E-paper Pakistantoday Islamabad 21th Nov 2011

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vol ii no 146

Shahid Afridi seals series for Pakistan

Muammar Gaddafi’s son to face trial in Libya: NTC

Adele, Lady Gaga eye American Music Awards gongs

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pakistantoday.com.pk

32 Pages islamabad — Peshawar edition

monday, 21 november, 2011 zul-haj 24, 1432

Probe memo or we’ll leave assemblies, Nawaz warns govt

FAISALABAD: PML-N President Nawaz Sharif addressing a public meeting at Dhobi Ghaat on Sunday. online

Bashir likely to replace Haqqani

Describes memo as bid to sell sovereignty to foreigners g Gives govt 9 days to sort out controversy g Thousands attend massive public gathering at Dhobi Ghaat g

FAISALABAD CHAUDHRY FARAKH SHAHZAD

P

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

As a result of Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani’s likely removal from his office, a major reshuffle will take place in the Foreign Ministry, with Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir also being replaced, along with the designation of new envoys to Washington and Brussels. Ambassador Haqqani, who is facing an enquiry upon his return from Washington on Sunday in the ‘Memogate’ controversy, is likely to be replaced by Bashir, who is going to retire in March. “As the foreign secretary can’t be appointed ambassador as long as he or she is in the current office, [Bashir] could be given a premature retirement and sent to Washington as the new envoy,” said a Pakistani diplomat here on Sunday, requesting anonymity. However, he said another option that was being looked into was to send Jalil Abbas Jilani, currently Pakistan’s Ambassador to Brussels, as the new ambassador to the US, or to appoint him foreign secretary if Bashir was sent to the US. The diplomat said Foreign Office Additional Secretary for Europe Abdul Basit was likely to go to Brussels to replace Jilani.

Foreign Office Spokeswoman Tehmina Janjua will also proceed to Italy as the new envoy on December 5, to be replaced by Zara Akbari, a senior official in the ministry.

imran khan the saviour | Page 15

AKISTAN Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif said at a huge public rally at Dhobi Ghaat here on Sunday that the party would no longer sit in the assemblies if an immediate enquiry was not launched into the memo controversy.

He condemned the memo, written to former US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Mike Mullen by Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz allegedly on instructions from Pakistan Ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani, saying selling off national sovereignty to foreigners was unacceptable and the government sought to put the army under US control. At a massive public gathering meant to refute the growing influence of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf (PTI) in the erstwhile PML-N stronghold of Punjab, Nawaz demanded an enquiry into the memo

controversy within nine days and, in the event of noncompliance, threatened to take the issue to the Supreme Court. “We will file petitions from all provinces of Pakistan including GilgitBaltistan and I will personally go to the Supreme Court,” he said. “My verdict is that I am determined to safeguard the sovereignty of Pakistan.”

Spelling out the salient features of the PML-N agenda, Nawaz said that after coming into power the PML-N would grant interest-free loans to the educated youth of the country to bring them into the national economic stream.

He promised that skilled labourers would be facilitated by bank loans to start up their own industrial units.

Nawaz said the PML-N would have brought an end to load shedding if it had come into power in the 2008 elections.

“Once our party comes into power again, we will create employment for the thousands of skilled workers driven out of their jobs because of the power crisis,” said Nawaz. The former prime minister

dispelled the notion that his party was a ‘friendly opposition’, saying it walked out of the coalition government without hesitance when the mutual agreement was violated by President Asif Ali Zardari. He cited the examples of governor’s rule in Punjab and disqualification orders against him and Shahbaz Sharif by the Lahore High Court as the testimony of being a genuine opposition.

A substantial part of his speech comprised the past achievements of the PML-N during the pre-Musharraf era.

Acknowledging the national spirit of party activists, he said: “Our enthusiasm and fervour will surely defeat those who are hell-bent on undermining Pakistan.”

He said the nation had suffered many painful wounds such as poverty, inflation, unemployment, suicide bombings and bankruptcy of the industrial units.

Continued on Page 04

rally fails to dazzle oPPonents | Page 03 ‘n’ rallies not a threat to demoCraCy | Page 03

Haqqani quietly meets Zardari, set to face troika ISLAMABAD SHAIQ HUSSAIN

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani, who arrived here early on Sunday morning to face questions about his involvement in the ‘Memogate’ controversy, met President Asif Ali Zardari and told him he was not involved in any conspiracy against the state but was ready to face any enquiry and investigation. With Haqqani showing his readiness to face the enquiry into charges levelled against him, the president has decided to convene a troika meeting in a day or two in which the envoy will give his explanation to President Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and face their questions regarding the memo issue, Pakistan Today has learnt. Haqqani also offered his Blackberry to the president for inclusion in the investigation of the memo issue and said he had no fears and concerns as his hands were clean. “Ambassador Haqqani strongly denied all the allegations being levelled against him and told the president he was still ready to face any sort of enquiry to end the controversy over the alleged memo,” said a source at the Presidency. Soon after his return to Islamabad from Washington at around 2.30am, the ambassador said on micro-blogging website Twitter that he had returned home to answer questions about his alleged involvement in the memo scandal. Haqqani was moved to the Presidency amid tight security arrangements after being taken out of a back door to avoid the large contingent of reporters waiting for him. After his arrival, he had a few hours’ rest after which he held informal consultations with the president on the issue. Haqqani also met Special American Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman in Washington before leaving for Islamabad, who reportedly assured him of full support from the US administration. Mansoor Ijaz, a PakistaniAmerican businessman, had accused Haqqani of being the mastermind behind an alleged memo sent to the former US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Admiral Mike Mullen seeking help to prevent a possible coup by the Pakistani army in the wake of an American raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad on May 2. Haqqani has been denying these allegations and has also offered to resign in order to end the controversy.

Continued on Page 04

Pasha met mansoor ijaz in london | Page 02 i was just the tyPist: mansoor ijaz | Page 02

Memo: ‘Q’ MPs for end to alliance with PPP ISLAMABAD IRFAN BUKHARI

As tension mounts in the power corridors over the Memogate scandal, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) parliamentarians have started advising the party’s central command to quit the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led coalition government as they believe that the Chaudhrys’ loyalty to PPP’s central command could cost the PML-Q dearly.

At a time when PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain is defending the PPP and President Asif Ali Zardari saying the memo controversy is baseless and being used to destabilise the civilian government, PML-Q’s senior parliamentarians Talib Nakai and Amir Muqam de-

manded the party’s central command break PML-Q’s alliance with the PPP. Nakai, who is the chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources, told Pakistan Today that the time had come for the PML-Q’s top command to revise its decision of forging an alliance with the PPP. “If Hussain Haqqani’s connection to the memorandum sent by Mansoor Ijaz to Mike Mullen is proved, the PML-Q should waste not a minute in quitting the coalition government,” Nakai said.

Questioning the PPP’s credibility, Nakai said how could the PPP’s top brass be sincere to the PML-Q when it had compromised on national security. “If a party can put national security and integrity on stake, how can we expect that

it will honour its commitments made with a coalition partner?” he questioned.

Nakai said no parliamentarian, irrespective of party affiliation, could overlook the memo issue as it was a direct attack on Pakistan’s security. “The PML-Q leadership should reconsider the party’s alliance with the PPP… the rulers will also be responsible for the memo if Haqqani proves to be guilty as he was President Zardari’s trusted man,” he said.

Nakai said the PML-Q had joined the PPP-led coalition government on certain conditions and the PPP leadership had promised the PML-Q that its advice would be followed. “After the lapse of six months, nothing has improved on the ground as we see the same bad governance as it was before the PML-Q shook

hands with the PPP,” Nakai said. “I am also against a planned seat adjustment deal between the PPP and the PML-Q,” he added. The PML-Q should start preparations for the next general elections as an independent party, he said.

Amir Muqam, a PML-Q MNA and the party’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter president, also demanded the Chaudhrys quit the coalition government if the PPP’s top command’s involvement in the memo scandal was proved. “Nothing is above national security… if Hussain Haqqani’s connection with Mansoor Ijaz’s memo is proven, the PML-Q should part ways with the PPP without any hesitation,” he said, adding that the PML-Q workers could not Continued on Page 04

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02 News

Monday, 21 November, 2011

ISLaMabad

NewS

Story on Page 08

Story on Page 10

worLd vIew

Karachi Company bus terminal seems orphaned People mock PTA as deadline looms on sms ban The silver lining in ‘memogate’

Today’s

Quick look

Story on Page 14

Pasha met Ijaz in London to verify memo claims

I was just the typist: Mansoor Ijaz

LONDON NNI

LONDON ONLINE

Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen Ahmad Shuja Pasha had met Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz in London to verify his claims that he helped deliver to the US administration a secret memorandum in which the Pakistani government purportedly sought American help to stave off a possible military takeover, an Indian media report said on Sunday.

Due to the “sensitivity of the charges” levelled by Ijaz, including the alleged authorisation of the memo by President Asif Ali Zardari, the highest level of Pakistan’s military leadership decided the initial investigation must be carried out by the ISI chief, Indian state-run news agency Press Trust of India reported.

Asked to confirm whether the official who met him on October 22 was Pasha, Ijaz said: “Yes.” Ijaz earlier said the full data and evidence of his contacts with the Pakistani official who asked him to draft the memo had been given to Pakistani authorities. This includes records of phone calls, SMS messages, Blackberry exchanges and emails.

Ijaz met Pasha on October 22 in Park Lane Intercontinental Hotel in London. The meeting lasted for over four hours and Ijaz was “exhaustively grilled over his claims”, the report said.

The material provided by Ijaz was “subsequently put through a verification process” and once Pasha was convinced about its authenticity, “he briefed the army chief (General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani), who ultimately discussed the matter in his one-onone meeting with President (Asif Ali) Zardari on November 15”.

Kayani “impressed upon the president the inevitable necessity” of the presence in the country of Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani to explain his alleged role in the controversy.

IT’S COLD, LET’S RETURN HOME: A child cries as flood victims pack up to shift back to Sindh as temperatures begin to fall. online

Mansoor Ijaz once again accused Hussain Haqqani of lying despite all facts of the Memogate scandal being exposed.

Speaking to an Indian TV channel, Mansoor said Mike Mullen has himself confirmed he had received the letter.

Talking from London on phone, Mansoor claimed he was telling the truth and that Hussain Haqqani was under immense pressure.

Mansoor claimed while he had not dictated the memo himself but wrote whatever Haqqani told him on President Zaradari’s approval.

“I did write the memo but my position was merely that of a typist, I only wrote what Haqqani dictated, it was not my job to oversee the memo,” he remarked.

Hundreds ‘dodge’ FPSC to enter high-scale govt service g

Govt bypassing FPSC by regularising services of contractual employees, daily wagers ISLAMABAD

T

TAHIR NIAZ

HE federal government has virtually negated the importance and role of the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) by regularising the services of hundreds of contractual employees and daily wagers in BPS-16, 17 and even 18, who were otherwise supposed to clear the FPSC exam to get into government service.

In what seemed to be a backdoor entry into government service in grade 16 and above, the government has recently regularised the services of 632 contractual employees and daily wagers of the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) and Social Welfare and Special Education, which fall under the administrative control of the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD).

Though the government has the au-

thority to bypass the FPSC in such cases as, according to FPSC sources, the previous government had limited the FPSC’s role in regularising the services of contractual employees by amending the relevant laws, the way the Cabinet Division issued the notifications in this regard prior to behind-the-scenes maneuvering raised question on the transparency and merit, which should have been observed had the FPSC been involved in the matter. The process also negated the significance of the FPSC as the supreme institution to fill highergrade posts.

The government’s decision to regularise the services of these employees generated high-scale activity at the FDE and CADD involving maintaining the lists of the contractual and daily wage employees and the scrutiny of their educational credentials. Sources in both divisions told Pakistan Today that besides the genuine employees, some new

names were also inserted in the lists even after the last moment to make them eligible for regular government job. The criterion for regularisation was also changed in the face of political pressure from various quarters and the suspicion in this regard is strengthened by the Cabinet Secretariat’s notifications that it issued in this regard.

Consequent upon the approval of the Sub-Committee of the Cabinet on Regularisation of Contract/Daily Wages Employees of the Federal Government Departments, the Cabinet Secretariat issued a notification on October 26, 2011 to regularise the services of 236 contractual employees of educational institutions of FDE Islamabad in BPS 16 and 17. On October 27, 2011, the Cabinet Secretariat issued another notification to regularise the services of 158 daily wage employees of the educational institutions of FDE Islamabad in BPS 16 and 17. However, the notification in question

was cancelled and a third notification was issued on October 31, 2011 which gave effect to regularisation of the services of 195 daily wage employees, 37 more than those regularised in the previous notification just four days earlier.

Earlier, upon approval of the Prime Minister as a special case, the Cabinet Secretariat, through a notification on July 7, 2011, had regularised 201 employees working on contractual basis in various centres of Social Welfare and Special Education across the country in BPS 17 and 18.

When asked to comment, a high official of the FPSC, on condition of anonymity, told Pakistan Today that there was nothing wrong with the government decision on legal grounds, however, he admitted that “on moral grounds we can say that it is a backdoor entry into government service... it is a favour to these people who should have passed the FPSC exam”.

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Monday, 21 November, 2011

ForeIGN NewS

arTS & eNTerTaINMeNT

SPorTS

News 03 CoMMeNT

Hundreds occupy Cairo’s Tahrir after night of clashes Suggest names for my daughter, tweets Abhishek Pakistan clinch blind series against India

The rally: If we’re comparing, not a bad show.

Power crisis: Tariff hike not enough.

Basharat Qizilbash says: The Syrian wave: Systemic issues abound in the country.

Waqqas Mir says: It reeks of…: Memogate not as simple as it seems.

Urooj Zia says: Cant touch that!: Women in Pakistan.

Story on Page 18

Story on Page 17

Story on Page 20

articles on Page 12-13

Dhobi Ghaat rally fails to dazzle opponents g

PML-N opponents say Punjab government employees behind the rally LAHORE

T

NASIR BUTT

HE show of power put on by the Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) in Faisalabad has failed to impress political opponents, who accused the party of using the Punjab government’s resources.

The party’s emerging archrival in Punjab, Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI), has challenged the PML-N to hold a successful rally at Minar-e-Pakistan, Lahore.

PTI Central Information Secretary, commenting on the PML-N’s Faisalabad rally, said Nawaz Sharif should abstain from using the government’s resources to display strength. He said the Faisalabad gathering was arranged with the help of Punjab government officials and an enor-

mous use of official resources. He claimed that state machinery was used for the rally and government employees were present there. He said Nawaz was scared of the PTI and Imran Khan’s increasing popularity.

Cheema said the PML-N was accusing the PTI of being backed by the establishment, whereas the statement of General Asad Durrani was on record that Nawaz Sharif had taken Rs 3.5 million from the agencies for his party’s election campaign.

In response to another allegation levelled by Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan that Imran Khan had a residence in Islamabad worth Rs 120 billion, Cheema announced that the PTI was willing to sell the property to the PML-N at just one percent of the value estimated by Nisar.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-Punjab General Secretary Samiullah Khan said the PML-N had made a futile attempt in Faisalabad. He said the party had lost its mandate in the province and its leadership, confused due to upcoming Senate elections, was criticising President Asif Ali Zardari at every possible place.

PPP leader Mian Ayub said Nawaz Sharif was forgetting his party’s performance in Punjab while criticising the federal government. “He should tell if the security situation is satisfactory in the province or if his party has succeeded in eliminating Patwari and Thana culture in Punjab,” he asked. He said Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had not kept his promise to convert the CM’s House into an IT university.

Fawad Chaudhry, spokesman of the

All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) led

by General (r) Pervez Musharraf, also ridiculed the PML-N, saying the show presented by the Punjab government under the title of PML-N. He said Nawaz Sharif had otherwise lost his worth among the masses.

Chaudhry said Nawaz was attempting to involve Supreme Court in politics in order to create an impression that the court had some interest in Nawaz. He also denied the PML-N’s allegation that Musharraf gave Imran Khan some property in Islamabad, saying the former president had nothing to do with the PTI chief’s property. He said Nawaz was emboldened with Musharraf’s absence from Pakistan and was uttering “rubbish” against the former president, while from 2000 to 2007, none of PML-N leaders could dare speak a word against him. He

added that Musharraf would return soon and give a “shut up call to all such outspoken leader”.

PML-Quaid Information Secretary Kamil Ali Agha said the unnerved leadership of the PML-N had held its public gatherings in a bid to overwhelm the PTI’s popularity wave. He said Nawaz Sharif and other party leaders had failed to attract the masses’ attention. Agha called the rally a “flopped show”. He said that by attempting to involve SC in politics, Nawaz was repeating his habit of getting assistance from non-political forces.

PML-Q Punjab Spokeman Akram Chaudhary said the Punjab government’s employees were behind the rally in Faisalabad. He further claimed that even the gardeners and ‘patwaris’ of the government were tasked to gathering people.

State machinery behind PML-N rally: awan

PML-N rallies not a threat to democracy: Firdous

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Babar Awan has accused the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of bringing in Punjab government employees and using the state machinery for its Faisalabad rally. Talking to reporters on Sunday, Awan said PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif was scared of a bowler whose rally in Lahore had stunned the Sharif brothers. In an apparent reference to Nawaz but without him, Awan said that a person, who recently claimed to be a revolutionary, had made a deal with a military general to seek exile and escape imprisonment. He said the PML-N would not be able to dupe people anymore, as the public knew that Nawaz’s journey from Gawalmandi to Raiwind was a result of “special favours from certain quarters”. STAFF REPORT

ISLAMABAD: No unconstitutional step could destabilize the democratically elected government, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdsus Ashiq Awan said on Sunday, commenting on the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz rally in Faisalabad.

Talking to media, Awan said a public meeting arranged with the help of government machinery was not a threat to democracy and the parliament.

She said Nawaz Sharif presented no pragmatic plan to solve the problems faced by people during his marathon public meeting. She said it was unfortunate that Nawaz had criticised the President. She asked under whose agenda was Nawaz campaigning to remove the elected President. APP

SCREENED BEFORE ENTRY: A lady police officer checks a bag at a security checkpoint at Dhobi Ghaat Ground in Faisalabad. online

PMl-n: still under imran’s shadow g

Music, talk of numbers and lack of agenda suggest PML-N taking PTI’s cue LAHORE YASIR HABIB

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) continued to be under the shadow of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan as it held a public meeting in Faisalabad on Sunday, telling the PTI and its supporters that the PMLN is unbeatable in Punjab.

The main purpose of the public meeting, according to most mainstream political analysts, was to counter the Imran Khan juggernaut and all the talk of his ascendancy in the politics of Punjab, once considered the PML-N’s stronghold.

But these neutralising efforts and counter-strategy by the PML-N only serve to further equate the PML-N with the PTI, a nonentity until very recently compared to the two big parties such as the PML-N and the Pakistan People’s

Party (PPP). The PML-N leaders and the Sharifs themselves are smelling the real danger in the presence of Imran Khan, evident from the fact that Nawaz Sharif asked the military to stay out of politics, as if believing that the PTI enjoys the blessings of the establishment.

In Faisalabad, the PML-N managed to put together an impressive show, giving the message that the party is infallible in Punjab. But the analysts say that despite the fact that the venue of Dhobi Ghaat was overflowing with the public, if one goes by the version of the PML-N leaders, the party fell way short of attracting a crowd as big as the one Imran Khan amassed at Minar-e-Pakistan.

However, the PML-N still has one advantage. While there was hardly any noticeable persons sitting next to Imran Khan at Minari-e-Pakistan, the stage at Faisalabad was alight with political stars.

But it seems that Imran weighed heavily

on the minds of these heavyweights: National Assembly Opposition Leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan kept inviting the media to see the numbers present at the venue.

The speech was without any message and was also contradictory. People alleged that the organisers also tried to copy the PTI style. Deliberately, it seems, the format of Imran Khan’s public gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan was borrowed at the PML-N’s gathering by designing special seating arrangements and playing songs during speeches, accepting the new trend of trying to mesmerise the public.

‘Imranophobia’ was so dominant that PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and other leaders wasted the bulk of their speeches on responding to points raised by Imran Khan in his speech on October 30.

It could be the Imran nightmare that caused Chaudhry Nisar to misquote the

value of Imran’s residence, which Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah later admitted and said it was a technical mistake committed by Nisar.

Like Imran khan, Nawaz Sharif also wore a black and white attire. However, contradictory to Imran, he wiped sweat with his handkerchief many times, which some experts termed a sign of pressure from facing the third force in Punjab in the form of the PTI. Though the entire main leadership of the PML-N graced the stage, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, considered second to Nawaz Sharif, was missing. In his speech, Nawaz hailed him for his performance but his absence was seen as punishment for his fiery words at the Bhaati Chowk rally last month.

The public meeting was also confusing in the sense that most of the leaders kept up the slogan of “Go Zardari Go”, a popular manta in party, but Nawaz Sharif kept mum and did not bother to discuss it. In his speech, Nawaz showed his de-

but it seems that Imran weighed heavily on the minds of these heavyweights: National assembly opposition Leader Chaudhry Nisar ali Khan kept inviting the media to see the numbers present at the venue. sire for longevity of democracy but in the same breath argued that the government should be toppled.

His speech was also contradictory: on the one hand, he seemed annoyed with army but on the other he tried to praise the military.

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04 News Shujaat jumps in to defend Zardari from memo

PPP leaders write to Gilani seeking good governance ISLAMABAD IRFAN BUKHARI

LAhore: PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Sunday leapt forward to defend President Asif Ali Zardari, claiming that he could not write a memo to former US military chief Admiral Mike Mullen. “I can’t expect a naïve act from Zardari, as he is not a child that first he would write a letter and then sign it,” Shujaat told reporters at Wahga before leaving for India to watch the final match of Kabaddi.

Commenting on the ‘Go Zardari Go’ rallies being organised by the PMLNawaz, Shujaat said the party’s unnerved leadership was holding public gatherings to regain its position offset by Imran’s popularity. STAFF REPORT

Monday, 21 November, 2011

A

F T E R charges of corruption and bad governance against the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led coalition government from the outside, now the PPP leaders and workers too have started questioning their own party over its poor governance, with four party leaders from Punjab sending a letter to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, asking him to follow the footprints of the Bhuttos and not toe the line of former president Pervez Musharraf in running the affairs of the government.

Questioning some policies of the government, Haider Ali Khan Kharal, former MPA and ticket-holder NA-49 (Toba Tek Singh), Rao Iqbal Ahmed Khan,

ticket-holder PP-89, Chaudhry Khizar Abbas, ticket-holder NA-77 (Faisalabad) and PPP Toba Tek Singh Senior Vice President Rana Iftikhar Khan have told Prime Minister Gilani in the letter, a copy of which is available with Pakistan Today, that because of the irresponsible and irrational attitude of a few people, “the whole government and the political dispensation is at risk”.

“We believe as the torch bearers of the Pakistan People’s Party in our constituencies that it is increasingly becoming difficult for us to approach and face our constituents in the coming General Elections because of such irrational polices which directly affect the common citizen of Pakistan,” they wrote.

As candidates of Pakistan People’s Party, they urged Gilani to abolish the Rental Power Policy, further

asking the premier to “cancel all the corruption-infested agreements with the Rental Companies and take strong action against Raja Pervez Ashraf and all Secretaries and PEPCO AAD’s who have played havoc with the party and people of Pakistan”.

“For the last three and a half years we think that the PPP government has taken various measures for the betterment of the common Pakistanis. However we feel that some elements in the government and bureaucracy have been undermining the sincere efforts of the leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party. The people of Pakistan in general and our constituents who have voted for the party have been asking us to provide relief to the common man. They particularly question the wisdom behind the continuation of such policies which were started during the rule of

Gen Musharraf. The policy of Rental Power is one such example for which the party has to face a lot of criticism,” the letter says.

“It is the duty of a political worker and a public representative to point out the wrongs being done and protect the people of the country from extortionists and black sheep. It is important that people should have faith in their representatives that they would stand by them when the forces of loot and plunder are out to suck their blood in the name of these ponzi schemes,” it adds.

The letter says further: “Because of the irresponsible and irrational attitude of a few people the whole government and the political dispensation is at risk. The workers of Pakistan People’s Party ask us that why the whole party and country should suffer because of the greed and lust for money of

a few individuals. We belong to the political legacy of Shaheed Bhutto and Mohtarma Shaheed and must keep clear from all such individuals who have plundered the whole nation and pushed us into darkness.”

Further criticising rental power policy, the PPP leaders wrote to Prime Minister Gilani: “The Supreme Court on various occasions has pointed out that the Rental Power Policy is a failed policy of the Gen Musharraf government and our party, which came into power as per the aspirations of the millions of Pakistanis, had no reason to continue with such a failed policy which will push us into further darkness. It has been pointed out in the Supreme Court that the People of Pakistan are forced to buy electricity at an exorbitant rate of Rs 52 per unit from one such Rental Power Plant.”

if Haqqani found involved, PM will deal with it: Mukhtar LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar said on Sunday that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani would be considered responsible, not the president, if Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani was found involved in the Washington memo scandal.

The defence minister told a press conference that the Presidency was not involved in the issue and if Ambassador Haqqani was found to be involved, it would be a matter pertaining to the prime minister and his cabinet.

He categorically stated that diplomats were part of the prime minister’s team and if Hussain Haqqani was found to be involved in what was being called ‘Memogate’, he and not the president would be held responsible. The minister said the details relating to the memo issue would soon come

‘Q’ MPs for end Continued from Page 1 tolerate the party’s alliance with forces that were involved in a conspiracy against the state. He said he had opposed the PML-Q top command’s decision to forge an alliance with the PPP to begin with.

Nosheen Saeed, another PMLQ MNA, also supported the idea of PML-Q parting ways with the PPP if the government’s involvement in the scandal was proven. “It is out of the question for the PML-Q to remain associated with a government that is conspiring against its own institutions… if Haqqani and the PPP leadership’s connection with the antiPakistan memorandum is established, we must not wait a minute to quit the ruling coalition as no democratic party can compromise on national security,” she said.

to the fore, but digging out who was the mastermind behind the memo conspiracy would take some time.

Mukhtar denied there was any commotion in the military hierarchy or possibility of imposition of martial law in the country, and added that the next few days would be tough for politics.

Calling Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz, a key figure in the memo controversy, a conspirator Mukhtar said: “Mansoor Ijaz is an intriguer, who had been in-

volved in such intrigues earlier also. However, any conclusion can only be drawn after Haqqani’s explanation.”

He said that a charge sheet would be issued if necessary after Haqqani’s clarification.

Haqqani, has arrived in Islamabad to meet President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani and explain himself over the issue. He added that a Blackberry Messenger conversation reported to have taken place between Ijaz and Haqqani was also under investigation after it was leaked to Pakistani media this week in an apparent bid to prove the ambassador’s involvement in the memo scandal.

Mukhtar accused certain powers of trying to get rid of democracy in Pakistan, adding that if Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif wanted to topple the government, he should entertain his wish. “Our target is to save the government,” he added.

nation united against all challenges, says Gilani LAHORE APP

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said on Sunday the people of Pakistan, their democratic government and armed forces stood united to defend the country’s independence and sovereignty and would not hesitate to make any sacrifice for this great task.

Talking to APP here, the prime minister said the resolution of the All-Parties Conference (APC) was a clear cut message to the world that the nation was united to safeguard its security and integrity.

“Political differences can be put aside without the slightest hesitation in case national sovereignty is threatened,” Gilani said.

He said the National Assembly speaker had already constituted a representative committee of the House, mandated to monitor the implementation of the resolution.

He said the resolution stipulated that peace should be given a chance and negotiations should be held with militants to persuade them to join the peace process and renounce violence.

The prime minister said the nation stood together and the credit went to the democratic government for taking ownership of the war on terrorism by taking the people of the country along.

The people of Pakistan were determined to defeat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, he added.

KARACHI: A woman purchases a chick at the Bird’s Market in Liaquatabad. online

walima of PM’s son held LAhore: The Walima ceremony of Ali Musa Gilani, son of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, was held on Sunday at phase 8 garden, Defence Housing Authority (DHA), which was attended by several prominent politicians.

The wedding guests included National Assembly Speaker Dr Fahmida Mirza, NA Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi, Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khosa and the federal ministers for Information, Foreign Affairs, Interior and Kashmir Affairs. STAFF REPORT

5 injured in Karachi cinema blast KARACHI FAISAL IRSHAD

At least five people were injured in a low-intensity blast inside a mini-cinema in Lee Market, the old city area of Karachi, on Sunday night in the Napier Police precincts.

The blast took place at around 10.20pm, causing panic among the people present in the cinema. Sources at Civil Hospital Karachi said five people were brought to the hospital with minor injuries and were

out of danger. They were identified as Ghulam Hussain, Rizwan, Ashfaq Ali, Sadiq and Abu Bakar. South District Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Naeem Sheikh the explosion was most likely caused by a timed device hidden under one of the seats, and took place when most people were outside the cinema for the interval. He said a business dispute could be the reason behind the incident but police were also investigating the case from various other angles.

Probe memo or we’ll leave assemblies, Nawaz warns govt Continued from Page 1 The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was growing at 8 percent during his tenure, he said, which had now been reduced to a mere 2 percent.

He said the dream of economic revolution in the country was aborted by former president Pervez Musharraf.

Thousands of PML-N activists streamed into the Dhobi Ghaat ground in Faisalabad to attend the public gathering, an event that was being debated among political analysts as the PML-N’s show of strength.

Nawaz Sharif’s motorcade, comprising more than 30 vehicles and heavily guarded

by Punjab Police, was welcomed by cheering party loyalists as it entered Faisalabad through the motorway. Other speakers at the rally included National Assembly Opposition Leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Abid Sher Ali and party veteran Javed Hashmi. Nisar challenged President Zardari to hold a rally at Dhobi Ghaat matching the strength of the PML-N’s gathering. Referring to PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s statement that he would “bowl out” both PPP and PML-N, Nisar said Imran should know a bowler could not take two wickets with one delivery. However, if the umpires were with Imran, he could take three wickets in a single delivery. Nisar repeatedly mentioned the “unseen forces” allegedly helping the PTI. He called Imran a bubble on the political waters of Pakistan and challenged him to take his asset declaration mantra to the Supreme Court if he was serious.

Haqqani quietly meets Zardari, set to face troika Continued from Page 1 This scandal has, however, not only brought Haqqani in the eye of the storm but has also exacerbated tensions between the civilian government and the army leadership. The Presidency kept silent over the meeting between the president and Haqqani on Sunday throughout the day but an official, seeking anonymity, said it was an informal meeting, which would be followed by the troika meeting in the next 48 hours.

MQM announces 42-member CeC KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Coordination Committee on Sunday announced the formation of a 42 member Central Executive Council (CEC) led by Daily Aman Editor Ajmal Dehlvi.

MQM Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar at nine zero said the CEC will be an advisory body to offer suggestions time-to-

time to the CEC Coordination Committee on different subjects.

MQM announced it will create a CEC in a press conference on 27 March and formed it six months after the announcement.

Council members hail from Azad Kashmir, GilgitBaltistan, Punjab , Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The MQM said representation from all nationalities, religious minorities and spheres of

life has been ensured.

Sattar said the council will assist the coordination committee in restructuring the party organization, policy issues, propagating party policies and preparing the party manifesto and holding party programmes. It shall meet on a quarterly basis under the co-ordination committee to exchange views and advise the co-ordination committee on national issues. He said, “The strug-

gle of Altaf Hussain meant every religious and political party was talking about eliminating the corrupt feudal and political culture that had been supporting the system.” He said even the bitterest opponents of Altaf Hussain admit he has not taken part in elections nor given tickets to any family members. He said the MQM does not auction party tickets and gave a chance to educated and qualified workers.

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Monday, 21 November, 2011

Karachi Company bus terminal seems orphaned PaGe 08

PTI protests against toll tax ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Scores of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activists on Sunday staged a protest demonstration against the alarming inflation and collection of toll tax from the residents of Islamabad at the entry point of the city. The demonstration was held at Peshawar Road near Tarnol Chowk, which was led by PTI Islamabad President Amir Mughal.

Carrying party flags in their hands, the protesters raised slogans against the incumbent government over its ‘failure’ in controlling price hike.

Speaking on the occasion, Amir Mughal said the Capital Development Authority and National Highway Authority (NHA) were charging fee from the citizens of Islamabad at Tarnol Toll Plaza.

He said the locals had to move in and outside of the capital twice or thrice a day and they were forced to pay tax each time.

The protesters demanded the government not to charge the local at entry points.Talking about the inflation, Amir said the life of a common person had become miserable, adding that the government had no plan to control price the hike.

ISLAMABAD: A view of long queues of vehicles before a CNG station owing to low gas pressure. STaff PHoTo

Capital’s Fruit and vegetable Market needs ‘cleanup’ ISLAMABAD ARSHAD ALI

The Fruit and Vegetable Market (Sabzi Mandi) of the federal capital has become a hub of problems as the visitors are facing a number of problems including poor sanitation, lack of parking arrangements and above all a polluted environment.

Open dumping of garbage and encroachments has become a nuisance for the people as a large number of buyers, sellers and others visit the market located in Sector I-11/4. The environment of the market is unclean and unhealthy due to half-hearted efforts of the staff concerned.

Long queues of trucks and other vehicles that bring fruits and vegetables to the market from all over the country can be seen parked in an undisciplined manner. The vendors set up their stalls alongside the road passing through the market without considering the traffic rush and the problems faced by the pedestrians.

Muhammad Javed, a visitor, told Pakistan Today that the market presented a pathetic look as heaps of garbage could be seen everywhere, which a health hazard , both the visitors and those working in the area.

He further said vendors and stallholders have set up stall along the road sides that are passing with in the market creating hurdles for the visitors. He added that they also dumped waste on the roadside that further aggravated the situation.

Responding to a quarry, a vendor Kazim said, “The sanitation staff come there regularly for taking of garbage from the market but they are less in number and are unable to handle the situation.”

IrregularItIes In CDa

FIA holds probe into 34 mega projects g

Some other ventures also look dubious but not included in the list so far ISLAMABAD

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FAZAL SHER

HE Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is probing into alleged irregularities in 34 projects of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), some of which have been inaugurated by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. And it is feared that there are some grave wrongdoings in some other projects as well, although that are not included in the list.

“Some of the development projects being probed into by the FIA are launched during the tenure of the present government. Ironically, the FIA investigators were not allowed to probe or

has turned blind eyes to some other mega development projects, including Faisal Avenue Flyover and 9th Avenue, due to political pressure,” a source told Pakistan Today.

He said out of the 34 projects include Zero Point Interchange, the agro-farms allotment case, Kuri village land scam, award of tender for Kashmir Highway project, leasing out of Monal Restaurant at Pir Sohawa, Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) project in I-9, the sale of plots for construction of a hotel and apartment complex near Jinnah Convention Centre and Centaurus at F-8, renovation of CDA’s existing building, development of F-9 park, renovation of Parliament Lodges, appointments in CDA and

Lake View Park project.

“Most of these projects are either completed or near to completion,” he added.

The source said some of these projects were being investigated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), including Zero Point Interchange. The NAB found no major irregularities during the probe.

The FIA had also arrested eight CDA officials in Kuri land scam case, he said, adding that the arrested persons included a former director.

The arrests have been made in the land deal under which 4,000 plots were allotted to the locals of Kuri village as compensation against their land acquired by the authority for a

housing project.

It is learnt that the FIA is also investigation the Rs 2 billion treatment plant installed in Sector I-9, which was inaugurated by the prime minister. The FIA is also investigating a deal between the CDA and a consortium for the sale of a plot, worth Rs 4.7 billion for the construction of a hotel.

The source said the National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet recently took the issue of the inquiries and asked the FIA officials not to harass the employees of the civic agency, especially those who were innocent.

CDA Chairman Imtiaz Inayat Elahi informed the committee that the FIA’s junior officials misbehaved with the senior officers of his organisation.

ISLAMABAD: A vender displays clay stoves at his roadside stall. Demand for such cooking pots has increased owing to low gas pressure. SajjaD ali QureSHi

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06 Islamabad

Monday, 21 November, 2011

aIoU, Tehran varsity to sign MoU soon ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) will sign memorandum of understanding (MoU) in education sector with Pyam-e-Noor University, Tehran, while it is exploring possibilities of signing leading universities around the world to eradicate illiteracy and provide the light of knowledge to each and every home all over the country.

This was stated by Allama Iqbal Open University ViceChancellor Prof Dr Nazir Ahmed Sangi during a meeting with a high-level Iranian delegation. Sangi said AIOU would set up 3,000 schools in far-flung rural areas under Rural Integration School Education (RISE) Programme for which 20,000 teachers would be hired which will play a pivotal role in the enhancement of literacy rate in the country.

He added that education was a movement from darkness to light, so no stone would be left unturned to fulfil AIOU’s main objective “Education for all”. Dr. Sangi said a chain of community-based libraries was also being set up where books would not only be available for students without any charge but these would also be issued to them for preparation of exams. The VC said the AIOU would soon collaborate with the leading universities of Iran to have joint ventures in different fields of education. Sangi stressed the need of exploring various possibilities of cooperation in the field of education and said exchange of academicians would help both the countries learn from each other’s best practices and sharing of educational facilities. Speaking on the occasion, the cultural consular of Iran said Iran and Pakistan were good neighbors and had close brotherly relations. He was of the view that the universities could boost bilateral ties. He added: “We should explore collaboration between Iranian and Pakistani universities for mutual interest, especially cooperation in education sector. Prof Dr Abdul Hafiz, dean, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Abdul Basit, assistant professor, Department of History, and Senior Editor Abdul Wadood also attended the meeting.

over 7,000 security men to perform duties in Muharram ISLAMABAD APP

Over 7,000 security personnel will perform duties during Muharram-ul-Haram in the federal capital to ensure high vigilance and foolproof security.

The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration has made a comprehensive plan to ensure strict security arrangements during Muharram and decided to conduct regular security checking at the routes of processions and majalis. For this purpose, over 7,000 security men, including Islamabad police and Rangers will perform duties, official sources told APP. Meetings of the ICT officials have been planned with religious scholars and organisers of Muharram majalis and processions. The organizers will cooperate with the police and law enforcing officials and activate volunteers to check the participants of majalis and processions by using metal detectors. Strict vigilance will be maintained to ensure that security measures are in place by the police as well as peace committees. The ICT officials will also visit all the routes of Muharram processions and Imambargahs along with police officials, they said. Security passes will be issued to the volunteers of majalis and processions and the participants will be checked thoroughly by metal detectors while rooftops will also be covered by the police officials.

Processions will pass through the fixed routes and timings of processions will be observed strictly, the sources added.

They said that over 7,000 security personnel will perform security duties and it has been also under consideration to cancel the holidays of cops of Islamabad police force.

ISLAMABAD: Children participate in a walk on the World Children’s Day outside the National Press Club. STaff PHoTo

worlD ChIlDren’s Day

Speakers urge govt to make youngsters a priority ISLAMABAD

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MAHTAB BASHIR

NITIATED by the UN in 1954, the Universal Children’s Day is observed on November 20 every year to promote mutual exchange and understanding among children and to initiate action to benefit and promote their welfare.

It was also chosen as the day to celebrate childhood to draw attention to particular vulnerable children.

Often appearing on the margins of social policy and state actions, this silent category is very much a part of the rights discourse in development and governance.

Saba Trust on Sunday, in collaboration with Islamabad Crescent Lions Clubs (ICLC) and Development Communications (DEVCOM), organised an event titled ‘Children Festival’ at its premises with orphan children.

Former ambassador and senator M Akram Zaki and Senator Nilofar

Bakhtiar were the chief guests while Saba Trust Chairperson Sagheer Aslam and DEVCOM Pakistan Director Munir Ahmed also spoke on the occasion.

Some 40 orphan children, aged 5 to 24, attended the event and performed a number of tableaus. They sung national songs and Iqbal’s poetry to give the message of hope, love and right of living. They also highlighted social issues like the menace of terrorism’ and shared the message to spectators about peace, love and solidarity of the nation.

They recalled the vision of Quaid and Iqbal through colourful cultural programme and stressed the government to take concrete steps for the welfare of children - who are the most vulnerable segments of this society.

Addressing the gathering, Akram Zaki described the children as the future of the country and said, “We have high hopes with them.”

Stressing the need of creating a child-friendly environment in the

country through ensuring their safety from exploitation and deprivation, Zaki said though the government was least bother to spend for the welfare of children, a number of philanthropists and organisations were assisting orphan and other children, adding everyone must help the needy to make the society strong.

Senator Nilofar Bakhtiar said, “I personally believe that female children are most vulnerable but I have more expectations from them as they show more responsibility and duty as compare to male children.”

Nilofar urged the government to take tangible steps for the welfare of female children as they need more rights to live their lives and take part in the development of the nation.

The senator said, “Women are weaker that is why I also emphasise and care for female children rather male.”

Sagheer Aslam said the plight and misery of down and out children had always touched his wife Bushra’s

heart. Time and again she expressed her desire to adopt some of the orphans. “Saba Trust is working since 1965 silently but it came into prominence after the devastating earthquake of 2005. The trust’s main focus now is on the unique, one-of-a-kind, history-in-the-making orphanage. It is a four-storey building that will house orphan girls, aged 4 to 7 years.”

Aslam said the orphans would live and be taught at the facility till they got married or found jobs. “They can be adopted - parents can sponsor the child’s upbringing and visit,” he explained.

Munir Ahmed of DEVCOM said over 70 percent population of the country was marginalised and was not aware of its basic rights. “If they are deprived of their rights, the country can not proper in any field,” he said, adding in such situation children and in particular orphan children must be looked after well.

Later, the organisers also distributed gift packs among the children.

Prayer leaders emerge as ‘potent’ pressure group ISLAMABAD TAHIR NIAZ

AS the country is yet to recover from the mess created by extremist elements, the khateebs, imams and moazzins, posted at various mosques in Islamabad, are emerging as yet another pressure group, which works silently to pressurise the administration and turn things into its favour.

Taking advantage of the situation that emerged after the 9/11, particularly in Pakistan, the religious groups and networks enjoyed almost absolute liberty and increased their support base many folds over the last few years. According to a report prepared by the local administration on the community of prayer leaders and others posted at the Islamabad mosques, a copy of which is available with Pakistan Today, these clerics cultivate personal relationship with the community and exploit it to their bene-

fit for overstay at a particular mosque of their choice. The report said different sects had reacted in a labour union-style to frustrate any attempt on part of the administration to transfer or dislodge them. Rather administrative issues and law and order situation are created on any such move.

The clerics whether khateebs or khuddams, are the government servants working in different pay scales but are never answerable to discipline which is required for a government servant. They also, in some cases, get support from different higher circles, the report adds.

The community comprises around 187 members, out of which the duration of posting of 15 khateebs and moazzins at a particular mosque is over 15 years while some 49 khateebs and moazzins have been staying at a particular mosque for the last over 20 years.

The intensity of pressure of this community on the city administration

can be gauged from the fact that the mosques collectively owe Rs 15 million under the head of electricity and gas bills (electricity Rs 9 million and Rs 6 million)but no one dared to cut the connections. The city administration attributes the non-payment of utility bills to misuse of electricity and gas, continuous increase in tariff and less allocation in budget.

On the question of administrative control of government institutions over the mosques, the Islamabad administration opined that experience of keeping mosques in government control suggested that it should neither be under the Interior Ministry nor under the Ministry of Religious Affairs. It said as majority of the mosques were run by community better than the Auqaf Department, there was no need to have any official control over them.

According to the report, there are a total 86 mosques and three shrines situ-

ated in the Islamabad Capital Territory, which are under the administrative the control of Auqaf Department Islamabad.

Out of the 86, 38 mosques are under the

administrative control of Barelvis, 44 are run by Deobandis, 2 each by Ahle-Hadith and Shia. Out of the three shrines, 2 belong to Barelvi sect and one Shia.

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Monday, 21 November, 2011

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‘Iqbal’s teachings can revive declining civilisation’ ISLAMABAD

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APP

PEAKER at a seminar on Sunday urged Muslim scholars for following the teachings of Allama Muhammad Iqbal to revive the declining civilisation at international level.

They were addressing a one-day seminar on ‘Ahyaey-e-Fikar Deeni Mein Iqbal and Murtaza Mutahri ka Kirdar’ (the role of Iqbal and Murtaza in reviving the religious thinking) arranged by Al-Basira in connection with the birth anniversary of Allama Muhammad Iqbal in the federal capital.

Iqbal’ teachings helped to broad the vision of youth and subject of philosophy must be introduced in educational institutes, they said.

Presiding over the seminar, Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Chairman Maulana Muhammad Khan Sheerani said unnecessary price hike, hoarding of grain and creating hurdles for consumers to fulfill their needs was against Islamic teachings.

Highlighting Islamic principles, he said, “Sadqa, Qarz-e-Husna and Waqf help to fulfill the basic needs of mankind while Allah Almighty has taken the responsibility of every living thing to fulfill basic needs; therefore, one must not cre-

ate hurdles in it.”

“Allama Iqbal and Mutahri do not separate Islamic teachings in their economic thoughts so we must follow their teachings,” he said.

In his article on ‘Future economy in the thoughts of Iqbal and Mutahri’, Nisar Hussain Hamdani said Iqbal and Mutahri had similar thoughts about Islamic economy.

According to Iqbal, one should be a good Muslim first and then a noble citizen,” Hamdani said, adding that Iqbal never separated Islamic teachings from economy and urged the scholars to teach ethics along with economics in the universities.

However, Mutahri called for giving the duty of economic affairs in the custody of responsible people, Hamdani added. He said the economists were far away from religion and future economy was based on statistics which had minimised philosophical thoughts.

Prof Shehzad Iqbal Shaam of Sharia Faculty, International Islamic University (IIU), read an article on ‘Iqbal as first builder of Pakistan Atomic Energy’.

Director Iqbal Academy Lahore Dr Muhammad Sohail Umar said Iqbal was known for giving an idea of separate homeland to the Muslims of sub-continent while as a poet and philosopher, he also analysed the future problems with

his thoughtful approach.

Iqbal’s book on Economics in Urdu ‘Ilm-ul-Iqtisad’ which served as a beacon light for the next generation of writers on Economics and include thought-provoking suggestions and marginal notes at various places which bespeak of his ingenuity and inquisitive mind, he said.

Rector IIU Professor Fateh Malik, Member governing body Iqbal Academy Lahore Dr Ehsan Akbar, Head Seerat Chair Islamia University Bahawalpur Prof Dr Abdul Rauf Zafar also spoke on the occasion.

Al-Basira Chairman Saqib Akbar thanked the speakers for highlighting teachings of Iqbal.

Poet deprived of cash by imposter ISLAMABAD APP

Poet Safdar Shahid Malik was deprived of Rs 25,000 by an imposter when he was depositing the cash in the branch of a local bank here.

According to details, a young man who was posing himself as an employee of the bank took cash from the victim on the pretext of rearranging the currency notes, when he was standing in a queue to deposit the cash.

The cheater disappeared from the bank soon after committing the crime.

Safdar Malik immediately brought the matter into the knowledge of the bank administration and also lodged a report of the incident with Margalla police station.

The poet has appealed to the authorities to take special steps for bringing the culprit to task.

17 profiteers fined ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Islamabad Capital Territory administration on Sunday conducted raids to check prices in the area of Shahzad Town and imposed fines on 17 profiteers.

A spokesman for the ICT administration said Islamabad Secretariat Assistant Commissioner Nauman Yousaf conducted price checking in the area of Shahzad Town and imposed fines on profiteers for overcharging and not displaying rate lists of food items.

According to details, the secretariat AC conducted raids in the area of Shahzad Town and imposed fines amounting to Rs 8,000 on 17 profiteers for overcharging and not displaying rate lists of fruits and vegetables.

During the course of price checking, the AC also issued warning to profiteers to ensure display of rate lists of food items, failing which stern action would be taken against the violators.

ISLAMABAD: Children participate in a rally taken out in connection with Sindhi Cultural Day outside the National Press Club. STaff PHoTo

sunDay bazaar upDate

Prices of vegetables witness decrease in capital’s Sunday bazaars ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Prices of vegetables started falling in Sunday bazaars of the city as this week rates witnessed a significant decrease as compared to the prices of the last week.

This week price of tomato showed a decline of Rs 32 per kg and was sold for Rs 44 per kg against the last Sunday’s rate of Rs 76. This week rate of onion also witnessed a decrease of Rs 6 per kg as it was available for Rs 58 per kg against the last week’s price of Rs 64.

However, market pundits termed decrease in the prices of onion and tomato as a temporary relief. They were of the view that the prices of onion and tomato would remain high till January 2012.

The stall holders said that, currently, tomato and onion were being imported from neighboring India and Afghanistan, respectively, as both the crops had less production this season in the county.

According to the price lists of the Sunday bazaars, this week the prices pf potato, gourd, pumpkin, brinjal, cauliflower, lemon and cucumber also witnessed a slight decrease. This week, potato was sold at Rs 20 per kg, pumpkin at Rs 16, black pepper at Rs 80, lemon at Rs 52, cabbage at Rs 44 and cauliflower was sold at Rs 16 per kg.

However, this week, the prices of ginger and garlic each witnessed increase of Rs 4 per kg and were sold at Rs 84 per kg. According to the rate lists, this week chicken was sold at Rs 107 against the last week’s price of Rs 112 per kg.

In fruits, price of apple (golden) witnessed an increase of Rs 10 as against the last week’s price of Rs 80 as it was sold at Rs 90 per kg. This week, orange (fruiter) was sold at Rs 70 per dozen while the prices of banana and guava remained stable.

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Karachi Company bus terminal seems orphaned

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SALMAN ABBAS

HE Karachi Company bus terminal, which is supposed to have all the basic facilities for the passengers who visit the federal capital, is in a pathetic condition, thanks to laxity of the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

Terminal’s transport manager Malik Zafar told Pakistan Today that the CDA was getting Rs 35 million from the contractor concerned for running terminal; therefore, the responsibility of renovation was that of the city’s prime agency, adding that the CDA high-ups seemed reluctant to fulfil their liabilities due to the reasons better known to them.

The Karachi Company is the only terminal in Islamabad, which was established by the CDA to facilitate the citizens, but the authority was paying no heed to upgrade it according to the requirements. There are a number of hotels and food stalls inside and nearby the terminal and most of the passengers rely on them to get their meals, but the overflowing gutters and poor cleanliness in the compound is posing serious health hazards to them. Transporters often wash their vehicles at the terminal, which results in accumulated water within the premises, creating enormous troubles for the visitors.

Another anti-public move by the authorities

is that there are no proper toilets inside the terminal whereas the existing ones have been handed over to the contractors, who are overcharging the user (Rs 8 from each person).

“It is a responsibility of the CDA to construct toilets in the bus stop, which is an essential need at public places,” said Gul Nawaz a passenger.

“No proper washrooms are available in the bus terminal, which is a constant headache, as we have to pass most part of our day here to earn livelihood,” Hameed, a bus stop staffer, said.

During the visit to the facility, it was observed that there are two lavatories in the waiting rooms, one of which for the staffers and the other meant for ladies, which are also not properly functional. The locals and staffers of the bus terminal believe that unresponsive attitude of the CDA chairman have also played a major role in the creation of all the problems.

The waiting room, the main requirement at the bus terminals and railway stations, is also in a poor condition and has not the capacity to accommodate enough passengers. Another major problem surfaced due to the single waiting room is that no separation has been made for male and female passengers due to which women feel unsafe in the presence of men. Therefore, most of the male passengers also have to sit in the terminal’s veranda.

Although the top transport companies have been operating from the terminal but they are

also experiencing problems due to the unavailability of the sheds for buses and vans.

Sharing their difficulties with Pakistan Today, several visitors complained that the terminal’s administration was also responsible for the poor condition of the bus stop. “The CDA is responsible for maintaining the facility, but it is the responsibility of the administration to press the authority for ensuring basic facilities,” a visitor Jamal Mughal said.

However, transport manager Malik Zafar, while explaining their position, said requests had been repeatedly made to the CDA and they were helpless given the civic body was not ready to entertain their proposals. “It is the bus terminal of Islamabad, most important and sensitive city of the country, which has no boundary walls,” he added.

He told Pakistan Today that, the chairman pledged to upgrade the bus terminal at the oathtaking ceremony of the local traders of Karachi Company market held last year but he might have forgotten his promise. Malik said many applications were pending with the CDA for the renovation of toilets, erection of sheds and provision of other facilities at the bus terminal.

Apart from renovating and upgrading the Karachi Company terminal, the CDA should also launch bus service on more routes for different destinations of the country, which can greatly help the citizens who travel to the federal capital.

a trIbute to MehDI hassan

IMpeDIMent

daTe: Nov 25, 2011 veNUe: KHaaS arT GaLLery ISLaMabad

daTe: NoveMber 06 To 28, 2011 veNUe: KHaaS arT GaLLery ISLaMabad

daTe aNd TIMe: Nov 21, 6:00 PM veNUe: GUN & CoUNTry CLUb

Mehdi Hassan the King of Ghazal by the renowned ghazal singer Ghulam abbas. we are very fortunate to have Ghulam abbas performing for us who is one of the leading ghazal singers of Pakistan and a senior disciple of Mehdi Hassan.

'Impediment' by beenish Usman & Nadia Tufail. opens on wednesday 16 November 2011 at Khaas Gallery at 5:00 p.m onwards. do come and enjoy their edgy contemporary miniatures in person! bring your friends along!

overseas event Management , eTZ and UltraSpectra Presents "rahat Fateh ali Khan live in concert in prayer For Peace Pakistan on 21st Nov,2011

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

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News 09 Can there be political reforms in FATA without media reforms?

Monday, 21 November, 2011

SC takes up govt’s review plea against Nro today ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

A 17-member larger bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will take up today (Monday) the government’s review petition against the apex court’s December 16, 2009 verdict, which declared the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) unconstitutional. The review petition against the NRO verdict had come up for hearing before the court on April 19, 2011, however it was adjourned. Later, the case could not be fixed as the requisite strength for a 17member bench was not available.

Attorney General Moulvi Anwarul Haq and others concerned will appear on notice. Just after declaring the NRO unconstitutional in December 2009, the court had ordered revival of all the cases, which had been disposed of under the NRO. The ordinance was promulgated by former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf, who granted amnesty to politicians, political workers and bureaucrats accused of corruption, embezzlements, money laundering, murder, and terrorism between January 1, 1986 to October 12, 1999- the time between the two regimes of military rule. “The NRO is against the interests of the country, hence all the provincial governments and prosecutors must help courts in NRO cases, as all the beneficiaries of the ordinance have to face trial,” the court had ruled after declaring the NRO unconstitutional. Cases buried under the NRO revived after the ordinance’s annulment, including corruption and money laundering cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

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Participants of roundtable conference discuss the interrelation between media and politics to bring change in FaTa PESHAWAR

C

STAFF REPORT

AN political reforms in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) succeed without media reforms in the region? This key question is at the heart of a roundtable conference being held in Peshawar on Tuesday (November 22) and attended by FATA parliamentarians, political parties, lawyers, civil society organisations, government functionaries, media organisations and academics.

“Recent steps have been taken to introduce political reforms to bring the region into mainstream Pakistan and extend the same rights to the region’s citizens as granted to and exercised by the rest of the Pakistanis. However, media reforms are not part of these im-

portant political reforms, which is a significant mistake in terms of the rights of FATA residents,” said a press release issued by Intermedia Pakistan, a national media development group organising the conference. The organisers plan to present a comparative analysis on the state of media liberties and information access in mainland Pakistan and the tribal areas. Aside from exploring legal perspectives on why FATA citizens fare poorly in terms of indicators of freedom of expression and access to information, organisers say the roundtable conference will also explore how can media reforms be part of political reforms in FATA to strengthen the voice of the residents of the region and to guarantee their rights.

Freedom of expression, as enshrined in Article 19 of the Constitution and access to information, as guaran-

teed under Article 19A and inserted in the constitution in 2010 through the 18th Amendment, should be the cornerstone of the political rights extended to FATA, the press release said, adding that while this is assured by the state, it is not implemented in practice due to procedural obstacles that are not being removed. To discuss the ignored link between people’s ability to exercise their political, social, economic and cultural rights and right to freedom of expression and access to information, Intermedia Pakistan is conducting a series of roundtables with FATA stakeholders including citizens of FATA, representatives and notables from the region, relevant government functionaries, political parties, civil society, media, regulators, and parliamentarians to educate them on this link as well as to forge a consensus on media reforms for FATA

Lady reading Hospital strike completes day 2

Troops kill 8 militants in orakzai operation HANGU NNI

At least eight militants were killed in skirmishes on Sunday, as security forces continued their advance into the Orakzai Agency. The troops have killed over 50 militants and destroyed 12 hideouts in the operation underway for the last eight days. According to sources, gunmen attacked an armed forces convoy on Sunday, injuring a soldier. The troops retaliated and killed eight terrorists. The area is used by the supporters of Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud. Security forces launched a major operation in the agency in March last year after militants fled from a similar offensive in the nearby tribal district of South Waziristan.

as a means to ensuring the success of political reforms for the region. FATA is a theatre of conflict between Pakistani authorities and militants. The conflict has displaced many from the region and added a major socio-economic dilemma to the regional conflict. An outcome of this conflict has been greater media spotlight on the region and the state of denial of several rights to the locals in the practical context.

The roundtable will, besides considering the causes of the relative ‘information darkness’ in FATA due to the absence of an indigenous and independent local media, explore mechanisms to improving awareness and providing support to bring FATA into the fold of mainstream media in Pakistan so that its residents are guaranteed freedom of expression and access to information as enshrined in the constitution.

DRYING CORN: A farmer has spread his harvest of corn cobs on a road in Chiniot for drying. online

PeShAWAr: After protesting for the second consecutive day, Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) Peshawar employees decided to continue their demonstration on Monday (today) in front of the hospital’s administration block for getting their demands accepted. All categories of employees including class-IV at LRH carried out a token strike for two-days wherein they tied black strips on their arms and maintained both the provincial government and the provincial health ministry were circumventing the matter and were denying them their genuine demands. LRH Health Employees Council (HEC) President Syed Roidar Shah and Secretary General Shehzada Mahsud said that they had decided to stage a protest and hold a general body meeting in front of the hospital administration on Monday. The LRH HEC said they will thwart any conspiracy to bereave employees of the health department from getting health professional allowance. He added the health ministry was part of those responsible. They said a protest movement was also on the cards if LRH Medical Superintendent Dr Rahim Jan Afridi is forcefully transferred due to his endeavors to extend due rights to employees at the hospital. They said the interruption of unconcerned quarters in LRH affairs was intolerable. Office bearers said they feared things would go the wrong way in the hospital and they had called the protest to chalk out the future course of action for getting due rights for health employees. STaff rePorT

Bangladesh’s 1971 war crimes trial opens g

Suspects from Jamaat-e-Islami and bangladesh Nationalist Party being tried for crimes against humanity while resisting bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan DHAKA AFP

The first trial of a suspected collaborator from Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence began on Sunday, in a widely-criticised court process that the government says will finally bring “traitors” to justice.

Delawar Hossain Sayedee, now a senior figure in the opposition Jamaat-e-Islami party, stood in the dock as the war crimes tribunal opened in Dhaka with a lengthy statement from the chief prosecutor. Ghulam Arif Tipoo listed the crimes that Sayedee is alleged to have committed during the war, including the murder of nearly 60 people when he was in charge of a militia that opposed the country splitting from Pakistan. Sayedee is charged with crimes against humanity, genocide, murder, rape, religious persecution and enslavement. If found guilty, the 71-year-old could be hanged. Tipoo said Sayedee’s trial was essential for “the establishment of rule of law, democracy and human rights in Bangladesh and it is

the key to the future of the nation”.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina — the daughter of independence hero Sheikh Mujibur Rahman — established the tribunal after she returned to power in 2009, but it has been accused of targeting her political opponents. Sayedee has been held in detention along with four other suspects from his party and two from the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Both parties have dismissed the court as a government “show trial”, while the New York-based group Human Rights Watch has said its legal procedures fall short of international standards. Prosecutor Tipoo said the court would be fair. “The whole of Bangladesh was turned into mass grave during that time,” he said. “Under this circumstance, the trial is not aimed at political or individual axe-grinding.” He told AFP that the trial was “a landmark event for the country as it brings an end to decades of culture of impunity”.

But Sayedee’s counsel Tajul Islam cast doubt over the court’s independence,

alleging that the senior judge was biased and that the defence had been given only minimum time to prepare. “We’ve told the court that if Justice Nizamul Huq remains as the chief of the tribunal, there is no chance we’ll get justice,” he said. One British lawyer who was recruited to defend Sayedee said he was tailed by security operatives on a trip to Bangladesh and not allowed back into the country to participate in the trial. John Cammegh wrote in the New York Times that the court was “a terrible warning of the way in which the ideals of universal justice and accountability can be abused”. He said suspects were denied access to legal advice, local defence lawyers and witnesses had been harassed, and that prosecutors were already boasting that a guilty verdict was guaranteed by the end of the year. The court, called the International Crimes Tribunal, is a domestic setup with no United Nations oversight or involvement.

Muslim-majority Bangladesh, which was called East Pakistan until 1971, has struggled to come to

terms with its violent birth. The current government says up to three million people were killed in the war, many murdered by locals collaborating with Pakistani forces. The 1971 war began after

tens of thousands of people were killed in Dhaka when then-West Pakistan launched Operation Searchlight, a campaign intended to deter Bangladeshis from seeking independence.

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10 News

Monday, 21 November, 2011

Police sabotage public meeting of aPML HYDERABAD INP

Police on Sunday sabotaged the gathering of former president Pervez Musharraf’s party in Hyderabad. Police damaged the stage and overturned hundreds of chairs placed by the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) to hold a mass gathering at Hala Naka, Hyderabad. The police officials said that the meeting was being held without any approval by the government authorities. APML Karachi Chapter President Kanwar Dilshad claimed that they had got the permission but it was cancelled by Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah few hours prior to the start of the gathering. Meanwhile, Musharraf reiterated to return home on March 23. In a telephonic address from London via video link, he condemned the police attempts to sabotage his public rally in Hyderabad. He warned that such police action would not be taken again. Opening his speech in Sindhi, the former military ruler hoped that people of Sindh would support his party in the next general elections. He said that several steps had been made during his term for the prosperity of Sindh. Musharraf said that thousands of police personnel were stationed in Faisalabad for making Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PMLN) President Nawaz Sharif’s rally a successful event, which he said was a negation of democracy. The APML announced that they would hold rallies to protest against the police intervention.

‘eunuch registration being carried out without medical proofs’ ISLAMABAD APP

National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has devised a procedure to establish the identity of Eunuchs for their speedy registration and no medical proof is demanded from them. NADRA Deputy Chairman Tariq Malik said that in addition to registration centres across the country, NADRA has deployed Mobile Registration Vans (MRVs) to facilitate eunuchs for registering them in remote areas. Speaking on Sunday, he said Eunuch registration is carried being out without medical proof to verify their given particulars and details. He said as per Supreme Court instructions eunuchs can ask for male transgender, female transgender or “Khunsa-e- mushkil” written on their ID card as per their will.He said NADRA is already issuing Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs) to third genders and instructions had been sent to all NADRA offices to facilitate eunuchs for registration.He said NADRA was the first organization in Pakistan to provide job opportunities to third gender at its regional offices.He said the registration of third gender would pave the way for more job opportunities in the government and private sector.

FORCED TO STAND: People at the APML’s public meeting in Hyderabad stand after police displaced seats. online

WFP food distribution out of the woods

Gunmen torch three NaTo trucks

More US assistance means wFP reaches 50 percent targeted fund g Govt yet to provide 16,667 metric tonnes of wheat pledged to the agency g

ISLALMABAD

W

ARIF TAJ

ITH more assistance for the US, the World Food Programme (WFP) reached 50 percent of its targeted funded of US $133 million, putting the UN agency’s operations out of danger of suspending or curtailing its food distribution for the flood victims of Sindh and Balochistan.

WFP spokesman Amjad Jamal told Pakistan Today, “We have received fresh assistance from the US and have reached 50 percent of the targeted funds of US$133 million. We will now be able to continue our operations till the end of December.”

Earlier, the WFP had feared that it might be compelled to suspend or curtail its food distribution operation in flooded areas after November if more funds were not provided. He added that the WFP was out of the threat in its food distribution system and the fresh aid would help the WFP get more time to generate additional funds. He said that UN agency needed a total of US $133 million to continue its food distribution till February and more funds were expected from donors. Amjad said, “We are very much hopeful that we will get more funds from the world and the fear of suspending or curtailing operations would not re-occur in the coming months. We feel out of the woods now.” When asked if the government

provided the WFP the remaining quantity of 16,667 metric ton of wheat, the spokesman said that so far only 8,333 metric tons was provided by the Sindh government and the remaining quantity of 16,667 metric tons was being awaited. The government of Pakistan had pledged 25000 metric ton to the WFP following a request from the WFP. The WFP provided food assistance to over 2 million people and reach 100,000 persons everyday. According to the WFP, it would provide food to 2.5 million people in the next four months. When asked about the current situation in the flooded areas, he said that fresh situation report was being prepared and would be available within next few days.

QUETTA AFP

Gunmen on Sunday torched three trucks carrying supplies for NATO troops in Afghanistan in Balochistan, officials said.

Gunmen on a motorbike fired at the vehicles and then set them on fire after pouring petrol on them in the Dasht suburb of the provincial capital Quetta, local police official Ismail Sumalani said.

There were no casualties in the attack, which happened when the trucks had stopped at a roadside tea stall, he said. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Levies Force reached the site and cordoned off the entire area and started a search to trace attackers.

People mock PTa as deadline looms on ‘obscene’ text message ban Group ready to challenge ban in courts for violating ‘right to free speech and privacy’ g bloggers joke PTa banned lists ‘opportunity for street language to grow’ g

Indian court to issue verdict against diplomat ‘linked with ISI’ NEW DELHI ONLINE

An Indian court will issue its verdict on December 7 regarding a case against former diplomat Madhuri Gupti, who is accused of supplying sensitive information to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) during her posting in Islamabad, Indian media reported on Sunday.

Additional Sessions Judge Pawan Kumar reserved the verdict after hearing arguments from New Delhi Police, which pleaded that she should be tried under the Official Secrets Act (OSA), which gives a maximum imprisonment of 14 years.

Gupta, however, refuted all the allegations against her and submitted that the quoted information was not sensitive and available on the Internet.

ISLAMABAD AFP

Pakistan’s mobile operators were on Sunday scrambling to block text messages containing any of over 1,600 “obscene” terms banned by the country’s telecommunication authority ahead of a Monday deadline.

The list, including words from “quickie” to “fairy” to “Jesus Christ”, was distributed on November 14 with operators given seven days to comply, but has met with widespread derision and a threat of legal action. “There are more than 1,600 words in the list including indecent language, expletives, swear words, slang etc, which have to be filtered,” an official at a telecoms firm told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media. Other words and phrases on the list of 1,695 terms, issued in English and Urdu, include “monkey crotch”, “athlete’s foot”, “idiot” and “damn”, as well as “deeper”, “four twenty”, “go to

hell”, “harder”, “looser” and “no sex”. The letter accompanying the list says networks must also submit monthly reports on implementation of the ban. It is the first time the country has sought to censor text mes-

Maybe all Pakistanis should keep sending expletive-filled text msgs every 10 minutes and wait for the networks to collapse SHOAIB TAIMUR IN TWEET sages. Campaign group Bytes for All said on Sunday it would challenge the ban in court, saying it violated rights to free speech and privacy. “We are now witnessing a new ruthless wave of moral policing in the digital communication sphere of Pakistan imposed by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority,” country coordinator Shahzad

Ahmed told AFP. “By developing extremely detailed lists of allegedly ‘offensive’ words and forcing telecom operators to filter them out to make our society moral and clean, PTA has not only made a mockery of itself but also of the entire country and its government,” he added.

The move in the Muslim-majority country sparked derision from local Twitter users using the hashtag #PTAbannedlist.

“Maybe all Pakistanis should keep sending expletive-filled text msgs every 10 minutes and wait for the networks to collapse,” tweeted a user, Shoaib Taimur. Another Twitter user, Fariha Akhtar, posted: “Damage to #ebanking?” after the word “deposit” was discovered on the banned list.

“The #PTABannedList is also an excellent opportunity for our street language and slang to evolve and grow by coming up with newer abuses,” tweeted blogger Shahid Saeed. “Seriously, why aren’t we protesting this ban? Jokes apart, they’ve banned words that have no vulgar implications

whatsoever,” tweeted Sara Muzzamil. Several Twitter users also questioned the inclusion of the term “ass puppy” on the list, saying they had never heard of it.

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Monday, 21 November, 2011

Editor’s mail 11

who should come out clean?

Mr Arif Nizami, in his recent article, "The medium and the message" has touched the most sensitive issue confronting the nation’s sovereignty. It is good that he has thrown light on the main character of the memo Mansoor Ijaz who was not known earlier to most of the people. This will certainly provide lead to reach at some conclusion. Now one thing is very clear that the involvement of Hussain Haqqani cannot be overruled, and that the connection with the president is possible as no one can dare indulge in such an activity without a nod. Since Haqqani is close to the president and may be taking advantage of this relationship, he might have taken this initiative to gain more favours without realising its ramifications.

The writer is right when he says that

Haqqani has never had good reputation with the army because of his conduct and behaviour and old perceptions. It is also a fact that since the day he was appointed an ambassador to the US, the US has been exerting more pressure on the army and ISI. The threats, covert and overt, to Pakistan army by various US generals from time to time are still fresh in our memories. The US does not require any memo to bring pressure on the army and ISI when they have hundred and one options available to them. President Zardari would be the last man to indulge in such a way when he could verbally communicate the same to any top US functionary.

Gen Kayani has extended full support to the civilian government and the government has excellent relationship with the army. It makes no sense at all to

Senate seats for sale approach the US showing apprehensions that they fear coupe d’eta. Unfortunately, the civil leadership has disappointed the nation as they have failed to dispel the impression of having control over the army and continue to display fear of boots. Forgetting about the past practice, the ISI chief appeared before the joint parliament sitting and offered to resign.

There can be no disagreement with the writer’s opinion when he says that General Kayani is a firm believer of democracy and so is the case with the Supreme Court; both institutions want democracy to move forward. The recent address of Chief Justice at NDU makes clear that any unconstitutional step by army would attract provisions of treason.

Unfortunately, civilian leadership still takes army as a Damocles’ sword, thus

undermining their own institution. The president also gave an additional term to Gen Kayani at his post, proving the fears of army takeover unfounded.

The hostile elements are running malicious campaign to discredit and defame the security forces and are undermining the parliament. The aim is to communicate divisive messages to the general masses with a view to weakening people's faith in professional capabilities and competence of security forces.

The president should also come out clean in the larger interest of the country and must take strict action against such conspirators and expose them before the nation to save the country from further chaos and confusion.

MUKHTAR AHMED Karachi

The power crisis With a growing focus on the use of latest technology, the use of electricity in Pakistan is increasing on a daily basis.

But the government is unable to provide electricity to the people, causing loadshedding of long durations. Our industry is dying because of lack of electricity. It seems to the crisis has gone out of hand as there seems no end to it anytime soon. Reportedly, China offered Pakistan electricity at a cheap rate but our politicians and higher authorities have not yet taken any step in this regard.

This way our economy is suffering a lot as our routine life has been upset and the industry cannot run properly, much less grow. The government should take serious steps regarding this problem.

HIRA IRFAN Karachi

Pakistani prisoners in UK

Sindhi Culture day Indeed, Sindh has rich culture, history and language. And the Sindhis are warm, hospitable and friendly people.

They are global citizens and they keep humanity and culture above all religions.

The ‘Sindhi Culture Day’ celebrations are going on in the Sindh province. A few years back some intellectuals conceived and materialised this noble idea and since then the Sindhi Culture Day has become an annual feature in Sindh and abroad. This year because of Mohram-ulHaram this day (instead of December 4) was celebrated on November 20.

To begin with, candles are lit; prayers for perpetual peace, progress and prosperity of Sindh and Pakistan and the globe are offered by all and sundry.

Cultural walks, folk dances, mystic songs, a series of lectures and late night events are arranged by a host of media, social and cultural organisations. Family activities are also arranged.

Documentaries on the preparation of Sindhi cap and ajrak and other cultural items are shown to the audience. This year, the media forums, cultural and social organisations and associations have arranged a number of programmes to celebrate this rare day with the flood and rain victims in upper and lower Sindh districts.

Indeed, the prime objective this cultural day is to promote culture and revive it. It is requested to the government to launch schemes through which the financially backward artisans and handicrafts experts may be supported to develop their business and export their products.

HASHIM ABRO Islamabad

(In)sanitary conditions The condition of our locality in the city of Karachi is not so good in terms of cleanliness. The sweepers of this locality are very careless, they do not perform their duties honestly and regularly.

Heaps of refuse and rubbish are seen lying everywhere. Some of the drains overflow and smell so bad that no pedestrian can pass anywhere near them. Mosquitoes have found them a great breed ground and the dilapidated conditions of the roads add to overall misery.

Moreover, a few people also keep their cattle in the streets, causing inconvenience to all. It is, therefore, requested to the authorities to please ensure regularity in the sweepers’ duties to save us from trouble.

FARAZ HAIDER Karachi

According to a news report in an Urdu daily, in the wake of the upcoming Senate elections, the price to become a Senator in the tribal areas has risen to 240 million rupees this time.

The tribal maliks with their easy millions buy votes from elected representatives who themselves have been elected mostly through foul means. I'm sure this is not what democracy was supposed to be.

To put an end to this shameful rape of democracy, indirect elections to the Senate must be done away with and direct elections be held. Better still, instead of elections, Senators should be selected through competitive exams devised for selecting most suitable candidates for the job.

In this way, we would be having best persons as Senators and corruption would be eliminated too. We need a paradigm change in the way we look at things, including democracy.

WG CDR (retd) FARDAD ALI SHAH Chitral

Taking a hike?

Not only is inflation a bane for the public but also a key issue in economic planning as it has turned into stagflation. We hear of price hikes everyday and in times of everyday use which means the lower classes and lower middle classes are the worst hit by these hikes.

Another tariff hike in the power sector is in the offing where we had been shocked by one a little time ago. This tariff hike

ethics in politics The private life of men who aspire to hold public office is open to public scrutiny in democratic countries to ensure that they do not have weaknesses that can affect their decision making process. This is a practice established in democratic cultures. For example, in the USA, the front-runner presidential candidate for 1988 election, Mr Gary Hart was rumoured for his infidelity to his wife Lee whom he was married for 28 years. In spite of the fact that consensual sex is not a crime in USA, he had to pull out of the race for his relationship with a model Donna Rice. Similarly, politicians accused of financial impropriety have no place in politics and become a burden for their parties.

Unfortunately, Pakistani politicians or their scions, who harbour political ambitions, have been in the news for all the wrong reasons.

These young men and women having

does not seem like a good decision as not only will it further disgruntle the already-exhausted classes but it will also have an adverse effect on industry and economic activity.

The government needs to take the issue of inflation seriously as it could prove to be its undoing.

ALI ASIF Lahore

A news report says that “the British police has arrested four British Pakistanis, aged between 19 and 24 years, under the Terror Act.” Have they been placed in the “concrete coffins”, built by Tony Blair for the purpose right after the 9/11?

A column on January 23, 2002 by Martin Bright said, “British terror suspects (mostly Pakistanis) are being held in conditions condemned as barbaric by the government’s own medical experts and described by lawyers who visited them as concrete coffins. Complaint lodged with the UK home secretary has received no response.”

Eight years afterwards, on June 23, 2010, a news item informs, “There are 10300 Muslim prisoners in the UK, of whom less than one percent have been convicted so far.”

We would very much like to hear the improvements done in the security system and freedom and liberty of the public after the 9/11 the UK. Z A KAZMI Karachi

against the ideals

inherited billions seem to have lost all sense of propriety in their private lives and instead of being role models, are a bad example for our youth, who would look up to them if they are elected to a public office.

Those who are born with a golden spoon in their mouth need to be tutored to act responsibly if they have any political ambitions. Parents of those seeking political roles need to counsel them to reform and lead their private lives in a more responsible manner.

Involvement of politicians in financial scams and white collar crimes should force their parties to debar them from contesting elections. Absence of ethics in politics has led to weakening of the political democratic culture in Pakistan, where these very weaknesses are exploited by various agencies and vested interest groups to blackmail those holding important offices.

IRFAN BUTT Karachi

The memo issue The political nuclear bomb has already exploded. The Hussain Haqqani-Mike Mullen story as told by Mansoor Ijaz is full of a script that can become a box office blockbuster. May be we do watch a movie after sometime based on this script. These things apart, it has offered an alarming insight into the power-corrupted mindset and a willingness to compromise national assets and interests for petty personal gains. Could there be a greater violation of national security and sovereignty?

One wonders as to how our leaders can stoop so low. Where is the opposition now? Where is the establishment? Where is the legal community who had joined hands against Pervez Musharraf? Do we also require outsiders to interpret articles 5, 6, 9, 243 of the constitution? The time has come to save our motherland before it is too late.

SALMAN BABAR Lahore

Pakistan was established a separate country for Muslims where they could live in peace and harmony. But, Pakistan today is not what it was dreamed of to be.

We can’t trust anybody and there is no more honesty in any thing. The rich have indulged in the luxuries of life and are increasing their bank accounts while the poverty is killing the poor.

The difference between upper and lower classes has increased so much that it will take decades to bring them at an equal level.

Basic Islamic practices, such as zakat have been forgotten. It had been made necessary for all people to pay a certain amount of saving as zakat but no one cares about it anymore.

Instead, we have established an interst system, which is against Islamic rules.

There should be a system where certain amount of cash could be given to poor people on monthly basis, taken out from rich peoples’ salary in the form of a special tax.

HINA MEHDI Karachi

had nothing concrete to offer, which was any different from power centric rule of military dictators, who have harmed this country politically, socially and financially.

The ANP and MQM, which claim to be liberal and secular with socialist leanings, have strong ethnic credentials and no tolerance for dissent within their ranks, or for their opponents. Of late, their involvement in patronising violence further disqualifies their claims of being liberal. The PPP has, during its nearly three year of power, done little which would satisfy its claims of a socialist agenda, except stuffing already surplus state corporations with more incompetent employees, putting at stake

their very sustainability as viable commercial ventures.

Similarly, the PML(N) has failed to conform to the changes that time demands from it. Their affinity with traders who refuse to pay taxes, puts at stake the very system on which free market economy thrives and survives.

Our religious parties have too many scandals of links with sectarian politics, financial malpractices and their intolerance for a plural society.

The establishment, both civil and khaki, are unwilling to let go of the habits they acquired under the Colonial Raj, as exhibited by their compulsive greed for palatial housing societies and their decadence into becoming harbingers of

corruption and unchecked bribery. Their disregard for rules is evident by their unwillingness to be even discrete in violating them, which is evident from misuse of government registered vehicles for private use by their families and living beyond their legitimate means of declared incomes.

The state machinery and FBR have become an abettor for tax evasion and wasting scarce resources of state, totally unbothered about the shocking tax-toGDP ratio. They are unwilling to be seen as trying to cut down needless expenses and cutting down inflated nondevelopment funds.

MALIK TARIQ ALI Lahore

Politics of opportunism If Imran Khan wants to be seen as an instrument of change for better, then he has to ensure that remnants of Musharraf’s unconstitutional rule or those who served in his political team must not assume any prominent role in his party. Inclusion of political opportunists will defeat his claims of bringing about much needed reforms. There is no longer a politics of Left or Right, or for that matter, any genuine liberal or secular political party in Pakistan.

What we unfortunately have in Pakistan today is politics of opportunism, where there is no national agenda for welfare of the people, or investment in long term infrastructure development.

Short stints in power by political parties

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.

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12 Comment The rally Still, a force to be reckoned with

I

t doesn’t hurt to be running the provincial government when you want to have a convention.

But to claim that the mammoth PML(N) convention in Faisalabad was merely a patwarifuelled vehicle is as incorrect as claiming that the delegates at the earlier PTI rally in Lahore were bussed in by the spooks. Two-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif is, after all, a bit of a crowd-puller. Regardless of the number of Go-Zardari-Go slogans at the Dhobi Ghaat in Faisalabad, this was a show of strength in the wake of the aforementioned PTI rally. It was an attempt at mine-is-bigger-than-yours and would serve to motivate the League’s party workers and activists.

In an era, where the illusion of change is a more marketable commodity than change itself, it is notable that the both the major sides of the political divide are now firmly ensconced in what could be broadly classified as anti-establishment positions. If the League’s rally was replete with anti-establishment speeches, the ongoing Mansoor-Ijaz-memo saga signals that all is not well between the PPP and the powers that be either.

In his speech, the erstwhile premier pulled out the populist big guns. He whipped out mention of the motorway, the dams and the nuclear test explosions.

He will need far more. For his League is being increasingly walled in. A rather churlish attitude towards those wanting to join the party is not becoming of a party that is all but limited to the Punjab. That, too, when the incumbency factor is going to work against it in the upcoming elections. His younger brother’s attitude towards even his own parliamentarians is also reportedly aloof, what to speak of seeking out chinks in the parliamentary profile of other parties.

The League’s leaders, when discussing the PTI’s rally, say that politics and leadership is more than mere rallies. Perhaps the League should listen to its own advice.

Power reform It’ll take more than tariff hikes

T

he law of diminishing returns doesn’t reveal itself to our policy makers; it has to be drummed in by someone else. After the series of subsidy cuts and tariff hikes in the power sector, it is the IMF’s lot to tell the government that the strategy, important as it is, is one that could be carried on only so far. Other steps - the real work, is it were - like structural changes in the entire power sector cannot be avoided if the government wants to get out of the current power crisis.

To draw out an analogy to illustrate the ease of tinkering with the tariff as opposed to structural reform, consider the economy itself. Monetary policy, incredibly complex as the rationale behind changes might be, is as simple as pulling a lever when it comes down to implementation. Even in relatively deregulated monetary markets, the immense tools at the disposal of the government in the form of the SBP – both the national mint and the regulator of the banking sector – the government can see development very soon. On the other hand, on the fiscal and governmental spending front, making what economists call real changes requires something far more than a mere signing of a decision or two. It requires a huge and efficient bureaucracy and all of the other catalysts present in modern nation-states. It requires wading through not files alone but the greatoutdoors of our complex socio-political space.

The same applies to the power sector. Changing the tariff design is something that is done when it is done.

The consumers will simply have to fork out more and those pilfering it would be pilfering anyway. Changing the other variables – like plugging the leaks in the gird, figuring out what the relationships between the new, devolved GenCos and DisCos will be, recalibrating the relationships between the former and the oil marketing companies, finally putting an end to the circular debt issue – is the real grunt work. It is these that require far more effort and solid concentration than a mere announcement of tariff changes through the media.

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, 21 November, 2011

The Syrian wave Everybody wants a piece of the power pie

T

he wave of public protests that has gripped Syria was bound to happen some day because there is a systemic problem with its polity.

Forget the so-called ‘Arab awakening’ cliché; this revolt has been caused by those, who have been denied a large slice of power by the ruling Bath party. Since its assumption of power in 1963, the Bathists have concentrated power in two instruments: the army and the party itself.

The problem is that both these institutions have been excessively dominated by the minorities, particularly the Alawites and the rural lower-middle class at the expense of the Sunni majority and the traditional elite comprising the urban merchant bourgeoisie and the landlords. It is these segments of the Syrian society that have been excluded from power which are the source of discontent, past and present. And they remain in search of opportunities and issues that can be exploited to overthrow the Bathist regime.

A look at the history of Bathist rule shows that this opposition has caused at least five waves of mass movements in the past.

It failed on all these occaBy Basharat Hussain Qizilbash sions due to three factors: divisions within its ranks, unity in the Bath party and loyalty of the army in suppressing the protests.

The first wave of protest started in the very year the Bath party came into power.

The Arab world was awash with Gamal Nasser’s panArabism and the Syrian opposition demanded a reunion with Egypt on Nasser’s terms, however, the regime was able to weather the storm due to the discords within the opposition.

The second wave of public disturbances erupted the next year, when the Bathists in line with their socialist programme initiated land reforms, nationalised banks and industries and established state control over foreign and domestic trade. These policies hit the ‘urban establishment’ which caused an upsurge in major cities including Hama, where government buildings were particularly targeted.

This put the fledgling Bathist regime in a tight corner, yet it

Eye on History

survived by adopting a two-pronged strategy of carrots and sticks, and since then this has been the general strategy of the Syrian state in curbing such crises. The Bathist state’s socialist bearings provided a lot of fuel to the Islamist groups such as Ikhwanal-Muslimeen (Muslim Brotherhood), Islamic Liberation Party and Kataib Muhammad (PBUH) [Muhammad’s (PBUH) Brigade] to criticise it so the carrots offered included the promulgation of a new constitution promising Islam as a source of legislation, political freedoms and the right to private property. This conciliated the Islamists, who have generally belonged to the urban mercantile bourgeoisie but those who continued to resist were silenced by the military might.

The third wave of protests rattled the Bathists in mid-1967. The opposition was waiting for an opportunity which the government provided of its own folly, when an article was published in an army magazine demanding an end to feudalism, capitalism, colonialism and religion and suggesting that these be replaced by an “absolute belief in man’s ability”.

Denouncing the regime as “socialist and Godless,” the Islamists took to streets, and could only be pacified after the state branded the writer as a “CIA agent,” had him tried and imprisoned but subsequently released, once the furore subsided.

The fourth wave of protests started in urban centres of Damascus, Hama and Homs by Islamists with Ikhwan at the forefront in early 1973, on the eve of a new proposed constitution, when the protestors demanded that Islam be designated as the state religion and challenged the absolute control of the Bath party over the state apparatus as well as its role as the sole guardian of the society. The incumbent President Bashar al Assad’s father, Hafez Assad, who had come in power in 1971, adopted a conciliatory approach towards the angry ‘urban establishment’ by promising that the constitution would make it mandatory for the president to be a Muslim.

The Islamic revolution in Iran spurred the fifth wave of protests in June 1979 spearheaded by Islamist radicals, when fifty military cadets were murdered in cold blood in Aleppo. By the spring of 1980, the protests had grown into an insurgency in northern Syria through the courtesy of Ikhwan, nonetheless Hafez Assad managed it by discrediting Ikhwan for having covert links with the US and dubbed the whole protest movement, the handiwork of a “foreign conspiracy” that was hatched at a secret meeting in the then West Germany, in May 1979.

Since March 2011, we have been witnessing the sixth way of public protests, which look like a repetition of the dramas in the past. The flashpoints are the same urban centres of Homs, Hama, etc. which reflect yet another struggle on the part of the ‘urban establishment’ and the traditional elite to snatch the power lost to the Bathists, half-a-century ago.

Bashar has also followed the same old strategy to tackle the crisis: on one hand, he has blamed the ‘Islamists’ and ‘terrorists’ for fomenting violence whereas on the other hand, he has pointed finger at Washington for inciting the ‘armed groups’ because of Syrian support to anti-Israeli groups such as the Lebanese Hizbullah and the Palestinian Hamas.

His allegations against the ‘foreign hand’ are not totally baseless.

The fact is that most of the opposition groups are headquartered in the West.

For example, the Reform Party in Washington, the Islamist Movement for Justice and Development in London and the former Syrian vice-president Abdul Halim Khaddam in Paris.

Moreover, the largest group of the opposition parties and at the same time the most active one against Bashar – the Syrian National Council, was founded about three months ago in Turkey, a key Muslim ally of the West.

To appease the opposition, Bashar has promised a new constitution by the end of this year and parliamentary elections in next February, however, the opposition is not taking the bait. The use of the military force has failed to silence the opposition because the Syrian regime has no answer to the cyber tools employed by the opposition to garner worldwide support in its favour through Facebook, twitter, etc. that have already brought down entrenched authoritarian regimes in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. The degree of international backing enjoyed by the opposition in the cyber world can be imagined from the fact that only one Facebook group called “the Syrian Revolution 2011” has over forty thousand fans.

The outcome of the ongoing tussle between the Bathists and the opposition will be won by the one who will prove more resilient in the end. Even if Bashar survives this wave of protests, chances of which seem slim, new waves of unrest will continue to haunt him till he agrees to a more equitable distribution of power among all those interest groups that have stakes in political power.

The writer is an academic and a journalist. He can be reached at qizilbash2000@yahoo.com

Regional Press

The ‘memo’ issue and the country Daily Khabroona

I

n the wake of 9/11, Pakistan has hardly seen any period of calm and peace in the country. Even though the country has rendered sacrifices of great magnitude as an ally to America in the war on terror, it is still Pakistan that is blamed by America for their failure on war against terrorism.

The faulty policies of the previous Musharraf-led regime had its own evil outcomes in the shape of almost overt interference in the affairs of the country by alien hands. But even the incumbent rulers in Pakistan are nothing more than silent spectators to these developments and have not done much to reverse the impact of Musharraf’s policies.

The masses were witness to the entire Raymond Davis fiasco and how he was released after killing Pakistani citizens in Lahore. Later, the Abbottabad episode followed suit. Similarly, American spy have been also caught in Islamabad and Peshawar on different occasions which has turned public sentiment against the government’s obeisance to the US. Now the ‘memo’ affair has been added to the mix and everyone is asking

tough questions of the government.

But the PM Yousaf Raza Gilani has dismissed all the speculation surrounding the memo and has told the nation that everything would be clarified soon enough as the Pakistani Ambassador to America Hussain Haqqani landed in Pakistan.

Opposition benches in the country have blamed the incumbent government for the memo issue maintaining that such a step could not be taken with out the will of the government.

The masses now wait as to what developments will take place after Mr Hussain Haqqani divulges the information he possesses.

The needful thing in the wake of these developments is that instead of cutting the ground under the feet of one another and brawling among themselves, the focus of attention of all the quarters within should be safety of the country. Of course, those anti-state elements that are involved in acts of various conspiracies should be brought to book for orchestrating ‘manoeuvrings’ that may imperil the future of the country.

– Translated from the original Pashto by Abdur Rauf Khattak

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Monday, 21 November, 2011

Comment 13

it reeks of…

Can’t touch this!

More to Memogate

Let them be, please

By Waqqas Mir

U

nfortunately, life isn’t a law school classroom. Why do I lament that fact? Law school classrooms are often home to the raising and discussion of some of the most outrageous and controversial questions. And since lawyers are trained skeptics, we often believe in the ‘there isn’t always a right answer’ theory. In classrooms in general and in law school classrooms in particular when people argue, they argue over stances, principles and incentive structures. Real world is much more obscene I suppose.

Speaking of incentives though the incentive structure of Memogate simply does not make sense to me. It would make a fascinating case-study in an ‘Economic Analysis of Law’ classroom where people debate what a rational actor would do.

Ambassador Haqqani, like all men who are even remotely interesting, is a controversial figure. The boys in khaki are not his greatest admirers.

Most people have been extremely critical of him. Being a Pakistani in this day and age can be exhausting and being Pakistan’s ambassador in DC, particularly more so. Anyone in Ambassador Haqqani’s position was fighting stereotypes both at home and abroad. Those of a khaki disposition at home must have seen him as the President’s messenger who was up to no good and many in DC must have seen him as the messenger from a country that, to put it mildly, is not particularly well liked in North America right now.

The fact that a man like Mr Mansoor Ijaz chose to stay silent for so long and then acted in ways that completely contradict his alleged intentions makes the plot even more beguiling. The fact that the issue featured in Imran Khan’s speech to his followers at Minar-e-Pakistan makes it more suspicious than beguiling since Khan is suspected by many to be the establishment’s blue-

eyed-boy right now. Once Khan threw it out there, the media jumped on the Mansoor Ijaz bandwagon and one after another Musharraf era apologist has since then taken potshots at that favorite target of Pakistanis: a civilian named Asif Zardari. If you are a Mush/military loving, chest thumping, self-righteous, let’s-get-it-over-with-since-Idon’t-have time for democracy soul, then Asif Zardari is your dream target. But let’s face it, the man knows his politics and he deserves respect for that. Every time I have mentioned the word ‘respect’ anywhere close to Mr Zardari’s name I have faced personal attacks, but so be it.

Reading columns in the aftermath of Memogate has been both amusing and depressing. Of course, civil-military imbalance is the prime issue that faces Pakistan.

Therefore, if any civilian government is weary of the military then the responsibility for that should rest with the military and not the civilian government. Of course, if the civilian government says things that you disagree with you must step forward and make it known in the public sphere. But before our well known thinkers advise on future courses of action for the government one must question any unquestioned assumptions. Why assume that just because our establishment alleges it that our civilian Ambassador was the culprit? Maybe our cynicism should have a different target.

In the aftermath of Osama Bin Laden’s killing, the Army was staring down the barrel. Therefore, unless our Ambassador feared a completely irrational and panicky action from the military there was no incentive for a coup. If Mr Mullen reckoned that the memo was not credible then why would a man of Haqqani’s stature not communicate to Mullen somehow that the memo needed to be taken seriously? Surely, if the memo was written at the behest of Haqqani or Zardari then things were dire and yet, Mansoor Ijaz wants us to believe that they decided to sit back once the memo was written?

For more than 6 decades we have been fed a narrative that civilians are corrupt and then the extension of that argument translates into an argument against democracy itself. If Haqqani and Zardari are the cunning political beings that the establishment wants us to believe that

they are then what would they expect to gain from such a Memo? Our President could be accused of many things but he definitely cannot be accused of being a lousy chessplayer. And Memogate was not a chess move that suited him. A man loyal to him, Ambassador Haqqani, lacked the incentive structure to dictate that memo. And if he dictated it he would have pushed on it but there is no evidence of it.

Granted what I am arguing could be wrong. People act irrationally a lot of times but many people have a lot to gain by seeing the back of Ambassador Haqqani. During his tenure the real blessing has been the amount of pressure exerted on the Pakistani military by the US government. Finally, thanks to Mr Haqqani’s efforts, the Americans divorced Pakistan’s people and their needs from its military — Kerry Lugar was just one example.

Before we swallow another narrative and call for our Ambassador’s head, maybe we should question the motives underlying this entire saga?

Every man is presumed innocent until proven guilty and you do not need to be in a law school classroom to learn that. As the noise grows and people demand, quite absurdly, for the Supreme Court to step in and for treason charges to be initiated against Mr Haqqani and our President, maybe we should step back and examine what is at stake. It is not just a government at stake but also our character as a nation when we believe a narrative without asking enough questions. Another point worth considering: if you are the guy in khaki who plotted this, then the media lapped it up brilliantly and you can sit back and smoke a cigar.

In law school classrooms, people speak freely because there are few consequences of what they say.

But what we say and don’t say or believe and not believe in the real world, especially in matters such as Memogate, has real consequences.

Maybe that alone, if nothing else, should make us pause. Maybe it is actually a good thing that life isn’t a law school classroom — since we can all act more responsibly.

The writer is a Barrister and an Advocate of the High Courts.

He is currently pursuing a LLM in the United States. He can be reached at wmir.rma@gmail.com

A

few things happened this week to nudge me away from the uninspiring abyss that had been staring back at me the past few weeks. One was an incident at my alma mater, the University of Karachi (KU); the other, the lists of ‘ban-worthy’ words that were issued by the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA). In my head, some aspects of the two incidents overlap. Consider.

Earlier this week, I returned to KU with some friends from the National Students Federation (NSF), six years after dropping out. When I’d begun classes at the university’s computer science department in January 2002 as a starry-eyed 18-year-old who was new to Karachi, KU was supposed to be my first ‘home’ in this city. It was supposed to provide support and protection and nurture my grey matter. It failed to do all of this then; and when I returned last week, as a self-assured 28-year-old, it failed to support, protect and nurture again.

For a while, we had a pleasant enough conversation with a professor. We discussed politics under Ayub Khan, the role of the DSF, the NSF, other student groups.

It grew late and dark. Then along came another professor, who was introduced to us as the head of a department, and someone

By Urooj Zia who was sympathetic to left-wing/progressive politics. He shook hands with everyone in the group, including me; then, he suddenly realised that I was a woman, touched his ears, and said, ‘Sorry, yaar.’ And there we had it: in just two words – not even an entire sentence; just two words – Mr Professor had managed to reduce my entire existence to the worst form of objectification there is. In two words, my person was reduced to that of a sex object, merely shaking hands with whom would lead to things so abhorrent that they horrified even a man of the world, such as Mr Professor.

This was not the first time that I was subjected to such behaviour in Pakistan, and it is far from the last. The reason I was more horrified than

usual this time round, was because men such as Mr Professor are supposed to teach and nurture students – young adults of all genders. If this is the manner in which they treat their female students, what will the latter end up learning? What example are they setting for their male students?

And this brings us to the two lists of banned words that the PTA had issued last week. The first thought that had popped in my head when I first saw it was that this had to be the most comprehensive list of cusswords that I’d ever come across; and that my tax money had been abused to put it together. Then I realised that not every word on those lists was a cuss-word. No, sir. I came across words of everyday use, some of which had no purpose other than as clinical references to women’s sexual and reproductive organs and processes. ‘Period’, for instance. How is that a ban-worthy term, pray tell? It is part of women’s natural bodily functions – one that happens almost every month. New life wouldn’t be formed if women didn’t have their periods.

As something that is part of the process of creating life, how, dear PTA wallahs, is ‘period’ a dirty, ban-worthy word?

There were several other similar terms on both lists, but you get my point, right?

One wonders, rather sadly, how we as a people, have collectively stooped to the level where the female form and function have become targets of constant denigration; a disgusting reality that must not be touched or even looked at; that must be covered up and thrown into a corner where we aren’t reminded of her existence. ‘Sure, she exists, but that doesn’t mean that we have to put up with her in the public domain,’ seems to be the dominant attitude. Off with her head!

Well, here’s a request: can we please, for the love of whatever we hold dear or holy, get over our obsession with the female body? Please stop ruining the lives – and the physical and mental wellbeing – of our girls and women. Your honour is connected solely to your own actions, not hers. Stop pawning your dishonourable acts off on her by making her body the keeper of your tattered ghaerat. Shaking hands with a woman will not land you in hell; your dishonesty and corruption probably will.

What she wears or doesn’t wear is not going to affect you in any way, unless you’re a rapist who likes to blame his victim for his own mental illness. Covered, uncovered, partially covered, soft, loud, whatever – just let our women be. Stop already!

The writer is a freelance journalist and researcher, and a bloody civilian based in Karachi. She can be reached via twitter (@UroojZia) or email (contact AT uroojzia DOT com)

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14 Foreign News

Monday, 21 November, 2011

Gaddafi’s son to face trial in Libya: NTC g

Seif capture puts new Libya under test TRIPOLI

T

AFP

he National Transitional Council wants Seif al-Islam, the captured son of Muammar Gaddafi, to go on trial in Libya rather than at the International Criminal Court, the interim justice minister said on Sunday.

“We want the trial of Seif al-Islam to take place in Libya because Libyan justice is the rule and international justice is the exception,” Mohammed al-Allagui said.

“We have the necessary guarantees for a fair trial, especially after the amendment of a law that guarantees the independence of the judiciary as regards the executive,” he said. World powers have urged Libya to work with the International Criminal Court and ensure a fair trial for Seif al-Islam, son of slain leader Muammar Gaddafi who was arrested after months on the run.

Seif, wanted by the ICC for crimes against humanity allegedly committed in crushing anti-regime protests, was cap-

ICC urges libya to hand over gaddafi’s son The hAGUe: Libya must hand over Seif al-Islam, the son of Muammar Gaddafi, to the International Criminal Court, an official said, while holding out the prospect of a trial in Tripoli.

An ICC spokesman said chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo would travel to Libya next week for talks with the new regime, as world leaders called on the authorities in Tripoli to ensure that justice was done. Seif, who was considered Gaddafi’s heir apparent, is wanted by the court for crimes against humanity, allegedly committed during the former regime’s crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in February.

He, his father, and Gaddafi’s security chief Adullah al-Senussi, were all accused of having orchestrated the deadly operations against the protesters to put down the revolt by “any means necessary”. The security forces, acting on their orders, killed or tured in Libya’s far-flung Saharan south early on Saturday in a trap set by fighters of the Zintan brigade. Despite assurances

by Libya’s interim leaders of a “fair trial”, images that emerged of Gaddafi been beaten and later felled by a bullet to the head when he was captured a month ago

wounded, hundreds of anti-regime demonstrators, arresting hundreds of others as they tried to quash the uprising.

ICC spokesman Fadi Al-Abdallah said the Libyan authorities were obliged to cooperate with the ICC and surrender him to the court as required by the UN resolution on Libya. “If they want a trial in Libya, they must submit a request for dismissal and procedures in Libya must be conducted on the same charges as those contained in the warrant of the ICC,” Abdallah added.

The court said Seif could request the judges not to order his return to Libya after any conviction. Judges could also order him extradited to another state, the prosecutor said.

Britain, France and the United States all called on Libya’s new rulers to cooperate fully with the ICC to show the new government’s legitimacy. AFP

sparked a worldwide chorus of calls for Seif to be brought safely to justice.

Russia’s special representative for Africa, Mikhail Margelov, clearly articulated the concerns of the international community. “We are happy that this time the new authorities in Libya did not re-

sort to summary justice for Seif al-Islam, the son of the ousted leader Gaddafi,” he said after Seif was shown alive following his capture. Video footage showed Gaddafi’s longtime heir apparent being hauled off into captivity in a northwestern hill town after getting off a flight from

the desert south where he was seized.

A fist was thrown as Seif was mobbed by a large crowd of curious onlookers, many of them veterans of the eightmonth uprising, but he was spared the brutal lynching dealt out to his father.

Libya’s interim prime minister Abdel Rahim al-Kib moved quickly to give the assurance that Seif would be brought fairly to justice. “I reassure our people and the world that Seif, and those with him, will be given a fair trial in which international rights and norms will be guaranteed,” Kib said.

“The judicial authorities will communicate with the International Criminal Court to examine where Seif al-Islam must be tried,” he said. “Any cooperation with international institutions is welcome,” he added. implying that they would like him to be tried in Libya.

The head of the Zintan brigade which arrested Seif said that Gaddafi’s favourite son asked his captors “to fire a bullet to his head and take him (dead) to Zintan.” News of Seif’s capture was greeted with celebratory gunfire in Libya’s major cities.

US ‘failed’ in Iaea bid to send Iran nuclear issue to UN TEHRAN AFP

The United States ‘failed’ to get the UN atomic energy watchdog to refer Iran’s nuclear programme to the UN Security Council, Iran’s deputy chief nuclear negotiator said, according to Iranian state media Sunday.

“The aim of the United States was to send the Iranian issue to the Security Council....

Thanks to the efforts of the Islamic Republic on the international stage, the American intention failed,” Ali Bagheri said.

His comment was the first high-level reaction in Iran to a Friday vote by the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency to pass a resolution condemning Iran’s nuclear activities following a recent IAEA report strongly suggesting they involved research for atomic weapons.

The resolution - worded to pass muster with Iran’s allies Russia and China notably stopped short of sending the matter to the UN Security Council. Instead, it said it was “essential for Iran and the Agency to intensify their dialogue” and called on Tehran “to comply fully and without delay with its obligations under relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council.”

daMaSCUS: a Syrian flashes the sign for victory as others wave their national flag as they rally on Sunday, to show their support for President bashar al-assad who defiantly vowed to fight and die if needed. afP

arab league rejects Syrian changes to observer mission g

opposition unveils political programme Syria says arab League being used as ‘tool’ to reach UN

Chinese response on US troops ‘measured’: australia SYDNEY AFP

g

CAIRO/NICOSIA AFP

The Arab League on Sunday rejected amendments proposed by Damascus to its proposal to send a 500-strong delegation to monitor the violence in Syria, saying they would radically alter the mission.

“It was agreed that the amendments and appendices proposed by the Syrian side affect the core of the document and would radically change the nature of the mission which is to oversee the implementation of the Arab plan to end the crisis in Syria and protect Syrian civilians,” the Arab League said in a statement. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem hit out on Sunday at members of the Arab League which he accused of using the organisation as a “tool” to reach the UN Security Council.

“There is no room for hasty decisions but rational thinking is needed because there are some parts of the Arab world which are using the Arab League as a tool to reach the Security Council,” Muallem told a news conference.

Meanwhile, the opposition Syrian

syria ‘will not bow down’ to foreign forces: assad LoNDoN: President Bashar al-Assad said Syria would not bow down in the face of international military action over his lethal crackdown on dissent, in an interview with The Sunday Times. Assad told the British weekly newspaper he was “definitely” prepared to fight and die for Syria if faced with foreign intervention. The president said he felt sorrow for each drop of Syrian blood spilt but insisted Damascus must go after armed rebel gangs and enforce law and order. “The conflict will continue and the pressure to subjugate Syria will continue,” he said. “Syria will not bow down.” Assad accused the Arab League, whose deadline for Syria to stop its clampdown has expired, of creating a pretext for Western military intervention, which would trigger an “earthquake” across the Middle East. “If they are logical, rational and realistic, they shouldn’t do it because the repercussions are very dire. Military intervention will destabilise the region as a whole, and all countries will be affected,” he said. AFP National Council announced Sunday a political programme aimed at bringing down President Bashar al-Assad followed by a parliamentary election after a year’s transition.

The SNC in its statement said its goal was to “build a democratic, plural-

istic, and civil state by ... breaking down the existing regime, including all of its operatives and symbols.”

The SNC, the country’s largest and most representative opposition group, said another objective was “preserving, protecting, and enhancing the peaceful

nature of the popular revolution.”

The SNC said once the regime falls, it would “take responsibility, with the military apparatus, to manage the transitional period and guarantee the security and unity of the country” during the transition. It would try to forge a “pluralistic... parliamentary republic... based on the principles of equal citizenship with separation of powers... the rule of law, and the protection and guarantee of the rights of minorities.”

“Within one year at most, the interim government will organise free elections with Arab and international observers to elect a Constitutional Assembly tasked with drafting a new constitution for the country that is then voted on by the people in a referendum,” said the statement.

“Free parliamentary elections shall be held within six months, in accordance with the new constitution.”

Arab League foreign ministers will meet on Thursday to discuss Syria, which has failed to heed a deadline to halt a crackdown on protests against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.

Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith dismissed suggestions Sunday that China had been angered by plans for a US troop build-up here, describing its response as moderate and measured.

The plan to post some 2,500 Marines in northern Australia by 2016-17 was unveiled by US President Barack Obama during a lightning visit to Canberra last week and immediately labelled “inappropriate” by Beijing. But Smith said the official response had been “quite measured” and said Prime Minister Julia Gillard had “cordial and forward-looking” talks with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit.

“China, for a long time, has said that it doesn’t believe there should be military alliances, but it understands that Australia has a military alliance with the United States,” Smith told commercial television.

“My own judgement is that the response official response from China - has frankly been a measured one. It hasn’t been over the top. “We continue to make the point publicly and privately to China that there’s no inconsistency between a military alliance... with the United States and a comprehensive bilateral relationship with China.”

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Monday, 21 November, 2011

Foreign News 15 Spain’s right heads for crushing election win MADRID AFP

Spaniards voted in rain-sodden elections Sunday, all but certain to hand a thundering victory to the right and topple yet another debt-laden eurozone government. Bowed by a 21.5 percent jobless rate, economic stagnation and deep spending cuts, the first voters of the 36 million-strong Spanish electorate headed to the polls ready to punish the ruling Socialists. Opposition Popular Party leader Mariano Rajoy, 56, has a lead of about 15 percentage points over the Socialists, the latest polls showed, enough for an absolute majority in parliament and a free hand to reform. He vowed to make cuts “everywhere”, except for pensions, so as to meet Spain’s target of cutting the public deficit to 4.4 percent of gross domestic product in 2012 from 9.3 percent last year.

Italy’s Monti agrees not to run in election: berlusconi ROME REUTERS

CaIro: egyptian protesters run for cover during clashes with riot police at Cairo’s landmark Tahrir Square on Sunday. Several hundred egyptians occupied Tahrir Square with sporadic clashes between protesters and the police following a night of deadly violence. afP

Hundreds occupy Cairo’s Tahrir after night of clashes g

Health Ministry says two dead, 750 injured in clashes CAIRO

E

AFP

GYPTIAN protesters streamed into Cairo’s Tahrir Square on Sunday after a night of deadly clashes that signalled the start of a violent countdown to the first polls since Hosni Mubarak’s ouster.

Prime Minister Essam Sharaf’s cabinet was to hold crisis talks, state television said, as fresh clashes broke out on the outskirts of the square and anti-riot police fired off rounds of tear gas. Dozens of protesters set up barricades on the edges of the plaza as marchers poured into the square, in scenes reminiscent of the 18 days of protests which toppled Mubarak in February. Clashes overnight between protesters and police left two people dead and hundreds injured, sparking fears of a disruption of Egypt’s

first elections since the end of Mubarak’s 30-year-rule, scheduled to kick off on November 28. In makeshift hospitals set up in mosques around Tahrir Square, demonstrators received treatment for tear gas inhalation and for injuries from rubber bullets and birdshot.

The health ministry said 750 people were injured in the clashes in Tahrir Square, while demonstrations also spread to the cities of Alexandria, Aswan and Suez. About 40 policemen were among those injured, the interior ministry said. A policeman in an armoured car fired rubber bullets into the Tahrir Square crowd, striking an AFP journalist in the forehead and shoulder, while a Western photographer was struck in the face. The protesters chanted slogans against the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces which took power from Mubarak and demanded the ouster of Field Marshall Hussein Tantawi, his

longtime defence minister who heads the SCAF. Mohsen al-Fangari, a member of the council, insisted elections would go ahead as planned and that authorities were able to guarantee security.

“We will not give in to calls to delay the elections. The armed forces and the interior ministry are able to secure the polling stations,” Fangari told a talk show on Egyptian satellite channel AlHayat. A number of prominent political figures and intellectuals, including former UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei, earlier issued a call for a delay to the legislative polls. They submitted a new transition roadmap which would see an elected constituent assembly draft a constitution and then a presidential election held to be followed by parliamentary polls. Medics announced the deaths of Ahmed Mahmoud, 23, who sustained a bullet wound to the chest in Cairo, and Baha Eddin Mohamed Hus-

sein, 25, hit by a rubber bullet in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria as protests spread from the capital. One of the protesters, Ali Abdel Aziz, said security forces beat up people indiscriminately. “They beat us harshly, they didn’t care if it was men or women. The interior ministry must take responsibility. We have one demand, the military council must go,” said the 32-year-old accountancy professor. Protesters also fear a potential return to power by members of Mubarak’s regime, who are blamed for much of the post-revolt violence.

“We didn’t have a revolution so the people we removed could come back to parliament,” said 30-year-old activist Ahmed Abol Enein. “None of the revolution’s demands have been met.” The military says it will hand over power after a presidential election, which has yet to be scheduled. Parliamentary polls are to be held in phases starting later this month.

Italy’s new technocrat Prime Minister Mario Monti has agreed not to run as a candidate when elections are held, Silvio Berlusconi, leader of the center-right PDL party, said in an interview published on Sunday. “We asked him and all his ministers to commit themselves publicly to not presenting themselves as candidates at the next elections,” the former prime minister said. Berlusconi said Monti had agreed to the request in the presence of the Italian president, adding he had not spoken to each individual minister in his government.

US envoy to meet abbas on unity govt JERUSALEM AFP

A top US diplomat is to hold emergency talks with Palestinian and Israeli leaders over the next two days regarding plans for a Palestinian unity government, the Israeli newspaper Maariv said Sunday. A spokesman for the US consulate in Jerusalem confirmed that Deputy Secretary of State William Burns would meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Sunday and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. Maariv said the visit was an “urgent” mission ahead of a meeting at the end of this week between Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal that will finalise plans for the implementation a reconciliation deal. The terms of the implementation have already been hammered out over a series of secret meetings in Cairo, according to Palestinian officials, but will be announced during the Abbas-Meshaal summit. The reconciliation deal signed in May calls for the formation of an interim government of independents that will pave the way for legislative and presidential elections by May 2012.

afghans protest against uS deal SURKHROD REUTERS

Around 1,000 people, mostly students, took to the streets in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday to protest against plans for a long-term partnership deal with the United States, which they fear could lead to an extended presence of US troops.

Afghan political and community leaders endorsed the idea of a strategic partnership, with some caveats, after a 2,000-strong national gathering, or loya jirga, which ended on Saturday.

The demonstrators gathered just outside the capital of eastern Nangarhar province and burned an effigy of US President Barack Obama as they protested against the prospect of US troops remaining in Afghanistan.

All foreign combat troops are

currently slated to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014, with security nationwide to be handed over to the national police and army.

However, other foreign advisers will remain to work with Afghan forces.

“We are totally against any American presence in Afghanistan, they kill our people in their arbitrary operations,” said university student Mohammad Tahir Qane.

Other protesters carried banners and shouted “death to America, death to American slaves.”

There were some major qualifications on the jirga’s support for a pact, however.

In a declaration made after the meeting, delegates said they opposed a permanent US military presence in Afghanistan and wanted the United States to stop carrying out night raids.

The status of the raids is proving a major obstacle to finalising the bilateral agreement.

The raids have caused widespread resentment among Afghan civilians. Many Afghans, including President Hamid Karzai, say they should be stopped or severely curtailed.

However, Western commanders see the raids as one of their most effective weapons as they seek out insurgents who hide among ordinary Afghans.

The Taliban condemned the loya jirga in an email sent to media outlets on Sunday.

“We believe that (the agreement) was already designed by the Americans and only used the name of loya jirga to announce it,” it said in a statement.

The Taliban demand that all foreign troops must leave Afghanistan immediately.

MaNILa: People look for salvageable materials among debris and rubbish after an overnight fire blazed through a slum area in Quezon City, east of Manila on Sunday. Four people were killed after being trapped inside their burning house, while 500 houses were affected in the fire. afP

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Monday, 21 November, 2011

adele, lady Gaga eye american Music awards gongs

IN LIMELIGHT

Here are the nominations in the main categories:

LOS ANGELES

B

AGENCIES

R I T I S H soul diva Adele hopes to add to her growing collection of prizes at the American Music Awards this weekend, even if she has had to be bow out because of throat problems.

The 23-year-old has four nominations, followed closely Lady Gaga and Katy Perry among others with three nods for the annual star-studded awards, to be presented at Los Angeles’ Nokia Theatre on Sunday evening. Canadian teen sensation Justin Bieber - last year’s big winner as artist of the year - will have to pin his prize hopes on his single nomination for best male rock or pop artist. The 17-year-old, who recently faced down a paternity suit, will join artists including Perry, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez and will.i.am at the star-studded event at Los Angeles’ Nokia Theater.

oprah making Tv comeback with ‘Next Chapter’ NEW YORK AGENCIES

Oprah Winfrey is launching a new television program in January with her new series ‘Oprah’s Next Chapter’ that will air on her cable network, the channel said Friday. In the new series, the media mogul will step “outside of the studio for some riveting, enlightening in-depth conversations with newsmakers, celebrities, thought leaders and real-life families,” according to the statement from OWN (Oprah Winfrey Net-

Artist of the Year adele; Lady Gaga; Katy Perry; Lil wayne; Taylor Swift Best New Artist Miguel; wiz Khalifa; The band Perry; Marsha ambrosius; Foster The People; Hot Chelle rae; LMFao; Thompson Square Pop or rock Best female artist: adele; Katy Perry; Lady Gaga Best male artist: Justin bieber; bruno Mars; Pitbull Best group: LMFao; Maroon 5; onerepublic Best album: adele – ‘21’; rihanna – ‘Loud’; Lady Gaga – ‘born This way’ Rap /Hip-Hop Best artist: Lil wayne; Nicki Minaj; Kanye west Best album: Lil wayne – ‘Tha Carter Iv’; The Throne – ‘watch the Throne’; Nicki Minaj – ‘Pink Friday’ Soul/R&B Best male artist: Chris brown; Trey Songz; Usher Best female artist: rihanna; beyoncé; Kelly rowland Best album: Chris brown – ‘F.a.M.e.’; rihanna – ‘Loud’; beyoncé – ‘4’ Country music Best female: Sara evans; Miranda Lambert; Taylor Swift Best male: Jason aldean; brad Paisley; blake Shelton Best group: Zac brown band; Lady antebellum; The band Perry Best album: Jason aldean, ‘My Kinda Party’; Taylor Swift, ‘Speak Now’; The band Perry, ‘The band Perry’ Alternative rock, favourite artist Foo Fighters; black Keys; Mumford & Sons. adult contemporary Music, favourite artist adele; bruno Mars; Katy Perry Latin, favourite artist Pitbull; enrique Iglesias; Jennifer Lopez.

work). “After 25 years I got myself out of the studio chairs. I moved into the next chapter, and I am having more fun than ever - moving around the country and the world talking to people I’m really interested in getting to know,” the New York Post quoted Winfrey as saying. The program will premiere on January 1 with an in-depth conversation with Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler at his home in New Hampshire. Subsequent episodes in the show’s first season will feature Oscar winner Sean Penn’s humanitarian work in Haiti, a tour of ‘Star Wars’ creator George Lucas’ ranch and a look at chef Paula Deen’s Georgia estate.

Suggest names for my daughter, tweets

Abhishek

MUMBAI: actor abhishek bachchan, who recently became the father of a baby girl, has thanked his fans for their good wishes and is now asking them to suggest names for his newborn. “and suggestions for names are very welcome guys.

Something with ‘a’,” the 35-year-old posted on micro-blogging site Twitter. His wife, aishwarya rai, gave birth to thier first child oct 16 at Mumbai’s Seven Hills Hospital and since then, the bachchan family is receiving congratulatory messages from around the globe. “To receive all this love from all of you. oh ya! and our crew grows past 800,000. a huge welcome to all the new ones...and the congratulatory messages still pour in. Thank you so much guys. all of you are wonderful and so sweet.

My daughter is so blessed,” he further posted. while abhishek is enjoying his fatherhood, megastar amitabh is in seventh heaven after becoming a grandfather for the third time and says it is difficult for him to stay away from his granddaughter. “difficult to tear yourself away from the ‘little one’, but now home to replay videos and stills and wait for her to come home...Shooting 3d camera stills and movie of the ‘little one’... amazing! Child is the Father of man... Never had this at my birth,” the 69-year-old posted.

baNGaLore: bollywood actors John abraham, deepika Padukone, Chitrangda Singh and akshay Kumar address the media during a promotional press conference for their upcoming film ‘desi boyz’.

BERLIN: US actors robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner arrive for the German premiere of their film ‘Twilight breaking dawn’.

LoS aNGeLeS: Zooey deschanel attends the GQ ‘Men of the year’ party at the Chateau Marmont.

Lara and Dia Lara happy for Riteish-Genelia NEW DELHI: actors riteish deshmukh and Genelia d’Souza have decided to tie the knot early next year and their friends Lara dutta and dia Mirza wish them a happy life. “riteish and Genelia a perfect example of a dignified couple. Two of my favourite people who are taking their commitment to the next level,” dia posted on micro-blogging site Twitter. Lara wrote: “So happy to share in the joy of both my onscreen husband riteish wedding plans!!

Love u ..!!” In response to their tweeets, riteish and Genelia, who started seeing each other during the making of their bollywood debut, ‘Tujhe Meri Kasam’ in 2003, posted thank you messages. The couple, who always remain tight-lipped about their relationship, recently admitted that they will seal their eightyear-old relationship with a wedding in 2012. The two were also seen in 2004 hit comedy ‘Masti’ and have now teamed up for ‘Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya’.

Dutta’s tips for expecting mothers MUMBAI: a pregnant Lara dutta is planning to come out with a new yoga dvd targetted for expecting mothers. The workout regimen will involve pre-natal exercises that will help women stay fit - mentally and physically.

She plans to work on the concept with her instructor Tonia Clark. after bringing out two successful workout dvds in the past, Lara wants to focus on helping pregnant women stay healthy and give them tips. Speaking to a magazine, Lara recently said, “No expectant mother should do any kind of yoga training without proper guidance.” dutta plans to begin work on her production once she delivers. AGENCIES

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Veena Malik ‘having fun’ shooting 3D horror film MUMBAI

P

For one, we are shooting in the wilderness.

There are no luxury hotels, no daily comforts.

Then it’s a 3D film, not like the other 3D films in Hindi where the 2D format is converted into 3D. We are shooting in 3D which means every shot takes hours sometimes. It’s really time consuming because I am playing both the ‘thriller’ and ‘horror’ element of the film.”

Veena performs all her stunts on her own in the film. “(There’s) lots of wirework and flips and somersaults and bruises and cuts. I am roughing it out here in the jungles and enjoying every bit of it!” she added.

AGENCIES

AKISTANI actress Veena Malik is busy shooting a 3D horror movie in a jungle in southern India. Though the destination is being kept a secret for security reasons, Veena says she is having a lot of fun and adventure shooting the film. Disclosing a few details about the project, Veena said: “It’s a 3D horror film with Telugu filmmaker Hemant Madhukar, and it’s really hard to shoot.

‘Dastangoh’ revive

forgotten story telling art LAHORE STAFF REPORT

New yorK: Justin bieber visits the SiriusXM Studio.

The lost art of dastangoee or story telling is perhaps not completely forgotten by all. With Mahmood Farooqui and Danish Hussain, who hail from New Delhi, audiences sit spell bound and fixated as the two delve into thick plots, and tell tall tales of djinns and kings and princesses and a long lost world that no longer exists in the sub-continent.

They do not use props or take aid from lighting effects, music or even costumes. In fact the performance is simple, with these two men sitting upstage and telling a story using their vocal effects and simple gestures.

While on the one hand it is a form of theatre, on the other it does not use many characteristics of theatre. This Dastangoi is based on medieval Urdu tales. Mahmood Farooqui and Danish Hussain have performed from New Delhi to New York. But they have something very interesting in their possession: About 46 volumes of forgotten stories from the late 19th century. And they claim they do not even know how these stories were originally told. They also have a rare 1920 audio clip of a performance by Mir Bakar Ali, the last great storyteller — or “dastangoh” — in this tradition.

According to information, at its peak from the late 16th to 19th centuries, Dastan-

goi performers entertained audiences with tales of war, magic and adventures that revolved around the adventures of Amir Hamza, titled “Dastan e Amir Hamza”, a man said to be an uncle of the Holy Prophet.

These could be never ending stories. At Faiz’s centennial, this pair and its story telling became relavant as they gave a contemporary twist to their performance. (The event had been organized by the Faiz Gharm, held at the Ali Auditorium.) The pair gave the art form a contemporary twist, adding stories on themes from the trauma of the 1947 Partition, which created the two nations of India and Pakistan from the British colony, to the poetry of Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz.

The storytellers weave a complex tale of the land of Kohistaan, whose natives have been displaced by the magicians. Slowly, the story weaves through the thick maze of politics, Along with traditional narratives, the Dastangohs break into Faiz, which makes it all the more enjoyable. Mahmood Farooqui is also a co-director of the Bollywood film Peepli Live, while Danish Hussain is a theatre actor. So while the original dastangoh engaged audiences at street corners in Lucknow or on the steps of the Jama Masjid, each story taking several days to be performed, today this art has become confined to the theatre. Nevertheless, at least someone has remembered to preserve this dying art.

Ranbir’s

success mantra: stay grounded MUMBAI: after his successful portrayal of a lovelorn, ambitious musicican in ‘rockstar’, ranbir Kapoor is being touted as bollywood’s next superstar. but amidst all this hoopla, ranbir hopes to stay grounded. “It feels nice that people are putting so much faith in me. I hope this doesn’t get in to my head as I want to focus only on my work and my directors. For me, success is working everyday during my career and then flops won’t affect me. For me, success would be when I get to be on the sets everyday of my life,” the 29-year-old told reporters. while for most people bollywood means money and glamour, ranbir has his own reasons for being a part of the profession. “I have faith in my talent. I don’t think I am a good human being or good looking but I do know that I am a good actor. I work hard and I love my work. It’s not that I run after money but I genuinely love this profession. I would love to dedicate my life to this profession and definitely become a superstar,” said ranbir. aGeNCIeS

Veena, who became a known name in India after her stint in the fourth season of reality show ‘Bigg Boss’, is happy she is shooting for an actual 3D film. Perhaps not aware of Vikram Bhatt’s stereoscopic 3D film ‘Haunted’, Veena said: “This is the first Hindi film to be actually shot in the 3D for-

mat. Otherwise films like ‘Ra.One’ were shot in 2D and transferred to the 3D format.” The actress is also set to have her ‘swayamvar’ on India’s national television, through Imagine TV, which has earlier hosted ‘swayamvars’ of Rakhi Sawant, Rahul Mahajan and Ratan Rajput.

‘ashton did not cheat, had open marriage with demi’ g

Kutcher’s alleged mistress comes clean on fling with actor LONDON AGENCIES

Merely days after Demi Moore’s decision to end her six-year marriage with Ashton Kutcher, fresh claims made by sources hint that the actress is bisexual and that the couple had an “open marriage”. According to Star magazine, the source also revealed that almost everybody in Hollywood was aware of the open marriage arrangement by the couple, but it was kept a secret from the public. “Demi is attracted to women just as much as men, so she didn’t always get all she needed from Ashton,” the Daily Mail quoted an insider as saying. “Everyone in Hollywood knows about their arrangement, but they’ve managed to keep it a secret from the general public. She was cool with Ashton having flirtatious relationships too. Somehow they made it work all these years. Both of them were respectful of each other. It was a lot of fun for them,” the source said. The source also said that things changed after the 33-yearold actor’s alleged affairs became public and it was then that the couple’s liberal outlook soon turned sour. According to TMZ, Kutcher’s first alleged mistress, Brittney Jones, who came forward with the affair story in September 2010, insisted at the time that the actor had an “open marriage” with his wife. “For so long people have thought that I was dishonest or just making up my passionate nights with Ashton, when

in fact I was being used. Ashton told me that both he and Demi had an ‘open relationship’ and that he was not in fact cheating.” $290 MILLIoN coUrT BATTLe Demi Moore may have announced her intention to divorce her husband of six years with a “heavy heart”, but what is weighing heavier is the question hanging over their financial settlement. The Hollywood A-list couple are said to have between them a 290 million dollars fortune, but the division of assets may not be a simple process, depending on whether they signed a prenup when they married in 2005. If they hadn’t signed the prenup and if the divorce is filed in California, the couple they can expect to split their assets 50-50.

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Monday, 21 November, 2011

djokovic, Nadal, Federer win aTP awards Page 23

waqar pays tribute to Imran LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Former Pakistan skipper Waqar Younis relived some of his memories associated with the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, which hosted its 201st One Day International (ODI) between Sri Lanka and Pakistan on Sunday.

Waqar spent his childhood in Sharjah and said that the venue has always been special to him. He is currently commentating in the Pakistan hosted series against Sri Lanka. A website quoted Waqar as saying: “I used to sit on those green benches and watch matches with my relatives. In one of the matches, Imran Khan hit a six over the top into the car park. My uncle found that ball and gave it to me. I used to literally sleep with that ball next to me and kept it for a long time.” Later, it was Imran who introduced Waqar to international cricket after watching him bowl in the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore in Pakistan during a domestic match. Although the latter was being smashed to all parts of the park, his raw pace impressed the legendary all-rounder, who is considered to be one of the best captains of all time. Imran also introduced many other youngsters to international cricket who went onto become legends, but none was as lethal as Waqar. The 40-yearold was a simple boy before moving to Pakistan and said that he used to meet celebrities at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

He added, “During matches, I used to be one among the boys trying to get autographs from the players. I also used to get to see many celebrities. I feel really good to be part of Sharjah cricket and this ground has been very nice to me.” Overall, UAE proved to be a great hunting place for the former fast bowler, as he took 114 wickets in just 61 ODIs in this region. Although pitches in this part of the world have never been favourable for fast bowlers, Waqar used his pace and reverse swing to deceive the batsmen. The dry conditions helped him bowl his trademark late in dippers, which often crashed into the stumps or hit the batsman’s pads.

KaMblI’s FIxIng ClaIMs

Pakistani cricketers: Why is ICC scared of a fair enquiry?

LAHORE

T

STAFF REPORT

HE cricket community in Pakistan has lashed out at ICC president Sharad Pawar and the BCCI for their refusals to investigate claims by former India player Vinod Kambli that the 1996 World Cup semifinal against Sri Lanka may have been fixed.

"This is a former India player making a serious accusation and yet even Sharad Pawar in his capacity as ICC president has dismissed the issue outright which is strange," former captain Rashid Latif said. "I don't see what is wrong in holding an investigation even if Kambli has come out with claims after 15 years. If there was no hanky panky in the match, what does the BCCI or Pawar have to fear," Latif said.

Pawar had earlier said that that if Kambli was an honest and committed cricketer, he should have told about everything he knew then, but he kept quiet. The BCCI also said that they didn't see any need to take the allegations

by Kambli seriously and would not investigate his accusations.

"Kambli today has come out in the

open because now after our three players were jailed by a court there is renewed confidence that people responsible for fixing and corruption can be punished. In the past different boards and authorities have tried to play down this serious problem and brush it under the match that is why no cricketer had the confidence to come out if he knew something or sus-

pected something," Latif said.

He said the quick reaction of the Indian board and Pawar only showed just how other boards were not willing to accept their players could be involved in corruption and this was not a problem restricted to Pakistan.

Former captain, Moin Khan also expressed surprise at the BCCI and ICC's

reaction. He said while Kambli's decision to come out with his allegations was questionable but at the same time they were serious allegations and could not be ignored.

"How can the BCCI say it will not investigate the matter and even Pawar is now ICC president and should be clear about his priorities," Khan said.

Former Test player, Iqbal Qasim said the way the Indian board and the ICC tried to ignore Kambli highlighted the bias in international cricket.

"It is now obvious that there are different set of rules for Pakistanis and other countries especially India and I think our board needs to take a lesson from this," the former spinner said.

Former Test pacer, Sarfaraz Nawaz said both the ICC and BCCI, after the recent spot-fixing trial, were scared that more corruption scandals would come out if they investigated the claims

by Kambli.

"Don't forget Kambli is talking about a match where India was captained by a man Mohammad Azharuddin who was later banned for life for fixing and yet the Indians are not willing to take the issue seriously. It shows their double standards," he said.

Pakistan clinch blind series against india LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Pakistan clinched the blind cricket Twenty20 series 2-1 after beating India by six wickets in the third and the final match of the T20 tournament here at the Bagh-i-Jinnah’s Lahore Gymkhana ground on Sunday. Electing to bat, Shekhar Naik Lachma-led the Indian team set a target of 163 to Pakistan in their allotted 20 overs, which Pakistan chased down in 19 overs for the loss of four wickets. India had levelled the series on Saturday with a five-run win in the second match at the Bagh-e-Jinnah cricket ground. After put into bat, India scored 200 for three with Prakash hitting an unbeaten 100 and Ketan Patel scoring 46.

Pakistan, in reply, scored 195 for six. Prakash was named the man of the match in Saturday's game.

Pakistan had won the first T20 match of the series by 71 runs. The Indian blind cricket team arrived in Pakistan last week for its first tour of the country in five years. The team will now play three one-day internationals in Islamabad from November 22-26.

LaHore: Players of Pakistan’s blind cricket team pose for a group photo with the trophy. online

Forget the fans, Sachin ExPERT COMMENT

I

IaN CHaPPeLL

T used to be a pleasure to watch Sachin Tendulkar bat; the shots that flowed as he took the attack to the bowlers, constantly challenging them to maintain line and length under fire. At the moment it's painful to see him prod and poke as he seeks to eke out his 100th century.

Whereas he took the attack to a topclass legspinner, Shane Warne, and won the battle of Chennai in 1998, he fiddled with a trundler like Marlon Samuels and the steady Devendra Bishoo at Eden Gardens, while Rahul Dravid comparatively

burned along at the other end. In his prime those two West Indies spinners wouldn't have been able to contain Tendulkar. He wouldn't have allowed either a minute's peace with his quick footwork, and more importantly, his attitude that said no bowler would shackle him.

It wasn't just Warne; he challenged all the best bowlers. He especially enjoyed antagonising the metronomic magician Glenn McGrath. On occasions he deliberately provoked him into bowling aggressively, a frame of mind from which McGrath derived the least success. So why is Tendulkar suddenly allowing a trundler to tie him down?

It was quite revealing to read the other day that Tendulkar felt he couldn't forego a practice session to rest because the adoring Indian public would blame any failure on indifference. He has always appealed as an attention-to-detail person when it came to batting, but I could never understand his desire to hit so many meaningless balls in the nets. Most of the class players I've seen practised diligently but never excessively.

This was always a major point of difference between the two top batsmen of

their time - Brian Lara and Tendulkar.

Lara cared about his batting and thought very deeply about the process of making big scores quickly but he wasn't obsessed with practising his skills. He was able to enjoy his life away from the field, whereas

Tendulkar, again, probably not wanting to give a demanding public a reason to criticise him for letting them down, has lived the life of a monk.

It's difficult to say how much a demanding and clamouring public has affected Tendulkar's batting over the years.

However, there's no doubt that on occasions he has sacrificed personal satisfaction for clinical success.

One of the more incredible aspects of Lara's successful career was the way he batted in the same manner throughout.

This is quite remarkable, as even the best batsmen tend to become more conservative as they age. Lara, by living a relaxed lifestyle and employing a strong will, was able to almost defy Father Time.

Despite external and extraneous pressures there's no doubt the hunt for 100 hundreds has contributed to Tendulkar's recent conservative play. This isn't the first time statistics have got the better of him.

Watching him bat in England in 2007, where he was dismissed four times as he neared a century, it was obvious the thought of accumulating another three-

figure score had brought on a bout of caution. Tendulkar is not at his best when he's playing with extreme caution; his body language betrays him and this acts as a spur to opposition bowlers and captains.

He showed just recently that he could shed the conservative approach and return to being the plunderer of his youth.

A blazing 175 against Australia, and scoring even faster to register the first-ever double-century in an ODI, turning back the clock and batting like a youthful Tendulkar. His scintillating strokeplay on those occasions indicates he can still dictate to any attack when the mood strikes him. Unfortunately this frame of mind hasn't surfaced recently in the Test arena.

It's hard to not wonder how much of the conservative approach is Tendulkar's desperation to record the milestone century for his own satisfaction, and what portion is to please his fans. Just for once Tendulkar should try forgetting his fans and play in his preferred style. That's not only his best chance of completing the celebrated century but also the way to please everyone.

CRICINFO

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Monday, 21 November, 2011

Guard Group lift Members Cup

Sports 19

Afridi seals series for Pakistan SCOREBOARD

LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Guard Group won the Members Polo Cup final beating Remington Pharma here at the club’s Aibak Ground on Sunday.

Nurpur downed Black Horse Paints in the subsidiary final to secure the third place in the tournament.

Guard Group beat Remington Pharma 4-3 while Nurpur thrashed Black Horse Paints 6½-3.

Chairman Hassan & Hassan Advocates, Dr. Parvez Hassan, was the chief guest of the finals and gave away the prizes to the winners.

It was Guard’s Taimur Ali Malik, Nafees Barry and Hussain Iftikhar who fought all ends to tame the rivals who fought valiantly through Bilal Haye and Dr. Faisal Khokhar. All the Guards riders converted one goal apiece except Taimur who found scored two goals to seal the victory.

Earlier in the day, Nurpur’s quartet managed to score their share of goals but Bilal Hayat Noon took the lead by converting three goals single-handedly while Adam Khan, Hamza Mawaz Khan and Zaigham Abbas Naqvi shared one goal each.

Black Horse Paints’ scorers turned out to be Mian Khurram Munir, Omar Asjad Malhi and Ali Riaz.

Naveed M Sheikh, Mohsin Atta Khan Khosa and Agha Murtaza Ali Khan supervised the matches.

SHarJaH: Shahid afridi (C) celebrates with teammates after dismissing Sri Lanka’s Seekkugge Prasanna. afP SHARJAH

Japan’s Kizaki wins yokohama marathon YOKOHAMA AFP

Ryoko Kizaki won a toe-to-heel battle against fellow Japanese runner Yoshimi Ozaki in the last two kilometres (one and a quarter miles) to win the Yokohama women’s marathon on Sunday.

Kizaki, 26, from Kyoto, was a few seconds behind Ozaki after passing the 40km point, but she caught up over 600m and held on to the lead, crossing the finishing line in two hours, twentysix minutes and thirty-two seconds.

Ozaki was second in 2:26:49, followed

by Mara Yamauchi of Britain third in 2:27:24. “It’s been a long time since last time I was able to run never giving up until the end. I’d like to thank those who have supported me,” said Kizaki.

“I was close to giving up when she spurted in the last two kilometres, but I tried not to give up until the last hundred metres. I kept thinking that I want to go to the London Olympics.

“I’m glad that I won. It was a bit hot today, so I want to clock a better time in my next race.” Kizaki moved up the gears at the 39km point, leaving Yamauchi behind, and making it a oneon-one duel against Ozaki.

T

AGHA AKBAR

HIS was an absolute stunner, if ever there was one. From down and out, Pakistan somehow pulled themselves up through an incredibly magical all-round performance by mercurial Shahid Afridi to seal the game and with it the rubber.

It was a star performance right from the top drawer – stupendously irresistible even when Afridi is on top of his game. And he had to overcome injury; while fielding that threat of his not bowling was very much there. But this was his day, and he had to make it count. With the willow, Afridi put up 75 when all seemed to have been lost, and with the ball he produced a spell that gave him a five-for when, at 155 for three, the Sri Lankans must have thought it was all over bar the shouting.

With odds stacked against Pakistan, and everything pointing to a fifth-game decider, Afridi had other plans. Those two past masters, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, had already put on 102 for the fourth wicket, and at 155 for three Sri Lanka were coasting towards

LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Gulberg Gymkhana beat SPM Bucks by five wickets in the third SPM Lahore Veteran Cricket League match at Racecourse Park Cricket Ground.

Batting first, SPM Bucks scored 197 for seven in 30 overs. Tariq Ramzan 34*, Muhammad Shahbaz 34 and Nadeem Aslam 31 were the prominent scorers for SPM. Javeed Hafeez took three wickets for 34 runs while Asif Mehmood, Azhar Hussain and Khalid Mehmood took one wicket each.

In reply, Gulberg Gymkhana made 198 for five in 28 overs. Munir Ahmad scored 84 runs while Muhammad Zubair and Asif Mehmood made 35 and 18 runs respectively. Zahid Khan took two wickets for 29 runs while Imtiaz Shah took one wicket for 28 runs.

In the end of the match, chief guest PVCA Chief Executive Nawab Ashiq Hussain Qureshi gave away the man of the match award to Munir Ahmad.

out the rest. Though both Umar Gul and Aizaz Cheema bowled spirited opening spells with the former bowling a tight line and giving nothing away, it was Cheema who impressed with his fire. He took out the openers, and it was followed by Mohammad Hafeez getting Dinesh Chandimal in his first over.

Pakistan at that point seemed to be making a fist of it. That cat-amongst-thepigeons feeling must have been there but Sangakkara, the one thorn in Pakistan's side this rubber, remained unfazed and in the company of a remarkably composed Jayawardene.

From a Pakistan side that has mostly retained the upper hand in both Test and one-day rubbers with one exception, the second one-dayer, this comeback was reflective that the never-say-die spirit may just be coming back.

Back on what was once their favourite hunting ground after eight years, with a packed house of partisans egging them on, Pakistan were off to a tentative start, followed by a meltdown in the middle and rejuvenation of sorts through a most sensible Shahid Afridi in a rearguard with Saeed Ajmal. From a dismal 97 for 6, that stand resurrected Pakistan a great deal, taking it to an even

200, providing the endeavour a modicum of respect.

On a pitch that was slowish, it still seemed pitiable and insufficient.

In sharp contrast with Dubai, where they had rustled up an impressive 151 for the first wicket, Hafeez and Imran Farhat failed to fire. Farhat particularly seemed to be out of sorts and was soon snared by Fernando with Sangakkara bringing off a neat leg side catch. Hafeez and Younus made an effort to put the innings back together. But then came thick and fast a slew of soft dismissals, and from 57 for 1 it was 71 for five, four for 14 in 8.3 overs. This set Pakistan back – it then seemed irreparably.

As the Lankan spin duo of Jeevan Mendis and Seekkuge Prasanna came into its own, Pakistan's middle order came unstuck. This had happened in the preceding game too, but then the weight of runs that the openers had put and some late surge by Younus Khan and Sohail Tanvir late in the innings, had masked this failing. This time round there was Afridi, but runs at the top were not there.

And only if Afridi had not turned in that all-conquering spell the Lankans may have cakewalked to victory. Take a bow, Afridi.

India sweep Kabaddi World Cup titles LUDHIANA AGENCIES

Gulberg, Golden eagle victorious

that lowly Pakistan endeavour of 200.

Then Sangakkara was bowled by Afridi, and Saeed Ajmal got Angelo Mathews caught behind on the leg side the very next over. That brought Pakistan roaring back, and with it wickets that were so scarce earlier, coming thick and fast. And once Afridi drew Mahela into a false shot, showing him acres of empty space in the covers and feeding him a loopy one, the writing was on the wall for Sri Lanka.

The tables had been turned, and quite effectively.

This victory from nowhere left the Lankans shell-shocked. For the Lankans, it was critical to embark on the flight for back home with some measure of respect restored here. That was not to be.

Though Pakistan gave them ample opportunity to seize the initiative early on, and consequently retain almost a whip hand throughout, the finish was denied to Sri Lanka by some superb bowling by the spin quartet late in the day.

The upshot is that the Abu Dhabi game is now dead rubber, and the momentum is decidedly with Pakistan.

With a mere 200 to chase, Pakistan needed to make early inroads and their quartet of spinners was required to eke

PAKISTAN Mohammad Hafeez c Chandimal b Prasanna 27 10 Imran Farhat c Sangakkara b Fernando 18 Younus Khan c Mendis b Fernando Misbah-ul Haq run out 16 2 Shoaib Malik lbw b Mendis 2 Umar Akmal lbw b Mendis Shahid Afridi c Sangakkara b Perera 75 Sarfraz Ahmed lbw b Prasanna 10 20 Saeed Ajmal lbw b Fernando 7 Umar Gul b Malinga Aizaz Cheema not out 3 10 ExTRAS: (lb2, w8) 200 TOTAL: Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Farhat), 2-57 (Hafeez), 3-62 (Younus), 469 (Malik), 5-71 (Akmal), 6-97 (Misbah), 7-120 (Ahmed), 8-181 (Afridi), 9-191 (Ajmal).

Bowling: Malinga 9.3-0-38-1 (w2), Perera 10-1-36-1 (w2), Fernando 10-3-26-3, Mendis 9-0-40-2, Prasanna 10-1-55-2 (w4), Dilshan 1-0-3-0 Overs: 49.3 SRI LANKA U. Tharanga c Younus b Cheema 16 11 T. Dilshan c Ahmed b Cheema 58 K. Sangakkara b Afridi D. Chandimal b Hafeez 11 55 M. Jayawardene c Hafeez b Afridi 0 A. Mathews c Ahmed b Ajmal J. Mendis lbw b Afridi 2 T. Perera c Akmal b Afridi 7 S. Prasanna c and b Afridi 0 4 L. Malinga lbw b Ajmal 0 D. Fernando not out ExTRAS: (lb3, nb1, w6) 10 174 TOTAL: Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Tharanga), 2-37 (Dilshan), 3-53 (Chandimal), 4-155 (Sangakkara), 5-156 (Mathews), 6-161 (Mendis), 7-168 (Jayawardene), 8-168 (Prasanna), 9-174 (Malinga) BOWLING: Gul 6-0-19-0, Cheema 8-0-48-2 (w2), Hafeez 8-123-1, Malik 5-1-17-0 (nb1, w2), Ajmal 9-1-29-2 (w1), Afridi 9.2-0-35-5 (w1) Overs: 45.2, Result: Pakistan won by 26 runs, Toss: Pakistan, Umpires: Richard Illingworth (ENG) and Zameer Haider (PAK), Tv umpire: Marias Erasmus (RSA), Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)

India lifted the title of the second Kabaddi World Cup after defeating Canada in the final in Guru Nanak Stadium on Sunday while in the women’s final India defeated England by 44-17.

In the men’s final, India defeated Canada by 59-25. At the half time, India were leading by 28-13.

In the women’s final, India beat England by 44-17. At the break, India were leading by 26-6.

Pakistan grabbed third place in the event after defeating Italy by 60-22.

Earlier, the second Kabaddi World Cup came to a close with a scintillating ceremony after a 20-day long competition in which 14 countries for men section and four countries in women section had vied for Rs 4.11 crore prize money.

Australia and USA were disqualified as most of their players were found dope positive by NADA. The closing ceremony began with an impressive police and army band presentation in the fully floodlit newly upgraded Guru Nanak Stadium.

The whole of Punjab seemed to have descended at the stadium to witness the fierce encounter between India and Canada, besides a glimpse of Bollywood actors Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone

and Chitrangda Singh.

As light and sound show set the stage for the closing ceremony, the countdown video of the 20-day long event recalled the every moment of the tournament that has brought traditional game of Punjab Kabaddi on the world stage.

The video screen relived the excitement of wins and trauma of losses and showed the evolution of World Cup Kabaddi tournament to this exciting stage of finals.

The audio visual programme gave an overview of progress made by Punjab in various fields and initiatives of SAD-BJP government in strengthening the infrastructure besides initiatives in the fields of education, governance reforms and steps like Right to Service Act. As the video recalled the history, the whole sky of Ludhiana was filled with fireworks. As the evening warmed up, ‘Jai Ho’ -- the beautifully choreographed dance -- gave a new energy to the audience with 295 dancers making beautiful patterns, intermingling with each other and making a new figure every other second. Speaking on the occasion, Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal thanked the teams and organisers for making the event a success and taking Kabaddi to international arena.

Deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said that he hoped to take Kabaddi

in 2016 Olympics. He said that SAD-BJP government has provided record number of jobs to players in every department as he had strictly imposed the condition of three per cent job quota for them.

He said that Rs 200 crore which were spent on 14 stadiums would improve the level of sports as players would get world class infrastructure in every game.

The closing ceremony reached its climax as Akshay Kumar entered the stadium riding on a bike. He had a round of stadium on motorcycle and performed aerobics by riding on the motorcycle.

Leaving the script behind, Akshay jump from motorcycle and rushed towards audience and showed them his grip on modern dance.

He performed on the beats of famous international Punjabi Band-RDB and gave his performance on ‘Desi Boyz’.

Performing on the song of ‘Singh Is King’, Akshay Kumar along with Deepika Padukone and Chitrangda Singh set the stadium on fire.

Akshay, accompanied by deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, had a round of stadium in an open Mercedes.

A six-a-side laser beam show created a dream scene in the stadium.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Chaudhary Sujat Hussain, former Information and Sports Minister Chaudhary Nisar Hussain, Pakistan Punjab’s former

Education Minister Mian Imran Masood, Acting Ambassador of Germany Ford Millard, Punjab Cabinet Minister Tikshan Sud along with his several Cabinet colleagues, Members of Parliament Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Balwinder Singh Bhunder were also present.

aMrITSar: Former Pakistani prime minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain (L) holds flowers presented by youth akali dal president and Member of Legislative assembly (MLa) bikram Singh Majithia (r). afP

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20 Sports Tiger clinches the President’s Cup for US

Monday, 21 November, 2011

LONDON: Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan (L) and his partner Rohan Bopanna of India (R) in action against Max Mirnyi of Belarus and Daniel Nestor of Canada. afP

MELBOURNE AFP

Tiger Woods clinched The Presidents Cup for the US team with the winning point over the Internationals in the singles of the teams match play event at Royal Melbourne on Sunday.

The former world number one thrashed Australian Aaron Baddeley four and three to push the defending champion Americans beyond the 17.5 points needed to claim their seventh Presidents Cup against the non-European Internationals. Woods also provided the clinching point when the Americans posted a 19.5 to 14.5 triumph over the International team at the previous event in San Francisco in 2009. The Americans split Sunday’s singles with the Internationals 6-6, finishing overall 19-15 winners.

“It does feel good. I was hoping it wouldn’t come down to my point. I was hoping that Stricks (Steve Stricker) and I could take a victory lap back here,” Woods said. “But we (USA) didn’t get off to a good start early. We needed to get our point so we went out there and played really well today and put a lot of heat on Badds (Baddeley).”

Woods, who only got into the US team as the captain’s pick after taking part in just eight USPGA Tour events this year because of injuries, was praised by team captain Fred Couples.

“He was ready to go this whole week. He was ready for a month,” Couples said.

“A lot of people have asked why I picked him and how he was going to play.

“Certainly, I couldn’t answer how he was going to play but this week I think he showed to himself that his swing is back and he’s healthy, and that’s more important to me.” The star-studded American team went into the final day’s singles leading by four points and although Greg Norman’s International team made a charge to get within two points they were too strong in the final matches.

ICC woMen’s worlD Cup QualIFIers

nida helps Pakistan decimate japan LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Nida Dar scored a century as Pakistan beat Japan in the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier (WWCQ) being held in Dhaka.

Nida Dar’s century helped Pakistan defeat Japan Sunday as Pakistan finish Group B in second position while Sri Lanka’s Shashikala Siriwardene claimed three wickets to help dismiss the USA and thereby helped her side register another win and ensured Dilani Manodara’s team concluded Group A in second place.

West Indies and South Africa maintained their unbeaten run in the event as the sides won both of their final rounds of group matches at the tournament.

Pakistan’s Nida Dar proved the pick of her side’s batting line-up as the 24-year-old scored a century against Japan in a match that saw some swift fielding by the Japanese in what some spectators may say was the East-Asia Pacific side’s best performance in the field to date in the ICC WWCQ. Ema Kuribayashi claimed three wickets during Pakistan’s innings, while poor communication between Pakistan’s batters meant Kuribayashi’s side displayed its agility in the field and some impressive throwing to claim five run-outs, including that of Marina Iqbal, captain Sana Mir, Bismah Maroof and ultimately the centurion Nida as well. Japan’s bowlers proved far tighter in the field today, but despite great effort, the side could not stop the run-

maker Nida, who finished the 50-over game on 124 after she was run-out by Miho Kanno. Having been set a target of 273 by Pakistan, it was always going to be a difficult task for Japan’s batters who have struggled against spin in Dhaka, Sadia Yousef being the nemesis of the Japanese batters. The 22-year-old left-arm orthodox spinner ran through the Japan line-up claiming six wickets for just two runs, while Nida claimed two wickets and the entire Japan side collapsed for just 26 runs.

Japan will now play Zimbabwe on Tuesday in the ninth/10th play-off for the ICC WWCQ at BKSP 2. By virtue of topping their groups, the two sides have now qualified for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2013 and have also retained its ODI statuses.

Cummins keeps alive Aussie hopes against Proteas JOHANNESBURG AFP

Teenage fast bowler Pat Cummins took six wickets on his debut as Australia kept alive their hopes of squaring the series on the fourth day of the second and final Test against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium on Sunday. A century partnership between Usman Khawaja (65) and Ricky Ponting (54 not out) enabled Australia to reach 142 for three at the close, 168 runs short of achieving the highest successful run chase at the Wanderers.

Khawaja was caught at slip off legspinner Imran Tahir one ball before bad light ended play after he and Ponting had put on 122 for the third wicket.

Cummins took six for 79 and was mainly responsible for South Africa being bowled out for 339, leaving Australia with 310 to win. Hashim Amla top-scored for South Africa with 105. The target seemed a distant one when Shane Watson padded up to Vernon Philander and was bowled by the second ball of Australia’s second innings. Philander followed up in his next over when Phil Hughes was caught at sec-

ond slip. But Khawaja and Ponting, both with points to prove, batted sensibly to blunt South Africa’s attack. Khawaja, playing in his fourth Test, made his first Test half-century, while Ponting, in his 156th appearance, reached double figures for the first time in the series and went on to pass fifty for the 96th time in his career.

The left-handed Khawaja seemed to have difficulty reading Tahir’s variations and edged a ball which went straight on to present a catch to Jacques Kallis at slip.

Australian captain Michael Clarke scored a single off the next ball before the umpires decided the light was too bad for further play. Cummins, 18, produced a high-quality display as he became the youngest player to take five wickets or more in an innings on Test debut.

Cummins made

the first breakthrough in the South African innings when he dismissed Jacques Rudolph on Saturday, then won a duel with South Africa’s star batsman Kallis. He again made a crucial early strike on Sunday when he had AB de Villiers caught at second slip to end a 147- run fourth wicket stand between De Villiers and Amla.

South Africa lost four wickets for 37 runs at the start of Sunday’s play before an eighth wicket stand of 48 between Philander and Dale Steyn stretched their lead. Again it was Cummins who produced for Australia, bowling a brutal bouncer with the first ball after lunch which Philander gloved to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin. He yorked Morne Morkel with his next delivery. Steyn had a successful slog, hitting sixes off Peter Siddle and Cummins before Cummins finished the innings by having Steyn caught behind for 41, ending a last wicket stand of 25 which took the lead beyond 300.

SCOREBOARD SOUTH AFRICA, 1st innings: 266, AUSTRALIA, 1st innings: 296 SOUTH AFRICA, second innings (overnight 229-3) G. Smith c Hughes b Lyon 36 J. Rudolph c Haddin b Cummins 24 H. Amla c Haddin b Johnson 105 J. Kallis c Clarke b Cummins 2 A. de Villiers c Clarke b Cummins 73 A. Prince run out (Ponting) 2 M. Boucher c Watson b Lyon 13 V. Philander c Haddin b Cummins 23 D. Steyn c Haddin b Cummins 41 M. Morkel b Cummins 0 Imran Tahir not out 4 ExTRAS (b5, lb2, nb2, w7) 16 TOTAL (110 overs) 339 FOW: 1-40 (Rudolph), 2-75 (Smith), 3-90 (Kallis), 4-237 (De Villiers), 5-249 (Prince), 6-260 (Amla), 7-266 (Boucher), 8-314 (Philander), 9-314 (Morkel) Bowling: Johnson 30-4-101-1 (2nb), Cummins 29-5-79-6 (3w), Siddle 27-10-71-0, Lyon 16-4-57-2, Hussey 5-0-14-0, Clarke 2-1-2-0, Ponting 1-0-8-0 AUSTRALIA, second innings S. Watson b Philander 0 P. Hughes c Kallis b Philander 11 Usman Khawaja c Kallis b Tahir 65 R. Ponting not out 54 M. Clarke not out 1 ExTRAS (b1, lb3, nb5, w2) 11 TOTAL (3 wkts, 37 overs) 142 FOW: 1-0 (Watson), 2-19 (Hughes), 3-141 (Khawaja) Bowling: Philander 8-0-31-2 (3nb), Steyn 10-0-44-0, Morkel 9-1-24-0 (2nb, 1w), Tahir 5-0-23-1, Kallis 5-0-16-0 TOSS: South Africa, UMPIRES: Billy Bowden (NZL), Ian Gould (ENG), TV UMPIRE: Billy Doctrove (WIS)

JoHaNNeSbUrG: South africa's Imran Tahir (L) celebrates the wicket of australian batsman Usman Khawaja (r) on the fourth day of the second and final Test. afP

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Monday, 21 November, 2011

Sports 21

Aisam-Bopanna lose in ATP World Tour Finals LONDON

A

AGENCIES

ISAM-UL-HAQ Quershi and Rohan Bopanna began their ATP World Tour Finals campaign with a defeat against Daniel Nestor and Max Mirnyi, albeit after a good fight in a group B match, on Sunday. The fifth seed Indo-Pak pair lost 6-7 (2), 6-4, 9-11 to the third seeded Canadian-Belarus combo in one hour and 41 minutes at London's O2 arena.

Aisam and Bopanna will now have to win the remaining two matches in their group to be in contention for a spot in the semifinals. The Indo-Pak duo even had a set point in the 10th game of the first set but squandered the opportunity. It had, however, been a good comeback as they were down 24 at one stage but won three games on the trot to take a mini 5-4 lead.

After they missed out on converting that set point, the experienced pair of Nestor and Mirnyi cashed in on the mistake of their young rivals and nosed ahead by prevailing in the tie-breaker.

Aisam and Bopanna came back well in the second set and broke their rivals early, apart from saving three breakpoints, and drew parity in the match.

In the Super tie-breaker they were ahead 6-3 but could not hold on to the lead. Qureshi fired an ace when they faced the first match point but could not save the second one.

The Indian Express of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi will compete in group A. The top two teams in each group will make the semifinals.

FeDerer DeFeATS TSoNGA AT ATP ToUr FINALS: Roger Federer started his bid for a record sixth title at the ATP World Tour Finals with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 victory over France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Sunday.

Federer’s triumph here at London’s 02 Arena 12 months ago moved him level with Pete Sampras and Ivan Lendl on five titles in the end of season finale and he is determined to successfully defend his crown after a frustrating campaign. The 30-year-old, down to fourth in the world rankings, will finish the year without a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2002, but he arrived for 2011’s concluding tournament in good form after back to back titles in Basel and Paris.

Although he gave a slightly erratic performance to kick off his 10th successive Tour Finals appearance, he has now won 13 matches in a row and 18 of his past 19 and his rivals among the world’s top eight players will be rightly wary of Federer in this kind of mood.

“Jo-Wilfried served well in the second set and it was hard to control the rallies at the baseline,” Federer said.

“But I think this is the best I’ve played all year. It helped that I had some good time off before playing great at Basel and Paris.” Federer suffered arguably the most stunning meltdown of his career when he last met Tsonga in London in the Wimbledon quarterfinals earlier this year.

For the first time in a Grand Slam the Swiss star was beaten after holding a two set lead. But he was finally back to his dominant best a week ago in the Paris Masters, which he won by defeating Tsonga in the final for his second

victory over the French number one since that loss at the All England Club.

Federer, who had former Arsenal star Thierry Henry sitting in his box at courtside, picked up where he left off in Paris and took the first set here in emphatic fashion. Tsonga didn’t help his cause with two woefully mistimed forehands to present Fededer with the first break in the fourth game.

Federer never looked likely to relinquish that advantage and he wrapped up the set with another break after Tsonga double-faulted at 0-30 and then netted a half-volley.

Yet Tsonga’s remarkable capacity to switch from subdued to inspired in the blink of an eye reared its head again at the second set. Previously so lacklustre, Tsonga suddenly found his rhythm and broke for a 2-1 lead when Federer’s forehand drifted wide.

Federer looked rattled by the improved accuracy and power of Tsonga’s ground-strokes and continued to make careless errors as the Frenchman secured another break before serving out the set. Tsonga was able to save a break point with a booming forehand at 2-3 in the final set, but Federer had a little more momentum now and gradually wrestled control back from his opponent. The decisive moment came when Tsonga served to stay in the match at 4-5. Federer unloaded some blistering ground-strokes to earn three match points and Tsonga couldn’t stem the tide as the Swiss clinched a hardfought victory.

World number two Rafael Nadal will play America’s Mardy Fish, making his Tour Finals debut, in the other Group B match later on Sunday.

WATCh IT LIve TEN CRICKET South Africa v Australia - 2nd Test Day 5 01:30PM

STAR SPORTS Barclays ATP World Tour Finals – London 07:00PM

SNGPL register big win in Quaid Trophy LAHORE STAFF REPORT

SNGPL thrashed Lahore Shalimar by 10 wickets on day three of the Division II Quaid-i-Azam Trophy here at the LCCA ground on Sunday. However, at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore Ravi and Karachi Whites seems heading towards a draw.

Lahore Shalimar in their first innings scored 170 and then 157 but SNGPL responded with 278 and then overhauled 50 runs in 12.2 overs without loss.

Scores: At Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. Lahore Ravi 280 in 109.1 overs (Hamza Paracha 25, Muhammad Saad 51, Usman Salahuddin 120, Tabish Khan 4-80, Faraz Ahmed 3-42) v Karachi Whites 381 in 185.4 overs (Murtaza Majeed 48, Zeeshan Jamil 28, Saeed Bin Nasir 24, Akbar-urRehman 93, Muhammad Hasan 129, Muhammad Irfan 3-99) Overnight Score: Karachi Whites 138-4 in 47 overs, Toss: Karachi Whites; Umpires: Iqbal Butt and Hakeem Shah, Referee: Khalid Naizi, Scorer: Abdul Hameed.

At LCCA Ground, Lahore. Lahore Shalimar 170 in 48 overs (Fahad-ul-Haq 61, Riazuddin 25, Asif Raza 20, Yasir Shah 4-20, Imran Ali 3-28, Bilawal Bhatti 2-36) and 157 in 49.1 overs (Fahad-ul-Haq 40, Asad Ali 4-76, Yasir Shah 3-5) v SNGPL 278 in 74 overs (Azeem Ghuman 42, Naeemuddin 81, Azhar Shafiq 57, Asif Raza 6-60) and 50-0 in 12.2 overs Result: SNGPL won by 10 wickets Overnight Score: Lahore Shalimar (Second Innings) 40-3 in 15 overs Toss: SNGPL. Umpires: Akbar Khan and Kamal Marchant, Referee: Saadat Ali, Scorer: Masood Ahmed.

djokovic, Nadal, Federer win awards out of obscurity into Guinness Book of records PaF, Navy win in PPL SHARJAH

AGHA AKBAR

As cricket venues go, it is a small, intimate place, the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Once Pakistan’s second home, with green caps visiting twice a year for the carnival that the CBFS used to put together with such razzmatazz, Sharjah had been out of the radar for a decade or so. And precisely for this reason, for cricket here was said to be of pre-arranged variety.

Tainted, it was put of service owing to the ICC’s overzealous anti-corruption sleuths dubbing the place not suited to cricket.

(How could a stadium be ‘tainted’ is beyond one though, but let us let it pass for the moment).

Meanwhile, abandoned as a cricketing destination for reasons of security, Pakistan played some Test cricket here. Now and again some fringe cricket was played here too, such as the ICC fixture for some obscure SHarJaH: Pakistani fans cheer for their team in the fourth odI. ICC tournament that one The Sharjah Cricket Stadium, once known as Pakistan’s second doesn’t recall between home, is back on the cricket map. afP Afghanistan and Canada.

But Sunday, with Pakistan coming over again to take on Sri Lanka in the fourth game of the rubber, the SCS was brought back to life – literally from the dead. The stands were chock-a-block, and the crowd demonstrated its usual energy and effervescence.

To make most of the occasion, the Guinness Book of Records guys also showed up to officially acknowledge it for what we had already known – the stadium that had by some distance hosted more one-day games than any other, 201 to be precise.

From its initiation till its abandonment and now its partial revival (England still doesn’t to step in here when they come to the UAE early 2012 for Pakistan’s home series, something that doesn’t sit well with that ‘paragon’ of excellence and virtue, Asif Iqbal, or so he blurted out in a self-serving piece in a leading Dubai daily).

And there is a bit of irony here. Before the ongoing series with Sri Lanka, SCS was a dilapidated place. Out of disuse it had decayed beyond belief. Now, by playing here, Pakistan has done it a very good turn. Not only has it been put back on the map, it was all spruced up – new chairs, decent repairs and a fresh coat of paint. Dolled up so, the place looked prim – as it used to in its prime. While our own stadiums are going to rot!

LoNDoN: Roger Federer has scooped two honors at the ATP World Tour Awards at the end of his first season without a Grand Slam since 2002. Federer was voted the fans' favorite for the ninth straight year and won the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award, voted for by players, for a seventh time in eight years. Novak Djokovic receives the No. 1 award for ending the season as the top-ranked player, while Rafael Nadal will be given the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award for his charity work with the Rafael Nadal Foundation. Alex Bogomolov Jr. of the United States was voted the most improved player of the year by ATP players, who also chose Milos Raonic of Canada as the newcomer of the year. AGENCIES

LAHORE STAFF REPORT

PAF and Navy won their matches in the eighth Pakistan Premier Football League on Sunday. PAF beat Baloch FC by 1-0 at the Municipal Stadium, Rawalpindi. PAF’s Muhammad Sher scored the only goal of the match in the 35th minute. In the other match of the day, Navy beat Muslim FC by 2-0 at the Municipal Stadium, Rawalpindi. Nomi Martin Gill scored the goals for Navy in the 23rd and 70th minute of the match.

Lahore Garrison’s Yasmin wins Ladies Golf Tournament KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The 5th Pond’s Ladies Golf Tournament concluded at the Karachi Golf Club and was won last year by leading lady golfer Ghazala Yasmin of the Lahore Garrison Club.

The event, which was sponsored

by Unilever Pakistan, is held annually since 2007 and was open to lady golfers from clubs all over Pakistan.

Around 20 ladies teed off in the 18hole tournament including Tahira Nazir, the seasoned golfer from Rawalpindi who was the lady champion at the 11th Sindh Amateur. The tournament was played on the stable ford format and the winner was South Korean golfer Cho Young Me with 39 points.

There was a tie for second place between her compatriot Ahn Gui Ja and Japanese golfer Kazuyo Arae, both at 31 points, which was won on hole-wise count back basis by Ahn Gui Ja. They were followed by Ghazala Zafar, HK Park and Tahira Nazir at 30 points each.

The prize distribution ceremony on

KaraCHI: a group photograph of players with Chairman Unilever Pakistan ehsan Malik after the conclusion of the Pond’s Ladies Golf Tournament. Pr Sunday was preceded by a putting competition. Around 30 ladies took part in the putting competition and prizes were awarded in 3 categories: Silver (handicaps 24 and below); Bronze (handicaps 25 and above) and Beginners (without handicaps). In the beginners category Mrs. Shireen Rizwan with 8 points was declared as the winner and Miss.

Haniya Ahmed with 6 point was the runner-up. In the Bronze category Mrs. Tahira Raza with 10 points was declared as the winner and Miss. Maha Ahmed with 9 point was the runner-up.

And in the silver category Mrs. Hea Kyung Park with 17 points was declared as the winner and Mrs. Tahira Nazir with 13 point was the runner-up.

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Monday, 21 November, 2011

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

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