E-paper PakistanToday LHR 29th December, 2011

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Yousaf Raza Gilani says Asif Zardari saw future president in him

OGDCL inefficiency results in $2 billion loss

Defiant Ricky Ponting plans to bat on

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PROFIT | PAGE 01

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pakistantoday.com.pk

rs15.00 Vol ii no 182 22 pages lahore — edition

‘President can be impeached if memo role is proved’

thursday, 29 december, 2011 safar 3, 1433

Govt to drop gas bomb: tariff to rise by 14% To retain the profitability of the two inefficient state-owned gas utility companies and to enable them to undertake politically motivated gas supply schemes, the government is all set to notify a massive hike of 14 per cent in gas tariff and imposition of gas infrastructure development cess effective from January 01, 2011.

According to the proposed revision in gas sale prices, the tariff for domestic

and commercial consumers will be increased by 14 per cent while for other consumer categories increase will accompany cess, which the government plans to utilise for infrastructure development for gas import projects like LNG, Iran Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline and Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan and India (TAPI) pipeline. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority

(OGRA) has allowed uniformed tariff hike for both the gas utility companies, even though the demand for increase in tariff was lower for Sui Southern Gas Company. The tariff for domestic consumers using up to 100 cubic meters or 3.5 mmBTU will be increased from Rs107.87 per mmBTU to 122.95 mmBTU. This will increase Rs448 monthly bill by Rs63 to Rs511 per month. Tariff for

consumers using up to 300 units or 10.6 mmBTU will jump from Rs215.74 to Rs245.89 mmBTU. It will cause an increase of Rs313 in the monthly bill of Rs2240 to Rs2553 per month. Tariff of commercial consumers will be increased 14 per cent from Rs526.59 to Rs600.19 per month. Industrial sector tariff will be increased by 16.97 per cent from Rs434.17 to Rs507.86 mmBTU.

detailed story | profit—page 01

apex court terms forensic evidence necessary to reach memo’s reality g CJp says probe of memo through the court will be most transparent g

ISLAMABAD MASOOD RehMAN

A nine-member larger bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, hearing a set of identical petitions filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif and others seeking a probe into the memo issue, was told on Wednesday that if the involvement of President Asif Ali Zardari was proven in the memo issue, it would constitute grounds for impeachment.

Resuming her arguments, Asma Jahangir, counsel for former ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani, argued that although the memo was a worthless piece of paper, if the involvement of her client in writing the memo was proved, it constituted a criminal case against him. She said if it was proved that the president was responsible for the memo, then it constituted grounds for impeachment of the president.

The chief justice then observed that the affidavits filed by the federation, army chief, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief, Haqqani and the prime minister did not deny the existence of the memo. He said forensic evidence was required to reach the reality of the memo controversy, which could only be obtained from abroad through the court, as Research In Motion Ltd, the company that manufactures Blackberry smartphones, only provided such records to the court. He said the probe of the memo issue through the court would be most transparent. He said the court had the jurisdiction to determine a forum to probe the matter, and could interfere in any matter involving public interest and breach of fundamental rights.

He said the memo issue was not a political matter, rather a matter of national security and sovereignty. He said the Parliamentary Committee on National Security could only investigate the matter when it was asked by parliament, adding that when assemblies did not deliver, matters came to the court.

Asma contended that only on the basis of a piece of paper, Mansoor Ijaz, who was a US citizen with loyalties to the US, leveled allegations against her client. Justice Jawwad S Khawaja asked Asma to explain Article 19-A, which gives the right of access to information. The chief justice repeatedly asked her that if someone demanded the investigation of any matter from the court, what the court should do. “You are the king”, she replied. “Not us, but constitution and law are the king,” the chief justice retorted, adding that Haqqani also wanted to be bailed out after an investigation. Asma submitted that her client was ready for investigation, however it was a politically motivated matter brought forward by the ISI director general.

The chief justice said it was not a political matter, but a matter involving national sovereignty and security. He said the president had not provided his reply in the memo case, and asked Asma what that should be considered. Asma said if that was so, the matter was headed towards the impeachment of the president. The chief justice, however, noted that the court had no concern with it and wanted to keep it limited to the extent of the memo issue. She said if the court thought that it could assume the function of a trial court, it could summon Mansoor Ijaz. She contended that the petitions were not maintainable, as no tangible effects were witnessed in the post memo scenario.

She said there was not a single breach of fundamental rights of anybody in the memo case, but her client was barred from moving abroad without a hearing. The chief justice noted that the army chief and ISI chief had substantiated the existence of the memo, calling it “a reality”, which was allegedly written against Pakistan Army to former US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Admiral Mike Mullen.The court noted that the prime minister did not deny the presence of the memo, whereas the president did not submit his rejoinder, adding that it did not mean that the president had denied the existence of the memo.

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PYONGYANG: North Korean women mourn during the funeral procession for late leader Kim Jong-il on Wednesday. North Korea’s military staged a huge funeral procession in the snowy streets of the capital Pyongyang for its deceased ‘dear leader’, readying a transition to his son, Kim Jong-un. reuters | story on page 16

Land and property, police top list of most corrupt departments ISLAMABAD StAff RePORt

Land and property and police remained the two most corrupt departments of the country in year 2011, while education and military remained the two least corrupt departments during the said year, the National Corruption Perception Survey 2011 announced by Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) revealed on Wednesday.

The survey, which remained distinguished as the military was included for the first time in it, also rang alarm bells as a massive increase in corruption of income tax, customs, contracting and tendering was reported, ranking at third, sixth and seventh most corrupt departments in 2011, whereas they were eighth, tenth and ninth in the NCPS in year 2010. Another noted feature was a significant increase in corruption of judiciary and courts, which slipped from sixth most corrupt department to fourth most corrupt department in NCPS 2011, which has been conducted this year by Gallup Pakistan. Moreover, corruption in the power sector was visibly reduced as the sector saw a slide from number two in year 2010 to number five in

2011. The report claimed that corruption had reached an unprecedented level in Pakistan and lack of accountability, being witnessed due to delay in punitive action by state organs in corruption cases like Pakistan Steel, NICL, Bank of Punjab, rental power plants, Haj 2010, KESC, PIA, Pakistan Railways and WAPDA were harming the country the most.

“Judiciary is being confronted by deliberate defiance of Supreme Court orders and unwilling attitude of prosecution agencies.

When 26 of 40 vacancies of judges are vacant in the Sindh High Court, how can efficient justice be provided and delay in punishing corrupt persons by the judiciary is one of the causes of lower ranking of the judiciary,” the report quoted TIP President Sohail Muzaffar as saying.

The report further said a lack of political will to combat corruption could be seen from efforts of the government to avoid transparency in procurements, as rules of public procurement regulatory authority (PPRA) were being made dysfunctional by not appointing a managing director of the body since October 2011.

“This year, NCPS 2011 has shown that tendering and contracting, which was the least corrupt in

2010, has jumped four places to become the sixth most corrupt institution,” the report said.

The TIP said tenders for purchase of 150 rail engines from USA and 75 rail engines from China, purchase of all PIA aircrafts, 7,000MW Bonji Dam and 1,100MW Kohala Dam made the list. Syed Adil Gilani, TIP adviser, said in the statement that the Sindh government in June 2011 had issued a notification exempting Sindh Bank from application of Public Procurement Rules 2010. “The TIP filed constitutional petition in Sindh High Court against this notification and on December 15, 2011, the Chief justice in CP 2135 after reading that the Sindh chief secretary has cancelled the exemption notification, disposed of the petition as stating that the purpose of the petition has been achieved,” he added. “Similarly, the federal government also issued a notification in July 2011, with approval of ECC, amending Rule 5 of the PPRA rules 2004. This would amount to exempting contracts based on 39 MOUs signed by president and prime ministers with private parties from complying with public procurement rules 2004 and competitive bidding,” the report added.

Unacceptable: Pakistan formally rejects NATO enquiry ISLAMABAD ShAiq huSSAiN

Pakistan has formally rejected the USNATO enquiry into the airstrikes on the two border posts in Mohmand Agency on November 26, on the grounds that the report was not based on facts and the probe was carried out by top American security official Brig General Stephen Clark, who is also linked to the NATO team that carried out the cross border attack.

“The US-led enquiry report is not based on facts and that has been formally conveyed to the US through diplomatic channels,” a Pakistani official requesting anonymity said on Wednesday. Moreover, he said the enquiry report could not be considered impartial given the fact that the probe team was headed by Brig Clark, a senior US military official who was also linked to the NATO raiding party that carried out the airstrikes. “We believe that General Clark was an unsuitable choice to carry out the investigation as compared with someone neutral and impartial,” he said.

Meanwhile, media reports from Washington suggested that the American military had briefed COAS General Ashfaq Kayani on its investigation into airstrikes. Pentagon spokesman Captain John Kirby told reporters that a report by military investigators was delivered to General Kayani on Sunday by a US officer based in Islamabad, who explained the findings to the army chief.

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02 News

Thursday, 29 December, 2011

NEwS

LAHORE

today’s

fOREigN NEwS

‘Let our birds be!’

Obama, hillary Clinton again top most admired list indian anti-graft campaigner ends fast, vows to fight on

Story on page 5

Story on Page 10

Quick Look

faisalabad textile workers protest against gas closure

Story on Page 14

FAISALABAD: Textile workers hold a demonstration against severe gas load shedding on Wednesday. ONLINE

FAISALABAD:Hundreds of textile workers took to the streets on Wednesday and protested against severe gas load shedding at the Khurrianwala Industrial Estate.

Demanding gas for the factories to earn daily livelihoods, they burnt tyres and the government’s effigy in front of the Garment City. Later, they took out a procession to the Khurrianwala Chowk on the FaisalabadSheikhupura highway, and blocked the traffic for several hours. The protestors said that during the month of December, gas was supplied to the factories for only six days, and they remained closed for the remaining 24 days. Faqir Muhammad, a daily wage labourer, asked how he could feed his family with six days of work in a month. “The government has to reset its priorities regarding the provision of gas, otherwise the situation will go out of control,” said another protester, calling the new gas load management plan a conspiracy against the present regime. “The discriminatory attitude of the government is not only denting its goodwill and reputation, but has put a question mark on its ability to manage and govern things,” said an industrialist protesting with workers. StAff RePORt

12 militants killed in Orakzai, Kurram agencies PESHAWAR: Security forces on Wednesday bombed militant hideouts in upper Orakzai agency, killing seven suspected militants.

According to security sources, heavy shelling was carried out in the Mamozai, Khadizai and Chapar Kali areas of Orakzai Agency, destroying four militant positions. Moreover, security forces recovered over 40 rockets and a large number of landmines in a major search operation in Arhang, Zakhtun and Gandi Tal areas. Meanwhile, five suspected militants were killed in clashes with armed forces in Kurram Agency. iNP

PML factions may unite on January 4 LAHORE: Efforts have been stepped to unify various factions of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) and a meeting has been convened in this regard on January 4 in Lahore. Sources told Online that the meeting of the United Muslim League would be held at the residence of Humayun Akhtar. Sources said that if a broad alliance comes into being, then it would be led by Nawaz Sharif, president of the PML-Nawaz. Electoral alliance has already been brokered between the PML-N and the PML-Functional. PML-F leader Makhdoom Ahmad Mehmood said the PML factions could unite on January 4. ONLiNe

Three schools blown up GILGIt/CHARSADDA: Unidentified men blew up two schools with explosive material in Diamir and a school in Charsadda on Wednesday. A bomb was planted in a community school and Government Girls School in Diamir area of Chalaas, which damaged the school buildings. No one was hurt as the schools were closed at the time of the blast. Law enforcement agencies foiled a terror bid and defused four missiles, planted in fields in Bajaur Agency. Separately, another school was blown up at Samnaat area of Charsadda.

According to sources, a group of unidentified men planted explosive devices at walls of two girls middle schools located in Samnaat area. The devices went off with a big bang destroying portions of the two schools. Police sources said that no lose of life was reported in the explosions.

They said that around 95 students were studying in the school under banner of the National Education Foundation. Around 10 schools had been destroyed by terrorists in Charsadda during the last three years. AGeNCieS

Punjab Assembly delays local government polls again Amendment approved to remove restriction of appointing only grade-20 officers as DCOs

g

MonItorIng DeSk

T

he Punjab Local Government (Second Amendment) Bill 2011 was unanimously approved by the Punjab Assembly on Wednesday, despite the opposition’s comprehensive arguments against it, paving way for another six-month delay in local government polls.

The opposition pointed out quorum five times during the session on Wednesday, but treasury members managed to get the bill approved anyway.

The polls were scheduled to be held in October.

Eight bills were presented in the House, but surprisingly in the seven-hour meeting, only one bill – the local government one – was passed.

The bill contained seven clauses, with several amendments in various sections. The opposition, particularly PML-Q MPAs Mohsin Leghari, Seemal Kamran, Samia Amjad, Samina Khawar Hayat, Dr Amina Ulfat and PPP’s Ehsanul Haq Naulatia

and Shaukat Basra, moved their motions on five of these clauses.

But despite their comprehensive arguments, their motions could not be passed as they were opposed by the majority. Opposition then resorted to pointing out quorum but in vain.

The local government issue has been under discussion since February 2010 when the government replaced nazims by administrators. On October 21, 2010, the Punjab government made a first amendment in Section 179-A of the Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2001, which allowed the government 365 days for holding elections.

On October 13 a year later, the provincial government, in a cabinet meeting, postponed the elections by six months. Therefore, the government, through amendments and ordinances, is delaying holding these elections in the province.

One of the amendments in the bill states that the government shall notify, within 180 days, a date for holding local government elections but the government hasn’t yet com-

pleted its work for formation of a new local government system.

It further states that the deadline of 365 days expired on October 27, 2011.

Ulfat moved the motion that the government, in the last four years, had failed to formulate a new local government system and was continuously demanding extensions. She urged that this time, the government should be given 30 instead of 180 days.

Section 109 of the ordinance has also been amended, thus withdrawing the provision that it is mandatory for the local government to allocate 25 percent of the development budget for citizen community boards. This money can now be used in other sectors.

According to the last amendment discussed in the House, the ad-hoc accounts committee shall consist of four MPAs, one of whom will be from the opposition. The government shall nominate members of the committee and appoint a convener from among the committee members.

inamullah Niazi parts ways with PML-N LAHore YASiR hAbib

Another major player in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Inamullah Niazi from Mianwali, parted ways with the party on Wednesday after being infuriated with the Sharifs for not giving him due rights and status in the party. After resigning from the PML-N’s basic membership, Niazi, a cousin of PTI chairman Imran Khan, appears all set to join the PTI. Niazi, former PML-N senior vice president for Punjab and candidate from NA-71 (Mianwali-I), announced his departure in a press conference held at the Lahore Press Club. His brother, former MPA Najeebullah Niazi, also announced to quit the party. Talking to reporters, Niazi said a tumult was afoot in the PML-N after his disassociation. However, he denied joining the PTI, saying he would decide his political course after taking the masses of his constituency into in confidence. “Who are Zahid Hamid, Anusha Rehman and Abdul Qadir Baloach to dictate to Javed Hashmi and me,” he said, adding that “Hashmi and my departures are just the beginning and a real show of defection lies ahead”. Calling Rana Sanaullah a person with a fake moustache, he said the people should ask Sanaullah the way he was running the affairs of the province. “If he does not tell, I will expose him,” he concluded. He predicted that the party’s genuine workers were leaving and what is left would be “Khawajgan” and “Khawaja saras”.

Niazi said Pakistan could not afford family politics anymore. He said he was aggrieved that those who kept the party flag hoisted during Musharraf’s era were cornered, but cronies of dictators were accommodated and awarded major slots in the party. Niazi said his family stood with the PML-N for three generations, but he was now addressing the people with a sobbing heart.

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Thursday, 29 December, 2011

ARTS & ENTERTAiNMENT

SPORTS

imran Abbas all set to debut in bollywood

hussey, Ponting bring Australia back

News 03

COMMENT Politics on memo issue It refuses to go away.

Come what may The war against Taliban is our own war.

Nazir Naji says: The return of the native: The president quashed rumours.

Sajid Khan Lodhy says: This and that: Our parties’ selective politics.

today’s

Quick Look

imran husain says: Ready for change: But what kind?

Story on Page 16

Story on Page 18

Articles on Page 12-13

Nawaz in court over memogate for ‘larger interest of nation’ g

PML-N chief says ‘Musharraf league’ now amassing in PTi PeSHAWAr AbDuR RAuf KhAttAK

P

AKISTAN Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif said on Wednesday that he was in the court of justice in the memogate scandal case in the larger interest of the nation.

Addressing the provincial council meeting of the party where the party’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter’s new President Pir Sabir Shah and General Secretary Rahmat Salam Khattak were elected unopposed, Sharif said the incumbent government was following the policies former president Pervez Musharraf and it should be held responsible along with the dictator for violation of the country’s sov-

ereignty.

The PML-N chief said if there was democracy within the party, it would manifest itself in strengthening democracy outside the party and would in turn take the country towards economic development.

Talking about the development work undertaken under his reign in the 1990s, Sharif said with the completion of several development projects in Pakistan during his tenure, neighbouring countries took a leaf out of Pakistan’s book and developed their infrastructure and other vital sectors. “Unfortunately, we fell behind in the process of development as martial law was imposed on the country,” he added.

Sharif said all the productive units in the country were shutting down because

of load shedding and the economy was shattered as a result, but the government was apathetic. “How can the country be run like this?” he questioned.

He said unemployment and inflation was manifesting itself in gory incidents such as murder and terrorism, adding that the miseries currently surrounding the nation were nowhere in sight during his time in power. “Today there is no one ready to invest in the country and parliament is weaker than before, and the government is not honouring the judiciary’s decisions,” said Sharif.

He said by opting for the war on terror, excesses were committed against the Pakhtuns and the tribal areas were wreaked havoc upon. He said 35,000 people had lost their lives in the war on terror

six terrorists including one would-be suicide bomber nabbed ISLAMABAD StAff RePORt

Saifullah fills in Kasuri’s gap ISLAmABAD: The Pakistan Muslim LeagueLikeminded (PML-LM) on Wednesday, in a party meeting, unanimously appointed Senator Salim Saifullah as its steering committee chairman.

Earlier, former foreign minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri was chairman of the steering committee but he joined the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaaf (PTI). The PML-LM leadership also unanimously nominated former Sindh CM Arbab Ghulam Rahim as a candidate for party president to be elected after completion of Saifullah’s tenure as president. StAff RePORt

The capital police have arrested six alleged terrorists including a would-be suicide bomber during a search operation near Zia Masjid. The arrests were made from the Shahzad Town police precincts, said Inspector General of Police (IGP) Bani Amin Khan here on Wednesday.

He said the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of capital police, during a search operation in the Zia Masjid neighbourhood, arrested a would-be suicide bomber named Waliullah along with his six associates on last Friday.

Efforts are underway to the arrest those who were supply-

fatima Bhutto, Zulfikar Junior not joining PTi: spokesman LArkAnA iNP

The Pakistan People’s Party-Shaheed Bhutto (PPP-SB) on Wednesday strongly rebuffed media reports regarding joining of Fatima Bhutto and Zulfikar Junior, children of Mir Murtaza Bhutto, the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaaf (PTI).

PPP-SB spokesman Inayat Hussain said that such reports were baseless and concocted. He said that such reports were being disseminated by support of PTI Chairman Imran Khan and aimed at damaging the phi-

losophy of former PM and PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who gave an unanimous constitution to the country. Inayat said that everybody knew that the PTI was a creation of the establishment and providing an opportunity to develop a cricketer-turnedpolitician.

Separately, People’s Students Federation-Shaheed Bhutto (PSF-SB) Sindh chapter took out a rally from Al-Murtaza House to Larkana Press Club against the media.

The protesters chanted slogans against those people, who indulged in yellow journalism.

ing the suspects the explosives used in suicide jackets, Bani Amin said while addressing a new conference here.

He said the primary investigation revealed that the arrested men had been involved in various attacks on security forces in Swat.

ROUtINE ARREStS: Replying to another question, he said, the police station concerned registered a case against those who had set to fire two police armoured personnel carriers during a recent gas outages related protest demonstration.

He said the investigation wing of the capital police handed over Rs 3,267,000 to National Bank of Pakistan branch in Rawat following the a court’s orders. The money

was robbed on February 13, 2005 from the bank in a heist that also left one of the bank guards dead. He said police successfully recovered the looted money from the robbers. He said two of the robbers who were arrested with money were identified as Raja Tahir and Muhammad Rafique, who were later convicted by the court.

He said four gangs involved in crimes of ‘heinous’ nature and those extorting money while pretending to be loan facilitators had been busted.

He said the CIA police also arrested 11 criminals of four gangs for their involvement in different robbery cases and sized the looted money and valuables.

40 Cng inspection-certification centres to open in punjab LAHore StAff RePORt

The CNG Stations Association will set up as many as 40 installation, inspection and certification stations across the province during the next three days, according to a statement issued on Wednesday.

The decision was taken at a meeting held under the Transport Secretary Muhammad Yousaf, and attended by the representatives of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), CNG vendors association, the Hydrocarbon Development Authority of Pakistan, and the Transporters’ Association. The meeting participants decided that the inspection centres after checking the

CNG cylinders installed in the vehicles would affix adhesive certificates on the vehicles’ windscreens. Scanners would be installed at CNG stations to read the stickers and allow gas filling. The meeting also decided that CNG cylinders fitted in all privately-owned vehicles would require fitness certificates after five years, or will need to be replaced. The life of CNG cylinders fitted in public transport vehicles would be determined by OGRA. The meeting also decided that the CNG Stations Association would raise the number of inspection centres to one hundred.

The transport secretary said the government took these decisions to protect human lives from cylinder accidents.

along with $60 billion in losses to the country’s economy.

He said the government had sent appreciative messages to the Americans in the wake of the Abbottabad incident and drone attacks were being carried out against Pakistanis from Pakistani soil.

He said the facts of the tragedy of East Pakistan, assassination of Benazir Bhutto and the Kargil issue were not revealed to the nation. “We will bring the country back onto the track of development if given a chance again, and our workers will bring such a revolution that every kind of tsunami will stand defeated,” he said.

Referring to emergence of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), Sharif said the “Musharraf league” was now amassing somewhere else.

Qureshi meets pagara KARACHI: PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday visited Pir Pagara in a hospital to enquire after him and to convey him Imran Khan’s message. Earlier, he held meetings with nationalist leaders, saying he was also in touch with the MQM. Qureshi told Pagara the general elections were near, as the people were disappointed with the government. He said the momogate issue was very sensitive and people wanted to know about its reality. iNP

Aitzaz says he will not become ‘the Hashmi of PPP’ Senior Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Aitzaz Ahsan sought to refute the notion on Tuesday that he would “become the Javed Hashmi of PPP”, but hailed Hashmi as a leader of high calibre. Ahsan said in his address at Naudero on the 4th death anniversary of former premier Benazir Bhutto that the loss of Hashmi, a former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader who recently joined the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), would cause the PML-N to suffer. However, he made it clear that he would not become the Javed Hashmi of the PPP and would stick with the party. “Don’t term my speech Javed Hashmi’s speech of Faisalabad,” he said, adding that Hashmi should not have left his party. Ahsan criticised PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi for speaking against President Asif Ali Zardari after leaving the PPP and also tried to get the party leadership to realise that the people were suffering at the hands of poverty and there was no gas and electricity for them and the party had done nothing for them. The leadership of the ruling party - facing a hostile establishment and a not-so-friendly judiciary in the wake of the memo crisis - has decided to bank on the legal and political acumen of Ahsan, sources said. NeWS DeSK

NADRA develops SMS service to verify voters’ particulars in rolls ISLAmABAD: National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) on Wednesday developed an SMS service application to facilitate citizens to verify their vote registration and particulars in the voters’ list.

NADRA Deputy Chairman Tariq Malik said that the

department and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) signed agreements with telecom companies to forge a partnership in order to launch this service. Three main telecom companies, including Ufone, Warid and Telenor would provide services in this regard. StAff RePORt

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04 News

Thursday, 29 December, 2011

Some to bid adieu to parliament today ISLAMABAD tAhiR NiAz

M

EMBERS of the National Assembly would witness some of their colleagues saying good-bye to parliament as “defectors”, including Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, are going to announce their resignation on the floor of the House for leaving their parent parties for the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaaf (PTI).

The House meets today (Thursday) at the Parliament House.

Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, his daughter Mamoona Hashmi, former federal minister Awais Leghari and Sardar Assef Ahmad Ali are likely to an-

nounce their resignation from their NA seats today, as they have already joined the PTI. Though their former party chiefs have not moved any references on defection grounds, the parliamentarians are likely to announce their resignations purely on moral grounds. A source close to Hashmi said he would rise on a point of order in the House and announce his resignation from the NA. Likewise, his daughter, Mamoona Hashmi and other MNAs who recently joined the PTI would announce their resignations.

Some of the parliamentarians, including Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Khawaja Khan Hoti and Jehangir Tareen have already submitted their res-

Zardari asks aitzaz to mentor Bilawal ISLAMABAD iN P

President Asif Ali Zardari has asked senior Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Aitzaz Ahsan to act as a mentor to his son, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, if “anything were to happen to him”, sources said, amid reports that the outspoken PPP leader was being tipped as a likely replacement for Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.

Zardari had reached out to Ahsan, one of Pakistan’s leading lawyers and a former interior minister, after he became embroiled in the memo controversy.

During a long phone conversation with Ahsan while he was in Dubai for med-

ical treatment, Zardari had asked the Cambridge-educated lawyer to act as a mentor to his 23-year-old son Bilawal if “anything were to happen to him,” senior PPP officials and other sources said.

Zardari’s decision to ask Ahsan to speak after him at a massive rally to mark the 4th death anniversary of former premier Benazir Bhutto on Tuesday too has triggered speculation that Ahsan may be given a key position in the government.

The president was expected to be the main speaker at the public gathering, but Zardari took everyone by surprise by effusively praising Ahsan and asking him to deliver the final speech.

Motorway closed due to heavy fog MonItorIng DeSk The motorway has been closed to every kind of traffic because of the heavy fog in Lahore on Wednesday.

Motorway authorities have said that the highway will remain closed from

Thokar Niaz Beg to Kala Shah Kaku, where visibility is zero and the human eye cannot see more than five metres ahead of it.

The provincial capital is also undergoing a severe wave of cold and the temperature has reached as low as 0.5 degree Celsius.

ignations, but these are pending with the NA speaker.

Asked about the reason behind the delay in the acceptance of resignations of these parliamentarians, a source in the Parliament House told Pakistan Today that the resignations were pending with the NA speaker because the federal government had started development work in the constituencies of resigning MPs to ensure the success of their party’s candidates in by-polls.

“As soon as the speaker accepts the resignation, the Election Commission would announce a schedule for byelections and the government will not be able to execute development projects in these constituencies,” he added.

Zardari saw future president in me: gilani ISLAmABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Wednesday said Asif Ali Zardari had once called him a future president of Pakistan. When I was sentenced by a judge of an accountability court, Asif Ali Zardari, now the president of Pakistan, was present in that court and told the judge that he [judge] was sentencing a future president,” Gilani said in a ceremony to mark the regularisation of 490 PTV employees. Gilani said Zardari had called him the future president because PPP leaders and workers always considered Benazir Bhutto to be their prime minister. APP

Details of power supply to President, PM, governor and CM’s House sought LAHore StAff RePORt

iSLAMAbAD: federal interior Minister Rehman Malik chairing a meeting on gas cylinders at the Ministry of interior on Wednesday. onLIne

Memo case should not be probed covertly: asfandyar MonItorIng DeSk The investigations into the memo scandal should not be done covertly, and all findings should be made public, Awami National Party President Asfandyar Wali Khan said on Tuesday.

Speaking during a talk show on a private TV channel on Wednesday, Asfandyar said President Asif Ali Zardari had not gotten emotional during his speech at the death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto, just as I had advised him. “I had told him that some political and media persons wanted him to get emotional [in his speech],” he said.

He said nobody had approached him for taking over the Presidency in place of Zardari.

Asfandyar said he had assured Zardari that his loyalties remained with Pakistan, “although many still consider us loyal to India”.

The ANP chief said he

had known Zardari for around 35 years and he was not among those “who ran away”. “Zardari had to come back and he did,” he said.

To a question, he said, “We had said in the 1980s that the Afghan war is not jihad but a fracas.

Asfandyar said the ANP central committee had advised him against attending party’s public gatherings.

He said he had no vehicle in his name, had bought shares worth around Rs 250,000 in company in Dubai and had inherited land from his father. “If you find any other asset in my name, you can happily hang me,” Asfandyar said. To a question, he said only time would tell who makes away with whose vote bank, however, it the PTI’s right to do politics.

He said ANP had understanding with the PPP and JUI-F in Senate election, but it would to too soon to comment on alliances for general election, the ANP chief said.

SC seeks report over registration of illegitimate children ISLAMABAD StAff RePORt

The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday asked the provincial governments and district coordination officers (DCOs) to report within two weeks on the registration of illegitimate children.

A thee-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was hearing a petition by welfare activist Abdul Sattar Edhi, who requested the court to devise a legal strategy to resolve the sensitive and complex issue of registering children of unknown parentage to enable them to live their lives with dignity and respect. Edhi requested the court to give these children an identity and a legally appointed guardian. He also cited in the application that the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) had refused to register a minor by telling his daughter Kubra that the registration process could not be initiated without the child’s guardian.

MQM’s Sukkur rally to be city’s biggest ever: Altaf

‘president can be impeached’

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain on Wednesday claimed that his party’s convention in Sukkur will be the largest in the history of the city. Talking to the members of the zonal committees of Sukkur and Jacobabad by telephone, Altaf appealed to the public to show unity in Sindh by attending the rally. According to a statement issued by MQM, officials of the Sukkur zone told Altaf that he had found enthusiasm among the party workers and the public for the convention. APP

Asma contended that the petitioners had to establish that they had not come to the court for personal or political reasons or to camouflage somebody else’s interests, and filed the petitions to seek relief under public interest litigation only. Justice Mian Saqib Nisar observed that Article 184 had an openended jurisdiction.

Asma presented various citations to establish that the court could not pass any order under Article 184 of the constitution, which was not viable for implementa-

Continued from page 1

tion, adding that if it was presumed that an enquiry in the case in hand declared Haqqani guilty, then he would be sent to a trial magistrate. She said due process of law demanded that any criminal case must be filed before the judicial magistrate rather than approaching the apex court, adding that due process of law had not been observed in the case of her client.

The chief justice then observed that the investigations into the memo issue would be more transparent under the judiciary and the apex court was equally re-

sponsible for safeguarding everybody’s rights without discrimination under the constitution.

Asma said Haqqani shouldered his diplomatic responsibilities under extremely difficult conditions, as he had to contact a host of people in the wake of the May 2 incident. She categorically stated that the court was looking at the matter from a legal perspective, whereas the press would view it as a media trial.

Later, the court directed the parties to conclude their arguments by Thursday (today) and adjourned.

Lahore High Court chief justice on Wednesday sought till January 19 all details from the federal government and Wapda about total cost of production and supply of electricity from all production sources including thermal, coal, gas, furnace oil, and solar and the cause of loadshedding. The court also sought schedule of power cuts and details of uninterrupted electricity supply to VVIPs including President House, Prime Minister House, Governor House, CM House and other VVIP personalities.

The petition was filed by Muhammad Azhar Siddique advocate. He pleaded that under article 19-A of the Constitution, people who pay inflated electricity bills, have right to know the product and supply cost for justification of hundreds taxes and duties added in the monthly bills. He said though people were suffering long electricity load shedding they were still being charged a number of surcharges such fuel adjustment duty, fuel price adjustment duty, Equalization Surcharge and Neelam Jhelum Surcharge. He said the whole burden of Line Losses, electricity thief, wapda corruption and cost of electricity’s purchase from Rented Power Projects (RPPs) and IPPs is shifted to the masses through all sort of uncalled for surcharges.

Police official shot dead in islamabad ISLAMABAD StAff RePORt

A police officer was killed and two civilians were severely injured when unidentified motorcyclists opened fire on them in G-11 Markaz in a late night attack on Wednesday. According to preliminary details, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Zulifqar died on the spot while two youth, Yousaf and Mudassar, received injuries when the unidentified men opened fire on them and fled after the shooting.

The deceased and injured were taken to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences while security has been tightened in the city.

Ramna Station Police has registered an FIR and investigations are underway.

unacceptable: pakistan formally rejects nato enquiry Continued from page 1 “The full report from the joint US-NATO investigative team was not released publicly until Monday to allow time for the Pakistani leadership to read the findings first,” Kirby said.

“We wanted Gen Kayani to be able to see the entire thing,” he said, calling the approach an appropriate professional courtesy to General Kayani.

However, another Pakistani official belied Pentagon’s statement, saying the report was not handed over

in person to Gen Kayani and no briefing was given to him by any American official in this regard.

He said the US enquiry report was rather delivered to the office concerned in the General Headquarters (GHQ).

The government has also sent a letter to US Congress showing its disagreement with the findings of USNATO investigation into the airstrikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. The letter said the bombardment went on long even after the Pakistan Army reported that its troops had come under fire.

The letter said Pakistani troops came under fire at well-identified border posts and that NATO commanders knew helicopter gunships were firing on Pakistani forces within the first 15 minutes. “Yet the attack continued for more than another hour,” it said.

It said the attack was the most recent example of the losses that Pakistan had suffered fighting alongside the US to combat terrorism and extremism.

The letter said the strike had strained ties between Washington and a key ally in the region and an apology by

the US to the people of Pakistan would not be inappropriate.

It said the complete NATO chain of command knew allied gunships were attacking Pakistani forces by 1:15am on November 26 but kept pounding the Pakistanis until about 2:20am.

“At this point NATO was knowingly attacking Pakistani soldiers and NATO commanders were well aware of the Pakistani positions,” it added.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that US military officials have not ruled out disciplinary action as a re-

sult of the cross-border attack that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in Mohmand Agency on November 26, but no one has been punished to date, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.

Navy Capt John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman, said military leaders would use the final report on the investigation to determine if anyone should be punished.

Those decisions, he said, would be made by officers in the chain of command, depending on whether they found that mistakes were made by United States or NATO personnel.

LHR 29-12-2011_Layout 1 12/29/2011 2:16 AM Page 5

Thursday, 29 December, 2011

Who will break their ‘begging bowls’? PAgE 08

‘Let our birds be!’

CDgL razes Allama iqbal Road’s famous Bird Market to the ground amid strong protests g Traders accuse PML-N govt, DCO of ‘confiscating’ their property g

LAHore

L

YASiR hAbib

AHORE’S famous Bird Market on Allama Iqbal Road was knocked down on Wednesday for road-widening amid protests by the shopkeepers who burnt tyres and cursed the City District Government Limited for snatching their livelihoods for ‘development’.

The demolition squad of Gulberg Town and Aziz Bhatti Town reached the spot in the morning to flatten shops at the Bird Market, terming them as hurdles and encroachments for the road-widening project. Before they could do any-

thing, the traders of the area started protesting against the CDGL. However, CDGL officials, accompanied by heavy machinery and police, razed two shops and various shades.

In retaliation, charged protestors blocked the road and started burning tyres. They hurled slogans against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s government and the district coordination officer. An official of Gulberg Town told Pakistan Today that notices were served to all shopkeepers to vacate the land but they had not paid heed.

Soon, PML-N senior leader and finance secretary Sardar Ayaz Sadiq rushed to the sight to control the situa-

tion. Traders also showed him their property documents but to no effect. He said Allama Iqbal Road extension project was necessary and all the hurdles including encroachment would be removed at any cost.

Allama Iqbal Road, from Gharhi Shahu to Mayo Garden, has been dug up for the past many months. The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) had excavated the road to lay down sewerage pipelines of large diameters but the construction work continued at a slow pace.

The CDGL, responsible for the inconvenience, delayed finalising the design and to allow the National Logistic Cell (NLC) to initiate the project.

The effected road is one of the oldest roads in the city and has historical significance as the national poet, Allama Iqbal, resided in the same area. The main centre of Marzais’ also lies alongside the road. A number of political leaders and judges’ houses and a number of schools, banks, mosques and shops are also present in the locality. The important buildings on this road are the Iqbal Museum, the Railway Headquarters, the Railway Hospital, Jamia Ashrafia, Ghari Shahu Main Bazaar, Mayo Garden and Bird Market.

Due to the postponement of construction, heavy clouds of dust are seen throughout the day, causing inconvenience to traders, residents, school children and worshippers.

KeMu’s (mis)management blues continue g

Exasperated students, parents issued roll number slips just one day before exams LAHore

Dost Khosa finally booked in sapna case LAHore StAff RePORt

Additional District and Sessions Judge (AD&SJ) Nadeem Shaukat was informed on Wednesday that an FIR has been registered against former chief minister Sardar Dost Muhammad Khosa on application of Massal Khan, father of film actress Sapna Khan.

Police told the AD&SJ that the FIR had not been made public because it was sealed.

The judge was hearing a petition filed

by Misal Khan, father of model Sapna Khan, through his counsel Muhammad Azhar Siddique seeking directions for registration of a kidnap-cum-murder case against Khosa and his seven accomplices for allegedly kidnapping and later killing his daughter. Khan had pleaded that he was being harangued by the police under Khosa’s ‘instructions’ and no law whatsoever could restrain an applicant/petitioner from getting copy an FIR registered on his application.

uMAiR Aziz

A height of ‘mismanagement’ has been witnessed at the King Edward Medical University (KEMU) where students received their roll number slips for MBBS final professionals on Wednesday, which is only one day before their examination, Pakistan Today has learnt.

Per details, scores of students and their parents kept making rounds of the examination branch of the KEMU to get the roll number slips, which they received only one day before their exams on Wednesday. This has caused a lot of inconvenience to all students.

“All universities issue roll number slips a week before exams so that all students can fully concentrate on their exam preparation…we have informed the examination branch about the issue but in vain…the exam is tomorrow and we are in the university waiting for our roll number slips…we can afford to because we are boarders, imagine the plight of those who have to come from their home leaving their preparation in the middle…it is no joke after all it is our final professionals starting from tomorrow (Thursday),” a student seeking anonymity said.

Things were even more difficult for female students many of them had sent their parents to collect their slips on their behalf.

Talking to Pakistan Today, Sajjad Ahmad, a banker who was at the university to get roll number slip of his daughter, said, “I’ve been making rounds of the examination branch for the last couple of days and they have been telling me to check with them

Photos by irfan Chaudhry

next day…it is very frustrating for a parent to be making rounds for such a basic thing…not to mention my daughter’s plight who is already stressed with exams.”

KEMU Controller Examination Dr Imtiaz Bajwa said the roll number slips were not issued unless the examination branch receive all the record regarding those students who are not eligible to sit in the exams due to non-payment of dues or attendance shortage. The said information is passed on to the examination controller by the Registrar Office and the roll number slips were issued as soon as the requisite information was passed on. “It is common practice to issue roll number slips to

students only a week before the exams…Even the University of Health Sciences (UHS) issues roll number slips to students only three days before the exams,” he added.

However, KEMU Registrar Professor Farid Khan dismissed the allegations, saying, “The delay is the sole responsibility of the Controller Office, which is to conduct exams because that is the purpose of creating a separate office of the examination controller…this responsibility includes everything including data collection and compilation regarding conducting the examination and they cannot share this responsibility with anyone whatsoever.”

The court also summoned Racecourse SHO on the 29th to clarify why a copy of the FIR had not been given to the petitioner.

Man guns down teenage son LAHore StAff RePORt

A man accidentally gunned down his 19-year-old son at a wedding ceremony in the Green Town police precincts on Wednesday.

The deceased was identified as Jan Masih, a 20year-old resident of Jamal Park, Multan Road.

The police said that Bismal was engaged in aerial firing at the wedding of a relative when a bullet hit his son, who died on the spot. The police, after being informed, reached the spot and shifted the body to the city morgue. The Green Town Police registered a case against Bismal under the Section 322 of the constitution.

LHR 29-12-2011_Layout 1 12/29/2011 2:16 AM Page 6

06 Lahore 10,000 cops to maintain order on New Year’s Eve LAHore StAff RePORt

Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ahmad Raza Tahir said on Wednesday that strict action would be taken against those transgressing the limits of law and ethics on the eve of New Year.

The CCPO said that on the New Year eve, over 10,000 police personnel will perform their duty, while the divisional superintendents police (SPs) have been directed to be informed regarding New Year events being conducted in their areas. They have also been directed to ensure that strict action is taken when a contravention of law, including indulging in drinking, aerial firing, one-wheeling, aggressive racing and hooliganism, is observed.

Thursday, 29 December, 2011

Details of power supply to President, PM, Governor and CM’s House sought LAHore

L

StAff RePORt

AHORE High Court chief justice on Wednesday sought till January 19 all details from the federal government and Wapda about total cost of production and supply of electricity from all production sources including thermal, coal, gas, furnace oil, and solar and the cause of loadshedding. The court also sought schedule of power cuts and details of uninterrupted electricity supply to VVIPs including President House, Prime Minister House, Governor House, CM House and other VVIP personalities.

The petition was filed by Muhammad Azhar Siddique advocate. He pleaded that under article 19-A of the Constitution, people who pay inflated electricity bills, have right to know the product and supply cost for justification of hundreds taxes and duties added in the monthly bills. He said though people were suffering long electricity load shedding they were still being charged a number of surcharges

such fuel adjustment duty, fuel price adjustment duty, Equalization Surcharge and Neelam Jhelum Surcharge. He said the whole burden of Line Losses, electricity thief, wapda corruption and cost of electricity’s purchase from Rented Power Projects (RPPs) and IPPs is shifted to the masses through all sort of uncalled for surcharges.

He said the government was robbing the public through Wapda, adding that the said details be obtained from the authorities concerned.

FIR REGIStERED AGAINSt FOUR DAEWOO DIRECtORS: The acting Punjab inspector general of police (IGP) Wednesday on Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Umer Ata Bandial’s directives registered F I R against four directors of Daewoo Company, two of them foreigners, on charges of preparing forged resignation documents of a di-

‘what are you distributing the laptops for?’

LAHore StAff RePORt

The Foundation for Rehabilitation and Education of Slow Children (FRESH) General Secretary Ashba Kamran criticised the distribution of laptops among students and advised the Punjab chief minister to focus on improving the education s y s t e m rather than on political point-scoring.

She said: “The Punjab government will spend Rs5 million on providing laptops to students, which is a sheer wastage of public money.

“The poor state of public schools has resulted in abnormal dropout rates and a high ratio of students failing at the primary and second-

ary level. Some 70 percent students drop out at the primary level annually and 50 percent failed the recent matriculation examination.”

She said about five million students of 1000 public sector schools would benefit if the Punjab government spent the money on them instead of purchasing 100,000 laptops at Rs50,000 each.

“The Punjab government has already wasted billions of rupees in implementing the Sasti Roti scheme while contributing little to overcoming inflation. Not only this, the Punjab government’s plan to automate the Punjab Education Board has proven to be a complete failure,” she added.

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rector in a bid throw him out of the company.

A petition was heard against non-registration of FIR filed by Inam Ali, a shareholder and director of Daewoo Logistic (Pvt) Limited and former Daewoo Pakistan Express Bus Service country general manager, a sister company of Daewoo Logistic (Pvt) limited company, who contended that he had been fraudulently removed by the accused through forged documents. Acting Punjab IGP Zahid Mehmood and the Gulberg station house officer (SHO) appeared in court on Wednesday and said the FIR had been registered late Tuesday night, after they were summoned to court. The court was annoyed by the police’s attitude, delays and non-compliance with session court orders for registration of FIR under Sec-

tions 22-A and 22-B. The court would resume hearing into the matter on January 25.

RECORDS OF tERmINAtED PHYSICIStS DEmANDED FROm PPSC: The LHC on Wednesday summoned terminated ad-hoc pharmacists’ examination and interview records from the Punjab Public Service Commission.

Earlier, counsel for the removed pharmacists said the chief minister had terminated the petitioners’ jobs on political grounds, while he had exercised his discretionary powers to regularise hundreds of other health department employees. The counsel asked the court to take notice of the injustice.

He prayed to the court to set aside termination of the petitioners as illegal and without lawful authority. Justice Umar Ata Bandial summoned records of written examinations and interviews conducted by the service commission of the petitioners.

The judge adjourned further hearing till January 31. The court had already stayed the termination of the petitioners.

LHR 29-12-2011_Layout 1 12/29/2011 2:16 AM Page 7

Thursday, 29 December, 2011

Lahore 07 ‘People must cultivate a reading habit’, says LHC CJ

2 die in road accidents

LAHore

LAHore

StAff RePORt

StAff RePORt

Lahore High Court Chief Justice Azmat Saeed on Wednesday stressed the need for holding seminars at the Tehsil and district level throughout Punjab so that the senior lawyers could train the young lawyers and impart legal education on them.

The chief justice was talking to a delegation of the Kharian Bar Association who had called on him. The chief justice said that it was the need of the hour to inculcate reading habits among the youth, particularly the young lawyers and judges.

This will help emanating early and quality judgments and better working of lawyers and young judges across the

Two persons lost their lives, while four persons sustained injuries, in two separate road accidents on Wednesday.

A collision between a train and truck claimed the life of train driver Feroz Din and injured four Railway officials in the Shahdara Town Police precincts.

In another incident, 35-year-old Sikandar, a resident of Badami Bagh, was crushed to death by a speeding car in the Shahdbagh Police precincts.

BODIES FOUND: The bodies of a newborn girl and a 65-year-old man were recovered from two different areas of the city on Wednesday.

The newborn girl’s body was found packed in a sack from the North Cantonment Police precincts. While, the body of a 65-year-old man, yet to be identified, was found in the Gulberg police precincts. The police said that the deceased was a drug addict who had died of cold weather.

SHOPKEEPER’S DEAtH: The Shahdra Police failed to arrest the culprits involved in the murder of a shopkeeper.

The investigation officer (IO) said that an investigation team had been sent to Gujranwala to arrest the accomplices of Javed, who had already been detained. He said that the victim’s autopsy report had dispelled the impression that firing by the police officials had claimed his life.

GANGS BUStED: The Saddar Division Investigation Wing claimed to have arrested four persons and recovered 188 fake currency notes from their possession.

Meanwhile, the Investigation Wing of the Factory Area arrested two car lifters and recovered a Suzuki Bolan from their possession.

beLieVe it OR NOt: this is Government Khera hospital, Montgomery Road. MurtaZa aLI

ISO protests against IJT LAHore

T

StAff RePORt

HE Imamia Students Organisation (ISO) members on Wednesday protested outside the Punjab Assembly against the Islami Jamiat Taliba (IJT) activists who had tortured Shia students celebrating Youm-e-Hussain at the Punjab University last week.

The protesters chanted slogans against the government for not arresting the IJT activists, warning the Punjab government against appointing a pro-IJT or pro-Jamaate-Islami (JI) vice chancellor at PU.

‘Give us gas and electricity!’

LAHore StAff RePORt

The Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) came hard on their consumers on Wednesday by closing electricity and gas supply, resulting in protests by the consumers.

The domestic consumers protested against LESCO for eight to ten hours of unscheduled load shedding in the city. The residents of the walled city blocked the Circular Road, burnt tyres and chanted slogans against the LESCO. The gas pressure also lowered in the city for the domestic users. The SNGPL managing director has convened a meeting of the stakeholders to form a strategy to overcome the gas shortage, the sources

said, adding that the shortfall of gas has increased sharply due to increased domestic use in winter.

The SNGPL has decided to close the gas supply to the industries for overcoming gas shortage. The decision triggered panic among the business community and the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) has convened the All Punjab Chambers Roundtable Conference on gas closure on January 2, 2012 to develop a line of action against discrimination with Punjab.

At an emergent LCCI Executive Committee meeting it was also decided to write a letter to the Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani over the discrimination with Punjab in gas supply. The Executive Committee also decided that a well tailored campaign against the pilferage of gas in Punjab would also be launched.

A large number of Shia students gathered outside the Punjab Assembly, despite a ban on protests on the Mall Road. The students protested against the use of weapons by IJT against the Shia students.

The IJT claimed that the Shia students had not taken an official permission for celebrating Youm-e-Hussain which was necessary before holding an event at the varsity. PU Students Advisor Iftikahr Chaudhry also claimed that the Shia students had not taken a written permission, alleging that their claim of having permission was false.

The protesters claimed that they will celebrate Youm-e-Hussain again, demanding the government to provide them security.

province, the chief justice said.

The bar leaders highlighted the problems confronting the bar, to which the CJ sought their cooperation for resolving them.

The CJ assured full support to the bar and said strong relations between the bench and the bar were essential for improving the legal and judicial system of the country.

LHR 29-12-2011_Layout 1 12/29/2011 2:16 AM Page 8

08 Lahore

Thursday, 29 December, 2011

wEATHER UPDATES

20 °C High 0C 07 Low

SUNNY

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SATURDAY

21°C i 06°C

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SUNDAY 20°C i 06°C

PRAYER TiMiNgS fajr Sunrise 05:35 07:00

Zuhr 12:05

Asr 14:49

Maghrib 17:08

isha 18:35

Beggars swarm Lahore’s public points, residential areas g ADB blames increasing poverty for the increase in beggars, govt’s response remains lukewarm g

CiTY DiRECTORY EMERgENCY HELP RESCUE EDHi CONTROL MOTORwAY POLiCE POLiCE gOvERNOR’S HOUSE CHiEf MiNiSTER’S HOUSE fiRE BRigADE BOMB DiSPOSAL MCL COMPLAiNTS LAHORE wASTE DiSPOSAL

1122 115 130 15 99200081-7 99203226 16 99212111 99211022-29 1139

HOSPiTALS MiD CiTY 37573382-3 SERviCES 99203402-11 MAYO 99211100-9 gENERAL 35810892-8 SHEiKH ZAiD 35865731 SiR gANgA RAM 99200572 UCH 35763573-5 iTTEfAQ 35881981-85 CMH 366996168-72 SHOUKAT KHANUM 35945100 JiNNAH 111-809-809 ADiL (DEfENCE) 36667275 CHiLDREN’S 99230901-3 DEfENCE NATiONAL HOSPiTAL 111-17-18-19

BLOOD BANK fATMiD iSLAMiC ALLiANCE

Who will break their ‘begging bowls’?

35210834-8 37588649/37535435

LAHore

A

APP

LARGE number of beggars have arrived from other cities and villages this winter to cash in the generosity of the faithful and the sensitive.

Local buses, roads, crossing and markets of the provincial capital are the usual ‘workplaces’ for these professional beggars. The public has to haggle with them daily to steer clear of alms seekers of all shades, appearances and ages. The number of beggars at busy traffic signals, chowks and road intersections has also swelled, significantly, depicting the ugly picture of deepening hunger and poverty in the province.

To some it may seem heart-wrenching that even with the mercury falling below zero, women in tatters with sparsely clad infants tucked under their paltry arms rush towards cars for some money.

Beggary is a very humiliating profession as it needs great courage to imbibe contempt and abuse from people day in and day out. But for myriads beggary is lifestyle, especially in a big city like Lahore where all the major public places are teeming with these ‘professionals’.

Anarkali, Liberty Market, Mall Road, Azam Market, Firdous Market, Bagwanpura Bazar, Main Bazar Ichra, Moon Market, Kareem Market, Barkat Market, Main Market, Ghalib Market and other shopping sites are swarming with these beggars of all age groups. These ‘professionals’ use all the tactics they know how to compel the commuters

part with at least ten rupees at a time.

One of the main reasons for increasing beggary is increasing poverty. According of Asian Development Bank (ADB) the main causes of poverty in Pakistan are, poor governance, economic determinants, social determinants and environmental degradation. ADB’s ‘Governance: Sound Development Management Policy’ says poor governance is the key underlying cause of poverty in Pakistan. However, economic and social factors such as the slowdown in GDP growth in the last decade, and the persistence of a regressive social structure, stemming from the highly unequal distribution of land have also contributed to the increase in poverty. The recent floods that have played havoc with the country’s economy have also increased the number of beggars.

“I am a flood victim,” Saima, 29, said, adding that her entire family had come to Lahore and since they had not been able to find work, the women had taken up begging. Citizens have appealed to the Punjab government to take serious action against these elements as they pose security threat as well. They demanded that the government must screen professional beggars and take action against mafia operated beggars’ gangs in big cities. Over the years Lahoris have seen lukewarm efforts from the government’s side to coax and compel these beggars to give up the profession and live in shelter homes with dignity under surveillance. A number of such plans and projects have been initiated under social welfare department over the years but their success is an easy guess for every one.

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top R: Majid begs all day to provide for his family. Shahzaib Khan calls those who do not give any money to him, ‘zardari’. Noor Ahmad, his wife Shada Mai and daughters Parveen and bano (bottom L, R) are flood victims. they live in tents and beg to make ends meet after failing to find work. photos By Irfan ChauDhry ArAbic cAlliGrAphy

DOcUMENTAry MAKiNG cOUrSE

hArMONy AND hEriTAGE OF pAKiSTAN

COLLEgES / UNivERSiTiES PUNJAB UNivERSiTY KiNNAiRD COLLEgE QUEEN MARY COLLEgE gOvT. COLLEgE UNivERSiTY UMT LUMS UET LCwU SUPERiOR COLLEgE

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DATE AND TiME: NOv 11 TO JUN1, 2012, 4PM TO 6PM vENUE: HAST-O-NEEST CENTER CALLigRAPHY CLASSES are on-going, interested students can enroll throughout the year. The duration of one module is three months. There are four modules of learning calligraphyt: primary, secondary, advanced and higher. The course includes traditional pen and traditional paper making.

DATE: DEC 30, 2011 TO JAN 30,2012 vENUE: LAwRENCE gARDEN Be a successful documentary maker and learn the art from the media professionals including Orya Maqbool Jan.

DATE: DEC 29, 2011, 5:30 PM vENUE: SHAKiR ALi MUSEUM. 93 TiPU BLOCK NEwgARDEN TOwN An exhibiton of painintings by Ms irum Asfaque organised by PNCA.

LHR 29-12-2011_Layout 1 12/29/2011 2:16 AM Page 9

friday, 23 September, 2011

News 09

PIA acquires two aircraft on lease, management denies g

PiA employees’ union refuses to offer services for leased aircraft g Sources say aircraft deliberately being kept grounded to justify lease LAHore

P

iMRAN ADNAN

AKISTAN International Airlines (PIA) has acquired two Airbus A320-214 aircraft on wet lease from Freebird Airlines, Turkey, Pakistan Today has learnt. While the national flag carrier has asked the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to issue airworthiness certificates to the leased aircrafts, the airline’s management is trying to conceal the agreement by denying official facts.

Official documents made available to Pakistan Today reveal that PIA Corporate Planning Director Irshad Ghani recently wrote a letter (Ref: DCP/NB/ACMI/2011/257) to the CAA Flight Standards director at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, and asked the CAA to nominate officials to inspect the

leased aircraft in Turkey.

The official letter titled “CAA Pak inspection for two wet lease aircraft” states: “PIA is currently facing a severe shortage of capacity due to the unscheduled grounding of its A310 and B737 aircraft.

Capacity constraints are causing cancellations and delays leading to inconvenience to our passengers and revenue loss to the airline.”

It further reads: “Keeping in view the fleet constraints, PIA has decided to induct two narrow body aircraft for a period of ninety (90) days. As per the requirements of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) stated in ANO 91:0016, requisite information contained in CD is attached herewith. We shall appreciate if PCAA nominates its inspectors at its earliest for the inspection of these aircraft in Turkey.”

Another official document shows that

the leased aircraft having registration numbers TC-FBH: 4207 and TC-FBV: 4658 have completed almost 60,000 flight hours, and were presently operating from Istanbul, Turkey. It indicates that the PIA will obtain these aircraft on lease and they will be based in Karachi after acquisition.

Speaking to Pakistan Today, PIA Spokesman Syed Sultan Hasan tried to conceal the agreement by categorically refusing the lease of any aircraft. In the past, the PIA management has also rejected reports of a wet lease agreement during Haj operations when it acquired two Boeing747s from a Greek operator, but later accepted the agreement. The national flag carrier is not being able to keep up with the flight schedule. PIA sources alleged that the airline management had deliberately created a shortage of aircraft to justify the acquisition of the aircraft on wet lease.

On the other hand, members of the Joint Action Committee of PIA Employees (JACPIAE) have refused to offer services on the leased aircraft, and demanded the management to bring its own fleet into operation. A JACPIAE representative seeking anonymity believed that the incumbent management was constantly damaging the airline both administratively and financially, as it had again decided to acquire two Airbus A320s on lease, along with operating cockpit and cabin crew. He said the previous experience of acquiring two Boeing aircraft from the Hellenic Airways for Haj operations had proved that it was a huge waste of money. “This experience should be enough for any sane management if it had no intention of receiving kickbacks in the deal,” he said.

He said the PIA had to suffer a loss of Rs 410 million, as it had to cancel around

1,200 flights during August and November. He said the airline’s management had been causing flight delays and cancellations to pave the way for leasing two Airbus A320 on wet lease. In a planned move it had kept grounded 6-15 aircraft on an average since August. He said that 13 aircraft were still grounded at the PIA Engineering Department because of the unavailability of engines, equipment and spare parts required for these aircrafts to become airworthy as per international flight standards.

In addition, sources revealed that the PIA had acquired three engines on a lease of $300 per hour, while its own engines had been overhauled and ready for installation at Singapore and Amman. The management has been deliberately delaying their delivery to justify leasing more and more items for personal gains, they added.

PiA’s turbulence increases with halted fuel supply LAHORE: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is going into a tailspin as various fuel vendors have refused to provide fuel at a number of international airports, including United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Denmark, Norway, Canada and the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan Today learnt on Wednesday.

Sources in the national flag carrier disclosed that various fuel vendors disconnected fuel supply at various international airports until the PIA management cleared their outstanding fuel bills. Sources said the PIA officials had to face embarrassment when Shell Aviation, Manchester, refused fuel supply to the PIA’s Manchester-Islamabad flight PK 702. Sources added that the airline had to face similar situations with several other fuel vendors at airports in Birmingham, Heathrow, Oslo, Copenhagen, Toronto, Jeddah and Dubai. Reportedly, the fuel vendors also warned the airline to immediately clear their dues or they would completely suspend their agreements with it. Sources said that if the PIA defaulted, no company would provide fuel to its fleet across the world. They added that despite several warnings from the Saudi aviation authorities, the PIA could not improve its flight schedule. The Saudi authorities had taken notice of PIA’s frequent flight cancellations from Jeddah International Airport, and other irregularities. They pointed out that the airline was offering air tickets from Medina airport, but was operating its flights from Jeddah. Recently, the local municipal authority took notice of the crowd outside the PIA office in Medina. The authority warned that the airline’s operations from Medina would be suspended if the problem was not resolved. When contacted, the airline’s official spokesman denied that any vendor had refused fuel supply to PIA aircraft. iMRAN ADNAN

David Headley’s wife may help nail Hafiz Saeed

KARAChi: A large number of buses are parked at the bus stand because of closure of CNG stations in the province. onLIne

Bilawal’s absence at Benazir’s anniversary raises many an eyebrow

neW DeLHI ONLiNe

India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) will soon send letters to Morocco for recording a statement of Pakistani-American David Headley’s estranged Moroccan wife, Faiza Outalha, to get more evidence against him as well as Lashkar-e-Tayyaba founder Hafiz Saeed, Indian media reported on Wednesday. According to reports, the decision to send the documents was taken sometime back, but NIA was giving final touches before it approached a special court for issuance of the request, official sources said on Tuesday. The reports said Faiza Outalha, the estranged wife of Headley, could be of help in nailing the lies of Saeed, who has been attempting to throw a veil to his terror activities under the garb of being associated with humantarian activities of Jamaatud Dawa(JD).

ISLAMABAD MiAN AbRAR

The absence of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at the fourth death anniversary of his mother and late PPP chairwoman Benazir Bhutto has left several questions unanswered and raised many an eyebrow.

President’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar said Bilawal had participated in the Quran Khawani held for his mother at the Dubai residence of President Asif Ali Zardari.

This was a rare occasion and a surprise for observes and party workers, as Benazir’s son, following Muslim tradition, had attended all three previous

death anniversaries of his mother.

Political analyst Hassan Askari Rizvi said the move was a wellthought-out security measure for the family of President Zardari, saying security threats might have compelled the family to avoid appearing at one place.

“This is a measure adopted by the queen of England and the royal family members. Former dictator General Ziaul Haq was also criticised for violating this security principle as he had taken with him many senior army officers who died in his plane crash in 1985,” Rizvi said.

Staying away from the country, Bilawal, however, chose to contribute an op-ed column on the eve of his mother’s death anniversary, in which he forcefully pitched for a “democratic Pakistan” and “‘independent judiciary”, while urging batting for a “strong” but apolitical military at the

same time. Bilawal’s remarks came as the talks of government being in confrontation with the army and the courts gather steam.

Commenting on his party’s viewpoint about the armed forces, Bilawal wrote, “The PPP has always been careful to distinguish between the army as an institution and the dictator who abuses his position. We have always believed in a strong military under the control of an elected government.”

“A strong military is needed in order to protect our territorial borders and defeat the internal cancer of Islamist extremism. The politicisation of this institution under dictatorship engages it in arenas where it has no place and, as a result, weakens its ability to perform its primary function.”

Feeling the heat of the case pending with the apex court on memo controversy, Bilawal wrote, “We have always supported an independent judi-

ciary and would never let the abuses of individual judges in the past sabotage our mission of establishing a free, impartial and independent judiciary.”

Interestingly, Bilawal had shifted to Prime Minister’s House and taken the reigns of the party when the president had left for Dubai after suffering a stroke on December 6. In absence of his father, Bilawal had taken care of the party’s affairs which reflected that he had been officially launched to run the party’s affairs.

On December 17, Bilawal had cochaired the party’s parliamentary party meeting held at the Prime Minister’s House. Addressing the meeting, Bilawal had termed the PPP as a party that excelled in sacrifices.

However, as soon as President Asif Ali Zardari returned from Dubai, Bilawal left for Dubai despite the fact that her mother’s death anniversary was only a week away.

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10 News

friday, 23 September, 2011

LEAs mum over Afghan militant commander’s killing PeSHAWAr ShAMiM ShAhiD

ChiNiOt: Devotees of Pir Malan Shah perform a Dhamal at the shrine on the 314th annual urs on Wednesday. onLIne

Keys to 204 model houses distributed among flood victims in Rajanpur, Mianwali PreSS reLeASe The Punjab government has distributed the keys of 204 model houses among the flood affected in Rajanpur and Mianwali, Provincial Disaster Management Authority Director General Khalid Sherdil said on Wednesday.

Adviser to the Punjab Chief Minister Zakiya Shahnawaz and Member Provincial Assembly Sardar Atif Mizari handed over the keys to flood affected.

Addressing the ceremony, Sherdil said all facilities had been provided in these model villages constructed for the flood affected.

He said the houses were being distributed to the flood victims in a transparent manner. He said the Punjab chief minister was taking keen interest in the rehabilitation of the flood affected population and the model villages’ project was an effort of the Punjab government to provide respectable shelter to the shelterless people.

Anti-graft bill victory boosts Indian government govt’s victory hampered by its failure to get two-thirds majority required to make bill constitutional amendment g No immediate reaction from Hazare camp to vote in Lower House g

neW DeLHI

T

AfP

HE Indian government sighed with relief on Wednesday after parliament’s Lower House passed an anti-corruption bill that has become a political albatross around the neck of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s coalition.

The bill, creating a powerful ombudsman to probe graft among senior politicians and civil servants, was passed by a voice vote in the Lok Sabha late on Tuesday after a fractious debate. The legislation has dominated the political agenda in India for months, piling pressure on Singh’s administration which was already the target of fierce criticism over a series of high-profile corruption scandals.

The government had to redraft an earlier version in the wake of mass protests across the country in August, spearheaded by hunger-striking activist Anna Hazare who insisted the proposed bill was too weak. Hazare and opposition parties had opposed the re-draft on the same grounds, and the 74-year-old activist began a fresh, three-day public fast on Tuesday in Mumbai to try to pressure

parliament into rejecting the bill.

There was no immediate reaction from the Hazare camp to the vote in the Lower House. His supporters had promised to pursue a campaign of civil disobedience if the bill was passed.

The government’s victory was tampered by its failure to get the two-thirds majority required to make the bill a constitutional amendment. “This is a bit of disappointment that it could not be passed,” Singh said afterwards.

It was a personal defeat for Rahul Gandhi, scion of the Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty and widely tipped as future prime minister, who had initiated the move to give the ombudsman’s office constitutional status. There is also a strong chance that final passage of the bill could be delayed as it faces a rough ride in the upper house of parliament, where Singh’s ruling coalition is in the minority.

Nevertheless, analysts said on Tuesday’s vote would give a major boost to the government, which has suffered a series of legislative setbacks in recent months and battled repeated accusations of policy drift.

“They have proved that they can get things done and learn from their mistakes,” said Sanjay Kumar from the Cen-

tre for the Study of Developing Societies It will give an especially welcome fillip to Singh’s ruling Congress Party ahead of a series of crucial state elections over the next two months.

“The Congress has not just silenced the opposition but also the civil society members who were their biggest threat,” said Anjana Mathur, a political science professor at Delhi University.

It remains to be seen if Tuesday’s vote will take all the steam out of Hazare’s campaign, which had unleashed a tide of public anger and frustration over official corruption earlier in the year.

The first day of his hunger strike in Mumbai drew around 10,000 people, well down on the 50,000-strong crowds that supported his previous fast in August in New Delhi.

Only a few hundred turned out for the second morning of his strike Wednesday and a team of doctors was monitoring Hazare regularly, amid concern about the effects of not eating on top of a virus he has been trying to shake off.

“Anna is continuing his fast. He is feeling better but has been advised to rest,” said Preeti Sharma Menon, a volunteer with Hazare’s India Against Corruption campaign.

Law enforcement agencies, both civil and military, are tight-lipped over the mysterious assassination of an Afghan militant commander in Peshawar.

Although the custodians of law went mum over the mysterious assassination that occurred on December 22, they were forced to hand over the commander’s body to his gun-totting loyalist. Per detail, leading Afghan militant Abu Hamza (fake name) was shot dead by pillion riders in the evening of December 22, 2011 on Daura Road near Gulbahar. Abu Hamza was coming out of a mosque after offering afternoon prayers, when the motorcyclist opened fire at him.

The assailants succeeded in escaping before personnel from Phando Roadpolice station reached the site. A group of Hamza’s armed loyalists reached the site and forcibly took the body into custody. The exact identity of the slain commander could not be determined, but it has been found out that he was known as Abu Hamza and was affiliated with Ahli Hadith school of thought militant groups, who have a strong presence in Kunar, Nooristan and Laghman provinces of Afghanistan. No one has claimed responsibility for the killing so far, but it is being believed that such “targeted act” of killing was an outcome of inter-militant group hostilities. There exists serious rift between militants divided into Ahli Hadith (Wahabi) and Sunni (Hanfi) school of thought.

Militants from the Ahli Hadith school of thought have great influence over men engaged in terrorist acts both in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Local officials and analysts believe that the proxy-war between the US led allied countries’ spy agencies and its rivals from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and others was in progress in this particular part of south Asia.

US rejects reports of removing Omar’s name from fBi’s list ISLAMABAD ONLiNe

The US embassy in Kabul has rebuffed the report that Taliban chief Mullah Omer’s name was removed from the FBI’s most-wanted list, saying it never appeared on the list. A statement issued by the US embassy in Kabul and received here on Wednesday said Mullah Omar had never been listed on the most wanted terrorists’ list.

The statement added that some Afghan and international media reports erroneously alleged that his name was removed from the list.

“We note that Mullah Omar has been and remains on the US Department of State’s Rewards for Justice List,” the US embassy statement said.

Obama, Hillary Clinton again top most admired list WASHIngton O N Li Ne

US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton continue to be named by Americans as the most admired man and most admired woman living today in any part of the world, American media reported on Wednesday.

While Obama has been the most admired man four years in a row Clinton has been the most admired woman each of the last 10 years, according to a new Gallup poll, leading public opinion pollster.

The top five most admired men also include former US presidents

George W Bush and Bill Clinton, Billy Graham and Warren Buffett while Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, Sarah Palin, and Condoleezza Rice round out the top five most admired women.

Hillary Clinton has now topped the list of most admired women a total of 16 times since 1993, finishing second in 1995 and 1996 to Mother Teresa and in 2001 to Laura Bush.

No other woman has been named most admired woman as many times as Clinton. Eleanor Roosevelt is second with 13 No.1 finishes, followed by Margaret Thatcher, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Mother Teresa.

Obama’s first-place finish is his

fourth. Dwight Eisenhower holds the record for first-place finishers among men, with 12, followed by Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton with 8 each. It is clear from the list of most admired men that presidents usually win the honour, Gallup said.

A sitting or newly-elected president has won the distinction each of the last 31 years, and 55 times out of the 65 it has been asked.

The only non-presidents to finish first were Douglas MacArthur (19461947 and 1951), Eisenhower (1950 before being elected and 1967-1968 after leaving office), Henry Kissinger (1973-1975), and Pope John Paul II (1980).

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Thursday, 29 December, 2011

Editor’s mail 11 is this democracy?

A subjective analysis of the education system It is an open “secret” that the inequality in the education system has widened substantially over the years in Pakistan. The ever-increasing popularity of the international education systems at the expense of the domestic structure should be a matter of growing concern for the people. The domestic education system is in tatters with only nominal investment provided to the sector, which of course is not enough to create a high quality education system. Furthermore, there are curricula still prevalent in matriculation and FSc which have not been revised for almost an eternity. The quandary is further compounded by the laxity in checks and balances on invigilation staff and examiners.

The only alternative to domestic education is the British system of education which includes CIE, Edexcel, ACCA and other related qualifications endorsed by the British Council. Excellence in education has been considered to be its paramount advantage and perhaps the sole reason why many parents are inclined towards enrolling their children in this British education system.

However, have we ever even considered the possible drawbacks of British education? A student spends roughly half a million on financing British education.

Mind you, this includes only the paper fee and private tuition fee associated with it, and not the school fees. Isn’t it a substantial amount for your secondary and

high school education? Are we getting the value for money?

Frankly speaking, I think not. The purity of learning is compromised and we are just throwing money, taking expensive papers and costly private tuitions. Hardly any of us value schooling. Rather, students prefer to sit back at home and just concentrate on clearing exams, and to be honest, this is what the society demands.

Hence, the enrichment process of schooling that once existed is no more in place.

The flow of capital through this system drains our foreign reserves. Although it probably does provide employment opportunities, but, looking at the other side of the picture, this process gives rise to easy money making.

In the past five-six years, we have seen the emergence of high-priced private tuition instructors. Believe me, there are some that charge as much as ten thousand rupees per month for a single subject and students usually opt for four to five subjects in A Levels.

Considering all these factors, shouldn’t the government concentrate its focus on our education sector? Shouldn’t they come out with a system of quality education that might replace the British system? Surely, this would ensure uniformity in the structure and would appeal to the masses, which certainly is not the case with the British system.

BILAL MUHAMMAD KHAN LUMS, Lahore

Premature expectations Though Imran Khan has succeeded in drawing thousands of people in Karachi to prove his human tsunami, he still has to prove his potential to swap the election by providing convincing manifesto of his Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to the public.

Currently, people have lost faith in all level of governance in the midst of political, social and economical crises in Pakistan and see Imran as beacon of light. They think he would be able to bring a change for a fair and just governance in Pakistan but the team he produced includes defectors from other parties who were part and parcel of the regime destroying Pakistan for last few decades. The ambitions of three ex-foreign ministers, who joined PTI after being rejected by their native parties, may not serve the purpose as their motives are questionable.

Sudden change in Imran’s tone towards the MQM and Musharraf indicates that he is also playing policy of reconciliation, deviating from the principles and as such his slogan to eliminate corruption in 90 days looks impractical.

I concur with the notion that there is a need for change and public dissatisfaction against all level of governments in Pakistan could have helped Imran to mobilise human flex in Karachi for the rally but the team he built may not allow him to achieve the goals unless he has a team of people who are sincere, dedicated and free from political involvement with the three major parties in Pakistan who ruined the country during last few decades.

UM-E-AMMARA Karachi

fighting discrimination Discrimination is, indeed, a human rights violation but it is everywhere in this country of ours. Somewhere it is experienced on the basis of religion and sect and somewhere it is on the basis of language and ethnic background. The people of Pakistan do not themselves discriminate against each other but our bureaucrats and technocrats who perpetuate dictatorial legacy frame discriminatory policies.

Regrettably, whenever, the dictators come to rule Pakistan, discrimination against the Sindhis becomes their official policy. Take a classic example of the Aiwan-e-Sadr, International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI), Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) Islamabad and other such organisations which have remained under the claws of dictators. One can’t find even a single Sindhi employee there.

Of course, one can find a few on fake domiciles.

A society suffers when the ignorance and discrimination comes from within and the society suffers the most where the seeds of intolerance and discrimination are sown in its educational institutes such as the varsities.

Let’s fight against discrimination and make this country stronger and more stable. Let’s give an equal representation to all communities and ethnicities living in Pakistan as enunciated in the Constitution of Pakistan.

However, I appeal to the president of Pakistan to take practical steps in this regards and start with SZABIST, Islamabad (where no Sindhi is employed), QAU, IIUI, HEC and other organisations whose chancellor and chief patron is the president of Pakistan.

HASHIM ABRO Islamabad

I used to wonder why the sitting federal ministers were not doing anything to stop the corruption. Like so many Pakistani citizens, I was sure our federal ministers would also be worried about the sad state of affairs of our nation.

I got my answer when it was reported in the media that Pakistan not only has 96 federal ministers, which is 200 percent more than the number of ministers in the Indian cabinet and 700 percent more than the ministers in the Chinese cabinet, but also these 96 ministers have cost us (the citizens) 90 billion rupees in perks and privileges.

And to add insult to injury, these 96 ministers include 24 such people have not paid any taxes. Out of them, only two ministers had paid more then one million in taxes. It is important to mention that these 96 are the same people who are responsible for our loadshedding (by not paying IPPs), fake degree holders and those who have sucked our government institutions like PIA, Railways, PSM etc dry with their corruption. And to think that we, the citizens, paid more then 90 billion rupees (almost one billion per minister) for their corrupt practices, it just lowers my head down in shame.

SHAHRYAR KHAN BASEER Peshawar

End dynastic politics

effect on public in general but it is highly improbable that they will be employed by the PML(N).

The Sharifs are too egoistical to admit that the PTI is a reality and also to welcome back the members of PML(Q) who had left the party previously. They

have but no other option to give preference to the bureaucracy in Punjab because the executive part of the government is so strong that it has overshadowed the legislature.

MUHAMMAD ASAD ALI ASLAM Lahore

The bond of family politics is quite prominent in Pakistan. It has played a very important role in the past. In a democracy, every individual has the right to come forward and declare himself a leader. We don’t want to flourish the patterns of aristocracy and monarchy in our country. The power must have a trickle down effect. When power will be in a few hands, how can we get a proper democratic culture?

In Pakistan, most of the political parties are continuing with the same policy of family politics. They don’t want to dilute power down to the masses. The implementation of martial laws disturbed democratic process to get momentum.

We always blame military for these acts, but the democratic governments have played a key role in paving the path for this interference.

This is the time when the course of history can be changed. People are more vibrant and aware. Media is playing a very important role in updating the society. Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) must work on different lines as the expectations of the people are mounting day by day. PTI is a beacon of hope for all of us.

The old style of doing politics must be banished. This will open new horizons for our people where everybody will get a chance to come forward.

MUHAMMAD UZAIR NIAZI Islamabad

region, and if the ultimate leader of a party is considered somewhat beyond it, then history seems to suggest that a reason for hope may not be all that misplaced at least in this narrow context.

Other considerations are the traditional makeup of the audience which is being addressed and only a slow and gradual pace of change in most societies. Therefore, if the existing houses of power feel challenged and threatened by the breaches within their ranks, and are forced to reform their ways then this slow change may very well be underway. Well, hopefully!

SHAHID SIDDIQI Dubai, UAE (II) With the joining of two big names in politics – Mr Shah Mehmood Qureshi from PPP and Mr Javed Hashmi from the PML(N) – the political balance has shifted towards the PTI. The PPP because of their present failure in providing good governance or relief to the ordinary people and PML(N) due to egoistic attitude of Sharif brothers , should be rightly worried in the upcoming elections.

The friendly opposition of PML(N) to keep the PPP running has led them to being disliked in the eyes of the masses. If Mr Nawaz was not against the PML(Q) (read Chaudhry brothers), he could have made an alliance with them to easily oust the present govern-

ment two years ago. But that could never materialise and even today it seems to be the main hurdle in the unification of Muslim Leagues.

Our main political leaders have a very impelling desire to become "emperors with a dynasty". They are trying hard to have their sons carved in as their heir to the throne of Pakistan. I don't think this desire will materialise due to the current rise of political awareness of the people.

RASHID MAQSOOD Lahore (III) A leader must have these three qualities: honesty and integrity, selfless service and vision, and competence to carry out objectives to achieve goals.

Imran Khan is one of Pakistan’s most well known personalities worldwide. He shot to fame when he led Pakistan to victory in cricket’s most prestigious event, the World Cup in 1992.

He retired from cricket and built a modern cancer hospital in memory of his late mother in Lahore, Pakistan.

The hospital became a reality in a few years time and is treating the cancer patients from all over the country.

The hospital is providing top of the line treatment to patients and is not charging any money from the people who cannot afford it. Imran Khan has earned this respect with the honesty and integrity he has shown.

Namal University is another development project being set up by Imran Khan in a remote area of Pakistan to impart quality education to students who cannot afford it. The university is affiliated with prestigious universities in the UK. People now want him to carry on with the good work. Imran Khan is not only a philanthropist but is also a great leader.

Due to his leadership qualities and selfless public service, he has been able to command respect of the young and urban middle class of the country.

Imran Khan has impressed us with his vision to make Pakistan a welfare state by providing quality health care and world class education to the deserving people. Imran Khan’s another objective is to provide justice to the downtrodden people who have been denied justice by the feudal class since long. His political party, Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf has started galvanising the support to change the rotten system. I feel that if given a chance he will be able to make a difference.

Imran Khan is a highly educated person with schooling from one of the most prestigious institutions in Pakistan Aitchison College, Lahore and Oxford University in UK. His tours to various parts of the country have inspired the downtrodden masses, especially the youth, to bring change.

MUHAMMAD EMAD KHAN Lahore

President zardari speaks up It was a good show by the PPP at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh on the fourth death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto. President Zardari claimed that this was a show of trust by the people on the PPP’s government even though many people were there simply to pay homage to the Bhuttos who had sacrificed their lives for democracy and Pakistan. I must say that President Zardari and company should realise the fact that people are fed

PML(N)’s woes This is in reference to the news report ‘What does PML(N) need to survive PTI’s tsunami?’ that appeared in Pakistan Today on 27 December. The suggestions provided all seem to have a better

up of the PPP’s government. This is evident through tragic incidents of a number of protesters burning or trying to burn themselves up, some even right in the premises of Garhi Khuda Bakhsh mausoleum. The President should listen to what is being said, not what he is being informed of.

ZAHID RASHID Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir

Change is coming Imran Khan and his team seem to have gathered and successfully put in practice some lessons of campaigning from other parts of the world.

The use of social media, anti-corruption sloganeering and charging the crowds with popular songs etc, have a specific target and they are not amiss.

While the presence of people of all ages and creed in PTI’s rallies so far also reveal the healthy desire for a change across the society. However, this is politics and like everywhere else it requires compromises, which may have taken Imran some years to make an adjustment to.

Then there are people who are disappointed from Imran's compromises, which range from having accepted same old politicians into his party's fold and a vague agenda to an overt use of religion. PTI's slogans are for change but these already tried horses just won't make the finishing line for anyone who dispassionately analyses the situation and keeps Pakistan’s history in mind.

There may be another view of the situation, however, which warrants if nothing else then a willing suspension of disbelief, for a while at least. First, one should not expect a dispassionate analysis from the youth; so a reason of their eternal hopes and goals are equally met on passionate energy.

Secondly, the issue of corruption is a pulsating nerve for people across this

Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. Fax: +92-42-36298302. E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk. Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively.

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12 Comment Politics on memo issue There is more to it than meets the eye

I

nteresting developments that raise uneasy questions took place before the memo case was filed in the Supreme Court. DG ISI travelled to London to meet Mansoor Ijaz on 22 October. On 24 October he reported to the army chief that the sequence and contents of text messages and telephone calls exchanged between Ijaz and ambassador Haqqani created a reasonable doubt about the latter’s association with the memo. The ISI chief, however, did not take the prime minister into confidence. As Haqqani’s name had not appeared in the article written by Ijaz in the Financial Times, the media was totally ignorant about there being any possible connection between the memo and Haqqani. The opposition too had nothing to say about its alleged author. Interestingly, within a week of DG ISI’s return, Imran Khan knew about it. Imran made this an issue during his address at Minar-e-Pakistan on 30 October.

Imran in fact went a step further by accusing President Zardari of being the author of the memo while he described Haqqani as being only a carrier. It is yet not known who passed on the name to the PTI chief and for what purpose.

It is remarkable the way the PML(N) shifted its position.

The issue was taken up in the National Assembly by the hotheaded PML(N) MNA Khwaja Asif on 7 November. Asif claimed that the foot prints led to the Presidency and a sedition case had to be registered. Some of the Opposition leaders demanded a joint session of Parliament. Mian Nawaz Sharif, however, called for an investigation committee to probe the matter thoroughly. He wanted the committee to finish the job in 10-15 days. In case the government failed to do this the matter, he said, would have to be taken to the Supreme Court. Days before the cut off date the party mysteriously shifted its position. While Ishaq Dar had told the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, “I will push the committee members to take up the Memogate affair as well”, Mian Nawaz and Dar sent petitions to the SC to take up the case and Dar maintained that the parliamentary committee was void of any constitutional cover.

Whatever else there may be in the memo, the issue has been used by some of the players outside the SC to pursue their peculiar agendas.

Come what may…

This is still our war

W

e were never at war with Eurasia. An Orwellian haze surrounds the affairs of empire. When the US FBI quietly removes Mullah Omar’s name from its list of most wanted terrorists, presumably reflecting the Obama administration’s plan to reach out to the Taliban, a respected US magazine goes a step further and says he never was on the list. But that isn’t all; since there is a chance that the negotiations just might fall through, he still remains on the State Department’s list of most wanted terrorists.

Do those words of caution before entering into Afghanistan seem wishy-washy now? An evil and medievalist a regime the Taliban might have been but they were not as intransigent on the issue of Osama bin Laden as was pandered to the world. And even if the decision to militarily engage the Taliban was unavoidable – there are always guns to be sold, after all – there could have been other ways to deal with the situation. There was advice from some Afghanistan watchers to the effect that the regime could, in fact, be broken up by disconnecting the upper-middle and lower tiers from the apex council. But no, there was war, an all-out war, to be waged.

Here in Pakistan, there are bound to be smug faces in the usual quarters. They would see the American decision as a vindication of their overall argument against the war on terror. It is a flawed framework of analysis, one that is premised on the belief that our endeavours in the war against terror are exclusively at American behest. It is the elected government, both the federal and that of the violence-hit KP province that feels this is our war to fight.

The Americans can afford to cut and run; we cannot. The US could not care less if the zealots create a fascist fiefdom in Afghanistan as long as they can thrash out a working relationship with them. Pakistan, on the other hand, needs to take care of her own. What transpires in Afghanistan is the lot of the unfortunate Afghans; it would be immoral to try to change that. But we have to ensure that the people of Fata, KP and indeed the rest of Pakistan are accorded the same freedoms that are envisioned in the constitution for everyone. That we cannot do if the violent forces of obscurantism are not dealt with.

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

Thursday, 29 December, 2011

the return of the native the president and the PPP ain’t going nowhere

By nazir naji

Y

ou couldn’t find adversaries like President Zardari’s even if you wanted to. With the resolve of mountain, they blew hot air rumour balloons. Sometimes these balloons popped, sometimes they deflated.

But the opponents continue to be relentless.

They keep huffing and puffing and releasing new balloons into the political stratosphere believing that these flaccid balloons can be used as dirigible target missiles aimed at President Zardari. Comfortable in their delusion, they keep issuing news releases.

Sometimes they say that the army is out to get President Zardari. At others, they suggest that America wants him out and at others that the party leadership is not happy with him. Even stories of tiffs between the president and prime minister are spun.

These people spinning stories have also said that the president will meet his end by order of the Supreme Court. These people are delusional to an extent that they believe that, if not anything else, these doctored stories might be the end of him.

Hence, they are convinced that they will see the back of Zardari. The only question is how. Will he walk out of the president house on his own two feet? Will he be taken out in an ambulance? It is said that such self-delusions often die down when one is faced with the uncomfortable truth. But one has to appreciate the persistence of these rumourmongers. They are slapped again and again by the ignominy of defeat. Their ominous predictions are always proved wrong but their dogged determination doesn’t falter.

President Zardari is not being very kind to these people by continuing in office for four years.

In the past few weeks, the president’s detractors could almost taste sweet victory.

The president suddenly got ill and went to Dubai. Before leaving, he told his son Bilawal Bhutto that his presence in the country should let their opponents know that they are not going to desert the country. Despite that, the president’s adversaries kept their hopes alive. They built their edifices of lies on shifting sands. They had convinced themselves that the president was not ill but had been booted out. Others also said that he wasn’t booted out but had ran off to save himself from the fallout of the memo scandal. One politician even said on national television that something would happen within 72 hours. Those 72 hours passed many times but nada. But that politician exhibited no blushes of embarrassment. Another politician also said quite stubbornly that Zardari would go directly to London from Dubai. He was asked three or four

days later that Zardari sb had not gone to London but he replied with confidence that he had in fact reached London.

The president was rumoured to be suffering from every disease there is: paralysis, heart attack, blood pressure, nervous breakdown, Bell’s palsy. Some even went two steps ahead in their conjectures and said that he was undergoing speech therapy. It should be noted here that if this were indeed the case, such speech therapy would take months. But President Zardari started calling meetings as soon as he returned and gave a speech on BB Shaheed’s death anniversary. He spoke fluently and fervently.

So much for these rumours and rumourmongers! Even though the president stood fit and fine before them, instead of backing down in mortification, these people continued obdurately. If these people aren’t backing down, so isn’t the president. As said earlier, the president isn’t being kind to the poor souls by constantly exposing them as shameful liars. Their own doctored lies are punishment enough for these people.

Not just President Zardari but the PPP itself has been ‘unkind’ to its detractors in a similar manner since its inception. After every election, its opponent live on the hope that its popularity will wane and it will have to pack its bags and leave. Bhutto sb had been in power for very little time when a few generals and brigadiers got it into their heads that they could take over. They were caught. The opposition that Bhutto sb’s time was up and he could be routed in the elections. But Bhutto sb announced early elections and the opposition started blowing the trumpet of its own impending victory. But they spoke too soon. Come election time, the jiyalas came out with full force like a deluge on the streets and Bhutto sb succeeded with more than a two-thirds majority. His opponents then started crying foul and the army ousted him and subsequently hanged him.

The dictator Zia-ul-Haq unleashed all kinds of fury on the PPP and thought that this would mean obliteration of the party.

When he formed constituent assemblies and thought he had assured his rule, Mohtrama Benazir came back at that point. The paper ship of which Zia-ul-Haq believed to

be an indomitable vessel and thought of himself as its captain began to tear apart.

The generals who were his heirs began to fear the return of the PPP. Thus, they spend billions in creating a united front of a conglomeration of parties. They spared no effort in electoral rigging. They didn’t let the PPP get a decisive majority but also could not stop it from forming the government.

That government was deposed before it could complete even its third year. They waved their ‘magic wand’ in the next elections to defeat the PPP but that wand failed in the subsequent elections and the PPP won again.

During his tenure, Musharraf thought they he could defeat the PPP by keeping Benazir Bhutto in exile but that did not work.

PPP’s candidates won and some of them had to be brought into the fold as ‘lotas’ to form the government. Later, in 2008’s election, PPP won the most seats despite the best efforts of opponents. It has been running the government successfully for almost four years now. A few big rallies in the past days has again awoken the slumbering wishes of PPP’s detractors and they are again convinced that the party’s popularity is rapidly declining. But President Zardari has proved that decisively wrong by holding a bigger rally than Lahore and Karachi in a rural backwater of Sindh.

An entire generation has grown old dreaming dreams of seeing the PPP defeated. But it is they who have been defeated and the present generation of detractors will meet the same fate. The PPP is the party of the poor and the downtrodden. They neither read the papers nor watch the news.

Their relationship with their leadership is that of love and hope. The disaffectations caused by the fissures of class have further strengthened this relation. Till there is poverty, there will be the PPP. And if any party can defeat poverty, it will also be the PPP. It might not be Zardari, but Bilawal, Bakhtawar, Aseefa might be able to take Bhutto sb’s dream to fruition. The dream of seeing the prosperity of Pakistan’s poor and downtrodden.

The writer is one of Pakistan’s most widely read columnists.

Regional Press

Stuck on the road Daily khabroona

T

he common people are suffering in Peshawar where they have exceedingly been troubled due to the traffic mess in the metropolitan city. Nothing has been done so far to improve the traffic situation and nor does there seem to be any plan with even a slight seriousness of purpose in offing.

All the big routes are afflicted with traffic jams that take hours to navigate and a simple ten-minute journey is often prolonged into hours. Plying of ‘illegal’ vehicles is also a matter of concern for both the public and the government but the concerned authorities have so far been unable to come up with a tangible solution to the problem.

Public quarters have been demanding time and again that, along with developmental works in Peshawar, special

focus should be paid to the growing traffic mess as the problem is worsening day by day.

Both the provincial government and the traffic police authorities have on occasion assured the public about an improvement in the situation but these assurances have proved to be nothing but empty words. The improvement has not materialised due to the apathy of the administration. The people are urging the government not to issue hollow statements but to bring an improvement in the situation on the ground. The authorities should curb illegal vehicles plying in Peshawar along with unauthorised bus stands and encroachments. It is only these practical steps that will help the situation and bring some much-needed relief to the commuters of the provincial metropolis.

– Translated from the original Pashto by Abdur Rauf Khattak

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Thursday, 29 December, 2011

ready for change

this and that Pitfalls of selective politics

By Sajid khan Lodhy

M

aybe Heraclitus was referring to politics when he said that there is nothing permanent except change. For in politics, carefully structured ideologies and principles built thereupon can change in a jiffy. Principles only endure as long as they serve their purpose. With years of practice, our politicians have gotten shrewder at picking principles and have expertly selected populist ones.

From roti, kapra aur makan to ending corruption, all are more of a sloganeering exercise than an actual representation of the ideology behind them.

How and why a politician chooses a populist line to follow is as much of a moot point as is how he conveniently forgets, or ignores, the other important ones.

This practice of selectivity and omission is actually what has made these parties lose support in their traditional strongholds, and gain some from others. PML(N) has alienated much of its ultra conservative rightist votebank, and to some extent the centreright too, with their newfound mantra of anti-establishment sentiments. PPP has done the same with its central Sindh and south Punjab votebanks with its arguably objectionable policies on intra-party politics and its consistent support for an unpopular war inside and outside our borders.

The assumption that politicians practise their art for the sake of art is seriously flawed; for in every person, there is an almost instinctual need to cater to his personal needs before anything else. So we cannot deny that there is an element of self-preservation in politicians choosing their slogan. But the actual act of choosing or ignoring an issue is a tricky

one; after all, it could become a pitfall for the very politician who is so keen on it. For instance, turning a blind eye to the existential threat posed by the Taliban is a matter of political convenience and choice, not a far-reaching policy decision.

Most of the political parties in Pakistan, including the major ones – PPP and PML(N), have developed a certain course of action that they follow on almost every issue. For matters democratic in nature, PPP would brag about its sacrifices, struggle and suffering.

The PML(N) has a tendency to capitalise on public sentiment after an issue has gained enough

the political leadership. But the dynamics of how votebanks change have so many variables, making it impossible to pin the changes on specific U-turns alone. At least rural politics, which for the major parties is more crucial as voter turnout in rural areas is greater than urban areas, shows little signs of changing due to their leaders’ changing political stance.

Buoyed by the success of their repetitive about turns without any backlash from their constituents, politicians have started taking them for granted. Offering no alternatives to the problems faced by the public, they usually give in

With years of practice, our politicians have gotten shrewder at picking principles and have expertly selected populist ones. from roti, kapra aur makan to ending corruption, all are more of a sloganeering exercise than an actual representation of the ideology behind them. momentum; they start rattling their sabres and roar at everyone that dare stands in their way.

While Bhutto’s party is eager to take a stand against the establishment, the Sharifs are (or were) more at home in its lap. Recently though, to their credit the NLeague has changed its stance about military intervention in politics whereas the PPP seems to have cozied up to the very forces that it once considered its eternal enemies.

This role reversal in these parties’ traditional approach has forced them to practice their art only on selective issues. Sidetracked by their personal agendas, both parties are no more true to what once they stood for. If taken with a pinch of salt, this strategy is not as bad as it sounds as no realpolitik is possible without such ideological somersaults.

What could really matter to them is the fear of losing their votebank. A diminishing votebank is bound to cause some stir among

Comment 13

and opt for the more opportunistic politics of criticising the ones in power.

However, playing selective politics is a dangerous slope for the political parties that fail to take into account a changing political landscape such as ours. In such a changing landscape, it is not just the public that is more aware of its role and responsibilities regarding its participation in representative politics – for which the lawyers movement must be given due credit – but other factors are important too. Some of these are new entrants in the political arena like Imran Khan, an actively critical media, and pressure from the international donor agencies to clean up our governance and economic mess.

It is factors such as these that have wrangled away the manoeuvring space out of politicians’ control, bit by bit. If they keep treading the same path, they just might become a victim of Heraclitus’ famous quote.

everyone’s a stakeholder

T

he setting of the sun just after the winter solstice has a numbing hue unlike the brilliance of the summer. As yet another year shuts its front door the wonders and, of course, fears of the future preoccupy our thoughts. But only momentarily. The pros and cons of the immediate past continue to cast shadows in the fading light.

Pakistan’s achievements during the current year have been more notorious than prestigious. Aided by the mega high-profile discovery of OBL. The majority of the world took pleasure at our plight, having branded us as a nation of terrorists for time immemorial or so it would seem. Engulfed by embarrassment the government in its various forms attempted nonsensical defence.

American pressure increased, as did the activity of NATO forces on and within the Pakistan border. Simultaneously, resentment within Pakistan increased too. The love affair teetered; continues to totter. A sudden upsurge of political dissent and activity ensued.

Demonstrations, marches, investigations, accusations, legal references have overwhelmed the country since then. Things are at a complete halt. Change is on the anvil. If one is to believe the electronic media!

In this backdrop comes the “tsunami”.

The word has a terribly negative connotation and gives immediate rise to intense public fear, especially in a coastal city. It wasn’t long that Asia was terrorised by one leaving millions in disarray. A vast number continue to suffer. It’s a phrase that can only be Random thoughts used at a close to completely illiterate and emotion-filled population.

By Imran Husain Despite the author’s feeble attempts at adding nuance to the term, it to embrace the ‘figurative’ definition stated in the Oxford Dictionary it is undeniably a negative noun.

For one, natural tsunamis are not and can never be willed by humans. Figurative ones? Well, dramatic maybe but lacking substance.

For me it’s a negative, so let’s put it aside. We need to sense and see the positive.

Yes, there is no doubt in my mind that Pakistan is ready for change. What the politicians could not do for the country over six decades, evolution has. The awakening of the media and civil society has rearranged the goalposts. The movement causing Musharraf’s ouster and subsequently compelling restoration of the chief justice by his unwilling successors laid the foundations for change. But change is a slow, and at times reluctant, phenomenon. It invokes infinite patience.

A review of the three preceding

years reveals precious little had been learned in terms of governance. And definitely nothing in the conduct of national politics. Everything was a repeat of the past. Except for one distinctive aspect. Not a single act of political vengeance can be attributed to President Zardari during this period. In fact not even defamatory, personal verbal attacks on his opponents; despite enormous provocation and personal attacks. Surprisingly, his response has always been conciliatory.

But it has to go beyond the smile. Perhaps the fact that Pakistan is in transition, perhaps that nature has been unkind, perhaps the rotting of a multitude of long festering negatives, has denied the delivery sought by the nation.

Whatever the reasons, there is serious discontentment. Be that as it may, emotional outbursts, rhetoric and a magazine full of spent bullets on a single platform will not solve the problems.

Politicians and all stakeholders in government and the military will need to change.

The people have changed. It will no longer be that easy to do things as in the past. Today’s fog of accountability will change into thunderclouds and hang persistently over the heads of those who don’t play fair and clean.

There are some who will argue this. They will ask tauntingly, “what happened to the media when Musharraf shut it down on that fateful November 3?” Ok that happened then, it can again today, but not with the same ease.

The place for change is at the top. A new social contract needs to be signed. This time, the population will be a stakeholder, alongside the political, military and bureaucratic leadership. Those in or aspiring to office must think along these lines. Open closed, suspicious minds and share everything, the good and the bad, with the people.

Bad habits die hard. Sadly those who have governed this country have acquired every possible one, making them endemic.

The majority of people I meet believe that Imran would have done well to allow a new leadership to help him sweep the polls rather than open the door to extinguished geriatrics.

Let’s for a moment accept the PTI version of acquiring ‘electable’ candidates. That works only if elections are held within months. Since it’s the constitutional prerogative of the government of the day, let us assume elections are held on schedule, in thirteen months. Imran may discover a year of hard campaigning has yielded a number of bright sparks. What then? Will he dump this liability he has incurred around his neck like a noose? It will be a nightmare.

In fact, all need to be wary. The promises made today will need to be kept. The people will not forgive broken promises. It will only delay the inevitable. Whatever that may be.

The writer may be contacted via e-mail at imranmhusain@gmail.com

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14 Foreign News

Thursday, 29 December, 2011

North Korea bids wintry mass farewell to late leader g

funeral gives clues to power in secretive Pyongyang SeoUL

T

AfP

ENS of thousands of weeping North Koreans bade farewell Wednesday to longtime leader Kim Jong-Il as his young son and successor walked beside his father’s coffin through a snowbound Pyongyang. Kim Jong-Un was at the forefront of the three-hour procession, in what analysts said was an attempt to bolster the image of the untested new leader of the impoverished but nuclear-armed nation.

The cortege started and ended its 40 kilometres (25 miles) journey at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, where the late strongman’s body had lain in state in a glass coffin. Preceded by a car bearing a huge portrait of a smiling Kim and other vehicles, a limousine carried Kim’s coffin -- draped with a red ruling party flag and surrounded by white flowers -- on its roof.

Jong-Un, dressed in black and gloveless despite the cold, held the side of his father’s hearse, accompanied by his influential uncle Jang Song-Thaek and other officials. “We have paraded here to bid farewell to our respected supreme commander,” the head of a military honour guard said in a tearful voice, before a 21gun salute was fired at the end of the ceremony. Goose-stepping soldiers carrying dozens of party and military flags marched in salute to Jong-Un and senior officials.

Kim Jong-Il’s absolute 17-year rule

was marked by a 1990s famine that killed hundreds of thousands, a crumbling state-directed economy and the pursuit of missiles and nuclear weapons which brought international sanctions.

UN agencies have said six million people -- a quarter of the population -still urgently need food aid.

But vast crowds of shivering soldiers and civilians, many weeping bitterly or beating the frozen ground, were seen on state television lining the route or parading outside the palace. “The people bid farewell to father General in great sorrow,” read the main headline in ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun.

“The most heartbreaking time has come, when we cannot but bid farewell to the great father everyone in this land had followed with their hearts and souls.”

Millions of servicemen and civilians were “firmly determined to become the guns and bombs to protect our dear comrade Kim Jong-Un and the warriors to realise his ideals and intentions”.

Kim gave North Korea dignity as a country “that manufactured and launched artificial satellites and accessed nukes”, the paper’s editorial said.

Since the elder Kim died of a heart attack on December 17 aged 69, the North’s propaganda machine has been heaping tributes on both him and Jong-Un, aged in his late 20s. Official media has declared Jong-Un the “great successor” and chief of the ruling party and military.

PYONGYANG: this tV grab taken from North Korean tV on Wednesday shows Kim Jong-un(C) walking besides the convoy carrying the body of his father and late leader Kim Jong-il at Kumsusan Memorial Palace. AFp

Indian anti-graft campaigner ends fast, vows to fight on MUMBAI AfP

Indian anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare on Wednesday called off his latest hunger strike but vowed to step up his campaign to turn voters against the “traitors” in the ruling party and government. The 74-year-old’s warning came after the lower house of parliament passed a contentious bill to tackle top-level graft, amid widespread disquiet at scandals including ministers and senior officials.

Hazare only began what was billed as a three-day fast in the financial capital Mumbai on Tuesday. He has been laid low with a virus since the weekend and heeded the advice of doctors to bring the protest to a premature end.

“Today I will break the fast,” he told a smaller-than-expected crowd of several thousand supporters at the venue for the protest. “We will discuss the future strategy to launch our fight against corruption.”

The lacklustre response to his latest fast has raised speculation that he is not the force he appeared to be earlier in the year when he marshalled tens of thousands during a 12-day hunger strike in New Delhi in August.

In a sign of his increasingly bitter battle with the ruling Congress party and the administration of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he said he would tour five states holding elections next year to educate voters about corruption. “We will tour all the five states and ask people not to vote for the traitors of this country,” he said,

adding that he would organise further protests in the capital on December 30 and January 1-2. The Lokpal, or ombudsman, bill has has become a political albatross around the neck of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s coalition government.

The bill, creating an ombudsman to probe graft among senior politicians and civil servants, cleared its first hurdle in the lower house of parliament late

Bomb kills three NATO troops in Afghanistan KABUL: A roadside bomb attack killed three NATO troops in eastern Afghanistan, one of the deadliest flashpoints in the 10-year war against Taliban insurgents, the military said Wednesday.

NATO’s US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) did not release the nationalities of the troops or give further details of the incident, which happened on Tuesday. The deaths take to 561 the number of foreign troops killed in Afghanistan so far this year, according to an AFP tally based on figures from independent website iCasualties.org. A total of 711 foreign troops were killed in Afghanistan last year, the highest annual total since the US-led invasion in 2001 ousted the Taliban from power. AfP

on Tuesday after a fractious debate.

What form the legislation will take has dominated the political agenda for months, piling pressure on Singh’s administration already under pressure over a series of high-profile corruption scandals. The government had to redraft an earlier version in the wake of mass protests across the country in August, spearheaded by Hazare, who claimed the new law would be toothless

and do nothing to curb endemic graft.

Hazare and opposition parties opposed the re-draft on the same grounds.

Despite the early end to his hunger strike, Hazare said he would continue to fight what he claimed was a government that was “acting like a dictator”.

“If this continues, what can we do?

We have to save the country. Every one of you should be ready to go to jail,” he told supporters.

Putin rejects acting president role ahead of March vote MoSCoW AfP

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Wednesday rejected the idea of becoming acting head of state ahead of March 4 presidential elections where he is the favourite. In his latest defiant brush-off of the protest movement that has rocked Russia ahead of the presidential polls, Putin also dismissed his opponents as lacking any programme or representatives with whom to hold dialogue. “We have not discussed this,” news agencies quoted Putin as saying following speculation that he could give up his post as prime minister and take on the job of president to get a full grip on Russia amid the protest wave. “There is no need for this,” Putin said. Some analysts and media had suggested that Putin might be taking on President Dmitry Medvedev’s role imminently, after agreeing to a plan earlier this year that would see the two allies swap jobs after the elections. Putin also said that he had no intention of giving up his post as prime minister ahead of the elections to meet what some analysts claim is a constitutional requirement to ensure a level playing field in the campaign. “I like this work,” Putin told Russian reporters. “It is very concrete. The government bears responsibility in the area of the country’s economic policies.

It is directly responsible,” Putin said.

Putin insisted he was in favour of dialogue with the Russian protest movement but said this was complicated by their lack of a platform or a leader.

Mubarak trial resumes after three-month break CAIro AfP

The murder trial of Egypt’s former president Hosni Mubarak resumed Wednesday after a three-month hiatus that saw the ousted strongman’s fate eclipsed by deadly clashes and an Islamist election victory.

Mubarak risks the death sentence if he is found to have been complicit in the killings of some 850 people who died during protests that overthrew him in February.

The ailing former president, 83, arrived by ambulance at the Police

Academy -- which once bore his name -- and was wheeled out by stretcher into the courthouse.

Around 5,000 policemen were deployed to secure the trial at the academy in the outskirts of Cairo, in coordination with the army.

Mubarak’s two sons Alaa and Gamal, his former interior minister Habib al-Adly and six former security chiefs, defendants in the same case, were also in court.

Judge Ahmed Refaat heard statements from lawyers for both sides, before adjourning the hearing to January 2, an AFP correspondent

said. Outside the courthouse, several pro-Mubarak supporters held banners of the former president, while families of the victims that died in protests carried pictures of their deceased relatives.

“The trial is a sham and the gang still rules,” the families chanted.

“We removed Mubarak, we got Hussein. To hell with both of them,” they shouted in reference to Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, Mubarak’s longtime defence minister who is now running the country.

The trial came to a halt when lawyers asked that judge Refaat be

replaced, a request that was subsequently rejected on December 7.

Mubarak’s first hearing on August 3 was broadcast live on television, but Refaat soon ordered the cameras out.

The judge drew the ire of lawyers representing Mubarak’s alleged victims after he issued a media gag order on testimony by high-profile witnesses, including Tantawi.

In statements after his testimony, Tantawi said Mubarak had never ordered the shooting of protesters.

Mubarak is the first leader to be toppled in the so-called Arab Spring uprisings to appear before a court.

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Thursday, 29 December, 2011

Foreign News 15

Syria urged to give observers free hand g

Damascus frees 755 prisoners involved in anti-regime unrest but had ‘no blood on their hands’ DAMASCUS

A

AfP

RAB League observers headed Wednesday to more key protests hubs in Syria as world powers urged Damascus to give them full access as they try to reveal the truth about a crackdown on dissent.

More bloodshed was also reported as army defectors killed at least four Syrian soldiers in the southern province of Daraa, and a civilian was shot dead in Homs, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

Accusations that the regime was trying hide the facts from the monitors were punctuated by France, which claimed the team was not being allowed to see what was happening in the flashpoint city of Homs as repression continued there. The monitors were due to visit Daraa -- cradle of more than nine months of anti-regime protests -- the northern provinces of Hama and Idlib, and around Damascus to pursue their investigations.

“As of Wednesday evening, and from Thursday at dawn, the observers will deploy in Idlib and Hama and in Daraa,” mission chief General Mo-

hammed Ahmed Mustafa al-Dabi told AFP. Dabi, a veteran Sudanese military intelligence officer, said observers would also fan out 50-80 kilometres (30-50 miles) around Damascus.

The observers arrived in Syria at the weekend and on Tuesday visited the Homs, which has been besieged by government troops for several months.

Dabi said the visit to Homs had been “good”, and that he was heading back there on Wednesday. He said more observers would join the mission, which now numbers 66 monitors. French foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said the visit had been too brief and insufficiently revealing. “A few Arab League observers were able to be briefly present in Homs yesterday. Their presence did not prevent the continuing of the bloody crackdown in this city, where large demonstrations were violently repressed, leaving about 10 dead,” he said. “The brevity of their visit did not allow them to understand the reality of the situation in Homs. The Arab League observers must be allowed to return without delay to this martyr city, to travel everywhere in it freely and to have the necessary contact with the public.” The mission is part of an Arab plan endorsed by Syria on Novem-

ber 2 that calls for the withdrawal of security forces from towns and residential districts, a halt to violence against civilians and the release of detainees. Valero said “the international community will be reassured when the violence has stopped, when the army had returned to barracks, when the political prisoners are freed and when foreign journalists will receive visas to go to Syria.”

Activists say the army pulled back heavy armour from the restive Homs neighbourhood of Baba Amro ahead of Tuesday’s visit by the monitors, accusing the regime of deception. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged Syria to give the observers maximum freedom as they go about their mission.

“We constantly work with the Syrian leadership calling on it to fully cooperate with observers from the Arab League and to create work conditions that are as comfortable and free as possible,” Lavrov said Wednesday. The United States and Human Rights Watch warned Damascus was hindering the mission which started following weeks of prevarication from Syria.

HRW accused the Syrian authorities of having “transferred perhaps hundreds of detainees to off-limits military

sites to hide them from Arab monitors.

“The Arab League should insist on full access to all Syrian sites used for detention, consistent with its agreement with the Syrian government,” the watchdog said. State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said “we obviously look to these individuals to be intrepid in their search for the truth of what’s happening on the ground.”

The United States “would ... demand that the Syrian authorities allow them full access to the Syrian people in order to carry out their mission.”

Syrian foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdisi has said the “mission has freedom of movement in line with the protocol” Syria signed with the Arab League. But the observers are banned from sensitive military sites.

On Wednesday, Syria freed 755 prisoners who had been involved in anti-regime unrest but have “no blood on their hands,” state television said.

In November, authorities said they freed more than 4,300 detainees.

But there was more bloodshed Wednesday as mutinous soldiers ambushed a convoy killing at least four loyalist troops and wounding 12 in Daraa province, said the Observatory.

eu to pursue Iran sanctions despite threat of strait closure BrUSSeLS AfP

The European Union is pressing ahead with plans to impose new sanctions on Iran, an EU spokesman said Wednesday after Tehran threatened to close a vital oil transit channel in response to Western measures.

“The European Union is considering another set of sanctions against Iran and we continue to do that,” Michael Mann, spokesman for EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, told AFP. “We expect the decision will be taken in time for the foreign affairs council on January 30,” he said, referring to the next meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi warned on Tuesday that “not a drop of oil will pass through the Strait of Hormuz” if the West broadened sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme. The United States and the 27-nation EU are considering new sanctions aimed at Iran’s oil and financial sectors. But EU governments have been divided over whether to impose an embargo on Iranian crude. Oil from Iran in 2010 amounted to 5.8 percent of total EU imports, making Tehran the bloc’s fifthlargest supplier after Russia, Norway, Libya and Saudi Arabia. Spain represents 14.6 percent of Iranian oil imports to Europe, Greece 14.0 and Italy 13.1 percent. More than a third of the world’s tanker-borne oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, linking the Gulf -- and its petroleum-exporting states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- to the Indian Ocean. The United States maintains a navy presence in the Gulf in large part to ensure that passage for oil remains free. NATO officials declined to comment on the Iranian threat.

four arrested after indian student shot dead in Britain LonDon AfP

British police on Wednesday arrested a fourth person on suspicion of shooting dead an Indian student in Manchester in northwest England. Greater Manchester Police said they had detained the man on suspicion of murdering 23-year-old Anuj Bidve, who was shot in the head at close range on Monday. A 16-year-old boy, a 17-year-old boy and a man were earlier arrested over the shooting on Tuesday. All four are now in custody. Bidve, from the western Indian city of Pune, was killed as he walked with friends from his hotel in Salford, an area to the west of Manchester, towards the city centre.

“There is obviously speculation about why this young man was killed,” senior police officer Kevin Mulligan said on Tuesday in response to claims the murder may have been racially motivated. “But at this stage it would be wrong to rule anything out or comment on that speculation while the investigation is in its infancy.” In a statement issued through Manchester police, Bidve’s family said his death had left “a Bidve, a postgraduate micro-electronics student at Lancaster University, around 40 miles (60 kilometres) from Manchester, was enjoying a short break in the north-western city with eight Indian friends.

Jordanians charged over speaking toy guns AMMAn AfP

CAiRO: A supporter of former president hosni Mubarak shouts slogans as she and others gather outside the Police Academy where his trial is being held on the outskirts of Cairo on Wednesday. AFp

The owners of a Jordanian company have been charged with inciting sectarian strife for importing toy guns with voices that “insult one of the Prophet Mohammed’s (PBUH) wives”, a judicial official said Wednesday. “Prosecutors in Amman charged the importers on Tuesday with inciting sectarian strife and sent them to the state security court over charges of insulting the prophet’s wife,” the official told AFP, without elaborating on the origin of the toy.

Local news reports said “authorities confiscated the toys in a shop in the southern city of Karak after complaints from citizens.”

Prominent MP Khalil Attieh has demanded that Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh investigate “this heinous crime.”

Victims describe horror of church attack that shook nigeria ABUJA AfP

The bomb exploded as Esther Ibu walked out of the church, her five-month-old son in her arms, the power of the blast throwing her and the boy to the ground and leaving death all around her.

“Before I knew it, I started seeing dead bodies, people burning into ashes,” the woman in her 30s said, sobbing as she sat in a wheelchair at a hospital in the capital holding her son and waiting to be x-rayed, her right leg bandaged.

Nigeria was hit by a wave of attacks

on Christmas blamed on Islamist group Boko Haram that left at least 40 people dead, but it was the horrific bombing at a church near Abuja that has especially sent reverberations across the country.

Fears have been raised over the potential for fresh sectarian clashes in Africa’s most populous nation and largest oil producer, roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian south.

Nigeria’s leaders have since been seeking to calm tensions, urging Christians not to retaliate, but authorities’ seeming inability to stop Boko Haram de-

spite heavy-handed military crackdowns has led to deep frustration.

An attack on Tuesday night raised further fears, with a bomb tossed into an Arabic and Koranic school in southern Nigeria’s Delta state, wounding seven people, most of them children between five and eight years old.

The attack at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla outside Abuja occurred as Christmas morning services were ending. It left a gruesome scene, with body parts littering the ground and some of the wounded rushing toward a priest for last rites. At least 35 were killed

there and another 52 wounded, emergency officials have said.

Chukwueke Ajuwe, 30, saw his head, legs and one of his hands badly burnt in the explosion. “After the service, I came out and was facing the church and suddenly I heard a deafening sound,” he said while lying on a bed in the hospital’s emergency unit, unbandaged despite obvious burns to his body.

“I was standing, but somehow I found myself under a burning car. My legs were burning. I tried to move away from there. I couldn’t and I was just shouting, ‘Jesus! Jesus!’“ He said he was

eventually able to move his right leg. “I supported it with the other left hand and my shoe pulled off,” said Ajuwe. “I then ran away.” Esther Ibu said she had left the church and was waiting outside for her father to pick her up. “We heard a very loud sound. I found myself on the ground and my son was out of my hand,” she said, pausing as she sobbed. “It was by the grace of God that I stood up, and I was like somebody that is drunk, and I was looking for my son Isaac.”

She said she managed to find him nearby shortly afterward. He was somehow not seriously wounded.

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16 Imran Abbas Thursday, 29 December, 2011

SOCIETY

all set to debut in Bollywood

MUMBAI AGeNCieS

After Pakistani actor Ali Zafar, another chocolate face actor from Pakistan, Imran Abbas, will soon be making his debut in a Bollywood movie. Born in Islamabad, an architect by profession, acting was never a planned career option for him. Imran says, “While I was studying in college I started getting modelling offers and then soon got offers to do TV serials and shows. I did some popular Pakistani TV serials with some leading Pakistan actors like Meera,

Humaima Malik and so on. It was only after that people started recognising me and appreciated my acting skills. Soon I realised that I should get into acting seriously.” But why did he opt for Bollywood movies and not Pakistan movies? “Pakistan film industry main kuch khaas kuch nahi ho raha hai.

People in Pakistan have grown up watching Bollywood movies and so have I. It has always been my dream of acting in Bollywood movies than acting in Pakistan movies. So finally when I got the offer to do a Bollywood film I just couldn’t refuse it.” He further continues, “I shall be making my debut with Akshay Kumar in his next upcoming movie. The shooting will start from next year in month of April. It is an actionthriller movie. It’s a great opportunity for me to act with such a great actor. I shall be undergoing a lot of training before the shooting of movie begins. I will have to train in dancing, fighting and many other things.” When asked about Pakistani actors being roped into Indian reality TV shows and movies, Imran comments, “Yes, there are lot of artists from Pakistan who are entering Bollywood. It’s a good sign and this will bring harmony and peace between both countries. Bollywood is a huge industry and it’s a great challenge for me and I shall try to prove my best. I feel proud to see that Ali Zafar and Rahatji are so popular and admired by all here in India.” When we asked him about his view about Veena he added, “I think it was a very cheap publicity stunt.

It was embarrassing to read all that news about Veena. I think at the end of the day if someone has to prove himself or herself it has to be through their good work.”

LAHORE: Saim Dada celebrated her birthday with family and friends.

After bosnia, Jolie to make movie on Afghanistan

Photographer: Murtaza Ali

LoS AngeLeS AGeNCieS

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie has revealed that she has been working on a script for a movie about Afghanistan but she is not very confident about it as of now. “I don’t even think it’s good. Maybe I’ll dig it out, but I don’t have the confidence yet to start even thinking in that way,” femalefirst.co.uk quoted her as saying. The 36-year-old, stepped behind the camera to make her directorial debut ‘In The Land Of Blood And Honey’, a film she wrote herself about a romance between a Serbian soldier and a Bosnian woman. It has been nominated for a Golden Globe Awards this year and also won a Producer’s Guild award.

iSample: vending machine that refuses dessert to be a good liar, to children says Bipasha Basu

I just want

LONDON: A vending machine that gives out free puddings to adults, but none to children sounds like something dreamed up by Roald Dahl. But the iSample machine, a collaboration between Kraft and intel, is designed to do exactly that and is currently under trial in Chicago and New York. The machine uses a biometric scanner to ‘read’ the age and gender of people standing in front of it, and will serve adults, but refuse children. The two machines are on trial in Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium and New York’s South Street Seaport. The iSample is designed to offer free samples of Kraft’s new Temptations jelly - a dessert marketed at adults. it’s clearly a promotional tool - but the biometric technology behind it is serious, and already under test by companies such as gillette. The scanner uses biometric data to ‘guess’ the age of people standing in front of it, dividing adults into four ‘age brackets’.

Other software has already been shown to be able to ‘guess’ ages to an accuracy of around five years. MAiL

MuMbAi: Bipasha Basu, while promoting ‘Players’, was asked what the bombshell felt about the fact that someone who was rather close to her (read: John Abraham) deciding to get hitched next year.

Pat came the reply, “Nobody close to me is getting married. if somebody close to me does get married, i’ll just wish him luck, that’s it. There is nothing more to it.” what about herself? is she planning to tie the knot anytime soon?

She nonchalantly answered, “Aap ladka dhoondo na. Main shaadi ke liye taiyar hoon, par ladka toh dhoondon pehle.” Bips feels that nobody from the current Bolly lot flutters her heart (Rana Daggubati, are you hearing?). “why does he have to be from Bollywood? A handsome man, with a great sense of humour is all that i want.” Bips wants to be able to lie well in 2012 and yes, that’s a resolution she’s hoping to keep. Lie? “i have failed miserably last year. in the coming year, i just want to be a good liar”. Ahem, we say! AGeNCieS

Katy-Russell spend X-mas apart, ignite marriage trouble rumours LONDON: Katy Perry and Russell Brand spent Christmas 7,000 miles apart. The ‘Last friday Night’ singer went to Hawaii for a vacation in a private villa with friends, while the comic actor spent December 25 in Cornwall, South west England.

Russell, 36, had lunch in a pub in Coverack village and then attended his comedian friend David Baddiel’s charity swim where he was mobbed by fans and happily posed for pictures. The 27-year-old pop star was spotted surfing and frolicking in the sea and on the beach with friends. The couple’s decision to spend the festive season apart has ignited rumours that their 14-month marriage is in trouble.

However, Russell has previously insisted he and Katy are very happily married and intend to stay together “until death do us apart”. Earlier this month, the ‘Arthur’ star said: “There are always rumours, aren’t there? in the end you have to just not engage with internet technology. i’ve treated the whole internet now like it’s a wicked little liar. i am really happily married… i’m married to Katy. Perpetually, ‘until death do us part’ was the pledge and i’m still alive.” AGeNCieS

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17

I have a middleclass sensibility towards women: SRK MUMBAI

S

AGeNCieS

HAH Rukh Khan continues to be the heartthrob of millions. In a recent exclusive interview, the mega star, who is basking over the glory of his latest flick ‘Don 2’, shares some facets of his life which were not in public domain so far.

Despite your action makeover, you continue to maintain your romantic image. What is the message you would like to convey to your thousands of female fans?

I don’t know how to do romance. I feel shy while doing romantic scenes. I am a bad boy who can make love to you. the protagonist of the movie, the Don, is a Don for another generation!

Or shall we say he is the Don for the 21st century?

I make bad look good. I make good look good. I am just a good guy.

When you saw Big B’s ‘Don’ for the first time, did you imagine that one day you could play the same character?

Not at all. But ‘Don’ was my favourite movie during my childhood days.

You played Rahul in ‘Dil toh Pagaal Hai’. the character became the mould for the whole generation of romance. How is that true?

When I started doing romantic movies, it was an altogether different experience for me. At that time young actors were being debuted through love stories. My case was different. I was debuted through action movie. But for me doing a romantic movie at the age of 30 was very new. I remember Yashji telling me if I wanted to be a big star,

I should be romantic hero. During the 1990s romanticism was revisited in Bollywood. People were looking for a hero who should respect women and womanhood. That was reflected in the script and direction. I just simply followed the demand of the audience. I am sure the viewers accepted it.

You have a middleclass sensibility towards women. that was reflected in the romantic movies you have acted in. Do you agree with that?

Absolutely. I have a middleclass sensibility towards women. In addition women trust me a lot. I understand women a lot. I have never come across with them like a boy. I am always a buddy. I am little sensible towards them.

What is the most romantic thing which you have done off-screen, not onscreen?

I have not done anything romantic. Well, I can quote one instance of my life. At young age I used to be in love with a girl. But the relationship was going to a close and she was on the verge of leaving me. In Delhi, I was going to drop her at her place in my van. On the way I had put posters from my home to hers reading “Don’t leave me this month. You give me another month. You can leave me next month”. Looking at the posters she reacted, “We are through.”

Gauri was the first girl I asked for dance with me. I married her. I don’t know how to talk to girls. I have never been able to make an advance at a girl.

When did you realise that you are a mega star?

People could think that it is my humility or modesty, but honestly I have not realised it so far. After becoming a star my behaviour is very normal. I am like that only. My

friends, my families say I have not changed a bit.

Who is the biggest star in your home?

My son and my daughter How you differ parenting your children from that of your parents?

I would like to be like my father. He was very gentle, highly educated and indeed a very good friend of mine. During my childhood days we did not have the money to watch films. My mother was very outspoken. She used to say how can we afford to watch films? But my father used

PArIS AGeNCieS

music buzz of 2011… but is she ‘real’?

Honeyed vocals, a cinematic pout and a haunting, David Lynch-inspired video clip posted on YouTube was all it took to propel Lana Del Rey to global stardom, hailed as the musical revelation of 2011. But a just-as-swift backlash has threatened to bring down the New York singer before her first album even hits the shelves next month, after bloggers attacked the 25-year-old as an industry-backed “fake”, posing as selfmade artist. Lana Del Rey’s story began early this year when, like thousands of would-be singers, the unknown American posted a track called ‘Video Games’ on YouTube, an edgy, melancholy tale of unrequited love delivered in slow, sultry tones. A collage of vintage footage, cartoons and contemporary images, the clip evokes the gauzy, nostalgia-tinted worlds of filmmakers like Lynch or Sofia Coppola. A second

Denise urges fans to give up

plastic bottles NeW YORK: Actress Denise Richards is urging fans to “go green”. She has asked her fans to give up plastic bottles in 2012. “it’s a great time to start thinking about those resolutions. But instead of just sticking to the usual goals of dropping a few pounds or hitting the gym, why not take one simple step that will help the environment, the health of your family and your pocketbook all at once? i recently

made the commitment to get rid of bottled water in my home for all of those reasons,” Richards posted on her official blog. “Every year, about 1.5 million tons of plastic goes into manufacturing water bottles, and most of those bottles just end up in landfills. But even if you recycle, there are lots of other reasons to stay away from plastic bottles,” contactmusic.com posted. “One is the price! Also, many studies show it’s not healthy drinking out of plastic bottles. Harmful chemicals in the plastic like bisphenol A (or Bpa) can leach into the water and make you sick. it’s much safer to drink out of glasses, aluminium bottles, or reusable Bpa-free water bottles... will you give it a try?,” she wrote.

AGeNCieS

clip, ‘Blue Jeans’, was posted a few weeks later as Lana Del Rey wowed music critics worldwide, hailed as much as a musical revelation as a style icon, with spots in Vogue and Rolling Stone. But her stellar rise soon enough gave way to a backlash, after some digging by indie bloggers unearthed a past life as plain old Elizabeth Grant, the author of two earlier, unsuccessful albums.

“She was basically a failed mainstream artist who is being ‘rebranded’ behind major label dollars,” read a scathing piece on the Hipster Runoff blog in September, claiming to “expose” the singer’s past. Widely echoed in the music press, the backlash, wrote the Globe and Mail, “is threatening to bring down the It Girl before she has even has time to ‘break’.” The Del Rey controversy has also left music critics red-faced, since many pride themselves on their flair for original new talent. So the jury remains out, the mystery intact, and Lana Del Rey’s album one of the most eagerly awaited of 2012.

Taylor Lautner’s

admission of being gay a hoax LOS ANGeLeS: People magazine has confirmed that the publication cover that appeared on the internet claiming that Taylor Lautner has admitted he is a gay is a hoax. The cyber world went abuzz when what appeared to be a genuine People magazine cover emerged which showed the actor announcing that he’s “out and proud”.

According to the website gossip Cop, a spokesman for People had confirmed to them that the cover is “absolutely fake”, the Daily Mail reported. Many fans were fooled by the faux magazine cover, which was dated January 7, 2012. it used a fake quote from Lautner, saying he is gay and “tired of the rumours”. He was quoted as saying he felt “more liberated, and happier than i’ve ever been”. The actor had earlier denied being gay in an interview in the November issue of gQ Australia. AGeNCieS

to bring me to the Kamani auditorium in New Delhi. Sitting at the circle near the Kamani auditorium, my father used to say, ‘We don’t have money to watch a movie. Let’s watch the crowd. Watch the vehicles. Think about a story.’ It was so exciting. We used to sit down and discuss stories and were coming came back home.

That was my upbringing. Today my children have everything in life. But I want to teach them the simple reality of life. I would like to inculcate that upbringing in my children.

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Thursday, 29 December, 2011

Chakvetadze eyes healthy, happy new year Page 20

Hussey, Ponting bring Australia back

MELBOURNE: india’s Rahul Dravid is cleaned up by paceman Ben Hilfenhaus. (Centre) Ricky Ponting (R) and Michael Hussey (L) run for a single and (right) indian batsman Ashant Sharma is forced to the ground by a delivery from Peter Siddle (top). afp MeLBoUrne

T

AfP

HE old firm of Mike Hussey and Ricky Ponting kept Australia alive with a fighting century stand against India in the opening Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday.

The senior duo, with their Test futures under scrutiny, pulled their team out of a huge hole at 27 for four with a crucial 115-run partnership to give Australia a slight edge with two days left.

Former skipper Ponting finally fell for 60, but Hussey, dismissed for a controversial first-ball duck in the first innings, led the way with an unbeaten 79 as Australia reached stumps at 179 for eight.

The Australians extended their 51run innings lead to a 230-run advantage by the close with a result possible on Thursday's fourth day.

Hussey, dropped on 69 by Rahul Dravid at slip, was positive from the outset and aggressively went after runs to show selectors he still has plenty to offer at the age of 36.

Ponting made his second half-century of the match and looked on target for his first Test hundred in almost two years be-

fore Zaheer Khan coaxed a thick edge to Virender Sehwag in the gully.

"We're 230 ahead now which I think is a reasonable total for India to chase but ideally I would like us to make a bit more than that," Ponting said.

Sehwag said India would be looking to keep Australia's lead under 300.

"I think it was a good day for India.

The match is evenly balanced. If we win the game we will have to bat really well," he said.

Ponting praised Hussey's positive approach when he came to the crease with Australia in dire trouble.

"You have to show great intent in those situations and you have to be able to counter-attack at different times, and I thought the way that Mike Hussey handled that situation was great," he said.

Hussey lost more batting partners late in the day with the dismissals of Brad Haddin (six), Peter Siddle (four) and Nathan Lyon (four). James Pattinson (three not out) was with him at stumps.

Paceman Umesh Yadav initiated the Australian top-order collapse with the first three wickets, removing openers David Warner (five) and Ed Cowan (eight) within four balls, and finished with four wickets.

Warner was bowled playing on from a loose shot, while Cowan was leg before wicket while padding up.

Australia's woes deepened when Shaun Marsh dragged a wide Yadav delivery onto his stumps for three and skipper Michael Clarke followed in the next over, playing on an Ishant Sharma ball for one to leave his team at 27 for four.

Ben Hilfenhaus earlier claimed his best wicket haul in Tests to give Australia a handy first-innings lead as India were dismissed for 282 at lunch.

The Tasmanian swing bowler, recalled for his first Test match in almost a year, captured five for 75.

India lost seven wickets for 68 off 28.1 overs after they looked in command at 214 for two late on Tuesday.

Australia got off to a flyer when Dravid was bowled second ball by Hilfenhaus on his overnight score of 68.

Hilfenhaus breached the famed defence of "The Wall" and clipped his offstump just five balls after Tuesday's last-over dismissal of Sachin Tendulkar for 73 by Siddle.

V.V.S. Laxman took 20 balls to get off the mark and fell for two, caught low down by wicketkeeper Haddin off Siddle.

Although Laxman has a great batting

SCORebOARD AuStRALiA, 1st innings: 333 (e. Cowan 68, R. Ponting 62; zaheer Khan 4-77) iNDiA, 1st innings (overnight 214 for 3) 3 G. Gambhir c haddin b hilfenhaus V. Sehwag b Pattinson 67 68 R. Dravid b hilfenhaus 73 S. tendulkar b Siddle i. Sharma c haddin b hilfenhaus 11 2 V.V.S. Laxman c haddin b Siddle V. Kohli c haddin b hilfenhaus 11 6 M.S. Dhoni c hussey b hilfenhaus R. Ashwin c haddin b Siddle 31 4 z. Khan b Pattinson u. Yadav not out 2 extRAS: (w1, nb3) 4 282 tOtAL: (all out; 94.1 overs) fall of wickets: 1-22 (Gambhir), 2-97 (Sehwag), 3-214 (tendulkar), 4-214 (Dravid), 5-221 (Laxman), 6-238 (Kohli), 7-245 (Dhoni), 8254 (Sharma), 9-259 (zaheer), 10-282 (Ashwin) bOWLiNG: Pattinson 23-6-55-2 (1w), hilfenhaus 26-5-75-5 (1nb), Siddle 21.1-2-63-3 (2nb), Lyon 17-2-66-0, hussey 5-0-15-0, Warner 2-0-8-0

AuStRALiA, 2nd innings: 5 D. Warner b Yadav e. Cowan lbw b Yadav 8 3 S. Marsh b Yadav R. Ponting c Sehwag b zaheer Khan 60 1 M. Clarke b Sharma 79 M. hussey not out b. haddin c Laxman b zaheer Khan 6 4 P. Siddle c Dhoni b Yadav N. Lyon lbw b Ashwin 0 3 J. Pattinson not out extRAS: (b4, lb2, w1, nb3) 10 179 total (for 8 wkts; 60 overs) fall of wickets: 1-13 (Warner), 2-16 (Cowan), 3-24 (Marsh), 4-27 (Clarke), 5-142 (Ponting), 6-148 (haddin), 7-163 (Siddle), 8-166 (Lyon) bOWLiNG: zaheer Khan 13-1-32-2 (1w, 1nb), Yadav 15-3-49-4, Sharma 11-0-41-1 (2nb), Ashwin 19-3-44-1, Sehwag 2-0-7-0 Crowd: 40,556, toss: Australia umpires: ian Gould (eNG), Marais erasmus (RSA) third umpire: Paul Reiffel (AuS) Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRi)

record in Australia with four Test centuries, he has scored just 113 runs in seven innings at 16.14 at the MCG, one of his least productive venues in 131 Tests.

Virat Kohli, playing in his fifth Test, was next to go, feathering an enticing Hilfenhaus outswinger to Haddin for 11.

Hilfenhaus struck again in his next over when skipper M.S. Dhoni got a thick outside edge to be caught in the gully by

Hussey for just six.

Nightwatchman Sharma became Hilfenhaus's fifth wicket when he was taken behind by Haddin for 11 off 69 balls.

Ravi Ashwin showed resistance with 31 off 35 balls with three fours and a topedged six before he was last man out to Siddle. Yadav remained two not out.

Haddin behind the stumps finished with five catches for the innings.

no substitute for sheer class exPeRt COMMeNt

SOURAv gANgULY WHAT a Test match it has been! After three days neither side has the upper hand.The Australians came back superbly in the morning session, picking up seven wickets before India rattled an Australian top order rather lacking in confidence.

All kudos to the curator who has produced a pitch that will keep Test cricket alive and has set an example to the rest of the world. When it comes to sport, I am a firm believer that if you know how to produce champions one must know how to look after them.

Before the series began, there was talk about replacing the likes of Mike Hussey and Ricky Ponting and getting in new young players. Australia had two series against South Africa and New Zealand before this series, and although it did not lose either series, the innings of 47 in Cape Town and the collapse against New Zealand triggered a further uproar in the media and among past players, who for a moment forgot that you cannot be on top all the time. Yesterday, when Hussey and Ponting were putting on their 115-run partnership in the second innings, I felt that there is justice after all.

On a wicket which helped the

bowlers, two of senior guys stood up when it was required. Their stand could be the deciding factor in this Test match. Watching them play, I felt it was not just the runs they made, but the manner in which they played that told its own story.

Coming at in at 4-27 it required that sort of effort and that sort of approach to carry the team through and give it a chance of victory. If Hussey can put on another 40 runs with the lower order, it could seal the Test for Australia.

We all know Australian cricket has a history of slowly leaving ageing players out and bringing in young players. But having a chat with some of the past players who are connected with the game I have a feeling that there are not many young players around.

That's why the likes of Ponting and Hussey need to be handled carefully. One shouldn't have young players coming into a losing culture. It takes away the faith and belief and could hurt them mentally.

There has been a remarkable decline in the Australian team as compared to teams of recent years. But that is understandable, as one cannot produce champions all the time. An example of an older player who has bounced back from adversity is Rahul Dravid. What a player he has been for India and what a year he has had.

It is hard to believe that he struggled against good sides in the three years before this one. At times it's important to get the best out of ageing greats and the Australian selectors have to find a way to do so. It can happen positively. Show some faith in big names.

Class doesn't go away so easily. Allow the likes of Ponting and Hussey to breathe easy and create an atmosphere to help young players develop. These senior play-

Defiant Ponting plans to bat on MeLBoUrne AfP

Michael Hussey and Ricky Ponting play cut shots. afp ers are closely watched by the likes of David Warner, Ed Cowan and Shaun Marsh in the dressing room. They have succeeded for so long and after watching them bat in this Test I am sure they have a lot to offer in this series and the future.

For Australian cricket, it's about the present. I am sure this team can play better. And they have live examples of Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar in the opposition camp to show that faith in experience and class can pay off. As I was sitting in the commentators' box yesterday, I remembered the period of the great days of Australian cricket. My first visit to this part of the world was as a 17-year-old boy in 1991 with the Indian team. I did not get much of an opportunity in that series but watching the greats from so close - the likes of Allan Border, David Boon and a few others - was a huge learning process and it really helped me develop as a player. It was a

huge learning curve that told me what Test cricket is all about - the mental and physical skills one requires to perform at this level. Travelling around the country to the historic venues like the SCG and the MCG with their old stands and was an eyeopener to a young player like me.

Since then I have visited this country four times and every tour was a big help to my career. In the subcontinent, they rank a batsman only if you get hundreds in Australia and England and the West Indies and in my mind this was the one thing I wanted to achieve.

My visits came during the era of Australian domination from 1996-2007.

Teams were intimidated by the likes of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Steve Waugh, Brett Lee, Ponting and Matthew Hayden. At times you stood in the ground and thought how do you win a match here?

Ricky Ponting made clear he had no plan to step away from cricket on Wednesday after his second half-century of the first Test against India rescued Australia and gave them a chance of victory.

The former skipper looked in good form as he scored 60 following a 62 in the first innings, helping Australia to a 230-run lead over the Indians with two wickets left and two days to play at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

There have been calls for Ponting, the oldest player in the Australian team at 37, to make way for a younger man, but he continued to defy his critics even though he is without a Test century in almost two years.

Ponting, who stood down from the captaincy for Michael Clarke last March, is Test cricket's third greatest runscorer behind Indians Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid and has plans to carry on.

"I don't care what people outside the dressing room are saying, if I've got the support inside the dressing room that's all that really matters to me," he said after Wednesday's play.

"I want to do my best to get this Australian team back to a bit higher ranked than we are at the moment and be a consistent runscorer along the way.

"There's plenty of motivation out there for me but first and foremost it's for me to be a successful player in a successful team."

Asked how he dealt with the constant speculation over his place in the team, Ponting said he had been gratified by the public support he has received.

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Thursday, 29 December, 2011

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Bale does for Norwich as Spurs march on norWICH AfP

G

ARETH Bale's superb display, capped by two welltaken goals, saw Tottenham Hotspur win 2-0 away to Norwich as the Londoners maintained their Premier League title challenge at Carrow Road.

Tuesday's victory meant Harry Redknapp's third-placed team went four points clear of their nearest pursuers and moved to within seven of the top two of Manchester City and champions Manchester United.

After a goalless first half, where Spurs laid siege to Norwich's goal, the visitors finally broke the deadlock 10 minutes after the break when Wales star Bale made the most of good approach play by Emmanuel Adebayor.

And 12 minutes later he latched onto Luka Modric's pass before setting off on a 45-yard run capped by a superb chip over Canaries goalkeeper John Ruddy.

Tottenham, who have a match in hand over all the teams immediately above and below them, capitalised on the points dropped by Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool before they kicked off at Carrow Road and will now head into the New Year as London's top club.

Bale, handed a free role by Spurs manager Harry Redknapp, was soon giving stand-in Norwich full-back Ritchie de Laet the run around with his blistering speed.

Norwich striker Grant Holt escaped even a caution, when he might have received a red card, after elbowing Spurs' Benoit Assou-Ekotto.

Bale struck a deflected shot just

English Premier League table Team Man City Man Utd Tottenham Chelsea Arsenal Liverpool Newcastle Stoke West Brom Everton Norwich Aston Villa Fulham Swansea Sunderland QPR Wolverhampton Wigan Bolton Blackburn

P 18 18 17 18 18 18 18 18 18 17 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18

W 14 14 12 10 10 8 8 7 6 6 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 2

wide before blasting over the crossbar.

He then got on the end of Modric's through ball only for Ruddy to make a good save before Norwich's Russell Martin got in a timely tacke to deny Togo striker Adebayor, who then shot over the top in first half injury-time.

However, the goal Tottenham had been threatening arrived in the 55th minute.

Rafael van der Vaart's pass found Adebayor, who held off three Norwich defenders before finding the unmarked Bale who then shot under Ruddy from 12 yards out.

Shortly afterwards, Adebayor turned in Assou-Ekotto's cross soon after but his effort was ruled out for

D 3 3 2 4 3 7 6 4 4 3 6 8 7 7 6 5 4 5 0 5

L 1 1 3 4 5 3 4 7 8 8 7 6 7 7 8 9 10 10 14 11

Gf 53 47 34 36 34 21 25 18 19 18 27 19 19 17 22 18 20 15 22 25

Ga 15 14 19 21 26 14 22 28 26 20 33 23 24 22 22 32 33 35 41 39

Pts 45 45 38 34 33 31 30 25 22 21 21 20 19 19 18 17 16 14 12 11

offside.

But there was no denying Spurs a second goal and Bale provided it in thrilling fashion, running 45 yards after receiving Modric's pass.

Having shown a brilliant turn of speed to outpace the Norwich defence, Bale then demonstrated another side of his game when he coolly chipped the advancing Ruddy to make it 2-0 in the 67th minute.

Modric might have made it 3-0 but the Croatia playmaker's poor shot proved no problem for Ruddy.

Norwich nearly grabbed a consolation goal in stoppage time but Martin's header was just wide in a match where the Canaries, who remained 11th in the table, were outclassed.

NORwiCH: Norwich City's wes Hoolahan (L) vies with Tottenham Hotspur's Brazilian player Sandro Ranieri during the English Premier League match. afp

plushenko wins ninth russian title on return MoSCoW AfP

Former Olympic champion Yevgeny Plushenko enjoyed a winning return to the amateur ranks on Monday when he claimed a ninth Russian figure skating title.

The 29-year-old three-time world champion, who finished second behind America's Evan Lysacek at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, confirmed his leading position after the short programme by winning the free programme to collect 269.67 points overall. The result was just 0.63 points off the mark of Canada's Patrick Chan which allowed him to win this year's ISU Grand Prix final. "Frankly speaking I almost forgot how to compete," Plushenko, the 2006 Olympic champion, said.

"I'm still on the way to my top form and

KARACHi: PiA Managing Director Nadeem Khan Yousuf Zai, general Manager Sports fareed A Mughal and Dg Sports Shoaib Muhammad with the PiA cricket team which won the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy for the seventh time. pr

PCB-Pepsi Stars U-16 final today

spain names alex Corretja as Davis Cup captain

LAHore

MADrID

StAff RePORt

AfP

The final of the PCB-Pepsi Cricket Stars U-16 One Day Tournament will be played today here at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Quetta U-16 will take on Abbottabad U16 in the final supervised by Umpires Rana Sohail Manzoor and Irfan Dilshad while Masood Ahmed will be the scorer.

The prize distribution ceremony will be held after the conclusion of the final.

PCB tO REmEmBER NUR KHAN: The PCB is organising a ceremony to pay tribute to Air Marshal (retd) Nur Khan on January 3, 2012. Air Marshal (retd) Nur Khan remained President of BCCP from 1980-1984. He died at Rawalpindi on December 15. Nur Khan initiated the move to take the World Cup out of England and brought it to the sub-continent in 1987. He also mooted the idea of the ICC match referee and neutral umpires.

Alex Corretja, former coach of British star Andy Murray, is taking over as captain of Spain's Davis Cup team, the Spanish federation said Tuesday.

Corretja replaces Albert Costa, who quit December 15 to head the country's selection committee.

He faces a major challenge with Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer, who were key to Spain's victory over Argentina in the final earlier this month, both having decided not to take part in the 2012 tournament.

The 37-year-old will be captain for the next two seasons after reaching an agreement on terms with Spanish tennis federation head Jose Luis Escanuela, the body said in a statement.

"It is a privilege to captain the best team of players in the world," Corretja said in the statement, describing the post as a matter of "pride and enormous responsibility."

The federation boss said he was convinced the appointment of Corretja, twice runner-up in the French Open and a winner of the 1998 ATP Tour World Championships, was good for Spanish tennis.

"Bringing together his technical and human capacities with that of our players is without doubt a great step forward for the team's success," Escanuela said.

Britain's Murray confirmed in March he was parting company with Corretja after nearly three years as he tried to halt a slump in form, saying he still regarded the Spaniard as a friend and mentor.

there's plenty of work to do for it. I'm happy to win my ninth Russia title and now I will start my preparations for the European championships." Plushenko, returning to amateur competitions after his 2010 Vancouver disappointment, added that he would have to undergo surgery on his left leg after next month's European championships in Sheffield. "I will have an operation on my leg after the European championships -- I will be completely ready for the event," he said.

Fellow Saint Petersburg skater Artur Gachinsky was second, 10 points behind the winner, while Muscovite Sergei Voronov, who was fifth after the short programme, took third with 240.79 points. Plushenko's coach Alexei Mishin praised his skater's return at the event held at Saransk. "Yevgeny put plenty of effort and emotion into this return. It's a real feat," he said.

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Thursday, 29 December, 2011

Sialkot, gojra advance in inter Academy Hockey SIALkot StAff RePORt

Another four matches were played in the 2nd PHF Inter Academy Hockey Tournament at the Sialkot Hockey Stadium, Sialkot.

Bahawalpur, Lahore, Sialkot and Gojra registered wins on day two of the championship on Wednesday.

Results: Bahawalpur beat Quetta 8-1 (full time) 4-0 (half time) Bahawalpur: Sohail Yousaf three goals 7th, 13th & 56th minutes (FG), Zohaib Khan 11th minute (FG), Shaheryar 2 goals 16th & 37th minutes (FG), Suleman Sameer 23rd minute (FG) & Junaid Manzoor 55th minute (FG).

Quetta: M. Qasim 45th minute (FG).

Lahore beat Faisalabad 3-0 (full time) 1-0 (half time) Lahore: Aqeel Aslam 2 goals 2nd & 57th minutes (FG) & Awais-ur-Rahman 44th minute (FG).

Sialkot beat Abbottabad 7-2 (full time) 4-0 (half time) Sialkot: Nohaiz Zahid 3 goals 2nd & 56th minute (FG) & 36th minute (FG), M. Ali 4th minute (PC), Ali Raza 7th minute (FG) & Hammad Zafar 2 Goals 13th & 27th minute (FG).

Abbottabad: Umar Khalid 52nd minute (FG) & Abdul Basit 62nd minute (FG).

Gojra beat Karachi 2-0 (Full Time) 1-0 (half time) Gojra: Faisal Shah 16th minute (PC) & Rana Daud 37th minute (FG).

National Jr Hockey from Jan 10 LAHore StAff RePORt

The 31st Junior U-21 National Hockey Championship will be played at National Hockey Stadium, Lahore from January 10 to 22, 2012. The Punjab Hockey Association is organising the championship on behalf of the PHF. For the smooth conduct of the championship, the PHF has announced the panel of technical officials which include: Tournament Director: Mr. Saghir Ahmed, tournament officers: Muhammad Shafique Bhatti, Dr. S. A. Majid, Hassan Akhtar, judges: M/s. Haroon Saeed, Allah Dad, Haq Nawaz & Rana Muhammad Afzal.

Umpires Manager: Rashad Mehmood Butt, Assistant Umpires Manager: Dilawar Hussain Bhatti, Umpires: M/s. Mr. Haider Rasool, Muhammad Mushtaq, Anwaar Hussain, Rana Muhammad Liaqat, Kamran Hussain, Shahid Pervaiz, Ghufran Ahmed, Pervaiz Ahmed, Muhammad Asghar & Amir Hamza.

The PHF has also appointed “Age Credentials Committee” and Local NADRA Staff to check the ages of the players.

Meanwhile, President PHF Qasim Zia and Secretary Asif Bajwa have offered condolences on the sad demise of mother of Olympian Khalid Bashir, who passed away on December 28.

National Baseball from Jan 5 LAHore StAff RePORt

WAPDA will defend their title in the eightteam National Baseball Championship which will be held at the Iqbal Parks Sports Complex from December 29 to January 5, 2012. The teams have been divided into two groups. The group ‘A’ comprises defending champion WAPDA, Punjab, Sindh and Islamabad. The group ‘B’ has last year final’s losers Army, Police, Khyber PK, and Balochistan. Army will face Police in the opening match on Thursday at 1pm, followed by the second match between Punjab and Sindh. Daily two matches will be played and top two teams of each group will qualify for the semi-final. Additional Secretary Punjab Sports Rana Tahir will inaugurate the championship and president Pakistan Federation Baseball Shaukat Javed will be award the prizes on the final day.

Djokovic, Nadal, Federer look for early blows

ABU DHABI AfP

N

OVAK Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer meet in a $250,000 threeday exhibition tournament in the Gulf's winter sun from Thursday, eager to strike early blows ahead of the 2012 season.

In the new year, world number one Djokovic will defend three Grand Slam titles and Nadal will look to hang on to his Olympic title and French Open crown, while Federer, despite nearing his 31st birthday, is keen to extend his impressive late run in 2011.

Djokovic won three of the four Grand Slams and five Masters this year and assembled a 70-6 winning record.

His progress towards the end of the year was slowed by a series of back and shoulder injuries, but the Serb insists he is well rested as 2012 approaches.

"This year's success gives me a reason to believe that I can win again.

Why not?" said the Serb, who has been based in Abu Dhabi for the last two

weeks. "I think it doesn't make any sense to be anything other than optimistic. I need to believe in my qualities and my abilities and I need to believe that I can repeat the success.

"Of course it is going to be an incredibly difficult task to achieve, but you never know, nothing is really impossible."

Nadal lost his world number one ranking to Djokovic in 2011 and cut a world-weary figure as the year came to an end, having played 84 matches -more than any of his rivals.

But the 25-year-old, whose French Open triumph was his 10th major and sixth at Roland Garros, believes leading Spain to a fifth Davis Cup has helped re-ignite his hopes for 2012.

He is also determined to adopt a new approach to his trade.

"I tell myself: 'If I do a bit more, I will be nearly back to winning things again.' That is the motivation. Recovering the extra will that makes you give a bit more of yourself," he said.

"I have to get back to my cruising altitude, which should be higher. From

Indian Wells to Wimbledon and the Olympic Games is where I have to recover my best level." Federer, meanwhile, defied those who believe that having celebrated his 30th birthday in 2011, his best was behind him.

The Swiss won his first title in Doha in January before picking up three more in the home straight in Basel, Paris and a sixth World Tour finals trophy. He will go into 2012, his 13th year on the tour, on the back of a 17-match winning run.

"My passion for competition and my love for tennis has a lot to do with it," Federer told The National newspaper here. "I have always said that the minute you decide or think that you cannot improve is the time that you should stop playing. "The good news for me is that I feel like I still have things to learn and parts of my game to improve, so I am excited for the future."

The three-day tournament at the Abu Dhabi International Tennis Complex in Zayed Sports City also features Spain's David Ferrer and French duo Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils.

Chakvetadze eyes healthy, happy new year

PARIS: Anna Chakvetadze, whose career has been derailed by a series of worrying health problems, believes she can rediscover the form that once took her to number five in the world and the semi-finals of the US Open. The Russian was sidelined for most of 2011 after suffering an inner ear inflammation in Dubai, where she was forced to retire from her second-round clash with world number one Caroline Wozniacki. "When I got sick in Dubai I was in very good shape," Chakvetadze said. "I had found my game again and was really ready to compete. But then I got sick."

The 24-year-old played just three more matches in the year, retiring from two and withdrawing from 11 other events.

"Doctors found an inflammation in my ear and connected it with the dizziness. I had to take medication for it," she told wtatennis.com. "I didn't expect that it would take so long to get over it, but I did it. When I felt ready to play again it was already almost the end of the season, so I just decided to wait until the new season to play again. "I hope I'll be able to do some good things in the new season. I'm 100 percent healthy now." Her absence from the tour meant her ranking nosedived to 232, but she can call upon her ranking protection in eight tournaments in 2012 to avoid having to qualify. AfP

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Thursday, 29 December, 2011

Sports 21

Sangakkara century puts Sri Lanka in command DUrBAn AfP

K

DURBAN: Sri Lanka's batsman Kumar Sangakara plays a stroke as South Africa's wicketkeeper Mark Boucher waits to make a catch. inset Morne Morkel (R) and Dinesh Chandimal (L) are seen in action. afp

UMAR Sangakkara hit a superbly-crafted century to put Sri Lanka in a strong position to press for their first Test win of the year on the third day of the second Test match against South Africa at Kingsmead on Wednesday.

Sangakkara's 108 enabled Sri Lanka to reach 256 for seven in their second innings - an overall lead of 426, eight runs more than the highest successful run chase in Test history.

The left-handed former captain shared stands of 94 with Thilan Samaraweera and 104 with rookie wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal as Sri Lanka went in search of their first win in four Test tours of South Africa.

Sangakkara, whose first three innings in the series were 1, 2 and 0, had not added to his overnight score of three when he edged the fourth ball of the morning, from Morne Morkel, towards Graeme Smith at first slip. Wicketkeeper Mark Boucher dived for the ball, obscuring Smith's vision, and the South African captain put down the chance.

Sangakkara made the home side pay as he constructed a classy innings in overcast and gloomy conditions.

Overnight and morning rain delayed the start by an hour and the floodlights were on during most of the day.

Sangakkara reached his fifty off 102 balls with four fours and then took command, scoring his second fifty off

only 59 deliveries, adding nine more boundaries. It was his 28th Test century.

First innings century-maker Samaraweera shared a crucial fourth wicket stand with Sangakkara after the first three wickets had fallen for 44 runs to give South Africa hope of bowling themselves back into contention despite trailing by 170 runs on the first innings.

Samaraweera made 43 before being deceived by a googly from Imran Tahir which he edged into his stumps.

Sri Lanka pressed home their advantage as Sangakkara and new cap Chandimal scored at almost a run a minute. Chandimal followed up his first innings 58 with 54.

With the light fading, Chandimal was caught behind off Dale Steyn.

Sangakkara followed in the next over when he hit Tahir to long-on. Bad light stopped play soon afterwards.

Fast bowling debutant Marchant de Lange, who took seven for 81 in the first innings, claimed the key wicket of Mahela Jayawardene as Sri Lanka struggled early in the day.

Jayawardene had scored 14 when he padded up to De Lange and was given out leg before wicket by umpire Steve Davis. Jayawardene sought a television review but the umpire's decision was upheld when replays showed the ball would have hit his off bail.

But De Lange failed to make an impact in later spells as Sangakkara swung the match ever more in his

SCORebOARD SRi LANKA, first innings, 338 SOuth AfRiCA, first innings, 168 SRi LANKA, second innings (overnight 7-1) t. Paranavitana c Prince b Morkel 9 t. Dilshan c Smith b Steyn 4 K. Sangakkara c Smith b imran tahir 108 M. Jayawardene lbw b De Lange 14 t. Samaraweera b imran tahir 43 A. Mathews c boucher b Steyn 3 D. Chandimal c boucher b Steyn 54 t. Perera not out 6 R. herath not out 5 extRAS: (b5, lb2, nb2, w1) 10 tOtAL: (7 wkts, 70.3 overs) 256 fall of wickets: 1-4 (Dilshan), 2-20 (Paranavitana), 3-44 (Jayawardene), 4-138 (Samaraweera), 5-141 (Mathews), 6-245 (Chandimal), 7-245 (Sangakkara) bOWLiNG: Morkel 15-4-43-1, Steyn 16-3-54-3, De Lange 12.3-1-45-1 (1nb, 1w), Kallis 11-1-43-0, imran tahir 16-1-64-2 (1nb) Match situation: Sri Lanka lead by 426 runs with three second innings wickets remaining toss: Sri Lanka umpires: Steve Davis (AuS), Richard Kettleborough (eNG) tV umpire: Rod tucker (AuS) Match referee: Chris broad (eNG).

team's favour on a pitch which remained a good batting surface.

South Africa lead the three-match series after winning the first Test at Centurion by an innings and 81 runs.

The hosts can take heart from having chased down 414 against Australia in Perth three seasons ago, only four runs less than the world record 418 for seven by the West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2002/03.

watch it Live ESPN Sports Center

08:00PM

STAR CRICKET Australia V India Test 1, Day 4 4:30AM

TEN SPORTS South Africa V Sri Lanka 2nd Test Day 4 1:00PM

Suarez hit with new fA ban over fulham gesture

LonDon AfP

Amir Atlas wins Pakistan international Squash LAHore StAff RePORt

Number one seed Aamir Atlas Khan on Wednesday won the Pakistan International Squash Circuit No. IV here at the Punjab Squash Complex.

Playing in the final against sixth seed of the tournament Farhan Zaman, Aamir was stretched to 52 minutes to earn the win. Aamir, before winning the title, had to stretch back from two-all to win the fifth and the final.

Aamir won the first two games but Farhan took the next two to level the games two each but later in the fifth game Aamir took the points bit by bit fighting for every point. From their Aamir controlled the proceedings and won the game and the match. Aamir Atlas Khan gained the win with a score of 11-4, 11-8, 8-11, 8-11, 11-8. [52 mins] President Punjab Squash Association Jahangir Khan was the chief guest at the ceremony.

KARACHi: farrukh Aslam of AKD Securities, Secretary Pgf Taimur Hassan, Chief Referee Muhammed irfan and Mehmood Aziz address a press conference at DHA golf Club Karachi in connection with the 41st Open golf Championship. staff photo

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has been banned by the Football Association for one match and fined £20,000 ($31,300) for a gesture made towards Fulham fans in the 1-0 defeat at Craven Cottage earlier this month.

Suarez had admitted the latest charge of improper conduct, and Liverpool have also been fined £20,000 for failing to control their players in the same match - a charge related to the dismissal of midfielder Jay Spearing.

The ruling, announced on Wednesday by the FA, comes little over a week after Suarez was hit with an eight-game suspension for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra during a match in October.

Suarez had denied the racism allegations and the decision angered Liverpool, who promised to stick by the player and issued a statement in support of the Uruguayan.

Liverpool admitted the improper conduct charge relating to Spearing's dismissal, after a number of players remonstrated with referee Keith Friend.

However, they did not accept the financial penalty for the offence.

41st Pakistan Open Golf commences from tomorrow kArACHI StAff RePORt

The 41st Pakistan Open Golf Championship will get underway at the exquisite, par 72, DHA Golf and Country Club Golf Course, from Friday (December 29) and will be contested over four rounds with final round to be played on Sunday (January 1 2012).

This was stated by Taimur Hassan, Honorary Secretary Pakistan Golf Federation in a press conference at the DHA Golf Club, Karachi who was accompanied by Farrukh Aslam of AKD Securities, the sponsors of this championship, Mehmood Aziz, Tournament Director and Mohammed Irfan, Chief Referee of the tournament. He further said, "Through a superb initiative the Pakistan Golf Federation, in collaboration with Defence Authority Country & Golf Club management and the sponsors AKD Group, will be hosting the prestigious Pakistan Open Golf Championship from December 29.”

Being the national championship, it attracts golf champions of stature and standing from all over the country, and virtually all the

prominent ones have already converged to DHA seeking honors, lucrative cash prizes and also the chance to be declared the open national champion of Pakistan. And for the ultimate winner, it is not going to be easy.

Traits required will be unrivaled golfing skills, admirable temperament and the will to win. Of course professional participants and competitors will be 90 plus but the front runners are expected to be 20 or a few more.

Some are considered established and highly ranked and rated while the younger ones have their aspirations to pursue and show that they have ample touch of excellence that can propel them as high achievers. “Holding of this championship represents an enormous challenge with generous financing, a golf arena oozing with beauty and challenge and not to forget a devoted and dedicated administration, and last but not least champions at their best, all prepared to illuminate the golf arena with superior play and quality golf, for four days from 29th December 2011 to 1st January 2012," he added.

It was also highlighted that for the professionals, this event seeks to create a prodigious

opportunity and there are ample cash prizes for the top performers, besides non cash awards for the participating amateurs. A Rs three million cash bag is there for distribution amongst the 40 best professionals and featuring in the contest will be players of remarkable ability and talent and one can expect them to show their extraordinary golf ability.

Watching the top players of our golf circuit in action is always a delight and this grand occasion provides an opportunity to the golf lovers to quench their love for the game by giving tremendous performances.

Farrukh Aslam of AKD Securities was extremely pleased about getting associated with a major golf event and highlighted that this has been done in the past also and AKD will always be there for support. Prominent competitors in the Professionals section in order of their national ranking are: Muhammad Shabbir, Islamabad, Matloob Ahmed, Gymkhana, Mohammed Munir, Islamabad, Shahid Javed Khan, Royal Palm, M. Tariq, Islamabad, Imdad Hussain, Lahore Garrison, Waheed Baloch, Karachi, Mohammad Siddique, Lyallpur, Amjad Yousaf, Karachi,

Afsar Ali, Karachi.

As for the young and upcoming professionals, the names of Aadil Jehangir, Shafique Masih and Aleemur Rehman stand out and their performances will be under focus. More notable are the additions of two youngsters of immense talent and ability; Hamza Amin and Sufiyan Dhaduk. They have just declared their migration from amateur ranks to the professional category.

Hamza Amin is lucky in the sense that he has golfing blood, his father Taimur Hassan Amin having many accomplishments to his credit and a legendary aura around him.

As an amateur Hamza became the national amateur champion in2011 and looks to an upward climb in the competitive professionals golf world.

Notable amongst the amateurs participating in this championship are Ali Hai (Karachi), Waseem Rana (DHA, Karachi), Mohammad Rehman (RP), Tariq Mehmood (Islamabad), Nadeem Abbas (Sargodha), Maj Khushal (Abbotabad), Ghazanfar Mehmood (Rwp), Khalid Mehmood (Rwp), Robin Bagh (Sargodha), and Wazir Ali

(Gym). Answering questions Taimur said that prize money for this national championship is Rs three million, to be distributed amongst the top 40 professionals.

In the Seniors professionals category, the prize money is Rs 500,000/. Taimur also clarified that professional golf is gradually evolving in Pakistan and in the past six months the open tournaments have yielded over Rs 10 million to the professional golf players, which is a substantial improvement over the earnings that travelled to their pockets three years back. "Yes, as economic activity picks up in the country, the situation will be further improved," he added.

Answering another question Taimur said the Asian Tour is likely to return to Pakistan within a year or so.

The organisers of the DHA Golf Club led

by Brig Hassan Rafi have successfully managed to keep the golf course in exceedingly good shape. This 7000 yards, 18 holes, par 72 layout is hosting the Open Championship for the first time since the redesigning of the golf course. The last time the Open was held here in 2001 and won by Taimur Hussain.

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violation of OgRA rules made nonbailable offence ISLAmABAD: The government has decided to make violation of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) rules a non-bailable offence punishable with imprisonment up to seven years. This was decided in a high-level meeting chaired by Interior Minister Rehman Malik to address the increasing number CNG cylinder accidents in the country. The meeting participants also decided to remove all substandard cylinders from sale outlets, while ordering the police to conduct raids and arrest those who defy the decision. The government has also decided that no person under 18 years of age would be allowed to work at CNG stations, while supervisors would need a diploma to get employed at gas pumps. The meeting tasked OGRA with the training of CNG station supervisors. Additionally, motor vehicle examiners would not be able to issue vehicle fitness certificates, unless the vehicles were cleared by OGRA. The meeting also decided to ban the import of cylinders, while ordering all chief secretaries to close illegal CNG conversion workshops and to seize CNG cylinders at such locations. All public transporters using CNG will require third party insurance for the passengers, drivers and conductors, the meeting decided. staff report

Senators snub briefing at iSi Headquarters ISLAmABAD: Two members of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production have refused to attend a meeting scheduled for today (Thursday) at the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Headquarters, saying the agency’s officials should come to the Parliament House to brief the legislators. Sources said that Senator Raza Rabbani and Senator Prof Khurshid Ahmed had declined to attend the meeting and conveyed their decision to the chairman, Senator Lt Gen (r) Javed Ashraf Qazi. The committee was scheduled to meet at the ISI headquarters to get briefing on the spy agency’s role in counter-terrorism operations. When contacted, Prof Khurshid told Pakistan Today that he had written a letter to the committee chairman conveying his concerns. “We respect both the army and the ISI, but it is a matter of principle.

The parliament is supreme and the ISI officials should be summoned to the Parliament House to brief the members of the committee,” he said. Sources added that Rabbani shared the same opinion and declined to attend today’s meeting. tahIr nIaZ

PeShAWAR: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Nawaz Sharif addresses the party’s provincial committee meeting on Wednesday. staff photo

PML-N KP members brawl as Saranjam Khan walks out PeSHAWAr AbDuR RAuf KhAttAK

U

NITY among the ranks of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chapter leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was put to test when several leaders of the party brawled among themselves here on Wednesday.

Sources told Pakistan Today that after his arrival in Peshawar on Tuesday, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif was contacting central leader Saranjam Khan to bring him around after his longstanding complaint that party veterans were increasingly discarded in matters of the party in favour of new faces. After his visit to Khan’s residence, Sharif’s statement that the party was “united and strong in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” fell flat on its face on Wednesday when during the provincial council meeting of the party’s KP chapter, Khan staged an in-

dignant walkout.

Indiscipline followed as stalwarts and activists of the party resorted to angry sloganeering and gathering right in the front of the dais where Sharif and party leaders Sardar Mehtab, Ahsan Iqbal, Sartaj Aziz, Mushahidullah, Captain (r) Safdar and Iqbal Zafar Jhagra were sitting, over the issue of nomination of the KP chapter general secretary of the party. The meeting, held at Nishtar Hall in Peshawar, quickly descended into chaos after the unopposed election of former KP chief minister and PML-N stalwart Pir Sabir Shah as the new provincial chapter president.

Objections came from Mehr Sultana, a candidate for general secretary against her opponent Rahmat Salam Khattak, on Khattak’s membership of the provincial organising committee of the party, which she said rendered him ineligible to contest the general secretary elections. This caused the KP chapter leaders and workers to argue, which eventually led to a brawl. However,

after Sultana voluntarily withdrew her candidacy and MPA Shazia Aurangzeb also followed suit, Khattak was elected the provincial general secretary unopposed. Khattak’s election caused Saranjam Khan to walk out of the provincial council meeting, however, no one from the leadership of the PMLN present on the occasion took any pains to stop him.

Later, Saranjam Khan resigned from the membership of the party’s Executive Council, Dunya News reported. He said now a party workers’ meeting would be held on January 4 in which a new strategy would be planned for the future. However, Saranjam has declared openly that he has no intentions to join the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) as he is committed to the PML-N. His resignation, nonetheless, comes as a new blow to the PML-N, which is already reeling from veteran Makdhoom Javed Hashmi’s departure to the Imran Khan-led PTI.

party forced pM to change stance on haqqani ISLAMABAD iRfAN buKhARi

The government flip-flopped from the prime minister’s earlier stance vis-àvis Husain Haqqani’s resignation under pressure from within the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) ranks, as a number of its central leaders criticised Yousaf Raza Gilani’s move to sack Haqqani soon after the memo controversy surfaced, arguing that the step had virtually proved Haqqani guilty in media and political circles, thus putting the whole government as well as the president in a difficult situation. “The majority of the PPP central leaders in the party’s consultative meetings at the Presidency and PM’s House raised questions on the sacking of Haqqani in haste and they argued that it

was the first ‘tactical mistake’ made by the government in handling memogate.

Their criticism of the PM’s move to ask for Haqqani’s resignation increased manifold when they were told by President Asif Zardari and Gilani that Haqqani had completely denied the charges levelled against him by Mansoor Ijaz before the army chief and ISI DG,” a reliable source told Pakistan Today.

The source said that upon learning about Haqqani’s outright denial of accusations of being involved in the memo issue before the military’s top brass, the PPP leaders expressed their concerns over his sacking by the premier just to appease the army. “The PPP leaders from Zardari’s camp think that it was the PM’s weakness that he could not resist the pressure of the military’s top command

and sacked Haqqani before the charges were proved against him. The PPP leaders think that the premier’s haste landed the whole government in troubled waters as the critics from the media and the opposition started citing Haqqani’s sacking as a proof of his guilt,” the source said.

The source said further that President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani were also not on the same page on Haqqani’s resignation in November, but the premier prevailed as he succeeded in convincing Zardari that as Haqqani’s resignation was the military’s long-standing demand, the move would defuse the memo controversy. The source said the president disagreed and said Haqqani’s sacking would be tantamount to the validation of Mansoor Ijaz’s allegations against the former ambassador and the

PPP government. The affidavit submitted by the Interior Ministry on behalf of the federation on Monday (December 26) said Haqqani was not asked to resign while a statement issued by a PM’s House spokesman on November 22 had said: “The prime minister has directed to conduct a detailed investigation at an appropriate level and in the meanwhile he asked Pakistan Ambassador to the USA Husain Haqqani to submit his resignation so that the investigation can be carried out properly.” Gilani had also told the National Assembly that Haqqani’s resignation had been taken to make the memo probe transparent but on Monday (December 26), in his interaction with the media, he backtracked from his earlier statement saying that Haqqani himself had resigned.

Karzai oK with taliban Qatar office plan

MonItorIng DeSk Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said he will support the opening of a Taliban liaison office in Qatar to try to help consolidate the peace process. According to British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), it was the first time Karzai had given public support to the US plan to create a Taliban base in the Gulf state, in which future talks could be held. He previously rejected the idea, angry that the US and Germany had discussed potential locations without him.

The Taliban have so far made no official comment on the proposal. The US, Germany and other countries with a stake in the war against the Taliban wanted a political end to the conflict and they argued that establishing an “address” outside the immediate region for reconciliation talks was the best way to speed up the peace process, BBC says. Earlier this month, Kabul recalled its ambassador from Doha, saying the Qataris had been discussing the issue of an office with the US and Germany “without keeping the Afghan government fully in the picture”. But on Tuesday, Karzai said while he preferred the idea of Turkey or Saudi Arabia hosting the office, “if the Americans want to locate it in Doha I would agree”. “Having an exact address for the opposition [is a condition] for practical steps toward starting negotiations,” a statement from the presidential palace said.

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