Pakistan Today

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Europe may dash Barack Obama’s 2012 hopes

Libya elects new interim prime minister

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rs15.00

The inevitable ignominy: It’s still good for Pakistan cricket

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pakistantoday.com.pk

Vol ii no 129 32 pages lahore edition

Wednesday, 2 november, 2011 Zul-Haj 5, 1432

Action AgAinst militAnts

Move beyond words, Afghanistan tells Pakistan g

g

Karzai rules out peace talks with Taliban until he knows how to contact them Zardari says Pakistan looking forward to working closely in partnership

ISTANBUL

A

AGENCIES

FgHANISTAN urged Pakistan on Tuesday to “move beyond words” and take concrete steps to curb Islamist militants which it said were a threat to both countries, as Islamabad said it had been looking forward to working closely in its partnership with Kabul to ensure peace, security, stability and development in Afghanistan.

The two neighbours were holding their first talks since the assassination in September of the chief Afghan peace negotiator Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani. The meeting, hosted by Turkey, aims to heal a rift that is undermining prospects of ending the Afghan war. Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali

Zardari met along with Turkish President Abdullah gul, while their army chiefs consulted ahead of an international conference on Afghanistan on Wednesday.

Karzai again ruled out peace talks with the Taliban until he knew how to contact the insurgent group, saying that until then Afghanistan would talk only to Pakistan.

“We cannot keep talking to suicide bombers, therefore we have stopped talking about talking to the Taliban until we have an address for the Taliban ... until that day we have said we will be talking to our brothers in Pakistan to find a solution to the problem that we have,” he said at a press conference following the summit. Karzai’s comments suggested the two countries were far from resolving their differences.

Continued on page 04

Pakistan to forfeit final IMF loan tranche WASHINGTON AGENCIES

Pakistan will not take up the final $3.7 billion tranche of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan package after rejecting strict reform demands, the Financial Times said in a report on Tuesday.

Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh told the daily that the IMF conditions were too tough and the government would instead pursue a homegrown reform programme, adding that the “resilient” economy did

not need IMF help. The Washingtonbased fund bailed out Pakistan with an $11.3 billion loan package launched in November 2008 as the country faced 30-year-high inflation rates and fastdepleting reserves, as well as a deadly insurgency. But the IMF earlier this year indicated it was unsatisfied with Islamabad’s progress in dealing with its chronic fiscal problems and introducing promised structural reforms.

“Inflation remains persistently high, and budgetary problems are undermining macroeconomic stability,”

it said in May. An IMF spokesman declined to comment on the Financial Times report, but said that the standby facility had expired on schedule on September 30. The fund has paid out two-thirds of the loan package, with the latest installment disbursed in May 2010. Three months later the country was hit by the worst floods in its history, which led to a separate emergency aid payment of $450 million. Since then however, the IMF and Pakistan have been at odds over fiscal management.

Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif were found guilty Tuesday of fixing parts of a Test against England in a case that has thrown the credibility of the international game into doubt. Former Test captain Butt, 27, and fast bowler Asif, 28, face jail after a court in London convicted them of deliberately bowling three no-balls during the Lord's Test in August 2010 as part of a "spot-fixing" betting scam.

Prosecutors alleged Butt and Asif conspired with British agent Mazher Majeed and Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Aamer to

bowl the no-balls as part of a plot that revealed "rampant corruption" at the heart of international cricket. Butt faces up to seven years in prison jail after the jury at Southwark Crown Court convicted him of conspiracy to obtain or accept corrupt payments, and conspiracy to cheat at gambling. Asif faces up to two years in jail after he was found guilty of conspiracy to cheat, and the jury also decided that he was guilty of the second charge. They are expected to be sentenced later this week.

detailed story | page 20

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02 News

Wednesday, 2 November, 2011

LAHoRe

Today’s

Intermediate result drama continues

NeWS

WoRLd vieW

93% view power shortage as serious problem

Europe may dash obama’s 2012 hopes

Quick Look

Story on Page 10

Story on Page 05

Story on Page 15

PR decides to privatise MQM, PPP show the profitable Rail Car flexibility on LGs LAHORE: In a fresh example of mismanagement in Pakistan Railways (PR), the authorities have restored the service of three passenger trains but on the other hand gave away the Rail Car to a private company under the so-called public-private partnership. The three trains restored on Friday are the Okara Passenger train, the Babu Express between Wazirabad and Sialkot, and the Moj Darya Express for Narowal. Sources in Pakistan Railways told Pakistan Today that the decision to give the operative rights of the Rail Car to a private company had been taken and an announcement in this regard would be made after Eid-ulAzha. The Rail Car, which moves between Lahore and Rawalpindi, is the only profitable train but it was being cancelled for the last two months. Following media criticism and demands by passengers, PR authorities decided to give the train to a private company to resume its services. Sources said that an advertisement in this regard would be published in newspapers in a few days. According to PR officials, the department would collect fares of 75 to 80 seats in every coach, which would generate daily revenue of Rs 800,000 while the remaining profit would be claimed by the private company. NASIR butt

PML-N postpones Faisalabad rally LAHORE: The PML-N has postponed its rally scheduled to be held on November 20 in Faisalabad, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Tuesday. He said the PML-N would launch a long march after Muharram, which would surround the Presidency. He said an alliance may be formed with the PTI if its aim was to topple the government. Meanwhile, PML-N Senator Pervaiz Rashid challenged Imran Khan to prove that PML-N leaders had not declared their assets, and promised that all undeclared assets would be donated to the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital. StAFF REPoRt

KARACHI RAZZAK AbRo

The ruling Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Tuesday showed flexibility on the issue of local government system in the province, agreeing to bring a new system instead of insisting on the Sindh LgO, 2001. However, a formula for the new Lg system would be discussed and finalised by Thursday.

“We have agreed to bring a new Lg system in the province,” MQM leader Syed Sardar Ahmed said after attending a PPP-MQM meeting held at the residence of Sindh Local government Minister Agha Siraj Durani.

Both parties have to reach an agreement before November 6, as the Lg system in the province will end on that date due to the expiry of the ordinance issued by Sindh governor Dr Ishrtaul Ebad Khan around three months ago.

The SLgO, 2001 was re-

stored through the ordinance by reversing the imposition of magistracy in the province.

The major coalition partners have to convene the Sindh Assembly’s session for making legislation in this regard, as after the 18th Amendment, an ordinance cannot be repeated or extended without going to the assembly.

Talking to the Pakistan Today after the meeting, MQM leader Sardar Ahmed said both parties would exchange their proposals regarding formula for a new Lg system in the province on Wednesday.

Talking to reporters, Sindh Lg Minister Durani said a draft bill regarding the new Lg system would be finalised before November 6. Hinting that the PPP had shown flexibility and was not insisting on magistracy, he said the “issue of commissionerate system related to the Board of Revenue, and we have only discussed the Lg system in the meeting”.

IStANbul: President Ali Asif Zardari (C), his turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul (l) and Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai (R) leave Ciragan Palace for a lunch before a trilateral summit on tuesday. AFP

US probe says border attack was not Pakistani plot

Woman allegedly kills her six-month old daughter

Pentagon says gunmen who killed US major in 2007 acted alone

StAFF REPoRt

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WASHINGTON AFP

An attack on United States troops in 2007 that left an American officer dead was the act of a rogue Pakistani gunman and not a plot by the country’s military, according to a US probe released on Monday.

For years, details of the shooting on Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan have been shrouded in secrecy amid speculation. US officials were anxious to avoid aggravating tensions with Pakistan.

A US military investigation into the shooting had remained secret until Monday. The Pentagon released a two-page unclassified excerpt from the probe into the May 14, 2007 shooting, in which US Major Larry Bauguess was killed when a militia member opened fire on American officers who had just finished a meeting with their Pakistani and Afghan counterparts.

The probe concluded that Bau-

guess was shot at close range with a volley of AK-47 automatic fire by a man wearing a militia uniform from Pakistan’s Frontier Corps, which is stationed along the Afghan border.

But there was no proof that the shooter was helped by Pakistani forces, it said. “There is little evidence to support collaboration within the Pakistani militia or military,” said the report. “The initial shooter caused all of the casualties incurred on the (NATO-led) coalition forces,” it added. The probe found no sign of coordinating fire from Pakistani forces in support of the gunman.

However, some “sporadic” fire from the Pakistani troops was likely a response to cover fire from US troops trying to withdraw from the area to a helicopter landing zone, the report said. The 10-minute gun battle that erupted after the shooting by the gunman left seven Pakistanis dead, it said. The investigation appeared to contradict an extensive New York Times report last month

that suggested the Americans and Afghans had been targeted in an ambush in collaboration with Pakistani forces, possibly in retaliation for previous incidents in which Pakistani troops were mistakenly fired on by US forces. The Times’ account quoted Afghan officers who witnessed the shooting as well as US military officers and an unnamed UN source. An Afghan officer at the meeting, Colonel Sher Ahmed Kuchai, told the newspaper that senior Pakistani officers left the meeting place minutes before the shooting erupted without saying goodbye, which he believed showed they knew an attack was coming. The meeting that preceded the shooting was held in Teri Mangal in Pakistan’s Kurram agency and had been arranged after Afghan and Pakistani forces traded fire in a growing border dispute. The Pakistanis had objected to a new border outpost set up by Afghan forces, which Islamabad charged was on Pakistani territory.

LAHORE A woman allegedly killed her six-month-old daughter, Fatima, after throwing her down from the second floor of her house following a scuffle with her husband in Islamia Park on Tuesday. Abbas, a resident of Poonch Road, married Saira three years ago. Sources said Abbas’ sister Bubo used to quarrel with Saima. On Tuesday, both Saira and Bubo quarrelled again and Saira allegedly threw Fatima down the second floor of the house. The girl was killed instantly. Abbas informed police and alleging that Saira had killed her daughter.

Meanwhile, talking to reporters, Saira said the girl’s aunt Bubo, not her, had threw the little girl down. She said her in-laws had killed her daughter and were trying to implicate her fro the murder.

Saira said Bubo wanted her and Abbas to leave the house in order to occupy it and had been asking forf the same ever since she had been married. She said her in-laws had earlier killed her minor son. Lytton Road Station House Officer Husnain Haider said the situation was quite confusing and they had started investigating the matter to get to the facts.

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Wednesday, 2 November, 2011

FoReiGN NeWS

ARtS & eNteRtAiNMeNt

Anna Hazare warns of new fast

Duchess of Cambridge voted ‘britain’s best dressed’ Misbah sets sight on series victory

SPoRtS

News 03 CoMMeNt Reconciling positions: No peace without US and Pakistan reconciling.

Palestinians out: Only a symbolic move.

Dr Hasan Askari Rizvi says: Politicians against politicians: The political status-quo is expected to continue.

Shaukat umer says: The muddle continues: A fresh look at Afghanistan situation needed.

Harris bin Munawar says: Pied piper of Lahore: Will Imran Khan lead us to change?

Story on Page 18

Story on Page 16

Story on Page 23

Articles on Page 12-13

Senators sling mud as PML-N accuses PPP of backing arsonists g

Mushahidullah says according to a Jacobabad policeman, PPP is behind burning of PML-N offices in Sindh ISLAMABAD

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StAFF REPoRt

HE Upper House of parliament turned into a fish market on Tuesday after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Mushahidullah Khan criticised the government for its alleged patronisation of the people who recently set ablaze PML-N offices in interior Sindh.

The allegation triggered a unruly argument and Chairman Ilyas Bilour warned the senators of adjourning the House if they continued with the same.

Mushahidullah Khan was rebutted by PPP members Leader of the House Nayyar Bukhari, Almas Parveen, Maula Buksh Chandio and Sabir Baloch, with all levelling

allegations against each other amidst the chaos. Mushahidullah said a serving police officer from Jacobabad, Khuda Buksh Panwar, said on record that the PPP was behind the burning of PML-N offices. He said no FIR was yet registered over the incidents, rather some of the applicants from Nawab Shah had been arrested.

Nayyar Bukhari took the lead to respond to the allegations, followed by Almas Parveen, Sabir Baloch and Maula Buksh Chandio. In response, Mushahid labelled the government fascist and questioned the seriousness of the leader of the House in running the business of the House. Later, Law Minister Maula Buksh Chandio told the House that the government could not support any such act and assured that it would investigate the matter.

Earlier, the treasury and opposition senators criticised the government for corruption in state institutions. Treasury Senator Zahid Khan said the government was least bothered about Supreme Court’s directions regarding corruption, adding that the NHA was amongst the most corrupt state institutions and awarded contracts without merit.

Senator Azam Swati was also of the same view and warned that in the coming days, the people might see many government functionaries behind bars. He told the House that he had proof of corruption of billions of rupees in state institutions and sought the chairman’s ruling so as to put them before the parliamentary committee.

However, Nayyar Bukhari said the government condemned corruption in any

eCP restores membership of 42 lawmakers Govt faces opposition in approval of petroleum levy, gas cess ISLAMABAD AMER SIAl

The government’s attempt to smoothly sail through the Senate Standing Committee on Finance with its two money bills for the imposition of petroleum levy and gas cess were hindered as the committee decided to hold a detailed review on Thursday (tomorrow).

Chairman Ahmed Ali said a majority of the members were not ready to consider the bills as the levy and cess did not come under the money bill.

Due to the absence of some members, the committee decided to postpone the meeting until Thursday. The committee noted with concern that the government was seeking a blanket approval from it to impose rates of its own choice for imposition of petroleum development levy and gas cess as the rate of cess and levy were not specified in the bills.

Later talking to reporters, Senator Ahmed Ali said the government was violating the constitution by imposing gas infrastructure development cess because after the approval of the 18th Amendment and changes in Schedule 6, cess tax was a provincial subject. He said no political party would support the government with respect to impose tax on gas especially when the general elections were approaching.

Secretary Finance Waqar Masood Khan told reporters government and the IMF would be holding review of the economic performance of the country under Article-IV consultation in Dubai from November 9 to 17.

An official source said the government wanted the passage of petroleum levy and gas cess bills before leaving of the economic team for Dubai for talks with the IMF. However, he said, the government had not determined the rate on which the levy and cess would be imposed yet.

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission on Tuesday restored the membership of 42 lawmakers after they filed statements of assets and liabilities with the commission. The EC spokesperson said the memberships of 17 Members National Assembly including Federal Minister for Kashmir & gilgit Baltistan Affairs, two Senators including Federal Minister for Finance Hafiz Sheik and 23 members of provincial assemblies had been restored. The EC, a few days ago, suspended the membership of 231 lawmakers for not submitting asset and liability statements within the stipulated period as per law. The restored legislators are included Engineer Muhammad Tariq Khatak, Muhammad Nawaz Khan, Shahzada Muhyuddin, Malik Nawab Sher Waseer, Muhammad Jamil Malik, Syed Hamid Saeed Kazmi, Mir gul Muhammad Khan Jakhrani and others. Restored MPs from Punjab provincial assembly include Syed Abdul Qadir gilani, Muhammad Asif Malik, Muhammad Sana Ullah Khan Masti Khel, Khawaja Muhammad Islam, Haji Muhammad Ishaqm Ch Muhammad Asad Ullah, Ch Tahir Mehmood, Muhammad Yasin, Amir (Sohl), Muhammad Tajmal Hussain, Muhammad Khuram gulfam, Sardar Muhammad Hussain Dogar and Fida Hussain. Whereas, restored MPs from Sindh provincial assembly are include Pir Syed Muhammad Bachal Shah, Mohammad Taimur Talpur and Amanullah Khan Masood. While the restored MPs belonging to KP include Muhammad Alamgir Khalil, Liaqat Ali Shabab, Amjad Khan Afridi, Mehmood Alam, Abdul Sattar. The membership of MP Muhammad Rahim Mengal from Balochistan has also been restored. StAFF REPoRt

Efforts on to revive MMA ISLAMABAD MIAN AbRAR

As the battle-lines are being drawn, efforts have accelerated to forge a abroad-based alliance of major religious parties, with an objective to galvanise their vote-bank and form a formidable political force involving the component parties of the now defunct Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA).

Background interactions with the leaders of major politico-religious parties have revealed that the charged political scenario has rekindled new hopes for the religious parties to once again get a major share in national politics.

Earlier, President Asif Ali Zardari had been pushing JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to get the MMA revived to cause a major dent to the PML-N’s vote-bank. However, the recent political developments have changed the entire scenario, making a broader religious alliance relevant to the situation. “Punjab has been the focus for all political parties as it, being the largest province, is the deciding factor in terms of electoral politics. Religious parties are thrilled by the recent happenings on the national political scene and efforts are on to either revive the MMA or form a bigger alliance of religious parties,” a source in the JUI-F told Pakistan Today.

Though Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Syed Munawwar Hassan has been a major hurdle

in the MMA’s revival, he is now facing inhouse pressure for MMA’s revival. “Since Maulana Fazlur Rehman has left for Saudi Arabia to perform Haj, it is expected that issues would be ironed out upon his return,” the source said.

It has been learnt that the former JI former chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed, who was the head of the MMA, and some senior leaders of the JI are in favour of reviving the MMA, but Hasan is opposed to the idea.

“Probably, Munawwar Hassan has fears that the MMA’s revival would help Qazi Hussain Ahmed overshadow him in politics,” the JUI-F source said. The source said Maulana Fazl believed that the vote-bank of religious parties was a source of strength for the PML-N in Punjab and if this vote-bank was brought under one umbrella, it would not only help the MMA’s cause but would also decrease around 10,000 to 15,000 votes of the PML-N in each constituency of the country. “This would be a double-edged weapon as the formation of religious alliance would make it a major political force in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, as the Awami National Party (ANP) in KP and the PPP in Balochistan are faced with all-time low popularity.”

Islami Tehreek Pakistan Secretary Information Sikander gilani said his party chief Allama Sajid Naqvi was confident that the MMA would be revived soon.

form and would have been better if the parliamentarians had adopted the proper mechanism to raise such issues.

Ishaq Dar said that without proper check and balance and accountability, democracy could not flourish. He demanded the government to turn the new accountability bill into law as early as possible. Afrasiab Khattak also criticised the government for its non-seriousness towards House business. Senator Safdar Abbasi asked the government to mend its ways, otherwise the country would plunge into economic crisis.

Members from FATA, backed by PMLN, JUI-F, JI, ANP and PKMAP, staged a token walk out from the House against delay in the release of development funds for the Tribal Areas.

Seven asylum-seekers, including Pakistanis, dead in boat capsize JAKARTA AFP

At least seven asylum seekers drowned and scores more were missing when a wooden boat sunk off Indonesia’s West Java province on Tuesday, an official said. The boat, carrying migrants from Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan, capsized on the way to Kupang in eastern Indonesia, a key transit point for refugees trying to reach Australia, local navy official Dayat Sudrajat said.

“Forty people were rescued but seven people, four adults and three children, drowned. We are still searching for those missing,” he said, adding the toll was likely to rise as people were trapped in the boat. “I believe they were headed for Australia.” The dead and 15 injured have been taken to hospital, according to Samsudin — who like many Indonesians goes by one name — from the local Pangandaran police, while police were questioning some others.

Minister wants govt to sell steel mills ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Production Anwar Ali Cheema proposed the government on Tuesday to sell the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM), saying that its issues could not be resolved. Talking to reporters at his office, the minister said, “The PSM has too many complex issues interlinked with it that the government cannot rectify despite serious efforts.” The minister said that the PSM is under the control of Cabinet Committee on Restructuring of State Owned Enterprises (CCOR) – headed

by Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh instead of Ministry of Production. “PSM needs major restructuring and huge financing for reform,” he said. Anwar said that he has no role in appointment of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and board members. He said that his ministry has already submitted a report for down sizing of the PSM, establishment of a new board and appointment of a new CEO, adding that the PSM board had forwarded three names for the CEO of the steel mills, which he had rejected and forwarded the note to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza gilani. StAFF REPoRt

SCBA vP hints at differences LAHORE StAFF REPoRt

Newly-elected Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Vice President Imrana Perveen Baloch said on Tuesday that the “political decisions” of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-backed SCBA President Yasin Azad will not be accepted.

Addressing a press conference at the LHC, Imrana, who has been elected to the office from the anti-government Professional group said, “We will strive for the rule of law and supremacy of judiciary. If Yasin Azad as president of the bar also stands for the supremacy of law, we will definitely be supporting him like a good team.” Imrana said that though pro-judiciary Hamid Khan group had lost the seat of president in the polls, it had won 14 seats in the 22member cabinet which was sufficient to block the way of members who work against the judiciary to please the government.

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04 News

Wednesday, 2 November, 2011

Senators slam NAB for slow work ISLAMABAD ARIF tAJ

Senators on Tuesday expressed concerns over the slow progress of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), saying that the pending 618 inquiries reflected the pathetic performance of the agency in charge of accountability in the country.

Minister for Law and Justice Maula Bakhsh Chandio told the Senate in a written reply during the question-answer session that 618 inquiries were pending with NAB. MQM Senator Tahir Mushidi said that NAB had failed to complete even two inquiries filed in 2001 and 2002.

He said that NAB was wasting public money and not discharging its functions properly.

Senator Zahid khan said that millions of rupees had been embezzled in various housing societies across the country, but none had been prosecuted.

Replying to another question, the law minister said that none of the pending investigation

had been completed during the tenure of previous NAB chairman Justice (r) Syed Deedar Hussain. Chandio said the Election Commission of Pakistan had appointed 20 election tribunals to handle petitions regarding the 2008 general elections, Senate elections and by-elections.

Senator Zahid slammed a written reply that 936 people had been appointed in the last three years in the Law Ministry, with 511 from Punjab, 242 from Sindh, 62 from Khyber Pukhtunkawa, 96 from Balochistan, 10 from FATA, gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, while 15 were recruited on merit. He said the quota system had been violated as Punjab deserved only 450 jobs. He asked the law minister to explain the remedial measures he took on the issue. The minister replied that the figures were misleading and were misprinted. He asked the Senate chairman to postpone the question until the next session.

Gul Train project takes leap forward ISTANBUL AGENCIES

The proposed gul Train project took a leap forward on Tuesday when the presidents of Pakistan and Turkey agreed to further upgrade it so as to cover the distance between Ankara and Islamabad in just 11 days instead of 16 as envisaged earlier, when the idea was first floated by President Asif Ali Zardari last year. The project is also aimed at entering into a joint venture for locomotive manufacture in Pakistan for the special cargo train service.

Presidential Spokesman Farhatulalh Babar told reporters the decision was

taken during a special briefing on the proposed train project held soon after the delegationlevel talks between the two presidents in Istanbul on the sidelines of the trilateral summit of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey.

CURRENCY SWAP: President Asif Ali Zardari and Turkish President Abdullah gul also witnessed the signing of a currency swap agreement between the two countries that President Zardari described as a quantum leap in promoting trade and business relations between the two countries, and the opening of the door for similar agreements with several other countries in the region.

Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) Senator Ishaq Dar responded that if the figures were erroneous, the minister should have taken the House in confidence before the commencement of the proceedings and that the question should not have been taken up. In response, the minister again pleaded to defer the question until the next session, and Senate Deputy Chairman Jan Muhammad Jamali accepted the request. The House was also informed that 6.3 million Pakistanis were living overseas in more than 54 countries. Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Dr Farooq Sattar informed the Senate in a written reply that around 1,500,000 Pakistanis were living in Saudi Arabia, 1,200,000 in United Kingdom, 1,014,082 in the UAE and 900,000 in the United States. He added that his ministry was working in coordination with the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior to provide facilities and welfare to the overseas Pakistanis.

Neelum-Jhelum project delay bothers PM ISLAMABAD: Expressing serious concern over the financial mismanagement and delay in the construction of the 969MW Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project (NJHP), Prime Minister Yousaf Raza gilani on Tuesday directed the Ministry of Water and Power and WAPDA to work out the financial plan in consultation with the Ministry of Finance in order to expedite the project.

Chairing a meeting to review progress on mega power projects, including NeelumJhelum, Kohala, Nandipur and electricity import from India, the PM directed NJHP authorities to submit their financial plan. StAFF REPoRt

Move beyond words Continued from page 1 “We have been hurt badly, our desire for peace has been either misunderstood or misused and we have learnt a lesson from the manner in which we pursued the peace process,” Karzai added.

Karzai’s spokesman reiterated Afghan concerns that Pakistan was supporting the militants.

“President Karzai’s message is that Pakistan needs to end using radicalism as a tool in their politics,” said Emal Fayzi.

Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Jawed Ludin told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting in Istanbul that Afghanistan and Pakistan had been trying for several years to build trust “but I think we have failed to see results on the ground”. “So we are at a stage where we need to move beyond words, beyond expressions of commitments. We need to get to a stage where we actually do concrete things that will address our concerns with regards to our security,” he said.

Ludin said Islamabad’s cooperation was vital to the security of Afghanistan but also to Pakistan - which has also faced a wave of bombings by the Pakistani

Taliban.

“So the message we are really bringing today is to tell Pakistan, ‘Look, you’re not doing us a favour by helping with bringing peace and security to Afghanistan... It’s a question of peace and security in Pakistan that’s also suffering at the hands of terrorism’,” he added.

HAQQANI NETWORK IN FOCUS: Pakistan had no immediate detailed comments on the talks though Interior Minister Rehman Malik said they were “very good”. Chief of Army Staff general Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, who held separate talks in Istanbul with Afghanistan army chief general Sher Mohammad Karimi and the head of the Turkish military, declined to comment.

Asked about Pakistan’s initial response at the meeting, Ludin said: “The test remains to be taken and that is to the extent that we can actually see concrete steps to help with the peace process.”

He also said Afghanistan wanted Pakistan to deal with the Haqqani network.

ZARDARI: In his address to the summit, President Zardari expressed full support and cooperation for the

trilateral partnership between Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkey and said Islamabad had been looking forward to working closely in this partnership to ensure peace, security, stability and development in Afghanistan.

Presidential Spokesman Farhatullah Babar said President Zardari expressed hope of a positive outcome to the trilateral summit and said: “We look forward to working closely in this trilateral partnership to build on our inherent strengths and guarantee our people a future free of fear, free of want.”

The president said the joint commission that had been set up with Afghanistan at the highest level of government underscored the seriousness of Pakistan’s commitment.

INVESTIGATION: Turkish President gul said Afghanistan and Pakistan had agreed to cooperate with an investigation into the murder of Professor Rabbani. Kabul has accused Islamabad of refusing to cooperate in the investigation of the murder, which according to Afghan authorities, was planned in Pakistan and committed by a Pakistani suicide bomber.

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Wednesday, 2 November, 2011

Good luck with your Eid shopping!

PAGe 08

Intermediate result drama continues g

Liqour in short supply LAHORE YASIR HAbIb

BiSe hired corrupt clerks to meet CM’s deadline LAHORE

C

ADNAN loDHI

ORRUPT clerks were hired by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) to meet Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s 45-days deadline to announce the Intermediate part one results, Pakistan Today learnt on Tuesday.

“Meeting the CM’s deadline to appease the masses was a greater priority for the BISE than accuracy and honesty,” the source said, adding, “No matter how notorious they are the Board cannot function without these clerks.”

STUDENT RAISE HAVOC: In another development, a large number of students from Okara, Sheikhupura, Kasoor and various areas of Lahore protested against the Punjab government and Provincial Education Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rahman following persistent errors in their Intermediate results.

The students blocked the road in front of the BISE and demanded the resignation of the education minister, condemned the CM and President Asif Ali Zardari as they deemed they were suffering because of the government’s poor policies. During the protest, students were tortured by the police, while a number of them were also held hostage by the BISE staff to bar them from protesting against the government.

“Punjab’s education minister should resign, we have never seen such mismanagement before,” said Salman, a student. He alleged that the police had tortured students upon the Punjab government’s instructions, adding that they would continue their protests with increased vehemence.

BISE DENIES ALLEGATIONS: On the other hand, BISE Spokesman Qaiser Virk said the students who had failed were the ones who were protesting so their protest carried no weight and there

were no errors in the result.

The Punjab CM bowed under pressure and cancelled the Intermediary part one results in four boards last week, including Lahore BISE. Students held the CM responsible for the mismanagement and errors in the online system.

Moreover, instead of suspending the education minister, the CM suspended various BISE officials, including the chairman, controller, secretary and Online Coordinator Majid Naeem.

The rechecking of papers at BISE is ongoing, and although examiners from local colleges and private institutions have been hired by BISE, they too were seen relying on BISE clerks, who are deemed experts in result preparation.

A senior BISE official said the corruption mafia had not coded the roll numbers, making them visible to those who were rechecking the papers.

Another BISE clerk condemned the CM and said the corruption mafia in BISE had been kept under control by the efforts of a large number of honest employees. However, because of the mismanagement and ineptness of the education minister, corruption would reign once again. A computer department official said the online system was not faulty and had curbed the corruption mafia’s activities. However, the Punjab government had not been able to handle

Banned outfits gear up to collect hides LAHORE: With the arrival of Eidul Adha, banned outfits have started campaigning person to person to collect hides to raise funds, Pakistan Today learnt reliably. Sources said different organisation, including those who have been banned, had assigned the task to their workers to gather maximum hides to raise funds, adding that they were carrying out a door-to-door campaign. They also said imams of different mosques were also helping these organisations.Posters and pamphlets of defunct organisations have also been put up all over the city to attract donors, while some have also set up camps for the same. Sources also claimed that these organisations had changed their names in order to go undetected. The police have decided to put a check in place by only allowing those organisations to set up a camp who obtain a letter from the City District government. “We will not let them set up camps until they do not get an approval from the government,” said DIg Operation ghulam Mehmood while talking to Pakistan Today, adding that the police had issued clear instructions in this regard and a case would be registered under Anti-Terrorism Act against any organisation or their workers found involved in collection of hides without a permission letter. It would be important to mention here that every year dozens of organisations collect hides of sacrificial animals on Eidul Adha from different areas of the city for raising funds. “It is impossible to trace an organisation if it functions through one of its sister organisations or if it changes its name. The loophole is that the leaders of these organisations are being allowed to function freely,” said a top cop of the police, asking not to be named. StAFF REPoRt

BisE secretary transferred LAHORE StAFF REPoRt

BISE Secretary Mushtaq Tahir was also removed from his post on Tuesday for delaying the intermediate resultes, sources in BISE told Pakistan Today Virk however said it was a routine transfer. He said, “Tahir had completed his tenure of two years. He was serving here for about two years and three months. He came here on the deputation of two years.” Tahir has been replaced as secretary by Abdul Razaq Shahid. the problem efficiently. He said the CM was relying upon his traditional warning style but the examination system could be not cured in this manner, as merely suspending officials was not enough. He said the education boards required the CM’s personal attention, if he got time off from his political activities.

BISE Chairman Malik Allahbaksh denied the allegations and said the rechecking was transparent and the roll numbers had been coded.

As the face-off continues between the Punjab government and Muree Brewery, the country’s largest liquor production company, on the issue of excise duty on raw alcohol, a legal battle is all set to start causing further cut in supply of liquor, already declined to 80 percent in Punjab and other provinces, Pakistan Today has learnt.

Other local manufacturers, Quetta Distillery and Indus Distillery, are not based in Punjab, and remain unaffected from excise duty. With a massive decline in supply of alcohol, prices of various brands of liquor are learnt to surge up stocking concerns among minorities especially Christians, alcohol lovers and hotels. The dispute has put a real damper on the upcoming celebrations of Christmas and New Year. The supply is getting thin at the time when winter, in which alcohol consumption burgeons conventionally, is also round the corner.

The black-marketers mafia has rolled up their sleeves to cash in on the poor supply of liquor in wake of the present tussle. “Among others, most popular beverages–London Dry gin, Vat 1, and matured whiskeys up to 21-year-old, that constitutes 85 percent of total supply, will be sold on 50 percent of their original prices,” a hotel worker, working for the racket of the black-marketing mafia, told Pakistan Today seeking anonymity. He said that prices would further shoot up in December before Christmas. The Punjab Excise and Taxation Department imposed 75 percent duty on raw alcohol, both used and wastage materials, in July but Muree Brewery believed in paying on the finished item and paying only for the used one, excluding wastage. Due to stalemate on the issue, the department has not renewed the license of Muree Brewery. The Punjab CM had formed a committee to resolve the row. According to media reports, Additional Chief Secretary Nadeem Asif, who was heading the committee, had decided to exempt all outstanding taxes on Muree Brewery with the ruling that the company only needs to

pay duty on the finished product. But both the department and management of Muree Brewery did not reconcile and decided to take the matter to court. Senior officials in the department dispelled rumours that the issue had been settled.

They said that according to rules and regulations prescribed in the liquor license, the excise duty was paid by license-holders in advance. Excise duty was applied on both used and wastage material included in raw alcohol called rectified spirit, he added. “Brewery kept dodging the department smartly to evade the duty but now it has to pay all arrears and other dues in terms of excise duty on raw alcohol in line with the rules,” he said. Muree Brewery Spokesman Farasat Kazmi said that the company was consulting its lawyer to move court to seek justice against the highhandedness of the department. “We have been paying all taxes, including on raw alcohol, over the last 60 years and the license allows us to pay only on the finished item,” he said.

About wastage material, Kazmi said that the license did not have any provision in this regard. He admitted that the company had decreased 80 percent of its liquor supply to the market due to adversary. Around 11 factories in Punjab produce some 182 million litres of raw alcohol per year under supervision of the department. It is then sold to distilleries, including Muree Brewery, with valid licences and homoeopathy or medical laboratories. According to information provided by the CM’s Secretariat, Muree Brewery is learnt to be the largest supplier of liquor products to Sindh and other parts of the country. “It makes up 70 percent of the market share in Sindh.

The Sindh govt has so far lost Rs 300 million in revenue and already written to the Punjab govt asking that the issue be settled,” sources said. The Punjab govt had also made it obligatory on the company to meet the consumption demand locally before dispatching its products to other provinces, sources said. “Our aim is to address multiple issues related with the revival of supply at a normal pace, which is provincial revenue, but most importantly threat to lives of people, who look for other options in the absence of quality products and fall prey to poisonous products,” he added.

Frequent rallies mock Section 144 LAHORE StAFF REPoRt

The imposition of Section 144 by the Punjab government on The Mall for not holding rallies has become a joke, as rallies are taken out on a regular basis and the provincial government is not taking any serious action for controlling them.

In recent weeks, demonstrations were often held and no action was taken against anyone. On Tuesday, hundreds of employees of the LESCO and power sector held a protest on The Mall against privatisation of PEPCO and appointment of private chief executives in distribution companies. The protesters said that if privatisation orders were not withdrawn, power supply to all government departments, including the Parliament House, will be suspended. Protesters also marched from Al-hamra Hall to WAPDA House and chanted slogans against the government and demanded stopping privatisation of the power sector. Traffic on The Mall and surrounding roads was choked and commuters had to face huge problems. Protesters said that the government had privatised the KESC, which was a failed experience but even then the government had planned to privatise power companies. “We will not allow privatisation of any company,” protesters said adding that they will shut down distribution companies if the government tried to privatise these organisations.

They chanted slogans and demanded that the decision to be withdrawn immediately. Protesters

said that privatisation will cause massive unemployment and at the same time unchecked hike in power prices. Protests of power sector employees were also held in other cities, including Faisalabad, Multan and Rawalpindi. During the time of protest, traffic mess caused problems for commuters. Traffic on Egerton Road, Davis Road, McLeod Road and other nearby roads was choked and people had to wait for hours. “The government should take action against demonstrators and ask them not to block roads so that traffic could flow smoothly,” motorist Saad Farooq said, Traders also faced problems due to rallies and asked the Punjab government to take

serious action against such rallies so that they could run their businesses. Traders said that the Lahore High Court had already ordered not to hold protests on The Mall but the government had failed to implement even those orders. Amin Mazhar Butt, general secretary, Anjuman-e-Tajran Electronics Hall Road and Link McLeod Road said that the LHC order was very clear about rallies on The Mall but no one was implementing these orders.

Punjab government spokesman Pervaiz Rashid and Lahore District Coordinating Officer Ahad Cheema were not available for comments despite repeated attempts.

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06 Lahore

Wednesday, 2 November, 2011

5 shot dead in various incidents LAHORE

F

StAFF REPoRt

IVE people were murdered over different issues in different areas of the city on Tuesday. In first mishap a major and his father were found murdered by unidentified men inside their Farm House located on Baidian Road in the Barki Police Area.

The two deceased were identified as 50years-old Major (r) Shahid and his 80-years-old father Mansha Hussain.

Barki Police Station House Officer Inspector Azam said Major (r) Shahid was residing in a farm house which was spread over 16 acres.

He said the milkman had informed Shahid’s brother-in-law namely Col (r) Ishaq that nobody had been opening the door for three days in a row and upon investigation, they found the dead bodies. The reasons behind the killings had not been established, he said, adding that ghulam Mustafa, a servant, could not be found.

Similarly two young men were murdered by their rivals while seven men including two passerby girls sustained bullet wounds in the Sabzazar Police jurisdiction. The deceased men were identified as 24-years-old Hafiz Muhammad Irfan resident of Chappar Stop, Samanabad and 25-years-old Malik Shahbaz resident of Tajpura Scheme.

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FiLM

The police said the two deceased men belonged to Malik Ehsan Mano group and had an old enmity with Saleem Zaidi group, adding that the latter had murdered a member of the former in 2008. On the day of the incident, members of Saleem Zaidi group opened indiscriminate fire on Malik Ehsan group killing two and injuring passers-by Irfan, Zafar Iqbal, Muhammad Arshad, Safdar, Ayesha Saddique and Saima sustained bullet wounds, adding that five men had been arrested. Yet in another heinous incident a supervisor of a security company killed a 65-yearold security guard on demanding salary for Eid in the Factory Area police limits on Tuesday.

The deceased was identified as Muhammad Hussain, resident of Burewala in Vehari district. The victim had served at TAT Security Company as a security guard for few months and joined another company due to delays in salary.

As the Eidul Azha was nearing, the victim visited the office of Abdul Razzaq, the supervisor of TAT Security Company, and demanded

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his remaining dues. The accused supervisor got furious on the issue, whipped out a gun and shot the old man dead on the spot. The locals captured accused security supervisor who was trying to escape from the crime scene.

BODY IDENTIFIED: Samanabad Investigation Police have identified the body of man, who was found dead in a sack on Monday near Third Rounabout, on Tuesday. The victim was identified as Saleem Ahmad, resident of Safanwala Chowk in Mozang. He had served in Saudi Arabi for 22 years and had returned last year. Some unidentified persons had subjected him to severe torture and had then killed him.

ROBBER ARRESTED: Hurbanspura police have arrested two accused robbers after encounter while the two others managed to escape near Kotli Peer Abdul Rehman on Tuesday. The arrested accused persons were identified as Danish and Ali Razzaq while their accomplices Farooq and Ibrar managed to escape. Police have also recovered illegal weapons cell phone and other valuables from their custody.

PUCit welcomes new students LAHORE StAFF REPoRt

Punjab University College of Information Technology (PUCIT) organised an orientation ceremony for the newly-admitted students of academic session 2011-12 on Tuesday.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran was the chief guest while Principal Prof Dr Syed Mansoor Sarward, faculty members and a large number of newcomers were also present on the occasion.

Addressing the ceremony, the VC said PU was spending Rs 4 million per year on research projects, adding that before 2007, an average of 41 PhD was being produced a year but now more than 100 PhDs were being produced annually.

The college principal briefed the students on the curricular and extra-curricular activities being offered by the college.

PU ANNOUNCES EID HOLIDAYS: The PU will remain closed from Monday, November 7 to Friday, November 11 on account of Eidul Adha holidays. However, the teaching/nonteaching departments will observe Saturdays, November 19 and 26 as working days in lieu of holidays on November 10 and 11.

Ayesha Malik case hearing adjourned LAHORE StAFF REPoRt

An additional district and session (AD&S) judge on Tuesday adjourned the hearing till November 4 of an application filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) leader Ahad Malik’s daughter, Ayesha Malik, seeking registration of a case against police officials for keeping her and her teenaged daughter in illegal detention and subjecting them to torture.

On Tuesday, counsels of the respondents submitted their power of attorney to contest the petition seeking time to prepare the case. The court, giving time to the counsels, adjourned the hearing till the next date.

Four special eid trains LAHORE: Pakistan Railways announced on Tuesday that it will operate four special trains for Eidul Azha, which will start operating from November 4.

The first special train will depart from Karachi on November 4 and reach Rawalpindi with stops in Multan and Lahore. The second train will depart Quetta on November 4 for Rawalpindi with stopovers in Lahore and Multan. The third train will depart from Karachi to Lahore on November 5 while the fourth train will depart from Rawalpindi to Lahore on November 6. StAFF REPoRt

CM takes notice of poor hygiene at hospitals LAHORE StAFF REPoRt

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday took strict notice of poor cleanliness arrangements in certain government hospitals and directed officers that a comprehensive plan be formulated for maintaining cleanliness conditions in hospitals on a permanent basis besides provision of medical facilities and proper sanitary arrangements.

He was chairing a meeting of the dengue emergency committee. The CM directed the health secretary to submit recommendations in this regard including establishment of a monitoring system. Shahbaz issued instructions for sending special teams to Faisalabad and Rawalpindi for reviewing measures for eradication of dengue and provision of curative facilities to patients.

He said that the Punjab Bloodline Project is a splendid scheme under which donors are getting themselves registered at special camps which is highly commendable. Shahbaz said that more than 20,000 people had been registered at these camps in the province. He said that cleanliness campaign in graveyards of the city and Cantt and DHA ahead of Eidul Azha was continuing while special arrangements for fogging and spray have also been made.

Separately, Shahbaz said that the second consignment of relief goods for earthquake affectees of Turkey will soon be dispatched and 100 tent houses for a tent village in the affected area will be sent by a special plane.

Also on Tuesday, the CM directed officers that WASA should be made such a proactive and vibrant institution, which should come up to expectations of the people and short and long term plan should be evolved for this purpose. He said that emphasis should be on reorganisation of WASA, reformation and induction of the best professional workforce in the institution.

PPP considers PTI real opposition in Punjab, says governor LAHORE StAFF REPoRt

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has started considering the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) as the real opposition party in Punjab after the party’s successful public gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan, Punjab governor Latif Khosa said on Tuesday.

He said that the PTI’s show would help in lowering the political temperature in Punjab’s politics and after observing the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) descending graph,

the Sharif brothers would be in depression. The governor said that with the PTI’s rally, it was proved that the PML-N had lost its position in Punjab. To a question about the impact of the PTI’s rally on the PPP, Khosa said that the rally made no difference to the PPP, as it had representation in all four provinces, including gilgit-Baltistan and AJK. He said that no change was emerging before 2013 and if any change would come, it would be a democratic change, as no political player was in the mood to accommodate any undemocratic step. The governor said that the PPP was trying to strengthen democracy and international observers would be invited to monitor the next general elections to make the polls transparent.

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Wednesday, 2 November, 2011

Lahore 07 LGS Jt wins All Pakistan debating Championship LAHORE StAFF REPoRt

buMPER to buMPER: traffic remains choked at Canal Road, as its widening goes on at a snail’s pace. IrFAN ChAUdhry

Lawyers brawl over entry test policy LAHORE

A

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StAFF REPoRt

division bench of Lahore High Court on Tuesday rejected a request by University of Health Sciences (UHS) to vacate the stay against its Combined Merit List for admission to the medical colleges and deferred hearing by one day.

Lawyers of UHS, Pakistan Medical and Dental Council and the petitioner began brawling and quarrelling in the courtroom, disrupting the proceedings and annoying the court.

The court, warning the lawyers, observed “Should we close down the court if

LHC rejects request to vacate stay against UHS’ merit list

you want to decide the matter yourself?”

The bench comprising Justice Ch Shahid Saeed and Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan, reprimanding the parties, suspended the proceedings for a while.

However the lawyers apologised to the court for their rough attitude and said they would observe the court’s decorum.

Before the eruption of a storm in the courtroom, the bench asked PMDC counsel Ch Muhammad Umair why there was no check on private medical colleges which were charging fee in lacs.

The court also asked if the son or daugh-

ter of a poor man could afford to study in these private colleges and that had the PMDC fixed some quota in the medical colleges for the poor?

The court also rejected the request of UHS Counsel Arsalan Husan Syed to vacate the stay order granted on previous hearing against implementation of UHS’s merit list observing that proceedings in the case were almost complete.

The situation took a bad turn when the petitioner’s counsel Azhar Siddique told the court that UHS’ counsel was lying.

The UHS counsel had said an LHC

PML-N MPA acquitted in illegal assets case LAHORE StAFF REPoRt

An accountability court on Tuesday acquitted former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) from Narowal Muhammad Rasheed in two references of illegal assets, misuse of authority and intentional absentia.

The accused, hailing from a low-income family with a humble background, has been charged over acquisition of ‘illegal’ assets worth millions of rupees.

A reference was filed against Muhammad Rasheed in 2000, submitting that he became a member of the Sialkot district council in 1983, adding that records showed that the accused had not inherited any property or had any source of income. However, upon entering politics, the accused acquired properties worth more than 15.8 million rupees in his, his spouse and his dependants’ names, disproportionate to his known sources of his income and which he could not reasonably account for.

The accused disappeared from the scene instead of joining the investigations, prompting NAB to file another reference against the accused, requesting the court declare the accused an absconder.

The court, declaring Muhammad Rasheed an absconder, convicted him in absentia for three years.

NAB arrested the accused afterwards and produced him in court to face trial.

The court on Tuesday acquitted the accused on two references, declaring him innocent.

LHC QASID’S BOOK WINS CHEQUE FROM CJP: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Chaudhry has appreciated a Lahore High Court (LHC) employee for writing a book titled “Adalate-Aalia Kay Qasid Ki Kahani”.

In a letter addressed to Ali Rehman, the author, the CJP thanked him for sending a copy of the book and said it was a unique book wherein many memories about important per-

sonalities had been saved. The CJP observed that the style of writing was simple and natural, which made it attractive.

He appreciated the effort and congratulated the author, besides forwarding a cheque. Ali Rehman is a LHC qasid due to retire by fall 2011, after 37 years of court service.

The book is an autobiography, providing an insight into the high court and its working.

LHC SETS ASIDE PPSC FILLED POSTS OF DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF 2008: A division bench of the Lahore High Court on Tuesday set aside recommendations for posts of deputy director fisheries in Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Department Punjab made by Punjab Public Service commission (PPSC) in 2008.

The bench directed the PPSC to constitute a committee as per rules and re-interview all short-listed candidates for the posts.

FOLKSINGER MOVES LHC AGAINST CM’S FALSE PROMISES: A petition has been moved in the Lahore High Court against the non-implementation of a grant of Rs 50,000 announced by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for the medical treatment of ailing folksinger, Ijaz Lauhar. Ijaz Lauhar contended in the petition that the CM had announced the grant seven months ago and had also passed the required directions to the Lahore Deputy Commissioning Officer for payment of Rs 50,000 to him.

However, the promise was yet to materialise in the form of hard cash. The petitioner named Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Lahore DCO and Lahore Division commissioner respondents in the matter.

He said when he contacted the DCO for the amount of the grant, as per the orders of the CM, the DCO said the money would soon be sent to his home address. He said despite waiting of a long time he was yet to receive the grant money. The singer demanded the court call for a report from the respondents, including the CM.

bench in a judgment in 2010 had set a standard process for admissions which the university was following together with PMDC rules of the business. PMDC counsel told the court that the FSc system had some defects so the entry test system was used as a standard measure.

Azhar said UHS counsel was lying to the court as in 2010 question of the FSc pass marks came before court and the question of giving more weightage to entry test marks over FSc marks had been raised for the first time.

The bench directed the counsel for the petitioner to complete his arguments on Wednesday (today), when the judgment would also be announced.

The All Pakistan under-19 Debating Championship 2011 was held from October 28 to 31 at Aitchison College Lahore. Aspiring young debaters from 40 institutions from all over Pakistan participated in it. SICAS Lahore, Aitchison College Lahore, Lahore grammar School (LgS) Johar town and Karachi grammar school were the four semi-finalists at the event.

LgS Johar town lifted the trophy by proving to the house that strong armies build strong nations. Karachi grammar School did a wonderful job at opposing the motion. US consulate Council general Nina Maria Fite was the chief guest and was impressed by the standard of the debate. Ibrahim Rabbani from LgS Johar Town was declared the best speaker of the tournament. About 30 top speakers were short listed for the national camp, which would be held later this week, and would play a vital role in the selection of the National Pakistan team to represent Pakistan in the world debates scheduled to be held in South Africa in 2012.

Debating Society Pakistan (DSP) President Taimur Bandey said such activities provided a healthy platform for the youth to interact and reflected that the real picture of Pakistan was very different from what was projected and perceived internationally.

LdA auctions plots of venus Housing Scheme LAHORE: Twenty-two of the 48 mortgaged residential plots of Venus Housing Scheme were auctioned against a sum of Rs 56 million by the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) on Tuesday. Under the supervision of LDA Vice Chairman Aamir Asghar Dar, open auction of 48 mortgaged residential plots of Venus Housing Scheme was held in LDA Community Centre, 239-A, New Muslim Town. PRESS RElEASE

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08 Lahore

Good luck with your Eid shopping!

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30 °C High 17Low0C

Wednesday, 2 November, 2011

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People return empty-handed from the six sale points dealers charging exorbitant prices for being made to transport their animals outside the city LAHORE

B

EINg unable to buy animals after a multiple fold increase in their prices and hoping that they will manage to reach a cheap bargain at the last minute, people are being forced to return empty-handed from the Bakar Mandis.

The conventional rush in the markets just five days before Eidul Adha is missing this time since the exorbitant prices have forced the people to resort to waiting for the last-minute price drops. People have been visiting the six sale points outside the city to compare prices with their budgets, but most return empty handed.

The exemption of taxes on entry and sale of animals in the city has not caused any difference to prices which have inflated excessively.

As illustrated by the table, the price of an average goat or sheep exceeds Rs 20,000, while a pair of sheep is being sold from Rs 75,000 to Rs 100,000. The most expensive bull can be bought in LDA Avenue I from Livestock Dairy Farm of Khanewal and the Livestock Department is demanding Rs 6 lac for it. The bull is named Dil Pasand 2 and is the offspring of Dil Pasand 1 which was sold last year for Rs 12 lac.

THEY WERE MUCH CHEAPER LAST YEAR: Citizens feel the prices were much lower last year and an average small animal, goat or sheep, could be bought for Rs 15,000.

ANIMAL

QURBANI FACTS

SAlAHuDIN SAFDAR

PRICES

8 Qurbani is compulsory on every adult Muslim, male or female who owns 613.35 grams of silver or its equivalent in money, personal ornaments, stock-intrade or any other form of wealth which is surplus to his basic needs.

head. However, cow, buffalo or camel, can be divided into 7 parts. and 8, this year. However, it is preferable to perform it on the first day.

“Since people prefer goats and sheep over cows and camels, the prices of these animals have gone up,” said Imran Saleem, a businessman.

LIMITED SALE POINTS, UNLIMITED CHANCES TO EXPLOIT CUSTOMERS: Since the six sale points are located far away from the residential areas and since the customers are few and far between, the dealers are enjoying unlimited opportunities to exorbitant prices for their animals.

PRICES

Cow

Rs 50,000-500,000 Camel

Sheep

Rs 40,000

8 Qurbani meat cannot be sold. It is preferable to divide it into 3 parts, one-third for the poor, one-third for relatives and the rest for one’s self

8 Qurbani can only be performed on November 6, 7

RAiLWAYS 117 99201772 1333

hands, turning the animal’s face towards the Kaaba.

It is compulsory to recite: Bismillah Allahuakbar in Arabic and optional to recite: I, being upright, turn my face towards the One who has created the heavens and the earth, and I am not among those who associate partners with Allah.

(Al-An'am, 6:79)

8 Qurbani of only one goat or sheep is allowed per

Rs 25,000-30,000 CitY StAtioN (iNqUiRY) ReSeRvAtioN RAiLWAY PoLiCe

8 Qurbani’s Sunnah is to perform it with one’s own

613.35 grams of silver = Rs 56,305.53 (according to the trending silver rates)

ANIMAL

Goat

8 Qurbani cannot be offered before the Eid prayer

Rs 100,000 & above

8 Qurbani has no alternative.

The six sale points are catering to a population three times greater than last year’s and visiting all these six sale points located in different corners of the city is impossible, hence the customers cannot really compare prices to pressurise the dealers.

Some traders are even bringing animals in small batches inside the city to attract customers, making sure they can avoid the Lahore Development Authority who can charge them for violation of Section 144.

WE’LL GET THEM FROM ELSEWHERE: Citizens are also opting to buy their animals from farms located outside the city in the hope of reaching a better bargain. “I bought a pair of goats for just Rs 26,000 from a village near Kasur. The farm owner told me that the same goats were being sold for Rs 80,000 in the six sale points the government has set up,” Ahsan Jamshed Khan, an engineer, told Pakistan Today.

IT ISN’T OUR FAULT: “We have to transport the animals all the way outside the city to the sale points, that costs us a lot,” said Tahir Naz, a trader.

“The feed prices have gone up because of the increase in fuel prices hence we have to charge more than last year,” another trader, gulzar Khan, told Pakistan Today.

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Wednesday, 2 November, 2011

JI condemns Zardari’s remarks against bin laden g

Hasan tells minorities People of the Book are brothers of Muslims LAHORE/ISLAMABAD

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StAFF REPoRt

TRONgLY reacting to President Asif Ali Zardari’s remarks terming Osama bin Laden the “greatest evil”, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Syed Munawar Hasan said on Tuesday the US and its allies were in fact the axis of evil and had thrust a war on the Muslim world to grab its resources, killing millions of innocent Muslims in the process.

He said bin Laden was the hero of the Muslim world because he had laid down his life as expiation for the Muslims, but President Zardari’s statement was only to please his masters in Washington.

Zardari’s views reflected a slave mentality and such a statement was not becoming of a Muslim ruler, he added.

The JI chief also said the US and its allies had neither proved the charges against Osama bin Laden and his col-

leagues nor the existence of chemical weapons in Iraq, the pretext on which the West invaded Iraq. He said the US’ lies had been fully exposed and Washington’s double standards regarding the Muslims were no longer a secret.

Hasan said that instead of implementing parliament’s unanimous resolutions, President Zardari was rubbing salt on the nation’s wounds. He called

Unnecessary customs should be abandoned: tSz

Zadaris’s statement a negation of national honour and said the nation would have to get rid of the US slaves in the next elections.

The JI chief pointed out that the US, which had been levelling serious allegations against the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), was now pressing the same agency to arrange talks with the Taliban.

PEOPLE OF THE BOOK: Separately, the JI chief told a gathering of Muslims and Christians in Islamabad on Tuesday that the JI believed in service to humanity irrespective of religious differences.

He said Christians and other minorities in Pakistan were equal citizens and enjoyed equal rights under the law. He assured the minorities that upon coming into power, the JI would fully protect their basic rights. He also invited the Christians to a joint struggle against tyranny and oppression. He said the People of the Book were all brothers and a big chunk of Muslims did not know that.

Man chops off wife’s hands

PESHAWAR StAFF REPoRt

Speakers at a seminar on Tuesday appealed to rich people in the society to abandon unnecessary customs, such as over-expenditure on dowry, to ease the social pressure on poor people who cannot afford similar expenses.

Tehreek-e-Saada Zindagi (TSZ) organised the seminar on “Appeal: Adoption of Simple Life” at the Peshawar Press Club. The speakers said that due to expensive and unnecessary customs, young girls and boys remained unmarried or committed suicides out of despair. They said that the poor parents of brides and bridegrooms were compelled to take loans or sell their property to raise money for dowry, adding that dowry had become a form of extortion as the brides with little dowry may face mental or even physical torture. The Tehreek-e-Saada Zindagi president said that awareness would be created among the people through seminars, debates, walks and workshops in several areas.

HARAPPA INP

A man chopped off both hands of his wife over a petty issue on Tuesday. Police said that Ayub and Rabia married a few days back and to celebrate the marriage, Ayub’s friends arranged a music programme. Ayub asked his wife to attend the music party and meet his friends but Rabia refused to attend the function which infuriated her husband.

Enraged, Ayub chopped both hands of his wife with a sharpedged weapon, police said.

Immediately, residents of the locality rushed to the house and handed over Ayub to the police.

Ministers’ indifference decries claims of parliament’s supremacy ISLAMABAD ARIF tAJ

The supremacy of parliament, which the government has been claiming since its coming into power, can be gauged from the presence of the ministers in sessions of the parliament, particularly the Senate.

The questions which the members are supposed to ask the cabinet members were deferred on a number of occasions in the Senate owing to the absence of ministers or a minister. The opposition parties, sometimes including government’s coalition party, the Awami National Party, staged token walkouts many a time from the proceedings of the Upper House in protest, but in vain, as the ministers never come to realise their misdemeanour.

The government is responsible to answer questions of both the Houses of parliament, the Senate and the National Assembly, per the constitution. The members have walked out of the Upper House more than once a day.

On Friday, the ministers’ absence led the members to stage walkouts thrice and forced the Senate Chairman Farooq H Naik to direct the Leader of the House in the Senate Nayyer Hussain Bukhari to take up the matter with the prime minister.

The absence of ministers from the

Upper House, though not new phenomenon, erodes the credibility of the government’s claim that parliament was supreme and helps cause public disillusionment with the democratic process in the country.

During the question hour on Friday, only Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar was present in the Upper House and the Senate chairman had to defer major chunk of questions pertaining to the ministries of interior and railways, as the ministers concerned were absent.

Senator Zafar Ali Shah had said in protest, “Deferring questions each time is not the way to run the house and the chairman should seek explanation from the ministers.”

ANP Senator Haji Adeel was extremely furious, saying ministers’ absence from the House amounted to ridiculing parliament.

The parliament itself and various standing committees are supposed to act as watchdogs regarding the performance and working of the government. Senate Standing Committee Chairman Talha Mehmood has been complaining since long that Interior Minister Rehman Malik never appeared in the sanding committee meetings.

Every minister is an ex-officio part of respective standing committee of both the Houses of parliament and is supposed to reply to the queries of the committee members.

The irrespirable attitude of the ministers is a serious issue, which needs to be addressed if the tall claims of parliament’s supremacy are to be proven.

News 09

Executive board meets today to make NAB functional ISLAMABAD StAFF REPoRt

With its executive board meeting (EBM) being held today (Wednesday) after a lapse of over eight months, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is all set to become functional with its new chairman, Admiral (r) Fasih Bokhari, set to chair his first meeting of the NAB’s decision-making body.

The previous EBM of the NAB was chaired by Deputy Chairman NAB Javed Qazi, in the capacity of acting chairman in absence of the NAB chief after removal of Justice (r) Deedar Hussain Shah as NAB chief.

A source told Pakistan Today that a huge agenda was to be taken up at the meeting with around half a dozen references, several inquiries and prosecution cases are to be decided by the meeting while some internal matters of NAB vis-à-vis restructuring of the body would also be taken up during the meeting.

“Earlier, the NAB chairman has been given all necessary briefings and after being fully updated on NAB

functioning, Bokhari is all set to chair today’s meeting with a heavy agenda to be taken up by the executive board meeting which is the only body authorised to take any decision on any case or reference,” said the source, adding that the meeting would also review the implementation status on its decisions taken in its last meeting.

“Today’s meeting would also take up the agenda which was pending due to removal of the former chairman NAB Justice (r) Syed Deedar Hussain Shah by the Supreme Court on March 10. Previously, the EBM meeting was scheduled to be held on March 9 but was later cancelled as the court was going to decide the fate of Deedar Shah the very next day on March 10.

So Deedar thought it against morality to take decisions of NAB cases while he himself was facing an axe. So he decided to cancel the meeting and wait for the apex court decision,” said the source, adding that Justice (r) Deedar Shah was present at NAB headquarters and as the court announced its verdict, he left the charge the same day.

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10 News

Wednesday, 2 November, 2011

DERA AllAH YAR/FAISAlAbAD: WAPDA Hydroelectric Central labor union (CbA) workers protest against the privatisation of WAPDA. oNLINE

China, an all-weather friend KARACHI PRESS RElEASE

People’s Republic of China has always proved to be a time-tested friend and a real brother of Pakistan at various occasions, may it be a flood or earth quake or any other calamity. Like last year, this year also the Military Contingent of People’s Liberation Army established a field medical hospital in flood-affected area near Kunri.

The committed medical staff, which includes 16 doctors and over 30 nursing personnel, were busy round the clock to provide the best medical care to the local populace. Their dedicated service became the talk of the town. Corps Commander Lieutenant general Muhammad Zahirul Islam visited the People Liberation Army field medical hospital on Tuesday. He was briefed in detail about the services rendered by the Chinese comrades in connection to the recent floods in Sindh.

The corps commander paid rich tribute to the dedicated medical staff. He thanked the People of China, the government and the People’s Liberation Army on behalf of the Pakistan Army, the government of Pakistan and the victims of flood for exemplary humanitarian services. Chinese medical contingent was at the disposal of the floodaffected people and treated thousands of patients. The contingent is likely to return to their China soon. The Chinese contingent commander also thanked the corps commander and his troops for rendering tremendous hospitality throughout their stay in the affected areas.

They also handed over more than 40 tonnes of medicine for affected people.

Abbottabad commission interviews three more individuals ISLAMABAD StAFF REPoRt

The Inquiry Commission on Abbottabad Operation on Tuesday expanded its investigations into the incident by interviewing three more individuals related to raid conducted by US special forces on May 2 at the Abbottabad compound used by al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.

The commission presided over by Justice (r) Javed Iqbal conducted detailed interviews of Save the Children Country Director David Wright, , Military Lands and Cantonment Department Rawalpindi Region Director Farrukh Masood Khan and Abbottabad resident Sohaib Athar. All the three individuals presented their perception about the incident.

The meeting was also attended by commission members Abbas Khan, Ig (r) Ashraf Jehangir Qazi and Lt. general (r) Nadeem Ahmed. The commission will meet again today (Wednesday).

‘Right time to discuss water treaty with Kabul’ experts say Pak-Afghan water treaty essential to avoid water conflict, deal with climate change g

ISLAMABAD

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StAFF REPoRt

HE time has come to chalk out a plan to help agree a water treaty between Afghanistan and Pakistan to allow the two countries to find a framework that fits both, said water experts at a oneday water conference.

International experts said greater trust and science-based dialogue between the two states can help understand water issues and propose feasible solutions.

Suggestions were made to conduct a capacity audit of water-related institutions. Indus River System Authority (IRSA) was proposed as a possible negotiating forum and it was proposed that an IRSA-like institution be created in Afghanistan to resolve Pakistan-Afghan water issues. The water conference entitled Regional Water governance: Facing Scarcity, Enhancing Cooperation was organised by Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) Pakistan and was funded by French Embassy.

The conference was the first in Pakistan which focused on water cooperation

between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The debate-linked sub-national partnership and prospective scarcity and climate change impacts to regional collaboration on water governance. It highlighted the challenges and practical opportunities for governing resources.

The two sessions of the conference, an exclusive experts roundtable partnerships and scarcity governance and a media event titled ‘Trans-boundary water management: how to foster cooperation?’ were held on Tuesday at a local hotel. The experts included former WAPDA Chairman Shams-ul-Mulk, Water & Power Federal Secretary Ashfaq Mahmood, Chief Planning Commission (Water), Planning & Development division Naseer gillani, CIRAD France Marcel Kurper, AFD Pakistan Head Nicolas Fornage, Advisor (Climate Affairs), Ministry of Defence Qamar uz Zaman, Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC), Dr Shahid Ahmad, Specialist IWRN, Planning Commission Zaigham Habib, Hisaar Foundation chairperson Simi Kamal , LEAD Pakistan CEO Ali Tauqeer Sheikh and, and other representatives of national and international organisations.

Speaking to the conference, former WAPDA Chairman Shams ul Mulk said that we need to have people in Pakistan and Afghanistan who say ‘this is our river, not your not mine’. He insisted that in the field of water “sub-optimality is not an option”. Speaking to the conference LEAD Pakistan CEO Ali Tauqeer Sheikh said the water treaty between Pakistan and Afghanistan is necessary to avoid future conflicts. Climate Affairs Advisor Dr Qamar uz Zaman Chaudhry said we need to reassess the 1991 water accord between provinces. He said there was a need to develop think tanks and technical committees to resolve conflicts. Alexandre Taithe, from the French institute Strategic Research Foundation, said there was a possibility to build on climate change-related initiatives to cooperate in the region.

Frederic Bessat, from the French Embassy, encouraged the experts to think about a possible “joint, multi-disciplinary, scientific fact-finding working group” on Afghanistan/Pakistan cooperation.

Federal Secretary of Water & Power Ashfaq Mahmood said that it was the right time for Islamabad to sit with Kabul and form a water treaty.

93% view power shortage as serious problem ISLAMABAD: A large majority, 93 percent of the people, views electricity shortages and load shedding in their localities as very serious (57 percent) or serious problem (36 percent), according to a latest survey by gilani Research Institute and gallup Pakistan.

The survey said people were divided on how to protest against electricity shortages and load shedding, with 53 percent favouring street protests and 43 percent disagreeing with the mode of protest.

It said Pakistanis used a range of coping mechanism to fight electricity shortages and load shedding: 28 percent used emergency lights, 15 percent used UPS, 10 percent used gas lamps and 10 percent used generators.

But 15 percent said they stopped working altogether. The survey said a majority was dissatisfied with electricity suppliers: level of dissatisfaction varied on different dimensions such as load shedding (82 percent), faulty metres (67 percent), unstable voltage (69 percent), irregular billing (51 percent) and overall dissatisfaction (72 percent). StAFF REPoRt

Country’s soaring population poses serious economic threat ZEBA SATHAR As the world population reaches seven billion, what do we see as our own population realities and our own future? Living in 2011 we can see sheer population sizes visibly having impact on daily lives, making it difficult to find housing, shelter, jobs, gas and most critically water and food. At the same time it’s worth asking whether all those who have the power to change things, in whom we presumably place our trust in shaping the current and the future, are blind to these realities? Pakistan’s population size has increased from 34 million in 1951, to 43 million in 1961, 65 million in 1972, 84 million in 1981, 132 million in 1998 and the current 180 million soon to become 200 million by 2018. By the end of the century we could have as many as 360 million Pakistanis.

Surely this would present an insurmountable challenge to our already stark scarcity of resources. It is time to seriously take in this reality, debate and discuss the options for our future and to take action while we can.

The Family Planning Association of Pakistan (FPAP) started its own voluntary non-governmental programme at that time and has probably had a huge imprint

on the government programme operating by its side for many years.

Ironically, Pakistan was one of the earliest countries to have a population policy. But there has been no seriousness on the part of any sections of society or the state that have taken on the issue of planning for these exponentially rising numbers. Fertility decline began around 1990, about ten years later than in most of South Asia and at least 25 years after its clearly defined population policy. In fact Pakistan is one of the last countries in Asia to experience fertility decline.

The speed of the fertility decline from our current levels of just under four children per woman to replacement fertility is of utmost importance. Fertility in Pakistan has been slow to change, unlike Bangladesh, Iran and most of India. In fact reduction in fertility and the speed of fertility decline are the main drivers of population growth and its subsequent impact on all aspects of social and economic development. The main cause of differences between the projections lies in their assumptions about future levels of fertility.

What Pakistan is definitely experiencing are radical changes in the age structure.

We know that the levels and trends in the

age composition have important consequences for socio-economic development, particularly education and employment and poverty and health. Between 1950 and 2000 the population of Pakistan was very young with about 60% below the age of 25 and the age structure changed little in the 20th century. However, large changes are expected in the coming decades. This projected change in age composition is the result of declining fertility: with fewer births, the younger generations will become smaller than older generations. Obstacles such as lack of access to family planning, fear of side effects of contraceptive methods, husbands’ disapproval, lead some women to forgo contraceptive use despite their intention not to get pregnant. Such women have an “unmet need” for contraception. In Pakistan 37% of married women are estimated to have an unmet need. Contraceptive use has increased substantially over the past two decades, reaching 30 % in 2007.

Unwanted childbearing is more common among poor, rural and uneducated women than among their well-off, urban and educated counterparts. Unwanted fertility varies from 1.6 to 0.6 between the poorest and wealthiest quintiles. The policy option here is clearly to eliminate un-

wanted fertility through better quality and evenly distributed family planning services.

Foremost, family planning programmes can reduce the unmet need for contraception by providing access to a range of birth control methods. In addition they provide information about methods and their benefits through IEC programs which reduce obstacles to contraceptive use. Any programme-induced fertility decline changes the future trajectory of population growth. This impact can be large, because as noted above, a small change in fertility can have a large impact on future population size. According to the standard (medium variant) projection, the population of Pakistan will grow by 100 million between 2010 and 2050.

However, if no further investment in family planning is made, the fertility trajectory could easily be a half birth higher and in that case the population of Pakistan would reach 342 million in 2050.

On the other hand if a strong new investment in family planning is made, the future fertility trajectory could easily be a half birth less leading to a population of just 266 million by 2050. In other words, the difference between a very weak and a strong programme scenario is 76 million by 2050.

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Wednesday, 2 November, 2011

Editor’s mail 11

Morning shows: a complete nuisance Myriads of morning shows have now dominated Pakistani television channels in recent years. An exquisite aura of ideal morning is superficially created, where celebrities in a luxurious, cozy chaise longue sip steaming morning beverage in elegant mugs and have frivolous conversations and pointless exchange of ideas on daily affairs.

These morning shows give the hosts an opportunity to play dress up on the camera as they attempt to beautify their appearance by latest designer clothes and flaunt on the set with grace and poise, and in essence pose a lifestyle filled with bliss, unblemished with any sort of misery.

Their petty tea talks with one another

or via phone calls is a perfect demonstration of how to waste not only their precious two hours but also of the gawking audience who hang on each and every word of utter rubbish they articulate.

Some morning shows, attempt to illuminate harsh realities of life and the oppressed group of the society is brought under limelight, nevertheless the seriousness of these issues stand in stark contrast to the larger picture.

There is more that meets the eye, morning shows have become a medium through which designer clothes are advertised and the makeup artists gain more publicity. With forces of advertising working to achieve a desired effect; airing of serious issues become just a for-

Failed in english mality and the prime purpose is served.

The folly lies in the fact when the audience cannot distinguish between reality and ephemeral glamour in two hours and attempt to copy the host’s attire ignoring its intrinsic worth.

The women fall prey to the gleaming world of glamour and in turn provide these designers an opportunity to manipulate their weakness of being more younger and more pretty to increase their profits. Thus, a cause and effect relationship is achieved; prices of clothes either stitched or raw are sky-rocketing due to the latest fashion clothes worn by morning shows celebrities.

With all the glamour shown and if pluralistic theories deem that media

holds a mirror to the society, then who says that Pakistan is under developed? If morning shows and fashion industry of Pakistan are the pioneers of modernization then where do the impoverished areas lie?

Are they part of gruesome trash to be removed all together, too negligible to be given a worth or a hurdle towards modern progress? And most of all are things left to be judged only by their material worth? In this globalised era, nothing is held obscured; at the end of the day it all depends on how one perceive reality as active individuals striving to make a difference.

HADIA MUKHTAR Karachi

Comedy of politics Our nation is bogged down in a situation where the advantageously placed “haves” are using all the tricks in the book to rob the ignorant “have-nots” of the country. As a result, the former are living royally while the latter have turned paupers.

There is a mad scramble for the biggest prize in the country: the public exchequer. The political scene resembles a circus show in which the players are well-trained and fully adept at their art except that they are not the players of the ordinary circus but experts in the trickery of swindling the public treasury. The people are the innocent spectators in the show, mesmerised by their performance, unable to unravel their tricks.

During the Musharraf regime, the Shujaat party was in collaboration with the dictator and together they all looted country’s wealth. One actor, Moonis Elahi, has just got himself off the hook on account of political deal struck by his elders.

The recent disclosures about the richest people of Pakistan put Mr Zardari at No 2 with US$ 1.8 billion and Nawaz Sharif at No 3 with US$ 1.4 billion. Is it any wonder that both these political entities were only ordinary businessmen or landowners before they had been twice at the top in government?

The international strategy that seems to be governing our country goes somewhat like this: impose hand-picked political governments, give them all the incentives to be corrupt so that they bankrupt the people. The people in the end will cry out in pain, and then impose martial law to suppress their voice and maintain status quo with the help of already highly corrupt bureaucracy. Repeat this cycle at necessary intervals.

All this can only be remedied if the state institutions are built on rock-solid foundations of merit and manned by expert individuals who are highly patriotic in their outlook, even ready to lay down their lives in the cause of the country.

RAFIQ AHMAD Muzaffargarh

Population bomb The total population of the world touched the figure of 7 billion. In 19th century it was just one billion, in the next one and half century 1.5 billion were added, while 4.5 billion increased just in the past 60 years. It is really a critical increase in population. But the more important thing to note and highlight is Pakistan’s contribution in the population. Pakistan adds 180 million to that number of seven billion.

Pakistan is already confronting a number of challenges such as poverty, food shortage, unemployment, illiteracy, feuds on property, extremism, terrorism and so forth. All these challenges are interlinked and interdependent on each other.

Owing to population pressure, it becomes difficult for any government to fulfill the needs of its public. It becomes difficult to create employment opportunities for all, education to all, provision of law and order and so forth.

At present, the population of Pakistan has become a bomb and its burst will have dire results. Therefore, it is the need of the hour that all stakeholders should play their significant roles to stop this bomb. The policy makers and the concerned authorities should further make their policies culture sensitive.

INAYAT ALI GOPANG Islamabad

It has been reported that in a recent selection test held for the United Nations peacekeeping missions, a total of over 600 police officers failed in English language.

This is not surprising given the attention paid to the training of these police officers. Due to this negligence, the police staff is unable to polish their professional skills and perform at their maximum capacity.

It is pertinent to mention here that a female Pakistani police officer has also been awarded 2011 International Female Police Peacekeeper Award by the United Nations. Imagine, what can be made of our police force if our administration provides them with proper facilities and required training.

HASSAN BASHIR Islamabad

Foul language

A wave of political change It seems a wave of political change is heading towards this country. While Lahore was stage to two political rallies, which focused on corruption and the federal government's failed economic, security and foreign policies, Karachi hosted a stage managed show by three sitting coalition partners of a government, which has absolutely zero credibility.

Imran Khan put up a massive show of force on 30 October by holding a huge public meeting at Lahore's famous Minar-ePakistan. It was one of the largest such meetings that has ever been held since 1980s.

Lahore has always spearheaded political changes in Pakistan and the venue of Imran Khan's meeting was the same that passed 1940’s Pakistan Resolution. This public meeting was unique because it had a large component of youth and ladies,

Flood-hit areas Every political party makes every possible effort to win the elections. Huge events are being organised by these political parties for which money is flown like water. But there is severe indifference towards the nation and its problems. Moreover, there seems no effort to help the victims of flood. Why politicians cannot put their interests aside and do at least this one thing good, is beyond anybody’s guess.

Tall claims of government, as always, come to a stop by when one sees the the miserable situation of these flood-hit areas on media. No relief has been given to these helpless people. They have neither clean water to drink, nor a place for shelter, nor food to eat. No doubt some people are really working to provide relief to them but how can their effort match the massive scale of destruction in these areas. It is our duty to help our flood-hit fellow citizens by donating money and goods, by and lifting them up from this misery and to make every possible effort on individual level as well as collective level.

RIMSHA REHMAN Karachi

the flawed system On average an election campaign for the seat of an MPA costs 30 million rupees, and still a win isn’t guaranteed. The candidate disburses all this money from his own pocket thus has immense value for it. For some that 30 million opens doors of mastery, for some it earns them

not just party activists, as compared to PML(N)’s rally held on 28 October, which was dominated by party activists, supporters and traders. The stage of Imran Khan’s public meeting displayed the national flag and portraits of Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal along with a single photograph of Imran Khan.

In sharp contrast to these two political meetings, the public meeting in Karachi was jointly held by a coalition of what is generally believed by most to be an alliance of the corrupt and opportunists, whose sole goal is to remain in power and harvest the gains for their insatiable greed of ill-gotten wealth. Change is not just in the air, but is the demand of the people of Pakistan.

MIR TASSADAQ Lahore

respect and for most it multiplies in its original form.

They reimburse their pockets by burdening the patwaris, inspectors, tax collectors and other officials of their area, who collect bribes from the poor civilians putting them into hassle and anxiety just so their boss, the elected MPA could compensate his own bank balance. This not only makes the system corrupt but also the masses hopeless and insecure, demanding a major remodeling of the system.

AHMAD HASAN Lahore

Judging foul language Most Pakistani talk shows are like a “verbal Noora Kushti” with the cunning host/master of ceremony playing referee.

The bored audience has little choice in the matter. The other evening, a popular talk show host posed questions to a famous Maulana, who illuminated the road to a “better existence” in two golden rules of Islam.

He said that (a) belief in the “hereafter” was a check on what we do today and (b) we must use ‘proper language” in our daily speech. It may just be a coincidence that the next day PPP accused Shabaz Sharif of using “un-parliamentary language” against the President.

Foul language in Punjabi has become quite a serious problem, thus the socalled language infraction of a public figure calls for some serious thought. Most people learn Punjabi language by osmosis. The children are denied the use of this provincial language at school and

hence improvise and develop their own variants of English/Urdu words in Punjabi. On the other side of border, the separation of 60 odd years and the inclusion of Hindi words have made that Punjabi unintelligible to the stagnant Punjabi speakers of Pakistan. So who indeed is the right person to ask about whether the language is “parliamentary”, “proper”, or “foul”? Since Punjabi is not a part of communication system, who will be the judge? Perhaps, Urdu speaking politicians are really capitalising on the ignorance of Punjabi youth, who have been deprived of their culture dictionary.

Perhaps, the use of foul language is really a result of denial of development.

Lectures of Maulanas, ministers and assorted MC’s on TV cannot possibly be understood by this group of people who barely understand themselves and must punctuate every sentence with a foul word for emphasis.

SHAUKAT AMIR Australia

Rash driving Road accidents have increased recently. The main cause of most road accidents is rash and reckless driving. Buses start a race to beat one another; the drivers try to overtake one another. As most of the roads and turning in the cities are narrow and risky, this results in horrible accidents.

The authorities should find out durable solution to this problem so the precious lives of people can be saved.

TAHIRA SHAHEEN Islamabad

Mian Muhammad Shabaz Sharif, Chief Minister, Punjab, roared and slammed in a mammoth gathering at Lahore the other day. Like many others, I had the opportunity to watch the live television coverage of Mian Shahbaz Sharif.

Word play, below-the-belt jokes, sloganeering, lots of president-and-confidante-bashing – that’s what the speech was all about.

I was utterly disappointed at his tone, tempo and derogatory utterances against the incumbent president. This contemptuous tone and use of derogatory remarks has led to a huge anger among the workers, sympathisers of Pakistan Peoples Party and the disciples of political science and law in the country and abroad.

Nobody should use uncivilised language in any walk of life. It is an open secret that the present government has not come to the expectations of the people.

There are hundred and one ways to expose the evil doers and explicate the situation. It is not advisable to use foul language in such a public crowd.

The politicians are requested not to use indecent and irresponsible language.

Instead they should use their potential and pelf in the nation building and addressing the grave challenges such as population explosion, food security, urbanisation, criminalisation, terrorism, illegal influx of immigrants, etc.

HASHIM ABRO Islamabad

US-taliban reconciliation US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Pakistan last month to meet Pakistani leadership and discuss various aspects of the Pak-US strategic relationship. She had successful meetings with top Pakistani leadership including Army Chief gen Pervez Kiyani.

After this visit, she announced that US was ready to talk to Taliban including Taliban Chief Mullah Omar to make headway for the peace process in the region.

The US is seeking Quetta Shura’s help in these talks. Pakistan would not have suffered, had US followed this policy at the beginning. Pakistan has suffered the most in war against extremism, more than even Afghanistan and US itself.

Thousands of Pakistani soldiers have died and thousands of civilians have been killed in different terror activities by the extremists. Economy has largely been affected by this war too.

The democratic government of Pakistan called APC on 29 September and came up with the idea that, “Pakistan must initiate dialogue with a view to negotiate peace with our own people in the Tribal Areas and a proper mechanism for this be put in place” and “All Parties Conference recognised that there has to be a new direction and policy with a focus on peace and reconciliation. “give peace a chance” must be the guiding central principle henceforth.”

It’s time for US and the world to recognise the sincere efforts made by democratic government of Pakistan for peace and prosperity of the region. Since US is planning to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan in 2014, it’s its duty to end Afghanistan issue properly and take Pakistan and Afghanistan into confidence to make these talks successful.

SABA SOLANGI Islamabad

Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. Fax: +92-42-36298302. E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

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12 Comment

Wednesday, 2 November, 2011

Reconciling positions Politicians against politicians No other way out

A

s a series of international talks unfolds on bringing peace to Afghanistan, the positions of the US and Pakistan on the issue get crystallised. The US has withdrawn from the demand that Pakistan army launch a military operation in Waziristan. During the recent talks between a high level US delegation and Pakistan’s civil and military leadership, Islamabad was reassured that it would play a central role in any reconciliation talks. Pakistan was asked to use its influence to bring the Haqqani network and Mullah Omar to the negotiation table. As Clinton put it, the new US policy is centred around ‘Fight, Talk, Build’. The assurance has however failed to allay Pakistan’s concerns regarding Indian influence in Afghanistan after the departure of the US led troops. These were further raised by the draft of the declaration of Istanbul Conference, which contained a proposal to set up a “regional structure” for peace and stability in Afghanistan. Pakistan has taken the stand now that the Taliban would be willing only if there is a ceasefire before the talks. The position worries the US planners who think a ceasefire would remove the pressure for talks and provide the Taliban an opportunity to strengthen their position. Meanwhile the US has intensified military action against the Haqqani network inside Afghanistan while increasing drone attacks in the two Waziristan agencies.

Peace cannot be restored in Afghanistan unless US and Pakistan reconcile their positions. The US has to realise that the policy of bombing the Taliban to talks has only added to their exasperation, as rising incidents of terrorist attacks inside Kabul and elsewhere in the country indicate. Pakistan has to understand that once the US led troops are out, it would have to cope single-handedly with the combined force of the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban.

The way out is for the US to redress Pakistan’s genuine concerns. Islamabad has to realize that the only way to peace and prosperity in Pakistan and the region is by wiping out extremism and militancy. Friendly relations with India, which include granting it MFN status, can overtime remove the animus that leads New Delhi to seek a hegemonic position in Kabul. Islamabad should rest assured that the Afghans will never accept hegemony.

Palestinians out Not even a chair at UNeSCo…

I

t seems mazel tovs are in order for the US. They have secured the good will of the country they often seek the most: Israel. The dust had not yet settled on America blocking Palestine’s UN membership bid that it has been kicked up once again by the US cutting off funding to UNESCO as it has admitted Palestine as a full member.

How prominently Israel figures in the American costbenefit calculus is evident from the fact that they were quite literally bound by law to protect Israeli interests. A law passed in 1990 by Congress stipulated that the US would have to scratch funding to any body that admits Palestine.

Though the Congress could have side-stepped it, that laws like these exist means that they won’t. It matters scant to them that Palestine won inclusion by an overwhelmingly lopsided 106-14 vote. What matters is that the engines of their electoral machinery remain well-greased.

Though there might be strategic gains for the Palestinian struggle for rights and justice, this membership, if it passes through, will largely be symbolic. The real significance of this is the recognition that comes with this and the concretisation of the idea that the world at large supports a Palestinian state. But it is a world at large that does not include the US. They are still the bulwark against any meaningful progress on the issue.

The internal machinations of their political system and the fact that their rightist media obfuscates the issue (we can relate) to an extent that Israel is the victim and even reasoned critique of Zionism is anti-Semitism, it is nigh impossible for any admin to go against Israel. So much so, that a sitting president was forced to eat his words on Palestinian statehood in front of the entire world.

The words hypocrisy, imperialist double standards etc etc will be thrown around and this is a case where the shoe fits. The US is the self-appointed moral compass of the world and in the belly of he beast where this conflict is concerned.

The US’ centrality in this configuration means that they can be taken to task for their sins, of omission and commission.

The US’ internal politics aside, Israel’s case has no ground to stand on. With the US losing much of it political clout with its economic troubles, the Arab spring changing the lay of the land in the ME and anti-Americanism in Muslims escalating, the US can keep resisting this at its own peril.

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

their own worst enemy?

P

akistan’s political leaders are their own worst adversaries.

They undermine their reputation and adversely affect the prospects of democracy by their actions. If Pakistan’s political institutions and processes are weak and not fully functional, the political leaders have to share the major blame.

The institutions are not brick walls and furniture but made up of the human beings that manage them. The non-functionality of an institution is the failure of the people that comprise it. The parliament’s performance depends on how the members behave inside and outside the house, the extent to which they honour its rules and procedures and use it for political management.

In Pakistan, the national and provincial assemblies often start their session late and suffer from the quorum problem, paying limited attention to lawmaking. The assembly meetings have thin attendance or, if the members are present in large number on some controversial issue, their energies are spent on heckling each other. The use of unparliamentary language is common and some leaders are known for tough and rude discourse, including bitter ad hominem criticism of rival political leaders.

The political parties find it difficult to go beyond their partisan agendas and view the two houses of the parliament and the provincial assemblies as instruments for promoting their party goals. If their partisan objectives are not achieved through these institutions, the political leaders do not mind bypassing them and adopting extra-parliamentary methods to pursue their objectives.

There is a lack of understanding of the role of the parliamentary

By Dr Hasan Askari Rizvi committees. These are meant to ensure transparency in legislation and working of government, creating a linkage among the government, the parliament and the society at large and giving advice to the parliament for legislation. The effective functioning of the committees also improves the performance of the parliament. However, the opposition members view the committees as another forum to embarrass the government. The members of the committee forget that they derive power from the house and their job is to report back to the house on any issue assigned to them rather than the opposition taking on the government to serve the partisan interests.

The PML(N) has launched street protest to dislodge the federal government because it knows that it does not have enough votes in the National Assembly to move a vote-of-noconfidence. As it cannot succeed within the framework of the National Assembly, it has decided

to bypass it and challenge the government in the streets.

There are no issues of public good involved in the PML(N) street protest. It is a power struggle in the tradition of the late 1980s and the 1990s when these two political parties engaged in a cut-throat struggle for power against each other. In the end, both lost to the military.

All major political parties have to share the blame for Pakistan’s internal socioeconomic and other problems because all of them are in power either at the federal level or in the provinces. If the performance of the federal coalition government led by the PPP is poor and it has mismanaged public welfare and economic issues, the PML(N) is in power in the Punjab whose performance is no less disappointing. The complaints of poor governance, troubled law and order situation and related societal problems abound in the Punjab.

The PML(N) and the PPP spend a lot of time and energy blaming each other of poor governance and corruption. The PML(N)’s top leaders are pursuing twin objectives of removing the federal government and President Zardari from power. It does not have a simple majority in the National Assembly to remove the federal government, not to speak of removing the president through constitutional means that requires two-thirds votes in the both houses of the parliament.

The PML(N) leaders know all this but want to try their luck by building enough pressure through street protest to paralyse the government that will force it to quit or such a political crisis will encourage the military or the Supreme Court or both to remove it. It seems that Chaudhry Nisar Ali, Shahbaz Sharif (Chief Minister, Punjab) and some other PML(N) leaders are convinced that their anti-Zardari campaign would knock Zardari out of the presidency. The PPP counteracts this campaign by highlighting what they describe as the misdeeds of the Sharif brothers, including how their financial empire building synchronised with their years in power under general Zia-ul-Haq and later.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf of Imran Khan is projecting itself as the

new and third alternative to the two major political parties. The Jamaat-e-Islami is also pursuing the same agenda. It is also attempting to bring other Islamic parties on a single platform but the question of leadership of such an arrangement and the experience of the MMA (2002-2007) deters Islamic parties from creating a new electoral alliance.

The key point missing in the ongoing political campaigning is that no political party has offered any workable plan of action to address Pakistan’s most serious problems, i.e. the troubled economy, terrorism and internal security, price hike, power and gas shortages and economic and political inequities. They want people to help them to come to power which will solve their problems.

At this stage, the chances of removal of Zardari and the PPP-led federal government through the PML(N)’s street protest are minimal. The PML(N) does not have the support of any other political party. It must build partnerships with other opposition parties but the prospects are not bright for the PML(N) to win over support from other political parties.

The political status-quo is expected to continue for the time being. However, if the idea is to seek change through extra-constitutional measures, the initiative will shift from the political circles to non-elected institutions like the military and the superior judiciary. Traditionally, the military has caused change as a consequence of nationwide protest movement. However, the military does not subscribe to any political party’s agenda.

It acts on its own considerations which do not appear to favour displacement of civilian order and direct assumption of power, at least at the present time.

The cause of the political leaders and parties, including the PML(N), will be served by working together for addressing socio-economic and internal security problems through clearly articulated plans of action. They need to strengthen the political institutions and learn to look beyond their narrow partisan interests.

The writer is an independent political and defence analyst.

Regional Press

Worsening law and order Daily Pakhtun Post

O

pting for the American war on terror as their own war since the occurrence of 9/11, Pakistan has rendered sacrifices of great magnitude, more than any other ally has in the ongoing war on terror.

But what has come out of embracing the American war on terror is much to the dismay of Pakistan as it has never been able to extricate itself from the Americans’ blame game despite suffering heavy losses of every kind.

Equally lamentable for Pakistan is the situation that it not only faces threats of America to do more but the Afghanistan government has also become part of the blame game against Pakistan despite the heartfelt help Pakistan has extended to the Afghan refugees over the past decades. Hillary Clinton during her recent visit to Pakistan said without any reservation that Pakistan did

not have any hand in the Kabul attacks on American stations and that America had no proof of the same. This statement rendered the Afghanistan allegations as baseless.

In the wake of these developments, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially Peshawar, once again finds itself facing militants attacks and bomb blasts. After the Faqir Kalay explosion, there has been a blast at Rampura Bazaar in Peshawar and there has been a suicide attack on a police vehicle at Nowshera.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti in his statement said that there is no doubt that the masses of the region would get the opportunity of living a peaceful life provided that America stopped meddling in Pakistan’s affairs. This statement of the chief minister made it clear that America may be one of the causes of worsening law and order conditions in Pakistan.

– Translated from the original Pashto by Abdur Rauf Khattak

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Wednesday, 2 November, 2011

Comment 13

The muddle continues Pied piper of Lahore Will Imran Khan lead us to change?

the uS has some hard choices to make

By Shaukat Umer

M

ixed signals emerged during and after Hillary Clinton’s high powered visit to Pakistan last month. going by the statements made while in Pakistan, objective scrutiny would tend to suggest that the positives outweighed the negatives. The furore raised by Admiral Mullen’s caustic remarks, linking Pakistani intelligence agencies to the attack on the US embassy, subsided following her admission that her government did not possess any evidence to back Mullen’s charge. The acknowledgement that every intelligence agency maintained contacts with unsavoury characters was a refreshing departure from the self-righteous admonitions that had been directed at us for some time now.

Two of her declarations were particularly noteworthy. Her invitation to Pakistan to encourage the Taliban to enter negotiations in “good faith” was suggestive of Washington’s grudging reconciliation with the ground realities in that country.

Public promotion of Pakistan, a country till recently held responsible for inciting extremist violence against US forces in Afghanistan, as a facilitator for negotiations with the Taliban represented a welcome move in the direction of pragmatism.

On the much maligned Haqqanis, a significant change could also be detected. The strident demands for their elimination were replaced by a more moderate and needless to say, rational approach. After admitting to a Pakistani arranged meeting between the US and Haqqani representatives Clinton agreed that, for dealing with this group, options other than a military clampdown were available. She urged Pakistan to use its contacts with the Haqqanis to “try to get them into the peace process, but if that fails, to prevent them from committing more violence.” By any reckoning this was a

perfectly reasonable demand.

The two strands, seen together, signalled an acknowledgement, one hoped, of the futility of continuous war as the most effective or appropriate modality for securing Afghanistan’s future. The alternate route of a negotiated settlement it appeared had finally found favour.

On her return to Washington, Clinton essentially stuck to this script even though the tone was harsher. In an interview with Bloomberg News, the Secretary of State warned Pakistan of dire consequences if it failed to “contain” terrorists operating from its soil. She, however, clarified that the administration was not asking

country.

In the first place, it is questionable that Pakistan wields such influence over the Afghan Taliban as to be able to order them to the negotiating table. Whatever little leverage we may have would be instantly dissolved were we to take military action against any one of their groups.

Prospects of an equitable power sharing formula would be a more logical and effective incentive to draw the Taliban in the direction of serious and meaningful negotiations.

This would also make Pakistan’s intercession with the Taliban more credible. Threats of military action, worse still actual hostilities, at this

the emerging clarity in uS thinking with regards to the Haqqanis was seriously blurred during Clinton’s testimony before the Congress where she again called for unequivocal action by Pakistan.

Pakistan to occupy its border regions as “different ways of fighting besides overt military action” were available.

Significantly, past insistence on the use of force against the Haqqanis did not feature in the interview.

The emerging clarity in US thinking with regards to the Haqqanis was seriously blurred during Clinton’s testimony before the Congress where she again called for unequivocal action by Pakistan to close down safe havens for militants. In the same breadth she observed that the United States looked to Pakistan “to encourage the Taliban and other insurgents to participate in an Afghan peace process in good faith.”

It is here that the confusion arises due to the contradictory nature of the demands on Pakistan. On the one hand we are being urged to encourage the Taliban to join the peace process and on the other to clamp down on them. After two decades of involvement in Afghanistan, first in the eighties and subsequently following September 11, it would have been expected of the Americans to have acquired some appreciation of the Afghan character.

At least the British could have explained to their senior partner that this was not the way to go about the business of peace making in that

late stage of foreign military involvement in Afghanistan will have the opposite effect.

The recent killing of Mullah Nazir’s brother in a drone strike closely followed by the suicide attack against a NATO military convoy in Kabul points to the futility of continued insistence on the military option.

Within days of the killing of the Taliban leader and several of his colleagues, thirteen US troops lost their lives in what has been described as the deadliest ground attack in the ten year long conflict. One can understand the aversion of a great superpower to concede military stalemate with a band of tribal warriors; yet this reality needs to sink in if efforts at peace are to have a chance.

It is hoped that the forthcoming regional conference in Istanbul will take a fresh look at the Afghan situation and base its conclusions on the unpleasant but hard realities that prevail in that country despite the sustained effort, spread over a decade, of the most powerful and lethal military machine in the world.

The writer is Pakistan’s former Ambassador to the United Nations and European Union. He can be contacted at shaukatumer@hotmail.com

T

he people of Pakistan want change.

They are not happy with the status quo and want to get rid of the corrupt turncoats, the regressive clerics, and the meddling retired generals who currently share power in Pakistan and are responsible for the state we are in. But is Imran Khan capable of bringing that change?

Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar won the 2002 elections on a PPP ticket. But when he realised his party was not ready to side with a dictator, he rebelled and became part of a group of PPP dissidents that joined the Pervez Musharraf government in return for favours. Eventually, he joined the establishment-backed PML(Q). The PML(Q) lost in 2008 and the military ruler fell. In 2010, Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar made a comeback. He contested a by-election in Lahore on the ticket of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf.

Ijaz Khan Jazi belonged to the faction of Muslim League led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. After general Pervez Musharraf ousted Nawaz, Ijaz Khan was one of the many turncoats who parted ways with Nawaz. After the fall of Musharraf, Jazi Khan also made a comeback in 2010. He contested a by-election from Rawalpindi on the ticket of Pakistan

By Harris Bin Munawar Tehreek-e-Insaaf.

One key member of the establishmentbacked PML(Q) in Punjab was Mian Mirajuddin. He was the senior vice president of PML(Q) Punjab and a provincial minister for Excise and Taxation in the cabinet of chief minister Chaudhry Pevaiz Elahi. After the fall of PML(Q), Mian Mirajuddin did not resurge. But his son entered politics in 2010, contesting a byelection in Lahore, on the ticket of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf.

Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, who is credited with organising this week’s surprisingly large public meeting at Minar-ePakistan, was a nazim of Islami Jamiat Talaba, an organisation accused of sabotage, violence and moral

Man bites Dog

policing in a number of universities in Pakistan, including beating up girls and boys who interact, and professors who resist the group’s authority. In 2007, when Imran Khan arrived at Punjab University to speak to students as part of his campaign against gen Musharraf, members of the IJT beat him up, dragged him around, and then shut him down in a room until the police arrived and arrested him. In 2008, Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed was made the president of PTI Lahore, ad hoc.

Shireen Mazari was the director general of the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad, a think tank funded by the foreign office and linked closely to the security establishment. She continued to work with the institute until 2008, despite Pakistan’s decision to support the US in its war on terror. In 2008, she fell out of favour and was removed. In November the same year, she joined Tehreek-e-Insaaf after a meeting with Imran Khan and was then made a vice president without elections. gen (r) Hamid gul was one of the architects of Pakistan’s policy of strategic depth in Afghanistan in the 1980s. The policy involved creating private religious militias with weapons and money from the US, and it backfired when many of those groups began to resist the authority of Pakistani state and committing acts of terrorism in Pakistan. Veteran columnist Haroon Rasheed said in a column in August this year that Hamid gul had sent him to Imran Khan to persuade him to join politics. The two have recently been accused by philanthropist Abdus Sattar Edhi in jointing PTI. Hamid gul is Imran Khan’s mentor.

Flanked with people who are part of the problem, how is it possible for Imran Khan to be able to identify and resolve it?

Imran Khan held a huge public meeting in Lahore this week. Tens of thousands of his young followers see him as a messiah. But that reminds me of the story of the Pied Piper of Hemlin. Someone who had come to rid the town of plague was not paid what he had been promised, and took away their children. The story probably refers to Nicholas of Cologne, who claimed to have had religious visions and lured away a great number of children on a disastrous Children's Crusade in 1212. Imran Khan has claimed similar religious visions in his new book. But the establishment will not give him what he wants, and he may lead our children away to somewhere they might never return from.

The writer is a media and culture critic and works at The Friday Times. He tweets @paagalinsaan and gets email at harris@nyu.edu

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16 Foreign News

Wednesday, 2 Novermber, 2011

Libya elects new PM amid UN warnings TRIPOLI

A

AFP

BDEL Rahim al-Keib, an academic and wealthy businessman who is a native of Tripoli, was elected interim prime minister in a public vote carried out by the members of the National Transitional Council (NTC) Monday night. Libya’s new prime minister pledged his interim government would set respect for human rights as its priority, as the UN warned against the proliferation of arms looted from Muammar gaddafi’s huge stockpile.

“We guarantee that we are going to build a nation that respects human rights and does not accept the abuse of human rights. But we need time,” Keib said. Keib spent decades abroad as an opponent of gaddafi before joining the pro-democracy revolution that overthrew him.

He replaces Mahmud Jibril, who resigned three days after gaddafi was captured and killed when NTC fighters overran his hometown Sirte on October

20. “This vote proves that Libyans are able to build their future,” NTC chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil said after Monday’s vote. Under a political roadmap, Keib now has until November 23 to form an interim government that, parallel to the NTC, will run Libya for eight months after which elections for a constituent assembly will be held.

At that point the interim government and NTC will disband, giving way to a “general national congress” that the constituent assembly will form to run the country until parliamentary and presidential elections are held.

The appointment of a new prime minister came as the UN Security Council on Monday called on Libya’s interim authorities and neighboring countries to stamp out the spread of weapons from gaddafi’s stockpiles.

Amid mounting fears that militant groups in Africa and beyond could get shoulder-fired rockets and other weapons from the gaddafi cache, the 15member council unanimously passed a resolution demanding the clampdown.

Resolution 2017, drawn up by Russia, stressed international fears that the stockpile could cause unrest through Africa’s Sahel region and fall into the hands of groups such as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. The resolution called on Libya “to take all necessary steps to prevent the proliferation of all arms,” especially man-portable surface-to-air missiles, MANPADS. Since the death of ousted despot gaddafi on October 20, Libya’s transitional government has found two chemical weapons sites hidden by the old regime, experts said. The UN envoy to Libya, Ian Martin, told the Security Council last week that international inspectors have to visit hundreds of suspected weapons stockpile sites in Libya.

Monday’s election of a new prime minister followed a visit to Tripoli by NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen to mark the official end of the alliance air war that helped topple gaddafi.

The no-fly zone and naval blockade, enforced by NATO since March 31, ended a minute before midnight Mon-

day Libyan time (2159 gMT), as stipulated by a UN Security Council resolution last week that ended the alliance’s mandate. “At midnight tonight, a successful chapter in NATO’s history is coming to an end. But you have also started writing a new chapter in Libya’s history,” Rasmussen told a joint news conference with Abdel Jalil. Earlier, he said the military alliance stood ready to help the new Libya in areas such as defence and security reform. “(But with) no NATO troops on the ground, I don’t foresee a major NATO role,” he added. After a visit that lasted around five hours, Rasmussen was whisked off to his C-130 military transport plane to return to Brussels, with Danish fighter jets escorting him part of the way.

Hours l a t e r , NATO’s planes left the skies of Libya.

London protesters face legal action

Anna Hazare warns of new fast

LONDON

NEW DELHI

AFP

AFP

British authorities were Tuesday to tell anti-capitalist protesters camped by St Paul’s Cathedral to remove their tents from outside the London landmark within 48 hours or face legal action. The City of London Corporation local authority was to hand a letter to demonstrators who have turned the churchyard into a sprawling campsite and triggered turmoil in the cathedral hierarchy. On Monday, graeme Knowles, the head of St Paul’s, resigned after facing criticism for trying to move on the protesters. The Occupy London Stock Exchange group pitched up in the churchyard two weeks ago. Around 200 multi-coloured tents are spread out by the entrance and the north side of the cathedral. The dispute over the demo has plunged the Anglican church into crisis as it wrings its hands over how to handle the demonstrators while maintaining its principles. Knowles became the third churchman to quit over the issue, saying his position had become “untenable”. St Paul’s said Tuesday the cathedral was not taking joint action with the Corporation of London in legal moves to clear the camp.

“Members of chapter met yesterday following the resignation of the dean and are due to meet with the Bishop of London today,” a spokesman said. “The chapter have not yet sought an injunction, nor are they serving notices on the protesters. They are committed to a peaceful resolution at all costs.” Overnight around 50 of the protesters, dressed as zombie bankers, marched into the city to mark Halloween.

They danced to Michael Jackson’s 1984 hit “Thriller”, stopping traffic outside the Bank of England. Police moved them on but they resurrected the dance outside the Royal Bank of Scotland’s offices.

Indian protester Anna Hazare, whose campaign in August for a new anticorruption law galvanised millions, threatened on Tuesday to start another hunger strike unless his demands are met.

The 74-year-old activist wants a new law passed by the end of the winter session of parliament on December 21 that would create a powerful new ombudsman able to investigate and prosecute public servants.

“I will begin my hunger strike on the last day of the winter session of the parliament if it fails to pass an effective Jan Lokpal bill,” Hazare said in the letter written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Hazare said he was confident that a strong legislation would bring down corruption in the country by “at least 60 percent”.

“Some of the leading voices of the government are trying to create doubt by their flip-flop on the issue. I therefore request the government to bring in a tough law as assured to us earlier,” he wrote.

Hazare’s latest salvo is likely to put fresh pressure on Singh’s embattled government, already reeling from a series of corruption scandals including the possibly fraudulent sale of telecom licences that cost the country up to $39 billion. Hazare, who has modelled his image and tactics on Indian independence leader Mahatma gandhi, transfixed the country but polarised opinion during his 12-day fast.

Many see him as a moral leader who exposed the government’s apathy towards corruption, but critics view him as an autocrat seeking to strong-arm parliament and impose his views on lawmakers.

Berlusconi vows reform, opp demands new govt ROME REutERS

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi repeated on Tuesday that reform measures promised at an EU summit last week would be applied with determination and he would explain them to leaders from the group of 20 economic powers in Cannes this week. At the same time a senior member of the centre-left Democratic Party said the party had presented a request to President giorgio Napolitano to appoint a new government to deal with the crisis facing Italy. As yields on Italian bonds rose to record levels, Berlusconi said greece’s decision to hold a referendum on the terms of a bailout package was weighing heavily on markets.

“This was an unexpected choice which is creating uncertainty after the recent European Council meeting and on the eve of the important meeting of the g20 in Cannes,” he said in a statement.

thai officials on defensive as flood anger mounts BANGKOK AFP

Turkmen dictator’s golden statue makes comeback ASHGABAT AFP

The notorious golden statue of Turkmenistan’s late dictator Saparmurat Niyazov unexpectedly reappeared Tuesday on a gigantic new monument, one year after it was dismantled from its previous site.

The golden statue that was the symbol of one of the world’s most notorious personality cults has been placed on top of a gargantuan “Monument of Neutrality” standing 300 feet high on the outskirts of the capital Ashgabat.

The golden statue of Niyazov had previously sat on a 75-metre “Arch of Neutrality” in the centre of Ashgabat where it famously rotated to face the sun. Its dismantling in August 2010 was seen as a major step by Niyazov’s successor gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov towards softening the often bizarre personality cult of his predecessor.

The statue was placed on top of the new monument was built by a Turkish firm as part of a vast construction programme that Berdymukhamedov has made a centrepiece of his rule.

Notably, the statue now simply looks on the city and does not rotate.

It is also located in a usually deserted area at the end of the main road and six kilometres from the city centre.

Berdymukhamedov has started to dismantle his predecessor’s legacy and promised reforms since coming to power in 2007, but critics argue that the changes have been cosmetic and he has started a personality cult of his own.

Yet Turkmenistan has maintained its reputation as one of the world’s most isolated states alongside North Korea.

Bangkok authorities insisted on Tuesday they could not ease the flooding crisis for everyone in the city, as anger and misery grew in inundated areas over the lack of assistance from officials.

Although inner areas of the capital have remained dry, the situation is critical in several outlying districts, where residents have protested that their homes are being sacrificed to save central parts of the city.

Central and local authorities are at odds over how high certain sluice gates to the north of the city centre should be raised to allow water through, according to Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra.

He said several more areas in the city, including industrial estates, would be at risk if too much water passed through.

“I love the people, as do other elected politicians, but sometimes I have to be tough with the demands of the minority for the sake of the majority,” he said in a televised press briefing. “I cannot yield to every demand.”

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Wednesday, 2 Novermber, 2011

Foreign News 17

dozens of tibetan protesters arrested in Nepal KATHMANDU AFP

Nepal police arrested more than 50 Tibetan exiles Tuesday as they demonstrated in support of monks from their homeland who have set themselves on fire in protest against Chinese rule, campaigners said.

Nine Buddhist monks and a nun have selfimmolated since March in southwest China’s Sichuan province, home to a large ethnic Tibetan population.

Hundreds of Tibetan exiles gathered in solidarity around a monastery on the outskirts of Kathmandu, but Nepalese police barred hundreds more from getting in.

“A total of 53 Tibetans were arrested when they came out the monastery after the ceremony,” Tsewang Dolma, president of the Tibetan Youth Club, said. She said she was detained along with another 35 women and 17 men.

Dozens of policemen were deployed behind the monastery where prayers were taking place while other officers blocked the entrance.

Half a dozen policemen climbed on the roof of a house adjoining the monastery and seized posters of the Dalai Lama and the monks who have self-immolated.

A scuffle broke out when the protesters, including women, teenage girls and elderly men, tried to grab the posters.

Nepal, which is home to around 20,000 Tibetans, is under intense pressure from Beijing over the exiles, and has repeatedly said it will not tolerate what it calls “antiChina activities”.

KAtHMANdU: Nepalese riot police arrest tibetan protesters near the Jwalakhel Refugee Camp on tuesday. Nepalese police arrested more than 50 tibetan exiles demonstrating in support of monks from their homeland who have set themselves on fire in protest against Chinese rule. AFP

Kenya to probe civilian deaths in Somalia air raid NAIROBI AFP

Kenya will probe reports of civilian deaths in an air raid against Somalia's Shebab rebels, Prime Minister Raila Odinga said Tuesday, after an aid group said five people died in the attack. Kenyan warplanes struck a town in insurgent-held southern Somalia on Sunday in an offensive against the Shebab, which Nairobi blames for cross-border attacks and tourist kidnappings.

"If there is any death that has occurred as a result of the military operation, it will be investigated thoroughly," Odinga told reporters. "It is not our intention to kill innocent civilians." Aid agency Doctors Without Borders said five civilians, including children, were killed when a bomb hit a camp in Jilib hosting some 9,000 displaced Somalis. A regional Shebab commander put the death toll at 15 people, and vowed to avenge the attack.

Army spokesman Emmanuel Chirchir said 10 Shebab fighters were killed in the raid and claimed the civilian deaths occurred after a Shebab vehicle mounted with an anti-aircraft gun was hit and careered into a camp of civilians "on fire and laden with explosives."

The International Committee of the Red Cross urged all sides Tuesday to respect civilian lives and said it had resumed food distribution to over 6,000 displaced people in the camp after a temporary suspension. "The ICRC and the Somali Red Crescent remind all parties to the conflict of their obligation to spare the civilian population," ICRC Somalia chief Pascal Mauchle said in a statement. "All feasible precautions must be taken to avoid, and in any event to minimize, incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians and damage to civilian objects," he added. Kenya sent troops and tanks into southern Somalia in midOctober to battle the Shebab and prevent the Al-Qaeda-linked rebels from attacking its territory.

Military intervention in Syria will not be allowed, says Russia ABU DHABI

R

AFP

USSIAN Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday his country would oppose a Libya-style military intervention against the Syrian regime which is battling months-long democracy protests.

"We have many questions... after the UN Security Council adopted the Libyan resolution," allowing military intervention to protect civilian lives, and "after the Libyan drama," he said in Abu Dhabi, speaking in English.

A month after the launch of an uprising against Moamer Kadhafi's regime, the UN Security Council passed a resolution approving "all necessary measures" to impose a no-fly zone and

protect civilians in Libya.

"If it depends on us, I don't think we will allow anything of that sort to be repeated" in Syria, Lavrov said after a gulfRussian ministerial meeting, when asked if such measures could be taken against Syria.

Asked if Moscow will maintain its support for the regime of Syrian President Bashar alAssad, the Russian foreign minister said: "We are not protecting any regime."

Assad, who is under mounting Arab and international pressure a bloody crackdown against pro-democracy protesters, told Russian television on Sunday he expected continued support from Moscow.

Assad's appeal came less than a month after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told the Syrian leader for the first time to

either accept political reform or bow to calls for his resignation.

Lavrov on Friday accused NATO of exceeding UN mandates that permitted its forces to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya and protect civilians.

Russia believes the no-fly zone and accompanying mandate to protect civilians were used by NATO to support one side in a civil war -- action that the United Nations never authorised.

China, along with Russia, vetoed a Western-drafted resolution at the UN Security Council on October 4 that would have threatened Assad's regime with targeted sanctions if it continued its campaign against protesters.

Last week activists urged the international community to impose a Libya-style no-fly zone on Syria.

qatar to hold maiden legislative polls in 2013 DOHA AFP

Qatar will hold its maiden legislative polls in 2013, the emir of the gulf state, which has backed pro-democracy uprisings elsewhere in the Arab world, said on Tuesday. “We have decided to organise elections for Majlis al-Shura (consultative council) in the second half of 2013,” Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani said addressing the all-appointed council.

“All these steps are necessary to build the modern state of Qatar,” he said, referring to the passing of a constitution and staging of municipal polls. Qatar’s constitution which was passed in a 2003 referendum stipulated that two thirds of the 45member council would be elected, while the rest would be named by the emir. It also provided for legislative powers.

But so far Qatar, which took part in the NATO-led military campaign that helped to oust Libyan dictator Muammar gaddafi, has only held municipal polls and continues to ban political parties. Qatar and Saudi Arabia are the only gulf states yet to hold legislative polls. But the authorities of most of the fully or partially elected parliaments in other gulf countries are checked by upper chambers appointed by the rulers.

iran seeks US apology over plot claims TEHRAN

Anti-capitalist G20 protesters take to French riviera NICE AFP

Hundreds of anti-capitalists poured into the French city of Nice on Tuesday for a march to protest corporate greed ahead of the g20 summit in nearby Cannes, echoing protests worldwide.

Protesters from germany, Spain and Italy have been arriving since Monday at the “Old Abattoir” cultural centre where a “People’s Summit” is to be held in parallel to the summit of group of 20 leaders in Cannes on Thursday and Friday.

“We refuse to give the powerful the right to impose their solutions on crises that they created. Alternative paths exist,” said pamphlets distributed by the organisers of the protest march on

the Mediterranean city’s outskirts.

Nice police said they had arrested three Spanish men on the city’s renowned Promenade des Anglais seafront in possession of “bolts, mountaineering axes, balaclavas and gas masks” ahead of the march.

Interior ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said the men had T-shirts and badges with “Black Cross” written on them, which he said meant they might be part of the militant Black Bloc protest movement.

Cannes itself is to be locked down during the summit, with protesters kept a safe distance away from the world leaders – around 30 kilometres down the Mediterranean coast – in Nice. groups including environmental

advocates greenpeace, Attac, the Human Rights League and antiracism organisations are organising the march that is to begin around 1400 gMT, along with other environmental and left-wing groups.

Around 2,500 extra police have been drafted in to deal with the protest that organisers hope will draw 10,000 people.

But anyone thought to be associated with Black Bloc protests faces arrest if police find them anywhere in the region.

Besides the police presence, organisers will have one person out for every 100 demonstrators, or around 100 in total.

Paris obtained authorisation from Brussels to reintroduce customs and

immigration checks on the Italian border to prevent troublemakers gaining entry after around 100 people were injured in violent protests in Rome on October 15.

Most shops are closed on Tuesday as it is a bank holiday in France for the Catholic feast of All Saints.

On Thursday, some protesters will head to the principality of Monaco to “celebrate” the end of tax havens that was announced at the 2009 g20 in London.

The leaders of the world’s 20 biggest economic powerhouses, which between them generate around 85 percent of global output, are hoping to agree measures to head off the threat of global recession during their Cannes summit.

AFP

Iran has sent a letter to the United States seeking an “apology” over allegations of an Iranian assassination plot on US soil, foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Tuesday.

“A letter has been sent... It is our right to seek the official apology of the Americans in protest of this made-up scenario as these allegations are not true at all,” he said. He explained the Iranian letter was in response to a letter sent by the US, the contents of which he did not divulge. Iran and the United States have had no direct diplomatic channels for more than three decades.

Iranian officials and leaders have fiercely denied any involvement in the alleged plot, calling it an attempt by Washington to divert attention from domestic economic woes and foreign policy failures in the Middle East. The US and Iran broke off diplomatic ties after radical students in Tehran took US diplomats hostage following Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution.

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Wednesday, 2 November, 2011

Duchess of Cambridge voted

‘Britain’s best dressed’

in limelight Miss Argentina Antonella Kruger, Miss Brazil Juceila Bueno, Miss Chile Gabriela Pulgar Luco, Miss venezuela ivian Sarcos, Miss Colombia Monica Restrepo and Miss Puerto Rico Amanda Perez.

LONDON MAIl

She may have millions of fans and selling power like no other but the Duchess of Cambridge has had a hard time impressing the fashion world – until now. A high-end magazine has this month voted Kate Britain’s best dressed woman.

The newlywed beat Kate Moss, Emma Watson and Samantha Cameron to the top spot on Harper’s Bazzaar’s sartorial it-list.

Judges praised Kate’s ability to wear designs from Alexander McQueen to the high street with the same elegance. And despite being criticised for her old-fashioned dress sense, conservative wardrobe choices and love of hosiery, it seems Kate is having the last laugh. The Duchess has singlehandedly made the lady-like look trendy again – not bad for a girl who professes to have little interest in clothes. On the judging panel were fashion insiders including the magazine’s editor, Lucy Yeomans, editor-at-large, Kim Hersov and designers, Antonio Berardi Roksanda Ilincic and milliner Philip Treacy. They selected 20 women who continue to represent British style that is peerlessly elegant and gloriously unpredictable.

Along with Kate, other women to make the exclusive list were Florence Welch, actress Andrea Riseborough, Tilda Swinton, and Keira Knightley. As well as designer Stella McCartney, designer Phoebe Philo, presenter Alexa Chung and eco-businesswoman Livia Firth, married to Colin. Bazaar’s Editor, Lucy Yeomans, said of the Duchess’ Alexander McQueen dress worn for her royal wedding: “She gave us the year’s – if not the century’s – most thrilling fashion moment.” Harper’s Bazaar’s panel of judges described Catherine’s style as an “incredible style evolution that has gripped us all”.

London: Miss World contestants pose for photographers during a photocall opposite Britain's Houses of Parliament. The Finals of Miss World 2011 will be held on november 6, 2011, at London's Earls Court.

Miss China Liu Chen, Miss Japan Midori tanaka, Miss india Kanishtha dhankhar, Miss Hong Kong Hyman Chu and Miss Philippines Gwendoline Ruais.

‘It’s true, I’m going to be a mummy’ LOS ANGELES: Jessica Simpson has finally revealed that she is pregnant. The 31-year-old star had recently made the official announcement of her pregnancy on her website with a short message. “It’s true, I am going to be a mummy,” the Daily Mail quoted the singer as writing. Simpson, who is engaged to NBA star Eric Johnson, was also seen comically dressed up in a mummy Halloween outfit in a photograph to accompany the announcement, as she flaunted her baby-bump. AGENCIES

John defends his

‘offensive’ Circuit's lady gaga unfazed hand gesture strength as SRK turns up late

MUMBAi: He recently hit the screens in all his brawny glory with ‘Force’. After the out-an-out action flick, actor John Abraham is ready to take his shirt off once again. But this time there are no goons to fight. With co-star Akshay Kumar for company, the actor is set to bring the house down in ‘desi Boyz’. But despite calling his films clean, a song from his upcoming flick courted controversy recently when a section of the film industry raised an objection over John's hand gesture in the number ‘Jhak Maar Ke’. terming it 'vulgar' and 'objectionable', many questioned the Censor Board's decision to pass it without any cuts. "i don't understand what the hue and cry is all about," quips John. "When the song was being choreographed on deepika and me, we had a blast. it's a cute song and it was never meant to be offensive or vulgar.

When we make films we have to be careful about not hurting the sentiments of the people. And if anyone is indeed offended by my hand gesture, then i'm sorry," says John.

So didn't he know what it meant while doing those moves? "to be honest, i have no clue what the hand gesture means in the first place.

Maybe, i'm not keeping myself up-to-date with all this," he says tonguefirmly in cheek. AGENCIES

displeases Munna

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Rind’s paintings exude memories of hometown LAHORE

A

XARI JAlIl

S Rind’s paintings have been on display in the Revivers Art gallery and have received commendable applause by art lovers. The artist has displayed a collection of his paintings that depict women with work done in bright acrylics on canvas. The show is to continue till November 14, 2011 for the maximum number of people to come in and see Rind’s magnificent works on display. Rind was born in Rahim Yar Khan in 1960, a city famous for its rich cultural heritage. Bold in his experiment with colours, Rind has always created the effects of embossing and carving in his individual style. Most works heavily reflect the features and moods of women in his hometown.

This exhibition too carries display works depicting women. He shows beautiful curvaceous women wearing bright colours in their typically rural clothes of a ghaghra and choli, carrying parrots, and or fishes, with verses written behind them in a wonderfully intricate calligraphic style. He uses acrylic on canvas and for another effect in his figurative

work makes use of ink. Rind’s cache of paintings carries a strong cultural influence of his area, as his paintings are deeply influenced by the regional aesthetics, splendour, colours and motifs. The presence of the animals exudes an aura of romance and mystery, as well as some secret symbolism that the artist carries inside him. Most of the verses that are used in the paintings are those of Faiz while one or two belong to

ghalib, in order to emphasise the mood and temperament of each painting. Rind’s style is painting abstract figures of women in an impressionist style with thick outlines. The women are adorned with colourful ethnic jewlerry in distinctive styles.

Rind has been painting since 1986. He qualified in Fine Arts from the Central Institute of Arts and Crafts in Karachi where he is based today in 1988

and has worked in ‘super realism’ as he has earlier said, till 1993. His paintings today all remind one of him dabbling in styles of impressionism, cubism, and abstract art as each of these elements are depicted in his paintings. He has also worked on Quranic calligraphic paintings and has drawn world famous mosques besides introducing a new typeface.

Rind, besides participating in numerous group exhibitions, has so far held three solo exhibitions. The sounds and smells and colours of Rind’s hometown have always haunted him it seems, though in no sense do these memories seem to be unpleasant. Rind’s style of drawing jewellery and forms are reminiscent of a son of the soil returning home, to announce his heritage and even though there has been an effort to stylise the figures and enhance the design element, the colours claim a distant relationship with the desert. Sara Anjum, curator of the Reviver’s Art gallery, told Pakistan Today that the exhibition is expected to go really well till its last show. “We have had about 27 paintings booked out of the 52 that are on display,” she said, pointing out that there are many more prospective buyers for Rind’s wonderful art.

Anil Kapoor ‘ecstatic’ as tom Cruise asks for guidance MUMBAI AGENCIES

On the Asia leg of his tour to promote ‘Mission: Impossible - ghost Protocol’ this December, Tom Cruise may actually wow Indians by saying ‘namaste’. Reportedly, his Indian costar and Bollywood superstar Anil Kapoor has taught the Hollywood heavyweight some words in Hindi. The Indian actor and his western counterpart have been bonding big time. From the beginning of the shoot, Tom Cruise has been tweeting about India and his interest in the Hindi language. When Tom learned from the foreign studio that he will be required to make a trip to India in December, he began bombarding Anil with questions, seeking help on how to plan his itinerary. Anil confesses that he is “ecstatic” and has to keep pinching himself to believe it’s true. Just the fact that a modest guy from Chembur is sharing screen space with one of the biggest Hollywood stars is giving him a high he has not experienced before.

‘Irreconcilable differences’ g

Miss england Alize Mounter, Miss Republic of ireland Holly Carpenter, Miss Scotland Jennifer Reoch, Miss Northern ireland Finola Guinnane and Miss Wales Sara Jessica Manchipp.

MUMBAi: Sanjay dutt is not too happy on the sets of ‘zilla Ghaziabad’. And it's not because of his co-star and old enemy vivek oberoi. According to sources from the sets, Sanjubaba is miffed with director Anand Kumar's way of handling the project and Arshad Warsi's intrusion into the directorial space. As a result of the tension between Munna Bhai and his sidekick Circuit, the older actor has now struck off dates that he had earlier allocated for the next schedule of the film. A source informed, "Anand Kumar, who has directed only one film ‘delhi Heights’, was unable to handle the project comfortably. Consequently, Arshad who is very close to Anand, started calling the shots.

But dutt is a very senior actor. He put his foot down, spoke to the producer vinod Bachchan and demanded to know what was happening. He did not want to take directions from Arshad. dutt however, did not show his displeasure to Arshad. After all, they are very close ever since they worked in ‘Munnabhai’.” dutt has agreed to report back on the sets only if vinod agrees to reshoot his earlier scenes according to the initial narration. MIRRoR

three months after wedding, Kim Kardashian files for divorce as fans, media claim it to be a money-minting stunt

LOS ANGELES AGENCIES

Reality television star Kim Kardashian filed for divorce Monday from Kris Humphries, the basketball player she married less than three months ago. “After careful consideration, I have decided to end my marriage,” she said in a statement published on E! Online, the website of the cable television network behind ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’. “I

hope everyone understands this was not an easy decision.

I had hoped this marriage was forever but sometimes things don’t work out as planned. We remain friends and wish each other the best.” Kardashian, 31, became a household name in 2007 thanks to a sex tape with her then boyfriend and the ongoing ‘Keeping Up’ series which tracks the psychodramas of her affluent Los Angeles family. Married and divorced once before, the

diminutive celebrity wedded towering New Jersey Nets power forward Humphries, 26, on August 20 after he reportedly gave her an engagement ring worth $2 million.

Court documents gave Monday as the date of separation, and “irreconcilable differences” as the basis of the divorce application.

However, speculations are rife that the marriage was nothing but a show put up to rake in money for the ‘nouveau riche’ Kardashians.

Vidya gets Big B grooving to

‘Ooh la la’ Emraan

refuses to kiss Vidya

MUMBAi: Promoting a film has never been more satisfying; at least not for vidya Balan. the actress who graced Amitabh Bachchan's quiz show on television on Monday, was see grinning ear to ear on her way out. And that's not because she had won the prize money. An eyewitness revealed, "vidya was looking gorgeous in a blood red saree as she stepped in to the sets. it was the same saree she is seen wearing in her film ‘the dirty Picture’, the film she had come to promote on the show." Perhaps it was her saree or simply her charm, the host, Amitabh Bachchan’ ended up grooving with vidya to her ‘ooh La La’ number from ‘the dirty Picture’. "it was an impromptu performance. vidya just told Mr Bachchan 'thoda ooh la la karne ka man kar raha hai'. Bachchan laughed in his inimitable style. He then immediately got up, stretched out his hand and they danced till they could not control their laughter," added the eyewitness. the episode is expected to be aired on November 10. AGENCIES

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Wednesday, 2 November, 2011

Misbah sets sight on series victory Page 23

tiMeLiNe

GUILTY LONDON

P

MOHAMMAD ASIF

SALMAN BUTT

Right arm fast-medium bowler Age: 28 Tests: 23; Balls: 5,171; Runs: 2,583; Wickets: 106; Best bowling: 6/41; Average: 24.36; 5wkt inns: 7; 10wkt matches: 1 ODIs: 38; Balls: 1,941; Runs 1,524; Wickets: 46; Best bowling: 3/28; Average 33.13 T20s: 11; Balls: 257; Runs: 343; Wickets: 13; Best bowling: 4/18; Average: 26.38

Left-handed opening batsman Age: 27 Tests: 33; Runs: 1,889; Highest score: 122; Average: 30.46; 100s: 3; 50s: 10 ODIs: 78; Runs: 2,725; Highest score: 136; Average: 36.82; 100s: 8; 50s: 14 T20s: 24; Runs: 595; Highest score: 74; Average: 28.33; 50s: 3

AFP

AKISTAN cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif were found guilty Tuesday of fixing parts of a Test against England in a case that has thrown the credibility of the international game into doubt. Former Test captain Butt, 27, and fast bowler Asif, 28, face jail after a court in London convicted them of deliberately bowling three no-balls during the Lord's Test in August 2010 as part of a "spot-fixing" betting scam.

The verdicts are a scalp from beyond the grave for Britain's News of the World tabloid, which uncovered the conspiracy but was shut down by owner Rupert Murdoch this year amid a scandal over phone-hacking. Prosecutors alleged Butt and Asif conspired with British agent Mazher Majeed and Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Aamer to bowl the no-balls as part of a plot that revealed "rampant corruption" at the heart of international cricket. Butt faces up to seven years in prison jail after the jury at Southwark Crown Court convicted him of conspiracy to obtain or accept corrupt payments, and conspiracy to cheat at gambling.

Asif faces up to two years in jail after he was found guilty of conspiracy to cheat, and the jury also decided that he was guilty of the second charge. They are expected to be sentenced later this week.

Butt and Asif had pleaded not guilty and they sat in silence in the dock as the jury delivered their verdicts, after spending nearly 17 hours in deliberations over four days.

Majeed, 36, and Aamer, 19, were also charged with the same offences but were not standing trial alongside Butt and Asif.

During the three-week trial the jury heard that vast sums of money could be made by rigging games for betting syndicates, particularly in South Asia, and that the problem was theatening the game of cricket.

It was under Pakistan’s English coach Bob Woolmer that Asif blossomed as a swing bowler. g Woolmer picked him for Pakistan’s tour to Australia and although Asif went wicketless on his debut Test in Sydney in 2005, he never lost faith in the lithe and determined fast bowler. g Asif claimed 10 wickets in a Pakistan A against an England XI later that year and was brought back into the national side for Pakistan’s final Test against India at home in 2006. g He took seven wickets in the win over India at Karachi, helping Pakistan clinch the series. He followed it with 11 victims in Pakistan’s Test win at Kandy, taking 17 wickets in the two Tests against Sri Lanka. His ‘five-for’ also helped Pakistan beat South Africa in the Port Elizabeth Test in 2007. g Following a series of disciplinary problems, an elbow injury forced him out of the 2007 World Cup. g In England last year, he took 23 wickets in six Tests -- two against Australia and four against the hosts. g

Mazher Mahmood, News of the World's former investigations editor, known as the "fake sheikh" for his disguises, told the court he had approached Majeed pretending to be an Indian businessman. Majeed claimed he had at least six Pakistani players working for him and that it would cost between £50,000 and £80,000 ($78,000 and $125,000) to fix a "bracket", where bets are made on incidents during a given period of play.

But the cost of rigging a whole result was far more, at £400,000 for a Twenty20, £450,000 for a one-day international, and £1 million for Test matches, Majeed allegedly told the reporter. The agent was secretly filmed accepting £150,000 in cash from the journalist as part of an arrange-

g Butt was handed the Test captaincy after Shahid Afridi quit following a one-sided defeat against Australia at Lord’s in July last year. g Pakistan defeated Australia in the next match by three wickets at Leeds -- their first win over the Aussies for 15 years -and hopes of a new era were high. g Emerging from the streets of Lahore, Butt represented Pakistan at all levels, leading Pakistan to the Asian Under15 title in 1999 and then impressing in the Junior World Cup in 2002. g His brilliant, match-winning 108 not out in a one-day match against India at Kolkata in November 2004 set his career on the right track and although he flitted in and out of the squad, his talent was never in doubt. g Under former coach Bob Woolmer, Butt’s career flourished with hundreds at Sydney in January 2005 and against Asheswinning England at Multan in November 2005. g His third and last Test ton came at Hobart in January 2010.

ment to bowl the no-balls, and recorded allegedly making arrangements with Butt for the no balls. Butt told the court he had ig-

Butt faces a maximum prison sentence of seven years and Asif upto two years.

They are expected to be sentenced later this week nored his agent's requests to fix games and had no knowledge of the plan to bowl no balls, while admitting that he had failed in

his duty to inform cricketing authorities of Majeed's approach.

Asif meanwhile said he had bowled a no ball at the exact time the agent had predicted to the News of the World journalist because Butt had told him to run faster moments before his delivery. The team's manager during the fateful tour of England when the scam was uncovered, Yawar Saeed, said Pakistan cricket had been badly tarnished by the case. The case is the worst in international cricket since that of South Africa's Hansie Cronje a decade ago.

Cronje was banned for life in 2000 after it was revealed he accepted money from bookmakers in a bid to influence the course of games as well as trying to corrupt his teammates. He died in a plane crash in 2002.

Jan 2010: Investigations editor of the News of the World, Mazher Mahmood, is contacted by a source within the management of the Pakistan team alerting him to Mazher Majeed’s role in fixing.

Aug 16: First meeting between Mahmood and Majeed at Hilton Hotel in London. Mahmood poses as Mohsin Khan, the chairman of a fictional company called Tata Equity, looking to set up a T20 tournament in Dubai.

Aug 18: Start of Oval Test against England. Majeed and Mahmood meet at the Bombay Brasserie restaurant in London.

Initially talk about T20 tournament before leaving restaurant to speak in journalist’s car. This is when first talk of fixing arises.

Aug 19: Mahmood hands over £10,000 to Majeed to arrange bowling of two no balls during Oval Test. Majeed hands jacket containing money to Wahab Riaz.

Aug 20: Pattern of calls between AmirButt-Majeed. Planned no balls not delivered after Waqar Younis, Pakistan coach, talks with the team about number of extras bowled. Majeed instead offers journalist Butt batting out a maiden. At 11.41pm Majeed calls Butt and puts call on speaker so journalist can hear him discussing batting out the maiden which Butt answers “no mate".

Aug 21: Mahood visits Majeed at his £1.8m house in Surrey. Majeed discusses throwing the Oval Test for £1m with a fixer in Dubai. He calls Butt to discuss maiden again. Maiden did not happen.

Aug 25: Eve of Lord’s Test. Mahmood secretly films handover of £140,000 to Majeed at Tara Copthorne Hotel for bowling of no balls. Straight after meeting Majeed calls Asif and Butt.

Aug 26: Amir and Asif bowl no balls at agreed points in play. Majeed arranges third no ball for following day.

Aug 27: Amir bowls a massive no ball at agreed time.

Aug 28: Police search players’ hotel rooms and find £2,500 marked News of the World notes in Butt’s room. £1,500 in Amir’s room. Search also takes place of Pakistan dressing room at Lord’s.

Aug 29: News of the World run story.

Sept 2: ICC suspends Butt, Amir and Asif.

Sept 3: Police interview Butt, Asif and Amir.

Jan 6-11 2011: ICC disciplinary hearing begins in Doha and is adjourned until February for judgement.

Feb 5: ICC announces suspensions. Butt banned for 10 years (five suspended), Asif seven years (two suspended) and Amir for five years.

Feb 26: Amir and Butt announce they will appeal bans to Court of Arbitration for Sport. Asif follows on March 1. Hearings on hold until end of criminal proceedings in England.

Oct 4: Asif and Butt trial begins at Southwark Crown Court .

Nov 1: Butt and Asif found guilty of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments.

Butt becomes father minutes before the verdict LAHORE: The wife of Pakistan’s former captain Salman Butt gave birth to a baby boy just minutes before her husband was found guilty Tuesday of a “spot-fixing” betting scam during a match against England.

The 27-year-old’s father told AFP by telephone from Lahore that the baby was born 30 minutes before the verdict -news that was splashed immediately all over Pakistani television stations.

“Salman Butt has a baby boy 30 minutes before the verdict came,” his father, Zulfiqar Butt, told AFP, without giving the baby’s name.

“It’s a matter of great grief for us that Butt has been found guilty. We hope the Almighty will bring him out of this trouble because these are very difficult times for him and the family,” he added. It is Butt’s first son -- he already has a daughter. AFP

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Wednesday, 2 November, 2011

Sports 21

tHE inEvitABlE ignominy

It’s still good for Pakistan cricket

O

N this count, the ignominy was bound to visit us some day, such were the propriety and diligence levels of our cricketing powers-that-be. And not for a day or two, not for a year or two but for a period spread over two decades, the ghost of match-fixing and our fixers has haunted our cricket.

And once last year, courtesy two of our own expatriates, one a fixer and the other a sting journalist, both curiously sharing the first name - Mazhar - our boys were caught with their pants down, there wasn’t going to be any reprieve. Ijaz Butt’s ham-fistedness, in this as in all other matters, put a seal on that. In a roundabout way Butt’s rude and inept handling has done Pakistan cricket a world of good – perhaps the only tangibly nice thing that has come out of his reign.

The sentencing has yet to come, but Tuesday saw the jury hand out the convictions. Our guilty would now be punished in due course, and ordered to remain guests of Her Majesty for whatever terms the judge deems fit to serve. Some 10 years ago, our indigenous exercise known as Justice Qayyum Report was too feeble, and threw patriotic life lines to the ones involved. To the extent that the accuser in the affidavit was slammed with a life ban and the accused was allowed to walk, for he was supposed to be too good a crick-

eter to be punished.

No such niceties, none of such consideration is likely to be shown by the judge in Crown Court Southwark.

What a fall from grace this has been for Salman Butt, and those fabulous partners in pace who happened to be partners in crime as well, Asif and Amir.

It is unfortunate and distressing, but it is definitely good, not only but especially for Pakistan cricket. And it says volumes about the ability of our administrators that the jolt, and its likely cleansing effect, was delivered by the foreigners.

The loss of face, though traumatic in the extreme, is counterbalanced by the possibility of getting caught and ruination that it brings in its wake from now on may rein in those adventurous souls in our cricketing colours who previously didn’t give a whit about the consequences of their shenanigans.

Only if that comes to pass, if our cricketers shun chicanery, if those who snare the young ones like Amir and scare the living daylights out of Zulqarnain Haider are checked and weeded out, the pain would be well worth it.

So, is it the closure that we sought?

iCC to investigate more matches LAHORE StAFF REPoRt/AGENCIES

The ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) is set to launch its own investigation of Pakistan's tour of England in 2010 after the trial into spot-fixing exposed more allegedly tainted matches. More players are set to come under scrutiny.

Recovered text messages exposed during the trial at Southwark Crown Court revealed four more Tests appear to have been affected by spot-fixing on the tour - not just the one at Lord's.

The ACSU has not been able to conduct much of an inquiry since the case meant that most or all of the evidence was held by Court.

The text traffic recovered by Canadian police specialists from Mazhar Majeed's phone connected players such as Kamran Akmal and Amir to spot-fixing and links with bookmakers. On the eve of the Lord's Test between Pakistan and Australia, Majeed received a text from a UK number thought to belong to a bookmaker which read: "Bro, just spoke to Sanjay. Bowling first, they should bowl in tandem first for at least first eight overs. give away a minimum of 47 runs, in first 10 overs please." On July 17, when Butt was given the captaincy after the resignation of Afridi, a text from from Indian bookmaker read: "Congratulations on captaincy of Salman Butt". There is no evidence surrounding the second Test against Australia at Headingley.

On July 28, the same Indian number, codenamed 'Raj', texted Majeed: "got any idea of the wicket, looks like enough grass left?" On July 29,Majeed messaged 'Raj': "It is hard to do this but they will try. Two edges gave away eight in first over so not always in their hands. They will make sure they try though." He followed that up with: "If they do it they will want to be paid."

On July 30 Majeed texted a UK number: "Boss, you can see they have done it." And later he said: "Kamran's one will still be on if another wicket."

Later, 'Raj' messaged Majeed: "I'm very shocked and speechless about what the boys have done today. At this rate they will ruin our lives. Despite my request - one run in last ball of 100th over - nothing happened." Majeed replied: "I cannot explain boss. I'll find out tonight."

Later , UK bookie messaged Majeed: "Is your Pakistan man ready for a small one?

There was also eight- and a seven-minute call between 'Raj' and Majeed, 'Raj' messaged back: "Kami (Kamran Akmal) and Aamer (Amir) minimum 13 off first 3 overs after Kami gives an indication by change of gloves with no wkt.

It starts from round of overs, say 35 or 40, whichever is first after they come in together.

Next 7 overs, maximum 15 runs."

May be, may be not.

The trio was not the only bad fish in our pond. There definitely is more grime, only if someone tried to scratch below the surface. The ICC, though it has not overtly said so, was not all that happy when the leads it provided were not acted upon to go after the other possible fixers within our ranks.

This is something one has learnt on good authority. And some of the accounts and money transfers that were in question have also been reported.

Is the new dispensation in the Board willing to take them on? A point of conjecture for the moment, the answer would come from actions and not words.

By no means do the Pakistanis have a monopoly over various forms of fixing, the match or the salient features both.

Only our cricketers of the 1990s had been smarter than the Hansie Cronjes, the Azharuddins and the Jadejas to not get caught on a cell phone, with chapter and verse of their doings recorded.

(There were others, many others, whose misadventures were successfully

kept under wraps by the Boards more inventive and crafty than ours – not just in avoiding embarrassment but also coming down hard on the transgressors without the whole world seeing the spectacle.)

But the one who seemed to be the smartest and best educated of the lot, the one groomed from early teens to skipper Pakistan, Salman Butt turned out to be too clever by half. He deserves his plight every bit. No tears would be shed for him.

Asif and Amir, more so the latter for he seemed to be once in a generation cricketer that not just Pakistan but the cricketing world would miss, are losses.

But Pakistan as a nation is blessed with exceptional talents – more than our inept cricket administrators can handle or groom. In about a year and a bit since this damning scandal broke out, the Pakistan team has held its own against some pretty decent opposition and on occasions made some waves too. Meanwhile, it has blooded some new and exciting talent, the left-arm pacer Junaid Khan amongst them.

So in the final analysis, if the cleaning of our stables means some more pruning the PCB should not be thwarted by the pain it might cause in terms of lowered performance levels. We are far too good for that, and looking backwards, only if we had done the same in 2001 – if not earlier.

Darkest day of Pakistan cricket SIKANDAR BAKHT It is the darkest day of Pakistan cricket. The PCB should watch under-19 cricketers and do their proper grooming. Most players come from modest families and they easily get lured in such traps. People give them gifts and take them to dinners etc and then trap them. The PCB should start educating them from their tender ages.

The ACU of the ICC is a useless bunch of people and they have not even caught a single cricketer involved in match-fixing. See Hansie Cronje was caught by spies, Kenyan cricketer was reported by his wife and now these cricketers were caught by a reporter.

ZAHEER ABBAS I am sad on what has happened because it involves sportsmen but at the same time I think justice has been done because if you do something wrong you pay the price.

I just feel sad for Pakistan cricket as well because cricketers are not supposed to be associated with crime and corruption. But I think in a way it is good for Pakistan and world cricket because it should serve as a deterrent to others.

diately and tried them under our code of conduct. They should not have let the matter go into the hands of the ICC.What is the ICC ACU doing when people like Mazhar Majeed can still infiltrate teams and corrupt players. Where is their system?

RASHID LATIF

KHALID MEHMOOD

The two main characters, Mazhar Mahmood and bookie Mazhar Majeed deserved to be punished as well.

They set the trap for our players which they fell into and they have paid the price today.

If that time proper action had been taken in time, we would not have seen this shameful day today. Our authorities have a habit of trying to sweep such things under the mat

The damage to Pakistan cricket, to its credibility, had already been done when the news of this case first broke. We have lost some of our best cricketers and I hope that this sends a message out to upcoming players that these short-cut methods to earn a quick buck can cost you respect and your career.

AAMIR SOHAIL The PCB should have played a more pro-active role last year when the issue came up and brought the players back to Pakistan imme-

YAWAR SAEED It is a very disappointing and sad day for us in many ways. For the players to be caught up in criminal proceedings is shameful. I think the impact of the entire incident has already been felt months ago. What is required now is to forget everything and move ahead.

Fresh probe awaits Kamran Akmal and Wahab Riaz LAHORE ASHER butt

The Tuesday’s verdict at Southwark Crown Court against Pakistan’s now-notorious trio could form the basis of a fresh anti-corruption probe against wicketkeeper Akmal and left-arm fast bowler Wahab Riaz. The ICC will examine evidence gathered by police officers in London who investigated the fixing case involving the trio. Akmal’s name also comes up in correspondence between the agent and his fixing contacts around the world in evidence collected by police from earlier stages of the investigations.Majeed also told an undercover journalist he had seven members of the team in on his fixes. Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Wahab Riaz and Imran Farhat were all named in court on recordings of Majeed talking to Mazher Mahmood.

Aftab Jafferjee, QC for the prosecution, described in court Akmal’s escape from investigation as a "charmed life".

He also said the roles of "Wahab Riaz and Kamran Akmal raise deep, deep suspicions." Riaz was photographed by the News of the World wearing the white jacket containing the £10,000 bung the NoTW had paid. Britain’s Telegraph claimed that officers from ACU were contacted by the same source who tipped off the NotW about spot-fixing. The ICC were contacted by an anonymous source, believed to be a former member of Pakistan’s backroom staff, with details of fixing arranged by Majeed in Australia and the World Twenty20. A download of Majeed’s text messages to members of the team was emailed to the ICC in the early part of the summer of 2010. It is believed the source then forwarded the same information to Mazher Mahmood.

Cricket’s hall of shame life bans: May 2000: Former Pakistan captain Salim Malik banned for life by a judicial inquiry conducted by judge Malik qayyum. Salim Malik was alleged to have fixed matches on Pakistan's tour of New zealand in 1993, South Africa and zimbabwe (1994-95).

1994: Pakistan paceman Ata-ur-Rehman banned for life for perjury during the qayyum inquiry.

His ban was overturned by the PCB in 2003. october 2000: Former South Africa captain Hansie Cronje banned for life after he admitted to match-fixing.

December 2000: Former india captain Mohammad Azharuddin banned for life after an investigation conducted by the CBi in india.

December 2000: Former indian off-spinner Ajay Sharma banned for life.

December 2000: Ajay Jadeja was banned for five years, but on appeal was allowed to play in domestic cricket. october 2000: South African opener Herschelle Gibbs and paceman Henry Williams both banned for six months after admitting to under-perform in agreement with Cronje.

August 2004: Kenya's Maurice odume banned for five years for associating with bookmakers.

May 2008: West india all-rounder Marlon Samuels banned for two years for links with a bookmaker.

February 2011: Pakistan's Salman Butt banned for 10 years for spot-fixing. Mohammad Asif banned for seven years and Mohammad Aamer for five years.

I was under extreme pressure, says Amir LONDON AGENCIES

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir, who pleaded guilty to spot-fixing during the Lord's Test against England in 2010, has said there was "extreme pressure" on him and cited threats to his place in the side if he did not participate in the fixing.

Amir gave his plea at the pre-trial at Southwark Crown Court on September 16, which had preceded the full trial attended by Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, who pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. Reporting restrictions under the United Kingdom's laws meant Amir's plea could not be published so as not to bias a jury ruling on

the other two players.

Amir's basis of plea agreed by the prosecution was: • The defendant's involvement was limited to the final Test match at Lord's between August 26 and 29, 2010.

• This was the defendant's first and only involvement and was, therefore, an isolated and one-off event.

• The defendant only became involved as a result of pressure (not amounting to physical threats) and influence, to the effect that, if he did not become involved, he would suffer serious professional implications to his future career.

"Amir wants to make it clear he wants to take full responsibility for what he did by bowling two deliberate

no-balls," Amir's barrister Ben Emmerson QC said at the pre-trial. "This vulnerable 18-year-old boy, as he was then, was subjected to extreme pressure from those upon whom he should have been able to rely. He recognises the damage he has caused Pakistan cricket and he wishes to do his best to put that right."

Prosecution evidence, however, suggested that rather than being an innocent, naïve rookie who was taken advantage of, Amir seemed a willing conspirator, with text messages of fixing talk sent to two different Pakistan numbers that were recovered by police.

Of further significance was Amir's basis of plea - he owned up only to fixing the two no-balls at Lord's. This was

questioned by the judge, Justice Cooke, because there was evidence to be presented by the prosecution that showed suspicious behaviour connected to other matches.

On August 17 Amir texted a Pakistani number with his bank details and asked why they were needed.

On the same day, Amir had a conversation by text with a Pakistani unknown. It went: "How much and what needs to be done?" Then: "This is going to be too much mate." The Pakistani unknown said in one: "So in first three, bowl however you want, and in the last two, do eight runs?" These messages were translated from Urdu and were thought to be a repetition of instructions he had received at some point.

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22 Sports

Wednesday, 2 November, 2011

Guptill puts Nz in command BULAWAYO AFP

Martin guptill hit his second Test century to put New Zealand in firm control of their one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Queens Sports Club on Tuesday. guptill made the most of a flat pitch to hit 109, while captain Ross Taylor made an unbeaten half-century as the Black Caps closed day one on 275 for three.

Zimbabwe’s bowlers found the going tough on a wicket which offered little assistance, but could have dismissed both Taylor and BJ Watling in the final half hour of the day were it not for a couple of dropped catches. Taylor, who finished the day unbeaten on 76, was fortunate to see his thin edge down the leg side off Chris Mpofu’s bowling dropped by the wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva, while Watling edged a delivery from Kyle Jarvis past first slip just a few overs later.

However guptill mixed patience and aggression to good effect, allowing himself quiet spells in the face of tight bowling but also launching the ball back over Ray Price’s head whenever the left-arm spinner offered the opportunity.

The 25-year-old had two close calls during his innings, with a strong drive going straight through Price’s hands shortly before lunch, while umpire Bruce Oxenford turned down a decent shout for lbw by Jarvis when guptill was on 77. guptill went to 99 with a monstrous six over long-off from the bowling of Price, and then went to three figures two balls later when he put away a long hop through midwicket. guptill put on 132 for the third wicket with Taylor, before pulling a short ball from part-time seamer Hamilton masakadza straight to Tatenda Taibu at midwicket. That kept alive Zimbabwe’s tally of one wicket per session, with Jarvis having accounted for Brendon McCullum prior to lunch and Price effecting the run-out of Kane Williamson between lunch and tea. McCullum attempted to pull a bouncer from Jarvis but played onto his stumps, while Williamson departed for 49 having failed to return to his crease in time after coming down the pitch and nudging a delivery back to the bowler.

A total of five new caps were handed out at the start of the day, as Njabulo Ncube, Malcolm Waller and Regis Chakabva made their debuts for Zimbabwe and Dean Brownlie and Doug Bracewell were included in New Zealand’s Test side for the first time.

SCoREboARD NEW ZEAlAND FIRSt INNINGS M. Guptill c taibu b Masakadza 109 B. McCullum b Jarvis 14 K. Williamson run out (Price/Chakabva) 49 R. taylor not out 76 B. Watling not out 16 eXtRAS (7b, 1nb, 2wd, 1lb) 11 totAL (3 wkts, 90 overs, 365 mins) 275 Fall of wickets: 1-40 (McCullum), 2-115 (Williamson) Bowling: Jarvis 18-5-53-1; Ncube 16-2-50-0; Mpofu 20-3-68-0; Price 26-2-75-0; Masakadza 7-3-13-1; Waller 3-0-8-0. ziMBABWe - Brendan taylor (capt), vusi Sibanda, tinotenda Mawoyo, Hamilton Masakadza, tatenda taibu, Malcolm Waller, Regis Chakabva, Raymond Price, Kyle Jarvis, Christopher Mpofu, Njabulo Ncube. toSS: New zealand.

UMPiReS: Bruce oxenford (AUS) and Marais erasmus (RSA) tv UMPiRe: Jeremiah Matibiri (ziM) MAtCH ReFeRee: Chris Broad (eNG)

SHARJAH: A general view of the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Known as the ‘oasis of Cricket’, the Sharjah Stadium will reemerge on the international horizon with the staging of the third and final test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. AFP

Zaka honours HK Sixes winners LAHORE StAFF REPoRt

P

AKISTAN’S Hong Kong Super Sixes winning team got richer by Rs 200,000 for their superlative performance as new Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Zaka Ashraf on Tuesday honoured the national heroes on their return from Hong Kong. Pakistan won fifth title in nine years. The Pakistan team won the title beating England by 35 runs and Umar Akmal was named the player of the tournament and that earned him an extra Rs 100,000 from the PCB. Talking to journalists on the occasion, the new PCB chairman pointed that three coaches are the requirement of time.

“There should be three coaches for the Pakistan cricket team, one each for each department of the game,” he maintained.

Ashraf, who has replaced Ijaz Butt as the chairman of the PCB, said that there should be separate batting, bowling and fielding coaches. “Separate coaches will help improve the technique of our players,” Ashraf said.

LAHoRe: PCB Chairman zaka Ashraf with the Pakistan HK Sixes winning team. STAFF PhoTo Commenting on bringing international cricket back to Pakistan, Ashraf said international teams should tour Pak-

istan. "We have a huge challenge in front of us and have to work very hard to bring international cricket back to Pakistan," he

Pakistan reach final of tri-nation hockey LAHORE StAFF REPoRt

Pakistan drew arch rival India 1-1 and qualified for the final of the tri-nation hockey tournament in Burnbury, Australia, on Tuesday. Pakistan went ahead straight away in the second minute of the game after Indian defence conceded the early penalty corner.

Veteran Sohail Abbas showed his class, sending his hard push to the right of Indian goalkeeper-captain Bharat Chhetri. India’s Yuvraj Walmiki scored the equaliser in the 26th minute of the first half. The score between Pakistan and India was 1-1 after the conclusion of the first half. The score re-

mained the same in the second half and with the match ending in draw Pakistan qualified for the final of the event. Pakistan will face Australia in the final on Thursday.

FORMER OLYMPIANS DEMAND STERN ACTION AGAINST INDIANS: Former Pakistan hockey Olympians are angry on Indians who broke Pakistani forward player Muhmmad Imran’s tooth in Australia during a match on October 28, 2011. Olympians were of the view that the Federation of International Hockey (FIH) should hand Indian aggressors stern punishment for their non-sportive behavior on field.

Former chief selector of PHF, Hasan Sardar, said they never saw this type of inci-

dent in hockey history and they played a lot of pressure games against arch-rivals. “I can’t bear a player who sat on bench and came to hit a player with the stick, and such a player should be banned for life,” he stated.

“I am sure the PHF must be waiting for team manager’s report and when they get the report, it will write a later to the FIH asking for a huge punishment to the Indian player,” Hassan Sardar was quoted as saying on Tuesday. Meanwhile, former captain and coach/manager of national team Olympian Islah-ud-Din has also urged the FIH to take stern action against the Indians. “I read the report of tournament director in which he stated Pakistani players were not responsible

for that brawl, and now it is up to the FIH to take serious notice of this brawl,” he added.

It is important to mention here that the brawl started when Indian midfielder gurbaj Singh deliberately hit the knee of Pakistani player Shafqat Rasool. As a punishment, the referee gave corner to Pakistan and when Muhmmad Imran was going to hit the corner, suddenly Chandi Singh who came from outside the hockey pitch, attacked him with his stick and broke his two teeth. After the brawl, tournament director graham Napier banned Chandi Singh and Indian assistant coach for five matches and gurbaj Singh was banned for three matches. But now the FIH decision is still awaited on the issue.

said while hosting a farewell for former chairman Ijaz Butt whose three-year tenure ended last month.

"We have to remove the negativity created because of the spot fixing trial and move forward," he added, referring to the verdict against former Test captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir.

Since the attack in Lahore, which left eight people dead and seven Sri Lankan players and their assistant coach injured, no international cricket has taken place in Pakistan with teams refusing to tour because of security fears.

Pakistan has been forced to play their home series at neutral venues in United Arab Emirates (UAE), England and New Zealand. Sri Lanka refused an invitation to play in Pakistan in the wake of attacks on a military base in Karachi in May this year, forcing their hosts to play the series in UAE, with the third and final Test starting in Sharjah on Thursday.

"I am writing to the heads of all the chairmen of other boards in a hope to revive our relations," he added.

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Wednesday, 2 November, 2011

Sports 23

Misbah sets sight on series victory AFP

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PCB waiting for final verdict LAHORE: The Pakistan cricket Board, while reacting to the spot-fixing verdict in London, said there was nothing to comment. A PCB official said: “No comments.” But the PCB chairman in his conversation with media said that the PCB would not speak on the issue until there is something final. However, a PCB official said that the board’s version would come only after the decision was announced. StAFF REPoRt

‘Afridi not an automatic selection choice’ LAHORE StAFF REPoRt

Pakistan’s former pacer Sarfaraz Nawaz believes that Shahid Afridi should not be an automatic choice for selection. The former all-rounder has indicated he wants to join the national team. But Sarfaraz has challenged the wisdom of many by saying that the “boom boom” is not an automatic choice in the ODI eleven.

“Presently Afridi can only make it as a bowler but he has to compete with Saeed Ajmal and Abdul Rehman who have been performing superbly. Moreover, two all-rounders in Muhammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik would also give Afridi a tough fight. Therefore, it will not be easy for him (Afridi) to make it to the side,” said Sarfaraz. “Shahid Afridi needs to improve his batting to become an automatic choice,” added Nawaz.

Sarfaraz also expressed his views on the credentials of the next coach of the Pakistan cricket team. He said a local individual would be more suited for the job.

“Unlike a foreigner, the local coach will spend more time in the country. He will understand the system as well as the mental approach of the players,” stated Sarfaraz. “The local coach will also have a better idea of the domestic circuit which will help him find new blood for the team,” concluded Sarfaraz.

AFP

Bangladesh face a tough battle to save the series-deciding second and final Test against the West Indies despite opener Tamim Iqbal’s bold 82 not out on Tuesday.

The hosts, chasing an improbable target of 508, were 164-3 in their second innings at stumps on the penultimate day of the match in Dhaka. Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim was unbeaten on 33.

Darren Bravo earlier smashed five sixes and 12 fours on his way to a 297-ball 195, before the West Indies, leading by 124 runs on the first innings, declared their second innings closed on 383-5.

The opening Test of the two-match series ended in a draw in Chittagong.

Bangladesh lost opener Imrul Kayes

UEFA Champions League Group Stage 12:00AM

TEN SPORTS Zimbabwe v New Zealand Test Day 2 01:00PM

MADRID AGENCIES

SHARJAH: Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq catches a ball during a practice session. AFP getting mature with every innings,” said Misbah of Ali who scored a maiden hundred in Dubai. “Shafiq is also a very good find for us.”Misbah’s counterpart, Tillakaratne Dilshan, has contrasting fortunes. He has yet to win a Test as captain since taking over in May this year.

“We might come with different tactics because we have to put our heads up and come back strongly,” said Dilshan. “We have to win the next Test and level the series.”Despite the in-form Kumar Sangakkara, who hit an epic double hundred to help Sri Lanka draw the first Test and then topscored with 78 in his team’s low score of 239 in Dubai, Sri Lanka’s batting looks fragile. “Batting is a worry,” said Dilshan. “In our last 13 Tests we have lost four and in all our losses we didn’t bat

B’desh face tough task DHAKA

TEN SPORTS

Aisam-Bopanna glory run continues in Spain

SHARJAH AKISTAN captain Misbah-ul Haq, riding on a year’s success, vowed to remain positive in his bids to win the series against Sri Lanka as the teams prepare for the third Test starting here on Thursday.

Misbah hopes his team come down hard on Sri Lanka, as they did in the drawn first Test at Abu Dhabi and then during their crushing nine-wicket win in the second Test in Dubai last week.

“We will go for another win at Sharjah and I have told the players to go positively, in the same manner as they have been doing,” said Misbah, who has not lost a series since taking over in October last year.The 37-year-old captain led Pakistan to a drawn 0-0 series against South Africa, before beating New Zealand 1-0, squaring the two-Test series against the West Indies 1-1 before beating Zimbabwe in a one-off Test.

Misbah said the key to Pakistan’s success has been their collective strength.

If Pakistan win the series 2-0, they will move up one spot to replace Sri Lanka at fifth in the Test rankings.

“The best thing about this team is that no one player is key for us. Everybody here is key, it’s a relatively new team but players are gaining experience and it’s helping the team,” said Misbah.

While praising Pakistan’s batting and bowling, Misbah is hoping their fielding will continue to improve.“We are batting and bowling well in this series,” said Misbah, praising fast-rising middle-order batsmen Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq.

“Ali is doing well every time. He is

watch it Live

(nine), Shahriar Nafees (18) and Raqibul Hasan (17), but left-handed Tamim continued to defy the West Indies’ attack, having so far cracked one six and eight fours.Fast bowler Fidel Edwards, who jolted Bangladesh with five quick wickets in the first innings, struck in his second over when he had Kayes caught by Kirk Edwards at first slip.Seamer Darren Sammy held a return catch to dismiss Nafees (18) in the last over of the afternoon session before off-spinner Marlon Samuels removed Raqibul.Left-handed Bravo, aged 22, fell in the afternoon session, top-edging a delivery from debutant left-arm spinner Suhrawadi Shuvo to wicket-keeper Rahim. He had hit a six off the previous ball before going for another big shot in a bid to complete his doublecentury.

well.” Dilshan, along with Sri Lanka’s most experienced batsman Mahela Jayawardene, have not been at their best having scored just 81 runs in the four innings between them.Dilshan said his demotion was justified.

“I want to give some youngsters a chance at the top order so that is why I am batting at five,” said Dilshan.

Sri Lanka will be without wicketkeeper batsman Prasanna Jayawardene, who scored a valiant 120 in the first Test before returning home after injuring an abdominal muscle.They might bring in off-spinner Suraj Randiv as the pitch of the Sharjah Stadium -- which is staging a Test after nine years -- is expected to take spin. Pakistan is likely to keep the second Test combination.

SCoREboARD WeSt iNdieS, 1st innings: 355 (K. edwards 121, K. Powell 72, K. Brathwaite 50; Shakib Al Hasan 5-63, Nasir Hossain 3-52) BANGLAdeSH, 1st innings: 231 (Shakib Al Hasan 73; F. edwards 5-63) WeSt iNdieS 2nd innings: 383 for five dec. d Bravo 195, K edwards 86 BANGLAdeSH 2nd innings: tamim iqbal not out 82 imrul Kayes c K. edwards b F. edwards 9 Shahriar Nafees c and b Sammy 18 Raqibul Hasan c Sammy b Samuels 17 Mushfiqur Rahim not out 33 eXtRAS (b2, lb1, nb2) 5 totAL (for three wickets; 47 overs) 164 Fall of wickets: 1-26 (Kayes), 2-73 (Nafees), 3124 (Raqibul).

Bowling: F. edwards 9-0-38-1 (nb2), Roach 8-236-0, Sammy 7-2-11-1, Bishoo 11-3-35-0, Samuels 12-2-41-1. toSS: West indies UMPiReS: Kumar dharmasena (SRi) and Nigel Llong (eNG)

Pakistan tennis star Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and his Indian partner Rohan Bopanna continued their magnificent roll in the current season, outplaying the unseeded Spaniard duo of Nicolas Almagro and Pablo Andujar in the first round of the Valencia Open on Monday night.

The fourth seeded duo of Aisam and Bopanna took merely 67 minutes of play to wrap up victory in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5, to make a berth in the quarterfinals of the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour 500 event.

The contest was played on the indoor hard courts of the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències in Valencia, Spain, and ended to the dismay of the local crowd, as the Spaniards crashed out of the first round of draw. Almagro and Andujar failed to pose any serious challenge to the belligerence of the seventh ranked duo in the contest. The Indo-Pak Express has already bagged two doubles championship titles in the running season and their forceful start in Valencia hints that the fourth seeded duo is well on their way to extend their title count in this event. The fourth seeded contestants delivered merely 54 per cent of its serve on target but dropped just three points on the first serve, clinching 26 out of 29, to come out as the winner. Bopanna and Qureshi converted four of their seven break opportunities in the matchup, while Almagro and Andujar stung two out of four serve breaks to finish on the losing side in the end.

The Spaniard were off to an ordinary start in the first set. One break of serve proved enough for Aisam and Bopanna to close out the opener at 6-3, giving them 10 lead. Indo-Pak duo won the second set 7-5. Indo-Pak Express will face Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares or the local wildcard duo of Roberto Bautista-Agut and Albert Ramos in quarters.

Pakistan superior tactically, technically EXPERt CoMMENt

MAHeLA JAYAWARdeNe We haven't played to our potential. Obviously going one-down in the series is a big disappointment, but I think we have an opportunity to get back into it, so we cannot be down for long. We have to try to correct our mistakes and turn things around.

On the first day in Dubai we felt our decision to bat was a 50-50 pick, because there was a bit of grass and maybe a touch of moisture. We thought it was a challenge we needed to take - batting first to make sure we

got runs on the board, because we knew by the fourth or fifth day there would be deterioration of which we could take advantage.

But we lost too many wickets on the first day and it was difficult for us to get back into the Test. Looking at how the wicket behaved over the last two days, I think the decision we took to bat first was correct. The important thing is to put runs on the board in the first innings. I thought all four of Pakistan's bowlers had a role to play in the second Test. Each of them has picked up his game. Umar gul, the most experienced bowler of the lot, did the damage in the first innings. Saeed Ajmal, being a spinner, controlled things in the second, getting help from the wicket. But I think the guy who has impressed most of us is leftarm fast bowler Junaid Khan. He hasn't played that much Test cricket but he knows what he is doing. He has impressed with the new and the old ball. Pakistan have a decent attack, and everyone's firing in their roles.

Our batsmen will have to individually come up with game plans to tackle the bowling and make sure we don't lose too many

wickets in the middle period. Technically and tactically there are quite a few things we can do before the third Test. We will take stock of those and try to implement them in the practice sessions we have between the Tests, and make sure that everyone is fresh in the mind to go out and execute them. I think the defeats definitely have to do with our mental approach. There's no doubt we have the talent and the ability. We need to apply ourselves and handle those tough situations better. Pakistan do attack in different situations with different bowlers, and we need to handle those situations better, especially in the first innings, to make sure we put runs on the board. What has happened to us is that we are chasing the game after the second or third day, and it is quite tough to do that and win matches, or even get close to an opportunity. You can't be chasing the game after the first two days. We have to take control after the first day and then push the advantage home on the second day. We managed to bowl Pakistan out in this Test, which I thought was a good ef-

fort. The bowlers showed a big improvement from the first Test: they hit good areas, created opportunities and troubled Pakistan quite a bit. The more matches these bowlers play, the more confidence they get. That's where we stand to gain. We need to keep encouraging them and make sure they keep improving. An area where we need to spruce up is picking up early wickets.

With the new ball, we manage to take one wicket, but we don't get those second and third wickets quickly. We need those early wickets to put pressure on the Pakistan middle order; keep things tight and not give them free scoring shots. We need to make sure we are disciplined. We have game plans for each batsman and we need to try to execute them better and in a more consistent manner. As for my form, it has been just two Test matches in which I haven't been able to score. I had a good Test series against Australia and was in good nick in the one-dayers against them as well. I haven't hit my stride yet after coming here, and taken control of the opportunities. (CRICINFo)

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Wednesday, 2 November, 2011

RPPs’ contracts may be cancelled if lacking transparency: SC

BUgti mUrdEr cAsE

Ask Interpol to get Musharraf, BhC tells govt

ISLAMABAD

A

QUETTA oNlINE

The Balochistan High Court (BHC) chief justice has directed the government to bring former president Pervez Musharraf and others named in the Akbar Bugti murder case to Pakistan through Interpol. The BHC took up the petition filed by Jamil Akbar Bugti in connection with his father’s murder case for hearing on Tuesday. BHC Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Essa remarked during the hearing that the government had signed an extradition treaty with certain countries in 1972, adding that under Article 15 of the treaty, it was the responsibility of the federation to bring back to country the former president, former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, former Balochistan chief minister Jam Muhammad Yousuf, the former Balochistan home min-

india moves to restrict Pakistan with Afghan-iran rail link

ister and Shoaib Nowshervani as they had been nominated in the case. The BHC chief justice asked Deputy Attorney general (DAg) Malik Sikandar why had no measure been taken even after Court No 6 of the judicial magistrate had already issued their arrest warrants. The DAg said he would contact the federation in this regard, and also check the extradition treaty signed with other countries for appropriate action.

MASooD REHMAN

two-member Supreme Court bench observed on Tuesday that the contracts of Rental Power Projects (RPPs) might be cancelled if lack of transparency was proved.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, was hearing a suo motu case coupled with two identical petitions filed by Housing and Works Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Khawaja Asif involving allegations of corruption in RPP contracts. The court stated that if such projects were awarded to personal favorites, it would open the backdoors for everyone. The chief justice said if the federal cabinet held an illegal act legal, it did not stand legal. He said the apex court was there for the rule of law and interpretation of

the constitution. He also said the president should not be involved in each and every matter.

NEPRA RULES: The court observed that the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) rules were violated while awarding RPP contracts.

“How could the RPPs’ contracts be awarded without advertisement?” the court questioned. Concluding his arguments, Shahid Hamid, counsel for Walters Power International (WPI) headed

by Iqbal Z Ahmad, contended that irregularities could be there in the RPPs, however the allegations of corruption and kickbacks were not correct.

He said although machinery of Naudero Power Plant installed by his client was 15 years old, its production was accurate. Hayat, however, rejected the contention, stating that the machinery of Walters Power International was 23 years old. giving details of losses to his client, Hamid submitted that the project awarded to his client was approved by

PePCo employees take to the streets against dissolution GUJRANWALA/ISLAMABAD/LAHORE

MONITORING DESK

StAFF REPoRt

In a bold move to assert itself in the Af-Pak region and reduce Pakistan’s room for maneuver, India is finalising a plan to construct a 900-km railway line that will connect Chabahar port in Iran, being built with Indian help, to the mineral-rich Hajigak region of Afghanistan, the Hindustan Times said on Tuesday.

Chabahar is just 72kms west of Pakistan’s gwadar port, being built with Chinese help.

When completed, this line will throw up both tantalising geo-political and economic opportunities for India as well as potential for bad blood with both friends and foes.

According the report, the line will increase Indian leverage in Afghanistan and its strategic presence in the region. In the past, however, New Delhi has refuted Pakistani fears that India is encircling it. It will also give Afghanistan access to the sea, thus, reducing its dependence on Pakistan.

It will open opportunities for Indian companies to explore Afghanistan’s mineral wealth, believed to be worth $1-3 trillion, for mutual benefit. It will also add to the economic rationale for Indian investment in Chabahar. The report said that once the entire network comprising road, rail and port is in place, it can become a launching pad for greater economic and strategic involvement of India in the oil and mineral-rich Central Asia.However, the report said that greater cooperation with Iran in Chabahar will almost certainly upset the Americans, whose support is essential if India is to play a greater role in the region. Based on a note prepared by the Ministry of External Affairs on this subject, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai held a meeting on August 10 with representatives of the ministries of railways and mining, sources told the Hindustan Times.

Thousands of power company employees took to the streets against the proposed dissolution of the Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) and the privatisation of power companies Tuesday. The gujranwala Electric Power Company (gEPCO)’s employees locked down 126 sub-divisional offices of the company in protest and marched on gT Road from Camping ground to gEPCO Headquarters, where the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Hydroelectric Union threatened to turn off power supply to the whole country if the government’s decision was not reversed. Employees closed down the customer service centres in various cities of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Sindh and took out rallies against what they said was an injustice to them. Workers protested in Faisalabad, gujrat, Hafizabad, Narowal, Sialkot, Mandi Bahauddin, Shakargarh and Sarae Alamgir, leaving the consumers stranded with no one to respond to their needs. Similar protests were also held in Sanghar, Jacobabad and other cities of Sindh, with the employees threatening a countrywide blackout if the decision was not reversed. The employees of Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) also protested against the proposed privatisation of power distribution companies.

Protesters blocked The Mall in Lahore, where the power company employees marched from Alhamra to WAPDA House and chanted slogans against the government. Traffic on The Mall and surrounding roads was blocked and commuters faced difficulties in getting to their destinations.

IAEA alleges signs of Pak-Syria nuke tie MONITORING DESK UN investigators have identified a previously unknown complex in Syria that bolsters suspicions that the Syrian government worked with AQ Khan, the father of Pakistan’s atomic bomb, to acquire technology that could be used to make nuclear arms, a private TV channel has reported.

The buildings in northwest Syria closely match the design of a uranium enrichment plant provided to Libya when Moammar gaddafi was trying to build nuclear weapons under Khan’s guidance, it quoted officials as saying. The UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has also obtained correspondence between Khan and a Syrian government official, Muhidin Issa, who proposed scientific cooperation and a

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visit to Khan’s laboratories following Pakistan’s successful nuclear test in 1998. The complex, in the city of Al-Hasakah, now appears to be a cotton-spinning plant, and investigators have found no sign that it was ever used for nuclear production. But given that Israeli warplanes destroyed a suspected plutonium production reactor in Syria in 2007, the unlikely coincidence in design suggests that Syria may have been pursuing two routes to an atomic bomb: uranium as well as plutonium. The channel said details of the Syria-Khan connection were provided by a senior diplomat with knowledge of IAEA investigations and a former UN investigator. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. The Syrian government did not respond to a request for comment.

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

the federal cabinet in January 2010 and it was inaugurated by the president. The court admonished Hamid for involving the president in the matter, noting that the court would not indulge itself in such technicalities. Hamid contended that his client had to get the plant repaired three times, which caused losses of $8 million.

He said two units of Naudero-1 having capacity of 25 megawatts each were shut down in July 2010. The chief justice asked Hamid that if the company was incurring losses, why was it so interested in the projects. Hamid stated that his client had returned to the government the money - with interest – that it had received for the Naudero Power Plant.

Hussain Kazmi, counsel for NEPRA, told the court that advertisement of RPPs’ contracts was not made in newspapers, however the methodology to examine the performance of RPPs was available.

Later, the court admonished Hayat after he said efforts were being made to target him and his ministry.