e-paper pakistantoday 01st april, 2012

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Rs22.00 Vol II No 274 22 Pages

Karachi Edition

Sunday, 1 April, 2012 Jamadi-ul-Awal 8, 1433

Government hurls another fuel bomb at masses g

Petrol price up by Rs 8, diesel Rs 4, CNG Rs 11.98 ISLAMABAD

T

agencies

he government on Saturday once again increased the price of petrol by a staggering Rs 8.02 and that of diesel by Rs 4.70 per liter.Similarly, the price of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) was also increased by 11.98 per litre.

A notification to this effect has been issued. After the rise, the revised price of petrol has jumped to Rs 105.68 a liter

and that of diesel to Rs 108.16.

The price of light diesel went up by Rs 5.45 to Rs 99.69 per liter; hOBC by Rs 8.94 to Rs 135.81 and the rate of kerosene oil jacked up by Rs 5.29 to Rs 101.69 a liter.

The price of CNG has been raised by Rs 9.93 to Rs 80.97 per kilogram in Sindh and central Punjab, while its rate in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and also in Islamabad and Rawalpindi has been increased by Rs 11.98 to Rs 89.10 per kg.

The revised rates of petroleum products will be effective from Sunday.

On the other hand, LPG price has come down by Rs 22 in the last two days.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas Distribution Association Chairman Irfan Khokhar said LPG distributors had decreased the LPG prices by Rs22 per kilogram throughout the country owing to a bearish trend in the international markets.

The new price has been set at Rs110/kilogram with effect from April 3, 2012.

Awan gets double-blow in a day g

Ex-minister sacked as PPP vice president after being removed from PCNS ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt

Once a blue-eyed of the party leadership, PPP stalwart Dr Babar Awan suffered a double blow on Saturday as he was replaced with Qamar Zaman Kaira as the party’s member of the coveted Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) in the morning and later in the day, he was removed as the party’s vice president.

Though multiple sources in the ruling party said Awan had been removed as party’s vice president, an office which had no

place in the party’s constitution, no official word was available to prove his removal. Apart from the party sources, media reports also suggested that Babar had been removed.

“No notification to this effect has been issued. Not to my knowledge,” President’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar said when approached for comments. PPP Secretary Information Qamar Zaman Kaira also expressed his ignorance. On December 29, 2011, PPP co-chairman President Asif Ali Zardari had appointed Awan as the PPP vice president. how-

ever, Awan caught the ire of the party leadership after he refused to appear before the apex court in contempt case against Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.

CoNtINuEd oN PAgE 04

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02 News Today’s

Sunday, 1 April, 2012

LAHORe

neWS

pml-n joins the masses in protest against blackouts

us finds no evidence Bin laden had support network in pakistan

Story on Page 07

Story on Page 05

CARtOOn

Quick Look

14 militants killed in Orakzai KALAYA: At least 14 militants were killed in airstrikes in Upper Orakzai Agency on Saturday. According to official sources, jetfighters pounded the hideouts of the militants in Akhunkot area of upper Orakzai Agency.

Security sources said 14 militants were killed in the raids, while four militant hideouts were destroyed. The security forces said the Pakistan Army was engaged in operations against TTP led by hakeemullah Mehsud. inp

Race Course Police searching for Sapna Khan LAHORE: Race Course Police is searching for Sapna Khan, wife of former chief minister Dost Muhammad Khosa on Saturday. An advertisement has been placed at all police stations and other public places of the provincial capital. It addressed the general public to inform police about Zeba alias Sapna wife of Dost Muhammad Khosa and daughter of Misaal Khan. It further described the physical attributes of Sapna, has her picture and identifications on it. The advertisement states that Sapna had disappeared from GOR-1. staff RepoRt

Afaq Ahmed targeted again KARACHI: At least three persons were wounded on Saturday when unidentified gunmen opened fire at the house of Afaq Ahmed, chairman of the Muhajir Qaumi Movement-haqiqi (MQM-h) – a rival party of the ruling Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). Although the area and streets around Afaq’s house are heavily guarded with policemen and troops of Sindh Rangers, the miscreants managed to attack his house, situated in Landhi Town, leaving three people injured. The injured include three workers of the MQM-h: Zafar Ali, Leyaqat Ali and Afsha.

Last Saturday, Afaq’s car was attacked at a petrol filling station, however the MQM-h leader was not present in the vehicle. online

Page 13

Don’t resume NATO supplies: Fazl g

JUI-F chief says Pakistan’s nuclear assets safe from terrorists, but under threat from US, other powers ISLAMABAD inp

J

A M I A T Ulema-e-IslamFazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman has advised the government to remain firm on its decision of suspending NATO supplies, while warning that his party would oppose any unpopular decision made through the parliament.

Addressing the Sheikhul hind Conference at the Convention Centre here on Saturday, Fazl said the government was keen to restore NATO supplies through the parliament, but that his party would not accept the move.

“We are with the government if

it remains steadfast on the decision of stopping NATO supplies via Pakistan,” Fazl said. he said Pakistan’s nuclear assets were safe and faced no risks from the terrorists, but were actually under threat from the United States and other interna-

Khan of Kalat disassociates himself from son QUETTA: Khan of Kalat Mir Suleman Daud Baloch has disassociated himself from his son Agha Mohammad Ahmadzai and declared that he had nothing to do with his participation in recent Pakistan Day’s celebrations and hoisting of Pakistan flag, adding that he had had no contact with his son for the last two years. he said this while talking to journalists over telephone from London on Saturday. Khan of Kalat dispelled the impression that his son either represented him or had his support for his participation in the official functions on Pakistan Day last week. he said neither anybody represented him nor he had any mouthpiece or spokesman. he said he had no contact with his son Mohammad Ahmadzai for the last two years and whatever he did, he was responsible for and answerable himself. The Khan said his son had been under supervision of progovernment nawab, Mir Aali Bugti and his “family patron”, which was an open secret, adding that what Mohammad Ahmadzai did, he did on the direction of that “family patron”. shahzada zulfiqaR

Woman kills husband to ‘save honour’ LAHORE staff RepoRt

A newly-wed woman shot dead her husband allegedly to save her honour in Liaqatabad police precincts on Saturday.

The deceased was identified as Shafiullah. Police have registered a case against the woman on the complaint of eth victim’s brother and had arrested her from crime scene. A police official said the deceased person, a father of two children from his first wife, had

contracted second marriage with Shazia few days ago.

Shazia told police that her husband had forced her into prostitution after few days of marriage. She admitted that she started prostitution as she had fled from her house to marry Shafi.

On the day of incident, the couple had a clash over the same issue after which she went to her room and tried to commit suicide by shooting herself. Shafi tried to stop her but she got infuriated and opened fire at him, killing him on the spot.

tional powers.

Commenting on the situation in Afghanistan, he said the Taliban had suspended talks with the US due to Washington’s mistakes. he said the US had planned to control the resources of developing countries. he said the JUI-F “does not accept the US invasion of Afghanistan under the garb of war against terrorism, and considers it a war against Muslims”. he said the UN General Assembly and Security Council, Geneva Convention and international human rights groups were serving the interests of major powers, and pressurised the weaker countries under the influence of hegemonic states.

he said the JUI-F and Darul Uloom Deoband were part and parcel, and that was why they were surviving despite “all the conspiracies by international powers”. he said that NATO was formed to counter communism and after the dismemberment of Soviet Union, it had been retained to fight religious extremism. About the role of intelligence agencies in politics, Fazl said that no party could prosper with their support.

The seminar was addressed by former federal minister Babar Awan, Attaur Rehman, Qari Mohammad hanif Jalandhri, Mohammad Khan Sherani, Saeed Yusuf, MNA Abdul Malik, and several other religious leaders.

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Sunday, 1 April, 2012

News 03

FOReIgn neWS

ARtS & enteRtAInment

SPORtS

syria declares it has defeated revolt

act one ‘dances for a cause’

pak-us relations West indies draw t20 series against australia The government should also take an identical stand.

COmment flaws in judicial system Our judicial system is replete with substantive deficiencies.

humayun gauhar says: Khudi is sovereignty: We tend to limit sovereignty to state sovereignty.

hashim bin Rashid says: April fool: Pakistan declares bankruptcy.

saad Rasool says: On protesting peacefully: Some Pakistanis just want to watch the world burn.

Story on Page 14

Story on Page 18

Story on Page 18

TIP sees ‘corruption’ in exemption of PPRA rules in award of contract to NLC ISLAMABAD

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staff RepoRt

R A N S P A R e N C Y International Pakistan (TIP) has drawn the attention of the Planning Commission chairman towards the alleged exemption from application of PPRA Ordinance 2002 and Public Procurement Rules 2004 in award of a contract to M/S National Logistics Cell (NLC).

Terming the exemption by Planning Commission as corruption, the TIP advisor, in a letter written to deputy chairman planning commission Dr Nadeemul haq contended that the Planning Commission had informed PPRA/Cabinet Division that the Public Procurement Rules 2004 was silent on the subject of application of Public Procurement Rules 2004 on contractors being a government entity, which TIP said was a “false statement”. “We have s received the copy of clarification given by your division to Public Procurement Regulatory Authority, on the alleged illegal exemption granted to M/S National Logistics Cell (NLC) by the Planning Commission which is a false statement. Planning Commission has also requested the PPRA/Cabinet Division that in the absence of specific provision in the rules, government [competent authority] may issue policy which is upheld vide Rule 38 of PPRA Rules 2004,” says the letter a copy of which is available with

Pakistan Today.

According to the PPRA Ordinance 2002 and the Public Procurement Rules 2004, TIP advisor Adil Gilani said no such issue existed as the provisions for format and mandatory requirements of Bid Guarantee, Performance Guarantee, CAR Insurance Policies and Retention Money were available in detail in the Public Procurement Rules 2004, and PPRA Regulations of 2008.

“According to Rule 23 (k), format of all securities required is to be part of the bidding documents, and according to S.R.O 805(I)/2008 of 11th July 2008 (Public Procurement Regulations 2008), standard bidding documents of Pakistan engineering Council are mandatory on all the procuring agencies”.

Gilani said under the PeC standard bidding documents, the format of performance security, bid bond, insurance guarantee, bank guarantee had been defined in explicit terms, which were mandatory on all procuring agency to ask from all the contractors to provide, including Government owned manufacturers, suppliers or consultants.

“The exemption from mandatory requirements of Bid Guarantee, Performance Guarantee, CAR Insurance Policies and Retention Money, accorded to NLC vide Planning omission letter No P&D Division’s U.O. No 4 (176) AdVII/PD/NLC2000 dated 01-08-2007, sent to Brig. Nisar Ahmed Mir, hQ engi-

neer NLC Sowan Camp, Rawalpindi, is therefore illegal,” says the TIP letter. The TIP said that Planning Commission (PC) would be held responsible by the CCP for violating competitive laws, as it had been responsible to accord 20-25 percent advantage to NLC against other Contractors of Pakistan.

The TIP again requested the Chairman Planning Commission not to circumvent the Laws, and to take action according to the Public Procurement Rules 2004, which it said had also been upheld by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the suo moto case of the Alleged Corruption in Rental Power Plants Judgment announced on 30 march 2012, and immediately withdraw all such exemptions granted to the NLC. The TIP also urged Minister for Finance, Dr Abdul hafeez Shaikh to respond to its letter sent to him on February 2, 2012, about the illegal act of the Planning Commission, but no response had been received from his office till date.

“This act of Planning Commission negates the CCP Laws, and also the government’s Policy of Privatization. NLC is doing commercial activities like Building Plazas in Karachi, share dealings in Stock exchange, and many more commercial ventures. The FBR has also pending claim of billion of rupees of Income Tax on NLC. The TIP requests the minister to act in accordance with the law on this particular issue,” added the TIP.

Articles on Page 12-13

Leadership required to capitalise on available natural resources: AQ Khan GUJRANWALA staff RepoRt

Pakistan is blessed with natural resources but lacks genuine leadership to capitalise on the natural resources for the benefit of the country, Dr Abdul Qadir Khan said on Saturday. Addressing a congregation of youth at the Commissioner’s Office Auditorium, Khan said Pakistan was facing a lot of problems only because of incompetent leadership. he said the purpose of the government was to insure the provision of basic facilities and rights to the masses but instead of capitalising on the natural resources, the incompetent leadership was looking towards the West. he said load shedding and other problems could be solved by utilising the available resources human and natural. he said the rental power judgement of the Supreme Court revealed the real story as “how this nation is exploited in the name of insuring the provision of electricity but huge commissions were bagged”. “Unfortunately people who are working for the country are abducted by the road ways.” he said people should not lose hope and strive for their rights.

Pakistanis rank 4th on global intelligence survey LONDON nni

Pakistanis have been ranked the fourth most intelligent people across the world in a globally-held survey. “Pakistanis are equal to the people of developed and industrialised countries when it comes to intelligence,” the survey report said. The poll was organised by the Institute of european Business Administration in 125 countries. The survey quantifies various aspects of brilliance and intellectual work in the nations of the surveyed countries. “Pakistanis outshine in the field of intelligence despite a dearth of required resources and opportunities,” the poll inferred.

The case studies of Ali Moeen Nawazish, Arfa Karim and Moosa Firoz were also quoted to prove the mental aptitude of the Pakistanis. Ali secured 22 As in A-levels exams; Arfa Karim had earned title of the youngest Microsoft Certified expert; and Moosa recently won the World Mathematics Championship.

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04 News

Sunday, 1 April, 2012

Govt to remove reservations of political parties on PCNS recommendations: PM ISLAMABAD inp

APnS general Council elects executive Committee for the year 2012-13 PRESS RELEASE The annual meeting of the APNS General Council held on March 31, 2012 has elected the executive Committee for the year 2012-13 which unanimously elected Sarmad Ali as president, Mehtab Khan as senior vice president, Masood hamid as secretary general, Ramiza Majeed Nizami as vice president, Imtinan Shahid as joint secretary and Javed Mehr Shamsi as finance secretary of the society.

The AGM held under the chairmanship of hameed haroon, president for the year 2011-12, unanimously approved the report of the executive Committee for the preceding year as well as the annual accounts of the society.

The General Council, attended by 143 members from across the country, formed an election Commission headed by Mr Younus Riaz, Mr Usman Arab Saati and Mr Owais Aslam Ali as members.

The election Commission conducted the election of the executive Committee for the year 2012-13. Following were elected unopposed: Karachi Daily Seats: Daily Aghaz Karachi, Daily Awami Awaz Karachi, Daily Business Recorder Karachi, Daily Jurat Karachi, Daily Kainat Karachi and Daily Qaumi Akhbar Karachi.

Lahore Daily Seats: Daily Jang Lahore, Daily Dawn Lahore, Daily Khabrain Lahore, Daily Nawa-i-Waqt Lahore, Daily Pakistan Lahore, Daily Pakistan Today Lahore.

Rawalpindi/Islamabad Daily Seats: Daily Ausaf Islamabad, Daily Sahafat Islamabad Balochistan Daily Seats: Daily Awam Quetta, Daily Balochistan Quetta Khyber Pakhtoon Khwa Daily Seats: Daily Mashriq Peshawar, Daily Wahdat Peshawar Sindh excluding Daily Karachi: Daily Kaleem Sukkur, Daily Kawish hyderabad Punjab (excluding Lahore/Rwp/Ibd.): Daily Aftab Multan, Daily Business Report Faisalabad and Daily Paigham Faisalabad General Seats (Metropolitan Dailies): Daily Deyanat Karachi, Daily Pakistan Observer Islamabad General Seats (Regional Dailies): Daily Ibrat hyderabad, Daily Tijarat Gujranwala Periodicals Seats: Monthly Kiran Digest Karachi, Monthly Naey Ufaq Karachi, Monthly Naya Rukh Karachi and Monthly Roohani Digest Karachi News & News Comments Periodical (Punjab / KPK): Weekly Azm Lahore News & News Comments Periodical (Sindh / Balochistan): Monthly Dastak Karachi News & News Comments Periodical (General): Monthly The Cricketer Karachi The President -elect nominated Shimaila Dawood Matri on woman - publishers seat.

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Saturday said reservations of various parties on the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee for National Security (PCNS) would be removed on the new terms of engagement with the United States.

The prime minister was talking to reporters the

Chaklala airbase before his departure for China to participate in the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference.

Gilani reiterated that only parliament would decide about the country’s foreign policy and its future contour of relations with the United States and the NATO. he pointed out that soon after the Salala checkpost incident, the government acted swiftly and closed down the NATO supplies

and got the Shamsi airbase vacated from the US. he said the parliamentary committee on national security unanimously chalked out recommendations for new terms of engagement with the US and NATO and expressed the confidence that the parliament would pass them with consensus.

Asked about the energy crisis, the prime minister said he had convened an energy conference to be held in La-

hore on the 9th of next month. he said the holding of this conference in Lahore would give a message to the people that the government was serious to resolve the issue.

During his two day stay, the PM will address the opening session of the Boao Forum which will be attended by political, business and academic leaders from across the globe. Gilani said Boao forum provided an important platform for better

economic cooperation with the regional countries. he will also meet with chief executives and heads of different financial institutions and apprise them about the potential that Pakistan offers for investment.

On the sidelines of the Boao forum, the prime minister will meet the Vice Premier of China to discuss measures for further promoting cooperation in fields of economy, energy, infra-

structure, defense and education including culture. he will also meet his Kazakh counterpart to review the progress regarding the decisions taken during the prime minister’s visit to the country last year.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan, Finance Minister hafiz Sheikh and Minister for Water and Power Naveed Qamar are accompanying the prime minister.

Awan axed CoNtINuEd fRom PAgE 1

a palestinian boy shouts at israeli soldiers during a demonstration against the occupation of thier village land and the building of the israeli settlement of Karmei tzour near the village of Beit omar, north of the West Bank town of hebron on saturday. israeli gunfire killed a 20-year-old man and wounded another 51 people as thousands rallied across the West Bank and gaza to mark land day on march 30. AFP

FC IG says Khan of Kalat’s son wants father in mainstream politics QUETTA shahzada zulfiqaR

Frontier Corps Balochistan Inspector General Major General Obaidullah Khan Khattak has said that the son of Khan of Kalat, Mohammad Ahmadzai, had assured him that he would bring his father Mir Sulema Daud back for bringing him to mainstream politics.

Addressing a press briefing at FC headquarter on Saturday, the IG said Khan’s son, Mohammad Ahmadzai, during a meeting with him three months ago expressed concern over the situation of Balochistan and stressed on the need for improving it. he said Mohammad also expressed desire that he wanted to bring his father (Khan Kalat) back to the country for bringing him into national mainstream politics.

The IG categorically refuted allegations Shahzain Bugti made in his recent interview on a news channel claiming that FC arrested him in a fabricated case of smuggling of heavy weapons and ammunition and later the Supreme Court released him after taking suo motu notice of it. he said it was baseless, as all weapons were recovered in the presence of Shahzain from the vehicles

in his fleet.

Khattak said Pakistan Day celebrations remained successful as public showed its enthusiasm in Balochistan Mela throughout Balochistan and a large number of people took part in festivities held in connection with the day. he said that besides social activities, FC was playing its due role for the improvement of law and order, and FC along with police carried out search operation on March 20th in Quetta and arrested 104 accused persons involved in incidents of targeted killing, kidnapping for ransom, car snatching and other incidents.

Referring to law and order of the province, Khattak said 107 people, including FC and police personnel, were killed in 313 terrorismrelated incidents and most of the casualties happened in Quetta, Dera Bugti and Sibi.

Khattak said during the past three months, 66 people had been kidnapped from various parts of Balochistan for ransom. he divulged that work on new gas reserves in Sui had been undertaken under the security of FC while survey for gas in Kharan and Barkhan would be made and hopefully these projects would yield gas.

Police foils plot to attack joint session of parliament: Malik ISLAMABAD Kashif aBBasi

Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Saturday revealed that police foiled a plot to attack parliament during the presidential address to the joint session and two accused including a Finance Office official had been arrested.

“Two terrorists, who wanted to attack the Parliament house on the eve of President Asif Ali Zardari’s fifth address to the joint session, have been traced,” Malik told reporters men outside his residence. he said one of the arrested was an employee of the Foreign Office, who had been arrested for helping terrorists in completing their

nefarious design during the joint session of parliament.

It is said that the two suspects belong to a banned outfit, based in North Waziristan.

The minister praised the police for thwarting the terrorist bid. he said enemies of Pakistan had been working to destabilise the country.

Talking about the unrest in Karachi, he said some foreign elements were involved in Karachi unrest, adding that terrorists after committing crime at commercial hub of the country have been fleeing in the neighbouring countries including Iran and Afghanistan.

“We have evidence of foreign involvement in the country,” he said.

Awan had been infuriated with Gilani after the appointment of PPP senior leader Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan as the PM’s counsel in the contempt case. Later, Awan also barred his close aide and the former secretary law Masood Chishti to appear before the court and this made President Asif Ali Zardari furious.

With his appointment, Awan had become the first vice president of the PPP as there was no precedence in the history of the PPP of appointments like president or vice president. however, his appointment triggered a new controversy as traditionally, the PPP had always appointed chairman and vice chairmen and according to the party sources there was no mention of the office of president and vice president in the party’s constitution.

The official website of the PPP also reflected the same. On the party’s website, Nusrat Bhutto has been mentioned as Rehbar, chairperson, while the name of Benazir Bhutto has been reflected as the chairperson.

Bilawal Zardari Bhutto is the chairman, while Asif Ali Zardari has been mentioned as co-chairman.

Makhdoom Amin Fahim

PCnS hits deadlock CoNtINuEd fRom PAgE 22 to permitting foreign intelligence operatives inside Pakistan, granting Pakistani airbases and military bases to foreign forces on Pakistani soil. “PML-Q flouted new proposals before the committee to oppose any American attacks on Iran which got support from committee members,” the sources said, adding that both major political parties remained divided over the restoration of conditional supply to NATO forces. JUI-F

and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani are vice chairmen while Jehangir Badr is mentioned as secretary general of the party. Apparently, the appointment aimed at accommodating the lawyer-turned-politician Babar Awan who had submitted resignation as law minister to represent the federation in presidential reference for reopening the case of PPP founding chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who was hanged in a murder case in 1979.

Dr Babar Awan is a writer of several books and is an orator who was made member of the party’s Central executive Committee (CeC) in 1997. he also served as finance secretary of the party in 2000 and was also awarded ticket of National Assembly for general elections held in year 2002, in which he lost. he was later elected senator on the only seat of the PPP from Punjab in year 2005.

Being a lawyer, he defended several cases representing former PPP chairwoman Benazir Bhutto and his spouse Asif Ali Zardari. he also remained counsel of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Bakhtawar Bhutto and Asifa Bhutto in the case of Peoples’ Foundation. chief Fazlur Rehman told reporters his party supported complete and permanent closure of NATO supply. “It was a good decision made by the government, so it should not take it back at any cost and parliament should also not be used to back out from the decision,” he said. Following the meeting, Raza Rabbani admitted difference of opinion among members of the committee on the proposal and said that his utmost effort was to ensure that the committee adopted unanimous recommendations.

Clinton raises missile shield, efforts to end Syria violence RIYADH afp

US Secretary of State hillary Clinton on Saturday promoted a missile shield to protect Gulf Arab states from Tehran and sought to work with them to help end the violence in Iran’s ally Syria.

In a speech to a first multilateral Gulf-US security forum, Clinton stressed Washington’s “rock solid and unwavering” commitment to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab emi-

rates and Oman, all longstanding US allies. In her prepared remarks, Clinton highlighted US concerns about Iran and talks with Gulf Arab foreign ministers ahead of a broader international meeting in Istanbul aimed at ending President Bashar al-Assad’s crackdown in Syria. Raising security ties from a bilateral to a multilateral level, Clinton is breaking new ground here in taking part in the first strategic cooperation forum between Washington and the sixcountry Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). She looked to

taking “practical and specific steps to strengthen our mutual security, such as helping our militaries improve interoperability, cooperate on maritime security and missile defence, and coordinate responses to crises.” US officials have said it is a US “priority” to help the GCC build a “regional missile defence architecture” against what they see as a looming ballistic missile threat from Iran.

Clinton said she looked “forward to discussing the wide range of common strategic concerns, including preventing

Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and curbing its interference in the affairs of its neighbours.”

In Clinton’s talks here on Friday with King Abdullah and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, the two sides discussed ways to tighten the sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme, another State Department official said.

“They talked about keeping the global oil supply strong, and the essential role Saudi Arabia plays in that,” the official said.

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Sunday, 1 April, 2012

News 05 People in Bara abandoning homes, shifting to safer places PESHAWAR staff RepoRt

lahoRe: a view of gulberg from the rooftop of a hotel at firdous market crossing during the earth hour observed in the city to promote power conservation. up to 12-hour blackouts are common in the city due to the country’s worst power crisis that has sparked violent protests. murtaza ali

US finds no evidence Bin Laden had support network in Pakistan WASHINGTON

T

app

he United States has found no credible evidence to believe that slain al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden had a broader network of support during his hiding in Pakistan, the State Department said.

Mark Toner, deputy spokesman at the State Department, told reporters the Pakistani government had not lied to the United States on bin Laden, who was killed in a US raid May last year in his Abbottabad hideout.

“Immediately after the Abbottabad raid, we asked the Pakistani government

‘govt can’t quell Karachi unrest’

the question of whether there was a larger network at play here or there was some kind of network of support, I guess, for bin Laden when he was there.

We have not received any information that indicates that there was such a network of support there.” Toner said. he was responding to a question premised on reported claims by a wife of Osama bin Laden that the al Qaeda chief had been hiding at different locations inside Pakistan after fleeing Afghanistan in the wake of US invasion of Afghanistan triggered by the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Questioned if over the years Islamabad had been consistently lying to the United States on bin Laden, Toner

n-League responsible for load shedding in Punjab: Shujaat ISLAMABAD nni

MONITORING DESk Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said it was beyond the capacity of the government to quell the unrest plaguing Karachi, adding a truly democratic and impartial set up was needed to restore order in the provincial capital. Nawaz regretted that although the Supreme Court in its suo motu action on Karachi situation had asked for taking action by the federal government but the calls fell on deaf ears. “Until a few years ago we had not heard about extortion and nogo areas but now the situation that is in front of everyone is pitiable,” the PMLN Chief lamented. earlier, Nawaz visited Shirin Khan’s residence for offering a Fateha on the demise of her father. Speaking on the occasion, Nawaz Sharif stressed on creation of Bahawalpur province and termed it a right of the people of Bahawalpur.

replied firmly, “I don’t believe so.”

“Again, we haven’t received any indications that indicate that there was some broader network, no,” he added, when pressed on the issue.

On US-Pakistan relations, the spokesman said Washington was awaiting the results of the parliamentary review underway in Islamabad and would be prepared to discuss some of the issues Pakistan’s democratic debate would raise.

Toner would not comment on the latest US drone attack against militant targets on the Pakistani tribal border territory, an issue which is likely to be a major point of deliberations in the parliamentary review on the future course

Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid President Chaudhry Shujaat hussain and Senior Federal Minister Chaudhry Parvez elahi have said that the PML-N was responsible for severe load shedding in Punjab.

“Shahbaz Sharif sold the interest of Punjab for third time premiership for his brother Nawaz Sharif and their lust for power have thrown Punjab into dark ages,” the two leaders said while chairing a meeting of members of provincial and National Assembly from KP and FATA, district representatives of PML-Q and party workers.

Adviser to Prime Minister Syed Qasim Shah presented a resolution which reposed complete faith in the leadership of Chaudhry Shujaat hussain and acknowledged that his visionary leadership brought successes to the party.

The participants seconded the resolution through a show of hand and resolved to fight every intrigue and treachery to harm the party. The participants through the resolution disassoci-

ated themselves from the elements who violated the party discipline.

The meeting was assured that the PML-Q would be reorganized in KP on democratic lines and party conventions would be held in all the cities of KP very soon.

Shujaat said he would visit FATA to address the problem of the region and bring it into mainstream politics. he said that PML-Q was a coalition partner of the government in centre and Sindh and Balochistan and the party was contemplating joining the KP government.

Parvez elahi said the PML-Q was like a grand family where leaders and workers were respected, criticism was accepted with an open heart and valuable suggestions of the workers were incorporated in party decisions. he was of the view that former PML-Q leader Amir Muqam fell from grace and time would tell that he took a wrong turn at a critical juncture of his political career. elahi said they should not lend ears to gossipmongers and keep a firm belief in the political acumen of the party leadership.

of bilateral ties, which suffered a series of setbacks last year.

“We continue to await the results of the parliamentary review. That’s still ongoing. But I think that in terms of our relations, we continue to have engagement at all levels within the Pakistani Government. And we certainly respect the review process that’s underway and we look forward to the results, and then we’ll be willing to discuss some of the issues raised by that.”

The parliamentary review is taking place in the aftermath of November 26, 2011 attack on Pakistani checkposts by NATO warplanes, which claimed lives of 24 Pakistani soldiers along the Afghan border.

The continuing crises in Khyber Agency’s Bara is multiplying the miseries of the local tribesmen as most of them are abandoning homes and shifting to safer places.

According to the UNhCR official so far 101,160 individuals have been registered as internally displaced persons (IDP’s) from Khyber Agency. Majority of them included women and children and they abandoned homes in Bara plain and also in Upper Bara, commonly known as Tirrah Valley. The government initiated military action against militants in Bara region on January 20. The action is still continuing. Local tribesmen claim that militants are now chasing them till Peshawar city whereas almost of the abandoned homes become dins and torture cells. The UNhCR spokesperson said everyday 2,000 people approaching the registration centre at Jalozai for registration. She said 80 percent of the registered people prefers stay in Peshawar with relatives, friends and even in rented homes. Only those wants to stay in Jalozai camp who lacking relatives. Adnan Khan, spokesman for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and UNhCR spokesperson have termed the situation very tense as influx of IDP’s from Khyber Agency is in progress. Adnan said that UN affiliated agencies extending maximum cooperation in settlement of these IDP’s. The UNhCR is providing tents, World Programme is providing edible items whereas the World health Organisation is providing health services. however, the local volunteers and IDP elders said that now their problems are increasing day by day as almost of them belong to cold areas and it is hard for them to stay in tents. Likewise they said that they facing due facilities in camps. Besides Khyber Agency, a large number of tribesmen from South Waziristan, Kurram and Orakzai are also living as IDP’s in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and adjoining tribal regions. Situation is now normal in Mehsud dominated areas of South Waziristan but the authorities yet to take steps for their repatriation.

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06 News

Sunday, 1 April, 2012

Afghanistan presses for answers on long-term US military bases kABUL

A

ReuteRs

FGhANISTAN wants the United States to clearly spell out what sort of military presence it will leave behind once most of its combat troops leave by the end of 2014, a senior Afghan official said.

It is also pressing Washington in talks over future cooperation to detail to be more forthcoming on what will be on offer for Afghan forces as they ready to take over responsibility security in the country that is still at war.

“These are issues that concern us.

We want to know how many bases will be there, how many soldiers and what will be their mission. And what will we get from the United States for our security forces,” President hamid Karzai’s chief spokesman Aimal Faizi told Reuters,

without specifying what levels he thought would be appropriate.

In negotiations for a Strategic Partnership Deal on long-term cooperation, one of the stumbling blocks is the US plan for a limited military presence to ensure members of al Qaeda and other militant groups do not find a sanctuary again.

Countries such as Russia, China and Pakistan are wary of an indefinite US military presence in the region. Neighbouring Iran strongly opposes the plan.

“Ultimately, it is we who are responsible for our security. We are moving towards taking full control. If there will be foreign military, then it has to be put clearly in a future security document,” another senior Afghan official said.

The issue comes at a time of growing sensitivity over the presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan after a series of incidents involving US troops.

In January, a video surfaced showing US Marines urinating on Taliban corpses, followed by burning of copies of the holy Quran at the main American base in Bagram. Then this month 16 people, mostly children and women, were killed in two villages of Kandahar in an unexplained shooting rampage blamed on a US soldier. Karzai called for NATO forces to pull out of rural areas and stay in their bases, saying he was at the “end of the rope.”

A spike in so-called green-on-blue attacks on foreign forces by Afghan army and police has stoked concern that some of that anger is spilling over into the security forces and turning them against their western allies.

The talks halted after the Kandahar killings but have since resumed.

Because of Afghan concerns, both sides have agreed to separately discuss the issue of military bases while pressing

on with the strategic partnership deal they hope to wrap up by May when a NATO summit in Chicago is scheduled.

“Right now negotiations are taking place, almost on a daily basis. We think we will have an agreement soon,” Faizi said.

Afghanistan, which earlier had sought a blanket ban on the night raids by foreign troops, says it is ready to consider them as long as they are “Afghanised” or conducted by Afghan forces and in accordance with the laws of the country.

“You just can’t have a situation where a bunch of people land up somebody’s house, break open the door and go in,” Faizi said.

The United States says the night raids are a key element in the fight against the Taliban who it says operate in many parts of the country from within population centres.

KaRachi: muttahida qaumi movement (mqm) workers block a major road to offer funeral payers of their colleagues killed in liaqatbad during fresh wave of violence in the port city. INP

Al Qaeda plotting another 9/11-style attack from Afghanistan: Crocker

LONDON online

US Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker has said that al Qaeda had returned to Afghanistan and was planning to use its territory to launch another 9/11-style attack on Western countries, a British daily reported on Saturday.

Crocker said that if the West left Afghanistan too early, al Qaeda would be able to increase its presence.

“If we decide we’re tired, they’ll be back,” The Telegraph quoted Crocker, as saying.

“Al Qaeda is still present in Afghanistan. If the West decides that 10 years in Afghanistan is too long then they will be back, and the next time it will not be New York or Washington, it will be another big Western city,” he added.

According to the report, Crocker said that while progress had been made, Afghanistan would need Western support for years to come. he stressed said that the al Qaeda remained a potent threat despite suffering setbacks. “We have killed all the slow and stupid ones. But that means the ones that are left are totally dedicated,” said Crocker, who previously served as ambassador to Iraq.

“We think we’ve won a campaign before our adversaries have even started to fight. They have patience, and they know that we are short on that,” he added.

According to the paper, NATO officials believe that nearly 100 al Qaeda fighters had returned to Afghanistan, based mainly in the Kunar and Nuristan provinces near the Pakistan border. hundreds more are based in Pakistan and could return if circumstances were to change.

South African Opp party lauds Benazir’s leadership g

Wants to strengthen ties with Pakistan LAHORE YasiR haBiB

The Democratic Alliance (DA) an official opposition party in the South African Parliament characterises the late Benazir Bhutto as a political legend and an icon of women’s empowerment and praised her statesmanship and leadership.

Comparing the former Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) chairwoman with the DA leader, helen Zille, the members of the political party said Zille had also proved her political acumen as a female leader in South Africa.

Western Cape Premier and Provincial Parliament Member helen Zille has also served as the mayor of Cape Town.

She has acted as a political whistleblower and is committed to revolutionising the political system to make South Africa liberal and economically strong.

Zille, who won the 2008 World Mayor Award, is focusing her policies on ensuring human rights, environmental protection and limiting the power of the state through clearly defining the line between the ruling party and the govern-

ment and devolving the decision-making power to the grassroots level.

To talk about the DA leader’s success story, Pakistan Today met with her political assistant Shaun Moffitt at his office in the South African Parliament building in Cape Town.

Talking about his political party, he said: “As it is recognised as a multinational party, the DA believes that the people of other countries, including Pakistan, must be given a fair chance to become members of the South African Parliament and to contribute to the country’s progress.”

Accompanied by leading Pakistani businessman Muhammad Faisal, the DA political assistant said the role of oversees Pakistanis in the development of South Africa could not be overlooked. he urged the DA government to cement relations with Pakistan.

In response to a query, he said the African National Congress (ANC), the ruling party in South Africa, had been sabotaging the country’s institutions by manipulating its resources.

“A matter of concern is that the ANC

admits publicly to its misdeeds but is unwilling to rein in the party’s corrupt officials,” he said.

Talking about the DA’s policies, Moffitt said the party followed the constitution that enshrined the rule of law, individual rights and freedoms, the separation of power, transparency and accountability. he added that without these practices in place, governments abuse their power.

“The DA wants an independent and

free-thinking civil society, including an independent media and a political opposition that is loyal to the constitutional order.

“The DA will fight any changes made to the constitution that take power away from the people and put it into the hands of politicians. In doing so, we will continue to uphold the values of openness, humility, diversity and reconciliation,” he stated. he said at a time of international financial uncertainty, South Africa is not immune to global economic challenges.

Moffitt added: “We are already experiencing large-scale job losses; the international prices for our commodities have fallen. Labour-intensive industries, such as mining, manufacturing and retail are also experiencing dramatic slowdowns.”

In consideration of these challenges, the DA, he said, has outlined a vision for the future of the South African economy, in the form of its economic policy titled, ‘Creating economic Opportunities for All’.

The DA’s economic policy allows for a virtuous cycle of skill development, infrastructure and technology investment, improved productivity and increased employment.

Moffitt stated that wage subsidies,

the simplification of labour and tax regulations and the elimination of the skills development levy will cut the cost of doing business and encourage employers to hire first-time workers and improve their productivity through on-the-job training.

In reply to a question, he said the DA did not oppose migration from one province to other but was concerned about the increase in the rate of urbanisation.

Moffitt said urbanisation eventually placed huge demands on land, water, housing, transport and employment. he warned that if these problems were not solved, social unrest and environmental pollution could get worse.

Moffitt stated that the DA was determined to provide civic amenities to the residents of the informal settlements mushrooming in the Western Cape. he strongly rejected nationalisation in favour of privatisation.

“Pressurising the government to curb wasteful expenditure by using parliamentary procedures will be one of the Democratic Alliance’s top priorities as it strives to ensure that the institution becomes the central arena for political debate and contest,” he said.

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Sunday, 1 April, 2012

marching towards building Sonar Bangla Bangladesh’s 41st Independence Day 07

City reels after yet another mourning day kARACHI aamiR maJeed

F

OR the third day in a week, citizens spent the day confined to their houses on a mourning call from a political party as all routine and commercial activities were severely hampered in the metropolis on Saturday.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) had announced a day of mourning over the killing of its three sympathisers late Friday night. At least nine people have been gunned down during the past 24 hours. All educational institutions remained closed while public transport was thin on the roads.

The DIG West, Imran Yaqoob, suspended four policemen for not reacting swiftly after the killing of the three men near Banaras Flyover. The policemen were arrested and a case was registered against them.

Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul ebad called an emergency meeting at the Governor’s house to review the law and order situation, where Sindh home Minister Manzoor Wasan briefed the participants. Ordering the home minister to utilise all resources to curb targeted killings, ebad directed all DIGs to hold meetings with representatives of their concerned zones. he also requested the political parties to honour code of conduct which they had

signed for maintenance of the law and order situation.

The governor also directed the police officials to increase security at banks, markets and commercial centres and install CCTV cameras. The Karachi commissioner was ordered to establish emergency Response Units under the flyovers with the help of police, Rangers and health department for quick response in any emergency. The funeral prayers of three ANP activists and three MQM supporters were held separately.

MQM Liaquatabad sector supporters Wasim and hassan were buried in the Paposh Nagar graveyard, whereas MQM Orangi Town sector 120 supporter Sami Kamal was buried in Orangi Town 11½

graveyard. The funerals were attended by MQM officebearers and a large number of party activists.

Funeral prayer of ANP’s Ashiq hussain was offered in Baldia Town No 9, and that of ANP Sindh Council member hidayatullah Mehsud was offered in Kunwari Colony at the Manghopir Road. The funeral was attended by ANP’s provincial minister Amir Nawab Khan and a large number of party activists.

The funeral prayer of ANP’s Latifullah was held in Maskin Gali of City Railway Colony.

MQM Coordination Committee stated that the ANP was hell-bent on subverting peace and order in Karachi by killing innocent Mohajirs and resorting to blatant terrorism. The committee warned

CPLC to raise funds for mV Albedo crew Fed up traders vow to release keep markets open

KARACHI: Claiming losses amounting to billions of rupees during the past 10 days, traders in Karachi announced keeping the markets open come what may in the unending violence in the city. All major business centres in the metropolis remained closed on Saturday in response to the mourning call from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).

Under an immensely uncertain situation and absence of transport, business activities were severely disturbed. At a meeting of All Karachi Tajir Ittehad (AKTI) and other market associations, the businessmen decided to face the uncertain situation as the government and law enforcement agencies have failed to provide security or a business-friendly environment. Talking with Pakistan Today, AKTI Chairman Ateeq Mir said that during the past 10 days, the markets opened for only two days causing losses of over Rs 24 billion.

The closure of business activities for one day results in losses to the tune of Rs 3 billion. “The small traders who have to pay the rent and make payments for other services, now have limited options: either to end their businesses or face the violence, killings, extortions, kidnappings,” he said. Traders of Tariq Road and Zainab Market announced they would keep their outlets opened on Saturday as they can no longer bear more losses. The businessmen claimed that the protest strikes were endangering their livelihoods and they could not take it anymore. In order to make up on some of their losses, the traders also decided to go about the business on Sunday.

All petrol pumps and CNG stations in the city were remained close for the whole day. According to petroleum dealers, they also have suffered losses of millions of rupees during the past few days. GHULAM ABBAS that they would not be subjugated by any form of terrorism, and would not allow the reign of terror and crime to descend over Karachi. Later in the evening, the city

Cops keep a watch on the surroundings during the funeral prayers of mQm supporters in Liaquatabad on Saturday. IMRAN ALI

Zardari regime blasted for over 6,000 targeted killings ■ mumtaz Bhutto calls for impartial interim setup to hold elections ■ Says demand for mohajir province by outsiders unjustified, merger with nLeague under consideration, Khuhros depriving Bhuttos of agricultural land in Larkana, Sindh being ruled by Faryal talpur kARACHI staff RepoRt

Calling for the establishment of an impartial interim setup to hold general elections in the country, Sindh National Front (SNF) chief Mumtaz Bhutto blasted the “Zardari regime” on Saturday for failing to maintain peace in Karachi, where over 6,000 people have fallen victim to politically-motivated targeted killings during President Asif Ali Zardari’s four-year rule.

The nationalist leader also rejected talks of a Mohajir province by those who, he said, were demanding a separate province on the land they never owned, historically.

Talking to the media at the Karachi Press Club, Bhutto lashed out at the present government for unleashing an unprecedented looting in the country.

The SNF chairman also alleged that the “lame” Sindh government, which he claimed was being run by MNA Faryal Talpur and not Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, was covertly backing Khuhros in their attack on poor farmers of the Bhutto tribe in Larkana.

The rulers, he said, were depriving the Bhuttos, despite ruling the country in the name of Bhuttos.

Terming the ongoing bloodshed in Karachi as an old phenomenon, the SNF leader said that over 6,000 people had reportedly lost their lives to targeted incidents in the metropolitan over the past four years of the Pakistan People’s Party-led coalition government.

“There is an urgent need to do something to get rid of them,” he warned, saying that letting Zardari continue “his politics of corruption and forgiveness” for another seven or eight months would take the country to the brink of disintegration.

Calling for a non-political interim body to hold general elections and make the corrupt rulers accountable, Bhutto said that all of Supreme Court’s verdicts – be it on rental power plants, the prime minister’s son, or the election of fake degree-holding legislators on the basis of bogus voter lists – fell on deaf years of the executive.

The nationalist leader claimed that Zardari, by sticking to the presidency, was transgressing Articles 47, 62 and 63 of the constitution, barring the top slot for a person nominated in criminal cases and holding dual offices.

“If this is not healed now, the country would dismember. every province

has taken its own way,” he warned.

Bhutto went on to blame the provincial government for embezzling 50 percent funds in, what he described as, “unnecessary” development works being carried out by the government in Larkana to gain political mileage.

On the other hand, he said that the infrastructure in his area, despite being in a dilapidated condition, was being ignored.

Asked for his views on calls for a Mohajir province in the city, the SNF chief said that the demand would have been justified, had it come from those historically owning some land in Sindh.

“Migrating to someone else’s land, getting strength there, and then demanding a separate province is not right,” he said.

Talking about the Seraiki province, Bhutto said that the demand for a province in Punjab was justified as the supporters own the land.

To another query, the nationalist leader said that a proposal to merge with the Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz was under consideration by the party’s central committee, which had also been meeting with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

limped towards normalcy following MQM chief Altaf hussian’s request to resume business. Commercial activities were partially restored in some parts of the city.

kARACHI staff RepoRt

After long and tiring negotiations held by Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) chief Ahmed Chinoy for the past nine months with Somali pirates holding merchant vessel MV Albedo and her crew hostage, it has now been confirmed by Chinoy from Dubai that an amount of $2.85 million has been agreed upon to be paid as expenses incurred by the pirates for the sustenance of the crew and the maintenance of the vessel. “We shall now enter into the second phase of the ‘Save MV Albedo’ campaign, which requires your support – to raise the appeal for funds – so that we may bring home the sailors and end this 16month-long nightmare that the families of the crew have been enduring,” said the CPLC chief in a message sent from Dubai. he said that it had been decided that the funds are to be paid by April 20. For this, Chinoy would launch a formal appeal and campaign to start fundraising from 4:00 pm on April 1 at the CPLC office, the Sindh Governor’s Secretariat.

KHI 01-04-2012_Layout 1 4/1/2012 6:21 AM Page 8

PakistaN today

08 karachi

Sunday, 1 April, 2012

Finance dept audit reveals Rs 1.77tr corruption kARACHI

S

imdad soomRo

PReAD over a span of 30 years, financial irregularities worth over Rs 1.77 trillion have been exposed in the Sindh Finance Depart-

ment.

According to the yearly audit reports available with Pakistan Today, loans of Rs 22 billion granted to several government institutions and individuals by the Finance Department have not been recovered even after the passage of 30 years.

The audit at the department re-

sponsible for the smooth financial operations of the province was done by the Auditor General of Pakistan in the financial year 2009-10.

Due to the irresponsibility shown by department officials, loans amounting to Rs 1.478 billion obtained by the district governments were be recovered.

Different financial institutions also obtained loans worth Rs 17.281 billion while the private sector was handed out loans up to the tune of Rs 178.438 million. The Sindh government employees were also granted loans worth 48.74 million while an amount of Rs 2.891 billion was sanctioned under the head of

“Dera”.

The huge amounts of money handed out from the national exchequer have still not been recovered.

An amount of Rs 17.8 bllion was regularly withdrawn from the account under the head of employees’ pension from 2002 to 2009 to establish a Pension Fund under an ordinance. however, the fund has still not been established.

The department also issued a sum of Rs 1.980 billion for the insurance of its employees.

Another Rs 1.98 billion were shown to the audit authorities as negative debit account.

A family on their way home after attending the funeral of mQm activists murdered in the wee hours of Saturday.

The audit report revealed an investment of Rs 225.702 million made by the department but no record of any such investment was provided by the department.

A further Rs 8 billion was to be recovered as the interest on the loans given.

A luxury land cruiser worth Rs 4.6 million was bought by the finance department while the employees were awarded millions of rupees as honorarium illegally.

The Auditor General of Pakistan has recommended in the report that all financial irregularities must be recovered and the officials responsible for such punished accordingly.

IMRAN ALI

Welcome journalists, any problem?

■ municipality issues being faced by journalist community to be resolved on priority basis, says KmC Administrator muhammad Hussain Syed kARACHI staff RepoRt

Any problems regarding municipality matters faced by the journalist community and the owners or editors of newspapers will be resolved on preferential basis, said Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Administrator Muhammad hussain Syed.

Speaking at a reception held by the KMC in honour of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) General Council members, he said the newspapers published from other cities will be provided with all possible help if they want to begin publication from Karachi.

The administrator said importance of newspapers and magazines cannot be ignored. “This is the only way that can be used for establishing coordination among cities, countries and nations.”

Appreciating the role of journalists and their associations in highlighting faults in the society, he said their guidance is needed in performing municipal works also.

Syed informed the APNS members about the developmental projects completed in Karachi and the recently started works worth billions of rupees. “The citizens will be able to get more civic facilities,” he added.

APNS President hameed haroon thanked the KMC for holding the reception. “This will encourage the editors and journalists associated with different newspapers,” he said.

Senior journalist Altaf hussain Qureshi said the KMC has done a commendable job by giving such respect to the journalist community. “They have in fact won our hearts,” he added.

Journalist Professor hasan was of the view that the reception was an “honour for us”.

The reception was attended by the owners and editors of different newspapers and magazines.

KMC Municipal Commissioner Matanat Ali Khan along with the heads of KMC departments and a number of prominent citizens were also present at the hotel.

BANGLADESH’S 41ST INDEPENDENCE

Marching towards building Sonar Bangla kARACHI staff RepoRt

Bangladesh is marching ahead to reach the targets envisaged in the ‘Vision 2021’, when it celebrates its 50th anniversary of independence, to reach the goal of Sonar Bangla, a hunger-free, peaceful, middle-income, digital knowledge-Bangladesh.

This was stated by Bangladesh Deputy high Commissioner to Sindh & Balochistan Ruhul Alam Siddique while addressing on the occasion of the 41st anniversary of the independence and National Day of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. he said, “The historic Independence Day is a glorious day in our national life in Bangladesh.

We, the Bengalis, achieved our long-cherished independence through nine-month-long, bloody, armed struggles and supreme sacrifices of millions of people.” he also said, “On this solemn day, I pay deep homage to the martyrs who laid down their lives in the War of Liberation in 1971, and pray for salvation of the departed souls.” he further said that the Bangali nation has travelled a long way since its independence in 1971.

“Bangladesh is now on a forward march to reach the main objective of our independence that is building a Sonar Bangla, the Golden Bangladesh,” he added.

“Bangladesh is a role model

Acting Sindh governor nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Bangladesh Deputy High Commissioner in Karachi Ruhul Alam Siddique, Sindh Rehabilitation minister Haji muzaffar Ali Shajra, Justice (retd) Saeeduz Zaman Siddiqui, acting Consular Corps dean naseral motairi and renowned singer Alamgir at the reception hosted by Siddique. for fighting poverty and extremism, empowering women, disaster-management and coping with the challenges posed by global warming and climate changes,” he said.

Bangladesh has achieved remarkable success and recogni-

tion in the social sector by winning the UN MDG award for achieving targeted reduction in infant mortality, and the SouthSouth Award for the use of modern technology in development of women and child health by their prime minister bears testimony

in this regard, he added. he also said that Bangladesh is often cited as one of the 11 emerging economies of the world.

“In respect to global market share, we are the number-two manufacturer of readymade gar-

ments in the world,” he said.

Other industries are also coming up fast in Bangladesh, Siddique said, adding, “They are ceramics, shipbuilding, pharmaceuticals, leather products, information technology and software, and fresh, organic, agricultural

products.”

Talking about PakistanBangladesh relationship, he said that both the countries are strongly bonded by common historical background, cultural traditions, values and aspirations.

Citing examples of the warmth and closeness of the relationship, he recalled, “When our brothers and sisters in Pakistan were devastated by the unprecedented floods in 2010 and rain-floods in Sindh in 2011, the government and the people of Bangladesh did not wait to come forward in their help and assistance.”

Also, for the first time in the history of Bangladesh, they sent 54 truck loads of lifesaving medicines, health kits, water purification tablets, 0.12 million blankets, over 9000 tents, huge quantities of tea and sugar worth $2 million; and a 40-member civilian, medical team of specialist doctors, nurses and paramedics specialised in disaster relief provided healthcare services for over a month in the remote areas of Sindh, said Siddique. he said, “The overwhelming support by the Bangladeshi crowd during the quarter-final match between Pakistan and West Indies at Dhaka in last year’s world cup bears the testimony of the warmth and sentiment of our people for the people of Pakistan.”

KHI 01-04-2012_Layout 1 4/1/2012 6:21 AM Page 9

karachi 09 earth Hour observed across city ‘Pakistan should be embarrassed over Fakhra’s suicide’ Sunday, 1 April, 2012

KARACHI: The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) participated in the observance of the earth hour 2012 on Saturday by switching off lights of important buildings, parks, playgrounds and streetlights from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm. This was in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed during a ceremony by the Sindh government and the KMC with the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan. Sindh environment & Alternative energy Minister Shaikh Muhammad Afzal and Sindh environment Secretary Mir hussain Ali signed the MoU on behalf of the provincial government, whereas KMC Administrator Muhammad hussain Syed represented the city government. Karachi has been declared the official city for this campaign aimed at saving energy resources. All the speakers on this occasion stressed the need of saving energy by taking part in the earth hour event. staff RepoRt

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

P

seBastian aBBot

AKISTANI acid attack victim Fakhra Younus had endured more than three dozen surgeries over more than a decade to repair her severely damaged face and body when she finally decided life was no longer worth living.

The 33-year-old former dancing girl – who was allegedly attacked by her then-husband, an ex-lawmaker and son of a political powerhouse – jumped from the sixth floor of a building in Rome, where she had been living and receiving treatment. her March 17 suicide and the return of her body to Pakistan on Sunday reignited furore over the case, which received significant international attention at the time of the attack. her death came less than a month after a Pakistani filmmaker won the country’s first Oscar for a documentary about acid attack victims.

Younus’s story highlights the horrible mistreatment many women face in Pakistan’s conservative, male-dominated culture and is a reminder that the country’s rich and powerful often appear to operate with impunity. Younus’s ex-husband, Bilal Khar, was eventually acquitted, but many believe he used his connections to escape the law’s grip – a common occurrence in Pakistan.

More than 8,500 acid attacks, forced marriages and other forms of violence against women were reported in Pakistan in 2011, according to The Aurat Foundation, a women’s rights organisation. Because the group relied mostly on media reports, the figure is likely an undercount.

“The saddest part is that she realised that the system in Pakistan was never going to provide her with relief or remedy,” Nayyar Shabana Kiyani, an activist at The Aurat Foundation, said of Younus. “She was totally disappointed that there was no justice available to her.”

Younus was a teenage dancing girl working in the red light district of the southern city of Karachi when she met her future husband, the son of Ghulam Mustafa Khar, a former governor of Pakistan’s largest province, Punjab. The unusual pairing was the younger Khar’s third marriage. he was in his mid-30s at the time.

The couple was married for three years, but Younus eventually left him because he allegedly physically and verbally abused her. She claimed that he came to her mother’s house while she was sleeping in May 2000 and poured acid all over her in the presence of her 5-year-old son from a different man.

Tehmina Durrani, Ghulam Mustafa Khar’s ex-wife and his son’s stepmother, became an advocate for Younus after the attack, drawing international attention to the case. She said that Younus’s injuries were the worst she had ever seen on an acid attack victim.

“So many times we thought she would die in the night because her nose was melted and she couldn’t breathe,” said Durrani, who wrote a book about her own allegedly abusive relationship with the elder Khar. “We used to put a straw in the little bit of her mouth that was left because the rest was all melted together.”

She said Younus, whose life had always been hard, became a liability to her family, for whom she was once a source of income. “her life was a parched stretch of hard rock on which nothing bloomed,” Durrani wrote in a column in The News after Younus’s suicide.

Younus’s ex-husband grew up in starkly different circumstances, amid the wealth and power of the country’s feudal elite, and counts Pakistani Foreign Minister hina Rabbani Khar as a cousin.

Bilal Khar once again denied carrying out the acid attack in a TV interview following her suicide, suggesting a different man with the same name committed the crime. he claimed Younus killed herself because she didn’t have enough money, not because of her horrific injuries, and criticised the media for hounding him about the issue.

“You people should be a little considerate,” said Khar. “I have three daughters and when they go to school people tease them.”

In February, Younus said in one of her last interviews that powerful Pakistanis brutally treat ordinary citizens and “don’t know how painful they make others’ lives.”

“I want such people to be treated in the same way” as they treat people whose lives they ruin, she told Geo TV over the telephone from Rome.

Younus was energised when the Pakistani government enacted a new set of laws last year that explicitly criminalised acid attacks and mandated that convicted attackers would serve a minimum sentence of 14 years, said Durrani. She hoped to return someday to get justice once her

PakistaN today

Family members of Fakhra Younus cannot hide their anguish at the Karachi airport as the acid attack victim’s body was returned to Pakistan. AP

Fakhra Younus’s body is carried through the Karachi airport in her native Pakistan after her body was returned to the country from Italy. AP

Fakhra Younus before the horrific acid attack in may 2000.

Fakhra Younus’s ex-husband Bilal Khar, the son of a wealthy Pakistani governor, was cleared in 2003 of charges relating to the attack.

health stabilised.

“She said, ‘When I come back, I will reopen the case, and I’ll fight myself’, and she was a fighter,” Durrani said.

Durrani had to battle with both Younus’s exhusband and the government to send her to Italy, where the Italian government paid for her treatment and provided her money to live on and send her child to school. Pakistani officials argued that sending Younus to Italy would give the country a bad name, Durrani said.

Younus was happy when Sharmeen ObaidChinoy won an Oscar for her documentary about

acid attack victims in February, but was worried about being forgotten since she wasn’t profiled in the film, said Durrani.

Durrani said Younus’s case should be a reminder that the Pakistani government needs to do much more to prevent acid attacks and other forms of violence against women, and also help the victims.

“I think this whole country should be extremely embarrassed that a foreign country took responsibility for a Pakistani citizen for 13 years because we could give her nothing; not justice, not security,” said Durrani.

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Hindu girls targeted in coerced conversions

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Dhan Bai received a certificate from a madrassa saying her daughter had converted to Islam. FAHIM SIDDIQI/IPS

kARACHI zofeen eBRahim foR ips

B

hARTI, a 15-year-old hindu girl living in the Lyari area in Karachi, left home for her sewing class last December, never to return. Three days later, her father Narain Das was told she had converted to Islam.

“We were worried stiff when she didn’t come home. I finally found she had been kidnapped by the area constable’s son while she was out to a nearby market to buy trimmings,” 55-year-old Das, a driver who has now lost his job, tells IPS. “For three days he kept my daughter; I don’t know what he did to her during captivity. Then he proclaimed she had consented to marry him.” hindus are just over one percent of the population of Pakistan of 180 million. The independent human Rights Commission of Pakistan has noted a worrisome increase in kidnappings of hindu girls who are then coerced to embrace Islam.

Among the latest to make headlines is Dr Lata Kumar, a doctor at the Karachi-based Aga Khan University hospital, who was abducted February 28. She was later traced and produced in court. her father, Dr Ramesh Kumar, who runs a private clinic in Jacobabad, a town in Sindh, tells IPS: “As she passed by my other daughter Jyoti in court, she whispered desperately to ‘do something for me’ before she was quickly whisked away.”

Kumar is certain his daughter, engaged to be married, did not elope. “Why would she tell us to help

her if she had run away from us?

And if she had converted of her free will, why can’t we meet her; after all we are her family.”

The Sindh high Court has ordered Lata to stay at a governmentrun shelter till the court comes up with its decision. But some legislators are doubtful about her safety there and have urged the government to shift her to the federal capital, Islamabad.

With her at the shelter is Rinkle Kumari, now Faryal Shah, of Ghotki in Sindh province. her father Nand Lal, a primary school teacher, has now uprooted his entire family and taken refuge at a Sikh temple in Lahore in Punjab province, some 600 km away.

“At least 20 to 25 girls are kidnapped every month who immediately embrace Islam,” says Amarnath Motumel, a senior lawyer with the hRCP. Fear of kidnappings and conversions is now so great in the hindu community that many from interior Sindh stop sending their young daughters to school as they reach adolescence.

Dr Ramesh Kumar, former legislator and chairperson of the Pakistan hindu Council, says coerced conversion, blackmailing and kidnapping for ransom is forcing many hindu families to migrate to India every year.

“This is our home, but when the state fails to provide protection to its citizens, they are left with little choice but to leave,” he tells IPS. “Things have now gone beyond our control.”

Narain Das’s 24-year-old son Lakshman embraced Islam a few years back and left home. he re-

ghaliB made easY

turned in a sorry state, as Abdul Rehman, three years later, begging his parents to take him back.

But in Pakistan if a Muslim is considered to have committed apostasy, the punishment is death. “To save him from certain death, we had to convert a hindu girl into Islam, and got him married.”

The first time after her abduction that Dhan Bai saw her daughter Bharti was in the courtroom. “She was clad from head to toe in a black abaya (an outer covering), a dress she’d never worn before; her eyes were all I could see and it seemed she’d been crying.”

Amar Guriro, a hindu journalist, says a majority of the forced conversions take place among the upper caste or business class hindus. While there are genuine cases in which girls are kidnapped and forced to convert and then get married to Muslims, Guriro says there are also cases in which hindu girls “convert of their own will, as dowry is a big issue in our community.”

In some cases, he says, “the girl’s family has to pay as much as Rs 2 million ($22,065) as dowry, and if they cannot meet that demand, the girls remain unmarried. Sometimes the girls decide to elope after finding a partner.”

Guriro says hindus have 17 of the total of 30 seats for religious minorities in the national and four provincial assemblies, but have “never bothered to legislate against the dowry system or forced conversion.”

While acknowledging that dowry has resulted in many hindu women marrying outside the community, Motumel says Islamic extremists

the enchanting WoRld

have given a whole new meaning to conversions. “They teach young minds that converting a non-Muslim into a Muslim guarantees them a place in heaven.”

Mufti Muhammad Naeem, the high cleric of Jamia Binoria, a seminary in Karachi, says the issue of forced conversions is “pure propaganda against us by NGOs (non-governmental organisations.)” But he acknowledges to IPS: “We must have converted some 200 men and women to Islam in the last eight or nine months.

“I have a list of all the people who converted to Islam and they all came of their own free will. You can call them up and ask them if they had been forced or even coerced to embrace Islam. They live in an Islamic culture and naturally will get attracted to it.”

Naeem adds that those who spread the message of Islam and “bring non-Muslims into the fold of Islam will be blessed in the hereafter.”

“I have lost all faith in our judiciary,” says Motumel, who has represented scores of hindu families in conversion cases. “The first thing the judge asks the girl is to recite the Kalma (the basic Islamic tenet whereby you accept that you are a Muslim) and once she does that, no hindu family can take her back.”

In the courtroom, he says, “whenever the girl enters, she is usually surrounded by scores of religious zealots, creating an atmosphere of fear, not just for the girl but the lawyers and even the judges. Outside the court, you find armed men waiting for the crowd to come out.”

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KHI 01-04-2012_Layout 1 4/1/2012 6:21 AM Page 11

Sunday, 1 April, 2012

Editor’s mail 11

‘Resetting of ties’ Mr Arif Nizami in his recent article "Resetting of ties" (30 March) has explained the current issues confronting the country in a very articulate manner.

Laying emphasis on civil-military relations on Pak-US issues, role of pressure groups out of assemblies, and review of Pak-US relations starting from Raymond Davis to attack on Salala check post. But the writer has missed very important point that still hinders civil-military relations i.e., the Memogate issue that has badly hurt the army and they expect justice from the apex court. In real terms, the civil and army relationship in the long term will be defined by the outcome of this scandal.

It is true that during the past one year, relations between Pakistan and US have not been cordial mainly due to certain major events taking place one after the other and the last one being the attack on Salala check post. At the same time, military to military relations were

the sun rises from the west improving steadily but army could not exert much pressure due to public outrage on Salala issue. Despite Pakistan's insistence, the US has refused to offer apology except to regret the incident. But their recent U-turn that they fired in selfdefence is likely to draw more criticism than lowering the tempers. This ultimately has resulted in bringing army and civilian leadership on the same page. The recent visit of CeNTCOM and ISAF commanders failed to bring any result due to US’ stand on apology.

It is good that we should bring every agreement in writing but these agreements cannot deter US to use their right of pre-emptive strike if their security and national interests are threatened. The writer is right when he says that drone attacks have become fewer and there has been respite from terrorists throughout the country except some attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and that is understandable. The reduction in terrorists

attack is not on account of some sympathies towards Pakistan but their reduction is attributable to reduction in collateral damage due to decreased frequency in drone attacks in N Wazirstan.US can no more accuse Pakistan’s spy agency of maintaining ties with the Taliban and haqqani network when US itself is engaged with the Taliban and haqqani network to work out an exit strategy.

There should be no doubt in any body's mind about opening of NATO supply routes in near future. The foreign minister has hinted that we cannot show eyes to anybody (US) but we demand respect of our sovereignty. Our parliamentary recommendations mean nothing to the US. In fact, there is nothing new in the recommendations except seeking apology from US. The writer’s assessment that Pakistan should not feel very happy even if the NATO supply route is opened is correct.

It will take some time to have more positive response from the US. President Obama will speak in view of the coming US elections. he made it clear to PM Gilani when he met him in Seoul when he said that the US security could not be compromised and Gilani talked about Pakistan sovereignty.

I fully agree with the writer when he says that the ISI has not denied links with militant networks. Maintaining links with the Afghan Taliban and haqqani group is in the interest of US for ensuring peaceful exit from Afghanistan and it is only Pakistan alone that can help US and nobody else. The US must trust Pakistan and honour its sacrifices and give compensation of the losses incurred due to war on terror instead of pressurising it and extracting the response that suits its national interest and future military strategy.

MUKHTAR AHMED Karachi

Ferozepur road Overhead at Kalma chowk followed by one on canal and Muslim Town are a commendable effort by Shahbaz Sharif.

Two main hurdles and traffic jam points have been superbly cleared. Both these projects, which involved complications of existing traffic flow, were completed within a short period of time.

The flow of traffic during the construction period was also kept as smooth as possible. The Punjab government in general and Mian Shabaz Sharif in particular deserve our sincerest thanks and appreciations.

I keep repeating this that where there is a will there is a way. If we want to do something we can do it. Can’t this message go to Islamabad? Can’t we do away with loadshedding this way? Can’t we set our railways back on track? Can’t we make our planes fly? Can’t we get rid of handful of incompetent and uneducated people? I am sure it is all easy if we see at least these two overheads in Lahore.

AMJAD H MIRZA Lahore

Islamic teachings We are Muslims but our acts are not matching the teachings of Islam. Islam teaches us the lesson of brotherhood.

Islam teaches that the killing of one person without any reason is like the murder of whole humanity and the murderer will be sent to hell. Our holy Prophet hazhar Muhammad (PBUh) set the example of forgiveness. he even forgave the murderer of his uncle hazhar hamza (RA).

We are killing our people on little disputes. I think that killers don’t know the punishment of their heinous acts.

They are spoiling hereafter by doing such acts. The Muslims have put the whole burden on clerics whereas we and clerics are equally answerable for our deeds.

I appeal to all to follow Islamic teachings and shun activities which do not match with them.

TARIQ HUSAIN KHAN Karachi

Options are there but Loadshedding has become a daily menace for our country. To solve this deeply tormenting dilemma a lot of promises have been made that sound very convincing, but no practical implementation is visible. The government is very good at dodging the issue at hand or engaging in meaningless rhetoric to deviate the public from the main issue.

Although there are a lot of options and solutions available, for example the suggestions of the experts include hydro-electric dams, nuclear power plants, solar power, upgrading the distribution network, buying from foreign governments etc, no outcome is seen.

These all maybe good options, but it’s the government’s responsibility to assemble them and put forward a good and permanent solution. We must not except any talk of a better tomorrow unless we see the implementation of a convincing strategy backed by a solid investment.

HAMZA KHAN Karachi

power generation The matter of power generation is an important one. The lifestyle a power generator yields is a better one than without it.

The future of generating power is in diversification. Reliance on one means of power generation is in the limited and narrow interests of the few who control that one source of power, thus it must be anticipated there will be obstacles to the diversification the nation actually needs. Progress to a better world for our posterity is always, and has always been, opposed by the few who seek their own short term and personal goals.

We must be prepared to meet opposition to the right things, for, the monopolistic ways effectively accrue more and more po-

How times have changed Reading repeated reports of the prime minister’s wards being involved in different money scams sets one on thinking how times have changed in Pakistan during the past half a century. During my early period of service in the early sixties, I was stationed at a 25 acre Poultry Re-

litical power to the interests which conflict with the greater good. Beyond gas, coal and oil, there are other, renewable, sources of power generation which absolutely must be kept viable, so that the uses for oil gas and coal will be amply supplied.

Diversification will yield supplies for all purposes. hydroelectric, wind, geothermal, etc are not suitable for all purposes, but for some purposes are ideal, thus, using the sustainable fuel sources will leave the other fossil fuels available for the uses for which there are no substitutes.

KIRAN KHAN Lahore

search Station near the Lahore airport as provincial poultry research officer of West Pakistan. The then Governor’s son Malik Asad was sent by his father Amir Muhammad Khan of Kalabagh for one week’s training at the poultry research station. he would come in a personal small car and not in an official car and it was

“Attempting to find a true military and political answer to the problem in Afghanistan would take a decade”, informs Maureen Dowd quoting US congressman Walter Jones (March 22).

Since Pakistan was found a sort of a bonus country between US and Afghanistan, we may take more time for many more answers.

Z A KAZMI Karachi

A seasoned politician In the prevailing circumstances particularly, though even otherwise, whatever remarks and observations are made by the Chief Justice of Pakistan, these matter very much and carry considerable weight, indeed.

Reports said that Ch Shujaat hussain along with party’s Secretary General Mushahid hussain Sayyid had appeared before the Supreme Court during the hearing of a constitutional petition regarding election expenses and reforms.

The apex court had asked all political parties to appear but, as the reports mentioned, PML (Q) was the only party whose top leadership was present there.

As per the reports, the CJP appreciated the presence of Ch Shujaat hussain and Mushahid hussain Sayyid and remarked with a smile that they knew Ch Shujaat hussain, his sentences were very brisk and comprehensive and he says big things in short and nice manner. This is not all. The CJP went on to remark further that Ch Shujaat hussain possessed strong nerves and was always working for strengthening of institutions.

This is indeed a big tribute paid by the CJP to a seasoned politician whose respect for rule of law and the regard for judiciary have thus been duly recognised and appreciated in these few words.

Like some other parties who had opted to send their lawyers to represent them in the apex court of the country, the PML(Q) top leadership could also do that to honour the obligation. But the PML(Q) president and the secretary preferred to appear themselves in person in response to the direction of the Supreme Court.

ABDUL SAMAD KHWAJA Karachi

moral depravity

learnt that the governor did not permit his sons to even stay in the governor house.

These days one keeps on hearing of news of massive frauds that all connect in one way or another to the prime minister’s house which is very disconcerting.

DR MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI Lahore

It is highly deplorable that our society is going towards moral decline. Cars and mobile snatching has become a matter of common experience in Karachi. If the victims resist, he loses his life on the spot. The worst point is that the robbers belong to noble families. The poor parents are quite ignorant of the fact that their beloved ones are involved in such a crime. In short, life, property and honour all are insecure. It is against the prestige of an Islamic society. Actually, moral teaching and knowledge is the solution to the problem. Authorities concerned are, therefore, requested to look into the matter and do the needful.

AIMAN ZEHRA Karachi

needs special care to be applied as it causes abortion in early pregnant animals. Other protocols are applied for AI purpose but all require detection of the estrus by the farmers and then animals inseminated at proper time.

To avoid the problem of heat detection in AI, the protocol ovulation synchronization (ovsynch) was applied in the year 1995, where animals were inseminated at fixed time without arranging any prevalent program of heat detection. This protocol needs two injection of Gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRh) administered seven days before and 48 hours after a Prostaglandin (PGF2α) injection and animals are inseminated 16 to 20 hours after the second injection of GnRh. This brought synchrony in follicular maturation and regression of Corpus Luteum (a structure in the ovary which controls the duration of estrous cycle of a female animal).

The induced ovulation by second GnRh permits Timed Artificial Insemination (TAI). This protocol gave acceptable fertility results without worrying for heat detection. Keeping in view, a re-

search project was designed at UVAS to compare double ovsynch protocol with standard ovsynch.

For this purpose, animals were divided into three groups (Group 1 taken as control with ovsynch; Group 2 was administered double ovsynch with 50 micrograms in all GnRh injections while Group 3 was administered double ovsynch with 100 micrograms in final GnRh). All the animals were inseminated 16 hours after the last injection of the protocol. Twelve days after AI, blood samples were collected for progesterone hormone (maintain the pregnancy) levels in the laboratory.

There was no significant difference of progesterone level was observed in all three groups, while pregnancy rate in group 3 treated with double ovsynch with 100 micrograms in final GnRh was significantly higher. It is therefore, concluded that farmers can improve pregnancy rate of their dairy animals by adopting the third protocol of the study which do not need any heat detection program.

DR AIJAZ ALI CHANNA UVAS, Lahore

Profitability of commercial dairy farms Pakistan is basically an agricultural country with seventy percent of its population residing in rural areas. Livestock is the major component of this agricultural based economy which contributes 55 percent of its total share and contributes 11.5 percent to the national GDP. It provides directly or indirectly livelihood to over 30 percent of its rural population. The productivity of these livestock need to substantially increase to meet the future challenges of continuously increase in human population. eighty percent of livestock are raised by landless and small holders. Future increase in animal productivity can play marked role in poverty alleviation in the country.

With the passage of time where other technologies are developed and adapted in livestock sector, breeding system of animals also changed and modern biotechnologies adapted, one of them is Artificial Insemination (AI).Presently, commercial dairy farming is one of the major fast growing industries of Pakistan. This needs proper managemental systems of nutrition, health care and reproductive health control.

effective reproduction in dairy animals is a key to their profitability and a cow must give birth to a calf every year.

Low fertility rate in dairy animals is a major issue. The prolong service period (duration from the day of parturition to successful animal breeding) results in longer calving interval due to anestrous (without heat signs) or poor expression of heat signs which are commonly recorded in high milk yielding cows.

The long calving intervals result in keeping the unproductive cows for long periods. To avoid the problem of heat detection for AI purpose, many protocols have been developed. The first protocol was the use of two injections of Prostaglandin F2α given at the start day of this protocol and animals were observed 72 hours for signs of heat after injection and inseminated at proper time (12 hours after the onset of heat signs).

Those animals which did not respond to first injection of the protocol received second injection ten days after first injection and observed for heat signs and inseminated. Using this protocol treated animals responded poorly and variation in time to onset of heat. This protocol

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.

KHI 01-04-2012_Layout 1 4/1/2012 6:21 AM Page 12

12 comment Pak-US relations the buck passed to the parliament

W

ithin hours of the attack on Salala checkposts, the government – which was under pressure from well-known quarters – immediately stopped Nato supplies through land routes and ordered the closure of the Shamsi airbase. Instead of playing a leading role, the government passively endorsed one hawkish decision after another taken at some other forum. It agreed to boycott the Bonn conference and suspend the trilateral dialogue. Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani meanwhile upped the ante in the standoff with the US by vowing to respond to any future ‘aggression’ by US and Nato troops in Afghanistan with ‘full force’ regardless of its consequences. he also permitted the troops to respond to any attack without waiting for directions from the command. As these momentous decisions were being taken, no one cared to seek the parliament’s opinion.

Now that the chickens are coming home to roost, the parliament is being asked to take the responsibility for what others want to be done. The army which has all along relied on the US for latest weapons and military aid cannot cut the umbilical cord. The prolongation of the standoff could hurt vital security interests. American military leaders are pondering over relying on India in case of failure of talks with Pakistan while some of the Congressmen are supporting the demand for the separation of Balochistan.

Questions are being raised regarding the security of the Pakistani nukes arsenal. The already strong anti-US sentiment, stoked further by the DPC which has suddenly burst onto the political scene as if created by a magician’s wand, stands in the way of making up with the US. A decision seems already to have been taken by those who matter to open the Nato supply routes after some face saving announcement from Washington. What they want is that the parliament take the responsibility.

There is a need on the part of Gen Kayani to tell the parliament that wider national interests require a revival of the ties with Washington. The government should also take an identical stand in the joint session. Unless this is done, there is little likelihood of a consensus in the parliament.

Flaws in judicial system Admitting one’s own shortcomings

L

ahore high Court Chief Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed did not mince his words when expressing his dissatisfaction with the judicial system; he conceded that there were deficiencies in it, saying certain targets of the judicial movement were yet to be achieved. But he was not depressed because he believed that judiciary was part of the solution, not the problem.

The CJ was responding to criticism by some members of the legal fraternity at a ceremony organised by the LhC Bar Association’s Rawalpindi chapter on Friday. he gave patient hearing to those who scathingly criticised the attitude of some judges and demanded that before appointment their conduct, capacity and capabilities should be examined.

There is no doubt that our judicial system is replete with substantive deficiencies but what is significant is that the chief justice of the country’s biggest province admits it publicly. “My responsibility is to the extent of Punjab, where too the situation is not satisfactory,” he said, adding about 85 percent of the entire litigations was in this province.

There is no disputing his assertion that the number of judicial officers in Punjab was comparatively less than other provinces. But this might not be the only reason for abysmally low rate of disposal of cases at the level of subordinate judiciary; the fault lies with delay in the submission of challans and the system of police investigation which remains extremely flawed. It was, however, good to hear from Chief Justice Azmat Saeed that he was responsible for ensuring access to every citizen who was living in his jurisdiction.

As for the superior judiciary, it was rightly observed that it could not deliver what the people had expected of it after the restoration of judges. It certainly got involved in other issues. The situation would have been different had it focused on resolving important constitutional matters than taking cognisance of the secondary issues which fall in the executive’s domain.

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor

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

Sunday, 1 April, 2012

Khudi is sovereignty power as a trust of god

By Humayun Gauhar

I

have understood after years that the best english language word for Iqbal’s concept of Khudi is ‘sovereignty’. I’ll tell you why.

The english language words and phrases currently used to describe Khudi do not convey the meaning of the concept entirely, not every nuance and layer of it. Not ‘Self’ or ‘pride’ nor phrases like ‘self-esteem’ and ‘selfrecognition’. Don’t get me wrong. All these words are certainly relevant to the concept because they represent some dimension of Khudi, but not the whole gamut. For better understanding, Khudi has also to be felt – head and heart both come into play. Which is why I call the translations of Khudi inadequate.

I have struggled with this for long.

It’s not easy to convey the full meaning of all the nuances in a word, much less a concept. That is why any translation of the Quran is also inadequate, which is why most ‘translators’ call it ‘interpretation’, which is almost always accompanied by footnotes explaining the event that sometimes led to a particular revelation and often by commentary or a tafheem towards understanding – fehm.

The idea that I am about to tell you came upon me when for some reason I was thinking of the phrase that is part of the prayer loudly and repeatedly proclaimed by Muslims when they go to Mecca for pilgrimage – “Lakka wal Mulk” – “None other than You has sovereignty” – ‘You’ being God. Now the concept of sovereignty is very important not just in Islam but also in all contemporary political philosophies, theories, constructs and practices.

So it should be for humankind, collectively and individually, because in Islam God has conditionally devolved that portion of his sovereignty on Man that he needs to conduct his temporal or worldly affairs properly and in accordance with God’s injunctions. In turn, it is Man that has conceived and created states and devolved part of his God-bestowed sovereignty on them to look after him and his land according to God’s immutable fundamentals and principles and to jealously guard its citizens’ sovereignty. If it is unable to do so, the state either ceases to exist or its government loses legitimacy and

should go.

God devolved his sovereignty on Man because he has called humankind his greatest creation, Ashraf ul Makhlooqat, which is why he has made Man his Khalifa or vicegerent on earth. Without the devolution of some of God’s sovereignty on humankind, Man would not be equipped to be God’s Khalifa for he would not be able to look after his worldly affairs or discharge his obligations to God and his creations and practice Haqooq ul Ibad which means looking after all of God’s Creation. Khalifa also became the title of Muslim rulers after the Prophet (pbuh) died. Khalifa the ruler is called ‘caliph’ in english. In early Islam, the Khalifa was the temporal ruler as well as the spiritual leader or Imam. Later these two functions were split, but this is not the place to go into that.

Because God has made Man his Khalifa, the use of the word Khalifa for ruler is unfortunate, for it smacks of ‘divine right’. A person can be first amongst others, certainly, but not alone be God’s Khalifa. Only the whole of ongoing humanity is. Divine right was not just a western concept to give legitimacy to a king or potentate. One of the honorifics of our Mughal kings of India was Zil-e-Ilahi, meaning image or face of God, which is repugnant to Islam. It was much the same with the Japanese emperor and the King of Siam (Thailand) and Cyrus and Darius in Persia.

Once he was made Khalifa and given part of God’s sovereignty, it became Man’s duty to conduct his affairs according to God’s immutable fundamental principles. Deviation from God’s principles can cause a lifting of that devolved sovereignty. Think of all those countries today that have lost all or part of their sovereignty. Perhaps God too has lifted our sovereignty for failing to conduct our affairs as he has ordained. I don’t know.

We tend to limit sovereignty to state sovereignty. But God has devolved his sovereignty directly on Man, not on states or rulers and dynasties.

Thus it is human beings that are sovereign, not temporary states that are not divine but human creations. It is the citizens of states who devolve part of their God-bestowed sovereignty on the states they live in to look after and protect their sovereignty within the divine framework. Failure to do so is a failure against Man and God, which is one reason why states come and go. how many different states has the land you live on seen over time? how many more will it see? Yes, states come and go but the land and the people who live on it go nowhere.

Only slaves lose their sovereignty completely to other men, and believe me there are still many around. Bonded labour or the iniquitous terms of employment workers get or the degradation of women and their often sub-human treatment is slavery by another name.

States are not God-made but modern man-made entities with demarcated geographic boundaries and citizenship acts, passports and visas, despite the fact that the earth belongs to God and Man can live on it anywhere.

Let us recap: 1. All sovereignty belongs to God. 2. God creates Man and devolves part of his sovereignty on him to live life on earth in accordance with his injunctions.

3. Because he has devolved his sovereignty on Man, God appoints him his Khalifa or vicegerent on earth.

4. Man creates states and devolves part of his God-devolved sovereignty on them to look after its citizens and all of God’s creation within its realm.

5. When governments lose all or part of their sovereignty, the human beings living in it also lose all or part of their sovereignty.

6. To make sovereign Man lose any of his God-given sovereignty is the real crime and sin against Man and God. Sovereignty can be lost either to other states or within a state to an iniquitous anti-God status quo.

7. The people, not rulers, governments or systems are the Khalifa and they have the choice either to tolerate governments and dispensations that cause loss of sovereignty or dissociate themselves from them or throw them out. Failure to do so and only complain symbolizes their impotence and loss of sovereignty.

Thus I came to the conclusion – at least for now for I don’t know where my future musings will lead me – that what Iqbal means by Khudi is sovereignty.

So when he exhorts us to recognise and raise our Khudi, he is asking us to regain, preserve, protect and purify the sovereignty that God has devolved on us individually and collectively. Iqbal’s famous but much-misunderstood verse, Khudi ko kar buland itna, keh har taqdeer say pehlay; Khuda banday say kuch poochay, bataa tairey raza kya hai does not literally mean ‘Raise your Khudi so high that before determining each fate God asks Man what he wishes his destiny to be’. Iqbal means preserve and protect your sovereignty and become masters of your fate.

What Iqbal says is equally applicable to Muslims as to those who claim to be non-Muslims, for God did not devolve his sovereignty on Muslims alone but on humankind as a whole. he devolved his sovereignty on Man regardless of faith, religion, colour, ethnicity, tribe, clan and what have you. That is why I used the phrase, “those who claim to be non-Muslims” because all good human beings regardless of religion are Muslims. Faith is faith, the same for all but expressed in different ways.

The writer is a political analyst.

He can be contacted at humayun.gauhar786@gmail.com

Regional press

talks for peace Daily Pashtun Post

W

ith the start of strikes against Afghanistan in the name of the war on terror, any chance and hope for peace in the region were dashed. The US actions, one after the other, backfired and contributed more to instability and violence in the war-torn region than contributing to peace and stability.

It is because the land of Afghanistan has proved to be area of defeat for the allied forces.

The US was here in Afghanistan with an aim of seeking permanent bases in the country but it seems that it will not be able to fulfil this aim as it is facing interminable losses on all fronts in Afghanistan and its ailing economy will be hard-pressed to sustain any kind of prolonged military presence in the country. This is why they want to cut their losses and run now. The proof is in the fact that the Americans are seeking talks with the Taliban for peace and have duly opened an office at Qatar for the same purpose.

The question is whether the plan to have a military presence

in Afghanistan by the US has yielded any result or has the US realised the mistake it committed in plunging into the region without thinking the entire thing through.

Pakistan should be praised for the role it has played in the larger interest of the region. Not only has Pakistan hosted millions of homeless Afghans for decades, it has also ceaselessly continued with its efforts for lasting peace in the region through cooperation with regional and global stakeholders.

The talks intended for peace in the region among various stakeholders cannot shun the importance of Pakistan to the whole process. But in the ultimate analysis, it is the Afghans who must have a solution of their liking. A solution that has been manufactured to cater to the interest of other stakeholders and powers will not sit well with the Afghans and will be doomed to fail from the start, as history has proved. Thus, the process must ensure that the Afghans are freely able to decide what is best for them.

-Translated from the original Pashto by Abdur Rauf Khattak

KHI 01-04-2012_Layout 1 4/1/2012 6:21 AM Page 13

Sunday, 1 April, 2012

April fool

On protesting peacefully some pakistanis just want to watch the world burn

pakistan declares bankruptcy

comradely musings

By Hashim bin Rashid

“P

akistan is declaring international bankruptcy and announce that it will default on all outstanding external debt,” President Asif Ali Zardari announced in an emergency address to a joint session of parliament on Sunday, 1 April, 2012.

Addressing the house in english, in an address also televised, the president spoke to a nervous assembly, “I know this appears like a difficult choice. But we have come to the conclusion that the path oft-taken is the path of greatest peril.”

Silence befell the assembly as Zardari continued, “Pakistan’s external debt has reached $62 billion. It is expected to rise to $72 billion by 2014-15. In 2010, we paid back $3.4 billion in debt servicing to the IMF. In 2012, we must pay back $1.2 billion, $2.9 billion in 2013, $4.3 billion in 2014, $2.6 billion in 2015. Pakistan’s external debt will need to increase by $20 billion in the next five years to fulfill the IMF-set requirements.”

“Pakistan does not have the choice to take more loans,” Zardari said, “Pakistan is already bankrupt and short-term funds from the IMF and international donors are not the solution. More loans mean more interest; more interest means more loans. That is the cycle that has brought our economy to collapse.”

“Between 2000 and 2010, the Pakistan government paid its foreign lenders $45.6 billion. Despite this, as the decade closed, overall debt increased by $20 billion,” Zardari said, “We expect the same to take place if the current policy continues. Pakistan can no longer afford to keep paying its loans. It is better to realise this today, rather than tomorrow.”

“The choice today is simple: to take another IMF tranche or declare bankruptcy. We choose the latter path,” Zardari told parliament members.

“Before we speak more, we must admit our errors. Pakistan joined the IMF in 1988. The ploy was set up by the military-backed caretaker government a day before Benazir Bhutto took power. But it was she that rubberstamped the first IMF tranche to Pakistan,” Zardari said.

“But we must not forget that the history of external debt goes back further. Foreign debt grew with the greatest speed in the period of military dictators. In 1978, Pakistan’s total external debt stood at $7.8 billion. At the end of the 1980s, it increased to $22 billion. At this stage, the total external debt was already 50 percent of the country’s GDP,” Zardari said.

“When the PPP government came in power in 2008, it inherited $52 billion in external debt. external debt increased by $20 billion in the Musharraf period. Our government also continued the mistake of raising the begging bowl,” Zardari said, “We

government has tried to follow the tax change agreement undertaken between the Musharraf dictatorship and the IMF and World Bank in 2004.

The reforms failed and the tax-toGDP ratio began to decline since.”

“The agreement does not make sense and the FBR will now formulate its own method to expand the tax base,” Zardari said, “Debt re-servicing has become the largest chunk of the national budget. More money is returned to our external lenders than comes in.”

“For the last 20 years, the Pakistan government has followed the IMF-driven policy of feeding its people a ‘bitter pill.’ The policy has translated into increasing the cost of everyday items and utilities,” Zardari said, “The price-hike means the people of Pakistan have come on the streets against the government. In response, we have decided to take the path taken by Argentina in 2001.”

addressing the international community, zardari asked, “We ask, why must the people of pakistan pay for loans taken by usurpers? Why must the people of pakistan be without bread to fill the coffers of the imf?” took a $7.6 billion 23-month tranche from the IMF. We inherited a bankrupt economy and decided to go the route of the IMF bailout. We were wrong.”

“To those that think the current decision has come out of nowhere, they are wrong. In November 2011, we rejected a $3.6 billion tranche from the IMF,” Zardari said, “The decision is merely the culmination of the earlier decision. A complete break from our external debt is required to move forward.”

“We stand by the resolution of the UN commission on International Law 1980, which says, ‘A state cannot be expected to close its schools, hospitals and universities, abandon public services to point of chaos, simply to have money to repay its foreign debts,’” Zardari said.

“Over the past year, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has called the role of the IMF ‘superimposing’ and criticised the IMF-driven tax reforms,” Zardari said, “The current

comment 13

“The IMF’s pill has provided us no cure. The time has come for the people of Pakistan to swallow the more difficult pill, one that promises to treat the cancerous tumor eating at its roots,” Zardari said, “The people of Pakistan will now make the choice of declaring international bankruptcy and begin to tread on the difficult path to economic self-sustainability.”

Addressing the international community, Zardari asked, “We ask, why must the people of Pakistan pay for loans taken by usurpers? Why must the people of Pakistan be without bread to fill the coffers of the IMF?” “We will now begin to tread the path to economic self-reliance,” Zardari said, “We hope the people of Pakistan will stand by us.”

The writer is a member of the Workers Party Pakistan and researches at the Lahore University of Management Sciences. He blogs at voiceamidstsilence.blogspot.com

By Saad Rasool

W

ith electricity loadshedding spiralling out of control, this week several cities of Punjab saw angry protestors take to the streets to vent and register their grievance publicly.

Result? Vandalised LeSCO and WAPDA offices, vehicles ablaze, blocked roads, burnt tyres, and skirmishes between the protestors and the police. And this was a peaceful week, by all Pakistani standards!

But the situation brings to the fore an issue that strikes at the core of our democratic freedoms and civic responsibilities: what, if any, limitations define the contours of our fundamental right to protest in a democratic set-up?

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: there can be no denying that the government, after four years in power, has failed in its responsibility to enact policy measures that ensure a reduction (let alone stoppage) in the power shortages across Pakistan. And as a result, demonstrations to register protest, with the aim of creating pressure and bringing about change, are not just people’s right but also their responsibility!

The right to assemble and protest (peacefully) is one of the ‘core freedoms’ of democracy, according to International Law. In other words, the right to protest (along with right to life/dignity, freedom of speech and freedom of conscience) is even more ‘fundamental’ than some of the other fundamental rights.

In Pakistan, this right

emanates from a reading together of four different articles the Constitution – Article 15 (Freedom of Movement), 16 (Freedom of Assembly), 17 (Freedom of Association), and 19 (Freedom of Speech). And the Constitution meticulously mandates that this right shall be unfettered so long as the demonstration is conducted “peacefully and without arms, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of public order”. These parameters delineate the thin line that separates a protest from anarchy. The right to protest is a fundamental freedom. To do so peacefully is the character of a civil and tolerant society.

Still, however, protests in Pakistan are hardly ever peaceful. Whether it is outrage against the power-cuts or gas-shortage, or some anti-American/Israeli rally, or a procession in favour of some religious fanatic, or simply some college students demanding that their exams be rechecked, there is hardly a jaloos or ‘strike’ in Pakistan that retains its moral highground by staying peaceful. It is as though we are a nation that only recognises a cause or a grievance that announces itself through the smell of burning rubber and the clamour of a vandalising mob. And we have become so accustomed to this routine that no legal action is even contemplated against those who damage public or private property during a protest or, worse yet, cause physical injury to fellow citizens.

Perhaps we have forgotten that throughout history, peaceful and nonviolent protests have yielded much better and longer-lasting results than violent ones. Buddha, St. Francis of Assisi, Mohandas Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, all encouraged various forms of nonviolent demonstrations to achieve their goals of peace

and justice. Intellectuals like Leo Tolstoy have passionately argued for social change via peaceful protests. The Solidarity movement in Poland used strikes and other peaceful methods to take control of the government from the communists.

And fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany inspired peaceful activists in hungary, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, and other eastern european states to achieve independence from Soviet-dominated governments.

The right to demonstration, in order to be healthy, must in fact be peaceful and non-violent. Any transgression of that – no matter how minor – breaks the tender fabric of the democratic social contract. Churchill encapsulated this when he famously said that one man’s freedom ends where the other’s nose begins. But that lesson seems lost on the demonstrators in Pakistan.

Martin Luther King once cautioned, “The limitation of riots, moral questions aside, is that they cannot win and their participants know it. hence, rioting is not revolutionary but reactionary because it invites defeat. It involves an emotional catharsis, but it must be follow be a sense of futility.” We must pay heed and understand these words. A declaration of the will of the people, for it to be heard, does not have to be accompanied by gunshots. It does not have to be shouted from rooftops or from the corpse of a charred building. The will of the people can be heard – unequivocally – even when it is expressed as a lowly whisper, as a quiet banner, as a welldelivered speech, or even as a moment of silence. And only through such (peaceful) ways, is it worth expressing.

The writer is a lawyer based in Lahore. He has a Masters in Constitutional Law from Harvard Law School. He can be reached at: saad@post.harvard.edu

KHI 01-04-2012_Layout 1 4/1/2012 6:23 AM Page 14

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Sunday, 1 April, 2012

ActOne ‘dances for a cause’

FASHION

Aliha Chaudary

LAHORe: ‘Rang Ja’ launched its first store at in the Urban Culture Building

kARACHI

A

neWs desK

C T O N e , Karachi’s oldest center for Arts and Wellness, recently conducted a dance flash mob at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture. The dance mob was conducted to help raise money for the Rahnuma Schooling Project, through which underprivileged children are able to get an education. ActOne Director hazan D who designed and managed the activity said: “Dance for a cause is the fourth effort in this direction and the aim of this activity was to spread the message of health and moderation, while at the same time gen-

erating funds for a noble cause.” More than 300 children gathered at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture and swayed to a dance sequence taught by renowned choreographer Joshinder Chaggar. Chaggar, better known as Josh, taught the crowd steps to the popular song ‘“Move Like Jagger’. It was quite a sight to see hundreds of arms and heads moving in unison, as the popular song pumped over loudspeakers.

Asma Ansari, who also works for ActOne, said: “We conducted Dance for a Cause4 in collaboration with Nokia to generate funds for the Rahnuma Schooling Project. hundreds of people joined us in dancing to ‘Moves Like a Jagger’. The event turned out to quite a success.”

Rang Ja plays with colours NEWS DESk Keeping the importance of life with colours in mind, the Bareeze Group has brought all the vibrant colours of summer in the form of their new ready to wear prêt line ‘Rang Ja’. The entire collection is an amalgamation of vivid colours and unique designs that not only make your wardrobe different but also give you a chic and stylish look. This new collection incorporates bold and beautiful colours that will make you go gaga.

These clothes have enough spunk to light up any wardrobe. The collection is not

limited to the choice of ‘chooridars’ or ‘long kurtas’ only but has also created some patterns that can either go with your jeans, slacks and colourful jeggings.

The ready to wear brand launched its first store at 120 Y-Block DhA (Urban Culture Building). Many renowned personalities attended the event which started with a ribbon cutting ceremony, followed by a fashion show, where models displayed stunning ‘Rang Ja’ outfits.

To integrate music with fashion, there was also a live performance by QB. The event was managed by jBnJaws and its PR was handled by encyclomedia PR.

the Colour Studio launched a new outlet in DHA

Unofficial ‘Aaradhya’ Priyanka Chopra goes to Dubai with The revenge of

mumBai: Priyanka Chopra and her alleged affair with Shah Rukh Khan had been the talk of the tinsel town for a long, long time. the fiasco reached a threatening crescendo- so much so, that wifey gauri Khan had to put a noose around Shah Rukh’s neck and pull him away from Piggy Chops. the quintessential wife didn’t stop merely at that. She made sure that the bone of contention in her marital life (read: Priyanka) was ostracized.

And what ensued thereafter, was the inevitable. the husband went that extra mile to prove his loyalty to his wife and the King treated Priyanka in an unbelievable way. Chopra, who was once seen by Shah Rukh’s side on every single social gathering, received the cold shoulder from Shah Rukh. Of course, the act of ignoring her didn’t go down well with Priyanka. And thus began her crawl up the ladder of recognition. Once she was roped in for ‘Krrish 3’, Priyanka cleverly manoeuvred her way. She got back into the limelight. She had managed to redeem herself in the eyes of Hrithik Roshan. thereafter, one by one she made peace with the people Shah Rukh is known to be at loggerheads with-yes, beginning with Salman Khan. After Salman, it was the turn to win over the other KhanAamir. Priyanka, this time too, had Lady Luck by her side. She dropped in on Aamir on the sets of an ad film shoot and surprised the actor. And before long, the two were seen in an animated tete-a-tete over tea. Priyanka, no doubt, has proved her mettle. What remains to be seen is the look on Shah Rukh’s face and the feelings in his heart when he finds out what his ex-‘good friend’ has been up to. agencies

mom Aishwarya

mumbai: even though it is a well known fact now that Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai have named their daughter ‘Aaradhya’, there hasn’t been any official announcement about the baby’s name by the Bachchan family. Abhishek had recently stated that the name of his daughter had been decided and he would make an official announcement shortly. But so far they have been mum about the name, even though the press has already gotten to know it. the Bachchans recently sent boxes of sweets to members of the press announcing the birth of the little one. the card inside the box simply said, “Jaya and Amitabh Bachchan, take pleasure in announcing the birth of their granddaughter. Daughter of Abhishek and Aishwarya Bachchan born on sixteenth november two thousand and eleven.” meanwhile, sources stated that the name was registered as the baby needed a name for her passport. Aaradhya took her first trip abroad with mom Aishwarya to the Dubai World Cup. Apparently the trip was planned in advance and elaborate arrangements were made to make sure Ash and the baby would have a comfortable journey.

“She is still nursing Aaradhya, who is nearly five months old. the trip was planned well in advance to get the baby’s passport in order. Since this is the first time Aaradhya is travelling abroad, all necessary precautions have also been taken. they will return on Sunday.” But the question still remains that if the name has already been decided, why is the family keeping mum about it? Agencies

January wedding for Saif and Bebo? mumBai: Speculations have been rife about the impending marriage of Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor for some time now. the couple, who have been dating for many years now, have remained evasive about the issue and only hinted about their wedding plans. But now, according to a tabloid, the couple is most likely to tie the knot in January 2013. A source close to the couple said, “Saif and Kareena have decided to tie the knot early next

KHI 01-04-2012_Layout 1 4/1/2012 6:24 AM Page 15

Katy Perry’s ‘Part Of Me’ video slammed for propaganda

15 Simon Cowell rejected Britney Spears for ‘X-Factor’?

LOS ANGELES

F

agencies

e M I N I S T author Naomi Wolf has a big problem with Katy Perry’s lastest music video, ‘Part of Me.’ Wolf is asking the public to boycott the singer’s video because she claims it’s propaganda for the US Marines Corps. Perry’s latest video features the singer breaking up with a boyfriend and doing her best ‘G.I. Jane’ impersonation as she cuts her hair and joins the Marines. “have you all seen the Katy Perry Marines video?” Wolf posted on her Facebook page on Sunday. “It is a total piece of propaganda for the Marines. I really want to find out if she was paid by them for making it. It is truly shameful.” The author added, “I would suggest a boycott of this singer whom I really likedif you are as offended at this glorification of violence as I am.” Perry hasn’t said if she was paid by the military to feature them in her video, but she told MTV she deliberately chose them because they best represent the song.

“It’s an affirmation of strength, so I wanted to go the strongest route I ever could,” she explained. “Literally, I was like, ‘I’m gonna join the service. I’m gonna join the Marines.’ For three days, I was a wannabe Marine, which was so difficult.”

Dj Shahrukh & Fatima

Rihanna ready to start working on her new album

Carrie Underwood finds ‘real things’ to sing about

LOS ANGELES agencies

Wajid & Sahar

Faisal & Jahanzaib

Anushey Asad

year. It would either be January 2013 or early February. the venue and the functions are to be finalised.” Kareena had hinted that she would become the ‘Begum of Pataudi’ by the end of this year, while promoting ‘Agent Vinod’. In fact, news had it that the couple was planning to tie the knot soon after the release of ‘Agent Vinod’. But now it seems, both Saif and Kareena are busy completing their film projects and have postponed their wedding to a later date. Kareena is currently shooting for madhur Bhandarkar’s ‘Heroine’.

Post ‘Heroine’, she will start working on Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film with Ranveer Singh which will be wrapped up by the end of this year. the wedding dates will be chalked out after that. earlier this year, Saif had said, “marriage is a question that I won’t answer until I am done with the release of ‘Agent Vinod’.” agencies

Rihanna is ready to start work on her next new album. The 24y e a r - o l d songstress has a rough idea of what her seventh studio album will entail. “Right now we’re working on collecting and creating the sound first before we even start working on the lyrical direction or melodies,” Rihanna said. “I kind of have an idea though, and it’s very rough right now.” After working with electronic dance music DJ Calvin harris on her last album’s first single ‘We Found Love,’ Rihanna’s rough idea may include some house beats. She recently met with electronic duo Chase and Status to discuss her upcoming album. ‘We Found Love,’ dominated the Billboard hot 100 Chart for 10 consecutive weeks at the No. 1 spot. Though the video came under some fire from anti-rape campaigners for its “disgraceful” content, the song’s 10-week streak was a personal best for the singer. The last female artist to achieve such a feat was Beyonce with her 2006 hit ‘Irreplaceable.’ Before Rihanna devotes all of her time to the next hit album, she will first reveal a new fashion-related project, and the venture may have something to do with her TV talent hunt for a new fashion designer.

Salman Khan gifts an item song to

Ajay Devgn mumBai: Bollywood is a mutually admiration and gifting film industry. Actors do not mind lending their starry appeal to good friends. the latest in case is Salman Khan who will be doing an item number in an Ajay Devgn film.

Ajay Devgn is ensuring that his next film ‘Son of Sardar’ that also stars Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha and Juhi Chawla gets bigger and better.

So when he asked good friend Salman Khan for an item song in the film, Salman agreed without second thoughts. the song will soon be shot in mumbai on a lavish scale. And in true Bollywood style, Salman will be apparently doing the item song without taking any fee for it. What are friends for after all.

Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn have been good friends ever since they did ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ a decade back. though ‘London Dreams’ might have bombed at the box-office, it only got them closer as friends. Just last year Ajay Devgn did a cameo in Salman Khan’s ‘Ready’. now it’s Salman’s time to return the favour. agencies

NASHVILLE ReuteRs

Carrie Underwood says she’s glad she took some time off from country music following her marriage to hockey star Mike Fisher in 2010. After storming the country music scene since her 2005 ‘American Idol’ win, her almost two-year break from recording and touring helped her find “real things to sing about”, and write what she calls her fun, rocking new single ‘Good Girl.’ “I feel like so many people get stuck. They write, they get songs together, they make an album, they go on tour. Then they do it all over again. I just wanted to change things up. I can’t have stuff to write about if I don’t have a life,” Underwood told Reuters. The singer says taking that time off allowed her to remember what it’s like to be normal. Underwood, 29, will be performing the single - the first from her upcoming album ‘Blown Away’ - at the Academy of Country Music Awards. She also is nominated for best female vocalist and best vocal event for her duet ‘Remind Me’ with Brad Paisley. ‘Good Girl,’ and its edgy music video, see Underwood showing off her rock chick side in a departure from the pop country that marked earlier hits like ‘Jesus, Take the Wheel’ and ‘Cowboy Casanova.’ Underwood said it was cool to be nominated for awards, especially when she has been away for some time. “It’s really amazing to still be remembered in the female vocalist category even though the industry and my fans haven’t necessarily heard me on the radio (or seen) me all over the place,” she said.

LOS ANGELES agencies

Music mogul Simon Cowell reportedly isn`t excited about the prospect of Britney Spears joining the judges` panel of ‘XFactor’. The pop star has apparently expressed interest but Cowell thinks Spears won’t be able to deliver good advice, reported Us magazine. “Simon’s worried she won’t be able to deliver good advice, and he’s afraid contestants won’t take her seriously,” a show insider said of the British producer, 50, who doesn’t want his programme’s brand associated with the formerly troubled teen idol.

When it comes to filling the vacant spots on the panel, Cowell is also hoping to sign on someone with a little more experience in the business. “he’ll probably go more in the direction of Mariah Carey or Janet Jackson,” the show source added.

Sobia Zuha launches new outlet NEWS DESk Islamabad-based fashion designer Sobia Zuha brings her fabulous outfits to her newly launched fashion store in Islamabad. The launch of Sobia’s store will provide fashionistas a variety of Sobia Zuha Collection items that include her bridal wear, formal wear, party wear, prêt line and couture. The launch of the store was a glittery event where fashion models Fauzia, Rubab, eshal, and Alyzeh were seen wearing Sobia Zuha outfits. Actress and host Mishi Khan, makeup artist Janie Liang, and event organiser Rezz Aly Shah were also part of the launch.

Hrithik Roshan’s

prosthetics weigh down ‘Krrish’ team

mumBai: On the sets of the ‘Krrish’ sequel, you will find a rather old, wrinkled Hrithik Roshan roaming around on the sets.

But that’s only till lunchtime. Post lunch, if you look, you will see the superhero Hrithik shooting. Hrithik, who plays the role of the father (aged 60) as well as the superhero son (around 30 years of age) in ‘Krrish 3’, has been shooting for both the parts.

While the first half of the day is reserved for the father, the rest of the day is given to the son. But the crew has been unable to stick to this schedule too well. And in midst of the father-son timetable, the film’s lead actress Priyanka Chopra is often left waiting. the inability to stick to the time schedule can be attributed the heavy prosthetics that Hrithik has to wear to gain thirty years every morning. “A leading makeup artist has been flown in for Hrithik. the process takes around four hours.

Hrithik has to wear new teeth, a padded tummy, a grey wig and an artificial wrinkled skin,” revealed a source from the unit. needless to say, often this makeup process delays the second half of the day. And invariably, Priyanka is left waiting in her van. She plays the waiting game. “Her scenes depend entirely on how much time Hrithik takes to put and remove the makeup.

She has to wait until he gets ready. On most days the shoot gets over by 9 pm. But the 15 hours on the sets are tough. He has to get into the skin of the two very different characters that he plays,” the source added. agencies

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16 Foreign News

Sunday, 1 April, 2012

Syria declares it has defeated revolt DAMASCUS afp

S

YRIA’S regime declared on Saturday it has defeated those seeking to bring it down while reiterating support for a UN-Arab peace plan, as its troops reportedly shelled rebels in the city of homs.

Foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdisi, cited by the official SANA news agency, also said Syrian troops would only draw back from urban areas once the security situation is stable.

The United Nations says more than 9,000 people have been killed in the crackdown by forces of President Bashar alAssad on an Arab Spring-inspired uprising that began a year ago with pro-democracy protests. “The battle to topple the state is over, and the battle to solidify stability... and move on towards a renewed Syria has begun,” Makdisi said in an interview orig-

inally carried on state television.

The spokesman said the Assad government’s focus was also to “rally visions behind the reform process” and “prevent those who seek to sabotage reform.” Troops would only withdraw from residential zones once they were secure, Makdisi said, adding UNArab League envoy Kofi Annan acknowledged there were “illegitimate armed elements within the opposition”. “The presence of the Syrian Arab army in Syrian cities is for defensive purposes (so) as to protect the civilians,” he said. “Once peace and security prevail, the army is to pull out.” SANA said Makdisi made the appearance on television in a bid to explain to Syrians why the government had this week accepted Annan’s six-point peace plan. Annan appealed for an immediate ceasefire on Friday, as monitors said at least 39 people — all but seven of them civilians — were killed in Syria as security forces sought to crush the revolt.

Shells rained down on the flashpoint central city of homs on Friday, as thousands of people protested nationwide against what they regard as the inaction of Arab governments dealing with the crisis.

The Syrian Observatory for human Rights said a child was killed on Saturday by rocket fire in the Bayada area of homs, where troops fired shells at rebels in its Khaldiyeh district at the rate of one a minute. The monitoring group also reported heavy fighting near Damascus and in the southern province of Daraa, cradle of the uprising, with at least seven people reported killed nationwide. Saudi Arabia and its neighbour Qatar have called for arming the opposition, which includes the Free Syrian Army made up of Syrian military defectors. Makdisi said the Istanbul gathering was not of Syria’s friends, “and its agenda does not include friendship towards Syria, but enmity.”

Syria agrees to visit to weigh observer mission DAMASCUS afp

Syria has agreed to admit a UN team of experts to examine conditions for a possible observer mission in the violence-swept country, the foreign ministry spokesman said on Saturday. “Regarding the plan of (international peace envoy) Kofi Annan, the major next step will be the signing of the protocol addressing the question of observers,” Jihad Makdisi said, quoted by the official SANA news agency. “Syria will soon welcome an ad hoc delegation to negotiate the mechanism of its (deployment),” he added, without specifying dates. UN officials said on Friday that the world body is making plans for at least 250 observers to be sent to Syria if the government halts its offensive on protesters and gives its agreement for the international force. Damascus has accepted Annan’s six-point peace plan, which calls for a commitment by all parties to cease all armed violence, under UN supervision, while claiming success in halting the attacks carried out by “terrorist groups.” At present the plan would be for the observers to be unarmed but under the protection of Syrian government forces, according to one senior diplomat at the United Nations. The observers would mostly come from UN missions in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the Golan heights between Syria and Israel (UNDORF) and in South Sudan (UNMISS), the diplomat added.

16 dead in tribal clashes in Libya’s Sabha TRIPOLI afp

Kuala lampuR: people gather in front of malaysia's iconic patronas twin towers (c) as they stand unlit during earth hour on saturday. millions of people were expected to switch off their lights for earth hour on march 31, in a global effort to raise awareness about climate change. AFP

Sydney turns off as Earth Hour kicks in SYDNEY afp

Australia’s Sydney harbour Bridge and Opera house were plunged into darkness on Saturday for the annual earth hour campaign, leading a global effort to raise awareness about climate change. In a twist to this year’s earth hour, Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers will observe from the International Space Station countries around the world turn off the lights for 60 minutes from 8:30pm local time and post photos. From Sydney’s sparkling harbour to egypt’s Tahrir Square and New York’s empire State Building, thousands of cities will go dark when the switches are flicked in some 150 countries and territories. “From the Sydney Opera house it was fantastic,” said Marni Ryan, from organiser WWF Australia. “We had the skyline of Sydney all out.” The Pacific island nation of Samoa was the first to make the symbolic gesture, with New Zealand’s city landscapes later dramatically darkened as lights on buildings such as Auckland’s Sky Tower were cut.

French police speak of detained Islamists’ kidnap plot MARSEILLE afp

Several of the 17 people detained by French police in a crackdown on suspected Islamist networks might have been plotting a kidnap, the head of the police intelligence’s unit said Saturday.

“They appeared to be preparing a kidnap,” Bernard Squarcini of the Central Directorate for Domestic Intelligence (DCRI) told La Provence newspaper. he did not elaborate on the alleged plot, but said the group was made up of “French nationals” who were involved in “collective war-like training, linked to a violent, religious indoctrination.”

Some of those arrested belonged to a suspected extremist group called Forsane Alizza, he said.

“The group was dissolved as of February 29 and the funds of 26 of its members were frozen, but they continued to carry out physical training exercices in parks and woods

and sought weapons,” Squarcini told the Marseille-based newspaper.

They were involved in paintball gun games, he said.

Interior Minister Claude Gueant, for his part, told le Parisien newspaper that “members of Forsane Alizza took part in weekly physical training which can be considered paramilitary training.” The arrests on Friday took place in several cities, including Toulouse, where extremist gunman Mohamed Merah was shot dead by police last week after a series of coldblooded shootings that left seven dead, including three Jewish children.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the arrests were not directly linked to the Merah case, but he has called on police to increase its surveillance of “radical Islam” in what the opposition has described as a vote-catching move just a month ahead of a presidential election. In the course of the latest arrests, police recovered “several computers, sim cards, weapons, money, 10,000 euros in small notes, four Kalashnikov rifles, eight rifles,

seven or eight handguns, a taser, tear gas grenades,” Squarcini said. At least two of the Kalashnikov rifles were not serviceable, police sources said. Those detained were still being held on remand Saturday, police said. Alleged Forsane Alizza leader, Mohammed Achamlane, is among them. his lawyer, Benoit Poquet, Saturday denied that his client was involved in terrorist activities. “My client categorically denies ever having taken part in any sort of terrorist activity,” Poquet told Presse Ocean newspaper.

The lawyer also suggested the whole case was brought to the fore “because of the electoral campaign”.

The DCRI has come under criticism because of its failure to keep track of Merah, despite the fact that he travelled to Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2010 and 2011.

The conservative government this week rejected a call by the socialist opposition, which controls the Senate, parliament’s upper house, for a hearing of intelligence chiefs into the matter.

At least 16 people were killed on Saturday in new clashes between the Toubou people and Arab tribesmen in the southern Libyan desert oasis of Sabha, local and medical sources told AFP. A doctor at Sabha hospital, treating Arab casualties, said eight people were killed and another 50 wounded in fighting between the early morning and noon. A Toubou tribal source said eight of their people were also killed.

“We haven’t slept since yesterday. The Toubou have been attacking Sabha since three in the morning, and they very nearly took the city. All the residents have taken up arms to defend it,” Dr Abdelrahman alArish told AFP. Adem al-Tebbawi, a local Toubou official, spoke of eight dead and “several wounded” on his side. Local sources said Toubou fighters who had been pushed back several kilometres (miles) south of Sabha launched a counter-attack very early on Saturday in a bid to re-enter the city. Other tribes accuse the Toubou of including foreign fighters among their ranks, notably from neighbouring Chad, a charge the Toubou deny. “The Arab tribes are stopping African immigrants working in the town and presenting them to the press as Toubou fighters come from abroad,” Tebbawi countered. “We have respected a truce and we want reconciliation, but the other tribes — especially the Awled Suleiman — have not stopped attacking us for several days. We have been deprived of both water and power,” he said. On Friday, Toubou chief Issa Abdel Majid Mansur accused Arab tribes in Sabha of bombarding a power station providing electricity to several parts of southern Libya including Qatrun and Morzuk, both areas with a strong Toubou presence. Telecommunications were also cut off, Mansur said, adding that “several” members of his tribe were killed that day. The former opposition activist against the ousted regime of slain dictator Moamer Kadhafi also called for international intervention to halt what he called “ethnic cleansing.” “We demand that the United Nations and european Union intervene to stop the ethnic cleansing of the Toubou,” Mansur said. The latest fighting erupted on Monday after Arab tribesmen accused the Toubou of killing one of their people. The first three days of clashes cost more than 70 lives, Libyan government spokesman Nasser al-Manaa said on Wednesday. At least another 24 people have been killed since then. The Toubou say they are defending themselves against attack by Arab tribesmen in the region, and have accused the Libyan authorities of backing those gunmen as part of a campaign of “ethnic cleansing.”

The Toubou are black oasis farmers by tradition who also have connections beyond Libya’s borders. They live in southern Libya, northern Chad and in Niger, and have previously denied having separatist ambitions. The Toubou have also been involved in deadly clashes with another tribe in the Saharan oasis of Kufra, where ethnic groups are locked in a standoff over smuggling.

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Sunday, 1 April, 2012

Foreign News 17

29 killed in armyQaeda clashes: Yemen officials ADEN afp

At least 29 people were killed in heavy fighting on Saturday between the army and suspected Al-Qaeda militants in Yemen’s southern province of Lahij, officials said. “Seventeen soldiers were killed in the fighting,” which erupted when the Islamist fighters attacked army positions in Mallah, a town in Lahij, an army officer on the ground told AFP. eleven others were missing and “believed dead,” said the same source. An official in the Al-Qaeda stronghold of Jaar, southeast of Lahij, said 12 militants were also killed. “The air force and ground troops are now shelling an army post which Al-Qaeda militants have managed to take over” in Mallah, the army officer said. Another military official said “two army tanks and three Al-Qaeda vehicles were destroyed in the fighting, (while) AlQaeda militants have seized several soldiers.” The attackers targeted the 119th and 201st army brigades, involved in military operations aimed at regaining control over Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan province southeast of Lahij, which the militants overran last May. In a text message received by AFP, the Al-Qaedalinked militants, who have named themselves Partisans of Sharia (Islamic law), claimed the attack which they declared as “Battle of Dignity.” They said “30 soldiers” were killed in the fighting but did not say how many of their men had died. On Friday, Al-Qaeda members sabotaged a 320-kilometre (200-mile) gas pipeline linking Marib province to Balhaf terminal on the Gulf of Aden, all in the country’s restive south. The pipeline attack came shortly after two US drone attacks in eastern Yemen targeted AlQaeda suspects killing seven people, six of them militants, according to a local official in Shabwa province.

China cracks down on Internet after coup rumours BEIJING

Kathmandu: nepalese priests carry the seto (white) machindranath, nepal's patron deity, during a chariot festival on saturday. hindu and Buddist devotees from the ethnic newar community of Kathmandu valley celebrate the seto machindranath festival by pulling wooden chariots across the city. AFP

Triple bomb attack kills 10 in Thailand YALA

T

afp

hRee bomb attacks minutes apart killed 10 people and wounded more than 100 on Saturday in the main town in Thailand’s insurgency-hit far south. The blasts hit the centre of Yala town around midday as families were out shopping, in the most deadly attack in five years in the Muslim-majority south of mainly Buddhist Thailand.

Several shop houses near the blast sites were set on fire and many parked cars and motorcycles were damaged by the powerful explosions.

“There were three bombs that exploded, the first is a car bomb and the second and third bombs were hidden in

motorcycles,” said Colonel Pramote Promin, spokesman for the southern army region.

Bomb squad officers were seen inspecting the mangled car wreckage at the site of the car bomb as firefighters doused blazes nearby. Rescue workers helped bloodied victims and searched for other wounded people as smoke filled the street. Ten people were in critical condition with severe burns, the public health ministry said. A Yala city policeman added: “The bombs went off about 10 minutes apart.” A nurse in the emergency unit of Yala provincial hospital told AFP nine dead and 112 wounded had been admitted, but police later said the death toll had risen to 10. One policeman was wounded in a separate motorcycle bomb attack in Mae Lan district of neighbour-

ing Pattani province, police said.

A complex insurgency, without clearly stated aims, has plagued Thailand’s far south near the border with Malaysia since 2004, claiming thousands of lives, both Buddhist and Muslim, with near-daily bomb or gun attacks. however, they are rarely as deadly as Saturday’s explosions. The insurgents are not thought to be part of a global jihad movement but are instead rebelling against a long history of perceived discrimination against ethnic Malay Muslims by successive Thai governments.

A string of shootings in Yala province left 10 people dead in August 2007, while nine people were killed by a bomb in a village in January last year, also in Yala.

Struggling to quell the unrest, authorities have imposed emergency rule in

the region, which rights campaigners say effectively gives the army legal immunity.

The military last week admitted troops had shot dead four Muslim villagers on their way to a funeral due to a “misunderstanding” in late January after apparently fearing they were under attack from militants.

One of the region’s deadliest incidents occurred on October 25, 2004, when seven people were shot dead as security forces broke up a protest in the town of Tak Bai, and 78 more suffocated or were crushed to death in trucks while being transported to a detention centre.

Rights groups have said the failure of Thai authorities to hold security forces to account over the deaths has fuelled further violence and alienation in the southern region.

afp

China has shut down websites, made a string of arrests and punished two popular microblogs after rumours of a coup linked to a major scandal that brought down a top politician. Authorities closed 16 websites for spreading rumours of “military vehicles entering Beijing and something wrong going on in Beijing”, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing the state Internet information office.

Police arrested six people, while the country’s two most popular microblogs, run by Sina.com and Tencent, said they would stop users from posting comments to other people’s posts until Tuesday. The crackdown follows a surge in unsubstantiated online rumours about a coup led by security chief Zhou Yongkang, following the March dismissal of rising political star Bo Xilai. Analysts say the political drama has exposed divisions in the ruling Communist Party as it prepares for a key leadership transition later this year. Bo, removed as party chief of the southwestern metropolis of Chongqing after his former police chief fled to a US consulate and reportedly demanded political asylum, had been tipped to join the country’s top echelons of power. his downfall was only lightly covered by China’s tightly controlled state media, opening the way for groundless rumours about a coup to spread on the Internet. In another sign of the state’s tight policing of the web — known as the “Great Firewall” — Xinhua said 1,065 people had been arrested since February 14 during an operation in Beijing to combat Internet crime. More than 3,000 websites had also received warnings after police targeted the smuggling of firearms, drugs and toxic chemicals, and the sale of human organs and personal information online, Xinhua said. In an editorial, the People’s Daily, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party, pledged to punish those responsible for the “lies and speculation”.

Myanmar prepares to vote with Suu Kyi poised for win

Boy, girl killed in Afghan acid attack ‘over friendship’ GHAZNI

YANGON afp

Myanmar was making final preparations Saturday for polls seen as a test of the military-dominated regime’s reforms, in which opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is standing for the first time. Many polling stations in the 45 constituencies spread across the country were already set up for the Sunday vote, which the Nobel laureate is contesting despite criticising it as not “genuinely free and fair”.

Suu Kyi arrived in her rural constituency of Kawhmu, about two hours drive from Yangon, Saturday evening in a convoy of six cars covered with stickers for her National League for Democracy (NLD) party. Small groups of people gathered to cheer her arrival, wearing NLD T-shirts and waving party banners and pictures of Suu Kyi. The participation of “The Lady” and the NLD has fuelled an explosion in the number of T-shirt vendors in the main commercial city of Yangon, with an every-increasing variety of styles, all of which would have been taboo just a year ago. “We must win,” states the latest design, a red shirt with Suu Kyi’s face printed in black. A carnival atmosphere pervaded in Mingalar Taung Nyunt township, one of six constituencies up for grabs in Yangon, on the last day of campaigning Friday. Large flatbed trucks crammed with people,

from young children to the elderly, travelled through the streets blaring music, including the popular campaign song about Suu Kyi “Our mom is back”.

There was obvious glee at being able to display political allegiance freely.

Many supporters, wearing red NLD bandanas and T-shirts, had plastered their faces with stickers of the party logo — a red background with a yellow fighting peacock and a white star. “We have done a lot of preparation for April 1. We have polling station representatives and people to provide information, because we want to know what’s

going on. The result will match people’s desires. The NLD must win,” local NLD candidate Phyu Phyu Thin told AFP. NLD supporters Saturday erected a giant LeD screen outside the party headquarters in Yangon to broadcast the results as they come in. In the city’s Mayangone constituency, officials set out tables and labelled ballot boxes at a polling station in a high school. “Authorities sent us a blueprint of how to prepare the polling station and we have laid it out exactly as they instructed,” said school teacher Myint Ngwe, who was in charge of the preparations. Suu Kyi on Friday renewed complaints of irregularities in the run up to the by-elections, including vandalism of party posters and “intimidation”. But the 66-year-old, who was under house arrest during elections in 1990 and 2010, said she did not regret standing for parliament because the polls had boosted people’s interest in politics after decades of outright military rule ended last year.

The NLD won a landslide election victory in 1990 but the junta never allowed it to take office. The party also boycotted the 2010 polls that swept the army’s political proxies to power and were marred by complaints of cheating and intimidation. experts believe the regime wants the pro-democracy leader to win a seat in parliament to burnish its reform credentials and encourage an end to Western sanctions.

afp

A 12-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy have been killed in an acid attack in Afghanistan, an official said Saturday, with witnesses claiming it was because of their friendship in what is an ultraconservative country. The bodies were discovered on Friday in wasteland in the esfandi area of Ghazni province in south central Afghanistan, provincial police chief Zorawar Zahid told AFP. “Their bodies and faces were burnt by acid,” he said. The police chief said officers were investigating the motive for the attack, but witnesses who found the bodies told AFP the two were probably killed because of their friendship. No one has claimed the bodies, which are still in Ghazni hospital, police said. The attack is the latest incident to highlight the dangers still faced by many young men and women in Afghanistan 10 years after a US-led invasion ousted the Taliban, notorious for their oppressive policies against women and conservative attitude towards relationships. On December last year, a 17-year-old Afghan girl and her family were sprayed with acid, apparently after rejecting a marriage proposal. The girl, Mumtaz, was seriously injured when several masked gunmen broke into her home in the northern city of Kunduz and sprayed acid in her face.

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sunday, 1 april, 2012

Djokovic sets up miami finals clash with murray Page 21

West Indies draw T20 series against Australia BRIDGETOWN afp

West Indies defeated Australia by 14 runs at Kensington Oval on Friday to win the second Twenty20 international and draw the two-game series 1-1. Chasing a modest 161run target, Australia were well-set at 75-2 at the halfway stage, but their chase slowed with off-break bowler Marlon Samuels taking three crucial wickets to dismiss skipper George Bailey (24), Mike hussey (14) and Matthew Wade (17).

Opener David Warner top-scored with a 43-ball 58 with five fours and three sixes.

Seamer Fidel edwards, who had dismissed Shane Watson for nought in the first over, returned to turn the screw by getting rid of Daniel Christian and Brett Lee with successive deliveries in the 19th over to finish with three for 23. That left Australia seven wickets down and needing 19 off the final over, bowled by Dwayne Bravo.

Kieron Pollard took a fine catch in the deep to dismiss David hussey (19) off the fourth ball with 17 still needed and the game was up as Australia finished on 146 for nine.

Bravo had also played a key role in the dismissal of dangerman Warner, running out the opener with a direct hit in the 13th over with the score on 98 for three. "It was

scoReBoaRd West indies 63 d. smith c d. hussey b doherty J. charles c christian b Watson 37 K. pollard c Wade b lee 1 dwayne Bravo c christian b Watson 23 5 d. sammy b mcKay d. hyatt c Bailey b mcKay 6 2 m. samuels c Warner b christian 7 c. Baugh c Wade b lee 2 s. narine run out (Bailey) 3 g. mathurin not out 0 f. edwards b lee 11 extras (lb1, w9, nb1) total (all out; 19.4 overs) 160 fall of wickets 1-72 (charles), 2-80 (pollard), 3-110 (smith), 4120 (sammy), 5-134 (hyatt), 6-140 (samuels), 7-155 (Baugh), 8-155 (Bravo), 9-159 (narine), 10-160 (edwards) Bowling: pattinson 2-0-34-0 (2w), lee 3.4-0-23-3, mcKay 4-024-2 (1w), doherty 3-0-32-1, Watson 4-0-26-2 (1nb, 2w), christian 3-0-20-1 austRalia 58 d. Warner run out (Bravo)

0 s. Watson c sammy b edwards 24 g. Bailey c hyatt b samuels mike hussey c & b samuels 14 david hussey c pollard b Bravo 19 m. Wade c & b samuels 17 3 d. christian c sammy b edwards B. lee b edwards 0 7 c. mcKay b Bravo 0 J. pattinson not out 2 X. doherty not out 2 extras (w2) 146 total (9 wickets; 20 overs) fall of wickets 1-1 (Watson), 2-64 (Bailey), 3-89 (m hussey), 498 (Warner), 5-133 (Wade), 6-136 (christian), 7-136 (lee), 8-144 (d hussey), 9-144 (mcKay) Bowling: edwards 4-0-23-3 (2w), narine 4-0-33-0, mathurin 20-23-0, sammy 1-0-11-0, Bravo 4-0-27-2, samuels 4-0-23-3, pollard 1-0-6-0 toss: West indies, Result: West indies won by 14 runs series: drawn 1-1, umpires: peter nero (Wis) and Joel Wilson (Wis), tV umpire: nigel duguid (Wis), match referee: andy pycroft (zim), Reserve umpire: gregory Brathwaite (Wis).

a great start from the West Indies, I think we pulled it back to about par, 160, and I thought we were on course to knock it off," said Bailey. "They put pressure on us. The wicket of David Warner was huge, runouts change matches." West Indies captain Darren Sammy admitted his team should have scored more. "We knew it was a 180plus pitch. We tried Polly and myself up the order to try and get some momentum -- that didn't work but we kept going," said

Sammy. "The work we've been doing in the camp and throughout the series has been paying off and I want to ask the boys to keep doing that. We want to keep doing well in the Tests and hopefully continue the good results."

West Indies squandered a blistering start to be bowled out for just 160. After winning the toss, West Indies looked good for a huge score when they raced to 65-0 from six overs and 110-2 by the 10th. Open-

SL lose Welegedara for final test COLOMBO: Sri Lanka seamer Chanaka Welegedara was Saturday ruled out of the second and final Test against england due to a groin injury and replaced by Shaminda eranga. All-rounder Angelo Mathews returned to the 14-man squad for the Test starting at the P. Sara Oval in Colombo on Tuesday after missing the first match in Galle with a calf injury. Chief selector Ashantha de Mel said Mathews, who replaces Chamara Silva in the squad, will play as a specialist batsman if he was picked in the final XI. "Mathews has been declared fit to play as a batsman, but he will not be able to bowl," de Mel said. Mathews could come in place of Dinesh Chandimal, who scored 27 and 31 at number six in the first Test which Sri Lanka won by 75 runs to take the lead in the short series.

Welegedara, a left-arm seamer, claimed just one wicket in Galle, but contributed 19 and 13 as a tail-end batsman. eranga, 25, took the wicket of Shane Watson with his first delivery in the only Test he has played so far, against Australia at the Sinhalese sports club in Colombo last year. england need a win to stay on top of the Test rankings. A draw or a defeat will see Andrew Strauss' men slip to second spot behind South Africa.

SRI LAnKA SQUAd FOR SECOnd TEST: Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kumar Sangakkara, Thilan Samaraweera, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Prasanna Jayawardene, Suranga Lakmal, Suraj Randiv, Rangana herath, Dhammika Prasad, Shaminda eranga, Tharanga Paranavitana. afp

BRIDgetOWn: Australia batsman Clint mcKay (R) is bowled out by West Indies bowler Dwayne Bravo (L) during the second and final t20 at the Kensington Oval. AFP ers Dwayne Smith and Johnson Charles got them off to a flying start. Charles made 37 off 21 balls with six fours and a six before he was first man out in the seventh over.

Big-hitting Pollard, who had scored a maiden T20 fifty on Tuesday, was caught behind off Lee after making just one in the eighth over with the total on 76.

Smith top-scored thanks to a 34-ball innings of 63, which featured six fours and four huge sixes, but once he was

caught in the deep off slow bowler Xavier Doherty, the runs dried up. Bravo, with 23 off 24 balls, was the only other batsman to reach double figures as West Indies lost their last eight wickets for just 40 runs before they were bowled out with two balls to spare. Lee was the pick of the Australian bowlers with 3 for 23. The two sides, who also drew the one-day series 22, will now play a three-Test series beginning in Barbados on April 7.

Malik hopes for another national stint LAHORE

F

staff RepoRt

ORMeR Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik has expressed hopes that his good run in domestic cricket will impress the national selectors. however, Malik believes he doesn’t need to prove himself in front of anyone, as his ouster from the Pakistan national team had more to do with poor form, which he seems to have rediscovered now.

Malik had performed brilliantly in the National One Day Cup 50 over tournament for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) team, where he scored 353 runs at an average of 58.83. he also took 14 wickets at only 21.28 apiece in 7 matches, as he led PIA to the One Day Cup title after defeating habib Bank in the final by 36 runs in Lahore.

Malik’s performances for Sialkot

Stallions in the ongoing Faysal Bank Super, has also been widely appreciated. “Playing professional cricket is a huge opportunity. I have been lucky

enough to be given this opportunity that many crave. My aim has always been to do my best for whichever team I am playing for, whether it is a domestic team, a club team or for my country,” Pak Passion.net quoted Malik, as saying.

Malik believes playing cricket in the orthodox manner has helped him regain confidence, and he is very happy with his current form.

“My plan was to stick to my basics and concentrate on playing some orthodox cricket. I’m pleased that I played some good cricket in the 50 over tournament and the Super 8s is going well. Of course when you do well, you hope and your expectations increase,” Malik said.

“So like anyone in my position who has gone back to domestic cricket and done well I’m praying and hoping that the selectors have taken note and I hope that I get another chance in international cricket,” he added.

Gambhir assault not enough for India JOHANNESBURG afp

JOHAnneSBURg: India's batsman Robin Uthappa keeps an eye on the ball during a one-off t20 International against South Africa for the new Age Cup at Wanderers Stadium. AFP

A blazing innings by India's Gautam Gambhir could not prevent a South African win in a rain-hit one-off Twenty20 international at the Wanderers Stadium on Friday. Gambhir slammed 49 not out off 28 balls as India raced to 71 for no wicket in 7.5 overs in reply to South Africa's 219 for four in 20 overs. But South Africa's big total meant that India were 11 runs short of the Duckworth/Lewis par score when a thunderstorm broke over the ground. Jacques Kallis and Colin Ingram shared a rapid century partnership as South Africa posted a formidable total. "That gave us a really good platform," said stand-in South African captain Johan Botha. "A hundred partnership in any form of cricket is great but in Twenty20 cricket it is even better."

Kallis made 61 off 42 balls and the lefthanded Ingram raced to 78 off 50 deliveries after South Africa were sent in to bat. The pair put on 119 of 80 balls for the second wicket.

Indian captain MS Dhoni used eight bowlers but runs flowed as the batsmen took advan-

scoReBoaRd south afRica R. levi c sharma b i. pathan 19 J. Kallis c sharma b ashwin 61 c. ingram c sharma b Raina 78 f. Behardien not out 20 J. ontong b Raina 22 a. morkel not out 16 extras (lb1, w2) 3 total (4 wkts, 20 overs) 219 fall of wickets: 1-22 (levi), 2-141 (Kallis), 3-168 (ingram), 4-203 (ontong) Bowling: p. Kumar 2-0-22-0 (1w), i. pathan 4-0-44-1 (1w), V. Kumar 3-0-32-0, ashwin 4-0-33-1, Y. pathan 1-0-9-0, Raina 40-49-2, sharma 1-0-14-0, Kohli 1-0-15-0 india R. uthappa not out 18 g. gambhir not out 49 extras (lb3, w1) 4 total (0 wkts, 7.5 overs) 71 Bowling: tsotsobe 3-0-15-0 (1w), morkel 1-0-16-0, theron 1-013-0, parnell 1.5-0-14-0, Botha 1-0-10-0 Result: south africa won by 11 runs (duckworth/lewis method), toss: india, umpires: Johan cloete, shaun george (both Rsa), tV umpire: adrian holdstock (Rsa), match referee: chris Broad (eng).

tage of a good batting pitch, short boundaries and a fast outfield. Richard Levi gave the hosts a fast start, hitting four boundaries before being caught at slip for 19 off seven balls. The

Kallis-Ingram stand enabled the later batsmen to go for their shots, with new cap Farhaan Behardien hitting an unbeaten 20 off 11 balls and Justin Ontong 22 off seven before Albie Morkel, coming in with only three balls remaining, hit Suresh Raina for two sixes and a four. The run feast continued when India started their innings, with Gambhir hitting seven fours and a six. But opening partner Robin Uthappa could only manage 18 off 19 balls, while South African opening bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe conceded only 15 runs off three overs. "The match was quite evenly poised," admitted Botha. he praised Gambhir and Uthappa for the way they batted but said the South Africans had remained confident.

"Although they batted well, they were only scoring at nine runs an over and they would have needed to score at more than 12 runs an over for the rest of the match." It was announced after the match that Botha, 29, would be released from his national contract with Cricket South Africa after the Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka in September in order to take up a two-season contract to captain S Australia in Australian domestic cricket.

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Sunday, 1 April, 2012

PCB wants to make Pak Premier League a reality LAHORE staff RepoRt

T

he Pakistan Cricket Board will be shown presentations next week on the feasibility and possibility of launching a Pakistan Premier League T20 competition this year. The board had postponed a two-day moot on the feasibility of having the PPL last month due to the busy schedule of the board Chairman, Zaka Ashraf.

"But now these meetings will be held sometime next week. They are some parties who will make presentations to the board on how the PPL can be organized in Pakistan," a senior official said. Sources say besides a Dubai and Karachi based sports management group, a company with direct links to a well known international television broadcasting and sports management

mcIlroy plotting masters revenge AUGUSTA afp

Rory McIlroy will have revenge on his mind when he tees up at Augusta National next Thursday a year on from being on the wrong end of a Masters mauling. Leading by four shots going into Sunday's final round shoot-out and seemingly on the way to his first Major title at the age of 21, the Irishman was consumed by a tumultous metldown that left him in tears. When the dust had settled, McIlroy had fired an 80 and slumped down the standings to a tie for 15th place as South Africa's Charl Schwartzel swooped in under the radar to steal the prize. Many at the time wondered what the long-term effect would me on McIlroy of that golfing collapse, but famously he came out eight weeks later to win the US Open by eight shots and since then he has assumed the world number one ranking albeit for just two weeks. McIlroy, currently second behind Luke Donald, believes that ultimately, he may even benefit from the learning experience of letting such a big lead on such a big occasion slip away. "Last year's Masters was definitely a defining moment for me," he told europeantour.com. "It could have been a crossroads in my career.

major pressure on Donald, Westwood

company will make presentations at the PCB meeting.

"We are dead serious about having our own PPL. But the reality is that we have to first study the modalities and feasibility of having such an event which would not be possible without input and expertise from a established company," the official said.

The PCB has been toying with the idea of launching its own T20 league with the involvement of foreign players for some time now but has never got down to practically implementing the event. "The situation is different now we need to showcase an event in Pakistan with foreign participation and the PPL appears to be the best bet for us," he said.

The official said that the board was looking at a PPL model similar to the ones adopted by the Indian Premier League and Bangladesh Premier

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League. he said the board had also become positive after a statement from the Lashings club Chairman that he was ready to send his team to Pakistan and also from support assured by some former test players with links to foreign players abroad.

"It can be done but obviously it requires lot of groundwork and hardwork." The official admitted that the PPL will also allow Pakistani domestic players like their counterparts in India and Bangladesh to earn some good money. "There is no doubt that the IPL and BPL have gone a long way in improving the status of domestic players in both countries," he added.

While large number of Pakistani players took part in the recent BPL in Bangladesh for the fourth year running, no Pakistani player has been signed on by any franchise in the IPL that begins from April 4.

PAF win Neelum-Jhelum National Men’s Basketball

LAHORe: Chairman WAPDA Shakil Durrani gives the winner’s trophy to PAF team. STAFF PHOTO LAHORE staff RepoRt

Pakistan Air Force downed Army in the final to clinch the WAPDA Sport Board organized Neelum-Jhelum Men’s National Basketball Championship, 2012 held here at the WAPDA Sports Complex on March 24-31.

In the final PAF secured a 66–49 win over Army. Chairman WAPDA, Shakil Durrani was the chief guest of the closing ceremony and distributed

trophies amongst the position holder teams. Syed Raghib Abbas Shah, Member Water WAPDA, Naveed Akram Cheema, President WAPDA Sports Board, Asif Bajwa, President Pakistan Basketball Federation, Maj. Gen (R) Muhammad Akram Sahi, President Athletics Federation of Pakistan, Muhammad Jahangir, President Pakistan Karate Federation, and other sports dignitaries and WAPDA Officers were also present at the occasion.

The scorers from PAF were Ahmad

Jan 20, Muhammad Akhtar 18, Perim Shahzad 16, Imran Munawar 6 while Army scorers were Nawazish Ali 14, Pervaiz hussain 8, Babar Javed 8, Waheed Akhtar 5. WAPDA secured the third position in the championship. In the third and fourth position match, WAPDA beat Railway by 57-40 score.

Top scorers of WAPDA were Yawar Khan 17, Falak Farid 12, Atif Mukhtar 10, Khushdil 04 and Railway Allah Baksh 16, Azhar Qayyum 08, Muhammad Nawaz 06, Salman Butt 04.

Pang, tong to skate on as China flop NICE afp

Chinese veterans Pang Qing and Tong Jian insisted they will continue to compete despite overseeing the demise of China's domination of pairs skating at the world figure skating championship which finish here Saturday.

The 32-year-olds had been in the running for a third world title after 2006 and 2010 but errors in their free skate on Friday night saw the Olympic silver medallists drop to fourth from second after Wednesday's short programme.

It was the first time in 14 years China had failed to secure a worlds podium in the event since Olympic and three-time world champions Shen Xue and Zhao hongbo opened the way for the Asian superpower at helsinki in 1999.

The pair's lack of international competition this season showed as they made their comeback from injury in "disastrous" fashion. Tong fell on a triple toeloop and Pang singled an axel during their performance to Sheherazade.

Phelps impresses in 400m medley INDIANAPOLIS afp

Michael Phelps notched the third-fastest 400m medley time of the year at the Indianapolis Grand Prix on Friday -- raising the prospect he could reprise his Olympic challenge in the event. Phelps swore he wouldn't race the demanding event again after he won it at the Beijing Olympics, part of his record eight-gold haul at the 2008 Games. But the 14-time Olympic gold medallist, who won in 4:12.51, admitted Friday he could change his mind before he finalizes his programme for London. "It all depends on if I'm able to swim the other events," he said. "If it's not going to mess up the over events, who knows? Yes, I know that's different than I said before."

Phelps out-dueled fellow American Tyler Clary, taking an early lead on the opening butterfly leg only to have Clary move ahead on the backstroke.

Phelps regained the lead in the breaststroke and held off Clary on the closing freestyle.

Tiger back on prowl for fifth green jacket AUGUSTA afp

AUGUSTA afp

A new golfing year, but the same old question confronts Luke Donald and Lee Westwood for the Masters at Augusta National next week - when will they finally win a major? The english pair have shared the world number one ranking for all but 10 weeks in the last 17 months, but in that time four Majors have come and gone and they have both failed to break their duck. Instead, the honours have gone to Schwartzel, McIlroy, Clarke and Keegan Bradley - with the exception of McIlroy hardly household names.

So what if anything can give them renewed hope for this year? - Donald, who battled back to take a share of fourth place believes his meticulous preparations and dedication will one day bear fruit. "Since I first turned pro the goal was always to win Majors and that hasn't changed," said the 34-year-old. "I feel like if I continue to improve the way I've been doing I'm going to have a chance.

Tiger Woods is excited about his chances of winning the Masters after ending a 28-month win drought and that has golf fans around the world thrilled about next week's Augusta National showdown.

Woods had not won a tour-sanctioned event since the 2009 Australian Masters, and the subsequent eruption of his infamous sex scandal, until capturing his seventh US PGA title at Bay hill last Sunday to boost his optimism for Augusta.

"I'm excited, there's no doubt," Woods said. "Looking forward to (using) the momentum I built."

British oddsmakers made him as a betting favorite just ahead of reigning US Open champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland with three-time Masters winner Phil Mickelson third.

McIlroy, who led last year's Masters after each of the first three days and entering Sunday's back nine before a nightmare finish, edged Woods at the honda Classic four weeks ago to earn a two-week stint as World No. 1.

"I would love to have a lot of battles

with him coming down the stretch and it would be great to be able to do that at Augusta," McIlroy said.

The buzz Woods brings to an event has clearly returned, even if it's not yet certain he has what it takes to add to his total of 14 major titles, four shy of the record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus. "everybody feel that...that's the earth rotating on its proper axis again. #Tigerwins," US PGA player Arron Oberholser posted on his Twitter website.

Woods is talking tough about nudging nearer to the major win record of his boyhood idol by winning a fifth green jacket, having won at Augusta in 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2005.

But Woods, who has not been worse than sixth at the Masters since 2004, could catch Nicklaus in another category with a Masters victory. It would be the 73rd career US PGA title for Woods, matching the Golden Bear for sec-

ond on the all-time list behind Sam Snead's record 82 triumphs.

"I'm looking forward to more of the green jacket part of it than tying Jack in that regard," Woods said. "Jack has had an amazing career and he has won a bunch of tournaments, but he's won more majors than anybody else, either.

"I'm looking forward to my opportunities this year. There's four of them this year and hopefully I can peak at the right times for all four of them."

That major win drought is the one fans beyond the golf realm are especially waiting for Woods to end. Woods has not won a major since limping through a 2008 US Open playoff victory over Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines.

If Woods does not win next week's Masters, that will give him a four-year major title drought heading to the US Open in June at San Francisco.

And even Woods admits that he still has

work to do even after the "pure joy" of his Bay hill triumph.

"I was able to hit some really good shots and that's a very good sign going into Augusta," Woods said. "I still need some work. "I've been making steps in the right direction. It just had not shown up for all four days yet. And I've been so close to putting it together. It was just a matter of staying the course and staying patient."

Mickelson is happy to have Woods back in top form entering the Masters.

"It's good to see him back and playing well," Mickelson said. "he is always the first name you look at on the leaderboard to see how he's doing."

Defending Masters champion Charl Schwartzel would not even mind playing alongside Woods, even with the extra gallery distractions it would bring.

"Things like that you dream of," he said. "To see him come back this year, he's playing a lot better. We all can see that. It's good for the game and it's good for us. It can only be beneficial, if you are up for the challenge."

One player who is up for the test is McIlroy, although he realizes there is a bit of home-course advantage for multiple Masters winners.

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Sunday, 1 April, 2012

Previewing the Augusta Masters and ATP Masters final in Miami

KEY BISCAYNE: Novak Djokovic celebrates his win over Juan Monaco of Argentina during the semifinal of the Sony Ericsson Open. AFP

The golfing world is gearing up for the first major of the year, while Djokovic and Murray are vying to vanquish the second ATP Masters 1000 trophy of the year in Miami. Exciting times!

ALL BASES COVERED kUNWAR kHULDUNE SHAHID

Woods, mcilRoY on collision couRse

L

AST year when Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy faced each other in the final round at the Augusta Masters, their careers were pretty much headed towards opposite directions. Woods had taken a nosedive into mediocrity – considering the incredibly lofty standards that he has set – while McIlroy seemed like a shoo-in to win his maiden major title, climb up the pecking order in golf, and fulfill the prophesies of him being the next big thing in golf.

While Woods duly complied and traced a pretty protracted downward spiral that moment onwards that saw him fall out of the top 50, McIlroy forgot the script back home and conjured up the greatest meltdown by a 54-hole leaded at the Masters in more than 50 years. however, he did go onto eradicate the phantoms of the Masters malfunction in the US Open, and reached the summit of the golf rankings after the honda Classic as well. All the same, this time round, both the golfing superstars are on the up – McIlroy having found the golfing apogee recently, while Tiger Woods has ended a 30-month title drought on the PGA Tour owing to the five-shot triumph at Bay hill last Sunday. This triumph for Tiger has pretty much confirmed what has long been on the verge of resurfacing – Tiger is back to his best! And this too at the most opportune time; ahead of the Augusta Masters.

McIlroy was long being touted as the favourite for this year’s first major, however, as it doesn’t take a particularly huge convulsion to upset the bookie odds, Tiger’s triumph on Sunday has nudged him ahead of the World Number 1, and the American is now being considered at the man to beat. We all know what Woods can do at clutch time; and when one sees the hunger returning – and it sure has been the case for a while now – you sense that Tiger is all set to roar. And of course Woods rarely fails to live up to expectations when he is in this groove.

Nevertheless, what Tiger Woods at his peak never had was another ‘superstar’ who had the wherewithal and the flamboyance to topple him. Customarily, when Woods flaunts his best, it is game, set and match – no one else really has much say more often than not. however, what the rise of McIlroy has done is that probably for the first time in the Tiger era, we get to see Woods face off against someone who’s best can be more than a match for his best. having two sporting luminaries lock horns at their peak form is enough to whet the appetite of the aficionados and that is what we should expect Thursday onwards.

McIlroy might have atoned for his meltdown last year by winning at Congressional, but he won’t really get this particular monkey off his back till he bags his maiden Masters title. And even though he has what it takes to do it the coming Sunday, he’ll have to do it by overcoming the challenge of one of the greatest athletes of all-time at his menacing best.

muRRaY taKes on dJoKoVic It is Novak Djokovic vs Andy Murray round three of 2012, with both players splitting the results of the previous two encounters. The Serbian bagged the much bigger of the two matches by edging out the world number 4 in that epic semifinal at Melbourne, while the Scott returned the favour in Dubai at the same stage.

It is the last ATP 1000 event before the clay season kicks off, and men’s tennis finds itself at an interesting crossroads.

Djokovic has been the man to beat this season again, but his form has not quite been as menacing as last year. Murray, on the other hand, is looking to cement himself as being a worthy part of the big four of men’s tennis. even though the top four have remained the same – with shuffling within this bloc – but it’s more of a big three and Murray rather than a veritable Big Four sans Murray breaking his Grand Slam duck.

Ivan Lendl has been working hard with the Scott, and the improvement – both with regards to his game’s structure and the mental strength – is there for all to see. The walkover against Rafael Nadal in the semifinal would have frustrated Murray, as he wouldn’t have had been able to apply his latest game plan against Nadal and gauge himself, however, he would know that if he triumphs against No-Djo today he would give himself a kick for the rest of the season.

And this is possible; for, compared to Roger Federer and Nadal, it’s actually Murray who has had the best record against the Serb since the latter traced his purple patch.

Djokovic, meanwhile, knows that he shouldn’t let the foot off the pedal. And even though losing against Murray would be a few light years away from being a disaster, it would certainly giving the D o u b t i n g Thomas the arsenal to bombard his scepticism regarding the World Number 1 being on a relative down.

gay focusing on 100m CLERMOnT: US sprinter Tyson Gay, hoping to put seasons hampered by injury behind him, says he's focusing his 2012 Olympic season efforts on the 100 metres.

On a day when Gay held an open workout attended by several media outlets, he told eSPN.com that he doesn't think his post-injury training allows him to attempt a sprint double. "I've had some minor setbacks with nagging injuries," Gay told eSPN.com.

"I've been taking it slower, and I don't have the same quality I wanted to do the double." Gay's 2011 season ended in July when he had arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn labrum muscle in his hip. afp

Germany down Japan to reach men’s world final DORTMUND afp

hosts and second seeds Germany booked their place in the men's final at the world team table tennis championships with a 3-1 win over Japan in Saturday's semi-final. In front of a 10,000 crowd at Dortmund's Westfalenhallen, Dimitrij Ovtcharov gave the Germans the lead with victory over Japan's Jun Mizutani as he dominated in a 11-7, 15-13, 13-11 win.

Germany's top player, Timo Boll recorded another straight games win to beat Koki Niwain 11-5, 11-7, 11-9.

The Japanese hit back thanks to Seiya Kishikawa's four-game win over Patrick Baum for a 11-9, 11-6, 5-11, 13-11 victory, but Boll stepped in to beat Mizutani 11-6, 11-8, 13-11 to put the Germans in the final.

In Sunday's final, the Germans will face either defending champions China or South Korea, who meet in Saturday's other semi-final.

In the women's competition, defending champions Singapore will face China in Sunday's final in a repeat of the 2010 tournament finale.

Singapore reached the final after a dramatic 3-2 semi-final win over South Korea on Saturday. Kim Kyung Ah put South Korea ahead as she came back from 2-1 down against Feng Tianwei before dominating matters in the fourth game then securing a 10-12, 15-13, 9-11, 11-1, 11-7 victory. Singapore's Wang Yuegu made it 1-1 when she also went to five games to beat Seok ha Jung 11-7, 9-11, 9-11, 12-10, 11-6, before Li Jiawei was

demolished 13-11, 11-5, 11-6 by South Korea's Dang Ye Seo. Singapore's Feng Tianwei bounced back from her earlier defeat to beat Seok ha Jung 11-5, 113, 9-11, 11-8 in the fourth game to make it 2-2.

In the deciding match, Singapore's Wang Yuegu held her nerve for a tense 11-7, 10-12, 711, 11-6, 11-9 over Kim Kyung Ah to put her team in the final where they face China, who had few problems as they saw off hong Kong 3-1 in the other semi.

China's star player and world number one Ding Ning was rarely tested in her 11-9, 11-4, 114 win over Jiang hujun.

Tie Jana put hong Kong level when she beat Li Xiaoxia over four games, but China's Yan Guo and Li Xiaoxia saw off hong Kong's Yu Kwok See and Jiang huajun respectively over three games to put the Chinese in the final.

The world championships doubles as an Olympic qualifier with London places up for grabs for the highest-ranked nation from each of the six continents.

Top seeds China and hosts Germany booked their places in Saturday's semi-finals of the men's world team table tennis championships by recording commanding last eight victories.

China's Zhang Jike, Ma Lin and Ma Long showed Austria no mercy in Friday's quarterfinal as the defending champions romped to a 30 victory while Germany also blasted past Sweden with a clean-sweep.

For a place in Sunday's final, the Germans will now play Japan, who beat Singapore 3-1 in

their quarter-final, while China take on South Korea, who beat Taiwan 3-1 in the last eight.

"We are happy to have a 3-0 win, but it will be tense against Japan," said Germany's Timo Boll.

During the team semi-finals at the Beijing Olympics, Germany dug deep to beat the Japanese 3-2 before losing the final to China 3-0 and Boll said he had strong memories of the semifinal four years ago.

"That was the most emotional moment in my career," he said. "Japan are another calibre. Jun Mitsutani is very strong, he has extremely good serves. "They have a good team spirit and are really hard to beat."

In the women's competition, China romped into the last four with a clinical 3-0 win over Poland, while hong Kong also blitzed the Netherlands by the same margin and will meet the Chinese in Saturday's semi-finals An astounding recovery by Kim Kyung Ah clinched victory for South Korea against Japan as she sealed a 3-2 win over Kasumi Ishikawa with a battling display. "I am very happy and tired," said Kim Kyung Ah, whose team will now meet defending champions Singapore in Saturday's other semi-final after they knocked the Germans out with a 3-2 victory.

"It was a very tough match but when we won the third game, we knew we can make it." The world championships doubles as an Olympic qualifier with London places up for grabs for the highest-ranked nation from each of the six continents.

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Sunday, 1 April, 2012

sports 21 waTch IT LIve ESPN Sports Center 07:30PM

Pakistan to play Saudi Arabia in AFC Asian Cup opener LAHORE staff RepoRt

Pakistan will open its 2014 AFC U-22 Asian Cup qualification round campaign against Saudi Arabia on June 23. The event is scheduled for June 23 to July 3 and Pakistan has been placed along with Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Kyrgyzstan, Syria and Palestine.

schedule June 23, Pakistan v Saudi Arabia, Palestine v Sri Lanka, Syria v Kyrgyzstan June 25, Saudi Arabia v Kyrgyzstan, Syria v Palestine, Pakistan v Sri Lanka June 28, Kyrgyzstan v Pakistan, Sri Lanka v Syria, Saudi Arabia v Palestine June 30, Palestine v Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka v Saudi Arabia, Syria v Pakistan July 3, Kyrgyzstan v Sri Lanka, Pakistan v Palestine, Syria v Saudi Arabia.

SPm Stags beat Okara Veteran LAHORE staff RepoRt

SPM Stags beat Okara Veteran by 30 runs in the 14th National Veteran Senior Cricket Cup here at the Ali Garh Cricket Ground.

SPM Stags batting first 251/6 after 30 overs. Shahid Anwar 35, Imtiaz Tarar 49, Bilal Ahmad 44, Khawaja Naseer-ud-din 27 & Asad Iqbal 37 runs not out. Okara Veteran bowling Riaz Ahmad 3/42, hafiz ejaz 1/41 wickets. In reply Okara Veteran 221 all out after 29.2 overs. hafiz ejaz 41 & Shahid Aslam 35 runs. SPM Stags bowling Zia-ud-din 4/36, Shahid Anwar 3/48 & Sajjad Akbar 1/31 wickets. Adnan Rasheed, Sagheer Ahmad Umpire & Muhammad Arif was the scorer. end of the match Chief Guest Mubashar Nazar give away man of the match award to Shahid Anwar.

MIAMI

Knee injury forces Nadal out of Miami

MIAMI afp

Rafael Nadal's abrupt injury withdrawal from the Miami Masters on Friday sent Andy Murray into the final, giving the surprised Scot a second walkover victory of the tournament.

"To be honest, it hasn't really happened to me that often where even one guy has done that," said Murray, who had also reached the last 16 without hitting a shot when Canadian Milos Raonic pulled out of their third-round clash with a right ankle injury. "To get two in one week is strange," Murray said.

Murray will face either world number one Novak Djokovic or 21st-seeded Juan Monaco of Argentina in the final. Murray, the 2009 Miami champion, had rallied to beat Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Chasing a second title of 2012, to go with the trophy he captured in Brisbane, Murray said he wasn't sure if the extra rest afforded him by Nadal's sore left knee would be good or bad for him come the final. "You don't really know the answer to that," Murray said. "You never know how

you're going to play on the day. "Obviously, you don't play a match for three or four days, it's different than if you played one one or two days ago. "But then the positives are that you're going to be fresh and physically feeling fine. "I don't really know how I'm going to feel for the final, but I'll definitely be fresh."

Djokovic and Monaco, meanwhile, will both be playing for the second day in a row, after booking their semi-final clash on Thursday. Djokovic, the defending champion, defeated fifth-seeded David Ferrer 6-2, 7-6 (7/1) and admitted he was pleased to finish off the tenacious Spaniard in two sets after twice going up a break in the second frame only to have Ferrer push him to the tie-breaker.

Monaco, who celebrated his 28th birthday by ousting eighth-seeded American Mardy Fish 6-1, 6-3, will try to follow that up by reaching his first Masters level final. he has one title to his credit already this season, at Vina del Mar. however, Djokovic has won all four of their career meetings. The Serbian, vying to reach his first final since defending the Australian Open title in January, sounded an ominously confident note after his quarter-final victory.

R

afp

eIGNING champ Novak Djokovic beat a stubborn 21st-seeded Juan Monaco 6-0, 7-6 (7/5) Friday to book a re-match of the 2009 Miami Masters final with Scotland's Andy Murray. Murray, who got the better of Djokovic in the 2009 title match, reached the final on a walkover when world No. 2 Rafael Nadal pulled out of their semi-final with a sore left knee. World No. 1 Djokovic breezed through his first set in just 27 minutes and appeared to be cruising to a victory when Monaco got hot in a marathon second set which lasted one hour, 36 minutes.

It marked the second day in a row Djokovic struggled to finish off an opponent and needed a tiebreaker to clinch it. In the quarter-finals against fifth seed David Ferrer, Djokovic easily won the first set 6-2 but then stumbled down the stretch before before winning 7-6 (7/1) in the second set.

"As I did yesterday in the quarterfinals, I started very strong, just going for the shots, being very aggressive, then I just wasn't able to close it out," Djokovic said. "It was a very similar match to the one against Ferrer. "All the credit to him (Monaco) for staying in the match, fighting and coming back," Djokovic said. "I still think I gave him points. I made so many unforced errors that I got him back into the match. "It was semi-finals. It was never going to be easy. I didn't expect an easy match and I am just happy to be through." Djokovic is in his fourth Miami final and chasing a third title here. he also won in 2007. In 2009, he fell 6-2, 7-5 to Murray.

"We all know his talent, his potential, and quality," Djokovic said of Murray. "he's dangerous on any surface. Obviously we played the finals in 2009. I lost in straight sets. he likes the conditions. he likes to play in the heat, as well, and has a good serve."

Djokovic, who reached his first final since winning the Australian Open in January, finished with two aces and four double faults against Monaco, stretching his perfect record over the Argentinian to 5-0. Djokovic

main Land Hussnain beat Web Soft LAHORE staff RepoRt

Jelena Ristic, girlfriend of novak Djokovic watches the action during the semi-final at Crandon Park tennis Center. AFP got off to a flying start, winning all six games in the opening set and clinching it with a cross-court forehand to the open court. he won 71 percent of his second-serve points compared to just 13 percent for Monaco, who won just eight points the first set.

But Monaco turned his game around in the second, using superb baseline tactics and powerful groundstrokes. Murray was surprised to be handed a berth in the final, especially since it was his second walkover victory of the tournament.

"To be honest, it hasn't really happened to me that often where even one guy has done that," said Murray, who had also reached the last 16 without hitting a shot when Canadian Milos Raonic pulled out of their third-round clash with a right ankle injury. "To get two in one week is strange," Murray said. Murray had rallied to beat Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Chasing a second title of 2012, to go with the trophy he captured in Brisbane, Murray said he wasn't sure if the extra rest afforded him

by Nadal's sore left knee would be good or bad for him come the final.

"I don't really know how I'm going to feel for the final, but I'll definitely be fresh," he said.

Main Land hussnain beat Web Soft by 8 wickets in the Bio Amla Cricket Tournament here at the at GC Cricket Ground.

Web Soft batting first 140 all out after 30 overs. Ali Aslam 34, Farid 28 & Ali Naqvi 25 runs. Safdar Babar bowling well 4/22 wickets, hafiz Salman 3/15 & Khurram 3/28 wickets. In reply Main Land hussnain 141/2 after 16.4 overs. Bilal Sunny 57, Umar Siddique 50 & Sheraz Butt 25 runs. Ali Aslam 1/30 & Ali Naqvi 1/35. Main Land hussnain qualify the final. Liaqat Ali, Abdul Rouf Umpire & M Afzal was the scorer. Safdar Babar Declared man of the match.

DS College award ceremony LAHORE staff RepoRt

The top performers of different events of Govt Dyal Singh College were on Saturday awarded with different prizes here at the college hall. A magnificent prize distribution ceremony for the sportsmen and district level winners of the Chief Minister’s debate and essay writing competition was held with Director Colleges Lahore Division, Prof Naseem Akhtar Anjum, being the guest while MNA Saira Afzal Dogar was the chief guest of the ceremony. Addressing to the students Saira Afzal Dogar congratulated the winner students and advised them to work hard. Prof Naseem Akhtar Anjum and Principal Prof Rao Jalil Ahmad also addressed the students and lauded the efforts of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for encouraging the students.

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PCNS hits deadlock over conditional NATO supply restoration

9 more killed in Karachi violence

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Committee decides to disallow covert intelligence operations by foreign contractors ISLAMABAD

kARACHI

staff RepoRt

agencies

Nine more people were killed in various incidents of firing across Karachi on Saturday, as the city witnessed the observance of peaceful mourning day for four MQM workers. Markets remained closed until 4pm while traffic remained thin on the roads.

Police recovered dead bodies packed in gunny bags from Maripur, Orangi while four persons were shot dead at Banarus bridge. According to details, unidentified armed men opened fire on a motorcycle and car injuring five people. Later, four victims died during medical treatment. After the Banaras firing incident, the situation deteriorated across the city as one more person was gunned down in Orangi No 10. In UP Mor, unidentified armed men opened fire at a coach, killing the driver.

In Orangi Town, the body of 40-year-old Salahuddin was found, police said. The violence spread to the Defence area of the city as well, where in Phase II one person (Zohaib) was killed when armed men opened fire on a car at a petrol station. A spokesman for the Rangers said that in targeted raids, more than three dozen suspected persons were arrested for interrogation. The Traders Alliance in Karachi announced that despite the holiday on April 1, all markets and business centres would remain open. It said in the last ten days, markets remained open only for three days causing losses of billions of rupees. President Asif Ali Zardari dashed to Karachi on Saturday morning to take stock of the law and order in the city. he directed Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah to launch a strict crackdown against terrorists in the city. Sindh high Court (ShC) Chief Justice Mushir Alam also took notice of the violence in the metropolis. he has sought a report in this connection from Inspector General of Sindh Police (IGP) Mushtaq Ahmed Shah and Sindh Rangers Director General Maj Gen Rizwan Akhtar.

T

he members of Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) on Saturday hit a deadlock over the allowance of conditional supply to NATO forces in Afghanistan, as the PMLN supported, while the Jamiat Ulema-eIslam-Fazl (JUI-F) opposed the proposal.

A source said though both PML-Q and ‘N’ were supportive of the proposal tabled

by Senator Mushahid hussain Sayed of linking reopening of NATO supply routes with halting drone attacks inside Pakistani territory, but the JUI-F vetoed this proposal, compelling the committee to adjourn its proceedings until Monday. however, the committee chairman hoped to develop consensus among the political parties. The opposition parties had joined hands a week earlier to adopt unanimous stand in the parliament on recommendations of Parliamentary Com-

mittee on National Security (PCNS) but fell divided on Saturday. however, the members unanimously agreed to include two clauses into the draft about not allowing any foreign security contractor to conduct covert operations on Pakistani soil and not giving bases to any foreign nation, especially to the US. The committee, which at Parliament house with Senator Raza Rabbani in the chair, held deliberations for over three hours.

The meeting was also attended by

No one will be allowed to rise above law: CJP PESHAWAR app

Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said on Saturday that no one would be allowed to rise above the law and defile the rule of law. he was addressing Peshawar high Court Bar Association at PhC building. Judges of the Supreme Court Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, acting Chief election Commissioner, and Justice Nasirul Mulk, PhC CJ Dost Muhammad Khan, Balochistan high Court Chief Justice Qazi Faez essa, LhC CJ, Federal Shariat Court Chief Justice, Gilgit Baltistan CJ, former judges, prominent lawyers and legal fraternity attended the function. The CJ told the lawyers that their efforts for upholding the rule of law would not go waste. he said the judiciary could not administer justice without cooperation of the bar. “Being the wheels

of the same chariot of justice, they endeavour individually and collectively to achieve the common objective of administration of justice,” he added. he said since the implementation of national judicial policy, the achievements for early dispensation of justice could not be met without cooperation of the legal fraternity. “The courts worked hard to achieve the objectives and targets set by the national judicial policy and their achievement were the results of whole hearted support and cooperation offered by the bar members,” he said. The chief justice said equality before law was an essential prerequisite for imparting justice and legal community had to play a significant role in the system of administration of justice.he said imparting justice was a divine job and without cooperation and assistance of the lawyers this sacred obligation couldn’t see the light of the day.

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

Editor: Arif Nizami, Executive Editor: Sarmad Bashir

PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira who has replaced Senator Babar Awan.

Rabbani told reporters that the committee was discussing all recommendations and would make decisions with consensus. he said the political parties would not disappoint the nation as they had done in the recent past. Sources said the committee agreed to delete three controversial recommendations related CoNtINuEd oN PAgE 04