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Narendra Modi: the new American darling
Shahid Afridi back in ODI and T20 teams
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Pakistan approves India as ‘Most Favoured’ nation
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MIAN ABRAR
n a major confidence-building measure to normalise relations with India, Pakistan’s federal cabinet on Wednesday unanimously endorsed granting Most Favoured nation (MFn) status to its nuclear-armed neighbour, subject to the approval of parliament. Another important decision the federal cabinet took to bring the Baloch rebels to the table for a dialogue to bring peace to the troubled province was to contact the family of nawab Akbar Bugti to seek their opinion, asking them if they were satisfied with the High Court Commission or if they wanted a Supreme Court Commission to probe the killing of the Baloch leader. Briefing reporters on the cabinet decisions, Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said the cabinet had endorsed the MFn status for India after all stakeholders, including the country’s security establishment and the business community, were taken on board. Defending the government’s decision to grant MFn status to India, the information minister said the cabinet had a candid discussion on the issue and admitted that most of the cabinet ministers had expressed concerns on the government’s decision. She said all their doubts were cleared by the commerce minister and commerce secretary. “Prior to reaching this accord, we took on board all stakeholders, including the defence-related institutions.
PROFIT | PAGE 08
pakistantoday.com.pk
vol ii no 130 32 pages Lahore edition
ISLAMABAD
Rice exporters fear liberalised trade with India
g
g
Decision subject to parliament’s nod Cabinet briefed on implementation status of Aghaz-e-Huqooq-eBalochistan Package
Moreover, all chambers of commerce and other trading bodies were also consulted… We have decided to follow the vision of Quaid-eAzam and this is why the federal cabinet unanimously endorsed the MFn status to India. Prior to this, Pakistan has already assigned MFn status to over 100 countries,” she said. The minister said relations between Pakistan and India were discussed at length during the meeting and ministers from all coalition parties had unanimously endorsed the decision. Responding to strong questions raised by the media, the information minister and Commerce Secretary Zafar Mehmood shifted the onus of the decision to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, with the minister stating that soon after the partition and despite the war between India and Pakistan over Kashmir in 1948, Continued on page 04
india ‘appreCiates positive gesture’ | page 24
thursday, 3 november, 2011 Zul-Haj 6, 1432
SC suspicious of multi-billion dollar RPP deal
Three-day gas outages after Eid ISLAMABAD: After a lengthy debate, the Petroleum Ministry and stakeholders agreed on a makeshift agreement, under which gas supply to CnG and the industrial sectors would be cut off for three days a week in Punjab during the
ISLAMABAD MAsood RehMAN
Suspecting foul play in the multi-billion dollar deal of rental power projects (RPPs), the Supreme Court on Wednesday observed that rental power companies committed sheer negligence by not importing the required machinery per agreement and it was beyond understanding how these companies were paid huge mobilisation advances without import of power producing apparatus. A two-member Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain made the observation while hearing a suo motu case coupled with two identical petitions filed by Minister for Housing and Works Faisal Saleh Hayat and PML-n MnA Khawaja Asif involving allegations of massive corruption in RPP contracts. The chief justice noted that some companies started production after the court took notice of the matter. He said it seemed as if the companies were taking high rent for used machinery. Ali Zafar, counsel for Gulf Power Company, told the court that the government made agreement with his client after examining its performance
and after that the company shifted all its machinery to Pakistan. He said his client was still not paid the mobilisation advance. He said the machinery lying at the site was going waste and was less than 10 years old, adding that the Gulf Company was owned by Gulf and Saudi investors, who loved Pakistan. The CJP said investors invested to make profit, not for the love of some country. Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, counsel for Reshma Rental Power and Techno E Power, said his clients entered into the agreement after completing due process and then they were paid mobilisation advance. He said the report produced before the court by the counsel for Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Continued on page 04
month of november. Petroleum Secretary Ejaz Chaudhry told reporters that the meeting decided that the shortage of natural gas would be equally shared by all sectors, adding that there would be no gas load shedding for CnG stations from november 4 to 11 during the Eidul Adha holidays in Punjab. After Eid, gas supply to CnG and industrial sectors would be cut for three days every week in the rest of the month. The meeting decided to continue supply of gas on rotational basis to two of the four fertilizer plants operating in Punjab. Similarly two IPPs would also get gas supply while the other two would have to use diesel for power generation. The APTMA chairman agreed to the three-days-a-week gas load management schedule in view of the current gas shortage. The CnG association expressed reservations over the proposed plan but agreed to conduct meetings with the SnGPL to examine the situation. STAff REPoRT
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02 News
Thursday, 3 November, 2011
lAhore
Today’s
The Mall is not for rallies anymore
Quick
n a b
Look
NewS
world view
durrani’s petition dubbed ‘publicity stunt’
What to expect from the new saudi Crown princen
d e n
Story on Page 10
Story on Page 05
Story on Page 14
Top cops shuffled in Punjab Police LAHORE sTAff RepoRT
Police bureaucracy witnessed on Wednesday the advent of three heavyweight police officials that included Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Zulifqar Cheema, a blue eyed cop of the Pakistan Muslim League-nawaz (PML-n). Sources in the IG office said that three police officials had been transferred and posted on senior positions. Additional Inspector General (AIG) Kalb-e-Abbas was transferred and posted as AIG (Investigations), Punjab. AIG Aslam Tareen, who has been recently promoted, was transferred and posted as AIG (Welfare and Finance). DIG Zulifqar Cheema has been transferred and posted as AIG Elite Force. Sources told that AIG Kalb-e-Abbas and Aslam Tareen were transferred and posted on two key posts because AIG Azam Joyia had retired from police and left the post of AIG (Investigations) vacant, while AIG Aftab Sultan who had been posted as the director general of Intelligence Bureau (IB) left behind the seat of AIG (Welfare and Finance). The postings of Abbas and Tareen were not a big surprise for the policemen. However, many officials were surprised with Cheema’s appointment, as he had lost the blessings of the Pakistan Muslim League-nawaz (PML-n) leadership after refusing to use his influence to support the party’s candidate in Gujranwala by-elections. The PML-n candidate lost badly despite relentless efforts by the party. After the elections, Cheema was removed from the post of Gujranwal regional police officer (RPO). Subsequently, rumours arose that Cheema had joined the federal government’s camp after his removal. Therefore his return to Lahore is quite surprising for many. Police sources said that despite serious efforts, the Punjab government was finding it hard to curb increasing crime and improve security situation in the province. According to them, it was likely that the government wanted to revamp the Elite Force to control crime in the province. Sources said that Cheema had tried hard to get the post of Capital City Police Officer (CCPO), Lahore before DIG Ahmed Raza Tahir had taken charge as the CCPO. They said that after AIG Aftab Sultan’s posting as IB director general, Cheema even tried to get the post of AIG Welfare and Finance, which was given to Aslam Tareen, who enjoys good reputation in police circles and has close relations with the PML-n leadership.
deRA GhAZI KhAN: Women residents of the Railway Colony sit on the track to stop a train during a demonstration against suspension of electricity supply to their colony. oNLINE
PPP, PML-Q considering joint movement against Punjab govt LAHORE
Commission interviews interior secretaries on US raid ISLAMABAD: The enquiry Commission on Abbottabad Operation on Wednesday conducted detailed interviews of the incumbent and former secretaries of the Ministry of Interior who briefed the commission on their perceptions about the US attack on the alleged hideout of al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden. Inquiry Commission chief Justice Javed Iqbal chaired the session, while Police Inspector General Abbas Khan, former ambassador Ashraf Jehangir Qazi and Lieutenant General nadeem Ahmed attended the meeting. The commission would meet again on november, 14. sTAff RepoRT
NAsIR BUTT
T
HE Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) are seriously considering launching a joint agitation movement against the Punjab government, Pakistan Today learnt on Wednesday. Sources privy to the scenario told Pakistan Today that both allies had started consultations to settle details for the joint movement against the PML-nawaz (PML-n)’s provincial government keeping in view the hustle bustle in Punjab after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI)’s successful power show in Lahore. The sources said further that a final announcement regarding the movement would be
made very soon. A formal contact between the PML-Q leadership and PPP-backed Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khosa was made on Wednesday at Governor’s House. Federal Senior Minister and PML-Q Punjab President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had a consultative meeting with the governor and discussed at length the strategy to exert pressure on the provincial government to hold local bodies elections in the province. The political situation in Punjab and especially the upcoming Senate elections scheduled in March next year also came under discussion in the nearly two-hour meeting. Elahi and Khosa discussed various options for the Senate elections and their strategy in the provincial assembly. They also talked about ways to force the
PML-n government to immediately hold elections for local bodies, which has been delaying for some time now. Both leaders agreed that the language used by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif during the PML-n’s protest rally last week was against democratic norms and tested the limits of political tolerance. They said difference of opinion was the beauty of democracy and politics of principles. Governor Khosa said elements who had surfaced under undemocratic and non-political forces must understand the real spirit of politics and democracy. He said that people were sick of this type of politics and undemocratic attitude of certain elements, owing to which the Lahoris completely rejected the PML-n rally.
Another suicide outside Parliament House goes unheeded ISLAMABAD sALMAN ABBAs
In what should be a major source of concern for the government, another jobless teenager tried to commit selfimmolation outside the Parliament House on Tuesday. He was protesting against unemployment.
The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon when a teenager, Muhammad Jamil, tried to end his life by setting his body on fire, just yards away from the place where some days ago 23-year-old Raja Khan set himself ablaze for the same cause. Later, Khan died at a hospital. This time, however, the policemen present on the scene managed to save
life of the frustrated youth by foiling his suicide attempt. Jamil, a resident of Abbottabad, said he had four sisters to feed but despite his best efforts he was still unsuccessful in getting a job to run his household. The police arrested the youth. On Wednesday, the Secretariat area police produced him in the court
of a civil judge and judicial magistrate, Liaqat Ali Kharal, who released him on bail. Commenting on this fresh suicide attempt by a jobless citizen, Senator nilophar Bakhtiar, who had raised the issue of Raja Khan’s suicide in the Senate, said the situation was worsening everyday, but the policymakers were still not paying any heed to the
issue. “People trying to end their lives outside the Parliament want to convey a message to their representatives, which is still unanswered and unheeded,” she said. She said around 1,600 people had committed suicides during the last one year, which must be a matter of serious concern for the government.
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Thursday, 3 November, 2011
ForeigN NewS
ArTS & eNTerTAiNMeNT
Arabs await syrian reply to plan to end unrest
hugh Grant becomes dad, but mother’s a mystery fixing trio should be done away with
SPorTS
News 03 CoMMeNT Guns or butter?: Economy should be top priority.
our cricketing shame: And it is ignominious indeed.
Nazir Naji says: Ties that bind: India, Pakistan and Afghanistan have to work for peace.
Kuldip Nayar says: Sterile ideologies: All -isms have failed.
dr James J Zogby says: Syria’s isolation: The situation needs to be checked.
Story on Page 19
Story on Page 17
UK court rules Assange should be extradited to Sweden LONDON ReUTeRs
WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange, whose activities have angered the United States government, should be sent to Sweden from Britain to face questioning over alleged sex crimes, the High Court ruled on Wednesday, rejecting his appeal against extradition. Swedish authorities want to question the 40-year-old over accusations of rape and sexual assault made by two female former WikiLeaks volunteers. Assange now has two weeks to consider whether to make a final appeal to the Supreme Court. However, any recourse to Britain’s highest judicial body can only be made on a point of law considered by judges to be of general public interest, so permission to appeal must be obtained first from the High Court. “We will be considering our next steps in the days ahead,” Assange said in an uncharacteristically short statement afterwards. Wearing a smart navy blue suit and sporting a Remembrance Day poppy in his lapel, the Australian computer expert listened intently during the 10minute hearing but showed no emotion as the result was read out. He was hugged and kissed by a female supporter after the hearing while banners fixed to the court railings outside proclaimed him to be a “casualty of war and truth”.
Mother and aunt of killed infant arrested LAhore: Lytton Road Police on Wednesday arrested the mother and paternal aunt of 6-month-old Fatima, who had died after being thrown off the 2nd floor of her house on Tuesday night. Fatima’s father and paternal aunts had accused her mother Saira of killing her daughter after throwing her from the second floor of the house after quarrelling with her husband over a property issue. However, Saira denied the allegations in her statement and blamed her sister-in-law Razia for killing Fatima. The Lytton Road Police Station House Officer (SHO) said that Fatima had died accidentally after falling from 2nd floor while the two women were quarrelling with each other. He said that the police has registered a case against Saira and Razia and arrested both of them. sTAff RepoRT
Story on Page 20
Articles on Page 12-13
Absence of ministers again invites criticism of government g
FATA senators walk out from house over continued drone strikes, delay in funds’ release ISLAMABAD
T
TAhIR NIAZ
HE government on Wednesday faced an embarrassing situation in the Senate when no federal minister was present to respond to supplementary questions of the members and calling attention notices. At the outset of the question hour, treasury as well as opposition senators challenged the seriousness of the government to run the House business, with Zahid Khan suggesting the government to disband the House if it was not interested in its affairs. Senators, including Azam Swati, Prof Khurshid Ahmad, Tariq Azeem, Haseeb Khan and Tahir Hussain Mashhadi were of the view that ministers’ presence in the House was a must, particularly during the question hour. Prof Khurshid said senators were being compelled to take extreme steps
by not showing seriousness in the House business by the government members. However, Makhdoom Amin Faheem entered the House just as Deputy Chairman Jan Jamali was about to suspend the question hour, saying ministers were busy in the federal cabinet meeting. Senators belonging to FATA staged a token walkout from the House over the continued drone strikes and non-release of funds from the annual development programme for the Tribal Areas. Members from JI and JUI-F also participated in the walkout to express solidarity with FATA members. The FATA members said they would stage token walkouts from the House in every session until their grievances were addressed. However, Leader of the House nayyar Bukhari assured the House that he would talk to the finance minister over the issue. To the concerns of Prof Khurshid and others regarding the agreement between Pakistan Television Limited
Khawaja Haris throws another tantrum LAHORE sTAff RepoRT
Punjab Advocate General Khawaja Haris resigned from his post for the third time on Wednesday, this time over differences with the Punjab government on the issue of law officials’ appointment, for which he claimed he was not consulted. Haris has moved his personal effects from his office to his residence and has also returned the government car he was given, along with the state security provided to him. He has sent his resignation to Chief Minister’s House, but it is unlikely to be accepted given the history he has with the Sharifs. Haris is notorious for pressuring the government with the threat to resign, this being the third instance. Insiders say whenever the government gives him less importance he resigns to attract the attention of the Sharif family, for which he is the family lawyer.
Reportedly, Haris had reservations over the appointment of law officials and his suggestion was ignored by the government, which hurt his ego deeply. He expressed his reservations several times but no steps were taken to make amends. Haris had resigned from the post for the first time on February 25, 2009 in protest against governor’s rule in the province after the disqualification of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, saying that as the advocate general he had to serve an elected government and after all the powers were given to the governor, he thought there was no role for him to perform. Haris was first appointed advocate general on June 24, 2008 by acting governor Rana Iqbal. His appointment had caused a controversy between the Pakistan Muslim League-nawaz (PML-n) led Punjab government and former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer.
(PTV) and Ten Sports, Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan clarified that the agreement was aimed at only promoting and broadcasting sports events on state-run channel and not to promote any Indian content. The minister said PTV would also launch its own sports channel by December. She said the state-run TV channel won the agreement through international bidding and the other private channel which was a party in the bidding launched a malafide campaign against PTV after failing to secure the rights. About foreign contents being promoted on private channels, Firdous said certain channels were involved in promoting Indian content and strict action, including 652 applications and showcause notices, had been issued to such channels. She said efforts were underway to enforce PEMRA rules in letter and spirit and help the electronic channels to play a positive role under the
code of conduct. The Senate chairman announced to constitute a House committee that would seek consent of the provinces for legislation on health issues under Article 144, involving the establishment of Drug Regulatory Authority (DRA) and other issues. Under the said article, If two or more provincial assemblies pass resolutions to the effect that parliament may by law regulate any matter not enumerated in the Federal Legislative List in the Fourth Schedule, it shall be lawful for parliament to pass an act for regulating that matter accordingly, but any act so passed may, as respects any province to which it applies, be amended or repealed by an act of the assembly of that province. Earlier, the senators through a calling attention notices raised the issue of allocation of functions of the DRA to the cabinet division, which, they said, was violation of the existing provisions of the constitution.
Ji condemns wAPdA’s privatisation plan, MFN status to india LAHORE sTAff RepoRT
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Munawar Hasan expressed concern over the government’s plan to privatise the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) in a statement released on Wednesday. He said that the government was bent upon liquidating WAPDA, alleging that it was a conspiracy to justify the import of electricity from India, although the country’s power generation companies had the capacity to generate 20,000 megawatts of power. The JI chief said that WAPDA’s privatisation would not only lead to further increase in power tariff but also massive unemployment. Munawar alleged that there had been a corruption of Rs 50 billion in the RPP, adding that profit-making national institutions such as Pakistan Railways, Pakistan International Airlines and Pakistan Steel Mills had been destroyed due to government’s corruption. Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Secretary General Liaqat Baloch said that the federal cabinet’s decision of giving the Most Favoured nation status to India and expanding trade ties with it would undermine the country’s solidarity besides ruining its economy. In his reaction to the cabinet decision, the JI leader said that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government had deceived the political parties and the nation once again. He said the cabinet decision was in conflict with the unanimous resolution of the All-Parties Conference (APC) and was bound to create more hurdles in the resolution of the Kashmir issue. He said, the government had been holding APCs and promising review of the foreign and internal policies but it was never sincere in the implementation of the APC decisions. Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Punjab ameer Dr Syed Waseem Akhtar criticised the expenditure of Rs one billion on 31 sessions of Provincial Assembly from April 2009 till date.
Gilani and Shujaat discuss Imran’s rally ISLAMABAD sTAff RepoRT
PML-Q President Shujaat Hussain called on Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Wednesday and conveyed to him the concerns of his party’s parliamentarians and ministers for release of funds committed by him so that they could complete development projects in their respective areas. A source told Pakistan Today that Shujaat conveyed his concerns with the premier in view of the large public meeting held by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf chief Imran Khan in Lahore.
“Under the changed political scenario, both the leaders decided to enhance engagement with people at the grassroots level and complete in time development projects to lure in public support in next general elections,” he added. The source said both leaders also discussed anti-government rallies being planned by the PML-n leadership and decided to chalk out a joint strategy to tackle the situation. He said both leaders agreed to enhance contacts with political parties to muster political support to further isolate the PML-n which was already looking
desperately for alliances with political parties. An official handout said Shujaat congratulated the prime minister for his successful visit to Australia where he had led the Pakistani delegation in CHOGM. Gilani said his meeting with the Australian prime minister was of immense importance because she offered her country’s cooperation in the field of agriculture, energy, infrastructure, education and health. He said his meetings with the Prime Ministers of Malaysia and Singapore were focused on seeking their support to enhance trade and cooperation in construction and information technology.
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04 News
Thursday, 3 November, 2011
12 injured as tribal leader escapes Peshawar blast g
Police say remote-controlled device had been planted in a car PESHAWAR ABdUR RAUf KhATTAK
A
IsTANBUL: foreign Minister hina Rabbani Khar attending the Regional Conference on Afghanistan on Wednesday. oNLINE
french magazine ‘firebombed’ for sacrilegious image PARIS ReUTeRs
The headquarters of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo were gutted on Wednesday by what its editor said was a firebomb, after it put a sacrilegious image of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) on its cover. The magazine’s website appeared to have been hacked on Wednesday and showed images of a mosque with the message “no God but Allah”. The depiction of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) in any shape or form is considered extremely offensive among Muslims.
A police source stopped short of blaming the blaze at the Paris magazine offices on a firebomb and said it happened around 1am, adding that no one had been injured. The editor of the magazine was defiant and unapologetic. “The building is still standing. The problem is there’s nothing left inside,” Stephane Charbonnier, editor of the magazine, told Europe 1 radio. The magazine had received many emails containing insults and threats in the past few days, Charbonnier said. “It’s clear that it’s impossible to put together a
paper in these conditions. For next week we will find offices elsewhere,” the editor said. “In any case there is no question that we will give ground to the Islamists. We will continue.” French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said he had asked Interior Minister Claude Gueant to ensure the perpetrators of the attack were tracked down. “Freedom of expression is an inalienable value of democracy and any incursion against press freedom must be condemned with the utmost force. no cause justified violent action,” he said in a statement.
obama tops Forbes most powerful list, Putin No 2 NeW YorK: Barack Obama topped Forbes’ list of the world’s most powerful people in 2011, as the US leader’s clout rose after the deaths of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Obama bumped Chinese President Hu Jintao from the no 1 spot on the magazine’s annual rankings. German Chancellor Angela Merkel remained the most powerful woman at no 4 on the list, as Europe’s largest economy continued to wield its influence over the troubled European Union. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who is running again for president, was no 2 and Hu came third as he gradually manages the transition of power to others in China. ReUTeRs
T least 13 people were injured when a remote-controlled bomb targeted the vehicle of a tribal leader near the Karkhano Market checkpost on Tuesday. Police said the remotecontrolled device had been planted in a car and its target was tribal leader Malik Taj who traveling by the area. The blast resulted in serious injuries to Malik Taj and 12 others, besides damaging 13 vehicles parked in the vicinity. Soon after the blast, Edhi ambulances and rescue teams rushed to the site and shifted the injured people to Hayatabad Medical Complex for treatment. Some of the injured were said to be in a critical condition. The injured were identi-
Attack on Mohmand check-post kills two soldiers PESHAWAR App
Unidentified militants attacked a security checkpost in Mohmand Agency on Wednesday, killing two security officials and injuring two others, officials said. Sources said the militants attacked the Miangan Ghundai check post in Ghalanai, headquarters of Mohmand Agency. An exchange of fire between security officials and militants continued for over an hour. The injured soldiers were shifted to Peshawar for treatment. Sepoy Rishad Khan and Levy soldier Umer Khitab were killed in the attack, while two levies soldiers were injured. The post was jointly manned by FC and Levy forces. In another incident, militants kidnapped three labourers working on a dam in Mohmand Agency. fied as Rasool Khan, Walayat, Sajid, Zarzada, Malik Taj son, Ishaq, Umar Taj, Akhtar, Umar Zaman, Jan Mohammad, Hasan
SC suspicious Continued from page 1 had termed his clients the best companies, however, further payment was not being made. He said his clients had completed construction work at the site and the tariff had been estimated at 5.10 cents per unit. However, he said the rental power companies had not been given tax exemption like independent power producers (IPPs), which was discriminatory. Despite all this, he said his clients were ready to pay back the amount of Rs 4 billion, which it received as mobilisation advance, along with the 26 percent mark up. najmul Hassan Kazmi, nEPRA counsel, told the court that Reshma Power Project was ineffective and
its agreement had expired. Raja Anwarul Haq, counsel for Techno Energy Sahiwal and Sialkot and Techno E Power Faisalabad, told the court that mobilisation advance was taken back from his client on court orders. The chief justice asked him to file a review or contempt of court plea if he wanted to challenge the decision. The counsel for nEPRA said the site was visited at that time and no machinery was found there. He said the case of Raja Anwarul Haq was pending adjudication before the Islamabad High Court. The chief justice then said the apex court would not interfere in some other court’s matters. The proceedings were later adjourned until today (Thursday).
Khan, Zakirullah and Amanat. Police said around 15 kilogrammes of explosives had been used in the attack.
Travel agents slam PiA for exorbitant fare increase LAHORE IMRAN AdNAN
After a massive increase in air fares by the Pakistan International Airline (PIA), passengers have started to book their ticket on other carriers. Travel agents indicate that Air Blue has already increased its fare while Shaheen Air is ready to follow suit. Talking to Pakistan Today, Travel Agents Association of Pakistan (TAAP) Regional Chairman Dr Muhammad Sharif Khan said it seemed people would shortly start traveling “on camels and horses” as train service in the country has already come to a halt and now the national flag carrier was trying to close operations.
Pakistan approves India as ‘Most favoured’ nation Continued from page 1 Pakistan and India had signed the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) under which all member states had MFn status. “We have been assured that trade with India would not affect our balance of power, strategic interests, Kashmir cause or our import bill. The commerce minister told the meeting that during his visit to India, he had consulted with the Kashmiri leaders on MFn status to India. He also said that when the Kashmiris on both sides of the border were continuing their bilateral trade and bus service, there was no reason for Pakistan-India trade to suffer,” she explained. Advocating the cabinet decision, the minister said bilateral trade would enhance revenues for the cash-strapped Pakistan government. “When Indian goods are already being smuggled into Pakistan through Dubai and we are wasting a huge chunk of revenue, it is better to allow legal trade which would benefit both countries and their peoples. India gave MFn status to Pakistan in 1995 but we did not respond in kind,” she asserted.
Successive harsh questions compelled the minister to defend the government’s decision, saying the media was just point-scoring. She said both countries were involved in talks for approval to trade 233 non-tariff items. Giving an overview of the history of Pak-India trade ties, the commerce secretary said trade ties between India and Pakistan had been blocked after the 1965 war, while India gave Pakistan MFn status in 1995 and Pakistan adopted a positive list for trade. He said now both countries had decided to dismantle the non-tariff barrier and only Wahga border had been opened for trade through rail and road links. Responding to a question, Zafar Mehmood said that under the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), Afghanistan was allowed to send its goods to India through Wahga but India could not do so. Firdous said a recent report of a think-tank led by former State Bank of Pakistan governor Dr Ishrat Hussain had suggested that Pakistan would benefit from liberalisation of trade, which would not hurt its strategic interests with
India and it would get support of $800 million without any dent to its strategic interests. “The cabinet was told that just as China and India had continuing bilateral trade despite their dispute over Tibet, Pakistan and India could also move forward despite their stance on Kashmir. Kashmiris are the principal party to the Kashmir issue. Once Kashmiris are having bilateral trade, there is no question why Pakistan should not do so,” she asserted. She said the cabinet had taken up a 19-point agenda in its lengthy meeting, with the implementation status of the Aghaz-e-Huqooq-Balochistan Package on top of the list. She said during the meeting some ministers argued the incapability and ineffectiveness of the Balochistan government, with a specific reference to Chief Minister Aslam Raisani. She said the prime minister said that despite incompetence, we should respect the chief minister and his government, which had the mandate of the people. “The prime minister also directed that steps should be taken to ensure capacity building of the Balochistan govern-
ment and chief minister himself, while a committee was also formed to monitor the usage of funds to uplift Balochistan,” she said. “The prime minister decided to expand the dialogue committee and said talks would be held with political dissidents to bring them into the main stream. The Balochistan governor, chief minister and ministers were asked to get in touch with them to bring them into the political process. It was also decided that the dialogue committee should talk to rebels and then submit a comprehensive dialogue package so that the government can know what rebels want,” she said, adding that the prime minister ordered that the family of nawab Akbar Bugti be contacted to ascertain whether they wanted a Supreme Court Commission or they were happy with the Balochistan High Court Commission currently probing the Bugti murder case. She said Justice (r) Javed Iqbal was proposed to head the Bugti probe commission, but any decision would be taken once Bugti’s family made up their mind and give the government the go-ahead to form
the commission. “Since the issue of who is the legal heir of nawab Bugti is sub judice in the Supreme Court, we have decided to wait for the court decision and once the matter is resolved, we will contact the legal heirs for their viewpoint,” she added. “The cabinet was informed that a judicial enquiry into the allotment of Gwadar Land has been implemented… It was informed of a special quota of 1,200 scholarship and HEC-allocated 600 additional scholarships for Baloch youth. Rationalisation of royalty and gas development charge has also been amicably settled,” she added. She said the cabinet was informed that as a result of the 7th nFC Award, financial resources of Balochistan had increased from Rs 43 billion in 2009 to Rs 108 billion in 201112, adding that under reconciliatory efforts 665 political prisoners had been released in Balochistan. The minister said the cabinet also approved cooperation between the state-run news agencies of Turkey and Pakistan and this decision would enable the improvement of the distorted image of Pakistan abroad, and Turkey would be-
come a gateway of revival of Pakistan’s image in Europe. Asked whether the government would move to get former president Pervez Musharraf and former prime minister Shaukat Aziz back to Pakistan in order to implement the court’s orders, the information minister said the government would play a facilitator’s role to implement the court verdict. “Let the court convey the orders to the government institutions concerned. We would take action under the law,” she added, stopping short of giving any clear-cut response over the issue. She said the issues of development surcharge and royalty for natural gas had been resolved and payments for last two years had been made to the Balochistan government. Earlier, briefing the cabinet on the implementation of the Balochistan package, Establishment Secretary Khushnud Lashari said Balochistan had been given greater provincial autonomy as enshrined in the constitution after the 18th Amendment, increased job opportunities for the youth of the province, greater share of Balochistan in royalty and gas development
surcharge and large-scale development projects funded by the federal government. The federal government had agreed to accept the accumulated gas surcharge claim of Balochistan of Rs 120 billion and it would be reimbursed to the provincial government at the rate of Rs 10 billion per year, he said. Rs 10 billion was paid last year and another Rs 10 billion had been paid during the current financial year, he added. The cabinet was told that the construction of cantonments in Kohlu and Sui had been stopped and the army had been replaced by the FC. The cabinet was told that the conversion of B areas into A areas had been de-notified. The federal government also paid Rs 1 billion for the rehabilitation of the internally displaced people of Dera Bugti and also Rs 128 million as compensation for the dislocation of the fishermen. The prime minister decided that in the next cabinet meeting, ministers from Balochistan would be informed as to how much and unprecedented development works had been undertaken in the province.
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Thursday, 3 November, 2011
Ahead of eid, there’s work for everyone PAge 08
The Mall is not for rallies anymore g
LHC CJ warns IGP any further rallies will be considered contempt of court LAHORE
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sTAff RepoRT
AHORE High Court (LHC) Chief Justice (CJ) Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry on Wednesday banned all kinds of protests, processions and gatherings at The Mall on a petition of traders seeking restraining orders against rallies on the road, which is a business hub. The LHC CJ also directed the Punjab government and inspector general of police (IGP) to ensure compliance of court orders in this regard by allocating
n a b
an alternate place to people at the earliest for rallies of any kind, as traders of the area faced permanent nuisance and trouble due to protests. The court warned the IGP that it will be considered contempt of court if police failed to implement the orders. The LHC CJ also disposed of the petition. A provincial law officer, on behalf of the Punjab government, submitted that the government had taken notice of the problems being faced by traders and all protests on The Mall had already been banned but there were loopholes in the implementation. He said that legislation
for the purpose was in process after which it will be unlawful to hold protests at The Mall Road. The petition was filed by the Mall Road Traders Association submitting that business activity at The Mall had been badly affected due to frequent protests. They said that different political, religious and other parties hold protests on a daily basis especially on Friday. The association said that the traffic police had to block all adjoining roads of The Mall whenever a rally was held, which created problems for the people to reach business centres on The Mall. The petitioners had requested the court to issue a restraining order against holding of protest on The Mall. They had also requested the court to direct authorities to adopt measures to confine protests to nasir Bagh besides ensuring a smooth flow of traffic on The Mall.
d e n
Lifting the curtain on DHA Cinema’s closure LAHORE ALI TAhIR
As the dispute between the DHA Cinema management and the DHA administration on the issue of installation of digital projector at DHA cinema lengthens out, DHA Cinema, that ceased to function on October 27 and was planned to reopen on October 30, is learnt to be closed for more 7 days leaving cinema goers high and dry. DHA cinema management has also moved the court to seek justice. The cinema was mysteriously shutdown by the DHA security when the cinema management installed a digital projector in the cinema and was about to run ‘RA-One’ in 3D, sources revealed. Meanwhile, DHA administration denied any disagreement with DHA cinema management and announced that cinema was shut down in a bid to heighten the security to ensure safety of visitors. However, DHA SHO Zahid ruled out the security reason behind the closure, saying the police had not received any signal and information from any quarter including DHA administration and DHA cinema management that there was a security threat to cinema. “The DHA cinema management would have informed us if there had been any security issue as they have done many times before,” the SHO said while talking to Pakistan Today. One staffer at the DHA cinema while seeking anonymity said the DHA administration had some issue with the digital projector which is why the cinema has been closed down. “I think the closure has something to with the digital projector,” he said, adding that the cinema was closed a day before ‘Ra.one’ was to be shown. The DHA Cinema is currently being managed by Mandviwalla Entertainments. While talking Pakistan Today, nadeeem Mandviwalla, the managing director Mandviwalla Entertainment, refrained from commenting on the
g
Mystery deepens as contradictory statements emerge from dhA and cinema administration
issue because the matter was in the court. “All I can say that there were no problems of any license or contracts,” he said adding that “the DHA, and not me, claims that the cinema was shut down over security reasons.” Meanwhile the DHA cinema remains shut. The management has shut all there phones lines and the DHA Cinema website has been temporally been disabled. A public notice emerges which reads, “On Thursday, 27 October 2011, DHA Cinema Management received a letter from the DHA to shutdown the DHA Cinema with immediate effect till Sunday 30th October 2011 on the pretext of security reasons.” It further states “On Friday 28 the DHA Cinema Management served a notice of the Hon’ble Senior Civil Judge Lahore to restrain the DHA from interfering into the managements and operation of the cinema and also restrain from creating hurdles of the free access to the cinema by the viewers and staff of the plaintiff/petitioner.” The public notice further adds, “On Friday 28 October DHA personnel came with force and sealed the DHA Cinema…by sealing the DHA Cinema, DHA personnel have not only blatantly violated the management agreement between DHA and MEPL but have also disregarded the orders of the Hon’able Senior Civil Judge, Lahore which tantamount to contempt of court”. DHA PRO Tajammul Hassan insisted that the cinema had security issues. He said that they were extending the walls of the cinema and that the cinema was going through security checks. “We have advertised already in this regard,” he added.
Traders hail verdict LAhore: City traders on Wednesday welcomed the decision of banning all protests on The Mall. Pakistan Today had highlighted the issue of non-implementation of Section 144 on The Mall in its news story published on november 2 (Wednesday). Traders demanded of the Punjab government to implement the decision in letter and spirit. They said that their businesses suffer losses of millions of rupees due to protests. Anjuman-e-Tajran Electronics Hall Road and Link McLeod Road General Secretary Amin Mazhar Butt, welcoming the decision, said that it was very necessary that the Punjab government implements the decision. He said that whenever there was any rally on The Mall all shops and business centres were closed. “There is no business activity whenever there is any protest and as a result, we suffer huge losses,” he said, adding that traders were already under pressure due to poor law and order and rallies play havoc with their business. “Whenever there is any protest, markets of Hall Road, The Mall and Beadon Road are closed and there is no business activity,” he added. Mall Road Traders Association General Secretary Qazi Aftab said that no political party or any organisation should be allowed to hold protests on The Mall. He said that the Punjab government should take serious action against violators and not allow any person or party to violate the decision. “We earn our bread and butter and whoever tries to deprive us from this right is not sincere with us,” he added. Traders also said that a large number of daily wagers were victims of these rallies. sTAff RepoRT
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06 Lahore
Thursday, 3 November, 2011
‘Speed up release of foreigner prisoners’ LAHORE sTAff RepoRT
Lahore High Court Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry on Wednesday ordered the foreign ministry to expedite the process of release of foreigners still imprisoned in Punjab’s jails, despite having served their sentences. The CJ observed that the foreign ministry should contact the concerned embassies and solve all issues creating obstacles in their release, so the foreigners could be returned to their countries. The CJ passed the order on a petition filed by the petitioner/counsel Owais Sheikh for the release of two Indian citizens, Karele Bhano Das and Satandar Pal Singh, imprisoned in the Kot Lakhpat Jail. The Kot Lakhpat Jail superintendent Wednesday submitted in court a report from the Punjab Prisons and Home Department inspector general (IG) regarding foreigners imprisoned in Punjab’s jails. As per the report, 74 foreigners were imprisoned in various jails in Punjab, including 56 in the Kot Lakhpat Jail. Deputy Attorney General Shaista Qaiser in court said except for four prisoners, the foreign ministry had no details of the said persons.
She said if details were provided, then appropriate steps could be taken by the ministry to expedite the process of their release. The court ordered the Kot Lakhpat Jail superintendent to provide details of the prisoners to the ministry of foreign affairs. Sheikh assured the court he would work for the release of Pakistanis imprisoned in Indian jails. The CJ disposed off the matter by ordering the foreign ministry to expedite the process. LhC reServeS JUDGMeNT oN MeDICAL eNTrY TeST CASe: Completing the proceedings on the petition challenging the logic of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council medical entry test, a division bench of Lahore High Court reserved its judgment on Wednesday. During proceedings the bench comprising Justice Ch Shahid Saeed and Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan addressing PMDC counsel Ch Muhammad Umair observed that education policy for admission to medical colleges needed amendments to guard the interests of the poor students who could not spend money on separate preparations for the entry tests in costly mushroom institutes made for the purpose.
Judicial commission to start enquiry into inter result debacle LAHORE sTAff RepoRT
The Judicial Commission, set up to determine the loopholes in intermediate results in Punjab, will start its enquiry proceedings on day-to-day basis from november 10. Justice Ch Shahid Saeed has been appointed the chairman of the commission that has been setup to determine errors and inaccuracies in the results and to fix responsibility. According to a notice issued by commission registrar, the general public including those who feel aggrieved have been asked to register with the commission within four days. “The people who desire to appear as witnesses will show in writing the nature of their statements and the type of information having nexus with the terms of reference,” it added.
PMl-N starts election preparation LAHORE sTAff RepoRT
Pakistan Muslim League-nawaz (PML-n) leader Rana Mubashar Iqbal has started election preparations in nA-129 on directions of Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif, PML-n leader Chaudhry nasir Ramzan said on Wednesday. He was talking to journalists. Ramzan, paying tribute to Mubashar, termed him as a soldier of PML-n President nawaz Sharif. “Mubashar takes politics as worship. He was the sole leader who came to the rally on October 28 with 10,000 supporters,” Ramzan said. He said that people should support nawaz if they wanted to get rid of corrupt leaders, unemployment and inflation. Ramzan asked nawaz to allot party ticket to only those people who could serve the nation selflessly.
‘We’ll shut down other hospitals too’ LAHORE
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sTAff RepoRT
HE medical community has threatened to extend their protest over the registration of FIR against three doctors of Sheikh Zayed Hospital to other hospitals of the provinces if the FIR is not cancelled. Meanwhile, the protest at SZH has turned into a full-fledged strike that has curtailed all functions of the SZH except the emergency, causing a great inconvenience to the patients. The medical community said no FIR could be registered against a doctor after the implementation of Health Care Commission Act, adding that per the HCC Act the complainant should submit an application to the commission and if expert committee found the doctor guilty, only then an FIR could be registered. Dr Tanweer Anwar of Pakistan Medical Association, present in the protest said the doctors’ community was protesting against the violation of laws and not for saving their fellows from punishment. SZH Chairman Prof Dr Zafar Iqbal told Pakistan Today that the Lahore Commissioner Lahore Jawad Rafique had ensured the doctors to resolve the issue and transfer the case to Health Care Commission. A written letter from DIG was also received in this regard stating that the case would be referred to HCC, Dr Zafar said, adding that he did not know of any further developments. The case was registered against
demand cancellation of Fir registered against SZh doctors
Associate Professor Dr Haroon Majeed, Assistant Professor Dr Haroon Dar and Senior Registrar Dr Zulfiqar under section 302 of Pakistan Penal Code. Dr Haroon Dar, Professor of Surgical Unit II, told Pakistan Today that the patient Rafiq Khokhar was brought to hospital first time on September 19 and was operated for hernia on September 21. Then again, on October 7, the patient was brought back to hospital but left next day against the medical advice and then brought on October 15 and was diagnosed to be suffering from intestinal tuberculosis for which he was operated but due to reduced immunity the inside stitches could not heal and that lead to his deat. He said a special consent form was got signed before operation from the caretaker of patient. He was of the view that the patient was brought back to the same doctors which showed trust of patient’s family on the doctors. Other doctors were not available for comment. The complainant, in his application to police, has claimed that doctors wrongly diagnosed the patient at very first stage and treatment in the erroneous direction led their loved one to die. According to complaint, the patient was suffering from appendicitis only and was mistreated.
Lawyers to mark black day today LAHORE sTAff RepoRT
The lawyers’ community including all bar associations and provincial bar counsels will observe Black Day and strike today (Thursday) in condemnation of november 3, 2007 emergency imposed by General (r) Pervez Musharraf that suspended the fundamental human rights of people and sacked 60 judges of superior judiciary on their refusal to taking oath under his Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) aimed at sustaining his dictatorial regime.
The Supreme Court bar Association of Pakistan (SCBAP), Punjab Bar Council (PBC) and Lahore High court Bar Association ( LHCBA) on Wednesday gave separate calls to all lawyers and the bars for observance of the black day and strike on november 3 and asked them to wear black arm bands and hoist black flags at the bar offices. The bars including LHCBA will hold general house meetings on Thursday to denounce the emergency/martial law of Musharraf and his other illegal steps including sacking of judges including Iftikhar Muhammad Chadurhy and their house-arrests along with their families.
Application against Pakistani cricket stars filed LAHORE sTAff RepoRT
An additional district and session (AD&S) judge on Wednesday sought reply from the Faisal Town station house officer (SHO) on an application filed by Faisal Khan seeking court direction for the registration of a criminal case against Pakistani cricketers involved in spot fixing case: Muhammad Amir, Salman Butt and Muhammad Asif. The court accepted the application for hearing and sought reply from the respondent; Faisal Town SHO by november 4. PML-Q LeADer’S GrANDDAUGhTer GrANTeD INTerIM BAIL: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday confirmed the interim bail of Mah noor, daughter of Ayesha Malik and maternal granddaughter of PML-Q leader Ahad Malik, involved in a kidnapping case. JUDICIAL reMAND For NBP eMBeZZLerS eXTeNDeD: An accountability court on Wednesday extended till november 16 the judicial remand of Imtinan Saeed, Omeed Ayyaz Mehmood and Faisal Rasheed involved in the embezzlement of Rs 140,000,000 from national Bank of Pakistan as loans through fake documents. MoDeL ToWN eXTeNSIoN ProPerTY SCAM: An accountability court on Wednesday extended till October 19 the judicial remand of property dealer naveed Ahmad Sindhu, and his sons nadeem Ahmad Sindhu and nazeer Ahmad Sindhu.
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Thursday, 3 November, 2011
eid causes prices to surge LAHORE sTAff RepoRT
Various vegetable oil and ghee manufacturing companies have increased their prices ahead of Eid. These companies, exploiting the upcoming festival of Eidul Azha, increased the prices by Rs 2 to Rs 5 per kg, putting additional pressure on the already strained purses of the masses. One such company, Shan Ghee Mills increased the prices of all products by Rs 2 per kg, and fixed the retail price at Rs 165 per kg. Other companies similarly increased their prices and fixed them between Rs 178 to Rs 190 per kg. While these companies have stated an increase in petroleum prices, thereby an increase in the cost of transportation, as the reason for their increased prices, interestingly, there has been no increase in the price of diesel, the fuel most commonly used in transportation. “They are fleecing the innocent populace on this religious festival. We demand the government take stern action against companies increasing prices for no reason other than blatant profiteering,” said a customer, Muhammad Iqbal, adding, “These manufacturers have conducted a robbery on the masses.” Profiteers and hoarders similarly increased the prices of spices and chilies too. “There has been a sudden increase of Rs 5 per kg in the prices of red chilies,” said Javed Ahmed, a retailer, adding that there was no logical reason behind the increase. The prices of ginger and garlic also increased Rs 10 per kg on Wednesday, following an earlier increase in the prices of tomatoes and onions.
Joiya gets farewell by igP LAHORE sTAff RepoRT
On eve of retirement of Additional Inspector General (IG) Investigation Azam Joiya, a farewell reception was hosted by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Javed Iqbal at Police Headquarters on Wednesday. The IGP paid rich tributes to the services rendered by Joiya in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), investigation branch and anti-corruption department. Iqbal hoped that all policemen, especially those posted in the investigation section, would follow the footprints of Joiya for serving the people.
Lahore 07
Dysfunctional vote verification helpline irks young voters LAHORE
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ALI TAhIR
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HE youth, which make up almost 60 percent of the Pakistani population, kept trying desperately to get their votes verified on the number given by the by the City District Government Lahore especially after the unprecedented Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf rally, but failed since the phone numbers were dysfunctional even on the last day. The Election Commission had announced October 31 as the last day of vote verification. The CDGL in collaboration with the EC and nADRA had opened telephone line (111293031) to facilitate the locals of Lahore in getting their votes verified. However, these lines were dysfunctional and could not be reached. Even though votes are registered till the very last day before the elections, the verification is being done now to tally the numbers with nADRA. Well placed sources in the CDGL claimed that the district government had outsourced the phone lines to a call center and after a few days of inauguration the line went out of order. The source said the helpline had been given to a call centre that had five to seven operators only, adding that no checks had been imposed by the CDGL in this regard. Meanwhile numerous PTI supporters kept trying to get their votes registered. The PTI rally stirred a new wave of voting craze mainly in the youth who have never voted in any of the elections in the past. Though the Jalsa of PTI was on October 30, Sunday and the very next day was the last day of vote verification, the young voters claimed that they faced numerous problems while verifying their votes as the telephone help lines were busy all day on Monday and that at times the
inside sources reveal Cdgl’s negligence Youngsters, mainly PTi supporters, demand extension in vote verification
lines were shut down as well. Countless youngsters from around the city complained about the vote registration method saying that it had technical flaws. Critics claim that the phone line going out of order would be a great set back for PTI as the party mostly consists of youth who were voting for the very first time. Aqsa Mughees a student of FAST after watching history unfold at Minar-e-Pakistan started dialling the given number to verify her vote. “I tried calling on the number continuously for 4 hours on Monday morning but either the lines were kept engaged or I heard no tone after the dialling the number,” she said. She said she was voting for the first time and
PPP condemns Shahbaz for calling Zardari names LAHORE sTAff RepoRT
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-Punjab on Wednesday condemned the choice of words by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for President Asif Ali Zardari and his associates. The executive body of the PPP-Punjab passed two resolutions in its meeting, condemning Shahbaz for calling Zardari names during his ‘Go Zardari Go’ rally, and alleging the use of government’s resources to organise the rally. Shahbaz had called Zardari a “madari” (jester) during his rally in Lahore on October 28.The meeting was attended by the Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Raja Riaz, PPPPunjab Women Wing President Begum Beelum Husnain, PPP-Punjab General Secretary Samiullah Khan, and several other PPP politicians. Talking to reporters after chairing the meeting, PPP-Punjab President Imtiaz Safdar Warraich said PPP workers would not tolerate any insult towards its leaders. He said the rally taken out by the Pakistan Tehrik-iInsaaf (PTI) had confirmed that the Pakistan Muslim League-nawaz (PML-n) had lost its popularity even in the provincial capital.
that she wanted to vote for Imran Khan who stood as a symbol of hope for the country. She said PTI’s rally had a great impact on her perceptions and now voting had become mandatory for her. Hassan Masood a young technocrat and a graduate of GIKI too complained about the problems in getting his vote verified. He said he had tried many times to get his vote registered even before the rally but he got no reply from anywhere. He was of the view that the EC should add extra time in the deadline due to technical flaws. ISF President Farrukh Habib while talking to Pakistan Today in this regard explained that it was the last date of verification and not registration. “Registration can be done even a day before the election,” he said. He said the ISF was well aware of the non-functioning telephone lines and it was jotting down a plan in which different teams would be sent out to houses to assure all their vote have been verified. He added people can download the verification forms which were available on the official site of PTI and Election Commission and drop them off to any PTI office after filling them. He assured that all voters would be given a chance of voting. While answering to a question he said that the PTI was getting ready to register a petition demanding to add more time in the verification process. Punjab EC head Akhtar Hussain, and spokesman of the Punjab government Pervaiz Rashid could not be contacted despite many attempts. DeADLINe eXTeNDeD:The voter verification deadlines has been extended till november 5 for the convenience of the public.
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08 Lahore weATher UPdATeS
Ahead of Eid, there’s work for everyone
29 °C high 17low0C
Thursday, 3 November, 2011
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Buntings, knives, transporting all in high demand with the festival of meat just 4 days away
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PrAYer TiMiNgS Fajr Sunrise 04:57 06:18
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CiTY direCTorY eMergeNCY helP reSCUe edhi CoNTrol MoTorwAY PoliCe PoliCe goverNor’S hoUSe ChieF MiNiSTer’S hoUSe Fire BrigAde BoMB diSPoSAl MCl CoMPlAiNTS lAhore wASTe diSPoSAl
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ITH four days left in Eidul Adha, everyone, including those running related businesses, have become ‘very important’ as everyone rushes to make last minute arrangements for the festival. The transport vans are conveying sacrificial animals from remote areas to the city markets and earning handsomely. The butchers have also started putting up banners to attract while the shopkeepers have also displayed decoration strips, colourful ornaments and bells for the goats and cows. The knives’ sharpeners have also oiled their machines and are busy sharpening knives for Eid sacrifices. However, the rates demanded by all
these people are very high. The transporters said like previous years, the demand for transport is very high but people argue because of high fares. “I am earning around Rs 1,000 per day by transporting animals from the suburban areas of Lahore,” said Muhammad Abid, a transporter while talking to Pakistan Today, adding that he would not be free for the rest of the week. “I am getting customers daily and I have advance bookings for the next whole week for transporting animals,” he said adding the high prices of petroleum products and closing down of CnG were causing problems. “People often argue about high fares but we are helpless,” he added. The butchers are also booking for Eidul Adha and are asking for Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500 per goat or sheep and Rs 8,00012,000 for a cow. “I am fully booked for Eid and I have also asked for help from juniors to cope with the workload,” said a butcher Anwer Ali of Township. He said he used to e a r n around Rs
10,000 to 12,000 in one day. “The butchers don’t open shops after Eid, as they earn enough money during Eid days,” he added. The customers have booked butchers in advance to avoid inconvenience. “Last year, I had to pay double to get my animals slaughtered since I had not booked in advance,” said a customer Yousaf Raza adding the rate of butchers and transporters was very high. The blacksmiths are charging Rs 10 to Rs 15 for sharpening knives while colourful strips and bells are available for Rs 25 to Rs 100 per piece. “It is a seasonal job and we earn around Rs 200-250 per day by selling these products,” said a shopkeeper Abdul Jabar.
i am fully booked for eid. i have even asked for help from juniors to cope with the workload ANWeR ALI
A butcher
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Thursday, 3 November, 2011
Malaysia nabs Pakistani, Afghan asylum seekers
News 09 Kissinger: US should talk with region before Taliban WASHINGTON
KUALA LUMPUR/JAKARTA Afp
Afp
Malaysian marine police have intercepted a boatload of asylum seekers from Pakistan and Afghanistan who were attempting to travel to Australia via Indonesia, a senior police official said on Wednesday. A marine police craft, acting on a tip-off late on Monday, intercepted a boat with 13 people onboard after a 10-minute chase, Chuah Ghee Lye, police chief in southern Malacca state, told AFP. “We have detained four Pakistani men, four Afghans and five Indonesians, including the skipper. The refugees include an 18-month-old Afghan infant,” he said. “We believe they were being taken to Indonesia and possibly to a third country. I would not rule out the possibility (that they were heading to Australia),” he said. Chuah said only the Pakistanis had travel documents. “We will investigate the Indonesian skipper under human trafficking charges and may likely deport the Pakistanis and Afghans if they are found to be victims of human trafficking,” he said.
The United States should negotiate first with Afghanistan’s neighbours before sitting down with the Taliban over how to end the decade-long war, ex-US secretary of state Henry Kissinger said on Tuesday. In a thinly-veiled critique of White House policy, the elder statesman also said Washington had severely curtailed its ability to reach a settlement in Afghanistan due to unnecessarily telegraphing the departure of US troops. “I have no objection in principle to negotiating with the Taliban,” Kissinger told an audience at a panel discussion at the Woodrow Wilson International Centre, a think-tank in Washington. “But for the purpose of ending the war, it’s the wrong sequence of events. The first negotiation in my view ought to be with surrounding countries,” including Pakistan, India and Iran, nations seeking greater influence in Afghanistan as the United States orchestrates its exit. “If there is a negotiation with the Taliban, it should be in the framework of a multilateral regional negotiation,” Kissinger said.
ATToCK: students toss their hats at the 36th convocation of the Comsats Institute of Information Technology. oNLINE
NAB set to carry forward accountability process Former Transparency int’l chairman says politicians united against any proposal to end corruption, as not a single law against corruption has been passed in three years g
ISLAMABAD MIAN ABRAR
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ITH its new chairman at the helm of affairs, the national Accountability Bureau (nAB) is fully functional to carry forward the accountability process while surviving against all odds and facing severe resistance and criticism from politicians and bureaucrats. Since its inception in 2001, nAB has recovered Rs 331 billion in corruption and embezzlement cases from several politicians, civil and military bureaucrats, private contractors, businessmen and people from various backgrounds and professions. neither the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) nor any other body has been able to deliver as much as the nAB did, despite efforts by Interior Minister Rehman Malik who tried to replace nAB with the FIA. In his first speech in the national Assembly after being unanimously elected as the Leader of the House on March 24, 2008, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had announced to abolish nAB immediately, as he and President Asif Ali Zardari, besides several other top politicians had to face grinding at the hands of army officers looking after the affairs of nAB from 2001 to 2006. However with the passage of time, sense prevailed and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government continued with the accountability bureau by making it dormant and dysfunctional. On October 8, 2010, Zardari activated nAB by appointing Justice (r) Deedar Hussain Shah as its chairman. A comprehensive report revealed that nAB had recovered around Rs 331 billion in corruption and embezzlement cases from 2001 to 2010. Syed Adil Gilani, former chairman and advisor of Transparency International Pakistan, believes that the government’s insistence on bringing in a ‘faulty accountability bill’ to replace the nAB law was tantamount to evading the accountability process, which was necessary to put checks on public office holders, including the military, judicial and civil bureaucracy. Talking to Pakistan Today, Gilani said it was unfortunate that almost the entire political elite, including the parliamentarians from the treasury benches and the opposition, stood united in protecting the
corrupt practices. “Almost all the parliamentarians are one against any voice for accountability and despite a lapse of three long years no law has been passed by the parliament to put a check against corrupt practices though half a dozen bills are pending in the Parliament House’s cold storage with no action. Even a toothless law has not been passed by the parliament. no one has been appointed as federal ombudsman to make sure that no one can question the corrupt,” said Gilani. Asked how the accountability law could be strengthened to ensure transparency at all levels, Gilani said that according to the public demands reflected in the national Corruption Perception Survey, 2009, there shall not be discrimination in accountability law between the civilian government servants, armed forces, judicial officers, and elected public representatives. “The new independent accountability commission therefore shall include in the definition for ‘Public Office Holder’ all persons belonging to the civil service, armed forces, judicial service and the elected representatives of the national Assembly, Senate, provincial assemblies, local government representatives, the president, governors, and advisers to the prime minister and chief ministers,” he said. Gilani added that the new commission should function under the Supreme Judicial Council rather than the government’s proposal in the Holders of Public Offices (accountability) Act 2009 to keep it under the Ministry of Law and Justice. “Under Article 5 of the constitution, the accountability commission shall also be responsible to establish and promote effective practices aimed at the prevention of corruption, and it shall also be empowered to take administrative measures to prevent and fight corruption. Under Article 6, the government is bound to inform the secretary-general of the United nations about the names and addresses of the authority, which presently is the national Accountability Bureau, so that it may assist other states in developing and implementing specific measures for the prevention of corruption,” he added. He said that banks, financial institutions and other bodies associated with financial or commercial activities that referred cases of fraud, breach of trust and wilful loan-defaults are being dealt under the national Accountability Ordinance in a well defined mechanism to report and handle default cases under the supervision of State Bank of Pakistan.
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10 News
Thursday, 3 November, 2011
US sanctions haqqani network commander WASHINGTON Afp
The US took action on Tuesday aimed at ensuring that a jailed commander of the Haqqani network or his associates, never benefit from funds under American jurisdiction. The State Department blacklisted commander Mali Khan under an executive order signed by President George W Bush in 2001 in a bid to block funds to suspected terrorists, after a similar move in August against commander Sangeen Zadran. “All property subject to US jurisdiction in which Mali Khan has any interest is blocked and US persons are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with him,” the State Department said. “This action will help stem the flow of financial and other assistance to the Haqqani network,” a Pakistan-based militant group blamed for high-profile attacks on US and Afghan targets, the State Department said. It said Mali Khan was detained in Afghanistan in a late September raid by Afghan and coalition forces, but State Department spokeswoman Victoria nuland said the sanctions seek to freeze transactions involving him or his associates. “We want to make sure that... nobody can do business with anybody who has access to his stuff, and/or... if he ever came to a time when he was out of custody, that he shouldn’t have any illusions about being able to do business,” she told reporters.
hYdeRABAd: pML-N activists hold a ‘Go Zardari Go’ rally on Wednesday. oNLINE
SC gives 10-day deadline to pay pending salaries to Zakat employees ISLAMABAD: A three-member Supreme Court bench on Wednesday gave a 10-day deadline to the provincial governments to pay pending salaries for four months to the employees of the Zakat department. The bench comprising Justice nasirul Mulk, Justice Mian Saqib nisar and Justice Amir Hani Muslim was hearing a suo motu action about the regularisation of the contract employees of the Zakat department, the appointment of chairman of the Central Zakat Council, and a four-month delay in paying salaries to 4,800 employees. The court also ordered all the provincial governments to legislate for regularising the employees of the Zakat department. During the hearing, the representatives of all the provincial governments assured the court that the process of legislation would be initiated for regularising the department’s employees. They told the court that the employees were getting salaries from the Zakat fund and after the passage of the 18th Amendment, the department had been devolved to the provinces, but funds were not released by the federal government. They said the provinces would pay the salaries after receiving funds from the federal government. The court was also informed that the Punjab government had released the salaries for July and that the remaining salaries would be paid soon. The court adjourned further hearing until november 16. sTAff RepoRT
Durrani’s petition dubbed ‘publicity stunt’ ISLAMABAD IRfAN BUKhARI
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EADERS of various political parties have protested against Senator Muhammad Ali Durrani’s move of making their party heads respondents in a petition filed by him to recover billions of dollars from foreign bank accounts of Pakistani politicians and bureaucrats, dubbing Durrani’s move a “publicity stunt of an irrelevant politician”. “no leader of Jamaat-e-Islami has any foreign account, therefore Senator Durrani’s move of making JI chief Syed Munawar Hassan respondent in his petition holds no ground,” said naib Ameer JI Liaqat Baloch while talking to Pakistan Today. He said it was the hobby of former information minister to create new issues. “He first raised the issue of Bahawalpur province and now has created the issue of foreign bank accounts of Pakistani nationals … he knows the art to keep himself alive in media and headlines,” said Baloch, adding that Senator Durrani filed the petition without having any evidence in this regard. The JI leader said that in principle his party was in
favour of recovering Pakistani wealth deposited abroad “but the move should not be meant to get cheap publicity”. The Supreme Court on last Monday returned a petition filed by PML-Q’s former federal minister Senator Muhammad Ali Durrani seeking recovery of billions of dollars from the foreign bank accounts of Pakistani politicians, bureaucrats, army generals, judges and businessmen, and directed the petitioner to give details of persons, who had taken money out of Pakistan, along with the details that how much money was lying in their foreign banks. Zahid Kazmi, spokesman for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, said no worker or leader of the PTI had any account in foreign banks. “We have an in-built accountability mechanism in the party and no one can join our ranks until they declare their true assets before party … the recovery of looted public money is the slogan of PTI and some politicians like Durrani are trying to get cheap publicity by stealing our slogans,” he said. PML-Q Secretary Information Kamil Ali Agha said Senator Durrani’s petition was meant to win cheap publicity. “It is nothing but a publicity stunt of an isolated politician … everyone wants return of as-
sets of the country from abroad but no party is ready to support the move of an incredible man,” Agha said. “He filed the petition without doing necessary homework, therefore, the Supreme Court has directed him to come up with solid information regarding Pakistani nationals who have accumulated looted money in their foreign bank accounts,” he said. By making the Election Commission of Pakistan, the PPP, the PML-n, the PML-Q, the MQM, the Awami national Party, the Jamiat-eUlama-e-Islam (F), the Jamaat-e-Islami and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf respondents in the case, Durrani had claimed that the worth of money kept in foreign accounts was $400 billion to $500 billion. Pakistan Muslim League-nawaz (PML-n)’s Deputy Secretary Information Khurram Dastgir also termed Durrani’s move a publicity stunt. He clarified that all PML-n members of parliament and provincial assemblies used to declare their assets annually before the Election Commission of Pakistan. Maulana Amjad Khan of the JUI-F also said that no JUI-F leader or parliamentarian had any account in foreign banks.
haqqani ‘striving for understanding of Pakistan’s position’ WASHINGTON App
Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani is traveling around the US dispelling the claims that Islamabad maintains close contacts with Afghan militants, according to a US newspaper. The Washington Times cited Haqqani’s recent speech during his continuing travels to Chicago and other cities in which the envoy appealed for “more understanding” for the difficulties Pakistan faces in dealing with radical elements. “My request to Americans is to be patient with Pakistan,” he said in one of the appearances. In his presentation, Haqqani referred to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s remarks at a Congressional hearing to justify Pakistan’s attempts to hold talks with the Taliban.
Professor promoted to principal in grade 19 KHANEWAL sTAff RepoRT
Government Postgraduate Degree College Khanewal Head of English Department Humaira naeem Syed has been promoted to grade 19 and appointed as the principal of Government Zainab Girls’ Degree College Multan.
‘Afghanistan endgame a sham’ ISLAMABAD sTAff RepoRT
“There is neither a peace process nor an endgame in Afghanistan,” said senior journalist Rahimullah Yusufzai while addressing a roundtable organised by the Institute of Regional Studies on the subject, “Afghanistan: An Elusive Peace Process”, on Wednesday. He argued that all the peace talks were heavy on cosmetics and light in substance. While dispelling the notions about an endgame in Afghanistan, he said that all the signs were pointing toward a long-term US presence there no matter how limited in
numbers. This, he believed, would mean a continuing war and instability in Afghanistan and, by extension, in Pakistan as well. He added that the longterm US presence would soon be institutionalised with a strategic partnership agreement between Afghanistan and the US after endorsement by the Afghan Loya Jirga, spelling an unstable future for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Yusufzai also viewed the strategic agreement between Afghanistan and India as an impediment towards peace in Afghanistan, because he believed that the agreement had killed any incentive that Pakistan would have had in continuing to
support the peace process. He shared that the Taliban had an office in Doha, Qatar, with Tayyab Agha in charge. He disclosed that he called it an act of sizing up the opponent by both parties and not any serious effort at bringing an end to the conflict in Afghanistan. The journalist said the way the nATO wanted to negotiate from a position of strength, the Taliban wanted to do the same and would never agree to a settlement as long as nATO ambitions would remain unclear to them. Yusufzai also made the interesting disclosure that some of the Taliban commanders negotiating with nATO in Germany
were on the Un Blacklist and could not technically travel internationally. Yusufzai termed the story of Afghanistan characterised by conflict, corruption, and narcotics. He was of the view that all the elections in Afghanistan were rigged and that warlords were ruling the roost in the country. He added that Karzai had also lost support and credibility after his second re-election. Yusufzai maintained that the Taliban had fought the battle in Afghanistan with heavy casualties, but they were able to reinforce their ranks through fresh recruitment despite being outnumbered 15 to 1 by their opponents.
LAhoRe: Chaudhry shujaat hussain and Chaudhry pervaiz elahi at the Walima of their media coordinator Iqbal Chaudhry’s son. PR
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Thursday, 3 November, 2011
Editor’s mail 11
Capitalism can help Asia lead the world I’ve been a keen observer of capitalism all over the world. It has certainly paid great dividends for many of the world’s matured democracies. Although a sustained severe slowdown in economic growth and erosion of wealth of the matured democracies is under way, it does not take away from the fact that most of the world’s capital is still concentrated in these places. And so it is my belief that a transition of the economic balance of power to the emerging markets will still take some more time. The question is how? In order to give a good answer, it is imperative to explore the present state of emerging economies which are situated in Africa, Asia, South America, and Eastern Europe. Are these economies enjoying the fruits of Capitalism? The answer is both ‘yes’ and ‘no’. Are
we too quick to judge and are we comparing apples and oranges? The answer is ‘yes’ again. Many of the aforementioned geographies are new to the capitalist world. It will take some time for these new capitalist countries to accumulate enough capital, and have high volume capital markets which can pose a real threat to the matured capitalist democracies of the world. Do not be mistaken. Asia has all the potential needed and more to lead the world. Here is something to think about: roughly 60 percent (four billion) of the world’s population is housed in Asia and there are over 46 countries in Asia. Most promising Emerging economies are also situated in Asia. What do we need in order to catch up to the wealthy nations of the world? If
PTi’s prowess Asia is destined to be next economic power hub of the world, then a few things must be settled sooner rather than later: 1) Relations between Asian countries such as China, India, and Pakistan must become warmer. This region is the epicentre of instability in Asia. 2) Asia is better off if it is governed by democratic institutions (China will eventually change sides too). The fact remains that all the rich Western countries are democracies. That is no coincidence. 3) Don’t repeat the mistakes of the matured democracies. The latest fiscal and economic crises in the world should be an indicator that governments should spend within their means. Also, businesses should not be left alone as ‘laissezfaire’ economics proponents suggest. Some regulation is necessary.
4) Asia needs to strengthen its own diplomatic and trade institutions in order to benefit its member states. 5) Asia needs to come together and flex its collective muscle in the world in order to demonstrate that is the torchbearer of the top economic mantle. This means that a consolidated Asian influence can check unfair trade and market practices perpetrated by overly-protective and anti-competitive Western economies. 6) Mitigate and minimise corruption with strong and effective judicial systems. One of the best ways to bring Asia to the top of the world is to help improve each country individually. KIRAN KHAN Lahore
Butchers’ eid only As Edi-ul-Azha is nearing up, butchers are making preparations for making hay while the sun shines. In the absence of any code of law or mandatory training for butchers, one cannot differentiate the unskilled butchers from skilled ones. Due to dearth of slaughter houses, apprentice, unskilled, semi-skilled, and totally untrained people jump into this profession to make fair amount of money during the three days of Eid. Thus causing havoc to sacrificial animals. Mincing bones with meat leave the meat useless for cooking and eating. It is hard to imagine the agony one feels at the hands of these inefficient butchers. It has been observed that majority of the unemployed youth venture into slaughtering sacrificial animals and try to gain experience so that they may earn more on the next Eid. Sometimes, people are trapped by low rates, non-availability of regular butchers, and in a bid to have an early go for sacrifice; they repent for the rest of the day. There is a dire need of staying away from these butchers to avoid immediate loss of sacrificial animal. It would not be out of place to mention here that if government opens butchers training schools to train and educate people who want to join this field, it would be beneficial for both butchers and the consumers. These uneducated people don’t even know how to properly dispose off animal wastes and clean the premises where animals are slaughtered. Education in this field is a must for sanitation and healthy atmosphere. Last but not least, butchers are the most wanted persons on this Eid. They should act with decency and behave like good citizens with their customers to add to the happiness of auspicious event. IFTIKHAR MIRZA Islamabad
Politics of protests Pakistan is a country where democracy is struggling to make its roots strong and deeper. But there are many hindrances on its way to development. More than half a century has passed since the independence, but unfortunately the country still falls in the category of underdeveloped or less developed. The various elected governments took the reins of country but died a premature death. The present PPP-led government is an exceptional case that has survived more than previous elected governments. It’s a blessing for Pakistan. A few days ago, Begum nusrat Bhutto, rightly titled as ‘Mother of Democracy’, passed away. It was a good to see that almost all politicians and other stakeholders showed great respect for her and paid homage to her. But it was also sad to note that some political parties started to observe protests and strikes. It cannot be said a good omen for democracy and development of the country. At least, they should have waited for the completion of rituals and ceremonies of that great leady who worked hard for democracy. It is true that the government may have not performed well, but the circumstances in which it came to rule were also not so great. INAYAT ALI GOPANG Islamabad
sacrificial animals Eid-ul-Azha is around the corner but we don’t see many sacrificial animals around. Only a few years ago, everyone, especially the children, used to be very excited about these animals and loved to go to the cattle market with elders to buy cows, goats and sheep for sacrifice. They would also take their animals to the streets and neighbourhood to show them to others.
Markets for animals Markets of animals for Eid-ul-Azha are setting up in different areas of Karachi. The prices, as everybody knows, are high and are not at all affordable for most of the people. People visiting the markets have to return back to their homes empty handed. Most markets are set up by cattle farmers who are selling animals at high prices, trying to make it a profitable business. The sellers of animals are even setting up tents for their animals (people are charged with money for viewing the animals inside), where they keep their best or any unusual animal so that they gain popularity. People from elite class can afford expensive animals, therefore, it's another way for them to show off what they have. The reason for slaughtering halal animals is left behind and people are more
Since yesterday’s Pakistan Tehreeke- Insaf (PTI) jalsa every newspaper and news channel is chanting about its success. Apart from analysing its impact on future politics the most heated debate is about the number of people who attended the jalsa. Rough estimates say from anywhere between one to five lakh people.But a very important question is whether it had some thing else to offer except the show of people. For the first time, PTI Chairperson Imran Khan did not make lengthy furious criticism of the opponent parties’ leadership, which quite often annoys his educated supporters, he did precisely referred to their corruption and pro-American attitudes. This can actually be called the final fruit of PTI jalsa. Imran Khan intensely elaborated the reasons of Pakistan’s chaotic situation and anarchy in the society; he boldly spoke against the Waziristan military action, secret permission of drones by the government. He in detail explained PTI’s future agenda, the entire plan of the road to recovery and progress, how proper steps would be taken to eradicate corruption, tax would be collected through transparent channels from high to low, how police and patwari system would be corrected. Imran Khan proudly announced that the PTI leadership would first declare its own assets and would later ask the others to do the same. Apart from that, he intrepidly explained PTI’s foreign policy plan, ‘we would befriend US but won’t accept to be their slaves’. Pakistan would strengthen its relationship with China rather than America. The huge crowd, majority of which was youth, listened with good attention because the entire speech made sense to them; they could see their party properly prepared with a constructive road map to channelise things into right direction. MUNAZA AKHTAR Islamabad
ongoing power crises
The Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue has stated that of the Rs 1,556 billion collected, Rs 750 billions went to debt servicing. As if the 180 million of us, after having been clean bowled on a no ball, should wait for a stumping as well? Z A KAZMI Karachi
The ongoing power crisis, besides crippling routine life and damaging almost all the sectors in the country, has been badly affecting the academic activities. The frequent power outages with rising mercury have been adding to the miseries of students, especially those appearing in various ongoing examinations and those studying computer sciences at school, college and university levels. As the academic session just began in April and academic activities are in full swing, students have to face power outages during school-hours too. The children of primary classes have to sit tight in classrooms without electricity amid increasing hot weather. It is also unfortunate that many of the private schools, as private schools have been operating unbridled in the country, have started collecting funds from students to install power generators or UPS. Usually the students suffer a lot. The crisis is so severe that the students cannot focus on their studies. There is a need of prompt and sincere effort by the government to provide relief to the masses. This is the time to take some serious steps to solve this problem. ARIFA SALEEM Karachi
coming and seeing the founder's mausoleum. The other place that comes in mind is of beaches. The shore line along the city that is referred to as the beach have emerged to be a blessing by God for us with people reaching out there and enjoying the water with their loved ones; thinking little about the problems, letting go of all the troubles and relaxing amongst the sea breeze and the noise of the waves. Sadly, the authorities have slowly started to work on this to take away the happiness from the people. Surrounding the beach route with all possible disputed areas has created hurdles for everyone to go out there and relax. Unlike in other countries where the beach is kept separate from the city buzz, our smart boards
have done quite the opposite, forcing people to enjoy near the sea where the entire city's sewage end. To top it off the frequent uproar of target killings have made it worst for the city to live up to its expectations. With people fearing for their lives and staying indoors the city of lights is turning into the city of darkness. All that one can see around is gloominess and sadness for one reason or the other. I am not any politician or anything but what I see and hear people around me saying is quite disappointing, the distance between the ethnic communities is at its peak and if nothing is done soon the city of light might not remain a city instead turn into a massive graveyard. AFFAN H KHAN Karachi
However, it seems that gone are those days when these activities happened as this year the prices of animals are so high that it has become extremely difficult for people to buy them. The question that comes to mind is: who is sacrificing whom? MADIHA VIQUAR Karachi
interested in showing off. The sellers should be ashamed of selling animals at high prices and making sacrifice difficult for the poor ones. DANIA ZEHRA Karachi
working with ego Looking into the eyes of a new born one gets a sense of tranquility. It permeates from innocence beyond measure. As one grows older a sense of environment and the individual grows stronger i.e., the ego. Many of us let this sense take over like a cancer. It greatly impedes and affects our inter/intra-personal relationships. Look around and you will find many acquaintances who are lost. Their very existence has become a façade. The only mission left is to protect themselves from others. Hence they become obnoxious souls
whose very aim is to express negative feelings. But, there will always be people who are more natural. These are the people who keep their ego, in check. They keep it in their pockets so it motivates them just enough to move forward in their life and aspire for more. They practice open communication which is not contrived or ill-intended. FARHEEN ASHFAQ Karachi
guinness world record
Karachi’s city life One often wonders as to what constitutes a big city; is it the number of people living in an area that make it big or is it the facilities available in an area that make it famous. Karachi for many Pakistanis is a place where they can make their ends meet; it is a place where people who work hard can find jobs-all in all a place where people make their dreams come true. For many of the people living in the rural and underdeveloped areas of Pakistan visiting or staying in Karachi is an ultimate dream; the dream to see the city of lights surrounded by sea and perhaps places where they can have fun with their family. Karachi over the years has lost this image, thanks to the chaotic security and political situation. It has been plagued with all sorts of societal crimes bringing a
bad name to the city and tarnishing the 60 years old status and name it had made. Once labeled as the 'city of lights', the city at times has no light for nearly 24 hours; the water that surrounded the city has also not been spared and made to mix with the city's untreated sewage. now let us come down to the places where one can visit and enjoy. Whenever one talks about Karachi one of the first places that comes in mind is the Quaid's mausoleum, the final resting place of our beloved founder. Over the years this place despite undergoing a massive renovation and uplift project has lost its attractiveness with the lack of maintenance and security in and around the Mausoleum. The videos on internet, newspaper reports of kidnappings and rapes have helped in turning away people from
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 guns or butter? reviewing the security paradigm
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ike every other country Pakistan needs a strong army capable of safeguarding its geographical frontiers. But equally important for defence is foreign policy, economy and social development. The adage that an army fights on its stomach underlines that an economically backward country cannot have a strong defence. Equally important is social development; for with the poverty graph rising, a dissatisfied population tends to become cynical about vital issues. Pakistan’s security paradigm is unrealistic as it puts total stress on military means. It has estranged neighbours and led to social and economic backwardness. It has an unenviable position where the country can develop sophisticated missile systems and retain a big nuclear arsenal but is incapable of generating enough power, running its trains and airlines or dealing with natural disasters. Pakistan has no doubt serious disputes with India which need to be resolved. So have China and Bangladesh. While keeping the disputes alive, both have maintained economic ties with India and the mutual trade has continued to increase. not so in the case of Pakistan where the public was told that better economic ties leading to the expansion of economic opportunities would create a lobby in Pakistan soft on India. A new cause for confrontation has been added now to the list of disputes. It is maintained that with Indian influence growing in Afghanistan, it would turn Kabul into a hostile neighbour. Many think that with trade expanding with India and Afghanistan after removing unrealistic restrictions, and Pakistan serving as a vital link with Central Asia, dependencies would be created forcing India and Afghanistan to seek better ties with Pakistan. As the outcome of the Ankara tripartite summit indicates, Afghanistan’s suspicions about Pakistan continue unabated. Agreed that Pakistan must not yield to Washington’s diktat but it badly needs the US help. As the Water Conference in Islamabad shows, the US can help fund dams in Pakistan and provide crucial help in persuading international banks to extend loans for their construction. Our policy regarding the terrorist networks however stands in the way. There is a dire need to review the current concepts about strengthening the country’s defence.
our cricketing shame They got paid; now they pay up
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he verdict was not unanticipated, the behind the scenes dealings had been clearly caught in living colour, and the damning money trail was there, with the skipper’s hotel room containing such a diverse range of currencies in hard cash that it resembled an exchange company. Our bad boys had been getting away with villainy for so long and with such blatant consistency that the fear of punishment never seemed to have entered their thick skulls. And while they were merrily at it, our amateur cricket monitors were either complicit or looking the other way. Initially nabbed by a notorious ‘sting’ journalist, who ironically happened to be a desi of Pakistani origin, Scotland Yard pursued and prosecuted the case exceptionally well, with forensic details so overwhelming that the jury was left with no option but to convict. The disgrace is ours alone. With so many other crises, being the pariah of cricket chief amongst them, our cricket now has to carry the burden of this additional shame. If only the one-man Qayyum Judicial Commission of 2000 had been more blunt in its judgment and the PCB put its foot down instead of kowtowing before player power, Pakistan cricket may have been cleansed of this fixing curse then. The Qayyum Commission was another opportunity wasted, as its patriotic nuances were mistaken by those involved as another sign that they were beyond accountability. Fortunately or rather unfortunately for our cricket, at least in the short-term, the judge and jury at the Southwark Crown Court had no such intention. The tough response from there and the ICC’s hawk-eyed scrutiny of the cricketers finances may both ensure that the flames of greed and chicanery devouring our cricket may finally be extinguished. But no one can be completely certain on this point. This task, however, should not be left only to the courts and the ICC to tackle. We need to be vigilant on our own too. More so because the trio that faces time in Her Majesty’s prison was not alone, they had accomplices. Four of them have even been named, of whom one has been a prime suspect since long. The new PCB Chairman should go after such culprits with the sternness that the issue demands – and also educate the vulnerable novices, like Mohammad Amir. Again, this seems a tall order. But the shame to which our cricket heroes have repeatedly exposed us must end now. It is not only late in the day, it is night.
Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami
Arif Nizami Editor
Lahore – Ph: 042-36298305-10 Fax: 042-36298302 Karachi – Ph: 021-34330811-3 Fax: 021-34330900 Islamabad – Ph: 051-2287414-6 Fax: 051-2287417 Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk
Thursday, 3 November, 2011
Ties that bind The region’s only chance is peace
By Nazir Naji
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hances are that the subcontinent’s public might get to hear the good news that they have been waiting for, for ages. Indo-Pak relations, which both countries could not extricate from the state of tension for 64 years, may now be on the road to easement due to the influence of the Afghan situation. PM Gilani’s revelation in Perth that a consensus has almost been reached on American demands is glad tidings indeed. The causticity emanating from American officials in the past few weeks and the resultant pressure on Pakistan’s economy had people worried. Due to our internal disarray, confrontation with a superpower could be catastrophic for us. Expressing any kind of consideration for those conducting terrorist activities in Afghanistan was not in our interests. Pakistan cannot remain untouched by any instability that ensues in Afghanistan. It is in our own interest that we should work for peace and stability in Afghanistan. America has allayed our fears with regards to Indian involvement after the US drawdown in Afghanistan to a large extent. We have no right to stop India from development works in Afghanistan. The governments in Kabul and Delhi are that of two sovereign countries and no other can stop them from establishing bilateral relations. The fact that both of them are our neighbours means that good relations between them are also in our interest in the final calculus. The more trade there is between the two, the more we will benefit from it. The opening of these gates will also be beneficial for Central Asia. Thus, I would say that jointly facilitating the Afghan government is in the mutual interests of India and Pakistan. If there will be peace in Afghanistan, then the trade routes to Central Asian markets will be open to us. Oil and gas will be more easily
accessible from there and it will not only be cheaper than in the global market but will also be available in large quantities. Good news is also expected from the conference in Istanbul. Over there, official and unofficial representatives of Afghanistan and the governmental representatives of Turkey and Pakistan will deliberate over the new formula whose outline has emerged in the recent negotiations between the US and Pakistan. As far as I’ve been able to find out, the Taliban leadership has agreed to talks through a third party with the US. Pakistan has played a key role in this change of attitude. Pakistan’s gripe was that the America and the Karzai government wanted to bypass us and hold direct talks with the Taliban. They were also trying to break up the Taliban and get a large breakaway faction to join them and then impose a solution of their liking in Afghanistan. This scheme of things would have been dangerous for Pakistan. For unfortunately, involvement the wars of superpowers in Afghanistan has embroiled us there on a large scale. Even today, there are over 3 million Afghan refugees. Any political solution will be destructive for Pakistan that does not include provisions for the settlement of these refugees and no solution can be worked out without the inclusion of Pakistan. Moreover, a large majority of the Afghan Taliban is comprised of Pakhtuns. They have cultural, generational and blood ties with Pakistani Pakhtuns this side of the border. An agreement between just the Afghan Taliban and the US could create many problems for us. A specific problem could be that dissatisfied Taliban could set up centres in Pakistan to continue their activities and it is not difficult to do so in our tribal areas. Because they have deep ties with the locals over there. Similarly, any Afghan government which is weak and does not have the requisite writ to establish peace will also create problems for us. The American administration now not only understands our problem but also recognises the fact that allowing Indian strategic interests to take root in Afghanistan could broaden the conflict horizons between Pakistan and India and extend it to within Afghanistan. This will make efforts for peace in the region unsuccessful and will initiate a period of bad blood that might not be stopped for decades. The encouraging thing is that India has said that it intends to confine its activities within Afghanistan to trade, development and cultural activities and will not
pursue any anti-Pakistan activities from there. These things are not just said. We have not blamed India directly with regards to activities in Afghanistan and neither has India in any way agreed to being party to activities in Balochistan from Afghanistan. But our contention has been accepted informally and India statement about confining its activities indicates that after a peace deal in Afghanistan, India will stop fuelling insurgency in Pakistan. Reciprocally, we have also expressed the same intent. As per my reports, elements carrying out terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir are not being supported any more. As far as the Taliban are concerned, it is being inferred from their words and actions that they no longer harbour plans about defeating the US completely and want to move towards some kind of negotiations with the US. The Americans can be given some assurances about their interests in certain areas of Afghanistan. The US has told the Taliban that elections will be conducted in Afghanistan as soon as a peace deal is agreed upon. The US will cooperate with the Karzai government and the Taliban in ensuring that these election are free and fair. It has also been guaranteed to them that whatever the results, the US will help in setting up the government and a consortium for Afghan progress and development will be set up with all regions fairly represented so that their are no hurdles in the path of rebuilding the country. Moreover, it has been said that effective and practical steps for the betterment of relations between India and Pakistan will be undertaken and the dialogue process on the Kashmir issue will be picked up from where it was left off. All these things are no mean feats. The history of conflicts, tension and interference in other countries affairs runs deep. Interests that are dependant on conflict between the three nations have entrenched themselves in all three countries. Thus, it is obvious that moving towards a state of normalcy will encounter many hindrances. Pakistan and India also have to remember that total cooperation between the two countries is also not acceptable to the US and it will also keep up its interference in their matters. Thus, the leaderships of both the countries will have to tread with care while the process to establishing ties is underway and keep the US away as far as possible. The writer is one of Pakistan’s most widely read columnists.
Political tsunami? Underestimate at own peril
By Ikram Sehgal
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mran Khan’s time has finally come, on Oct 30 his Minar-iPakistan rally demonstrated that all his rhetoric had substance. It was not the enormous size of the crowd that mattered; what was more important was the willing enthusiasm and the crossblending of youthful exuberance with visible aspirations of people of all ages and all sections of society. The place where this country’s existence was first mooted publicly in 1940 is sacred ground. For Pakistanis the national emotion encapsulated in the huge gathering was clearly captured by Imran. The real challenge will be how he can exploit and sustain the momentum. The world of politics is a game of public perceptions mixed with substance, perceptions always meaning more than substance. The public enthusiasm matched the organisation of an
event of that size in today’s terrorridden environment; that it passed off without incident was a class act by itself. Women came in large numbers, a great many from the upwardly mobile. normally in short supply at political gatherings, that they came in droves and were accorded the respect and deference which is their due was something amazing. not many people realise that the PPP’s success since 1970 was founded on the solid women vote, the populist enthusiasm that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto created and Benazir really exploited to the hilt, seems to have been successfully captured by Imran Khan. The immediate perception one gets because of Oct 30 is that Imran Khan will dominate, if not sweep the polls, at least in the Punjab and some areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK). One wishes things would be so cut and dried but is still too early to predict. Politics is a tough game and given such disparate constituencies one of the problems was that there were very few political luminaries on the stage. Good people perhaps, but not of the kind who will deliver seats in any elections. Some will certainly make it on their own and some on Imran’s coattails but people of political stature are still in short supply.
The “Oct 30 Tsunami” effect will attract a lot of political contenders. There will be a rush to join him, many of them Imran Khan can do without if he is to retain his political credibility. Some have been sitting on the fence and just needed some nudging but many opportunists will also try and climb the political bandwagon. While he must sift carefully, the Catch-22 is that Imran also has to compromise his standards somewhat to ensure some electable candidates do come into his fold immediately to create the perception of a flood. He has given the requirement of “declaration of assets” that can be the eligibility criteria for all aspirations for public office. Scrutiny of that by qualified accountants should ensure that false declarations will separate those he can do without. That way, he will have a full-slate of eligible aspirants to chose from. Where will Imran get his electoral support from? The first ones who will gravitate to him will be from the adrift PML(Q), hopelessly in limbo in four distinct portions. One group wanted to join the PML(Q) but was legally frustrated, at that time some went independent into a separate group. Those who remained loyal to Ch Shujaat then had another split when he joined PPP, mainly to keep Mooris Elahi out of jail. He
will also be joined by disaffected PML(n) and PPP legislates who find themselves in the party without a voice. If the PPP think they will not be effected, they should also think again. Imran’s appeal will cut across party lines. Some politicians will take decisions in lots but many will take individual decisions. Imran khan’s keeps referring to what Zulfikar Ali Bhutto did in the 1970 elections, can he take verse and chapter from Bhutto’s political craftsmanship by building a coalition of different ideologues under one roof? The Sharifs lost big time, official machinery had been used to stage-manage their show two days earlier in Lahore. Crowd enthusiasm was clearly contrived rather than being spontaneous. The contrast between the two events was too vast for either political pundits or ordinary observers to ignore, the prevailing perception is that unless the Sharif’s come up with a miracle, their political roles have been reversed in the Punjab with that of Imran Khan. Before Oct 30, Imran was the “spoiler”; now the votes that Sharifs or the PPP take away from him will matter in the final tally of his seats. To quote John Kennedy in his inaugural speech, “the baton has been passed to a new generation”.
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Comment 13
Sterile ideologies
Syria’s isolation
Can’t keep clinging to fallen idols
No to the status quo
Border Crossing By Kuldip Nayar
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n the midst of L K Advani’s rath yatra to polarise the country and the Telangana agitation to articulate local chauvinism, India is oblivious to the ‘Occupy Wall Street’ movement against capitalism which has given shape to what the West is today. Demonstrations are all over America and Europe against the grasping bankers, corrupt politicians and misgoverning administrations. It is a revolt against the capitalist system. But things are no better for communism. Former West Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has remarked at Kolkata that communism must either ‘change or perish’. He belongs to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) which has been thrown out of power from the state after its inadequate rule of nearly 35 years. He has underlined the phenomenon the world over that the communist ideology does not meet the people’s needs. The main communist prop collapsed in 1990 when the Soviet Union caved in and let the West win the cold war. China is making ‘progress’, not because it is following the communist ideology but because it is treading the path of capitalism which means growth by any means and at any cost, a sort of laissez faire. Yet the glue to keep this system together in China is the dictatorial rule by the communist party and the armed forces. no disobedience or dissent is tolerated, as was seen at the Tiananmen Square in Beijing when hundreds of protesting students were crushed under the army tanks. Capitalism looked progressive when it replaced feudalism. But today, it is stifling the common man because it is in exploitative as feudalism. Those at the top are appropriating the gains of growth
and developing such technology which lessens jobs to increase the margin of profit. Without taking into consideration the public, the corporate sector and the banks are making their own institutions solid. What do the people do? They are rightly up in arms. India should have learnt the lesson. But it is doing exactly what the West did and failed. The national Statistical Survey Organisation has reported the growth stagnant at around eight per cent, with zero per cent increase in employment. Obviously, the rich have become richer and the poor poorer. Since most of the burden falls on the countryside, there is dismal poverty in villages. Strange, the rulers have closed their eyes to the thousands of mutinies, small movements all over the country, directed against those who have dispossessed them of land, water, job or jungle. The fact is that the two ideologies, capitalism and communism, have outlived their utility. They do not meet the aspirations of people who want bread, without losing their right to say. True, the communists in India have joined the democratic stream and adopted the parliamentary system but it is more of a strategy. Otherwise, they have remained stuck in the Marxist slogans and shibboleths. The CPI (M) politburo office at Kolkata still hangs on walls life-size portraits of Marx, Engels, Stalin and Lenin. The communists continue live in a make-believe world that the people would return to them some day. The collapse of the Soviet Union shook them and they swore to change. But they continue to prefer their doctrinaire approach and rigid ways. I still think that the communists would some day self-examine themselves and round off the edges. They would have done so by this time, but unfortunately they won 60 Lok Sabha seats in 2004 and got lost in the vicarious satisfaction of enjoying power by joining the Congress-led government. Karl Marx, one of the most influential figures in the development of economic thoughts, is still relevant. Through his theory one comes to understand the historical and social changes. But that understanding is of little consequence when his philosophy ceases
to be an engine for change. Communism is too isolated from the aspirations and sensitivities of the people and believes that a small revolutionary minority – the communist party – knows the best. The real problem with communism is that it has become another religion. Ideology and religion help us in our journey up to a point, but subsequently we must come to have faith in the method that our demands for employment as well as free choice will be met. This does not mean that capitalism, more specifically market economy, is better. One ugly example is that of America which has left even Roosevelt’s new deal far behind. Social democracy is the only alternative. It gives freedom and still allows the majority to prevail. There is some type of egalitarianism also. But the problem which has dogged the system is that the people jealously protect their rights but care little for their duties. And because of ever-improving technology, the employment sector goes on shrinking to the detriment of people. Although we have a top economist as the Prime Minister, we have never faced such a financial crisis as we are today when inflation and deficit financing have been galloping unbridled. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has no clue how to tackle the situation except to express his concern every week over food price rise. The difficulty with him and his government is that they are still following the World Bank model which may be impressive on paper but a disaster when implemented. We must realise that capitalism, communism or, for that matter, any other ism has failed to deliver the goods. India does not have to hanker after sterile philosophies. We in India have to think of an ideology which is suited to our genius. The starting point may well be the advice by Mahatma Gandhi to cut one’s needs. India cannot afford the standard of living which a few enjoy. We are at the end of tether. There is no leeway available. We have to think of ways to curb consumerism and divert those funds to the measures to remove poverty. The writer is a senior Indian journalist.
Washington Watch By Dr James J Zogby
S
everal months back, when the Arab League suspended Libya's membership and passed a resolution supporting a "no-fly zone" over the country; it appeared to be a one-off affair. Muammar Qaddafi had worked hard, for decades, to make himself a regional pariah. His bizarre behaviour, his reign of terror, and his absurd policy pronouncements had long outraged and embarrassed many across the Arab World. So it was not surprising when, in the face of Qaddafi's threats to commit massacres against demonstrators in his own country, Arab leaders threw their hands up and took the unprecedented step of inviting foreign intervention to restrain the region's madman. Could this happen again? Was it possible for another Arab leader to behave so badly that he would become a regional liability and a threat to regional stability? At the time, it seemed unlikely. There did not appear to be any logical candidate among the current crop of Arab leaders. Even those who had committed outrages of their own did not appear to have what it would take to become, in short order, as reviled and isolated as Qaddafi. The results of a recent poll released this week by the Arab American Institute, however, suggest that Syria's President Bashar al Assad may well be on the way to assuming the role as the region's new outcast. What emerges so clearly from the results of this poll is the degree to which the Syrian government of al Assad has become isolated and is looked on with near uni-
versal disdain across the entire Arab World. This is a remarkable turnabout. Just three years ago, our region-wide poll of the same six countries, conducted for the University of Maryland, asked respondents to name a leader, not from their own country, that they most respected. Scoring higher than any other Arab head of state was Bashar al Assad. That this is no longer the case comes through quite dramatically in our 2011 survey. Here's some of what we learned. In the first place we found that the overwhelming majority of Arabs, in the six nations covered in the survey, side with those Syrians demonstrating against the government (with support for them ranging from 83% in Morocco to 100% in Jordan). And when asked whether Bashar al Assad can continue to govern, the highest affirmative ratings he receives in the six countries covered in the survey are a mere 15% in Morocco and 14% in Egypt, with the rest in low single digits. There are other important considerations that emerge from these results. First and foremost is the fact that Turkey's interventions with Syria to date have won majority support in every Arab country. And Saudi Arabia's role is viewed positively in every country but Lebanon. The country receiving the lowest rating across the region for its role in Syria is the United States (with Iran close behind). This should serve as a cautionary note for US policy-makers. Despite the appeals of some in the Syrian opposition and the taunts of some conservative hawks in the US that President Obama “must do more,” Syria appears not to be a place where US interference will ultimately be welcomed—especially in Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Syria is not Libya, despite the regime's brutal behaviour and its growing regional isolation. It is not an arena for nATO engagement. Such interference will only create tensions and possibly conflicts beyond Syria's borders. With the Arab League hav-
ing sent a mission to Syria this week to give the regime one final opportunity to end its violence and begin a national dialogue leading to reform and transition, it will be best to lend support to such regional efforts to resolve this crisis. It is of concern that neither the government nor the opposition appears interested, at this point, in such negotiations. The regime still appears to believe that they can win. They know they still have the support of those groups who are fearful of the changes that may come should the opposition win. Meanwhile the opposition, outraged by the continuing violence and repression, has shown no signs of weakening resolve. To the contrary, they have been emboldened by international support they are receiving, and have met the government's intransigence, with a hardening of their own position. But all sides must be wary of allowing this situation to continue. As gruesome as it has been to watch unarmed demonstrators being shot in the streets, it can get much worse. What is especially worrisome now is the concern that with disaffected members of the Syrian military and other protesting dissidents resorting to violence, the conflict could further escalate into an all-out civil war that could cause the current body count to grow by multiples of ten or more. The consequences could be grave, and not only for Syria and Syrians, but for the entire region. Alarm bells ought to be going off everywhere. It can be in no one's interest to allow the ongoing situation to continue to spin out of control, which, if left unchecked, it surely will. The Arab League initiative, the regional effort to end the bloodshed and repression and begin serious negotiations leading to transition process opening the way to a free and democratic Syria that respects and protects the rights of all of its people, should receive broad international backing. The writer is President of the Arab-American Institute.
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16 Foreign News
Thursday, 3 Novermber, 2011
Flood gate in Thai capital focus of fear, rivalry g
Bangkok also under threat from flow to north BANGKOK
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UTHORITIES in the Thai capital repaired a damaged flood gate on Wednesday that has become the focus of anger, fear and rivalry between arms of government battling the country’s worst floods in decades. The central government led by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, sister of the ousted populist premier Thaksin Shinawatra, is at odds with the city government dominated by the main opposition and former ruling Democrat party. The floods that have killed 427 people since July are the first big test for Yingluck, who came to power in a July poll many Thais hoped would heal divisions that last year brought violent clashes in Southeast Asia’s second biggest economy. Inner Bangkok, protected by a network of dikes and sandbag walls, survived peak tides at the weekend and is mostly dry. But huge amounts of water are bottled up to the north, west and east of the
city, and new areas are being flooded daily as the water tries to find its way out to sea to the south. Anger is seething in flooded communities on the wrong side of inner Bangkok’s flood barricades. Residents of the northeastern Bangkok suburb of Sam Wa took matters into their own hands this week and hacked away at the side of a canal flood gate, aiming to let the water flow out of their area towards the city centre. Yingluck ordered the gate opened in the face of the residents’ demands. The Bangkok government objected on the grounds that the flow could endanger the city centre. But the city had to comply with Yingluck’s order to open the gate by a metre (three feet), leading to fear among inner city residents that the disaster they thought they had dodged was looming again. On Wednesday, city officials and workers went to the Sam Wa flood gate to repair the damage and limit the amount of water flowing through. “We are here doing the repair work and the police are protecting us,” said city
BANgKoK: A woman walks with her dog, in a floating box, across floodwaters in a street next to the Chao Praya river on wednesday. The death toll from Thailand’s worst floods in decades surged above 400 as public anger simmered over the authorities’ handling of the crisis. AFP administration spokesman Jate Sopitpongstorn. “They have to accept it,” he said of the neighbourhood’s residents. Several hundred policemen were on hand and there
were no protests. City governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra, watching workmen with heavy machinery fix the gate, played down the political clash and said everyone had to
israel test-fires ‘fission’ scare hits wrecked missile amid Japan nuclear plant iran debate JerUSALeM: Israel test-fired a missile on Wednesday, two days after Prime Minister Benjamin netanyahu warned of the “direct and heavy threat” posed to the Jewish state by Iran’s nuclear programme. “Israel today carried out the testfiring of a rocket propulsion system from the Palmachim base,” a Defence Ministry statement said. “This had been long planned by the defence establishment and was carried out as scheduled.” The missile flew at a high angle skyward, its plume visible across central Israel, according to witnesses who informed local media of the launch before the ministry formally announced it. The ministry declined to elaborate on the system tested, but Israel Radio’s military affairs correspondent, who is regularly briefed by top officials on defence matters, said a “ballistic missile” had been launched. The term generally applies to longrange missiles for delivering warheads. Israel, which neither confirms nor denies having such weapons, known as Jerichos, has also been upgrading its Arrow aerial shield, which uses interceptor missiles to shoot down incoming ballistic missiles above the atmosphere. Israeli media have carried a flurry of reports on purported efforts by Prime Minister netanyahu to secure cabinet approval for military action against Iran. Some analysts say the speculation is designed to jolt world powers into toughening sanctions on Tehran. ReUTeRs
TOKYO ReUTeRs
The operator of tsunami-hit nuclear power plant in Japan said on Wednesday it had found substances in a reactor which could be a result of nuclear fission, a possible setback in efforts to bring the plant to a safe, cold shutdown. Analysts said there was unlikely to be any heightened risk of radiation. The Fukushima Daiichi plant was struck by a devastating earthquake and tsunami in March and has re-
leased radiation into the atmosphere ever since in the world’s worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl 25 years ago. Tokyo Electric Power said that it discovered xenon, a substance produced as a byproduct of fission, in the no 2 reactor, and had poured in a mixture of water and boric acid, an agent that helps prevent nuclear reactions, as a precaution. “It can be assumed that isolated criticality took place for a short period of time judging from the presence of xenon,” Tepco spokesman Junichi Matsumoto told reporters.
Criticality is a state when controlled nuclear reactions take place. nuclear power plants harness the resulting heat to produce electricity. Richard Wakeford at the University of Manchester said his initial response to the Tepco findings was “scepticism”. “nuclear criticality requires delicate conditions,” Wakeford said in an email. “And it seems unlikely that these exist at Fukushima... Also, criticality would be accompanied by a burst of radiation, which I would have expected to be detected.”
WesT BANK: New houses are seen in West Bank Israeli settlement of Qedar, on the outskirts of Jerusalem, on Wednesday. Israeli prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government’s decision to accelerate settlement building was a fundamental right, not punishment for the palestinians joining UNesCo. AfP
Fighting kills 4 people in city of Taiz SANAA ReUTeRs
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has moved a step closer to handing power to his deputy by accepting a U.n. formula to ease a transition and end an uprising against his rule, the EU envoy to Yemen was quoted by the state news agency Saba as saying. Heavy fighting between Saleh’s supporters and opponents spread through Yemen’s third-largest city of Taiz, some 200 km (120 miles) south of
greek PM wins over cabinet, next up Merkel and Sarkozy ATHENS ReUTeRs
Greece’s prime minister won the backing of his cabinet on Wednesday to hold a referendum on a 130 billion euro bailout package but will find the stunned euro zone leaders who engineered the deal last week harder to convince. Some of his party lawmakers called for him to quit, accusing him of endangering Greek euro membership with his shock decision to call a popular vote, a move that pummelled the euro and global stocks. But the cabinet support at least gives him a stay of execution before a confidence vote in parliament on Friday. “The referendum will be a clear mandate and a clear message in and outside Greece on our European course and participation in the euro,” George Papandreou told a cabinet meeting that lasted seven hours, a statement from his office said. “no one will be able to doubt Greece’s course within the euro.” After the show of unity at home, Papandreou will face the leaders of France and Germany, who summoned him for crisis talks in Cannes, before a G20 summit of major world economies, to push for quick implementation of the bailout deal. Papandreou’s gamble guarantees weeks of uncertainty just when the 17-nation European currency area is desperate for a period of calm to implement the remedies agreed to overcome its sovereign debt crisis.
Nepal parties seal deal on Maoist fighters
Breakthrough on Yemen power transfer near: EU envoy g
cooperate. But, referring to the central government’s change of heart and order to open the gate, he said everyone should stick to decisions.
the capital Sanaa, killing four people and wounding 40 on Wednesday, a doctor there said. Saleh, 69 and in power for 33 years, has three times agreed to give up power, only to pull out at the last minute, defying hostile demonstrations inspired by protests across the Arab world. Michele Cervone d’Urso, the European Union resident ambassador, was quoted by Saba as saying he believed the Yemeni leader had now accepted a U.n. transition plan.
“We are convinced that we are on the verge of reaching an agreement soon and above all else the matter calls for political commitment. We hope that Eid al-Adha (Muslim holiday) will be an occasion to announce to Yemen and the world that Yemen has passed towards a new stage,” d’Urso told Saba. D’Urso asked the opposition to return home before the holiday next week, so that a deal could be finalised. Opposition leaders are in Kuwait to drum up support for their movement. A spokesman for a Yemeni opposi-
tion council treated the development with caution. “We heard good things from the diplomats, but actions speak louder than words. We are not optimistic right but if the Gulf initiative is signed we will be more optimistic,” said Houriya Mashhur. Ruling Yemen since 1978 through a civil war and rebel movements, Saleh has clung to power despite an assassination attempt that sent him abroad for three months for medical care, breakaway generals and nine months of street protests.
KATHMANDU ReUTeRs
nepal’s political parties have agreed to integrate one-third of 19,600 Maoist former fighters into the national army, a move that could boost a flagging peace process after a decade of civil war. The future of the Maoist fighters is key to the stability for a country that is courted by neighbours India and China as a geopolitical ally. How to treat those fighters was a major sticking point in the peace process, which ended the civil war that killed more than 16,000 people. The deal, signed by Maoist chief Prachanda and leaders from main parties late on Tuesday, answers a long-standing demand by the Maoists. The military and main political parties had strongly resisted the idea. “We have concluded yet another chapter of the peace process. The main task now is to implement this,” Prachanda told reporters after signing the agreement.
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Foreign News 17
Arabs await Syrian reply to plan to end unrest
opposition fury over sackings of greek military chiefs ATHENS ReUTeRs
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damascus says reached agreement with league, no details g At least 11 killed near homs in latest violence CAIRO
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RAB foreign ministers will review on Wednesday Syria’s response to their initiative aimed at ending seven months of violence that has raged during an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad’s rule. The Arab League has drawn up proposals to end bloodshed that the United nations says has killed 3,000 people. Assad has deployed his army and security forces to crush protests inspired by uprisings elsewhere in the Arab world. He has said they are battling Islamist militants and armed gangs who the authorities say have killed 1,100 security personnel. Syria said on Tuesday it had reached an agreement with League representatives but gave no details. Syrian state media said an official announce-
ment would come at the League meeting. Diplomats have said proposals include the immediate release of prisoners, withdrawal of security forces from the streets, League monitoring and starting talks with the opposition. On Wednesday, sources at Cairobased Arab League said Syria had made no formal reply. “The Syrian position is a little vague. They want to surprise everyone with their response at the meeting,” the representative of one Arab state said. A Gulf state League delegate said disagreement remained over the mechanism to monitor street unrest, the venue for a dialogue and the participation of foreign-based Syrian dissidents. Syrian newspaper Al Watan carried a similar report. Assad has said he wants dialogue. His opponents say the killing must stop first. Analysts also question whether the Syrian leader would be ready to halt
military action against protesters and armed opponents of his 11-year rule. Activists said on Wednesday at least 11 people were killed by security forces in and around Homs in central Syria. “The regime is trying to buy time. Its calls for reform and dialogue are false and deceiving. The (Syrian) national Council reaffirms its demands that it had submitted to the Arab League,” the opposition council said in a statement. The council said it wanted the League to take steps that included suspending Syria from the pan-Arab body and ensuring international protection for civilians, with Arab backing. “The meeting will focus on discussing the Syrian response to the Arab roadmap which the Arab ministerial committee presented (in Qatar),” it said, referring to talks with Syrian officials. Citing the diplomats, it said it was “not possible under any circumstances to repeat the Libyan model in Syria”.
nATO has also ruled out any such military intervention in Syria. Syrian activists said security forces shot dead at least 11 villagers they had stopped at a roadblock near Homs. A YouTube video distributed by antiAssad activists purportedly showed several bodies, gagged and with their hands tied behind their backs. Another five were killed in Homs. All 11 were Sunnis, who form the majority of Syria’s population. Their killing follows reports by an activist in Homs, and on social network pages of Assad supporters, that nine members of the president’s minority Alawite sect had been dragged from a bus and killed by gunmen near Homs on Tuesday. Syrian state television showed tens of thousands of people rallying in Syria’s eastern city of Raqqa, in the latest in a series of state-organised rallies designed to show Assad enjoys popular support nationwide. Similar demonstrations have taken place in Damascus, Aleppo, Latakia and Deir al-Zor.
Greece’s opposition reacted with outrage on Wednesday to the sacking of its military chiefs, calling it a bid to stack the armed forces with party loyalists before a possible government collapse over the country’s debt crisis. The socialist government late on Tuesday replaced the heads of the army, navy and air force and the chief of joint chiefs of staff in what officials described as a long-planned move largely unrelated to political turmoil. “We won’t accept this decision,” the main opposition conservative new Democracy party said. Greek governments have exerted tight control over the country’s armed forces since the collapse of a seven-year military junta in 1974. Army chiefs are often selected on the basis of party loyalty as part of a deeply-entrenched system of political patronage. The outgoing military leadership was appointed in August 2009 by the previous conservative administration, just before national elections were called. Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou faces criticism from within his party and European leaders after calling a referendum on an EU bailout package agreed last week to keep the country afloat. He faces a confidence vote in parliament on Friday. “It is immoral to change the leadership of the armed forces, just a few hours before the fall of the government,” the far-right LAOS party said. The move to replace the military chiefs may have also been hastened by a Greek protest at austerity measures that halted a major national parade last week.
Fog, crash landing bring air traffic turmoil to Poland WARSAW ReUTeRs
RAKKA: A handout picture released by the syrian Arab News Agency (sANA) shows a huge syrian flag (L) as people rally to show their support for president Bashar al-Assad in the city of Rakka, northeast of damascus on Wednesday. AfP
Hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed in Poland on Wednesday due to heavy fog and the closure of the country’s biggest airport in the capital Warsaw following an emergency landing a day earlier. Air traffic turmoil in Poland started on Tuesday when a plane flying from new Jersey in the United States landed on its belly at Warsaw airport after trouble opening its landing gear. On Wednesday morning, thick fog delayed takeoffs at Poland’s second largest airport in the southern city of Krakow — which operates less than 100 planes daily — and forced at least one plane to seek an alternative landing site. Krakow airport was reopened before mid-day, as were two smaller ones in the central city of Lodz and the western city of Poznan after being shut or running only limited operations because of weather conditions. In Warsaw, none of the 230 aboard were hurt in Tuesday’s accident, but the airport has been closed since and live TV footage showed preparations to lift the craft from the runway.
occupy Wall St finds money brings problems too g
donations growing faster than expected NEW YORK ReUTeRs
Occupy Wall Street has raised more than $500,000 in new York alone to support anti-greed demonstrations and, seven weeks into the movement, protesters are finding that having money creates headaches. The challenges have included how to become a non-profit entity, how to deal with credit card companies withholding donations, choosing a bank that shares the movement’s philosophy and budgeting what to
spend cash on. The totals raised — more than $500,000 in new York and around $20,000 in Chicago, Richmond and other cities — have surprised everyone from the protesters to those overseeing their finances. “I figured they would bring in maybe $10,000, maybe $20,000 and it would be no big deal. They were quickly bringing in that much and more a day,” said Chuck Kaufman, the Tucson-based national co-coordinator of Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ), the movement’s fiscal sponsor. “We
were surprised and unprepared so it was a scramble to get our end of the system functioning at the volume the money was coming in.” AFGJ is a non-profit group with roots in nicaraguan solidarity activism of the 1970s that has since used its tax-exempt status to be a financial umbrella for other groups. Occupy Wall Street pays 7 percent of its takings for AFGJ’s support — book-keeping, tax returns and donation processing. Although the Occupy Wall Street finance committee’s website lists 87 members, Kaufman said the
core was about six people, including a lawyer, an accountant and a tattoo artist. They deal with more than 400 donations coming in daily via credit card, averaging less than $50 each. Actually getting those donations has proved hard. CreDIT CArD WoeS: In the early days, before switching providers, the alliance took in some $250,000 in donations. Kaufman said credit card processors have held back $75,000 of that, claiming they expect an abnormally high level of disputes on the charges.
He expects the funds to be released in $25,000 increments every two weeks, once October credit card statements start going out. none of the major credit card networks returned calls for comment on any unusual reserves being taken. Since the movement switched to the online donation site WePay, another $196,000 has come in, which gets routed like the rest of the money to Occupy Wall Street’s bank account. A survey of Occupy camps across the country reveals each protest is relying on local donations.
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Thursday, 3 November, 2011
Celebrate Eid
with garnier and Stylo Shoes
IN LIMELIGHT WesT hoLLYWood: Singer robyn performs at the MTv o Music Awards.
LAHORE sTAff RepoRT
Leading hair and skin care brand Garnier and popular footwear retailers for women Stylo Shoes have come together for an exciting association this Eid ul Azha where Stylo’s loyalty card holding ladies in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad get a chance to be gifted by Garnier when shopping at selected outlets of Stylo. Five Garnier Gift hampers will be given to lucky winners each day of the 5 day association between Garnier and Stylo. The activity will be running from now till Sunday, the 6th of november 2011, bringing that extra Eidee to women where retail therapy is bundled with products from the acclaimed Garnier Light range which includes the recently introduced Garnier Light SPF 15 Cream. Based on the brand’s ethos of building from the science and power of nature, the Garnier Light range is enriched with naturally sourced and carefully extracted nature based active ingredients. The launch of the Garnier Light SPF 15 Cream marked an exciting advance within their acclaimed Skin Care research and development with natural ingredients, specially designed for Asian skin. Don’t forget to add a visit Stylo Outlets at Liberty Market and Link Road in Lahore, Millenium Mall in Karachi and F10 Markaz to your Eid list to avail the offer and shine this Eid in a perfect pair of shoes and naturally beautiful looking skin.
SrK hurt as Aamir keeps tabs on ‘ra.one’
el Prize meni Nob dohA: Ye wakkul Karman winner Ta n honorary award e receives a anniversary of th on the 15thof the qatar-basedl. launching llite news channe Arabic sate
BeiJiNg: A model parades an outfit by Chinese fashion design house Beauty Berry wang Yutao.
MUMBAI MIRRoR
The Shah Rukh Khan-Aamir Khan rivalry seems to have taken a nasty turn post ‘Ra.One’ release. While the film has got a mixed response from fans and critics, people from the industry has taken this opportunity to widen the Khan divide. According to sources, people in the industry have been telling SRK that Aamir Khan, who had been keeping a close tab on his dream project, is now trying to run the film down. A source close to SRK revealed, “People in the industry have taken this opportunity to get closer to Shah Rukh. Certain people from the industry too, have called and messaged him to say how Salman Khan and Aamir have been trying to run down ‘Ra.One’. Shah Rukh though not too concerned about Salman’s act was upset with Aamir. The Sallu-SRK rivalry has been going on for quite some time now. However, the news of Aamir choosing to support Salman has hurt Shah Rukh a lot.” Initially, SRK chose to ignore the stories. But after repeated reports about Aamir inquiring about the box office returns of ‘Ra.One’, SRK was a little miffed. In fact, SRK learnt from his friends that Aamir did not think that ‘Ra.One’ collections were up to the mark. On the other hand, a source close to Aamir claimed that none of the stories being spread by people in the industry were true. “Why would Aamir want to kill SRK’s film? Aamir is shooting in London film and is not aware of the collections of ‘Ra.One’ at all?” said the source.
Animal rights activists criticise
f d singer o PAriS: lea hris Martin Coldplay C itar player (r) and gukland Jonny Buc t la Cigale. perform a
Fire damages Hollywood’s famed
‘Magic Castle’ Reese Witherspoon
NeW YorK: Reese Witherspoon has come under fire by animal rights activists for carrying a python skin bag. People for the Ethical Treatement of Animals (PETA) have written a statement to the ‘Walk the Line’ star after she was seen with the £2,370 Chloe bag, revealing how the purses are created. The group said: “no matter how much Reese paid for the bag, the animals paid a much higher price. Every year, millions of snakes are impaled on hooks or nailed to trees by their heads and skinned alive. We can’t imagine that she’d wish to contribute to this hidden suffering, especially for something as frivolous as a fashion accessory that can be replicated with no bloodshed.” The group - which in 2006 named Reese one of the world’s sexiest vegetarians claimed the look was easily made without causing harm. PETA added: “These days, it’s easy to have a look that kills without killing - with fake snake, mock croc, python pleather, and other designer items that pay tribute to the beauty of these animals without massacring them.” BANG shoWBIZ
LoS ANGeLeS: A fire caused damage Monday to the “Magic Castle”, a historic building in the Hollywood Hills, but nobody was hurt, emergency services said. The blaze in the attic of the building, home of the Academy of Magical Arts, damaged walls but there may also be water damage from firefighting efforts which took an hour to bring the fire under control, they said. “The Magic Castle will be closed tonight... due to the fire that has just occurred. We will post additional details about our re-opening as soon as the damage can be accessed,” said a message on its website. Ironically, the members-only club was in the middle of a Halloween promotion themed as ‘Inferno at the Magic Castle’. The “Magic Castle” is the private clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts, which is “devoted to the advancement of the ancient art of magic,” according to its website. Founded in 1963 with a charter membership of 150, the Academy has grown into a world-renowned fraternal organisation with a membership of nearly 5,000 magicians. AGeNCIes
Aishwarya to deliver on 11/11/11? MUMBAI: Even as the entire Bachchan family is looking forward to the birth of Abhishek-Aishwarya’s first newborn, Bollywood’s most awaited baby will get born at Mumbai’s seven-star hospital. Reportedly, a seven star suite has been booked in Seven Hills, situated in Marol, Andheri from 10th to 15th november 2011. This super equipped hospital’s childbirth ward has been specially chosen for the Bachchan bahu Aishwarya. While Aishwarya’s due date falls in the second week of november, buzz has it that Bachchan family wants Aishwarya to deliver the baby on 11/11/11, the date, month and year which come once in a hundred years. Interestingly, Amitabh Bachchan celebrates his birthday on 11th October.
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Music blog:
Laal’s new video LAHORE
my od: Acade hollYwo ning director John Award-win honoured with lasseter is star on the the 2,453thwalk of Fame hollywood
L
XARI JALIL
A A L band’s newly released song ‘Dehshatgardi Murdabad’ should be hitting everyone’s Facebook walls lately for its bold and direct approach for criticising the US, while the song is one of Laal’s most catchy, foot tapping numbers that have come up since some time. It has a very catchy chorus, one that sticks in your mind and is already playing when you wake up in the morning (if, you have been listening to the song the night before, like I was). But when it starts, what I love the most about it are the daring lyrics, the subject matter, and Taimur Rehman’s break dance. Jokes aside, the video starts with Hillary’s famous (or infamous, whichever way you want to interpret it) words: “The people we are fighting today, we funded 20 years ago”. This sentence being made to echo, the song then begins, and the lyrics are chanted out in a kind of aggressive spitfire…the kind of mood that was slightly similar to those days in the 90s when Junoon and some other college/university bands began to challenge authority.
At first I feared Taimur might go a bit off key, because sometimes that happens: being a good musician does not necessarily mean being a great singer, but Taimur does well enough as the market shows because his albums are still being sold. I was hoevere pleasantly surprised. I did have qualms about the song recording. The music was louder than the vocals and this marred the whole effect. The mixing could have been better too. But Laal has inserted captions underneath so we don’t miss out on the words…though that is a bit odd as song videos go. not disturbing though. Musically, I preferred ‘Dehshatgardi Murdabad’ to ‘Aalu Anday’ by the Lahori trio called Beghairat Brigade. Though many people are comparing the two in general terms, I wouldn’t go as far as that because BB is being cathartically sarcastic about the idiotic conspiracy theories that have landed Pakistanis in a complete state of denial, while they have mentioned some taboo subjects like Dr Abdus Salam (I really hope these three make it in life after this). Unfortunately though, their song was not too well composed, leaving it to be annoying more than anything else. Meanwhile Laal is talking (seriously) about CIA/US policies towards Pakistan
Bieber baby? Teen idol Justin Bieber accused of fathering child with fan after backstage liaison
loNdoN: Actors Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried pose as they arrive for the UK premiere of ‘in Time’.
LONDON MAIL
He is currently dating pop sweetheart Selena Gomez, but the 19-year-old might not be happy with recent reports about her beau Justin Bieber. A 20-year-old woman is said to have filed a lawsuit against the teen pop sensation alleging he is the father of her three-month-old baby, Radaronline.com have reported. According to reports the California woman named as Mariah Yeater is asking the ‘Baby’ singer to take a paternity test and asks for Bieber “to provide adequate support for my baby”. It has been reported the woman claims she had sex with the underage star on October 25 last year when she was aged 19, he was aged 16 at the time. That would mean under California law that he was underage and if the claims turn out to be true Ms Yeater would be guilty of statutory rape of a minor. Ms Yeater claims she was invited backstage by bodyguards after Bieber’s performance. It reports that Yeater wrote in the affidavit: “Immediately, it was obvious that we were mutually attracted to one another, and we began to kiss. Shortly thereafter, Justin suggested that I go with him to a private place where we could be alone.” She is said to have described the intercourse as “brief”. A court hearing is said to have been set for December 15.
Chitrangda Singh turns item girl
MUMBAI: While it is known that Sonakshi Sinha will feature in an item number in ‘Joker’, few know that the film has another item number. Fewer still know that Chitrangda Singh has been roped in for that. This will be her first item number and will be choreographed by Farah Khan. Chitrangda will groove to the tunes of ‘Kaafirana’, while Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi will be part of the audience watching her performance. Director Shirish Kunder admits that while Sonakshi already has an item number in the film, the track that Chitrangda will be dancing to is a different one. “Kaafirana is essentially a rustic song with a raunchy flavour to it. We wanted a fresh yet sensual face, and not the usual, go-to item girls of today. Also, Chitrangda hasn’t done an item song before, so the novelty value is very high. She was exactly what we were looking for,” he says. AGeNCIes
and asks why on earth we are embracing the people who have landed us into trouble throughout history. The band has always attempted to make simple videos with a kind of rough cut look to them, rather than spend too much money for one of those slick and over-edited products. This may not always be a bad idea, but this remains debatable. Cuts of secret documents, CIA agents shaking hands with Pakistanis, of the treacherous doings of the US decades before it included Pakistan in the horrible and controversial War Against Terror, and interestingly enough a comparison of the US’ rejection of ‘Islamic jihad’, to the reality of their own ‘American jihad’ wich is regularly
propagated by Hollywood through its very popular movies including Rambo. Like it or not, Hollywood is involved with spreading a lot of propaganda. Taimur’s break dance, and the typically 80s/90s music with its electronic flavour, its RnB rhythmic beat, its catchy melody is all done deliberately as the singer told me himself. The entire thing was a trip back to the 80s to get the drift of the whole scenario and to give it that kind of music and effect was important, besides the fact that Laal attempts to venture into an array of musical styles from acoustic blues inspired music to pop-rock, and now this. Watch the video on Youtube to get a better idea!
Hugh Grant
becomes dad, but mother’s a mystery WASHINGTON AGeNCIes
British film star Hugh Grant, 51, has become a father for the first time, it was announced Tuesday, but the identity of the mother remains a mystery. “I can confirm that Hugh Grant is the delighted father of a baby girl,” his new York publicist Carrie Gordon told AFP. “He and the mother had a fleeting affair and while this was not planned, Hugh could not be happier or more supportive,” she said. “He and the mother have discussed everything and are on very friendly terms.” Last April, the star of ‘notting Hill’ was seen in London with a Chinese starlet, Hong Tinglan, who according to some tabloids appeared to be pregnant. Grant was previously in long-term relationships with model and actress Elizabeth Hurley and socialite Jemima Khan.
Kim-Kris marriage ‘doomed from day one’ LoS ANGeLeS: Despite numerous claims of the Kardashian clan that everything between newlywed couple Kim and Kris Humphries was fine, insiders have now revealed that the marriage was doomed from day one. “Kris really wanted to start a family, but Kim wanted to wait for kids,” Fox news quoted a source close to the Kardashians as saying. “He was also upset that Kim wouldn’t change her last name, and he felt that she wasn’t prepared to make sacrifices for his career. “Kim’s mom also got way too involved in their relationship, and was peeved that their reality show made him look like a total jackass,” the insider said. The 26-year-old basketball player’s relation with his past girlfriends is also being stated as one of the main reasons behind the split. “Apparently he was still talking to and texting girls from his past,” the source said. Another source close to Kardashian places the blame for the split directly on the 31-year-old socialite.”She made a sex tape, did Playboy for money and now it seems a wedding for money,” the source said. AGeNCIes
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Thursday, 3 November, 2011
Mellowed Misbah wants teammates to focus on match Page 22
ShAhid AFridi: Yet another retirement U-turn. MURTAzA ALI LAHORE
S
sTAff RepoRT
HAHID Afridi finally found a place in the national ODI and T20 teams after meeting with new PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf on Wednesday. Pakistan is to play the series against Sri Lanka later this month in the UAE. Former Pakistan skipper Afridi, who has retirement U-turns quite a bit of habit, was expected to find a place in team's limited overs squad following a sort of reconciliation with newly appointed Pakistan Cricket Board president Chaudhary Zaka Ashraf. Afridi announced his retirement after his leadership skills and his performance was questioned following the away series
against the West Indies in April and May this year. The 31-year-old player was also said to have differences with then team coach Waqar Younis, who stepped down citing health problems lately. Afridi described his Wednesday’s meeting with Zaka Ashraf as "very positive," and within hours the temperamental allrounder was named in the 16-man squad for five one-day internationals against Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates starting on nov. 11. Pakistan team for Sri Lanka Series in UAE (five ODI’s & 1 T20). The PCB on Wednesday announced the teams for both ODIs and T20 series. The first ODI will be played on november 11 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Reports indicate he is likely to be part of the national
team sooner rather than later. Afridi told reporters that he was confident of making a comeback to the national team for the forthcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka and insisted that he still has a lot to deliver. "I still have a lot to offer to the Pakistan cricket and I am grateful to the Chairman for meeting me and listening to me. I am grateful that he raised my morale a lot," Afridi said after his meeting with Ashraf. The flamboyant cricketer, though, admitted that his selection into the squad was up to the national selection committee. "Muhammad Illyas is the chief selector and it is for him to decide what to do," Afridi said. The 31-year-old cricketer added that he was ready to perform any role assigned to him and insisted that he shared a good
relationship with the current skipper of the team, Misbah-ul-Haq. "I just want to play for Pakistan and it is for the board to decide in what capacity I play. I am willing to play under any captain. I have captained the side and now I am willing to accept any role in the team because I just want to play for my country," Afridi said. The all-rounder, who had earlier in May decided to quit playing the international cricket in protest against board’s decision to remove him from the captaincy after the West Indies tour, said with the change of guard at the helm he was ready to resume his career. "At that time I thought it was not right for me to play, so I quit, but now with a new Chairman I want to come back," he said. Afridi also backed Ashraf`s suggestion of having separate coaches for batting, bowling and fielding in the team. "I think it is a very good idea and it really does not matter whether we have foreign or local coaches. But the coaches should be qualified and should have the ability to support and lift the players even if they are not performing and not run them down," he insisted. In an apparent dig at former coach, Waqar Younis, with whom his differences are well known, Afridi said, "I don`t know why he resigned as coach but he certainly didn`t look ill to me. He was very robust and healthy as far I know." Younis stepped down as the coach of Pakistan team after the Zimbabwe tour, citing personal and health reasons. Pakistan is scheduled to play five limited-overs internationals against Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates starting nov. 11. Ashraf, who took over from Butt last month, had said he wanted to see Afridi back in action in the one-day and Twenty20 cricket formats. But the new PCB chief also wanted to consult other senior PCB officials. The new PCB chief wanted to have three specialist coaches for the national team — bowling, batting and fielding. That concept has Afridi's support. "The only thing I like to see is that all three coaches should have done specialized courses in their respective fields," he said. "That's the only way they could be held accountable." The team includes Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Younis Khan, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Umar Gul, Aizaz Cheema, Juanid Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Abdul Razzaq, Asad Shafiq.
Pakistan thrash india in SAArC T20 Cup LAHORE sTAff RepoRT
The U-25 cricket team of Pakistan thrashed India by 25 runs in the SAARC T20 cup in Maldives on Wednesday. Pakistan won the toss and batting first set a massive 276 runs target in 20 over’s. Pakistan’s Awais Zia smashed 85 runs on just 32 balls. Replying to Pakistan’s huge target, India were all out for just 125 runs, reports received here said. The SAARC countries participating in the tournament are divided into two groups and top two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals to be played on nov 6. The final is scheduled to be played on nov 7. It is to be mentioned here that member of the SAARC Bangladesh is not participating in the cup. Earlier, host Maldives beat Bhutan by six wickets in the opening match of the first tournament. Bhutan who was playing their first twenty20 format of the game looked good when they were put into bat after losing the toss. Opener Thinley Jamtsho started confidently by hitting a straight four of Ahmed Umar Jamal in the very first over. The bowler came back strong in the next over to get rid of other opener Manoj Adhikari who scored six runs. Thinley Jamtsho continued but Bhutan were bowled out at 107 with three balls to spare. Thinley Jamtsho topped scored with 45 runs in which he hit five boundaries and three sixes. Ahmed Umar Jamal was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets while Mohamed Mahfooz picked three. Bhutan started off their innings well sending Maldives opening batsman Mohamad Rishwann back to the pavilion in the very first over. After dismissing Rishwann, Bhutan opening bowler Tandin Wangchuk got rid of Shafraz Jaleel in his second over. First change Sonam Tobgay bowled Mihusan Hamid when the score was only 16. Right arm off-spinner nima Gurung in his fourth and final over got Hasan Harig out when Maldives were at 43. It was the 65 runs stand between Muaviath Abdul Gan and Mohamed Azzam that sailed Maldives to victory. “Our batting was not up to the mark except for Thinley, having scored 130 and plus it would have been a close contest,” said Bhutan captain, Jigme Singye. “Three drop catches cost us the game,” he added.
PCB’s coach selection committee meets Zaka Fixing trio should be done away with LAhore: Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja has said that the three cricketers found guilty of spot-fixing should never play for their country again. Pakistan trio Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were found guilty of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments. They plotted to deliberately bowl no-balls during the Lord's Test match against England in August 2010. "I think they should be booted out for good," Raja was quoted by BBC as saying live. Butt, 27, Asif, 28 and Amir, 19, were charged after a tabloid newspaper alleged they were involved in a plan to bowl deliberate no-balls. A deliberate noball here and there may seem harmless enough in the grand scheme of things but the integrity of the cricket played during Pakistan's tour last summer became increasingly questioned and the reputation of the game was seriously damaged as a result. Butt and Asif have become the first cricketers in court ever to be found guilty in court of on-field corruption but to believe that this particular spot-fixing ring was anything but a speck in a much larger picture is wishful thinking. In February, all three players were banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) over the affair - Butt for 10 years, with five of them suspended, Asif for seven years, with two suspended, and Amir five years. The trio are in the process of challenging the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The scandal has further dampened the reputation of Pakistani cricket, which has been embroiled in match-fixing scandals in the past. And with three other players - Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, and Wahab Riaz - named in court as allegedly being involved in a betting scam, former England captain Michael Vaughan has suggested a complete overhaul of Pakistan's playing squad is required. "I guess the only way to clear it would be to completely start afresh with a new set of players because there are still question marks over a few of the other players in their team," he told BBC Sport. sTAff RepoRT
LAHORE sTAff RepoRT
Pakistan’s cricket selection committee led by Intikhab Alam and former chief selector Iqbal Qasim on Wednesday met new PCB chief Zaka Ashraf and discussed issues of concern. However, it has been learnt that
Iqbal Qasim has offered his services to the board in any capacity while Intikhab and Zaheer Abbas, who are members of a committee formed by former PCB chairman Ijaz Butt to shortlist coach for the team, was called by the new chairman for the appointment of coaches for each department of the game. It was Zaka’s third important meet-
lAhore: PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf in a meeting with members of the coach selection committee. STAff PHoTo ing in which earlier in the day Shahid Afridi also made himself available for ODI selection. Zaka Ashraf had separate consultative meetings with Afridi, Iqbal Qasim, and Zaheer Abbas to seek their suggestions in order to improve the sport in Pakistan. The meetings were held in very cor-
dial atmosphere and views were exchanged frankly. In the last meeting Intikhab Alam and Zaheer Abbas updated the chairman about the selection of head coach for national team. It was decided that the board would advertise for batting, bowling and fielding coaches for the national team and search for suitable candidates to
strengthen all the departments. Later talking to journalists Intikhab Alam made it clear that there will be coaches for all the three departments of the game, bowling, batting and fielding. Intikhab said that an advertisement for the coaches will soon be published and the best possible choice would be picked for the national team.
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Thursday, 3 November, 2011
Sports 21
JURY TO ANNOUNCE SENTENCE TODAY
Majeed pleads guilty, points to more players g
AGeNCIes
M
AZHAR Majeed, the players' agent, came out with a series of astonishing disclosures at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday. Majeed, sitting in the dock next to co-conspirators Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, sought sympathy of the judge through revealing as much of his involvement as possible to limit the length of his sentence having pleaded guilty at a pre-trial in September. Majeed's lawyer Mark Milliken-Smith QC said he was first introduced to talk about fixing by Salman Butt over dinner during the 2009 World Twenty20 in England, reported Cricinfo. The barristers for Butt and Asif each requested that this new information be banned from release by the media, but the judge allowed it to be published but on the understanding that both Asif and Butt's legal team's denied these new claims. Justice Cooke also dismissed claims that Amir was only involved in one episode of spot-fixing. Aamer claimed he was being leant upon and feared for his future in national side if he did not take part in the conspiracy. "I refuse to accept that basis of plea on the material I have seen," Cooke said. "There are certainly texts and the like which suggest that Aamer's first and only involvement was not limited to Lord's, it was not an isolated and one-off event," Cooke said. Milliken-Smith addressed Justice Cooke post-lunch, after reporting restrictions were lifted regarding Majeed's involvement as a fixer in the spot-fixing scandal. Milliken-Smith told the judge: "Majeed was having dinner with Butt during the World Twenty20 World in England. When having dinner Butt raised the subject, out of frustration, that other players were at it and gave examples of ownership of houses in Pakistan. "How can X and Y players have these houses when they don't earn the same amount of money according to their PCB contract," Milliken-Smith went on, speak-
AMIR’S MOTHER says he is still a child
CHANGA BANGYAAL ReUTeRs
The mother of one of the Pakistani cricketers disgraced in a bribery scandal said on Wednesday her teenage son's actions were understandable because he was still a child. "I've had this in my hand for a year and a half," said naseem Akhtar, mother of 19year-old Mohammad Amir, pointing to prayer beads in her hand. "Children make mistakes. Amir became a big name in cricket, but he is still a child." Other Pakistanis were not as forgiving, saying the fiasco has hurt the South Asian country, already tainted by widespread allegations of government corruption, where cricket is a way of life and to many an expression of national identity. "I hope they are sent to jail as well, so that they become a symbol for the future cricketers. Corruption should not be tolerated anywhere and at any level, and I am very happy that justice has been done," said Adeel Azhar, a Pakistani radio host and cricket fan. "Let's just hope now that our media does not look for conspiracy theories and start blaming Western or Indian cricket lobbies for all this, and thus making a hero out of these corrupt cricketers." Many Pakistanis and officials often blame their country's problems -- from militancy to power cuts to natural disasters -- on arch-rival India, ally the United States, or Israel. Cricket is by far the most popular sport in Pakistan, with children in poor areas using old bats and makeshift equipment to imitate star players like Butt, Asif and Amir, while the rich enjoy leisurely days at private cricket grounds. In Amir's home village of Changa Bangyaal, a small collection of modest cement houses surrounded by wheat fields, some hoped he could one day redeem his image and bowl again. "He has made a mistake. But we all pray he will come back and play for the country," Mohammad Shafeeq, a farmer who was leading a buffalo to his homestead.
Sports Agent Mazhar Majeed paid Mohammad Asif £65,000 to stop him switching to a rival match-fixing ring. Mohammad Asif, 28, received the money at the request of other players in his national side who feared he might be tempted to start working for another crooked gambling syndicate, London's Southwark Crown Court was told. It was also alleged in court that Salman Butt teamed up with another mystery player to organise rigging of parts of games during last summer's tour of England. Fixer Mazhar Majeed paid £2,500 of the money to Amir, £10,000 to Butt and £65,000 to Asif, and planned to give them more in the future, the court heard. Explaining why Asif was paid so much more than his team-mates, Majeed's barrister Mark Milliken-Smith QC said: "The larger amount was paid in order to ensure that that player remained, as it were, loyal to these people, the players within the dressing room, rather than to others by whom he might be tempted."
ing on the behalf of Majeed. "He told Majeed that he could even tell when players were doing it during matches. Majeed was then shocked although he knew there were rumours pervading for some time that some players he knew were doing it." no more was said then, but Majeed went out to see Pakistan during their Australian tour in January 2010. Majeed had lunch with Butt and another player and Butt again raised the subject of fixing. The other player questioned Butt whether Majeed could be trusted. The same people met again in the West Indies during the 2010 World Twenty20 and during the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, but Milliken-Smith said no fixing occurred here and they all agreed to set up some fixes for the England tour. Majeed visited Pakistan for the first time in 18 years to visit family and also to see players. He met with PCB officials for business reasons but also met again with Butt and the same other player, whom Milliken-Smith did not name. In Pakistan they agreed that they needed to recruit "a couple more players" into the fix. The lawyer added, of Majeed's sentiments: "nothing I say now can detract from the shame and regret that he feels in admitting his involvement. "He knows that he must be punished for what he has done…It took courage and remorse for Majeed to plead guilty. We hope that Majeed attracts the full credit for pleading guilty at the first opportunity. Majeed had pleaded guilty in the spot-fixing case before the trial started but that fact could not be reported till today due to court restrictions. Butt, Amir and Asif were exposed by the now defunct British tabloid the news of the World in an undercover sting operation. Majeed, their former agent, was recorded by a secret camera claiming to have bribed Pakistan bowlers Amir and Asif to bowl no-balls. In court Wednesday, prosecutor Aftab Jafferjee applied for a compensation order to repay the £150,000 ($240,000, 175,000 euros) that an undercover reporter from the now-defunct news of the World tabloid gave to Majeed.
The eNTIRe seRIes WAs fIXed?
At least seven bookies
S
ECRET deleted text messages uncovered by police reveal that every Test match Pakistan played in England last year was targeted by the spot-fixing racket. At least seven underworld bookies, who have not been identified by police and are still at large in Pakistan, India, Dubai and the UK, were pulling the strings of the players on the pitch through corrupt middle man, Mazhar Majeed. Texts recovered by Scotland Yard prove the fixers had organised wickets to be thrown away by batsmen, deliberate scoring rates, and bowlers to intentionally leak runs in at least five Tests in 2010. The messages, which were not shown to the jury, show the no balls conspiracy was “just the tip of the iceberg”, according to one detective. The first target was the match between Australia and Pakistan at Lord’s in July last year, which was ironically played under the MCC’s Spirit of Cricket banner. Scotland Yard detectives recovered the messages by sending Majeed’s phone to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, a force which has the only software in the world that can recover deleted texts. A partial recovery was made and the texts will now be passed as new evidence to the ICC. The first was discovered on July 12, 2010 – the eve of Pakistan’s first Test at Lord’s against Australia. It was sent from an unidentified fixer using a UK mobile number to Majeed and said: “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.” In the event, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif bowled in tandem until the 10th over, but conceded 29 runs. Five days later one of the key Indian underworld bookies of the corruption racket, known as “Raj”, texted Majeed to offer his “congratulations on the captaincy of Salman Butt”. The series of texts came during the first day of the Test, after Raj had demanded a fixed bowling “bracket”. Majeed replied: “It is hard to do this but they will try. 2 edges gave away 8 in first over today
so not always in their hands. They will make sure they try though. If they do it they will want to be paid.” On the next day, Majeed sent another unidentified fixer on a UK mobile number a boast about a successful fix they had organised: “Boss you can see they have done it”. He followed it with a message about Akmal, the wicketkeeper batsman. “Kamran’s one will still be on if another wicket,” it said. It was in this Test that Akmal was heavily criticised for dropping two catches and missing an easy stumping of England’s Paul Collingwood. The final flurry of secret messages concerned the Edgbaston Test, when Majeed is in continuous contact with fixers in Dubai, India and the UK. On the eve of the game, the agent first texts the Dubai man, saying: “Are you ready to speak in 20 mins? Maz.” Multiple calls followed. After the first day of the Test, Majeed texted Raj to ask “shall I prepare anything tomorrow?” The Indian bookie replied that the markets were not open. The court heard that Majeed claimed Pakistan were also planning on match fixing – by throwing an ODI or T20 game later in the summer. In a secretly taped recording, Majeed told an undercover reporter from the tabloid: “We’ve got one result already planned and that is coming within the next three and a half weeks. “Pakistan will lose. It’s your responsibility to put it on [the bet] at the right times because there’s going to be times in that game when Pakistan are favourites, times when England are favourites. “I will give you the six names of the players on our side, and you will know exactly what each player’s going to do.” Majeed admitted that match fixing was more difficult than spot-fixing and therefore only happened occasionally – giving two examples which were not heard by the jury. He claimed that corrupt players shared spoils of £1.2 million for throwing the notorious new Year Sydney Test against Australia, and that they also threw a game against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup in June. Sri Lanka had posted a total of 242, with Amir and Asif the two most expensive bowlers. AGeNCIes
Text of Amir’s statement in court
M
OHAMMAD Amir made an impassioned statement admitting his guilt and remorse for being involved in spot fixing. Here is the teenager’s statement in full. First I want to apologise to Pakistan and to everyone that cricket is important to. I do know how much damage this has done to the game, a game which I love more than anything else in the world. The best day of my life was when I was selected to play for Pakistan. I got my shirt, number 90, the night before, I put it on and I stood in front of the mirror for a very long time. I could not believe that I was playing for Pakistan. If I could have, I would have slept in it but I didn’t want
LONDON AGeNCIes
Amir’s plea of ‘one-off incident’ rejected LONDON
ASIF GOT LOYALTY bonus in bookies’ rivalry
to ruin the shirt. That moment was my dream. As soon as I began to realise that actually I could play well, when I was 13, my only dream was to play cricket for Pakistan. I did decide many months ago that I wanted to admit that I deliberately threw two no balls at the Lord’s Test last summer. But I know this was very late and I want to apologise for not saying it before. I didn’t find the courage to do it at the beginning, and I know very well that made everything much more difficult. Last year was the most amazing year of my life but also it was the worst year. I got myself into a situation that I didn’t understand. I panicked and did the wrong thing. I don’t want to blame anyone else.
The ICC is set to launch its own investigation into Pakistan's 2010 tour of England following indications of more tainted matches during the spot-fixing trial in London. During the course of the trial recovered text messages revealed that four more Tests appear to have been affected by spot-fixing on the tour. There were also suggestions that other Pakistan players in the squad that toured England last year may also be involved in some wrongdoing, according to a report on Espncricinfo. The ACSU could not conduct a thorough inquiry into the spot-fixing scandal against the three Pakistani players as most or all of the evidence was held by the Crown and police. But after the trial is over, there will be a debriefing between British prosecution services and the ACSU on what all can be disclosed to use in the investigations, the report said. Evidence was also found for the Lord's Test between Pakistan and Australia, while a text was also recovered by the Canadian police specialists from alleged bookie Mazhar Majeed's mobile phone that connected Pakistan players -- Kamran Akmal and Aamir - to alleged spot-fixing and links with bookmakers.
TIp off fRoM pAKIsTAN CAMp? Mazher Mahmood, the news of the World journalist who exposed the fixing racket, said that his anonymous source was a former member of the Pakistan cricket management team. Mahmood, known as the Fake Sheikh, received the tip off in January 2010 – and took eight months to plan his sting on Mazhar Majeed and the ring of corrupt cricketers. The Metropolitan Police had also received a tip off during last summer, but equally had not launched a full investigation by the time the tabloid broke the story. Mahmood, known as the Fake Sheikh, admitted that he received a download of text messages from Majeed’s Blackberry phone – which provided damning evidence he was trying to rig games.
I didn’t want money at all, I didn’t bowl the no balls because of money. I got trapped and in the end it was because of my own stupidity. My dream was to be the best cricketer in the world. I’m a competitive sportsman and those two no balls were the only moments in my cricketing life where I have not performed to the very best of my ability. And they were not moments I felt happy to be part of. What I loved about the game was not the recognition or reward, what I loved was just the playing. I do not know if cricket will ever want me again. I can understand why it would not. As difficult as this past year has been, and in particularly today, I am still relieved to have admitted
what I have done. I don’t know what my future holds but I would like to say I have learnt a very hard lesson. I am grateful to those people who have been forgiving when I have let them down. Some of them have been the people I have most admired all my life. I apologise to everyone for what I did, and that I did not accept responsibility earlier. I want to apologise to my family as well for the distress I have caused then in this past year. I would like to say to the court that I respect any decision the court will make. I accept I have done wrong and that there were other things I could have done and should have done in the circumstances I found myself in.”
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22 Sports
Thursday, 3 November, 2011
Focus on match, Misbah tells players g
don’t get distracted by fixing proceedings
ShArJAh: Pakistan’s cricketer Umar gul (l) gives instructions to teammate Junaid Khan (r) during a practice session at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. AfP SHARJAH
P
Afp
AKISTAn captain Misbah-ul Haq Wednesday said focus is the key for him and his team as they try to avert distraction caused by a court verdict against three former team-mates in a corruption case. Although Misbah shied away from commenting on the verdict which found former Test captain Salman Butt and paceman Mohammad Asif guilty of conspiracy to cheat and accepting corrupt payments, he discussed Pakistan’s progress in the wake of the scandal. “The key for us is to control what we can control - the effort we are putting in and we are only focusing on that,” said Misbah when asked about the difficulties of leading Pakistan in the post spot-fixing scandal. “We have a good bunch of boys and everybody is doing the work and everyone is focusing on the own performance and the team’s performance. The team is doing well and everybody is performing and we don’t think about anything else,” said Misbah. Since replacing Butt after the England tour last year, Misbah has led the team -- on and off the field -- admirably well as they have not lost a Test series against opponents like South Africa, new Zealand and the West Indies. Misbah said players communicated well to avoid problems. “There’s been good communication with players. There’s a good spirit. We know each other well and that’s the key,” said Misbah, who was made captain for all three formats of the game in September after Shahid Afridi was sacked. The 37year-old Misbah was sidelined for three years between 2003-2007 after making his debut in 2002 and was again out of favour for the England tour, marred by the spotfixing scandal. But that did not diminish his passion for playing, and he returned as Test captain for the South Africa series in UAE last year. Misbah said he was lucky to
Test cricket returns to Sharjah stats corner S. PERvEZ QAISER The third and final Test match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be played at Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium from Thursday (november 3). This will be the first Test match in nine years at the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium which has hosted more one day internationals than any other ground but has not had any international cricket between top teams since 2003. With international stadiums being built in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, it had looked unlikely that Sharjah would make a return as a venue for big matches. have a bunch of wise players. “The guys are really good and they focus well and that’s the key for us and that makes my job easier,” said Misbah. “Everbody is doing hard work and everbody is responding well and that’s helping me as captain and there’s no problem whatsoever. “The way the team is going it can be seen and the good results are there. Everybody realises his responsibility and working very hard. One major thing is that the more you play with experience you get better and the team gets better.” Misbah said his relationship with players is also excellent. “There’s a good relationship between players and the management and the captain. Everyone is relaxing and there’s no tension in the team,” said Misbah, one of five captains Pakistan had in the last three years. But even the frequent changes in Pakistan captaincy doesn’t bother Misbah, as he sets his goal to restore Pakistan’s image in international cricket. “Country’s name come first, people come and go, every player needs to remember that.”
TEST MATCHES AT SHARJAH:
HIGHEST INDIVIDUAL SCORES:
TeAM AUSTrAliA PAKiSTAN weST iNdieS
153 Younis Khan (Pakistan) v west indies 2001-02 150 rashid latif (Pakistan) v west indies 2001-02 150 ricky Ponting (Australia) v Pakistan 2002-03 146 Mohammed Yousuf (Pakistan) v w.indies 2001-02 119 Matthew hayden (Australia) v Pakistan 2002-03
p 2 4 2
W 2 2 -
L 2 2
sUCCess% 100.00 50.00 00.00
HIGHEST INNINGS TOTALS:
BEST BOWLING IN AN INNINGS:
493 Pakistan v west indies 2001-02 472 Pakistan v west indies 2001-02 444 Australia v Pakistan 2002-03 366 west indies v Pakistan 2001-02 310 Australia v Pakistan 2002-03
5-24 Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan) v west indies 2001-02 5-74 Shane warne (Australia) v Pakistan 2002-03 4-11 Shane warne (Australia) v Pakistan 2002-03 4-13 Shane warne (Australia) v Pakistan 2002-03 4-25 Abdul razzaq (Pakistan) v west indies 2001-02
LOWEST INNINGS TOTALS:
BEST BOWLING IN A MATCH:
53 Pakistan v Australia 2002-03 59 Pakistan v Australia 2002-03 171 west indies v Pakistan 2001-02 189 west indies v Pakistan 2001-02 203 Pakistan v Australia 2002-03
8-24 Shane warne (Australia) v Pakistan 2002-03 8-130 Shane warne (Australia) v Pakistan 2002-03 7-59 glenn Mcgrath (Australia) v Pakistan 2002-03 5-74 Abdul razzaq (Pakistan) v west indies 2001-02 5-86 Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan) v west indies 2001-02
Stand up and score, dilshan urges batsmen SHARJAH Afp
Skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan urged his batsmen to stand up and score big to help Sri Lanka level the series against Pakistan by winning the third Test which starts here from Thursday.Poor first innings batting let Sri Lanka down in the first Test before an epic double hundred and a fighting century from Prasanna Jayawardene salvaged a draw in the first Test in Abu Dhabi. But the batters failed to show an improved performance in the second Test as Pakistan romped to a crushing nine-wicket win in Dubai to go 1-0 up in the series. Dilshan admitted the task to level the series was not easy. “Definitely, it’s not easy but we have prepared well and we know which area we have to improve and everybody is ready to deliver, if we play our brand of cricket then it might be a good chance to level,” said Dilshan on Wednesday. Sri Lanka were bowled out for low scores of 197 and 239 in the first innings of both the Tests and Dilshan realised it’s the weak area.
“Our batting has let us down but we have worked really very hard and we have talked a lot about that and I hope three four guys stand up and turn these 20-30 into hundreds because first innings is important in Tests,” said Dilshan. Sri Lankan skipper hoped he will also be amongst runs after managing scores of 19, nine, seven and three in the series. “I am not feeling any pressure but I am worried about my batting. I have worked hard and have confidence that I can come out and score big,” said Dilshan, who scored just one fifty in the threeTest series against Australia in September. Dilshan said the pitch at Sharjah Stadium -- where international cricket returns after a gap of nine years -- will be a good Test track. “It has a little bit of grass and I feel it’s a good Test track and it has good challenges for both batting and bowling,” said Dilshan, praising Pakistan’s overall performance in the series. “Pakistan have played good cricket, they have good bowling and we did not bat well, so if we play good cricket and put some runs on the board we can put pressure on them,” said Dilshan of their opponents who have not lost a series in one year.
Rid the game of crooks eXpeRT CoMMeNT
iAN BoThAM
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InALLY, it took 12 people from Britian to tell the world something many of us suspected for years: that there is something rotten in the game of cricket and that it has been poisoned by a few greedy individuals who take selfishness to a new level. The guilty verdicts handed down to Salman Butt and Mo-
hammad Asif for their part in cheating and corrupting the sport have sent the loudest and clearest message that you will now be hunted down and caught. It is a warning to every cricketer and that is why part of me is delighted at the outcome of the trial. If there is a custodial sentence, every night they spend behind bars would strengthen the deterrent cricket badly needs. Yet I’m sad it took a newspaper sting and a court case that dragged the game through the mud to get to this point, but I hope it will be worth it. The stench of spotfixing and match-fixing has hung around the game I love for too long and this verdict must be the point at which enough is truly enough. There can be no more burying of heads in the sand as the authorities have done for years. It is in the open now and must be tackled head on with a renewed hunger to root out those who want to toy with the game for their own ends. I don’t
want to walk into a ground any more wondering whether or not what I’m watching is a real contest. I don’t want fans to waste hard-earned money on a ticket only to find out later they were watching a sham. That is what Butt, Asif and Mohammad Amir did to the thousands who turned up at Lord’s to see them compete with England when all they were worried about was lining their pockets. Pakistani cricket has serious problems it needs to address and with three of its players caught up in this case, the question is whether there are more. The Pakistan Cricket Board have a responsibility to act now, as do the International Cricket Council who have been so weak in the past and have swept problems like this under the carpet. The ICC must be constructive. Everyone seems to pretend the issue isn’t there. It is and must be addressed. You have to put fear into the players and make them realise, ‘This is my career, this is
my future, is it worth it?’. This is the line in the sand the authorities have been looking for and it is not just Pakistan who need be worried. Evidence suggests corruption found an ideal place to grow in that country but can happen anywhere and for any other nation to think otherwise would be foolish. Should both players be jailed it would be the ultimate warning for any cricketer who gets approached even for the tiniest bit of information, let alone with orders to bowl no-balls. My worry always will be for young players who can be more easily manipulated and threatened by those senior to them. That is why I’m pleased the jury saw just how much influence Butt had and how he orchestrated the whole thing. It is only one victory for the game against those who would destroy it, but it is a start and more than we have seen before. Let it be a lesson that cheating and corruption has no place in the game, full stop. dAILY MIRRoR
Sami Aslam shines in inter-region U-19 event LAHORE sTAff RepoRT
Sami Aslam gave exceptional performance in the recent Inter-region Under-19 Cricket Tournament. Aslam shone in the threeday and one-day matches. In five matches of the three-dayers he made 602 runs including three centuries and one fifty. In two matches he was not out twice while in four one-dayer of the event he made 266 runs. The Punjab Club player, Sami Aslam is playing from national Bank of Pakistan.
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Thursday, 3 November, 2011
shaRjah: Pakistan’s cricketer shoaib malik (C) with teammates azhar ali (L) and captain misbah-ul-haq (R) during a practice session at the sharjah Cricket stadium. AfP
Sports 23
five-star Bishoo hands Windies series win DHAKA Afp
sCoReBoARd
Leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo grabbed 5-90 as the West Indies trounced Bangladesh by 229 runs in the second Test in Dhaka on Wednesday to win their first away series in eight years. Bangladesh, who were set an improbable victory target of 508 runs, were shot out for 278 soon after lunch on the fifth day at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium. Bishoo, the Guyanese bowler who turns 26 on Sunday, returned with careerbest figures in only his seventh Test and skipper Darren Sammy chipped in with 2-19 to rout the hosts. The emphatic win after the drawn first match in Chittagong will provide a massive moralebooster for Sammy’s men, who begin a three-Test series in India on Sunday. It was the first series win away from home for the West Indies since november 2003, when they beat Zimbabwe 1-0. Their last Test win abroad was against S Africa in Port Elizabeth in Dec, 2007.
WesT INdIes, 1st innings: 355 (K. edwards 121, K. powell 72, K. Brathwaite 50; shakib Al hasan 563, Nasir hossain 3-52) BANGLAdesh, 1st innings: 231 (shakib Al hasan 73; f. edwards 5-63) WesT INdIes 2nd innings: 383-5 decl (K. edwards 86, d. Bravo 195, s. Chanderpaul 59 not out, s. shuvo 3-73) BANGLAdesh 2nd innings (overnight 164-3): Tamim Iqbal c sammy b Bishoo 83 9 Imrul Kayes c K. edwards b f. edwards shahriar Nafees c and b sammy 18 Raqibul hasan c sammy b samuels 17 69 Mushfiqur Rahim b Bishoo shakib Al hasan c Chanderpaul b sammy 55 3 Naeem Islam lbw b Bishoo 3 Nasir hossain lbw b Bishoo 0 suhrawadi shuvo c sammy b Bishoo shahadat hossain not out 1 7 Rubel hossain b Roach eXTRAs (b6, lb1, nb6) 13 ToTAL (all out, 80.2 overs) 278 foW: 1-26, 2-73, 3-124, 4-168, 5-256, 6-260, 7-264, 8264, 9-271, 10-278. Bowling: f. edwards 14-0-56-1 (nb3), Roach 13.2-2-491 (nb3), sammy 13-4-19-2, Bishoo 25-6-90-5, samuels 15-2-57-1. West Indies won by 229 runs to claim series 1-0 Toss: West Indies, UMpIRes: Kumar dharmasena (sRI) and Nigel Llong (eNG), TV UMpIRe: Nadir shah (BAN), MATCh RefeRee: Andy pycroft (ZIM)
Skiper darren Sammy (l) and devendra Bishoo with the series trophy. AfP
UBl hammer lahore Shalimar in qT
Gulberg Gym in Amar Cables Cricket semis LAHORE sTAff RepoRT
LAHORE sTAff RepoRT
Gulberg Gymkhana beat Choudhary Sports by two wickets at the Modal Town Greens Cricket Ground in the second Amar Cable T20 Veteran Cricket Tournament quarter-final. Choudhary Sports scored 126 for 8 after 20 over. Shahid Ali 37, Ch. Shafqat 31 and najm-ul-Islam scored 21 runs. Khalid Habib 2/11, naveed Sofi 2/32, Afzal Munir 2/34, Amer Waseem 1/21 and Azhar Hussain 1/21 wickets. Gulberg Gymkhana reached 129 for eight in 19.4 over and qualified for the semi-final. Khalid Habib 43, Afzal Munir 16 and Muhammad Amer 29 not out. Muhammad Sami 4/25 and Hafiz Bilal 1/17 wickets. Waleed Yaqoob and Javed Ashraf were the umpires and Qasim Shafique scorer. Later, Amar Cables CEO Amer Ilyas Butt gave away the man of the match award jointly to Muhammad Amer and Muhammad Sami.
WATCH IT LIVE ESPN C’wealth Bank Tournament of Champions 2011 02:30PM
TEN SPORTS Pakistan v Sri Lanka 3rd Test Day 1 11:00AM
SJAl-SwAP festival football match today LAHORE sTAff RepoRT
The Sports Journalists Association of Lahore and Sports Writers Association of Punjab are holding a festival football match on Thursday (november 3) here at the Model Town Football Academy ground. Giving details of the match, SJAL President Syed Ali Hashimi, SWAP President Shahid Sheikh, secretary Pakistan Football Federation Col (retd) Ahmed Yar and Mian Rizwan, president MTFA said that the purpose of holding this match is to raise awareness among the sports journalists about the need of fitness and provide them an opportunity of light entertainment. “Light training and fitness is the requirement of the hour and not only the journalists but also the general public should be aware of their body’s fitness needs,” they said. The match which is being organised in collaboration with the PFF, MTFA and District Football Association Lahore will be played between the sports journalists teams which. Amer Raza Khan and Asher Butt, secretaries of SWAP and SJAL, were also present during the briefing. The match will start at around 2 pm and is likely to conclude at around 4 pm. The playing XI will be finalised before the start of the match. sJAL fooTBALL XI: Asher Butt, ijaz Sheikh, Mustansar Amin Khan, Sanaullah, ijaz Bakhri, M. Babur, M. Ashraf, Auraenzeb, Afzal iftikhar, Yousaf Anjum, Abdul qayyum, Afzal Ch, Sohail Ali, Umer Kolson, Asgher Saleemi, Jawad haider, qaiser Chohan. officials: qayyum Zahid- Manager; Coach Ali hashmi. sWAp fooTBALL XI: Farrukh Butt, rana Azhar, Mohsin iqbal, Zahid Shafi, hafiz Shahbaz, Musa waraich, Azhar Masood, Abdul rauf, imran Sohail, Aftab Tabi, Amir dar, Faraz haider, rafiq Khan, Mansoor Khan, Azhar Kazmi, Taqveem Shah. officials: raza hameed- Coach; Shahid Shaikh- Manager.
Krl, Police notch wins in PPl LAHORE sTAff RepoRT
KRL and Police grabbed comprehensive wins in the 8th Pakistan Premier Football League on Wednesday. KRL beat Army 2-0 at the Municipal Stadium, Rawalpindi. M Qasim scored in the 10th minute while Asim Mansoor doubled the lead in the 15th minute for KRL those two goals remained intact till the final hooter. Police thrashed PEL 4-1 at the Sadiq Shaheed Stadium, Quetta. Police got the goals through M Ishaq in the 16th minute, M Zahir had a big share in the won with two goals that came in the 53rd and 72nd minutes while the fourth goal scorer was Zareef Khan who found the bars in the 70th minute. PEL reduced the score through Altaf Hussain in the 58thmin.
United Bank thrashed Lahore Shalimar by 146 runs on the final day of the Division II round-five Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match here at the LCCA ground on Wednesday. United Bank gathered 308 in 95.4 in its first innings and bowled out Shalimar for 196 and then added another 272 for five declared in 62. But Shalimar in their second innings could manage 238 and were bowled out mainly by Kashif Bhatti (2-51), Shabbir Ahmed (341) and Muhammad Irshad 4-67.
Amar Cables Ceo Amer ilyas Butt gives away Man of the Match award to Muhammad Amer and Muhammad Sami. STAff PHoTo
KC, ravi Club in women’s Cricket final
What of our wins against Pakistan?
LAHORE sTAff RepoRT
Kinnaird Club and Ravi Club reached the final of the Inter-region Women T20 Cricket Championship being played here at the KC ground. Ravi Club beat Garrison club by 34 runs on Wednesday. Ravi Club made 108. Sana Muzaffar 31 not out, Sabahat and Fakhra shared two wickets each. In reply, Garrison made 72 in 20 overs. Maliha Tanveer 16. Hira Abbas 14. Farwa Babarhad two wickets while Saba Bhatti, nasira Rafique, Zunaira Shaheen, Irum Barket, Bushra Kausar shared one wicket each. Earlier, Kinnaird Club beat Polo Club by eight wickets. Polo Club made just 48 runs with Zarnab making 10 runs. nimra and Aisha took two wickets each. In reply, KC got the score losing two wickets. nimra scored 15 runs and natalia 14. Ayesha took one wicket.
eXpeRT CoMMeNT
MiChAel vAUghAN
T
HESE convictions cast doubt over matches I played in - including Karachi. These guilty verdicts have sent a shock wave through the game. To hear the captain of a national side and one of the world’s best fast bowlers told by a crown court judge they face jail for fixing in England should be the greatest deterrent. I now look back on matches I played in and wonder if strings were being pulled behind the scenes. For instance, go back to the
Test we won against Pakistan in Karachi in December 2000. They collapsed from a strong position to leave us a small total to chase, which we did as night descended. It was a very surreal atmosphere and I remember feeling that there was something not right about it at the time. Was it just a dodgy wicket or were there other forces at play? You find yourself remembering odd incidents in other matches — moments when batsmen have run themselves out first ball or triggered collapses with ridiculous shots. We all make these sort of mistakes — at least, I know I have — but the temptation now is to go back and question everything in the light of what happened at Lord’s last year. Stuart Broad scored 169 in that Test match, but I wonder, after everything that has happened, how confident he is that his opponents were giving their all. This case had a dramatic impact on cricket and it will be a long time before Pakistan teams will be able to play again free of rumour and innuendo. In the past there has been anecdotal evidence that du-
bious activities have been going on but in the end you always put it down to someone ‘having a bad day’. But now you do hear whispers in the crowd when a big mistake happens — a dolly catch, massive no ball or wide. These things happen in cricket but you can hear the murmurs. The one thing that has become apparent is that cricket is a very easy game to manipulate if you want to make money from fixing. There are so many scenarios within a game that can be influenced and go undetected. In that sense it is almost unique in sport. In this country the betting industry is strictly regulated but in Asia you can back almost anything. During this trial we heard of throwing Tests for £1 million, 50-over games for £400,000 and a Twenty20 for £250,000. But we also heard talk of brackets of 10 overs each, during which you can bet on the number of runs, or even no-balls and wides. Money is riding on even the most mundane aspects of the game. Add that to the fact that there are so many games played all over the world
and shown live on television these days — Tests, one-dayers, county matches, IPL – it is an impossible patch for the International Cricket Council to police. There are just too many games to keep an eye on. Some go under the radar. There is no anti-corruption unit in county cricket, for example. The players are shown a video and that is it. There is no management of mobile phones in the county game. It would not take a great expert or cunning fixer to crack the security. The Anti-Corruption Unit is very good at educating players about the dangers of fixing but actual policing of what happens out on the field lags a long way behind. The ACU needs to start employing former players who know the game and can sense when they see something that is not quite right. This is not a “jobs for the boys” call from an ex-player. It is a fact that the ACU is run by former police officers who have personally told me in the past they do not fully understand the game. TeLeGRAph
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PTi, Ji considering grand alliance against government LAHORE
Karzai seeks aid in fight against terrorism Afghan president says Afghan stability requires sincere, result-oriented cooperation of neighbours, particularly Pakistan g india opposes external interference, stresses need to tackle terrorist safe havens and sanctuaries
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The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) and Jamat-e-Islami (JI) are considering forming an alliance against corruption and toppling the present government. The consensus to prepare the working paper for the alliance was reached during a meeting of PTI and JI chiefs held two days ago, in which the national and international situation was discussed in detail, sources said. They said the meeting was attended by key leaders and heads of PTI and JI and important issues, including the prevailing political and economic situation of the country and international issues, were discussed in detail. Sources said the two sides agreed on preparation of terms and conditions for a PTI-JI alliance. They said the formal announcement of the collaboration might be delayed for a few days, as both parties wanted to forge a grand alliance with other political parties and contacts with these parties, especially in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, would be made after Eid. The foundation of the alliance would be based on the agenda of freedom from US pressure, defence of national interests, eradication of corruption from the country, implementation of court decisions and reforms in election. Both parties also agreed to hold meetings in the future. The sources said both parties had been in contact for the last three-and-a-half years, but were struggling against the corruption separately. Both parties’ leaders verified the meeting and said corruption had engulfed Pakistan and nobody was ready to lead the country in the right direction. JI chief Syed Munawar Hasan and Deputy Secretary General Farid Piracha on Sunday visited the residence of PTI Chairman Imran Khan and congratulated him for holding a successful rally at Minar-e-Pakistan. Sources said PTI was planning to contest the next polls under an electoral alliance of likeminded political forces, besides the option of seat adjustment. They said the PTI had set up offices in 28 of 36 districts of Punjab and in 18 of 24 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, the PTI has a limited organisational network in Sindh and Balochistan due to which it wanted to form an alliance with likeminded parties.
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FGHAn President Hamid Karzai warned on Wednesday that there would be no hope for peace in his war-ravaged nation without help from its neighbours to combat “terror groups”. “Terrorist networks are by far the major threat to Afghanistan’s security,” Karzai said at a global conference in Istanbul aimed at mapping out his country’s future. “They continue to have sanctuaries outside of our border from where they conduct their merciless campaign of destruction,” he said.
“Unless regional cooperation is assured to address the core and root of this issue peace in Afghanistan will remain elusive.” Representatives from some 20 countries joined aid agency members at the one-day Istanbul meeting, being held almost 10 years after the Taliban militia were driven out of power in Kabul by a US-led coalition. “When it comes to terrorism, a threat that targets not only Afghanistan, but other countries in the region and the world, we require the sincere, result-oriented cooperation of all of our neighbours... and particularly the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Janan Mosazai
told AFP. Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said the situation in Afghanistan had not improved over the 10 years since the US-led invasion in the wake of the September 11 attacks of 2001. Stressing on an Afghan-led peace process meanwhile, India called for a regional framework for stabilising Afghanistan and ruled out competition - an allusion to Pakistan - even as it opposed external interference in affairs of that country, Zee news reported. “India supports the aims and objectives of this conference: to bring regional countries together on an inclusive platform to address the common challenges facing the region, and working towards cooperative
ISLAMABAD Pakistan’s decision to grant the status of Most Favored nation (MFn) to India reflects the change of the army top brass’s mindset, which believes that confrontation with India will further damage Islamabad’s interests given its strained ties with the United States. The federal cabinet took the important decision of granting MFn status to new Delhi on Wednesday only after the nod from the military, which had been against the move until recently. The foreign policy managers here said had it not been for the nod from the army leadership, the extension of MFn status to India would not have been possible as had always been the case in the past. “It’s the collective deci-
confidence-building measures and solutions,” India’s External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said at the conference. He observed that in the last decade, the role of regional countries in bringing stability to Afghanistan “has not been given adequate importance”. Opposing external interference, Krishna stressed the need to tackle safe havens and sanctuaries for terror as he said security, good governance and development are critical for Afghanistan’s future. “Afghanistan’s regional neighbours and friends can work with the wider international community to provide Afghanistan a helping hand to assist it in the transition and beyond,” said Krishna.
Pakistan, Turkey and Afghanistan agree to continue dialogue process g
To establish mechanism to investigate rabbani’s assassination ISTANBUL App
peshAWAR: police officials examine the site of a bombing in the outskirts of the provincial capital on Wednesday. STAff PHoTo | SToRY oN PAGE 04
MfN status to India key strategic shift in army policy shAIQ hUssAIN
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sion and everybody including the army is on board. The military leadership believes that improvement in ties with India is the need of the changing situation in the region and it feels that Pakistan should have normal ties with its neighbours, especially India, when relations with the United States are strained and marred by tension,” a Foreign Ministry official said, asking not to be identified by name. He said that MFn status would have a positive impact on the ongoing Indo-Pak peace process and it would also facilitate result-oriented talks between Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh when they meet on the sidelines of the SAARC summit in the Maldives. Eminent Pakistani an-
alysts such as Dr Hasan Askari Rizvi also believe that such an important step visà-vis India could not have been taken without the army being on board. “Actually Pakistan’s strained ties with the United States have pushed it to look for more foreign policy options, to go for increased ties with the friendly states in the neighbourhood, like that with China and also to improve the relations with its nuclear neighbour, new Delhi,” said Dr Rizvi. General (r) Talat Masood, another analyst, agreed that Islamabad’s mindset was changing but said there should be a qualitative change in the relations between the nuclear rivals. He said the improved Indo-Pak ties would also have a positive impact on the security situation in Afghanistan,
India ‘appreciates positive gesture’ Pakistan’s decision to grant India the Most Favoured nation (MFn) status would give the much-needed impetus to bilateral trade, besides improving political ties between the two neighbours, Indian newspaper The Hindu quoted Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma as saying on Wednesday. “We deeply appreciate this positive gesture that Pakistan has taken… when bilateral economic engagement improves, it brings prosperity and growth to both the partners,” Sharma was quoted as saying. The minister, who spoke to his Pakistani counterpart Makhdoom Amin Fahim immediately after the federal cabinet decided to grant MFn status to India, said it would be beneficial for both countries. MoNIToRING DESK where there had been a proxy war going on between the two nations. Another Pakistani official, who also sought anonymity, said no doubt Pakistan wanted improvement in ties with India but there must
be a positive matching response from new Delhi to the significant confidence-building measures from Islamabad. “Unless and until that is done, there can’t be real improvement in ties,” he said.
Published by Arif Nizami for Nawa Media Corporation (Pvt) Ltd at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore.
Pakistan, Turkey and Afghanistan have expressed their determination to continue the dialogue process and consultations, particularly with regard to urgent issues of common concern. According to a joint statement issued at the conclusion of the trilateral summit of the three countries hosted by Turkish President Abdullah Gul in Istanbul, the three countries reaffirmed their resolve to cooperate in the fight against terrorism, which constitutes a crime against humanity. The leaders condemned heinous terrorist attack on Prof Burhanuddin Rabbani and said it was also targeted against the peace and reconciliation efforts in Afghanistan. Afghanistan and Pakistan also agreed on establishing a cooperation mechanism to contribute to national investigations regarding the assassination of former Afghan President and head of High Peace Council, Burhanuddin Rabbani. This mechanism of cooperation will begin work at the scene of the attack, the joint statement added. Both the countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan, will work in close coordination as per their respective laws. The summit expressed the confidence that contacts between high level military and security organisations and intelligence services would contribute to efforts to combat terrorism and extremism.