossain not out 12 EXTRAS: (b2, lb2, w8) TOTAL (all out, 30.3 overs) 91 Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Tamim), 2-6 (Naeem), 3-29 (Mushfiqur), 4-29 (Nafees), 5-31 (Mahmudullah), 6-67 (Nasir), 7-71 (Shakib), 8-74 (Razzak), 9-74 (Reza), 10-91 (Shafiul) BOWLING: Hafeez 5-2-7-1, Gul 5-1-19-1 (w6), Afridi 6.3-0-235, Malik 5-0-13-1 (w2), Ajmal 6-2-13-1, Cheema 3-1-12-1. PAKISTAN: Mohammad Hafeez c Nafees b Rubel 22 Imran Farhat b Nasir 12 Younis Khan c Rahim b Shakib 2 Sarfraz Ahmed c Shakib b Rubel 2 16 Misbah-ul-Haq not out umar Akmal b Shakib 7 24 Shahid Afridi not out EXTRAS: (lb4, w4) 8 TOTAL (for five wickets, 25.4 overs) 93 Fall of wickets: 1-36 (Farhat), 2-42 (Hafeez), 3-42 (Younis), 444 (Sarfraz), 5-63 (Akmal). BOWLING: Razzak 4-1-15-0 (w1), Shafiul 3-0-8-0 (w2), Shakib 9.4-3-42-2 (w1), Rubel 8-1-23-2, Nasir 1-0-1-1 Pakistan won by five wickets, leads 1-0 in three-match series. TOSS: Bangladesh uMPIRES: Johan Cloete (RSA) and Enamul Haque (BAN) TV uMPIRE: Sharfuddoula Saikat (BAN) MATCH REFEREE: Javagal Srinath (IND)

Shakib and then cut the same bowler for another boundary to win the game. Skipper Misbah-ul-haq made 16 not out, sharing a match-winning stand of 30 with Afridi. it was Pakistan’s 26th win in 27 one-dayers against Bangladesh, the lone defeat having come during the 1999 World Cup in England. Afridi, who was the obvious choice for the man of the match, said he wanted to do well every time he took the field. “i want to be consistent, that’s the most important thing,” the 31-year-old said. “this time i tried to bring a lot more variations in my bowling and that worked. “When i went out to bat, the coach told me to play my normal attacking game.” Misbah admitted he was worried when five wickets went down. “it really looked tough at one stage, but Afridi won us the game,” the relieved Pakistan skipper said. “the spinners got a lot of help, the ball turned and bounced. “But i am disappointed the way some of our batsmen batted. they got starts, but did not carry on. it’s a problem we have to work on.” Bangladesh, who lost half the side for 31 runs, were dismissed in 30.3 overs and barely managed to surp a s s

their lowest one-day total against Pakistan of 87. Bangladesh’s batting never recovered after losing aggressive opener tamim iqbal with the fourth ball of the innings, trapped leg-before by off-spinner Mohammad hafeez. nasir hossain (21) and Shakib put on 36 for the sixth wicket to ensure Bangladesh did not fall below their lowest total of 58 -- against the West indies at the same venue during the World

Cup in March. Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim said he was disappointed his team was bowled out for just 91. “it looked a good track to bat on, but we lost a couple of early wickets,” he said. “Credit goes to the Pakistan bowlers, but we need to work on our batting at the top of the order. “hopefully it will all come together in the next match.” the second one-dayer will be played at the same venue on Saturday.

Pakistan forms anti-corruption division

KARACHI AFP

DHAKA: Teammates congratulate Shahid Afridi (2L) after the dismissal of the Bangladeshi batsman Mohammad Mahmudullah. afp

“The conditions were perfect for the spinners. But it’s not that difficult a wicket. If the batsmen want they can survive” Shahid Afridi

Pakistan cricket authorities have approved the setting-up of a “vigilance and security division” to fight corruption in the game, a month after three top players were imprisoned for spot-fixing. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been criticised for failing to combat graft, highlighted by the sentencing of former test captain Salman Butt and pacemen Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer over their roles in fixing parts of a Lord’s test against England last year. the PCB’s governing board met in Lahore on tuesday and approved the new branch, which it said would be headed by a senior retired police or army official. “the division will be responsible for monitoring and managing issues related to corruption and security,” a PCB statement released on thursday said. new PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf said in the United Arab Emirates last month that strict measures would be brought into place “so that our players, wherever they are, don’t get in touch with people who try to drag them into such negative activity.” Pakistan cricket has been blighted by allegations of match-fixing since 1995 when Australian trio Shane Warne, tim May and Mark Waugh alleged then captain Salim Malik offered them bribes to under perform during a tour to Pakistan. A judicial inquiry ended in life bans for Malik and paceman Ata-ur Rehman. it also fined Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar, inzamam-ul haq, Mushtaq Ahmed and Akram Raza. After the spot-fixing scandal last year, the international Cricket Council came down hard on Pakistan, forcing them to form an integrity committee to look into players’ assets and behaviour.

Vettori, Brownlie lead New Zealand fight back BRISBANE AFP

Daniel Vettori and Dean Brownlie restored thursday new Zealand’s first innings after a clatter of wickets on the rain-shortened opening day of the first test against Australia at the Gabba. When rain forced an early finish after tea, the eighth-ranked Black Caps, chasing their first victory in Australia for 26 years, were 176 for five after winning the toss. Former skipper Vettori was on 45 off 66 balls and Brownlie, dropped twice on three, unbeaten on 32 off 89 deliveries. Australian captain Michael Clarke fumbled Brownlie at first slip in a straightforward chance off Peter Siddle and two balls later David Warner got his fingertips to a cut shot at point off Mitchell Starc. Brownlie continued to live a charmed life and Starc found an inside edge only for the ball to just miss offstump and roll down to the boundary. the pair put on an unbeaten 80 runs for the sixth wicket to rescue their team from a shaky opening. the Kiwis were faltering at 96 for five shortly after lunch when Jesse Ryder on six lazily sliced Starc straight to Warner at point for the pace debutant’s second wicket. Only last weekend Ryder clubbed 16

sixes to equal a first-class record for most sixes in his explosive century in a test warm-up game against Australia A. “We wanted to be patient and stick to our plans and knew they would be playing their shots so if we could stay patient then the rewards would come,” Starc said. Starc dismissed opening batsman Brendon McCullum, with seven fours in his 34, during the morning session, also caught by fellow debutant Warner. Starc, the most impressive of Australia’s bowlers, finished the day with 2-52 off 13 overs. “it’s something i’ll never forget and obviously i’m pretty proud just to get the baggy green cap but to take a couple of wickets was fantastic as well,” Starc said. injuries to Ryan harris, Mitchell Johnston, allrounder Shane Watson and exciting teenager Pat Cummins forced selectors to go with Australia’s most inexperienced bowling attack in almost three decades. Australia made their first breakthrough with the wicket of Martin Guptill for 13 in the 11th over. Siddle, leading the inexperienced Australian pace attack in his 26th test match, got an edge to wicketkeeper Brad haddin, leaving the Black Caps at 44 for one inside the first hour. McCullum was out to a careless dis-

SCOREBOARD NEW ZEALAND 1st innings B. McCullum c Warner b Starc 34 M. Guptill c Haddin b Siddle 13 K. Williamson c Khawaja b Lyon 19 R. Taylor b Pattinson 14 J. Ryder c Warner b Starc 6 D. Brownlie not out 32 D. Vettori not out 45 EXTRAS (9b, 3w, 1nb) 13 TOTAL (for 5 wickets; 51 overs) 176 Fall of wickets: 1-44 (Guptill), 2-56 (McCullum), 3-78 (Williamson), 4-93 (Taylor), 5-96 (Ryder) BOWLING: Pattinson 11-1-50-1 (2w, 1nb), Siddle 15-5-29-1 (1w), Starc 13-0-52-2, Lyon 10-0-31-1, Hussey 2-0-5-0. Rain ended play at 4:00 pm (06:00 GMT) TOSS: New Zealand uMPIRES: Aleem Dar (PAK) Asad Rauf (PAK) TV uMPIRE: Nigel Llong (ENG) MATCH REFEREE: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)

missal, bottom-edging a square cut to Warner to give Starc his first test wicket in his sixth over. “First hour good. Second hour a bit reckless,” McCullum said. “Our guys wanted to try to exert some dominance on the opposition and the game and probably got a touch over aggressive and we probably paid for it. “We’ve got to keep making sure we put ourselves in the strongest position we can, 280-300 is the minimum for us. Anything over that is a bonus.” Captain Ross taylor had a lucky escape on four runs when he was dropped

BRISBANE: New Zealand batsman Brendon McCullum drives a ball. afp by Usman Khawaja off Pattinson before Kane Williamson was out for 19. Williamson played across his pads to finger spinner nathan Lyon and flicked a head-high catch to Khawaja close in to the bat leaving the Kiwis at 78 for three. Pattinson got the prized wicket of tay-

lor, who dragged a wide delivery on to his stumps for 14 nearing lunch. But Vettori and Brownlie restored the innings before the washout. Australia left paceman Ben Cutting out of the starting eleven, which contained three debutants -- Pattinson, Starc and Warner.

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Friday, 2 December, 2011

Rs 100m of Zardari family withdrawn in fraud KARACHI ONLINE

About Rs 100 million belonging to the Zardari family account were fraudulently withdrawn on Wednesday and the Federal investigation Agency (FiA) has arrested some people in this connection. FiA authorities were given directives by an important Sindhi personality affiliated with the Zardari family, who also supervises the political affairs of Sindh, to look into the embezzlement. three people, including two bank managers, were arrested by the FiA after the registration of a case against them. FiA has also obtained a seven-day remand for the accused. the FiA said the accounts manager of an important personality was involved in the scam, but had managed to flee abroad. Sources said the interpol was being contacted for his arrest.

India test-fires nuclear capable Agni-I missile BHUBANESWAR

Case is a conspiracy against Zardari: ppp Continued From page 1 Later, the prime minister and president contacted PML-Quaid President Chaudhry Shujaat hussain, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf hussain, Jamiat Ulema-eislam (JUi-F) chief Fazlur Rehman and Balochistan national Party-Awami (BnP) chief israrullah Zehri on the telephone, while Awami national Party (AnP) chief Asfandyar Wali visited the Presidency and gave his input. the president then held another consultation meeting with the government’s leading ministers including Babar Awan, Syed Khurshid Shah, Firdous Ashiq Awan and Rehman Malik. Finally it was decided that the government would strongly respond to the court verdict. ‘RELIEF BROTHERS’: Raising serious questions regarding the impartiality of the judiciary, Awan said it was historic fact that the PPP was never given relief while the rulers of the Punjab were

Al qaeda holding Wenstein in Pakistan WASHINGTON AFP

Al Qaeda is holding a US aid worker captured last August in Pakistan, the group’s leader Ayman alZawahiri said in a statement seen thursday by a monitoring group. Zawahiri said al Qaeda had abducted USAiD worker Warren Weinstein, “who is neck-deep in American aid to Pakistan”, on August 13, and that the White house had the ability to get him freed if it halts US airstrikes and releases prisoners including relatives of Osama bin Laden, the SitE intelligence Group said.

Mansoor Ijaz ready to help SC in memo case ZURICH PR

the US-Pakistani businessman at the centre of the Memogate controversy, Mansoor ijaz, in a press release issued on thursday offered to assist the Special investigator appointed by the Supreme Cout of Pakistan with evidence in the Memogate inquiry.

never refused relief. he said the Sharif brothers had got so much relief from the courts that they had been named “Relief brothers”. Accusing the apex court of biased treatment of the government, Awan said the federation was not put on notice in the memogate case and despite the fact that he himself was present in court, he was not heard. “the PPP always faces allegations in courts. the Sharif brothers have been given so much relief by the courts that under stay orders, no case of default or tax evasion can be opened against them. i can’t understand why the Sharifs always talk about commissions,” he said, referring to the petition by nawaz Sharif seeking the formation of a commission to probe the memogate scandal. he also alleged that the Sharif brothers wanted a war between the state institutions and after losing the battle in the political field, they were looking for strong backing from the courts.

Awan also pointed the finger at an apex court judge, stating that one of the brothers of tariq Khosa was an apex court judge, while another one was the chief secretary of Punjab while his father-in-law was the one who was involved in the judicial murder of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. “how could one think that such a person would be impartial? tariq Khosa is the same person who was not given his choice posting by the federal government. how will he do justice when his entire family is biased?” he said. holding nawaz Sharif responsible for violating the Charter of Democracy, Awan said the PML-n chief had played a dirty game to get the president held responsible for treason. he said initially someone had talked about threats to Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal (under President Zardari), and now the ‘treason card’ was being played. “now you can solve the jigsaw puzzle yourself. Whether or not we have hope for justice, we will not

is an Zardari vows to Memo attempt on sovereignty: SC fail all Opp moves

Continued From page 1

ONLINE

india on thursday tested its indigenously developed nuclear-capable surface-tosurface Agni-i missile from a military base in Odisha, indian officials said. According to indian media reports, the missile, which can strike a target 700 kilometres away, was tested from a facility on Wheeler island near Dhamra in Bhadrak district, reports said.

news 19

ISLAMABAD ONLINE

RESiDEnt Asif Ali Zardari on thursday said all attempts against him and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) would be thwarted at all costs. he was speaking to various delegations of PPP and Awami national Party that called on him at the Presidency. “i am the spiritual son of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and i can face every kind of challenge. Benazir Bhutto had full confidence in me. now the nation has confidence in her closest aide,” the president added. he said he was not afraid of the prevailing situation. “the PPP came into power by getting peoples’ mandate and all political forces should respect it,” he said.

According to the sources, hearing in the Supreme Court in the memo scam, recent statements of nawaz Sharif and other important issues and future policies of the PPP were discussed during the meetings. Zardari said the country was passing through a difficult time and it could not afford confrontation, adding that he would continue the politics of reconciliation, as he did not want conflict with any one.

Not fleeing pakistan, says Haqqani ISLAMABAD ONLINE

Former ambassador to the United States hussain haqqani on thursday said he had no plan to leave the country and would respond to all questions concerning the memo scandal. the Supreme Court barred haqqani from leaving the country as a nine-member larger bench took up several petitions seeking investigation into the memo scandal. haqqani said no ambassador could serve his country amidst a swirl of media allegations initiated by a reckless individual. “i resigned to pave the way for a transparent investigation and intend to stay in the country for as long as necessary,” he said in response to a decision by the Supreme Court barring him from travelling abroad.

Asma offers to defend Haqqani Asma Jahangir, former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, on thursday announced her willingness to represent former ambassador to United States husain haqqani in the ongoing judicial investigations into the memogate scandal. Speaking in a Dunya news programme, Asma claimed that haqqani had requested her earlier to defend him in the court, but she had refused. however, she reconsidered her decision and informed haqqani’s wife of her willingness to be the former envoy’s lawyer for only Rs 4,000. She believed that haqqani was innocent in the case and that is why she had agreed to defend him. MONITORING DESK

Article 184(3) of the constitution. Upon his arrival, nawaz was received by the deputy registrar of the Supreme Court. the court noted that prima facie it seemed as if haqqani, who was guardian of the country’s interests as ambassador, sent the memo to former US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Admiral Mike Mullen through ijaz. it said anyone involved in the matter must have their own interests, thus must be prosecuted. the court noted that the memo issue involved questions such as whether it was a matter of civil nature in which negligence was committed, and its results attract the provisions of Article 6, or whether it was a criminal matter. What rang alarm bells in the Presidency were the remarks of Justice tassaduq hussain Jilani that the president could be punished for conspiring against the state and the army under Article 5 of the constitution. the court heard all nine petitioners, including nawaz Sharif, who demanded the memo issue be probed as it was a conspiracy to break the country. he requested the court to summon the president, the army chief, the iSi chief and other respondents to ascertain the facts of the matter. he said he was not directly leveling allegations against the president but questioned how an ambassador dared to write such a memo without the consent of the prime minister. When Justice Mian Saqib nisar asked nawaz why the court should interfere in the matter in the presence of parliament, the PML-n chief expressed lack of confidence in parliament, saying an institution whose resolutions had not been respected could not be entrusted with an enquiry of this magnitude. “had we put this issue before parliament, it would do nothing as the opposition was not taken into confidence on many issues,” he stated.

stop our quest for justice. We have always implemented Supreme Court judgements. We can only see justice if all cases against the Sharif brothers, including the Asghar Khan case, are reopened and all are held accountable,” he added. “he is attacking the democratically elected government from behind the institutions… no political party has ever died because it was labelled a traitor… Punjab has sent three bodies of former prime ministers to Sindh, now efforts are being made to prepare a fourth coffin. But let me tell you, Asif Zardari will never run away. he will either be a ghazi or a shaheed,” he said, adding that in the holy month of Muharram, a conspiracy was being hatched by the tigers of Punjab to label an elected president, one who had received the most votes from all provincial assemblies in history, a traitor. Warning against bringing a “Bangladesh model” to Pakistan, Awan

said no one should even think for becoming a caretaker. Caretakers, he said, were actually “chair-takers”. “Only a person who has been given a mandate by the people of Pakistan will govern the country. We would not allow anyone to supersede the constitution. nobody should think that the democrats will run away in the face of threats. Democracy is here forever,” he said. he also questioned the admission of nawaz Sharif’s petition in the memogate case, saying the government had decided to empower parliament by referring the memo issue to a parliamentary body and Prime Minister Gilani was going to brief the committee on the issue on Friday (today). Syed Khurshid Shah said the PPP government had given recognition to all ethnicities, including Pakhtuns and the people of GilgitBaltistan, and now nawaz Sharif was afraid that the Saraiki people would also be given recognition. he said

the Sharifs were wary of the fact that the people would reelect the PPP for another term and were therefore hatching a conspiracy. “When people lose hope, they resort to undemocratic tactics. they are threatened by imran Khan and dengue. Whoever lives in this country, he is not afraid of Article 6,” he said, claiming that nawaz Sharif had lied to the nation about his secret apology to former president Pervez Musharraf, which was later proven. hailing the integrity of Senator Raza Rabbani, Shah said the Parliamentary Committee on national Security was already going to take up the memogate issue. Responding a question, Firdous Ashiq Awan said it was true that nawaz was given ViP treatment and the staff of the apex court had received him outside the court premises on Constitution Avenue, and his entourage was taken into the court with weapons without even showing security passes.

Legal experts divided on Karzai offers to protect Taliban from presidential immunity ‘Pakistani spies’

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Legal and constitutional experts are divided on whether the president enjoys immunity against criminal proceedings as the “memogate” landed in the Supreme Court and the court asked President Asif Ali Zardari and others to file replies on the issue within 15 days. the question of immunity to the president has arisen again as Zardari has been made respondent in the case, with the Supreme Court observing that Article 5 of the constitution binds every citizen to be faithful to the country, and adding that the memo raises questions over the country’s sovereignty. Asked to comment on the constitutional position vis-à-vis immunity to the president, Justice (r) Wajihuddin Ahmad said interalia the act of the accused, whosoever he is, is bordering on high treason, adding that the president does not enjoy blanket immunity. On the question of logi-

cal end of the exercise the Supreme Court is going to undertake, Ahmad said the SC can determine parameters and modalities of Article 6. “the SC cannot try the accused,” he said. however, asked whether he sees any confrontation between the judiciary and parliament as the parliamentary body is also taking up the matter today (Friday), he said there is nothing like that. Senior lawyer ikram Chaudhry said the president does not enjoy absolute immunity, adding, “Suppose the president, in connivance with some other country, hatched a conspiracy against the country… he hands over Azad Kashmir to india, how can he be given immunity?” he said a person who conspires against the country’s sovereignty cannot be given immunity. Another senior lawyer, who did not want to be named, said president does not enjoy immunity, adding that the Supreme Court has not yet given its final order.

MONITORING DESK Afghan officials have revealed that Afghanistan President hamid Karzai offered resettlement packages for the families of taliban leaders living in Pakistan to find peace partners free from the influence of “Pakistani spies”. According to a report in the Guardian, the officials said the Afghan president’s effort to find representatives to talk for the insurgents were scuppered by their unwillingness to jeopardise families given sanctuary in Pakistan, :where they live under the sway of the inter-Services intelligence (iSi)”, which is accused of supporting the taliban. According to the report, the “initiative highlights the extraordinary grip Pakistan has over the taliban leadership” and “it showed the desire of the Karzai government to peel away a faction within the Quetta Shura”.

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Friday, 2 December, 2011

Aussies chase history in Champions Trophy AUCKLAND

AFP

UStRALiA is aiming to secure a historic fourth straight win at hockey’s Champions trophy starting in Auckland on Saturday, the sport’s last major tournament before next year’s Olympics. the Kookaburras, the reigning Olympic and world champions, go into the eight-nation tournament as favourites, keen to assert their dominance ahead of the London Games. Australia has held the Champions trophy since 2008, a feat they have achieved once before -- in 1983-85 -- and which has been equalled only by West Germany

(1986-1988). While an unprecedented fourth win at the December 3-11 event in Auckland would be a bonus for Australia, coach Ric Charlesworth said his focus was on improving his squad’s depth ahead of the Olympics. “Every step from now on is a step towards our final destination of the Olympics,” Charlesworth said. the tournament venue was switched from new Delhi to Auckland in September after a row between the international hockey Federation (Fih)

PIA takes lead in quaid Trophy LAHORE STAFF REPORT

PiA took first innings lead over ZtBL on day two of the Division i ninth round Quaid-i-Azam trophy match here at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. ZtBL were bowled out for 178 runs and later PiA got 252 runs for two after resuming three innings at 38 for one. Kamran Sajif with an unbeaten 115 and Faisal iqbal 93 not out made the lead possible for PiA. At LCCA ground, Lahore Ravi pegged back to lead after they scored 55 runs in their secnod innings against KRL’s 224. Earlier Lahore got 180 runs in their first innings. Scores: ZtBL 178 in 62 overs(imran nazir 36, Zulqarnain haider 43, Junaid Zia 65, Anwar Ali 3-35, Zia-ul-haq 3-31, Akhtar Waheed 2-69) v PiA 252-2 in 92 overs (Kamran Sajid 115*, Faisal iqbal 93*). Overnight Score: PiA 38-1 in 14 overs toss: PiA; Umpires: Saleem Badar ur ihtsham-ul-haq; Referee: Aziz ur Rehman; Scorer: najamus Saeed. At LCCA Ground, Lahore. Lahore Ravi 180 in 64.2 overs (Mohammad irfan 41, Asif Ashfaq 41, Mohammad Zohaib 27, Yasir Ali 4-40, Azhar Ali 2-31) and 55-2 in 13.2 overs v KRL 224 in 69.5 overs (Yasir Arafat 78, Zulfiqar Jan 23, Yasir Ali 34*, Asif Ashfaq 4-50, Waqar Ahmed 3-63). Overnight Score: KRL 38-0 in 12.2 overs toss: KRL; Umpires: Akbar Khan & Kamal Marchant; Referee: Khalid niazi; Scorer: Abdul hameed.

and indian officials over who runs the game in the country. As a result, new Zealand took india’s spot at the tournament. Pakistan and South Korea were both given wild cards in the expanded event, which this year features eight teams instead of six. Pakistan, the l o w e s t ranked team, performed well to secure a 1-1 draw in a warm-up match against world no. 2 team Germany and will hope world record-holding goal scorer Sohail Abbas can help end a 17-year Champions trophy

DHAKA: Pakistani cricketers congratulate teammate Sarfraz Ahmed (2L) after the dismissal of the Bangladeshi captain Mushfiqur Rahim (L). afp

drought. host nation new Zealand are full of self-belief after ending a 12-year losing streak against Australia in hobart last month, but had mixed fortunes in warm-up games, with a 3-1 win over Great Britain and a 4-3 loss to Spain. Coach Shane McLeod said the home advantage would provide a major boost for his experienced team, which boasts 2,125 caps. “having the support of a local crowd and the benefit of playing on our home pitch will really help -- it’s something we’ve never had before at this level,” he said. the tournament begins on Saturday with Australia facing Spain, Great Britain v Pakistan, Germany v new Zealand and the netherlands v South Korea.

McIlroy shares lead at Hong Kong Open

HONG KONG: Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy watches the ball after he hit the ball. afp HONG KONG AFP

World number two Rory Mcilroy was the joint leader after the first round of the $2.75 million UBS hong Kong Open thursday where the northern irishman shot an impressive six-under-par 64. the US Open champion was joined by Alvaro

PFF traning course LAHORE: Over the next seven days, 45 of Pakistan’s football referees, instructors and assessors will be involved in intense training at the PFF Football house Lahore, with the association of the world governing body for football, hosts PFF, Member Association Elite Referees Course. Masoud Enayat, iranian FiFA technical instructor and Ganesh Manium Singaporean FiFA Physical instructor will train the trainees. the objective of the course which started today is to enhance the local referees’ knowledge of the game and to effect greater uniformity and higher standards of performance at the regional and international levels. in the welcome address Lt. Col. ® Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi, General Secretary, PFF has said “i hope the FiFA elite instructor will share their knowledge and experience with the locals during this course to enhance their skill and make our referees. STAFF REPORT

The participants of the Member Association Elite Referees Course with the officials of the PFF and instructors.

Quiros and David horsey after the Spaniard Quiros chipped in on the 18th and the English golfer hit a stunning approach to leave himself a tap-in as the light began to fade. Mcilroy went out early in the morning and tamed the blustery conditions at the hong Kong Golf Club with a bogey-free round in what he described as his best-ever over the course. “it’s my best here for sure,” said the 22-year-old. “i handled the wind pretty well today and i think i have shot a 63 here once but this was better than that given the conditions.” Mcilroy, who was a runner-up in hong Kong in 2008 and 2009 was quick to keep his feet on the ground however. “there’s still a long way to go in this tournament,” he said. “i’ve led a lot of tournaments from the first day, and i’ve won a couple of them, but i realize more than anyone, there is a long way to go - 54 holes. i’ll have to play very, very well to pick up this trophy.” two birdies on his first nine and four on the back did it for Mcilroy, who played in a group that included reigning hong Kong champion ian Poulter, who struggled on the greens on his way to a plus-one 71. the Englishman couldn’t buy a putt all round and left vowing to put in the hours on the practice green in the afternoon. “i’m obviously disappointed, the wind was tricky and i played nicely but didn’t hole a putt out there,” said Poulter. “i’ve got work to do tomorrow and this golf course will play tougher as it goes.” Quiros, known for his long drives, had his short game to thank for joining Mcilroy at the top of the leaderboard, while horsey’s nine-iron to within two feet on the last left him with a simple birdie putt for a share of the lead. Quiros, 28, recovered from an errant approach shot on the par four last with a chip-in for birdie. it was the second chip-in of the day for Quiros - after he had performed the same trick for an eagle on the par-five 12th.

United suffer a palace coup MANCHESTER AFP

English champions Manchester United suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Championship side Crystal Palace thanks to an extra-time goal from substitute Glenn Murray in their League Cup quarter-final here on Wednesday. Palace had not won, or even scored a goal, in five matches but took a surprise lead at Old trafford with Darren Ambrose’s fine long-range strike. Federico Macheda pulled one back from the penalty spot with his first goal at Old trafford in 18 months. But after the game went to extra time, Murray headed in to send the south London side into the semi-finals. After the 6-1 defeat to City in October, it was just United’s second defeat at Old trafford since their 2-1 loss to Chelsea in April 2010. Crystal Palace manager Dougie Freedman said that it was a moment to treasure for a club that has had a hard few years. “it’s a wonderful night for the club, especially given the position we’ve been in the last few years,” said Freedman, who as a player scored 95 goals in 330 appearances for the club. “to play at Old trafford tonight, we’re privileged, the lads learnt a lot from

tonight. “i think we deserved it. We played some good stuff, some good football,” added the former Scotland international. Even though Sir Alex Ferguson made a host of changes to his team, United were still expected to take a place alongside Manchester City, Liverpool and another Championship side Cardiff in the last four.

MANCHESTER: Manchester United’s midfielder Park Ji-Sung (R) vies with Crystal Palace’s midfielder Darren Ambrose. afp

WAPDA draw KPT in PPL LAHORE: WAPDA and KPt match in the eighth Pakistan Premier Football League ended in a draw on thursday. WAPDA were held to one-all draw by fighting KPt here at the Railways Football Stadium. WAPDA’s captain and forward Arif Mahmood took the lead for his team in the 54th minute but that lead did not last long and KPt’s forward Shahid Saleem leveled the score in the 65th minute. Meanwhile, in the eighth Pakistan Football Federation League second division, PtV gained full points with a one goal win over ZtBL at Jinnah Football Stadium, islamabad. PtV got their share of win when Peer Salah-ud-Din scored the goal in the 58th minute. Meanwhile in the other match of the league, Railways and hEC played a goalless draw at the same venue. STAFF REPORT

WAPDA clinch Gold Cup hockey FAISALABAD: WAPDA clinched the title of the All Pakistan nBP Gold Cup hockey tournament after defeating nBP in extra time at the Faisalabad hockey Stadium on thursday. in a final full of activity and pace, WAPDA and nBP remained locked four-all in the given time and were then given extra time in which WAPDA got the winning golden goal to take the title 5-4. At the first half, WAPDA were leading by 2-1 but the chain of attack and counterattack increased in the second session and WAPDA got two more goals but nBP responded with three to go even till the final whistle was blown. the teams were given the extra time to decide the outcome of the match and WAPDA somehow after great efforts got the wining goal. WAPDA scored through Aleem Bilal who got two goals and Muhammad Mudassar stared with three. On the other hand nBP stars of fight were Muhammad Dilber, Akhtar Ali, M Atiq and Muhammad toufeeq, all of them shared one goal each. . Ex-test Cricketer/incharge Sports national Bank of Pakistan iqbal Qasim was the chief guest on the final. Cash prize of Rs 20,000 went to nBP while the winning trophy with cash prize of Rs 40,000 was given to WAPDA. On the occasion, Organising Secretary Olympian Rana Mujahid Ali, tournament Director Olympian Khalid Bashir, DhA Faisalabad President haji Rana Muhammad Mazhar Khan, Commissioner Faisalabad Saeed tahir hussain and DCO Faisalabad naseem Sadiq were also present. STAFF REPORT

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Friday, 2 December, 2011

sports 21 watCh it LiVe TEN SPORTS FIH Champions Challenge 2011 05:20PM

STAR CRICKET Australia v New Zealand Test 1 Day 2 05:00AM

TEN SPORTS SAFF Championship 2011: Bangladesh v Pakistan 02:25PM

NEO CRICKET India v West Indies 2nd ODI 02:00PM

Faisalabad win Inter-Region U-19 Cricket title ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

pCB’S GovErNiNG BoArD MEEtiNG

Subhan likely to remain COO g

PCB approves benevolent fund for former cricketers LAHORE STAFF REPORT

A marathon meeting of the governing body of the Pakistan Cricket Board discussed a number of issues but without coming to any final decision on key issues. the deliberations lasted for more than nine hours at the national Cricket Academy but no decision on the appointment of a new Chief Operating Officer or coaches for the national team were made and even there has been no fruitful move of the proposed amendment in the constitution as recommended by the international Cricket Council. the 21st meeting of governing board was held on november 29 at the national Cricket Academy under the Chairmanship of Ch Zaka Ashraf. Wazir Khoja, Mir haider talpur, Aamir nawab, Ch Mohammad Anwar, Maj Gilani, intikhab Alam, Javed Miandad, Subhan Ahmad (COO) and Badar Manzoor (CFO) attended the meeting. however, the chairman took the governing board members into confidence regarding his visit to india later this month and also apprised them of his meetings with different heads of cricket boards during his stay in the UAE. the board recorded its appreciation for the contributions made by the outgoing Chairman ijaz Butt to the PCB. "there was no discussion on appointment of a new Chief Operating Officer at the meeting," a board official said. "it was nothing but speculation that

Subhan Ahmad was going to be changed as COO. the bottom line is he is a hard worker and minds his own business, so i don't think any of the board members have any issues with him. the Chairman also appears satisfied with the COO," the member, who declined to be named, said. the member also disclosed that there were no deliberations on appointing new coaches for the national team. "What we have been told is that the PCB committee that was constituted to shortlist and recommend names for coaching positions has yet to complete its process," the member said. the member said that only after the committee headed by intikhab Alam submits a shortlist of names to PCB chief, the issue will be discussed and approval of general body will be sought. Several names have been floated around for the coaching positions including Australians Dean Jones and Dav Whatmore and South African Jonty Rhodes but nothing appears final. the member said there was some discussion on steps needed to completely root out corruption from all levels of cricket in Pakistan and it was unanimously agreed that the PCB should show no leniency towards any player who indulges in corrupt practices. the member said that there was consensus that Pakistan should take initiative to restore bilateral cricket ties with india and hopefully the visit of Ashraf to india in December will serve as a turning point for the sport in the subcontinent.

the Chairman briefed the board that during his recent visit to UAE he met Sharad Pawar, iCC President, Alan issac, iCC Vice President, Dr. Julian hunte, Chairman iCC Governance Committee. the meeting was in relation to the nomination for the next iCC President. Also, discussions were held on restarting Pakistan vs india series and about meeting with President Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Mustafa Kamal. Discussions were held on the nomination for President of iCC and Bangladesh team touring Pakistan next year. Also discussed was a tournament between Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. President BCB invited PCB Chairman to visit Bangladesh in December during Pakistan team’s tour to Bangladesh. in his meeting with iCC CEO haroon Lorgat, they discussed matters like the constitutional amendment, revival of international cricket in Pakistan including cricket series between india and Pakistan and improvement in the working relationship between the PCB and iCC. President of Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) hE Shaikh Al nahayan assured full cooperation from his side for development and promotion of cricket in Pakistan. the meeting was held in a very cordial atmosphere. he said that the meetings were also held with officials of ECB and Dubai Sports City including Abdur rehman Bukhatir, Khalid Zarooni, Abdurehman Falaknaz and Mohammad Redha Abdulla Abbas. the meetings were held to discuss matters like Pakistan home series being played at UAE and improvement in the facilities extended for

current and future series of Pakistan. the meetings were highly successful as could be observed from the positive media statements issued by iCC, he added. Creation of a new Coordination Division in the PCB was approved for better coordination with government departments and within the PCB and to bring the grievances and inputs of Regional Cricket Associations and other domestic cricketing bodies at the PCB Chairman’s level. the Division would look after functions of PR, protocol and media. A Benevolent Funds Policy was approved through which financial assistance will be available for people connected with cricket including players, umpires, scorers, sports journalists etc. Detailed discussions were held on the amendments required in PCB’s Constitution to bring it in line with iCC’s Memorandum & Articles. Views of the Governing Board members regarding this matter were noted. A presentation was given on four mega infrastructure projects currently underway i.e., Garhi Khuda Baksh stadium, Multan Cricket Academy, Karachi Cricket Academy and Pavilion Building at Pindi Stadium. the board expressed concerns at the delay in these projects and increase in costs. A committee comprising Mr Mir haider talpur and Mr Javed Miandad was formed to visit these projects and present their report. the Board appreciated the steps being taken by PCB to revive international cricket in the country and expressed confidence in the new Chairman on his vision to take PCB to newer heights.

Faisalabad region won the inter-Region/Departments U-19 three Days Cricket tournament after their final against Rawalpindi Region ended in a draw at the national Ground islamabad. After the team drew the match at the end of the four days play, Faisalabad were awarded the winners trophy for talking the first innings lead. Faisalabad Region U-19 got Rs 400, 000 while Rawalpindi were awarded Rs 200, 000. Abu Bakar Khan of Faisalabad was declared the man of the final while best batsman was Umer Waheed (Rawalpindi), best bowler Fawad Khan (State Bank), best fielder Yousaf iqbal (Rawalpindi) and best wicketkeeper was shared by Adil Junaid (Sialkot Region) and Muhammad taimur Khan (Rawalpindi and all these players were given Rs 40,000 each. SCORES: Faisalabad Region U-19 – 236 in 68.5 overs: (Abu Bakar 73, Nauman Butt 50, Munir Ahmed 48, Abrar Hussain 34, Adil Shabbir 4-53, Zarar ali 3-68, Zubair Javed 2-36) Faisalabad Region U-19 (2nd innings) 398 in 131.2 overs: (Abu Bakar Khan 103, Faheem Ashraf 78, Rizwan Sharif 54, Arsalan Khadim 46, Adil Shabbir 2-57, Zarar Ali 2-51) v Rawalpindi Region U-19 – 222 in 71 overs: (Umer Waheed 60, Taimur Khan 42, yousaf Iqbal 35, Ehsan Adil 6-72, Muhammad Farman 2-62) Rawalpindi Region U-19 (2nd innings) 89-4 in 26 overs: (Umer Waheed 31, Faheem Ashraf 3-28) Result: Match Drawn (Faisalabad Region U-19 won on first innings lead), Overnight score: Faisalabad Region U-19 (2nd innings) 262-6 in 93 overs, Toss: Rawalpindi Region U-19, Umpires: Javeed Ashraf and Muhammad Rashid, Match Referee: Asif Aslam Khan, Official Scorer: Umer Iqbal.

Wozniacki to play in Sydney International SYDNEY AFP

World number one Caroline Wozniacki will play in next month’s Sydney international for a fourth consecutive year, organisers said on thursday. the 21-year-old Danish star, who finished as the top-ranked player for the second straight season, joins US Open champion Sam Stosur and French Open winner Li na at the January 8-14 event. Wozniacki claimed six WtA tour titles this year and had semi-final appearances at the Australian Open and US Open.

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Friday, 2 December, 2011

No threat of judicial, military coup, says PM Gilani says SC will get only one reply from executive authority in memo case g

ISLAMABAD

APP

RiME Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on thursday said there was no threat of a “judicial” or “military” coup, as both institutions were pro-democracy and did not want to derail the system. the prime minister was responding to queries of callers from across the country in a live PtV programme, “Prime Minister Online”. to a question about the submission of reply by the government, army and iSi to the Supreme Court in the memo case, the PM said there would be one reply from the executive authority. he said Pakistan’s decision to boycott the Bonn Conference in protest against the nAtO attack and violation of its

sovereignty was final and taken collectively. “how we can attend the conference when our sovereignty came under attack,” he remarked. he said in his opinion, the decision to not attend the conference was in line with national honour, self respect and dignity. he denied considering sending Foreign Minister hina Rabbani Khar to Bonn. Gilani said Pakistan could work with the US, nAtO and iSAF under a new agreement and by devising new rules of engagement. “We have to formulate new rules of engagement and we can work under a new agreement.” the Prime Minister said it was up to the Parliamentary Committee on national Security to give recommendations for a decision on ties with US and nAtO. the nAtO assault was “an attack on the integrity of Pakistan and it was decided in the resolutions of the joint sitting of parliament and All-Parties Conference that if US again takes a unilateral action, Pakistan will respond”, he said. to a question about memo issue, Gilani said he called former ambassador husain haqqani to Pakistan, he submitted resignation and his matter was referred to the Parliamentary Committee on national Security. But “husain haqqani should not be condemned unheard,” he remarked. Gilani rejected the view that a number of PPP leaders were deserting the party, saying that those PPP leaders who were committed to the party and its ideology would never leave the party in any circumstances. to a question on contender for the slot of prime minister after next elections, Gilani said the PPP chairman should become the prime minister and the whole party would be behind him. Replying to callers complaining about price hike and unemployment, he said the issues were not confined to Pakistan only, adding that the government was not oblivious to the problems and was working hard to address the issues.

Pakistan may review Bonn decision ISLAMABAD SHAIq HuSSAIN

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani will brief the Parliamentary Committee on national Security on Friday (today) on last week’s nAtO air strike, and at the end of the committee’s proceedings it is likely that a decision to boycott the Bonn Conference will be revised and Pakistan may announce that it will attend the moot at the ambassador level. the decision to not attend the Bonn Conference, which is being held on December 5 at the foreign minister level, is irreversible but it is likely that the parliamentary committee, in

light of the prime minister’s briefing, will allow participation at the ambassador level. A diplomatic source said the prime minister would inform the committee about the requests coming in from across the globe, not only from nAtO member states such as the US but also from some Muslim countries, that Pakistan review its decision and at least send its ambassador in Germany to the Bonn Conference. “All depends now on the Parliamentary Committee on national Security whether it decides in favour of participation at the ambassador level or not as it is told by the prime minis-

ter about the advantages of going to the moot,” the source said. Pakistan today has learnt from reliable sources that the US and other nAtO member states have sought the help of Saudi Arabia and the UAE to persuade Pakistan to at least send its ambassador in Germany to attend the conference. Some of Pakistan’s own foreign policy managers are also of the view that by attending the moot at even a low level, islamabad would be able to present its case to the world on the nAtO air strike at the conference, which will be attended by 90 representatives from various nations across the world.

Two Pakistanis ‘killed by NATO’ in Afghanistan MONITORING DESK

KARACHI: An activist of the Sunni Tehreek holds up a portrait of uS President Barack Obama with shoes hung over it during a demonstration on Thursday against the cross-border NATO air strike on Pakistani troops. afp

two Pakistani nationals from Balochistan were allegedly shot dead by nAtO forces in Afghanistan on thursday, according to Dunya news. Meanwhile, AFP reported that seven Pakistanis – engineers and workers assigned to a hospital construction project in Afghanistan’s Logar province – were returning to their accommodation after work when they were taken away at gunpoint on Wednesday. the tV report said the two Pakistani men from Chagai district of Balochistan were visiting their relatives in the Bibijan area of Afghanistan when nAtO forces allegedly opened fire at them, killing them instantly. Officials of the Levies militia confirmed the incident to the Pakistani media, the channel said, adding that the dead men were identified as Abdullah and Mohammad Usman. SEvEN PAKISTANIS ABDUCTED: Meanwhile, Logar police chief Ghulam Sakhi Roghliwani said the seven Pakistanis were going home from work when their minivan was stopped by unknown gunmen. he said that the gunmen forced the driver out of the car and took the passengers to an unknown location. there was no claim of responsibility for the abduction but police said the kidnapping might have been carried out by “criminal gangs” seeking a ransom.

Obama won’t offer formal apology yet: NYT

US Senate ties strings to Pakistan aid

WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON: the US Senate voted on Wednesday to tie strings to military aid to Pakistan as they advanced a massive annual defense spending bill. Senators unanimously approved an amendment by Democratic Senator Bob Casey aimed at blocking counterinsurgency aid to Pakistan until islamabad takes aggressive steps to curb the use of roadside bombs blamed for the deaths of US soldiers in neighbouring Afghanistan. the White house has threatened to veto the $662 billion measure over tough new rules requiring military detention of terrorism suspects and affirming that US citizens who join extremist groups may be detained forever without trial. the Defense Authorisation legislation is seen as a sure bet for passage because it affects US troops in iraq and Afghanistan, and lawmakers hoped to make it the vehicle for tough new economic sanctions on tehran. AFP

AGENCIES

the White house has decided that President Obama will not offer formal condolences — at least for now — to Pakistan for the deaths of two dozen soldiers in nAtO airstrikes last week, overruling State Department officials who argued for such a show of remorse to help salvage America’s relationship with Pakistan, administration officials said. On Monday, Cameron Munter, the US ambassador to Pakistan, told a group of White house officials that a formal video statement from Obama was needed to help prevent the rapidly deteriorating relations between islamabad and Washington from cratering, administration officials said, the new York times reported. the ambassador, speaking by videoconference from islamabad, said that anger in Pakistan had reached a fever pitch and

that the United States needed to move to defuse it as quickly as possible, the officials recounted. Defense Department officials balked. While they did not deny some American culpability in the episode, they said expressions of remorse offered by senior department officials and Secretary of State hillary Rodham Clinton were enough, at least until the completion of a United States military investigation establishing what went wrong. On Wednesday, White house officials said Obama was unlikely to say anything further on the matter in the coming days. “the US government has offered its deepest condolences for the loss of life, from the White house and from Secretary Clinton and Secretary (of Defence Leon E) Panetta,” said tommy Vietor, spokesman for the national Security Council. “And we are conducting an investigation into the incident. We cannot

offer additional comment on the circumstances of the incident until we have the results,” he added. Some former Obama administration officials said the president should make public remarks on the border episode, including a formal apology. “Without some effective measures of defusing this issue, Pakistan will cooperate less rather than more with us, and we won’t be able to achieve our goals in Afghanistan,” said Vali Reza nasr, a former State Department official who specialised in Pakistan. CLINTON: Clinton also expressed regret on behalf of the American people at the loss of lives in the Mohmand tragedy and urged Pakistan to play its due role in the Afghan peace process by participating in the Bonn Conference. MUNTER: Meanwhile, in a video message released by the US embassy on thursday, US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter expressed condolences

Published by Arif Nizami for Nawa Media Corporation (Pvt) Ltd. Printed by Ghulam Akbar, AA & NHT Group, Plot 24, Shalimar Road, Lilly Market, Soan Garden, Islamabad.

on the nAtO attack last week that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in Mohmand Agency. “i would like to extend my most sincere condolences to the people and government of Pakistan and especially to Pakistan’s men and women in uniform, for the tragic incident that occurred on november 26 in Mohmand Agency. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the men who died. hamey bohat afsos hay. “Pakistan and the United States have stood together for over 60 years. We have weathered previous crises together. i am certain we will weather this one, too, and emerge – together – as stronger partners. “We take this matter very seriously and pledge to you a full, in-depth investigation. i want to emphasise to the people of Pakistan my personal commitment to do all i can to make sure that we emerge from the tragic incident as stronger partners,” Munter said.