E-paper PakistanToday Islamabad 14th November, 2011

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Berlusconi eyes comeback, voices pride on his record

Aisam-ul-Haq basks in Paris glory

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rs15.00

Farmers uncertain as govt fails to announce wheat support price

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PROFIT | PAGE 01

pakistantoday.com.pk

Vol ii no 139 32 pages islamabad — peshawar edition

monday, 14 november, 2011 Zul-haj 18, 1432

People won’t go for long march: Gilani PM says PPP welcomes constructive criticism g Opp unconstitutional steps will not be tolerated

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MANDI BAHAUDDIN GOJRA: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani addressing a public meeting in Mandi Bahauddin on Sunday.

Six dead in Khyber donkey cart blast PESHAWAR AFP

PTI constitutes body to probe assets of MPs and PTI leaders g

Six people were killed and four wounded when a bomb planted in a donkey cart exploded in a remote town in Khyber Agency on Sunday. A donkey cart carrying sand was left unattended in the market area of Mastak town near the Afghan border, officials said. “The explosives concealed in the sand loaded onto the cart was detonated with the help of a remote controlled device,” local administration official Syed Ahmed Jan told AFP by telephone. Another senior official Mutahir Zaib confirmed the incident and the casualties. He said the injured were out of danger. No group has claimed responsibility. Officials have blamed previous such attacks on Taliban and Islamist militants.

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Party to file reference against awarding contract to PM’s relative Talks with parties against status quo to continue Khan says only a corrupt leader would bow to the military

ISLAMABAD KASHIF ABBASI

Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Sunday constituted a committee to scrutinise the assets of parliamentarians, PTI leaders and politicians interested in joining the party.

Khan announced the formation of the investigative committee at a press conference held after a meeting of the PTI CEC. He said the committee would be headed by PTI Vice President Hamid Khan, and a team of former NAB investigators, retired army officers and

lawyers would assist him.

“The scrutiny committee will look for assets obtain through corruption and all politicians, including those in the PTI, will be scrutinised,” the PTI chief said. He added that the CEC had decided to file an application in the NAB to investigate the “illegal” awarding of a contract to M/s Karkay Karandiz Company, which is owned by a close relative of the prime minister, for installing a power generation plant in Karachi.

Continued on page 04

piCture | page 10

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APP

rIME Minister Yousaf raza Gilani said on Sunday that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had always strived to secure the people’s rights, especially the poor, who were now mature enough and would not resort to any long march to destablise the government. He was addressing a mammoth public meeting here after inaugurating the Gojra-Malikwal road (Gilani road) and a natural gas supply scheme that would cover 140 villages.

The prime minister said the government did not need to show its power and the opposition must play its due role and bring an in-house change if it had the required number of parliamentarians. Gilani said the PPP-led federal government, unlike past governments, never showed any discriminatory attitude in allocating funds to the opposition, thus setting precedence for future assemblies. However, the opposition in the Punjab Assembly was not being given its due funds, he added. “PPP always welcomes criticism of the opposition, however, the opposition should focus on constructive criticism,” he said. “We are proud of our party workers who are taking forward the PPP’s mission, vision and plans,” he said, adding that the government was implementing programmes chalked out by both the PPP’s martyred leaders. The prime minister said further that the PPP-led coalition government had restored the constitution of 1973. “We have also fulfilled the long-standing demand of provinces by granting them autonomy, besides ensuring internal autonomy for Gilgit-Baltistan,” he said.

Continued on page 04

ppp mulling how to woo annoyed mps | page 03

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02 News

Monday, 14 November, 2011

iSlAMAbAd

NewS

Story on Page 06

Story on Page 10

woRld view

Red Bull’s ‘Dark Knights Pakistan 2011’ enthuses youth Kausar asks overseas Pakistanis to invest in FAtA Why china is unhappy

Today’s

Quick Look

Story on Page 15

Unhindered, resultoriented talks with India only way forward: Khar FM says all issues, including terrorism and Kashmir, were discussed in Gilani-Singh meeting g Says SAARC made ‘landmark decision’ by agreeing to collectively fight any natural calamity g

ISLAMABAD

F

SHAIQ HUSSAIn

O r E I G N Minister Hina rabbani Khar emphasised on Sunday the need for a result-oriented and unhindered dialogue with India, saying the two countries had reduced the trust deficit and were now competing on positive gestures.

She was holding a press conference at the Foreign Office after returning from the 17th South Asian Association for regional Cooperation (SAArC) summit in the Maldives.

She said that in their meeting Prime Minster Yousaf raza Gilani and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh had agreed on building an environment conducive to achieving results, rather than merely holding ineffective rounds of talks. “We have invested far too much in seeking out hostility towards each other and too less in seeking out peace with each other,” Khar said.

“The message from the recent meetings between the two countries is that the future direction is forward, positive and much more constructive,” she said, adding: “Pakistan and India are successful in reducing the trust deficit and have started building trust.”

She said the 30-minute meeting between the two leaders was very constructive and positive, and that all issues including terrorism and Jammu and Kashmir came under discussion. She said the Indian prime minister also expressed his country’s desire to move forward with Pakistan.

She said the SAArC countries made a landmark agreement by agreeing to meet any natural calamity with unity. Khar welcomed China’s “keen interest in SAArC”, saying the bloc could play an important role in ending regional prob-

3 govt schools blown up

lems. “Pakistan has suggested the establishment of a SAArC regional Bank,” she said.

About the meeting between Gilani and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, she said it was held in a positive atmosphere. She said the Pakistani leadership had frankly asked Karzai to apprise its neighbour directly if there was any problem, instead of talking to the media.

“A stable Afghanistan is in the interest of Pakistan and Pakistan supports Afghan-led and Afghanowned initiatives for peace in the country,” Khar said.

On Gilani’s meetings with his russian and Chinese counterparts at the sidelines of a recent summit under Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Saint Petersburg, the foreign minister termed both meetings useful, constructive and forward-looking. “Certainly we have achieved new heights in our relations with russia,” she said.

Answering a query, she said Pakistan was active in acquiring natural gas from any available source, including Iran and Turkmenistan. To another question, she said Bangladesh had assured it will not oppose Pakistan’s access to European Union markets in the World Trade Organisation (WTO). She said Brazil too was not opposing Pakistan in the WTO.

A BATH FOR PURIFICATION: Sikh pilgrims take a dip during rituals at the Bhogi Festival during celebrations for Baba Guru Nanak’s 543th birth anniversary at Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hassanabdal. ONLINE

Kalam frisked twice, once inside aircraft, in US

NA meets today

SWABI/NoWSHEHRA/BANNU

ISLAMABAD

AGencIeS

StAFF RePORt

Militants blew up a higher secondary school in Bannu and two primary schools in Swabi and Nowshera with explosives on late Saturday night. The doors and windows of a Girls Higher Secondary School in Bannu were damaged in an explosion on Saturday at 11pm. The explosion damaged doors and windows of the building while the residences of a former Union Council nazim Barkatullah Khan and his relatives were also damaged.

Meanwhile, unknown militants planted explosives in Government Girls Primary School located in Shewaadda, Swabi which went off during late night. In a separate incident, in Tarujabba locality of Nowshera, the Government Boys School was damaged after explosives planted near the building’s boundary wall went off.

The National Assembly will meet on Monday (today) in the Parliament House at 4:00 pm. In exercise of the powers conferred by the Clause (1) of Article 54 of the constitution, President Asif Ali Zardari has summoned the National Assembly to meet in the Parliament House.

It will be the 36th session of the 4th Parliamentary year of the incumbent National Assembly. The major political parties, including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), have summoned their parliamentary parties’ meetings, prior to commencement of the session, to chalk out a strategy on the various issues expected to be raised in the House.

NEW DELHI OnlIne

Former Indian president Abdul Kalam was once again humiliated by security staff while visiting the United States, Indian media reported on Sunday.

At New York’s JFK airport on September 29, frantic security officials forced the crew of an Air India flight to open the aircraft’s doors

moments before it was about to begin taxiing, the report said. Seeking to frisk one of the passengers they had already screened once before boarding, the security personnel took away the jacket and shoes of the former Indian president. However, the belongings were returned later, the report added. Kalam was the president of India until July 25, 2007. The fresh incident is not a new experience for the father of Indian nuclear programme, as he was humiliated in the same way two years ago at the Delhi Airport. In April 2009, Kalam had been frisked by officials of the US Continental Airlines despite the fact that his name was on the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security’s list of people exempt from security checks in India. The US has apologised to Kalam for subjecting him to frisking at the JFK Airport.

In a written apology to Kalam and the Indian government, the US said, “Appropriate procedure for expedited screening of dignitaries had not been followed.”

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Monday, 14 November, 2011

FoReiGN NewS

ARtS & eNteRtAiNMeNt

SPoRtS

Syria calls for urgent Arab summit to address crisis Slumdog girl requires longevity in career

News 03 CoMMeNt

Pacquiao edges Marquez on tight decision

crying wolf?

Introspection needed

Punjabi militancy A million mutinies now

Dr Mubarak Ali says: Superpowers through the ages: Even when not in Rome, do as the Romans do

Waqqas Mir says: The overhyped Khan: Riding the crest of rhetoric?

Kuldip nayar says: India’s minority report: Secularism still has a long way to go

Story on Page 18

Story on Page 16

Story on Page 22

Articles on Page 12-13

PPP mulling how to woo annoyed MPs Raja Riaz calls dissidents Akhtar Malik, Abbas Raan to address grievances g Raan accuses PM Gilani of favouritism, says they will stand by Shah Mehmood Qureshi

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LAHoRE

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nASIR BUtt

AKISTAN People’s Party (PPP) parliamentary party Punjab has become active to block a possible forward bloc from provincial PPP members.

Opposition leader in Punjab Assembly raja riaz took charge of the situation on Sunday after news about the formation of a forward block from PPP MPAs, riaz telephoned the two party members who were accused of leading the block formation. riaz telephoned the two alleged rebel PPP members, Akhtar Malik and Abbas raan and assured them of a meeting with PPP chief President Asif Ali Zardari.

The displeased PPP members told him of their reservations. The two PPP MPAs hail from Multan region and were dissatisfied with the stoppage of development funds and the conduct of Prime Minister Gilani towards them. riaz assured them their

grievances will be settled, development funds will be released and interference in their respective constituencies will be suspended.

Malik Abbass raan confirmed the telephone conversation with raja riaz to Pakistan Today and said they will meet riaz when he calls upon them. However, he said , “While they will respect party leadership, Prime Minister Yousaf raza Gillani and his son were creating a trouble in the Multan division. He said everyone was aware the Multan PPP was grouped into two, the Gillani and Qureshi group. He said they were standing with Shah Mahmood Qureshi. He said they have the support of other PA MPAs from South Punjab and Central and Upper Punjab. He said he was bound to abide by party directions till 2013 but was free to follow his own will after.

He said PPP legislators were complaining opportunists were playing a dirty game to attain lucrative slots, while loyal party legislators were being ignored.

SNGPL imposes one-year moratorium on all new connections LAHoRE

KP minister cautions against playing into terrorists’ hands

543rd birth celebrations for Guru Nanak conclude ATTOCK: The 543rd birth anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak, the spiritual leader of the Sikh religion, concluded with the ritual Bhog at Gurduwara Siri Punja Sahab Hassanabdal on Sunday. The conclusion ceremony was attending by hundreds of Sikh yatrees, including 2,600 from India who recited their sacred book Guru and perform other rituals on the occasion. Shrines Deputy Secretary Faraz Abbas supervised the celebrations. Talking to media, Sikh yatrees expressed satisfaction at arrangements at the Gurdawara. They said they had enjoyed religious freedom and a secure environment and were thankful to the government. APP

nAUMAn tASleeM

In order to avoid a further increase in the load on the gas transmission system during winter, SNGPL has banned new connections but the decision could be dangerous for the PPP-led government which could face a negative public reaction in the coming general elections, Pakistan Today learnt on Sunday.

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL) has banned all types of connection including industrial, commercial and domestic connections for one year. Only those applications are entertained, which have already been submitted and the company is not taking new applications. The company has been facing a gas shortage for six years which increases sharply during winter.

Company sources said it would allow new connections in the coming weeks. In recent years, the company imposed ban on new connections but had to succumb to government pressure.

Around 170,000 applicants in Lahore have applied for new gas connections and out of these connections 20,000 have deposited the money while the remaining 150,000 shall have to wait.

“Looking at the high demand, the company decided to impose ban,” a company official said. He adding it would be very difficult to continue the ban. “The company will start accepting new applications in one month or so since the government cannot afford to ban new connections,” he said. SNGPL Lahore General Manager Abdul Haseeb said there was no ban on domestic connections and only commercial and industrial connections were banned.

PPP should not organise rallies against me: Mirza KARACHI QAzI ASIF

PESHAWAR StAFF RePORt

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said on Sunday that in view of the sensitivity of the situation in the region, political consciousness and vigilance must be exercised so that unknowingly and inadvertently playing into the hands of antisocial elements may be avoided. Addressing a tribal jirga from North Waziristan, DI Khan, and Tank in Peshawar, he said the terrorism imposed upon the Pakhtuns had added to the sensitivity of the conditions and the presence of NATO forces in Afghanistan plus the repeated border violations from there added to it, “thus we must remain vigilant at all times”.

Awami National Party (ANP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Senator Afrasyab Khattak also addressed the jirga.

Supporters of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Dr Zulfiqar Mirza became face to face in Golarchi town, district Badin. Heavy contingency of police reach to prevent any misshape between two groups. Dr Mirza warn PPP leaders do not hold rallies against him saying that he has not wear bangles, can retaliate with full force.

A big rally organized by PPP Tehsil Golarchi taken out against in favor of President Asif Ali Zardri, Manzoor Wasan and against Dr Zulfiqar Mirza on Sunday. The rally was led by Nawaz Chandio and other local leaders. As rally reached near Golarchi Press Club, the road was blocked by armed supports of Dr Zulfiqar Mirza. After this situation rally was dispersed. All of sudden Dr

Mirza reached on the spot while talking to media he warned PPP office bearer that they should not take rally against him in future, if not he has not wear bangles can retaliate with full force. “If I can gather 1,000,00 people for the public meeting of Prime Minister Syed Yousaf raza Gilani than I can organized public meting for myself with the participants of 2,000.00.” he added Dr Mirza said that if any outsider minister, advisor will come and interfere in his home constituency he have to face same condition. Without quoting name of any minister he said “Listen with open ears, the person who can not kept control his wife, how can keep control to others.” He added He said that he is contesting election from same constituency from 1993, he will not leave his this constituency abandon. “President Asif Ali

Zardari is my friend I respect him, because when some minister want to speak against me in Bilawal House on Saturday, President Zardari stop them, not to speak against me.” He added Local people saying that according to current conditions in Badin, it is seems that a line has been drawn between Dr Mirza and rest of PPP, Dr Mirza however said that there is no concept of forward block PPP in Sindh.

It was second days when process of rallies against and in favor of Dr Mirza has been started. On Saturday, there were several rallies were taken out by the supporters of Manzor Wasan and Dr Mirza. But dangerous took place when supporters of both came face to face. People are saying that if situation would not keep in control, a bloody tussle can be happed in Badin between both groups.

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04 News

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Debt servicing cost national kitty $15.9b in last 6 fiscal years PPP government sets record by obtaining $14.8 billion in loans from various iFis and donors g

ISLAMABAD tAHIR nIAz/AMeR SIAl

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AKISTAN has repaid $15.9 billion in debt servicing during the last six financial years, from 2005-06 to 2010-11, out of which $5 billion were incurred only as interest payments on the principal amount.

According to the documents exclusively available with Pakistan Today, during the fiscal year 2005-06, $1.44 billion was retired with an interest payment of $716.4 million, making a total debt servicing of $2.16 billion. In the fiscal year 2006-07, total debt servicing was over $2.02 billion, out of which $%1.2 billion was the principal amount while the interest payment was $822 million. In fiscal year 2007-08, total debt servicing was over $2.12 billion out of which $1.13 billion was the principal amount while the interest payment was $982.6 million.

During the first fiscal year of the incumbent government, ie 2008-09, total debt servicing was over $3.43 billion out of which $2.56 billion was the principal amount, while the interest payment was $872.9 million. In fiscal year 2009-10,

total debt servicing was over $3.11 billion out of which $2.33 billion was the principal amount while the interest payment was $775.4 million. During the fiscal year 2010-11, total debt servicing was over $3.24 billion out of which $2.35 billion was the principal amount while the interest payment was $897.2 million.

The incumbent Pakistan People’s Party government has set a record by obtaining $14.8 billion in loans from various international financial institutions and other bilateral donors during March 25, 2008 to August 31, 2011. It has obtained loans of $3.9 billion from the Asian Development Bank, $3.3 billion from China, $2.6 billion from the World Bank and $1.2 billion from Islamic Development Bank and $1 billion from Japan. Pakistan’s close friend Saudi Arabia also provided loans of $644.9 million during that period.

The loans have varying interest rates of 0.6 percent to 3.8 percent with maturity period of two to 50 years. The loans have to be returned within a one- to 30-year period. The loans were obtained for power, infrastructure, commodity financing and for enhancing foreign exchange

reserves.

According to the Economic Survey 2010-11, the external debt and liabilities increased from $37.9 billion at the end of June 2000 to $55.9 billion by the end of June 2010, and stood at $59.5 billion at the end of March 2011. Pakistan’s debt dynamics have undergone substantial changes in the last three years. Higher fiscal deficit led to accumulation of huge debt in absolute and relative terms. The debt profile moved towards shorter end of maturity because of desperation to finance deficit through domestic sources owing to inadequacy of external financing.

The survey says the excessive increase in debt has caused problems for Pakistan in the past, while imprudent domestic borrowing plagued the economy during 2010-11.

Prudent and efficient debt management is required not only to ensure that present debt levels are kept under control, but also manage future repayment obligations, it says.

Prudent debt management practices could not undermine the importance of prudent fiscal and monetary policy. Even best debt management may not by itself avert any upheaval in case of poor macroeconomic policy sequencing.

Pak-US ties a ‘bad marriage’ but divorce unlikely: McCaul NEW YORK: US Congressman Michael McCaul has said the relationship between Pakistan and the United States was analogous to a bad marriage, but ruled out the option of a divorce.

McCaul, a four-term congressman and chairman of a House Homeland Security Committee panel, and his Congress colleagues recently met with President Asif Ali Zardari to discuss prospects for increasing bilateral trade between the two countries. He said he had told the Pakistani government that it was imperative for both allies to let no doubts take root in the common turf they stand on. “Both Pakistan and US will have to bring the trust deficit down to zero”, said McCaul. In his statement, McCaul reminded Pakistan of the billions of dollars his country had given in aid since 9/11. Lauding a positive shift in Pakistan-India ties, he said improved relations would help Pakistan deploy more troops on its Western borders. OnlIne

lAHORe: Hundreds of people from all walks of life attended the Valima ceremony of Shahrukh taimor, son of Federal Information Secretary taimor Azmat Usman on Sunday. the ceremony was held in D-Block, Model town. Federal Minister Mehreen Anwar Raja, Mian Manzoor Wattoo, Former Punjab governor Khalid Maqbool, Robina Khalid Maqbool, chaudhary Salik Shujaat, MnA Pervaiz Malik, MnA Sheikh Rohail Asghar, Former information minister Qamar-ul-zaman Kaira and PtV MD Yousaf Baig Mirza were present on the occasion. STAff PhOTO

WAlKInG AMIDSt SIlHOUetteS: Boys walk near a mosque early in the morning in Quetta. ONLINE

Govt to complete its constitutional tenure: Firdous SIALKoT

VVIPs stranded as PIA planes grounded in Jeddah

APP

MoNIToRING DESK

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said on Sunday that the PPP government would complete its constitutional tenure.

Talking to reporters in Lalian village, she said that some leaders were furthering the idea of early elections in the country, adding that the institutions have remained weak in the country due to this undemocratic approach.

She said collective efforts are necessary to bring political stability and promote democracy in the country.

A VVIP Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight from Jeddah to Pakistan was delayed by several hours on Sunday, leaving parliamentarians and ministers stranded on the airport waiting helplessly, Geo News reported.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) MNA Khwaja Sohail Mansoor told the private TV channel that PIA’s performance was extremely poor and the national flag-carrier’s managing director should resign. He said he shud-

dered to think what was happening to the people when lawmakers and ministers were facing such difficulties.

“The flight we were supposed to be on was scheduled to depart at 11.30am, but we are still sitting here” hours later, said the irate legislator. He said the PIA had not even issued boarding passes to the waiting VVIPs. He said further that several federal ministers and MNAs were stuck at Medina airport as well, waiting for PIA flights to take off.

People won’t go for long march, says Gilani Continued from page 1 Gilani also said the PPP never came into power using backdoor tactics but through the public mandate, and it would similarly win the upcoming Senate elections.

He said the PPP leadership and workers were imprisoned many times in the course of their struggle for the rights of the common man. He said the PPP government took media criticism as self-reformation, because the dictatorial regimes had destroyed the country’s institutions by usurping the media’s freedom.

Gilani said there was no political prisoner during his tenure in government, which did not resort to any political vengeance. “We too had

faced incarcerations and see the jails as reformation centres,” he added. The PPP would seek votes from the public after implementation on its manifesto during the five-year term, he said. The PPP would be thankful to the people if they voted for it, otherwise, “we will continue to serve them by sitting on the opposition benches”, he added.

UNCONSTITUTIONAL STEPS: Gilani also said any unconstitutional steps of the opposition against the elected government would not be tolerated, stressing that the government’s reconciliatory policy should not be construed as weakness.

“The opposition may bring no-confidence move against me or an impeach-

ment motion against the president if it has developed a dislike against us both,” he said. He said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif, who was one of the signatories of the Charter of Democracy, had forgotten it.

He said the opposition should wait for the next general elections in 2013 instead of resorting to unconstitutional methods, adding that PML-N was worried about the PPP’s expected success in March 2012 Senate elections. The premier also announced a countrywide “Kaarvan-e-Tameer” from Phalia, Mandi Bahauddin, adding that he would go from Karachi to Khyber to launch development projects.

PTI constitutes body to probe assets of MPs and PTI leaders Continued from page 1 He claimed that the company had been questioned by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), however the government had “illegally” issued 14 percent payment in advance. Khan further alleged that the government, while awarding the contract, had approved higher tariff.

“The cost of the plant is $130 million and under the con-

tract the company will earn $540 million in five years…

It will be a test case for NAB to probe this scam,” Khan said.

He announced that in the near future, the PTI would hold a massive rally in Karachi. “Karachi’s gathering would be bigger than the PTI’s recent rally in Lahore,” Khan claimed.

Khan said the CEC had

decided to continue party interaction with political entities against the status quo.

He said the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) had been trying to preserve the status quo.

“My party will welcome everyone to join… but it will not award ticket to anyone corrupt,” he announced,

adding, “My party will welcome all new entrants, but they will be routed through the authorised party channels only.” He said the PTI would file two separate petitions in the Supreme Court for the registration of voters in accordance with their permanent addresses and for registration of votes of the overseas Pakistanis.

To a query, Khan said

the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was not an independent body. He said the ECP had so far failed in holding a free, fair and transparent election.

Talking about the next general elections, he said, “All attempts to hold fraudulent elections in the country will be thwarted…if the next elections are rigged, then the PTI will bring the

entire country to a standstill.”

Khan said the military would not exert control over the government if it had moral strength. He said a corrupt leader would always bow to the military. “If I faced any undue interference after coming into power, I would prefer to step down and once again go to the people,” he vowed.

The schedule of PIA flights has been badly affected and passengers of the national carrier are facing long delays after at least 10 planes were grounded because of technical faults.

Despite an engineering pact with Transworld and $700 million credit supply agreements, PIA has not received spare parts and as a result there is delay in repair of the planes. The grounded airplanes include two Boeing 747s, two Airbus A-310s, five Boeing 737s and an ATr, the TV channel reported.

Malik denies arrests of dr imran Farooq’s killers ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister rehman Malik on Sunday once again denied that any arrests had been made in connection with the assassination of Dr Imran Farooq, co-founder of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

Talking to reporters, Malik contradicted a reported statement by the London police commissioner, who had confirmed that two men had been arrested in Karachi after arriving from Colombo, Sri Lanka. When asked about a letter sent by the British government, he said the letter sent to the Interior Ministry contained nothing on the issue.

He added people should avoid blaming Pakistani secret agencies without justification.

StAFF RePORt

2 more succumb to dengue LAHORE: The dengue virus epidemic continued its stream of fatalities after two more people succumbed to the disease on Sunday. rasheeda Bibi, 65, died due to dengue hemorrhagic fever in Ittefaq Hospital while Muhammad Bota, 65, resident of Hassan Town died in Jinnah Hospital.

Meanwhile, another 87 people were reported to have contracted dengue fever in the city. StAFF RePORt

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Monday, 14 November, 2011

Pakistanis easy victims of diabetes due to dietary habits PAGe 08

Hepatitis Control Programme’s fate hangs in the balance g

After devolution of Ministry of Health, federal units are not ready to earmark required funds ISLAMABAD ASMA KUnDI

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ISlAMABAD: Birds on trees enjoy fruit during pleasant sunny weather in the capital on Sunday. SAJJAd QUrEShI

HOUGH the Ministry of Health was devolved to the provinces several months ago, the fate of National Hepatitis Control Programme is still hanging in the balance while the federal units are not ready to take any responsibility and earmark the required funds.

According to the statistics compiled by the Health Ministry, around 12 million people in Pakistan are suffering from hepatitis B and C and the Hepatitis Control Programme is the only hope for thousands of poor patients as they cannot afford very expensive treatment privately.

A federal health official said on condition of anonymity that all provinces had been reluctant so far to allocate funds for special national health programmes, including Hepatitis Control Programme. He said that the provincial authorities had told the federal government that they welcomed the decision of devolution of the Health Ministry, but if the federal government wanted to continue the special programmes, it should keep on funding them for the next five years, otherwise they would not be able to accommodate their staff.

He added the provincial authorities were of the view that funding for all vertical programmes, currently implemented by the provinces, was routed through the federal government’s Health Ministry and after its devolution, funds would fall under the control

of the provincial finance departments; the provinces would provide funds to their departments according to their own priorities. The first phase of the Hepatitis Control Programme was launched in August 2005 with a rs 2.59 billion budget to control hepatitis, but, unfortunately, all seems to have gone in vain as the number of patients suffering from the deadly disease is increasing with every passing day.

After the failure of the first phase, now the federal government has allocated rs13.9 billion for the second phase of the project which started in November last and will end in 2015.

An official in the programme told Pakistan Today said, “A big success of this programme is that we have set up a first liver transplant centre in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).” He said in the second phase, they had targeted to treat 10,000 people infected with hepatitis B and C and they had already provided free treatment to high-risk groups such as paramedics, medical student vaccinators, sweepers and drug abusers as they were more vulnerable to get infected.

He further said that the programme was designed for prevention and control of hepatitis and treatment was only a component of it, so the major focus of the programme was on preventive measures.

He added the second phase of this programme had five components, including programme management and surveillance, case management and care, prevention; training, education and awareness, and research and publication.

PFOWA’s Charity Bazaar holds diplomatic gala g

‘Mosaic of Global Cultures’ features performances by ambassadors representing their respective cultural heritage ISLAMABAD StAFF RePORt

Pakistan Foreign Office Women Association (PFOWA)’s Annual Charity Bazaar returned with the intriguing “Mosaic of Global Cultures”—an extravaganza of cultural performances, native costumes and music, display of art and crafts and food delicacies from around the world.

The PFOWA on Sunday hosted the event in collaboration with the diplomatic missions based in Islamabad to promote deeper social and cultural understanding and fostering friendship.

Ambassadors, government officials and people from all walks of life attended the funfair in high number. Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina rabbani Khar inaugurated the Bazaar as the chief guest.

Addressing the occasion, the chief guest highly commended PFOWA’s philanthropic activities, its cultural interface and social outreach. She admired the foreign missions for brining the cultural heritage and other aspects of their respective countries together at the event, reassuring their solidarity. Earlier, speaking on the occasion, PFOWA President Taranum Bashir highlighted organisation’s aims and objectives, its profile and future plans and projects.

The inaugural ceremony preceded a fabulous cultural show. Diplomats attired in their national distinctive costumes

presented their traditional dances, expressing the richness of their respective culture’s unique attributes. The performances included diplomats from Nepal, Mayanmar, Indonesia Palestine, russia and China. However, Indonesian dance, led by the spouse of the Indonesian Ambassador Butar Latuconsina remained the most enthralling part of the show.

The “Lesno” dance was the exclusive one as Butar Latuconsina during the performance walked up to the chief guest,

Hina rabbani Khar, in a stylised and elegant manner and adorned her with “Uwsigara”, a long head scarf from Indonesia, amid a cheering crowd.

The presentation of “Uwsigara”, symbolised the feelings of honor, warmth and friendship between the two countries.

While the jubilant audience put their hands together for the excellent singing of “Dil Dil Pakistan” by Nanik Anwar of the Indonesian Embassy.

At the annual bazaar, the participat-

ing embassies had also set up their stalls showcasing a range of handicrafts. Hina rabbani Khar accompanied by other dignitaries visited the stalls. She showed keen interest in the handicrafts items and appreciated the cooperation extended by the embazssies in making the event a great success. The venue had an aura of festivity as the visitors brimming with excitement and curiosity thronged the stalls and had a good time buying a variety of items put on sale at very reasonable rates.

The “International Food Court” was another major feature of the event where the air was filled with the aroma of exotic tantalizing food delights available at the stalls set up by the embassies offering food lovers a great choice of Indonesian, Middle Eastern, African, European, Indian, Chinese, russian Thai and many other countries food to relish all in one place. The funfair concluded with the raffle results and auction with proceeds donated to the PFOWA charity fund.

ISB pages 14-11-11_Layout 1 11/14/2011 1:22 AM Page 6

06 Islamabad

Monday, 14 November, 2011

red Bull’s ‘dark Knights Pakistan 2011’ enthuses youth g

Participants enjoy their weekend at mountain bike race in Margalla Hills

ISLAMABAD MAHtAB BASHIR

Fun, excitement and thrill were the keywords, when some of the partisans of a mountain bike show shared their experiences with the Pakistan Today on Sunday. For most of them it was a weekend to remember.

It was a chilly amid the pastures of Margalla hills but the exuberance of young participants and organisers turned it into cozy gathering.

The federal capital on late Saturday

night witnessed the first-ever downhill mountain bike race in its history. The event entitled “red Bull Dark Knights” was held at the scenic Margalla hills, on Trail 1. The show had begun by 6:30pm.

Participants aged 15 and above raced down a 250-meter track, full of challenging obstacles such as created ramps etc.

The mountain bikers were divided into 3 categories – Open Men (for amateurs), Open Elite (for professionals) and Open Women (for amateur women riders).

As many as 60 participants took part and all had brought their own mountain

each contestant about their experience on the track. The audience cheered every participant as they reached the bottom as each one of them had their eye on the prize and wanted to achieve the fastest time in their category.

The organisers had taken special safety precautions including a standby ambulance, paramedics and participants had to wear ‘head lamps’ and other safety gear.

In the end, the award ceremony took place. In ‘Open Women Category’, Hadia bagged 3rd Position covering the distance in 1 minute 4 seconds; Amna got second

bikes and protective gears. Groups of 5 to 6 participants in one go rode to the top of the 250-meter track. The organisers had put up 3 big screens to show live performances of the bikers.

As the participants heard a buzzer, they raced down the track one by one, and were timed as they crossed the last obstacle and the red Bull gate (placed at the end of the track), where their time was marked by the time keepers.

After crossing the gate, the riders rode up a ramp to stop atop a stage where the host of the evening, Mohsin, spoke to

PAKISTAN ENGINEERING COUNCIL ELECTION 12 booked in district courts Ineligible people included in murders case RAWALPINDI StAFF RePORt

The Civil Lines police registered an FIr on Sunday against twelve accused including a women for their alleged involvement in the killing of four men at the district courts the other day.

The Civil Lines police on the complaint of Nisar Ahmed, the brother of deceased Shoukat Ali and Arshad Ali, lodged an FIr under Section-302/324 and 7 ATA against twelve people.

However, no new arrest was made on Sunday.

Earlier on Saturday the police had arrested three suspects.

Earlier on Saturday, four people, including two real brothers, their nephew and a litigant were killed and one other injured in a firing incident at the district courts.

Those booked included M Khazar, Asif Khan, Naseer and nine other accused.

candidates’ list, alleges Engr Wahab

position with 1 min 3 seconds while Tehreem clinched 3rd position with 48.67 seconds. They each received rs 5000 and a gift voucher from red Bull.

In ‘Open Men’ category, Shahvaiz (42.69 seconds) stood on 3rd Position and received rs 10,000 and a gift voucher from red Bull, Saad Baig (42.37 seconds) clinched 2nd Position and received rs 15,000 and a gift voucher, while Nawaz [41.69 seconds] bagged 1st Position receiving rs 25,000 and a gift voucher from red Bull.

In ‘Open Elite’ category, 3rd Position was achieved by Tayyab Malik (43 seconds) who received rs 10,000 and a gift voucher from red Bull, Qasim Khan stood second (40.38 seconds) but was penalised for missing a ramp and 2 seconds were added to his time making it 42.38 seconds), he received rs 15,000 and a gift voucher from red Bull while raja Junaid (40.78) clinched the 1st position and received rs 25,000 and a gift voucher from red Bull. The event was a roaring success and was a treat for participants and spectators alike. The spectator area also resonated with music emanating from the red Bull DJ Booth.

Participants were given a great platform to compete on and rewarded for their success. They hoped sports such as mountain biking would be taken seriously in Pakistan in future. They appreciated the red Bull team and especially Fariha rashed, one of the organisers.

CdA helpless to curb wild boar population ISLAMABAD StAFF RePORt

ISLAMABAD StAFF RePORt

Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) member Wahab Najeeb Haroon said on Sunday that the names of ineligible persons had been included in the list of candidates for the election of PEC while many important candidates had been ignored.

Addressing a press conference here at the National Press Club, Wahab said the election of the PEC which would be held on December 18 had entered its final phase, but many anomalies had taken place in the whole process. “The names of many engineers with services for more than 25 years had also been ignored,” he said, adding the government should take notice of nominations of non-engineers in the election. He alleged the sitting PEC chairman, Abdul Qadir Shah, was also ineligible for the said post, but he clinched the key post by using influence of his brother who was a federal minister. He said he had also re-

quested the federal minister for science and technology and the senate standing committee chairman to take notice of the issue and resolve it. He said that owing

to shortage of time there were chances of wrangling during the elections, adding that errors in the website should also be removed on priority basis.

Israr Shah seeks probe into rulers’ assets ISLAMABAD StAFF RePORt

PPP leader Dr Israr Shah on Sunday demanded constitution of a judicial commission to probe increase in the assets of the rulers, their friends and relatives.

“Corruption is destroying the country like plague and I feel proud to raiser voice in the party against the menace,” Israr Shah said while addressing a press conference.

Dr Israr Shah said the government should constitute a commission consisting of judges from superior judiciary to probe the increase of assets of the rulers, their friends and relatives. He also added that Fauzia Wahab and Jehangir Badar had tried to tarnish his image in TV talks, though both of them had used the government resources for their personal benefits.

Israr Shah said he had purchased a plot from the CDA for vet-

erinary medicine factory and still owed over rs 300 million loans to the bank, but he had never been a defaulter. He added that he had never taken any benefit from his party. According to him, he did not own a house and was living with workers on the factory premises.

He claimed that he had paid rs 3.6 million as income tax in the current financial year.

He alleged Jahangir Badar had taken benefits from the party government like quotas of LPG, textiles, petroleum products and appointments of relatives against lucrative posts. Israr Shah said he had been forced to hold this press conference by some people who tried to tarnish his character in the media. He added that he had remained a federal government adviser for two terms, but no one, including his political opponents, could prove any allegation of embezzlement against him.

Despite its relentless efforts, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has failed to curb wild boar population in the capital city. The CDA has applied various tactics such as using pesticides and poison but all this seems to have effect on the rising number of wild boars that pose serious threat to the residents.

An official of the CDA told Pakistan Today on Sunday that at least a four-year-long campaign was needed to impede the rising population of wild boars.

He said there were no statistics available to determine the actual number of the beasts. But, he said, the CDA was aware of their ever-increasing numbers.

A female boar gives birth to at least seven cubs at a time on average, the official added.

He said the breeding areas of wild boars had been identified all over the federal capital, especially near brooks and streams, greenbelt areas that are thickly covered by vegetation, marshy grounds around rawal Lake, near Shakarparian and at the foothills of Margallas. residents have also expressed their grave concern over the increasing number of these animals, saying that CDA should take right steps to at least retrain the entrance of wild boars in residential areas. They complained that a number of road accidents were usually caused by the animals.

A CDA spokesman, ramzan Sajid, said wild boars were a health hazard, very dangerous and a real threat to the lives of the residents of Islamabad.

“They are easily attracted to the kitchen waste in the garbage bins and trolleys. The CDA has taken all possible measures to control the increasing population of wild boars.

In this regard, the staff of the Environment Directorate of the CDA has been instructed to use poisonous baits to kill wild boars,” he added.

ISB pages 14-11-11_Layout 1 11/14/2011 1:22 AM Page 7

Monday, 14 November, 2011

Islamabad 07 Chinese museum delegation visits lok virsa ISLAMABAD StAFF RePORt

ISlAMABAD: People enjoy Sunday at Rawal lake. SAJJAd ALI QUrEShI

Nomad showcases Asad-ur-Rehman works g

Paintings, sculptures made by French artist of Pakistani origin show his mastery over both genres ISLAMABAD MAHtAB BASHIR

I

T is not a common sight for an art lover who goes to an art gallery and finds quality paintings along with equally quality sculpture work.

The viewers will surely have a daunting task at Nomad Gallery to decide which work was greater than the other—paintings or sculptures made by artist, Asad-urrehman. Interpreting human feelings with riots of colours on his canvas, and yielding to an urge to initiate a dialogue culture through his sculptures, a France-based Pakistani artist, Asad-ur-rehman, has put on display his new collection of 5 paintings and 24 sculptures in an exhibition held at Nomad Gallery here on Sunday.

Through the exhibit entitled “resistance”, the expressionist painter and sculptor, in his 24 exquisite contemporary artworks, has tirelessly explored colour relationships with countless interwoven brush strokes showcasing strong and exuberant style of creative dialogue and diversity.Asad, who is residing in France for the last three decades, paints rapidly and with force on his canvasses in an effort to show his feelings and emotions. The spontaneity of his approach towards his work seems to

be drawn from his creative yet unconscious mind. In all, 5 paintings of the artist done in ‘oil-on-canvas’ and ‘acrylic and oil-oncanvas’ highlight artist’s aesthetic sense besides telling tales from the life, developing all around. Asad’s work is generally characterised by a strong dependence on what appears to be accident and chance, but which is actually planned.

As an artist obsessed with the need to express observations of life around and his inner feelings through his work, Asad engages with ideas and issues, including the quest for cultural, national and spiritual identity in these conflicting times. His aes-

thetic layering of dialogues overlapping with tradition complements the newest platform on the art scenario. The artist is, however, less concerned with monumental expression than with character and emotion. Asad’s 24 sculptures made of mixed materials, mix metal, steel, and iron including alloys, emphasise details of texture surfaces and illustrate un-finishedness. Very devoted to his craft, Asad uses the same sculptural elements again and again, in different combination, to achieve best results.

In sculpting, the artist has turned away from the idealism of decorative beauty. His sculptures exist for their own sake. In his

present exhibition the detail and structure of his sculptures is impressive and inspiring.

The artist appears to be influenced by the European aesthetics, particularly the French. “He has been living and studying in France for three decades, and this is the primary reason why the French influence is predominant in his works,” observed Nomad Gallery Director Nageen Hyat.

Hyat said the work of Asad is very strong. “Perhaps the artist believes that abstract art is a way to achieve what is really important and each medium of expression is, whether painting, engraving, sculpture or sculpture jewelry (which he has also designed) has its own order of being.” The artist while having a stroll in the gallery with this scribe said as a sculptor he is more concerned about human characters and emotions. “My abstract works, made of mixed materials motivate people to resist.

And he who resists once, always resists for his rights- and that’s what the title of this exhibition is all about,” said Asad-urrehman, adding that his work was a “labour of love”.

The exhibition of Asad’s paintings and sculptures would continue till November 22 at the Nomad Gallery, 22, Justice Abdul rashid Avenue, Sector F-6/1.

An official Chinese delegation, headed by National Museum of China (NMC) Deputy Director Dong Qi along with his entourage, visited Lok Virsa (National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage) here at Shakaparian. The other members of the delegation included Hao Yinxiang, Ms Tong Chunyan, Ms Li Yan and Ms Xia Meifang from NMC. On arrival, senior officials of the heritage museum warmly received the distinguished guests. The delegation members were briefed about working of the museum. The Chinese delegation was then taken around various three-dimensional creative displays at the Pakistan National Museum of Ethnology (Heritage Museum) spreading over 60,000 square feet of area, portraying living cultural traditions and lifestyles of the people of Pakistan depicted in dioramas and cultural displays.

The members of the visiting delegation took keen interest in the museum hall depicting cultural affinities and link passage with People’s republic of China presenting artifacts contributed by the Chinese government as a gift to the people of Pakistan.

They were also extremely happy to see the ‘hall of silk thread’ and Chinese contribution towards Karakorum highway in Pakistan reflected on the wall of the ‘link passage with China’.

Later, the Chinese delegation held a meeting with Lok Virsa Executive Director Khalid Javaid, who briefed them about the salient features of Pakistan’s cultural heritage with special reference to the mandate of Lok Virsa as a specialised national organisation. He also threw light on the significance of Pakistan’s centuries-old cultural relations with China.

Khalid Javed briefed the delegation in detail about the functioning and role of Lok Virsa (National Institute of Folk & Traditional Heritage) as a leading cultural institution under the public sector dealing with documentation, preservation and dissemination of the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Pakistan with an extensive network of community-based organisations, regional associations, NGOs, intellectuals, researchers, folk artists, master artisans and above all the citizens of the country. Dong Qi thanked Lok Virsa for chalking out a well-conceived programme for their visit. He termed this visit fruitful in strengthening friendly and brotherly relations between both the countries. The members of the delegation said that Lok Virsa Heritage Museum not only presented the rich culture and traditions of Pakistani people but also gave visitors an overview about the country’s cultural influences with other neighbouring countries, including China and Central Asian states.

SUNdAy bAzAAR UPdATE

Consumers decry high onion, tomato prices ISLAMABAD StAFF RePORt

Though the prices of most of the seasonal vegetables have witnessed a downward trend in the Sunday bazaars of the city, when compared to last week’s prices, the prices of onions and tomatoes are, however, are still very high.

This Sunday, the prices of tomato and onion witnessed a decrease of rs 24 and rs 4 per kilogram respectively. The customers who went to various Sunday bazaars said the prices were still “too much”.

This Sunday onion was sold at rs 60 per Kg against the last week’s prices of rs 64 per Kg. Similarly, this Sunday, tomato was sold at rs 76 against the previous week’s rate when it was available at rs 100 per Kg. The vegetable stall-holders told this scribe that the prices of tomato and onion were high due to their high demand and less supply.

“Currently, tomato and onion are being imported from India and Afghanistan…as both the crops had less production in the country this season and because of that their prices are high here,” said Khaqan Khan, a tomatoes seller at Sector-G/6 Sunday bazaar.

He said under normal conditions, tomatoes in winter season are supplied in bulk from

Sindh province but last year’s flood damaged the crop. He said the supply from Sindh would resume next month since the farmers were presently cultivating the crop there.

According to the price lists of the Sunday bazaars, the prices of almost all vegetables witnessed significant decrease compared to the last week’s prices.

This week potato was sold at rs 13 per Kg, ginger and garlic were sold at rs 80 per Kg each against the previous week’s rate of rs 80 per Kg. While this week the prices of lemon also witnessed a decrease of rs 4. This week it was sold at rs 60 per Kg. Peas were sold at rs 44 against the last week’s rate of rs 70 while green chili was sold at rs 88 against the previous week’s rate when it was sold at rs 120 per kg.

According to list, this week, cauliflower flower was sold at rs 18 per Kg, cabbage at rs 44, brinjal (long) was sold at rs 6 per Kg, brinjal gourd was sold at rs 12 per Kg. The prices of black pepper also remained stable as this week it was sold at rs 80 per Kg. It was observed that a less number of people visited the bazaars. And those who were present there were surprised at the 150 per cent increase in the rate of tomato.

In fruit section almost all prices remained stable. This week apple golden was sold at rs 80 per Kg and banana was sold at rs 60 per dozen.

this Week

this Week

80

this Week

36

last Week

50

last Week

90

last Week

40 ginger

46 potato

ladyfinger

this Week

this Week

60

60

this Week

80

last Week

last Week

last Week

64

60

70 onion

lemon

this Week

this Week

this Week

76

107

60

last Week

last Week

last Week

100

117 chicken

apple

50 tomato

green chili

ISB pages 14-11-11_Layout 1 11/14/2011 1:22 AM Page 8

08 Islamabad

Monday, 14 November, 2011

WORLd dIAbETES dAy TOdAy

weAtHeR UPdAteS

23 °C High

Pakistanis easy victims

14°C low

SUNNy

of diabetes due to dietary habits

tUeSdAy wedNeSdAy tHURSdAy 23°C i 12°C

23°C i 10°C

22°C i 11°C

PRAyeR tiMiNGS Fajr Sunrise 05:40 06:10

Zuhr 13:30

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

HoSPitAlS MAHRooF iNt PiMS Poly CliNiC CdA SHiFA iNteRNAtioNAl Ali diStRiCt HQS UltRASoNiC CliNiC Holy FAMily

2222920 9261170 9218300 9221334 4603666 4444435 5556311-14 2824862 9290319

blood bANK PiMS blood bANK Poly CliNiC blood bANK

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CoMPlAiNt wAPdA SUi GAS

111-000-118 1199

RAilwAyS City StAtioN (iNQUiRy) ReSeRvAtioN RAilwAy PoliCe

117 9273614 1333

ISLAMABAD

M

MAHtAB BASHIR

Y mother was tested positive for diabetes, incidentally after a urine test. That was about ten years ago, and since then she, like so many other people with diabetes, became obsessed about her blood sugar level. Her doctor warned her to control it or the consequences could be dire and that she might end up blind, lose a leg, get kidneys failure and so on.

Twenty-nine years old riaz Ahmed, the narrator of this short but sad story, said that since the diagnosis, his entire family had been trying hard not to lose their beloved mother.

“But neither all the precautions nor the prayers could save her surviving his mother. My mother, then 63, began taking pills to maintain her blood sugar level and pricking her finger several times a day to measure her sugar level that, however, could not be controlled. Finally she agreed to add insulin to her medication,” riaz added. He said they had been doing everything to control her diabetes but they overlooked the importance of keeping a check on her cholesterol level. And in the end, the cholesterol killed her, said riaz while choking back his tears. Every year, hundreds of diabetic Pakistanis go abroad in the hope of getting better treatment while the poor stay here and cope with the ailment with limited resources.

And then there are others, who suffer because of poverty coupled with illiteracy, lack of health care facilities and awareness.

Besides this, wrong diagnosis and medical negligence also sometime contribute to the rise of diabetes-related mortality rate. This leads the public to not to trust medical professionals. Many patients complain that doctors avoid explaining as to what their ailments are or how they will be treated. For those who can afford it and those who manage to scrape up their savings or use whatever resources they have, opt for going thousands of miles away where they believe they will get the right treatment. In this scenario, the World Diabetes Day is going to observed today (November 14) all over the world including Pakistan to increase an awareness about the effects of diabetes and its complications amongst the general population and professionals in a range of sectors.

It is also hoped that the increased awareness will lead to more resources to fight the causes of diabetes and help fund research into improved treatment options. The World Diabetes Day raises global

awareness of diabetes, its escalating rates around the world and how to prevent the illness in most cases.

Initiated by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and WHO, the day is marked on 14 November to observe the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, was instrumental in the discovery of insulin in 1922, a life-saving treatment for diabetes patients.

WHO estimates that more than 346 million people worldwide have diabetes. This number is likely to more than double by 2030 without intervention. Almost 80% of diabetes deaths occur in low and middle-income countries.

The World Diabetes Day campaign is led by the International Diabetes Federation and its member associations around the world, including the American Diabetes Association, Diabetes UK, Diabetes Australia, the Canadian Diabetes Association, Diabetes South Africa, Diabetes New Zealand and the Diabetic Association of India. These organisations arrange events at international, national and local levels.

Conferences, workshops and seminars are held where health and public policy professionals discuss steps to control the disease. Events are covered in local and national media, including television, newspapers and internet publications to highlight the issue. Diabetes is no longer an unfamiliar disease. It is probably the most talked about ailment in Pakistan. Every year, the number of patients affected with diabetes is increasing. It is a chronic condition that arises when the islets of Langerhans cells of the pancreas fail to produce adequate amounts of insulin, a hormone that regulates the blood sugar level of the body.

Without insulin our body cannot utilise the energy it needs from food. The food that we consume is mostly turned into glucose, a form of sugar, to convert into forms of energy necessary for the body. Insulin enables our muscles and tissues to absorb glucose from the blood. When the body produces very little or no insulin, the sugar cannot be utilized. This can lead to abnormal blood glucose levels. High blood sugar levels can in effect damage the kidneys, the eyes, and the nervous system.

So, no matter how carefully patients try to control their blood sugar, they can never get it perfect - no drugs can substitute for the body’s normal sugar regulation. So while controlling blood sugar can be important, other measures also are needed to prevent blindness, amputations, kidney failure and stroke.

A medical specialist at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) said that Pakistan would be having 16 million people with diabetes with fourth number in the world. He said the warning symptoms of diabetes were weight loss, increased thirst, increased urination and weakness. He said anybody having these symptoms should get his or her blood sugar level checked.

He said a 30-minutes walk could reduce the occurrence of diabetes by 40 percent in a normal person. He said heart attack and stroke were some of the main complications and with progress of the disease life could become miserable for the patient. “Controlling the blood glucose prevents or at least delays complications. The factors leading to diabetes mellitus were obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, family history and background etc,” he added.

AiRPoRt FliGHt iNQUiRy PiA ReSeRvAtioN

114 111-786-786

NATIONAL ChILdRIGhT ART

KAhANIyAN by MOEEN FARUqI

USTAd RAhAT FATEh - LIvE

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: Nov 17 - 20, 2011 veNUe: iSlAMAbAd

dAte: NoveMbeR 01 to 15, 2011 veNUe: KHAAS ARt GAlleRy iSlAMAbAd

dAte ANd tiMe: Nov 21, 6:00 PM veNUe: GUN & CoUNtRy ClUb

in 1954, United Nation General Assembly recommended that all countries must institute the “Universal Children day” to promote the welfare of the children and protect their basic rights without any discrimination. on 20th November the UN Assembly adopted the declaration of the rights of the child.

the exhibition is called Kahaniyan (Stories), a solo show by eminent artist Moeen Faruqi. the Karachi based artist will exhibit in islamabad after many years at Khaas Art on 1 November 2011. do join u ...

overseas event Management , etZ and UltraSpectra Presents "Rahat Fateh Ali Khan live in concert in prayer For Peace Pakistan on 21st Nov,2011

ISB pages 14-11-11_Layout 1 11/14/2011 1:22 AM Page 9

Monday, 14 November, 2011

News 09

NAB enquiry into Rainee Canal project in final stage

PiA brings home 15,000 Haj pilgrims in 38 flights LAHoRE StAFF RePORt

ISLAMABAD

The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has so far operated 38 Haj flights and brought home 15,000 pilgrims from Jeddah, a spokesman of the airline said on Sunday. PIA officials led by the airline’s Chief Haj Coordinator and Airport Services Director Aijaz Mazhar met with the Jeddah Airport officials in the Saudi cosmopolitan city. Abdullah Zamzami, director operations at the Jeddah Haj Terminal Airport, praised the Pakistani airline’s performance, saying the PIA was the only airline whose aircraft took the least amount of time to leave the airport. He also appreciated the electronic information panels set up at PIA counters to provide information to the passengers. The PIA chief Haj coordinator said the airline had installed information counters for the convenience of its passengers. He said airline officials wearing PIA jackets could be seen guiding pilgrims and providing assistance and travel information. He said the pilgrims arriving late at the airport were responsible for delays in PIA flights.

T

MIAn ABRAR

he National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has formally informed the Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission (PMIC) that it was finalising its enquiry into the rainee Canal project.

A NAB official told Pakistan Today that PMIC Chairman Malik Amjad Ali Noon had asked NAB chief Admiral (r) Fasih Bokhari during a recent meeting to finalise report on the rainee Canal.

In response, Bokhari told Noon that the NAB inquiry was in the final phase and would take appropriate action after the inquiry, the official said. The PMIC had asked the NAB to hold an inquiry into the project which was executed during the rule of former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf. Earlier, the PMIC had also conducted an inquiry into the project.

Official documents available with Pakistan Today reveal that the PMIC report had found delays, formulation of project without proper study, award of four contracts to a single contractor and unsatisfactory quality of work in the rainee Canal project. The PMIC then asked the Planning and Development (P&D) Division and the Government of Sindh to evolve an effective inspection mechanism. The report had also called for an appraisal to be

Pakistan’s low-price JF-17 competes with rivals in dubai

g

Audit reports reveal cost and time overruns, poor work quality and financial discrepancies

implemented, while strictly adhering to the rules of the Public Procurement regulatory Authority (PPrA). regarding PMIC’s proposal to hold an inquiry into time and cost overruns found in the project, the P&D Division referred to its report dated June 10, 2010, wherein an identical proposal was made and the report forwarded to the Ministry of Water and Power and chairman of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA).

FINDINGS: The consultative process found various factors impeding the project’s implementation such as financial constraints, inconsistency between financial releases and physical progress, deviations made from PC-I, irregularities in land acquisition, cost and time overruns, cancellation of contracts, flood damages, non-development of command area, difference of opinion on regulator and divide wall, lack of effective monitoring and inspection by the Planning Commission and WAPDA and certain irregularities in acquiring land by the land acquisition officer.

The PMIC had also asked the Water and Power Ministry if the project was audited or not. In reply, the ministry

sent a copy of the audit report for the year 2009-2010. The scope of the audit was to examine the project accounts for the period between September 2002 and June 2009 (financial years 2002-2003 to 2008-2009). The audit findings and recommendations are as under.

According to the project management, the planned cost of the project (Phase-I) was rs 6,297 million against which an expenditure of rs 8,694.087 million was incurred until June, 2009 resulting in a cost overrun of 38.07 percent, equivalent to rs 2,397.087 million.

An amount of rs 8,453 million was spent on the procurement of office equipment against the provision of rs 2,640 million in PC-I, resulting in an irregular expenditure of rs 5,813 million.

The planned cost of contracts of Phase-I was rs 4,697 million whereas, the contracts were awarded at rs 12,882.232 million, exceeding the planned cost by rs 8,185.232 million.

An amount of rs 58.588 million was allocated in PC-I for the construction of residential and non-residential buildings, which have not yet been constructed.

Against an approved cost of rs 18,862

million, only rs 3,400 million were allocated by the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) until September, 2007. The insufficient funds caused delays and an extra expenditure on interest charges claimed by the contractors.

There was no provision for consultancy charges in the PC-I, but rs 124 million were spent on consultants.

RECOMMENDATIONS: The report asked the project management to: Implement the schedule given in PC-I of the project and vigorously pursue a continuous flow of funds; regulate the land acquisition proceedings and payments as per provision of the Land Acquisition Action, 1894, to avoid excess payments; Strictly adhere to Public Procurement rules, 2004, for transparency in awarding of contracts; Adhere to the conditions and clauses of contracts; Ensure proper monitoring and surveillance of project works for achieving quality and timely completion of project; Strengthen internal controls to avoid financial irregularities; Ensure timely resolution of issues between stakeholders to avoid delays; Suggest monitoring mechanism regarding achievement of intended objectives of the project.

MONITORING BY PLANNING COMMISSION: The project wing of the Planning Commission had monitored the rainee Canal project in the years 2008, 2009 and 2010. The Planning Commission also monitored the rainee Canal Project in 2009 and forwarded a monitoring report to the Ministry of Water and Power in June 2009 which contained issues and observations about delays, failure to achieve targets, change of five project documents since the start of the project, excess expenditures, slow progress, time and cost overrun.

PM promotes 15 officers of Postal, information groups

DUBAI ReUteRS

Pakistan is pitching its new JF-17 Thunder fighter jet, developed jointly with China, at an aggressive discount to dominant Western rivals, the country’s defence minister said on Sunday. “You can buy three of our aircraft for one F-16,” Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar told reuters at the Dubai Air Show, where the aircraft is being displayed. He said that the producer, Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, was under pressure to keep pace with the requirements of the Pakistan Air Force.

“Three squadrons are already flying the aircraft in Pakistan and one squadron in China,” he added. Analysts expect the aircraft, which Mukhtar said was priced at $25-30 million, to be focused on emerging markets in Asia and Africa.

“Going to the (European) market is not very easy because you are cutting the profits of some other people,” Mukhtar said. He said the development of the aircraft was not targeted at archrival India. “India need not worry -- it’s not India-specific. We are building very close relations with India.”

ISLAMABAD StAFF RePORt

Prime Minister Yousaf raza Gilani on Sunday approved the promotion of 15 officers of the Postal Group and Information Service on the recommendations of the Central Selection Board. Fakir Syed Shaharyaruddin and Amjad Aftab Siddiqui from the Postal Group have been promoted from BS-20 to BS-21 while S Mobin Iqbal, Nasir Hassan, Mushtaq Ahmed Mahindro, Jamal Khan Mandokhel, Haq Nawaz and Dr Naseer Ahmed Khan have been promoted from BS-19 to BS-20. From the Information Service, Muhammad Tariq, Saba Mohsin raza, Tehsin Ali Khan, Sheraz Latif, raja Muhammad Farooq Khan, rafiq Ahmed Dahar and Maqbool Hussain Shah have been promoted from BS-19 to BS-20.

SIAlKOt: Workers scattering rice for drying on Sunday. ONLINE

Ombudsman’s office dysfunctional due to govt’s negligence office lying vacant for a year, over 50,000 complaints pending g Pakistan will have to forfeit presidency of Asian ombudsmen Association if no ombudsman is appointed g

MASOOD ReHMAn

O

wing to grave negligence of the federal government, the office of the federal ombudsman has become dysfunctional, as it has been lying vacant since October 27, 2010, adding to the woes of thousands of people whose complainants against the functionaries of various federal government departments are pending orders from the office.

Almost 50,000 public complaints are pending with the ombudsman’s office for disposal. According to senior lawyers, the functionaries concerned of the federal government have committed grave negligence in carrying out their mandatory duty of appointing a federal ombudsman or at least an acting ombudsman in accordance with Article 3 or 7 of the Establishment of the Office of the Wafaqi Mohtasib (Ombudsman) Order 1983 (President’s Order No 1 of 1983), resulting in a dysfunctional Federal Ombudsman’s Secretariat, which is the only inexpensive and swift source of justice for poor people.

According to lawyer Dr Muhammad Aslam Khaki, an Islamic jurist and chair-

man of Insaaf Welfare Trust, the ombudsman institution has come to be globally recognised as a credible means of addressing the complaints of aggrieved citizens related to administrative injustice of federal agencies such as ministries, divisions and autonomous bodies, as defined under Article 2(1) of the Establishment of the Office of the Wafaqi Mohtasib (Ombudsman) Order 1983 (President’s Order No. 1 of 1983). He said that in fact, its functioning was taken as an important factor in ensuring accountability and transparency in everyday public service delivery throughout the world.

He said under Articles 3 and 4 of the ombudsman order of 1983, the president of Pakistan appoints a federal ombudsman for a term of four years. The last federal ombudsman, Javed Sadiq Malik, had completed his tenure on October 27, 2010 and since then the office has been vacant.

The prime minister and the president have failed to fill this constitutional post on regular or acting basis for over a year now, which would have been a clear manifestation of their so-called passion for good governance and addressing public

grievances. Legal and constitutional experts believe that keeping the post of the federal ombudsman vacant for over a year has caused various adverse effects, not only for the institution but also for the general public.

The core business of the office is addressing citizens’ grievances. During the absence of the ombudsman, the secretariat received some 46,813 complaints (up to September 30, 2011) from all over Pakistan against federal government agencies. Of these, the investigation has been completed in more than 28,394 cases, but no relief could be provided to citizens for lack of the mandatory approval of the federal ombudsman.

According to the Activity Monitoring report of September 20, 2011, this has caused frustration in the public mind and downgraded the institution’s credibility amongst the people.

The office of the federal ombudsman had initiated a number of projects for capacity building of the institution and institutional streamlining with donor assistance. But because of the absence of an ombudsman, all these projects have now

come to a complete halt, as donors have withdrawn their assistance in several cases.

Main donors of these projects are UNICEF, UNDP and the Asian Development Bank.

According to Dr Khaki, who has also filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking appointment of a federal ombudsman, the Wafaqi Mohtasib of Pakistan has successfully earned well-established credibility among the fraternity of ombudsman institutions around the world and it has been acting as the elected president of the Asian Ombudsmen Association (AOA) since 1996.

Besides, it has considerably contributed to the recognition of Pakistan’s leadership role in strengthening the institution of ombudsman in 27 Asian countries.

The absence of the AOA’s president for the last year has led to embarrassment at the Asian level, as many mandatory meetings and decisions are pending. The election to the office of AOA president is scheduled to be held on December 8, 2011, when Pakistan, in the absence of a federal ombudsman, will be forfeiting this prestigious position, which it has held since 1996.

The federal ombudsman has also been a member of the board of directors of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI), Vienna, Austria. The elections for the position were held in August 2011, where Pakistan lost the key position at such an august international forum merely because of the absence of a federal ombudsman.

The post has, in the past, been held by retired judges of the Supreme Court as well as retired federal secretaries who had been appointed by the president of Pakistan, both on regular and acting basis. Under the law, the office cannot be kept vacant for such an indefinite period because of its public importance.

In case the appointment of the regular incumbent of the post is likely to take some time, the president can (during pending appointment of regular incumbent of the post) appoint some suitable person as an acting ombudsman under Article 7 of the Presidential Order No 1 of 1983, which reads: “Acting Mohtasib – At any time when the office of Mohtasib is vacant, or the Mohtasib is absent or is unable to perform his functions due to any cause, the President shall appoint an acting Mohtasib.”

The government’s failure to appoint a federal ombudsman and the resultant dysfunction of the secretariat has also left some 100 employees, including those employed on contract basis, with no work to do.

ISB pages 14-11-11_Layout 1 11/14/2011 1:22 AM Page 10

10 News

Monday, 14 November, 2011

tripartite consensus talks start today ISLAMABAD OnlIne

A 9-day tripartite consensus between customs and border enforcement officials of Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States is due to start from Monday (today). According to sources, officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan have been invited by the American State Department’s International Security and Non-proliferation Department Bureau, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Borders Protection Wing for a tripartite consensus. During the proposed consensus, the delegations from Pakistan and Afghanistan would be invited to tour the American training centres and land ports to observe various trainings. The delegations from Pakistan and Afghanistan would also observe the border and customs operations on the American-Mexican border.

2 children kidnapped in separate incidents PESHAWAR StAFF RePORt

ISlAMABAD: Pakistan tehrik-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan addressing a central executive committee meeting at a local hotel on Sunday ONLINE

US Republicans sharply criticise Pakistan in debate g

Mitt Romney says Pakistan ‘close to being a failed state’ g Rick Perry says Pakistanis ‘don’t deserve our foreign aid’ WASHINGToN

P

ReUteRS

AKISTAN took a lot of criticism in Saturday’s republican US presidential debate, with a leading candidate saying it was nearly a failed state and another suggesting the United States cut its foreign aid to zero.

But it is unclear whether any of their ideas is likely to be imposed on a country that has nuclear weapons and whose cooperation is seen as vital to stabilising Afghanistan as the United States prepares to pull out from there by the end of 2014. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt romney said Pakistan had multiple centres of power including the relatively weak civilian leadership, the military and the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

“The right way to deal with Pakistan is to recognise that Pakistan is not a country, like other countries, with a strong political centre that you can go to and say, ‘Gee, can we come here, will you take care of this problem?’” romney said. “This is instead a nation which is

close to being a failed state. I hope it doesn’t reach that point, but it’s really a fragile nation,” he said.

Polls point to romney as the republican who would be the most likely among the party’s crop of candidates to defeat President Barack Obama, a Democrat, in the November 2012 US presidential election. The republicans begin choosing their nominee in state contests beginning in January.

Texas Governor rick Perry suggested that every country, including Pakistan, should see its US aid eliminated each year and then should convince the United States why it deserves any money at all. “Then we’ll have a conversation in this country about whether or not a penny of our taxpayer dollars needs to go into those countries,” Perry said in response to a question about whether Islamabad was playing a double game with Washington. “Pakistan is clearly sending us messages... that they don’t deserve our foreign aid... because they’re not being honest with us,” he added. “American soldiers’ lives are being put at jeopardy because of that country ... and it’s time for us as a country to say no to for-

eign aid to countries that don’t support the United States of America,” he said.

‘FRIEND OR FOE’: Businessman Herman Cain had difficulty offering a direct response when asked whether Pakistan was ultimately an ally or adversary. “There isn’t a clear answer as to whether or not Pakistan is a friend or foe,” Cain said.

Some republican candidates argued that the United States has little choice but to nurture relations with Pakistan, citing the fact that it has nuclear arms and that it has to be part of the solution in Afghanistan. “Pakistan must be a friend of the United States for the reason that Michele (Bachmann) outlined. Pakistan is a nuclear power,” said former Pennsylvania Senator rick Santorum, referring to fellow republican candidate Bachmann.

“It’s important for us, with a nuclear power with a very vast number of people in Pakistan who are radicalising, that we keep a solid and stable relationship and work through our difficulties,” he added.

The candidates also vowed to stop Iran from developing an atomic bomb if they became president but differed over how to do it in a debate that tested their knowledge of world hotspots.

The candidates made no major stumbles at the 90-minute gathering, but their deep differences were reflected, such as how quickly to bring US troops home from Afghanistan and if waterboarding should be brought back for terrorism suspects.

None of the eight candidates has much foreign policy experience, save for former US Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, but they all criticised Democratic President Barack Obama, whom they want to replace in the 2012 election.

Texas Governor rick Perry might have been the biggest winner at the Wofford College debate simply by surviving it with no major stumbles, after he famously forgot one of the three government agencies he would eliminate at the previous debate on Wednesday.

A McClatchy-Marist nationwide poll, conducted between November 8 and 10, showed that while romney led among republicans and republican-leaning independents with 23 percent, Newt Gingrich was now second at 19 percent.

Cain, who is battling allegations of sexual harassment, slipped to third place with 17 percent.

Two children were kidnapped by unidentified men in separate incidents in Bashirabad on Sunday. According to sources, a child identified as Sudais, son of Ihsanullah, was kidnapped by unidentified persons. The police started search operation after receiving information, however, the child could not be recovered. Another child, Waqas, son of Kamal, had also disappeared mysteriously, the sources said.

Meanwhile, police found three bullet laden bodies from Kharkai, within the Dawoodzai Police precincts. The bodies have not been identified yet and were taken to the mortuary for autopsy.

Ji criticises govt agriculture policy LAHoRE StAFF RePORt

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Secretary General Liaquat Baloch on Sunday criticised the government’s policy on agriculture and lamented the increase in prices of fertilizer, diesel and pesticides. In a statement issued

by JI, Liaquat said that farmers were not being offered enough money for paddy and cotton crop by investors and industrialists.

He said that the federal and provincial governments’ claims to provide fertilizers to the farmers on low prices had proven baseless, adding that the farmers were forced to buy them at higher costs as they were not available in the market. He warned of adverse impact on the wheat crop if cheap fertilizers were not provided to the poor farmers. Liaquat assured the farmers that JI would continue to support them. He demanded the government reduce the prices of fertilizers, pesticides, diesel and electricity and ensure the provision of cheap fertilizers to the farmers.

Kausar asks overseas Pakistanis to invest in fATA g

overseas Pakistanis say they are willing to invest if security concerns are addressed PESHAWAR StAFF RePORt

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Barrister Masood Kausar asked overseas Pakistani philanthropists to come forward for investment in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and assist the government in its efforts to bring a true development revolution in this hitherto neglected and ignored part of the country.

“It’s a good opportunity for investment as the situation in FATA is quickly returning to normal and the government is going all out to support them”, the governor said.

He was talking to a 20-member delegation of overseas Pakistanis, mostly hailing from FATA and running their businesses in

the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which called on him at Governor’s House here on Sunday. The meeting was the follow-up of an earlier meeting that took place in Dubai during a recent visit of the governor to the UAE. The delegation was led by Syed Qayyum Shah. The governor admitted that law and order remained a problem impeding development efforts but said that the situation was now far better than the past and “moving towards normalcy”.

“We have made some basic policy shifts in FATA owing to the changed scenario,” the governor said, adding that the administration had been instructed to forget about the colonial attitude and be people-friendly and serve the people rather than rule them.

He said 60 percent of FATA’s popula-

tion was made up of youth, who needed to be made self-sufficient in one way of another. “We are trying to equip the uneducated youth with technical skill and know-how and open new avenues for jobs and employment not only in FATA but in the country as well as abroad,” he said.

Earlier in the presentation on investment opportunities in FATA given to the delegates, it was revealed that 85 percent of area in FATA had been geographically explored and multiple minerals had been identified for exploitation and utilisation.

The delegates were told that 5.85 billion tonnes of mineral deposits were available in Bajaur Agency alone, including coal, manganese, emerald, copper, gold, oil and gas, soapstone, limestone, graphite,

chromite, gypsum and iron ore in almost every tribal agency. They were told that 230 million tonnes of industrial grade limestone and 130 million tonnes of gypsum was present in the Sherani area of Dera Ismail Khan, where industries such as cement, fertilisers and plaster of Paris production could be established. Other industries such as fruit and vegetable processing plants in South Waziristan Agency and Kurram Agency, marble processing units in Mohmand Agency and Bajaur Agency, and rOZs in Khyber Agency could also be promising choices, the delegates were told. Some 120 potential sites were available in FATA for small dams where investment could be made. Leader of the delegation Syed Qayyum Shah thanked the governor for providing them an opportunity to become aware of the investment opportunities in FATA. He expressed

willingness for investment on behalf of his co-delegates subject to the condition that their security concerns were addressed properly. He said people working abroad were willing to come back and work in their own areas to serve their people and their country. They also pointed towards certain drawbacks in the system, particularly some problems at the airports and lack of facilities such as cold storage there.

They pledged to develop contacts with the FDA and FATA Secretariat to further the ideas of investment in FATA and avail the opportunities available for investment in the tribal areas.

The meeting was attended by the FDA chief executive, secretary to the governor, FATA finance secretary, FATA Projects director general, FATA administration secretary and other officials of the FATA Secretariat and FDA.

ISB pages 14-11-11_Layout 1 11/14/2011 1:22 AM Page 11

Monday, 14 November, 2011

Editor’s mail 11

Questions for imran I would like to draw the attention of the Pakistani nation towards the talk of the town, which is Imran Khan’s ‘Pakistan Bachao Tehreek’ (Save Pakistan Movement). In every meeting and discussion, I often hear about the attendance at Minar-e-Pakistan and it seems that this power show is becoming the basis of support for the PTI. One sensible quarter has asked for an effective plan and strategy on how Imran Khan will change the system. I, too, have my concerns and would like to ask Imran Khan’s supporters, who think that he will bring about a 180 degree change in the direction of the country, about all the tall claims that he has made in the past that have not yet been

Seats for sale? accomplished.

I am still waiting for Imran Khan to share the details of the model houses and/or villages for the flood affected people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southern Punjab in 2010, for which he had collected billions of rupees and said that he will put everything in black and white. I am still waiting for Imran Khan to visit and assist the flood affected people of Sindh and visit victims of target killings in Karachi. I am still waiting for Imran Khan to pursue cases against Altaf Hussain in London that he claimed he would. His action on the ground is now in contradiction to his claims with seemingly cordial relations with the MQM. I am still waiting for

Imran Khan to go to the superior courts to keep the Chaudhrys from running for elections, which he was determined to pursue prior to the 2008 elections and even showed their bank default papers in front of the media. I am still waiting for Imran Khan to conduct a rally in Karachi, Quaid-e Azam’s home city, and refer to Altaf Hussain like he referred the PML(N) leaders to as ‘the dengue brothers’. I am still waiting for Imran Khan to bring new leadership ahead rather than giving the second seat on stage in his Lahore rally to a controversial figure like Mian Azhar, who has only recently joined the PTI. Perhaps now I am waiting for PML(Q)’s outdated politicians to start

joining PTI and sit on the stage pushing down the diehard workers, who have been with PTI for so many years. There is a long list of things that I am still waiting for, but with his present style of leadership and the way that he has launched himself against the PML(N), I have lost hope in him.

With all the above-mentioned promises that he could not deliver being in the opposition, assuming that he does come to power, I am sure that he will either be hijacked by the incumbent politicians from the PML(Q) or would continue doing what he has always done, i.e. make empty promises.

FATIMA BAREE Karachi

Stop corruption, save Sindh regrettably, corruption has affected every aspect of life in this country of ours. There is no any segment of society which is corruption-free. Last week, I had the opportunity to visit a few departments in my home province Sindh. The scale of corruption which I saw in various departments such as health, education, revenue, police, believe me or not, I have never seen such intensity of corruption in other parts of the country. Not even a single penny is spent over routine or developmental works.

The provincial government has given power in the hands of mafias, criminals and corrupt people. I am of the view that such people are the most harmful and dangerous for any nation and people of the country than any foreign aggression.

HASHIM ABRO Islamabad

Media ethics Media is an important aspect of every society as it not only gives awareness to people but also gathers people on a common cause. It broadcasts current events and raises important problems on a national platform.

But our media is not playing a positive role in our society. It is broadcasting issues or problems in a sensationalised manner rather than covering them in a dispassionate way. It gives undue hype to certain problems; so much so that it often leads to the disaffected people resorting to violence.

It is the responsibility of our media professionals to project Pakistan positively. Not only that, it is duty to follow a code of ethics, even if it hasn’t been formalised in the shape of a law, and to cover issues in a rational manner that opens up avenues for their solution.

HINA MEHDI Karachi

In Pakistan, one senator seat is sold for crores of rupees. The senators are nominated and voted for by the parliamentarians, who charge these rich technocrats 5-10 crore rupees to get their votes and become a senator for the Government of Pakistan.

After paying such a huge amount for a job, any person would have only one agenda in their job, to somehow make this money back and also accumulate enough for the next election, payment for another win. With such a mindset how can we end corruption?

The senators do get lots of chances from the government to make money, like weapon license quotas which are sold to the highest bidder etc. They get free cars, free protocol (sometimes consisting of 10 cars) and many other VIP treatments at the expense of the public.

The senators and parliamentarians also get job quotas, which they sell as well. Each seat is sold for 8-20 Lakh rupees in KPK these days. The person who buys this seat becomes a government servant. This person then starts their new job with the resolve to first make up the loan of 8-20 lakh rupees that they have for getting their new job. With such a vicious cycle how can we stop corruption in the government?

A possible solution could be to stop giving parliamentarians and senators special quotas; they should not be allowed VIP treatment or any special privileges. In the UK and Other EU countries, their representatives go to work on the public transport and even ride to work on bicycles. Once these government servants are treated like common citizens, then they won’t be able to get away with such corruption.

ROHAIL BASEER Peshawar

Sack Railways minister

iran’s nukes There is a lot of hullabaloo surrounding Iran nukes which may or may not exist. A lot of officials from the US are issuing declaratory statements about what could happen if Iran continues to develop arms of destruction. These statements should not be lightly as we all know what happened to Iraq on a similar (and utterly fabricated) pretext.

It is true that in the international comity, you only have to follow the rules if you don’t have power. The US was

answerable to nobody after it did what it did to Iraq. Now the motions are being gone through again. While proliferation of nuclear arms is a real issue and it should be taken seriously, why is the US raising the roof about Iran’s alleged nukes while it continues to de facto fund Israel’s nuclear programme. Hypocirsy, thy name is US. ABEER ASIF Lahore

The Pakistan railways has reached a moribund state under the charge of present railways Minister Mr Bilour of ANP who should be held squarely responsible for the destruction of this prime public transport system. The plight of a railway pensioner dying before a bank speaks volumes about the stone hearted minister who even advised closure of railway thus pushing us in Stone Age. The president ought to dispense with such a sorry specimen from his ANP cohorts who is bringing a bad name to the PPP government as a hallmark of mismanagement unprecedented in the past six decades of our history.

DR MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI Lahore

Begum Nusrat Bhutto: A personal tribute

By Fakhar Zaman

B

egum Nusrat Bhutto is no more in this world. But she would long be remembered for her great qualities with which she was blessed in abundance. She was a woman of substance, commitment and determination.

She was committed to the cause of democracy, determined to work for and ensure women empowerment and had a very soft corner for downtrodden people in general and the poor party workers in particular. She would walk into a hut or ‘jhuggie’ of a party worker with a smiling face and spend quite some time there inquiring about the welfare and well-being of the family members.

The role Begum Nusrat Bhutto played in politics and in the Movement for restoration of Democracy (MrD), particularly when her illustrious husband and first democratically elected Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was overthrown and hanged by military dictator General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, would always be remembered as a golden chapter in the country’s chequered political history. She took both the PPP and the MrD to new heights which even her political opponents have always recognised and appre-

ciated then and even now when she lies in eternal rest along side her husband Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and daughter Benazir Bhutto in the family graveyard.

But I was fortunate enough not only to have seen her in different capacities closely but also having the opportunity of working with her for several years as her Political Advisor.

She was strongly against corruption in politics. She also used to say in our interaction during tour of Punjab in connection with election that no corrupt Minister or bureaucrat should be tolerated under any circumstances. She was of the considered view that the corruption had spread during Zia-ul-Haq’s martial law regime like the kalashnikov culture and drug culture.

She was also the Chief Organizer of PPP Women Wing, a position which had afforded her much desired opportunity to work for women empowerment.

Begum Nusrat Bhutto was so committed to the cause of democracy and democratic process , that one of the first things she had told me was that she wanted election of the PPP Women Wing held from down to tehsil level upto the Chairperson level all over the country.

This task was accomplished over a period of three years from 1973 to 1976.

She was herself elected unopposed as the Chairperson of PPP Women Wing.

Her life was full of struggles, sacri-

fices and sufferings. She had seen a lot of strife and hardship in her life but had stayed steadfast and undeterred.

Begum Nusrat Bhutto first lost her illustrious husband Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, then her one son Mir Shahnawaz Bhutto, then second son Mir Murtaza Bhutto and furthermore, her eldest daughter Benazir Bhutto. But I don’t think that she was in the best of her mental and physical health conditions while living in Dubai when Benazir Bhutto was martyred in December 2007.

As a matter of fact, her health deteriorated after the assassination of her beloved son Mir Murtaza Bhutto, who was shot dead in Karachi. That was the beginning of the decline of the great woman who had already lost her husband and then her son.

After this tragedy, she had gradually started showing no interest in politics and withdrawing herself to loneliness.

I was out of the country when Mir Murtaza Bhutto was shot dead in Clifton , Karachi , a short distance from his residence. On my return home, I went to the Prime Minister house offer my condolence. I had never before seen her in such bad shape before in all the years I had been associated with her as the Political Advisor, officially and then also unofficially.

She had stood firm and strong even when she was beaten up brutally by the

police with batons at Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore, resulting in wounds to her head.

She had faced all the rigours of military dictatorship of General Zia-ul-Haq with courage, boldness and determination both as PPP Chairperson and as MrD leader.

She was made the Chairperson of PPP on the insistence of veteran political leader Shaikh Muhammad rashid in view of the conditions then prevailing in the country as well as within the party. She had taken up the challenge very well and did not allow the fact that she was a woman to create any obstacles in discharging the duties and functions as PPP Chairperson despite losing her husband not so long ago.

As already mentioned Begum Nusrat Bhutto preferred to meet party workers whom she always treated with affection and as a loving mother. She was deadly against those party leaders who had betrayed Mr Bhutto and PPP in any manner and was of the view that such people should not be taken back in the party. I was with her in Noon house Lahore, along with Benazir Bhutto when Mr Bhutto was in the central jail undergoing trial at Lahore high court. During this period, she refused to meet a number of noted leaders who had betrayed Bhutto sahib.

It is a known bitter fact that after Mr Bhutto was hanged, his wife and daughter were not allowed to have his last glimpses and attend his funeral rites

and were instead placed in detention at Sihala rest House near rawalpindi .

She despised General Ziaul Haq and even had been questioning Mr Bhutto as to why he had chosen such an unimpressive person as the Chief of Army Staff.

She also did not like Zia-ul-Haq’s habit of flattery and feared that this person may cause some harm one day.

I also remember how kind she was even to animals. Begum Nusrat Bhutto was going in a vehicle to Jaranwala to address a gathering there. ruksana Bangash and myself with her in the Pajero which was being driven by Tahir Niazi. Suddenly, a galloping horse appeared from one side of the road, sped past the vehicle hitting it slightly and disappeared. The vehicle, somehow, did not turn turtle. It was immediately stopped and Mr Niazi apologized to her for the incident. She asked me to go and find out whether the horse was safe and not injured after hitting the vehicle. She was relieved when I told her that the horse had disappeared which meant that it was not hurt.

There are many instances which I can quote here but for want of space it is not possible.

The writer is a PPP central leader and can be reached at his e-mail address fakharzaman21@yahoo.com

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 should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively.

ISB pages 14-11-11_Layout 1 11/14/2011 1:22 AM Page 12

12 Comment Crying wolf? introspection needed

T

he establishment, claims Nawaz Sharif, is out to prop up new political parties and create wedges within older, most established ones. Now that might not be too far from the truth, and there certainly is a precedent for that. Nawaz should know.

But there is only so far one can use the establishment bogeyman. If Nawaz was alluding to the PTI and the rifts within the N-League, like the one between MNA Abid Sher Ali and Punjab law minister rana Sanaullah, then some introspection would do him good. rifts within his party are not necessarily the result of any grand actor but of the peculiar nature of his party. The Punjab chief minister’s penchant for micromanagement, all while alienating his own lawmakers is well-known. Back when the PPP was a coalition member in the Punjab, the running joke around the provincial assembly and secretariat was, who is lesser empowered than a PPP minister in the Punjab? The answer: PML(N) ministers. By relying almost entirely on the bureaucracy and meeting up with legislators sparingly, the CM has set up the seeds of discontent far and wide in its party framework.

On the other front: granted, the PTI has tapped into the largely apolitical demographic - and that it has had help from usual quarters is not too unfounded an assumption - but the League’s farfrom-stellar performance in the provincial government has certainly contributed to the newcomer’s appeal, especially within the urban middle-class demographic traditionally enthralled by the League.

The League should beware of becoming the party that cried wolf. Citizens disaffected by poorly performing governments don’t take too kindly to being given lessons in political history and institutional dynamics. The country’s political class has the odds stacked against them, especially when they are in government. Having said that, however, there is only so much incompetence a government can explain away.

Punjabi militancy A million mutinies now

T

he media, complain the other federating units, covers, almost exclusively, issues of the Punjab and Karachi. And within that, only the urban centres. That is not too outlandish a claim. A comparison of how a suicide bomb blast in Lakki Marwat that killed more than a hundred people and any of the ones in Lahore, which have yielded far lesser casualties, played out of the news cycles is a ready case to be examined.

Yet there are some aspects of the Punjab that are underreported by the mainstream media. The widespread network of religious militants in the Punjab does not make it to the headlines so often. A reason for this might be the relatively less frequent instances like the one that took place in Chakwal the other day, where four intelligence personnel were targeted. But many analysts feel that instances like these are the tip of the iceberg. That the stillsubmerged structure of these networks is comparable, even larger, than the ones found in KP or Balochistan.

Even those who acknowledge the scourge limit themselves to discussing only southern Punjab. But central Punjab is rife with the problem as well, and this includes Lahore. Islamabad itself is another problem that needs to be confronted. A true picture of the proliferation of these networks in the federal capital itself packs enough of a punch to give anyone the jitters.

These groups are increasingly making the elected representatives irrelevant. rather than seek their favour, it is usually the lawmakers that seek out these groups in matters of constituency realpolitik.

In making the positive framework of the state irrelevant lie the seeds of failed states. In this lopsided republic where one federating unit takes up about 60 per cent of the population, it is rare to state that the Punjab is being neglected, in any department. But that may well be the case.

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

Monday, 14 November, 2011

Superpowers through the ages even when not in Rome, do as the Romans do

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he roman Empire was one of the great empires in history. It extended from Europe to Asia and included hundreds of nations and tribes as its subjects. To maintain its greatness, it continuously fought bloody battles, suppressed rebellions with brutality, enslaved the vanquished people and plundered the wealth of the defeated nations. Historians still admire the generalship of Pompey, Julius Caesar and Augustus who conquered new lands and pushed the borders of the empire ahead. The books of history still depict the fascinating scenes when the victors returned from the battlefield along with war booty and slaves that were given to the kings and princesses and paraded in the city of rome as war trophies. By watching this spectacle, people applauded their war heroes and welcomed them back enthusiastically.

The grandeur and its heritage inspired the later ruling generations of Europe who time and again made attempt to revive its political institutions and its past glory. In 9th century, Charlemagne built the Carolingian empire on the same basis. He was crowned by the Pope which transformed him as the Holy roman Emperor. This institution continued even after losing its power and became in Voltaire’s words neither Holy nor roman, and not Emperor. It was finally ended by Napoleon in 1812.

When Napoleon conducted a coup in 1799 against the revolutionary Directory

By Dr Mubarak Ali of France, he called himself the first council on the model of roman republic. His ambitions were to follow the great roman generals and found a great empire. In the 20th century, Benito Mussolini raised the slogan to revive the roman Empire and its greatness. Though Hitler did not make such claims but the show and pageantry of Nazi rule reflected the power and grandeur of the romans.

When the British started the process of colonisation, its administrators and army officers studied roman history and emulated the great roman heroes in their efforts to colonise new territories and make their country like the great roman Empire. The American Founding Fathers were also impressed by the roman history and its political institutions. The coming American generations are still trying to make their country a great superpower like the roman Empire.

The problem is that all those who made efforts to fol-

eye on History

low in the footsteps of the romans have studied only its success and triumphs and not its downfall and disintegration.

The roman Empire became so vast that it became impossible to manage. In the later period, a new system was introduced that instead of one there were four emperors to control the rebellions of the colonised nations. It failed. Finally, it was defeated and humiliated by the Germanic tribes who conquered the city of rome in the 5th century and ended the empire. Gibbon in The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire points out the causes of its downfall. One of them was the civil wars among its generals for power which exhausted its energy and its armies no longer remained in a position to confront the rebellions. Secondly, conversion to Christianity weakened its military power because a large number of people abandoned worldly affairs and concentrated on the salvation of their souls. Pirenne, the Belgian historian, in his book Muhammad (pbuh) and Charlemagne argues that the conquest of North Africa and domination on the Mediterranean by the Arabs blocked the trade routes of the romans which created an economic crisis leading to its fall.

Historians also point out the policy of enslavement of the defeated people as one of the reasons of its decline. As a result of this policy, the population of the slaves increased and the nobles evicted the peasants from their land and employed the slaves to cultivate it.

The evicted and unemployed peasants left their homes and came to the cities for work. It produced an unemployed and disgruntled population which was ready to disestablish the system. Historians call them ‘the internal barbarians’ who caused the downfall of the Empire.

The nobles, fearing the wrath of crowd, left the cities and retired to their villas in the countryside. When the Germanic

tribes besieged the city of rome, there was nobody to defend it.

One finds some similarities in the decline of other great empires. The first and foremost reason was the rise of nationalist sentiments among the subject nations. They rebelled against the imperial powers and made it difficult for them to manage them and control their power.

All European imperial powers faced the same situation when the colonised nations challenged their rule and forced them to withdraw. Once they were involved in warfare, they exhausted their financial resources which affected their societies. The economic crisis from within and outside compelled them to return to their original borders.

At present, the Americans are facing the same problems. The stretch of their ‘empire’ is sucking their resources and talents. Their presence is not liked by the people who are under their political and cultural domination. As a result of this, there are resistant movements. Though, like all imperial powers, they rely on the cooperation of local collaborators, but increasingly, it is becoming difficult to trust them as they are discredited by the people.

This is a dilemma for the Americans: how to react. The problem is that the very concept of being a superpower is intoxicating. It creates arrogance which makes its rulers blind to the ground realities and blinkers their understanding. Consequently, the fall comes with humiliation.

Those imperial powers that adapted the model of the roman Empire and observed its military glory and ignored its decline did not learn from history and committed the same mistakes and suffered ignoble defeat.

The writer is one of the pioneers of alternate history in the country.

Regional Press

Anti-encroachment drive in Peshawar Daily Khabroona

A

fter Eid-ul-Azha, the district administration in Peshawar embarked on anti-encroachment drive with particular focus on busy bazaars in the city including the vegetable market. Certain trade unions in Peshawar are up in opposition against such an ‘operation’ and have demanded of the government to show ‘leniency’ in this regard.

During the anti-encroachment drive, it also came to the fore that thousands of street vendors (raerhi-wallahs) selling fruits, vegetables and dry-fruits in the city totally depends on these activities for earning livelihood. If the administration continued its drive, the result would obviously render bulk of people jobless. Such people maintained that though the district administration in carrying out anti-encroachment drive is on the right foot in the legal sense of the word, yet the daily wage labourers and street vendors would suffer unduly if the drive was conducted in an indiscriminate manner. They said

that if the operation is indeed needed to be carried out, then they should be provided with alternative jobs to sustain themselves and their family members.

They even threatened to resort to demonstrations against the provincial government for not taking into considerations the hardships of the poor strata of society.

It is a fact that in the current time, not only Peshawar, but the entire country is faced with a crisis of unemployment.

It is because, on the one hand, the law and order situation of the region has taken a heavy toll on economic activities of the country and, on the other hand, the incumbent government at the centre has failed to take any tangible steps to overcome the dreaded phenomena of unemployment.

It is needed that government should pursue such drives only if they are well-calculated and absolutely necessary. The problems of all the stakeholders must be kept in mind before taking such steps.

– Translated from the original Pashto by Abdur Rauf Khattak

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Monday, 14 November, 2011

The overhyped Khan Riding the crest of rhetoric?

By Waqqas Mir

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ppearances have their place in life—especially for those selling themselves as dispassionate observers engaging in putatively objective analysis of politics.

However, post-PTI’s Lahore rally many such appearances have fallen by the wayside. A few TV anchors who sell themselves as analysts have mentioned the ‘tingling’ they experienced during Imran’s rally.

While reliance on tingling sensations, as a mode of analysis, is debatable the most intellectually honest step for these people would be to openly endorse Mr Khan and stop misleading the public with pretences of objective analysis. At least Glenn Beck and Fox News openly acknowledge ideological leanings.

Despite the blind optimism of PTI warriors, questioning and criticizing Imran Khan is not the moral/intellectual equivalent of endorsing corruption. Anyone who, like Khan, engages in ceaseless rhetoric should be prepared to be peppered with hard questions.

There is something lamentable in the way the PTI phenomenon is taking hold among the many young minds of Pakistan. The biggest casualty in the process is open debate.

When I heard a renowned historian say some days ago that ‘majorities have to be earned in a democracy’ I felt uncertain of his meaning but now the dangers posed by majorities that are not earned are becoming clear.

Thousands of people, apparently so weary of corruption and abuse of power, are unquestioningly buying into the rhetoric of a party and a man whose leanings deserve the strictest scrutiny like all other politicians.

Even if corruption is ‘the’ issue in the eyes of so many, why is there an assumption that the PTI will not be corrupt? It is laughable that Imran Khan’s management of a hospital is an argument for the purity of a political party. Most people,

including politicians, would run any project that they have a financial interest in a manner that benefits the project. Therefore, while Khan’s hospital is a commendable effort it is ridiculous to hold that up as an argument against corruption by party members.

If Khan is relying on ‘electable’ candidates who were part of the allegedly corrupt political parties (i.e. any party that is not PTI) then how does his dependence on these candidates reduce chances of corruption?

You cannot run the ‘if leader is clean the rest will be clean’ argument here since the leader is dependent on the rest — they control his chances and he does not control them.

Furthermore, your worry about PTI’s corruption should also incorporate a broader view of corruption, i.e. whether Khan calls a spade a spade. In all the rabble rousing ways he hits the right buttons. He lambasts US policy, he opposes drone strokes and he demonises politicians in general except those who join him. However, as he told Karan Thapar in a TV interview he does not believe in questioning General Kayani since ‘the Prime Minister is the head of state’. If ever there was a case of willful blindness, this was it. Khan proceeded to compare Pakistan with India in the same breath and asked Thapar whether the army chief or the prime minister should be questioned?

India is not Pakistan in so many ways. Civil-military imbalance is not an unrelenting reality of the life of the Indian state as it is in Pakistan.

If Khan refuses to acknowledge that the military is the biggest player in Pakistan’s politics and thinks that the army should be questioned only when it is directly in power then he is a leader who does not deserve anyone’s confidence — except the ISI’s. And who knows? The stars may have aligned there.

Having someone like Mr Hameed Gul on one’s team ought to have been suicidal in a country awash with cynicism. But this rhetoric of demonising politicians apparently has enough power for people to forget the dangers of a leader keeping dodgy company — very dodgy company at that. Also on Khan’s agenda is negotiating with the Taliban. He shamelessly said that all political leaders in Pakistan are ‘non-leaders and are here

to take money’. One wonders what Khan makes of the courageous stance taken by the ANP against the Taliban in KP and the sacrifices endured by that party? It has lost party workers, ministers and children of its members to Taliban’s violence. Those people were killed not because the Taliban was reacting to a drone strike but because the ANP, instead of engaging in rhetoric, took a courageous principled stand to denounce the madness perpetrated in the name of religion. That is what political parties do.

I want to ask Khan that if all politicians are just interested in money then why the Federal Government would stand behind a war on militancy—a war that is not making the incumbents popular but is our war based on principle. Surely it is not the money? If it was the money they wouldn’t want to risk unpopularity since staying in office means more money. Get the argument?

The statistics stated in his latest book are absurd; he says that 90% of all militants are not terrorists and the remaining 10% that are terrorists can be negotiated with. No sources cited of course. And he ignores a vital point: the Pakistani Taliban are not ordinary militants or terrorists opposing a country’s foreign policy.

The Pakistani Taliban seek to establish their extremely orthodox version of an Islamic state; a version that violates the rights of people (especially women). Most importantly, they want political power. This has already been manifested in Swat where the Nizam-e-Adl regulation was only accepted since it gave them power. But the inevitable happened—it failed. And what will we negotiate? Give them an area where they reign supreme? What about the rights of people living under them and the injustices they suffer because PTI chose a hands-off policy?

A government that denounces terror and is willing to wage a fight to protect the rights of its children to attend schools is one that is courageous. A party that doles out rhetoric with no concern for the nuances of reality is our ticket to moral decrepitude and a numb conscience.

The writer is a Barrister and an Advocate of the High Courts. He is currently pursuing an LLM in the United States and can be reached at wmir.rma@gmail.com

Comment 13

India’s minority report Secularism still has a long way to go

Border crossing

By Kuldip Nayar

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assacres recede into history. But their memory haunts us. A strain of music, a candle light in the wilderness or a sad face reenacts the tragedies once again. If concrete evidence emerges, it leaves us forlorn and helpless.

Two instances this week have brought back before me the killings in Gujarat and Delhi. Nadeem Saiyed, a key witness, was murdered in a street at Ahmedabad. Some thousands held a candle light vigil at India Gate to commemorate the memory of the 3,000 Sikhs killed in Delhi alone. Both are disconnected, but in a way they are not because both tell a sordid story of government’s hand in the killings of Muslims in Gujarat and the Sikhs in Delhi.

Not only that, every trace of official involvement has been erased. records have been destroyed, FIrs burnt and till today the government continues to support the perpetrators of loot, murder and rape. On the other hand, the government has been hard on whistleblowers. Nadeem was killed because he refused to fall in line. He feared his murder and asked for more security but did not get it.

Another witness, Sanjeev rajendra Bhatt, a senior police officer, also wants more security for his family and himself but there is no response. Bhatt had the courage to say in the open that he was present at the official meeting where Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi said to let the Hindus

“vent out their anger” during the clashes and that he wanted Muslims to be “taught a lesson.” Hats off to Gujarat IPS Association for standing by Bhatt.

The question that has been posed again and again is that even after the intervention by the SC, the guilty have remained unpunished since 2002 when the pogrom was completed. The irony is that LK Advani’s rath was in Gujarat when Nadeem was murdered.

When I was at the candle light vigil, I came face to face with Nirpreet Kaur. She was 16 years on November 2, 1984, when the mob came for her father, Nirmal Singh. The gurdwara next to their house in Delhi’s raj Nagar had been set ablaze and a mob of about 450 was looking for more Sikhs to butcher. The Sikhs of raj Nagar decided to confront the mob.

An hour later, Nirpreet recalled, a Youth Congress leader came to her father requesting him to “settle the matter.” A day earlier, when violence against Sikhs broke out following the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her two Sikhs bodyguards, the youth leader had sworn to the Sikhs that they would be protected from violence. The youth leader handed Nirmal Singh over.

Nirpreet unthinkingly joined the Khalistan movement to avenge the brutal killing of her father. Nirpreet married a militant in November 1985. Twelve days after her wedding, the Delhi Police picked up her husband. He was never heard of again.

Nirpreet then pregnant with her son was declared an absconder. She went into hiding. In December 1986, Nirpreet’s mother, Sampooran Kaur, was sentenced to three years in Delhi’s highsecurity Tihar jail for “sheltering a terrorist.” She didn’t even have an inkling of what her daughter was up to when they arrested her.

Nirpreet’s tale of woes is not different from what has

happened to Mrs Zakia Jafri whose husband was cut into pieces at their residence in Ahmedabad and burnt in a bonfire. He was a former Congress MP. Even his contacts and calls to New Delhi when a Hindu mob was surrounding his residence brought him no help. Many people from the area had taken refuge at Jafri’s house.

They too were burnt alive.

The SChas sent her case to the trial court for disposal.

This is not fair. The court could have said something on the role of the chief minister.

At least, Bhatt’s affidavit against Modi required some comment because he remains suspended from service. The SIT had given some report and so had amicus curie. The SC should have taken notice of them because both were its creatures. And then there are numerous cases which remain without being pursued even though they are many years old.

The story of Malegaon blasts is tragic. It once again shows the bias of authorities against Muslims whenever a bomb blast takes place. None of the suspects were released after they were wrongly jailed. A special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act last week granted bail to all the nine accused. It was only after the former rSS activist Swami Aseemanand’s confession about the alleged involvement of Hindu fundamentalists in the blast was leaked did the line of investigation change. Justice demands that all the nine are compensated for illegal detention. After all, a wrong case was framed against them and they carried a tag of terrorism.

Indeed, India is a pluralistic society. But it has a long way to go before it can be considered “secular”, a word written within the preamble of the constitution. At present the government seems to be faltering.

The writer is a senior Indian journalist.

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14 Foreign News

Monday, 14 october, 2011

Myanmar to free more political prisoners ‘soon’ YANGoN ReUteRS

Myanmar’s government is preparing to release prisoners under an amnesty, for the second time in just over a month, “very soon” and more political detainees should be among them, a senior official said on Sunday. Details of the amnesty would become clear within two days, the official at the interior ministry said, and political detainees, sometimes called “prisoners of conscience,” would be included. “Of course, those referred to as prisoners of conscience will be released very, very soon and the rest of them will be moved to the detention centers close to their families,” said the official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Myanmar new civilian government, which took office on March 30, freed about 230 political detainees in a general amnesty on October 12, a move welcomed by the West as sign that the former generals in charge might start to ease their strict control of the country after five decades of military rule. If the amnesty goes ahead in the next two days, it would coincide with the start of an Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit on the Indonesian island of Bali, and would strengthen Myanmar’s case for taking the rotating ASEAN presidency in 2014, two years ahead of schedule. Analysts say hosting the summit would help to satisfy the government’s craving for legitimacy and help it present a case for concrete assistance from international financial institutions to overhaul the resource-rich country’s long-stagnant economy.

world must halt iran nuclear drive: israel PM JERUSALEM AFP

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called on world governments to waste no time in stopping “Iran’s race to arm itself with a nuclear weapon.” He was speaking to ministers and the media before a closed-door briefing to his cabinet on a report from the UN’s atomic watchdog, which said it had “serious concerns regarding possible military dimensions” to Iran’s nuclear programme. Netanyahu said the International Atomic Energy Agency’s report “confirms the allegations of many countries in the world, Israel among them, that Iran is systematically developing nuclear weapons.” “Every responsible government in the world must draw the obvious conclusions,” he added. “The international community must, in a timely manner, halt Iran’s race to arm itself with a nuclear weapon, a race that endangers the peace of the entire world.” Israel, which has the Middle East’s sole if undeclared nuclear arsenal, has long accused Iran of trying to develop atomic weapons under cover of a civilian nuclear programme.

Tehran denies that charge and has accused Israel of trying to sabotage its civilian nuclear programme and kill its nuclear scientists. Israeli media in recent weeks have been full of chatter suggesting a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities was being seriously considered by Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak. The speculation came as the IAEA released its report last week, saying it had “credible” information that Tehran “has carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device.” Israeli media commentators have suggested that the severity of the report could bring increased international pressure on Iran and thereby lessen the near-term likelihood of an Israeli strike.

On Sunday, Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot reported that French President Nicolas Sarkozy had pledged support for strong sanctions against Iran in a letter that came after the French leader was reported to have called Netanyahu a “liar.”

The Elysee Palace confirmed that a letter had been sent to Netanyahu, but gave no detail on what was said to be an unusually warm, handwritten letter signed “with friendship,” in an apparent bid to smooth over the diplomatic flap.

dAMASCUS: Syrians splash around in a fountain during a pro-regime rally to show their support for President bashar al-Assad on Sunday, a day after the Arab league suspended Syria. AfP

Syria calls for urgent Arab summit to address crisis thousands of Syrians vent anger over Arab rebuke g Forces kill five antiregime protesters at pro-Assad rally g

DAMASCUS

D

AFP

AMASCUS on Sunday called for an Arab summit to address the crisis in Syria, a day after the Arab League suspended the country’s membership over its failure to implement a plan to end bloodshed.

“Syria demands an emergency Arab summit to address the crisis and its negative consequences in the Arab world,” state television reported.

Meanwhile, massive pro-regime crowds vented their anger on Sunday as international pressure mounted on President Bashar al-Assad after an Arab League decision to suspend Syria and over its bloody protest crackdown. In central Damascus, tens of thousands of people turned out in support of Assad, waving Syrian flags and portraits of the embattled leader. “The people want Bashar al-Assad,” yelled demonstrators gathered at Sebaa Bahrat Square, also chanting patriotic slogans. Footage broadcast by state television showed another massive rally unfolding in Omayad Square, also in the capital.

“The Syrian people are filling the squares of the nation and announce their rejection of the Arab League decision,” state television said, showing more pro-regime protests in the commercial hub of Aleppo and other cities. Arab League foreign ministers on Saturday called for the withdrawal of Arab envoys from Damascus and agreed on sanctions while inviting “all currents in the Syrian opposition to meet at Arab League headquarters in three days to draw up a joint vision for the coming transitional period.”

The opposition Syrian National Council hailed the Arab League decision, and said it is ready to take part in the proposed talks regarding a transitional period. The SNC “wel-

Studying measures to protect Syrians: Arab League TRIPOLI: The Arab League said Sunday it was studying measures to protect civilians in Syria after suspending the country’s membership over its failure to implement a deal to end bloodshed. “The Arab League is studying mechanisms it could implement to protect civilians in Syria,” the League’s secretary general, Nabil al-Arabi, told reporters in the Libyan capital. Arabi hailed the League’s decision to suspend Syria on Saturday as “historic” and said the regional bloc called for the “international protection” of civilians in Syria as the organisation did not have the means to act alone. “There is nothing wrong with going to the UN Security Council because it is the only organisation able to impose” such measures, he added. AfP comes the decisions... considers them a step in the right direction, and a clear condemnation of the Syrian regime, which has persisted in its killing and destruction campaigns,” an official of the council said.

It stressed “readiness to participate in discussions regarding the transitional period” on the basis Assad departs and is replaced by a democratic government that excludes anyone “whose hands have been tainted with blood.” Demonstrators attack Saudi, Qatari, Turkish embassies in Syria Shortly after the Arab League decision, hundreds of angry demonstrators attacked the Damascus embassies of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, two of the 18 members of the pan-Arab group to vote for the move. “In the evening, numerous demonstrators entered the chancery, breaking window and sacking the inside,” SPA said in a dispatch from Damascus. Earlier, hundreds of people demonstrated in front of the building and showered in with rocks.

Turkey on Sunday ordered the evacuation of non-essential diplomatic personnel from Syria after protestors attacked the Turkish embassy and consulates in the country, the

Anatolia news agency reported.

Diplomats’ families would also be evacuated under the decision, made amid growing security concerns following the attacks late Saturday, diplomats told Anatolia.

The pro-regime protests came after world leaders applauded the Arab League decision. “After the Assad regime flagrantly failed to keep its commitments, the Arab League has demonstrated leadership in its effort to end the crisis and hold the Syrian government accountable,” said US President Barack Obama. Meanwhile, on Sunday security forces shot dead five people who shouted slogans against President Bashar al-Assad at a rally organised by the authorities in the city of Hama to show popular anger at an Arab League decision to suspend Syria, local activists said.

“Security forces were leading public workers and students into Orontes square when groups broke away and started shouting ‘the people want the fall of the regime’. They escaped into the alleyways but were followed and five were killed.” said one of the activists in Hama, 240 km north of Damascus.

Police wrest control of Rio’s largest favela RIo DE JANEIRo AFP

Crack police forces early Sunday took control of rio’s biggest favela from drug traffickers who had been ruling it for the past 30 years, local television reported. The long anticipated operation in a city that has one of the highest murder rates in the country is part of an official campaign since 2008 to restore security in rio before the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics, which Brazil will host. Backed by navy armor and commandos, the troops punched their way into the rocinha shantytown that is home to 120,000 people. Hundreds of special forces police and 200 navy commandos backed by armored vehicles and helicopters were involved in the operation. Police also moved simultaneously into the neighboring Vidigal favela. Authorities estimate that some 200 criminals remain inside rocinha, built on a steep hillside overlooking the city and located between two wealthy neighborhoods, following last week’s capture of local drug kingpin Antonio Francisco Bonfim Lopes, also known as Nem. The capture of rocinha, the 19th favela to be pacified by police, recalled the huge operation launched by joint police and military forces to seize control of rio’s Alemao favela, home to 400,000 people in November 2010. Alemao was retaken after three days of clashes that left 37 people dead. Endemic and chronic urban violence has long tarnished the image of rio, where more than 1.5 million people live in 1,000 slums spread throughout the city.

death toll in China mine blast rises to 34 BEIJING AFP

The death toll from a blast at a coal mine in China has risen to 34, an official said Sunday, as rescuers continue to search for workers still trapped underground amid fading hopes of finding survivors. The mine in the southwestern province of Yunnan was hit Thursday by a “coal and gas outburst” - a sudden and violent ejection of coal, gas and rock from a coal face - trapping 43 workers underground. Nine are still missing.

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Monday, 14 october, 2011

Foreign News 15

Italy’s man of the moment Monti: The anti-Berlusconi RoME

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AFP

TALY turned the page on Sunday after Silvio Berlusconi’s resignation, with ex-European commissioner Mario Monti set to take over to try and avert bankruptcy for eurozone’s third-largest economy.

The 68-year-old economist was set to be nominated to lead a technocratic government, once Italy’s president completes a marathon round of formal consultations with political leaders due to end at 1700 GMT. President Giorgio Napolitano is racing against time to have a new government in place by the time financial markets open on Monday, when Italy will face the first bond auction test of the post-Berlusconi era. Berlusconi submitted his resignation to Napolitano on Saturday, triggering an explosion of joy in the streets of rome with people uncorking bottles of champagne, dancing in the streets and honking car horns. A scandal-tainted, larger-than-life billionaire who has been in power for 10 of the past 17 years, Berlusconi looked visibly shocked as he quit power and said he was “deeply embittered” at the scenes of jubilation. “We’re all delighted. We’ve had enough of this person who always acted

in his own interests. Italy is headed for a better future,” said 50-year-old Tommaso romito, one of thousands celebrating in rome on Saturday.

After rome partied over his departure, a handful of supporters of Berlusconi’s People of Freedom (PDL) party rallied outside his rome residence on Sunday, saying: “Thank you prime minister”. But Italian were overwhelmingly relieved about the exit of a prime minister whose latest popularity poll gave him just 22 percent approval and whose rule was increasingly clouded by sex scandals and legal troubles.

International leaders have pushed hard for Italy to move quickly to form a new government and adopt economic reforms to stave off bankruptcy, after Italian borrowing costs hit alarming record highs. “There is still work to be done in the broader European community to provide markets a strong assurance that countries like Italy will be able to finance their debt,” US President Barack Obama said Sunday.

The European Union, which together with the International Monetary Fund is now auditing Italy’s accounts, has said the country may need to pass extra austerity measures in order to meet its economic targets. Italy’s parlia-

Berlusconi eyes comeback, voices pride on his record ROME: Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi said Sunday he wanted to resume the “path to government” and was “proud” of his record of government during the financial crisis, a day after resigning as prime minister. Berlusconi said he was “proud of what we have managed to do in these three and a half years marked by an international crisis without precedents,” in a letter sent to a conference of The right, a small conservative party. “I share your spirit and I hope to resume together the path to government,” he said in reference to the party, which is not represented in parliament. He was also scathing about the parliamentary revolt that unseated him after a group of deputies from his centre-right coalition voted against him. “In the end the logic of petty blackmail and opportunism prevailed the oldest vice in Italian politics,” said Berlusconi, who is still a member of parliament from the People of Freedom (PDL) party that he founded. AfP ment moved exceptionally fast to approve a package of reforms this weekend that Berlusconi had promised to the European Union and whose approval he had set as a precondition for stepping down. The measures include state asset sell-offs, new infrastructure projects and pro-business incentives but not a longpromised reform to ease firing from long-term contracts that has infuriated trade unions. Following Berlusconi’s an-

S Koreans demand rejection of US free trade pact

indonesian islamists protest obama visit JAKARTA

SEoUL

AFP

Hundreds of Indonesian Islamists rallied in central Jakarta on Sunday to protest against this week’s visit by President Barack Obama. Around 2,500 protesters from the radical Muslim group Hizbut Tahrir shouted “reject Obama” and “America is Terrorist” outside the US embassy as they brandished banners with slogans such as “reject Obama, reject Capitalism, reject Imperialism”. “We strongly oppose America and Obama coming to Indonesia,” the group’s spokesman Mujiyanto told AFP. “Obama is a murderer of our Muslim brothers in Palestine and Afghanistan, a thief of Indonesia’s natural resources, and an imperialist who seeks to take over the world and will do anything for US interests,” he added. Similar protests were also held Sunday in other cities, including Surabaya in East Java and Makassar in South Sulawesi. Obama will be in Indonesia for the 18-nation East Asia Summit at the end of the week. The 10member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, with observing nations including the United States attending, is also taking place this week.

The delegates are meeting to discuss major regional issues, such as territorial clashes in the South China Sea and the Myanmar’s bid to take over Indonesia’s role as ASEAN chair in 2014. radical groups like Hizbut Tahrir have little popular support in the archipelago of 240 million people.

Indonesia, the most populous Muslimmajority country in the world, is constitutionally secular and culturally moderate.

ReUteRS

MAKASSAR: Members of the islamic group Hizbut tahrir indonesia wear anti-obama posters on their faces during a demonstration against US President barack obama’s visit to bali for the east Asia Summit in mid-November. rEUTErS

Power handover deal close: Yemeni vice president g

opposition leader says only way out is for Saleh to sign accord g eight Qaeda-linked militants killed in yemen SANAA ReUteRS

Yemen’s vice president said late Saturday the government and the opposition were close to finalising a deal aimed at easing President Ali Abdullah Saleh out of power, one day after 17 people died in violence in the city of Taiz.

An opposition leader dismissed the remarks and said the only way to end Yemen’s crisis was for Saleh to sign the deal or empower his deputy to do so. The state’s Saba news agency said Abd-rabbu Mansour Hadi made his remarks during

nouncement that he would resign, Italy’s long-term borrowing costs had risen above 7.0 percent - a dangerous level that could make the country’s debt unsustainable within months. The IMF and the European Financial Stability Facility have both reportedly offered financial help. Some economists however have warned that, unlike fellow eurozone members Greece, Ireland and Portugal, Italy may be “too big to bail”.

a meeting with visiting UN envoy Jamal Benomar and ambassadors of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council in the capital Sanaa. “We all have a task represented in translating UN Security Council resolution 2014 into action on the ground, and this is a task the ruling party and the opposition must shoulder together,” Saba quoted Hadi as saying. Hadi told the diplomats that discussions with the opposition have covered nearly 85 percent of the Gulf deal, without going into further detail, Saba reported. Saleh has repeatedly backed down on signing the accord, first pro-

posed in April to end months of protests against his rule that have destabilised Yemen and rattled Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter which shares a long and porous border with Yemen.

Yasin Numan, a leader of an opposition alliance leading anti-Saleh protests, said Benomar’s mission was to discuss signing the accord, and called for more pressure on Saleh to sign the Gulf initiative. “What does it mean to talk about a mechanism when the other side has not signed the initiative yet? They must sign it first and then we can talk about its implementat Meanwhile, eight militants

linked to Al-Qaeda were killed in Yemen’s restive southern Abyan province in overnight clashes with government troops and armed tribesmen, a local government official said on Sunday.

At least two of the dead militants were of “African” origin.Government troops, backed by US drones, are at war with the Partisans of Sharia (Islamic law) in Abyan and Yemen’s eastern Marib province.The group is believed to be an affiliate of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, which is widely considered the global terror network’s most active and deadly branch.

Tens of thousands of South Koreans, most of them members of trade unions and farmers, staged a rally on Sunday against a free trade deal with the United States, vowing to block what they called a “pernicious” pact. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak’s government has been under pressure to ratify the agreement after the US Congress approved it last month and President Barack Obama signed it into law. The deal is the biggest US trade pact since the North America Free Trade Agreement went into force in 1994. But South Korean opposition party members have been trying to block it in parliament, some complaining that the deal gives US automakers a major inroad into the South Korean market. Other critics have been taking their complaints to the streets. About 20,000 people, including teachers, students and public servants gathered in Seoul to demand that the government declare the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) null and void. It was the biggest protest in the capital this year. “Let’s block the FTA, which is unpatriotic and pernicious to the nation, at any cost,” protesters chanted during the rally at a plaza in front of Seoul City Hall. Some studies found that the deal could boost the allies’ $67 billion two-way trade by as much as a quarter.

Despite the complaints that it gives the US auto industry major access to the South Korean market, Korean automakers stand to gain with swifter and greater access to the US market. US farmers are expected to be one of the biggest winners under the agreement, with more than $1.8 billion a year in increased exports to South Korea. But that’s a worry for many South Korean farmers.

egypt arrests islamist linked to pipeline attacks CAIRo ReUteRS

Egyptian police arrested a leading member of an armed Islamist group suspected of involvement in pipeline bombings that have disrupted gas supplies to Israel and Jordan, Egypt’s state news agency reported on Sunday. The pipeline in the desert peninsula of Sinai was attacked on Thursday for the seventh time this year.

The authorities have struggled to maintain full control over Sinai, especially since state security was disrupted by the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak in February.

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16 Winfrey’s Monday, 14 November, 2011

SOCIETY

‘unimaginable’ Oscar

LoS ANGELES AGencIeS

Oprah Winfrey received an honorary Oscar for her charitable work on Saturday in what she called an unimaginable moment for a black woman who grew up poor in Mississippi and rose to the top of Hollywood stardom.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences annually bestows its Governors Awards on people who have made an impact in the industry. This year, the honorary Oscars went to Winfrey, actor James Earl Jones and makeup artist Dick Smith at a black-tie affair that brought out stars such as John Travolta, Glenn Close and Alec Baldwin.

Slumdog girl requires longevity in career LoS ANGELES AGencIeS

There may be buzz that Slumdog girl Freida Pinto has moved in with boyfriend Dev Patel into a $1.5 million home in Los Angeles, but she denies the reports and says it’s only work on her mind for now. With Dev, she maintains, “It’s the same as it was yesterday.” The 27-year-old, whose film ‘Immortals’ opened on Friday, says, “I want longevity in my career … it doesn’t really matter if it’s an eight minute or an hour-long role … You are not always on top of the moun-

Talk show host and film actress Winfrey, who was nominated for a supporting-actress Academy Award in 1985’s ‘The Color Purple’, was given a Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award by a young woman who was sent through high school on a financial grant she earned from Winfrey’s foundation. Winfrey teared up when accepting her honorary Oscar and described the moment as “unimaginable” given her humble roots growing up in Mississippi. “All of us can make a difference through the life we lead,” Winfrey said.

“We’re all here to help each other.” She talked of her career as a TV chat show host and her movie work, and said it was ‘The Color Purple’ that paved the way to stardom which, ultimately, led to philanthropy. That movie “door opened to me through the magic and majesty of film,” she said.

DARTH VADER ‘GOBSMACKED’: James Earl Jones was given his honorary Oscar for a body of acting work that ranges from his Academy Award-nominated performance as a boxer in ‘The Great White Hope’ to voicing the role of the villainous Darth Vader in the ‘Star Wars’ movies. Jones was not on hand because he is in working in London, but he spoke to the Los Angeles audience in a speech that was taped earlier on Saturday.

He said he was “deeply honoured, mighty grateful and just plain gobsmacked,” using British slang for being astounded.

Finally, the “Godfather of makeup” Dick Simon was given an honorary Oscar for his behind-the-scenes work using makeup and prosthetics to make actors look old, young, sick, dying and dead in films ranging from ‘The Exorcist’ to ‘The Godfather’.

Ayesha, Sobia & Samina

Ghazala & Salman

Farah & Aleezay

iSlAMAbAd: Guests attend the launch event for the international brand, tuttiFrutti Frozen yogurt organised by Rezz PR. STAff PhOTOS

Gulmina, Muqeet & Usman

Mr & Mrs Umer

Michelle & Minjhaj

Rezz Aly Shah, Fawad, Tanzeel & Amina

Rohi Sheikh & Nadia

tain in this business and that’s part of the job.

But striving to always be the best and more importantly to get better with every experience is what I am doing.” Luckily enough, she adds she’s had a “great balance” in her career. “It’s a whirlwind ride ... it’s amazing what has happened so far.” Pinto first met the India-born director of Immortals — Tarsem Singh — in November 2009 in Los Angeles. She was already a big fan of two of his movies, ‘The Fall’ (2006) and ‘The Cell’ (2000), and when he told her he wanted to make a film like the Caravaggio paintings, she was excited. “I knew if there was one person who could give me a different look, it would be Tarsem,” she says.

Maury to help Bieber with

baby-momma issues Apparently Maury Povich heard the cries of “Maury could take care of this!!” in the comments on various blogs about Justin bieber’s paternity lawsuit, because the talk show host is trying to report for duty. A rep for Povich’s “Maury” show tells CNN that they’re “actively pursuing” bieber’s tale of possible parenthood. the “Maury” show is of course infamous for its’ “you are/are not the father!” dNA test segments. the 17-year-old star has been dealing with recent accusations that he fathered a child with 20-year-old Mariah yeater after a (according to her, incredibly brief) stolen moment backstage at one of his shows. Although bieber has consistently and vehemently denied the allegations and has said that he’s never even met yeater, the young woman has maintained her story. earlier this week she did an interview with “the insider,” saying that she has proof the teen star impregnated her last october, and the result is her infant son, trystyn.

According to People, bieber is planning to take a dNA test to prove he’s not trystyn’s father. the question is, will Maury Povich be the one who does the big reveal? MOnItORInG DeSK

Ammara & Sania

Irfan & Ayesha

Jessica Chastain to play

Princess Diana?

Up-and-coming starlet Jessica Chastain may play the late Princess diana in an upcoming biopic, reports industry blog thompson on Hollywood. the actress is reportedly in talks to play di in ‘Caught in Flight’, to be directed by oliver Hirschbiegel (‘downfall’). the film focuses on diana’s private relationship with Pakistani heart surgeon Hasnat Kahn, and is described as a “love story between a princess locked in a tower and an ordinary man.” the quiet two-year relationship between diana and dr. Kahn will be explored in the movie, which insiders say will cast a different light on “the People’s Princess.” (Apparently, the script shows diana as a damaged woman who stalks the doctor after he calls off the relationship.) An ecosse films project, ‘Caught in Flight’ will reportedly start pre-production in March 2012. the movie is slated to shoot in multiple locations - including Pakistan, Angola, the south of France and Paris, where diana died in a fatal paparazzi car chase. Chastain, 30, is on her way to becoming A-list. in 2011, the actress starred in ‘tree of life’, ‘the Help’, ‘the debt’, and ‘texas Killing Fields’.

MOnItORInG DeSK

John, Cristina & Jackilene

‘Akshay likes the

new me’

MUMBAI: After his dostana with Abhishek bachchan, John Abraham seems to have found friendship in ‘Garam Masala’ co-star Akshay Kumar. the two apparently didn’t get along in Garam Masala owing to script issues but all seems well between the desi boyz at the moment. “i was different back then, i am at ease with the camera more now and Akshay feels the same. He said we have better comic timing and chemistry today. He likes the new me” said John.

John also joked about Akshay’s obsession with Ayurveda. “if need be he would use it for any and every physical ailment possible” smiled.

AGencIeS

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17 Sabbath bloody is back!

Sabbath LoNDoN

V

AGencIeS

ETErAN British rock band Black Sabbath announced on Friday they are reuniting in their original four man lineup for their first new album in 33 years and a 2012 world tour.

Singer Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bass player Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward told a news conference at legendary Sunset Strip club Whisky a Go Go they would perform at the Download Festival in England in June 2012, and then embark on a world tour.

The band, which first got together under the Black Sabbath name in 1969, said they were working on new material for the album for release in the fall of

Mariam & Emaan

2012. There is no title as yet but it will be produced by rick rubin.

“It’s now or never. We are getting along great. Everything’s really good,” Iommi told reporters at the club where Black Sabbath played their first show in Los Angeles exactly 41 years ago.

“It’s like putting on an old glove. It’s fantastic,” Iommi added.

The four musicians, now all in their 60s, released their last studio album of all original material in 1978 with ‘Never Say Never’. rumors of a possible reunion of the English metal band, regarded as one of the pioneers of heavy metal with hits like ‘Iron Man’ and ‘War Pigs’, had been swirling for months.

“It’s just time,” Osbourne said, noting that the four had tried in the past to work together again. “This time, for some

magical reason, we have written about seven or eight songs.”

Nothing has been recorded yet and no dates were announced on Friday for the world tour.

The band also announced the launch of its first official website www.blacksabbath.com, and said it would be making its first foray into social media via Facebook and Twitter.

Frontman Osbourne was fired from the band in 1979, leading to a revolving line-up for a number of years. The original foursome reunited for the 1998 release ‘reunion’ and played again together sporadically for shows in the early 2000s.

Black Sabbath was inducted to the U.S. rock and roll Hall of Fame in 2006 and has sold more than 70 million albums worldwide.

Pitbull to perform in India

Usman & Faiza

MUMBAI AGencIeS

Tahir & Nadia

Mr & Mrs Abrar

The international music scene, which went downhill over the years due to high entertainment tax in India seems to be finally picking up. With Metallica performing last month in Bangalore and the Scorpions revealing to HT about their 2012 plans, another big name would be soon enthralling Indian audiences. Armando Christian Perez, better known to the world as Pitbull, would be rapping for audiences in Mumbai on December 3, New Delhi on December 2 and Pune on December 4. Says Utkarsh Bansal, of P3P E Ventures Pvt Ltd, which is organising the show, “Pitbull will bring music from diverse backgrounds to India. The concert will be something that you’ve never heard before in terms of sound and the management.”

Pittbull’s India concert will also raise funds for HIVpositive patients in the country, with proceeds going to the Suryoday Aids Foundation. However, the venues for the three concerts are still not finalised. Says Prashant Shirshat of 3rd rock Entertainment, which is jointly organising the shows: “We are currently in talks with owners of various venues in Mumbai, Pune and Delhi. We will make a public announcement regarding the same in the coming few days.”

Internationally, American rapper Pitbull first rose to fame in 2002, with a collaboration on Lil Jon’s album, King of Crunk. Till date, he has collaborated with famous artists like Eminem, 50 Cent, Jennifer Lopez, Enrique Iglesias, Marc Anthony, Shakira, Gloria Estefan, T Pain, Sean Paul, Chris Brown, Usher, Kelly rowland, Akon and Jamie Fox among others. His most recent collaborations include ‘On the floor,’ which is a Jennifer Lopez song and ‘rain over me,’ which incidentally is sung by JLo’s recently separated husband, Marc Anthony.

racism

Does stroll the Walk of Fame?

LOS ANGELES: when Shakira became the first Colombian this week to get her name on a world-renowned monument to the entertainment industry- the Hollywood walk of Fame - the 34-year-old recording artist recalled what her mother told her at age 7.“one day, Shaki, your name will be here,” her mother said when the two and a family friend visited Hollywood for the first time 27 years ago. For Shakira, the star marked a personal triumph; as an artist and a latina. “if by coincidence you happen to look down to the ground and you see this star, remember that it belongs to each one of you, because it carries the name of a Hispanic woman that, like you, dreams and works and works and dreams every day,” Shakira said during a public ceremony on Hollywood boulevard, with her mom and the same friend present. As the latest celebrity to get a terrazzo star, trimmed with bronze, on the sidewalks of Hollywood, Shakira joins a small but growing rank of minority performers making a dent in an overall industry that some criticize as not inviting enough to AfricanAmericans, latinos and Asians. in fact, of the 2,354 stars on Hollywood sidewalks, only 3.4 percent of them belong to Hispanics such as Shakira, a CNN analysis shows. the figure is 5.1 percent for African-Americans and a mere 0.4 percent for Asians, according to an analysis of the stars on the walk of Fame. those figures fall short when compared with those minorities’ representation in the nation’s overall population: 16percent for Hispanics, 13percent for AfricanAmericans and about 5 percent for Asians. AGencIeS

Is Priyanka

delaying Ileana’s debut?

MUMBAI: the grapevine suggests the South export has a long wait ahead due to Priyanka’s commitments to other projects Close on the heels of the deepika Padukone-Chitrangda Singh cat fight on the sets of desi boyz, it seems there’s another fight brewing in btown. this time it’s between Priyanka Chopra and newcomer ileana d’Cruz, the lead actresses in Anurag basu’s upcoming film ‘barfee’. while previously we had written about how PC had snubbed the debutante on the sets of the film, now rumours are doing the rounds that Priyanka’s month-long stay in los Angeles (where she is working on her first international music album) has affected the barfee schedule. this in turn is delaying the South star’s Hindi film debut, where she plays the third lead alongside PC and Ranbir Kapoor.

A trade source says, “Anurag has one schedule still left to shoot in Hong Kong, apart from some other talkie portions. with Priyanka being in lA for a month, it has taken a toll on the schedule and some date adjustments have been made. the film will now release in mid 2012.” this means bollywood will get a peek at ileana only around June-July 2012. the No. 1 girl from Kollywood will have to wait patiently for the next seven months to make her Hindi film splash.

However, producer Siddharth Roy Kapur denies that Priyanka has left barfee in the lurch. Says he, “i don’t know where these stories are coming from. PC has been very open with us about her professional commitments, be it her album or her movies. She hasn’t delayed our film.” Asked whether ileana is under exclusive contract till barfee releases, Siddharth says, “we have a two-film contract with her, but she is not under an exclusive contract and is free to do other films.” yawn. when will these petty rivalries between insecure actresses end? AGencIeS

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Monday, 14 November, 2011

Aisam basks in Paris glory Page 23

Pakistan keeping it simple: Younus DUBAI

F

AFP

OrMEr captain Younus Khan said his team will continue to keep things simple as they look to double their series lead in the second one-day match against Sri Lanka here on Monday.

Pakistan thrashed their rivals in the first match on Friday by eight wickets and Younus hopes the team sticks to the same plan.

“We kept things simple in the Tests as well,” said Younus of the preceding three-Test series which Pakistan won 1-0. “Now in the one-dayers we are doing the basics in a simple manner and although there is no assurance of winning we want consistency in our performance.”

Pakistan bowled Sri Lanka out for a paltry 131 in 40.3 overs on the back of 3-27 by returning all-rounder Shahid Afridi, ably supported by offspinners Mohammad Hafeez and Saeed Ajmal who took two wickets apiece.

They then chased down the target for the loss of only two wickets to go 10 up in the five-match series.

Younus said Pakistan has more match winners than Sri Lanka.

“This Pakistan team is one of the best I have played in,” said the 34-yearold who hit an unbeaten half-century in the first match.

“Sri Lanka also have four to five match winners but we are doing well in both batting and bowling.”

Younus praised former coach Waqar Younus for putting the team on the right track.

“Waqar did a wonderful job before

dUbAi: Pakistan’s cricketer younus Khan attends a practice session at the dubai cricket stadium. AfP

the World Cup,” said Younus of the event where Pakistan lost in the semifinals against eventual champions India.

“From that point Waqar stressed on our fitness and we were the only side who had no injuries during the World Cup.” Waqar quit the post after the tour of Zimbabwe in September and was replaced by an interim coach Mohsin Khan.

Younus said the Pakistan team has been playing well since October last year, two months after the spot-fixing scandal in England which ended in jail sentences for former Test captain Salman Butt and pacemen Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer.

“We were unlucky to lose the oneday series against South Africa 3-2,” said Younus of the series played in the United Arab Emirates last year.

“Then we had series wins in New Zealand, Ireland and Zimbabwe so we have been doing well.”

Younus said he wanted to be a role model for the youngsters.

“Even when I am not the captain, younger players listen to me and I am a role model in the team, so its nice and I want to play for four-five more years and my goal is that my team continues to win,” said Younus.

Younus led Pakistan to the World Twenty20 title in England in 2009 before he quit the post after clashes with several players. The remaining matches will be played in Dubai (November 18), Sharjah (November 20) and Abu Dhabi (November 23). Both teams also play a Twenty20 in Abu Dhabi on November 25.

Pakistan one of the best in recent past: Atapattu DUBAI AFP

Sri Lankan batting coach Marvan Atapattu on Sunday praised the Pakistan team as one of the best in the recent past and likened their captain Misbah-ul Haq to his country’s former skipper Arjuna ranatunga.

Atapattu’s praise came after Sri Lanka were thrashed by eight wickets in the first one-day here on Friday to go 1-0 down in the five-match series, which followed Pakistan’s 10 win in the three-Test series.

“They looked very fresh from the start and they are a very good side, having lots of allrounders and have options,” said Atapattu. “This Pak-

istan side is one of the best I have seen in the recent past having played against their best teams in my days.”

Atapattu, a former opener who played 90 Tests and 268 one-day internationals, was full of praise for current Pakistan captain Misbah.

“Misbah is a very cool and calm character and what I saw in the Tests was very impressive, he handles things well and is somewhat like ranatunga and he has the patience to wait until he achieves what he wants to,” said Atapattu of the 37year-old. Misbah appointed Test captain in October last year -- two months after the spot-fixing scandal in England -- has not lost a Test series since and is uniting a team

known for its erratic ways.

Atapattu hopes his batsmen overcome the lack of confidence in the second one-day match here on Monday after being bundled out for a mere 131 runs in the first.

“I really think it is nothing to do with the technique and application but its about the confidence which they are lacking,” said Atapattu of his batsmen’s failure to deliver.

“We have played so much cricket and if it happens at a stretch then its important you get out of it, when you get out for low scores, when you are not doing well as a batting unit, then its a matter of confidence,” said Atapattu. Atapattu hoped his bateman forget the past.

Misbah-ul Haq

Honours even at dubai stats corner S. PERvEZ QAISER

After defeating Sri Lanka comprehensively in their first match, Pakistan take on Sri Lanka in the second ODI in the five-match series at Dubai on Monday (November 14). This day night/night match will start at 16.00 hours (PST).

This will be the 123rd match between the two teams in limited overs international cricket and second at this ground.

Pakistan have won 72 and lost 46 in 122 previous encounters between the two sides. Three matches ended without a result while one match ended in a tie.

Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by eight wicket in the only match played at this ground. It was the first match of the current series. Leg-spinner Shahid Afridi (3-27) led Pakistan’s spin attack to bowl Sri Lanka for a paltry 131 in 40.3 overs and then chased down the target in 21.5 overs on the back of halfcenturies from Imran Farhat (50) and Younis Khan (56 not out). Pakistan have won three and lost three in the six previous matches played at this ground. They beat South Africa, Australia and Sri Lanka once each while lost twice to South Africa and once to Australia.

One DAY InteRnAtIOnAlS At DUBAI teAM P W l SUcceSS% Pakistan 6 3 3 50.00 Sri lanka 1 1 00.00 Australia 2 1 1 50.00 South Africa 3 2 1 66.66 HIGHeSt InnInGS tOtAlS: 317-5 in 50 South Africa v Pakistan 08-11-2010 275-9 in 49.5 Pakistan v South Africa 05-11-2010 274-6 in 50 South Africa v Pakistan 05-11-2010 260 in 44.5 Pakistan v South Africa 08-11-2010 lOWeSt InnInGS tOtAlS: 131 in 40.3 Sri lanka v Pakistan 11-11-2011 168 in 38.5 Australia v Pakistan 22-04-2009 207 in 46.2 Pakistan v Australia 24-04-2009 226-9 in 50 Pakistan v South Africa 02-11-2010 HIGHeSt InDIVIDUAl ScOReS: 119* Hashim Amla (South Africa) v Pakistan 02-11-2010 92 Graeme Smith (South Africa) v Pakistan 05-11-2010 83 Jacques Kallis (South Africa) v Pakistan 08-11-2010 73 younis Khan (Pakistan) v South Africa 05-11-2010 BeSt BOWlInG PeRFORMAnceS: 6-38 Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) v Australia 22-04-2009 4-47 Morne Morkel (South Africa) v Pakistan 01-11-2010 3-27 Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) v Sri lanka 11-11-2011 3-30 Jacques Kallis (South Africa) v Pakistan 08-11-2010

Renowned cricket writer Peter Roebuck commits suicide JoHANNESBURG AFP

renowned cricket writer Peter roebuck committed suicide in his hotel room South African police confirmed to AFP on Sunday. England-born roebuck, 55 and a former first class cricketer, was covering the ongoing Test series between South Africa and Australia. Captain Frederik van Wyk, spokesman for the South African Police in the Western Cape province, confirmed that a British citizen had been found in his room having committed suicide.

“I can confirm that the incident took place at a quarter past nine on Saturday,” said van Wyk. “A 55-year-old British citizen was found dead in a hotel room in Newlands, Cape Town. He was working as a cricket commentator for an Australian publication. He committed suicide. “An inquest docket has been opened for investigation. I cannot say more at the moment.” He wouldn’t confirm media reports that roebuck was spoken to by local police earlier on Saturday and that people had seen him in agitated state following that. roebuck studied law at Cambridge and

played 335 first-class matches before making a career writing about the sport, quickly establishing an avid following with his forthright, intelligent prose. He regularly commentated for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and wrote for the nation’s Fairfax newspapers. “It is with great shock that we have learnt today that Peter roebuck has died in Newlands, South Africa,” Fairfax chief Greg Hywood said in a statement.

“Peter was not only an extremely gifted cricket writer for The Sydney Morning Herald

and The Age, he was also one of Australia’s most popular cricket commentators for the ABC,” added Hywood. “In recent years he built a reputation as one of the best columnists on the sport.” Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland expressed shock at the death of roebuck, a “familiar face” to the Australian cricket team, who had been with the players “only hours before his sudden death”.

“He spoke his mind frankly and while one didn’t necessarily always have to agree, you always respected what he had to say,” he added.

Craig Norenbergs, head of the ABC’s Grandstand sports programme, said it was “incredibly sad news”. “He was an integral part of the Grandstand commentary team, apart from being a magnificent print journalist,” Norenbergs said.

“For us he could describe a game of cricket in such a way that even if you didn’t like the game, you liked the way that he went about his business.” roebuck, a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1988, captained English county side Somerset in the 1980s and was not afraid of taking brave decisions as when he decided Somerset’s two West Indies icons Viv richards and Joel Garner should not have their contracts renewed.

In came Kiwi Martin Crowe and a very young Steve Waugh but England star allrounder Ian Botham did not approve and he left for Worcestershire - Somerset went on to win the county championship. roebuck

was never far from controversy on and off the pitch and in 2001 received a suspended prison sentence in England for common assault for caning three South African teenage cricketers who had stayed with him in 1999.

‘One hell of an intellect’ Tributes for the cricket writer and former Somerset captain Peter Roebuck, who has died in South Africa, aged 55 “we didn't talk so much about the game, more about things around the game. like corruption and things like Zimbabwe, which he felt pretty strongly about. i enjoyed reading his stuff, at times i read it and didn't get the point, so he wasn't exactly bill o'Reilly, but he was a damn good writer, a colourful writer and he brought other things in life into it.” - ian Chappell, former Australia captain and fellow commentator “He was a fantastic writer cum commentator, one of the best in this generation. He was someone who was very opinionated, but was very independent. i looked forward to reading what he wrote about but more importantly how he wrote it. He had this incredible ability to use words to make the game of cricket and the players come alive. it was also wonderful that he loved india and coming to india.” - Rahul dravid, india batsman “Shocked to hear the sad news from Cape town, RiP Peter Roebuck a great cricketing mind.” - tom Moody, former Australia allrounder “devastated. My dear friend and one of the greatest cricket writers ever Peter Roebuck passes away. He was meant to write about cricket in the manner Sachin tendulkar was born to play it.” - Harsha bhogle, indian commentator and writer “the death of Peter Roebuck leaves the grass less green and cricket without its most effective investigative journalist,” former england captain tony Greig, on twitter “Peter Roebuck was a tortured, driven soul, but his suicide still comes as a shock. Cricket has lost its most erudite idealist.” - derek Pringle, former england cricketer and current cricket correspondent of daily telegraph.

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Monday, 14 November, 2011

indo-Pak dangal from 16th LAHoRE StAFF RePORt

The wrestlers of Pakistan and India will lock horns in Indo-Pak Dangal at three different venues of the province from November 16.

Addressing a press conference at National Hockey Stadium on Sunday, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, MNA/Chairman Standing Committee railways, informed that the second Indo-Pak Dangal will be played at Lahore, Faisalabad and Gujranwala. Chairman Organising Committee of the Dangal, Khawar Shah was also present on the occasion.

The Indo-Pak Dangal will held in the three cities of Punjab: Faisalabad on November 16, Gujranwala on November 18, and Lahore on November 21.

Three Indian wresters Jagroop Singh , Shah Muhammad, Satandar Singh and three officials will arrive on November 15, he informed.

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Kamran, Wahab ready to face ICC probe LAHoRE

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AKISTANI cricketers Kamran Akmal and Wahab riaz, whose names have been doing the rounds for their alleged involvement in match-fixing, are ready to face any investigation by the sport's governing body. Their names were mentioned during the spot-fixing trial in London for their involvement in corruption with tainted players Salman Butt, Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Aamer, who were jailed by a London court last month for corruption and cheating.

During the trial it was reported that the agent for the tainted trio Mazhar Majeed had told undercover reporter Mazhar Mahmood that there were other Pakistani players involved in spot-fixing and mentioned the names of Kamran and Wahab. "I am open to any inquiry; they can check my assets and accounts. I will cooperate with them but I want this stigma removed once for all," Kamran was reported as saying.

The two players were discarded for the ongoing one-day series Pakistan plays in the UAE against Sri Lanka. "I don't like

these media reports insinuating things about me. The selectors dropped me for the one-day series against Sri Lanka that is their decision. But to say that I have been dropped because of some spot-fixing allegations is not acceptable," Wahab

riaz said. Kamran said he could not understand the fresh allegations but an official in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was quoted by a wire agency that besides performance issues, Wahab was also dropped for the one-day series against Sri

Lanka because his name had cropped up again during the trial in London .

"We just wanted to be sure and safe that is all," the official said. Wahab said he would like to see the PCB offer more support to the players and he was ready for any inquiry.

"What I know is that the ICC (International Cricket Council) inquired about my assets and other things late last year and the PCB also held an inquiry about me. They both cleared me to play in the World Cup so what is the problem now," Kamran said. Kamran said even last year after the spot-fixing scandal broke out he had sent a legal notice to Mazhar Majeed for taking his name during the spot-fixing issue. "He replied to the notice saying he had been misquoted and he meant something else," Kamran added.

Kamran said he was ready to face any ICC inquiry. Kamran also suggested that the PCB hold regular checks on the assets and accounts of all players so that Pakistan's image can be cleaned up and all doubts removed. "I would suggest that they have three month to six month checks on player assets and accounts. I am ready for this. If this can be done it would help a lot," he said.

Pakistan ready to tour India first Adisseo notch November Cup title LAHoRE StAFF RePORt

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Zaka Ashraf claims to have told his Indian counterpart that Pakistan is willing to tour India in a bid to restore bilateral cricket ties the two both countries. Ashraf told the media before leaving for Dubai that he had sent a letter to BCCI President N Srinivasan in which he had urged the resumption of bilateral cricket ties. "I have said in the letter we are willing to play in India next year and the BCCI should finalise details of the tour as soon as possible," Ashraf was quoted as saying. Pakistan is due to tour India in MarchApril next year under the Future Tours Program but

the BCCI is yet to confirm the tour or send any details to the PCB. The bilateral cricket ties between Pakistan and India have been frozen since 2008 after the Mumbai terror attacks. Ashraf said details of the series need to be finalised soon so that Pakistan could start their preparations accordingly. "In the letter I have highlighted the importance of normalising cricket ties between both countries and the impact it will have on cricket in the region at a time when relations at the government level are also improving," Ashraf added. He said he was also hoping to visit India soon to hold direct discussions with BCCI officials. Ashraf left for Dubai to meet ICC President Sharad Pawar and CEO Haroon Lorgat and also officials of the Bangladesh Cricket Board.

Ashraf is hoping to convince the Bangladesh Cricket board officials to undertake a tour of Pakistan next year in April as per the ICC FTP. No Test-playing nation has toured Pakistan since terrorists attacked the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in March, 2009. "Bangladesh is scheduled tour visit Pakistan next year and we want them to play the series in Pakistan," PCB COO Subhan Ahmad said.

LAHoRE

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Adisseo clinched the November Cup Polo title after a closely contested final here at the Lahore Polo Club’s Aibak Ground on Sunday while Men’s Store claimed the subsidiary title by one-and-a-half goal margin. Playing in front of a modest crowd and chief guest Mrs riffat Haye, AdislAHoRe: Guests of honour former lahore Polo Club president Mr Abdul seo won 7-6 Haye Mehta and Ms Riffat Haye with the winning team. STAff PhOTO against Hataff to take the title. Interestingly Usman Haye and Moin Yaqub shared three goals each from the winner’s side and similarly, Mohammad Samir Malik and Abdul rehman Monnoo hit three goals each but it was Syed Hasnain Shah who brought the winner’s seventh goal in the last moments of the match to win it for his team. Omer Asjad Malhi scored five of the seven goals registered by Men’s Store, which already enjoyed half-a-goal advantage to land a win while Bilal Haye fought gallantly for Newage to get three goals out of 6 they scored while the losing team’s two goals were scored by Adnan Jalil Azam. Umpires for the matches were Omar Asjad Malhi, Mian Hussain Iftikhar, Mohsin Atta Khan Khosa and Samee Ibrahim.

Butt, Asif want to complete term in Pakistan lCCA Super

Cricket league from 16th

LAHoRE StAFF RePORt

Jailed Pakistani cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif want to be transferred to a jail in Pakistan to serve the remaining term of sentences, British media claimed Sunday.

According to a report in The Independent, the cricketers, who were convicted of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments, "have asked to be returned to their home country, to serve the remainder of their sentence." Former Pakistan Test captain Butt and pacer Asif have told their lawyers that they would prefer to be sent to a jail in Pakistan, because the attention they are receiving from fellow inmates is leading to fears for their safety. A High Court application is expected to be made within the next eight weeks. The jailed cricketers were transferred from Wandsworth Prison in south London to Canterbury Prison in Kent this week.

Canterbury Prison holds foreign nationals convicted in Britain and inmates are generally deported back to their countries at the end of their sentences. Butt and Asif feel if they are to be deported at the end of it, then they might as well serve their sentences in their own country. A British Pakistani businessman Dalawar Chaudhry met Asif at the prison this week and said the jailed players were not happy with the jail environment.

"They are high-profile inmates who are worried about their safety. They are feeling quite vulnerable. Their families are very concerned for their security," he said. "Both Asif and Butt have said that if they are going to be deported at the end of their sentences, which looks very likely, then they should be allowed to leave Britain as soon as possible and finish their sentence in a Pakistani jail," he added. Asif was jailed for one year and Butt for two-and-a-half years for their involvement in last year's spot-fixing scandal. A third Pakistani cricketer convicted in the scam, 19-year-old pacer Amir, is serving his six-month sentence in a young offenders institute. Lawyers representing Butt are appealing against the sentence handed out to him. "He wants to be returned to Pakistan as soon as

LAHoRE StAFF RePORt

possible but we will also be appealing against the severity of his sentence. We believe that it was unduly harsh," said a source. Choudhry criticised Asif and Butt for seeking to go back to Pakistan, saying the two might get VIP treatment in the jail there. "I told Asif that going to a Pakistani jail to finish your sentence would look bad in Britain. Everybody knows that well known names in Pakistan are treated like VIPs in prison,” he said. "We are trying to rebuild the reputation of Pakistan in Britain following this scandal and if these two re-

turn there to a heroes' reception and live comfortably in jail, then what message does that send out about Pakistan's attitude towards match fixing?" he asked. Choudhry said the presence of the duo has led to an increase in the attendance at Friday prayers. "Everybody has wanted to meet them and the imams of Wandsworth and now Canterbury prisons have been amazed to see so many people at Friday prayers," he said.

"The attention the players are getting has made them more nervous however as they don't know who to trust," he added.

The Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) Organising Committee has announced the schedule of the nine matches of the of LCCA Super Cricket League .All the nine matches will be played on November 16 (Wednesday) at the various grounds of the city.

The ground that will hold the matches includes Prince Club vs Service Colts at the New Ittafaq ground Alfaisal Town, Tauseef Club vs New Union Club at the Wahdat Colony ground, Lucky Star vs raja Club at the Ittafaq Hospital ground, Shining Club vs Mughalpura XI at the Township ground, Shafqat rana Club vs Dharampura Sports at the Imtiaz Academy Model Town ground, Mughalpura Whites vs Faran Sports at the Model Town Greens ground, Service Club vs Golden Star at the Mehran Block ground Iqbal Town, Ghari Shaho Gymkhana vs Young Mughalpura Greeners at the Model Town Whites ground and Gulberg Eaglets vs rising Stars at the Cricket Center ground.

Meanwhile, 46 clubs of East Zone have been divided into eight groups.

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Monday, 14 November, 2011

thorpe out of world Cup in tokyo

toKyo: ian thorpe of Australia swims in the men's 100m butterfly preliminary session. AfP ToKYo AFP

Australian former star Ian Thorpe’s Asia World Cup series ended with a whimper in the morning heats in Tokyo on Sunday when he finished 26th overall in the men’s 100-metre butterfly.

The five-time Olympic gold medallist clocked 53.59 seconds, far behind top finisher Takeshi Matsuda of Japan in 51.39, failing to qualify for the final.

The Japanese duo of ryo Takayasu and Kazuya Kaneda followed Matsuda in 51.40 and 51.63, respectively. Takayasu went on to claim the final in 50.52.

“This week has been challenging, but has been very good,” said Thorpe. “I wish I could have done it with no one watching but that’s unfortunately not the case. I am very comfortable with where I’m at.”

On Saturday, Thorpe also failed to qualify for the final of the men’s 100m freestyle after finishing 12th with 49.45. He then pulled out of the 100m individual medley, citing a poor physical condition.

Thorpe’s exit marked a disappointing return to action for the former Olympic champion ahead of Australia’s Olympic trials in March, where he will bid to qualify for London 2012. He had quit the sport in 2006 aged 24, but returned to competition this year. In the finals, hosts Japan -who won eight out of 17 titles on Saturday -- added nine gold medals, while Australia took three to add to Saturday’s four.

Lampard goal gives England 1-0 win over Spain

loNdoN: Spain’s midfielder Sergio busquets vies with england’s midfielder Phil Jones. AfP LoNDoN AFP

England scored an upset 1-0 victory over world champions Spain here Saturday, with stand-in captain Frank Lampard heading the only goal of the game to delight a sell-out Wembley crowd.

Spain, who had not lost to England for 10 years, dominated possession and territory throughout but were frustrated

by a superb English defensive effort as the home side clung on for the win. Lampard’s winner came on 49 minutes when the Chelsea midfielder headed in from close range after Darren Bent’s effort from a James Milner free-kick spun back off the post. Goalscorer Lampard paid tribute to England’s team spirit but said the squad were keeping their feet on the floor.

“For everyone it is a lift, but we have to be realistic. We know they dom-

inated the game for long periods,” Lampard said in an interview on ITV1. “We won’t be shouting from the rooftops.

We understand football. “We are not quite where we want to be just yet, but to beat a side like Spain is something we can definitely build upon.” Spain manager Vicente Del Bosque was frustrated after the defeat.

“I’m a bit disappointed and almost angry that we didn’t win the game,” Del Bosque said. “But I can take lots of positives ... “We took the initiative, we held the initiative, we didn’t let England get out of their half. We just missed that skillful defining moment,” he said.

The result was a vindication for England manager Fabio Capello, who had taken the risky decision to leave captain John Terry on the bench and dropped Wayne rooney from his squad altogether.

Capello had fielded a new-look side with Manchester United’s Phil Jones playing out of position in midfield and an untried international centre-half partnership of Joleon Lescott and Phil Jagielka.

For the most part Capello’s gambles paid off, with England maintaining their shape and discipline against technically superior opposition.

A low-key first half saw Spain dominate as expected, pinning England back deep inside their own half with their relentless pressing game. Despite the intelligent movement of Spain’s attacking players, England’s defence held firm, with Lescott excelling at centre-back alongside his former Everton team-mate Jagielka.

In midfield, Scott Parker and Jones worked tirelessly to disrupt Spain’s silky passing game, with Xavi, Andres Iniesta and David Silva probing menacingly throughout the opening 45 minutes.

Yet a sell-out Wembley crowd of 87,189 had to wait until the 32nd minute before the first shot on goal from either side, which came from a rare English foray into Spanish territory when Lampard let fly from 25 yards.

Pacquiao edges Marquez on tight decision LAS vEGAS ReUteRS

Manny Pacquiao was tested to the full before retaining his WBO welterweight title with a controversial majority decision over Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday. The 32-year-old southpaw received as much punishment from his older opponent as he dished out over the 12 rounds but his superior foot and hand speed made the difference as he improved his career record to 54-3-2 with 38 knockouts.

Back in the ring for a third time since claiming a seat in his country’s national congress last year, Pacquiao won his 15th consecutive fight after earning two of the verdicts from the three judges. Dave Moretti (115-113) and Glenn Trowbridge (116-112) awarded the fight to the Filipino while robert Hoyle made it a 114-114 draw. “My fans are very happy because clearly they thought I won the fight,” Pacquiao said in a ringside interview as boos echoed around the arena from the disgrun-

tled Mexican fans. “We have to accept that my opponent is not easy. He is a good fighter and it’s not easy, but I won the fight. He was ready for my punches but I thought I blocked a lot of his punches.” Asked if he would consider a fourth bout with three-division world champion Marquez who has consistently been his toughest opponent, Pacquiao replied: “Any time, any time. I am a fighter and my job is to fight in the ring.”

Marquez, who lifted his arms in triumph after the fight ended, was bitterly disappointed with the outcome after firmly believing he had been cheated of victory in his two previous meetings with Pacquiao. “It’s hard when you’re fighting your rival and the three judges, too,” the 38-year-old Mexican said in his dressing room, having stormed out of the ring after the decision was announced and his chance of vindication denied. “I got robbed. Honestly I don’t know what I need to do to change the mind of the judges. We won with clearer punches. I am frustrated right now, very frustrated.”

lAS veGAS: Juan Manuel Marquez (l) of Mexico fights against Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines. rEUTErS

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Monday, 14 November, 2011

PARIS: Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi (L) and teammate Rohan Bopanna in action during the final. AfP

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Aisam basks in Paris glory g

indo-Pak pair win their first ever AtP Masters title PARIS AGencIeS

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ISAM-UL-HAQ Qureshi and rohan Bopanna won their first ever ATP Masters tournament after whipping away the challenge of Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut in straight sets in the final on Sunday. The seventh seeded Indo-Pak pair took just 65 minutes to defeat the French wild cards entries 6-2, 6-4 and pocket their third title of the season. They had won the Gerry Weber Open at Halle and the Stockholm Open before this event. Bopanna and Qureshi, who have already qualified for the season finale in London, earned 1000 ranking points each and split euro 134,500 as prize money. Bopanna and Qureshi created chances in a

jiffy and broke their rivals in the third and fifth games to open up a comprehensive 41 lead in the opening set within 20 minutes into the match. Twice they were down 030 but did not lose control over the set and comfortably sealed it. Benneteau and Mahut, who had shocked top seeds Mike and Bob Bryan en route to the final, gave a better account of themselves in the second set but could not stop the in-form Indo-Pak Express from lifting the title. A good battle followed in the second set as the two pairs were locked 4-4. But Bopanna and Qureshi broke Mahut when the Frechman committed his second double fault in the ninth game, sixth overall, to offer a break chance. The IndoPak Express then served out the match in the next game after a few anxious moments.

wAtcH it Live TEN SPORTS Pakistan v Sri Lanka 2nd ODI 04:00PM

NEO CRICKET India v West Indies 2nd Test Day 1 08:30AM

Federer wins Paris Masters for first time

Roger Federer celebrates with his trophy. AfP PARIS AFP

Bolt, Pearson named athletes of the year MoNACo AFP

MoNACo: iAAF President lamine diack (l) and Prince Albert ii of Monaco (R) pose with Sally Pearson (2ndR) and Usain bolt (2ndl). AfP

Jamaican sprint icon Usain Bolt and Australia’s Sally Pearson, the world 100m hurdles champion, were named athletes of the year by athletics’ governing body the IAAF here Saturday. Bolt, the Olympic 100 metres champion, wins the award for the third time after being honoured in 2008 and 2009.

This year the 25-year-old notably retained his 200m crown at the world championships in Daegu where he also helped Jamaica defend the 4x100m relay in a new

world record time of 37.04sec.

In South Korea Bolt, however, squandered his chance to defend his world 100m crown when he was disqualified from the final for a false start, allowing compatriot Yohan Blake to succeed him. “This season was a really trying season for me, I really had to work hard and stand up my game,” said Bolt.

“There were some close races this season, I really had to push myself. So this (award) really means a whole lot to me. Because I really came out there hard this year, and all the hard work I put in paid off.”

It was in Daegu that Pearson, 25,

produced the fourth fastest time in history, and the fastest in 19 years, for the women’s hurdles event which she dominated in a time of 12.21sec. She becomes the first athlete from Oceania to be honoured as such by the IAAF since the awards were introduced in 1988.

Although Pearson won 10 of her 11 competitions and produced seven of the season’s quickest 11 performances she said she was surprised to win the award. “It was just such an honour to be in the top ten this year,” said Pearson, who like Bolt was a World Youth champion in 2003.

roger Federer won the Paris Masters for the first time on Sunday by defeating Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-1, 7-6 (7/3) in a one sided final. It was the Swiss star’s third tournament win of the year after Doha early in the year and his Basel hometown event last week. It was also his 18th Masters title win, second only to rafael Nadal who has won 19 times. Tsonga, the winner here in 2008 and a hugely popular figure with the noisy Bercy Stadium crowd, was aggressive from the start and he immediately had two break points. The 30-year-old Federer, though, saved them both and then totally took command of the match running off five games in a row with two breaks of serve. The Frenchman finally got off the mark by holding serve at the third attempt, but Federer was easy on serve and he promptly pocketed the first set. Tsonga looked shell-shocked and frustrated, but he held serve twice to take a 2-1 lead at the start of the second set and finally profited from some errors from the Swiss star to put some pressure on his opponent’s serve. A whipped crosscourt forehand which wrong-footed Federer at the net gave Tsonga break point but he went for broke on his service return with a forehand drive down the line and missed by inches.

Federer duly held serve again to level at 2-2 but he was in trouble again in the eighth game only for what looked initially like a Tsonga winner on the baseline to be called out much to the anger of the crowd.

Hamilton wins Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ABU DHABI AFP

Lewis Hamilton produced a near-flawless performance on Sunday when he took full advantage of the early retirement of double world champion Sebastian Vettel to win a sizzling ‘day-night’ Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Driving his McLaren with measured assurance and great speed, the 26-year-old Englishman dominated from the second corner of the opening lap to the finish as he claimed his third win of a troubled season and 17th of his career.

He started second, but took the lead within a few hundred metres when 24-yearold German Vettel’s red Bull suffered a puncture to his right-rear tyre and forced him to swerve off the Yas Marina circuit. Hamilton streaked by and took a lead he relinquished only twice briefly during the pit-stops as he delivered one of the most accomplished performances of his 89 races in Formula One. Two-time champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso

came home second for Ferrari, wiping away some of the memories of a nightmare race in 2010 when his title challenge was wrecked by strategic mistakes. Briton Jenson Button in the second McLaren fought through to finish third ahead of Vettel’s red Bull teammate Australian Mark Webber and fifth-placed Brazilian Felipe Massa in the second Ferrari. German Nico rosberg led compatriot and Mercedes team-mate seventime champion Michael Schumacher home in sixth and seventh places with another German, Adrian Sutil, finishing eighth ahead of his Force India team-mate rookie Briton Paul Di resta. Japanese Kamui Kobayashi of Sauber finished 10th just beating his teammate Mexican Serigo Perez into the final points-scoring position. “A mega-job, mega, as always,” said Hamilton on

team radio at the end. “I want to dedicate this one to my mum on her birthday and it is great having her here this weekend.”

Starting from a record-equalling 14th pole position of the season, Vettel made a clean start when the lights went out and pulled clear of Hamilton and into the lead.

The field behind him rushed unscathed into racing order behind him. Having won both previous Grands Prix held at the Yas Marina circuit, it looked like business as usual for the 24-year-old German, but only for a few hundred metres as a puncture pitched him out of control and off the circuit as he turned into Turn Two. The right rear tyre of Vettel’s red Bull machine deflated rapidly and, although he was able to recover and nurse the car back to the pits, it signalled the end and his first retirement in more than a year since the Korean Grand Prix of 2010.

Vettel climbed from his car and was soon tapping into a laptop computer to discover precisely why it happened, but by then the leaders were completing lap three with Hamilton leading the field by nearly three seconds. Alonso, having swept past Webber and Button, was in second place with Button third, Webber fourth and Massa fifth. rosberg had climbed to sixth in the opening skirmishes, fighting his way past Mercedes team-mate Schumacher.

AbU dHAbi: Mclaren Mercedes’ british driver lewis Hamilton leads after the start. AfP This running order was maintained as, having started in high sunshine and temperatures close to 40 degrees Celsius, the sun began to fall and the floodlights to take over. The temperature fell swiftly, too. Button, battling to resist Webber, reported problems on lap 13, which McLaren told him was a failure of his KErS (kinetic en-

ergy regeneration system), asking him to reboot it as he raced. Hamilton pitted for the first time after 16 laps swiftly followed

by Alonso and Button, handing the lead to Webber for one lap. The Australian, however, lost time and impetus with a slow stop for new tyres as red Bull suffered problems with his right rear tyre.

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Monday, 14 November, 2011

Road accident near thatta leaves 23 dead MoNIToRING DESK At least 23 people were killed and more than 20 were injured when a passenger van and a bus collided with each other on National Highway near Thatta, Geo News reported on Sunday. The speeding passenger van, which was traveling towards Karachi from Badin, ran into a bus headed to Shah Aqiq from Karachi. The bus tore through the van, blasting it apart, and plunged into a ditch. Locals, police and emergency services were carrying out rescue and relief activities, but their work was hampered by darkness at the site of the crash. Some dead bodies and injured people were stuck in the twisted pieces of the van and the rescue teams had to cut the seats to free them. According to police sources, 20 passengers were inside the van while the bus was carrying some 70 people.

The dead bodies and injured people were rushed to Civil Hospital Makli, where an emergency was declared. rangers were also called to the hospital as a security measure after a large crowd gathered there. Eight of the most seriously wounded had to be shifted to Civil Hospital Karachi and their condition was stated to be critical. Thatta District Police Officer Muhammad Ali Wassan said all the passengers of the van seemed to have perished in the accident.

The accident caused a severe traffic jam on the busy National Highway.

Singh accepts invitation to visit Pakistan NEW DELHI nnI

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has accepted an invitation to visit Pakistan, media reported on Sunday.\ While accepting the invitation, the Indian premier said peace dialogue between the two countries would resume soon. Prime Minister Yousaf raza Gilani had invited his Indian counterpart in a recent meeting held between the two leaders at the sidelines of a regional summit in Maldives. “Pakistan’s prime minister was very keen that the Indian prime minister should visit Pakistan,” Indian Foreign Secretary ranjan Mathai told reporters after the Maldives meeting. “It will be an opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations as well as an opportunity to visit his ancestral place, Gilani told Manmohan Singh,” according to the Indian foreign secretary.

The dates of Singh’s visit to Pakistan would be decided through mutual consultations.

January to face worst gas load shedding: Dr Asim ISLAMABAD

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EDErAL Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain said on Sunday that the coming January would bring the worst gas load shedding, with gas shortfall reaching 1,027mmcdf, but claimed that the crisis would be overcome by 2013 by putting more gas into the system.

Addressing a press conference at Oil and Gas Development Authority (OGDC), the minister said adequate supply of gas would be crucial during the next year, therefore supply to industries and gas stations would remain suspended for three days a week in winter. He said 200mmcdf more gas was expected from domestic resources while the power sector would get 76mmcdf and fertiliser sector would get 90mmcdf of gas under the gas load management plan.

He said the preliminary sale and purchase agreement on TurkmenistanAfghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline would be signed on Monday (today) upon the Turkmenistani president’s arrival in Pakistan. Describing measures taken in the last six months, Dr Hussain said survey and design work on the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline had been completed and that Pakistan had decided to renegotiate the gas price with the Iranian authorities.

He said three oil companies had been awarded licences under the new

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Policy under which supply of LNG was expected to begin in the third quarter of next year. He said encouraging signs had been received from ZIN Block gas field after reaching the targeted depth.

He said the government would resolve the issue of circular debt, adding that the government was planning to establish a think tank comprising all the stakeholders to design the oil and gas policy for the next 20 years.

Dr Hussain said the government

had decided to close down or penalise the independent power producers (IPPs) captive powers and rental power projects (rPPs) not found to be energy efficient. He said after the approval of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), four more oil depots had been built in order to raise the oil and gas storage from 40,000 tonnes. He said Gas Infrastructure Surcharge would only be taken from commercial, industrial and fertiliser sector and would not be imposed on domestic consumers.

A Senate panel cleared the Gas Infrastructure Development Cess bill, paving the way for the government to impose the tax in the range of 14 to 96 percent on gas consumers, which will yield revenues of rs 34 billion. To a question, the minister said provinces were getting the Gas Development Surcharge (GDS) and it was not utilised for the purpose for which it was imposed.

He said the government was installing smart gas metres at CNG stations to end gas theft and 1,100 such metres had already been installed in Sindh. He said the government was also monitoring the consumption of industrial units to curb distortions. He said in winter gas would be provided to domestic consumers on a priority basis.

Dr Hussain said further that Pakistan State Oil (PSO) would open the first LPG station in Lahore in the next few days. Meanwhile, the All Pakistan CNG Association announced a campaign along with the opposition against increased gas outages in the country.

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‘dawood ibrahim being treated in UAe’ KARACHI tARIQ HABIB

Notorious Indian underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is alive and under treatment at a hospital in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mubashir Ahmed, a close relative of Ibrahim, told Pakistan Today on Sunday.

Mubashir, who is a foster son of Ibrahim working in the UAE, rejected as baseless all reports of Ibrahim’s death in the Indian media. “[Ibrahim] is still alive and will be better soon, he is under treatment in hospital,” Mubashir said, but refused to give the name of the hospital. When Pakistan Today asked him about the presence of the don in Pakistan, as claimed by the Indian media, he denied that Ibrahim was in Pakistan. In reply to a question about the location of the hospital where Dawood was under treatment, Mubashir said: “[He] can move freely everywhere in India, UAE and other countries. The Indian government cannot bind him so he might be in India or UAE or anywhere else, but not in Pakistan. “He survived two heart attacks and now he is under treatment in critical condition,” he added. He said Ibrahim had attended the wedding of Mubashir’s sister in the UAE in October 2010 and was “in contact with my family and I”, said Mubashir. When asked about Ibrahim’s wish to be buried in India, Mubashir replied: “Such talk is premature right now.” Indian media had earlier reported that Ibrahim has died in a hospital in Pakistan. Ibrahim, also known as Sheikh Dawood Hassan, was born on December 27, 1955. He is the head of the organised crime syndicate ‘D-Company’ in Mumbai. He is currently on the wanted list of Interpol for organised crime and counterfeiting.

No operation was conducted at Chambal Peer g

Terrorists escaped immediately after killing 4 security personnel ISLAMABAD

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ARIF tAJ

ASKAr-E-JHANGVI commander Dr Arshad and his group had been living in the Chambal Peer area near Chakwal for more than six months and had left the area immediately after killing the security personnel on Friday, Pakistan Today learnt on Sunday.

“Neither any operation was conducted nor was any terrorist killed or arrested,” Mushtaq Ahmed, Station House Officer (SHO) of Choa Saidan Shah Police told Pakistan Today. Chambal Peer lies

within the Choa Saidan Shah Police precincts. Dr Arshad and his group had killed four Military Intelligence (MI) personnel on Friday, including a major, and one civilian who was reportedly an informer of the MI. “The dead bodies of the persons were taken out of the area after 15 to 20 hours of the incident. There were no signs of any kind of operation. It seemed the terrorists had left the area immediately after killing the four security personnel as they had time enough to disappear. Local people informed the authorities about the corpses lying in the vicinity of Chambal Peer,” Basir Ahmed, a labour leader of Pind Dadan

Khan who had visited the place, told Pakistan Today. Chambal Peer is a highly inaccessible place located in the Salt range and Dr Arshad had been living there for the last six months along with his three to four dozen armed men. They had sophisticated weapons as well, Basir said, citing locals.

Basir said further that the reported informer of the MI, named Mehmood, belonged to Chak Ali Shah, a village near Pind Dadan Khan. Mehmood was an office-bearer of the Tehreek Minhajul Quran of Tehsil Pind Dadan Khan, Basir added. When SHO Mushtaq was asked about how long terrorists had been living in the area, he refused to comment saying

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he did not know of the terrorists’ presence in the area. Meanwhile, Pakistan Today also learnt that Dr Arshad belonged to Pind Makko of Mandi Bahauddin and was wanted by the security forces for killing dozens of people of the Ahmedi community in Mong village of Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad and some other places. He was also wanted by the security agencies for being involved in kidnapping for ransom. Chaudhry ramzan, a resident of Kheora, told Pakistan Today that a number of people were arrested from the nearby areas of Chakwal and Jhelum districts on the suspicion of having ties with terrorists.