E-paper PakistanToday KHI 13th December, 2011

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SC serves notice to Ahmad Kasuri in ZAB reference

Russia vote will stand despite protests: Putin aide

Railways on the verge of collapse, committee told

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Rs15.00 Vol ii no 166 22 pages Karachi — edition

tuesday, 13 december, 2011 Muharram-ul-Haram 17, 1433

Envoys warn against breakdown in US ties Recommend long-term relationship based on mutual respect Envoys’ moot discusses levying taxes on NATO trucks and tankers g Pasha says US frustrated over setbacks in Afghanistan g g

ISLAMABAD ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar presides over a conference of Pakistani envoys. Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Khalid Shamim and Inter-Services Intelligence Director General Ahmed Shuja Pasha are also seen in the picture. inp

Nawaz ‘won’t support any unconstitutional move against govt’ LAHORE STAFF REPORT

pro-women bills sail through Senate ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif said on Monday that every decision of the Supreme Court would be implemented and no unconstitutional move would be supported in the country. Addressing a meeting of the Muslim League Members Assembly, office-bearers and other leaders belonging to Gujranwala division here, Nawaz vowed not to support any unconstitutional and unlawful move in the country. He said the PML-N had to play an active role to make Pakistan a dignified, independent and prosperous country in the real sense. He said the PML-N would again give the nation a Pakistan where the ratio of progress was much more than the rest of the region, where job opportunities for the youth were increasing, where the Continued on page 04

Following the National Assembly, the Senate also unanimously passed a landmark legislation on Monday to provide protection to women against centuries-old brutal traditions and social practices and disfiguring of human body and organs by corrosive substances like acid and other means.

MQM Senator Tahir Mashhadi also introduced a bill regarding digging up or damaging graves in a desecrating manner. The Senate passed the two bills, as passed by the National Assembly, whereby Pakistan Penal Code 1860 and the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 would be amended after formal approval of the president. Both bills were moved by Senator Nilo-

far Bakhtayar in the Senate.

The legislation meant for protecting women against exploitation and discrimination by declaring many things like forced marriages, Wani or Swara or any other custom or practice under any name in consideration of settling a civil dispute or a criminal liability, as punishable acts.

“Whoever gives a female in marriage or otherwise compels a woman to enter into marriage, as badal-e-sulh, Wani, or Swara or any other custom or practice under any name in consideration of settling a civil dispute or a criminal liability shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years and shall not be Continued on page 04

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SHAIQ HUSSAIN

AkiSTANi envoys based in important world capitals on Monday cautioned the ruling circles against a complete breakdown in ties with the United States, saying it could harm the national interests, but also asked for a long-term relationship with the world’s sole superpower based on mutual interests and not just a security-based partnership. islamabad on Monday opened its two-day ‘Envoys’ Conference’ here to discuss various aspects of foreign policy with focus on revising the country’s policy on ties with Washington, which have been strained in the wake of the recent deadly NATO air strike against two Pakistani outposts in Mohmand Agency in which 24 soldiers were killed. Pakistani envoys to US, China, European Union, Russia, Germany, iran, india, Afghanistan and Turkey are participating in the conference, which is presided over by Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani khar. inter-Services intelligence (iSi) Director General Lt General Ahmad Shuja Pasha, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman General khalid Shameem Wyne and Finance Minister Abdul Hafiz Shaikh also attended the ambassadors’ moot on Monday, which went on for the whole day.

“One important proposal that was discussed and vetted at the envoys’ conference on day one was to start taxing the NATO trucks and tankers in case of resumption of NATO supplies to Afghanistan through Pakistan,” said a Pakistani diplomat, requesting anonymity. Pakistan closed its borders to NATO supplies along with issuing orders to the US to

vacate the Shamsi air base and boycotted the Bonn Conference on Afghanistan as a protest against the NATO strike. “The taxation could bring millions of dollars in annual taxes on NATO trucks and fuel tankers but the step could be taken only if the supplies are resumed and Pakistan decides to allow them to cross into Afghanistan,” he said. He said the envoys who came from important world capitals observed that Pakistan could not afford complete breakdown in relations with US and steps must be taken to have a long-term relationship with Washington based on mutual interests if there was a firm assurance by the Obama administration that islamabad’s sovereignty would be respected and there would be no violation of it in future. He said the ambassadors were of the view that there could be no compromise on national sovereignty but if the US apologised for the NATO strike, steps should be taken towards normalisation of ties with Washington as otherwise the country’s economy would suffer serious harm and damage.

US FRUSTRATED: Addressing the conference, Lt General Pasha said that the NATO attack was tantamount to disregard of Pakistan’s sacrifices in the war against terrorism. “The US and its allies are frustrated because of setbacks in Afghanistan and the attack on Pakistani border posts was a result of that frustration,” said Pasha. “The US has no idea of ground realities in the region and in Afghanistan,” a source privy to the moot quoted General Pasha as saying. However, the source said that some of the envoys differed with General Pasha’s remarks, but they expressed that only when he had left.

Continued on page 04

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02 News

Tuesday, 13 december, 2011

iSlAMABAd

NEwS

wORld viEw

ITP opens special booth for driving licence seekers Take suo motu notice of PIA corruption, TIP appeals to CJP The Assads: An iron-fisted dynasty

today’s

Quick Look

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Story on Page 05

SC directs all provinces to provide jobs to eunuchs ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

A two-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry directed all the provinces on Monday to provide job opportunities to the eunuchs to enable them to lead a respectable life. The court also ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold meetings with the social welfare departments as well as eunuchs on divisional or district level for registering them as voters.

The bench also told the chief secretaries of all the provinces to cooperate with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) for the issuance of national identity cards (NiCs) to the eunuchs as well as to help them in property inheritance.

Expressing dismay over the Balochistan government for not taking any steps for the welfare of eunuchs, the court asked the Social Welfare Department secretary to explain why the court should not take action against him for showing negligence in implementing orders.

During the hearing, applicant Dr Aslam khakhi requested the court to direct the government to allocate quota in jobs for the eunuchs. He said that after the apex court’s intervention, people had started taking interest for the welfare of eunuchs. He said that three female students at Quad-e-Azam University, islamabad were writing their theses on the issues of eunuchs.

Story on Page 15

New mosques, madrassas to be regulated g

Stern measures under consideration to curb extremism ISLAMABAD

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GNI

EvERAL proposals are under consideration at various levels of decision making to introduce amendments in the law in order to curb extremism and terrorism and to bring the function and operation of various religious institutions within the framework of certain stringent measures and laws in order to tighten the noose around those activists of banned organisations who later joined militant organisations.

All these proposals are revolving around new stern rules regarding the construction of new madrassas and mosques, preparation of electronic data, regulation of cyber crime/mobile communication, regulation of religious gatherings, vehicle registration, documented economy, law reforms and improving operational capability of civil/armed forces.

On the construction of new madrassas and mosques, the proposal suggests strict denial of government land for construction of new mosques/madrassas, and that such constructions should only be allowed with due government permission and only in special circumstances. New mosques should only be allowed after assessing the requirement of the locality/sect and in accordance with rules of Sharia while the management, faculty and pupils should essentially be locals and the district mosques committees should be strengthened.

The proposal suggests an immediate joint survey of all jihadist outfits and extremist elements by intelligence agencies and police to ascertain the magnitude of the problem, and that

such organisations should be logged in a database accessible to all stakeholders. Foreign religious NGOs should be monitored, and the motives of their operation and sources of their funding should be determined. Every law enforcement agency of the country should work in unison to get the right results with a mechanism of cross-information flow, says the proposal. in view of increased usage of electronic gadgetry and means of communication such as the internet, email, etc, Cyber Crime Units (CCU) are required to be established at all provincial Criminal investigation Departments (CiDs) for regulation, monitoring and prosecution of any violation. immediate blockade of all unauthorized SiMs should be ensured and issuance of SiMs according to the mechanism laid down by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) should also be ensured with strict enforcement in case of any violation.

The proposal also recommended establishing a well-coordinated prosecution system with a witness protection programme. it also states that an amendment is needed in the Qanun-e-Shahadat Ordinance of 1984 to make confession before a gazetted police officer admissible in terrorism cases.

The proposal also envisaged centralised registration of vehicles with the provision of online data of all registered vehicles on the pattern of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to all law enforcement agencies. in order to implement all these suggestions in an effective manner, the proposal emphasised capacity-building of civil armed forces fighting religious extremism and terrorism and revamping provincial CiDs with a proper command structure.

gujranwala: a billboard showing PMl-n leaders as local wrestlers is installed in anticipation of a PMl-n public meeting. StaFF photo

‘Foreigners creating ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights was told on Monday that foreign elements were involved in the unrest in Parachinar. Briefing reporters after the committee’s in-camera meeting at the Parliament House, Committee Chairman Riaz Fatiana said that relevant officials told the committee that sectarianism contributed only a fraction to the poor security situation in kurram Agency. He said that foreigners, including Arab and Central Asian militants, were the real trouble makers in the region. He said the committee was further told that militants from other areas also took advantage of the fragile situation in the area.

However, the committee recommended the authorities concerned to initiate confidence building measures between Shia and Sunni Muslims of the area. The committee was told that

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Tuesday, 13 december, 2011

fOREigN NEwS

ARTS & ENTERTAiNMENT

SPORTS

Syrians go to polls amid strikes, killings

Saga of patterns and prints

Pakistan inflict innings defeat on Bangladesh

News 03 COMMENT Dangerously isolated: Our security paradigm is isolating us.

Climate change: Some achievements.

Dr Faisal Bari says: Haw many need to die?: On our underregulated CNG kits sector.

Ahmed Yusuf says: Change, a mirage: No change without a change in structure.

Syed Hassan Belal Zaidi says: The myth of public service: The hold of Pujabis on public service.

Story on Page 18

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Articles on Page 12-13

Asghar pledges support for Imran PTi chief forced to cancel scheduled press conference after supporters and opponents of former KP minister Pervez Khattak clash at party secretariat g

ISLAMABAD

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trouble in parachinar’ since 2007, 1,100 people had lost their lives in what were considered Shia-Sunni clashes in Parachinar. it recommended free education for the Parachinar youth and starting special youth development programmes.

Fatiana said the committee has also recommended full security to the returning internally-displaced people (iDPs) and ensure security at the main traffic arteries of the area. The committee was told that so far 973 iDP families had been compensated, however it recommended that all the families be compensated at the earliest. Fatiana further said the committee had recommended implementing reforms in the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR). Talking to media, khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Barrister Masood kousar claimed that except North Waziristan, security situation in the other tribal agencies was under control. He announced that the government would not hold a dialogue with the militants.

KASHIF ABBASI

s another political stalwart Air Marshal (r) Asghar khan on Monday announced his support for imran khan, the Pakistan Tehrik-e-insaf (PTi) experienced the first shock of internal strife when two rival groups scuffled with each other over the entry of a former khyber Pakhtunkhwa (kP) minister in the party. Addressing a joint press conference at his residence with PTi chief imran khan, Tehrik-e-istiqlal Pakistan chief Asghar khan announced his support for imran khan. He also announced to resign as party chief and assured imran khan that the Tehreek-e-istiqlal would support the PTi in the next general elections, as “both the parties had the same mission”.

“All elections held in past were rigged. if the PTi wants to bring a change in the country, it has to start a movement for free and fair elections,” he said. He praised imran khan and his party, saying, “The PTi is the only political party which can pull the country out of the existing turmoil.”

Asghar khan said that he had

ATC frames charges against MQM-H chief KARACHI

Mirzas enquire after Zardari in dubai DUBAI ONLINE

National Assembly Speaker Fehmida Mirza and former Sindh home minister Zulfiqar Mirza on Monday visited a hospital in Dubai to inquire about President Asif Ali Zardari’s health.

According to a local Tv

channel, Mirza and Fehmida prayed for the early recovery of Zardari’s health.

They discussed political matters as well and Mirza informed the president about his apprehensions.

Online could not reach President’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar to ask for his comment about the outcome of the meeting.

APP

An Anti Terrorism Court (ATC-ii) headed by Judge khalida Yaseen on Monday framed charges against Afaq Ahmed, chairman of the Muhajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQMH), in a kidnapping-for-ransom case registered in 2001. Afaq Ahmed pleaded not guilty in the case which was registered at the korangi Police Station on the complaint of Jameel Ahmed.

The court after recording the statement of Afaq, ordered issuance of notices to prosecution witnesses for January 12. it may be mentioned here that the court had previously granted bail to the accused in the case against surety bonds of Rs 500,000.

filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court in 1996 against the disbursement of funds among politicians by the inter-Services intelligence (iSi) in 1990. “Many politicians, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif are among those who received money from the iSi. Nawaz got Rs 3.5 million from the iSi,” he alleged. He said that he had been waiting for the last several years, but the apex court was not taking up his case.

Speaking on the occasion, PTi chief imran khan appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan to hear Asghar khan’s petition. imran said that his party would strive for the formation of a free election commission.

“Earlier, the PTi launched a movement for an

independent judiciary and now we will launch a campaign for an independent election commission.” To a query, khan said that he would not accept any challenge from Chaudhry Nisar Ali khan, because the PML-N leader “is a liar”.

Earlier, a serious scuffle broke out between two groups over the inclusion of former kP irrigation minister Pervez khattak in the PTi, minutes before the scheduled news conference of imran at the PTi secretariat. khattak was supposed to formally announce his decision to join the PTi in a press conference with imran.

However, due to the scuffle, imran had to cancel the press conference.

The clash took place between the activists of PTi-Nowshera chapter and the supporters of Pervez khattak. The PTi activists, led by PTi Nowshera Deputy President Sajid Gumaryani, shouted slogans against khattak, calling him an opportunist and corrupt and terming his entry a negation of party ideology.

The slogans charged khattak’s supporters who were also present inside the secretariat building and both the groups threw eggs, chairs and whatever office equipment they could get their hands on at each other.

Kallar Kahar road accident

SC orders compensation ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Punjab government, insurance company concerned and the Motorway Police to compensate the heirs of 37 people, mostly schoolchildren, who died in September as an over-loaded bus overturned on the Lahore-islamabad Motorway, approximately an hour’s drive from islamabad.

A two-member SC bench comprising Chief Justice iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justice khilji Arif Hussain also directed Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq to take personal interest in the payment of compensation. The court ordered registration of criminal cases against all responsible including Faisalabad Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMO), the school administration and owner of the bus and sought compliance report until Tuesday (today).

The court noted that the negligence of the

Motorway Police was also one of the causes of the accident, therefore it should pay double compensation. The court also summoned the TMO secretary and the Punjab prosecutor general today (Tuesday).

The court was informed that the case had been sent to the Anti-Corruption Department against the officers who cleared the bus by giving it a fitness certificate. The insurance company told the court that it was bound to pay only Rs 0. 5 million as compensation, however it had paid Rs 3.3 million compensation on humanitarian basis. Motorway Police SSP Abbas told the court that three officers who were negligent had been dismissed, whereas a DSP was given a show cause notice. The court was also assured that the faults in the registration process system of vehicles would be removed and a bill to this effect would be presented in the assembly during its upcoming session.

The chief justice noted that the bus driver did not even have a driving licence. The court adjourned hearing for today (Tuesday).

Can Asghar Khan’s alliance with PTI be another mistake?

SiTUATiONER SHAMIM SHAHID

Air Marshal (r) Mohammad Asghar khan is considered an honest, patriotic and a dedicated politician. Since founding the Tehrik-e-istiqlal (Ti) in the late 60s, he made valuable efforts for democracy and the rule of law.

Despite repeatedly failing to get elected to the parliament, khan is still considered a highly credited politician. in the late 70s, when the People’s National Alliance (PNA) – a nine-party coalition formed to overthrow the government of

former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto – was holding countrywide rallies, Asghar khan was one of its most prominent leaders and considered a favourite man for the government’s top slot. He publicly announced that upon coming into power, he would award exemplary punishment to Bhutto.

However when the PNA was hijacked and lost its steam, Asghar khan remained active in politics in the coming decades, but was overshadowed by his son Omar Asghar khan, who joined the military government of former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf in 1999. Despite his constant opposi-

tion to military influence in national politics, Asghar khan not only backed the Musharraf regime but even met the military ruler in the company of his son Omar Asghar. Later, he announced to merge his Ti into Omar Asghar’s Qaumi Jamhoori Party (QJP), which was established only a couple of months before Omar’s mysterious death in karachi on June 25, 2002.

As he proposed the merger, 42 out of 45 members of the Central Executive Committee of the Ti opposed the idea.

However, Asghar khan chose to move ahead with the merger, while the remaining Ti members led by Rehmat

khan Wardak decided to keep the party functional even without its founder.

After his son’s death, the aged politician was left with no option but to revive his own party.

As cricket legend-turned politician imran khan and his Pakistan Tehrik-einsaf (PTi) emerged as an attractive refuge for disheartened and disgruntled politicians, Asghar khan also followed suit and announced his loyalty to imran.

Particularly in khyber Pakhtunkhwa, there is a trend that several senior politicians are being asked by their children to join imran khan. in Asghar khan’s case, he could not resist

his second son Ali Asghar khan’s desire to join hands with the PTi. in the past he announced the Ti’s merger into QJP at the wishes of his late son Omar, and presently he chose not to make his second son unhappy. Whatever the future holds for the PTi would become visible after the next general elections, but it is premature to say that the civil and military establishment has sealed its support for imran khan. if it changes its plans or the PTi loses in the elections, then Asghar’s attempt to please his second son would turn out to be yet another mistake, similar to the one he made in early 2000.

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04 News

Tuesday, 13 december, 2011

Pakistan-US relations heading towards thaw

Envoys warn Continued fRoM page 1 “The envoys observed that it doesn’t seem realistic to think that US doesn’t have the idea of ground realities in the region and in Afghanistan,” he said. in her address, Foreign Minister khar said Pakistan was reviewing its ties with western allies. “We are reviewing the terms of engagement with the NATO and the US as we want a relationship with them based on mutual respect and understanding,” a source quoted her as saying. She said recommendations of the Envoys’ Conference would be sent to parliament for final approval. “Pakistan will chalk out a foreign policy to protect its sovereignty, territorial integrity and to align it strictly with the country’s requirements for peace and development,” she said. The conference will conclude today (Tuesday) with its final session being held with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani in the chair, and it is expected that the moot will come up with a declaration based on recommendations on how to alter the foreign policy and reshape it in accordance with the challenges confronted by the country.

Nawaz ‘won’t support Continued fRoM page 1 atmosphere was conducive to local and foreign investment, the nation was united and the people were satisfied and confident with regard to their future. He said the green passport and green flag would be seen with dignity throughout the world.

Political parties were the asset of the country and the nation and a symbol of national unity and solidarity, but unfortunately the dictators in Pakistan had played the game of dividing political parties, occupying their offices, depriving them of their leadership and formed the parties of their choice, as a result of which not only democratic process was damaged but national unity and solidarity were also put at stake, he added.

ISLAMABAD

i HYDERABAD: A girl taking exam of BA Part-1 in the light of a candle due to power load shedding at Nuzrat College. inp

Govt approves compulsory monetisation of transport ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The government has approved compulsory monetisation of transport facility for government officials of grade 20 to 22 from January 1, 2012 to save Rs 3 billion annually.

From January 1, the officers shall pay for petrol, maintenance/repair expenditure, insurance, transfer fee, as well as, any other duties and taxes on the vehicle in addition to payment of installments.

The decision has been taken in line with the cabinet decision taken on June 3 and would help eliminate misuse of official vehicles. The prime minister has directed the Cabinet Division to implement the policy in a transpar-

ent manner in order to take the reforms agenda of the government forward. The main objective of this policy is within the overall context of observance of the austerity measures approved in the federal budget 2011-12. The overall implementation of the policy shall be the responsibility of all federal secretaries and principal accounting officers, who will particularly ensure that each of the entitled officer of grade 20 to 22 is not in possession or in use of any project vehicle or the departmental operational or general duty vehicle, as well as any vehicle of an organisation or body corporate in his ex-officio capacity, except the only vehicle allocated to him/her through this monetisation policy. An undertaking shall

also be obtained from each entitled officer that in case officer is found involved in unauthorised use of a vehicle, he shall be liable to be preceded under the relevant rules. in this regard, a number of certificates and declarations have been prescribed which shall be required to be signed by each officer, including the principal accounting officer for implementation of this policy.

According to the salient features of the policy, there will be a complete ban on the purchase of staff cars and grade 20 to 22 officers who have been provided official transport shall be given the first option to purchase the allocated cars as per prescribed formula already in vogue.

Two alleged Pakistani ‘spies’ remanded NEW DELHI: Two Pakistani nationals, including a 38-year-old woman, arrested by police on the charge of entering india without any authorisation with an intention to settle here as iSi modules, were remanded by a Delhi court in police custody for 14 days. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate vinod Yadav remanded 40-year-old imran and his woman accomplice, Soofia kanwal, both from karachi, in police custody in an in-camera proceeding.

The court handed over the duo to police on the

prosecution’s plea that their custodial interrogation was required to unravel their networks and plans here, said a police official, privy to the in-camera court proceedings. The crime branch of the city police arrested the duo from New Delhi railway station on a tip off that two Pakistani nationals, who had entered india on December 5 through Sanouli border in Gorakhpur area in Uttar Pradesh would be coming to the national capital by the Gorakhdham Express. INP

STAFF REPORT

CE seems to have started melting between the United States and Pakistan, with positive signals coming from both sides suggesting that their relations would be back to normal soon.

The relations between the US and Pakistan have been strained since the May 2 attack on Osama bin Laden’s hideout in Abbottabad and they worsened further with the NATOiSAF attack on two Pakistani border posts in which 25 troops were killed.

After the November 26 attack, Pakistan had blocked all NATO supplies to Afghanistan with the army and the government taking a tough position on

Phone lines to AJK govt disconnected MUZAFFARABAD INP

AJk government’s financial crisis took a serious turn on Monday after the telephones of cabinet ministers, secretaries and officials were disconnected after the government had no money to clear utility bills. While most AJk ministers prefer to stay in islamabad, their office bills in Muzaffarabad cross the limit. Excessive expenditure by different departments has left no money in the AJk government’s treasury, therefore due to nonpayment the Special Communication Organisation disconnected all telephone connections.

Conspiracies to pit federation against provinces on: Rabbani ISLAMABAD ARIF TAJ

Warning that subverting devolutionary process under the 18th Amendment would engender horrible consequence for the country, PPP Senator Raza Rabbani on Monday said bureaucracy and certain political forces were hatching conspiracies to create rifts between the federation and the federating units for their vested interests.

He said this while speaking in the Senate when Senator SM Zafar wanted to introduce a bill in the Upper House on private members day to amend the constitution of the country

whereby the subject of curriculum for the educational institutions, devolved to the provinces under the 18th Amendment, could be taken back by the federal government. Senator Zafar said parliament had made a mistake in giving powers to the provinces about making curriculum for the educational institutions and it would give rise to provincialism abolishing uniformity in education. Zafar said he should be allowed to introduce the bill to correct the mistake. Rabbani said the current political polarisation and trust deficit between the provinces and federation would increase as a conse-

quence of amending the constitution and taking the subject of curriculum or syllabi from the provinces. He added that devolution under the18 Amendment was not a step of extreme nature in favour of provincial autonomy, rather it was minimum level of consensus among parliamentarians. The ANP also opposed SM Zafar’s move, saying the bill should not be introduced. Senator Afrasiab khattack said Bangladesh did not emerge owing to different syllabi and the insurgency in Balochistan was not due to different curriculum, rather it was due to injustice and denial of rights to the provinces. The JUi

also opposed the move.

Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Senator Abdul Rahim Mandokhel also opposed the bill and idea that syllabi should be taken back from the provinces.

Senator Professor khursheed said a consensus should have been evolved prior to bringing any such bill in the Upper House. However, the MQM was in favour of the bill and Senator Haseeb khan said the bill should be introduced and referred to the concerned committee. Senator Haji Adeel said the government should take notice of some posters and banners of a rally in islam-

abad. He said that posters read, “Pak fauj kadam barahao, hum tuharay sath hein” (Move forward Pak Army, we are with you) and “Mulk Bachaney kay leye kayani ko laana zaroori hey” (Bringing kayani into power is essential to save the country). Senator Ahmed Ali raised a point of order, saying a bill sent by the committee about State Bank had not been passed yet. Nayyar Bukhari also submitted a privilege motion against vice Chancellor of Quaid-Azam University Hasoom Yasinzai for passing derogatory remarks against PPP ministers and some lawmakers.

this violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty. The army concluded its investigation by squarely saying that it was a deliberate and intended attack. The government also took the same position.

However, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, in his interview to BBC, did not say for sure that it was an intended attack. “Apparently so,” he said in response to a question about whether he believed that the attacks were deliberate and pre-planned. This suggested that the situation would soon become normal. US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter, in a Tv programme on Monday, expressed sorrow at the “terrible tragedy” of Mohmand Agency and termed it an “unintentional” act and a result of “failure of mechanism”.

Speaking in the Geo News programme Capital Talk, he said: “We feel as Pakistani people do on this terrible tragedy. it should not have happened. We have pledged a full enquiry into the incident and we should learn from this so that it should never happen again.”

When asked to comment on possible closure of Pakistani airspace to US planes, Munter said: “Let’s not forget that Pakistan and the US are on the same side and that there should be more talk between the two allies rather than less.

Let’s get beyond the anger.” To a question on whether the US was trying to pressure Pakistan to restore NATO supply lines, the US ambassador said his government was in constant contact with Pakistan over the issue.

SC issues notices to all respondents in Rpp case ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to all respondents in the rental power projects (RPPs) case after it was informed that Reshma Rental Power Plant was not paid its outstanding amount of Rs 750 million despite it having reimbursed the money taken as mobilisation advance.

A two-member Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justice khilji Arif Hussain was hearing two identical petitions filed

by Federal Minister for Housing and Works Faisal

Saleh Hayat and PML-N MNA khawaja Asif alleging corruption in the award of RPPs contract.

Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, counsel for Reshma Power Project, Dr Pervez Hassan, counsel for Pakistan Power Resource (PPR) project in Gaddu, Multan and Bhikki and counsel for PEPCO khawaja Tariq Rahim appeared before the court.

Pirzada told the court that Reshma Power Project was not receiving the money against the power it was generating, whereas Dr Pervez Hassan told the court that PPR projects were installed with good faith and sense of transparency in Pakistan.

pro-women bills Continued fRoM page 1 less than three years and shall also be liable to fine of Rs 500,000,” the bill states.

The bill also seeks to prohibit depriving a woman from inheriting property by adding a new chapter titled “Offences Against Women” to the PPC. Similarly, when this bill becomes a law, forced marriage will also be declared a punishable offence. The prohibition of marriage to the Holy Quran is a significant step to rein in the feudal culture and traditions.

The provincial governments have also been legally barred from interfering in sentences of rape by inserting a new section (402D) in the Code of Criminal Proce-

dure.

Regarding bringing justice to victims of acid crimes, the other bill says, “Whoever victimises someone through the use of corrosive substance shall be punished with life imprisonment or imprisonment of either description which shall not be less than 14 years and a minimum fine of Rs 1 million,” read the newly-introduced section 336B that amended the Pakistan Penal Code 1860, and the Code of Criminal Procedure 1998.

Meanwhile, the bill introduced by Mashhadi seeks that digging up or damaging of graves without sanction of lawful authority should be declared a punishable act.

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Tuesday, 13 december, 2011

Bossy boss end of story for young KU teacher?

Miss-treatment 06

Afaq Ahmed back to ‘cell’ one ■ Haqiqi chief indicted in yet another case – this time he’s accused of kidnapping a city government employee KARACHI

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IMDAD SOOMRO

N anti-terrorism court (ATC) indicted the imprisoned chief of Mohajir Qaumi MovementHaqiqi on Monday in a kidnapping-for-ransom case of City District Government karachi (now karachi Metropolitan Corporation) employee Jameel Baloch.

Haqiqi chief Afaq Ahmed pleaded not guilty to the allegation and decided to stand trial, following which the court fixed the date of January 12 for the hearing of the case and summoned the prosecution witnesses as well.

Judge khalida Yaseen of the ATC-ii conducted the hearing of the case at the karachi Central Jail. According to the prosecution, Ahmed was accused of abducting Jameel Baloch for ransom in 2001.

Previously, Haqiqi’s former Sindh Assembly member Younus khan and another party activist were arrested on the same charges, but they were released later due to lack of evidence. The case against two other accused remained pending.

A decade later, when Ahmed was acquitted in all cases, police put down his name as an accused in Baloch’s case. The court was informed that Ahmed was recently identified as an accused.

He was brought before Yaseen of the ATC, the same court that had granted Ahmed bail of Rs 500,000 in the case on November 27.

Ahmed denied the charges levelled against him, following which the court summoned witnesses in the hearing to take place on January 12.

According to sources, Additional Home Secretary Waseem Ahmed met with Ahmed and asked him to leave Pakistan because releasing him could affect the

government. Waseem told Ahmed that a coalition party in the government is exerting pressure to keep him detained.

“Waseem asked Afaq to leave the country because his life is in danger and the government cannot protect him. Afaq told Waseem that he would not agree to any out-of-court settlement.

Moreover, Afaq said he would neither leave the country nor try to curb his party’s activities,” the sources added. it is pertinent to mention here that the Sindh High Court (SHC) had given the Sindh Home Department three days to decide the matter of the Haqiqi chief’s second detention under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance.

According to the court’s order, if the Home Department failed to resolve the issue, the SHC would make a decision itself.

The hearing for Ahmed’s second detention under the MPO Ordinance would be held in court on December 15. The petition challenging the detention would be heard on December 16 as well.

PiA releases ‘off-beam’ figures for haj operation KARACHI WAQAR HAMZA

After massive hiccups in the Haj Operation 2011, the Pakistan international Airlines (PiA) has allegedly released incorrect figures to cover its poor performance. in a statement issued on Saturday, PiA Public Affairs Department said the PiA had successfully completed the Haj Operation 2011 by bringing back over 110,000 hajis to Pakistan.

The department said the PiA had taken 110,726 hujjaj via 273 flights from Pakistan, and brought back 96,200 hujjaj via 266 special haj flights from Jeddah. However, sources said 95,500 haj pilgrims were brought back to the country via 270 haj flights, and of these only 47 flights were on time. A PiA spokesperson said 10,884 hajis were brought back to karachi, 19,495 to Lahore, 19,766 to islamabad, 18,600 to Peshawar, 16,058 to Quetta, 3,503 to Sialkot and 8,432 to Multan. However, sources said 9,858 hujjaj arrived in karachi, 19,015 in Lahore, 19,015 in islamabad, 19,876 in Peshawar, 16,386 in Quetta, 3,482 in Sialkot and 8,424 in Multan. Sources said the actual figures were not confirmed and, instead, a press statement based on the schedule made for Haj Operation 2011 was issued.

in violence-marred Karachi, kids caught in crossfire KARACHI TExT AND PHOTOS BY AMAR GURIRO

A bright sunny morning in August, a few schoolchildren quietly made their way to their schools. With the majority of schools closed in the city due to summer vacations, most of the neighbourhood was still asleep in their houses.

All her friends were on holidays but the private school where 10-year-old Zainab studied was, however, open.

After putting on her uniform, she got ready for school. She picked up her school bag and stepped on to the street.

Her fate lurked at the corner.

Suddenly, she heard a gunshot and a searing pain in one of her eyes. Then everything went blank.

Five days later, Zainab regained consciousness, only to be told she had lost one eye but was lucky enough to be alive.

A stray bullet had hit the 10year old girl while she was on her way to school in Bihar Colony – a settlement in the suburbs of karachi, where the majority of residents are migrants from the indian state of Bihar, who had settled here after partition.

Located near the kati Pahari – the notorious flashpoint of ethic violence and riots in the city, Bihar Colony is also vulnerable to the aftershocks of violent bouts and becomes a battleground whenever ethic riots grip the city. During the last wave of bloodshed in August, several people belonging to different communities in the neighbourhood were killed.

Lucky to survive among them

Ten-year-old Zainab, who lost her eye due to a stray bullet. (Right) The building of a private school riddled with bullets. StaFF photo was Zainab.

She had wanted to become a doctor after completing her studies, but after the incident, she changed her mind and wants to be an ophthalmologist – for treating children who lose their eyes during armed conflicts.

Zainab may never be able to get her eye back as her father is a daily-wage worker at a garment factory and unable to afford the expenses for an artificial eye for

her only daughter. So she awaits divine help or a kind philanthropist to come to her help.

But Zainab is not the lone victim of violence in the city.

According to Abdul Waheed khan, an Ashoka Fellow running a chain of schools in Qasba Colony and its surrounding areas, at least 15 schoolchildren were killed in the area during the August riots. “i have the complete record of all the deceased children; their

names, ages and the date of their killing,” the social entrepreneur said. Along with the photos of their dead bodies, he has saved all these details in his laptop. khan used to live in a small village in Swat, but when the Taliban started blowing up schools in the picturesque valley, he migrated to karachi for educating his children in a better atmosphere.

But despite moving far away from the violence-hit Swat valley, ter-

rorism seems to have followed him to karachi also. “in recent years, hundreds of people have been killed in ethnic riots in the city and many of them were schoolchildren,” khan said.

“But the issue was never highlighted by the government authorities or in the media.”

He said that due to violence in the city, apart from routine businesses, schools also suffer but the mainstream political parties do

not take such issues seriously.

Working on the same issue, khan’s colleague Syed Latif has constituted peace committees of schoolchildren, who will preach for restoration of peace in the area.

“We have made these committees in 300 streets and the members will talk with elders to spare schools and students from violence,” Latif said. “We are sure that it will work and people will listen to the children.”

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Tuesday, 13 december, 2011

CiD arrests three ‘taliban’ KARACHI STAFF REPORT

IRON BONDING: labourers welding the protective railing on the Native Jetty Bridge on Monday.

Three important members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan were arrested in a raid, the Crime investigation Department (CiD) said on Monday. The arrested men, identified as Abdul Malik, Abdul Wahid and Naseem, were allegedly planning to attack important personalities and government assets. CiD personnel recovered 20-kg of explosive material, a rifle and more than 2,000 bullets from the possession of the suspects. The CiD conducted another raid in Shahib Dad Goth and arrested a man identified as Aamir. SP Fayaz khan told the media that 250-kg drugs were recovered from his possession. The SP said that the arrested suspect is affiliated with a gang of smugglers and his leader Fareed Baloch fled during the raid. Separately, the korangi police conducted a search operation and arrested seven people. Weapons were recovered from their custody.

MURDER AND MISHAP: Police found the bullet-riddled body of a man at Mirza Adam khan Road, in the jurisdiction of Chakiwara police station. According to the police, the victim was brutally tortured and killed after being kidnapped. He was a resident of Shershah. in another case, a man was killed at the Clifton underpass in a hit-and-run accident.

FIRE: A fire erupted in a godown in NTR Colony behind the Central Police Office. Four fire brigade tenders reached the spot but were unable to douse the fire. Later, 10 more fire tenders and boozers were sent there and the blaze was finally extinguished after efforts that lasted for four hours. The godown was full of plastic toys and goods worth millions of rupees were reduced to ashes.

onLinE

Bossy boss end of story for young KU teacher?

■ visiting faculty member resigns after ‘misbehaviour of department chairman’ KARACHI

A

AAMIR MAJEED

visiting faculty member at the University of karachi (kU)’s Public Administration Department (DPA) resigned on Monday ‘after being pressurised to allow ineligible students for appearing in annual examinations by the department’s chairman’.

The teacher, on condition of anonymity told Pakistan Today, that she had barred some students from appearing in the semester examination due to short attendance but the chairman pressurised her into taking their paper and when she refused, he misbehaved with her.

The faculty member, who teaches the third-year DPA course ‘Management Ethics’, was seen walking out of the classroom with tears in her eyes due to the chairman’s attitude.

She said she had been teaching for the past two years at the kU as visiting faculty and taught students of different disciplines.

“i had short-listed some students who do not attend classes regularly, as ineligible for taking the exam. Among them was a student who was also caught

red-handed using unfair means during the mid-term examinations. i had then taken him to the DPA chairman, who directed me to give him zero marks,” she

said. “On [the chairman’s] order, i gave him a zero in his paper and submitted his exam copy to the chairman, who promised me of submitting the case with the kU’s Disciplinary Committee (DC).”

The teacher said that on Monday, when the said student came for taking the paper, she asked him to go out as he was ineligible and his case yet to be decided. “He was also ineligible because he had not attended the number of course classes as required.”

“The student started shouting at me and said the chairman had allowed him to sit in the exam,” she said. “i asked him to come to the classroom with a written permission from the DPA chairman in order to appear in the paper.”

“Later, the chairman called me to his room and as soon as i went inside, he started lambasting me, saying how dare you send a student to me for written permission,” the teacher said.

“When i said that the case of this student cannot be resolved as he is also ineligible due to short attendance, the chairman continued shouting at me and

Ho Ho Ho… Santa Qaim’s got

said that if you require a written permission from me, then you should also have sent me the names of ineligible students in written,” she added. “i have decided to quit the varsity due to the rude behaviour of the DPA chairman,” the visiting faculty member said.

When approached for comments, the DPA chairman said it is the authority of the course in-charge to decide if the student can sit for the paper or not.

“However, the teacher should also inform the chairman about the decision but she had not informed me in written.

Dismissing the teacher’s claims of misbehaviour, he said he had not misbehaved with her.

Condemning the incident, kU Provice Chancellor Prof Dr Shahana Urooj kazmi said the teacher had informed her about the entire episode. “Although it is the teacher’s right to allow or bar the student from sitting in exam, i have asked her to allow the student to appear in the paper and later discuss the matter with the DPA chairman if the result should be issued or not,” she said.

Authorities at work

30 CnG rickshaws for Lyari residents KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah distributed 30 CNG rickshaws among selected residents of Lyari on Monday at a ceremony held at the Chief Minister’s House.

“At present, 30 rickshaws are being given away, but more will be distributed in Lyari and other areas of karachi,” Shah said on the occasion.

“The distribution process is being started from Lyari, which is the centre of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP),” he added. “The people of Lyari have made sacrifices for the restoration democracy in the country.”

The chief minister said that it is the endeavour of the present government to provide jobs to the unemployed youth of the country

under the PPP’s programme He maintained that the PPP is the party of the poor, labourers, peasants, youth and middle-class masses, and has always struggled for the progress, prosperity and development of deprived areas.

The chief minister said that an amount of Rs 800 million has already been spent during last year for construction of roads and provision of lights, drinking water and other amenities in Lyari, and this year the same amount has been allocated for the area again.

He said that the President Zardari has directed provision of maximum educational facilities in Lyari. “As such, a medical college has been set up in Lyari and its first batch of students will appear for annual examinations,” he added He said that the students of Lyari and the remote areas of

Malir, keamari and ibrahim Hyderi are being provided with admissions under their quota.

“A university in Lyari is being

established for which land has been provided and another medical university in the area is also being set up.”

MNA Abdul waseem, Municipal Central Administrator Mohammad Nazeer lakhani and Municipal Commissioner Kamal Mustafa inspect road-carpeting in New Karachi zone.

district Central deputy Commissioner Matanat Ali Khan presides over a meeting on the anti-polio campaign in his district.

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Tuesday, 13 december, 2011

karachi 07 PakistaN today

$2.4m to modernise Sindh’s cops ■ Narcotics Affairs Section of US Embassy extending aid under Police Assistance Programme KARACHI STAFF REPORT

laundered clothes are hung out to dry at the dhobi ghaat in lines Area.

imRan aLi

God bless Behn’s soul, 3,002 houses for rain-hit families ready for moving in

The assistance of $2.4 million being extended by the Narcotics Affairs Section (NAS) of the US Embassy to the Sindh police under the Police Assistance Programme was discussed at a meeting on Monday.

A three-member delegation of the NAS, headed by Jon F Danilowics, called on Sindh inspector General of Police (iGP) Mushtaq Ahmed Shah at the Central Police Office.

Additional iGP Central Falak khursheeed; Additional iGP CiD Sindh karachi Ghulam Shabbir Shaikh, DiGP Headquarters Sardar Abdul Majeed, DiGP Finance Dost Ali Balouch and Assistant iGP Operations Aamir Faruqui were also present on the occasion.

The participants of the meeting discussed the assistance of being extended by the NAS to the Sindh police and the latter’s equipment requirement as part of the modernisation process.

The $ 2.4 million assistance would be for three important components: specialised training, modern equipment support and infrastructure development.

The iGP directed the Training Branch, CiD, Forensics, ACLC and Bomb Disposal Squad to complete the formalities accordingly by January 5 to finalise the execution of the programme.

He also nominated the DiGP headquarters as the focal person to ensure the finalisation of the formalities within the given time.

■ Remaining 838 houses of Behn Benazir Basti project to be completed at different stages KARACHI

T

STAFF REPORT

HE Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Housing Cell has finished building 3,002 houses of the Behn Benazir Basti project so far, while the remaining 838 houses would be completed at different stages, participants of a meeting held on Tuesday at the Chief Minister’s House to review the scheme were informed.

The meeting was presided over

by Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah. it was attended by Pakistan People’s Party’s MNA Mir Munawar Ali Talpur, Sindh Housing Agha Taimoor khan, Mirpurkhas Division Commissioner Ghulam Hussain Memon and Shaheed Benazir Housing Cell Chairman Manzar Abbas.

The chief minister stressed the need for accelerating the scheme’s pace of work. “Efforts should be made to construct the houses on warfooting

basis in all districts of province, particularly in Garhi khuda Bakhsh,” he added.

He said that that following the heavy rains in the

province, millions of families became homeless and the government has decided to provide them with immediate housing facilities.

He directed the Shaheed Be-

nazir Housing Cell chairman to coordinate with the divisional commissioners of the rain-hit areas and compile data on homeless families so that a report can be furnished for further taking appropriate action.

Shah also instructed the Mirpurkhas commissioner to coordinate with the cell in the latter’s efforts to gather the details on the affected families the district.

The provincial chief executive said that the houses should be constructed in the shape of clusters of around 10 to 15 units with a common bathing area.

MNA Mir Munawar Ali Talpur said more than 0.9 million families have been affected by the recent rains in Mirpurkhas and they are in immediate need of housing.

Sindh Housing Minister Agha Taimoor khan said if single room houses are provided in the rain-affected areas of Sindh, Rs 140,000 would be required for each house.

Killer booze in the city?

KARACHI STAFF REPORT

A new brand of alcoholic drinks recently introduced in the city has claimed the lives of two journalists while severely affecting several others, who consumed the beverages.

Two journalists died while another two lost their eyesight after consuming the toxic drinks. Four other people were admitted to hospitals in a critical condition.

The consumption of the new brands of liquor under the names of “indus” and “Watch One” have affected more than a dozen people in different areas of the city including Lyari, Bihar Colony and Garden.

Talking with Pakistan Today, an affected journalist said that he had lost consciousness after having the liquor and when he regained his senses he had lost his eyesight.

Well-placed sources informed Pakistan Today that the main supplier of the brand of tainted liquor was a person known only as Suresh. “A retailer had purchased a bag of 15 indus and Watch One bottles at a cost of Rs 7,900. it is low-cost but badly damages the organs,” they said.

The sources also claimed that the owner of these two brands of alcoholic drinks is a very influential political personality.

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08 karachi wEATHER UPdATES

31°C High

Clear skies

18°C low

23% Humidity

wEdNESdAy THURSdAy fRidAy 30°C i 17°C

29°C i 16°C

29°C i 16°C

PRAyER TiMiNgS fajr 5:47

Sunrise 7:07

Zuhr 12:26

Asr 3:25

Maghrib 5:45

isha 7:06

Starting time in Karachi

CiTy diRECTORy EMERgENCy HElP POliCE 15 BOMB diSPOSAl 15, 99212667 fiRE BRigAdE 16, 99215007, 99215008 EdHi 115, 32310066-2310077 KHidMAT-E-KHAlQ fOUNdATiON 36333811 REd CRESCENT 35833973 gOvERNOR’S HOUSE 136 CHiEf MiNiSTER’S HOUSE 99202051 MOTORwAy POliCE 130

HOSPiTAlS ABBASi SHAHEEd Civil JiNNAH NiCvd AgA KHAN TABBA

99260400-09 99215749, 99215960 99201300-39 99201271-6 34930051 36811841-50

Tuesday, 13 december, 2011

‘Alliances and collaborations needed to tackle diabetes’

■ 2nd international diabetes Conference concludes KARACHI

T

APP

HE 2nd international Conference on Diabetes concluded on Monday with the recommendation that strategic alliances should be expanded among the government, industry, civil society and international organisations to prevent diabetes and encourage best practice in the management and awareness of the disease.

The three-day conference was organised by the Dow University of Health Sciences in collaboration with Diabetic Association of Pakistan and was attended by leading scholars from the field of diabetology, including 15 foreign experts.

The participants of the meeting also recommended close collaboration among all stakeholders to increase easy access of patients to essential medicines. This must be complimented by a campaign for an effective control and management of the disease.

Earlier, Michael Hirst, the president-elect of the international Diabetes Federation (iDF), in his presentation at the last of the scientific sessions of the conference said the number of people with type 2 diabetes is increasing in every country.

“Around 183 million people with diabetes are undiagnosed,” he said.

“Diabetes consumed $465 billion of healthcare expenditure in 2011; that is 11 percent of the total healthcare

expenditure on adults.”

Hirst said the global burden of diabetes estimated prevalence in 2011 was 366 million i.e. 8.3 percent, whereas the predicted prevalence in 2030 will be 552 million i.e.

9.9 percent.

According to the South Asian Regional Burden of Diabetes, the diabetes prevalence in Pakistan was 6.72 percent (6.34 million), 8.31 percent (61.25 million) in india, 9.58 percent (8.40 million) in Bangladesh and 7.77 percent (1.080 million) in Srilanka.

The iDF president said the federation’s strategic goal is to drive change at all levels, from local to global, to prevent diabetes and increase access to essential medicines and to develop and encourage best practice in the diabetes policy, management and education.

“There is a need for developing tools to disseminate relevant information on diabetes treatment, management and prevention,” he added.

Dr Zaman Shaikh, director of the DUHS National institute of Diabetes and Endocrinology, said diabetes affects 10 percent of the adult population in Pakistan and has the potential to become the third most important cause of blindness in the country.

“The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in Pakistan ranges between 21 and 24 percent,” he added.

Diabetes occurs at a much younger age in South Asian countries than it does in developed countries. Each year, between 12,000 and

diabetes affects 10 percent of the adult population in Pakistan and has the potential to become the third most important cause of blindness in the country. The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in Pakistan ranges between 21 and 24 percent DR ZAMAN SHAIKH DUHS NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIABETES AND ENDOCRINOLOGY DIRECTOR

24,000 people lose their sight because of diabetes mellitus.

Dr Samad A Shera, director of

BlOOd BANK HUSSAiNi fATiMid PwA

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TOLERANCE IN SUFISM

ALTARS/CONDOLENCE THEATRE

the Diabetes Association of Pakistan, said that in every 10 seconds one person dies of diabetes and during this same period two people develop the disease.

“High prevalence, exponential increase in population, limited national resources and low literacy rate are the five major challenges to diabetes care in developing countries,” he pointed out.

“We know enough about diabetes, its prevalence and the risk factors,” he said. “Now is the time to act and implement what we know in terms of diabetes prevention and control.”

The senior diabetologist said there is a need for focusing on primary and secondary prevention to minimise the cost of tertiary care.

Anne-Marie Felton, vice president of the iDF, discussing the “Evolving Role of the Diabetes Specialist Nurse beyond Therapeutic Patient Education: A European Perspective” said efforts are under way to promote the delivery of evidence-based care for people with diabetes throughout Europe.

“This is being complimented with efforts to develop and promote the professional role of the diabetes nurse in Europe, influence European health care policy relevant to diabetes care and research, promote acceptable standards and equity of care for people with diabetes and cooperate and collaborate with national and international health care organisations,” she added.

SUBJECTIVE PHOTOGRAPHY

LECTURE ON DECEMBER 13 AT 06:00 PM VENUE: GOETHE-INSTITUT

ART EXHIBITIONS START DECEMBER 13 AT 05:00 PM VENUE: CANVAS GALLERY

PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION UNTIL DECEMBER 15 VENUE: VM ART GALLERY/GOETHE-INSTITUT

Dr Jurgen Wasim Frembgen’s lecture on ‘Tolerance in Sufism’ at 6:00 pm on December 13 at the Goethe-institut.

Call 34948088 for more information.

komail Aijazuddin’s ‘Altars’ and Muhammad Ali’s ‘Condolence Theatre’ are running from December 13 to 22 at the Canvas Gallery. Call 35861523 for more information.

‘Subjective Photography’ is running until December 15 at the vM Art Gallery and the Goethe-institut. Call 34948088 or 35661633 for more information.

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Tuesday, 13 december, 2011

News 09

New generation of politicians set to sell hope g

New entries indicate notable political families of country believe that democracy means ‘govt of the family, by the family and for the family’ ISLAMABAD

A

IRFAN BUKHARI

FTER failing to resolve the people’s problems and put the country on the path of peace and prosperity, top political figures of the country are transferring the “art of selling hopes”, which they inherited from their fathers, to their children.

The launch of the political career of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Mariam Nawaz, Fizza Gilani, Ali Musa Gilani, Zain Qureshi and others reflects dominant and controversial trends of hereditary politics in Pakistan, indicating that the notable political families of the country believe that democracy means “government of the family, by the family and for the family”.

The third generation of politicians includes Awais Leghari and Jamal Leghari, sons of former president Farooq Ahmed khan Leghari, Moonis Elahi, heir of the Chaudhrys of Gujrat, Hamza Shahbaz, Punjab Chief Minister Shabaz Sharif’s son, Omar Ayub khan,

son of Gohar Ayub khan, Abdul Qadir Gilani, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s son, Sughra imam, daughter of Fakhar imam and Abida Hussain, Hina Rabbani khar, daughter of Ghulam Rabbani khar, khurram Jahangir Wattoo, son of Manzoor Watto and Syed Rashid Shah Rashidi, grandson of Pir Pagara.

Some of the young politicians like Bilawal, Mariam, the Gilani brothers and Hamza have certain political platforms established by their parents, but the fresh blood of Legahris, Omar Ayub and Zain Qureshi has to discover new avenues for their political journeys.

Moonis, despite his capabilities with Shujaat-taught skills of politics, is still not out of the woods and his political career got tinted at the very outset owing to the NiCL corruption case.

Political analysts and opponents of the Sharifs suggest that it was fear of imran khan’s growing popularity and Tehreek-e-insaaf’s acceptance among youth of the country which forced Nawaz to withdraw bars imposed on her daughter (Mariam) for entering poli-

tics.

Some circles close to the PML-N leadership claim that Mariam was launched into politics to counter Hamza Shahbaz, his cousin, as Nawaz’s core family wanted its share in political inheritance.

The owner of an international cosmetic company once said: “in factories we make cosmetics. in markets we sell hope.” With little amendment keeping in mind Pakistan’s political culture of hereditary politics, we can say: “in families (political) we produce politicians.

To masses, they sell hope.”

Commenting on the emergence of new generation of politicians, Rasul Bakhsh Rais, notable political analyst, said it was not generational change in politics as the decision making in political parties was still in the hands of elder politicians.

“Bilawal’s launch is not a new phenomenon in the politics of the country, as the Gilanis, Sharifs and the Chaudhrys have already launched their scions into the politics of Punjab,” he said. He said the politics had become

Charity begins at home for UK pti dozens of party workers allowed to attend fundraiser with imran Khan without paying entry fee g Paid guests arrive to discover their seats taken by PTi workers g

LONDON MAJID KHATTAK

Pakistan Tehreek-e- insaf (PTi) Uk leadership turned the famous proverb ‘charity begins at home’ into reality by allowing dozens of party workers to attend a fundraising dinner with imran khan without paying entry fees.

Uk based Pakistani entrepreneurs in collaboration with Rabia Zia, a local leader of PTi Uk organised a dinner and music program with imran khan on Saturday in London to generate funds for Namal College Mianwali, a charity project of the PTi Chairman. Entry tickets for the function were sold out at 100 pounds each but on the special instructions of Rabia Zia, PTi workers from across the Britain were permitted to enter the function and enjoy a free meal and a music program in the company of PTi chairman imran khan without paying a penny. sources told Pakistan

Today.

The PTi Uk leadership’s act irritated guests who had paid for the tickets and some left the venue before the function commenced after registering their protest, the source said. A guest who attended the function on anonymity told Pakistan Today that their allocated seats were already occupied by party workers and the sponsors reallocated their sponsors when they lodged complaints about the misbehaviour of party workers. He blamed the PTi Uk leadership for converting a non- political charity function into a political show and tarnishing the image of imran khan and his party among overseas Pakistanis.

When contacted, PTi Uk leader Mohammad Junaid said party workers were allowed to the function by a particular group who want to win their support for the upcoming party election in Uk. Despite repeated attempts, Program Organiser Rabia Zia could not be contacted.

Balochistan assembly condemns nato attack, prays for Zardari QUETTA APP

The Balochistan Assembly on Monday unanimously passed a resolution condemning the NATO attack on Salala checkpost demanding permanent withdrawal of facilities to US led allied forces stationed in Afghanistan.

Speaker Muhammad Aslam Bhootani presided over the session. Senior Minister and the Jamiat Ulema-i-islam-F parliamentary leader Maulana Abdul Wasey, Minister for Works and the Pakistan Peoples Party deputy parliamentary leader Ali Madad Jatak, Minister for Revenue and Awami National Party leader Eng. Zamarak khan Piralizai and Minister for Minorities Jay Parakash moved the joint resolution which reads that this house strongly condemned the NATO forces’ brutal bombardment on Pakistani checkpost in Salala in which a number of army officials and soldiers were killed. it further said that “this house asks the provincial government to approach the Federal Government to take every possible step for compensating the families of the killed.” Speaking on the resolution, Piral-

izai appreciated the Federal Government steps to withdraw facilities to the US and NATO forces including evacuation of Shamshi airbase. Parakash demanded that the US government should apologise for the attack. The chair put the resolution to the house which passed it unanimously.

PRAyER FoR ZARDARI:Later, turning down rumours about President Asif Ali Zardari, the Balochistan Assembly prayed for his early recovery. Speaker Muhammad Aslam Bhootani presided over the assembly session that termed the rumours part of the negative campaign of the opponents of the present government. Minster for Works and deputy parliamentary leader of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), in the Assembly Haji Ali Madad Jatak while drawing attention of the chair said that President Asif Ali Zardari was admitted to a Dubai-based hospital for treatment.

Minister for Women Development and PPP leader Ghazala Gola said President Zardari was in Dubai due to an ailment and the rumours and propaganda were false. Later, the Speaker adjourned the house till Thursday, December 15, 11am.

family business in the country.

Asked whether introduction of fresh blood from notable political families would bring healthy changes to politics, Rais said the young politicians due to tainted past of their families could not bring change in the political culture of the country.

With the practical entrance of Bilawal into politics following President Asif Ali Zardari’s sudden and mysterious departure to the UAE, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani too has launched his second son Ali Musa Gilani into politics by announcing that he would contest election on the seat (NA-148) vacated by former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

Ali Musa Gilani is likely to face Qureshi’s son Zain.

Fizza Batool Gilani, daughter of Gilani, entered politics a few weeks ago when she was appointed the goodwill ambassador for women’s rights by her father.

The Leghari brothers (Awais and Jamal) find themselves standing at crossroads and their family feud with

President Zardari and political differences with the PML-Q and the PML-N have left them high and dry.

The sources having proximity with the Legharis claimed that the next destination of Awais and Jamal was Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaaf (PTi), the party they would join with Jahangir Tareen, Sikandar Bosan and a dozen other dissidents of the PML-Q and PML-F. Meanwhile, Syed Rashid Shah Rashidi, grandson of Pir Pagara, has already joined imran khan to express his no-confidence in his grandfather’s PML-Functional.

Hassan Askari Rizvi said that political leadership of the country was bringing forward younger generation to attract the youth.

“The idea of bringing forward younger generation by political families of the country is meant to attract over 50 percent of the country’s population that is below 30 years of age,” he said.

Rizvi said there was nothing objectionable if the succeeding generation of the politicians continued to seek legitimacy through the election process.

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10 News

Tuesday, 13 december, 2011

SC serves notice on Ahmad Raza Kasuri in ZAB reference ISLAMABAD

A

MASOOD REHMAN

N 11-member larger bench of the Supreme Court on Monday served notice on Ahmad Raza kasuri advocate, on whose complaint a murder case was registered against former prime minister and PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

The bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry served the notice with the consent of counsel for the federation and the amicus curiae. The court directed provision of presidential reference and Bhutto case record to kasuri. Bhutto was awarded death sentence on the charges of being a

conspirator of murder of Nawab Muhammad Ahmad khan kasuri, father of Ahmad Raza kasuri advocate.

During the hearing, the chief justice regretted that those who were posing themselves as heroes and loudly speaking on television shows about the death sentence of Bhutto should have showed courage in past.

Babar Awan contended before the court that there was no need to call kasuri, as no relief had been sought in the presidential reference.

He said the Supreme Court had not summoned president Gen Pervez Musharraf while giving verdict in November 3, 2007 emergency case. The chief justice noted that everywhere in the presidential reference the word “re-

opening” had been used, adding that president Musharraf was summoned but he did not appear. He said article 10-A had been added in the constitution through the 19th Amendment under which it was necessary for the court to hear the opponent party.

Awan submitted that the court order of awarding death sentence to Bhutto had a legal status and the Supreme Court had power to correct a legal error or wrong law.

He said after the death sentence was announced to Bhutto, Farooq kardar the prosecutor of Bhutto case - had revealed that it was a judicial murder. He said kardar wanted to file an affidavit in this regard, however, he was not allowed. The chief justice said the people

who posing as heroes today should have had the courage at that time.

Meanwhile, the court asked the federation’s counsel, attorney general, advocates-general of all the provinces as well as amicus curiae - Fakhruddin G Ebrahim, SM Zafar, Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, Aitzaz Ahsan and others to consult each other and inform the court whether notice should be served to Ahmad Raza kasuri.

After a brief consultation, Aitzaz Ahsan, on behalf of the experts, told the court that although the notice was not necessary, it should be served so that no bad impression could come from any level in the future.

The court has been adjourned until January 2.

NA summoned on Thursday ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The government has decided to summon a session of the National Assembly on Thursday, December 15 at 5pm at the Parliament House. With President Asif Ali Zardari still out of the country, the acting president, Farooq H Naik has summoned the 37th session of the fourth parliamentary year of the incumbent National Assembly in exercise of powers conferred by clause (1) of Article 54 of the constitution. A source in the legislation branch of the Parliament House told Pakistan Today that an adjournment motion submitted by the PML-N legislators on “memogate” topped the list of agenda items to be presented to the business advisory committee on Thursday and the list would be finalised on the same day. “Adjournment motions by opposition parties on price hike, gas load shedding, worsening law and order are included in the list but the memo controversy and health issue of President Asif Ali Zardari are likely to top the NA session,” said a source in the PML-N, adding that the opposition wanted the government to take the nation into confidence on the country’s envoys’ conference, strategy to deal with the US and NATO forces in the wake of the iSAF attack on Pakistani checkposts in Mohmand Agency.

‘federal govt yet to implement 18th amend’ PESHAWAR STAFF REPORT

khyber Pakhtunkhwa (kP) Minister for Sports, Tourism and Youth Affairs Syed Aqil Shah said on Monday that while the 18th amendment passed several months ago, the Federal government has yet to implement it. Speaking during a discussion organised by khyber Union of Journalists (khUJ) at the press club, Shah said, “We will never accept the federal governments’ delay tactics in implementing the 18th amendment. Nonimplementation will be injustice with federating units.” He said there was no threat to the democratic setup in the country and opposition to government policies was part of democratic process.

Regarding the demand for a Hazara province, Shah said no province can be made through ransacking and sabotage and the subject must be approached through a constitutional forum. He said the peaceful hosting of the ‘National Games’ in kP would prove Pakhtuns are a peace loving people. He said over Rs 2 billion have been spent under the head of Sports and Tourism in kP.

PESHAWAR: Tehreek-e-Mutasirin Khyber Agency demonstrate in favour of their demands near the Khyber House on Monday. StaFF photo

leaving drone base won’t have big impact on US air war KARACHI: The US decision to vacate Shamsi Airbase will have little impact on the American air campaign, a senior military source said on Monday, but the move is a big political win for Pakistan.

US personnel completed their departure from Shamsi Airfield, 200 miles southwest of Quetta. The operation began on about December 5, after a NATO cross-border strike killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. But a military source said their departure would have little impact on the drone campaign. “The Shamsi base was more of a maintenance and refueling base for the drones, while most of the operations are conducted from across the border,” he said.

“Technically speaking, yes, the vacation of this base should have an impact on the drone operations, but it remains to be seen as to how big an impact this would be.” The source said the US had at least two other bases in Afghanistan it could use. The last US personnel left the base at about 12:15pm, according to a senior security official who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media. REUTERS

take suo motu notice of pia corruption, tip appeals to CJp g

Claims airline deliberately defaulting on repair payments, fabricating excuses to purchase 39 new aircraft ISLAMABAD MIAN ABRAR

Transparency international Pakistan (TiP) on Monday dispatched a letter to the Chief Justice (CJ) of Pakistan to take suomotu notice against the Pakistan international Airlines (PiA) for deliberate default in repair payments for 12 now-grounded aircrafts and fabricating excuses to purchase 39 new aircrafts at the estimated cost of US $ 2.5 billion in violation of PPRA Ordinance 2002 and Public Procurement Rules 2004. in a letter written on Monday, TiP adviser Syed Adil Gilani drew CJ iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry’s attention towards the PiA which he claimed was following in Pakistan Railways’ footsteps.

The letter said, “The Honourable Chief Justice is requested to take suo motu notice of deliberate losses being incurred in PiA at the cost of public money as alleged by PiA employees, Pakistan Airline Pilots Associ-

ation (PALPA), Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan (SAEP), Aircraft Technologists Association of Pakistan (ATAP), Flight Engineers National Association (FENA), and others.”

The letter quoted contradictory statements given by defence minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar on behalf of PiA in National Assembly (NA) which give the impression that nothing is right in PiA. “On 24 February 2011, Ahmed Mukhtar informed the NA that PiA was operating in only 27 out of over 250 countries because it was not economically viable. He said the PiA had a current fleet of 40 aircrafts, insured by the National insurance Company Limited, which were in operational condition but are taken out of service for short durations for routine maintenance as per maintenance schedule.”

However, on the contrary, on 7 December 2011, PiA issued a tender tor leasing 39 Aircrafts, with 12 aircrafts to be introduced in next four months. This triggered ques-

tions from PALPA, SAEP, ATAP, and FENA who claimed the organisation had no funds to purchase/lease the planes nor was there a need since Mukhtar himself had declared all 40 aircrafts operational.

The letter says, “The allegations made against the PiA management include the reasons for flight delay and cancellation and the non payment of bills to firms repairing aircraft engines.” The letter said, “The company JALCO Amman repaired 4 PiA engines which have been ready for delivery for five months. Two other A-310 PiA engines stand repaired but have not been delivered due to non-payment for five months.” “instead of making the payment and using the engines, PiA leased 2 aircrafts for Hajj operations and paid more than the dues for the six repaired engines, which would have made two A-310s and one B-747 operational. The JACPiAE in its letter dated 15 November 2011 makes the allegations,” the letter states.

The TiP further stated PiA had tailored

the specifications and evaluation criteria in the tender documents to procure 39 aircrafts to allow in arbitrary discretion to evaluate tenders in volition of Rule No 10 that specifications should allow widest possible competition and not favour any single contractor.

“The evaluation of the financial proposal is not based on the lowest offered cost, which is the basis of PPRA, World Bank, ADB rules,” added the letter.

The letter quoted former MD PiA Aijaz Haroon as telling the Public Accounts Committee on 26 September 2010 that PiA was suffering accumulative losses of Rs 144 billion. Meanwhile, NA Standing Committee on Defense was informed by incumbent MD Nadeem Yusafzai on 9 December 2011 that financial losses of PiA had swelled to approximately Rs 100 billion.

“Such divergent and self contradictory financial figures submitted by the two heads of the PiA need to be seriously examined,” said the letter.

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Tuesday, 13 december, 2011

Editor’s mail 11

is education in English-medium beneficial?

The Education Department of Punjab issued a notification that all public sector schools of Punjab be converted to English medium schools from this year onwards. The Punjabi children of Pakistan are suddenly studying in English medium schools. All it required was the effort of passing a mere statement. Point to be celebrated here is that changing the medium of instruction has been taken as a precondition in order to raise the standard of education. it is not to be implied in the least that English medium schools do not account for a higher standard of education. i believe English-medium schools offer good quality education only because our curriculum was shaped accordingly and most importantly, our teachers were well-versed in the language. in the public sector, clearly no such manoeuvres have been performed. Before making this declaration, such aspects should have been taken into consideration by the Punjab government.

Changing the curriculum is one of the first things that should have been undertaken, followed by a comprehensive

teachers’ training programme. There are quite a number of unemployed, trained teachers out there who could have been recruited for the purpose.

On my recent trip to Lodhran in South Punjab, i was able to visit a total of eight schools that were previously being run by the government. i did not find any of the children with whom i sought to interact speaking possibly in any other language than their local one, Saraiki, though their books were in Urdu and English language.

Upon further examination, i found that children had memorised those pages in English and were not able to tell what it meant. Considering the fact that teachers are not qualified enough and children do not find the language spoken in their daily lives, it really is not surprising that they do not know what they were studying.

The English language, without a doubt, is one of the dominant languages in the world. According to a report by UNESCO, estimates have suggested that around 50 percent of today’s spoken languages may be extinct in the year 2100.

So-called talk shows Education accounts for one of the fundamental factors in the disappearance of these languages. Most of them would be indigenous ones.

Successive governments have not been able to recruit staff that is qualified enough to teach English in public sector schools. in such a situation, the government should not risk the future of the country for the sake of a foreign language. When students and teachers are well versed in the language of instruction, only then are they capable of sharing knowledge, ask and answer questions, take plunges of creativity and fashion an environment of healthy and interactive discussions and debates in the classroom. That is what learning and educating is about and stands to define quality education and raising the bar. very few non profit entities have been able to come up with a novel approach of brightening the young minds of our nation. Supplementary reading material in local languages like Saraiki and Punjabi is being introduced in the local schools of Southern Punjab.

The idea behind this particular en-

deavour is basically to allow students to remain connected to their indigenous language. The get reading material that consists of short stories that are interesting enough and which comes to them like a breath of fresh air in order to think creatively, critically, freely and out of the box. Only then can we expect them to become responsible and active citizens of our nation.

Similarly, some educational foundations are sending their teachers to cities like karachi for teachers’ training programmes. They undergo a process of learning and adaptability to modern methods of teaching so that they are able to impart gainful knowledge to their students.

While English may be the ‘language of power’ and the ‘language of today’, we cannot let it hamper our country’s youth’s creativity and act as a hurdle on their path of learning. We need to realise that our system of education is still far behind in adopting such a strategy as the Punjab government has done.

AMNA KAUSAR Lahore

Our dynastic politics Please join me to welcome Bilawal Zardari, son of ex-Prime Minter Benazir Bhutto, Hamza Sharif, son of Punjab’ sitting Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Mariam Nawaz, daughter of ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Abdul Qadir Gilani, son of sitting Prime Minister Yousaf Gilani, in the corridors of power politics. We shall be grateful to our leaders that they are not leaving the nation alone at this critical juncture; their children (mostly in their 20s and 30s) are now available to guide 180 million Pakistanis.

Why shall we question the presence of these young chaps in CM, PM or President Houses and their chairing of the meetings attended by party leaders and ministers? For thousands of years, we have been ruled by tribal leaders, Sultans, Nawabs, Rajas, kings and Emperors, then what’s the difference now?

After all Britain, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Spain and many other countries are still being ruled by kings and monarchs (it doesn’t matter that these are constitutional monarchies); then what’ wrong with Pakistanis denouncing the dynastic politics? if all other countries can prosper while keeping the constitutional monarchy intact, then one day we will also follow suit by maintaining the dynastic political monarchy. After all Bilawal is now learning Urdu and wearing traditional dresses to sometime look like us – his subjects. Let’s leave our hypocrisy aside and welcome a very special young blood in Pakistan’ politics.

MASOOD KHAN Jubail, Saudi Arab

Electricity thieves No organisation can show such carelessness instead of doing work for the welfare of the public as kESC. Everyone is facing the problem of loadshedding but it is injudicious to treat at par those who pay their bills promptly with those who enjoy the kunda facility. i am the resident of North karachi where the duration of loadshedding has already exceeded six hours. There are some people living in my lane who are utilising the kunda facility.

One of my neighbours has recently got married and it was very obnoxious to see that the wedding lights used to remain turned on even at day time. These people are electricity thieves who are carefree of paying their bills from their pockets. kunda system results in increased duration of loadshedding, probably 17-18 hours continuously, because the areas where excessive electricity looting occurs, an increased duration of loadshedding there is the ultimate step.

As a result all our daily chores get disturbed.

Moreover, when men and children will not have a sound sleep, they won't be able to do their work and will feel drowsy. The authorities need to focus on eliminating this issue as soon as possible.

SYEDA WARDAH RAHMAN Karachi

The importance of electronic media regarding debates on various political issues cannot be denied. But, the way these discussions are organised leaves much to be desired. in order to make them actively participated, the comperes on various Tv channels fail to maintain proper decorum.

Participants from various political parties are probably selected by their respective parties primarily due to their sheer rhetoric/debating abilities. Unfortunately, the discussions mostly appear to be in the form of speaking louder than others, at times without any regard to mannerism relating to normal group discussion by civilised persons. it is a very sorry state of affairs to watch these politicians making uproar.

These so-called discussions have certainly a poor impression and impact on the coming generation. These selected politicians, specifically earmarked by various parties, appear on different channels on the same day. Some of them seem to completely disregard the norms of civil politeness and tolerance.

The cable channels and their set of anchorpersons are equally to be blamed.

What are we teaching our children? i am sure with due diligence, prudence and training the conduct of these important political discussions can be made more useful for the public to know. The present form of political discussion on Tv is counterproductive. if we do not put a check on the present state of affairs, it is feared that the decent public may stop watching these discussions or at least stop watching these along with their kids so as to avoid negativity in their upbringing.

RASHID MAQSOOD Lahore

A real democracy?

The electricity crisis in Pakistan is a severe challenge. it has severely affected the economy and overall standards of living. Extended duration of loadshedding has not only adversely resulted in the closure of a number of industrial units, but is also negatively impacting the country’s economy, hence increasing unemployment.

The situation is turning ugly and protests are being held throughout the city against unannounced loadshedding and power breakdowns. The increasing frustration among the masses regarding the power failures calls for immediate measures to overcome this crisis.

Due to the circular debt problem

which, according to recent reports, is hovering around PkR 400 billion, the power generation value chain has lost its ability to meet the electricity demand.

The independent Power Producers (iPPs) are producing below capacity as a result of working capital shortage.

Therefore, the only option available with the government of Pakistan is to utilise rental power plants (RPPs). The iPPs requires 3-5 years for the completion whereas the RPPs require 6-8 months implementation period.

Right now it has become an essential need and has been installed by many countries to meet their electricity requirements. RPPs are one of the solutions that the government can implement in order to fulfil the shortage of 16000 MW. Since the government of Pakistan has signed contracts for RPPs, the same can be used to revive our industries.

SAAD ABDUL WAHAB Karachi

We always talk about democracy but as it happens we are not a nation which can even understand the meaning of democracy. it is very easy to raise the slogans of liberty, equality and fraternity. We talk about making Pakistan a welfare state but neither our ruling class had ever tried to establish it nor the civilian governments did anything in this regard.

Democracy needs a patriotic ruling class where the rulers should sacrifice personal interests for national interests but unfortunately we never had such rulers. The rulers in Pakistan depend on bureaucrats who happen to be powermongers, greedy, corrupt and materialists.

They have taken the public’s money and fattened their foreign accounts with it. The same was done by most of our politicians. They claim to provide food, clothing and shelter to the people but in fact they have deprived the people of these basic necessities of life. in fact, Pakistan is a country where more than 60 percent population lives in rural area which is illiterate, and may continue to remain illiterate if they do not act wisely. Hunger and disease is their fate. Democracy is a function of education and only educated voters can choose wisely the representatives to form the governments. if any sensible patriotic government comes to power, only then we can think to form a real democracy which means “Government of the people, for the people and by the people”. Such democracies can be seen in the USA, England and many other countries. As far as Pakistan is concerned, it would better be ruled by army or semi-military democracies because at least army is patriotic.

SANA ASLAM Karachi

The image of Pakistan is damaged when its elected or paid public servants chose to sell their conscience to benefit themselves financially even compromising vital national interests that they were supposed to protect.

Those who robbed and fleeced Hajis, violated their oaths of office, or pilfered state exchequer, be it the missing containers scam, or NiCL, or even Pak Steel Mills, Railways, PiA etc have harmed Pakistan more. When people in power utilise state funds to indulge in their sexual fantasies, it is our national image

which suffers. Those who hired services of escorts during their official tours to Turkey, or who stated that Pakistani women plan their rape to get visas, damaged our national image. i see no difference between the acts of men and women who form part of our ruling elite when they sell their conscience and the acts of women in the pleasure industry who sell their body for financial profits. Each sells what is there to be sold for their individual benefit.

The only difference is that people in authority do more harm to their countries

and the people who elect them than these women who sell their soul but risk contracting killer diseases themselves.

The Pakistani media and our socalled clergy would serve the people better if they were to concentrate on moral and financial corruption that deprives millions of funds that would have been spent on education health, security, provision of basic necessities, rather than on individual acts of people who represent nobody but themselves like veena Malik.

MALIK TARIQ ALI Lahore

Hard to swallow The Memogate seems to have become a proverbial ‘bone stuck in the throat’ of the government. if it wants to play it down, the opposition and the Supreme Court won’t allow it. if it wants to spit it out, it might cause some strong ripples in the al-

The democratic parties When one surveys the democratic credentials of our political parties as against dynastic leanings, it becomes apparent that there are only three genuine democratic parties in the field. These are Ji, PTi and MQM which do not have a dynastic policy and have a transparent record of election of their leaders. The other parties, PPP, PML(N), PML(Q), ANP and JUi, have a dynastic record of party leadership and they have not been able to get out of its clutches.

As such if the three pro-democracy parties could join together to win the next election we could hope to bury the dynastic parties whom the nation is sick of. These parties only tend to perpetuate their stranglehold on the nation by nominating their wards as future leaders to perpetuate their rule to the loss of the nation. These parties have not been able to build a single large hydroelectric

ready troubled waters of our political and diplomatic front, which nobody wants.

ALI IQBAL Lahore

dam in spite of their two-third majority in the past.

DR MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI Lahore

Solution to the power crisis

veena’s acts i fail to understand the unnecessary furore over the acts of veena Malik, a woman who is working in entertainment industry. in every country, there are such women, who use their bodies to earn money by playing upon the fantasies of men and what she has done has been happening for centuries. venna Malik exposed her body to create a controversy and get the publicity which she has successfully got. Such individual acts do not reflect upon the women of Pakistan, nor in my opinion has Pakistan's image been tarnished.

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 13-12-2011_Layout 1 12/13/2011 1:16 AM Page 12

12 comment dangerously isolated Revision of security paradigm required

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hat needs to be discussed by Pakistan’s foreign policy wonks during the ongoing ambassadors’ meeting is the country’s unending isolation. The unrealistic security paradigm revolving around the concept of india as principle threat led to the creation and nurturing of the virus of extremism that has made the world at large wary of Pakistan. After the 9/11 attacks, choreographed by the Afghanistan-based Al-Qaeda, national liberation struggles, once widely respected, were put into the category of terrorist activities. With terrorists arrested in Western Europe, Russia, and South East Asia found to have been trained in Pakistan, the country’s image received a further setback. The terrorist havens in Pakistan generated tensions to various extents with all neighbouring countries. China which had once supported the kashmiris’ right of self-determination unreservedly re-designated the militancy in kashmir as a separatist movement after finding that the Uyghur militants and those fighting in kashmir were operating from the tribal areas of Pakistan. iran accuses islamabad of sheltering Jundullah, Afghanistan of providing havens to the Haqqani network and india of supporting cross-border terrorism. The establishment can argue that the charges are false, but this does not change the reality of a hostile environment created by our strategic paradigm.

The militants in the tribal areas have played a key role in the ongoing confrontation with the US. Whether the US attacked Pakistani military posts deliberately or was lured into the act by the militants remains a contentious issue between the two countries. Meanwhile, Pakistan has taken a number of measures, the latest being the orders to shoot down any Nato plane entering Pakistan. The Obama administration is under pressure from powerful lawmakers, including Senators McCain and Lindsay Graham, to review all military and economic aid for Pakistan. Foreign policy experts need to discuss how many enemies the country can afford to have.

Reviewing all accords with the US and Nato would be a meaningful activity only if the issue is taken up in the overall context of the country’s increasing isolation in the region and how to overcome it. Meanwhile, playing to the gallery can further jeopardise Pakistan’s security and long term interests.

Climate change durban Conference makes headway

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here is no such thing as a free lunch. Or, that’s what the human race’s abode, the earth, is telling us in the form of climate change. After consuming its resources without any regard to what the end result might be, it was only logical that a number of environment-related problems crop up, forcing us to reconsider how we treat mother nature.

The Durban Conference was meant to answer these questions and more. Much to the relief of every concerned stakeholder, the conference was successful in delivering some output. After what happened to the kyoto Protocol, nobody was in favour of a reprisal and to ward off any such fate, an improvised roadmap for a global climate pact has been agreed upon which would bring China and india under its umbrella, world’s number one and number three carbon polluters. A troubling matter for some is the timeline offered in the accord as 2015 has been set for its completion and 2020 for its enforcement. Many critics do not agree with this timeframe, asking for an earlier and more responsive action.

Given the intricacies involved in ascertaining exactly how the climate might change, what impact it might have on us and industrialised states’ reluctance in ceding some of the gains they have made, the conference did achieve some remarkable goals. A Green Climate Fund, for one, is an achievement if it is implemented in time. The Fund is expected to spend at least $100 billion per year help poor nations cope with climate change. But the issue of who will foot the bill and how remains yet to be resolved, and that could be a real challenge. Lucky for the poor nations as the kyoto Protocol has seen another life. Though the US, world’s number two carbon polluter, has opted out of the only legally-binding treaty, the EU and some other nations have pledged a new round of CO2 emissions cuts.

Whatever approach we adopt to handle this issue would be useless unless a common framework is developed to bring the developed and developing nations where despite their industrial disparity they are comfortable in working together. This conference has set course right, but smooth sailing? Only time will tell.

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

Tuesday, 13 december, 2011

how many need to die?

On our underregulated CNG kits sector

By Dr Faisal Bari

‘A

s many as 13 were killed when a gas cylinder exploded after a van had an accident’; this tragic incident took place on Saturday last week. ‘Seven killed when a gas cylinder exploded’; this was a couple of days before that. ‘Three dead in Lahore’ is from earlier in the year, ‘15 died in a bus fire when the cylinder exploded’, again from earlier in the year. And there are more news of ‘Eight killed’ and then ‘five killed’. All of these are headlines of news that i googled when i looked for ‘gas cylinder explosions in Pakistan’. in fact, i did not have to even go to the second page of the search results, all of the above were from the first 10 searched results.

The six incidents mentioned above took the lives of 51 people, injured many others and caused loss of property. A number of lives lost, among the above, were of children. Yet, every time such an incident becomes a ‘breaking news’ item on the television, it gets reported for a few hours, or till the next breaking news, and then it becomes background information.

There is no follow-up on the news, there is never any inquiry as to why so many of the cylinders are exploding, nor a mention of who is responsible to ensure proper quality of cylinders and proper installation and, of course, there is never any news of what actions have been taken by the government to regulate the area better since the government has not woken up to the task yet.

How many deaths will it take for the government to wake up? is it because most of the lives being lost are those of ordinary citizens?

Would the same thing be happening if it was the transport of the rich or the more connected that was exploding as often?

Why have the civil society groups and organisations that focus on consumer protection

not become more vocal? Why are they not demanding requisite inquiries, stipulation of required standards and their implementation, and the needed hue and cry for bringing culprits to justice?

Who installs these CNG cylinders, and how do we know the cylinders and other equipment used meets minimum standards to be road worthy? Do we know if the installation done for these cylinders is proper? Have such standards been stipulated and set. if there are no such standards these should be stipulated at the earliest, and an implementation mechanism for ensuring compliance should be established. We need to ensure that all new installations meet these standards while all existing cylinders are checked to ensure they also meet the minimum standard. if the standards are already there but are not being implemented, we need to make sure they are implemented and those who were responsible for implementing them are brought to justice for their carelessness and criminal negligence. vehicles that come with factory-fitted CNG cylinders are easy to regulate. Once standards have been stipulated all manufacturers will have to adhere to these. if there is an accident afterwards, there should be an investigation and if the installation is found to be faulty and/or of low quality, the vehicle manufacturer should be held responsible. Accidents can happen even when cylinders are of requisite quality and installation right, but then these are accidents, they are not the outcomes of regulatory evasion and/or negligence, carelessness or greed.

For installation after manufacture, for people wanting to convert their fuel oil-based cars to CNG, there should be licensing of installers and car owners should be told that they should get cylinders installed only from licensed and authorised places. That way if there is an accident we will know which installer to hold responsible. And if the vehicle owner went to an un-authorised dealer, we will be able to hold the owner responsible for the accident. if there is deterioration in quality of installation over time and/or if cylinder quality needs to be checked periodically, there can be an inspection regimen in place whereby owners are asked to get the vehicle inspected periodically, every year or second year, after the installation. Cars have to get their tokens renewed every year. The safety certificates for CNG installation could be checked before tokens are renewed.

it seems that the regulatory and inspection regimen for cylinder and installation safety is not very difficult to visualise and set up. The government just has to do a few simple things like stipulate minimum standards, ensure these have been conveyed to manufacturers and installers and then ensure that those who try to or succeed in evading these are caught in time. Or, at the very least, they are caught and held accountable post fact.

Right now we do not seem to have any of the above. it is no wonder people get CNG kits installed from wherever they can, and the cheaper the better, and for those who install them too, competition must be keen and so they would like to do things with as much profit margin as possible, and so they would say they use good materials but will have an incentive to lie and use poorer quality inputs.

The incentives are set for substandard installations and use of substandard material. We are seeing the results of not regulating markets that should be regulated.

Provincial governments are the right authorities for legislating on the subject. They already do vehicle safety, vehicle inspections (or are supposed to do them), they have laws for boiler inspections and so on as well. So, it is the right place for such legislation and the concerned departments should have the requisite expertise that can be pulled together as well.

But the issue is that the respective provincial governments have to feel the urgency and the need to take the steps needed. Over the years we have encouraged the conversion of lots of cars to CNG, and the pricing structure was a powerful inducement as well. But the regulatory framework has not been developed in tandem. This should be immediately remedied.

Exploding cylinders is definitely a public issue, especially in public transport, but even in private cars as it puts passengers as well as people around at risk. Lack of regulation here has been very costly and tragic over the last few months alone. And it will continue to be so if the government does not step forward and the civil society does not take up the issue. Shouldn't the courts be taking suo motu notice here – loss of human life should make the issue notice-worthy?

The writer is an Associate Professor of Economics at LUMS (currently on leave) and a Senior Advisor at Open Society Foundation (OSF).

He can be reached at fbari@sorosny.org

Change, a mirage

By Ahmed Yusuf

W

ith the Pakistan Tehreeke-insaf (PTi) resembling a private school with an ‘Admissions Open’ sign, there are many new entrants to our last hope of survival and change. PTi activists and supporters define the party’s rise as a “movement” – thereby explaining to us that while some new entrants are national heroes that we can all respect, bad and rotten to the core eggs will inevitably also be part of this national crusade against corruption and injustice. More critical for us are the admissions of the tried and tested, and assumed to have failed. The problem is: what of the cadre who has invested the past decade or so of his/her life struggling for “real change”? Or is it that such cadres have become dispensable for the larger good, now defined as a mindless charge towards power?

Let us assume at the outset that the PTi is comprised of a majority of activists more concerned with Pakistan, about ridding the country of corruption, and of creating a society

that is just – after all, the establishment is not likely to bet on a party that does not have some genuine grassroots infrastructure and support. Let us also assume that the common PTi cadre has no qualms about following their new “leaders” – those breaking ranks with their old parties are, in theory, weakening the old order of power and strengthening the new agents of change.

But in terms of political culture, is it healthy to import “leaders” from parties that supposedly represent the old order, and have them define a course of action?

As per a list compiled by PTi activists and available online, there have been some 201 new entrants in 2011 alone. Of these, 18 were from the PPP (7 national and 11 provincial), 17 from the PML(Q) (10 national and 7 provincial), and 14 were from the PML(N) (9 national and 5 provincial). The list is perhaps not updated yet (or at least i don’t have access to the updated list), but the figures given are also not insignificant – considering how one local leader, based on caste or tribal associations, can pull in others who support him/her.

With the induction of Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and subsequent installation as the vice-president of the party, the PTi’s posture on foreign policy has also somewhat changed – from the more jingoist to being open to having a relationship with the United States. While moulding a party to suit the needs of the mainstream is admirable, this was not the sentiment that imran

khan cashed in on to create this “tsunami”.

As an aside, the party’s website currently lists four vice-presidents and a senior vice-president, none of whom are named Shah Mahmood – something of a tradition in existing mainstream parties, which need to manage egos rather than social and political causes.

The original PTi, the one formed in 1996, ended up heading in a right-wing direction after the disgruntled jiyala faction was pushed out by the more disgruntled and violent Jamaati group. Once the process was complete, PTi and imran khan both began taking some consistent stands and to their credit stuck by them till now. it is, after all, easier to harp on about principled politics if one’s politics is going unnoticed. But would the 1996 PTi have taken the same stances as the ones being taken in 2011? Perhaps not, because the PTi is now a major stakeholder.

What has not happened in the new-look PTi is the development, and subsequent settling of, a new and political culture. The party as it stands now is, at best, a group of influential politicians being patched together to form a new government.

This is not what the original PTi cadre fought for during the past 15 years – something that manifested itself in the fiasco in islamabad yesterday, minutes before the Great Leader was scheduled to address the press to announce the entry of yet another turncoat.

A new political culture can only

be developed if the party relies on internal democracy and elections.

Lest we forget, Mustafa kamal, a telephone operator at Nine-Zero, made his way to the MQM’s Rabita Committee by working his way through the ranks. The same is the case with Munawwar Hasan, a former NSF activist but one who worked his way to become the Ameer of the Jamaat-e-islami. Regardless of the criticisms leveled against both the MQM and Ji, these are the only two parties with an efficient and working internal democratic structure and hence, the best placed for the next elections in their constituencies. As for the PTi cadre and supporters, without any political training or much grassroots activism, their polemics online are typical of a newly-formed clique: aggressive, abusive and crass, and without intellectual basis.

Without a democratic party culture and a voice for the party file, the PTi will merely become a mirror image of the PPP or the PML(N), parties that are individual-driven rather than institution-driven. Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Arif Alavi might see a Bhutto in imran khan, but Bhutto lost out to the establishment and PNA simply because his was also a party that was individual driven. These are lessons that the PTi must learn, only then can we have faith in the change that imran khan is promising.

The writer is a Karachi-based journalist. Connect with him on Twitter @ASYusuf

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comment 13

the myth of public service

the future of our past

How many Punjabis does it take to change a lightbulb? 42, give or take a few naib qasids

Why preserve a heritage?

Mighty Obvious

By Syed Hassan Belal Zaidi

i

have often been accused of being a Punjabi supremacist.

This is not surprising, given that i have lived most of my life in Lahore, a city that is as removed from the rest of Punjab as Beirut is from the rest of Lebanon. After having been brainwashed and spin-dried in Lahore for the bulk of my meaningless existence, i tried to eke out a living in the grand city of karachi. This was my second biggest mistake, because karachi is so far removed from the rest of Pakistan, let alone Sindh, that any generalisations made on the basis of karachi experiences hold up just as long as a kulfi does in the blazing Jacobabad sun. i have come to realise the hard way that Urban Pakistan is actually a myth; a bubble conjured up by ‘PhD-in-Anthropology’ candidates, the MQM and members of the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN). This imaginary construct was erected to facilitate complex mathematical calculations, much like the existence of that other imaginary construct, the Equator, facilitates companies that sell GPS equipment. However, Urban Pakistan is a generalisation that is too wide to be applicable to any one urban centre, and is therefore as fallacious as saying “interior Punjab”. This does not mean, however, that people do not employ such fallacies as common parlance.

One of the generalisations that is currently doing the rounds is that only Punjabis apply for, appear in and consequently monopolise the CSS exams. This is

often cited by armchair intellectuals as the reason for the disdain that most people from Sindh, kPk and Balochistan harbour for the bara sooba. Their accusation is that Punjabis hog all the good seats in departments such as DMG, Foreign Service and Customs and leave all the menial jobs, such as Railways and the Postal Service, to their lesser brethren.

As you can well imagine, being a supremacist, such idiotic assertions make my blood boil.

Such conversations usually go like this:

sions that can accommodate such nawabs are agriculture and industry.

Fortunately, we have a lot of that. Unfortunately, both sectors aren’t as manpower intensive as they used to be, therefore, middle-class Punjabis (since the only people who can be associated with either agriculture or industry in today’s world are the ultrarich or the ultra-poor) are left with no other option than to apply for competitive examinations. And while they may not test very well, these fat cats are exceptionally good at finding out

The Punjabis can do only three things: grow stuff; package stuff and eat stuff. Equipped with such a diverse skill set, the only professions that can accommodate such nawabs are agriculture and industry.

Me: So why won’t you apply for the CSS exams?

They: Because the Punjabis will get all the seats anyway.

Me: But there is a quota system. if you make the grade, they HAvE to give you a seat.

They: No, there is too much favouritism, we won’t even pass the exam.

Me: Really? Have you tried?

They: No, but my great-greatgrandfather did and he didn’t make it. The British deemed him too rural to serve them.

Me: Arghhh!

Obviously, such conversations are the reason why i do not have hair on my head anymore.

But there is a deeper, more tragic method to all of this madness.

You see, due to the presence of a vibrant private sector in the city, people from karachi usually tend to prefer to work in the corporate environment. This may not be a universal norm, but it is prevalent enough for me to be making this assertion. The Punjabis, on the other hand, can do only three things: grow stuff; package stuff and eat stuff. Equipped with such a diverse skill set, the only profes-

who will be grading their papers and then paying off that person in order to secure a good grade.

These are people who have usually not worked a day in their lives and would require the services of a naib qasid or forty-two to change one lightbulb. Hence, we are left with a bureaucracy made up of cheats and crooks.

But hold on, you might say, aren’t all bureaucracies like that?

Doesn’t every form of government service, no matter where in the world it may operate, seek to perpetuate the conventions and principles of duty, public service, honour (or a lack thereof) and frequent pay-raises for civil servants? i mean, has no one seen ‘Yes Minister’?

But people don’t seem to care. instead, they stick to the preconceived notions that have been instilled in their minds for generations, all thanks to the British ‘Divide and Conquer’ strategy. That we are still as divided as the day the Brits left us is a tragedy that would have even A C Bradley in tears. And yet, for some reason, we choose to perpetuate this myth.

T

he Mohatta palace, built in colonial times for a Hindu businessman by a Muslim architect in the Mughal style using traditional pink Jodhpur stone and the yellow Gizri stone of karachi is a speaking amalgam of time, place and person. Sensitively restored, it is a living symbol of the pleasure the past brings to a living present. in this setting a panel discussion took place entitled ‘Critical Heritage: The future of Pakistan’s past.’ As keynote speaker kamil khan Mumtaz, one of Pakistan’s most gifted architects posed the simple question: Who are we?

Who are we indeed? it is worth asking in addition why the past must be preserved and how? is it so that we can revert to it?

According to Bertrand Russell, “There are two reasons for reading a book: one that you enjoy it, the other that you can boast about it!” Exactly so, it is a pleasure to explore one’s heritage, the Mohatta Palace, the Badshahi Mosque, the Lahore Fort; they are also a source of pride, inspite of the flaws. it is also that the past, like another direction on a compass, is a point of reference that provides you with identity and helps position you in this world.

By Rabia Ahmed The people of Pakistan despite their varied genealogy rise to certain occasions as one. This could be defined as a collective identity, provided by the country we live in now, our recent past, and the years before. We may not live like our ancestors any longer or share all their values and predilections – not many of us move to another country to proselytise, not many of us move to another country to conquer – but we are undoubtedly products of a common history and it is this history that speaks to us by means of our visual heritage.

This is why it needs to be preserved.

The statues of Buddha so wantonly destroyed were no threat to any faith. They simply spoke of the skill and dedication of those who chiselled these mammoths from harsh stone. They stood in mute testimony to persons who lived in these parts before we did, who were milestones along our history, helping us to vi-

sualise the pathways travelled by others before we arrived at where we stand today.

Buildings of the Mughal period would tempt no one to fratricide, patricide or to build lavish tombs for one’s spouse, although they do tempt some to poetry. They stand (or now almost fall) as a reminder of opulence gone by when elephants carried riders up wide steps into a fort, when a candle lit inside a pavilion burst into a thousand dazzling flames.

There is no threat implicit in someone else’s past either. Their heritage in Rome is a pleasure even though they were not my ancestors – Michaelangelo, Leonardo, or Raphael. Yet they instil in me a pride in the talents of my fellow human beings. i arise from the cradle of Mesopotamia or Gandhara and then from Jodhpur, Delhi, Agra or Bengal. i live now in Lahore or karachi or Dera Ghazi khan and am in addition a citizen of the world. i need to destroy no one, pull down no monuments to prove my identity or the worth of my ancestors.

Our children today are scattered in a diaspora as unsettling as the one that scattered the children of israel. They dress in various ways, speak and eat according to their adoptive lands, yet their roots feed on exactly the same springs as ours. For those who remain at home, a longing for wider horizons leads them to adopt ways that express this yearning but the opportunity is often denied. What is more, life at home is such that even to copy is torment and anything that stands for change bitter.

The threat to our monuments from negligence, vandalism and their destruction by religious fanatics has no basis in religion. it is purely an expression of anger and an urge for self-assertion in a world that denies many the basic economic means for survival. in countries like Pakistan, the expensive preservation of monuments requires more sensitivity than elsewhere in the world. To leave this work of restoration in the hands of workers who possess neither skill for the job nor the wherewithal for personal existence is foolish. As the architect Sajjad kausar demonstrated in his presentation, the Shalimar Gardens in Lahore suffered as a result of a lack of this sensitivity, as have other monuments, and by extension the people to whom these monuments belong.

The past can never be destroyed but its lessons certainly can, along with the roots that it provides.

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14 Foreign News DAMASCUS AFP

S

YRiANS were voting Monday in municipal elections held amid a general strike called by the opposition and as security forces killed another seven people as they pursued a crackdown on dissent. The elections committee, in a statement received by AFP, said “voting is proceeding in a democratic spirit,” adding that voting turnout was “good.” it did not elaborate. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said seven people were killed in the flashpoint regions of Homs and idlib on Monday, while strikes were observed in Daraa, cradle of nine months of anti-regime protests, and near Damascus.

Opposition activists have urged citizens to intensify a civil disobedience campaign launched on Sunday in a bid to bring down the government of President Bashar al-Assad. Polling stations opened at 0600 GMT, with 42,889 candidates vying for 17,588 seats, and were due to close at 2000 GMT. information Minister Adnan Mahmud told AFP the elections were part of a reform package pledged by the authorities to promote democracy and would be followed by legislative polls in February. “These elections are taking place on time in line with a reform programme,” Mahmud told AFP. “They are taking place although some

are trying, in vain, to stop them through terrorist acts carried out by armed groups who are terrorising the citizens,” he said. Last week local administration minister Omar Ghalawanji said a special indelible ink would be used for the first time in the municipal elections “to prevent any fraud.” “i voted because we want to contribute to the reforms (pledged by Assad) and choose the best” candidates, said Zeina, a 35-year-old woman, as she emerged from a polling state in the central Ummayad Square of Damascus. Ahmad, a pro-regime taxi driver, said the vote was essential “as a response to those calling for a strike.”

But a regime opponent, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he did not expect a huge

Tuesday, 13 december, 2011

turnout. “i am surprised that elections are taking place under such circumstances,” he said. “Cities gripped by the uprising are not concerned by these elections.” The dissident said he expected voting to be limited to areas where protests against the Assad regime have been scarce or non-existent such as Aleppo, Syria’s second city and economic hub. There have been little or no anti-regime protests in large urban areas like Aleppo and in many part of the capital Damascus. The Britain-based Observatory said authorities “forced

dozens of people” in idlib to go to vote despite raging violence in the northwestern province where three people were killed by security forces in an early morning raid. Four other civilians were killed in the central province of Homs, the Observatory said.

DAMASCUS: A Syrian woman votes to elect representatives to the Local Administration Councils (LAC) in on Monday. aFp

israel closes access ramp to al-aqsa compound

nato announces end of training mission in iraq BRUSSELS AFP

JERUSALEM: A picture dated November 28, 2011, shows tourists before they enter the Mughrabi ramp leading from the plaza by the Western Wall to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the old city of Jerusalem. aFp JERUSALEM

Spain royals freeze out duke over graft probe MADRID AFP

Spain’s royal palace on Monday distanced itself from king Juan Carlos’ son-in-law who has been linked to a corruption scandal, in a rare embarrassment for the popular monarchy, media said. Judges are investigating alleged corruption involving a company formerly run by inaki Urdingarin, 43, the Duke of Palma de Mallorca — the first major scandal ever to hit a member of the royal family. The duke’s behaviour “does not seem exemplary” and he has agreed with the palace to be excluded from official royal activities, Spanish media quoted the palace spokesman Rafael Spottorno as saying. Spottorno said the duke, who has not admitted any wrongdoing, had the right to be presumed innocent. Urdangarin, a former Olympic handball player, on Saturday issued a statement saying he regretted the harm the scandal was doing to the royal family’s image and insisted the palace had nothing to do with his private activities.

AFP

israel has closed a controversial wooden access ramp to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound over public safety concerns, police said on Monday, in a move that quickly sparked Palestinian anger.

“Based on an order from the city council, they have closed the ramp,” police spokeswoman Luba Samri told AFP, referring to the Western Wall Heritage Foundation responsible for the upkeep of the Mughrabi ramp.

The ramp was closed just three days before a deadline imposed by the Jerusalem city council, which had threatened to enforce a closure order if the Foundation failed to close off the structure because of fears it could collapse. “The police and the Western Wall Heritage Foundation decided yesterday to close the temporary Mughrabi ramp,” municipal spokesman Stephan Miller told AFP. “This follows a letter from the municipality that expressed the concern and gave the foundation seven days to appeal against the order,” he said.

The city says the ramp poses a fire hazard and could collapse onto the women’s prayer section by the Western Wall. But Muslim leaders fear the demolition could have a destabilising effect on the mosque compound and accuses israel of fail-

ing to coordinate the renovation with the Waqf, which oversees islamic heritage sites. The closure prompted a swift and angry response from Palestinian officials, including Nabil Abu Rudeina, spokesman for Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas. “We condemn and reject this israeli escalation and we believe that these practices, whether in Jerusalem, the closure of the Mughrabi gate, settler attacks or the decision to build 40 new settlement homes confirm israel’s attacks... on the efforts of the Quartet to revive the peace process,” he said.

“These practices create a negative atmosphere in the entire region that could plunge the area into turmoil and tension,” he warned.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum strongly condemned the closure, saying it was an attack against sacred Muslim sites. “This is a serious step that shows the Zionist scheme of aggression again the Al Aqsa mosque,” he told AFP. “This is a violent act that amounts to a declaration of religious war on the Muslim holy places in Jerusalem.” There are 15 gates leading into the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, 10 of which are in use. The Mughrabi Gate is the only access for non-Muslims to enter the site, meaning its closure will prevent both Jews and tourists from visiting until a replacement structure is built.

Ramp closure is ‘war on muslim holy sites’: hamas GAZA CITy: israel’s closure of a wooden access ramp to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound is tantamount to a declaration of war on Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, Hamas warned on Monday. “This is a serious step that shows the Zionist scheme of aggression again the AlAqsa mosque,” Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum told AFP. “This is a violent act that amounts to a declaration of religious war on the Muslim holy places in Jerusalem,” he said, calling for “Arab and Muslim mobilisation to stop this serious event.”The closure prompted a swift response from Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina who warned it was another israeli “attack” on efforts to revive the moribund peace talks which could shake up the region.“These practices create a negative atmosphere in the entire region that could plunge the area into turmoil and tension,” he warned.And Jordan’s powerful islamists denounced the decision as “flagrant aggression.” aFp

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Monday announced that a mission to train iraqi security forces will end at the turn of the year. “The North Atlantic Council has decided to undertake the permanent withdrawal of the NATO Training Mission-iraq personnel from iraq by 31 December 2011,” Rasmussen said in a statement. The news provided confirmation after iraq’s top security adviser Falah al-Fayadh told AFP of the decision in an interview aboard a flight transporting Prime Minister Nuri alMaliki to Washington. “Agreement on the extension of this successful programme did not prove possible despite robust negotiations conducted over several weeks,” Rasmussen said. On November 29, iraqi government spokesman Ali alDabbagh said iraq was studying a contract to extend NATO’s presence in iraq beyond year-end, but noted that such a deal would not grant its troops immunity from prosecution.

‘We need Britain, but there are now two Europes’ PARIS AFP

French President Nicolas Sarkozy admitted on Monday that the European Union was now a two-speed alliance but insisted that Britain would not be forced out of the bloc’s single market. Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel fell out with Prime Minister David Cameron at least week’s EU summit, when London refused to sign up to a pact imposing closer economic coordination between member states. “We did everything, the chancellor and i, to allow the British to take part in the agreement. But there are now clearly two Europes,” Sarkozy said in an interview with the French daily Le Monde. “One wants more solidarity between its members and more regulation. The other is attached only to the logic of the single market,” he said. But, asked whether Britain, which has refused to join the single currency and opposed last week’s fiscal pact, could still remain inside the EU single market, Sarkozy said: “We need Great Britain.”

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Tuesday, 13 december, 2011

Foreign News 15

Russia vote will stand despite protests, says Putin aide MOSCOW AFP

R

USSiAN Prime Minister vladimir Putin’s spokesman said Monday the results of contested parliamentary polls will stand despite massive street protests and a probe by the election authorities. “Even if you add up all this so-called evidence, it accounts for just over 0.5 percent of the total number of votes,” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told AFP in a telephone interview. “So even if hypothetically you recognise that they are being contested in court, then in any case, this can in no way affect the question of the vote’s legitimacy or the overall results,” Peskov said. His comments followed an order from President Dmitry Medvedev for election officials to look into reports of vote-fixing after the ruling party’s narrow victory sparked the largest protest rallies since the 1990s.

Saturday’s historic demonstrations near the kremlin saw more than 50,000 people deride the outcome of December 4 elections that were widely seen as a litmus test for Putin’s planned return to the presidency next year. The rallies have put Putin under the strongest political pressure he has faced in his dominant 12-year rule and suggested that his path back to the kremlin in March elections may be thornier than originally thought. They also appear to have sowed some confusion among Russian authorities who had never before faced such an evident groundswell of public resentment in the Putin era. Putin originally accused US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of inciting the unrest by questioning the poll’s legitimacy — a comment similar to the Cold War era rhetoric that dominated his 2000-2008 presidency.

But Putin’s spokesman Peskov said over the weekend that “we respect the point of view of the protesters ... and will continue to listen to them”. Medvedev followed that up on Sunday by announcing the launch of an inquiry into the violations reports. “i disagree with the slogans and declarations made at the meetings,” Medvedev wrote in his Facebook account. “Nevertheless, i have issued instructions to check all polling station reports about (failures) to follow election laws,” Medvedev wrote. Putin himself shunned the public spotlight over the weekend and on Monday did not address the elections in comments aired on state television from his trip to the central region of Tver. Medvedev’s conciliatory remarks meanwhile were met by a flood of ridicule on his Facebook page and quickly rejected as insufficient by both activists and the opposition Communist Party.

5,000 surface-to-air missiles secured in Libya: US SIDI BIN NUR AFP

A top US official said on Sunday that a team of US and Libyan bomb disposal experts has secured about 5,000 surface-to-air missiles stockpiled during the regime of Moamer kadhafi. “We have identified, disbanded and secured more than 5,000 MANPADS (ManPortable Air Defence Systems), while thousands more have been destroyed during NATO bombing,” Andrew Shapiro, assistant secretary of state for political and military affairs told a group of reporters. Dozens of these missiles were detonated along the shore facing Sidi Bin Nur village, east of Tripoli, as Shapiro, on a one-day visit to Libya, witnessed the event from a nearby secured house.

A joint US and Libyan team of bomb disposal experts has been working for several months now to find these missing missiles which are seen as potential threat to civil aviation. MANPADS are perceived as potential weapons which can be used by militant groups against commercial airliners and helicopters. These missiles have been widely used in military

conflicts. in September the European Union’s counterterrorism coordinator Gilles de kerchove had said that AlQaeda’s north African branch had acquired a stockpile of weapons in Libya, including surface-to-air missiles.

Due to the turmoil in Libya, members of Al-Qaeda in the islamic Maghreb (AQiM) have “gained access to weapons, either small arms or machineguns, or certain surface-to-air missiles which are extremely dangerous because they pose a risk to flights over the territory,” he said. kadhafi had a stockpile of 20,000 shoulder-fired missiles before the revolt against him broke out in February. “We are working side by side with the NTC to reduce the threat of these loose weapons,” Shapiro said after talks in Tripoli with officials from the ruling National Transitional Council, the interior and defence ministries.

There is a “serious concern about the threat posed by MANPADS... about the potential threat MANPADS can pose to civil aviation. However our efforts with the NTC to reduce these threats are already paying off.” Shapiro said contractors on the ground were still in the process of assessing how many missiles are still missing.

MOSCOW: Supporters of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin take part in a rally on Monday. aFp

‘afghan rape victim still in jail despite pardon’ KABUL AFP

An Afghan woman who was jailed for adultery after being raped remains in prison more than 10 days after President Hamid karzai ordered her release, her lawyer said on Monday. Gulnaz, who has already served two years in prison after a relative raped her at her home, should have been released within 48 hours and there was “no good reason” for her to remain behind bars, kimberley Motley said.

Her case highlights the poor state of women’s rights in Afghanistan, 10 years after a US-led invasion ousted the Taliban who were notorious for their harsh laws against women.

Following an outcry over her situation, karzai called a meeting where judicial officials de-

cided to pardon her, presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi told AFP on December 1. But the officials also advised that Gulnaz should marry the man who attacked her, due to fears she could be in danger if released because of the stigma surrounding her attack in ultra-conservative Afghanistan. Motley said there were no conditions set on Gulnaz’s release and she would need time to decide what to do.

But she also voiced concern that her client was being visited in jail by her attacker’s father.

“She’s still locked up and there’s no good reason for it,” Motley said. “Since the president has announced that he is going to issue a pardon she continues to be visited by the attacker’s father. “That’s not appropriate. it’s very disturbing. He’s not a blood relative.” Gulnaz has been raising the child she had by her

attacker in a prison cell in kabul. “She’s anxious to leave and to be free. She’s anxious to know what’s going on,” Motley said. “She was told by the committee she would be released within two days.” Officials said the order had been sent to the ministry of justice but was being processed through various offices. “We have already sent out the pardon letter. it does take a while until the cycle and process is finished,” a presidential spokesman said.

“We have not officially received the pardon order, but we know it is on its way,” ministry of justice spokesman Farid Ahmad Najeebi said. “it takes a while until it reaches us because it has to go to the president’s public affairs department, and several other offices before it reaches us. But we are expecting it soon.”

toll from afghan ashura killings rises to 84 KABUL: The death toll from unprecedented bomb attacks targeting Shiite Muslims on their holiest day of Ashura in Afghanistan has risen to 84, the interior ministry confirmed Monday. The coordinated attacks struck Shiites in kabul and the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif on December 6. The twin blasts prompted fears that Afghanistan could descend into the sort of sectarian violence that has pitched Shiite against Sunni Muslims in iraq and Pakistan. “What we have in our records here is that 80 people were killed in kabul, including six children and 150 were wounded. Four were killed in Mazar,” said Sediq Sediqqui, spokesman for the Afghan interior ministry. On Sunday, President Hamid karzai said the toll had climbed to at least 80. A local resident told AFP that bodies and body parts were still being recovered from the river running alongside the kabul shrine. Afghanistan lived through civil war from 1992 to 1996. its different ethnic groups, including Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras and Uzbeks have lived together, sometimes uneasily, since the 2001 US-led invasion. aFp

Yemen police disperse separatist protest ADEN AFP

A Yemeni protester was wounded Monday when police dispersed hundreds of demonstrators demanding a secession of southern regions in the capital of former South Yemen, activists said.

Security forces at dawn stormed a camp of tents that southern separatists erected in Al-Oroud Square in Aden after they met UN envoy Jamal Benomar, activists said. “Police opened fire at us. One police vehicle hit a protester and injured him,” while security forces tore off the flags of former South Yemen and destroyed the tents, said an activist who requested anonymity.

Nasser al-Nuba, a leading figure in the Southern Movement umbrella group, told AFP that a delegation of the movement met Benomar and demanded the “right of the people of south Yemen to self-determination.” Benomar played a pivotal role

in bringing President Ali Abdullah Saleh to sign a Gulf-brokered deal last month by which he immediately handed power to his deputy and should quit completely after 90 days. The exit plan aimed to end

months of deadly protests that demanded an end to Saleh’s 33 year in power. Residents in the formerly independent southern region complain of discrimination by the Sanaa government in the distribu-

tion of resources since the union between north and south in 1990.

The south broke away again in 1994, sparking a brief civil war that ended with the region overrun by northern troops.

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Tuesday, 13 december, 2011

Saga of patterns and prints

IN LIMELIGHT lOS ANgElES: Actress Abigail Spencer arrives at the American giving Awards presented

by Chase.

Zara naeem, rakshanda atawar, amna gull and ramana Masood

LAHORE

P

ANITA SALEEM

RiNTMAkiNG, an art hardly understood and seldom encouraged involves a great deal of precision and as artist Zara Naeem expresses, “our sweat and blood is put into it.” Under the supervision of Rakshanda Atawar, three students’ work was recently put up for display at 39k gallery. Rakshanda narrates how it all began, “Mr Arfan Augustine at Lahore College for Women University initially requested me to come as an external supervisor to which i agreed.”

While Rakshanda happily fostered their talent, the university was glad to have her as a coach for the budding artists.

This year’s class included three print makers: Amna Gul, Ramana Masood and Zara Naeem. Rakshanda admits being a tough instructor, “at times you need to pressurize the students lest they become laid back.” Rakshanda bombarded them with assignments while they complied. She showed them work from around the globe so that they get the exposure of the medium, scale and areas being explored by various artists. She rebukes the notion that a theme is mandatory for art and insists that it rather confines the artist.

Amna Gull follows in the footsteps of her supervisor and experiments with patterns. Some of her work includes intricate patterns using diminutive circles organized in a skilful manner. Talking about the problems that came her way, Amna says, “there were many problems that we faced like the press not working, prints not coming out right and tough working conditions”. Amna reveals her desire to become an art teacher after completing her education as she feels one must pass on the knowledge. She further adds, “i want to freely and creatively make prints as my heart leads.”

Amna, who started her academic journey as a sciences student and made the shift to arts with her elder brother’s support is not afraid of hardships and claims, “i’m not going to turn back from it now.”

Contrary to Amna, Zara Naeem who has her roots in Faisalabad knew from early childhood that she would be an artist and so she always studied arts. For this exhibition she used a technique called collography, which involves pasting paper on top of a thick paper/board and then cutting out the pattern. She shares her experience, “while making those plates i injured my fingers and got several cuts.”

Although Zara had not consciously planned it to be so, but her work turned out to be textile inspired at the end. She excitedly revealed, “ i even printed my own shirts for Eid using these plates”. She also experimented with three colour tones and expressed how a single plate could be used to create different prints. She admits being depressed at some points when things wouldn’t turn out the way she wanted them to. Zara aspires to help others, “i feel financial constraints impede people from getting into this field. When i become a teacher i would respect novel ideas and support them in every way i can.”

Another interesting theme in the exhibition was that of Ramana Masood who worked around doors, locks and stairs. She derived her inspiration from her own wedding, which she views as a new path in her life. However, she adds, “the same door can have a different meaning for different people.” One eye-catching design by Ramana includes a traditional door, which she first carved on wood and then printed on fabric.

She credits her father’s constant source of encouragement for her success and feels that Rakshanda’s emphasis on quality over quantity made her strive for excellence.

With her work Ramana has proved her philosophy of life, “if you want to move forward in life nothing can stop you.”

I was

MARRAKECH: Preity Zinta arrives at the 11th Marrakech International Film Festival.

MUMBAi: Shah Rukh Khan poses with a self-signed copy of ‘The Official Opus of Shah Rukh Khan’.

‘I have to speak to

born to entertain: my father Ranveer Singh MUMBAI: Actor Ranveer Singh, whose latest release ‘ladies vs Ricky Bahl’ has received rave reviews, believes that he was born to entertain and won’t mind performing live if it makes others happy. “deep down in my heart i would like to believe that i am born to entertain people. So i am most happy that i am able to cap off such a wonderful year doing exactly what i love doing the most, which is performing,” he said at a press conference. “if i can make even one person’s New year special by performing, then it will give me immense amount of satisfaction,” he added. Reflecting on 2011, Ranveer, 26, calls it the best year of his life. “2011 has been the biggest learning curve of my life. what i learned in the past one year, i have not learned cumulatively all my life - the number of things that i have done for the first time in the past year, the number of people i have met,” said Ranveer. “My growth as an artist and as a person has been high at a very rapid pace in the past one year. it’s been a fantastic year for me.” AGENCIES

to settle the issue’

MuMBaI: reacting to her father’s angst on doing a nude photo shoot for a magazine, Veena Malik says she is planning to go home by the end of the this month. and the prime reason for her visit would be to help her father understand that she never participated in a nude photo shoot. while a few reports say this is Veena’s attempt to gain publicity, the actor doesn’t agree with that. “I haven’t been able to speak to my father yet. But I’m planning to visit home soon. It has been a year since I went home. Thankfully, my ammi (mother)and sisters understand that I haven’t done anything wrong, so does my brother. I have to speak to my father and settle the issue,” she says. what also bothers the actor is not what people are saying about her, but the way people consider it is always the girl who is held culpable. “I’m obviously annoyed with the way my family has been projected. I don’t understand why people always blame a girl for what goes wrong. If you read the articles that have been written against me, the prejudice is so apparent. I hope everything gets sorted soon.” AGENCIES

Posthumous Winehouse album

hits

British number one

LONDON: Soul singer Amy winehouse topped Britain’s album chart Sunday more than four months after her death, with music lovers buying almost 200,000 copies of the record ‘lioness: Hidden Treasures’.

The posthumous collection of alternative versions of classics, unreleased tracks and covers hit the number one spot after being released last Monday. Producers Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson put the 12-track album together after listening to thousands of hours of recordings by the singer, who died in July aged 27 following years of drug and alcohol abuse. The Official Charts Company said the album sold more than 194,000 copies to give winehouse the biggest weekly sales tally of her career. AGENCIES

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17 ARBil: iraqi Kurdish singer dashni Murad, known as the "Shakira of Kurdistan", is aiming for international fame through her new song ‘Open your Eyes’.

Forget stadiums, cities should

fight for Apple stores NEW YORK

A

SYDNEY: George Clooney attends the Growth Faculty’s inaugural Global Leadership Forum.

FORBES

pple opened its latest store in New York’s Grand Central Terminal Friday. And it’s magnificent. Perched atop a grand staircase at the centre of the cavernous commuter hub, the spare tables and austere 21st century products on display contrast with the Beaux-Arts style terminal’s stonework beautifully. While the location on New York City’s 42nd Street is one of a kind, in other ways the 23,000 foot store is like every other outlet Apple builds: it’s a money-spinner for everyone involved. The computer stores have become ‘anchors’ for affluent downtown areas, says Robert Gibbs, an urban economic and planning consultant and author of ‘Principles of Urban Retail Planning and Development’. “Sports stadiums do not generate much cross shopping: they’re nice to have but greatly overrated,” Gibbs says. “if you have an Apple store on your Main Street, though, that gives you a kind of ‘good housekeeping seal of approval,’ that’s going to attract others.”

Gibbs figures Apple stores can boost traffic to nearby stores by 15 to 20%, sending affluent customers to nearby clothing stores, coffee shops, and book stores. Those customers don’t just buy a computer once and then leave, either: they return for more Apple products, to have their computers serviced, and for advice from Apple’s blue-

shirted employees. The stores also generate gobs of sales taxes. Given its size and Apple’s ability to generate more sales per square foot than even upscale jeweler Tiffany’s, the Grand Central store could easily generate $10.2 million a year in sales tax revenues for state and local governments.

The problem: cashstrapped cities can’t choose Apple, Apple chooses them.

“They want the block that has the most traffic, which is surrounded by the best tenants,” Gibbs says. And Apple will wait for years to get the real estate they want. “You can’t influence them, they’re very secretive.

And Apple doesn’t take risks on dicey neighborhoods,” experts say. “You’re not going to

build an Apple store on a rundown crappy street where you get out of the store and there’s a bunch of beggars,” says Joel kotkin, a professor of urban development at Chapman University in California.

That should give New Yorkers something to puff up their chests about: the city now has five outlets, more than any city in the world except London, which also has five. Don’t take those urban stores as a sign that Apple and other retailers are targeting only the densest urban areas, however. instead you’re more likely to find Apple stores in upscale malls — look for a Nordstrom’s nearby, kotkin says — or on prosperous suburban streets.

Shoppers, particularly women,

like to be able to see the door to the store when the park, Gibbs said, even if they have to pay for metered parking.

That’s unnecessary in Grand Central Terminal. More than 750,000 commuters with a mean household income of $95,800 a year move through the terminal every day.

Twenty-percent of those commuters have household incomes of more than $200,000.

The 326,000 office workers in the area earn more than $11.3 billion a year. More than 21 million out-of towners with a mean income of $62,000 visit the terminal every year.

To attract those affluent shoppers, Apple isn’t shy about spending a little money of its own. Apple opened 30 new stores in the three month period ending in September. None of them are cheap: Apple will spend $900 million of its capital budget on stores during its 2012 fiscal year, including forty new outlets. With Apple reporting average revenue per store of $43.3 million, those new stores could generate $1.7 billion in annual sales. Apple sells more than $5000 worth of goods per square foot, more than any other retailer on earth. Not everyone, however, knows it yet. Gibbs tells the story of one older landlord in Alexandria, virginia, who refused to lease land to Apple. “She thought Apple was a flakey sounding company because it was named after a fruit,” Gibbs says. “That that case the city probably could have stepped in and helped the landlord realize it’s not a flakey company.”

Best of both worlds Sunidhi Chohan, Aditi Rao and two famous female singers from Pakistan will be lending their vocals to Ali Zafar’s ‘london Paris New york’ LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Actor-singer Ali Zafar, who has turned composer for his upcoming Bollywood movie ‘London Paris New York’, promised his fans earlier that his film’s music is not going to be conventional. it seems believable every inch now that his publicist, Ammara Hikmat, has announced on Twitter: “Ali Zafar has taken two female singers from Pakistan with some killer vocals to perk up LPNY’s music.” The names of these singers have not been disclosed yet.

There is a lot of speculation amongst music enthusiasts in social media circles about QB or Hadiqa being a part of this project but nothing can be said till an official announcement comes. Ali Zafar also expressed desire to make sounds that are fresh and wanted to experiment with genres, hence got costar Aditi Rao to sing with him.

“Normally it’s either the hero or heroine who lends his or her voice to a song. But in this case, i decided we’d both sing because Aditi has a nice, soothing voice,” he reasons. The film is eyeing a February 2012 release.

adele makes Billboard history, named 2011 top artist LOS ANGELES AGENCIES

ROME: Robert Downey Jr arrives at the premiere of the film ‘Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game of Shadows’.

British singer Adele made Billboard history on Friday when she became the first female singer to be named top artist, have the top album, ‘21’, and score the top single, ‘Rolling in the Deep’, all in one year. The 23-year-old chanteuse was followed in the top

MuMBaI: Imran Khan is a huge Kareena Kapoor fan and while working together ‘Ek Main aur Ek Tu’ he took photographs of the actress. Producer Karan johar has now apparently suggested an exhibition of these pictures. There are now about a 100 pictures Imran personally took of Kareena. “I find Kareena one of the most beautiful actresses that we have. when I was looking at her through viewfinder, I realised that camera loves her. People who have seen these pictures keep saying that I am a good photographer, but actually it is her beauty and versatility of her face which is doing the trick,” said Imran. Directed by first-timer Shakun Batra, the film’s first trailer was released with ‘The Dirty Picture’ and it is expected to come out around Valentine’s Day. The exhibition of Imran’s pics of Kareena is now being planned. AGENCIES

artist group by No 2 Rihanna, katy Perry and Lady Gaga in that order, while Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne and Bruno Mars rounded out the top ten. “i think one of the things that sets me apart from other artists who have had the same kind of success is that my life isn’t speculated about” by the media, Adele said in an interview with Bill-

The camera loves

Kareena: Imran Khan

board. Tye Comer, editor of Billboard.com, attributed Adele’s success to her being a “breath of fresh air” in a market saturated with pop artists cut from a “certain cloth,” like Rihanna, katy Perry and Lady Gaga. “Her success is really inspiring because it shows that there is still room in the music industry for an artist to make it with true, raw talent,” Comer told Reuters.

When Bipasha

landed in a

Russian jail

MUMBAI: Bipasha Basu, who was shooting in Russia for her upcoming multi-starrer ‘Players’ landed in a jail along with her co-star Sikander Kher. Bips and Sikander were strolling on the streets of the Russian city they were shooting in, after work. They reached a road which had signage in Russian language. Apparently, the street was not meant for pedestrians and since the two couldn’t read Russian, they had little idea about the warning. But even before they could realise what’s happening, they were caught by the police and taken to the nearest station. Poor Bips and Sikander were wondering why they were caught. However, one of the officers at the police station happened to recognise Bipasha and turned out to be a fan of hers. He then apologized to the duo for having taken them into custody and explained to his colleagues that they had not entered the street intentionally.

Bipasha said, “Although the entire incident shocked us initially, we have a good laugh about it even today. it was great fun actually.” ZEENEWS

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Tuesday, 13 december, 2011

Bracewell the hero as Black Caps stun Aussies Page 22

Razzaq, Afridi gear up with Australia stint

Pakistan inflict innings defeat on Bangladesh CHITTAGONG

A

LAHORE AGENCIES

Pakistan all-rounders Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq expressed hope Monday that their Twenty20 stint in Australia would stand them in good stead to beat England next month. Thirty-one-year-old Razzaq missed Pakistan's one-day series against Bangladesh due to a shoulder injury sustained against Sri Lanka last month, but said he is fit again and hopes to play a part against England. "My injury was not serious and i am now fully fit," Razzaq told AFP before his departure. "i am very keen to play against England and do my part in the team's win over England." Pakistan play England in three Tests, four one-day and three Twenty20 internationals in the United Arab Emirates in January. Both Razzaq and Afridi will play for Melbourne Star in the Big Bash Twenty20 league in Australia starting from December 16. Razzaq said England will be tough to beat. "They (England) are the number one team in Tests so it will be tough to beat them, but our team is doing well and is on a roll under Misbah-ul Haq as captain so we will try our best to beat them," said Razzaq. Razzaq said he has cricket left in him. "i can still play my part for the team in both Tests and one-day, so if i am given the opportunity then i will do my best," said Razzaq, who has so far played 46 Tests, 265 one-day and 26 Twenty20 for Pakistan. Afridi, who performed well in the team's 4-1 one-day win over Sri Lanka and 3-0 sweep against Bangladesh, said England pose a real threat. "it will be a fantastic series against England," said Afridi. "i don't play Tests anymore but having watched England's progress towards world number one i am sure they will be a real test for Pakistan team." "As for one-day cricket, we have a better team than England," said Afridi, who has so far played 333 one-day and 45 Twenty20 internationals.

AFP

BDUR Rehman grabbed four wickets as Pakistan thrashed Bangladesh by an innings and 184 runs on the penultimate day of the opening Test in Chittagong on Monday. The left-arm spinner finished with 4-88 as Bangladesh, trailing by 459 runs, were bowled out for 275 in their second innings after lunch to suffer their 62nd defeat in 72 Tests.

Rehman, off-spinner Saeed Ajmal and paceman Aizaz Cheema shared five wickets that fell on a fourth-day track offering help to spinners after Bangladesh had resumed at 134-4.

Fast bowler Rubel Hossain did not bat due to a shoulder injury, suffered while fielding on Sunday.

"Rehman is our main spinner and he has been performing well since he came into the side," said Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq. "We are not relying only on Rehman or Ajmal since Umar Gul, Cheema and Mohammad Hafeez are also bowling well. The team is more confident now and the batsmen are also more experienced."

Debutant Mohammed Nazimuddin (78), Shakib Al Hasan (51) and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (49) were the main rungetters for Bangladesh.

Cheema ended the innings when he had Shahadat Hossain (21) caught by Gul in the covers in his first over with the second new ball.

Rehman dismissed well-set Nazimuddin and former captain Shakib in the morning session before accounting for Rahim to finish the match with seven wickets after having taken three in the first innings.

Ajmal was the other wicket-taker in the

morning when he bowled Mohammad Mahmudullah for no score. "it's difficult to come back when you lose five wickets for 47 in the first innings, but we fought back well in the second," said Rahim.

"Nazimuddin in his first Test showed how to play these bowlers, as did Shakib.

"We feel sorry for the crowd since they come and support us every time, even though we have not won often."

Nazimuddin was involved in two stands, adding 78 runs for the fifth wicket with Shakib and 47 for the next with Rahim before being caught by Ajmal at mid-off.

Opener Nazimuddin, 41 overnight, hit two sixes and nine fours in his 186-ball knock.

Nazimuddin, who was the secondhighest scorer in the first innings with 31, defied the Pakistani attack for more than an hour and completed his half-century when he turned Rehman to deep midwicket for three runs.

He then played a couple of big shots, lofting Rehman over extra cover and then Ajmal over mid-wicket for sixes. He gave two chances off Ajmal after completing his half-century but wicket-keeper Adnan Akmal missed both.

Bangladesh had added only 24 runs to their overnight total when Shakib was trapped leg-before by Rehman after hitting eight fours in his ninth Test half-century.

Pakistan had on Sunday posted a mammoth 594-5 declared in their first innings in reply to Bangladesh's 135, with man-of-the-match Younis khan (200 not out), Hafeez (143) and Asad Shafiq (104) being the main scorers.

"As a senior guy, i want to inspire the youngsters. The key is to enjoy cricket," said Younis.

The second and final Test starts in Dhaka on Saturday.

SCOREBOARD BANGLADESH, 1st innings: 135 (Abdur Rehman 3-9, Saeed Ajmal 3-40) PAKISTAN, 1st innings: 594-5 decl (Younis Khan 200 not out, Mohammad Hafeez 143, Asad Shafiq 104; Elias Sunny 3-123) BANGLADESH, 2nd innings: (overnight 134-4): 15 Tamim Iqbal b Hafeez M Nazimuddin c Ajmal b Rehman 78 Shahriar Nafees lbw b Ajmal 28 M Ashraful c Hafeez b Rehman 0 Nasir Hossain c Hafeez b Cheema 3 Shakib Al Hasan lbw b Rehman 51 Mushfiqur Rahim lbw b Rehman 49 M Mahmudullah b Ajmal 0 20 Elias Sunny not out Shahadat Hossain c Gul b Cheema 21 Rubel Hossain did not bat (injured)

CHiTTAgONg: Pakistan's Adnan Ajmal (l) appeals successfully for lBw decision against Bangladeshi captain Mushfiqur Rahim (R). aFp

pakistan’s biggest victory in B’desh iPl-style stats corner hockey event in india put off n

S. PERVEZ QAISER

Pakistan recorded their biggest victory over Bangladesh in Bangladesh by winning the first Test match by an innings and 184 runs at Zahur Ahmed Chowdury Stadium, Chittagong, on Monday (December 12). it was Pakistan's second biggest victory over Bangladesh and fourth biggest overall in Test cricket. Pakistan's biggest victory over Bangladesh is by an innings and 264 runs at Multan in 2001 while their innings and 178 runs victory at Dhaka in 2001-02 was the previous biggest in Bangladesh.

An innings and 184 runs defeat was Bangladesh’s 35th in Tests and their fourth against Pakistan. Sri Lanka have beaten Bangladesh the most number of times by an innings (7).

Nazimuddin’s 78 in 263 minutes off 186 balls with nine fours and two sixes was the fifth-highest score by a Bangladesh batsman on debut. The record is held by Aminul islam who scored 145 in Bangladesh’s first Test against india in dhaka in 2000.

Abdur Rehman became the 32nd Pakistani and 338th bowler overall to take 50 or more wickets in Tests. The slow left-arm orthodox bowler achieved this feat, in his 11th Test match, by dismissing Shakib Al Hasan, leg before in Bangladesh's second innings. Abdur Rehman’s four-wicket haul is his fourth in n

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Tests and his second outside home. He now has 52 wickets in 11 Tests at 31.11.

Pakistan's victory was fifth in 11 matches under Misbah-ul-Haq. it was Pakistan's fifth of the year so far. Their only loss came against the west indies at Providence in May. younus Khan received his sixth man of the match award in 72 Test matches. it was his maiden such award in four Test matches against Bangladesh.

PAKISTAN'S BIGGEST VICTORIES IN TESTS MARGIN OPPONENT VENUE SEASON An innings & 324 runs New Zealand lahore 2001-02 An innings & 264 runs Bangladesh Multan 2001-02 An innings & 188 runs Australia Karachi 1988-89 An innings & 184 runs Bangladesh Chittagong 2011-12 An innings & 178 runs Bangladesh dhaka 2001-02 BANGLADESH'S BIGGEST DEFEATS IN TESTS MARGIN OPPONENT VENUE SEASON An innings & 310 runs west indies dhaka 2002-03 An innings & 264 runs Pakistan Multan 2001-02 An innings & 261 runs England lord’s 2005 An innings & 239 runs india dhaka 2006-07 An innings & 234 runs Sri lanka Colombo 2007-08 An innings & 205 runs South Africa Chittagong 2007-08 An innings & 196 runs Sri lanka Colombo 2002-03 An innings & 193 runs Sri lanka Kandy 2007-08 An innings &184 runs Pakistan Chittagong 2011-12 An innings & 178 runs Pakistan dhaka 2001-02

chinese hocKey team’s visit

PHF discusses security measures with govt officials LAHORE STAFF REPORT

The Pakistan Hockey Federation discussed all the security arrangements for the successful holding of the Chinese hockey team’s tour with government officials here on Monday. The meeting was held at the conference room of the PHF offices and was attended by PHF president, secretary, government and law-enforcing agencies.

Pakistan will welcome the Chinese hockey team for a four-match series this month, keen to encourage international

ExTRAS: (b2, lb5, nb3) 10 TOTAL: (for all out; 82.3 overs) 275 Fall of wickets: 1-24 (Tamim), 2-74 (Nafees), 3-75 (Ashraful), 4-80 (Nasir), 5-158 (Shakib), 6-205 (Nazimuddin), 7-210 (Mahmudullah), 8-252 (Rahim), 9275 (Hossain).

Bowling: Gul 13-2-45-0 (nb3), Cheema 7.3-1-40-2, Hafeez 7-2-211, Ajmal 25-7-74-2, Rehman 30-7-88-4.

Result: Pakistan win by an innings and 184 runs Toss: Pakistan Umpires: Billy Doctrove (WIS) and Shavir Tarapore (IND) TV umpire: Enamul Haque (BAN) Match referee: Javagal Srinath (IND) Second Test: Dhaka (Dec 17-21)

sport back to the terror-hit country. Foreign teams have avoided Pakistan since gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in March 2009, killing eight people and wounding seven visiting players and their assistant coach. For years before that, western teams were reluctant to tour Pakistan, worried about security after the 9/11 attacks and the 2001 US-led invasion of neighbouring Afghanistan. Pakistan last hosted top hockey event in the 2004 Champions Trophy. The PHF said the Chinese tour was significant. Pakistan last hosted top hockey in the 2004 Champions Trophy.

"it will help in resuming international hockey ties on Pakistani soil and we eagerly look forward to it," said secretary Asif Bajwa. The PHF said it had requested water-tight security. China will play their opening match in karachi on December 21, with further matches in karachi on December 22, Faisalabad on December 24 and Lahore on December 25. "Our major focus is to bring international hockey back to Pakistan and we are thankful to the Chinese Hockey Federation for supporting our cause, and this will be on a reciprocal basis as we will tour them next year," said Bajwa. Hockey is Pakistan's national

sport. Pakistan has won three Olympic and four world titles, but apart from the Asian title in 2010, Pakistan has fared badly in recent years. They finished eighth, their worst-ever, in the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and 12th and last in the World Cup held in india last year. Pakistan also finished a poor seventh in the eight-team Champions Trophy, which finished in New Zealand on Sunday.

Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif will be the chief guest on the final match of the series to be played at National Hockey Stadium, Lahore on December 25.

NEW DELHI AFP

A lucrative, but unsanctioned, field hockey tournament due to start this month along the lines of cricket's indian Premier League has been postponed, organisers said on Monday. The multi-million-dollar World Series Hockey, promoted by the unrecognised indian Hockey Federation (iHF) and backed by the Nimbus television company, had threatened the country's Olympic qualification. The tournament, slated from December 17 to January 22 across various venues in india, clashed with the dates of the indian team's ongoing camp to prepare for the Olympic qualifiers to be held in New Delhi in February. india, winners of eight Olympic field hockey gold medals who failed to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Games, have to win the New Delhi event to make the trip to London. At least 12 top indian stars had written to the organisers, asking them to put off the WSH till after the Olympic qualifiers. iHF officials said the WSH will now begin on February 29, three days after the qualifiers end on February 26. "We did not want to put the national players who had signed up with us to any trouble," iHF president R.k. Shetty told the Press Trust of india news agency. "i want them to play in the Olympic qualifiers and i will be happy if india qualifies for the London Olympics."

One of the richest events in the sport, with prize and appearance money topping $3 million, the WSH had attracted top players from india and a few from overseas in a franchise-based contest.

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Tuesday, 13 december, 2011

inter eye European places in genoa visit ROME AFP

inter Milan will be eyeing a top six spot when they travel to Genoa in Serie A on Tuesday in a game postponed last month due to bad weather. The nerazzurri have had a torrid start to the season in the league but due to the tight nature of the table, they could move into a top-six position with a victory. Having hovered just above the relegation zone for most of the campaign so far, that would be no mean feat for the Milan giants. A disastrous start saw them lose five and win only two of their first nine league matches but a recent run of three wins in their last four games has seen them break into the top half.

Making it four wins in five would still leave them a significant distance off the leaders, but would at least give them hope of competing for a European or even maybe a Champions League place next season.

Bringing back that hope could also encourage the club's fans to return to the stadium. Attendances have been very low this season as inter have struggled but coach Claudio Ranieri believes that if they can turn the corner, the fans will be back.

"We're going forward like this, step by step, with desire and determination," he said. "We're still lacking a cohesive game, especially when we play 4-4-2, but we're not letting up. We need to get the fans back into the San Siro and when we see the ground full again we'll have turned the corner. "This year we're not on the motorway, we're on a winding country road and we have to be careful." Genoa's top scorer Rodrigo Palacio will miss the game with a groin strain. The last time Genoa had to do without the Argentine, at home to AC Milan, they slumped to a 2-0 defeat, although they weren't helped by the sending off of centre-back kakha kaladze. However, Genoa aren't the only ones with a striker problem as inter's Giampaolo Pazzini has been forced to defend his angry goal celebration against Fiorentina. Pazzini, who hadn't scored in the league for 77 days before that, looked angry and seemed to be directing his ire at a certain section of the fans. However, he says that isn't the case. "My celebration absolutely wasn't a criticism or an insult to the fans and i thought i had already made that clear after the game when i said it was simply something spontaneous," he said. "it wasn't directed at anyone in particular and i was looking at the middle of the pitch. it's really disappointing to read and hear certain things, even that's part of the game."

Security beefed up for Club World Cup TOYOTA

P

AFP

OLiCE will ramp up security at the Club World Cup after the quarter-final between Tunisia's Esperance and Al Sadd of Qatar was marred by a pitch invasion and outbreaks of violence. Several fans from the African champions attempted to get on the pitch at the final whistle after the side from Tunis were defeated 2-1 on Sunday, and one Esperance supporter made it to within feet of players and officials. That an angry fan was able to leap a barrier, evade security and get so close will come as an embarrassment to FiFA, the world governing body, in what is one of its most high-profile tournaments of the year.

Police wrestled to the ground several Esperance fans who tried to get onto the pitch, further riling fans who were already irate at what they perceived to be several key decisions that had gone against the Africans. "Following disturbances at the conclusion of yesterday's match between Al Sadd and Esperance, the security forces inside the stadium acted as quickly as possible to restore order," FiFA said in a statement on Monday.

Blaming a "minority of supporters", it said FiFA would increase security for Esperance's match against Monterrey of Mexico on Wednesday to decide who finishes the annual intercontinental tournament fifth. Esperance fans, some of whom appeared to be drunk, had confronted supporters of the CONCACAF champions outside the Toyota Stadium on Sunday, Mexican journalists at the scene said. Monterrey later crashed to Japanese champions kashiwa Reysol on penalties. FiFA, which said nobody was injured or arrested in the trouble after the game with Asian champions Al Sadd, could also punish Esperance for the behaviour of its fans, several hundred of whom were at the match. Nabil Maaloul, the

NAgOyA: Neymar of Santos fC (C) chases the ball during a training session of the fifA Club world Cup. aFp coach of African Champions League winners Esperance, who are known as "the blood and gold" because of the colour of their kit, apologised afterwards.

SCYLD BERRY England have become the best Testplaying country because their preparation has been the best, and it will have to be the same again if they are to win their three-Test series next month against Pakistan, who are undergoing a renewal.

The trap is to think that a Test match which meanders for three or four days on a slow pitch — whether Dubai, the venue for two Tests, or Abu Dhabi for one – will automatically end in a bore-draw.

England are accustomed to winning the first half of a Test, especially at home where the ball swings and seams, and to ramming it home from there. in the UAE, the soils and conditions are similar to Pakistan — as it should be, because they are the hosts — and a completely different mindset and temperament will be required.

Patience will be the essence as batsmen of both countries gorge in their first innings. When the pitches start turning on days four and five, a team has to seize the moment, swarm through the breach and win a game in a session.

So the best preparation would be to attend a very long chess match between two grandmasters in which nothing happens for hours on end except jostling for position. Then a thrilling end-game ensues.

Such an end-game might involve England’s spinners, Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar, trying to rip out Pak-

dengue-hit Mcilroy bows out of Thailand BANGKOK AFP

Rory Mcilroy has pulled out of the Thailand Golf Championship, according to the event's entry list Monday, after suffering a bout of dengue fever that has hurt his bid for the European number one spot. The Northern irishman, who lost out to England's Luke Donald for the European Tour top ranking in Dubai last week, had already warned that the mosquito-born illness could rule him out of the season-ending Asian event. "Big thank you to everyone who has supported me this year, it has been a season to remember and hopefully 2012 will be even better!" said the US Open champion in his latest Twitter feed. World number two Mcilroy, who suffered exhaustion and a skewed blood count as a result of the illness, on Friday said he would consult a doctor before deciding whether to go ahead with the Thailand event. "To be honest, i'm ready for the season to be done and looking forward to putting the clubs away," he said at the time. Mcilroy came joint 11th at the Dubai World Championship, seven shots behind Donald, who finished third to become the first player to top both the US PGA and European Tour money lists in the same year. World number three Lee Westwood, Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, Japan's Ryo ishikawa and local hero Thongchai Jaidee will compete at the inaugural tournament at Bangkok's Amata Spring Country Club.

Hughes needs runs, says Clarke paranavitana hits ton as HOBART AFP

Phillip Hughes may have to return to state cricket to rediscover his touch after another batting failure in Australia's shock second Test loss to New Zealand, skipper Michael Clarke said Monday. The opener's Test future once again looks uncertain ahead of the india series after he fell early on the fourth day as Australia collapsed to 233 all out, handing the kiwis a seven run victory at Bellerive Oval. Hughes was again found out outside off-stump and was caught in the slips for 20 off Chris Martin's bowling for the fourth straight innings.

His poor form -- the struggling left-hander scored 41 in four innings against the kiwis -- will intensify pressure on his spot ahead of the Test series with india, which starts at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Boxing Day. While Hughes' technique flounders, opening batting partner David Warner built a strong case for his retention by carrying his bat through the second innings with an unbeaten 123. Clarke indicated that Hughes could try to cure his shattered confidence with a spell for his home state New South Wales.

Ajmal will pose England a stern challenge comment

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istan in the last couple of sessions. if they can do it they can class themselves England’s best of spinners since Jim Laker and Tony Lock in the 1950s.

More immediately, Swann and Panesar will have to bowl as well as their Pakistani counterparts, Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman, which is asking a lot. Ajmal, although he came late to Test cricket (he is now 34) has been bamboozling out batsmen at the rate of five per Test with his off-breaks and doosras.

So much fur was flying the last time England played Pakistan in 2010 — revelations of spot-fixing, England team statements, pushing and shoving, and eventually three prison sentences for Pakistan players — that the inability of most of England’s players to read Ajmal was overlooked.

But his record of 74 wickets in only 15 Tests at 30 each (before the current one in Bangladesh) is no worse than Swann’s 153 wickets in 36 Tests at 28.

The similarities between the two left-arm spinners, England’s Panesar and Pakistan's Rehman, extend to lithe and whippy body actions.

Panesar, when he resumes his Test career after a gap of 2½ years, will be seeking to improve on 126 wickets at 34 each; Rehman will have a considerably better tally than 45 wickets at 33 each when he has finished running through Bangladesh in their current series. it looks pretty certain that England will require both of their spinners to take 20 wickets and win a Test. The only one of the four Tests to date in the UAE to reach a definite conclusion came when Ajmal and

Rehman took 12 wickets to dismiss Sri Lanka, who are just as good a batting side against spin as England. if England have to chase a fourthinnings target, after dismissing Pakistan a second time, this will form part of a fascinating new chapter in Test cricket. Targets over 200 were traditionally the time to block out for a draw in the days when pitches deteriorated and scoring rates were in any event slow. Not any more. in the past three years nine Test sides have chased down fourth-innings targets above 250.

Twenty20 cricket has turned a required run-rate of four runs an over on the last afternoon from an impossibility into a stroll, making the endgame so important now. Horizons have opened up like Turner sunsets.

The need for England to play both of their spinners may be facilitated by the unfitness of some of their pace bowlers.

Geoff Miller, England’s chairman of selectors, disclosed on Saturday that Graham Onions will go to the UAE along with the five selected fast bowlers, because Stuart Broad is still nursing his shoulder, Chris Tremlett his back and Tim Bresnan his elbow.

When Pakistan beat Sri Lanka, they had only two pace bowlers, and England may have to depart so much from normal practice as to go the same way.

They are only going to play three seamers and two spinners – omitting a batsman – if they go 1-0 down and have to play catch-up. in more senses than one, England this winter are going where they have never gone before.

Sri Lankans fare better BENONI AFP

The touring Sri Lankans had more joy on the third and final day of a warm-up match before facing South Africa from Thursday in the first of three Tests. They restricted a South African invitation X1 to 34 runs Sunday while grabbing four wickets to bowl them out for 357 and Tharanga Paranavitana struck a ton as the visitors reached 207-3 before rain ended the drawn game.

Seamer Dilhara Fernando doubled his overnight wicket haul to four, left arm slow bowler Rangana Herath took one and so did Ajantha Mendis, albeit at a high cost with his pair costing 142 runs. What the Sri Lankans really wanted was batting practice entering a three-Test series in which they are given little chance of success by many South Africans, including former national team skipper kepler Wessels. Opener Paranavitana made the most of his time at the Willowmoore Park crease under grey clouds, striking 12 fours in a 100 off 161 balls before retiring out to offer teammates batting time in this eastern Johannes-

burg suburb. Captain Tillakaratne Dilshan also did well, averaging virtually a run a ball as his 74 came off 76 deliveries and was spiced by two sixes and eight fours while third batsman in Mahele Jayawardene (26) was less successful. Regular number three kumar Sangakkara could not bat after injuring his right hand fielding, but officials insisted he will be fit within two days and available for the opening Test at SuperSport Park in Centurion.

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Bracewell the hero as Black Caps stun Aussies SCOREBOARD

HOBART: New Zealand seamer doug Bracewell celebrates taking the final wicket. aFp HOBART

S

AFP

EAMER Doug Bracewell bowled New Zealand to a sensational seven-run victory over Australia in the second Test in Hobart on Monday for the kiwis' first win in Australia for 26 years. The Black Caps captured eight wickets for 74 runs for a dramatic victory midway through the fourth day of an extraordinary Test match at Bellerive Oval.

Bracewell finished with 6-40 off 16.4 overs in a match-winning performance to stun the Australians, who appeared on track for victory at 159 for two chasing 241 runs to win. But the Australians folded spectacularly and David Warner's unbeaten maiden Test century went in vain as wickets tumbled around him and Nathan Lyon was bowled by Bracewell in the 64th over to claim victory. it was the Black Caps' first victory in Australia since 1985 as they tied the two-Test series after comprehensively losing the first Gabba Test by nine wickets.

"We believed in ourselves that we could win this match. We knew we had to fight, we had to play a lot better than we did in Brisbane," skipper Ross Taylor said. Bracewell turned the match around with the wickets of Ricky Ponting (16), Michael Clarke (0), Michael Hussey (0), James Pattinson (4), Mitchell Starc (0) and Lyon (9). "He bowled outstandingly well for a young guy, 21, and to come in only his third Test and to get Ponting, Clarke and Hussey, that's something to tell your grandkids about," Taylor said of Bracewell. Clarke said his team were proving too inconsistent with their third defeat in eight Tests under his captaincy.

"You're seeing some really good patches of individual excellence and as a team we're playing really well in patches, but then you see the other side as well where we're letting

NEW ZEALAND, 1st innings: 150 (D. Brownlie 56; J. Pattinson 551, P. Siddle 3-42) AUSTRALIA, 1st innings: 136 (P. Siddle 36; D. Bracewell 3-20, T. Boult 3-29, C. Martin 3-46) NEW ZEALAND, 2nd innings: 226 (R. Taylor 56; N. Lyon 3-25, J. Pattinson 3-54, P. Siddle 3-66) AUSTRALIAN, 2nd innings: (overnight 72 for 0) P. Hughes c Guptill b Martin 20 D. Warner not out 123 23 U. Khawaja c Taylor b Boult R. Ponting c Southee b Bracewell 16 M. Clarke c Taylor b Bracewell 0 M. Hussey lbw b Bracewell 0 15 B. Haddin c Taylor b Southee P. Siddle c Ryder b Southee 2 4 J. Pattinson c Guptill b Bracewell 0 M. Starc b Bracewell N. Lyon b Bracewell 9 21 ExTRAS: (b3, lb18) 233 TOTAL: (all out; 63.4 overs) Fall of wickets: 1-72 (Hughes), 2-122 (Khawaja), 3-159 (Ponting), 4-159 (Clarke), 5-159 (Hussey), 6-192 (Haddin), 7-194 (Siddle), 8-199 (Pattinson), 9-199 (Starc), 10-233 (Lyon) BOWLING: Martin 16-4-44-1, Boult 12-1-51-1, Southee 19-3-77-2, Bracewell 16.4-4-40-6 New Zealand won by 7 runs, Series tied 1-1, Man-of-the-match: Dave Warner (AUS), Toss: Australia,Umpires: Nigel Llong (ENG), Asad Rauf (PAK), TV umpire: Aleem Dar (PAK), Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM).

ourselves down with very poor performances," he said. "We're inconsistent at the minute which is giving us all a pain in the backside." Warner carried his bat to finish unbeaten on 123 off 170 balls with 14 boundaries to cement his Test position after fellow opener Phillip Hughes was out again cheaply.

Warner surprisingly was preferred to Bracewell as official man-of-the-match in a television viewers' poll. Wickets continued to fall around Warner with Brad Haddin snapped up by Ross Taylor in the slips off Tim Southee and Peter Siddle taken at third slip off Southee for two. Bracewell removed Pattinson and Starc within three balls to have the Black Caps one wicket away from victory after Australia had lost seven wickets for 40.

Lyon survived two tense reviews for lbw as Warner went after the runs against a spreadeagled field before Bracewell finished the game when he bowled Lyon.

Ponting's possible final Test innings in his home state finished in a whimper after he was given a standing ovation to the wicket. Test cricket's third-highest runscorer spooned a catch to cover after playing back to Bracewell and was out for 16 after scoring just five in the first innings. Clarke was caught at slip by Taylor and Hussey was out first ball lbw after a review went in bowler Bracewell's favour.

Hughes's Test future again looked uncertain after he was out in the day's second over with no addition to his overnight score of 20. it was the fourth straight time Hughes was caught by Martin Guptill in the slips off Chris Martin's bowling in the series. His latest batting failure -- 41 in four innings against the kiwis -- will intensify the pressure on his spot ahead of the Test series with india, starting at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Boxing Day. While Hughes's technical deficiencies outside offstump continued to hound him, Warner built a strong case for his retention, possibly partnering Shane Watson against india.

Volleyball time-out concludes KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The first “volleyball Time-Out” tournament was held at The international School in Clifton and was hosted by the founder of volleyball Time-Out, Sameer Sheikh. The tournament featured eight semi-professional teams from karachi to compete in the most competitive amateur volleyball tournament. "volleyball Time-Out was aimed at introducing and promoting amateur volleyball in karachi by holding tournaments around the year and attracting more and more teams to participate every time,” Sameer said. “volleyball has never been promoted in Pakistan on an amateur

KARACHi: The participants of the volley Ball Time-Out pose for a group photograph. pR level due to lack of exposure and lack of facilities, but now with the entire “volleyball Time-Out” crew, friends and sponsors held a successful event that has given us enough confidence to start planning for a bigger and a better event in the near future,” he

added. The tournament ended with an explosive final between The khokhar vC and Shams vC, which The khokar vC won with a set score of 2-1. Cash Prizes and medals were presented to the finalists while The khokar vC took the champions cup.

Barca take El Clasico honours, United bounce back PARIS

although Real have a game in hand.

FRANCE

AFP

France international striker kevin Gameiro scored his first goal for two months as Paris Saint Germain squeezed out a 1-0 win at Sochaux to stay in second place on 36 points but only behind pacesetters Montpellier, who lost 1-0 at valenciennes, on goal difference.

Montpellier stay top despite their first loss in the league since September 24.

Marseille, buoyed by their qualification for the Champions League last 16, were held to a 0-0 draw by Bordeaux and remained eighth. Third-placed Lille put their Champions League exit behind them with a 2-0 win over Dijon.

Barcelona upstaged Real Madrid in the first El Clasico of the season, while in England Manchester United regained winning ways after their shock midweek Champions League exit.

ENGLAND Manchester United put the pain of their Champions League exit behind them with a 4-1 win at home to Premier League strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers. victory, secured by two goals apiece from Nani and Wayne Rooney, saw the champions close to within two points of leaders Manchester City who are at Chelsea on Monday. Arsenal marked their 125th anniversary with a 1-0 win at home to Everton thanks to a goal from in-form striker Robin van Persie.

GERMANY

SPAIN

STAffORdSHiRE: Tottenham Hotspur's welsh midfielder gareth Bale (C) shoots during the English Premier league match against Stoke City. aFp

Defending champions Barcelona came back from a goal down against Real Madrid to take the El Clasico honours 3-1 at the Bernabeu. After Alexis Sanchez cancelled

out karim Benzema's shock 23-second opener, Barca took the lead when a Xavi drive took a wicked deflection off Marcelo and past iker Casillas in the Real goal. Cesc

Fabregas then scored with a diving header for the former Arsenal captain's tenth goal of the season to secure the three points which put Barcelona top on goal difference

Bayern Munich went three points clear after coming from behind as Germany star Mario Gomez struck twice in their 21 win at 10-man vfB Stuttgart. Stuttgart went ahead after Christian Gentner's sixth minute volley. Bayern drew level seven minutes later when Gomez fired home

from the tightest of angles. The hosts then had defender Cristian Molinaro sent off after 29 minutes for his second booking.

Bayern took the lead when Gomez who rifled home his 15th league goal in as many German league games to make him the Bundesliga's top scorer on 57 minutes.

Defending champions Borussia Dortmund were held to a 1-1 draw at home to kaiserslautern, which left them second, level on points with third-placed Schalke, who beat Hertha Berlin 2-1.

ITALY Udinese went top of Serie A with a 2-1 win at home to Chievo as AC Milan were held to a 2-2 draw at Bologna, but Juventus, one point adrift, can reclaim the lead on Monday when they travel to Roma. Captain Antonio Di Natale and Dusan Basta put Udinese in control before Alberto Paloschi's late consolation kept things interesting right to the end. in Bologna Marco Di vaio and Alessandro Diamanti scored for the hosts with Clarence Seedorf and Zlatan ibrahimovic, from the spot, replying for the champions.

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HOBarT: Doug Bracewell (C) is congratulated by teammates. (Inset) australia’s David warner hooks a ball. aFp

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India can beat Australia: Dhoni CHENNAI

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india can beat Michael Clarke's struggling team and win their first Test series in Australia if they play to their potential, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said Monday.

"The team is looking good and can beat Australia," Dhoni told reporters in Chennai ahead of the squad's departure for four Tests and a triangular one-day series also featuring Sri Lanka. "i will focus on our strengths and weaknesses and hope for results on the field. We are more concerned about where we need to work on and not worry about what kind of opposition we are playing."

Dhoni's comments came on the day when Clarke's Australians lost the second Test by seven runs against New Zealand in Hobart, their first loss against the kiwis at home in 26 years.

The defeat was also Australia's third in eight Tests under Clarke's captaincy. india will be playing their first away Test series since losing all four matches in England in July-August that cost Dhoni's men their number one Test ranking.

Dhoni hoped the players will remain fit for the Australia series, unlike in England when key stars like Zaheer khan, virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh were sidelined.

Zaheer and Sehwag are back for the tour, while Harbhajan was axed due to poor form.

The first batch of players -- Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, venkatsai Laxman, ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, Umesh Yadav and Wriddhiman Saha -- is already in Australia preparing for the tour.

The remaining players in the 17man squad, including Dhoni, are due to leave early Tuesday.

8:00PM

Punjab, Sindh off to winning start in National women’s Handball LAHORE STAFF REPORT

india open the three-month tour on December 15, with two practice matches in Canberra ahead of the first Test starting at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 26.

The remaining Tests will be played in Sydney, Perth and Adelaide.

The Tests will be followed by two Twenty20 internationals, before Sri Lanka join in for a one-day tri-series from February 5. india's Test squad for Australia: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), virender Sehwag (vice-capt), Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, venkatsai Laxman, virat kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Zaheer khan, ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, vinay kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun.

Coach: Duncan Fletcher.

As many as six matches were played on the opening day of the 10th National Women’s Handball Championship that started at WAPDA Sports Complex, kot Lakhpat. Teams from Punjab, Sindh, kPk, Army, WAPDA, HEC and Police are participating in this Championship.

President Pakistan Olympic Association Lt. Gen (Retd) Syed Arif Hassan Hi (M) inaugurated the Championship and sports dignitaries present on this occasion included President Pakistan Handball Federation Syed Muhammad Abid Qadri; Secretary General POA Abdul khaliq khan; President Pakistan Ju-Jitsu Federation khalil Ahmad khan, President Pakistan karate Federation Muhammad Jahangir, Director General (Sports) WAPDA Muhammad khalid Mahmood, Secretary Pakistan Handball Federation Haji Muhammad Shafiq, Secretary Pakistan Wrestling Federation Ch. Muhammad Asghar and Secretary Pakistan Wushu Federation Malik iftikhar Ahmad.

On the opening day wins came for HEC, Police, Punjab, Army and WAPDA.

Sakuf, JS Bank win polo matches LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Army, Afghan Club victorious LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Afghan Club and Army were through to and easy wins in their 8th Pakistan Premier Football League match on Monday.

Afghan FC defeated Baloch FC 3-0 at the Noushki Football Stadium, Noushki.

The winning team goal scorers were forward Jadeed khan Phatan who got three goals in the 30th, 48th 75th minutes.

PAF beat kPT 4-2 at the Jinnah Football Stadium, islamabad, with goals coming from Muhammad Sher and Muhammad Junaid. kPT got their goals from Zafar Majeed and Shahid Saleem in the 21st and 60th minute.

PCB chief felicitates team LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Zaka Ashraf has congratulated the Pakistan cricket team and the team management for a comprehensive win against Bangladesh.

Before leaving for Singapore, where the PCB chairman will brief the BCB about the security plan for the proposed Bangladesh series, the chairman said that a win would go a long way in enhancing the team’s success and make them a strong side, everyone would be proud of. it’s a great achievement after the team’s win against Sri Lanka and the ODi series against Bangladesh,” he maintained. He also praised Younus khan for his double century and also for achieving 600 runs mark in test cricket.

The PCB chairman was off to Singapore to take part in an Asian Cricket Council meeting, hoping to get some confirmation from the BCCi on resumption of bilateral series between the two countries.

lAHORE: Punjab and Army players vie for the ball in the National women’s Hockey Championship. naDEEm iJaZ

Sakuf and JS Bank won their opening day matches of the MMA Polo Cup that rolled into action here at the Lahore Polo Club ground on Monday.

Sakuf defeated Lahore Chatkhara 7-5 while JS Bank got half a goal win over Olympia. Muhammad Usman Malik, Agha Murtaza Ali khan, Mian Hussain iftikhar and Shaukat Ali Malik with their combined efforts brought wins for Sakuf while Lahore Chatkhara despite having Shah Shamyl Alam in their ranks lost the match.

JS Bank beat Olympia 5-4 ½. All the four riders of the winning team Shiraz Qureshi, Omar Asjad Malhi, Malik Azam Hayat Noon and kashif Jamal contributed to the win while the losing team reduced the margin through Raja Temur Nadeem, Abdul Rehman Monnoo and Bilal Hayat Noon. Umpires for the matches were Usman Haye, Saqib khan khakwani, Hassan Ali Farrukh and Ahmed Ali Tiwana.

national Women’s hocKey

Railways, Army register thumping wins LAHORE STAFF REPORT

As many as five matches were played in the 27th National Women’s Hockey Championship here at the National Hockey Stadium.

Railways, Sindh Whites, WAPDA, Army and HEC registered wins on day three of the championship during which Mrs Uzma Bukhari (MPA) was the chief guest and met the WAPDA and Punjab Colour teams while President Punjab Women’s Wing (PPP) Begum Neelam Hussain was the chief guest of the last match between HEC and kPk. in the first match, Railways

beat Balochistan 15-0 after leaing the match 8-0 at breather.

Railways’ Hina kanwal banged nine goals, Maria Sabir got four while Aqsa Mumtaz and Asma Ashraf shared one goal each. in the second match, Sindh Whites beat Singh Colours after a tough fight 2-1. Whites took lead in the first half but their second goals came in the second session with the losing team also reducing the margin by scoring one goal.

Zaib-un-Nisa and Madiha shared one goal each for the Whites and Sidra Ashi responded from the Colours. in the third match, WAPDA beat Punjab Colours 5-0. WAPDA got four goals in the first half and

contrary to the thoughts could score one goal in the second half.

Uzma Lal hit the board twice while Ayesha Bashir, Azra Nasir and Neelma Hussain managed one goal each. in the fourth match of the day, Army overpowered Punjab Whites 12-0 with half of the goals coming in the first session.

Sahil Malik struck four time, Shamshad thrice, Tasneem got two while Shakeela, Ayesha and Rashida shared one goal each. in the fifth match HEC beat kPk 5-0. HEC led the first half by two goals and the scorers were Sehrish Ghuman (2 goals), Ambreen, Mahreena Riaz and Rashida one goal each.

lAHORE: An injured Punjab player is being helped by her teammates in the Punjab-Army match. StaFF photo

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abbottabad Commission summons Wajid Shamsul hassan ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The enquiry commission on the Abbottabad operation summoned on Monday Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the Uk Wajid Shamsul Hassan to appear before the commission in the last week of December.

However, there are remote chances of Wajid’s arrival as he also avoided attending the signifi-

cant envoys’ conference being held here in the federal capital to review the country’s foreign policy in the wake of tensions between Pakistan and the US after the NATO attack in Mohmand Agency.

The absence of the high commissioner also raised many eyebrows in the country’s diplomatic and security circles. Reportedly, Shamsul Hassan had conveyed to the Presidency news about the quiet visit to the Uk of inter-Ser-

imran rakes in pmL-Q heavyweights ISLAMABAD MIAN ABRAR

vices intelligence (iSi) Director General Lt General Ahmad Shuja Pasha and his meeting with Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor ijaz. He had also informed the president that the iSi chief had not met him despite being in London. The decision was taken during a meeting of the commission held here at the Cabinet Division. The meeting was headed

by Commission Chairman Justice (r) Javed iqbal and was attended

by Ashraf Jehangir Qazi and Lt General (r) Nadeem Ahmed, both members of the commission.

Another issue facing the high commissioner is that of al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden’s killing, as reportedly he had said in an interview that authorities in islamabad knew about bin Laden’s presence in Abbottabad and the killing was a joint operation. “We are silent players behind the scene, we have done

everything possible to combat terrorism, and it is because of our consistent and persistent campaigning against terrorists that you have got to the point where you can kill Osama bin Laden,” Shamsul Hassan had said. The commission also held a detailed and interactive session with eminent legal experts including Senator Wasim Sajjad, Justice (r) Nasira iqbal and Senator SM Zafar.

US troops to leave Iraq with ‘heads held high’: Obama iraqi PM tells US president not to meddle in Syrian affairs g

in a major setback to the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), sitting Minister of State Raza Hayat Hiraj is all set to join imran khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaaf (PTi) today (Tuesday) with some heavyweights of the former Millat Party of Sardar Farooq Leghari including Sardar Awais khan Leghari, Jamal khan Leghari, Jaffer khan Leghari and former MNA Mian Afzal Hayat would join the PTi in the next few days, Pakistan Today learnt on Monday.

A well-placed source said khan had finally made up his mind to sweep the remnants of the PML-Q and former colleagues of Gen Pervez Musharraf and a schedule for all those sitting and former MPs had been finalised. “Under the plan, Marvi Memon had to announce joining the PTi and had been promised the secretary information’s slot.

However, she sought some time after coming to know that the same slot was to be offered to Dr Maleeha Lodhi, who is also set to join the PTi in a few days,” the source said, adding that now Marvi might join the PTi at the karachi rally.

The source said MNA khawaja khan Hoti would announce joining the PTi on Friday, while PML-Q chief of khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter Ameer Muqam was also in talks for joining the PTi. “The political chessboard is almost ready and in the next few weeks, some other heavyweight politicians would also join imran khan and later politicians from Sindh would join the PTi from January,” added the source.

WASHINGTON

U

AFP

S troops will leave iraq this month with “honor and their heads held high”, US President Barack Obama said on Monday as he told iraqi leaders that they had an enduring partner in the United States.

But after White House talks with iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, Obama also warned that other nations “must not interfere in iraq” amid fears the US withdrawal will leave a vacuum which iraq’s neighbors such as iran could seek to exploit. “After nearly nine years, our war in iraq ends this month,” Obama said after meeting with Maliki at the White House. “in coming days, the last American soldiers will cross the border out of iraq with honor, and with their heads held high,” he added, although he said “history will judge” the decision by his predecessor president George W Bush to invade iraq in 2003. Obama added “it was time to begin a new chapter in the history between our countries. A normal relationship between sovereign nations. An equal partnership based on mutual interests and mutual respect”.

On the other hand, iraqi Prime

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pakistani family guilty of Belgian honour killing BRUSSELS AFP

A Belgian court on Monday sentenced four members of a Pakistani family to prison for the “honour killing” of their law student daughter and sister, Belgian media reported. After pronouncing the family members guilty for the shooting death of Sadia Sheikh in October 2007, the jury sentenced father Tarik Mahmood Sheikh to 25 years behind bars, mother Zahida Parveen Sariya to 20 years, brother Mudusar to 15 and sister Sariya to five years. Lawyers for the family said brother Mudusar, who confessed to pulling the trigger on the three bullets that killed his sister, was handed a lesser jail term than his parents as they were considered to have ordered the girl’s death. Prosecutors had asked for a life sentence for all three, and between 20 and 30 years behind bars for Sariya. Sadia Sheikh, who defied the family by living with a Belgian and refusing an arranged marriage, was shot dead when aged 20 on October 22, 2007. Mudusar admitted before the jury of five women and seven men to killing his sister while saying the rest of the family were not to blame. Her parents and sister stood accused of aiding and abetting the killing which took place when the student visited her family in the hopes of patching up their quarrel. Questioned during Belgium’s first “honour killing” trial in southwestern Mons, Mudusar said the killing was premeditated “for a long time.”

over 40 ‘chained taliban’ rescued in Karachi MONITORING DESK WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama pats Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on the back after a joint press conference in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on Monday. aFp Minister Nuri al-Maliki publicly differed with President Barack Obama’s call for Syria’s Bashar al-Assad to step down Monday, saying he had no right to call for another leader’s ouster.

Obama attributed the differences on Syria to “tactical disagreements” with Maliki and said he understood that the iraqi leader’s position on the Syrian president was motivated out of a sincere concern for iraqi interests. “i know

that people must get their freedom and their will and democracy and equal citizenship. We are with these rights ... because we have achieved that ourselves,” Maliki said at a joint press conference with Obama.“But i do not have the right to ask a president to abdicate.

We cannot give ourselves this right,” said Maliki, adding that he hoped Syrians would achieve their aspirations without affecting iraqi security.

Police raided a madrassa in the Afghanistan Basti area of Sohrab Goth, karachi on Monday and recovered some 40 to 45 students imprisoned in the basement, Geo News reported. Gudap Superintendent of Police (SP) Rao Nawaz said most of the imprisoned students, who were bound by chains, hailed from khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The students told the private Tv channel that they were tortured during the imprisonment.

The madrassas in question is part of a mosque complex in the Sohrab Goth area.

Nawaz said the students had been brought to karachi from the suburbs of Peshawar.

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