e-paper pakistantoday 19th march, 2012

KHI 19-03-2012_Layout 1 3/19/2012 2:35 AM Page 1

Joachim Gauck elected new German president

Karachi’s future doctors at high risk of eating disorders

PAGE | 17

Pakistan bowlers cave in to Virat Kohli

PAGE | 9

PAGE |19

Rs15.00 Vol ii no 261 22 pages Karachi edition

Monday, 19 March, 2012 Rabi-ul-Sani 25, 1433

Pakistan didn’t seek US apology on Salala attacks: PM g

Gilani says ISI should not be controversial LAHORE

P

Agencies

Rime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Sunday said Pakistan was not looking for an apology from the US on the Salala checkpost incident but was seeking new directions in relations with Washington on key issues.

Talking to reporters on Sunday, Gilani said, “We want the full support of parliament on this issue which will also deal with Pakistan’s ties with NATO and iSAF as these two organisations combine a total of 48 countries,” he said. He said Pakistan was a mature and responsible nuclear power that wanted good and friendly ties with the rest of the world. On the grant of the most-favoured-nation status to india, Gilani said Pakistan had shown no discrimination and there were a number of countries to whom “this country has extended a similar status”.

The prime minister said the interServices intelligence (iSi) was one of the country’s most important institutions and it should not be controversial.

He said parliament had granted immunity to President Asif Ali Zardari and he could not do away with it him-

self. Gilani said the Supreme Court should refer the president’s immunity issue to parliament for reconsideration.

He said he was ready to quit if things could become better with his resignation from office. Asked whether he was contemplating resigning from the office in case he was held in contempt by the Supreme Court for his failure to write a letter to the Swiss authorities, the prime minister responded by saying the matter would not still go away as the new person would have to deal with

Cabinet reshuffle

Kaira, Gondal likely to be inducted Ahmed Mukhtar likely to be given portfolio of Interior Ministry, Rehman Malik to take charge of Defence Ministry g

ISLAMABAD stAff RepoRt

the issue as well. The prime minister said the Pakistan muslim LeagueNawaz (PmL-N) did not want the formation of a new province. He said the foreign policy including the PakistanUS relations would be discussed in the joint session of parliament.

On Balochistan, he said the main issue facing the mineral-rich south western province was law and order. He said he would hold a discussion with the Balochistan leadership on the progress of Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan package and how far the various resolutions passed by the provincial assembly had been implemented.

Gilani stressed on bringing law and order under control and taking the political leadership of the province on board before dealing with various major issues in a comprehensive manner. Gilani noted that the 19th Amendment was passed by parliament to facilitate the appointment of judges of the superior judiciary and in accordance with the views of the Supreme Court.

The prime minister also spoke on the success of politics of consensus pursued by his government and said this was a good example of the political maturity of the PPP leadership.

Continued on page 04

As Prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani is set to reshuffle his cabinet, some important PPP stalwarts including Qamar Zaman Kaira and Nazar Gondal are likely to be inducted while some PmL-Q ministers including Riaz Hussain Pirzada and Amir muqam are going to be deprived of their portfolios. “in the cabinet reshuffle which is likely to be made in a day or two, PPP information Secretary Kaira is going to replace information minister Firdous Ashiq Awan while Gondal will be given the portfolio of the ministry of Water and Power,” said a reliable source in the government. He said there were chances that Raja Pervaiz Ashraf would also be inducted in

the federal cabinet.

The source said in the forthcoming cabinet reshuffle, Defence minister Ahmed mukhtar would be likely given the portfolio of the interior ministry while interior minister Rehman malik would take charge of the Defence ministry. “Despite repeated requests being made by the prime minister, former Senate chairman Farooq Naik and Senator Raza Rabbani have declined his offers of becoming members of his cabinet,” the source said.

The source said Gilani had decided to sack three PmL-Q ministers, including muqam, minister for Professional and Technical Training Riaz Hussain Pirzada and minister of State for Housing and Works Raza Hayat Hiraj.

Continued on page 04

Dozens of bullet-ridden bodies found BARA Agencies

Villagers found 14 bullet-ridden bodies scattered around the Bara area of Khyber Agency on Sunday, as security forces step up military offensives against militants. Sunday’s discovery was made two days after 12 more bodies, also bearing signs of torture and numerous bullet-wounds, were discovered in the same area. “They were taken into custody by the paramilitary Frontier Corps a few days back from Sepah area after unidentified people attacked the FC post and killed four soldiers,” a tribesman told Reuters, requesting anonymity because he feared for his safety.

Another witness, Torab Ali, said all the bodies had had acid thrown on their faces, making identification difficult. “We don’t have any medical expertise but we think they were killed two or three days ago,” he added. No one has acknowledged any connection with the deaths.

Continued on page 04

KHI 19-03-2012_Layout 1 3/19/2012 2:35 AM Page 2

02 News

Monday, 19 March, 2012

LAHoReB

Today’s

NeWS

cARtooN

for us to watch the match, many had to sleep hungry sA pakistanis enormously contributing to country’s economy

Quick Look

Story on Page 06

Story on Page 07

President approves remission in prisoners’ sentences ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari, on advice of the Prime minister, approved granting of special remission in sentences on occasion of the Pakistan Day on 23rd march 2012, an official statement said on Sunday. Special remission of 90 days had been granted to the prisoners convicted for life imprisonment except those convicted for heinous crimes including murder, espionage and anti-state activities. Special remission of 45 days was granted to all other convicts except the condemned prisoners. Total remission was granted to the female prisoners who were 60 years of age or above and to male prisoners of 65 or above who had undergone at least one third of sentence of imprisonment. Special remission of one year had been allowed to female prisoners carrying children with them. Total remission had also been allowed to juvenile convicts (under 18 years of age) who had served 1/3rd of their substantive sentence, the statement said. onLine

Zardari approves conferment of Sitara-e-Imtaiz upon Qavi Khan ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari approved conferment of Sitarae-imtaiz upon renowned actor muhammad Qavi Khan, on Sunday, in recognition of his services in the field of performing arts. mohammad Qavi Khan is among the few artists who have earned great fame in all the fields of performing arts. Starting his career in 1952 from Radio Pakistan, he was the first hero of TV drama when Pakistan Television was started in 1964. He has also earned the Life-Time Achievement Award. nni

Shahbaz asks PM to write letter to Swiss govt PESHAWAR: Punjab Cm Shahbaz Sharif on Sunday said that after passing the loyalty test of his party, Prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani should now show his loyalty to the nation and write the letter to the Swiss govt on directives of the Supreme Court. Talking to journalists, Shahbaz said that the prime minister was pushing the country towards lawlessness and destroying the state while working with looters. He said that a bargain market for mPAs was set in Punjab after imposing governor’s rule and a few iB officers had also benefited from it. nni

Zardari, Gilani have failed, says Nawaz LONDON inp

Pakistan muslim League-Nawaz President Nawaz Sharif has said President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani have failed to put the country on the path to development. Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Nawaz demanded that elections be held immediately to get the country out of crises. He said democracy was the solution to the country’s problems and his party would not allow any deviation from it.

He said the agencies had tried to misguide the PmL-N with promises and commitments but “we never compromised on our principles”.

He said he and Punjab Chief minister Shahbaz Sharif had been disqualified but they did not surrender to the pressure. Nawaz said “we are being dubbed as anti-establishment now because we do not follow their line”. He said his party and partners would not be trapped by any greed or seduction. The PmL-N president said his party joined the government with sincerity of purpose but Zardari did not fulfill his promises and his party was left with no option but to leave. He said the PmL-N committed mistakes in the past but had learnt its lessons.

US asking Pakistan to help resume stalled talks with Taliban ISLAMABAD

5 Pakistanis convicted for money laundering in Holland AMSTERDAM: A district court in Dutch capital, Amsterdam, convicted five citizens of Pakistani origin in a money laundering case.

As per details, the five convicts were facing charges for laundering 15 million euros in the Netherlands. The convicts were awarded jail terms ranging form seven days to two and a half years. inp

Wynne leaves for Sri Lanka ISLAMABAD: Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman General Khalid Shamim Wynne on Sunday left for a four-day official visit to Sri Lanka. “During the visit, the chairman will meet Sri Lankan President mahinda Rajapaksa, secretary defence and the senior military hierarchy of Sri Lankan Tri-Services,” an iSPR statement said. “The visit of the chairman will further strengthen the already existing bonds of friendship and brotherhood between the two countries. Senior military officers of Joint Staff Headquarters were present at the airport to see off the chairman,” the statement said. stAff RepoRt

Page 13

A

shAiq hussAin

S the United States and Pakistan inch closer to the resumption of full-fledged counter-terrorism cooperation in the aftermath of a joint session of the parliament being held on Tuesday (tomorrow) to review relations with the US, the Obama administration is urging islamabad to use its “good offices” for the revival of stalled peace dialogue with the Taliban in Qatar.

The talks between the US and Taliban, which were preliminary in nature and focused on exchange of prisoners, broke down in Qatar few days ago when the Obama administration refused to accept the Taliban’s demand for the release of their five important leaders detained at Guantanamo Bay prison.

The Taliban’s decision to suspend talks with the US has badly impacted the Obama administration’s plans for a safe exit from Afghanistan. With no chances of a military win over the Taliban insurgents, Washington is totally relying on a political settlement of the

Afghanistan issue, and peace talks with the Taliban are the most important component of its strategy.

The demand for the release of five detainees in return for the freedom for a US soldier held by the Taliban was also a key condition by the mullah Omar-led militants to hold talks on more contentious issues like the future government in Kabul and the share of Taliban.

The US, which is already being helped and assisted by Germany and Qatar in the resumption of talks with the Taliban, has now started urging islamabad as well to help Washington to restore stalled talks with the militants.

“The US has requested Pakistan through diplomatic channels to help it in reviving broken talks with the Taliban, and islamabad is currently looking into that request,” said a Pakistani diplomat on Sunday, seeking anonymity.

He, however, said that any development on Pakistan’s possible role in the resumption of US-Taliban talks was possible only after the important joint session of the parliament on Tuesday. Pakistan is holding this joint session to approve the recommendations formulated by the Parliamentary Committee on National Se-

curity (PCNS) on new terms of engagement with the US vis-à-vis counter-terrorism cooperation. The session will hold debate on NATO supplies suspended last year in November by islamabad in a strong reaction to NATO attack on Pakistani border posts, drone strikes and other conflicting matters.

A Pakistani security official, who also sought anonymity, said that full-fledged counter-terrorism cooperation with the US including the restoration of blocked NATO supplies was most likely after the parliament’s joint session.

However, he said that any decision whether Pakistan would use its “good offices” for the resumption of stalled Washington-Taliban talks depended on the outcome of upcoming talks between the senior US military and civilian officials and Pakistani authorities here in the wake of joint parliamentary session.

He said that US CeNTCOm chief General James mattis and American Special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan marc Grossman would visit islamabad for talks on future cooperation with Pakistan soon after the joint session of the parliament.

KHI 19-03-2012_Layout 1 3/19/2012 2:35 AM Page 3

Monday, 19 March, 2012

foReIGN NeWS

ARtS & eNteRtAINMeNt

SPoRtS

Libya, france, icc want to try gaddafi spy chief

Aamir Khan wants to work with Vidya Balan

Afridi completes 7000 runs in oDis

News 03 coMMeNt Looking at relations: Some perspective is in order.

herding cats: Not easy, coalition politics.

Waqqas Mir says: All hail Sachin: His batting is a taste of heaven.

Arif Ansar says: To fight or to talk: Decisions, decisions in Afghanistan.

umair Javed says: The academic epidemic: Cheating rampant in Pakistani academia.

Story on Page 15

Story on Page 17

isLAMABAD: cattle graze around a pakistani flag made using stones found on the dry riverbed of soan River. onLIne

Story on Page 18

Articles on Page 12-13

Parliament set to reappraise Pakistan-US ties ISLAMABAD onLine

On march 20, the parliament is scheduled to begin a debate on the long-awaited review of future relationship with the United States.

The National Assembly and Senate will meet jointly for three days and will also discuss terms of engagement with the US and its NATO allies in Afghanistan.

Air raid on two border posts by the American fighter jets and helicopters in mohmand tribal region in November and killing of 24 soldiers promoted the parliamentary review.

Pakistani civilian and military leadership was quick to halt supplies for NATO forces in Afghanistan via

country’s land route and vacated a key air base from the US army in Balochistan.

The government had been under mounting pressure to reevaluate relationship with the US after the air strike as the Americans had refused to apologize for the action and even equated Pakistani forces for the strike on the Pakistani posts.

The Parliamentary Committee on National Security had been tasked to float recommendations to reassess ties with the US/NATO and intelligence Service of the Armed Forces. The committee had already submitted its recommendations for the parliament debate. The parliament will also debate and decide the restoration of supplies for NATO

troops, which has been suspended for four months. The country’s top civilian and military leadership as well as key allies met at a rare meeting last week to discuss the upcoming parliamentary review of future relationship with the US. President Asif Ali Zardari had presided over the meeting in islamabad and discussed strategy for the parliament meeting. The meeting was attended by Prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Air Chief marshal Qamar Suleman and former intelligence chief, Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha.

Pakistan has already allowed NATO supply through its airspace,

Two killed in firing incidents in Balochistan QuEttA

Militants on school bombing spree PESHAWAR: After intensifying attacks against civilians and security personnel, militants have also increased destroying schools in far-flung areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. in the last five days, at least seven schools were destroyed by militants in various parts of the province while destruction of schools in the Tribal Areas had become the order of the day. Schools located in Taliban controlled areas throughout Waziristan, Orakzai, Khyber and other tribal zones were converted into compounds and torture cells. in Lakki marwat, the Taliban destroyed another government boys school, increasing the number of school destroyed to three during five days. The school was destroyed with 20 kilogrammes explosive. earlier, militants had also blown up Government Primary School, Dhoda Village and Government middle School, Zarih Jano area. militants also blew up Government middle School Samnat Village in Shabqadar, Charssada. Shabqadar had been directly targeted by militants for the last several years. militants also blew up Government Primary School in WAPDA Colony, Taru Jabba, Nowshehra on march 14, Government High School in Kaddi Swabi on march 16 and Government Primary School in Kotani marchan village Kohat on march 16. Frequent destruction of government schools had created unrest amongst students and teachers. The provincial education department had confirmed a sharp decline in attendance of both students and teachers throughout the province. stAff RepoRt

shAhzADA zuLfiqAR

Two people were killed and another injured in separate incidents of firing in different towns of Balochistan on Sunday while a truck driver was kidnapped in Gandawa of Jhal magsi.

According to details, unidentified armed men fired at Sardar munir mengal Road near Sariab killing Bismillah Khilji on the spot. The motive behind the killing was yet to be ascertained. The victim was a member of the local bus association. A large number of relatives of the deceased reached hospital and staged a protest demanding immediate arrest of culprits. The protesters also burnt old tyres at manan Chowk and caused a massive traffic jam. in another incident, a man was killed by bandits in Usta muhammad area of Jaffarabad. Khalid was passing from Hajwani graveyard when was intercepted by armed men who tried to snatch his motorcycle. On resisting, the bandits killed Khalid and fled

with the motorcycle. Police said that it was a case of motorcycle snatching and a case was registered against unidentified people. in another firing incident, Syed Abdullah was injured when unidentified men fired at him in Washuk. The injured was rushed to nearby hospital and later to Quetta.

Unidentified men kidnapped truck driver muhammad Anwar from Gandawa area of Jhal magsi. Levies Force sources said that it could be a case of kidnapping for ransom and search had been started in the area to trace the kidnappers.

Separately, unidentified armed men killed a man along with his son while a decomposed dead body was found from Nasirabad. According to police, Yaqoob Shah and his son Naveed were sitting in a shop in Killi Shabo area of Quetta when armed men fired at them killing them on the spot. Police said that the incident could have been a sectarian killing. Levies Force recovered an unidentified decomposed body from Pat Feeder area of Nasirabad and moved it to nearby hospital for autopsy.

which also indicates a positive signal for restoration of land NATO supply route. Defense minister Chaudhry Ahmad mukhtar had hinted restoration of NATO land supply route with certain conditions, including levying of tax on NATO trucks and oil tankers. in return the US will also allow resumption of the equipment delivery to Pakistan which had been blocked after islamabad closed the NATO supply line in November, the sources said. US Central Command Chief General James mathis, who is likely to visit later this month, told reporters in Washington that he would discuss the plan of using the Pakistan land routes for the American troops at the time of withdrawal from Afghanistan.

ANP, MQM-H join hands to make Karachi arms-free ISLAMABAD inp

The ANP and mQm-H on Sunday announced to rid Karachi of the menace of weapons by taking all political and religious parties on board. The decision was taken during a meeting of mQm-H Chairman Afaq Ahmed, ANP information Secretary Senator Zahid Khan and ANP Sindh President Senator Shahi Syed at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House. The law and order in Karachi and activities of a party, which had taken the city hostage, were discussed. it was decided that confidence of investors could only be restored if Karachi was made free from all kinds of weapons. Shahi dispelled reports of any rift among Urdu speakers and Pakhtuns and said that they were fighting against a particular mafia group and denounced those creating linguistic divide. The mQm was heading the same mafia, which had also threatened journalists for bringing forth facts of the situation, he said. The ANP leader demanded military cooperation for preparation of census and electoral lists.

Yasin Malik seeks deposition before Memo Commission ISLAMABAD nni

irked by the controversial claims by Pakistani-American businessman mansoor ijaz, JKLF Chairman Yasin malik has asked the chief justice of Pakistan for permission to depose before the commission probing “memogate”.

A letter was sent to Chief Justice iftikhar muhammad Chaudhry through Advocate Zafar Shah, and if approved malik would be coming to Pakistan to depose voluntarily before the commission.

“A request was filed that he would also like to depose before the commission (looking into the memo controversy),” malik’s counsel Shah told Kashmir Times.

Yasin’s wife, mushaal malik also approached the memo commission through an application to become a party in the case.

She stated that an allegation levelled by ijaz that he had arranged a meeting between her husband and CD Sahay, a former indian intelligence (RAW) chief, had damaged his reputation. ijaz, the key figure in the controversy, recently, claimed to have introduced Yasin to then deputy chief of india’s intelligence agency, RAW. Yasin has refuted the allegations.

And in response to a story carried by Tehelka—a magazine—he even offered to retire from public life if the allegations were proven.

“Therefore, i challenge, if anybody

proves, i have ever met any RAW chief, i would retire from public life,” he had written to Tehelka. The response was published by the magazine.

The letter terms ijaz’s accusation a “cleverly calculated mischief” attempted at showing malik in “poor light”. “…having come to know about the said statement, my client was pained.

He feels cleverly calculated mischief in the statement of ijaz mansoor,” reads the letter, a copy of which is with this newspaper. “…i have been briefed to state,” the letter states further, “that my clients holds relevant information and wishes to depose before the commission in order to assist the commission in arriving at the truth. Apart from the facts, to

be revealed during the course of deposition before the commission my client considers it appropriate to state that previously also an attempt was made by the said person to show my client in poor light.” The counsel said the chief justice and the commission would look into the request.

“We will get to know about their response on monday. if they approve the request malik will have to go to Pakistan to depose before the commission,” he said. earlier, the memo commission was approached by the wife of Kashmiri leader who submitted an application to become a party in the case. in her petition, Yasin’s wife requested the commission to provide her husband an opportunity to explain his

position. She said since Yasin was at present in Srinagar, he could appear before the commission next month.

At this point, ijaz’s counsel, contrary to the stance taken by him earlier in the day, suggested to the commission to delete the portion of the testimony related to Yasin from the record.

He said acceptance of the application would open a new Pandora’s Box because the commission would have to summon the former indian intelligence chief and a reporter of a foreign newspaper as well.

Advocate Bokhari requested the commission to accept the plea. “Since malik claims having some evidence against ijaz, he will be useful for the inquiry.” The commission deferred the matter until Sunday.

KHI 19-03-2012_Layout 1 3/19/2012 2:35 AM Page 4

04 News

Monday, 19 March, 2012

Republicans heap blame on Obama for Afghan crisis WASHINGtON

A

Afp

crisis in Washington’s relations with Afghan President Hamid Karzai sparked attacks Sunday on President Barack Obama, as Republican presidential candidates heaped blame on him for the troubles in the US exit strategy.

Former massachusetts governor mitt Romney and ex-senator Rick Santorum assailed the president on separate television talks shows as creating an untenable situation by setting a hard-and-fast 2014 timetable for a US withdrawal. “if the game plan is we’re leaving irrespective of whether we’re going to succeed or not, then why are we still there?” asked Santorum on ABC’s “This Week.” “Let’s either commit to winning, or let’s get out.”

The attacks from the right came as the administration was struggling to contain the fallout from a massacre of 16 villagers, many of them women and children, by a US soldier who allegedly went on a rampage march 11 in southern Afghanistan.

The White House said Obama and the Afghan leader reaffirmed their commitment to the 2014 withdrawal plan

in a phone call Friday. But Karzai’s warning that he was “at the end of the rope” and public demands for an earlier pullback of US troops to their bases underscored the yawning divide between the allies at a time of sharply declining public support for the 10year-old war in the United States.

Afghanistan’s ambassador to the United States, eklil Hakimi, said Karzai was reflecting what Afghans are saying in the wake of a tragic event, but still attaches great importance to the relationship with the United States.

But while the United States and Afghanistan are working on defining a new strategic relationship, Hakimi acknowledged, “it is a bumpy road.”

Republicans seized on the issue to accuse Obama of failing to heed his commanders demands for more troops, for withdrawing a surge force too soon and failing to demonstrate US commitment to a successful outcome. “i think it is plain to see that the conditions there are not going very well,” said Romney on Fox News Sunday. “And i lay part of the blame for that on the lack of leadership on the part of our president, both in terms of his interactions with Karzai and with leaders there as well as his relative detach-

ment from our military commanders there.”

“This does have the indications of a similarly failed withdrawal or a failed completion effort on the part of this president, just like we saw in iraq. He likewise failed in the way we left iraq,” he said.

But neither he nor Santorum, who are vying to run against Obama in November, were clear about what they would do if they were in the pARis: supporters of front de gauche candidate for the 2012 french presidential election Jean-Luc Melenchon carry a mask depicting president’s place. french president nicolas sarkozy in a gathering at the Bastille square on sunday. Melenchon, who has shaken up france’s election Santorum said he agreed campaign with a surprise jump in the polls, represents a coalition of leftist parties including the communists. afp in some respects with former House speaker Newt Gingrich, a rival for the Republican nomination who said last week it was likely the US mission in Afghanistan was “not doable.”

Romney said the current against pursuing the charges death penalty, Rahman said.

DHAKA timetable should remain in efAfp Defence lawyer mohamfiled in connection with one of LONDON: Stockpiles of fect “unless of course there the country’s worst incidents of mad Sanaullah told AFP he military equipment are changes in conditions that A Bangladesh court charged political violence in decades. would challenge the charges intended for use against suggest a faster withdrawal.” the eldest son of a former preTareque Rahman, the son against Tareque Rahman in a the Taliban are being sold Advocates of an extended mier, on Sunday, over a 2004 and heir-apparent of two-times higher court. Hasina was adin the Pakistani black US presence in Afghanistan, grenade attack that killed at ex-premier Khaleda Zia, would dressing a rally in the market, according to a meanwhile, argued that the least 20 people and injured the be tried in absentia, state pros- Bangladesh capital, Dhaka, on report by the Sunday decline in US public support current Pm, Sheikh Hasina. ecutor Syed Rezaur Rahman August 21, 2004, when the express. Stolen military for the war reflected a loss of The tribunal threw out an said, adding the court would grenades exploded, leaving at knives, Kevlar bulletconfidence in the US strategy. appeal by Tareque Rahman, start the trial on march 28. least 20 people dead including proof vests, tool kits, “Do we know what we 46, who now lives in Britain, the wife of the current president.

The charges carried the flares, first aid sets and are doing when these incieven official stationery dents happen and President are on sale in Pakistan.

Karzai makes the statements At Karkhano in Peshawar, that he has done?” asked merchants display masses Zalmay Khalilzad, a former of camouflage clothing US ambassador to Kabul The source said the seats Continued fRoM page 1 and military-grade insect under president George W. repellents at knock-down “The prime minister has being vacated by the PmL-Q Bush, on CNN. prices. inp taken this decision after con- members would be filled by KABuL sulting the Chaudhrys,” the the same party’s parliameninp tarians and most likely PmLsource said. muqam is federal minister without any Q mNA from Sahiwal, Afghan President Hamid portfolio and had resigned Nauman Langrial would be Karzai became father of a girl from his position days after inducted in the federal cabi- on Sunday. indian Prime taking oath as federal minis- net. minister Dr manmohan Singh “Newly-elected mQm He said no one had been 30 to 35 people had been ter in may last year as he was sent a congratulatory message Senator, mustafa Kamal is killed in custody and “any killed since the operation unhappy with the portfolio to Karzai on the birth of his also being inducted in the such report is baseless and began. it was not known if of the ministry of Production daughter. manmohan called federal cabinet.

The recent that number included but his resignation has so far devoid of facts”. up Karzai to convey his good episode of protest demonFighting in Bara has in- those found dead in the not been accepted by the wishes for the health and stration by the muttahida in creased markedly in the last few days. “We are in- Prime minister. future well being of the Hiraj had also resigned the National and Sindh as- mother and the child, the Pm past week, with security vestigating the incident,” semblies against PPP govforces conducting a search said Khyber Agency Assis- after developing differences Office said in a statement. ernment over extortion issue with minister for Housing Political Agent and cordon operation. A tant Karzai, 55, is married to Dr was meant to secure ministecurfew was imposed, but Bakhtiar mohmand. “A few and Works Faisal Saleh Zinat Karzai since 1998 and rial berth for Senator security forces’ checkposts people had gone missing Hayat many months ago but this is their first child. mustafa Kamal by exerting and convoys were still the first few days of the op- his resignation too has so far pressure on the PPP,” the being attacked by mili- eration, we cannot confirm not been accepted by the source added. prime minister. tants. Local witnesses said their identities yet.”

Stolen NAto military ex-Bangladesh pM son faces equipment being trial for deadly attack sold in Pakistan

Kaira, Gondal

It’s a baby girl for Karzai

Dozens of bullet-ridden bodies found Continued fRoM page 1 An FC official said he knew nothing about the bodies and that the men were never in the custody of the FC. “it is possible they have been killed earlier during the military operation and their bodies recovered now,” the official said, who asked for anonymity. “The FC has been conducting

military operations against the terrorists in Bara and other areas of Khyber tribal region.”

Another security official who requested anonymity said the operations – conducted since monday against the banned militant organisation Lashkar-e-islam (Lei) – had killed 25 militants and four troops. Twelve soldiers have been injured.

Turmoil threatens obama’s afghan endgame WASHINGtON Afp

Deadly setbacks, an Afghan leader at the “end of the rope” and pressure from a public weary of sacrifice are threatening to upend US President Barack Obama’s endgame for America’s longest war.

The central premise of US war policy – leaving behind a stable nation that Afghans can secure and thwart an al Qaeda renaissance – appears in question.

Relations with Afghan President Hamid Karzai are plumbing new lows after an American soldier launched a rampage against civilians, then was airlifted out of the country to face US military justice.

Deadly riots that followed the burning of the Holy Quran

by Americans, a spate of incidents in which Afghan soldiers turned their guns on NATO tutors and regular combat deaths have posed the question: is the

war still worth it?

US-backed reconciliation talks with the Taliban meanwhile have collapsed, dampening hopes of a political settlement to guarantee stability after NATO-led forces leave in 2014.

A furious Karzai this week called for a withdrawal of US forces from villages after the massacre of 16 civilians and demanded an accelerated transfer of security control.

His outbursts have deepened the feeling among some in Washington that Karzai, once seen as a hero, is an unreliable ally unworthy of US sacrifices.

Obama was forced to call Karzai twice in a week, as the Afghan leader admitted that he was at “the end of the rope” with US missteps. moeed Yusuf of the US institute for Peace warned that such incidents could undermine efforts to keep Obama and Karzai “on the same page”. “if this continues, i don’t

see how one can hold on to the strategy, which is in large parts dependent on having the goodwill of the average Afghan.”

US ambassador to Kabul Ryan Crocker, however, hinted that Washington believed Karzai was venting for domestic political reasons, telling “PBS Newshour” he was right to be “pretty upset” over the massacre. But the latest setbacks, as NATO plans to scale down to a support role in 2013, focused attention on the compromised nation foreign troops will leave behind.

“What we hand off, when we hand off, at best is going to be a stalemate,” said Stephen Biddle of the Council on Foreign Relations. “i don’t personally think there’s any reasonable expectation the Afghan National Security Forces are going to be able to substantially expand the zone of control that they receive from us.” Given such a pessimistic outlook, some analysts

say it may be time to limit the exposure of NATO trainers.

Charles Dunlap of Duke University Law School suggested Afghan soldiers might be given intensive training outside the country, to contain the aggravation posed by a large foreign force.

“What i am suggesting is a much smaller footprint with Afghans in the lead. We are moving that way, but i think we need to accelerate it.”

Obama said Wednesday he planned no “sudden” changes to a plan that will complete the pullout of 33,000 surge forces this summer, though a larger drawdown is almost certain next year.

But could increasing the pace of departures squander gains made in the blood of 3,000 dead coalition troops? “it gives hope to our enemies, which might be one reason why we see the Taliban announcing they are walking away from the early stages of

peace talks,” said max Boot, also of the Council on Foreign Relations.

“Why should they negotiate when they know our time, our commitment is waning and our presence is time limited?”

But to stay on longer would require leaders to explain why they are leaving young men to die in Afghanistan when progress seems so incremental.

With Osama bin Laden dead and Al-Qaeda dismantled in Afghanistan, publics in NATO nations may wonder whether two more years of sacrifice is worth it.

Obama took on that question head on as he appeared with top war ally British Prime minister David Cameron on Wednesday.

“This is a hard slog... (but) we’re now in a position where, given our starting point, we’re making progress. And i believe that we’re going to be able to achieve our objectives in 2014.”

Obama faces a political

dilemma: he wants to tell voters in November he got troops home from iraq and will soon exit Afghanistan.

But an over-hasty withdrawal could risk igniting more trouble late in his election campaign, or so weaken Afghan strategy that a deeper crisis could detonate in his hoped-for second term.

The public is weary of war: 60 percent in a recent ABC News poll said it was not worth fighting — but is not so sour that Obama’s hopes of reelection are threatened.

Fifty-seven percent said in a Pew poll that troops should be home as soon as possible — hardly figures likely to sway an election turning on the economy.

And mitt Romney, Obama’s most likely Republican opponent, warns against precipitated withdrawals, leaving the president on the public’s side of the political equation.

Pakistan didn’t seek US apology on Salala attacks: PM Continued fRoM page 1

“People think the PPP has the ability of deliver and they trust the party.”

Referring to the energy issues, he said his government had taken a number of initiatives adding that the government had completed the mangla Dam raising, the construction of Basha Dam and was also concentrating on alternate energy such as nuclear solar, hydel and wind while many other projects are in the pipeline.

He said the iranian gas pipeline project was also underway while Pakistan was getting 1000 megawatts of electricity from iran.

Gilani said his government had resolved more than half the issue of circular debt through the existing capacity of electricity and if the rest could be sorted out in the coming national budget, they could settle many more issues.

KHI 19-03-2012_Layout 1 3/19/2012 2:35 AM Page 5

Monday, 19 March, 2012

thai princess to visit Pakistan from 19th

Osama biggest martyr, Zardari biggest traitor, says JI chief LAHORE

J

ISLAMABAD stAff RepoRt

On invitation of President Asif Ali Zardari, Thai Princess maha Chakri Sirindhorn will visit Pakistan from march 19, a Foreign Office statement said on Sunday. “The visit carries forward the long-standing tradition of royal visits from Thailand to Pakistan,” it said. “Pakistan and Thailand enjoy close and cooperative relations. The visit of Princess maha Chakri Sirindhorn will reinforce these traditionally cordial ties between Pakistan and Thailand,” the statement said.

News 05

onLine

A m A A T - e - i S L A m i chief munawar Hasan has described Osama bin Laden as the greatest martyr and President Asif Ali Zardari as the biggest traitor.

Addressing a public meeting at a Chakwal village on Sunday, Hasan said bin Laden had refused to obey the Satan upon which the US was so much upset and ashamed that it could not release any photograph or video of his after his “martyrdom”.

Hasan said Prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, who had challenged the Supreme Court’s dignity should have been handcuffed and chained because not only had he violated his oath but

had also committed contempt by refusing to write to the Swiss Banks only to save Zardari.

He impressed upon the chief justice to not be impressed by the holders of the highest offices and treat all equally.

“Whosoever challenged the dignity of the court should be handed down deterrent punishment,” he said, adding that had people like Babar Awan and Rehman malik been jailed for contempt, the prime minister could not have the courage to disobey the court orders.

Hasan said the nation was in the grip of “beasts” as a gang of exploiters was ruling the country under the garb of democracy while the common man was unable to make both ends meet. He said the nation should realise that the corrupt could not control corruption and the masses would have to rise against

the oppressive political system.

The Ji chief said Zardari had showered praises on Gilani whose only achievement was to hide Zardari’s corruption.

He said parliament that was keen to restore NATO supplies to facilitate the enemy in the killing of innocent Pakistanis was not the representative of this nation.

Despite parliament’s decision, the rulers had continued NATO supplies by lying to the nation.

Hasan accused the rulers of following US policy on Balochistan, and said if Balochistan was to be retained as a part of the country, the Baloch should not be pushed to the wall.

He said the PPP leadership would also have to account for the mQm’s crimes.

Zardari a complete democratic president: firdous SIALKOt stAff RepoRt

President Asif Ali Zardari has become a complete democratic president after his fifth address to parliament and the PPP has successfully eliminated all political conspiracies against Zardari, Federal information minister Dr Firdous Aashiq Awan said on Sunday. She was addressing a big public gathering at Ludhar-Sialkot. The minister said that the PPP had successfully strengthened democracy and democratic institutions, being the guardian of the constitution. Firdous said that the PPP would never let others to derail democracy, adding that the PPP had also closed all backdoors for others. She said that the president’s fifth address to parliament had put democracy into its fifth consecutive year by writing political history of national politics. The minister made it clear that no one would be allowed to conduct a trial of Benazir Bhutto’s grave.

hYDeRABAD: A troupe of indonesian artists dances at the indonesia-pakistan Joint cultural performance organised by the sindh culture Department on sunday. Inp

Human rights, political process must be respected, reinforced: HRCP LAHORE nni

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has voiced alarm over the continued deterioration of human rights across the country and emphasised the need for all actors and institutions to urgently address pressing concerns as well as respect and strengthen the political process.

A statement approved by the HRCP’s annual general meeting on Sundays said the country was passing through a critical phase where the democratic experiment is on trial and it is imperative that the political process is respected and reinforced.

“The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan considers it important that the process of improving the constitution continues until all accretions of dictatorship are thrown out and the chapter on fundamental rights is further reinforced.” in HRCP’s view, a four-year term for parliament may also be considered so as to enable the people to exercise their democratic rights more frequently and to hold the government accountable. it will also create space for the emergence of fresh leadership.

“Now is the time to improve vigilance in guarding against any form of extra-democratic intervention in the forthcoming general elections, by the military, by extremists, or through any special judicial process. The people’s anxieties on that count must be

given due weight and urgently addressed.”

“The HRCP is acutely concerned over escalations in religious and sectarian violence and demands that the government launch and sustain a robust effort by civilian and military authorities to adequately respond to the growing menace, especially the oppression of the Ahmedis, the killing of the Shias, and the kidnapping for ransom and forced conversion of the Hindus. At least part of the focus must be on stemming intolerance in society.” it said it was hard to find a silver lining in Balochistan where victims of enforced disappearance remain missing or their dead bodies are increasingly discovered. At least 173 bodies were found in 2011.

“Unless political means are used to address an essentially political problem, things are bound to get worse. impunity for the security agencies must be ended, law and order improved and the explosion in the incidents of kidnapping for ransom brought under control. in the final analysis the people of Balochistan must have a decisive say in their affairs.”

The HRCP demanded the government pay immediate attention to early warning signs of serious problems and unrest in Gilgit-Baltistan and urged action to address people’s political and socio-economic concerns and put an end to sectarian violence.

“There has been no improvement in the situation in Karachi and nothing has been

done to prevent the regular cycles of violence. A new wave of targeting political activists in Sindh through abduction and murder has added to the alarm of the people.”

The government must immediately acknowledge all such detentions, release the people and put in place means to ensure that disappearances become a thing of the past. it is high time to introduce a compensation regime for victims of crime by the state.

A considerable number of people are known to be in military detention following the security forces’ operations against the militants. Due process must be ensured for these people too. The consensus on the need to introduce legislation to regulate the working of the intelligence agencies must be respected.

Threats to human rights defenders have continued unchallenged and three HRCP activists have been killed in 2011 alone. The state must ensure protection for those defending others’ rights and provide an environment conducive for them to work without threats to their lives.

The HRCP general body condemns the degree of freedom allowed to certain groups to circulate malicious material against individuals including Asma Jahangir. Such acts must be investigated seriously and the perpetrators brought to justice.

The troubles of the internally displaced persons (iDPs) do not appear to be a priority

for the government any more. That is unfortunate as the challenges of the displaced persons and HRCP’s concerns at their problems have grown in recent months.

The shelter and livelihood concerns of those who have returned after displacement have not been adequately addressed and there is substantial room for improvement in consultation with the affected people. The health and education needs of the displaced children must be given much more priority than they have received so far.

The number of the Pakistanis, many of them irregular migrants, who are detained abroad runs into thousands. Their plight has gone unnoticed for long and deserves attention. efforts must be made to ensure their right to due process and to return home.

The people are gravely concerned over the epidemic of kidnappings for ransom and a general breakdown of law and order all over Pakistan. Crime has grown in cities and rural areas alike and socio-economic reasons, including financial deprivation, have also played a role. increased militant activity in the last few months has also added to these concerns.

The people feel vulnerable and at the mercy of criminals and militants. Weaponisation of society, violence in educational institutions of higher learning and murders in the name of honour continue. The HRCP general body reminds the government of its responsibility to protect the rights of the peo-

ple beginning with their right to life.

HRCP notes with disappointment that the recent amendments to the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) have brought virtually no change to the system of governance.

Urgent changes must be made to the law to ensure proper reform and due process. Collective punishment, punitive demolition of houses and all forms of arbitrary detention must be made illegal. The vacuum that exists in the enforcement of human rights in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas is indefensible and the creation of a mechanism for enforcement of human rights in the region cannot be delayed.

The HRCP expressed its grave concern over challenges to freedom of expression and the reported plans to censor the media and the internet. it said the media, civil society and the people in general must be consulted before any changes are considered in the law. “it is a scandal that the misuse of blasphemy laws and the official apathy and appeasement of extremists have continued.

The government must abide by its promises to protect the people from vigilantes claiming to act under the banner of religion.”

“The HRCP welcomes the recently adopted pro-women rights laws and will keenly monitor how they are implemented. it also welcomes the SmS service provided by the election Commission for verification of voters’ details and hopes that this would help ensure error-free electoral rolls.”

KHI 19-03-2012_Layout 1 3/19/2012 2:35 AM Page 6

06 News

Monday, 19 March, 2012

Give provinces their rights, demands Altaf

HYDERABAD onLine

mQm chief Altaf Hussain on Sunday called upon the scholars of Sindh to work towards elimination of distinction of new and old Sindhis. Addressing a large number of party workers via telephone at Bagh-e-mustafa Ground on occasion of 28th founding day of mQm, Altaf said that he had been living in exile for all these years because he committed just one sin of bringing poor people among rich industrialists. He said that he was the only politician who refused to accept money from intelligence agencies, as former mehran Bank chairman Younis Habib said that Altaf had rejected money from intelligence agencies. He said that primitive feudal system did not exist in any other part of the world except Pakistan.

“People of Pakistan also want an end to slavery and poor peasants should also be considered as human beings,” he added. The mQm chief said that it was only through unity that Sindh could be put on the path to progress. Altaf announced a special fund of Rs 1.5 million for journalists of Hyderabad.

hYDeRABAD: Muttahida qaumi Movement (MqM) workers dance during a public meeting held on sunday to celebrate the party’s 28th foundation Day at Bagh-e-Mustafa ground, Latifabad. Inp

South African Pakistanis enormously contributing to country’s economy g g

country’s opp says it has helped Pakistanis to merge into SA’s social strata by introducing friendly policies Says Pakistani businessmen, qualified skilled people helped shape South Africa become a rising star LAHORE YAsiR hABiB

Pakistanis living in South Africa are fast becoming part and parcel of its society because of their enormous contribution in the business development, trade growth, national integration, cultural enrichment and inter-faith harmony of the country.

All credit goes to inkatha Freedom Party (iFP), an important opposition party in South Africa, led by Prince mangosuthu Buthelezi who helped a lot of Pakistanis to merge into its social strata by introducing friendly policies.

During his tenure in the government as head of the ministry of Home Affairs, Pakistani businessmen and qualified skilled people were vouchsafed with SA nationality in recognition of their rigorous and meritorious services for reshaping South Africa into rising star. in an exclusive interview with iFP President Prince mangosuthu Buthelezi, an anti-apartheid icon like Nelson mandela told Pakistan Today that Pakistan was amongst the countries that lent a great help to people of South Africa against the apartheid regime. “We cannot forget Pakistan’s overwhelming support for freedom movement and SA will always commemorate it as friend in need is a friend indeed,” he said.

To a question, he criticised the ruling party African National Congress (ANC) for not deepening relations with Pakistan as compared to india, Brazil, Canada, China and other countries. The iFP president proposed robust exchange of delegations comprising statesmen, politicians, traders and other section of society between South Africa and Pakistan to foster bilateral ties, saying the SA government should never overlook mutual relations with Pakistan as later was becoming a force to be reckoned as game-changer in near future due to its geo-political and socio-economic position in Asia. “i will also speak about improving relations with Pakistan in parliament session,” he said, adding that if invited, it would be an honour for him to visit Pakistan to bring closer both countries.

To a query, he got aggrieved and expressed his anxiety on widespread anti-foreign riots in which Pakistani community was targeted by setting ablaze their shops

and even residences.

“South Africans, angry at squalid living conditions, resorted to violence and subjected Pakistani expatriates and other foreigners to torture, a reminder of the social problems that persisted 20 years after the release of Nelson mandela. Local media reported that the ethiopian, Pakistani and indian shopkeepers whose premises were looted had to take refuge vacating their houses. innumerable people were killed in a wave of anti-foreigner riots that swept across the country in 2008. Johannesburg became a flashpoint during widespread demonstrations against poor public services in Africa’s biggest economy. many poor black South Africans complained that their lives did not improve since ANC swept to

power in 1994, promising to provide jobs, housing and medical care for all. Despite a decade of strong economic growth up to 2009, official unemployment remained higher millions of blacks still live in tinshack shanty towns with little access to running water, sanitation or electricity and other civic amenities,” he said.

He blamed the ANC for all predicaments of the foreigners as well as SA nationals due to its false promises, ill-conceived policies and vested interests.

“Since the day the ANC seized power, cancer of corruption that infused into the norms, values and practices had started spilling-over into broader society. The ANC is on the loose to abuse public office for private gain.”

He said, “Public officials bend the rules to channel patronage to relatives, friends and cronies, or accept bribes; as well when private agents bribe public officials to give them exclusive advantages or rights. Secondly, there is the ‘quiet’ corruption, which occurs when ANC public servants deliberately neglect their duties to provide public services or goods,” he added. He said corruption undermined the credibility of the democratic system – it also undermined ordinary peoples’ trust in the government, and undermined the rule of law. Now people believed that the government was not pursuing the reforms in the widest public interest, but only to line the pockets of a few leaders.

Asked about the topic of single mothers, he said that this was because of more regeneration corrupting the society in all its forms. Shedding a light on the burning issue, he held the view that South Africa was predominantly a patriarchal society and children had consequently suffered greatly due to absent fathers. “men not facing their patriarchal responsibility have a profound effect on the collective consciousness of next generations of South Africans,” he added. “more concretely, effects of divorce on South African children include the increasing possibility for child exploitation. The increase of single parenthood in South Africa resulted to more orphans and street children as single parents opt to abandon their children because of extreme poverty. Single women parents feel the stigma of being poor and unmarried, widowed or divorced and are under extreme pressure from the society. Single mothers who are looking for ways to support their children and who are very much willing to take huge risks to put some bread on the table are very vulnerable to prostitution and trafficking,” Prince Buthelezi explained.

Showing his disquiet on the fast-depleting middleclass in South Africa, he said the poor were becoming poorer and rich were becoming richer. His excellency came hard on the proposed nationalisation policy and termed it a bad move, saying if it was materialised, SA would go backwards and not forward.

About South Africa’s future, he said South Africa was an extraordinary country endowed with extraordinary people and a wealth of resources. “if South Africa is going to be the twenty-first century success

story that we all know it can be, bold change is needed now,” he claimed. He said South Africa needed to win the wars against HiV/AiDS, unemployment, crime, poverty and corruption and prevent the consolidation of a one-party state.

Talking about the iFP’s manifesto, he said the iFP ensuring capable leadership in government, would care resources and protect highest ethical and moral standards. iFP will propel a golden cycle of accelerated economic growth, which in turn would beget jobs and reduce the spiralling levels of poverty and crime. in parliament the iFP will continue to champion federalism and decentralisation of power between the three spheres of government: national, provincial and local. The iFP has a twopronged approach in dealing with the HiV/AiDS pandemic, namely prevention and caring for those infected.

“The iFP’s vision for South Africa is as a high wage/high skill economy. We will transform South Africa’s economy by developing our skills base. We will offer a regulatory and fiscal environment that is attractive to foreign investment. We will make investments to develop our long-term industrial basis,” he added.

The iFP recognises that women have a very important role to fulfill in the transformation of South Africa toward social stability and economic prosperity. in a democracy, the participation of every individual is equally important and the iFP believes that success requires that women take up their position as contributors at all levels of decision making. “The government’s centralist policies do not allow for the full participation of all South Africans and results in large segments of our communities being bulldozed into accepting policies which are unsuited to their unique needs. The iFP wishes to rectify this situation through the devolution of powers to the lowest levels possible. The iFP president said the youth policy of the iFP encouraged strong families and communities, positive role models, individual and communal self-reliance and the promotion of social justice. An iFP led government will encourage and promote healthy lifestyles and high moral values among the youth, and focus on the immediate and long-term dangers of alcoholism, unwanted pregnancies, HiV/AiDS, prostitution, drug and other substance abuses, he concluded.

KHI 19-03-2012_Layout 1 3/19/2012 2:35 AM Page 7

Monday, 19 March, 2012

Don’t vote for the ‘filthy rich’, Altaf urges masses MQM’s 28th foundation Day 07

‘We’ve had enough of bad neighbour

Punjab’

■ Jeay Sindh tehreek chief Dr Safdar Sarki demands referendum on independence of Sindh

■ Says future of Urdu-speaking Sindhis does not lie with the MQM; his party will provide them with protection

no, thAt is DefiniteLY not going to heLp YouR cAuse: one of the gun-trotting men that were guarding the JSt rally. phoToS BY aSIM rehManI

KARACHI

P

qAzi Asif

OiNTiNG out that Sindh’s resources have been “plundered” on a massive scale and its people stripped of their “dignity”, Jeay Sindh Tehreek (JST) chief Dr Safdar Sarki demanded on Sunday that a referendum be held on the independence of the province.

“The future of our Urdu-speaking Sindhi brethren does not lie with the muttahida Qaumi movement (mQm), and it is the JST that will provide them with complete protection and fight for their rights,” he said.

“There is no tussle between the Urdu-speaking Sindhis and the followers of Gm Syed.”

Addressing a JST rally near

Dr safdar sarki

Tibet Centre on mA Jinnah Road, Sarki said Sindh has been robbed numerous times throughout its history.

“People of other nationalities have settled in Sindh. it was a big conspiracy against the people of the province,” he added.

The JST chief said the people of

Sindh and Balochistan are headed towards their independence at a fast pace.

“We will not accept the slavery of Punjab. The one-unit system was imposed in 1958 and Sindh was turned into Lahore’s slave,” he remarked.

He said Punjab should accept

ReADY foR Action: Holding axes, a few participants of the rally salute as they listen to the national anthem of the “independent Sindh”.

the freedom movements in Sindh and Balochistan and behave like a “good neighbour”.

“The so-called constitutional amendments are not the solution to the problems of Sindh’s people,” he added.

The JST rally was supposed to be a “million march”, but the party was unable to attract the number of participants it was expecting, with only around 5,000 turning up at the venue.

The JST rally was guarded by the party’s own gun-trotting men, who violated the provincial government’s ban on display of weapons with impunity.

The mA Jinnah Road and its adjoining roads were blocked and a large number of law enforcement agencies’ personnel were deployed in the area.

Kutchi leader, two 25 percent of Sindh’s flood-hit others murdered districts still inundated ■ Violence breaks out in Lyari after attack; police and Rangers deployed to maintain law and order KARACHI stAff RepoRt

A senior leader of Kutchi Rabita Committee (KRC), his security guard and a policeman were killed and three others injured on Sunday when unidentified assailants opened fire at them in Agra Taj Colony on Sunday night.

The deputy inspector general South told Pakistan Today that the KRC leader, Rasheed Kutchi, a builder by profession, went to inspect an under-construction building in Agra Taj Colony when eight attackers, riding motorcycles, opened fire on him.

Kutchi and his security guard Zubair died on the spot while a policeman Khalil, also wounded in the attack, succumbed to his injuries during treatment at the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK). Three others accompanying Kutchi were also injured.

The police official said a heavy contingent of police and Rangers has been deployed in Lyari to maintain law and order.

He said Kutchi was also a former employee of the Sindh High Court. He was running a construction company after his retirement.

Violence broke out in Lyari Town after the murder of the KRC leader. Unidentified people fired gunshots in different parts of the town.

A large number of KRC members reached the CHK and took their late colleague’s body to his home after autopsy.

Dawood Kutchi, another senior leader of the KRC, told Pakistan Today that the committee has announced a day of mourning on monday (today) and requested traders to observe a shutter-down strike to protest the killing.

He said the KRC will decide its future course of action after the leader’s burial.

KARACHI

AftAB chAnnA

Tossing aside claims of the Sindh irrigation Department officials of completely draining out floodwater from the districts affected by monsoon rains last year, the provincial Relief and Rehabilitation Department – after a detailed survey of the on-ground situation in the flood-affected districts – has disclosed in its report that more than 25 percent of the flood-hit areas are still inundated.

Well-placed sources told Pakistan Today that the officials of the Sindh Relief and Rehabilitation Department have forwarded a report to the provincial chief minister pointing out that the people living in the flood-affected districts are passing through very difficult times due to the negligence of the irrigation staff in draining out floodwater.

The districts visited by the relief department included Badin, Sanghar, mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Tharparkar, Tando Allahyar, Benazirabad, Tando mohammad Khan, Khairpur mirs, Nosheroferoz and Dadu.

The sources said that while the irrigation department officials claim that floodwater in at least 98 percent of the affected areas have been flushed out,

more than 25 percent of the areas are still underwater and there is a desperate need to drain the accumulated water to resume routine works.

The sources also claimed that the floodwater from the lands owned by influential landlords has been drained out but the lands belonging to the common people are still submerged. “The favourite people of government officers were given assistance in provision of Watan Cards and distribution of urea but the general public had to face all types of difficulties,” they said.

Quoting from the report, the sources said there is an urgent need to take necessary steps to improve the image of the government.

The report included a village-wise situation of accumulated floodwater in the districts, stating that in Dighri, mirpurkhas there are many large pockets of stagnant rainwater in union councils (UC) of Kingrio and Soofan Shah and in Deh 170, while around 50 percent of the Pubban area is also submerged.

There are also large pockets of floodwater in various areas of Jhuddo including UCs of Jhuddo, Roshanabad, Ahori and in the Syed Noor Ali Shah village and around its vicinity where all houses collapsed during the natural calamity.

in Naukot also, there is an urgent need of dewatering through coordination of HeSCO and SeeDA while the Dhoro Purano, which was meant for drainage of floodwater has been encroached, while there are breaches in the drainage which require immediate filling and restructuring.

KOT GHuLAM MOHAMMAD: Dudho Goth, Diyal Goth, Deh 269, 299, 300, 268 and 268-A in Sikiryari are still under rainwater up to almost two feet.

SINDHRI: UCs Hingorno, ismail Jo Goth, Phulahdiyun, Garhore Sharif and other areas of Sindhri are under the floodwater. in mithi and Kaloi areas of Tharparkar, people are compelled to live in relief tents due to rainwater.

Umerkot: floodwater still standing in areas of Atta Pali, Ali Bux manglani.

DHORO NARO: most areas of Dhoro Naro under water.

KuNRI: rainwater still standing in various areas of Kunri including UCs Sher Khan Chandio, Bhustta, Padhuro Form and Chajrro and Tali, Nabi Sar. SAMARO: large ponds of rainwater in various areas of Samaro, like Pir Colony, City Colony, meghwar Colony, Deh Kharoro, UC Padrio and other areas.

SANGHAR: There are 54 UCs in Sanghar district and rainwater in 34 UCs like wise UC-1, UC-2, UCmayani, UC-Kandiari and UC-Sethar Peer UC- Chhutiaran, UC- Kahorar and Goth Dalail Shar, and Lal Hussain mari Goth.

KHI 19-03-2012_Layout 1 3/19/2012 2:35 AM Page 8

PakistaN today

08 karachi

Monday, 19 March, 2012

don’t vote for the ‘filthy rich’, altaf urges masses ■ Asks intellectuals, journalists and writers of Sindh to work on removing differences and divisions between ‘new’ and ‘old’ Sindhis KARACHI stAff RepoRt

m

UTTAHiDA Qaumi movement (mQm) chief Altaf Hussain requested the masses on Sunday not to vote for feudal lords, chieftains or the “filthy rich”, who have amassed wealth through corruption.

According to a press statement, he also asked intellectuals, journalists and writers of Sindh to work on removing differences and divisions between “new” and “old” Sindhis. “if Pakistan is to become prosperous and strong, the legitimate rights of the Sindh would have to be granted, Hussain said while addressing a large gathering at al mustafa Ground in Hyderabad on the occasion of the mQm’s 28th Foundation Day. Hussain said he is living in exile for over 20 years because he refused to take money from government agencies and sell his conscience.

He said he had sent able and educated people from the poor and middle classes to the assemblies and brought them on equal footing with feudal lords.

Hussain said the medieval feudal system has been scrapped throughout the world, but unfortunately, it is still prevailing in Pakistan.

“The mQm wants to liberate poor peasants and farmers from the oppressive subjugation of feudal lords and chieftains who look upon poor people as their slaves. The feudalistic system has weakened the entire society, and the politics of the country has become the fiefdom of a few “filthy rich” families,” he noted.

Hussain said the present-day Pakistan does not belong to the common Pakistanis. “The mQm will build a Pakistan of the poor and middle classes in the true sense of the words,” he added.

Hussain stressed upon parliamentarians to work on giving the peasants and farmers of the country the status of industrial labourers.

“The mQm is neither socialist nor communist. The mQm is not against private industries, but it opposes uncontrolled capitalism,” he maintained.

Hussain said the mQm is the only political party that has raised the issue of the extortion mafia operating in Karachi.

“No other political party has cared to raise this issue that is plaguing the business community in Karachi,” he added.

Hussain congratulated President Asif Ali Zardari on addressing the joint sitting of the parliament for the fifth

consecutive time.

Hussain appealed to the people of Sindh not to be misled by the “so-called nationalist elements” in the province.

He exhorted them to join the mQm as it wants to emancipate poor people from the oppression and injustices of feudal lords.

“The mQm was the only political party in the country that is against the spread of sectarianism. it wants sectarian harmony. it is because of the earnest desire of the mQm to promote interfaith harmony that people from different religious backgrounds are joining the party in large numbers,” he said.

Hussain said if the mQm comes into power, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and followers of all other faiths would have equal rights. “There will be no minorities in the country as everyone would become equal citizens of Pakistan,” he added.

Speaking about the problems being faced by the people of Hyderabad, Hussain stressed upon the government to

take immediate steps to give relief to the people.

“There is no university in Hyderabad. Governor Dr ishratul ebad had announced the establishment of a university in the city, but the Sindh Assembly has not passed the bill for this purpose. That bill should be passed urgently,” he said.

Hussain said the sewerage system in Latifabad is dilapidated and overflowing sewage is causing immense problems for the people. “Additional funds should be allocated for improving the sewerage system in Latifabad,” he added.

The mQm chief said bangle manufacturing is an important industry of Hyderabad. “The government should support the people affiliated with the bangle industry and help in its revival,” he demanded.

Hussain also noted that there is no cardiovascular hospital in Hyderabad and asked the government to set up a hospital in Hyderabad for heart disease patients.

He also called for building an information technology college in Hyderabad and asked mQm parliamentarians to utilise their development funds for this purpose.

Speaking on the occasion, mQm Rabita Committee Deputy Convener and Federal minister for Overseas Pakistanis

Dr Farooq Sattar warned the “so-called nationalist elements” not to breach the unity of the people of Sindh.

Sattar said the mQm opposes the geographical division of Sindh, but it equally opposes creating divisions among its people.

The date palm orchards of Khairpur KARACHI teXt AnD photos BY AMAR guRiRo

even though the winter season in Sindh this year has lasted more than it usually does, the scorching rays of sun could be felt at the date palm orchards of Khairpur mirs.

For those interested in politics, Khairpur is the native district of Sindh chief minister Qaim Ali Shah. For historians, it was a state ruled by Talpur mirs (ameers) of the Talpur dynasty and was included in Pakistan in 1955.

For heritage lovers, Khairpur has historical sites including the Faiz mahal and Kot Diji Fort. environmentalists think that the district has great importance due to the presence of the wildlife sanctuary of mehrano, known for its black buck and hog deer, both of them now rare in Sindh.

Khairpur is also famous for its date palm orchards and the Aseel dates.

Simple dates, dry dates, sweets made of dates and even date pickles; they are available in various varieties in the district.

According to the official records of the Pakistan Agricultural and Research Council, the total annual production of dates in Pakistan is about 0.54 million tonnes with the contribution of Sindh coming to 0.28 million tonnes,

Balochistan 0.175 million tonnes, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 0.05 million tonnes and Punjab 0.039 million tones.

Around 85 percent of these dates are dried and turned into chuhara, the majority of which is exported to india, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

The presence of these vast scattered date palm orchards in northern Sindh

makes livelihood possible for hundreds of families.

According to the owners of orchards, if government makes special arrangements, they can expand these orchards that will not only provide livelihood for hundreds other labourers, but the country can fetch more foreign money through exports.

Date palm trees are spread over 98,000 hectares across Pakistan making it the fifth largest date producer in the world at 0.7million metric tonnes, with most orchards found in Balochistan. However, Sindh leads in production. markhand, an orchard owner, says the date palm tree is one of the most re-

silient plants and a rise in temperature or climate change will not be able to have any adverse affect on it for “another 200 years at least”.

“But dates grow best where the temperatures are hot so that ripening period is short. The date palm tree becomes fully fertile in nine years and bears fruit for over 80 years,” he adds.

KHI 19-03-2012_Layout 1 3/19/2012 2:35 AM Page 9

Monday, 19 March, 2012

karachi 09 PakistaN today

Karachi’s future doctors at high risk of eating disorders

e

ATiNG disorders refer to a group of conditions characterised by abnormal eating habits. They involve either insufficient or excessive food intake that is detrimental to an individual’s physical and emotional health.

Binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa are considered to be the most common forms of eating disorders.

They are among the potentially lethal psychiatric illnesses, and are predominately represented by a mental effect of preoccupation with body weight, shape and diet. in addition, eating disorders frequently occur with other psychiatric disorders such as depression, substance abuse, and anxiety disorders.

People with anorexia have an extreme fear of gaining weight, which propels them to maintain a weight far less than normal.

Bulimia is characterised by a cycle of binge eating, followed by attempts to remove unwanted calories.

People with binge eating disorders often eat an uncontrollable, large amount of food during the binges.

The exact cause of eating disorders is unknown; however, it is believed to be due to a combination of biological, psychological and/or environmental abnormalities.

A common phrase in such conditions is that “genetics loads the gun, environment pulls the trigger”.

Various studies have reported prevalence of eating disorders. in Western countries, the population-based and clinical-based assessments have reported prevalence of anorexia nervosa to range from 0.1 percent to 5.7 percent, while bulimia nervosa ranged from 0.3 percent to 7.3 percent in female subjects.

A study conducted on college students reported 3.8 percent prevalence of bulimia nervosa in females and 0.2 percent in males.

Another study diagnosed 4.7 percent of female college students with eating disorders. medical students are associated with high levels of stress that stands as a critically important causative factor of eating disorders.

Thus, it is quite important to analyse all such instabilities in medical students who are an asset for the future of this country.

Studies have been conducted in the Western scenario to assess eating disorders in medical students.

A study from the US showed that 15 percent of the female medical students had a history of eating disorders. in Pakistan, a study conducted in Lahore among 369 school girls and another study conducted in mirpur among 271 school girls revealed one case of bulimia and no cases of anorexia.

Although, five girls from Lahore also suffered from partial syndrome bulimia nervosa.

Another survey from Lahore among 111 volunteers showed an occurrence of two cases of bulimia nervosa and another two cases of eating disorders not otherwise specified.

While eating disorders are characterised as a mental health condition, they have the potential to lead to other serious physical health problems.

Keeping such ominous medical consequences in view, it is naturally alarming that the future physicians of Karachi, prone to such stressful conditions, might be at significantly high risk of contracting eating disorders that would hamper the availability of dependable medical services in the future.

The earlier these disorders are diagnosed and assessed, the better the chances are for enhanced treatment and better recovery.

Therefore, we intend to undertake a descriptive study to assess the incidence of high-risk of eating disorders among medical students of Karachi.

METHODS: This was a descriptive cross sectional study conducted in three renowned medical colleges of Karachi, namely Dow medical College, Sindh medical College and Aga Khan University, between January 1 and June 30, 2011.

The study included 495 undergraduate medical students. Random sampling method was acquired.

Participants from first to final year of medical school were approached directly within the college timings.

The ethical Review Board of Dow University of Health and Sciences approved the study.

All participants completed a self report screening package that included the eating attitude test (eAT-26) and SCOFF questionnaire. english versions of both the questionnaires were used. No translated versions were adopted.

Written consent was also obtained from all participants. Body mass index (Bmi) was calculated based on self reported height and weight. eAT-26 is a validated self-administered questionnaire widely used to measure eating disorders. it comprises 26 questions, for which scoring is done on a six-point scale from always to never. Total sum of eAT-26 scores range from 0 to 78.

SCOFF is another highly accurate selfadministered questionnaire widely used as a screening tool for eating disorders. it comprises five questions, for which scoring is done on a two-point scale, namely ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.

The data was entered and analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16.

Relevant frequency and percentages were calculated for qualitative variables, whereas means ± standard deviations were calculated for quantitative variables.

P-values were also obtained by Pearson Chi Square Test to determine the significance of the results.

FINDINGS: Out of 495 individuals, 435 returned the complete questionnaires giving a response rate of 87.8 percent. Out of 435 individuals, 342 were female, while 93 were male.

The mean age of the population was 20.5 years ± 1.67 years, while mean Bmi ratio was 20.1 years ± 3.3 years. mean age of male participants was 20.24 years ± 1.89 years, while it was found to be 20.65 years ± 1.60 years in females.

The average Bmi, eAT-26 score and SCOFF score was 21.57 kg/ m2, 11.86/78 and 1.18/5 in male participants, with standard deviation of 4.01, 1.18 and 1.19, respectively. mean (SD) was 19.80 (3.08), 13.55 (9.71) and 1.29 (1.22) in females, respectively.

Based on the data, two new derivatives were produced using the 75th percentile and named as the empirically derived cut-off.

Hence, the cut-off value for eAT-26 was found to be more than 18, while cut-off for SCOFF was found to be more than 2.

Thus, out of 435 individuals who were screened through the two questionnaires, eAT-26 questionnaire detected 99 (22.75

percent) individuals with high risk of eating disorders, while SCOFF questionnaire detected 74 (17 percent) at high risk.

EAT-26 FINDINGS: Out of the reported 99 high-risk individuals, 87 (87.9 percent) were females and 12 (12.1 percent) were males. medical students of younger age group were found to be more susceptible. Sixty-five (65.65 percent) were from age group 18 to 21, while only 34 (34.34 percent) were from age group 22 to 25.

Bmi ratio of majority (n = 53, 53.5 percent) of the individuals screened by eAT-26 to be at high-risk eating disorders fell into normal category (18.5 to 25 kg/m2).

Out of the 99 high-risk individuals, 76.76 percent (n = 76) were terrified of being overweight, while 68.68 percent (n = 68) were preoccupied with the desire to be thinner.

The number of those engaged in dieting behaviour was 55 (55.56 percent); however, only 9 percent (n = 9) vomited after eating, while 73.7 percent (n = 73) displayed selfcontrol around food.

All the questions of eAT-26 were divided into the three subscales, namely ‘dieting’, ‘bulimia and food preoccupation’, and ‘oral control’.

SCOFF FINDINGS: Out of the reported 74 high-risk individuals, 58 (78.4 percent) were females and 16 (21.6 percent) were males.

Fifty-three (71.6 percent) were from age group 18 to 21, while only 21 (28.4 percent) were from age group 22 to 25; thus, SCOFF reports younger age group to be more at risk.

MODELS: To find the eating disorder using eAT-26 questionnaire, we used binary logistic backward method. in the first step, the covariate age played a role insignificantly; therefore, it was eliminated from the model, and the final model is given as eAT-26 disorder (Yes) = -3.320 1.077 (male) + 0.112 Bmi. The model explain us that the odds of a person with eating disorder was 0.341 in male as compared to female, with 95 percent confidence interval (0.676, 0.172), and a unit change in Bmi will increase the odds for disorder 0.112 time on average, with 95 percent confidence interval (1.199, 1.043).

When the same method was performed for the SCOFF questionnaire, we get that only Bmi played a significant role for eating disorder, and the computed model was SCOFF eating disorder (Yes) = -4.657 + 0.148 Bmi. This explains us that the unit change in Bmi will increase the odds for disorder 0.148 times on average, with 95 percent confidence interval (1.247, 1.078).

DISCuSSION: Our study reports that significant proportion of medical undergraduates are at high-risk of suffering from eating disorders, with 99 (22.75 percent) individuals scoring above the threshold for eAT-26 questionnaire, while 74 (17 percent) scoring above the threshold for SCOFF questionnaire.

This is higher than recently reported eating disorder symptoms in 9.59 percent among Latino college students in the US. This strengthens the fact that eating disorders are a mounting concern in our region in relation to other parts of the world.

We reported a significant majority of females being at high-risk of eating disorders as compared to males.

A study reported a similar ratio between male and female students wherein a high proportion of female subjects (anorexia = 1 percent to 4.2 percent or bulimia = 6.5 percent to 18.6 percent) suffered from eating

disorders, while none of the male subjects was reported positive.

solve after a person achieves the desired lean body image.

Another study reported females (binge eating, n = 49 percent; bulimia, n = 4 percent) at a greater risk to develop eating disorders.

As also seen in our study with universities located in urbanised locations, females in such settings, as avid media followers, are particularly more prone to developing eating disorders.

Various studies in different settings have highlighted the role of media exposure and its psychological effect, particularly on females, with the resultant development of body dissatisfaction culminating in eating disorders. in a setting like Pakistan, the increasing drive of particularly females to emulate european culture as viewed via media has led to an unhealthy stringent dieting and exercising regime. interestingly, our study showed that of the individuals with normal Bmi values, 29.6 percent still suffered from eating disorders as diagnosed by eAT-26 (n = 53/179), while according to SCOFF, 23.5 percent (42/179) of normal individuals were suffering from eating disorders.

Overweight individuals were found to be more likely to have eating disorders in relation to underweight individuals.

According to SCOFF, 21.2 percent (7/33) of the overweight and 12.2 percent (22/180) of the underweight individuals scored above the cut-off score; thus, they were likely to have eating disorders.

Similarly, in accordance with eAT-26, 18.2 percent (6/33) of the overweight individuals and 15.6 percent (28/180) of the underweight individuals were likely to have eating disorders.

The plausible explanation for our finding that underweight individuals are less likely to have eating disorders in relation to overweight individuals can be provided by elucidating that eating disorders are morbidities with psychological basis. even individuals with normal Bmi can have the likelihood of these disorders.

Thus, it depends only in part on the actual body mass. One debatable reason can be the psychological satisfaction attained after achieving the desired body shape.

Therefore, the causative factor that propelled them to have eating disorders was now resolved.

Further studies must be carried out in the future to find out if eating disorders re-

Other possible reasons for low-weight individuals can be the genetic factors as well as undernutrition. Another study has also reported a high rate of undernutrition in the Pakistani population.

Also, for each particular class of Bmi, SCOFF diagnosed more than twice individuals as likely to have eating disorders as compared to eAT-26. This can be seen clearly in normal, underweight and overweight individuals. eating disorders, particularly anorexia nervosa, is reported to derange several systems with resultant complications ranging from purpura, liver dysfunction, osteoporosis, diabetic complications to acrocyanosis.

Particularly, anorectic patients have been reported to die at a premature age possibly from one of the above-stated medical complications.

This disconcerting information should come in the knowledge of such individuals suffering from the disorder or at a high risk of developing one, who involve grossly in unhealthy dieting or purging cycle, particularly females.

The limitations of our study includes that we have focused only on medical students in colleges from the urban set-up. Further studies should be carried out that check the pattern of eating disorders in the rural set-up.

Furthermore, the most important limitation is the furtiveness and disagreement attributed to many of the subjects suffering from eating disorders. This is common in almost all the studies on eating disorders.

Further surveys need to be conducted that will co-relate socio economic group, ethnicity and relationship status (divorced, married or single) with the development of the disorder, which in other studies have been reported to be highly associated with the types of eating disorders. early detection of such factors causing eating disorders is important as having a significant impact in treatment of such disorders at an early stage with resultant greater efficiency of performance by future physicians.

Extracted from ‘Eating disorders in medical students of Karachi, Pakistan: a cross-sectional study’ authored by Akhtar Amin Memon, Syeda Ezz-e-Rukhshan Adil, Efaza Umar Siddiqui, Syed Saad Naeem, Syed Adnan Ali and Khalid Mehmood

anti-extortion cells to be set Newly appointed SHc addl judges to take oath tomorrow up in five districts of city KARACHI App

KARACHI App

Anti-extortion cells will be established in five districts of Karachi, it was decided at a meeting chaired by Sindh inspector General of Police (iGP) mushtaq Ahmed Shah.

According to a statement issued on Sunday, the participants of the meeting reviewed the performance of the antiextortion cell at the SiU and it was decided that such cells will also be set up

in five districts of the city.

They will remain in contact with one another as well as that functioning at the SiU. The iGP directed that the system of receipt of intelligence reports in this regard should be improved further.

He instructed that the deployment, patrolling, surveillance, picketing and snap checking at commercial centres, industrial area, public places etc should be further beefed up for the protection of the lives and property of the people.

Shah also stressed that the policing system be made more effective and there should be coordination in the administrative affairs.

He said that a suggestion is being considered for enhancing the police divisions from three to five in a district so that action can be ensured against those involved in extortion and other crimes.

The iGP directed that a working paper should be prepared and submitted for necessary action in this regard.

The oath-taking ceremony of the newly appointed additional judges of the Sindh

High Court (SHC) will be held on Tuesday (tomorrow).

According to an announcement issued by the SHC registrar on Saturday

evening, SHC Chief Justice mushir Alam will administer oath to the newly appointed judges - Nadeem Akhtar and mohammad Shafi Siddiqui.

Seminars in memory of Arfa Karim start today KARACHI App

A three-day series of seminars in memory of Arfa Karim Randhawa will start on monday (today) at the De-

partment of mathematics, University of Karachi.

A documentary film related to life and achievements of Arfa will also be showed during the event, it was stated in a statement is-

sued on Sunday.

Arfa Karim Randhawa became the youngest microsoft Certified Professional at the age of nine years in 2004. She died at the age of 16 at a hospital in Lahore.

KHI 19-03-2012_Layout 1 3/19/2012 2:35 AM Page 10

PakistaN today

10 karachi WeAtHeR UPDAteS

30°c

Partialy cloudy

High

18°c Low

40% Humidity

Monday, 19 March, 2012

‘Karachi’s administration going the extra mile to prevent dengue outbreak’

tUeSDAy WeDNeSDAy tHURSDAy 19°c I 15°c

31°c I 14°c

34°c I 15°c

PRAyeR tIMINGS fajr 5:21

Sunrise 6:36

Zuhr 12:40

Asr 4:06

Maghrib 6:43

Isha 7:59

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

KARACHI

M

App

easures to prevent any outbreak of dengue fever and malaria have been intensified in Karachi, City Commissioner Roshan Ali Sheikh said on Sunday.

“Equal attention is being given to fumigation and removal of garbage dumps as well as regular spray of insecticides on water puddles,” he added.

In a meeting with a delegation of technical experts from Turkey, the commissioner said 858 confirmed cases of dengue fever were registered in Karachi during 2011 while during the current year, 29 cases have been reported at different local hospitals so far with no mortality rate.

“These patients have been discharged after complete recovery,” he added.

Sheikh attributed the controlled situation to a massive and well-chalked out public awareness campaign focused on prevention within the homes as dengue vector mosquitoes breed in clean water.

Expressing his gratitude for the Turkish delegation’s offer to help health and municipal departments in the prevention of dengue fever, he said it was the close coordination among different departments, as well timely measures that have averted the outbreak of the fatal disease.

The commissioner said the changing environmental conditions have turned dengue fever into a constant threat in urban areas and also rural settings, in-

cluding urban slums, vulnerable to malaria.

“It is therefore necessary that people are actively involved to protect themselves against mosquito- induced diseases that are also closely linked to hygiene conditions,” he noted.

Sheikh identified public awareness as well as constant vigilance on part of health workers as a crucial element to protect people against dengue fever and said the disease’s intensity can significantly be reduced, instantly bringing a decline in the associated mortality as well as morbidity rates.

Karachi Additional Commissioner Abdul Wahab Soomro, Dengue Fever Control Cell Focal person, Dr. Shakil A Mullick and Health District Officer Dr Aslam Pervez were also present on the occasion.

BLooD BANK HUSSAINI fAtIMID PWA

32238405-8 32225284, 32258656 99215740, 32735214

coMPLAINt KeSc PtcL KWSB cDGK SUI GAS

118 1218 1339 134 1199, 99231603

RAILWAyS INQUIRy cIty StAtIoN cANtt StAtIoN

117, 99213565-6 99213538 99201118

AIRPoRt fLIGHt INQUIRy PIA ReSeRVAtIoN

114 111786786

coLLeGeS / UNIVeRSItIeS KARAcHI UNIVeRSIty NeD UNIVeRSIty fUUASt DUHS SMIc fASt-NU SZABISt IoBM IBA IVS

99261300-06 99261261-8 99244141-9 99215754-7 99217501-3 111128128, 34100541-7 111922478 35090961-7 111422422 35861039-40

goLDen coLLection ii

BARAKA siLsiLA-e-nisBAt

KhusRo/AfshAn

ARt EXHIBItION StARtS MARCH 21 VENuE: uNICORN GALLERY

ARt EXHIBItION uNtIL MARCH 24 VENuE: VM ARt GALLERY

ARt EXHIBItION uNtIL MARCH 24 VENuE: GRANDEuR

A group exhibition ‘The Golden Collection ii’ from march 21 to 28 at the Unicorn Gallery. Call 35831220 for more information.

Farah mahbub’s ‘Baraka Silsila-eNisbat’ until march 24 at the Vm Art Gallery. Call 34940411 for more information.

Khusro Subzwari and Afshan Kohari’s art exhibition until march 24 at the Grandeur gallery. Call 35435744 for more information.

KHI 19-03-2012_Layout 1 3/19/2012 2:35 AM Page 11

Monday, 19 March, 2012

Editor’s mail 11

Lack of facilities majority of public schools lack basic facilities, including clean drinking water.

Like other past governments, the present government is also spending a large chunk of the budget on defence. Rs 442.2 billion were allocated for defence in the fiscal year 2010-2011. The primary education sector must be the government’s top priority. The condition of the government primary schools in the city and the quality of education being imparted there is going from bad to worse. many government schools exist on paper only. School buildings, mostly in

Saving money rural areas, have been converted to drawing rooms for local landowners or cattle sheds while the children are forced to study under trees or in the open.

An example of this is the Government Primary School, Hamaad Colony, which has no roof despite being situated right in the heart of the provincial capital. There are a lot other public schools that lack infrastructure. many schools have no furniture in classrooms, and lack a teaching staff, toilets, clean drinking water and playground.

Clean drinking water has always been

a big issue for public schools. A number of schools in the city have no water tanks and some that have them, don’t have drinkable water. The water tanks are not clean and are infested with insects. A number of public school students get sick after drinking water from these tanks.

As a result of these conditions, poor parents have found alternatives. According to the World Bank, 1 percent students leave public schools to attend madrassahs as they offer food and lodging in addition to religious education. While, middle class people are urged to send

their children to private schools. These private schools receive huge fees from parents, who have already been pressed under the high inflation.

The government must concentrate on the education sector and take revolutionary steps to improve it. The primary education sector needs to be standardised according to modern education systems. if the primary education syllabi and system is standardised according to modern needs, it could help the country develop.

SANIA REHAN Karachi

‘Legitimate criticism’ Your editorial “Legitimate criticism” in the march 16 issue was certainly a balanced comment on the Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani’s remarks in which he lamented that the army-bashing and allegation mongering in the mehrangate case were weakening national institutions and lowering the morale of the armed forces and it was time now to look to the future and stop fighting with history.

Certainly, it is two plus two “when the army does the job it is mandated to do, the country salutes it. When it dabbles in areas outside its constitutional domain, it rightfully attracts criticism.”

However, there is a minute difference between what should come out as a tit for tat or quid pro quo and the choice of choosing the hard-hitting way of turning all guns towards one and join the campaign that results in damaging the entire edifice of an institution that took long years of making it.

What i have got from the COAS General Kayani’s statement is his very serious concern over giving the hype in the breadth and width of country over the media, in the drawing rooms and at the coffee shops, that too making the old cases a point under the highly critical situation facing the armed forces when they need the most the insurmountable resolve of the nation at their back.

The biggest asset is the one’s image in the public eyes, if that is damaged, out of truth though, it takes another similar years to recollect. The fact remains that the armed forces are the only hope for the country.

They have delivered, be it war imposed from outside or inside, be it natural calamities or national call, and their role has been exemplary merit-based, with an effective in-house system of accountability, checks and balance, performance and professionalism.

FZ KHAN Islamabad

Nato supply The daily Pakistan Today reported the other day that "military agrees to resume cooperation with US on Parliament's nod".

With slight modifications and changes, it looks business as usual may be returning again. However, it is humbly suggested that Pakistan must put a condition that before restoration of the land supplies, besides other terms and conditions, United States of America must pay all outstanding Coalition Support Fund (CSF) dues to Pakistan, which is close to almost three billion dollars.

SYED NAYYAR UDDIN AHMAD Lahore

Security situation The law and order situation in the provincial capital and other parts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has worsened over the last few weeks and the police force is struggling to cope with the issue.

Apart from incidents of terrorism, people are being looted, kidnapped and killed in the crowded localities of Peshawar and its outskirts. The police force, however, is mostly concentrating on security of the government installations, offices and police stations leaving the public at the mercy of the criminals. isn’t it the job of police to provide all the citizens with the security of their lives? What is the reason for these double standards?

KHURRAM SALEEM Islamabad

every time, the petroleum products’ prices are increased, the federal government comes out with a clichés-filled statement that increase in petrol, diesel, CNG prices had become inevitable for reasons better known to the official quarters concerned.

Such an increase in POL products prices is being affected as a ritual for quite sometime without giving any consideration to the problems which are resultantly created across the board for people from all walks of life with motorists paying more for petrol, diesel and CNG, commuters forced to pay more fares for travelling in buses, wagons and rickshaws and essential daily use articles also costing more due to higher transportation charges and greater lust for profiteering by fleecing the needy buyers.

At the same time, such a situation also increases the dire need for adoption of fuel saving measures in order to offset the adverse impact of such frequent increases in POL prices on domestic budgets of those with modest earning.

These measures, in all fairness, could be reducing the travelling by cars or look for any other method for keeping the fuel consumption on the low side comparatively without compromising on distance one has to travel in a vehicle for business or other needs. it may not be possible for many to reduce their travelling for one reason or the other. indeed, there is dire need for fuel saving measures particularly for those who have to spend on petrol, diesel or CNG from their own pockets, irrespective of how resourceful they are.

MOHSIN ABDUL HAQ Lahore

conspiracies?

Undoubtedly, miseries of labour unions are increasing with the passage of time. There is no proper legislation in this regard. inefficient salaries, health matters, bonuses, pension, and

regularisation are the basic problems of labours in the country. it is a fact that labourers of the country are getting minimum salaries which are less than what is a minimum legitimate demand of a normal life. This is a serious matter as to how a labourer getting 7000 salary runs his six-member family in this time of price-hikes? i suggest that the government should make a body in this regard in order to resolve the issues of labour unions. The body should the role of mediation between the unions and employer and protect the rights of labourers. The employers are hiring the workforce on contract basis and are firing without any notice.

The government should implement the policy on governmental departments as well as private sector.

TARIQ HUSAIN KHAN Karachi

in continuation of my letter on 12 march, let me point out real conspiracies being hatched by none other than your own team, mr Prime minister. To begin with, statements of Pervaiz Ashraf on loadshedding, followed by at least three more cabinet members, are a conspiracy against the Pm and PPP in general. The recent one in this regard is the most horrific: that of Naveed Qamar announced the ending of loadshedding. The loadshedding increased manifold after this utterance. The duration went on to two hours per session. That is a conspiracy.

Bilour’s appearance on TV talk shows and being unable to answer even a single allegation of corruption in Railways is a conspiracy against you, sir Gilani. i can go on counting such silly things endlessly. The conspiracies are being hatched right under your nose and by your own people. Do we even need outsiders to do it?

All are under your command. That’s the reason that no male is prepared to go to SC for your support. The ball has been pushed in to your court. Now if you still disobey SC and refuse to write that piece of paper called letter, as i can see from your intentions, you will be the one who will be accused and made a scapegoat.

All these people around you will accuse you in person and by name. That will enable them to stand and speak in Chak Jhumra rally, when they will go to polls.

Wake up, sir, and be vigilant.

AMJAD H MIRZA Lahore

stands where it was. Addition of few modified F-16s in the fleet is not sufficient to counter indian threat. The defence forces are like a jaw whose all teeth should be sharp enough to bite, few weak teeth's in the jaw would leave the bite weak and meaningless. Our Prime minister must not deal the issue of acquiring offensive capability as something light. Pakistan must focus on building up regional alliances and must enter in to defence agreements with the important countries in the region.

All in all, the Air Chief has a challenging time ahead. What happened on 2 may 2011 is a sad chapter of our history when US helicopters violated our air space and got away with it. The ex-Air Chief admitted surveillance failure due to radars being inactive. This has been a big blow to our custodians of air space. if we lacked the capability to intercept in the past, we must acquire it now as we are in war like conditions and nation is not

prepared to accept action replay. maintaining an efficient and effective air force today is an expensive business for any country, especially like ours which is under immense foreign and domestic debt. maintaining an air force which can match our adversary who is constantly increasing their defence potential and arming themselves with lethal technology of missiles capable of delivering conventional and nuclear warheads is a threat which has to be taken seriously and countered effectively.

The nation looks up to the new chief to meet its aspirations of keeping our blue skies from any intrusion and ensure the flag of force flying high.

With the country undergoing an economic crisis forcing the defence budget to take downward plunge, the new Air Chief shall have to extract more funds from the government to turn the air force into an excellent fighting force. modernisation of the fleet, having access to early

warning system technologies and quick response capabilities to effectively counter and deter any enemy moves in our space, and for that matter to launch counter-offensives, are matters that warrant the highest priority.

The time has come to seriously consider the requirements of our air force.

New avenues should be explored for acquiring modern defence armament from friendly counties that can effectively deter foreign aggression and maintain dominance over our skies. We should stop relying any more on America alone who has subjected the availability of supplies conditional to their conditions related to our nuclear programme.

The nation is looking up to the new Air Chief who takes over on 18 march to lead the country's air force in these difficult times. Hopefully, he will come up to the expectations of the nation.

MUKHTAR AHMED Karachi

Whither national introspection?

Pakistan as a country has a very bad track record for the way it treats its minority groups. it is ironic because the country itself was founded on the basis of giving a minority group protection of its rights, both political and economic. But what is more troubling than this dismal situation is that we as a nation show no introspection about how we are treating our minorities.

Our national conscience is slumbering if not dead and our selfperception doesn’t show us all that is wrong with us.

The national reaction to many recent incidents of minority

Sheesha smoking Sheesha is one of the sweet poisons handed out to the unaware and easily influenced youth of this country. People must know how dangerous it is for health. it is a fact that one session of smoking sheesha results in carbon monoxide levels at least four to five times higher than the amount produced by one cigarette. it is clearly understood that it is more dangerous and injurious to health than cigarette. it's getting popular in our youth these days and so we see small sheesha bars and sheesha cafe in every area.

Some people have this misconception that it is 100 percent free from tobacco but it's not true. Some people find it far better than cigarette by smoking it occasionally.

People should be aware of its conse-

rights’ exploitation have laid bare the fissures in our society and the cracks in our national mindset yet we are reluctant to take a hard long look at ourselves in the mirror and undertake rectification measures whether socially (through education and awareness) or politically (by legislating in parliament and political activism by the public and public representatives). it should be apparent to us but the truth is the most difficult thing to face.

HAMMAD ALI Lahore

quences, especially the parents. They really need to guide their children well to prevent them from doing such activity because they are easily influenced by it, especially teenagers which take it as a symbol of status unaware of its harms, and smoke it as a recreational activity.

The government should think of some strategies to overcome this problem and must take action against sheesha cafes and bars. Children must be provided proper education about this in educational institutes.

SEHAR ARSHAD Karachi

Labour unions’ miseries

change of guard The appointment of Air marshal Tahir Rafique Butt who is highly decorated and professional officer as a new Air chief is a welcome decision. Never before has our armed forces been subjected to such microscopic views and media trials as is being done today. Under such conditions and circumstances any act by the armed forces that follows procedures and upholds merit will definitely contribute in raising the image of military institutions.

Today our air force lacks the ability in machines to dominate the skies and provide favourable air situation in case of war. indian air force continues to arm itself to teeth while it talks of normalising the relations with Pakistan. Pakistan’s defence needs have reached an alarming stage. indian missile programme and growing military might has placed us to seek immediate help in this area. The American restrictions and threat of sanctions and stoppage of military aid

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 19-03-2012_Layout 1 3/19/2012 2:35 AM Page 12

12 comment Looking at relations A little perspective, please

A

bicameral board is set to start its meetings on monday to deliberate on a future course of action regarding the US. Relations between the two countries became more than strained recently, after the Salala incident, which yielded the loss of 24 Pakistani soldiers.

How Pakistan is to balance her desire to be treated with respect with her desire to watch out for her self-interests is going to be the tough tight-rope walk set out for our government. Pakistan had responded immediately by closing down the Nato supply routes through the country. There is mounting pressure to maintain that blockade. There is an equal, if not visible, amount of pressure on the government to normalise relations and a resumption of the route would be the only tangible step in this regard. if one were to start looking around for windows of opportunity, there are several that could be zeroed in on.

Consider the recent statements of US military chief martin Dempsey, who has said the Pakistani military actually has the Taliban on the run. Furthermore, he seems to be cognisant of the Pakistani military’s security paradigm, where india is perceived to be the central threat. The general might disagree with this paradigm but can empathise more with his counterparts’ point of view.

On the other side, the Pakistani intelligence chief’s retirement - and this is one of the more publicly controversial spymasters that we have had in recent times presents an opportunity of its own. The chance to start over afresh, with better ties with both the American military and their intelligence establishment, can be used effectively, if we want to.

There are many within the Pakistani public discourse that are baying for blood, the Difa-e-Pakistan Council to name one such group. There is a stark need to realise here that discretion is the better part of valour and that even in the interests of Pakistan’s non-representative deep state, what to speak of the teeming millions themselves, there is very little space for us to manoeuvre here.

Herding cats Running government in a multiparty parliament

m

uch has been said about the mQm’s latest petulance. For the party - being what it is - to have staged protests against the culture of extortion in Karachi’s commercial centres is the stuff satire pieces are made off. And satirists did, indeed, have a field day: “Because they don’t like competition,” etc.

But the event was interesting as far as illustrating an aspect of legislative exercise in the country is concerned. Now the mQm has a particular leverage that would be the case regardless of what its strength in any chamber of legislature, federal or provincial, is concerned; something it shouldn’t have in an ideal, fairer world. But consider now only its headcount in the houses. And that of the ANP. And the JUi(F) as well as the Baloch nationalist parties.

Since it is now clear that Pakistan, much like india, has moved past the single-party governments of the past, the emergence of coalition politics makes the leverage - again, legislative leverage, not talking about what all the mQm in specific has at its disposal - that smaller parties have, much larger.

The leverage that smaller parliamentary profiles now have could be timed to meet, say, presidential addresses or at times contentious and divisive bills are being passed.

The previous Congress-led government in india was on the brink of collapse because the leftists threatened to pull out (no bluff; they did, eventually) of the coalition as protest against American cooperation in the nuclear field. A lot of politicking was required to save the manmohan Singh government. Only because the sliver of legislators belonging to the Left upset the applecart.

The American senate is also criticised for being too powerful. most famously, legislators representing only 11 percent of the population can, theoretically, effectively block any piece of legislation.

This might seem anti-democratic but it would be a natural bit of “affirmative action” to compensate for our centralist state’s past. Leading a coalition, however, is going to become far trickier.

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor

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

Monday, 19 March, 2012

all hail Sachin god himself loves to see him bat

By Waqqas Mir

i

t is a clear and breezy Lahore evening, the year is 2005. The setting sun adds a dreamy hue to the majestic flood lit green turf at the Gaddafi stadium. i keep rising off my seat to see if the indian openers are about to emerge from the pavilion. Anticipation fills the air. it has been 16 years since i last watched him play live. in that time, i have grown up and his performances have made my life immeasurably richer. my sister keeps teasing me, “Will you stand up when he walks in?” She, like millions of other Pakistani girls and aunties, has devoted more than a decade of prayers to his early dismissal each time he plays against us. Before i can answer her, someone screams, “Here they come!”

And out walk the two indian openers.

They are both great but Lahore’s eyes are following one with a special love. He walks over the ropes and turns his head to the heavens in that characteristic fashion and jogs a little like an enthusiastic 16 year old. i stand up to applaud and so does everyone around me, including my sister. it is impossible not to. We aren’t acknowledging a century. We are acknowledging supreme skill and devotion to one’s art. No one is sitting down.

Sachin Tendulkar walks to the crease, with his modest yet assured manner and Lahore breathes in his presence every precious second.

And then the show begins. The world’s fastest bowler hurls down deliveries at fierce pace and is humbled by the skill of a master craftsman. A clip off his legs comes first, followed by a searing drive with the ball racing along the turf, whispering intimate details about his talents to the ground.

Sachin reminds all of us of who his fiercest competitor is; it is Sachin himself. every time he goes out, he strives to and in fact betters what he achieved before. This is a man who played 55 days in a row as a 15 year old and fell asleep on the dining table — only to wake up the next morning at the crack of dawn with renewed hunger. He represents what all of us strive to achieve in our line of work; a standard by which everyone in the field is judged. i write today out of sheer love and awe for his talent. i disagree vehemently with those who say he is not a matchwinner — that argument confuses many issues. if people do not think of Sachin as a “finisher” then of course he is no

michael Bevan — there was only one like Bevan and his skill was limited to one day games. But Sachin has won a huge amount of enormously important matches for india. His breathtaking match-winning knocks have come against Australia (Sharjah), Pakistan (Centurion), england (Chennai) among others.

His phenomenal grit has also meant that he has often scored runs when his team crumbled. People comparing his hundreds and wins for india often forget that players like Lara, inzi and Ponting were on teams with phenomenal bowling attacks. Sachin decimated all of them at one point or another. He has never been any bowler’s “bunny” like Lara became to mcGrath or Ponting to the in-dipper early in his innings. The very fact that Sachin has racked up mountains of runs, many times in a losing cause, is a tribute to his genius and determination as a player. The fact that he has played so many Tests and ODis speaks of nothing else but what Harsha Bhogle calls his passion to perform.

His fitness and form have lasted longer than other great batsmen. His captaincy was not the most memorable stint but that is no measure of greatness, for if that is your measure then Sir Garfield Sobers did not have a captaincy record worthy of writing home about either.

Greatness is one thing and genius is quite another. Sachin has raised the bar for both. it is not just what he has achieved but how he has achieved it that boggles the mind and lifts the spirit. He has managed to remain disarmingly humble, stay away from controversy and has retained the passion of a 16 year old.

To make it to the indian cricket team has got to be the most difficult job in india.

The acceptance rate for a place on the

side is frighteningly low. To build a career spanning 2 decades and to be the focus of the hopes of a country of over a billion people — the sheer pressure of it — would weigh most people down. But all cricket fans thank God that Sachin defies expectations in the spell-binding way that he does. in 1989, when he first toured Pakistan, the great spinner Qadir taunted him to take a chance on his bowling.

Qadir was at his peak. The 16 year old from mumbai looked at him quietly and walked to his crease. in the next over, he hit Qadir for 4 sixes. Years later, the world’s greatest leg-spinner, Warne, would confess to having nightmares in which Sachin was smashing him all over the park.

His talent, along with his humility, and service to the game cannot be celebrated enough. Sir Don Bradman once compared Sachin to himself. The world took it as a huge compliment — and it was. Today, it would be a compliment to Sir Bradman himself if we think of him on the same level as Sachin Tendulkar.

Thank God that the young Sachin picked up a bat and fell in love with it. i have loved reading every sentence of the script that he has written.

Regardless of how often we Pakistanis prayed for his early dismissal against us, God often did not answer that prayer.

And i am grateful for that. We are all richer, along with our love of the game, thanks to this humble cricketing genius. i have a feeling that God himself has loved watching Sachin bat.

The writer is a Barrister and an Advocate of the High Courts. He is currently pursuing his LL.M in the US. He can be reached at wmir.rma@gmail.com or on Twitter @wordoflaw

Regional press

Saying No to drone strikes Daily Pakhtun Post

P

akistan has once again asked the United States to stop the drone attacks inside the Pakistani tribal belt which are violating integrity and sovereignty of her state and it seems will also once again fall on deaf ears.

The foreign office spokesman on Friday again called on the US government in a press briefing to immediately stop drone attacks as such a breach of sovereignty could not be tolerated by a sovereign nation. He said it was absolutely illegal and violation of Pakistan’s territorial integrity.

He also warned the US to stop carrying out the drone strikes immediately otherwise, the continuation of these attacks could have a severe backlash for the US as it was adversely affecting Pak-US ties and cooperation for the war on terror. He further stressed that drone attacks were damaging

Pakistan’s efforts against militancy and terrorism. Pakistan has been using all diplomatic channels to get these drone attacks to end. if the US does not revisit its policy of drone attacks, Pakistan would be forced to move towards other friendly states to raise this issue with them. it is good sign that the government is now taking this issue seriously as opposed to before when it veered between noncommittal silence and outright doublespeak. Now it is the time to revise our terms of engagement with the US, cooperate with them in the war on terror in a way that safeguards our national interests and establish our foreign policy on more rational and self-serving grounds. The people do not trust the establishment where these drone strikes are concerned and their assertive stance might restore some much-needed confidence in Pakistan’s leadership.

– Translated from the original Pashto by Sajjad Ali

KHI 19-03-2012_Layout 1 3/19/2012 2:35 AM Page 13

Monday, 19 March, 2012

comment 13

To talk or to fight

The academic epidemic

Diplomacy vs tactical expediency in Afghanistan

pakistan’s higher education woes

politact

By Arif Ansar

i

n the aftermath of Obama and Netanyahu meeting in Washington, the tensions over iran have receded a little, and the focus is shifting back to Afghanistan. From all indications, the situation there is fast approaching a turning point. The events since the Quran burning in Bagram clearly pose bad omens for the American strategy.

As a result of these developments, the Taliban have suspended talks that had barely started in Qatar. The killing of NATO personnel by Afghan security forces, and Afghan civilians at the hands of coalition forces, both are alarmingly on the increase as the trust deficit widens.

The question that will have to be revisited immediately is if the Afghan conflict primarily needs a negotiated settlement or a military one; both can no longer continue at the same time.

At the time of the announcement of the new Afghan strategy, two critical decisions were made: to increase the troop levels and withdraw by 2014. While there was a recognition that a political solution will ultimately be needed, the military operations against Taliban have continued. in addition, to promote a regional approach, the US also launched a strategic dialogue process with Pakistan, Afghanistan and india.

Since then, the Pakistan leg of the process has collapsed while Afghanistan is moving painfully slow. The recent US and eU sanctions on the import of oil from iran have added a new dimension to the US-india ties that had not existed in the past.

As has happened in iraq, withdrawal from Afghanistan was to follow by a large embassy and special operations forces

continuing the targeted fight against the extremists. However, to achieve this, a strategic deal with Afghanistan is needed.

While the contentious issue of the transfer of prisons to Afghan authorities was recently resolved, the matter of nightly raids has remained.

There is a striking similarity between the night-time raids in Afghanistan and drone strikes in Pakistan. Both cause civilian causalities but the numbers have remained controversial.

Nonetheless, while the NATO forces claim these military tactics to be highly useful, they produce equally damaging political consequences for the respective governments to manage. it was for these reasons that the night-time raids have become a showstopper in the way of a US-Afghan strategic deal. Similarly, the drone attacks are likely to remain a stumbling block between US and Pakistan, as the country unveils its new terms of engagement with the US. it is quite possible that as American strategy falters in Afghanistan, the blame once again shifts towards Pakistan.

The dilemma for US strategy has remained whether to focus on fighting or on talking at this stage of the conflict, as both have appeared indispensable. Part of the predicament has resulted from the message of Obama administration to its public and the Congress. it has maintained that the surge in troop has taken away the initiative from the Taliban and has created a space where Afghan authorities can move in. moreover, the pace and quality of training being provided to Afghan security forces is adequate and there are no problems with the forces’ ethnic composition. This depiction, however, negates what has been unfolding on the ground.

As US and the Taliban enter into negotiations, it is not clear who has the upper hand. This is further complicated by the fluidity of the situation on the ground. Nonetheless, this also confuses which party would have to compromise, and on what.

For example, why would Taliban want to talk to and accept the authority of Karzai government, if

they retain the position of strength? On the other hand, if the military strategy is working, then why is there a need for negotiations in the first place? in addition to the above, the American short and long term interests in the region have also complicated its strategy. is the US goal in Afghanistan to defeat Al Qaeda and other brands of extremists, including Taliban? Or, is it also to maintain a check on Pakistan, iran and China after withdrawal? in the long run, none of the above objectives can be accomplished by using aggressive military tactics that alienates local populations.

There is also intellectual failure to define what the success would look like. For example, a case can be made that the elimination of bin Laden and weakening of Al-Qaeda’s leadership in the AfPak region, represents a success. On the other hand, it is equally true that due to the military pressure in FATA and Afghanistan, extremists have moved to Yemen and Somalia.

As a result, in the next decade we could see the situation deteriorate in North Africa and the middle east. The cross pollination of the migrated extremists with the dynamics of Arab Spring could potentially produce a perfect storm. in other words, what looks like a short-term achievement may be a long-term disaster in the making.

How success and challenges are being defined, appear more to do with politics than the ground reality. While the Democrats may claim a success and perhaps even win election on the basis of short-term achievements, the military or ‘follow the plan’ approach being favoured by the Republicans, may further hurt US long-term goals. in any event, the ground reality is quickly approaching a point that if a political approach is not fully adopted, the benefits of even the short-term accomplishments may be erased.

The writer is the chief analyst for PoliTact (www.PoliTact.com and http:twitter.com/politact) and can be reached at aansar@politact.com

A

round 8 months ago, i had the misfortune of meeting a lady who earns her living as an Assistant Professor of Politics and international Relations at a major federal government university. in my brief and mostly forgettable encounter with her, i was subjected to a wide variety of completely ludicrous statements on Pakistani society, politics, and international affairs, with some of them being so mind-bogglingly inane that i couldn’t help but feel sorry for her students.

Starting off from how Pakistan’s ‘national character’, (whatever that is), is unsuited to democracy, she veered off from the inane to the downright insane by claiming how western political science is worthless, how the world is still recovering from the ‘debris’ of the Ottoman empire, and how there’s a need to understand politics in the light of Quran and Sunnah. As i write this down, as it gets printed, and as you folks read it, more innocent students are being subjected to her brand of ‘indie’ social science. i was reminded of this encounter by a thread of emails between Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy, Physicist previously associated with Quaid-e-Azam University and now with LUmS, and Dr Javaid Leghari, the current head of the Higher education Commission. The subject matter relates to the Physics dissertation of some student at Balochistan University, which discusses the ‘science’ of chromotheraphy, i.e. healing By umair Javed human beings through colors. even to a completely non-science student like myself, the idea stinks of quackery and, as Dr Hoodbhoy puts it, crackpotism.

What was more troubling yes, more troubling than the fact that such things pass for intellectual discourse in this country - was that the supervisory board of this dissertation consisted of the current Vice Chancellor of QAU – the number 1 ranked university in Pakistan. And more troubling than even that was the HeC chairman’s reluctance to put his foot down, despite being given proof of academic fraud and shoddiness by Dr Amer iqbal, Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy, and not one but two Physics Nobel Laureates.

What’s worrying is that the prevalence of academic fraud, plagiarism, and substandard output is not isolated to one, two or ten events. it is embedded into the higher education system in this country and it functions in constant perpetuity

thanks to the standards, or lack thereof, of our existing academia. Between Hoodbhoy, Dr isa Daudpota, and a few others, a number of such scams, frauds, and downright travesties have been unearthed over the last few years.

Five months ago, one mr Zahir ebrahim wrote a mini-dissertation on the fraudulent practices of Dr ijaz Durrani, a physicist who published a book in which 17 out of the 18 chapters were plagiarised from a variety of sources. He was also guilty of bootlegging some works of – and this really takes the cake – max Planck. This fellow is currently associated with the University of Gujrat, draws a hefty salary as an HeC National Distinguished Professor, and is probably busy teaching his students how to con their way to an academic career.

As a social science student, and as someone who wishes to be a part of higher education teaching and research in the near future, the level of this rot never ceases to amaze me. The incentive structure created by some universities, duly abetted by the HeC, i.e. giving money to professors for supervising students and publishing articles with no complementing monitoring mechanism, leads to outputs like the ones mentioned above. more than that, thanks to the centralised nature of higher education, academia is treated as a defined career with incentivised rungs just waiting to be climbed – very much like being a civil servant or an army officer. There is no impulse amongst careerist professors, hailing from mostly conservative middle class backgrounds, to undertake their work with diligence as long as they’re getting their share from the higher education treasury. Little surprise then that the VC of our number one ranked university saw nothing wrong in approving a Physics dissertation that had nothing to do with the subject as the world understands it.

For a quick reality check, compare this to the case of india, where public sector education is flourishing, where their version of QAU, the Jawaharlal Nehru University, is constantly ranked as one of the greatest post-graduate institutions in Asia, if not the world, and most of all, where genuine, citable research is being produced on a regular basis.

The problem with higher education is not limited to just that particular sector. it has a spillover effect on the next generation of researchers, thinkers, and intellectuals; it has an impact on how we understand identity, history, politics, and our place in the modern world; and most of all, it has an impact on our struggle with economic underdevelopment, poverty, and inequality. The lady i mentioned at the start seemed very smug and proud at her assessment, and subsequent middle finger to the ideas of western political science but what she’s clearly unable to see is that the joke’s on her, her students, and consequently, on all of us.

The writer blogs at http://recycledthought.blogspot.com. Email him at umairjaved87@gmail.com, or send a tweet @umairjava

KHI 19-03-2012_Layout 1 3/19/2012 2:36 AM Page 14

14

Monday, 19 March, 2012

Jennifer Lopez

in limelight

defends comments about ‘obsessive guys’ pursuing her LOS ANGELES

J

Agencies

eNNiFeR Lopez's longtime manager Benny medina wishes she'd stayed single a little longer after splitting up with marc Anthony. He told Vogue if she'd let her next relationship happen naturally, she might not be bogged down with "obsessive guys (pursuing her." And while medina said the ‘American idol’ judge is "not oblivious to her own reality right now," his comments did seem a bit derogatory towards J.Lo. So should Benny start sending out his résumé? Nope, Jenny is okay with her outspoken pal. "i know Benny and he's my best friend, my creative soul mate. i know the way he says things, and i know he would never say anything that would be hurtful to me in any way,” she told Access Hollywood.

"Things can be taken out of context. You have to be aware of what can be misconstrued." But Benny needn't worry yet. Despite a hacked tweet from Roberto Cavalli claiming he was designing J.Lo's next wedding dress, she and Casper are still just dating—for now.

WAshington: Adele reportedly turned down a record deal to make preparations for her birthday celebrations back when she was 18.

According to school friend Allan Rose, the ‘someone Like You’ singer wanted to celebrate her 18th birth anniversary with a bash to remember and refused to let the offer of a contract get in the way.Rose met Adele at the BRit school, which also counts Jessie J, Amy Winehouse and Leona Lewis amongst its past pupils.“it was clear she was going to be a star. some people were that step above everyone else, and Adele was one of them. she was just naturally musically gifted,” a website has quoted him as telling a leading daily. the ‘21’ singer had famously refused to play any festivals in 2011 because she wanted to spend the summer “drinking cider” and leading a “normal” life with her friends.“You’ve got to build up relationships. i’m at a point where i’m making my friends for life. i don’t want to forget how to be normal.

You’ve got to go out and have a laugh,” she was quoted as telling a magazine.Rose believes that Adele is still the same person he once knew.“she’s clearly stayed grounded. she was bubbly, fun, outgoing and popular at school. everyone is proud we spent time with this amazing talent,” he said. Agencies

After Shirish slap-gate, it’s time for SRK’s film with

Farah MuMBAi: We all know for a fact that Bollywood is a place where friendship and enmity take shape overnight. Nothing is for good in this world of glam and glitz. Not too long ago, once thick friends Shah Rukh Khan and farah Khan had made headlines over ShirishKunder’s (husband of farah Khan) slap-gate episode that took the tinsel town by storm. Kunder had made derogatory remarks about SRK’s ‘Ra.one’ that irked King Khan, leading to an alleged fist fight and a hard slap on the filmmaker’s face. As expected, the two Khans kissed and reconciled with Kunder profusely apologising to the biggie for throwing his weight around him.And if the latest buzz that is doing the rounds is to be believed then the two Khans have teamed up for a film.

A source revealed, “After the fight SRK had with farah’s husband ShirishKunder at Sanjay Dutt’s party in february, the duo patched up. they even met a few times at home after that. It was during one of farah`s visits to Mannat that they talked about working together again. Before SRK left for a 40-day schedule to London for his next film, farah narrated the script and he instantly said yes. Apart from his wife Gauri, SRK`s close friends KaajalAnand and Karan Johar have been instrumental in bringing the warring duo back together. farah even went to London for two days recently to seal the dates and complete other formalities. the film is being touted as the baap of ‘Main HoonNaa’ and will be a wholesome entertainer.” Agencies

LAS VeGAS: Kiss singer/guitarist Paul Stanley, guitarist tommy thayer, singer/bassist Gene Simmons and drummer eric Singer arrive at the opening of the KISS amusement attraction.

LoS ANGeLeS: Actor James Denton arrives at UNIcef Playlist With the A-List.

NeW yoRK: Actress Rosie Perez attends the Broadway opening night of ‘Death of A Salesman’.

Akshay comes full circle as

‘Khiladi 786’ MuMBAi: for ‘Khiladi’ Akshay Kumar, returning to the signature series with the same title after more than a decade, is a deja vu moment.the actor is returning to the Khiladi series through ‘Khiladi 786’, twelve years after he had played a con man in ‘Khiladi 420’ in 2000. “It (Khiladi) is a title for me. Wherever I go people call me Khiladi. I have always been referred to as Khiladi," the actor said.`Khiladi 786` is an upcoming action comedy film directed by Ashish R Mohan starring Ileana D`cruz, Paresh Rawal and Himesh Reshammiya."It has been 12 years that I haven`t done that kindof a film.I think the role it was written for me. I am happy to be doing action films again," Akshay said. the 44-year-old began his acting career with action films but later took a break to dabble mainly in comedy. the actor earned the nickname of `Khiladi` for his actionromantic-comedy films like `Khiladi` (1992), `Main Khiladi tu Anari` (1993), `Sabse Bada Khiladi` (1995), `Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi` (1996), `Mr and Mrs Khiladi` (1997), `International Khiladi` (1999) and `Khiladi 420` (2000). `Khiladi 786` is slated for release in Diwali. Agencies

Hollywood: British actor Malcolm McDowell listens as actor Gary oldman speaks before McDowell had his star unveiled on the Hollywood’s Walk of fame.

Double-meaning songs will suit me more: Salman MuMBAi: Salman Khan drew flak for coming up with a song titled ‘character Dheela’ in his flick ‘Ready’ for the lyrics allegedly irked certain section of the society. though most of the actor’s films are mostly meant for the entire family to watch, the flamboyant star wants lyricists to pen double meaning songs for him.

During the launch of music album titled ‘Bittoo Boss’, Salman Khan spoke about double-meaning songs and their effect on children.Salman said, “Songs with double meanings will suit me more. ‘Bitto sab ki lega’ will be a strong contender to DK Bose given its double meaning lyrics.”

However, the ‘Dabangg’ Khan knows that such songs might cast negative influence on children hence doesn’t want them to be publicised comprehensively. “Although it`s a fun song, please don`t promote this song too much, it`ll be a bad influence on the kids,” Khan added. Agencies

KHI 19-03-2012_Layout 1 3/19/2012 2:36 AM Page 15

Rihanna gets naked to deal with ‘body insecurities’

15 'Home Alone 5: Alone In the Dark:' fifth installment in the works

LONDON

R

Agencies

i h a n n a has said that in order to deal with her “body insecurities” she began to expose herself more and slowly got comfortable in her skin. The Barbadian beauty had a complex about her body, but conquered her fears about it. “The more i got naked the more comfortable i felt. i just had to face my fear. i just started being more daring,” the Sun quoted her as saying. While most women envy her body, the singer wants a fuller figure and has even quit dieting. “it’s so annoying! i don’t really have a shape. i’m eating everything,” she added.

KIeV: Models present creations by Ukrainian fashion designer elena Burenina during the Ukrainian fashion Week.

Céline Dion not dead, just killed by Twitter

Aniston’s beauty a costly affair LONDON Agencies

Actress Jennifer Aniston spends a whopping 90,000 pounds a year on beauty treatments. The ‘Friends’ star, who was recently voted Hottest Woman Of All Time, spends about 250 pounds every day on beauty treatments, reports thesun.co.uk. A website called Shine has broken down the 43-year-old`s spending based on the products and services she admits using.The biggest weekly amount is 600 pounds for yoga sessions with her own private trainer. But she also blows 380 pounds on haircuts, with another 200 pounds for putting highlights on her tresses.

LOS ANGELES: 'Home Alone 5: Alone in The Dark:' Fifth installment Of Franchise in The Works. ‘Home Alone 5’ will air in late 2012. macaulay Culkin may be past his ‘Home Alone’ days, but the franchise lives on. The ABC Family has just announced that ‘Home Alone 5: Alone in The Dark’ is in the works. The fourth installment of ‘Home Alone,’‘Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House,’ was also made for television, premiering on ABC in November 2002, while the first three films -- two of which starred Culkin -- had theatrical debuts.The ‘Home Alone 5’ will star Christian martyn as Finn, an 8-year-old boy who moves from California to a creepy house in maine, which he is convinced is haunted by a ghost.

Determined to catch the ghost in action, Finn sets up a series of traps. But, in true ‘Home Alone’ style, the traps are beneficial in an unexpected way. They end up catching a group of thieves who try to break in while Finn and his sister are left home alone with their parents trapped across town.Also starring malcolm macDowell, Debi mazar, edward esner, eddie Steeples, and JodelleFerland. Agencies

the dictator's dream: Gaddafi's son ordered cruise ship complete with shark tank LIBYA: Hannibal Gaddafi, the fourth son of Col Gaddafi commissioned a vessel with its own shark tank after becoming frustrated at being unable to charter cruise ships at short notice.The vessel – the Phoenicia, was to have entertained up to 3,500 guests with elaborate gilt-edged architectural flourishes, a 120-tonne chamber filled with seawater for two sand tiger sharks, two white sharks and two blacktip reef sharks. Flanked with marble pillars, gold-framed mirrors and giant statues, the shark tank was to be a unique centrepiece for his guests.After the 36 year-old fled to Algeria and the uprising felled the Gaddafi regime, the contract for the playboy cruise liner was terminated and the vessel was put on sale. Agencies

LONDON Agencies

Her heart will go on? Not if Twitter has anything to say about it. The increasingly macabre social media site obviously has a taste for blood in the wake of its attempted massacring of Justin Bieber earlier this week, and just yesterday set its sights on some more fresh meat: in particular, Céline Dion. Death by hashtag seems to be all the craze, and Twitter continued the tradition when "RiP Céline Dion" became a worldwide trending topic.So what was the weapon of choice this time? Rather than the old standby of a New Zealand cliff or freak on-set accident, the culprits were alternately a plane crash or a car accident.

Needless to say, Céline is alive and well. Whether the same can be said for her sense of humour in the wake of her untimely fake death remains to be seen.

Aamir Khan wants to work with

Vidya Balan MuMBAi: Vidya Balan`s charm and enduring performance seems to have impressed `perfectionist` Aamir Khan so much that he has expressed his desire to work with the national award winning actress. Vidya’s dream run began with R Balki`s `Paa` (2009) alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Vishal Bharadwaj`s `Ishqiya` (2010) opposite Nasseruddin Shah, Raj Kumar Gupta`s `No one Killed Jessica` (2011) alongside Rani Mukherjee, Milan Luthria`s `the Dirty Picture` (2011) and the latest, Sujosh Ghosh`s `Kahaani` (2012). With Vidya being compared with Aamir for her perfectionist style, so much so that she is dubbed by some in the industry as a `female Aamir Khan`, the latter is singing the paeans for her. "I think we must call Vidya by her name only and who am I for her to be getting my name? She is very talented and a wonderful actress. I would love to work with her," Aamir said. though Aamir has not seen Vidya`s recent movie, he is lavish in praise for the 34-year-old actress. "I haven`t seen `Kahaani` yet but I have heard good things about it, people have appreciated and liked the film a lot. even about Vidyaji I have heard good things. People have appreciated and liked her recent films and I congratulate her," he said. Agencies

Asin denies romance with neil MuMBAi: A while back, industry was abuzz with link-up reports of South Indian beauty Asin with Neil NitinMukesh. Speculations were rife about their blossoming romance, but insiders recently confirmed that the two have split.While Asin categorically denied any romantic relationship with Neil, grapevine has it that the two parted ways as Asin’s father did not approve of Neil.When contacted, Asin said, “these are all baseless speculations. It does not bother me, as these reports will die down eventually. But yes, it definitely makes for a good read.”Asin, as of now is busy promoting Sajid Khan’s upcoming film ‘Housefull 2’, in which, she plays the female lead opposite actor Akshay Kumar.Meanwhile, Neil seems to have moved on with the incident as the dishy actor is often spotted hanging around with dazzling beauties of B-town at social in dos in the industry. Agencies

KHI 19-03-2012_Layout 1 3/19/2012 2:36 AM Page 16

16 Foreign News

Monday, 19 March, 2012

US man killed in yemen, Qaeda claims responsibility SANAA Afp

Assailants riding a motorbike on Sunday gunned down an American teacher in Yemen’s second city of Taez, an official said, with an AlQaeda-linked group claiming it killed him for preaching Christianity.

The gunmen opened fire on the man while he was in his car in Sena neighbhourhood of the city 270 kilometres (170 miles) southwest of Sanaa, the security official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The slain man was an American who had been working in Taez as the deputy director of a Swedish language centre, he added.

Ansar al-Sharia, or Partisans of Sharia -- a group linked to Al-Qaeda -claimed responsibility for the attack. its fighters “killed an American Christian missionary,” said a statement circulated by a mobile phone message and confirmed by a source close to the group. “The attack is in response to a Western campaign to preach Christianity among muslims,” it said. The statement confirmed the suspicions of another security official that the attack was the work of Al-Qaeda.

The shooting “carries the fingerprints of Al-Qaeda, but investigations are ongoing” to identify the culprits, said an investigating officer who also asked not to be named. The US embassy in Sanaa said it did not have any information about the killing and that it was investigating the report.

Witnesses said however that the attackers were dressed in the uniform of the elite Republican Guard, led by the son of former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, Ahmed.

Opponents of Saleh have repeatedly called for the command of the military to be purged of relatives of the veteran leader, who was forced to step down last month after year-long protests inspired by the Arab Spring. in other violence on Sunday, missiles fired from the sea slammed into AlQaeda positions in the southern city of Zinjibar, killing at least 16 suspected militants, a local official said.

He said the heavy shelling began overnight targeting the northeastern suburbs of Zinjibar, which jihadists have controlled since may following fierce fighting with government troops.

Heavy shelling kills 16 al Qaeda fighters in yemen ADEN Afp

missiles fired from the sea slammed into Al-Qaeda positions in the southern Yemeni city of Zinjibar on Sunday killing at least 16 suspected militants, a local official said.

He said the heavy shelling began overnight targeting the northeastern suburbs of Zinjibar, which jihadists have controlled since may following fierce fighting with government troops. “many bases of Al-Qaeda were destroyed,” and 16 jihadists were killed, the official said on condition of anonymity.

The attacks were launched from the sea, he added. Witnesses in the nearby town of Jaar said the bodies of 16 gunmen were buried in a makeshift graveyard in an ammunition factory.

The corpses were torn to pieces.

Yemeni forces also launched air raids south of Jaar, another stronghold of Al-Qaeda, the official said.

Al-Qaeda militants have exploited the weakening central government in Sanaa to strengthen their presence in the country, especially across the restive south and southeast.

Zinjibar is the capital of Abyan province, a stronghold of the jihadists’ local affiliate Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, whose militants fight under the banner of Partisans of Sharia.

Cairo: Tens of thousands of egyptian Christian Copts flock to the the saint Mark's Coptic Cathedral on sunday to bid farewell to Pope shenuda iii, the spiritual leader of the Middle east's largest Christian minority. Pope shenuda died at the age of 88 after a long battle with illness. afp

Blasts hit Syria ahead of UN missions g

three civilians killed, more than 25 injured DAMASCuS

S

Afp

YRiA was hit by the third lethal car bombing of the weekend on Sunday as UN teams readied for a government-led humanitarian mission and to work to launch a monitoring operation to end a year of bloodshed.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, in a statement, said the latest blast targeted political security offices in the northern city of Aleppo, killing three civilians and wounding more than 25 others. State media, which have said that such attacks aimed to sabotage efforts to find a political solution to Syria’s crisis, said it exploded near residential buildings and a post office.

The attack left dead and wounded, causing heavy damage to apartment buildings and cars, state television reported, without giving a precise casualty toll. Activists in Aleppo, the target of car bombings on February 10 that killed 28 people, told AFP in Beirut on Skype that

the blast rocked the city at 12:50 pm (1050 GmT).

On Saturday, twin car bombings killed 27 people and wounded 140 others in the heart of Syria’s capital, mostly civilians, the interior ministry said, blaming “terrorists” for the attacks near police and air force headquarters.

The capital and Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city, are both seen as having high levels of support for President Bashar al-Assad and been relatively unscathed by the brutal crackdown on anti-regime protests.

“Yesterday’s explosions were carried out by terrorists supported by foreign powers which finance and arm them,” charged Al-Baath newspaper, mouthpiece of Assad’s ruling party of the same name. “The two attacks... aim to disrupt Annan’s mission and to foil international efforts to find a political solution to the crisis,” it said, referring to UN-Arab League peace envoy Kofi Annan. A rally and prayers were held on Sunday at the site of the biggest explosion, in the AlQasaa district that is home to many

members of Syria’s Christian minority.

State television, which said victims were being buried Sunday, has repeatedly broadcast how the Al-Qasaa blast had totally gutted the facade of a multistorey building, wrecked family homes and left behind blood-splattered pavements. Opposition activists accused the regime, as in past lethal bombings in the capital and the northern city of Aleppo, of having stage-managed the attacks.

Ath-Thawra, another official daily, pointed the finger at Qatar and Saudi Arabia which have called for rebels fighting the Assad regime to be armed.

“The terrorism of Hamad and Saud is not a first. We know their bloodstained hatred, born of jealousy... We have heard their call, and their incitement,” it said, referring to the Saudi and Qatari ruling families.

Technical experts from the United Nations and the Organisation of islamic Cooperation, meanwhile, were to take part in a mission to assess the humanitarian impact of the crackdown on antiregime protests since march 2011. UN

humanitarian chief Valerie Amos, who held talks in Damascus this month, said they would at the weekend join the assessment mission to Daraa, Homs, Hama, Tartus, Latakia, Aleppo, Deir ezzor and rural zones around Damascus.

The United Nations estimates more than 30,000 Syrians have fled to neighbouring states and another 200,000 have been displaced within the country by the past 12 months of deadly violence. Activists say the year-long conflict has cost more than 9,100 lives.

Former UN chief Annan, who met Assad in Damascus last weekend, has ordered a team of experts to Syria to discuss a possible ceasefire and international monitoring mission, his spokesman said. Annan’s team are to head to Damascus from New York and Geneva on monday, his spokesman said.

On the ground, security forces mounted operations Sunday in Aleppo, northwestern idlib, the east’s Deir ezzor region and Daraa in the south, birthplace of the anti-Assad revolt, and AlRaqqa, northeast, activists said.

Jordanian jailed for killing sister over alleged adultery AMMAN Afp

BisHKeK: a sphynx cat wearing a wedding dress hisses during a cat exhibition. Cat owners from three countries, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and uzbekistan gathered on sunday to show off their pets. afp

A 26-year-old Jordanian was sentenced to life in prison on Sunday for killing his sister in 2010 after her husband accused her of adultery, a court official said. “The criminal court initially condemned the man to death for stabbing to death his 28-year-old sister, but the sentence was immediately commuted to life in jail after their family urged leniency,” he told AFP. “The convict’s 17-year-old bother took part in the crime, but he was not charged with anything because he suffers from behavioural disorder.”

The official said the crime took place in Sahab, in the south of Amman. “in 2008, the victim’s husband filed a complaint against his wife, accusing her of adultery. This enraged her family, who threatened to kill her,” he said. “in July, 2010, the man sent his wife to her family after a fight. Her brother killed her immediately.”

KHI 19-03-2012_Layout 1 3/19/2012 2:36 AM Page 17

Monday, 19 March, 2012

Libya, france, Icc want to try Gaddafi spy chief NOuAKCHOtt Afp

France and the international Criminal Court have filed formal requests with mauritania to extradite Libya’s ex-spy chief Abdullah Senussi, a security source said Sunday as Tripoli insisted that it should put him on trial.

“For the time being two requests have been received by mauritania. One from France arrived on Saturday and the second from the iCC on Sunday,” the mauritanian source told AFP. A delegation from the Libya’s ruling National Transitional Council is expected to visit mauritania soon to discuss Senussi’s handover.

Libya is determined to try the feared former right-hand man of fallen leader moamer Gaddafi who is wanted by The Hague-based iCC for crimes committed while trying to crush last year’s uprising.

“Our courts are very good, even excellent, especially in Tripoli and we are able to carry out his trial according to international standards,” Justice minister Ali Hmeida Ashur told AFP on Sunday.

Amnesty international on Saturday said that Senussi should be tried by the iCC in the absence of a functioning judiciary in Libya.

However mauritanian legal expert Brahim Ould ebetty warned that the extradition requests would have to be examined by a court and a final decision could “take some time if rules and procedures are followed.”

French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Saturday hailed the arrest and called for Senussi’s extradition to France, his office said. ebetty said France has “the best argument to make” for extradition.

Senussi faced an international arrest warrant after a Paris court sentenced him in absentia to life imprisonment for involvement in the downing of a French airliner in 1989.

The airliner was brought down by a bomb on September 19, 1989 over Niger. The UTA flight was carrying 170 people from Brazzaville to Paris via N’Djamena.

That attack -- along with that a year earlier against a PanAm jumbo jet over Lockerbie, Scotland, in which 270 people were killed -- led to a UN-mandated air blockade of Libya in 1992.

Senussi was arrested late Friday night at Nouakchott airport as he arrived on a regular flight from Casablanca in morocco carrying a fake malian passport.

Foreign News 17

East German rights activist Gauck elected president BERLIN

A

Afp

CTiViST pastor Joachim Gauck was elected German president by an overwhelming majority on Sunday, marking the first time a candidate from the former communist east will be head of state.

Gauck, 72, claimed 991 votes out of 1,232 from a special assembly of mPs and other dignitaries, parliamentary speaker Norbert Lammert said, against prominent Nazi hunter Beate Klarsfeld, 73, who was nominated as a protest candidate by the far-left party Die Linke.

“What a beautiful Sunday,” Gauck said to enthusiastic applause from the chamber of the glass-domed Reichstag parliament building in central Berlin after the vote. it was the third presidential election in three years for Germany after the abrupt resignations of Gauck’s two predecessors.

Gauck helped drive the peaceful revolution that

brought down communist east Germany and later fought to ensure that the public would be granted access to the vast stash of files left behind by the despised Stasi secret police after reunification in 1990. He oversaw the archive for the next decade. in a short acceptance speech, he noted that his election fell on the 22nd anniversary of the first free elections in east Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall the previous November.

“After 26 years of dictatorship we were finally able to become citizens,” he said. “i knew then that i would never miss another election.”

Chancellor Angela merkel, who also grew up under communism, gave her backing to the plain-spoken Lutheran pastor in February after then president Christian Wulff stepped down amid a flurry of corruption allegations dating from his time as a state premier.

A poll for ARD public television released on Saturday indicated that 80 percent of respondents consider him to be trustworthy.

The media and the public cheered his candidacy as an opportunity to remove some of the tarnish from the largely ceremonial office which serves as a kind of moral compass for the nation. expectations are outsized for Gauck, who has won a reputation across the country as an inspiring public speaker, albeit

with a touch of vanity.

But as a staunch Protestant like merkel, he is also keen to remind Germans that their hard-won freedoms carry weighty responsibilities with them -- a lifelong theme he has said he will take to the presidential palace.

“From Gauck we can learn that democracy means thinking

and acting for one’s self rather than waiting for political redeemers,” the influential news weekly Die Zeit said in its current issue.

Gauck himself warned scandal-weary Germans against seeing him as a redeemer, telling reporters the night he was nominated that they should not expect “Superman”.

He said he would seek to relieve Germans of some of their angst as europe grapples with its sovereign debt crisis and to reach out to immigrant groups to foster integration.

Gauck looked set to buck tradition from the start, as his longtime girlfriend Daniela Schadt said he had no plans to divorce his estranged wife of more than 50 years Gerhild and wed her. “i see no reason to marry for reasons of protocol,” the 52year-old journalist who is now Germany’s First Lady told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

“Considering the fact that not only Jochen and i but the whole family accepts our arrangement, i think the rest of society can live with it,” she said, using Gauck’s nickname.

Maoists kidnap two Italian tourists in India RAIPuR Afp

maoist rebels have kidnapped two italian tourists in poverty-hit eastern india, police said Sunday, in what was believed to be the first abduction of foreigners by the left-wing militants.

Television reports said the kidnappers issued 13 demands for the release of the italians, including asking police to release an unspecified number of prisoners and end their drive to root out maoists from the region.

The abduction occurred Wednesday in the scenic Kandhamal district in central Orissa, police said, one of a string of states where armed maoist rebels have been waging a decades-long battle to overthrow government authorities. “maoists have abducted two italian nationals from Daringbadi area of Kandhamal district,” regional police deputy inspector general Radha Krishna Sharma told AFP. The italian foreign office in Rome identified the kidnap victims as Paolo Bosusco and Claudio Colangelo.

Bosusco had been living in the city of Puri in Orissa for a decade and was running an adventure tourism company, police said.

Sharma said the men asked police monday to be allowed to travel around Kandhamal, but authorities denied permission, citing risks of maoist violence.

New YorK: New York Police Department officers in cars watch as workers clean Zuccotti Park on sunday after occupy wall street demonstrators were cleared from the park the previous night in New York City. a few hundred had gathered to mark the six-month anniversary of the protests and were moved by police when some tried to set up tents. afp

anti-putin protest swarms iconic Moscow TV tower MOSCOW Afp

Riot police detained dozens of protesters on Sunday who picketed moscow’s iconic television tower after footage purporting to show people being paid to rally against Vladimir Putin was aired nationally.

An AFP correspondent saw organisers Boris Nemtsov and Sergei Udaltsov being led away with about 30 others sporting the white protest ribbons of the nascent movement against Putin’s 12-year domination of Russia.

The crowd of about 500

chanted “Shame to NTV” and “Russia without Putin” as dozens of helmeted police protected the doors of the country’s main television centre and made periodic arrests. moscow echo radio said the number of those bundled off to various moscow police stations had reached 100 people as the unsanctioned rally wound down under a grey and drizzly sky.

The Ostankino tower protest aims to cap a growing campaign for Russians to boycott NTV television -- a once proudly independent network now run by the media arm of the state-run natural gas mo-

nopoly Gazprom.

The station had aired a series of self-proclaimed documentaries in the run-up to Putin’s march 4 election to a third term claiming to back up his charges that the protests were being funded by the West. its latest report on Thursday night showed people openly accepting cash payments for attending a small anti-Putin demonstration in moscow this winter.

But some of those who appeared at the rally told various private media outlets this weekend that they had shown up at the agreed location after

responding to an advertisement placed by NTV television itself.

“Now it is clear why the Kremlin decided to decriminalise defamation and make it into a civil offence on the eve of the elections,” Gazprom media’s former director Alfred Kokh wrote in his blog. NTV fell under state control just a year after Putin won his first term as president in 2000. it had made its name by taking an unflinching look at the brutalities being committed during the 1990s war in Chechnya and by pillorying Russian leaders in weekly satirical pro-

grammes whose likes had not been seen in the country before.

Tens of thousands had gathered outside the same Ostankino tower in the station’s defence in 2001 in what to many became a symbolic protest against the onset of a Soviet-style domination of civil society by the state.

The Kremlin managed extend its grip on almost all major TV networks by the time the former KGB spy left office and became prime minister under his hand-picked presidential successor Dmitry medvedev in 2008.

KHI 19-03-2012_Layout 1 3/19/2012 2:37 AM Page 18

Monday, 19 March, 2012

Wind, rain nor Rafa can stop federer in desert Page 21

Karachi win by a stroke over Royal Palm g

england look to seal warm-up games COLOMBO Afp

6th Aquafina Royal Palm Golf team championship LAHORE stAff RepoRt

I

N the 6th Aquafina Royal Palm Golf Team Championship that concluded yesterday at the Royal Palm Golf Course, success was achieved by the Karachi Golf Club team as they managed to gain an advantage over Royal Palm team by a one stroke margin.

All through the final day, the fight was cut throat and not for a moment did one team look better than the other. For Royal Palm, mohammad Rehman excelled on every shot and by virtue of consistent pars ended the round with a score of par 72, giving his side a lot of hope and optimism. His teammate Sardar murad was effective too and played with ample maturity but somehow luck was not in his favour and bogied the 18th hole to tilt the result Karachi's way.

A rather agonising end for him after three rounds of quality play that somehow did not conclude on a winning note.

That, however, should not take the credit away from Karachi teams performance as their star player Ali Hai ably led the effort and did not relent at any stage and as his three rounds scores indicate he was outstanding in his contribution to Karachi Golf teams success.

Scores of 72,73 and 72 are reflective of a champions touch.

Others who contributed to Karachi's win are mansoor Teli and Asif Ahmed.

And in this contest Karachi and Royal Palm teams looked a bit too superior as compared to the other teams and although Rawalpindi team came third; they lost to Royal Palm by a margin of 22 strokes.

Team positions of six top teams and their scores: Karachi Golf Club, 1st with a score of 685; Royal Palm, 2nd with a score of 686; Rawalpindi, 3rd with a score of 708; Sargodah, 4th with a score of 721; Gymkhana, 6th with a score of 726.

The gross honors in individual category fell in the welcoming lap of Ali Hai, the top amateur golfer of the country.

LAHoRe: the winners Karachi Golf club team and the runners-up Royal Palm team with omer Malik, franchise Director, Pepsi co and Ramzan Sheikh, ceo Royal Palm at the conclusion of the 6th Aquafina Royal Palm Golf championship. STaff phoTo Once again he was showed his ability and the pars and birdies came in regular succession with bogies too infrequent which highlights his control over the competition.

Ali Hai ended up winning the first gross with three rounds scores of 72, 73 and 72, a total of 217, one over par. mohammed Rehman of Royal Palm came second with three rounds scores of 76, 75 and 76 and an aggregate of 223, seven over par.

Ghazanfar mehmood of Rawalpindi came third with scores of 76, 75 and 74 and an aggregate of 225, nine over par.

Other notable contenders who performed well are Sardar murad (Royal Palm) 225, mansoor Teli (Karachi) 233,

Asif Ahmed (Karachi) 235, mohsen Zafar (Royal Palm) 236, Omer Khokher (islamabad) 237, Robin Bagh (Sargodah) 238 and Omer Salamat (Royal Palm) 238.

On this occasion the winning team was all praise for the match organistion

by Col (r) Jamil Khalid and chief referee iftikhar Taj mian. in the ladies competition Tehmina Rashid was the best one in ladies net event and grabbed the first net. Nushmiya Sukhera did hit the shots accurately enough but had to be content with the second net prize. Another teenage golfer maryamma Khan came third. in ladies gross the winner was Ghazala Yasmin, Ami Qin second and Sameea Javed

Ali, third.

As for the challenge shield the shield winner was Hamid Sharif.Sardar murad won the runners up prize and mohammed Hassan Saeed came third. And in the invitational category the winners in net were Omer malik, nearest to the pin, Longest drive, Sameer iftikhar, most accurate drive, Shahryar Ahmed, 3rd net winner, Omer malik, 2nd net Tariq Pervez, 1st net, Naseer Akhter, 3rd gross, Hamid Sharif, 2nd gross Usman Saleem, 1st gross Sameer iftikhar.

At the conclusion of the championship the prizes were awarded to the winners by Omer malik, Franchise Director, Pepsi co and Ramzan Sheikh the CeO of Royal Palm.

england's Graeme Swann said Sunday the team was hoping to set the stage for the upcoming Test series with a win at the next warm-up game against Sri Lanka. england made a winning start to their tour of Sri Lanka by defeating the Board Xi by an innings and 15 runs on the final day of the three-day match in Colombo on Saturday. "it was a tough three-day game, we were all battling the heat and humid conditions. i thought we played very well," said Swann who picked up 3-33 during the second innings. "The ball feels great in the hand. i am enjoying myself," he told reporters in Colombo.

The tourists will play another three-day fixture at the Sinhalese sports club in Colombo from march 20, before the two back-to-back Tests in Galle and Colombo. "We need to win the next warm-up game, so that we are geared to win the first Test," said Swann, who has 166 wickets in 39 Tests. He said Sri Lanka remained a formidable side, despite the home team busy playing backto-back one-day games against Australia and now in Bangladesh for the Asia Cup. "Sri Lanka and Pakistan are fairly similar animals. Sri Lanka is more consistent, particularly their top order with (Kumar) Sangakkara and mahela (Jayawardene)." But he said Sri Lanka's bowling attack was "not much of a mystery anymore" after the retirement of the world's leading wicket taker muttiah muralitharan last April. Sri Lanka has not won a Test series since muralitharan's retirement and the team have lost series to england, Australia, Pakistan and South Africa.

Highest ever opening wicket stand in Asia Cup STATS CORNER S.PERVEz QAISER mohammed Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed set up a new record of the highest ever stand in Asia Cup by adding 224 for the first wicket in the fifth match of the 11th Asia Cup against india at Sher-eBangla National Stadium, mirpur, Dhaka on Sunday (march 18).

The two Pakistani batsmen erased the previous best stand of 223 for the third wicket between Shoaib malik and Younus Khan for Pakistan against Hong Kong at Colombo on July 18, 2004.

Hafeez and Jameshed's 224-run stand was the second best opening stand for Pakistan in One-day internationals after Hafeez and imran Farhat's

228-run undefeated stand against Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club on September 11, 2011.

The previous record of the best opening stand in Asia Cup was held by Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara. They put on 201 runs for the opening wicket against Bangladesh at Karachi on June 30, 2008.

Saaed Anwar and Aamer Sohail's 144-run stand at Singapore on April 5, 1996 was the previous best opening wicket stand for Pakistan against india.

Both Pakistan's openers, Hafeez (105) and Jamshed (112) made hundreds. it was sixth instance when both Pakistani opening batsmen scored hundreds in same innings.

highest stAnDs in AsiA cup Runs 224 223 205 205 201

WKt Ist 3rd 3rd 2nd Ist

BAtsMen M Hafeez/N Jamshed (Pak) Shoaib Malik/younis Khan (Pakistan) Moin-ul-Atiq/Ijaz Ahmed (Pakistan) Gautam Gambhir/Virat Kohli (India) Sanath Jayasuriya/K Sangakkara (SL)

opponent India Hong Kong Bangladesh Sri Lanka Bangladesh

Venue Dhaka colombo chittagong Dhaka Karachi

DAte 18-03-2012 18-07-2004 29-10-1988 13-03-2012 30-06-2008

opponent Zimbabwe India Sri Lanka Sri Lanka New Zealand

Venue Harare Dhaka Sharjah Adelaide Rawalpindi

DAte 11-09-2011 18-03-2012 04-02-1993 17-02-1990 07-12-2003

Best opening stAnDs foR pAKistAn Runs 228* 224 204 202 197

BAtsMen Imran farhat/Mohammad Hafeez Mohammad Hafeez/Nasir Jamshed Rameez Raja/Saeed Anwar Rameez Raja/Saeed Anwar Imran farhat/yasir Hameed

life on standstill during match

LAHORE: The Asia Cup encounter between Pakistan and india left the entire country to a standstill on Sunday. it was not Pakistan but al over the world where Pakistan and indian community is residing tuned into television sets and radios, and logged on to websites to watch archrivals Pakistan and india take each other mirpur, Bangladesh. Streets in the country were deserted at popular trading hot spots and people thronged corner tea shops or hotels haing big screens to watch the two teams face each other, almost a year after their face-off at the World Cup semi-final in mohali, india. Pakistani huddled in front of television sets at home from noon to watch the qualifying match. As Prime minister announced of no load-shedding during the match, people were even ready to watch and some even watched the match on their mobile phones. stAff RepoRt

afridi completes 7000 runs in ODis LAHORE: Pakistan’s former captain Shahid Afridi on Sunday completed 7,000 runs in One-day internationals (ODi) during the fifth ODi if Asia Cup 2012 against india at mirpur.

The 31-year-old all-rounder became the sixth Pakistani batsman and 30th in the world to have achieved this feat. Afridi completed his 7,000th run off irfan Pathan in the 44th over of the Asia Cup fifth ODi. indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar leads the table with 18,374 runs in 462 matches. Here is a list of all Pakistani batsmen who have scored 7,000 runs or more in ODis: PLAYER inzamam-ul-Haq mohammad Yousuf Saeed Anwar Javed miandad Saleem malik Shahid Afridi

M 375 281 247 233 283 337*

RuNS 11701 9554 8824 7381 7170 7000

AvG 39.53 42.08 39.21 41.70 32.88 23.64

HS 137* 141* 194 119* 102 124

SR 74.20 74.91 80.67 67.01 76.41 113.89

100S 10 15 20 8 5 6

50S 83 62 43 50 47 33

KHI 19-03-2012_Layout 1 3/19/2012 2:37 AM Page 19

Monday, 19 March, 2012

Pak players off to france for bowling event LAHORE stAff RepoRt

mohamamd ijaz and Rashid have left on Sunday for Brunswick euro Challenge 2012 to represent Pakistan in euro Bowling Challenge France. These players will play among international players from all over the world on march 22. it’s the first time that Pakistan team is participating in euro Bowling Challenge, before it Pakistan team participated in Qubica AmF World Cup 2009 held in malaysia and Asian Games 2010 held in Dubai, where they showed much better performance and still hope the same. Around 451 players from 38 countries will be featuring in the nineday competition.

Dharampura Sports move to 3rd round LAHORE stAff RepoRt

Dharampura Sports has moved into the 3rd round of 27th mohammad Yaseen Akhter memorial event when they outplayed mughalpura Gym by 46 runs played at Race Corse ground on Sunday.

Scores: Dharampura Sports 213/9. malik Amanat 27, Akbar 45, Ashraf 38, mohsin 24, KAshif 24. Ayaz 3/37, Tariq 3/29. mughalpura Gym 167. Zaheer 30, Atif 49, KAshif 20, Tariq 19. Allauddin But 5/20, Hameed Khan 3/16, HAris 2/18.

ZtBL ladies beat Lahore by 9 wickets LAHORE stAff RepoRt

ZTBL won the final round of the 7th National Women Cricket Championship2012 at th National Ground islamabad.

National player Sana mir played a leading role in ZTBL’s win with her all-round performance. She first trapped four Lahore Region batswomen and later scored unbeaten 65 runs ensure win. Put into bat, Lahore made110 for all and ZTBL reached the target in 24.5 overs. scoRes: Lahore Region 110 in 48.2 overs: (Sabahat Rasheed 23, 67 balls, 2x4s, farah Naeem 19, 75 balls, 2x4s, Bakhtwar Iqbal 14, 21 balls, 2x4s, Sana Mir 4-19, Nida \dar 2-14, Sadia Rasheed 1-13) ZtBL 111-1 in 24.5 overs: (Sana Mir 65*, 74 balls, 9x4s, Rabia Shah 32, 42 balls, 6x4s, Javeria Khan 20*, 33 balls, 3x4s, BAkhtawar Iqbal 1-25) Player of the match: Sana Mir (ZtBL) Result: ZtBL won by 9 wickets toss: ZtBL. Umpires: farooq Jan & Nuzhat Sultana. Match Referee: Sohail Khan. official Scorer: Shakeel Ahmed.

sports 19

Pakistan bowlers cave in to Kholi g

India keep hopes alive

scoReBoARD

Agencies

pAKistAn: 105 Mohammad hafeez lbw b Dinda nasir Jamshed c irfan b Ashwin 112 umar Akmal c gambhir b Kumar 28 Younis Khan c Raina b Kumar 52 shahid Afridi c Kohli b irfan 9 4 hammad Azam c Kohli b Dinda 4 Misbah-ul-haq not out 0 umar gul not out 15 eXtRAs (b1, lb3, nb1, w10) 329 totAL (for six wickets; 50 overs) fall of wickets: 1-224 (Jamshed), 2-225 (hafeez), 3-273 (Akmal), 4-313 (Afridi), 5-323 (Younis), 6-326 (Azam).

BoWLing: p. Kumar 10-0-77-2 (w2), irfan 10-0-69-1 (nb1, w2), Dinda 8-0-47-2 (w3), Raina 2.2-0-15-0, sharma 3-019-0, Yusuf 5-0-30-0 (w1), Ashwin 10-0-56-1 (w2), tendulkar 1.4-0-12-0. inDiA: 0 g. gambhir lbw b hafeez s. tendulkar c Younis b Ajmal 52 183 V. Kohli c hafeez b gul R. sharma c Afridi b gul 68 12 s. Raina not out Ms Dhoni not out 4 11 eXtRAs (b5, lb1, nb1, w4) 330 totAL (for four wickets; 47.5 overs) fall of wickets: 1-0 (gambhir), 2-133 (tendulkar), 3-305 (sharma), 4-318 (Kohli).

BoWLing: hafeez 9-0-42-1, gul 8.5-0-65-2 (w3), cheema 8-060-0, Ajmal 9-0-49-1, Afridi 9-0-58-0, Riaz 4-0-50-0 (nb1, w1).

Result: india win by six wickets, Man of the match: Virat Kohli (inD), toss: pakistan, umpires: steve Davis (Aus) and ian gould (eng), tV umpire: sharfuddoula shahid (BAn), Match referee: David Boon (Aus).

MIRPuR

v

iRAT Kohli starred in india's chase of mammoth 330-run target and win by 6 wickets against Pakistan during their high-voltage league match of the Asia Cup cricket tournament tonight. Pakistan innings Openers mohammed Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed cracked sparkling centuries as Pakistan piled up a mammoth 329 for six against india.

Both Hafeez (105) and Jamshed (112) stitched a record 224-run opening partnership to lay the foundation as the indian attack wore a pedestrian look throughout the innings while below par fielding in the initial part only added to the woes.

The opening stand is Pakistan's highest against india eclipsing Saeed Anwar and Aamer Sohail's opening stand of 144 in Singapore, back in 1996. Pakistan skipper misbah-ul Haq won the toss and his decision to bat was vindicated by the openers who didn't put a foot wrong during their partner-

ship. They never took any undue risks yet hit boundaries at will while keeping the scorers busy with singles and twos. Hafeez was the first to get off the blocks with a square cut off Praveen Kumar's bowling in the very first over. Young Jamshed then took the cue and hit Praveen for three boundaries in the third over and Pakistan never looked back since

then. The 50 of the innings came in the 10th over and 100 in the 18th over as Dhoni's bowlers looked clueless in the wake of the onslaught. While Praveen's lack of pace on a slow pitch became his undoing, irfan time and again drifted on the pads as both Jamshed and Hafeez gleefully kept clipping those deliveries at will.

Torres ends goal drought as Chelsea reach semis LONDON Afp

Fernando Torres finally ended his five-month goal drought as Chelsea cruised into the FA Cup semi-finals with a 5-2 victory over Leicester at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Torres has endured a miserable time since his British record £50 million transfer from Liverpool in January 2011 but the Spain striker took advantage of Leicester's sloppy defending to score twice and secure a much-needed boost to his fragile confidence. Gary Cahill put Chelsea ahead early in the first half of the quarter-final and Salomon Kalou added the second soon after. But it was Torres's increasingly rare appearance on the scoresheet that took the spotlight. Torres had gone more than 24 hours of playing time without scoring -dating back to a double against Genk in October -- and there was a huge sense of relief around the Bridge when he tucked away a simple chance midway through the second-half. When Torres scored again in the closing moments, the roar was loud enough to suggest Chelsea had actually won the Cup and the muchmaligned star followed that by setting up Raul meireles for Chelsea's fifth goal. Leicester got a couple of late goals from Jermaine Beckford and Ben marshall but Nigel Pearson's Championship side never threatened to spoil the feelgood factor around the Bridge. Just two weeks ago, Chelsea's season was spiralling out of control after Andre Villas-Boas was sacked following a miserable eightmonth spell in charge. But the Portuguese coach's departure appears to have lifted spirits to a remarkable extent and Chelsea can now look forward to an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley next month, as well as a Champions League quarter-final against Benfica.

Roberto Di matteo, who has won all four of his matches as interim boss, deserves credit for restoring a sense of calm among a squad previously at war with Villas-Boas, although the cynics will suggest it is the club's senior players who are really running the show. With a crucial clash at manchester City looming on Wednesday, Di matteo backed his reserves to see off Leicester. Only Petr Cech, Branislav ivanovic, Daniel Sturridge and Juan mata retained their places from the team that defeated Napoli in midweek, while captain John Terry wasn't even on the bench. Villas-Boas had tried the same gamble in the previous round against Birmingham and saw Chelsea held to an embarrassing draw but the sense of optimism around the Bridge since his departure ensured Di matteo fared much better. When Beckford curled wide from just inside the penalty area after an incisive move, it seemed the Foxes might be capable of springing a surprise. But sloppy defending in the 12th minute proved their undoing, as Cahill was allowed to rise above several Leicester defenders to meet mata's corner with a header past Kasper Schmeichel at the far post. england defender Cahill celebrated his first Chelsea goal since his January transfer from Bolton by lifting his shirt to display the message "Pray for muamba" -- a tribute to the plight of his former Wanderers team-mate Fabrice muamba, who is critically ill after collapsing during his club's FA Cup tie at Tottenham on Saturday. Torres then sparked into life as he sprinted clear down the left flank before clipping a pass to Kalou, who kept his cool to slot home in the 18th minute. That effectively ended the tie and Di matteo took off mata at half-time with the City match in mind but Torres ensured he wasn't missed.

Shenwari keeps Afghanistan on course for finals DuBAI Afp

Afghanistan and Namibia extended their unbeaten runs in the World Twenty20 qualifiers to five wins each on Sunday with Afghan all-rounder Samiullah Shenwari hitting a fifty and taking four wickets in the win over Canada.

Afghanistan defeated Canada by 41 runs to stay on top of Group A while Namibia defeated Kenya by seven wickets to head Group B. in other crucial matches, the Netherlands made short work of Papua New Guinea by nine wickets to record their fourth win and Nepal beat Bermuda by 24 runs a third win in Group A. in Group B, ireland had the better of traditional rivals Scotland by 17 runs which gave William Porterfield's side a fourth win while italy are back in contention thanks to a 13run victory over Uganda.

Shenwari's performance stood out as the all-rounder first scored 61 off 34 balls with six fours and three sixes in his side's 174 for eight against Canada.

He then returned figures of 4-0-14-4 as Canada was restricted to 133 for nine. "i am grateful that i was given a chance to bat higher up the order. i am very happy to take four wickets and score 61 runs. We are all feeling very confident and i am hoping we will have six wins from six and then seven wins from seven," he said.

Colony Sugar clinch Zong Challenge Polo Cup LAHORE AsheR Butt

Colony Sugar on Sunday clinched its third polo title on trot when it lifted the Zong Challenge Cup 2012 here at the Lahore Polo Club’s Aibak ground. maintaining its win run after it took the Punjab Cup and the National Championship title, Colony Sugar edged aside Guard Group/Wi Tribe in the closelycontested final 6-5. it was the experienced Shah Qubilai Alam who played his part in Colony Sugar’s win. Qublai not only scored two goals by himself but also made his teammates score on his passes. Qubai was ably supported by Naveed m Sheikh who also scored the same number of goals and organized a couple of moves for his colleagues to hit in. Hussain iftikhar and Sameer Habib Oberoi shared one goal each for Colony Sugar Raja Samiullah of Guard Group/Wi Tribe did his best to keep the winning team on its toes with three goals while Raja Temur Nadeem extended great support with two goals. But the support these two players should have been expecting from their other two team members Nafees Barry and Taimur Ali malik

LAHoRe: colony Sugar and Guard Group players fight for the ball during the challenge Polo final while (r) colony Sugar players with chief guest fan yun Jun, ceo Zong. naDeeM Ijaz was not there to take.

Later Chief Guest Fan Yun Jun, Chief executive Officer, CeO Zong CmPAK, presented the winning trophy to Colony Sugar quartet.

earlier in the day, Pessi made wuick work of Karachi Polo Team, winning th subsidiary final 8-4 ½ Ahmed Ali Tiwana and Atif Yar Tiwana with four and three goals respec-

tively ensured win for Pessi with one goal coming from Ahmad Nawaz Tiwana.

Despite having a half a goal advantage, it was Hassan Ali Farrukh who

with two goals made his presence felt while one goal each came from Feroze Gulzar and Shiraz Qureshi. But their efforts were not enough to halt Pessi’s win stride.

KHI 19-03-2012_Layout 1 3/19/2012 2:37 AM Page 20

20 sports

Monday, 19 March, 2012

Isner powers into Indian Wells final INDIAN WELLS Afp

Hard-serving American John isner's remarkable run continued as he stunned world No. 1 Novak Djokovic to book an indian Wells final showdown with world No. 3 Roger Federer. World number 11 isner fired his 20th ace of the match to topple defending champion and top seed Djokovic 7-6 (9/7), 3-6, 7-6 (7/5) on Saturday. Federer then used an ace on match point to seal a 6-3, 6-4 victory over world number two Rafael Nadal as the two renewed their epic rivalry with their first meeting at the indian Wells masters. isner's first victory over a world number one ensures he will move into the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time. "Not many people can say they've ever beaten the No. 1 player in the world," said the 26-year-old American isner. "i'll always be able to say that. "i'm just going to keep on riding this wave i'm on and see how far it can

take me." For Djokovic, 24, it marked a second straight semi-final defeat after he fell at the same stage in Dubai to Andy murray earlier this month.

Reigning Australian Open champ Djokovic is now 14-2 on the season. "it's frustrating when somebody serves over 70 percent of the first serves in and with that angle and with that speed and accuracy," Djokovic said. "But i played him before. i knew i had to stay patient and just wait for the chance. i had some chances. i didn't use them." isner closed the two hour, 45 minute match out with his 20th ace in front of a crowd of about 15,000. Djokovic, who saved a match point in the 12th game of the third set to force the tiebreaker and saved two match points on his own serve in the final tiebreaker before isner closed it out, finished with eight aces and two double faults.

"That's why i play this game, to be able to enjoy moments like that," isner said. "The stadium was packed, there wasn't an empty seat in the house, and everyone was on their feet. Cheering for

Watson hails game-changer Xavier Doherty KINGStOWN Afp

Australia skipper Shane Watson saluted left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty as a gamechanging slow bowler after the tourists' 64run win over the West indies in their opening one-day international. Doherty took four for 49 despite being clobbered for three sixes by marlon Samuels in his first over at Arnos Vale on Friday. "in the end Xavier Doherty got the best of that middle order which was a brilliant comeback after marlon Samuels took him down the first over," said Watson.

"There's no doubt Xavier's improved, he's just developed his cricket over the last five or six years and now he's got a number of different gameplans that he can go to depending on the situation of the game.

"As a captain he really is a pleasure to captain because he really knows exactly what he's trying to do. if things don't go exactly right he's always got another way to try and find a way to be successful like he did today."

Australia maintained their six-year unbeaten run against the West indies when they cantered to victory after the home side suffered an embarrassing batting collapse. Chasing a modest 205 target, West indies, who had lost 14 of their last 15 one-dayers against the Australians coming into the match, were well set at 97 for three in the 24th over.

But they then lost their next six wickets for a paltry seven runs and despite a final-wicket flourish from skipper Darren Sammy hitting 35, with five fours and three sixes, the Windies were still left looking for a first win over Australia since

me, too. "it was very special when that last ball went by him and i knew i had won the match. "it was a weird feeling, a very nice feeling. it's something that you don't experience every day. So i was just trying to take it all in." One of the sport's great rivalries was on display in the second semifinal between 16-time Grand Slam winner Federer and reigning French Open champ Nadal which started three and a half hours late and was played in difficult windy and rainy conditions. "i had a good day. it was a great match in tough conditions," Federer said. "it was so difficult but man i couldn't be more happy. i played amazing. "We both expected rain, and it did rain a few times." Federer even had a few extra minutes to think about what turned out to be his final ace after officials pulled the players off the court because of rain just as he held match point leading 5-4 and 40-30. He returned a few moments later and hammered the final nail in the coffin -- a 125 mph ace that ended the one hour, 31 minute match.

Wapda, Navy in challenge cup semis LAHORE stAff RepoRt

Wapda and Navy have moved to the semi-final of the KPT National Football Challenge Cup-2012 being played at Karachi in the first quarter-final on Sunday, WAPDA beat PPWD 3-2 at the KPT Football Stadium.

WAPDA’s forward and captain Arif mahmood hit in two goals in the 49 and 85 minute while manzoor Ahmed scored in the 54 minute for the win while the losing side’s scorers were muhammad Hussain 44 minute and muhammad Jan 90+3 minute. in the second quarter-finals, Navy beat Army 4-3 on penalty kicks after the teams failed to score in the given time Scorer for Navy were Ramzan Ahmed, Nomi martin Gill, Shahid muneer and Abdul Haq while Army scorers were imran Hussain, Shabbir Hussain and Akhter Hussain.

National Inter-dept Karate begins LAHORE stAff RepoRt

2006. "it's a great way to be able to start the tour and show the guys who haven't played much against the West indies that if you're able to sustain a bit of pressure for a period of time, we know we can get the results we want," added Watson.

"The average score here was just over 200 so we knew we had a decent enough score if we were able to bowl well. "We knew if we were able to sustain a little bit of pressure for a time they always had the potential to self-destruct a bit and they did that." The second match in the five-game series takes place here on Sunday.

Gerrans makes it two for aussies at Milan-Sanremo SAN REMO Afp

Australian national champion Simon Gerrans claimed the biggest one-day victory of his career by winning the 103rd edition of milanSanremo, the first major classic of the season, on Saturday. After 298 km, and nearly seven hours in the saddle, the Greenedge rider capped a determined display of riding to beat Switzerland's Fabian Cancellera in a sprint for the line, with italy's Vincenzo Nibali finishing third. Gerrans succeeds teammate matt Goss as champion of the race known affectionately as 'La Primavera' (the Spring), thus becoming the second successive Australian to triumph.

He admitted his main role had been to cover attacks by Goss's main rivals. But after managing the feat of staying on the wheel of Cancellara in a thrilling finale, Gerrans took his chance with both hands by outsprinting the Olympic time trial champion. "i still haven't realised what we actually did today," said Gerrans, a stage winner in all three major three-week Tours.

The National inter-department Karate Championship started here at PSB Coaching Centre.

The teams from all the affiliated departments of Pakistan Karate Federation WAPDA, Army, Police and Railways are participating in the championship. The championship is being held in individual Kumite of 50, 55, 60, 67, 75 and 84 kgs weight categories and Team Kumite The PKF is also conducting Referee and Judges Course from march 17 to 19 and around 40 referees and judges from all over Pakistan are participating in the course. Nasim Qureshi, Asian Qualified and Chief Referee of PKF Bashir Butt and Farman Ahmed are conducting the course.

The prize distribution ceremony will be held on Sunday at 4 pm at Government College for Boys Gulberg Lahore (Opposite Hockey Stadium). Syed Amir Hamza Gilani, Director General, Pakistan Sports Board will be the chief guest of the finals.

Pakistan Int’l Squash circuit starts LAHORE stAff RepoRt

The first two round matches of the 2nd FmC Pakistan international Squash Circuit-i, 2012 started on Sunday.

The qualification round matches will be played on march 19 (monday). in the pre-qualification round that started at 10 am Tariq F. Rana, Honorary Secretary PSA was the supervisor.

the ResuLts 1st round: Khalid Atlas Khan beat Ammad fareed 11-9, 12-10, 8-11, 911, 13-11 (3-2) 65 Min; Safiullah Kakar beat Muhammad Mehdi 10-12, 11-8, 11-9, 11-9 (3-1) 34 Min; Sadam Ul Haq beat Naqash Shahid 11-9, 11-4, 11-9 (3-0) 30 Min; Asim Khan beat yasir Khan 11-5, 11-6, 11-3 (30) 33 Min; Ahmed Amin beat Zain Khan 11-6, 8-11, 11-5, 11-7 (3-1) 28 Min; Muhammad Bilal beat Imam Sher Khan 11-5, 11-0, 11-7 (3-0) 20 Min; Muhammad farhan beat Sheraz Saleem 11-2, 11-1, 11-6 (3-0) 21 Min; Zahir Shah beat Mujahid Hussain 11-8, 11-7, 11-7 (3-0) 23 Min, 2nd round: Khalid Atlas Khan beat Safiullah Kakar 11-3, 11-3, 11-5 (30) 16 Min; Sadam Ul Haq beat Asim Khan 11-6, 11-9, 11-7 (3-0) 30 Min; Muhammad Bilal beat Ahmad Amin 11-7, 11-7, 11-2 (3-0) 28 Min; Zahir Shah beat Muhammad farhan 11-6, 11-2, 11-2 (3-0) 20 Min.

iNDiaN weLLs: John isner of the us celebrates with the crowd after defeating Novak Djokovic in the semi-final match at the aTP Tennis. reuters

Yuvraj discharged after cancer treatment NEW DELHI Afp

india's World Cup cricket hero Yuvraj Singh announced Sunday that he has been discharged from hospital after undergoing chemotherapy for a cancerous tumour. "3rd chemo cycles over, back from hospital n i am free.... Can't wait to be back home," the 30-year-old allrounder said via Twitter from the United States, where he has been receiving treatment.

Left-handed Yuvraj, named man of the tournament after india's World Cup triumph at home last April, was diagnosed with a rare condition, mediastinal seminoma -- a malignant tumour between his lungs -- soon after the event. Thousands of well-wishers, including US cycling great Lance Armstrong, have sent messages to the player, who is known for his aggressive batting and disciplined spin bowling. Thanking fans for their support, Yuvraj also doffed his hat to indian cricketing superstar Sachin Tendulkar for achieving the "unachievable" after becoming the only player to score 100 international centuries on Friday. "Overwhelmed and full of emotions Tendulkar take a bow What he has achieved is immeasurable and what he has done is unachievable," he said. Yuvraj, who scored 362 runs and bagged 15 wickets in nine World Cup matches, has not played competitive cricket since taking part in two of the three home Tests against the West indies in November. He has scored 8,051 runs in 274 one-dayers and 1,775 in 37 Tests since making his international debut in 2000.

KHI 19-03-2012_Layout 1 3/19/2012 2:37 AM Page 21

Monday, 19 March, 2012

sports 21

Wind, rain nor Rafa can stop Federer in desert

wAtCH it Live ESPN Sports Center 07:30PM

India win blind series against Pakistan LAHORE stAff RepoRt

INDIAN WeLLS: federer returns a forehand to Nadal of Spain during the semi-final match at the AtP tennis. reuTerS INDIAN WELLS Afp

T

He forehand thundered, the backhand sizzled, the Swiss timing was back as Roger Federer steamrolled his way past Rafael Nadal and into the indian Wells final. Federer's blistering form this year shows no sign of slowing down as he goes for his third straight ATP title and the fourth of his career in the California desert in Sunday's final against 11th seeded John isner. The 30-year-old Swiss superstar renewed his rivalry with Spanish lefty Nadal on Saturday, hammering his sixth ace on the final point of the rain-disrupted match to close out Nadal 6-3, 6-4. "i guess i had a no-lose mentality," said Federer, who said he has been battling a virus all week. "i've not felt great this week. i didn't expect myself to play so well tonight, and this is sometimes when you can pull off the biggest wins of your career."

One of the sport's great rivalries was on display between 16-time Grand Slam winner Federer and reigning French Open champ Nadal. it is always entertaining and full of surprises when the two tennis giants meet and this time was no different. The start of the match was delayed for three and a half hours by rain, and there was a brief rain delay at match point. "Obviously conditions were tough today, and against one of my greatest rivals, it's always nice if you come out on top," Federer said. "i'm very happy with my game and happy that my body is holding up and mentally i'm still fresh, which is very surprising." Federer had a few extra

minutes to think about what turned out to be his final ace after officials called the two off the court as he served for the match. He returned a few moments later and hammered the final nail in the coffin -- a 125 mph sizzler. This was not the first time Federer has had to collect his thoughts during an unexpected delay in a match against Nadal. "it just actually did happen against Rafa at the Australian Open," Federer said of his four set semifinal loss to Nadal in melbourne. "There were fireworks and i came back and couldn't play anymore. "it was like unbelievable. Fireworks and rain are not the same thing, but it was an interruption, even though i didn't think of that too much. "it was tough but at the end, once match point was over, everything was short-lived. "it was one of those great moments that me and Rafa shared again after having already had so many great matches against each other." Despite the defeat, Nadal still has the career edge over Federer having won 18 times, including four of the last six.

Federer has beaten Nadal 10 times. "i tried. i fought until the last ball," Nadal said. "i lost against a player who played better than me this afternoon." On Sunday, Federer is facing isner, who leads the tournament in aces. isner beat him last month in four sets in a Davis Cup first round tie in Switzerland and also pushed Federer to four sets at the 2007 US Open. "i know how difficult it's going to be tomorrow," Federer said. "John is playing great tennis at the moment. it's great and exciting for American tennis, and i'm happy it's happening in the finals, this rematch for me."

india won the blind ODi series when it beat Pakistan blind cricket team in the third and last match at Chennai.

Playing at the SPiC YmCA Chennai, india won the toss and decided to field.

Pakistan started well but couldn’t capitalize and were bowled out on just 232 runs in 32nd over. muhammad Akram and Arslan made 44 runs each while Waqas, Jameel and Fayyaz made 30, 21 and 18 runs respectively. Ketan Patel (Totally Blind) took five wickets and Hitesh claimed 2 wickets. india in reply chased the small total with ease in 28th overs for the loss of one wicket. Parkash remained unbeaten on 110 runs and Ajay Reddy made 37 runs. india won by nine wickets and Parkash was named the man of the match. Pakistan has lost the first series after winning the seven consecutive ODi series. Pakistan team will return home on march 19.

Lahore Shaheen beat chaudhary Sports LAHORE stAff RepoRt

Lahore Shaheen beat Chaudhary Sports by 5 wickets in the 14th National Veteran Senior Cricket Cup to qualify the zonal quarter-final.

Playing at the Race Course Park Ground, Chaudhary Sports made 194/9 after 30 overs. Abid Sheikh 29, Babar Butt 26, irfan munawar 45, Naeem Butt 25 & muhammad Khan 25 runs. muhammad Javeed 3/31, Ghulam Hussain 2/48, muhammad Arif 1/25, Shaukat Ali Junior 1/26, muhammad Anees 1/26 & Shokat Ali Senior 1/23 wickets. in reply Lahore Shaheen 196/5 after 25.4 overs. muhammad Arshad 69, Rana Shahid 31, Shokat Ali Senior 30, Tepu Butt 24 & muhammad Javeed 15 runs not out. muhammad Khan 2/42, Khubaib Saeed 1/27 & Shafqat Chaudhary 1/27 wickets. masood Khan, muhammad Asif Umpire & Syed Najamul-saeed was the scorer.

Colours of spring mark Punjab Sports Festival closing LAHORE AsheR Butt

The start of the spring and its ever alluring fragrance and colours marked the closing of nearly two-month long Punjab Sports Festival 2012. Under the shadow of historic Badshahi masjid and centuries old Lahore Fort, the Sports Board Punjab arranged a colourful and cherishing ceremony to honour the players who won honours for their respective tehsils, districts, divisions, schools and colleges. All the winners of different sports were assembled at Hazoori Bagh especially decorated to lure the youth of the province towards sports.

The mastermind behind the organization of this sports festival was none other than the son of Punjab Chief minister mian Shahbaz Sharif, and their PmL (N) federal leader mian Hamza, who as chairman of the organizing committee successfully held sporting activity throughout the province.

The plus point of organizing this festival turned out to be the sports facilities the Punjab government had been able acquire from the illegal occupants and lured in around 500,000 people of different ages to sports.

Hamza with the guidance of Usman Anwar, director general Sports Board Punjab and support of Rana mashood, deputy

LAHoRe: Mian Hamza Shahbaz Sharif with other officials watch the Sports festival closing ceremony. speaker Punjab assembly, had been able to organize a successful sports activity which is being seen the biggest in Asia in terms of participation and duration. “The loopholes that have been identified during the inaugural festival would surely be overcome next year,” said Usman Anwar.

Rana mashood said that there were several issues that came by but the enormity of the event should not be forgotten. “The problems seen during this year’s events won’t be repeated next year and it would be more organised and well-planned,” he added. “Organising an event of such a capacity is not an easy aspect and in a short span of time we

have been able to hold it quite feasibly,” he maintained. The Sports Board to give glowing colours to the festival organized its closing ceremony in a carnival style and Punjab Chief minister mian Shahbaz Sharif presented the top performers cash with prizes worth millions. Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, who was the chairman organizing committee, Rana mashood, deputy speaker, Usman Anwar, Dg Sports Punjab, mPAs, mNAs, secretaries and government officials joined the organizing committee during the mega historical event.

“The Punjab government provided the youth of the province a platform to excel in the field of sports. The youth is the real

LAHoRe: Performaers sho traditional dance during the closing ceremony. MurTaza aLI strength of the country and whenever there will be a revolution it would be the youth of the country that would bring positive change,” said Hamza in his address during the closing ceremony of the festival.

Around 1600 winner athletes attended the ceremony and were awarded cash prizes and enjoyed the traditional festivity.

As on the last day, Awais Ali of Faisalabad, Shafique of Kasur and Zahid iqbal of Lahore won the concluding 66 km cycle races and Fizza of Lahore finished the fun cycle race in 46:15 to be the winner while Sadaf of Faisalabad stood second and malaika of Gujranwala got third position whereas two spe-

cial persons Anam and Asma achieved fourth and fifth positions to win the 22 Km cycling race. in the 22 km male cycling race, Tariq secured first position covering the distance in 34:40, mohammed ibrahim got second while mohamad Azeem and mohammad Kashif were third and fourth.

The prizes amounting Rs 50,000 for first position holders in 22 Km fun cycling race was awarded, Rs 40,000 for second, Rs 35,000 for third positions were announced for the winners while first 31 positions in 22 Km fun cycling and first 50 position holders in professional cycling race will be awarded the prizes amounting Rs 800,000.

KHI 19-03-2012_Layout 1 3/19/2012 2:37 AM Page 22

Monday, 19 March, 2012

22

At least 40 militants, 4 soldiers killed in clashes in the past week PESHAWAR stAff RepoRt

LAhoRe: Deaf members of Jamaat-ud-Dawa carry the holy quran and flags during a protest on sunday over the burning of islam’s holy book by nAto troops in Afghanistan. afp

Ijaz punches Haqqani even harder on last day of cross-examination g

central character of memo scandal says former Pakistani envoy to US wanted to replace Zardari ISLAMABAD

T

tAhiR niAz

He star witness in the memo scandal, mansoor ijaz, on the last day of his cross-examination on Sunday hit Husain Haqqani even harder by saying that he wanted to replace President Asif Ali Zardari. However, before leaving the Pakistan High Commission London, he said his ‘exfriend’ was “a man of honour”.

The memo commission directed Haqqani to appear before it for cross-examination on march 26 in islamabad after declining his request to be available at the Pakistan High Commission London for the purpose. in an earlier question, ijaz was asked would he still categorise Haqqani as friend and the answer was, “probably no”.

But as he finished with his part of the job, he stood up and said, “it is with regret that i have to say this all. He (Haqqani) is a man of honour but no longer my friend. maybe i could not see him again.” Haqqani was also sitting under the same roof.

To a question put by the commission,

ijaz said he had changed his opinion about Haqqani as a ‘power-thirsty man’, after he received a message from him when he was considering quitting as ambassador, in which he asked him to tell the US top government officials that he was their man and would get their problems resolved in Pakistan. “i reached the conclusion that he was thirsty for power… i know that his thirst for power included an up to the ambition to replace Asif Zardari”, he added. earlier, Haqqani requested the commission that he might be allowed to appear before the Pakistan High Commission London for cross-examination but the commission declined it and directed him to come to Pakistan on the next date of hearing on march 26. During cross-examination, ijaz said he changed his opinion about the iSi as an institution after meeting with Lt General Shuja Pasha adding it all depends on the head of the organisation how he leads it. “After meeting Pasha, i came to the conclusion that he is a man of integrity and in search of truth (on the memorandum)”, he added. ijaz also termed Pasha a man of integrity.

On the question about integrity of

mike mullen who first denied existence of the memorandum and later confirmed it, ijaz said Haqqani and his people orchestrated the denial. “The denial was not issued with permission of mike mullen himself rather some one from his staff members did it,” he said. ijaz said due to Haqqani’s ‘documented’ relations with Zardari and Benazir Bhutto, he believed his words in which he feared a possible coup in Pakistan. However, ijaz added that he no longer believed that Haqqani would still convey credible information.

He said he never imagined that his article in the Financial Times would blow up.

“Had there not been a cover up (denial on memo) from the (Pakistani) Presidency and the Foreign Office to hide the facts on memo, i would not have come up with the truth,” he said. ijaz said it was not possible for him to know with any precision whether the US had the capacity and ability to know about the possible coup in Pakistan after the events of may 2, 2011.

Asked what prompted the US to intervene in the matter, he said the “US government does things for self interest or mutual interest” and added survival of democracy in

Pakistan might have been one of them. To a question by the commission, ijaz said he was chosen by Ambassador Haqqani to deliver the memo to the US authorities so that it did not have any ‘Pakistani fingerprints’ on it as, he added, Haqqani wanted if at all it comes to public no one in Pakistan could believe that it was from him to the US side.

The commission directed Haqqani’s counsel with a final warning to formally inform it about admission or denial about the evidence record within three days as in case there is some denial from Haqqani on the evidence, the commission could start forensic examination of ijaz’s Blackberry which allegedly contained communication data.

As the wife of Kashmiri Leader Yaseen malik insisted that her husband did not want deleted from record the portion which contains allegations against him by ijaz, Justice isa remarked, “Are you on a suicide mission”. He said the commission was offering her more than she actually asked for and trying to vindicate her husband’s honour by deleting from record a particular chunk and added if he is not agreeing upon it, he can file and application and depose before the commission any time.

letter tO swiss authOrities

PM likely to submit his stance before SC today ISLAMABAD MAsooD RehMAn

Prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani is likely to submit before the Supreme Court today (monday) his written stance that he would prefer to go to jail instead of writing a letter to the Swiss authorities for reopening of graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari. earlier on march 8, a seven-member special bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justice Nasirul mulk, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany, Justice ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry, Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Ather Saeed, had directed the prime minister to write a letter, without getting any advice and influence of the ongoing contempt proceedings, to the Swiss authorities for reopening of corruption cases against Zardari and submit compliance report

along with his written statement before the court on march 19 or personally appear on march 21 to get his statement recorded over the matter.

However, instead of writing the letter in compliance with the court’s orders, the prime minister publicly repeated his stance on march 16 saying that the constitution as well as rules of business did not allow him to write a letter against his own president, therefore, he would not do so. “if i write the letter, it will be a violation of Article 6 of the constitution and if i do not write one, it would be contempt of court,” he said, adding that the punishment for violation of Article 6 was death, whereas the sentence for contempt of court was six months’ incarceration, therefore he would rather be incarcerated than be handed a death penalty.

On the last hearing, the court had made it clear to the prime minister to

implement para 178 of the NRO judgement passed by a 17-member bench on December 16, 2009, as it was his responsibility. The court had also directed the prime minister to submit his written statement on march 19 or appear on march 21 to get his statement recorded.

The court had asked Aitzaz Ahsan to conclude his arguments within one week after march 21.

The court had directed Attorney General maulvi Anwarul Haq to convey its order to the prime minister, as Aitzaz was not appearing in the NRO implementation case, rather he was defending the premier in contempt case.

The court had observed that it did not want to give its opinion instantly on the stance adopted by the prime minister over writing of letter to the Swiss authorities. Aitzaz had stated that his client wanted to submit a written statement in the matter.

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

Editor: Arif Nizami, Executive Editor: Sarmad Bashir

At least 40 militants and four soldiers have been killed in clashes between security forces and militants in scattered areas of Khyber, Orakzai and Kurram agencies over the past week, an official said on Sunday.

Twelve soldiers were also injured in the military action, which started on march 12, against the militants from the banned Lashkar-e-islam (Li) – led by warlord mangal Bagh – in Sepah area of Bara tehsil.

However, he said the action against the terrorists in other parts of Bara will continue.

He said 25 militants were killed in action in Sepah and several militant compounds were also destroyed.

The official said the security forces’ action was focused on those elements who were involved in recent terrorist acts including suicide attack on senior police officer Kalam Khan, on a funeral in Badhaber and an explosion at a bus stand on Kohat Road in Peshawar. more than 30 men, including senior police officer, were killed in these attacks.

As a result of the clashes and military action, a large number of civilians from various parts of Bara have abandoned their houses and migrated to peaceful parts of Peshawar and its surrounding areas.

The upper parts of Bara are also witnessing severe clashes between rival militant groups and security forces. The official also confirmed the killings of 18 militants in jet fighters strikes in scattered areas of Upper Orakzai and Central Kurram on Sunday.

The official said three dins of the militants were also destroyed.

Some 18,000 people fled their homes in Khyber in October last year amid fears of a fresh outbreak of fighting between the army and islamist militants linked to the Pakistani Taliban. The country’s seven tribal districts near the Afghan border are rife with insurgents and are strongholds of Taliban and al Qaeda operatives. militants have killed more than 4,800 people across Pakistan since government troops raided an extremist mosque in islamabad in July 2007.