E-paper PakistanToday 13th April, 2012

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President can’t be Pakistan frees 26 Iran won’t budge an presented before Swiss Indian fishermen as iota from its nuclear magistrate: Aitzaz ‘goodwill gesture’ rights: Ahmadinejad PAGE | 02

Rs 15.00 Vol ii no 286 22 pages

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Lahore edition

Friday, 13 april, 2012 Jamadi-ul-awal 20, 1433

Parliament re-sets US ties, wants drones off skies Mps unanimously urge govt to seek unconditional apology from nato forces over Mohmand airstrikes, restrict transport of weapons to afghanistan via pakistan g gilani assures parliament govt will implement pCns recommendations g

QUETTA: Men carry a shooting victim on a stretcher at the site of an attack by gunmen on Thursday. Four Shias were gunned down in the drive by shooting. afp | story on page 04

India willing to discuss Kashmir with Pakistan NEW YORK NNI

India is willing to restart talks with Pakistan over the Kashmir dispute as part of efforts to advance the peace process, a top Indian diplomat has said.

At the same time, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, underscored the need for Pakistan to take serious action against what he called militants that use its soil to attack India. Mathai’s statement came in the wake of President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to India on Sunday during which Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh accepted his invitation to make a first official trip to Pakistan. A deal over the Himalayan territory of Kashmir, split between India

and Pakistan in 1948 and claimed in its entirety by both, is vital to a long-term peace deal between the two nations, which have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947. Pakistani officials have long demanded India start discussions on Kashmir, while India wants Pakistan to crack down on militants.

Choreographing progress on these demands will likely be important for further progress in the détente, the paper said.Abdul Basit, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan, said while there had been progress in the “tone and tenor” of the discussions, Pakistan believed that “unless the Jammu and Kashmir issue is resolved we cannot expect lasting peace in South Asia”.

Continued on page 04

ISLAMABAD

T

STAFF REpoRT

He parliament on Thursday night unanimously approved revised guidelines on the country’s foreign policy for re-engagement with the US in a bid to put bilateral relations back on track with the US, enabling the government to formulate policy based on the guidelines.

However, there was no mention of reopening NATO supply routes in the recommendations by the bi-partisan Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS).

An official source, however, informed Pakistan Today that the prime minister himself would announce the reopening of the NATO supply routes through an executive order or the Defence Committee of the Cabinet, which had blocked the NATO supply routes, would take the decision. earlier in the day, the PCNS met and finalised its foreign policy guidelines unanimously. Playing smartly, the PCNS, which kept meeting for almost four long months, did not say a single word about the fate of NATO supply routes and rather left the hard task with the government, suggesting that the opposition parties did not want to take an unpopular decision in

the election year.

Later, the parliamentary parties met separately to discuss the recommendations. The recommendations were then tabled in the joint sitting of parliament that approved the draft the same day. The joint sitting of parliament, through unanimous vote, also urged upon the government to seek unconditional apology from the NATO forces for strikes in Mohmand Agency, cessation of drone attacks and not to allow any private security contractors or intelligence operatives and overt and covert operation inside Pakistani territory. Addressing the members of the joint sitting, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani assured the House that the government would ensure the implementation of resolution on the recommendations by PCNS on new rules of engagement with the United States.

“Today’s resolution will enrich your respect and dignity. I assure you that we will get these enforced in letter and spirit,” said the prime minister addressing joint sitting of the parliament, moments before it adopted the resolution unanimously. Gilani thanked the PCNS head Senator Mian Raza Rabbani and other committee members for their hard work and commitment, observing that these recommendations will be the guid-

ing framework for this government. “For the first time in Pakistan’s history, we have brought real and substantive oversight and democratic accountability to our foreign and security policy,” the prime minister said.

He said the parliament had proven time and again that when it comes to the matters of national interests, “we can and do come together”. “We are making history today. And that we have the strength, the resolve and the ability to take critical decisions in the interest of the nation.” Gilani told the parliament that he learnt about Salala tragedy while in Multan and he immediately mobilized the government and called a meeting of the Defense Committee of Cabinet under his command.

Continued on page 04

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02 News today’s

Friday, 13 April, 2012

lAhoRE

nEwS

Doctors, teachers throw their toys out of the pram

Army digs deep for soldiers buried in avalanche

Story on Page 07

Story on Page 06

cARtoon

Quick Look

Four cops among 8 injured in acid attack

Page 19

KARACHI: police officials arrest a paramedical worker of police Services Hospital during a demonstration on MA Jinnah Road on Thursday. onLIne

BAHAWALNAGAR: At least eight people, including four policemen, were injured when unidentified robbers threw acid on their faces in local bazaar here on Thursday. According to police, the robbers were looting a jewellery shop in Chaman Bazaar, Haroonabad, when a police team reached the scene. When police officials came closer, the robbers threw acid at them, injuring four cops and four civilians, officials said. The injured policemen have lost their eyesight due to the acid attack, officials added. The policemen injured in the attack include Inspector Maqsood, ASI Muzaffar, Kashif and Asghar. One of the attackers was arrested. The injured were shifted to a local hospital, where doctors confirmed that the victims’ eyes had been affected. Police have started a search operation for the culprits involved in the incident. oNlINE

Power tariff decreased

by Rs 2.67 per unit ISLAMABAD: electricity rates have reduced for the first time in the history of the country as the Ministry of Water & Power issued a notification of a Rs 2.67 per unit decrease in the power tariff for domestic consumers on Thursday. It was decided in the energy Conference that electricity rates will be reduced for up to 100 units consumption. Officials said the reduction will only be implemented for domestic consumers. The new tariff will be implemented in the next electricity bills. NNI

12 employees of local company kidnapped in Sui QUETTA: Unidentified armed men on Thursday kidnapped over a dozen employees of a local company working in the Sui area of Balochistan. “Armed men kidnapped the employees of a company engaged in construction work in the Sui area,” a company official said, adding that a search operation has been launched to trace the captors’ whereabouts. Further investigation was also underway. App

11 militants killed in Kurram Agency offensive KURRAM AGENCY: At least eleven militants were killed as jet fighters struck militant hideouts in central Kurram Agency Thursday afternoon, official said. The warplanes destroyed four militant hideouts in the Ali Sherzai and Zawa areas, central Kurram, said a senior officer in charge of the operation. He added that scores of militants were also injured. Troops have cleared most of central Kurram of miscreants, the official said, adding that security forces were also conducting the Azmaro Gar operation simultaneously on the borders of Kurram, Orakzai and Khyber agencies. oNlINE

Extension of US embassy challenged LAHORE: The extension plan of the US embassy in Islamabad was challenged in the Supreme Court on Thursday. A petition was filed in the Lahore Registry Branch of Supreme Court requesting the court to order Capital Development Authority (CDA) to cancel approval of the extension plan of the US embassy in the federal capital. According to the petitioner, the US embassy building could be used for spying and the extension plan would be a security risk for other sensitive buildings present in the Red Zone. earlier, an application had already been filed in the Supreme Court on Wednesday. oNlINE

President can’t be presented before Swiss magistrate: Aitzaz ISLAMABAD

A

STAFF REpoRT

ITZAZ Ahsen, counsel for Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani in the contempt case against him, on Thursday said President Asif Ali Zardari was a constitutionally elected head of state and enjoyed absolute immunity under international law, thus he could not be presented before a Swiss magistrate for trial.

Talking to reporters at the Supreme Court after adjournment of the contempt case against Gilani, Aitzaz said he was concentrating his arguments on a specific point to change the opinion of the judges about writing to the Swiss authorities for reopening graft case against President Zardari.

He said under Article 10-A, any judge, who initiated a case and framed charge against anyone in any contempt of court case‚ could not hear the very case. He said Zardari was a constitutionally elected president, thus he could not be left at the mercy of any foreign court because he enjoyed immunity under the international law. To a query, he

said his arguments were simple and to the point.

He said he would try to conclude his arguments by Wednesday, as asked by the court. He said the case had nothing to do with corruption, instead it was a matter related to the constitution. Whatever

would be the decision of the Supreme Court in the case, it would be implemented, he added. He said the US saved Raymond Davis who took innocent lives in Pakistan, while “we are hell bent to surrender our president to a Swiss magistrate”.

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Friday, 13 April, 2012

FoREiGn nEwS

ARtS & EntERtAinMEnt

SPoRtS

10 killed in fresh Yemen Qaeda battles

Meera takes a religious turn

Australia beat WI in thriller

News 03 coMMEnt prudence or populism?

It was a right decision on Zardari’s part to visit India

let them at it

There seems to be little attention given to public policy.

Khawaja Manzar Amin says: Born to rule: ‘There is no revolution that can change the nature of man.’

Qudssia Akhlaque says: Siachen tragedy: Over 8000 soldiers have been killed on both sides.

Mayank Austen Soofi says: What Zardari did not see: President Zardari in India.

Story on Page 15

Story on Page 17

Story on Page 18

Articles on Page 12-13

Pakistan frees 26 Indian fishermen as ‘goodwill gesture’ KARACHI

P

AFp

AKISTAN on Thursday released 26 Indian fishermen held in prison for more than two years for violating territorial waters, officials said.

The release, described as a “goodwill gesture”, comes days after President Asif Ali Zardari met Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for lunch in New

Delhi on the first visit by a Pakistani head of state to their archrivals in seven years.

“We have released 26 Indian fishermen from our jail on the instructions of the government,” Nazeer Husain Shah, superintendent of the Malir district prison in Karachi told AFP. The nuclear-armed neighbours frequently arrest each other’s fishermen on charges of violating territorial waters.

Officials say at least 450 In-

dian fishermen are still in Pakistani jails, while India has over 150 Pakistani fishermen in its prisons.

Shazia Marri, the information minister for Sindh province, said, “They have been released as a goodwill gesture.”

Jail officials handed gifts to the Indians before boarding them onto a bus that will take them to Lahore, where they will be handed over to the Indian authorities across the border.

lashari denies he tried to pressurise AnF official to save PM’s son ISLAMABAD: Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Khushnood Akhtar Lashari on Thursday categorically denied as “false and incorrect” the contents of the affidavit submitted

by Brig Fahim, Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) regional director, to the Supreme Court. In a letter addressed to Brig Fahim, the prime minister’s principal secretary mentioned his affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court in the case registered under FIR No 40/2011 dated 10-10-2011, at the ANF Police Station.

Lashari said, “The impression has been given to the Honourable Supreme Court that no statement under Section 161 CrPC was made by me before the ANF. This is again incorrect as you, along-with your team of two officers have visited on four occasions, ie my office.”

“No mention of my statement under Section 161 /CrPC has been made before the honourable court. In case the Supreme Court summons me, or issues notice to me, I shall vigorously contest your assertions,” Lashari said in his letter.

He also asked Brig Fahim to communicate with him henceforth in writing, saying, “You have obviously misdirected the Honourable Supreme Court with respect to our earlier meetings.” Lashari said he was available for any further probe by the ANF, under the orders of the Supreme Court. App

Govt reshuffles legal machinery, AG replaced nine Pakistanis among 12 hostages freed from Somali pirates

ISLAMABAD: The government on Thursday reshuffled its legal machinery days before the Supreme Court ruling in contempt of court case against Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.

The government replaced Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq with Irfan Qadir.

Haq has been appointed a consultant to the Presidency.

Irfan Qadir was serving as a law consultant in the President House.

Meanwhile, Yasmin Abbasi, former Sindh High Court judge, has been appointed the law secretary. earlier, Farooq Naik replaced Maula Bukhsh Chandio and took charge of the Law Ministry on Thursday. oNlINE

COPENHAGEN AFp

The Danish Navy on Thursday said it had stopped a pirate ship off the Somali coast, rescuing 12 hostages, nine of them Pakistanis, and arresting their 16 captors.

“The Danish warship Absalon yesterday (Wednesday) stopped a pirate mother-ship.

Sixteen suspected pirates have been arrested. Twelve hostages from Pakistan and Iran have been rescued,” the navy said in a statement. “No one was injured during the operation,” navy spokesman Mikael Bill told AFP, adding that nine of the hostages were Pakistani and three were Iranian and that they had been held by the suspected pirates for about a month.

“They were being held on their own boat,” a fishing vessel, which the pirates had hijacked and used to attack other ships, Bill explained. The operation took place on Wednesday morning and was quickly over, he said, pointing out that the Absalon, a command and support ship which is part of a NATO-led counter-piracy mission called Ocean Shield, had not needed to use armed force. The hostages had provided witness testimony onboard the Absalon and had been allowed to sail on their freed ship, while the pirates were being held on the Danish warship.

“Onboard the mother-ship, Absalon found 16 suspected pirates, who are now being held on Absalon. In addition, 12 people from Pakistan and Iran, being held captive on the pirate mother ship for a month, were there,” the statement said. “The rescued hostages have provided witness testimony onboard the Absalon and have now sailed home,” it said, adding: “Danish authorities will now investigate whether there is a possibility to prosecute the suspected pirates.”

Kaira, Ashraf, Gondal set to return to cabinet today

ISLAMABAD STAFF REpoRT

The federal cabinet is all set to see a major reshuffle with three former ministers, Raja Parvez Ashraf, Qamar Zaman Kaira and Nazar Mohammed Gondal being administered oath by President Asif Ali Zardari at the Presidency today (Friday).

A well-placed source informed Pakistan Today on Thursday that there was still no official word but all preparations were being made in this regard.

He said the offices for three new ministers were yet not decided but Kaira was all set to make a strong return to the cabinet by taking over the Information Ministry from Firdous Ashiq Awan, who may be given some other office. However, there are also chances that Kaira might be given the office of interior minister vice Rehman Malik who might also be given some other office.

Sources said that PML-Q leader Mushahid Hussain was also likely to be given the portfolio of foreign affairs minister.

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04 News

Friday, 13 April, 2012

fo part of ‘cover up team’ in memo scandal: commission sC tells aitzaz to conclude arguments by 18th ISLAMABAD TAHIR NIAz

ISLAMABAD MASooD REHMAN The Supreme Court on Thursday directed Aitzaz Ahsen, counsel for Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani in the contempt of court case against him, to complete his arguments by April 18.

A seven-member special bench 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 Muhammad Ather Saeed issued the directives while hearing contempt proceedings against Gilani. However, Aitzaz submitted that he could not promise if he would be able to complete his arguments by April 18.

In his arguments, Aitzaz referred to Article 10-A of the constitution, which says that every citizen of Pakistan has a right to fair trial.

“Any judge, who takes notice of any incident, without a petition filed or an FIR registered, automatically becomes a complainant in the case and hence is not eligible to hear the case,” Aitzaz argued. He said that President Asif Ali Zardari enjoyed immunity during his presitenure under the dential international law. He said that although many people dislike Zardari, but he was still an elected head of the state and could not be presented before any court of law.

Aitzaz argued that under Article 10-A, the special bench was not eligible to hear the case, as the case was initiated by it on its own. He said that it was a requirement of transparent proceedings that no person should be a judge in his own case. Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa noted that no single judge, but the whole bench was using its right to hear the case. Aitzaz said he does “not differ with the court or the people on the $60 million deposited in Swiss banks, which was public money and should be brought back to the country, but let President Zardari step down”. He said Zardari could be tried but only after he steps down from the office of the President. He said as long as Zardari was the president, he enjoyed immunity and could not be presented before any court of any country.

He said that if the president was sent before the Swiss magistrate, in the future anyone could be summoned by any international magistrate. “Today it is Zardari, tomorrow it might be any other elected president or prime minister, even an army chief or the chief justice,” Aitzaz argued. He said Zardari was a constitutionally-elected president and not an army general who came into power by force.

Aitzaz further said that the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003, was obsolete and that a new ordinance was presented in 2004.

He said that according to his information, an appeal seeking clarification about the effectiveness of contempt law 2004 was pending with the court. Justice Nasirul Mulk

however reminded Aitzaz that the existing contempt of court law was that of 2003. To a court query, Aitzaz said his client had acted according to the summary sent to him by the Law Ministry. He said he would also argue on the point that if holding the prime minister in contempt was right or wrong. He emphasised that the bench that farmed charge against the premier was not competent to hear the instant case, and if it does so it would not be a “fair trial”. He said that if a person complains against anyone, then the bench could initiate proceedings.

However, if the bench itself initiates any proceedings either through a suo motu notice or through other means, it (bench) is not entitled to hear that case, Aitzaz said, adding that when a sessions judge directs for registering an FIR against anyone, he is not competent to hear that case. Aitzaz said there were two principles of a fair trial: that no one should be a judge in his own case; and that a man cannot be condemned unheard. He said that Article 10-A guarantees fair trial and due process of law on the statutes of fundamental rights. In response, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa told Aitzaz that “for the first time in the country’s history, you have struck down a piece of legislation which is not here”. Aitzaz said that it has been a practice that a judge who issues show cause notice also hears the case. However, with the inclusion of Article 10-A, such practices are struck down, and now a bench that issues show cause notice or frames charges against a person, is not competent to hear the case against him. “You stand disqualified after framing charge against the PM,” Aitzaz contended. Justice Muhammad Ather Saeed however obstructed Aitzaz, saying they were not sitting here in personal capacity but to hear a contempt of court case. Justice ejaz Afzal Khan observed that the contempt case was fixed before the bench by the chief justice, and they could not refuse to hear it. “It is the prerogative of the chief justice of Pakistan and we have not made any effort to hear this case,” Justice ejaz said. Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany observed that the chief justice had taken suo motu notice for not implementing the court’s order on NRO. “Don’t you want that the Pakistani money be brought back,” Justice Khosa asked Aitzaz, reminding him about the Vienna Convention. However, Aitzaz replied that Zardari enjoyed absolute immunity in criminal or civil matters until he was holding the President’s office. He said the implementation of the relevant part of the NRO verdict was not possible because the president enjoyed immunity under international law. At one point, Justice Khosa asked Aitzaz why there was a contradiction in his stance, as on one hand he used to say that there was no graft case in Switzerland, while on the other he was saying that the government would not write letter to the Swiss authorities. Meanwhile, the court adjourned the hearing until today (Friday).

The memo commission on Thursday held the Foreign Office (FO) part of the “cover up team” in the memo scandal, as FO Director General (Americas) Sohail Khan failed to answer even “the simple queries pertaining to the missing blackberry sets of Husain Haqqani in a straight manner”.

“Don’t talk rubbish. What kind of game you are playing (with the commission). You are here to cooperate (with the commission) or do you have another agenda. Are you

three shias shot dead in Quetta QUETTA STAFF REpoRT

Three members of Hazara Shia community were killed and one other received bullet injuries in yet another sectarian attack on Thursday night in the centre of the provincial capital. In the first incident, armed attackers shot dead two persons working on a fresh juice shop in Liaqat Bazaar, and fled from the scene. In the second incident, armed motorcyclists opened fire at several people sitting at a tea vendor’s shop in Sharey Iqbal. The tea seller was killed and his helper was injured in the attack. Police officer Hasan Buzdar confirmed the attacks, and said that the victims belonged to the Hazara Shia community. Six Shia Muslims were killed last week and two others were injured when unidentified attackers, suspected to be from the extremist Lashkare-Jhangvi group, sprayed bullet in the same manner in the busiest part of the city. The Shia community helplessly protested over the killings and demanded for security to its members.

here to play a game with the commission,” shouted Justice Qazi Faez Isa, chairman of the memo commission. The judicial commission is probing the origin, authenticity and purpose of the memorandum allegedly written under the directions of President Asif Ali Zardari to seek US influence to avert a feared military coup. The DG made the court angry after he failed to reply in clear terms if Haqqani had formally or informally handed over the government property under his use as ambassador to the head of chancery (HoC) at

Washington embassy after relinquishing the post. Sohail also could not give the court a satisfactory reply on whether Haqqani had reported the loss of his two official Blackberry sets to the embassy or the Foreign Office. The answer from the DG was: “We had asked our embassy in Washington to provide response to these queries and they have responded that they (blackberry sets) have not yet been returned to the Mission by Haqqani.”

In response, Justice Isa observed, “You have not answered the question. We

know that, but the question is, had he (Haqqani) formally handed over the government property and whether he reported the loss of Blackberry sets to the FO or the embassy concerned?”

The DG replied that he would ask the embassy again to get more precise answer to the questions, and would apprise the commission on the next date of hearing. “Why did you not do so before coming to the commission today,” Justice Isa enquired. He remarked that the order passed by the commission on the last hearing was “very clear”, and

‘Iran won’t budge an iota from its nuclear rights’ TEHRAN AFp

Iran “will not retreat an iota” from its nuclear rights, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday, ahead of weekend talks in Istanbul with world powers over Tehran’s atomic activities.

“The Iranian nation is standing firm on its fundamental rights and under the harshest pressure will not retreat an iota from its undeniable right,” Ahmadinejad said in a speech in the southern town of Minab, according to the official IRNA news agency. “On behalf of the Iranian nation, I advise the enemies and the arrogance (the United States) to change their

behaviour towards our nation, and they should know that the Iranians are standing firm in defending their rights,” he said.

His language indicated a defiant attitude by Iran as its negotiators go into the Istanbul talks on Saturday across from representatives of the so-called P5+1 group comprising the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany. It will be the first negotiations since talks broke off in a failed round in January 2011 that was also held in Istanbul.

Tehran’s stated aim in the upcoming talks is to have the world recognise its rights to peaceful nuclear energy — including the contentious issue

of enriching uranium, which, when purified to high levels, can be used to make an atomic bomb. Iran insists that it is not seeking nuclear weapons. But most of the West remains adamant, and is piling on economic sanctions to get Tehran to agree to more invasive inspections and a cap on uranium enrichment to prevent any nuclear military activities.

If fully implemented, the sanctions could cut Iran’s oil production by more than a third by the middle of 2012 should other customers not step forward, the International energy Agency (IeA) said in its monthly report released on Thursday.

India willing Continued FRom page 01

Mathai claimed Pakistan’s failure to clamp down on militant groups that have attacked India was the major roadblock to peace talks. He said it was deeply troubling to India that Hafiz Saeed was able to address public gatherings and appear on television. The US and India alleged Hafiz Saeed helped plan the 2008 attacks on Mumbai, which killed more than 160 people. Last week, Washington offered a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction.

At the same time, Mathai said New Delhi viewed recent moves by Pakistan, including an agreement in February to

open its markets to Indian goods, as a signal Islamabad was serious about an improvement in ties. “I wouldn’t have been as optimistic six months ago,” Mathai said about prospects for the latest round of peace talks, which began in earnest a year ago.

“The fact the government is able to move on the trade track shows there s a greater willingness to take things forward by all the players.”

As the talks develop, India would consider reopening a serious discussion on Kashmir, Mathai said. New Delhi, he added, “would be happy” to start talks toward a deal to keep Kashmir s borders as they are but allow greater

trade and movement of people across the Line of Control, the de facto frontier that divides the territory. New Delhi believes it is now “up to the Pakistanis to decide how to proceed” on peace talks, Mathai said.

India, he added, is looking for “something solid” to announce before Prime Minister Singh visits Pakistan.

One potential area of progress, Indian and Pakistan officials say, is a deal over Sir Creek, an area of marshland bordering the Pakistan province of Sindh and Indian state of Gujarat and claimed by both countries. Other areas of discussion are likely to prove more contentious.

that there was no ambiguity in it. “Shall we hold you (DG) in contempt of court and charge you? Have you recommended suspension of any official at the embassy for not complying with your orders?

Is it complicated to understand the questions? Shall we presume that you are part of the cover up?” Justice Isa remarked as the DG stood mum at the rostrum. The DG could not even produce a copy of the letter sent in this regard to the Pakistani embassy in Washington. “I have not brought it with me,” the DG told the commission.

18 jailed for life over India’s 2002 religious riots ANAND AFp

A court in India on Thursday sentenced 18 men to life imprisonment over the killing of 23 Muslims during religious riots in the western state of Gujarat in 2002 that left more than 2,000 dead. Five other men were handed seven-year jail terms for crimes committed when the Hindu rioters entered the village of Ode, bolted the doors of a house where Muslim families had taken refuge and then set it on fire. Of the 23 who died in what became known as the “Ode massacre”, nine were women and nine children.

“The court found 18 men guilty of murder and criminal conspiracy, and five men stand guilty for attempt to murder,” Judge Poonam Singh said. The violence in Gujarat in 2002 was triggered by the killing of nearly 60 Hindu pilgrims travelling in a train that was torched by a mob. Some 31 Muslims were found guilty last year on murder and conspiracy charges for the train attack, which sparked an antiMuslim backlash. Hindu mobs hungry for revenge rampaged through Muslim neighbourhoods across Gujarat during three days of bloodshed that witnessed some of India’s worst religious violence since independence from Britain in 1947.

Parliament re-sets US ties, wants drones off skies Continued FRom page 01 The DCC, he said, immediately instructed the US to vacate the Shamsi base and under the guidance of the parliamentary resolution of May 14, suspended the US/NATO/ISAF lines of communication within Pakistan.

Prime Minister Gilani said the support from across the political divide had strengthened the government’s position to take a bold stance that was not a usual thing. He said after the Salala tragedy, the world had been eyeing Pakistan’s parliament that had been devising new terms of engagements with the United States.

He also recalled his meeting with US President Barack Obama, to whom he told that the partnership with Pakistan could not be successful until the people were satisfied, also mentioning to his meeting with former US President George Bush whom he told about the government’s 3-D policy: Dialogue, Development & Deterrence.

“We wish to create a peaceful environment in the region for achieving prosperity and welfare for our people. My government remains committed to improving relations with our neighbours,” the prime minister said.

He said in recent months, the government had taken transformational initiatives to reach out and engage with its neighbours and the

vision of the South Asia and Central Asia region is one of mutual security, prosperity and harmony. “We live in an independent and inter-connected world. As a responsible global actor, Pakistan will play its rightful role. By following an independent policy, we will uphold the principles of peace and justice,” Gilani remarked. “I would like to assure this House that my government will implement the recommendations that have been made, both in letter and spirit,” the prime minister said.

NISAR: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that all recommendations related to NATO supplies were not included in recommendations on the demands of the opposition. He said his party was interested to include the issue of Dr Afia Siddiqui in the recommendations but the government said that it was its responsibility to take up administrative matters. “This document (recommendation) would be only meaningful when it would go for its implementation not like the previous resolutions which were not implemented,” he added. “It is a half done job as it could be called historical occasion when this resolution would be implemented in letter and spirit. The prime minister’s commitment is not enough the recommendations should implement fully as even a one clause of previous resolutions was not implemented,” he said, demanding guaran-

tee that this resolution was not treated like previous resolutions. After thorough discussion on the recommendations, he said, government has withdrawn some part of clause-6 of the previous. Likewise, in clause–7 of previous recommendation regarding ‘no covert or overt operation inside Pakistan shall be tolerated, word tolerated has been replaced with permitted.

Having reservation on it the clause-10 ‘fifty percent of US/NATO/ISAF containers may be handled through Pakistan Railways (PR) and clause-15 of previous resolution have been withdrawn. Nisar said every political party in the House wanted good relation with the US, but there should not be imbalance in the relations.

FAZL: Adding his share, JUI-F chief Fazlur Rahman said previous resolutions were not implemented in letter and spirit and the fresh one should not be treated in that way. He said that foreign agencies should not operate in our country. “If in the future the government adopts any step in this regard, it would be tantamount to sabotaging parliament,” he added. The 14-point recommendations presented by PCNS chairman Senator Raza Rabbani say that US footprint in Pakistan must be reviewed. This would mean an immediate cessation of drone attacks inside Pakistan and cessation of infiltration into Pakistani territory on any pretext, including hot pursuit.

As per revised recommenda-

tions, no verbal agreement regarding national security shall be entered into by the government or any department or organization with any foreign government or authority.Washington has been eagerly awaiting the results of the parliamentary review, saying it will be key to reopening supply lines to NATO troops in neighboring Afghanistan. The new guidelines call for an end to US drone strikes, but also stated that the supply lines should be reopened, albeit with a higher fee charged to US and NATO forces. The joint sitting also urged the government to continue its policy of regional peace, have better relations with traditional allies and neighboring countries and actively pursue gas pipelines projects with Iran and Turkmenistan. Furthermore, it stressed that Pakistan’s nuclear program and assets including its safety and security cannot be compromised. The US-Indo civil nuclear agreement has significantly altered the strategic balance in the region therefore Pakistan should seek from the US and others a similar treatment/facility.

The strategic position of Pakistan vis-à-vis India on the-subject of FMCT must not be compromised and this principle be kept in view in negotiations on this matter. The joint sitting adopted that condemnable and unprovoked NATO/ISAF attack resulting in the martyrdom of 24 Pakistani soldiers, represented a breach

of international law and constituted a blatant violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The government of Pakistan should seek an unconditional apology from the US for the unprovoked, incident of November 25-26, 2011 in Mohmand Agency. It was also demanded that those held responsible for the Mohmand Agency attack should be brought to justice; Pakistan should be given assurances that such attacks or any other acts impinging on Pakistan’s sovereignty, will not recur; and the Ministry of Defence/PAF should formulate new flying rules for areas contiguous to the border. Furthermore, elaborating on the future procedure, the parliament urged that for negotiating or re-negotiating agreements/MOUs pertaining to or dealing with matters of national security and adopted that all agreements/MOUs, including military cooperation and logistics, will be circulated to the Foreign Ministry and all concerned ministries, attached or affiliated organizations and departments for their views; all agreements and MOUs will be vetted by the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs; all agreements/MOUs will be circulated to the Parliamentary Committee on National Security and the committee shall vet and make recommendations in consultation with the stakeholders and forward the same to the federal cabinet for approval under the Rules

of Business of the federal government; and the minister concerned will make a policy statement on the agreements/MOUs in both Houses of parliament. The joint sitting resolved that no private security contractors and/or intelligence operatives shall be allowed; and Pakistan’s territory will not be provided for the establishment of any foreign bases.

The parliament also stressed that the international community should recognize Pakistan’s colossal human and economic losses and continued suffering due to the war on terror.

Moreover, it was resolved that in the battle for the hearts and minds an inclusive process based on primacy of dialogue and reconciliation should be adopted and such process must respect local customs, traditions; values and religious beliefs. It explained that there was no military solution to the Afghan conflict and efforts must be undertaken to promote a genuine national reconciliation in an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process and to strengthen security along the PakistanAfghanistan border, including the cross border flow of criminal elements, narcotics and weapons, the feasibility of additional measures including electronic surveillance may be evaluated and the process of local joint jirgas should be encouraged according to local customs and traditions. The joint sitting reiterated that Pakistani territory shall not be used for any kind of

attacks on other countries and all foreign fighters, if found, shall be expelled from our soil. The parliament underlined that the government needed to review the present focus of foreign policy keeping in view the aspirations of the people of Pakistan.

The MPs stressed that the dialogue process with India should be continued in a purposeful and resultoriented manner on the basis of mutual respect and mutual interest, including efforts for the solution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Resolution.

Strategic partnership with China must be deepened in all its dimensions; the relationship with the Russian Federation should be further strengthened; Pakistan’s support for the promotion of peace and stability in Afghanistan remains the cornerstone of its foreign policy; country’s special relationship with the Islamic world should be reinforced; and its full membership of SCO should be actively pursued; Pakistan’s bilateral relationships in the region and its institutional partnership with ASeAN and GCC must be upgraded and strengthened; and finally Pakistan should actively pursue the gas pipeline project with Iran.

Later, National Assembly Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza put the resolution containing the recommendations to the joint sitting that was unanimously adopted.

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Friday, 13 April, 2012

News 05

Gilani to visit UK for strategic dialogue next month: FO

Spokesman says Pakistan wants ‘normal and mutually beneficial relations’ with US g Says Zardari and Singh’s commitment to pragmatic dialogue will help resolve all core issues, including Kashmir g

ISLAMABAD

P

oNlINE

RIMe Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani will pay an official visit to Britain next month for the first annual review of the enhanced strategic dialogue, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.

During weekly news briefing Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said Gilani was expected to travel to the UK in the second week of May. He said the prime minister will hold wide-ranging talks with his British counterpart and other leaders that will focus on strengthening bilateral ties and the enhanced strategic dialogue.

Gilani was also expected to discuss the role of Pakistani immigrants in Britain, the war against militancy, the regional situation and Pakistan’s efforts for greater access to european Union markets, Basit said.

During his last visit to Pakistan, British Prime Minister David Cameron had said Britain wanted to deepen and enhance bilateral partnership. “Britain is home to one million people of Pakistani origin,” he had said.

Britain has been providing assistance to Pakistan in different fields, including ed-

ucation, health, and capacity building in various departments. The two countries are also keen to increase bilateral trade to ₤2.5 billion by 2015.

About expansion in the US embassy in Islamabad, the spokesman said, “We are in touch with all the relevant departments and looking into the matter.”

To a question, Basit said Pakistan had received an invitation for Chicago Summit on Afghanistan, but no decision on attending it had been made to yet.

The FO spokesman said according to initial reports, no Pakistani was hit by the earthquake in Indonesia, and the Foreign Office was in close contact with its Mission in Jakarta.

To another question, he said Pakistan wanted “normal and mutually beneficial relations” with the US but “the shape of future bilateral ties will be decided by an ongoing parliamentary review ordered by the government”.

“There is a mutual desire to have normal and mutually beneficial relations. We never broke our relations with the US. There is a problem and both sides are working to overcome the current difficulties in our bilateral relations,” Basit said. “everything hinges on the final policy

guidelines we get from the parliament and we’re all waiting for the process to complete,” he said in response to questions on the review that was ordered after a crossborder NATO airstrike killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November.

Recent visits to Islamabad by senior American civil and military officials were aimed at “discussing all the issues threadbare” and to see “how best we can address the present difficulties”, Basit said.

Relations with the US would be strengthened after the completion of the parliamentary review, he said.

To a question on the troubled Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project, Basit said there was no pressure from Saudi Arabia on Pakistan to abandon the venture. Recent media reports had suggested that Saudi Arabia had offered financial aid and energy cooperation to get Pakistan to abandon the pipeline, which may face Western sanctions.

“Saudi Arabia is a brotherly country and we have very strong relations in all areas...There is no pressure from Saudi Arabia on the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project.

Iran is also a brotherly country and...we consider both as friends and continue our relations with both independently,” he said.

On Pakistan-India relations, he said

RAWAlpINDI: people protest against inflation during a demonstration on Benazir Bhutto Road on Thursday. Inp

President Asif Ali Zardari and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s commitment to a pragmatic and practical dialogue will help push forward the bilateral peace process and resolve all core issues, including the Kashmir dispute.

“Both President Zardari and Prime Minister Singh, following their meeting (on April 8), reiterated their mutual desire to have a pragmatic and practical dialogue process and move forward towards resolving all the core issues which continue to bedevil our relations,” Basit said.

He said this reiteration of the commitment by the two leaders would “help push the peace and dialogue process forward because at the end of the day, the effectiveness, importance or credibility of any dialogue process hinges on its results”.

Basit noted that Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar had expressed hope that the India-Pakistan dialogue would be “uninterrupted and result-oriented”. Pakistan is looking forward to achieving results through the dialogue, he said.

“As far as Pakistan is concerned, we have always maintained that all issues between Pakistan and India should be resolved, especially the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir. That continues to be our policy,” he said.

Sc asks FAtA law secy to ensure Adiala prisoners wellbeing ISLAMABAD STAFF REpoRT

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the FATA law secretary to redress the grievances of Adiala Jail prisoners, presently kept in Internment Center Landikotal and arrange a meeting of their counsel with them. FATA Law Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan submitted a report about the condition of the detainees, but a three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvez rejected the report, saying that it meant that he accepted that the detainees were kept in miserable conditions. The court directed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advocate General Asadullah Chamkani to immediately shift one of the detainees, Dr Niaz Ahmed to hospital. The chief justice said it was against human dignity the condition in which the prisoners were being detained. He asked the counsel for the ISI and the MI, Raja Muhammad Irshad that they could not keep them for indefinite period in inhuman conditions. Justice Hussain asked Raja Irshad under what law the Adiala Jail prisoners were being kept in Internment Centers. According to the report submitted by Khan, the room given to the detainees was very small. However, the report suggested that the detainees might be allowed to walk in the open air and get sunlight for half an hour daily. About Dr Niaz Ahmed’s health, the report mentioned that the medical official on duty was consulted and he also suggested that Dr Niaz be taken to hospital for proper treatment. The report stated that a room, where detainees were kept, had the facility of washroom and light. It was part of the Quarter Guard of the FC Fort and other detainees were offered the same facilities, therefore the allegation that they were being treated inhumanly was not correct, the report said, adding that the Quarter Guard was part of the fort, which was inside the cantonment in Landikotal and was very secure. The medical officer had confirmed that all the detainees were being given medicines per their prescriptions and he also gets the medicine from Lady Reading Hospital per his requests. The secretary said due to short period of time, most of the notified Internment Centers do not have the facilities as per the criteria given in the Rules framed for the Actions (in Aid of Civil Power) Regulation, 2001. Therefore, resources may be allocated so that these internment centers may be provided with the additional facilities. The report stated that the detainees are served with the same diet as is provided to the troops stationed there.

ptI wants to establish ‘new pakistan’: Imran Khan BHAKKAR oNlINE

The Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) held a huge public gathering on Thursday in the Bhakkar district of the Punjab.

Addressing the rally PTI Chairman Imran Khan said his party wanted to build a new Pakistan and to help the people get rid of the ‘patwari’ culture.

He stated that the PTI will abolish the politics of thanas and kacehris and that the people will not have to run after politicians to get their problems solved.

“No system can survive unless it is rooted in the people,” he said.

Khan asked the people to choose their leaders themselves by taking part in the PTI membership campaign.

The government will take money in

return for restoring NATO supplies, the PTI chief said.

Khan also said Nawaz Sharif and Maulana Fazlur Rehman had opposed President Zardari in the past, but that they support him now.

PTI is not a party of a family; its people will fight with the rulers, he added.

He stated that funds will be transferred to the grassroots and that villagers will run local schools and dispensaries.

Imran said the Punjab chief minister is unaware of the problems faced by the people of Bhakkar after the area was hit by floods. Speaking on the occasion, senior politician and the PTI President Javed Hashmi referred to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leadership and said those who ran away from the country are not regarded as leaders.

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06 News

Friday, 13 April, 2012

Army digs deep for soldiers buried in avalanche ISLAMABAD AFp

SKARDU: pakistan Army soldiers search for their missing colleagues during a rescue operation at the Gayari Sector in Siachen on Thursday. Inp

SC directs provinces to submit schedule for LG elections ISLAMABAD

H

STAFF REpoRT

e A R I N G a case relating to local government elections, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked all top legal officers of the provinces and the attorney general for Pakistan to submit a schedule for the local body elections.

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvez was hearing a case about holding local body elections. All provincial chief secretaries submitted

before the bench their reports pertaining to election schedules. The chief justice advised the incumbent government to adhere to the constitutional command which he said was meant for protecting the fundamental rights of the people of Pakistan.

The bench was apprised that according to the Punjab government, there was a possibility to conduct local government elections by August 10.

Balochistan and Sindh governments in their reports maintained that voter lists were yet to be prepared. They said the law and order was also a hurdle in conducting local government elections.

During the hearing, Attorney General

sindh to hold dialogue with energy sector stakeholders KARACHI ISMAIl DIlAWAR

The Sindh government has formed a threemember body to pave way for the implementation of the decisions taken in the National energy Conference (NeC) recently held by the federal government in Lahore.

According to highly-placed sources, the committee has been constituted by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah to negotiate and take onboard all the shareholders in the Sindh province with regard to the federal government’s energy conservation efforts.

The committee comprises Sindh Power and Information Minister Shazia Marri and advisors to the Sindh Chief Minister, Zubair Motiwala and Rashid Rabbani. The information minister confirmed that she was part of the three-member body which, she said, was formed by the Sindh CM for holding a dialogue with the stakeholders. The dialogue, Marri said, would aim at convincing the stakeholders to implement the Sindh government’s energy conservation efforts in light of the NeC. The provincial minister said the committee would be holding a series of meet-

ings with all the stakeholders in the province to achieve the desired results. Although not sure about the exact date, Marri said the body could come in action within the next couple of days. The Sindh government move came after the traders and industrialists in the commercial capital of the country, expressed strong reservations over the Lahore energy moot which, they claimed, took place without them being taken into confidence.

On Monday, Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Mian Abrar Ahmed told a pre-budget seminar at the Karachi Press Club that his side had strong reservations over the so-called national energy event. The KCCI president said he had shared with those concerned his reservations over the conference as the KCCI was not consulted by anyone. Mian Abrar urged the need for an ‘energy security plan’ for at least next 20 years that, he claimed, the country had not been provided since the last 64 years. The industrialist also warned that energy crises along with other lingering problems like the poor law and order situation, was leading to the ‘flight of industries’ to Dubai and African countries from Pakistan.

for Pakistan affirmed the importance of the local government elections, saying if the elections were held in Pakistan, it would be good for the decentralization process in the country according to the provisions of the 18th Amendment.

The bench was informed that last LG tenure ended in 2009 after which no election had taken place. The chief justice said, “Why should the court become party to the government – we will issue order to the government to conduct local body elections on the same day in June this year all over the country.” He said where there was no legislation, an ordinance could be promulgated.

The CJ observed that local government election empowered people and played a pivotal role in establishing contact with the common people.

He said it was a source of people’s representation for resolving their issues, whereas it also bridged the gap between the people and the concerned authorities who were responsible for resolving their issues. During the hearing of a case about the deteriorating law and order in Balochistan at the Quetta Registry last week, the chief justice had directed all four provincial chief secretaries to submit comprehensive reports on the reasons for not holding local body elections in the country.

Rescuers searching for 138 people buried by an avalanche at a Pakistan Army camp in Siachen are to dig a deep tunnel into the huge mass of snow and ice, the military said on Thursday. A huge wall of snow crashed into the remote Siachen Glacier early on Saturday morning, smothering an area of one square kilometre. Search teams are looking for the trapped soldiers and civilians at six different points on the site, around 4,000 metres (13,000 feet) up in the mountains. At one, mechanical excavators dug down through 35 metres (115 feet) of snow, the military said, and rescuers were about to start work on a 40metre horizontal tunnel to reach the camp’s accommodation area. excavation work has gone down 30 metres at another site. More than 450 rescuers are working in sub-zero temperatures at the site, though experts have said there is virtually no chance of finding any survivors. Military photographs showed diggers and rescuers at work on an almost featureless expanse of dirty grey snow and ice, with no trace visible of the camp that had been the 6th Northern Light Infantry headquarters. The site lies near the de facto border with India in the militarised region of Kashmir, which has caused two wars between the neighbours since independence in 1947.

Spat before ihcBA elections ISLAMABAD STAFF REpoRT

A frustrated leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party and former law minister, Senator Babar Awan, suffered another blow, on Thursday, when the members of Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) removed the plaque unveiled by Awan, some two years ago, as then law minister. A pro-judiciary lawyer and president of IHCBA, Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf Gujjar, took the step of removing the former minister’s plaque, apparently as part of his ongoing election campaign against the pro-government lawyers group which is also supported by Awan. The plaque was placed in front of the high court bar room at the time of its inauguration on March 24, 2010.

However, the clash between the IHCBA president and Awan is a year old as in October last year Gujjar also banned Awan’s entry onto IHC premises which was opposed by some members of IHCBA.

parents of kidnapped people start fund raising as no one is willing to help QUETTA STAFF REpoRT

The parents of the kidnapped employees of Balochistan Rural Support Program (BRSP), Thursday, have launched a campaign of collecting alms and donations from the public for the ransom money.

The parents of the four kidnappers set up a camp at main Bacha Khan (Meezan) Chowk, the central part of the city for collecting money by pinning up the expectations on the public for receiving enough money to pay over Rs 220 million (2.5 million US dollars) as ransom to the captors against the release of five BRSP employees and the dead body of the 6th one.

Six low paid BRSP workers have been kidnapped by probable activists of Tehrik-e-Taliban, Pakistan, on December 13 last year from northern district of Pishin. However one of them, Maqbol Ahmad, had been exe-

cuted last February to pressurize the government, BRSP and families to pay the amount. The dead body of Maqbol was yet to be handed over to the family by the kidnapers who also demanded money for sending the body.

Sultan Ahmad, the father of Aftab Ahmad, one of the kidnapped, told reporters in the camp that after disappointment from government and the NGO his son worked for, the families decided to launch a drive for money collection for the ransom money. He said that he knew that it was difficult for them to receive a heavy amount from the public but he hoped that the captors would lower the ransom amount. He said that it was the only option available for them that they could avail for the release of their beloved ones. He confirmed that the captors who had been contacting the families as well as BRSP’s senior officials on telephone demanded 2.5 million US dollars for the release of these

five people.

Mohammad Din, the father of Maqbol Ahmad, who was killed by the captors was also sitting in the camp along with the other affected families. He, who is in his early 60s, hopes that the dead body of his son might be dispatched if his colleagues were set free. He said that the captors also demanded money in millions for the dead body which the family was unable to pay.

Nadir Gul, the head of BRSP said that in the wake of the kidnapping incident last year, the organization was compelled to dismiss around 108 employees which are around 90% of the total strength and closed down most of the schemes. He said that it was all under compulsion because of withdrawal of donations and aid for development activities by the foreign donors. He said that the captors demanded 2.5 million dollars and the organization was not able to pay such a colossal amount.

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Doctors, teachers throw their toys out of the pram LAHORE

T

Doctors close down oPDs over ‘unfair’ transfers, teachers threaten to besiege the cM house

STAFF REpoRT

He OPDs of all public hospitals across the provincial metropolitan remained shut on Thursday owing to the strike call given by Punjab Young Doctors’ Association.

Thousands of poor patients from the far flung districts of the province had to return disappointed owing to the strike given by the young doctors. “My mother has developed a strange tumour and we really wanted to get her checked up by a senior professor or a specialist but after such a long journey from Khanewal, we came to know that the OPDs are not working and no senior is available to see the patients…all our travelling expenses for today have gone to waste and the young doctors are telling us that the government is doing it,” Muhammad Sarwar, an attendant at Mayo Hospital said.

YDA General Secretary Dr Salman Kazmi said it was because of the unjust behaviour of the Health Department officials who took bribes for every task from transfer and promotion to issuing small certificates. He further said from the next week the strike will expand to the entire province if the government

did not take back the decision. YDA Spokesperson Dr Nasir further said the strike had been successful and it was against unjust transfer of medical officers without issuing a policy as was done previously by former health secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad.

Separately, teachers’ representative

bodies also staged protest against the enforcement of time scale, up-gradation and change in curriculum. Hundreds of teachers held a protest rally from Nasir Bagh to Civil Secretariat on the call of Muthida Mahaz Asatiza. Teachers were holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the government.

They demand of the government to give them pay scales equivalent to federal government teachers, to not to enforce english medium curriculum in public school and to not to remove the Islamic content from curriculum.

They also demanded of the govern-

ment to regularise their services. Addressing the gathering, teachers’ leaders said that the government had converted all public schools to english medium so the government officials should be bound to send their children to public schools.

Teachers warned that if their demands were not met, teachers would be compelled to besiege the Chief Minister House.

Teacher leader Hafiz Abdul Mannan announced that teachers would observe hunger strike in front of Punjab Assembly from May 8-11 and on May 17, teachers would hold a rally in Islamabad and give sit-in in front of Parliament House.

naB recovers 130 tonnes of stolen railway track LAHORE App

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in collaboration with Railways Police on Thursday raided two private godowns at Misri Shah area and recovered 130 metric tonne railway stolen track.

The railway track was stolen from Pakistan Railways installations located on borders of Punjab and Balochistan. The raiding team was also accompanied by Railway Track Officer Rao Amjad, for identification and technical help. The raid was conducted on specific directions of DG NAB Punjab after the NAB Punjab received information regarding illegal sale of railway scrap. The raiding team took the custody of 130 metric tonnes of scrap and started enquiry.

Dco visits Pak tea house LAHORE: Lahore DCO Noor-ul-Amin Mengal on Thursday paid a surprise visit to Pak Tea House and inspected its various rooms at first and second floor. DCO ordered the concerned officers to open the Pak Tea House soon after completion of renovation work so that an old traditional literary institution could be revived in its original shape. Mengal further said that old photographs of Pak Tea House should be displayed on walls after the completion of construction work. He also directed to ensure alternate arrangements of light in case of failure of power at the Tea House. eDO Works, Additional Director Security Col (R) Younas Bharola and other officers were also present on this occasion. App

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08 Lahore

Friday, 13 April, 2012

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Time to take the internet cafes by the scruff of neck Brewing intricacies, lack of consultation force Punjab govt to shelve Internet Café Bill

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YASIR HABIB

He Punjab government has put the internet café bill on ice due to brewing intricacies and lack of consultation with the concerned quarters.

Officially bill is called “Net Café Regulations Act (Punjab Cyber and Gaming Café Regulations Act) 2012.”

Bill is likely to be tabled in the Punjab Assembly after its final approval from the Punjab Cabinet and is expected to be imposed after the budget is announced in June.

Sources in the CM Secretariat told Pakistan Today that the bill was all set to be finalised and regularised on December 11, 2011 but it got stuck as cabinet members could not agree on the conflicting points in terms of its parameters, method and modus operandi.

Sources said Law Department of Punjab prepared the bill to regularise approximately 3000 internet cafes in Lahore. earlier, the Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif had ordered to regularise internet café after the public concerns related to internet cafes were thoroughly discussed in a prominent talk show of a television channel.

The regularisation bill for internet cafes was heavily focused on the removal of private cabins from internet cafes. In this regard, all existing cabins will be removed and the new net cafe owners will be bound not to build cabins. That meant computers in net cafes will be placed on simple tables/desks so that no secret corner is left for committing any sort of vulgarity, crime and hacking. Besides, Internet cafe owners will be bound to get the identity card (CNIC) of their customer and they will also have to save and maintain the record of their customers’ identity cards. Additionally, the Internet cafes will remain open between 8 am till 10 pm only. If any computer at the cafe is found to have been misused for criminal, anti-social or anti-country activity, the owner of the internet cafe will be held responsible.

Apparently, the bill does address most of the issues related to internet cafes, but, there are points which need to be included in the bill before it is presented in the assembly for a comprehensive debate. For example, there are internet cafes which offer sheesha as an attraction for the customers to stay for longer period within the cafe. Not only does it bring an extra income to the cafe owners who sell sheesha within their premises, but also, it is a deviation for the youth from their productive work. Government must discourage such practices through the upcoming bill as well. It is a stark revelations that with over 20 million internet users and growing fast, Pakistan has managed to secure the number one slot for searching the term ‘sex’ globally for all years.

According to a 2010 Fox News report, Pak-

100 GHAZALS OF MAULANA RUMI

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Lahore also featured in the top 10 cities for the months of January, March, April, May, June, July, September, October, November and December 2011. The months of February and August (Ramazan) were the only two months in 2011 that did not feature any cities from Pakistan in the global ranking. Over 1,000 pornographic websites are in the process of being blocked by internet service providers (ISP), following directives issued by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

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Lahore 09

CM promises more houses, buses LAHORE

P

STAFF REpoRT

UNJAB Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said provision of shelter to the poor, disadvantaged and homeless people is the agenda of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

He disclosed that after Aashiyana Housing Scheme, Punjab government is launching a programme for the distribution of five marla residential plots among shelter-less people in the cities and villages of the province. He said process of identification of one lakh, 10 thousand and 554 suitable residential plots had been completed. He said that proprietary rights will also be awarded to the dwellers of Katchi Abadis throughout the province and this process will be started from April 26 and completed by May 30.

He was addressing a meeting regarding five marla scheme and awarding of proprietary rights to the dwellers of katchi abadies, here on Thursday. Provincial Ministers Rana Sanaullah Khan, Haji ehsanuddin Qureshi, Malik Nadeem Kamran,

Members National and Provincial Assembly, Senior Member Board of Revenue, Chairman Planning and Development, secretaries of various departments, divisional commissioners, LDA directors general and Katchi Abadis and officers concerned were present. Former member British parliament Ch Sarwar also attended the meeting. The CM announced that computerised balloting will be held on June 6. He said all basic amenities will be provided to the residents of these schemes.

Separately, he said Punjab government will provide best, rapid, modern and organised system of public transport to the masses in the shape of metro bus service which will help resolve traffic and travelling problems. He said public transport was being made comfortable for the people by organising it on modern lines so that the commuters could reach their destination on time. He said transport system was an identity of cities and metro bus service will give a new identity to historical city Lahore. He said common man would especially benefit from this service in connection with travelling.

He was presiding over a meeting held to review the progress of the metro bus service project on Thursday. Planning and Development chairman, secretary transport, DG LDA and representatives of concerned departments also attended the meeting.

The CM said metro bus service was very important and a unique project in the 64 years’ history of Pakistan through which speedy, comfortable, organised and economical public transport will be available to the commuters. He said that metro bus service especially b e

beneficial for the students disabled, elders and women. He said that most modern air conditioned buses having doors on both sides will be plied for metro bus service. He said that the stops of metro bus service have also specially been designed.

He also expressed his satisfaction that besides launching of metro bus service, an intelligent transport system will also be introduced in Lahore. He said that immediate help would also be provided to the people through this modern system besides controlling the traffic of Lahore. Various technical matters of metro bus service were also discussed in detail on this occasion.

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Businessmen say Punjab govt should distribute tablet PCs instead to promote local industry LAHORE NAUMAN TASlEEM

The Punjab government instead of distributing more laptops should opt for distributing tablets PC, as it would not only save money but also create new jobs in the country. Punjab government by adopting this model could have saved half of money besides creating thousands of jobs in information technology sector. These views were expressed by Business Forum Punjab (BFP) senior office bearer while talking to reporters on Thursday.

The BFP has evolved a comprehensive programme, which would not only save precious money of the provincial government but at the same time it would be a great project in the region. The BFP was of the view that the provincial government instead of giving away expensive laptops should go for tablet PCs, which were more efficient and far less in price. “A laptop costs at least Rs 37,500 to the government, whereas, a tablet PC would come in the price of Rs 15,000-17,000 including internet for one year,” said the BFP representative adding the government was planning to spend Rs 6.5 billion for importing 200,000 laptops in the students. He said in the same amount, the government could have imported 400,000 tablets and reach huge number of students. “It would be wastage of money if 200,000 laptops are imported and the government should go for table PCs, which are economical and effective,” he said adding the government should import products and assemble them in Pakistan, which would ultimately create jobs. Besides, the government should opt for digitalisation of books and add all these books in the tablet PCs and give it to student. “In this way, the tablets would become part and parcel of every student’s life and he/she never would sale it in the market and Punjab government would not get embarrassed, as it is being in these days,” he said adding that recently Turkey has imported 10 million tables and adopted this model and now their educational system is benefiting from it. He said by digitalisation of books, the software houses of the country would progress by leaps and bounds and provincial government could attract the masses through it. “In this way the government not only gains politically but also it would win the hearts of students,” he added. He said Pakistan had not established any hardware industry and just used to import finished products from China, Singapore and other countries. He said Punjab could have established an assembly line for these tablets thus creating jobs for the local market. He said with help of internet service providers (ISPs) the government can provide one year’s internet to the student for free and it would not cost huge money. The BFP urged the Punjab government to at least look at this model instead of wasting huge amount on laptops.

the doors to the US are open LAHORE STAFF REpoRT

A US-funded South Asian US College education fair tour made a two day stop in Lahore. The education fair was held April 11-12 at Forman Christian College (FCC) and featured four representatives from U.S. higher education institutions. Students from Lahore and across the Punjab obtained information about studying in the United States and student life in America directly from U.S. university representatives. educationUSA, a US Department of State funded global network of student advising centers organized the event. There are four student advising centers in Pakistan. “encouraging Pakistani students to study in the United States is one of our top priories and a great way to foster better understanding between our countries,” said US Consulate General Lahore Public Affairs Officer Brinille ellis, who attended the education fair. Also on hand were representatives from: the University of Buffalo in Buffalo, New York; the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa; Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana; and educational Credential evaluators from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who joined the tour to demonstrate the unique benefits of a U.S. university education.

This is the second South Asian annual education fair tour organized by educationUSA. Last year, US university representatives travelled across the region from Sri Lanka, to Bangladesh, to Nepal, and then to Pakistan. The programme was so successful it was repeated again this year and includes Afghanistan.

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10 Lahore

Friday, 13 April, 2012

CDGL, who said you could fund laptop functions?

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lhc demands explanation cDGl over funding PU laptop distribution ceremony LAHORE

T

STAFF REpoRT

He Lahore High Court on Thursday sought an explanation before May 25, from the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) over providing funds for the laptop distribution ceremony held at the Punjab University on March 23.

Justice Umar Ata Bandial passed the order on a plea filed by Nazir Ahmad challenging the use of Punjab University funds for the laptop distribution ceremony. earlier, the Punjab University’s counsel appeared before the court and submitted that Rs 16.1 million was spent on the laptop distribution ceremony held at the PU Quaid-e-Azam campus on March 23.

The counsel added that the amount was to be paid by the CDGL. However, the petitioner’s counsel Aftab Ahmad Bajwa criticised the CDGL’s move to pay the amount and said public money was being utilised for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s political activities. The court agreed with petitioner’s counsel and observed that it would not allow the use of public money for political activities.

The court, after hearing the arguments, sought a reply from the CDGL.

The petitioner, in his petition, submitted that the PU vice-chancellor sanctioned a supplementary grant of Rs 30 million on account of arranging the laptop distribution ceremony, without permission of the PU syndicate.

He submitted that the VC arranged the function to oblige Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and PML-N President Nawaz Sharif by inviting them as chief guests. It is pertinent to mention here that the court barred the use of Punjab University’s funds for the laptop distribution ceremony, in its last hearing. notice issued to WASA over discharge of wastewater into River Ravi: The LHC Green bench, comprising of Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah issued a notice on Thursday to Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Irrigation Department secretary and the environment Protection Agency (ePA) for April 27th in a petition seeking directions to end the discharge of untreated wastewater into the River Ravi.

The bench also summoned an officer responsible from the WASA irrigation department and the ePA on the next hearing date to explain why Ravi is being used as a refuse dump.

This was the first case that the Green Bench heard after it was formed as part of the judiciary’s efforts to protect the environment.

The bench passed these orders on a petition filed by the Public interest Litigation Association of Pakistan.

The petitioner’s counsel submitted that untreated domestic and industrial waste was being dumped in the Ravi, resulting in a high level of impurities in the water. He said nearly 48 percent of the overall polluted water that is discharged into the River Indus comes from the River Ravi.

He added that the Ravi has been reduced to becoming a sludge carrier.

The pollution had led to the extinction of 42 species of fish, the counsel said, adding that the wastewater discharged into the Ravi flowed to the Balloki head-works from where it ended up as irrigation water for crops in southern Punjab.

The counsel stated that this had resulted in high rates of waterborne diseases in Pakistan. “UNICeF estimates that 20-40 percent of Pakistanis in hospitals today are there because of water borne disease,” he added.

He contended that the dumping of pollutants in the river affected water and food quality and hence human health. He requested the court to direct the Punjab government, WASA and ePA to take immediate remedial action. The bench after hearing the arguments issued a notice and sought a reply by April 27.

‘hospital provides Leads University arranges poetry recitation competition free medicines to 2,000 people daily’ LAHORE STAFF REpoRT

LAHORE STAFF REpoRT

Lahore Leads University’s (LLU) Mass Communication Department arranged an intra-university Poetry Writing and Recitation Competition on Wednesday in which a number of students from different classes contested.

Prominent poets Javaid Shaida, Aeni Raz and Javaid Razi were the judges while LLU Vice Chancellor Professor Khairat Muhammad Ibn-eRasa and executive Rector Mian Zahoor Wattoo were the chief guests.

LLU Registrar Arshad Ahmad and faculty members Prof Tauseef, Prof Babar, Prof Salman Shabir, Prof

Amber and Prof Fraaz Mahmud were also present at the occasion.

Students from Bachelors, Masters and MS programmes contested in the competition while BSCS student Umair, BBA student Faiza Ishtiaq and Rushba got first, second and third positions, respectively.

LLU VC congratulated the Department of Mass Communication for arranging a successful poetry recitation competition and appreciated the creative abilities of the students.

Later, the executive rector highlighted the role of educational institutions in polishing the inner abilities of the students and extended his support for further such events.

Due to the rapid increase in hypertension and cardiac diseases, the number of patients visiting the Punjab Institute of Cardiology has increased drastically. In spite of the fact that 2, 200 open heart surgeries have been performed in one year in the PIC, there is still a long list of patients waiting for their procedures. This was told to Chief Minister’s Special Assistant on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique during his visit to the PIC on Thursday. PIC Chief executive Prof Dr Bilal Zakaria, Medical Superintendent Dr Muhammad Javed and other senior doctors were also present for the meeting. Prof Zakaria said the number of operation theatres have been increased from five to nine.

He added that doctors, nurses and other staff are providing health facilities to the patients round the clock, but due to the rapid increase in cardiac diseases, the number of patients has also increased. Prof Zakaria said in comparison to the workload, the resources and doctors available are insufficient. He proposed that the Multan Institute of Cardiology, the Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology and the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology be earmarked as partner hospitals, to enable patients from nearby districts to be treated at these institutes instead of having to come to the PIC.

lDA dismisses wASA personnel over irregularities in Allama iqbal town project LAHORE: Lahore Development Authority Director General Ahad Khan Cheema has imposed the major penalty of dismissal from service on WASA Director Syed Iqtidar Ali Shah, WASA Director Data Gunj Baksh Town Tariq Mahmood and Muhammad Ashfaq Tirmazi.

The decision was taken after consideration of the facts of a case registered against them regarding irregularities in the Allama Iqbal Town Road rehabilitation project. Minor penalty of forfeiture of a year’s service has been imposed on WASA SDO Zohaib Butt. Cheema also invited proposals to review the process of the acquisition of land and allotment of plots in the Gulshan-e-Ravi Scheme. Lahore’s chartered accountant firms have been asked to submit their proposals by 29th April 2012. For qualifying for the assignment, the firms should be affiliated with an international firm, have experience of working in the public sector as well as capability and credibility. Details of the assignment and prequalification criteria can be obtained from the LDA Director Administration office on egerton Road. During its operation against illegal construction on the Model Town Link Road, the Lahore Development Authority Town Planning Wing staff on Thursday demolished a number of sheds, sign boards and other structures which had been disrupting traffic flow in the area. STAFF REpoRT

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Friday, 13 April, 2012

we don’t need strikes

Abuse of discretion

Bashir Khan Qureshi of Jiye Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, JSQM, died of heart attack. As he passed away, politics of allegations started and leadership of JSQM started to declare Bashir’s death a conspiracy, saying that Bashir Khan was given poison. It is a great misfortune that whenever a political leader dies, his or her party starts protest demos and calls for strike uselessly, due to which citizens of Pakistan have to face hardships.

It is better to quote a common man’s words here who was irritated on the recent strike by JSQM in Sindh. He said if a person died, people should pray for him and for his better hereafter but the political parties were going about totally wrong in that regard. When their leader dies, they start calling for strikes due to which common men suffers a lot and they curse and abuse those leaders who pass away.

Why don’t they think that their calls for strike deprive a lot of people of their daily wages or earnings, patients are unable to go to hospitals and women are unable to cook food due to unavailability of groceries etc? The law enforcement agencies must perform their duties responsibly and take some serious steps in order to stem these increasing strikes.

HAFIZ MUHAMMAD NOMAN Karachi

It seems that for the ruling political elite and our civil and uniformed bureaucracy, “discretionary powers” are a license to do what they wish without regards to rules, laws, precedents, financial costs, penalties and impact on fundamental rights of other citizens. How else can somebody explain the grant of 9,000 kgs of a restricted chemical ephedrine, which can be used in production of lethal addictive drugs such as ecstasy, to two pharmaceutical companies based in Multan.

It was again an abuse of discretionary powers when PM appointed an intermediate pass controversial man to head OGDC, NICL etc in violation of constitutional rights of more competent, quali-

Editor’s mail 11 Pot calling the kettle...

fied and experienced officers and the negative impact on national exchequer of nomination of such incompetent persons to head state owned corporations. Today Railways, Pakistan Steel Mills, PIA, PSO, NICL, PSO, etc are all suffering losses and pilferage because of appointment of corrupt and unqualified cronies to head these state corporations, thereby depriving the common man of much needed funds, which could have been used for their welfare, health and education.

It is again a repulsive tradition where senior civil bureaucrats and generals are being allotted expensive real estate for doing what they were paid to do. We are perhaps amongst few countries of the world, where the state instead of taking

care of welfare and housing of most deprived section of society is instead involved in welfare of its paid public servants and political elite, who are responsible for the chaos that this country today faces, where people face crippling electricity shortages, no security, unemployment, no subsidised education or health and an economy on the brink of financial collapse.

What right do family members of our elected political elite, paid civil or uniformed bureaucracy and our lower judiciary have to be involved in official matters, award of contracts, appointments and postings?

MALIK TARIQ ALI Lahore

Brothers in arms Karachi witnessed a wave of strikes last week when different political party leaders or activists were killed. every other day was given an off in the grief of the people who had lost their precious lives. It is the immediate next week and a mournful incident of our soldiers took place at Siachen. Why did our government this time forget to announce a black day in their honour when they clearly deserved the love and appreciation?

How did everyone possibly forget the contributions they’ve made to our country defences? It is sad how we ignore the important incidents and prioritise those which are not of that much value. Our brothers at Siachen gave their lives to save Pakistan.

NADIA HANIF Karachi

Blistering heat With the summer approaching fast and temperature increasing the unannounced and announced power outages’ timing is taking an alarming turn in Karachi as citizens are braving up to eight hours of loadshedding everyday, which has made the life difficult for the commuters in scorching heat. With the temperature ranging between 36 to 38 degrees centigrade the citizens are left suffering from blistering heat. excessive loadshedding is casuing serious problem for students. Moreover, as Karachi is the centre of trade and business, excessive loadshedding is putting a bad effect on the economy of Pakistan.

Therefore, I raise my voice to get the attention of the concerned authorities to reduce loadshedding.

HUMAIRA MOHSIN Karachi

the Saudi offer

From top to down Unless the implementation of law does not travel down from top, nothing can improve. In our case unless Chief Justice of Pakistan does not hold political, partisan president accountable and adjudicate his extra constitutional conduct of business as illegal, per LHC verdict also, it cannot be a smooth ride.

He has made everyone his scapegoat to retain his power both in his party, coalition partners and opposition under the nose of judiciary.

SONY CHEENABY Gujrat

‘Pakistan addicted to using militants against India’: Pentagon. The new thesis of addiction in wars and conflicts can raise a question: is it possible for a continent as a whole except the allies?

Z A KAZMI Karachi

A father’s plea Mr Yousaf Raza Gilani has pleaded Musa as not guilty before his army of cabinet. The cabinet obviously had no choice but to agree with his plea. He further states that his sons are being implicated. First, Qadar in Hajj scandal and now Musa in drugs scandal. But guilty or not guilty, Mr Gillani’s approach is wrong. He should look into circumstances that engulf the situation. Why were those inquiring people transferred? Why does Musa not face the SC? Why has Musa gone out of the country on an indefinite furlough at this crucial time? Why has the cabinet meeting been chosen as a forum to plead not guilty? What do cabinet members have to do with his innocence or guilty?

Does the father really know of secret movements and meetings of these grown up sons? Making an excuse that he is being victimised for some thing is a lame excuse. Who is victimising

Education budget Literacy is defined as persons aged 15 or above who can read and write. According to this definition, Pakistan is officially reported to have 50 percent literacy rate.

Which means half of its population is il-

Gillani? No one knows.

‘Victimisation’ is an oft-repeated plea in defence and lots of doubt-creating moves are made behind the scene of all scandals. These moves create doubts in the minds of the media and people. In fact, these things make scandals. If Musa is innocent, why does he do these mysterious moves? If Musa is innocent then let him come and face the court of law. Amusingly, my grand daughter shouts the moment she enters back from school that she did not eat the apple-pie from the fridge, which her grand mother finds missing. I like her plea for innocence even when she is not asked for though she did eat it all in the morning before going to school.

AMJAD H MIRZA Lahore

literate. With such inflation, poverty and child labour this rate is expected to increase in future.

The government is not giving education the same importance as compared to other fields. Rs 39,513 million is running year's total allocation for education min-

istry out of Rs 2767 billion total budget.

The government should give education importance and try to increase literacy rate by increasing the share of education in the forthcoming budget.

TAHIR KHAN Karachi

Saudi Arabia looks askance at Pakistan’s commitment to pursue energy cooperation with Iran and is nudging the government to reconsider its decision.

Riyadh is said to have offered an alternative package to meet Islamabad’s growing energy needs in an effort to persuade it to abandon Pak-Iran gas pipeline and electricity/oil import deal.

Although Saudi Arabia is a brotherly country and has helped Pakistan in hard times, this move will be considered to keep Pakistan off this important pipeline.

This is not a good omen for trilateral relations. Iran’s only fault is its opposition of the US policies. Iran-Pakistan pipeline project has been pending for years due to the US. The completion of the said project is the need of the hour because Pakistan is passing through a severe energy crisis. S Arabia should also help Pakistan meet its energy needs. I appeal to the S Arabian authorities to create better relations with Iran. Pakistan should continue on this pipeline project without taking foreign pressure.

TARIQ HUSAIN KHAN Karachi 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 may be edited for length and clarity.

It would be appreciated if letters were addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively.

anti-money laundering laws and pakistan

By Faisal Zaman

M

oney laundering is a global menace sans boundaries, faith or ideological frontiers. Technological advancements and economic interests have reduced this world into a global village thereby providing massive opportunities for criminals to manipulate otherwise eroding jurisdictional barriers in their favour with relative ease. By carefully using legal money transmission channels the proceeds of a crime perpetrated in a remote area in South America may easily land up unnoticed in Dubai en-route to europe. The frequency and relative ease in laundering money shook the global conscience. As events unfolded it became apparent to the world that money laundering was directly connected with

terrorist financing. This deadly combination posed a grave and imminent danger to world economy, stability and above all world security. This imminent global danger demanded a swift global response.

The United Nations as flag bearer of the comity of nations took upon itself to introduce and enforce various legal instruments to fight corruption in any form.

Money laundering and terrorist financing captured the concern of the United Nations. An appropriate and strong message was sent out by the United Nations and an evolving strategy was formulated. even before 9/11, the United Nations had embodied the money laundering aspect in its 1988 United Nations convention against the Illicit Traffic in Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and United Nations Convention against Corruption and the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism.

After 9/11, enough evidence was available that established the links between terrorism, transna-

tional organized crime, the international drug trade and money laundering. In September 2001, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted wideranging anti-terrorism Resolution No 1373. This resolution in essence is the backbone of international response to counter terrorism and terrorist financing. Another important international development in combating money laundering was the establishment of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in the year 1989. This is an inter-governmental policy making body, comprised of over 30 countries, that has a ministerial mandate to establish international standards for combating money laundering and terrorist financing.

The primary functions of FATF are: It sets international standards to combat money laundering and terrorist financing; assessing and monitoring compliance with the FATF standards; conducting typologies studies of money laundering and terrorist financing methods, trends and techniques; responding to new and emerging threats, such as proliferation financing.

Initially FATF had given 40

recommendations to counter money laundering. After 9/11, FATF gave another 9 recommendation to counter terrorist financing.

Collectively these recommendations prescribed the measures to be adopted by the member states and other jurisdiction to counter money laundering and terrorist financing. Some of these key measures include: Introduction of legal and regulatory regimes to check money laundering; following Customer Due Diligence (CDC) /Know Your Customer (KYC); proper record keeping; reporting of suspicious transactions; establishment of competent authorities, their powers and resources; freezing of funds and confiscation of terrorist assets; and establishment of asset forfeiture fund.

Over 180 jurisdictions including Pakistan have joined FATF or an FATF style regional body to implement the FATF standards and having their anti-money laundering/counter terrorist financing (CFT) systems assessed. Some of these regional bodies are: Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (Pakistan is a member of this group); Caribbean Financial Ac-

tion Task Force; eurasian Group; eastern and Southern Africa Anti Money Laundering Group; The Council of europe Committee of experts on the evaluation of Anti Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism; The Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering in South America; Inter-Governmental Action Group against money laundering in West Africa; Middle east and North Africa Financial Action task Force.

Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010 is one of the measures taken by the government of Pakistan to fulfill its international obligations.

This law has provided the basic legal framework to counter money laundering and terrorist financing.

The legal structure is similar to the one prevailing in different countries. A powerful Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU) has been established under section 6 of the Act. National executive Committee to combat money laundering has been established under section 5 of the Act. This is a high powered body that comprises of four federal ministers, Governor State Bank of Pakistan, Chairman Securities and exchange Commission of Pakistan

and Chairman National Accountability Bureau.

The role of this committee is to develop a national strategy to fight money laundering, determine offences that may be considered as predicate offences, making recommendations to the federal government for effective implementation of the Act, issue directions to the agencies involved in the implementation and administration of the Act and take measures for development of investigating agencies.

Offences under the Act have been made non-bailable and noncognizable. Provisions have been made in sections 26 and 29 of the Act for seeking mutual assistance of other states as well as for reciprocal arrangements for processes and assistance for transfer of accused persons. Mandatory disclosure requirements have been placed on the directors, officers, employees and agents of reporting entities, financial institutions and non-financial business or profession.

The writer is a lawyer based in Islamabad. He can be contacted at faisalzamanadv@yahoo.com

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12 Comment Prudence or populism? pakistan, US, India

P

akistan is passing through a period when it is being required to readjust relations with both the US and India. What Islamabad is trying to do is to improve ties with India and evolve a new policy which is not subservient to the US. While every responsible political party and saner elements in the establishment are keen to end hostility with the two countries, what stands in the way is the propaganda undertaken by the extremist forces as well as elements in the establishment. The DPC continues undeterred to hold rallies where its fiery speakers hold India and the US responsible for all real or imaginary ills in Pakistan. With all mainstream parties preparing for elections, their leaders tend to hedge their bets. This explains why it has taken so long to decide to give India the MFN status. This also tells why the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) has failed to formulate consensus proposals on new terms of engagement with the US. The improvement of relations with India and the formulation of new parameters of engagement that ensure the security of both the US and Pakistan cannot be delayed any further. Pakistan cannot fight the terrorists inside the country while keeping its army in a state of preparedness on the eastern borders. To ensure the country’s security and improve its economy Islamabad needs to eliminate the terrorist threat and reduce its burgeoning defence budget. The tragic incident at Siachen also underlines the urgency of resolving the outstanding issues. Islamabad and New Delhi have also to work together to be able to cope with the effects of the global warming. There is a need to join hands with the US to eliminate the threat of terrorism.

It was a right decision on Zardari’s part to visit India for which Washington reportedly helped prepare the ground. There is a need now on both sides to speed up the dialogue process to resolve the differences while undertaking more CBMs. The PCNS has taken enough time. It should now take its proposals to the joint sitting of parliament for a final vote. What one expects from the mainstream parties is that they would not succumb to populism and instead act with pragmatism. The statesmen are supposed to lead the masses rather than follow them.

let them at it Sharif’s faux pas

T

he legendary Henry Ford left quite a legacy behind himself. Yet, despite the rich legacy of the assembly line, the term “Fordian” refers to an answer of his to a journalist. When asked why the wildly successful Model T only came in black, the industrialist is said to have replied that he didn’t mind any colour – as long as it was black.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan has long been accused of being Fordian. He is for the democratic system as long as it elects him.

Any other result, and he will “come out on the streets.” Though he has been chastised for this attitude by many, including the PML(N), it appears the latter will find this tougher and tougher to do so. For their own Quaid has taken to giving some rather Fordian statements of his own. By calling for immediate elections the other day, the League supremo fits neatly into the category of those without patience for the democratic process.

This democracy business takes time. Not only is the governance and legislation aspect of this form of government dreadfully slow and sloppy, the “turn”, as it were, is also rather lengthy. Yes, if he feels that tenures are way too lengthy to be sat through, he can urge for a constitutional amendment: cut the tenure of the governments from five years to four. There actually is a school of thought within the PPP interested in that.

There are advantages to having a full five years as well. A case could even be made for an amendment lengthening tenures to six years.

The above are all with their pros and cons and the parliament is the correct venue to weigh in on these. Yes, this debate could also be initiated beforehand in public discourse.

But to ask for resignations implies immaturity on the ideological front. Asking for resignations is all good in the UK or even India. But nascent democracies like Pakistan need sustained, continuous democracy, despite how bad the circumstances supposedly are.

The PPP government has a lot to desire for on the governance front; it doesn’t have its act together. There seems to be little attention given to public policy. But there is a particular allegation made by its detractors that actually is its best defence. This government, goes the allegation, is only interested in completing its term. If it indeed does that and nothing else, it would have been the first politically elected government (even the Q League doesn’t count 2002 anymore) to have completed its term in office. This is a bigger deal than it seems. The fluency of democracy will take care of a lot in the long run.

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

Friday, 13 April, 2012

Born to rule Divine right of political heir-apparents

By Khawaja Manzar Amin

A

pril has not only been the ‘cruellest month’ for the concerned citizen thus far, it has been downright mean, nasty and malicious, and left him holding his head in despair: the Siachen tragedy, more instances of gruesome sectarian ethnic cleansing, the Karachi violence revisited, another high-profile scandal allegedly involving their Graces about whom the media is expected to be seen but not heard like Victorian children, and the verbal wars and goings- on of our above-the-law ‘elect’.

But first the 33rd death anniversary of Z A Bhutto, on April 4. It was unfortunate that a solemn occasion meant to honour the late leader’s memory and mission was turned into a vilification campaign against the Supreme Court by none other than the dynastic heir-apparent of the party founded by him. There was a lot of Larkana versus Lahore rhetoric, emotional appeals to the prime minister about not writing the Scarlet or is it Swiss, Letter, and various other manifestations of a ‘best revenge’ democracy in action.

One of these days the party will have to make up its mind whether it will be a merit, experience and election-based outfit, or lean upon the divine right to rule of such ‘democratic’ dynastic progeny. The hyphenated Bhutto cub needs to learn and prove himself over a long period of time before he can lay an authentic claim to the mantle of his illustrious grandfather and martyred mother. It is difficult for a twenty first century citizen to accept the born-to-rule notion, or rather, neurosis.

The arguably national party shall also have to decide if it is to be run on the lines of a slavish personal obedience, or be flexible enough to tolerate intra-party debate and dissent in a healthy democratic manner. At this time, the party leader can be compared to the Conservative British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain about whom a sickened Harold Macmillan noted: ‘If Chamberlain says that black is white, the Tories applaud his brilliance. If a week later he says that black is after all black, they applaud his realism. Never has there been such servility’!

To continue April’s woes, the heir-apparent’s father, Regent, BB’s widower and legatee on a scrap of paper to rule Pakistan, the co-chairman, and accidental President (that’s one person, by the way) descended on Lahore or rather on Governor’s House, Lahore, from behind whose secluded ramparts he proceeded to make some rather silly personal remarks about the Sharif duo, his great love/hates, who have also happily multiplied into a foursome (till last reports), with the addition of the chicken feed king and the lady of the lamp, sorry, laptop.

The sentiments uttered from inside the gubernatorial fortress were frankly most unpresidential and unappealing, smacking in fact of a juvenile ‘I am Bruce Almighty, My Will be Done’ boastfulness, and more befitting the vocabulary of a Meyer Lansky, Lucky Luciano or a Carlo Gambino. But the younger Sharif had also been pretty nasty in the verbal duel only a few days earlier, and the miffed president was perhaps repaying the compliment, with compound interest and a bonus.

But lest one forget, the president is also (supposedly) a ceremonial head of state, the symbol of the federation and of its unity and

harmony. Perhaps he saw in himself only the man, not the office, while making the riposte.

But more likely, he spoke as the co-chairman of the party, which is worse.

Does the gentle, or by now fuming reader (if any) even know the name of the Indian president, except that she belongs to the stricter sex? Or recalls any scandal about her, or ever sees her ‘orders’, ‘notices’ and pearls of wisdom strewn all over the headlines? Of course, the world’s first and only consulting detective, Mr Sherlock Holmes, might have gone further than the uninitiated layman in these matters by a remark on first acquaintance such as, ‘You mention your name as if I should recognise it, but I assure you that beyond the obvious fact that you are lefthanded, a Freemason, a traveller in the east, and an asthmatic, I know nothing whatever about you’! One tries to remember the name at least, but fails repeatedly because of her constitutional correctness in remaining discretely in the background.

Then off the president (ours) flitted to neighbouring, but on the whole, less than neighbourly, India, on a ‘most secret, (fluttering) eyes only’, mission whose success would leave even Graf von Bismarck openmouthed in astonishment. Somehow it is remains a pipe dream of all our insecure leaders to pull off a spectacular personal diplomatic coup in India (Zia in Delhi, Musharraf in Agra) as millions cheer. The party co-chairman’s image of a political genius is consciously fostered within the party (Ek Zardari sab pa bhari) and he must have been desperate to reinforce his ‘Zardari ubber alles’ self-belief. One cannot say what

his prayer wish was at Ajmer Sharif, perhaps it was a plea for success in the coming general elections, in which case it is moot whether he will return for the Thanksgiving visit.

The leader was actually keeping a hawk eye on those rapidly dwindling voters back home all the time (no sympathy votes this time, or poignant excuses such as ‘desecrating the grave’ or the ubiquitous whining about ‘unknown’ forces not allowing the government to work) and returned amid much fanfare and applause from the bondsmen who constitute the top party leadership these days for his ‘forty minutes of fame’. But this hardly afforded any relief to a bewildered people desperate for the ‘peace within and calm around’ that have eluded them since Musharraf’s last turbulent years. The theatrical, it seems, has replaced the tumultuous.

A truly nationalist leader would have felt no hesitation in postponing the Indian trip after the tragedy that struck our soldiers in Siachen. However, if one has caught the travel bug, an apt visiting place would be the Islamic Republic of Pakistan itself, and more particularly Quetta, Chilas, Skardu and Gilgit, where gruesome ethnic killings took place, and where the country is burning and in fact unravelling at the roots, while the seemingly unconcerned Neros fiddle away.

It is only by first putting one’s own house of ‘darkness, sorrow and mourning’ in order that one can make a meaningful impact on the diplomatic front, rather than vice-versa.

That is, if one desires to negotiate from a position of strength rather than on bended knee.

As for the Indians they are far too canny to pull any unpopular Pakistani leaders’ chestnuts out of the fire. Rule number one of India’s good neighbour policy.

The non-performance of the last four years has been one of monumental proportions and the leaders ‘far from taking the country to dry land, have not even strapped a life-jacket around it’. So far, only an unerr-

ing and exceptional ability for opening Pandora Boxes and stirring up hornet’s nests has been on display, to our bitter misfortune.

The incumbent’s mindset, like most of our past rulers of whatever hue, is to rule like an Oriental potentate, hampered by none, and preferably till eternity. Perhaps this explains the attempts from day one to retain an acquiescent judiciary amenable to midnight instructions and the constant carping at the restored independent one and second, to cut the army (and particularly the ISI) to size by reducing or ending its intrusion in the political domain.

In the case of the latter, the president really acts like an ‘angry young man’ in a hurry.

Witness the indecent-haste fiasco of putting the agency under the welcoming and eager ‘Rehman Baba’ ministry. An order sheepishly withdrawn within the hour. A Z dreams of bringing the army to heel at the drop of a feather, to stop its meddlesome forays in his domain with a magic wand, but with his long past, love of humdrum materialism, and his wasted, ‘second chance’ present of losing friends and making enemies, erratic wheeling-dealing and retarded performance, he is really the last person to take on such a challenging task. He needs to accept his limitations before ‘playing with words and waving cardboard swords’ at the Supreme Court and the Army, which have caused such damaging instability and uncertainty over the past four years.

‘There is no revolution that can change the nature of man’, but even changing settled mindsets requires patience, political acumen, an understanding of power, and above all, performance. And performance especially in the economic sphere (remember, ‘It’s the economy, stupid’) which brings about an all round prosperity and trickles down to the last marginalized citizen.

That is where the real strength of any committed popular leader or reformer lies. But today, Pakistan’s economy, potentially so rich in promise, is in ruins due to political lethargy, incompetence and all-pervasive corruption.

The British prime minister for the latter part of World War I, Lloyd George and his colleagues, horrified at the bloody carnage in the trenches of France (the British army actually suffered nearly 58,000 casualties in one day alone, with 20,000 killed!) sought to establish political control over military operations by restraining the powerful vested interests in the upper-class British Army. He recalled that ‘I had to contend not with a profession but with a priesthood devoted to its chosen idol’. And there were few contemporaries who could match the wits of the Welsh Wizard in political stratagem. So, patience a moment. Wait for the next term – if you have one.

The nation must expect many more somersaults of the ‘man on the flying trapeze’ variety, diplomatic and domestic theatricals and ‘whirling dervish’ behaviour as the election looms. More so because the regime’s ‘credit now stands on such slippery ground’ confronting an enraged electorate tormented by rocketing inflation, load-shedding, gas shortages and other unaddressed horrors.

The general public is utterly sick of all the hypocrisy and flattery surrounding the present leaders, of the standard of their integrity, of their lack of moral courage and the politics of expediency and least resistance epitomised by them.

Indeed, the popular, progressive viewpoint that the majority ruling party otherwise represents, could have been better served by an Old Guard leader possessed of ‘an artful moderation (which) contributed to the success of his every design’ at this stage, rather than a last will and testament nominee. Perhaps one should rephrase the old proverb according to the tenor of the times: If character is lost, something is lost, if wealth is lost, everything is lost, but if Independence is lost, nothing is lost!! God forbid, if we lose it now, we won’t regain it in a thousand years, struggle as we might. So, wake up, all you selfish, domineering and proud…

The writer is a freelance columnist.

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Friday, 13 April, 2012

siachen tragedy Where is our Supreme Commander of armed forces?

Cross Currents

By Qudssia Akhlaque

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his column is in honour of the many nameless and valiant Pakistani soldiers who have served their country in the world's harshest and coldest battlefield at the Siachen Glacier. Today the nation mourns its 138 sons including 11 civilians still trapped deep under the snow after a massive landslide hit the Army base-camp at the height of 20,700 feet.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the stranded soldiers and with their families in this most terrible and trying time. We salute the spirit of more than 450 rescue workers braving the hostile weather conditions to retrieve the missing sons of the soil.

Shortly after the tragedy the Army Chief was in Siachen to oversee the search and rescue operation. But even almost after a week of the incident no one from the top civilian leadership – the president, the prime minister or the defense minister – has bothered to visit the site. Perhaps too absorbed with their own personal and political agendas they did little more than express shock, grief and issue instructions to relevant authorities to do their best. President Zardari as head of the state and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces should have given this matter top priority and gone there immediately to express solidarity in this moment of grief, adversity and challenge to show compassion.

Notably, the Siachen tragedy occurred on the eve of President Asif Ali Zardari’s officially private visit to Delhi where he had an official luncheon meeting with the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The hellish incident signaled the need to resolve the almost three decades old Siachen dispute between Pakistan and India. It was a wake-up call for the top civilian and military leadership of the two nuclear-armed neighbours engaged in this senseless contest.

In February, India also lost 16 soldiers as a consequence of a deadly

avalanche.

The Siachen tragedy is a sad reminder of the high cost both countries are bearing in terms of human loss. The financial and environmental cost is no less. Shocking statistics were recently quoted in a section of the press about the casualties and astronomical expenses to maintain troops in this faraway wasteland of snow where more soldiers die of biting cold, natural calamities, accidents than in active combat.

Reportedly, since 1984 over 8000 soldiers have been killed on both sides. It costs Pakistan around Rs 15 million a day to maintain troops in that freezing and daunting terrain, while India spends an estimated Rs 50 million a day. According to defence sources, currently, close to 7,000 Indian soldiers and around 4,000 Pakistani troops are deployed on the Siachen glacier at the elevation of more than 6,300 meters.

Despite several rounds of talks between Pakistan and India on the Siachen glacier issue at various levels, including almost a dozen defence secretary-level meetings, it has not been settled. According to former Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri the settlement is just a signature away, conveying that the ball is now in the court of the top political leadership.

In January 2007, at a joint press conference with his Indian counterpart here, Mr Kasuri had declared “a lot of work had already been done” on the Siachen issue and given the political will it could be resolved within days. He specifically mentioned that the then Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan had handed over a “detailed plan” in this regard to his Indian counterpart during the official talks in New Delhi in November 2006 which addressed concerns of both sides. Later in March, the Indian foreign secretary also acknowledged that the two countries were looking at “a common set of ideas” and categorically stated: “We are hopeful.”

The Indian demand for authentication of troops’ current position has remained a sticking point. Apparently, last round of defence secretarylevel talks in April 2007 broke down after the Indian delegation insisted on authentication of the existing positions which was not acceptable to Pakistan.

Pakistan and India came very close to an agreement on Siachen in 1989. An understanding had been reached at that time between the then Prime Ministers of India and Pak-

istan, Rajiv Gandhi and Benazir Bhutto, for disengagement of troops to the time of 1972 when the two countries signed the Simla Agreement. It was then left to the defence ministries of the two countries to work out the modalities.

In 1992, Defence Secretary of Pakistan, Salim Abbas Jilani, went to India to sign the agreement with his Indian counterpart Mr N N Vohra.

However, at the last moment India backed out because the then Prime Minister Narishima Rao did not want the agreement to be signed, stating certain political difficulties. The change of heart at the last minute even prompted criticism in the Indian media. Late, J N Dixit, former Indian National Security Advisor, wrote in an article that it was not a prudent policy that India had adopted at that time.

Siachen heights had been under Pakistan’s control since 1947 but these were forcibly occupied by India in 1983-84 in violation of the 1949 Karachi Agreement and the 1972 Simla Accord which precluded use of force by parties, and in this particular case the Indian move was seen as an aggression by Pakistan as well as the international community.

Now after the much-publicised thaw in Pakistan-India relations with President Zardari’s recent visit to Delhi, highest priority ought to be given to break the ice on the 27-yearold Siachen conflict over the world’s harshest battlefield. It is hoped that the “fruitful” meeting of the top political leadership in Delhi last week translates into a decisive move towards a mutually acceptable and expeditious solution to the Siachen issue. The impoverished nations stand to gain from it. Also, it will end the misery of thousands of soldiers who suffer from serious psychological problems due to the extreme isolation and dehumanising living conditions there.

The calls from both sides of the border for de-militarising the Siachen Glacier and converting it into a ‘peace park’ merits serious consideration. If the Indian prime minister could offer Pakistan assistance for rescue operation at Siachen and President Zardari flown to Ajmer Sharif in an Indian Air Force chopper, this is also possible.

The writer is a senior journalist and has been a diplomatic correspondent for leading dailies. She can be reached at: qudssia@hotmail.com

Comment 13

What Zardari did not see The Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti

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resident Zardari should have visited Ajmer in June on the 800th Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.

South Asia’s most revered Muslim, Moinuddin Chishti established the Chishti silsila in the subcontinent; its spiritual successors were Sufis like Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki of Mehrauli, Baba Farid of Pakpattan in Pakistan, and Hazrat Nizamuddin of Delhi.

Known as Gharib Nawaz, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti died in 1236. The death anniversary of a Sufi saint is not mourned, it is celebrated.

Urs means “wedding” in Arabic and it symbolises the union of the lover with the beloved, who is God. The dargah was emptied of pilgrims during Zardari’s visit. He wouldn’t have experienced what we commoners see, hear and feel in the shrine each evening for Dua-e-Roshni as khadims carry large yellow candles to the durbar, the tomb-chamber, hundreds of birds suddenly land on the branches of the mursali tree.

Little else is heard in the courtyard except for their chirping. As the drummer strikes, the candles are lit amid the chanting of a Persian invocation to Gharib Nawaz, acknowledging him as the foremost friend of God on the face of the earth.

“Ajmer Sharif is the extension of what I am,” filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt told me. “Being the son of a Shiite mother and a Brahmin father, my biological construct is a union of Muslim and Hindu cultures. There are more Hindus visiting the dargah than Muslims. It is the Khwaja’s wide appeal that has kept his cult going.”

On 11 October 2007, during Ramzan, a bomb exploded below the same mursali tree.

Three people died.

The alleged suspects were first thought to be Islamic extremists and

By Mayank Austen Soofi later, Hindu.

“The aim was to oppose the stream of thought on which Ajmer is built,” Bhatt said. “The idea of the Other is not a threat in the Khwaja’s dargah, which is like a garden where the rose is not frightened of the mogra. Both have a distinct fragrance and together they make the scent.”

As the sun sets behind the barren Aravalli Hills, the marble floor gets cool.

Qawwals sit facing the durbar; some listeners look lost, others gaze at the dome. Among the devotees, the Kashmiris stand out in their loosely hanging pherans. A Hindu woman

Delhi Calling

in a red sari has her hands folded in prayer. She is sobbing.

Although people of all religions visit Ajmer Sharif, its daily rituals revolve around the five mandatory prayers of Muslims. This is not surprising since Moinuddin Chishti was one of the pioneers of Islamic mysticism in the subcontinent. His arrival from Central Asia in 1192 coincided with the conquest of India by Muhammed of Ghor, who defeated Prithviraj Chauhan, the last Hindu king to rule Delhi.

“The majority of Indian Muslims were Hindus,” author Sadia Dehlvi told me, “and accepted Islam because of Gharib Nawaz and the Sufis who spread his message. The Khwaja allowed his followers to express the love of God through inclusive traditions such as music. This sanction gave birth to diverse devotional expressions that thrive to this day.”

The food cooked in the dargah’s giant copper cauldrons, distributed after the morning and evening prayers, is always vegetarian.

After the night prayers, while the qawwals are rendering verses in the courtyard, the worshippers are asked to leave the durbar, which is then cleaned by three khadims with brooms made of peacock feathers. As the last functionary comes out of the chamber, everyone gets up and the qawwals recite Karka, a musical verse in Persian, Sanskrit and Brij. The Khwaja’s chamber is locked until the pre-dawn prayer.

During Urs, the durbar is closed at a later hour. One week earlier, a green and red flag is hoisted on the Buland Darwaza gateway to signal the arrival of the festival. By then malangs, fakirs and qalandars from all over India are midway to Ajmer, walking. They assemble at the dargah of Khwaja Qutubuddin Kaki in Mehrauli, Delhi and from there walk to Ajmer Sharif, a journey that takes 17 days.

The nine-day Urs begins after the sunset prayers, for the Islamic day changes at the twilight hour.

Attending it is not easy. Ajmer is packed far beyond its capacity. The lanes overflow with a sea of humanity. People queue for hours to enter the durbar to touch the Khwaja’s tomb.

From large hotels to roadside guesthouses, every place is occupied. Verandas too are taken over by beds.

For the Qul, the prayer on the final day of Urs, every roof and window is taken over by crowds jostling to get a view of the crammed dargah. It is as if all of Ajmer is resounding with prayer.

Though the town gets back its breathing space a day later, the crowd at the dargah never dissipates. Divided by religions and countries, the devotees of the Khwaja, spread across South Asia and beyond, challenge these rifts each time they come to his durbar.

Mayank Austen Soofi lives in a library. He has one website and four blogs. The website address: thedelhiwalla.com. The blogs: Pakistan Paindabad, Ruined By Reading, Reading Arundhati Roy and Mayank Austen Soofi Photos

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14

Friday, 13 April, 2012

‘Julia was perfect for playing the witch’

IN LIMELIGHT iSlAMABAD: Models present creations on the second day of the islamabad Fashion week. afp

MUMBAi: Abhay Deol poses with actress Kalki Koechlin and actor Emraan hashmi during a launch ceremony for their forthcoming film ‘Shanghai’. afp

LOS ANGELES AGENCIES

ULIA Roberts has been cast as the evil witch for a reason. ‘Snow White’ and ‘Mirror Mirror’ are two films that have been adapted from the iconic fairytale ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’. While ‘SnowWhite’ has Charlize Theron as the evil queen, ‘Mirror Mirror’ has Julia Roberts playing the villain. Both actresses are exceptionally talented and gorgeous. Director Tarsem Singh revealed why he thought

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MUMBAi: Sushmita Sen and Poonam Dhillon display creations by designer Manish Malhotra. afp

of Julia Roberts for the negative role. "We were looking for someone extraordinarily beautiful and Roberts seemed to be the perfect choice. Besides, she has never been seen as an evil witch before. The casting of the film has been done quite aptly and the beautiful Lily Collins possesses the perfect blend of elegance and innocence to match up with the young Princess's character. The character of the charming prince is played by Armie Hammer who was earlier seen in ‘The Social Network’,” said Tarsem. ‘Mirror- Mirror’ will release on 20th April.

Islamabad Fashion Week 2012 presents dynamic collections NEWS DESK The second season of the Islamabad Fashion Week is leaving no stone unturned with exceptional designs and collections that fashionistas always wait for. Islamabad Fashion Week 2012 kicked off with dynamic collections at the Pak-China Centre, Islamabad. A wide array of diverse ideas coming with western cuts and daring patterns were seen on the runway with each fashion designer marking

the spectacular show. The line-up of designers for the Islamabad Fashion Week included fashion and textile design students from the GIFT University Gujrat, fashion designers Qamar, Samra Rayasat, Tamsila Yaqoob, Naeem Fazal and Tehzib Muzammal from Lakhani Silk Mills, Iqra University and Fashion era. The shows for the fashion week are choreographed by Pomme, the makeup has been done by Jugnu Wasim, while Tariq Amin has done the styling.

No time for boredom: Priyanka

MUMBAI: national awardwinning actress Priyanka chopra says there is no scope for her to get bored in her profession. "this is a very funny thing. i don’t get bored easily," Priyanka said. "i only get bored when i am ready to shoot and have to wait for the set to be ready, but even then there is something going on with me.

Either i am reading scripts or having a meeting. So, getting bored is something that this profession has just not given me," she added. Priyanka also said she takes out her anger only on people close to her. "Anger is something that you can vent out only on people who are very close to you," said the actress who is doing films, endorsements, and the like.

After basking in the success of blockbuster ‘Agneepath’, Priyanka will now be seen in Kunal Kohli’s ‘teri Meri Kahaani’. Set in three different time zones, the film, which releases June 22, will see her romancing Shahid Kapoor. AGENCIES

hollywooD: Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr and Susan Downey arrive for the world premiere of ‘Marvel’s the Avengers’. afp

Shah Rukh Khan

turns guardian MUMBAI: Amidst speculations over his troubled friendship with Arjun Rampal and his disturbed married life with Gauri, Shah Rukh Khan is busy giving gossip mongers strong reasons to discuss his actions- both professional and personal. not too long ago, news had it that SRK and Katrina Kaif were turning thick friends since they started shooting for yash Raj’s untitled flick. Katrina got so friendly with Khan that she started visiting one of the food joints referred by him on a regular basis.

And now latest has it that King Khan is leaving no stone unturned to ensure Kat has all the comfort in the world. According to a leading daily, SRK gifted Katrina a number of designer jackets, a stylish bag meant to be taken to the gym. he even lent her his bodyguard for a day. “he even asked his personal staff to make sure she was comfortable and that her every need was catered to. After a security issue occurred during the film’s london schedule, SRK asked his bodyguards to be by Kat’s side and ensure that she wasn’t mobbed by aggressive fans,” a daily quoted a source as saying. According to the source Katrina has also stared discussing her personal and professional lives with Khan. “She loves talking to him and often asks him for professional as well as personal advice,” said the source. wonder what Salman Khan has to say to this? AGENCIES

Rani turns tapori

for an item song MUMBAI: Rani Mukerji is all set to turn a tapori. the talented actress who has essayed a variety of roles in Bollywood films seems to bump and grind herself a new image. At the time when item numbers rule the roost, Rani has joined the league of Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone and Kareena Kapoor by deciding to groove for a special song in a complete ‘bindaas girl’ avatar. Bollywood sources confirm that Rani is set to do a masaledaar item song in Sachin Kundalka’s ‘Aiyya’. the song choreographed by Vaibhavi Merchant will see the actress in a tapori look. the lyrics are playful and naughty and Rani was super excited when she heard the song. A source working on the song revealed, “it will be a major highlight of the film. her role is that of a shy Marathi girl who undergoes a change when she falls in love with her leading man played by Prithviraj.” AGENCIES

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15 Princess Diana

Britney Spears lands 15m dollar pay-day as ‘X Factor’ judge

wanted to star in ‘The Bodyguard’ sequel,

says Kevin Costner

LOS ANGELES AGENCIES

RITNeY Spears has reportedly landed a 15-million-dollar deal to become a judge at the‘X Factor’. According to The Wrap, 13 million will come for the pop queen’s judging role and the rest will be paid for her to perform on the US show, New.com.au reported. Spears, 30, will serve on the programme’s judging panel alongside Simon Cowell and producer LA Reid. earlier reports claimed that Spears had been offered a 10-million-dollar deal to judge the show, but she had demanded 20 million dollars. The payday would compare to the salary paid to Spears’ former ‘Mickey Mouse Club’ pal Christina Aguilera, who earns about 10 million dollars on ‘The Voice’.

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Mel Gibson 'hates Jews' says dumped US screenwriter LOS ANGELES AFp

Oscar-winning director Mel Gibson was embroiled in a fresh anti-Semitism row Thursday after he was accused of shelving a movie about a famous Jewish revolt because he "hates Jews." The allegations from Hollywood screenwriter Joe eszterhas came after studio Warner Bros announced it was putting on hold ‘The Maccabees’, which Gibson had been penciled in to direct, because the film "lacked a sense of triumph." But eszterhas, best known for writing the thrillers ‘Jagged edge’ and ‘Basic Instinct’, let rip at Gibson in a nine-page letter which accused the ‘Braveheart’ star of pulling out because of alleged anti-Semitism. "I've come to the conclusion that the reason you won't make 'The Maccabees' is the ugliest possible one. You hate Jews," eszterhas wrote in the letter, which was reproduced on the movie and entertainment website The Wrap. Gibson, whose reputation has plummeted since 2006 when he was caught on tape making an anti-Semitic

Meera takes a religious turn NEWS DESK

rant at a US sheriff's deputy who had arrested him for drunk-driving, was also accused of taking on the project under false pretences. During his July 2006 arrest, Gibson said that Jews were responsible for all the wars in the world, but later apologised for the "despicable" comments which he blamed on alcoholism. In a statement issued after eszterhas's letter went viral, Gibson denounced the allegations made against him as "utter fabrications," and said the project was dropped because the script was not good enough. ‘The Maccabees’ was intended as a drama based on Judah Maccabee, widely revered as one of the greatest warriors in Jewish history alongside Joshua, Gideon and David.

Katrina jittery over working with Aamir Khan MUMBAI: the demand for Katrina Kaif can be gauged from the Bollywood offers that have been pouring from all corners for the lady. yet the girl feels nervous as Kat readies to work with industries most-sought after actor, the perfectionist-Aamir Khan. Everyone knows that Kat will be seen with Aamir Khan in Aditya chopra’s cool action flick ‘Dhoom 3’, and given Kat’s imprudence for the genre, the glam doll is experiencing goose bumps ever since the project has rolled out. Kat has started intensive and specialised fitness training to match the form of her co-star Aamir. it’s been learnt that for the next 10 days, the actress will be undergoing rigorous training for four hours, every day at the yash Raj Studios where a floor has been specially rigged up for the practice sessions. "the sessions are basically to determine what my stamina is like and how much i can take. which is what is scaring me," Kat said. Buzz has it that Aamir will be playing a ballet dancer in the film. is Kat’s role similar? while she doesn`t want to divulge any detail, she is all praises for her co-star. "Just look at him. he’s maintained himself so well. it’s amazing. Even hrithik, he’s always so fit. women can’t work out so strenuously like that, you know. our shoulders are not so strong. you ask a woman to do pullups and you’ll know," she said. AGENCIES

After being mired in hundreds of controversies, scandal queen Meera has taken a religious turn. She recently called a press conference in Karachi, where she announced her decision to perform Umrah. For the press conference, Meera shed her glamour-girl image and was witnessed holding a tasbih, with her head covered with a black shawl. During the conference, besides revealing her urge to perform Umrah, Meera also responded to Veena Malik’s allegation that Meera had hired a man to throw acid on Veena. Meera termed it a ‘defaming’ act, saying that Malik intended to bring her down.

Meera also sang a few songs when

LOS ANGELES: Princess Diana had hoped to become a film star and was in talks to appear in a sequel to ‘The Bodyguard’ shortly before her death, actor Kevin Costner has disclosed. The princess would have had a role specially written for her for the film, titled ‘Bodyguard 2’, following in the footsteps of Whitney Houston in the original movie.

The actor said the ‘Bodyguard 2’ would have featured his character, former special agent turned bodyguard Frank Farmer, protecting the People's Princess from paparazzi and stalkers before embarking on a steamy affair with her. He revealed that the script was delivered to him on August 31 1997the day before Princess Diana died of injuries she sustained in a car crash in Paris at the age of 36. The original ‘Bodyguard’ was one of the highest grossing films of the 1990s, and its soundtrack, featuring Houston singing ‘I Will Always Love You’. Warner Brothers was reported to be planning a new sequel, featuring an Iraq war veteran bodyguard struggling to protect his client from a stalker. AGENCIES

asked about her love for singing and her upcoming music album. It all seems well, considering the news circulating about Meera recently getting an abortion from a private hospital in Lahore. Good luck for your religious journey, of course.

NEW DElHI: Aamir Khan has proved once again that it is not for nothing that he is tagged as ‘Mr Perfectionist’, as he refused to make any compromise for his debut television show, just like he does for his movies. his show ‘Satyamev Jayate’ to be aired soon has blocked all the 2,000 slots, which is in totality valued at 6.25 crore, for the broadcaster’s promos in 27 hours. the 47-year-old Bollywood actor ensured that none of the promos were shot separately, as is the current practice, rather he has taken the footage from the making of the show itself for promos. AGENCIES

Green Day to release 3 albums in 4 months NEW YORK: Punk trio Green Day have announced plans to release three albums in a four-month span. The group’s ‘Uno!’ will hit stores in September, ‘Dos!’ Will release in November this year and ‘Tre!’ will be available in January 2013. Announcing the ambitious project the group said, "We are at the most prolific and creative time in our lives. This is the best music we’ve ever written, and the songs just keep coming. Instead of making one album, we are making a three album trilogy. every song has the power and energy that represents Green Day on all emotional levels. We just can’t help ourselves." AGENCIES

Aamir Khan’s debut TV show

is a great money maker

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16 Foreign News

Friday, 13 April, 2012

New Syria bloodshed tests UN peace plan DAMASCUS

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AFp

eNeWeD bloodshed in Syria on Thursday killed at least four people, putting to the test a hard-won ceasefire plan that was supposed to take effect at dawn.

The opposition said regime forces killed three civilians and arrested dozens more in defiance of its undertaking to peace envoy Kofi Annan to halt all military operations and withdraw troops from towns and cities. State television said that “armed terrorists” — its usual term for rebel fighters — killed one loyalist soldier and wounded 24, and accused the opposition of deliberately setting out to wreck the truce. Annan — peacemaker for both the Arab League and United Nations — was to give a 1330 GMT briefing by video conference to UN Security Council members on

the two sides’ compliance with his plan to end bloodshed that the world body estimates has killed more than 9,000 people since March 2011. The opposition Syrian National Council (SNC) said the epicentre of Thursday’s bloodshed was the flashpoint central region of Hama, long a focus of dissent to the regime of President Bashar alAssad. “We have visual proofs, videos and photos that heavy weapons are still in populated areas, sometimes they just have been relocated,” said the council’s foreign affairs chief, Basma Qoudmani, demanding that regime forces not only cease fire but withdraw from protest centres.

Qoudmani called for peaceful demonstrations across Syria to test the government’s readiness to accept public shows of dissent. “The real test will be if there is shooting or not when people demonstrate,” she said. State media charged that it was the opposition who were jeopardising the long-awaited truce, accusing rebel

fighters of bombing a bus ferrying troops to their base in Syria’s second-largest city Aleppo. “An armed terrorist group used an explosive device to target a bus transporting officers and non-commissioned officers to their unit in Aleppo. It killed a lieutenant colonel and wounded 24 other people” at 8:00 am (0500 GMT), the official SANA news agency reported.

State television said the armed groups were “intensifying criminal operations in an attempt to destabilise Syria and torpedo the (Annan) plan” which went into effect at 6:00 am (0300 GMT). Among Syria’s allies, China welcomed the regime’s decision to uphold a “comprehensive ceasefire” describing it as a step towards a political solution. Russia called for more time. Just hours before the deadline expired, the military unleashed a lethal offensive against protest centres, killing 25 civilians on Wednesday, including 10 in the rebel stronghold of Rastan, Britain-based monitoring group, the

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said.

US ambassador to the the United Nations Susan Rice said Assad’s regime had intensified violence since it first committed to Annan’s six-point plan on April 1. “Its commitments therefore have little, if any, credibility ... given that track record,” Rice said.

Annan’s plan calls for the withdrawal of forces from urban areas, a halt to fighting, a daily two-hour humanitarian truce, the release of arbitrarily detained people, freedom of movement for journalists and the right to demonstrate. The SNC said both it and the rebel Free Syrian Army, a ragtag force of mainly army defectors, were committed to the truce but also voiced doubts about the regime’s commitment.

SNC chief Burhan Ghalioun called on people to demonstrate “because the right to demonstrate is a principle point of the plan of Annan.” He urged the international community to “monitor its implementation in full, mainly the right to demon-

strate... and to provide the means to protect the people if the regime violates the plan.” “International observers should be on the ground as soon as possible,” he said.

Ahead of the ceasefire, foreign ministers of the Group of eight major industrial powers met in Washington for talks on Syria and other global crises, with both Britain and France pressing for monitors to verify any ceasefire. French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe called for the Security Council to seek a “robust observers force” that would verify compliance and “could move freely” without interference from Assad’s regime. Russia has been a leading supporter of Assad’s regime, and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she would press Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over the conflict. Lavrov said some Arab and Western states had written off Annan’s peace plan as a failure even before it had gone into effect and called on them to use their influence with the rebels to avoid future unrest.

Iraq to aid Libya in destroying chemical weapons BAGHDAD AFp

TBIlISI: A young Georgian jumps over a bonfire during Chiakokonoba folk festival late on Wednesday. According to the legend, this ritual purifies the soul of the jumper of evil spirits. Some 12 people have been taken to hospital’s burns units after their jumps over bonfire. afp

Helicopter lands on apartment rooftop in India BANGALORE

spanish nun in court over ‘stolen babies’

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MADRID

A trainee helicopter pilot made an emergency landing on the rooftop of an apartment building in a busy residential district in southern India on Thursday after developing engine trouble. Residents of Byappanahalli area in Bangalore said they were shocked to see the chopper flying low and landing on the rooftop of the high-rise.

“It landed with a huge thud,” one witness told a local news channel. “We saw the smoke first and then there was a loud noise.”

Police said the two occupants of the helicopter were unhurt in the incident that they described as “bizarre.” “There was a technical problem with the engine. The pilot was trying to make a safe landing at a nearby airstrip but landed on the rooftop,” a police officer at the scene said. The helicopter was lying on its side on the apartment rooftop.

An 80-year-old Spanish nun was jeered as she arrived Thursday in court, the first person to go before a judge over cases of babies allegedly stolen from their mothers during and after the Franco era.

Sister Maria Gomez Valbuena went before a judge investigating her role in the kidnapping of a newborn girl from a Madrid hospital three decades ago, one of thousands of cases of alleged theft of babies by nuns, priests and doctors. Wearing the blue habit of her Sisters of Charity order, she refused to testify and left the court accompanied by another nun from her convent as police shielded her from the crush of reporters.

She was called to give evidence in

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the case of Maria Luisa Torres, a mother who has accused the nun of stealing her daughter shortly after she was born at the Santa Cristina hospital in Madrid in March 1982. Torres, 58, said that she accepted the nun’s offer to temporarily look after her newborn daughter until her economic situation improved but that instead Sister Maria gave the baby away to another family.

“I was still half asleep when I asked her where my daughter was. She told me: ‘Stop asking me that or else I will also take away your other daughter and you will go to jail for adultery’,” Torres told AFP. “She was a nun and I thought she was untouchable,” she added when asked why she did not take action against Sister Maria at the time.

Torres was reunited with her daughter Pilar last year following an investigation by a journalist. As Sister

Maria arrived at the court escorted by police, a woman who believes she was kidnapped as a newborn from the Santa Cristina hospital in 1957 yelled at the black car transporting the nun.

“It is shameful, and on top of it all they protect her. I don’t even know who I am,” said 55-year-old Paloma Perez as the car drove by. There are no firm figures for the number of children who were snatched from their mothers during General Francisco Franco’s 193975 dictatorship and up to the end of the 1980s. estimates range from hundreds to tens of thousands of victims of a practice that began as a policy to remove children whose “moral education” was considered at risk and allegedly developed into financial trafficking. The government announced Thursday it will set up a DNA database to help track down the stolen babies.

Iraq has accepted a request from Libya to provide assistance in disposing of Tripoli’s chemical weapons, Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement released on Thursday. The Iraqi cabinet has agreed “to provide necessary technical assistance to the Libyan authorities to dispose of their chemical stockpiles, according to the procedures followed by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW),” the statement said. Libya’s representative to the OPCW, Mohammed Jibril, requested Iraqi “help in the diplomatic and technical field to get rid of chemical stockpiles that Libya has which must be destroyed under the supervision” of the OPCW, it said. Iraq approved the request because Baghdad wants “to provide the necessary assistance ... to Arab brothers at all levels,” the statement said, noting Iraq’s “extensive experience ... in disposing of chemical weapons.” The OPCW is the implementing body of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), to which Iraq became the 186th state party in 2009, according to the OPCW website. The OPCW said in November that Libya’s ruling National Transitional Council had pledged to continue with the previous regime’s programme of destroying its chemical weapons stockpiles. The organisation said in January after a visit by inspectors that ousted Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi’s regime possessed undeclared mustard gas shells.

Iraqi Kurdish donkey-themed party unveils statue SULAIMANIYAH AFp

A political party in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region called the Donkeys’ Party has unveiled a statue of its four-legged namesake in dress attire in central Sulaimaniyah. The bronze statue statue shows the head and shoulders of a donkey dressed in a suit, collared shirt and tie. At 1.8 metres (five feet) high and 1.1 metres (three feet) wide, it took famous Kurdish sculptor Zerak Mira seven months to create and cost $4,000 (3,050 euros). It is located on Nali Street, which is named for a famous Kurdish poet who wrote a wellknown poem about donkeys. The statue was revealed at a ceremony attended by a number of Kurdish artists and intellectuals, an AFP journalist said.

Donkeys’ Party Secretary General Omar Kalol said he hopes the statue will encourage people in Kurdistan to better treat animals, especially donkeys. “The statue of the donkey has more than one meaning,” which will be understood by those who see it, Kalol told AFP.

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Friday, 13 April, 2012

Foreign News 17

russia’s ‘death merchant’ speaks from prison MOSCOW AFp

Convicted Russian arms smuggler Viktor Bout staged a dramatic teleconference with Moscow reporters from his US prison on Thursday, pleading with his home country not to give up on his case. The man who inspired the arms dealer played by Nicolas Cage in the film “Lord of War” and was dubbed the “Merchant of Death” last week was sentenced to 25 years after being found guilty of conspiring to sell arms to anti-US guerrillas in Colombia. US investigators believe the 45-year-old may have become the world’s most prolific illicit arms trafficker in a career that began in the 1990s in Africa and then reportedly continued in other war-torn corners of the world. But Bout said by telephone from his Brooklyn jail that he still held out hope for returning home soon. “I believe that if Russia gets to the bottom of what happened and makes an announcement that is confident and tough, I can return to Russia very quickly,” Bout said. He also asked Russian lawmakers to file a lawsuit in an international court against the United States for staging the trial and Thailand for extraditing him in 2010 after initially refusing to do so. “That is my great hope,” he said, without specifying which global court he expected to hear his case. The unusual teleconference involved a video link between Moscow and a New York City studio from which his wife Alla and lawyers arranged a direct five-minute phone conversation with Bout in his Brooklyn prison. Bout has always denied being an arms dealer and identifies himself a private air transporter instead. Russia has denounced the case and accused the US justice system of carrying out a “clear political order.” Bout called the proceedings against him “not a trial but an inquisition” and lamented that he has no connections with Russia’s political elite, something he is frequently accused of by the media. “Unfortunately, I don’t have any connections, not with the Kremlin, not with (president-elect Vladimir) Putin and not with (deputy prime minister Igor) Sechin,” he said during his brief call.

Uproar in germany over drive to hand out millions of Qurans BERLIN AFp

German officials raised serious concerns Thursday about an ultra-conservative Islamic group’s drive to hand out 25 million copies of the Koran, calling it an abuse of the holy text.

Amid a politically charged debate, some lawmakers however admonished critics to respect freedom of religion. Volker Kauder, parliamentary group leader of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives, called the free distribution of millions of copies of Islamic scripture by ultra-conservative Salafists a cover for jihadist recruiting. “I strongly condemn this initiative,” he told German news agency DPA. “The Koran is being abused here for subversive extremist activities. Muslim groups in Germany are right in distancing themselves from this abuse of religious liberty. And it would very much interest me to know where the money for these activities is coming from.”

A group of Salafists calling itself “The True Religion” is seeking to pass out 25 million German-language copies of the Koran on the streets of Germany, Austria and Switzerland and via the Internet in a bid to convert nonMuslims. The Central Council of Muslims has criticised the campaign, saying the Koran is the word of God and “not a PR brochure or leaflet that is distributed as a mass product”. Under public pressure, the publishing house working with the Salafists said Thursday it had stopped printing the books while it reviews its cooperation with the group. The domestic intelligence service estimates there are about 2,500 Salafists, who espouse an austere form of Sunni Islam, in Germany and says it has them under official observation. The service said in its most recent annual report dating from 2010 that Salafism was the fastest growing Islamic movement in the world and that it calls for replacing national legal frameworks with Sharia law, often by means of a violent struggle against the state.

AlGIERS: Mahdia Ben Bella pays her respects in the people’s palace on Thursday during the funeral ceremony for her father the first president of independent Algeria, Ahmed Ben Bella, who died on Wednesday. afp

Israeli settlers, Palestinians clash near Nablus NABLUS

J

AFp

eWISH settlers and a group of Palestinian farmers engaged in stonethrowing clashes in the northern West Bank on Thursday, a Palestinian official and the Israeli army said.

The incident took place on a road which runs between the hardline Itamar settlement and the nearby village of Aqraba that are about five kilometres (three miles) apart. “Five farmers who herd sheep in the Jordan Valley were coming home to Aqraba on a tractor when settlers from Itamar started firing in the air,” said Rashid Fahmi, head of Aqraba village council.

“They attacked them, then they started throwing rocks at each other until the army came and arrested the five

Palestinians.” A military spokeswoman confirmed the arrests but said the stonethrowing clashes had broken out following a car crash on the road between the settlement and the village.

“Two Israeli citizens were hurt during the clash and were evacuated to a hospital and five Palestinians were arrested,” she said. The Palestinians on Thursday expressed frustration over the peace Quartet’s latest statement and insisted the settlement issue was central to resolving the conflict with Israel. Top officials from the Middle east Quartet, representing the european Union, United States, Russia and United Nations, met Wednesday in Washington to address ways of hauling the two parties back to direct talks which ran aground 18 months ago. But the meeting ended with a bland statement urging both sides to focus on “positive efforts” to bring about a resumption of di-

rect talks. Speaking to AFP, senior Palestinian official Nimr Hammad said the statement should have been “stronger and more assertive.” “They know that the main obstacle facing peace in our region is settlement activity,” said Hammad, who is political adviser to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas. “Israel has ignored all previous Quartet statements and the Quartet is aware of that, but asking the Palestinian side to get back to negotiations isn’t leading to a solution and peace in the region,” he said.

“What we need is to clearly ask Israel to stop its settlements which are the obstacle to negotiations and regional peace.”

Senior PLO official Hanan Ashrawi took a much harder line, saying the Quartet statement, which made no reference to Israel’s ongoing occupation of the territories, demonstrated “a lack of will” to establish a Palestinian state. “Unfortu-

10 killed in fresh Yemen Qaeda battles ADEN AFp

Yemen’s army raided Al-Qaeda positions in the southern province of Abyan on Thursday, killing eight militants as battles between Islamists and civilians killed another two, local sources said.

“The Yemeni air force carried out four raids on AlQaeda positions” on the outskirts of Loder killing eight militants in Al-Ain, on the town’s southern entrance, said one armed civilian. The air strike hit an army tank seized by the militants, who were trying to bring in from the provincial capital Zinjibar. The army also fired artillery rounds Al-Qaeda positions outside Loder, residents said. A source from the the Al-Qaeda-held town of Jaar, where the bodies of dead militants are usually taken, confirmed the toll and said the victims included three egyptians, two Afghans and a Somali.

The militants have been trying to seize Loder since they launched an assault on an army barracks in the town on

Monday, residents said.

Meanwhile, the fighting spread to neighbouring Mudia, where armed men attacked a vehicle outside the town carrying AlQaeda militants from nearby Shabwa province to Loder, the sources told AFP. “The militants traded machinegun fire” with the armed civilians, who have formed “popular resistance committees,” leaving one dead on each side, they said. Residents of Abyan, mainly from Loder and Mudia, formed the armed groups in 2011 after Al-Qaeda militants overran Zinjibar. For their part, the Islamist insurgents fired mortar rounds on Loder and wounded 17 civilians, including two young children and an elderly woman, a committee spokesman and residents said.

Flames also erupted from the power plant that supplies electricity to Loder and Mudia when it was hit by a mortar round the extremists fired, the source said. “Al-Qaeda militants are shelling our town and targeting civilians,” one tribesman said. “It is random, vengeful shelling.” Loder lies

some 150 kilometres (95 miles) northeast of Zinjibar, which militants of the Al-Qaedalinked Partisans of Sharia (Islamic law) overran last May. Al-Qaeda briefly seized Loder in August 2010 before being driven out by the army, while armed men from Assal tribe also drove the militants out of Mudia. A tribal source said the militants wanted to recapture it because of its strategic location between Shabwa, Bayda and Lahij provinces where AlQaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, is also active. Abyan has fallen completely under the control of the terror network except for Loder and Mudia.

The latest deaths bring the toll from the Mudia and Loder battles alone to at least 185 people killed in four days.

Separately, the army killed four militants — among them an Indonesian and a Tunisian — in shelling their hideouts in Zinjibar, a source in the adjacent town of Jaar said. The United States considers the Yemen-based AQAP to be the most deadly and active branch of the global terror network.

nately, the Quartet did not propose any specific policy measures or means of engagement required to create a breakthrough in the current crisis,” she said in a statement. “The real issue is not ‘negotiations’ but rather ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land,” Ashrawi said.

“The glaring absence of any reference to this occupation portrays a lack of will to bring an end to it and to establish a viable Palestinian state.” Wednesday’s statement expressed support for next week’s meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian premier Salam Fayyad, but made only a passing mention of “continued settlement activity” at the very end of the document. “The Quartet welcomed plans for dialogue between the parties,” it said of the rare meeting at which Fayyad is to hand Netanyahu a letter from Abbas outlining his conditions for a resumption of talks, when they meet in Jerusalem on April 17.

Hackers record calls to British anti-terror hotline: police LONDON AFp

Confidential calls to Britain’s anti-terrorist hotline have been recorded by hackers, police revealed Thursday, in the second security breach involving the force in the past three months. “We are aware of an issue whereby telephone conversations relating to the antiterrorist hotline have been recorded,” Scotland Yard said. “Officers are currently looking into the matter and appropriate action will be taken.” A spokesman refused to be drawn on who might be responsible. In February, hacker group Anonymous released a recording of a conference call between the FBI and Scotland Yard discussing operations against the collective. The British force said at the time that it believed that none of its systems had been hacked, while the US law enforcement agency said it had launched a criminal investigation into the breach. Scotland Yard promotes its anti-terrorist hotline as a confidential service allowing people to report suspicious behaviour to the police. In a public awareness campaign entitled “It’s probably nothing, but...”, it says: “We know you may have concerns about speaking to the police — possibly because your friends or family may find out. “But all information passed to the police is treated in the strictest of confidence. It is thoroughly analysed and researched by experienced officers before, and if, any police action is taken.” Britain’s intelligence services currently judge the threat level to the country from international terrorism to be substantial, the third of five levels meaning an attack is a strong possibility.

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Jankovic advances to 2nd round in copenhagen Page 21

Australia beat WI in thriller SCoREBoARD

Australian cricketers celebrate their victory at the end of the final day of the first-of-three test matches against the west indies. afp ers and the way I heard them celebrating for lunch to be delayed but, having added BRIDGETOWN AFp

A

USTRALIA drew first blood here on Wednesday beating the West Indies by three wickets in a thrilling finish to the first Test. Ben Hilfenhaus hit the final run of the 192 run target with the light fading fast to give the tourists victory after the hosts had fought back to keep the game in the balance. A half-century from Shane Watson and a rapid 32 from Mike Hussey were the key contributions as the visitors got home in the gloom. Fittingly, Man of the Match, Ryan Harris was with Hilfenhaus at the crease at the end.

"I actually said to Mike Hussey before tea that I'd love to be out there at the end of a Test match and hit the winning runs.

"I didn't do that but I was out there. It was a good feeling. "That was one of the hardest Test matches I've played in my short career. To win a game like that after they batted for two days it's pretty amazing."

It was clear that the defeat had hurt the West Indian skipper Darren Sammy. "We dominated a top side with some good play-

iPl viewing figures dip in opening week NEW DELHI AFp

Television ratings have nose-dived for the opening games of the much-hyped Indian Premier League this season, according to figures released on Thursday. Television Viewer Ratings (TVR) were down 18.7 percent in the first six games compared with the same period last year, said Tam Media Research, India's leading television research agency. Viewing figures also dipped last year, when the event's fourth edition began less than a week after India's victory in the World Cup at home in Mumbai.

Since its inception in 2008, viewing patterns have showed high interest in the IPL's opening and final weeks with a sharp decline in the middle. The tournament this year started on April 4 and will be completed with the final in Chennai on May 27.

"I think the whole IPL business model is a bit shaky now and not as robust as it was made out to be when it first started," Sridhar Ramanujam, the head of brand consulting firm Brand Comm, told the Cricinfo website. IPL chief Rajiv Shukla, who had earlier predicted that the fifth season would be the most successful ever, was not available to comment on the figures. Leading sponsors have turned their backs on the tournament, a mix of glamour, entertainment and rich purses for the world's leading cricketers playing fast-action T20 cricket. At least three regular advertisers -- Parle, LG electronics and Godrej -backed out from the IPL this year. The Champions League Twenty20, an offshoot of the IPL which involves leading domestic teams from around the world, lost its title sponsor, AirTel, after just one year due to lack of interest among fans.

on the balcony means a lot to me," he said.

"We'll take that to heart and look to come back strong in Trinidad." During the morning the West Indies had added 77 more runs to their overnight total of 71-5 to set a relatively tough target of 192. The hosts hadn't looked like getting anywhere near that when they started the day on 715 and promptly lost Narsingh Deonarine lbw to Ryan Harris.

Sammy went for 14 as he played a delivery late and it dropped behind him and was heading towards the wicket - he tried to kick the ball away but he only managed to knock the ball against the stumps.

Carlton Baugh was key to the West Indies reaching a competitive total. On 18, he edged a Ben Hilfenhaus delivery straight to first slip. Michael Clarke, who had just taken himself out of that position, crouched down in disbelief. It wasn't too costly as with the first ball of his next over Hilfenhaus provoked Baugh into chipping straight to Harris at mid-on.

Fidel edwards was next to go as he holed out to Watson at mid-off off Siddle.

West Indies last pair batted long enough

19 runs, Kemar Roach got an inside edge off a Harris ball and it crashed into his stumps. When they came out, the West Indies set defensive fields as though a draw was their only hope and succeeded in restricting ed Cowan and David Warner.

Warner, perhaps in frustration, tried to run a Darren Sammy ball to third man but instead he got a thin edge through to Baugh.

Watson eventually settled after some narrow escapes and following the tea break both he and Cowan accelerated the scoring.

Sixty-five runs came in the next 14 overs until Watson found the man on the boundary when he top-edged a sweep off Deonarine. It was the first wicket in what proved to be Deonarine's best spell of Test bowling as he used the rough made by the bowlers' footmarks.

A straight-forward pull shot from Cowan went into the hands of mid-wicket and gave Deonarine his second dismissal and it wasn't long before he bowled one to Ricky Ponting that stayed low and got under his bat. In his next over Deonarine had his fourth scalp. Michael Clarke got a leading edge and Deonarine stooped to

West Indies 1st innings 449 for 9 declared (S. Chanderpaul 103 not out, K. Edwards 61; D. Warner 2-45, R. Harris 2-83) Australia 1st innings 406 for 9 declared (M. Clarke 73, R. Harris 68 not out, K. Roach 3-73) West Indies 2nd innings (71 for 5 overnight) A. Barath b Hilfenhaus 2 0 K. Brathwaite c Wade b Hilfenhaus 1 K. Edwards lbw b Hilfenhaus 32 D. Bravo c Wade b Siddle 12 S. Chanderpaul c Wade b Harris N. Deonarine lbw b Harris 21 23 C. Baugh c Harris b Hilfenhaus 14 D. Sammy b Watson 25 K. Roach b Harris F. Edwards c Watson b Siddle 3 D. Bishoo not out 7 8 Extras (b4, lb3, nb1) Total (all out; 66.4 overs) 148 Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Barath), 2-3 (Brathwaite), 3-4 (K. Edwards), 4-17 (Chanderpaul), 5-67 (Bravo), 6-75 (Deonarine), 7-106 (Sammy), 8-116 (Baugh), 9-125 (F. Edwards), 10-148 (Roach) Bowling: Hilfenhaus 17-7-27-4, Watson 12-1-30-1, Harris 8.42-31-3 (1nb), Siddle 17-2-32-2, lyon 11-4-19-0, Clarke 1-0-2-0 Australia 1st innings D. Warner c Baugh b Sammy 22 34 E. Cowan c Chanderpaul b Deonarine S. Watson c sub (K. powell) b Deonarine 52 14 R. ponting b Deonarine 6 M. Clarke c and b Deonarine M. Hussey b Roach 32 18 M. Wade c Bishoo b Roach R. Harris not out 4 2 B. Hilfenhaus not out Extras (b1, lb3, w2, nb2) 8 192 Total (7 wickets for, 47 overs) Fall of wickets: 1-31 (Warner), 2-106 (Watson), 3-126 (Cowan), 4-131 (ponting), 5-140 (Clarke), 6-184 (Wade), 7-189 (Hussey) Bowling: Roach 12-0-45-2 (1nb), F. Edwards 6-0-19-0 (1nb), Sammy 10-2-27-1 (w1), Bishoo 8-0-44-0, Deonarine 11-1-53-4 Australia won by 3 wickets, Australia lead series 1-0 Man-of-the-match: Ryan Harris (AUS), Toss: West Indies, Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG), Tony Hill (Nzl), Match referee: Jeff Crowe (Nzl), Third umpire: Marais Erasmus (RSA)

pick up an easy catch. Australia still required 52 runs to reach their target and were now five down.

He thought he had his fifth when Matthew Wade was given out lbw by umpire Ian Gould but the batsman used the DRS which supported his belief that he'd hit the ball. With the light fading Hussey and Wade moved the score along as quickly as possible but both fell to Roach. Wade was caught in the deep and Hussey fell with three runs still needed, bowled in the poor light. A couple of scampered singles from Harris and Hilfenhaus saw Australia home.

Bangladesh cricket team to tour pakistan this year DHAKA AFp

Bangladesh cricket team will visit Pakistan this year according to a statement by Mustafa Kamal, president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) here on Tuesday.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was waiting for Bangladesh’s response to an invitation to play a limited-overs series later this month but Bangladesh were looking reluctant to come.

The news came after chairman Pakistan Cricket Board warned Tuesday sporting ties with Bangladesh could be threatened if Bangladesh refuses an invitation to tour the troubled country.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had invited Bangladesh to play a limited-overs series this month, but the tour is subject to clearance from the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

International cricket has been suspended in Pakistan since a deadly terror attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009.

PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf said he was hopeful Bangladesh would come, but he warned them of consequences if they refused.

“I think we will have to reconsider our relationship with Bangladesh if they don’t tour us, but I hope such a situation will not come,” said Ashraf, who took over in October last year.

Bangladesh sent a delegation to Pakistan last month to assess the security situation after the Pakistani government gave safety assurances.

In a bid to encourage the series to go ahead, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has offered to appoint local umpires instead of neutral offi-

cials, should the security situation put them off coming to officiate matches.

Bangladesh Cricket Board president Mustafa Kamal, who headed the delegation to Pakistan, had promised to raise the matter in the ICC board meeting in Dubai which is scheduled from April 14-16.

England jealous of iPl, says Pietersen

NEW DELHI AFp

Jealousy could be the reason for negative attitudes in england towards the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL), england batting star Kevin Pietersen has said.

The Twenty20 IPL was an instant hit when it began in 2008 as a mix of glamour, entertainment and international stars playing short-form cricket, but it has attracted little interest in england.

"It (the IPL) is very much struggling to find acceptance back home," the South Africa-born england batsman, who is playing for Delhi Daredevils in the ongoing tournament, was quoted as saying in the Indian media on Thursday.

"It saddens me because I have had an amazing time at the IPL, and it's down to a lot of jealousy I think which is sad.

It saddens me all the negative publicity the IPL gets in the (British) media, I don't know why."

His comments came as the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, in its latest issue, blamed the influence of T2O games for India's recent dismal run in Test cricket which saw them lose eight successive matches in england and Australia.

"The disintegration of India's feted batting line-up has coincided with the rise of a Twenty20-based nationalism, the growth of private marketeers and high-level conflicts of interest," wrote Wisden editor Lawrence Booth.

"It is a perfect storm. And the global game sits unsteadily in the eye. India, your sport needs you."

Pietersen, the only big england star taking part in this year's IPL, said experience gained in the tournament will be useful when england tour India for a Test and one-day series later this year.

"It will benefit the team (england), especially because we will be touring India later in the year," he said.

"Playing another month in the subcontinent honing my skills, training with the spinners and practicing, I consider myself so very fortunate." england fast bowler Stuart Broad was forced to miss this year's IPL due to injury, while pace spearhead James Anderson and leading spinner Graeme Swann went unsold at the auction in February. england failed to cope with spin on their recent Asia tour when they lost four of their five Tests, three against Pakistan in the United Arab emirates and one in Sri Lanka.

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Sports 19 ‘Amir Khan too one-dimensional’ Friday, 13 April, 2012

Jibran resists 2nd seed yasir in Mt tennis

Morkel blitz blindsides Bangalore CHENNAI CRICINFo

LONDON

B LAHORE STAFF REpoRT

Atlas Honda Cup is now at its full swing and players are striving hard to improve their national ranking in various categories . Battle was amongst players in Men’s Singles event to qualify for quarter finals . All the seeded players qualified . Yasir Khan(tournament 2nd seed) who did not look comfortable against his opponent Jibran-ul haq survived eventually. Yasir Khan who has returned from Philippines , probably not very well adjusted to grass court yet as surface during Davis Cup tie was clay. In first set Yasir could not show his class and lost the set 1-6 just held 3rd game of the set. Late ball contact, poor return of serve clearly indicated that he was not feeling comfortable on fast grass .

However , he started rallying with medium pace to adjust him and started attacking on net while finding ball in mid court area . This helped and Yasir started to grasp on match .

Jibran Ul-haq could not resist much in the 2nd set and lost 3-6. At this stage when match was one set all, Jibran Ul-haq could not resist much in the 2nd set and lost 3-6 .

At this stage when match was one set all , Yasir did not give any chance to Jibran to come back in the match with breaking serves easily and holding his own service games with ease. Yasir won the 3rd set 6-2 and so the match with score line ,1-6,6-3,6-2. Aqeel Khan 1st seed of Honda won his pre quarter final match very easily and convincingly beat former Junior No1 Omer babar 6-1,and 6-2.

Jalil Khan Seed 3 beat Ahmed Babar an upcoming Junior 6-3, 7-6(4). Ahmed Babar created some opportunities and converted crucial points in his favor but lost to his experienced opponent in straight sets.

RESUlTS MEN’S SINGlES: Shehzad Khan beat Malik Abdul Rehman 6-4,6-3,M.Abid beat Saad Mubarik 6-1,6-1, imran Shoukat beat Sadan-Ul haq 6-2,6-4, Rashid malik beat Usman rafiq 7-6,6-1, heera Ashiq beat Ali Murad 6-1,6-2, MEN”S DoUBlES: Saif Ali and saad mubarik beat talha waheed and osama wageed 6-4,6-3, Faizan Khuram and Sadan beat imran Shiukat and M.Azhar6-3,3-6, (10-8), Jibran Ul haq and Ahmed ch beat Ali Murad and Malik Rehman6-2,3-6,(10-6) sana Ullah and Usman beat hassan and Zohair 6-7,6-4, (11-9) BoYS SINGlES U-18: M. Mudasir beat imad Amir 5-7,7-5,6-3, Raja Shahid beat Muzamil 6-0,6-1, hasnain manzoor beat Saad noor 6-2,6-3, Ahmed Babar beat Syed nofil kaleem 6-1,6-2.

SCHool/CollEGE TEAM EvENT: Govt college beat Alma School (2 matches to nil) imad amir beat Salman Khursheed 6-0,6-2,Mohammad Ahmed beat hassan khursheed 6-4,6-3, Garrison Academy beat Fc college (2 matches to nil) Adnan amir Beat Aqeel Sarfraz 6-2,6-1, Shayan beat nofaid 6-1,6-1.

BoYS SINGlES RESUlTS U-14: Syed nofil Kaleem beat Aqib omer 6-0,60, mohammad hassan beat omer Mughal 6-1,1-6,6-1, Shoib Khan beat Aiman mughal 6-1,6-0 BoYS SINGlES U-12: hafiz Arbaz beat Aqib omer 6-3,6-1, Shoib Akbar beat Ali Bhandari 6-2,6-0 SCHEDUlE FoR 13-4-2012;- Men;s singles at 10 am , Boys singles at 9-30 am, Men’s Doubles at 3pm Boys singles U-14 and 12 at 4 pm.

AFp

ritish boxer Amir Khan is too one-dimensional to change his gameplan for the May re-match against Lamont Peterson in Las Vegas, the American fighter said Thursday. The 25-year-old englishman will face Peterson on May 19 in Las Vegas for the International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Association light-welterweight titles after losing them in controversial manner to the American last December in Washington.

Once a homeless youth on the streets of Washington, Peterson completed a fairytale with a split decision triumph over Khan marred by referee Joe Cooper taking a point from Khan in both the seventh and 12th rounds for pushing. Peterson, 28, won 113-112 on two judges' scorecards while the other had Khan a 115-110 winner.

Without the deductions, Khan would have kept the titles. But Peterson told the BBC: "He'll do what he always does, he always fights the same. "He's either straight forward or straight back. That's the way he fights, he's not going to change it."

Peterson added: "He's still out there saying he's the champ, but he's not. He's all over the place. Really, I don't know what to make of him."

Veteran official Joe Cortez, who has a reputation for preventing inside fighting, is widely expected to take charge of the rematch, BBC reported, something that might affect Peterson's punching ability at close-quarters.

"His strategy (in the first fight) was to hit and move and I didn't allow him

to do it. It won't be any different this time. He'll hit and move and I'll stay close and smother him," the 28-yearold Peterson said.

"If the ref knows the difference between a foul and a push, then I'll be okay with that. But if he doesn't know the difference between a push and an elbow, I'll have a problem with that.

"The referee we had (Cooper) al-

lowed me to fight out of clinches, and I liked that, that tends to favour my style.

"If he calls break every time we get on the inside, then I'll have to change my strategy and do something different, anything I need to do to win the fight. "The referee will be key but I'm not worried about it either way, I'll win the fight, I'll do what I have to do."

lAhoRE: Former test cricketer Mohammad yousuf walks out of the national cricket Academy after evening training session. MUrtaZa aLI

Albie Morkel ransacked 28 runs off the first six balls he faced - the 19th over - to pull off an incredible heist for Chennai Super Kings, the second highest successful chase in the IPL. Pursuing 206, Super Kings needed 43 off 12 balls and Royal Challengers Bangalore would have thought the match safe, only for Morkel to shatter the notion by savaging Virat Kohli's over.

Morkel launched three sixes, two fours and ran a two, to leave Super Kings with 15 to get in the last over. Although he was caught on the boundary, and Super Kings needed 14 off four balls, Dwayne Bravo was on hand to finish it off, helped by a no-ball and a full toss from Vinay Kumar. It was a compelling finish to an innings that had its platform laid by aggression from Faf du Plessis and innovation from MS Dhoni, who promoted himself to No. 4, but until that rocket-fueled thrust from Morkel, Super Kings had been behind for 38 overs.

In hindsight Royal Challengers were left to rue a late collapse in their innings, when five wickets fell in six balls and they scored only 11 runs off the final ten deliveries.

Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli had done enough to ensure they were the first side to make more than 200 in this IPL, but they were set for more than 205 at one stage.

While Royal Challengers swelled in the middle of their innings, scoring 21 off the ninth over, Super Kings waited for the end to lash out after a solid start. Du Plessis took control of the innings early on and scored risk-free boundaries off short balls. He dominated the first seven overs, while M Vijay batted in his shadow.

Vijay became the first of Muttiah Muralitharan's three scalps when he offered the Sri Lankan a return catch. Murali had to dive to his right and defy his age to complete it and he did. Murali broke the next two partnerships as well to prevent Super Kings from gaining too much ground.

Suresh Raina and du Plessis both holed out as they fought a climbing asking rate.

With more than 15 an over required off the last five, Super Kings needed a sustained attack. It did not come. Dhoni perished in the cause, attempting the helicopter shot to be caught at long-off, which proved a blessing in disguise as it brought Morkel to the crease.

Kohli was given the responsibility of the 19th over because Vettori had exhausted the quotas of his experienced bowlers and Gayle was off the field with what seemed to be a groin niggle. Morkel got underway with an inside edge for four and then blasted the next delivery over long-on for six. An outside edge off the third ball flew towards third man for four and Morkel clobbered the fourth and sixth deliveries for six as well.

When Morkel was dismissed, the advantage was back with a shell-shocked Royal Challengers but Vinay Kumar let it slip again. He bowled a high no-ball that Bravo pulled for four and the next delivery was a full toss, which got slapped for six. Vinay Kumar followed up with two boundary-less balls leaving Super Kings with two to win off the last ball. Ravindra Jadeja swung hard at the final delivery and outsideedged to the third-man boundary, sparking off delirious celebrations in the Super Kings dugout. Royal Challengers explosive efforts with the bat were a distant memory.

Ali Hai in the forefront in 51st National Golf LAHORE STAFF REpoRT

Ali Hai of Pakistan had a birdie on the 13th hole and a sequence of regulation pars on the 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th holes for a 2 under par 70 to pull clear from the chasing competitors, at the end of the first round in this four rounds 51st National Amateur Golf Championship of Pakistan 2012, at the fabulous but demanding Royal Palm Golf Course, with national golf players of Afghanistan, Bangla Desh, Iran and Sri Lanka also in the run.

M. Dulal Hossain who is the top ranked player of Bangla Desh and currently competing in this championship for top honors, fired three birdies on holes 5, 7 and 12 backed by 13 pars against two bogies on holes 8 and 18, for a round of one under par 71, ending up one stroke behind the leader Ali Hai. Also bracketed with Dulal at a score

of 71 is Ashiq Hussain, a very young one from Multan, who is adequately talented and in search for the national platform in the golfing arena of Pakistan. And placed at a score of gross 72 are three very strong competitors. N. Ranga of Sri Lanka is one and Ghazanfar Mehmood and M. Rehman of Pakistan, the other two. Whereas N. Ranga impressed with his long hitting, somehow his short game did not look sharp enough and the double bogie on the 12th hole and bogies on holes 8, 14 and 15 did bring an unpleasant frown on his face. However the super player touch was visible too and and the birdies on the 2nd and 4th hole and then a sequence of birdies on the last three holes saved the situation for him and supports his position as a fierce contender.

Ghazanfar Mehmood of Pakistan was faced with a dilema similar to N. Ranga. Ghazanfar's score was torn apart by four bogies but he recovered the stroke losses through

birdies, three coming on the closing holes.

As for M. Rehman, he remained steady with 14 pars, two birdies and two bogies.

Other contenders, although lagging a little away from the leaderboard but capable of emerging strongly are Waseem Rana at 73, Sajid Khan at 73 and N. Thangaraja of Sri Lanka at 74. Thankaraja looked brilliant in patches and though his hitting was extraordinary, missed putts made his score look miserable and he is a little frustrated with his first round score of 2 over par 74. However he hopes to create a better impact in the remaining three rounds. Other mentionable scores in the individal category are Haider Atique 75, Mohammed Sajib Ali(Bangla Desh)75, and Idrees Nisar Tinkoo 75.

At the completion of the first round the leader of the day, Ali Hai said that "the course really played tough with tees as far back as possible and the pin placements exceedingly difficult". He further said, "My

putting was really good and I managed to find the proper line, virtually always".

Along with the Individual Championship also running is the international team match and in this contest Pakistan A Team is leading with a team score of gross 142, followed by Pakistan B at 145. Bangla Desh and Sri Lanka are placed at an aggregate score of 146 with Iran team too far behind at 171. Afghanistan is placed still further behind at 194. In the Inter Association Championship Sind Team leads with a score of 216. The Punjab team is six strokes behind at 222, followed by Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa at 230 and Federal Team at 233. The Ladies contest will start today with prominent contenders being, Ghazala Yasmin(defending champion), Tahira Nazir(former national champion), Durdana Soomro(Karachi), and upcoming talented ones like Kashfa Zafar, Nushmia Sukhera, Kara Alam, Maryama Khan and Ami Qin.

lAhoRE: Ali hai of Pakistan tees off as n.thangaraja(Sri lanka) and Sajib Ali(Bangladesh) look on. staff pHoto

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20 Sports chinese golf tycoon joins oneAsia

Friday, 13 April, 2012

FARUM: Laura Robson of Great Britain returns the ball to Jelena Jancovic of Serbia during their WTA Danish Open first round match. AFP

HONG KONG AFp

Chinese golf tycoon Tenniel Chu has signed up as OneAsia's secretary-general with a remit to expand the ambitious circuit, officials said.

Chu, vice chairman of the Mission Hills golf empire and son of the late David Chu, China's "father of golf", will work with national bodies, sponsors and resorts to add new events to the OneAsia calendar. "It is an honour to have Tenniel Chu join the OneAsia team," Sang Y. Chun, OneAsia's commissioner and chairman, said in a statement.

"Mission Hills and OneAsia share a common vision about the enormous potential of golf in Asia, and both are pioneers in elevating the status of the game in the region." OneAsia has grown to 14 events this year since starting in 2009 as a competitor to the more established Asian Tour and says it is Asia's most lucrative regional golf circuit.

"In OneAsia I see a platform that suits my vision for golf in the Asia-Pacific region," Chu said.

"The collaboration of national amateur golf bodies and professional golf associations with an executive boasting world class broadcasting expertise and business acumen means all our stakeholders are taken care of."

Chu's family owns the giant Mission Hills resort in Shenzhen, southern China, which is described as the world's biggest golf complex, and another on Hainan island.

Last year, he called for a cap on prizemoney and appearance fees in China after rich, unsanctioned new events took the shine off other tournaments, including the World Cup at Mission Hills in Hainan.

"China has deep pockets but the last thing we want to do is to raise financial expectations to levels which are nonproportional to tradition and established events," he told AFP in November.

wapda tt trials a fluke

Woods to return to Quail Hollow

LAHORE

CHARLOTTE

STAFF REpoRT

AFp

Shah Jahan Latif, table tennis coach and secretary regional association has lashed at Wapda officials for promoting favouritism in the games trials of the department. He said that the Wapda table tennis manager Khalid Mirza first postponed trials from April 9 to 10 and now on April 12 its organized those with such a draw that favoured their blue-eyed players while some of the top ranked players of the departments boycotted the trials. Shah Jahan said that when he protested to the manipulation of the officials he was forced out of the trials venue. He termed the trials as a fluke and asked the Wapda top officials to direct its sports department to conduct fair trials.

Tiger Woods will try to bounce back from a disappointing Masters at the US PGA Tour's Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow May 3-6, organizers said Wednesday.

Woods won the tournament in 2007, but didn't play there last year as he recovered from leg injuries.

The last time Woods played at Quail Hollow was in 2010, when he posted the highest 36-hole total of his career, 153, and missed the cut.

"It is always great to have our champions come back and we are glad Tiger will join this group and return to Charlotte," said Wells Fargo Championship

executive Director Kym Hougham. "One of our goals each year is to attract the game's top players, who are eligible to compete in the Wells Fargo Championship. With the addition of Tiger to the field this is once again shaping up to be one of the strongest fields of the year."

Woods is enduring an up-and-down 2012 season. He withdrew in the final round at Doral with a sore Achilles tendon, then won at Bay Hill to claim his first PGA Tour title in more than two years.

That victory sent him into the Masters on a high, but he finished tied for 40th at Augusta National. Masters champion Bubba Watson is also slated to play Quail Hollow, along with fellow top 10 players Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood and Hunter Mahan.

Schwartzel, Oosthuizen dish up Masters class KUALA LUMPUR AFp

Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen worked out their US Masters frustrations and shrugged off a gruelling travel schedule as they made a sizzling start to the Maybank Malaysian Open Thursday.

Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion who finished tied 50th on Sunday, blitzed eight birdies for a one-shot lead at 64, closely followed by Oosthuizen who came roaring back from his agonising Augusta play-off defeat with a 66.

India's Jeev Milkha Singh was alone in second place with 65 at the par-72 Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club while Oosthuizen, who cracked an eagle on the par-five third, shared third with Jason Knutzon and Jyoti Randhawa.

Oosthuizen, 29, said his confidence was high despite Sunday's play-off loss to

flamboyant American Bubba Watson, which was followed by a 30-hour journey to tropical Malaysia accompanied by his wife and children. "We played well. Charl played really well, he could have shot 10, 11-under if he'd wanted to so it's always great to see him play well and it's just nice playing together when you're both playing well," Oosthuizen said.

"Any tournament where you finish well, you always take confidence out of it.

I feel like I've been playing well for quite a while now and I just came in here trying to win this event." Close friends Oosthuizen and Schwartzel, playing together alongside Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee and looking surprisingly fresh, duelled for the lead as they swept through the undulating course on a balmy morning.

Starting from the 10th hole, the South African duo both turned at three-under before Oosthuizen drove into a flower-bed

from the first tee for bogey, one of two in his round among six birdies. But Oosthuizen, who had stunned Augusta with a 253-yard albatross on Sunday, quickly recovered with an eagle on the par-five third hole after he cracked a three-iron to within 20 feet and drained a curling putt.

Meanwhile Schwartzel went on a run of five birdies up the home stretch to finish on eight-under 64. He said both players had fed off each other's energy during the round.

"We both got off to really good starts from the beginning and it helps if you see guys making birdies. You know that they're out there and Louis's playing so good right now it's nice to watch, it urged me on," Schwartzel said. "I felt surprisingly good. I got a good night's sleep and I woke up before my alarm and I was ready to go. We're going to go back and lie down for a bit," he added.

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Friday, 13 April, 2012

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Jankovic advances to second round COPENHAGEN AGENCIES

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Sportscenter

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FARUM: Jelena Jancovic of Serbia returns the ball to laura Robson of Great Britain during their wtA Danish open first round match. afp

AFp

World number 10 Vera Zvonareva was Wednesday named in Russia's Fed Cup team for the World Group semi-final against Serbia on April 2122. Zvonareva has had a season punctuated by injury and illnees, but Russia's captain Shamil Tarpishchev said: "Zvonareva wants to play, she's our team member. "She will practice here together with the other girls. We can substitute one player with another 24 hours before the match starts. "I count on her and believe Vera (Zvonareva) will manage to avoid injuries and will play against Serbia." Maria Kirilenko, ranked 21st in the world, and two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova (25) will be joined

by Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (22) and elena Vesnina (78) as the four other squad members for the last-four clash on the red clay courts of Moscow's Megasport arena.

The other semifinal sees defending champions the Czech Republic host Italy in Ostrava on the same weekend.

ESPN

SEOUL

HOUSTON

AFp

IPL-5: KKR v Royal Challengers 07:30PM

Jimenez eyes Ballantine’s atonement

spain’s Lopez wins Houston debut

MOSCOW

GEO SUPER

07:30PM

HIRD-SeeDeD Jelena Jankovic of Serbia overcame tough resistance from Laura Robson of Britain on Wednesday before winning 6-4, 7-6 (8) to reach the second round of the e-Boks Open.

The 27-year-old Jankovic lost her serve five times but managed six breaks herself, and will face Russia's Yulia Putintseva in the second round. Fellow Serb Bojana Jovanovski also advanced by defeating Stefanie Voegele of Switzerland 63, 6-4. earlier Wednesday, fifthseeded Kaia Kanepi of estonia held on to beat Timea Babos of Hungary 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (2) and reach the third round of the tournament.

In other second-round matches, Mona Barthel of Germany beat Alberta Brianti of Italy 6-3, 6-2, Croatia's Petra Martic ousted Johanna Konta of Australia 6-2, 6-3, and Alize Cornet of France overcame Patricia Mayr-Achleitner of Austria 6-2, 2-6, 7-5.

Russia hold out for Zvonareva for Fed cup

wAtcH it Live

Feliciano Lopez, ranked 15th in the world, won his Houston debut on Wednesday, beating Paolo Lorenzi 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) to reach the quarter-finals of the ATP Tour US Men's Clay Court Championship.

Lopez, seeded third, belted 13 aces past Italy's Lorenzi to secure the victory in one hour and 56 minutes. Lopez is seeking to win back-to-back matches for just the second time this year. He reached the round of 16 at the Australian Open, where he lost to Rafael Nadal.

His next opponent is sixth-seeded Argentinian Carlos Berlocq, who became the first player to reach the last eight with a dominant 6-1, 6-0 victory over Germany's Bjorn Phau. The last three first-round matches were also on Wednesday's slate, with South African fifth seed Kevin Anderson advancing with a 6-3,, 6-4 victory over Brazilian Joao Souza.

Anderson, ranked 33rd in the world and winner of the title at Delray Beach last month, broke Souza five times en route to the victory. US teenager Ryan Harrison pulled off the upset of the day, downing seventh-seeded Russian Alex Bogomolov jnr 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Harrison fired 13 aces and saved nine of the 11 break points he faced.

American Bobby Reynolds withstood a barrage of 19 aces from eighth-seeded Croatian Ivo Karlovic en route to a 7-6 (7/5), 2-6, 6-3 victory. Karlovic won

Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez is hoping to go one better at this year's Ballantine's Championship after he dramatically missed out by one shot to Lee Westwood in 2011.

The 18-time european Tour winner Jimenez, 48, was within a whisker of forcing a play-off with the then world number one but he overhit into a greenside bunker on the last hole at Blackstone Golf Club, near Seoul.

"It will be nice to go back to Blackstone and try to go one better than last year," Jimenez said, in comments released Thursday by organisers ahead of this year's edition from April 26-29.

"It was obviously disappointing to miss out on the win, but you can never be too upset when you're beaten by the world number one.

"I played quite well on the last day, but the putts didn't drop. I left myself with a difficult bunker shot on the last hole and didn't manage to get up and down, but it was still a good week and a great experience."

Reigning British Open champion Darren Clarke, 2009 PGA Championship winner Y.e. Yang and england's Ian Poulter and Paul Casey are also in this year's field, along with Australia's Adam Scott.

10th coAS int’l Squash LAHORE STAFF REpoRT

the Houston title without dropping a set in 2007 and reached the semi-finals last year, but he couldn't find a way past the 116th-ranked Reynolds.

Reynolds earned a second-round clash with defending champion Ryan Sweeting. The top two seeds in the $442,500 tournament, Americans Mardy Fish and John Isner, were scheduled to open their campaigns on Thursday with second-round matches.

The Punjab Squash Association is organizing the 10th Chief of the Army Staff International Women & Men Squash Championship 2012. Its Pre-Qualification Round of Men will be played at Punjab Squash Complex Lahore from 13th to 14th April 2012 and attendance will be held at 1000 hours at Punjab Squash Complex Lahore on 13thApril 2012. Qualification & Main Round will be played at Mushaf Squash Complex Islamabad from 17th to 22nd April 2012 and matches will be started at 1000 hours on 17th April 2012 at Mushaf Squash Complex, Islamabad.

Djokovic, Nadal aim for attendance record

MADRID AFp

World number one Novak Djokovic is to play second-ranked Rafael Nadal at Real Madrid's Bernebeu stadium in a bid to es-

tablish a new attendance record for a tennis match, the football club said on Wednesday. "The aim of this exhibition match is to establish a new attendance record of more than 80,000 spectators for a tennis match," Real said on its

website, adding that takings will go towards charitable foundations supported by the club and the players. According to the ATP World Tour website, the current attendance record stands at 35,681 for a match between Kim

Clijsters and Serena Williams in Brussels in 2010.

Spaniard Nadal, recovering from a knee injury that forced him out of the recent Miami Masters, is a long-time fan of the current leaders of La Liga.

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Friday, 13 April, 2012

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

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