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What Did Nawaz Achieve in Washington? UN Resolutions Term Kashmir ‘Disputed’: Pakistan Tells India United Nations: Pakistan on Tuesday firmly rejected the Indian claim of Kashmir being an “integral part” of India, saying it was an internationally-recognized disputed territory. Diyar Khan, a minister at the Pakistan Mission to the United Nations, told the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee meeting that legal and factual background of Jammu & Kashmir dispute is quite clear and Indian efforts to mislead or confuse the international community would not succeed. As representatives of the two countries sparred over the decadesold issue at the United Nations in the committee meeting dealing with social, humanitarian and cultural questions, Khan maintained that the disputed nature of the state was well established by several UN Security Council resolutions that called for a settlement of the dispute through a free and impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations. Diyar Khan was reacting to a statement by Indian delegate Rattan Lal Kataria, who in his speech KASHMIR, P28
Sharmeen’s A Girl in the River Shortlisted for Oscar Nomination
Karachi: After Jami’s Moor made it
to the long list of Academy Award nominations, acclaimed filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s documentary A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness has been shortlisted for Oscar nominations in the category of Best Documentary Short Subject. The documentary has been nominated with 9 other films in this category. A Girl in the River, which is a joint production of Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy (SOC) Films and Home Box Office (HBO) follows the life of an OSCAR, P28
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Huma Abedin: Muslim Women in Political Vortex
Inclusiveness: The Right & Political Way to Be
Investors Assured of Safe Conditions
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www.PakistanLink.com Gen Raheel and Saudi King Pledge to Eliminate Terrorism
He said that successes achieved by the armed forces in operation Zarb-i-Azb are proof of Pakistan’s commitment in this regard. Talking about the government’s
Islamabad: Army Chief General Raheel Sharif called on Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Wednesday and both leaders re-emphasized on the need to join hands to eliminate the menace of terrorism and reinvigorate the mechanism to roll back extremism, an ISPR statement said. Details of the meeting were revealed through a series of tweets by Lt Gen Asim Bajwa, head of ISPR. According to the tweets the Saudi dignitaries reassured the army chief that the kingdom considers any threat to Pakistan as unacceptable and would support peace and stability in the country. It was acknowledged during the meeting that both Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are vital players in regional stability, “with significant responsibility towards Muslim ummah”. The army chief reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to the safety and protection of the Holy Mosques and also the territorial integrity of the Kingdom. The Saudi king and the army
US Gives $30 Million for Rehabilitation of TDPs
3rd Test: Malik Strikes Twice in England’s Pursuit of 284
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif assures business delegations from 29 countries of a safe working environment in Pakistan
Islamabad: Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif on Tuesday inaugurated the Pakistan Investment Conference in Islamabad and assured business delegations from 29 countries of a safe working environment in Pakistan.
In his speech to the business community, the premier told businessmen that Pakistan is committed to eliminate the menace of terrorism from its soil in order to attract direct foreign investment.
INVESTORS, P28
techniques and will also be utilized to distribute food stipends. “People here are resilient, and with their determination and our support, we look forward to a thriving and peaceful FATA,” said John Groarke, USAID Mission Director. Groarke was speaking at a ceremony attended by representatives of the United Nations and the government of Pakistan. USAID’s support is aligned with the FATA Secretariat’s Return and The funds will support the reconstruction of schools, provide job training, improve farming techRehabilitation Strategy, niques and will be used to distribute food stipends whose goal is the progressive return of all disIslamabad: The United tional Development (US- Tribal Areas (FATA). States government has an- AID) to help facilitate The funds will sup- placed residents from the Approximately nounced that it will pro- the return of Temporarily port the reconstruction region. vide $30 million through Displaced Persons to the of schools, provide job two million people have US Agency for Interna- Federally Administered training, improve farming AID, P28
Periodical postage paid at Newport Beach, CA and additional mailing offices
PLEDGE, P28
Optimism and jubilation after success
Sharjah: Pakistan grabbed two early
wickets to hit England hard in their chase of a 284-run target as the third and final Test headed for an intriguing finish after day four in Sharjah on Wednesday. England were 46-2 with Alastair Cook (17) and Joe Root (six) fighting hard against Pakistan’s spinners, led by Shoaib Malik who claimed both the wickets on a weary Sharjah stadium pitch. England will need another 238 runs on the fifth and final day
TEST, P28
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OPINION
P4 – PAKISTAN LINK – NOVEMBER 6, 2015
Nawaz in Washington — What Did He Achieve?
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or a Pakistani leader of any stripe, in uniform or in civvies, an official invitation to the White House is the apogee of his career. An Oval Office meeting with the POTUS is like the ultimate jewel in his crown. Blessings from the most powerful man in the world bestow on him recognition and legitimacy like no other.
No wonder Mian Nawaz Sharif—three time lucky at the head of Pakistan—descended on Washington last week in the regalia of a surrogate coming to the portals of the ‘Great One’ in obeisance to be honored as a trusted minion. His entourage was befitting to a fault to it, leaving little to imagination. Whoever matters in his ‘kitchen cabinet’ was right there: in tow behind him. Of course Mian Sahib can never be caught short on protocol: there was his redoubtable daughter, Maryam Nawaz, filling in for her ailing mother as the ‘First Daughter.’ And how could the ‘first daughter’ leave behind her own daughters? So they were there too, making up the First Family of Pakistan in as much splendor as they could muster. But wait a minute. What has become of poor Captain Safdar, Maryam Nawaz’ hubby whose name used to be appended to her name until not too long ago? He seems to have gone into hiding—or forced oblivion—apparently ‘out of necessity’, isn’t it? If Nawaz Sharif could be forced into exile, out-of-necessity, why can’t he force his own son-in-law into social wilderness, out-of-necessity? A well-informed and wellmeaning friend of mine had something best encapsulating the present situation to say, on the subject of the appendage of Safdar dropping from Maryam’s name. The law of necessity, so famous in the context of our condescending and benign top judiciary, has apparently found its adherents in the feudal culture of Pakistani politics too. Zardari had no shame in appending the name of ‘Bhutto’ to his own son, Bilawal, on the heels of Benazir Bhutto’s murder. So why should Nawaz be shy of telling his daughter to drop her married name, and revert to her maiden name, out-of-necessity? Nawaz, indeed, isn’t the first Pakistani leader to have his daughter standing in for First Lady. Ayub Khan had his daughter in that role as long as he was at the helm of Pakistan because his wife never came out in public. But Nasim Aurangzeb remained Nasim Aurangzeb; never became Nasim Ayub. And her gregarious and elegant beau, MIan Gul Aurangzeb, of Swat, never faded from the active scene. Maryam Nawaz looks closer to the mold of Indira Gandhi, Pundit Nehru’s elegant and prodigiously talented daughter, who stood in for her late mother all through Punditji’s years as PM. Nobody heard of Firoz Gandhi, her husband banished into obscurity. But at least Indira retained his family name, Gandhi, and never adopted her father’s name. Sorry for this inadvertent digression. Let’s get back to Nawaz’ mission in Washington.
PM Nawaz chats with members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
Let’s also forgive Nawaz for his royalist fetish. For far too long, he and his impish younger sibling—the notorious khadim-e-Punjab Shahbaz Sharif—have been punching above their weight to win recognition from a befuddled people of Pakistan that they are the rightful heirs to the regal legacy of the Great Moghuls. They are the Royalty, they insist, though not many Pakistanis have an appetite for the Sharif brand of Shalimar royalty. So also forgive Nawaz for bringing to Washington his chestfull of jokers, knaves and poltroons who think they know all there’s to know about US-Pakistan relations, besides giving Nawaz the psycho-
It was largely, if not entirely, an agenda of grievances—against the terrorists hell-bent on turning Pakistan into a laboratory of their Stone-Age worldview; against a revanchist India actively abetting terror on Pakistan’s soil, besides showing no inclination to play ball with Pakistan, not even cricket; against Washington, itself, for always expecting Pakistan to ‘do more’ but never being of much help to Pakistan in moderating India’s obduracy on core issues logical comfort he derives from the surfeit of minions around him. He’d feel terribly insecure without them. Nawaz’ royal pretensions aside, it was an important visit, as far as Pakistan’s brief of the visit was concerned. It was largely, if not entirely, an agenda of grievances—against the terrorists hell-bent on turning Pakistan into a laboratory of their Stone-Age worldview; against a revanchist India actively abetting terror on Pakistan’s soil, besides showing no inclination to play ball with Pakistan, not even cricket; against Washington, itself, for always expecting Pakistan to ‘do more’ but never being of much help to Pakistan in moderating India’s obduracy on core issues. It was a tall agenda that Nawaz carried with him to the Oval Office encounter with Obama. Briefly, it
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could be broken down to: 1. Pakistan’s epic struggle against the demons of terrorism. What could Pakistan expect Washington to do to make the ‘Battle of Pakistan’ a wee-bit easier and manageable? 2. Documented evidence, already given to UN SecretaryGeneral, of India stoking the fires of terrorism in Baluchistan, Karachi et al. with weapons and training of terrorists on its soil. 3. India ratcheting up pressure on Pakistan with repeated and periodic violations of LOC in Kashmir and along the Working Boundary, too. 4. India constantly thwarting all attempts of Pakistan to re-engage it in a peace dialogue. 5. Pakistan’s expectation from Washington that its nuclear power credentials be accorded recognition at par with India and, as such, help Pakistan to get the same benefits of civilian nuclear technology, as India, from the elite Nuclear Suppliers’ Group. 6. Pakistan ready to leverage its role as a facilitator of dialogue between the Taliban and the Afghan government, disrupted since the initial round in Murree, in August this year, despite the US assessment that Islamabad’s handle over the Taliban has diminished since the death of Mullah Omar. On the face of it, Pakistan wasn’t seeking anything unusual, or extraordinary, from Washington, in return of a mountain of its help given to US in its capacity as a faithful partner in the still ongoing war on terror—except for the fact that Pakistan itself has become a major battle-ground in the process of combating the monster of terrorism. But one wonders if those advisers and confidants of Nawaz drawing up this elaborate and ambitious agenda of his parleys with Obama in the White House weren’t as skeptical as any outsider of what to expect from Washington in terms of response or return? Pakistan’s jeopardy—a perennial factor, at that—in dealing with the US is two-pronged. One, it’s, and has always been, a victim of its own inflated expectations of Washington’s helpful hand. Two, it has, to its own consternation and regret, found Washington habitually short on delivery and tall on rhetoric and window-dressing. This latest experience hasn’t been different from the mold cast over the past many decades, with Washington badgering Islamabad to ‘do more’ on issues where its interest is supreme but standing aloof on
things that are sensitive and crucial to Pakistan. The demand on Pakistan is still the same old, broken-record, call to do more on combating terrorism. There’s hardly any recognition of the horrendous price paid, already, in blood of its people by Pakistan to get a handle on the monster terrorism. Pakistan’ battle for its survival waged by its valiant jawans is not over yet and it’s hard to say with any precision how much more sacrifices it would exact before the finish line is reached. But Washington’s response to the litany of Pakistani grievances was nothing more than a shrug. Yes, it wants peace in S. Asia—though it doesn’t agree with Pakistan’s view that India-Pakistan tension is the greatest threat to peace in the region—but wouldn’t be engaged as a third party to press India to parley with Pakistan. The Foreign Office mandarins, I know from personal experience, must have burned a lot of midnight oil on preparing the brief for King Nawaz’ meeting with Emperor Obama. But their labor of love is of no consequence. It doesn’t melt the K-2 of indifference in Washington— at all levels of administration—to Pakistan’s mounting headaches with a Modi-led India. What the Foreign Office mandarins know for a fact—and never mind what their political masters know or know not because they are too dim-witted to know what goes around Pakistan or the world beyond—is that Washington sees in Modi’s India its best chance to line up a credible challenge to China. Going by this premise, Washington would be the last interlocutor in the world to take Islamabad seriously vis-à-vis India’s mounting intransigence on Kashmir, LOC or terrorism actively abetted from Delhi in Pakistan. Modi may have calculated that since he has the upper hand in the India-Pakistan tangle, his best option is to frustrate Pakistan to the point where its patience snaps. India’s latest creed of Hindutva seeks not only India’s supremacy in the region but also Pakistan’s subservience and surrender. Washington wouldn’t lean on Delhi out of fear of losing the trump card of a revanchist India under Modi ready to play to US tune in the tussle with China. Pakistan may go on beating its chest that India is embarked on militarism and disparity between India and Pakistan in conventional weapons is widening all the time, but that doesn’t move Washington’s mandarins at all. To add insult to Islamabad’s injury, the demand from Washington,
NAWAZ, P24
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NOVEMBER 6, 2015 – PAKISTAN LINK – P5
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OPINION
P6 – PAKISTAN LINK – NOVEMBER 6, 2015 n By Dr Syed Amir
D
Bethesda, MD
aughter of an Indian Muslim father and a Pakistani mother, 39-years old Huma Abedin was born in America and has lived here unobtrusively for most of her life. She would seem an unlikely candidate to be caught up in a political turmoil. Yet, she has been the subject of much innuendo and vilification by some Republican conservative politicians.
Abedin has been a longtime loyal and trusted aide to former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, and the two are personally so close that the latter has nominated her a surrogate daughter. Former president Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton have a biological daughter, Chelsea. Huma Abedin has an interesting family background. Her late father, Dr Syed Zainul Abedin, was born in India and educated at the famous Aligarh Muslim University. Subsequently, her parents went to America and earned PhDs from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr Zainul Abedin was an Islamic scholar who spent a number of years in Saudi Arabia, founding an institute dedicated to the promotion of interfaith harmony and understanding. Huma Abedin moved to Saudi Arabia with her parents when she was only three and spent her growing years there until she enrolled at Washington’s Georgetown University and relocated to the US. She speaks fluent Arabic and
Huma Abedin: Muslim Women in Political Vortex Urdu. While an undergraduate, she joined the then-first lady Hillary Clinton’s staff as a 19-year old internee. Clinton was so impressed with her performance that she promoted her to be an aide on her staff. As Clinton climbed the political ladder, moving from being the first lady to US Senator, to Secretary of State, and now a front-runner seeking Democratic nomination for the presidency, Abedin stayed by her side as her advisor and confidante. In 2010, Time magazine included Abedin in its list of rising stars of American politics who were still under 40. Currently, she serves in the influential position of deputy chairwoman of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign for president. Despite her efforts to stay in the background away from the limelight, Abedin has attracted uncommon attention as no other Muslim woman has done previously in the US. She has been featured in the popular fashion magazine, Vogue, as a powerful glamour woman and Hilary Clinton’s indispensible adviser. She also has been the subject of numerous magazine and newspaper articles that have focused on her stylish wardrobe, striking looks and political astuteness. Norman Jean Roy, a journalist who covers celebrities for Vogue and Vanity Fair magazines, quotes Mike Feldman, the former chief of staff of Al Gore, on the close relationship that Abedin enjoys with Hillary Clinton, “The senator and Huma have a unique relationship. Watch them together, and there’s this nonverbal communication be-
tween them. Sometimes it’s as little as a glance, but the senator knows she can hand off a head of a state,
“The senator and Huma have a unique relationship. Watch them together, and there’s this nonverbal communication between them. Sometimes it’s as little as a glance, but the senator knows she can hand off a head of a state, a senator, or an important donor to Huma and the conversation is going to end well” a senator, or an important donor to Huma and the conversation is going to end well.”
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A practicing Muslim, her long exposure to the American society has in some ways transformed her from a young, shy, unassuming undergraduate student into “a channel wearing, deeply confident woman whose blackberry contains some of the most famous names in America,” according to Roy. Abedin courted controversy when she decided to marry Anthony Weiner who at the time was one of the Congressmen from New York and who had pursued her for a while. Their wedding in July 2010 in New York was attended by many celebrities and solemnized by former president Clinton. In a speech before the wedding, he proclaimed, “I only have one daughter. But if I had a second daughter, it would be Huma.” Abedin’s marriage soon ran into stormy waters when it was discovered that her husband, Weiner,
had been texting lewd photos of himself to strange women, a creepy practice. The scandal quickly became the fodder of newspapers and TV shows, causing a great deal of embarrassment and anguish to Abedin. Yet, she suffered the humiliation with quiet dignity and fortitude, earning her a great deal of sympathy from and admiration of many women, who viewed her as the aggrieved wife. The outcry against her husband, however, grew so strident that he was forced to resign from his seat in the US Congress. Subsequently, he entered into a therapy program to help him get rid of the psychological failing. Shortly after his inglorious exit from the US Congress, Weiner, to the astonishment of many, announced his candidacy for the position of Mayor of New York. Normally, without the scandal, he would have been a strong candidate. But before long, another bombshell dropped. It was revealed that he had resumed in the meantime his practice of exchanging explicit, indecent photos with strange women. Most people expected that Huma Abedin would finally walk away and dissociate herself from her errant husband. Instead, she stood by him and in a news conference in New York even supported his candidacy, if somewhat uneasily. He badly lost the Mayoral race anyway. Many women groups were exasperated, expressing anger and annoyance at her behavior which they perceived as degrading and pathetic. Some political commentators suggested that her behavior was modeled on that of her boss, HUMA, P24
OPINION n By Dr Mohammad Taqi
A
Florida
lame duck US president led a virtually lame duck Pakistani Prime Minister (PM) last week in a high-level tango in Washington DC that got about four minutes coverage on the National Public Radio and almost none on network television in the US. As predicted, including in this column, nothing earthshattering came out of the meeting between PM Nawaz Sharif and US President Barack Obama.
While no knockouts were expected, one is tempted to grant the bout to Pakistan, on points. PM Nawaz Sharif ’s key success was to maintain the status quo in PakUS relations. That he was not able to get anything groundbreaking done is the function of the political space rapidly shrinking around him. While the PM and his Foreign Affairs/National Security Advisor (NSA) Mr Sartaj Aziz were still in Washington, the cabinet division in Islamabad issued a notification that Mr Aziz had lost the national security portion of his portfolio and the just-retired Lieutenant General Nasir Khan Janjua had replaced him. General Janjua had already met the PM before his departure for Washington and was tipped to replace Mr Aziz. The nuance might be lost on the Americans but the message was loud and clear: even the semblance of PM Sharif ’s control over and say in security and foreign policy has all but vanished. What is also clear is that Pakistan’s
NOVEMBER 6, 2015 – PAKISTAN LINK – P7
The Lame Ducks’ Tango approach to handling issues like Balochistan and Afghanistan is not going change. General Janjua was after all the military commander in Balochistan on whose watch a massive military operation was carried out in that hapless region. The human rights abuses, forced disappearances, missing persons and mutilated bodies remained the norm in Balochistan over which the human rights campaigners have been crying hoarse without any redress in sight. It is convenient to dismiss the Baloch activist and writer Ahmer Masti Khan whose protest interrupted PM Nawaz Sharif ’s speech at the US Institute for Peace (USIP) as a heckler, but appointments like the new NSA’s do not exactly assuage bleeding Balochistan. On the Afghan issue, the USPak joint statement made some muffled noises without actually setting any verifiable metrics of success. The statement noted, “The Prime Minister outlined the actions that Pakistan is taking under the National Action Plan (NAP) to ensure that the Taliban — including the Haqqani network — are unable to operate from the soil of Pakistan.” This verbiage was in response to recent US concerns about the deadly Haqqani terrorist network still operating out of Pakistan. On October 6, 2015, the commander of the US forces in Afghanistan, General John Campbell, testified before the US Senate Armed Services Committee saying, “Based in, and operating from Pakistan, the Haqqani network remains the most virulent strain of the insurgency. It presents one of the
greatest risks to coalition forces, and it continues to be an al Qaeda facilitator. The Haqqani network shares the Afghan Taliban’s goal of expelling coalition forces, overthrowing the Afghan government and re-establishing an extremist state.” Back in September 2011, testifying before the same senate committee, the then top US military commander, Admiral Mike Mullen, was even more damning in his indictment, stating under oath, “The Haqqani network acts as a veritable arm of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency” and going on to add that “with ISI support, Haqqani operatives planned and conducted that truck bomb attack, as well as the assault on our embassy.” The recent Wikileaks release, which it claims is from a non-governmental email account of the current CIA boss John Brennan, shows that he warned about the same
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problem in 2008. Brennan, who was an advisor to candidate Barack Obama’s campaign then, discussing “Pakistan‘s use of militant proxies in its conflict with India” wrote to Mr Obama: “Pakistan’s desire to counter India‘s growing influence in Afghanistan and concerns about US long-term commitments to Afghanistan increase Pakistan’s interest in hedging its bets by ensuring that it will be able to have a working relationship with the Taliban to balance Indian and Iranian interests if the US withdraws.” The joint statement notes: “Both leaders expressed their commitment to advance an Afghanowned and led peace and reconciliation process between the Afghan government and the Afghan Taliban, and called on Taliban leaders to enter into direct talks with Kabul and work toward a sustainable peace settlement.” Coming on the heels of General Campbell’s sworn testi-
mony, the joint statement could not have been more phony and farcical. PM Nawaz Sharif then claimed that Pakistan could not bring the Taliban to the negotiating table and be asked to kill them at the same time. The Afghan NSA, Mr Hanif Atmar, was right to retort, “If you have the ability to bring (Taliban) to the negotiating table, you also have the ability to stop them from committing terror acts.” The Afghan government needs to understand rather quickly that despite delaying the troops’ withdrawal, the US civilian establishment still sees the solution to the Afghan crisis through a Pakistani lens. As the aphorism goes, the definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting a different result. Mr Obama is a shrewd man but is either not able to think outside the box or is unwilling to do so. The US is always averse to rocking the geopolitical boat in South Asia even if it means the lame duck US president bequeathing the Afghan stalemate, largely of his making, to his successor. PM Sharif would be happy with not getting even a rap on the knuckles for the tactical nukes, getting away with mere lip service about the India-oriented jihadist groups and a boilerplate statement on Afghanistan. The mantra of Afghanled peace remains a hoax so long as Pakistan is unwilling to verifiably deny sanctuary to those who General Campbell has clearly pointed out. As the Pakistani army chief heads to Washington next month, Afghan President Dr Ashraf Ghani will eventually have to put his foot down and reject the sham peace overtures for he and the Afghan people will TANGO, P24
OPINION
P8 – PAKISTAN LINK – NOVEMBER 6, 2015 n By Syed Kamran Hashmi
E
Westfield, IN
Suicide Attacks on Religious Processions
very year, Pakistani shiites risk their lives in Muharram when they take out processions commemorating the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussein (RA), a centuries old religious tradition which helps them understand that death can sire eternity if one sacrifices his life for a divine mission, a cause that can inspirie generations to stand up against tyranny.
Every year, the government reassures them about the preventive measures it has taken to ensure their safety and vows to enact a fool-proof security system that will thwart any assault on the pilgrims. These ‘fool-proof ’ measures are typically limited to blocking the mobile services throughout the province for a day or so, implementing a ban on motor cycles with double passengers, and negotiating the route for the procession with the religious authorities. In addition, a police patrol stands near them to illustrate the commitment of the administration and in case of an unfortunate event, to put blame on the most ill organized law enforcing agency of the state. In short, no serious plans are made to maintain peace, instead the administration relies upon its centuries-old noninnovative techniques to manage the crowd -nothing else. As such, every year suicide bombers find their way to launch a deadly attack on the peaceful congregations. This time though, the terrorists have struck not once but twice, first in Baluchistan by attacking a mosque killing ten people followed by another blast in Sindh the next day where the death toll rose above twenty. You can see the streets filled with pools of blood yourself in the pictures printed on the tenth day of Moharram -the day when Imam Hussein was martyred - the walls sprayed ma-
roon red, the road strewn with small pieces of human flesh. By taking the lives of innocent people who are fulfilling their sacred duty, the attackers repeat what happened to shiites centuries ago in Karbala. His sacrifice, we can agree, irrespective of one sectarian preferences, promotes one thing above all: it separates good from evil, innocent from guilty, prey from a predator. Representing the good, there was the family of the Prophet (PBUH), a small circle of men, women and children. And on the side of evil, there was a group of ruthless beasts who wanted to kill everyone who could challenge their authority, even the neonates. Now, do I have to tell you who is who in the current suicide attacks? We all know that the innocents follow the footsteps of the grandson of the Prophet. They join his brigade by laying their lives; but whose brigade do the perpetrators and the conspirators of these attacks join? I also want to ask ourselves whose battalion do we belong to, the indifferent ma-
jority who does nothing to protect its minorities. On the one hand, when it comes to financial corruption we don’t find ourselves to be dispassionate or indifferent at all. Outraged by their offense, we claim to bring every single penny from the Swiss accounts of the corrupt politicians and the bureaucrats. Hang them, throw them in the dungeons, harass them or torture them, we are open to all the ideas to get our stolen wealth back. Yet, at the same time, when human beings are torn into pieces for attending a religious ritual, our heart does not flutter. It just keeps us numb, mute or may be blind, unable to see that we may be next in the line. To me, it seems that we either have accepted defeat as a nation from a few hundred extremists who have seized control on our religious narrative determining what is permissible in the religion and what is not. They issue religious decrees declaring someone as an infidel while proclaiming others as Muslims. They
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decide about the size of your beard, the length of your pants, the fitting of your trousers and the color of your caps. Or we have surrendered to the idea that this is the price we will have to pay in order to establish a favorable government in the neighboring state of Afghanistan. If it’s true, then tell me how are we different today from the Yazeedi forces back then? All he wanted to do was to establish his rule throughout the empire and like us, he opted to pay ‘a little’ price’ for the security. Does it not shake your soul? People will tell you how hard it is to control sectarianism. That the animosity between Shias and Sunnis runs throughout the world and it has done so for ages. That the Mullahs do not want to unite the sects, they kindle the fire everywhere. And that foreign countries are also involved in such actions. Don’t fall in this trap. Explain to them that law and order is a political issue, like financial corruption, not a religious one. So, the politicians have to come out of their closets and take the bull by the horn; they can’t escape responsibility. Just issuing a press release condemning violence will not work, nor would it help to send a tweet or update the Facebook page. They will have to make it a priority like PTI made one of election rigging, the Muslim League made of electricity shortage and the People’s Party made of the policy of reconciliation. Second, every single Sunni needs to get up and stand as the human shield to safeguard the procession despite his personal disagreements with the way Shias beat their chests or wail in public. It really does not matter anymore what Shias think of Sunnis or what Sunnis think of Shias, what matters is that both can live together with their disagreements. And last, we will have to make the people in power accountable for their inaction against the sectarian outfits, the failure of their foolproof systems, their lack of intelligence efforts. We can’t let them not do their jobs.
OPINION
W
hile the GOP debate was in the news for its one liners and panning of CNBC’s moderating, another meaningful event occurred close to the nation’s capital.
Democratic Presidential Candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) was speaking at George Mason University, when senior Remaz Abdelgader asked, “As an American Muslim student who aspires to change this world—I am trying to raise awareness and make sure everyone is treated equally in this country. As a presidential candidate, what do you think about that?” The emotion in her voice was evident to Sen. Sanders and everyone in the room. He left the podium to give her a hug, even bringing her back up to it as he answered her question. Sanders said he acknowledged the interconnectedness of all forms of hate and de Inclusiveness: The Right (and Political) Way to Be clared his commitment to end racism, including Islamophobia. What Sanders said was perhaps not anything remarkable by itself, but one not often heard enough from leaders of our nation - both Republicans and Democrats. What is also noteworthy is that the impetus was an American Muslim who inspired this comment. While other candidates would say they are against racism, they would most likely be loath to
n By Riaz Haq
M
CA
onthly new subscriptions of 3G and 4G in Pakistan doubled to 2.22 million in September 2015, up from 1.1 million new subscribers in August 2015. This brings the total number of mobile broadband subscribers to 18.04 million and total of all broadband subscriptions to 21.2 million since the 3G-4G launch in May 2014, according to the latest data released by Pakistan Telecommunications Authority.
Rising use of the Internet is now being put to good use to deal with the tragic aftermath of the earthquake in Pakistan. Facebook and Google have set up special pages to help people find each other.
n By Dr Shahid Athar
T
Carmel, Indiana
hanksgiving is an American tradition. On the day of Thanksgiving, we come together to expres our gratitude to our families, coworkers and fellow humans. Sometime we forget to thank our Creator and the Sustainer. We take life for granted and behave as if we created ourselves and acquired everything we have, by our own efforts. The Islamic scripture mentions: “It is He who brought you forth from the wombs of your mother when you knew nothing, and He gave you hearing , sight, intelligence and affections, that you may give
NOVEMBER 6, 2015 – PAKISTAN LINK – P9
Inclusiveness: The Right (and Political) Way to Be
discrimination, but because of our collective push-back against this, the overt expression of it is now
The emotion in her voice was evident to Sen. Sanders and everyone in the room. He left the podium to give her a hug, even bringing her back up to it as he answered her question. Sanders said he acknowledged the inter-connectedness of all forms of hate and declared his commitment to end racism, including Islamophobia show too much sympathy toward Muslims. In fact, they often speak about equality while making outrageous comments on Muslims, much like Donald Trump and Ben Carson regularly do. A note to all candidates would be that the American people are inclusive and accepting and do not tolerate discrimination. While
a candidate or two may rise in the polls in a particular primary season by engaging in hate and fear-mongering, it is not only the wrong thing to do, it is politically unwise for the long-term. Political strategists must take into account that the youth are generally more accepting of minorities and intolerant of Muslim-
bashing. More and more organizations and companies will distance themselves from those known for their bigotry as NBC did when they cancelled “The Celebrity Apprentice” for his comments against Mexican immigrants. Other minority groups such as Hispanics, the LGBT community, AfricanAmericans have all experienced
Pakistan Mobile Broadband Growth Accelerating
Mobile Broadband Subscriptions in Pakistan Source: PTA
Demand for smartphones
is also increasing in Pakistan
along with the rise in mobile
Thanksgiving: Why Should We Thank God?
thanks to God”( Qur’an 16:78).We thank God for everything good that happens to us. (Qur’an 4:79)
.We thank God for creating us as humans, the best of creation, with five senses to decide what is right
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and wrong. “Have we not given him (mankind) two eyes, a tongue and a pair of lips, and shown him
unacceptable in society. Over time, it becomes apparent doing the right thing ends up being the best political strategy, too. While right now one may be able to get away with open discrimination against Muslims, in the long-term, such discrimination will not resonate with the youth, nor will it be looked kindly upon by history. - MPAC broadband subscriptions. Forecasters expect the number of smartphone sales to increase to 40 million by next year. Overall, 3G and 4G subscriptions in Pakistan jumped 14.43 % during September 2015, the highest sequential monthly increase in the past six months. Among the carriers, Mobilink topped with 878,107 new mobile broadband customers, followed by Ufone with 637,131 new 3G users during September 2015. Telenor was placed at number 3 with 393,969 new 3G users during the month. Coming on the heels of data indicating a 72% jump in car sales and 17% rise in cement consumption, this data on 2.22 million new mobile broadband subscriptions in September is yet another confirmation of Pakistan’s ongoing economic recovery.
the two highways of good and evil. (Qur’an 90:8-10)
Our Creator, who sustained us through nine months of helpless intrauterine life, continued to sustain us throughout our life. “Believers! Partake of good things which we have provided for you as sustenance, and render thanks to God, if it is truly Him that you worship.” (Qur’an 2:172). We thank God not only for creating and sustaining us, but also for guiding us, for accepting our prayers and for forgiving us when we wrong ourselves. It is not possible for us to deny the favors of our Lord. “For how long, you will deny the favors of your Lord”? A question asked in the Qur’an 32 times in one chapter ( Surah Ar-Rahman). We thank God for our own gains as well. “Whoever is THANKSGIVING, P24
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PML-N, PPP Emerge Victorious in LG Polls
Female voters que up to cast their votes
Lahore: Pakistan’s ruling party has
won a majority of seats in local elections, according to unofficial results released on Sunday, dashing opposition hopes of making gains in Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ’s Punjab power base. Millions of Pakistanis voted on Saturday in local government polls seen as a referendum on Sharif ’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) party midway through its term heading a national coalition government in Islamabad. The opposition, led by Imran Khan, was hoping to build up nation-wide support to challenge Sharif at the next general election. According to unofficial results based on media tallies, the PML-N led with 1001 out of 2,696 seats in the vote. Khan’s Pakistan Tehreeki-Insaaf (PTI) party only won 231 seats while independent candidates won 854 seats. Pakistan’s local polls, the first in 10 years, were held on Saturday in the central province of Punjab, the country’s largest and richest, and
the southern province of Sindh. The two other provinces, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the northwest and Baluchistan in the west, voted earlier this year. “It is a great moral victory for the PML-N,” ruling party leader Uzma Bukhari told Reuters. “The results tell us that we gained more popularity than even in the 2013 election.” Security and the economy have improved under Sharif but the government has failed to tackle corruption or tax evasion by the wealthy, two problems that are starving social services such as schools and hospitals of cash. Over 20 million people are registered to vote in Punjab and 4.6 million in Sindh. Pakistan has a population of 190 million. In the local polls held earlier this year, Khan won in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in May but Sharif and his allies came out on top in Baluchistan in January. On Saturday, 11 people were killed when rival political parties
fired on each other in Sindh, police said. It was not immediately clear which parties were responsible. Direct elections to local bodies in districts, which are sub-divisions of Pakistan’s provinces, were last held in 2005 under General Pervez Musharraf, who came to power in a bloodless coup. National and provincial political parties dislike the system, saying the military has previously used it to undermine parliamentary democracy. According to another report, as unofficial results of Saturday’s local government elections in Sindh and Punjab continue to pour in, the PPP and PML-N continue to dominate their respective strongholds. Though the PPP won most of the seats in the first phase of the LG polls in eight Sindh districts – Sukkur, Khairpur, Ghotki, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kashmore-Kandhkot, Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot – the party also faced some major upsets.
16 Die as Voters Attack with Clubs, Stones, Chairs and Guns
Khairpur: At least 16 people died
in election-related violence in Pakistan on Saturday. The major clashes took place in districts of Sindh and Punjab provinces. A fight began at polling stations in Village Wayio Jaunejo in Sindh between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F), which left twelve dead and 50 injured. Officials and witnesses claimed both sides attacked “with sophisticated weapons, wooden clubs and stones.” The police reported that they “rushed to control the situation,” but villagers told the media the officers did nothing to stop the fight. It was the residents who “shifted the injured and dead bodies.” In Khairpur, the groups fought with chairs and fists. The fight ended when they all pointed guns at each other, but no one died. Police arrested one PML-F worker. Other injuries occurred in Jacobabad, Ali Nawaz Panwar, Union Council Loghi, and the women’s polling booth in Shikarpur. A fight in the Sargodha district of Punjab killed at least three people. Witnesses said the rival groups opened fire after
they accused each other of fraud. An activist died after the rivals started a gunfight at a PTI rally in Faisalabad. Another struggle erupted in Bhakkar, which left twelve injured. Authorities arrested a PPP lawmaker in Okara after he “slapped the election official after an intense argument.” A fight between two independent candidates in Nathuwala forced officials to stop polling. Results showed that PMLN won in Punjab with 143 seats.
PPP is currently leading in Sindh. Secretary Election Commission Babar Yaqoob confirmed the commission received numerous complaints about fraud. He told the media they deployed 192,000 staff members to monitor polling stations. Saturday’s polling was the first portion of the election. The second part will take place in late November, while the last phase will occur in December.
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First Casualty of PTI’s Poor Performance
PPP ‘Alive and Kicking’, Claims Zardari
Islamabad: Pakistan Tehreek-i-
Islamabad: PPP Co-Chairman Asif
Insaf (PTI) leader Shafqat Mehmood on Sunday stepped down from the post of party organizer in Lahore for what he called the party’s poor performance in the recently held local government elections. The PTI leaders posted a message on the social media saying, “As district in-charge it is my moral duty to accept responsibility for this poor performance. I have today resigned as Lahore organizer.” Mehmood acknowledged that PTI performed much worse than expected during the local government polls in Lahore on October 31. “PTI fared much worse than expected in Lahore LG elections. We did our best but our best was not good enough,” he said in a tweet. The first phase of local government elections was held on Saturday. The Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party looked set to emerge as the leading groups in Punjab and Sindh respectively. According to the unofficial results received on Sunday, PMLN was leading with 1,049 seats while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had grabbed only 232 seats. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) bagged 38 while the Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) secured 33 seats. Independent candidates succeeded on 912 seats in the Punjab province. The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) secured two seats each. In Sindh, according to unofficial results for 770 out of total 1,070 seats, PTI has succeeded in winning only three seats. Visibly upset over the party’s defeat in the LG elections, PTI chief Imran Khan has sought a comprehensive report from the Punjab leadership. He has summoned Chaudhary Sarwar and other PTI leaders to Bani Gala along with the election record. According to party sources, the PTI will have a detailed review of the results and the report. In the light of the report, the future line of action would be decided. Talking to media late Saturday night, PTI Punjab Organizer Ch Sarwar said the PTI, despite some reservations, contested LG polls for the sake of democracy, adding the party would maintain the same spirit during the next phases as well. The remaining two phases of local government elections in 24 districts of Punjab will take place in next 50 days.
Ali Zardari said on Sunday that the results of the first phase of local government elections in Sindh and Punjab were proof that the party was very much alive and had the support of the people. Brushing aside claims by rivals and political analysts that the PPP was in decline and had lost popular support, he said: “I wish to felicitate the PPP candidates who won the LG polls and [demonstrated] yet again that contrary to the predictions of gloom and doom by some self-styled analysts, the party, far from down and out, is buoyant and resilient.” The PPP, which ruled the country from 2008 to 2013, had faced the worst defeat in the last general elections and it was believed that its political graph had fallen to an unprecedented level mainly because of faulty decisions and policies of Mr Zardari. In the statement issued from Dubai, where the PPP leader has been camped out for a few months now – he was quoted as saying: “[We] hope that with the completion of next phases of LG polls in the two provinces, power will be genuinely transferred to the elected representatives at the grassroots level, as an essential ingredient of democracy.” Meanwhile, PPP spokesperson Farhatullah Babar quoted the former president as saying: “Local bodies’ polls and empowering these bodies means much more than the mere transfer of power to the representatives of the people. It also means the creation of a vast body of new stakeholders in the democratic system that will strengthen democracy itself. The [more] the stakeholders, the stronger democracy and democratic institutions will be.” The PPP co-chairman also expressed shock and grief at the death of over a dozen people in clashes between the supporters of rival candidates in Khairpur and Faisalabad and other parts of Punjab and said that in the presence of proper measures, these unfortunate incidents of election-related violence could have been avoided. He said the authorities concerned should learn from these incidents to ensure that the next phases of the elections were incident-free. Mr Zardari also asked party cadres in both provinces to gear up for the second and third phases of the elections. “Electoral contests lie at the heart of parliamentary democracy, regardless of who wins or loses, because genuine elections throw up genuine representatives of the people and make the ordinary people stakeholders in the system,” he said. The former president also called on the newly-elected local representatives to sincerely serve the masses who had elected them.
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NOVEMBER 6, 2015 – PAKISTAN LINK – P13
Imran Khan and Wife Reham Khan to Divorce Islamabad: Pakistan’s main opposition leader and former cricket superstar Imran Khan and his wife, TV journalist Reham Khan, are to divorce, members of Mr Khan’s party said Friday, ending Pakistan’s highest-profile marriage after just 10 months. News of the planned divorce sparked wall-to-wall coverage on Pakistan’s TV news channels and pushed the hashtag #RehamKhan into the top ten worldwide trends onTwitter TWTR -2.06% for a short period on Friday. Mr Khan, 63, is a charismatic figure, and is widely considered a national hero in Pakistan. He led the national cricket team that won the World Cup in 1992, and is known for his charity projects, like raising funds to set up Pakistan’s largest cancer hospital in Lahore. Before he married Ms Khan in a low-key ceremony in January this year, he was considered one of Pakistan’s most eligible bachelors, and was often asked about his love life in interviews. Ms Reham Khan is a journalist, who has worked with the BBC in the past, and hosted a TV news show in Pakistan before her wedding to Mr Khan. “We have decided to part ways and file for divorce,” a post on her verified Facebook page said. Two members of the Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf, or PTI, Mr Khan’s political party, confirmed separately that the couple will divorce. “This is a painful time for me and Reham and our families. I would request everyone to respect our privacy,” Mr Khan said in a post on his verified Twitter account. Mr Khan wasn’t immediately available for comment and his office referred to his statement on Twitter. Ms Khan didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. This will be the second divorce for both Mr Khan and Ms Khan.
Mr Khan founded his political party after the end of his cricket career. The PTI saw little success until the 2013 general elections, when it won the third-highest number of seats in Pakistan’s National Assembly. The party has repeatedly accused Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ’s government of electoral fraud and corruption, charges the ruling party denies, and is the main opposition party in the Punjab province, the ruling party’s political stronghold.
Doing Business: Karachi Remains ahead of Other Cities Washington,
DC: Despite its alarming security situation, Karachi remains ahead of other Pakistani cities in business environment indicators, says a World Bank report released on Wednesday. Pakistan, however, dropped two places on the World Bank’s ‘Doing Business’ ranking for 2016, although its economic indicators were slightly better this year. In the bank’s ‘Distance to Frontier’ (DTF) rating for 2016, Karachi scored 52.04 out of 100 points, slightly better than last year’s 51.97. In 2014, Karachi scored 59.35 points. Lahore received 51.03 for 2016, little better than last year’s 50.96. In 2014, Lahore received 56.00 points. The DTF measure shows the distance of each economy to the “frontier,” which represents the best performance observed on each of the indicators across all economies. The rankings are determined by sorting the aggregate distance to frontier scores on 10 topics, such as getting credit, land registration, getting electricity, paying taxes and enforcing contracts. In its ‘Distance to Frontier’ ratings, the World Bank gave Pakistan 51.69, which is marginally higher than last year’s score of 51.62. Paki-
stan scored 58.18 in 2014 and 57-36 in 2013. But there was a noticeable decline in business environment. Last year, Pakistan was 136 on the business environment list of 189 countries. This year, it slipped two places to 138th. In South Asia, six of the region’s eight economies implemented a total of nine reforms – the second largest share of any region after Europe and Central Asia. Economies that implemented several reforms included India, Bhutan and Sri Lanka.
The timing of the couple’s wedding in January this year drew criticism in Pakistan. Critics said it was insensitive to marry so soon after 150 people, mostly schoolchildren, died in a deadly Taliban attack on a school in the city of Peshawar in December. Peshawar is the capital of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, which is governed by Mr Khan’s party. Mr Khan said at the time that the ceremony was kept simple and low key because of the Peshawar attack.
Sharif Moving Pakistan away from Terrorism: US Senator Washington: Under Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Pakistan is moving away from terrorism, says a key US senator. Senator Tim Kaine, who is a member of two powerful Senate committees on foreign relations and armed service, told reporters over the weekend that the directional change came after the 2013 general elections, which brought a new democratic set-up in the country. Senator Kaine, a top Democrat, met the prime minister last week, when he visited the US Congress and met members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “War against terrorism, continued presence of terrorist safe havens was one of the major topics of discussion with the visiting Pakistani leader,” Senator Kaine said at a meeting with the Defense Writers Group in Washington. “My sense is that Pakistan is now really going after enclaves of terrorists in North Waziristan and other areas. They are sincerely doing it,” he said. “Those organizations are feeling tough pressure. They are fighting back on the Pakistani government because they are feeling that the Pakistani government is cracking down on them,” he added. Senator Kaine, however, said that former Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf ’s recent claims
about his country’s links with militant groups were not surprising. “I am not surprised to hear him say that in the past that was the case. I think that the evidence about ties between some aspects of the Pakistani government with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in connection with the attack in Mumbai in 2008 is pretty hard to deny,” he claimed. “When you get into the intel and explore, you get the questions how high the ties were and how officially they were sanctioned. But there were definitely ties,” said Mr Kaine who visited the 26/11 terrorist attack sites in Mumbai last October. “The connection between those attackers and at least some elements in the Pakistani government, I do not think they can be credibly denied.”
Paris Street Named after Saleem Shahzad
Saudi Prince Gets Permit to Export 10 Globally Protected Falcons
Islamabad: A street in Paris has
Karachi: The federal government
SALEEM, P28
FALCONS, P28
US Fails to ‘Democratize’ Political Parties Washington: A $21.5 million US government program to democratize Pakistan’s top political parties and make them responsive to constituents has all but failed due to their reluctance to adopt standards for internal democracy and transparency, US media reported. A recent report by the US Office of Inspector General (OIG) revealed that the “program activities largely stalled and it was doubtful the program would achieve its objectives”. In its mid-term review of the fiveyear program, the US auditors also criticised the performance of the USAID Islamabad Mission. One of the reasons for poor performance was USAID’s continued policy to award contracts of programs financed under the Kerry-Lugar-Brahman Act to US-based firms that did not have ground experience. In this case too, the USAIDhired US-based institutions that according to the report could not hire quality guest speakers, and forums were also ‘poorly organized’. To help a dozen top political parties become more effective and responsive to local concerns, USAID awarded the $21.5 million cooperative agreement in July 2011, to the National PARTIES, P24
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been named after Pakistani journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad who was kidnapped, tortured and killed in Islamabad four years ago. An international organization, Reporters Without Borders, renamed 12 streets in Paris after journalists who had been murdered, tortured or disappeared to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. Shahzad wrote about terrorism and security for the Asia Times Online and other publications. The 40-year-old reporter’s body bore signs of torture when it was found two days after he had gone missing in May 2011. “The cases of impunity that we are presenting are terrible symbols of passivity or deliberate inaction on the part of certain governments,” RSF secretary-general Christophe Deloire said. “This International Day is an occasion for paying homage to the victims and for reminding governments of their obligation to protect journalists and to combat impunity.
has issued a special permit to a Saudi prince to export globally protected and rare falcons in violation of its international commitments and national wildlife protection laws, sources said. They said the permit to export 10 falcons had been issued to Prince Fahd bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, the governor of the Saudi province of Tabuk. The sources said that by issuing the permit the government was “promoting illegal wildlife trade/ trafficking” and had “put at risk Pakistan’s access” to the highly lucrative European Union market under the Generalized System of Preference (GSP-Plus) facility. They alleged that Prince Fahd used falcons — particularly those belonging to migratory saker and peregrine species — in hunting the rare and internationally protected houbara bustard. Prince Fahd attracted global media’s attention last year when reports about his hunting of 2,100 houbara bustards in Chagai district
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NOVEMBER 6, 2015 – PAKISTAN LINK – P15
Citizenship Programs: High Net-worth Pakistanis Buying a Safer Haven
Dozens of high net-worth Pakistanis are buying citizenships of countries in North America and Europe
n By Saad Hasan Karachi: Pakistan’s security situation may have improved a notch, but years of turmoil and lack of hope still push the country’s citizens into the arms of another. Dozens of high net-worth Pakistanis are buying citizenships of countries in North America and Europe every year as they try to secure a safer future for their families, away from the political and security turmoil at home, immigration consultants say. The citizenship-by-investment programs offered by countries like Hungary, Cyprus, Grenada and Antigua and Barbuda have caught the interest of Pakistani investors in recent years, following in the footsteps of dual-nationality seekers from the Middle East, China and India. Citizenships and residency permits are up for sale for between Rs50 million and Rs150 million ($0.5 million to $1.5 million) – an amount roughly around the cost of an aver-
age 500 square-yard house in Karachi’s upscale DHA. “Between a 100 and 200 Pakistani families are availing this opportunity each year,” says Sikander Lalani, CEO of Lalani and Associates, a leading consultancy provider. Pakistan among worst countries to live in for people under 25 “These are the sort of people who invest and then move back and forth. They are doing this to provide better education to their children and secure their capital.” Financial industry officials say people have seen an impressive increase in their wealth over the past decade — riding on the success of the stock market and rising value of real estate. And every now and then, there comes an unusual request for purchase of US Dollars in the open market. In a 2014 report, Arton Capital, which specialises in helping wealthy individuals get second citizenships, said Pakistan was among three countries from where 40% of the ap-
plications were originating. Hungary, Portugal, the Caribbean Island state of St Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Malta and Cyprus and a few other countries allowed foreigners to buy residency in the last five years as a way to shore up national coffer and attract investment. The programs differ with some countries offering residency within a few months without the requirement of making a visit. Yet others ask investors to visit every year with a promise to give residency in five to six years after the initial investment and only after having learned its native language. Investment has to be made either in real estate, government bonds or a specific development fund depending on different programs. Few also offer a limited option to finance part of the investment. Lalani says the charm for countries selling citizenships is not just investment. “They also happen to be attracting the best human capiPROGRAMS, P23
Quake Causes Cracks in World Heritage Sites
Islamabad:
The 7.5 magnitude earthquake that rocked Pakistan last week caused cracks in the country’s world heritage sites of Takht-i-Bahi and Jaulian as well as in museums and artefacts of Gandhara Civilization, officials said. The Takht-i-Bahi, a Parthian archaeological site in Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and Jaulian ruins of an ancient Buddhist monastery in Haripur district developed cracks following the October 26 earthquake, Dawn online reported. “The quake caused a lot of damage to the sites and artefacts. After assessment, we would compile a complete report about it,” said Abdul Samad, director of archaeology and museums of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The quake, which also hit India and Afghanistan, killed more than 250 people in Pakistan and damaged properties. “In Takht-i-Bahi a wall has collapsed and cracks in structure are visible now,” said Samad. “The inner chamber developed cracks. The wall of the main assembly hall has leaned on one side,” an eyewitness said. Jamal Garhi, a Buddhist site, which was on tentative list of world heritage, was the worst affected as the walls have collapsed, Samad said.
Sharing initial reports of the damage compiled by the archaeology department, he said teams were sent out to the sites to assess the damage after the quake. The site of Jamal Garhi, discovered by Sir Alexander Cunningham in 1848, is located in Mardan district. Jaulian, another world heritage site in Khanpur city of Punjab province, was also affected by the quake. The tremor damaged a wall of the monastery and chapel. “I know the damages are huge and even government would not be
able to save these sites on its own,” Samad said, pointing out how little was spent on archaeology in Pakistan. Chitral museum was also affected by the earthquake as its showcases toppled over and antiques were broken. One of its walls also collapsed. The walls of Dir and Swat museums also developed cracks and the showcases broke. “In historic Peshawar museum, a gallery has been affected by the tremor,” said Samad.
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Pakistan Reveals Plan to Repatriate Afghan Refugees
An elderly Afghan refugee trims his beard while another plays with his grandson on the outskirts of Islamabad
Islamabad: Pakistan authorities say
they have a plan to begin a phased repatriation of 1.5 million Afghan refugees within the next two years, ruling out the extension of the December 31 deadline for their legal stay in the country. Since 2002, the UN refugee agency has facilitated the return of 3.8 million registered Afghans from Pakistan. The 1.5 million remaining constitute the largest protracted refugee population globally. Pakistani officials estimate there are another one million undocumented Afghans living illegally in the country. The refugees fled decades of violence in Afghanistan, where conditions continue to discourage them from joining a UNHCR-sponsored voluntary repatriation program. A Pakistani spokesman, Tariq Hayat, told VOA a repatriation plan “approved by all stakeholders” will go to the Cabinet this week for approval. He said the proposal does not seek “extension or settlement” of the Afghan population in Pakistan beyond the December 31 deadline. “There is no decision to extend their stay. However, we cannot send them overnight and we will be sending them in a phased program, which is likely to take something under two years. But at the end of that period they will all be out of here (Pakistan),” Hayat said. Dignified return promised: Afghan and UN officials have called for Islamabad to not hastily expel the Afghans as next month’s deadline approaches. They insist Afghanistan is still fragile, embroiled in conflict and unable to absorb large numbers of returnees. Hayat said the proposed plan ensures the refugees return to Afghanistan with “dignity” in an organized manner. A senior UN official requesting anonymity told VOA the expiration of the December 31st deadline will not change the refugee status of Afghans under international laws and obligations Pakistan adheres to. Last month, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told the UNHCR Executive Committee his government is focused on creating “pull factors” to make the country attractive for Afghans living in exile. He cited widespread poverty and years of corruption for discouraging Afghans from returning home. President Ghani added that 36 percent of Afghans live in poverty and that has “stubbornly” not changed in nearly a decade. “The refugees and the internally displaced will not believe that they can make their homeland home unless they feel that the state is an agent of a compact with its people,” Ghani said.
Security fears have intensified because of the unusual rise in fighting in Afghanistan this year that Afghan officials blame on the withdrawal of foreign combat forces. Burden factor cited: Officials in Pakistan describe Afghan refugees as a burden on the national economy and host communities. They also say rising anti-Pakistan sentiment in Afghanistan is fueling anger against Afghan refugees. Bilateral relations have deteriorated in recent months over allegations that Pakistan continues to support the Taliban insurgency, charges Islamabad rejects. Afghan officials suspect the refugee settlements are where the insurgents are trained and equipped to fight in Afghanistan. Some critics say the tensions could be behind Pakistan’s push for the refugees to go back to Afghanistan. Young Afghan refugees complain that while they are “unwanted” in Pakistan for various reasons, authorities in Afghanistan “suspect” them of being Pakistani spies or Taliban fighters when they return home and apply for jobs.
Fafen Observes ‘Irregularities’ in Local Polls Lahore/Karachi: Polling during
the first phase of the local government elections in 12 districts of Punjab was relatively peaceful but marked with irregularities and illegalities, suggesting weak grip of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on the electoral process, said the Fair and Free Election Network (Fafen) on Sunday. It said that despite some irregularities the polling in eight districts of Sindh was conducted in a better way as compared to the past elections in the province. Fafen said it was releasing reports on the polling in the two provinces, held on Saturday, with the sole purpose of influencing improvements in the second and third phases of the polls, to be held on Nov 19 and Dec 5. One of the irregularities seen in Punjab was the bar on Fafen observing the voting and counting process at polling stations despite the issuance of accreditation cards by the ECP, it said. According to the report for Punjab, preliminary findings suggested that 177 (71 per cent) of the 249 polling stations in 12 districts from where the information could
FAFEN, P28
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Community Link Friday, November 6, 2015
VOL. 25/45 PAGE 20
Will Maryam Invest $70 Million outside of Punjab?
23 Muharram 1437 H
PAGE PAGE27 17
PAGE 23 egum PAGE
Building Bridges: John Esposito Talks to OnIslam
Misbah ul Haq Urged to Continue Playing
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US-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies Inaugurated at UC Davis
Attended by scholars, USAID officials, local media and several members of the Pakistani-American community, the two gatherings covered the academic cooperation and friendship between the US and Pakistan
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n By Ras H. Siddiqui
n inauguration ceremony of the US-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security (CAS-AFS) was held on Wednesday October 28, 2015 at the University of California, Davis campus. A special follow-up dinner with key figures of the program (USAID, UC Davis, and University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan) was also held in downtown Sacramento at the Darna Mediterranean restaurant after the ceremony.
Attended by scholars, USAID officials, local media and several members of the Pakistani-American community in the region, these gatherings covered the academic cooperation and friendship between the two countries which has continued in spite of the headlines, since the quiet work of academics, bureaucrats, other well-meaning individuals and groups does not make it to the media front pages. Pakistan and the United States have had a close security arrangement since at least 1958 (some
would suggest longer) and cooperation in the area of food security has been one of the cornerstones of this relationship. The launching of a major multiyear agreement between the two countries with a budget to match earlier this year aims to boost academic cooperation between their universities and covers the creation of four Centers for Advanced Studies in a cooperative effort between the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) and the University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar partnering with Arizona State University to create two centers for energy research; the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology-Jamshoro and University of Utah partnering to create the center for water, and the University of Agriculture Faisalabad and the University of California at Davis partnering to create a center for agriculture and food security the launch of which is covered here. The afternoon event at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Gladys Valley Hall was kicked off by Joanna Regulska, Vice Provost and As-
sociate Chancellor of Global Affairs at UC Davis. Joanna welcomed everyone and provided some details about this project which is a $127 million dollar (total) investment in the future. She said that the US-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security (a cooperative effort between UC Davis and University of Agriculture Faisalabad) will focus on increasing the capacity of Pakistani agriculture. She especially thanked Professor Jim Hill for his role in making this happen and also asked for a moment of silence for the victims of the recent earthquake in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Our host from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Dean Michael Lairmore, next explained the vision and mission of the school. He was followed by UC Davis Provost Ralph J. Dexter who elaborated on environmental challenges and the truly international nature of the university. And an expected appearance by the Consul General of Pakistan in Los Angeles Hamid Asghar Khan did not happen as he was expected to speak here too but cancelled on short
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notice. Alan Van Egmond, Senior Policy Advisor for Pakistan and Afghanistan USAID in his speech said that agriculture is the mainstay of the Pakistani economy and a significant part of its foreign exchange earnings is tied to it. He spoke of USAID efforts in helping the country in various ways. “This is a two- way street,” he said, as it benefits both countries in different ways. He also highlighted the efforts of the Pakistani-American community. Egmond also said that he was proud to be representing USAID in an official capacity. In a later discussion with this writer he expressed an interest in tasting some of Pakistan’s famous “Kinnow” tangerines during a future visit there, after I informed him that this fruit was delicious and a product of research at UC Riverside which was introduced into the Punjab area sometime during the 1940’s. Ashfaq Ahmad Chattha, from the Center for Advanced Studies, University of Agriculture in Faisalabad (UAF), Pakistan during his speech started off by saying that he was missing the presence
of Dr Iqrar A. Khan, Vice Chancellor, UAF here. He said that we are happy to be linked with the world’s top agricultural university (UC Davis) and that we want to learn about public-private partnerships, applied research and institute curriculum reform from this knowledge. He emphasized the importance of students and faculty from Pakistan training here in the United States and reminded everyone that during the 1950’s close to 50 people were trained in America which helped to start the “Green Revolution” in Pakistan. And now through this program 500 Pakistanis will come to the US in the next 5 years (just think of the possibilities). In her speech Helene Dillard, Dean, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, UC Davis said that her school was looking forward to working with both USAID and UAF. “Our expertise has been amplified by our partnerships,” she said. She also congratulated everyone on this new Center. And from private industry, Renee Lafitte from DuPont next added a different CENTER, P28
COMMUNITY
P18 – PAKISTAN LINK – NOVEMBER 6, 2015
CAIR-CA Releases New Report on School Bullying Anaheim, CA: On Friday Octo-
ber 30, the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA) held simultaneous news conferences at their Anaheim, San Diego and the San Francisco Bay Area offices announcing the release of a new statewide report on school bullying. The report titled “Mislabeled: The Impact of School Bullying and Discrimination on California Muslim Students” details that more than half of California Muslim students were victims of faithbased bullying. The report which surveyed more than 600 students between the ages of 11 to 18 shows that bullying of California Muslim students is at twice the rate of the national average. During the news conferences Friday morning, CAIR-CA attorneys detailed keys findings of the report, including: • The most common type of bullying American Muslim students faced was verbal at 52% • More male students reported experiencing bullying than female students • Of the female respondents who wear hijab, the Islamic
headscarf, 27% reported being discriminated by their teacher. CAIR-LA Senior Civil Rights Attorney Fatima Dadabhoy stated, “Today anti-Muslim rhetoric has become so acceptable that parents and students feel that it is a normal part of being a Muslim in America.” Parents of students also shared the experiences of their children. Melinda Van Stone, a mother whose son was told to draw the Prophet Muhammad for a history assignment, spoke of how the
First All Pakistan DUHS-DICE Health Innovation Event
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two-day first All Pakistan DUHS-DICE Health Exhibition was organized by the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) in collaboration with DICE USA from August 22 to 23, 2015 at the Expo Center in Karachi. According to the organizers twenty-three universities and several companies from health industry participated in the exhibition. It aimed at providing a platform to medical and biomedical students to demonstrate their innovations and technologies, share knowledge, and collaborate for the rapid development of innovative products, necessary for the economic development of the country.
Addressing the MoU signing ceremony between Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) and Distinguished Innovation, Collaboration and Entrepreneurship (DICE-USA) for Health Innovation Collaboration, Chief Minister Sindh, Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that the federal government along with the Sindh Government was keen to provide best of health care services to the masses. “With transfer of technologies from the USA by DICE Pakistani technologists and scientists with the help of business community will be able to provide latest machines and equipment’s at very low cost,” he remarked. He appreciated that DUHS and DICE have opened an office to ensure steady
school administration dismissed her concern of the insensitivity of the assignment towards the Islamic faith. She explained how, rather than understanding why such an assignment would be offensive, the school defended it. As a result of her complaints, she believes her son is now being retaliated against by school officials. Sameera Dadabhoy, a mother of a sophomore high school student and a seventh grader, stated in the press conference that both her sons experienced some form
Western Union Veterans Day Promotion
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id you know that money transfer is frequently a vital service for members of the military? Often, when soldiers are deployed, families send money overseas to support spouses and children. Earlier this month, more than 8,530 veterans participated in conversations about money transfer (during October 1-15, 2015) according to research by Network Insights. These facts show how these services provide a vital lifeline of support between service members collaboration for success in health and their families from whom they innovation and its proper utilization are separated for long stretches of in the country. time. Talking to the participants of the Health Innovation Exhibition during a reception, Governor Sindh Dr Ishrat ul Ebad said the current competitiveness in the world demanded need for the fittest of the fit. This, the Governor said, was a challenge that was not unsurmountable and could be achieved through sincerity of purpose, hard work and absolute commitment. “There is no dearth of talent among our youth; what they need is proper guidance, training and support,” said Dr Ishrat ul Ebad Khan. He said coordination between local trainees as well as professionals and experts comprising overseas Pakistanis could help the country gain self-reliance in the field of medical technology. The Governor appreciated that students and faculty members from more than twenty-three universities had put on display their innovations, largely in the form of projects, aimed to improve and fine-tune medical tools and gadgets. The Sindh governor also hailed the presence of bio-medical engineers and technologists in the two-day event. Chief Organizer of the exhibition, Dr Rana Qamar, on the occasion said projects put on display were very relevant to the healthcare needs of the country and they also HEALTH, P28
As you plan your celebration of Veterans Day, you may be interested in learning about two special programs that Western Union, a global leader in money transfer, is offering to celebrate the day. Western Union is waiving the money transfer fee for US domestic sends for consumers who use the promo code “HERO” this November 11th in honor of the men and women of the US armed forces and is hosting a Veterans Career Open House on November 6th. Fee Free: On Wednesday, November 11, the company will offer ALL customers the opportunity to make qualifying US domestic money transfers—and transfers to and from US military bases around the world where Western Union has a retail Agent location--free of charge in honor of veterans and active service members. This offer is available only at Western Union retail Agent locations throughout the US, and customers using the promo code “HERO” will have the normal transaction fee waived. There is no dollar amount or limit for these “fee free” transactions. Veterans Career Open House: This free event takes place at Western Union’s corporate offices in Denver (12500 E. Belford Avenue Englewood, Colorado) on November 6, TRANSFER, P28
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of bullying and discrimination in school from classmates for being Muslim. Sameera emphasized that both her sons are hesitant to report their situation out of fear that it may become worse. The adverse effects of bullying and discrimination has left them feeling defeated. The statewide press conferences were covered by over ten TV, radio and print media outlets. See below for local coverage. SEE: Muslim students in California face discrimination (Al Jazeera)
VIDEO: CAIR-CA survey says more than half of CA Muslim students face bullying (NBC 4) SEE: Muslim students face discrimination more than others in California (OC Register) RADIO: Muslim student bullying twice as high as national average (KPCC) SEE: Muslim students in CA report discrimination at twice national bullying rate (IB Times) SEE: CA Muslim students face twice the amount of bullying report finds (LA School Report)
Poet’s Remarks on Poetic Meter Cause Commotion, Program Gets Hijacked
n By A.H. Cemendtaur
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poetry session honoring Boston-based Punjabi poet Irfan Malik suddenly got animated when near the end of the program Malik said that he put some of his poetry in the genre of ghazal even when that poetry did not observe the restriction of a meter; he said calling his poetry ghazal was a playful act because he believed the meter created unnecessary restrictions and killed creativity.
Several members of the audience objected to Malik’s apparent disdain for the poetic meter. As soon as Malik stopped reading his poems, the program was taken over by a group of Punjabi poets in the audience—the group strongly believed in keeping the meter in the poetry. The pro-meter group was led by Sukhwinder Kamboj who after
reading his own meter-regulated poetry started acting as the emcee of the program and invited Kamal Dev Pall, Kulwinder Plahey, Khawaja Ashraf, Gulshan Dayal, and Amna Buttar to read their selected poems. The Saturday, October 31 program hosting Irfan Malik was arranged by Moazzam Sheikh and Ijaz Syed and was held at the Ingleside branch of the San Francisco Public Library.
COMMUNITY
NOVEMBER 6, 2015 – PAKISTAN LINK – P19
Human Development Foundation of North America Organizes Impressive Fundraiser
This year’s HDF event was indisputably one of the best, both in terms of the format and content. Dr Yasmin Qasmin and her team comprising Ghazala Khan, Parveen Imdad, Fatima Khan, and Dr Muslim Jami are to be duly commended for their efforts
n By Syed Feroz Qasim Pictures by Anwar Khawaja
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his year’s Human Development Foundation of North America Fundraiser at the Wyndham Resort Hotel in Anaheim on Saturday, October 10th, 2015 once again vividly testified to the community’s sustained drive for improving the lot of the underprivileged people of Pakistan. A select group of community members raised money to support various projects of the HDF in all four provinces of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir. As usual, the program started with a recitation from the Holy Qur’an and its English translation by Faisal Qasim. This year’s emcee was Dr Sana Kamdar who moved the program smoothly with her introductions. The opening remarks were presented by Fatima Khan. The program was then moved for-
ward by Dr Yasmin Qasim who had successfully brought the leading lights of the community to the event. Dr Attiya Khan, Chairperson of HDF, made a passionate appeal for help and presented a slide show of HDF activities in different provinces of Pakistan. She expressed thanks to all HDF donors and described at length how their donations were instrumental in educating 10,000 boys and girls in the poorest areas and in providing care to over 25,000 individuals in 9 health centers. The donations have facilitated over 8000 small business micro-loans to raise self-sufficient families and in building 31 water filtration plants. In a span of 16 years HDF has an impressive number of achievements to its credit. It has established adult literacy centers for women, built schools for underprivileged boys and girls, healthcare centers in rural areas
of Pakistan and provided micro loans. The Foundation continues to help people to help themselves by working in the most desolate areas of Pakistan, and most importantly, giving people the insight to realize their potential to better their lives. This year’s keynote speaker, Dr Arjuman Hashmi, who is also the Mayor of City of Paris, Texas, was unable to attend due to some urgent city business assignments. The Chief Guest, Mr Hamid Asghar Khan, Consul General of Pakistan in Los Angeles, spoke of the need to help Pakistan elevate poverty through a structured approach. The Special Guest and keynote speaker was Mr Syed Javaid Anwar, a renowned Pakistani American businessman who has made a great name for himself in the American oil and gas industry. He is admired in the community as an outstanding business leader and a philan-
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thropist. A man of integrity who believes in honesty, education and hard work. A man with a big heart who generously supports charitable causes locally and in Pakistan - hospitals, schools and many organizations. Mr Anwar made a generous contribution again this year. He spoke on the need for a better world and how we as individuals can make this happen. He appreciated HDF’s and Dr Yasmin’s efforts in the many areas HDF is involved in. Mr Anwar spoke of his humble beginning in life and his hard work that played a major role in his success. Guests who were sponsors and made generous donations included Dr Sana and Safura Khan, Mr Saleem and Yasmeen Adaya, Mr Navaz and Fauzia Malik, Mr Anees and Mariam Bakali of Fantasy Activewear, and Dr Khalid and Ghazala Khan. Others present also made donations
from $100 to $1000. Dr Yasmin Qasim has successfully organized HDF fundraisers in Southern C a l i fornia for the last t h i r t e e n years and each occasion has been a memorable one. This year’s event was indisputably one of the best, both in the format and content; her team of Ghazala Khan, Parveen Imdad, Fatima Khan, and Dr Muslim Jami are to be duly commended for their efforts. Congrats to Dr Qasim for her hard work and continued support of HDF. Ghazala Khan and Parveen Imdad played a prominent role in organizing the event and their contribution is greatly appreciated. The guests were treated to a sumptuous dinner catered by Mr Dara Khan of Shahnawaz Restaurant. After dinner the guests enjoyed a highly entertaining musical program late into the night by famous singer and entertainer Chranjeet and his band.
COMMENTARY
P20 – PAKISTAN LINK – NOVEMBER 6, 2015
Will Maryam Nawaz Invest Michelle Obama’s $70 Million anywhere outside of Punjab? n By Bina Shah
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ast week we were treated to scenes of Maryam Nawaz Sharif standing with Michelle Obama as the First Lady announced an investment of $70 million as part of a new partnership between the United States and Pakistan to promote girls’ education. The money is part of President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s Let Girls Learn initiative, which started up in March of this year and seeks to expand educational opportunities for girls.
Ms Sharif also spoke about Nawaz Sharif ’s education reforms, and the importance of educating girls. It’s good to see commitment at the highest level to this worthy goal. However, I can’t help being a bit of a cynic about it. These days, girls’ education is a buzzword, with everyone talking about it as the way to move our country forward. Educating girls has become the new sexy catchphrase, with conferences, seminars, and other well-intentioned
programs based on this breakthrough in development goals. (There are more than a few scammers, too, gaining from the glitz and glamour of the girls’ education circus, but that’s another blog post completely). I have my doubts that the money will really go anywhere outside of Punjab, where Nawaz’s education reforms have been centered, thanks to the efforts of the chief minister. Department For International Development (DFID), the UK government’s development arm, has concentrated on Punjab as well, with some work done in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). The chief minister of Punjab has committed to getting every child in Punjab enrolled in school by 2018, and there are many mechanisms already in place to make sure schools improve, including geo-tagging of schools and electronic tracking of teacher and pupil attendance. There’s no chance of these reforms being replicated in Balochistan, which has the vast majority of out of school girls (70 per cent, in December 2014, of Balochistan’s girls are not in school), or in Sindh, where DFID refused to work with the Sindh Govern-
n By Lawrence Booth
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n a year in which England have faced Trent Boult, Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc, on green pitches and under grey clouds, it says much for Wahab Riaz that their trial by left-arm pace has just become a little more exacting. You can forgive them for suspecting that life can be tough.
First Boult softened up Gary Ballance, paving the way for his dropping after two Tests of the Ashes. Then Starc took care of Adam Lyth. And if Johnson was never quite the Johnson of 2013-14, his (very) quick burst on the second morning at Edgbaston, when he rip-snorted out Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes in the same over, was in itself enough to induce nervous twitches in the England dressing-room. Wahab Riaz charges in to bowl during Pakistan’s second Test defeat of England in Dubai this week If the Barmy Army taunted him throughout the summer, it stemmed as much from relief that he had not destroyed England as it did from genuine ridicule. Now, in a part of the world where spin is supposed to be the lingua franca, Wahab is speaking a tongue which many thought had died a death with Wasim Akram.
n By Dr Gary Welton The Center for Vision & Values
O
f course, it’s not a new verb; it’s in older dictionaries. I have been hearing it much more frequently, however, and I am becoming alarmed.
We as a society are much more aware of the risks of being concussed, and we have developed strict and cautious protocols, whereby individuals having been concussed are told to avoid physical exertion and to limit activities that require thinking and mental concentration, such as schoolwork. Some have been told to stay home from school for weeks in order to facilitate their recovery. It is not surprising that a major risk factor of being concussed is participating in a high-risk sport, such as football. Another major risk factor is having been previously concussed. I am a small man, and my boys were small boys. Participating in football was never an interest for any of us. Nevertheless, I readily admit that
ment when it started to look into getting out of school children back into school through a private organization, Education For Sindh (EFS). As a result, at least in Sindh, the numbers of children being enrolled with DFID’s help through EFS are quite low (100,000), while private organizations like The Citizens Foundation (TCF) try to fill
the gaps too. It’s never enough: despite a minor increase in Sindh’s education budget, 6.2 million children are out of school, with rural areas and girls being the most underserved. I’m not much of an expert on the provincial governments in K-P or Balochistan, but Sindh has always suffered from poor management of the
Wahab Riaz Is up There with the Best LeftArm Quicks ... Don’t Be Fooled by His Stats His series stats tell a misleading tale: eight wickets at 36, while conceding nearly 3.5 an over, sound like the work of a jobbing change bowler. And yet in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the cricket has rarely felt more alive than when Wahab is tearing in, reversing it, bouncing it, hurling it down at 90mph. The latest rankings have him up nine places to No 35, in which case Test cricket is far more blessed than we all realized. In Abu Dhabi, Wahab served notice with two wickets on the third evening, when the England innings was threatening to drift beyond Pakistan’s control. Creating his own desert storm, he removed Ian Bell and nightwatchman Mark Wood, and next day brushed aside Bairstow. But it was his spell on the third morning in Dubai that may well have secured another series win for Pakistan in the UAE. England had moved, full of hope, to 206 for 3 in reply to Pakistan’s 378. Not long after, Wahab was completing a spell of 9-5-15-3, roughly twice as long as most seamers have managed in 36 degree heat, and about three times as venomous. And it meant England spent the rest of
the Test clinging on, as if suspended from the
Burj Khalifa by their fingertips. Joe Root was lured into a loose drive, Stokes suckered into a wayward prod, and Jos Buttler undone by a half-volley whose menace lay in the mind. It’s what the best fast bowlers do. And it was a glorious reminder of Pakistan’s age-old capacity to turn a match in a couple of hours – one of those clichés that exist for a reason. With Yasir Shah a leg-spinning assassin at the other end, England fans might have recalled trials at the hands of Wasim and Mushtaq Ahmed – not least the 1992 World Cup final. We shouldn’t be too critical of England for failing to cope. Like all the most engaging fast bowlers, of course, Wahab comes with a glint in his eye, and a hint of the bad boy. Amid the chaos of Pakistan’s no-ball tour of England in 2010, he was interviewed by Scotland Yard before being released without charge. And, when the first flashpoint of this otherwise good-spirited series occurred on Sunday, it was Wahab whose footballing skills upset Root and encouraged England coach Trevor Bayliss to visit the match referee. Again, there was no suggestion of wrongdoing, but England’s reaction said WAHAB, P28
The New American Verb: To Concuss I love to watch the game. I have never participated in the new betting arena of fantasy football, which has only increased the popularity of the sport. I follow college football somewhat, but only after the World Series is in the history book. I do, however, watch a fair amount of the National Football League. I live in Western Pennsylvania, the home territory of the Steeler Nation. Yet, I often feel guilty for watching and enjoying the abusive action on the gridiron. To what extent are we killing brain cells when these men are concussed? As recently as 2009, the NFL was still arguing, through the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee, that no NFL player had experienced chronic brain damage from repeat concussions. This spring, however, they negotiated a billion dollar settlement with former players who had sued over past head injuries. Many former NFL players chose
to donate (at death) their brains for scientific research. The recent report is that 87 of 91 brains showed signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This does not imply that 96 percent of football players have CTE, as the sample was not randomly selected. It is likely that former players without noticeable brain fog would not choose to donate their brains. Nevertheless, these numbers are staggering and concerning. The good news is that the NFL is no longer spinning about the risk of being concussed, and is instead encouraging open discussions. NFL rules are continually evolving, seeking to add new protections. These new rules seem to help, to some extent, as the number of concussions in the NFL in the past two seasons has fallen about 30 percent. Even though the NFL has shown some financial concern, and has adjusted some rules, the fact is that
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education system. There’s not much willpower or vision about how to move things back to acceptable standards in any area of education. There has been movement towards education reforms in Sindh but they are very half-hearted, as compared to Punjab. The previous Education Minister, Pir Mazhar, inflated the sector with unqualified people hired for political gain, and the current education minister has inherited this bloated elephant. Yet the real work has to be done by Sindh’s bureaucrats, and education secretaries don’t tend to stick around for long enough to enact real reform. Without financial backing and government commitment, all of Pakistan’s children will not get education in vast numbers needed to really get the girls in school. If Michelle Obama’s $70 million doesn’t get distributed evenly or fairly amongst all the provinces, gains in one province will be impressive, and they’ll be hailed as progress, but they won’t tell the true story about whether or not Pakistan’s girls are really gaining access to quality education. (Bina Shah is author of A Season For Martyrs. - The Express Tribune)
football is a dangerous game and will continue to cause some serious injury, injury among adults who are paid millions of dollars because of their unique skills, their short playing career, and their physical risks. These men now know the nature of these risks, and some are opting to retire after very short careers rather than exposing themselves to severe physical damages. That still leaves me concerned about these men, but I am more concerned about our developing children. At what age should children start to play tackle football? Given that concussions are so serious that doctors prescribe that we cease mental effort and interrupt our schooling after being concussed, there must be some age at which it is too young to expose kids to this risk. Given that our brains continue to develop during the childhood years, there must be some age at which it
is too young to expose kids to tackle football. When I started searching the web for children’s tackle football, I was shocked to see leagues starting at age 5. Is the 5-year-old brain sufficiently developed such that the risks of being concussed are manageable? Is the 5-year-old brain sufficiently educated such that the risks of long interruptions in schooling are justified? According to the Brain Injury Association of America, brain injuries have a more devastating impact on a child (and the developing brain) than a similar injury has on a mature adult. The cognitive challenges include deficits in memory, concentration and attention span, planning, writing, reading, and judgment. These cognitive effects can create lifelong challenges in their abilities to think, learn, develop, and mature. Is there a good reason for 5-yearolds to risk their future development? Are there not safer, more reasonable ways to encourage athleticism and to VERB, P28
COMMENTARY n By Nayyer Ali MD
W
NOVEMBER 6, 2015 – PAKISTAN LINK – P21
The Fractured Republican Primary
hile Hilary Clinton looks like she will easily win the Democratic nomination for President, the Republican field is a crowded and messy freak show. There were originally 17 candidates running and only two, Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin and Governor Rick Perry of Texas, have dropped out. Most of the rest continue a forlorn and hopeless quest for the White House, with only five actually having a path to the nomination.
For observers of this congested race, it would be wise to ignore all but the top five candidates. These are Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio. So why these five, and what are their chances? The very conservative Republicans who make up the base voters that will cast ballots in primary elections are fed up and angry with a Republican establishment they feel has done nothing to stop the evil President Obama from imposing his leftist agenda on America. This very angry base is looking seriously at the two most verbally extreme candidates in the race, who also happen to have zero political experience, Donald Trump and Ben Carson. Trump jumped to the front of this race with harsh anti-Mexican rhetoric and he has emphasized immigration and trade battles with China and Japan as his key issues. Ben Carson has gradually built a following among Republicans, but his main calling card is his religiosity. He has the backing of the evangelical voters, which may be enough to help him win the Iowa caucus in about 90 days. Trump has
slipped behind Carson in Iowa, but at this point remains the front runner in the crucial New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries. The Republican establishment all but assumed Jeb Bush would easily win the nomination less than a year ago. But Bush has stumbled badly in the actual campaign. He is not a gifted speaker, and he has had no answer to the constant taunting coming from Trump. Trump has been tying Jeb to his brother George, and forcing Jeb to defend the Iraq War and the fact that George W. Bush did not stop the 9/11 attacks and did not get Osama bin Laden. Bush quickly raised 100 million dollars for his Super PAC, but despite all this money, he has been nowhere in the polls, sitting at around 6-9%. Bush family supporters are letting it be known they are nervous about Jeb, and may withdraw their support if he does not turn things around
soon. He needs to have much better debate performances and make the case why the country should trust another Bush to run it. So far he has been failing, but time has not run out. If Republican voters tire of the Trump and Carson show, they may eventually end up back with Jeb. Ted Cruz is a first term Senator from Texas who has not a single accomplishment to his credit. He is a firebrand conservative who has pushed for government shutdowns as a way to force Obama to do Republican bidding, a strategy that has failed up to now. Cruz would normally get the support of the angry Republican voters, but his poll results remain around 5-7% because most of those voters are with Trump and Carson. Cruz’s strategy is to hang in there till voters finally realize they cannot seriously support those two men, and those angry voters will them turn to the closest candidate
to their views still standing, which will be Cruz. This strategy remains plausible, but would require Trump and Carson to self-destruct. If Cruz were to actually aggressively attack those two, he might damage them, but his supporters will likely end up elsewhere, and not with Cruz. Marco Rubio is a freshman Senator from Florida. He is already bored with the Senate and has missed most of the votes in that chamber as he spends his time running for President. Rubio on paper looks like a strong contender for the Republicans. He is young, has Cuban parents, speaks fluent Spanish, has a polished manner and avoids the bombast and anger of Cruz or Trump. But Rubio in reality is an empty suit. There is not much there when it comes to policy. He does not differ in any way from George W. Bush, he even advocates massive tax cuts for the wealthy that will drive up
deficits just years after the Republicans claimed that Obama’s high deficits were destroying America. His understanding of foreign affairs is very superficial. His terrible voting record as a Senator would make an easy attack for a Democratic opponent. He comes across as someone who has been interested in being President from day one, but has little interest in doing the job that is his at the moment. Having said all that, who will the Republicans nominate? I think of the 15 still running, the winner will ultimately be one of these five above. Between Carson and Trump, the edge goes to Trump. He has the cash if he chooses to use it, and while Carson has an edge with the religious voters in Iowa, that does not give him enough support to beat Trump in the critical primaries of New Hampshire and South Carolina. The big question is whether Republican voters are serious about Trump or not. Because of the very large number of candidates, if Trump can get 25% of the vote, he wins the state. If all the non-Trump vote was concentrated in the hands of a single candidate, Trump would be in a hopeless position. But because there are so many candidates, 25% is enough to get a win. If the Republicans do tire of Trump, then the struggle will likely shift to Bush and Rubio, who occupy the same space ideologically. In that contest, I believe Bush’s financial resources will prevail, but Rubio will be a better candidate against Hilary. Finally, if Trump and Carson fizzle, there will be Cruz, hoping to catch their voters as they scatter, and bringing them into his camp. The race remains complex and messy. But I think we can see the broad outlines of where things are going. In the next three weeks, as two more debates occur, the picture may get clearer.
Four Promising Female Tech Entrepreneurs from Pakistan
T
n By Osman Husain
here’s a lot of debate about the disproportionate representation of women in tech and what needs to be done for a more diverse workplace. You know there’s a problem when only 5 percent of Fortune 500 companies are led by women and it’s an issue constantly highlighted by the Western press.
While Pakistan is by no means a vanguard for women’s rights across the world, it has to be said that the country has a long tradition of women leading from the front. Pakistan was the first Muslim nation to have a democratically-elected female head of state. Its constitution guarantees a fixed number of seats for women in parliament, and many important ambassadorial positions are currently staffed by women. Women are active in corporate circles, advocacy and rights groups, and increasingly, tech startups. In no particular order, here are four women who are building innovative companies in Pakistan. 1. Madeeha Hassan Madeeha is co-founder of Savaree, a ride-sharing and taxi app startup that was borne out of a civic hackathon. At the time Madeeha was employed as a graphic designer, but quit her job to work
full-time on the idea. Savaree has had its ups and downs, but it’s solving a glaring problem – traf-
consumers warm up to the idea of transacting online, it seems poised to take off.
handcrafted shoes, burst on to the scene when it flew past its Kickstarter funding target by
While Pakistan is by no means a vanguard for women’s rights across the world, it has to be said that the country has a long tradition of women leading from the front. Pakistan was the first Muslim nation to have a democratically-elected female head of state. Its constitution guarantees a fixed number of seats for women in parliament, and many important ambassadorial positions are currently staffed by women fic in Pakistan is notoriously bad, and public transport lags behind. Savaree has been through various stages of incubation and acceleration. As mainstream Pakistani
2. Sidra Qasim Sidra is co-founder of Markhor, the first Pakistani startup to be accepted into Y Combinator. Markhor, which makes luxury
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US$92,000, attracting backers from 32 different countries. The startup’s value proposition lies in its ethical commitment to empower the craftsmen it employs
– wages are much higher than existing market rates and they’re treated as part of the team. Still a long way to go for the company, but all signs paint a positive picture. 3. Arusha Imtiaz Arusha is the co-founder of MySmacEd, a communication platform which enables real-time sharing between parents, teachers, students, and administrators. The edtech startup raised seed funding earlier this year, valuing the company at US$2 million. Arusha says they work on a freemium model – and have already expanded into the Middle Eastern market, where they have a few schools running a pilot program. 4. Sahr Said Sahr is the founder and CEO of BeautyHooked, a marketplace for beauty services and professionals. The potential in this space is huge – the market is highly fragmented and ripe for disruption. Women in Pakistan are no different from others across the world – they like to take care of themselves. Sahr, a former banker and Cornell business school graduate, plans to eventually move away from the marketplace model and also introduce a whitelabel ecommerce platform, selling beauty and fashion products. The Express Tribune
COMMENTARY
P22 – PAKISTAN LINK – NOVEMBER 6, 2015
n By Dr Basheer Ahmed Khan
C
Garden Gove, CA
olonel Muhammad Khan was a British trained military officer of British India who joined the Pakistan Army when Pakistan was established. He was a distinguished satirical writer of Urdu and is well known for his satirical biography “Bajang Aamad” in which he has written some anecdotes of his early army life in a lighter vein.
The satirical and humorous style of Bajang Aamad gives its reader first-hand knowledge of the time, the people and the countries, all in a lucid and enjoyable way. Beyond that it exposes the good, the bad and the ugly traits of the colonizers and the colonized people not to engender hatred but to give a true understanding to build meaningful relations. His critique attributes his humor and his satire to his natural style which he bequeathed from his environment, his genes, and his teacher. In this biography he writes: “If I did not have a kind and dedicated teacher like Dr Ghulam Jilani Barq who taught me how to write Urdu, I might have learnt to talk grammatically wrong English like most Sahib Bahadurs with a twisted tongue, but I would be deprived of the taste of our national literature and it would have been the greatest deprivation of my life. We should be grateful to Dr Ghulam Jilani Barq too for having produced a writer like Muhammad Khan to illuminate us about his time and its problems. Dr Ghulam Jilani Barq is well known for his book Do Qur’an and Do Islam. Through these books Dr Barq brought the Western-educated Muslims closer to the Qur’an by pointing out to the references which Qur’an had about the physical and social sciences. Thus he restored Islam to its correct balance between the physical and mystical aspect of life. Till then the Urduspeaking Muslims of the subcontinent considered Qur’an as a book of spirituality and religious history, and Islam as the ritual of five pillars, and enjoyed it as such. Dr Barq did not teach just the Urdu language to Col Khan but also gave him some of his free mind so that he could talk about some of the social taboos associated with military service in a responsible way as was done by Dr Barq about the most sensitive matter of religion and its holy book. Urdu is the language of a people who have been in the frontline of social upheavals over thousands of years of human history. Therefore it has a consciousness that embraces the past, present and the future, and thus it has preserved the nature of man from antiquity and inshaAllah to eternity. I have written about this aspect of Urdu in my article “Urdu a Paradise Lost” in Pakistan Link dated Feb 25, 2011. Urdu has a literature that is rich in ideas that can guide us to our nature which we have lost over thousands of years of our indulgence in narrow and selfish practices as individuals and as societies. People are looking for new ideas to build a new world and we have them in our old literature and we need to share it.
The Poetry of Hafeez Meeruthi - 1 The fact that Urdu, in spite of all the neglect, is alive even today speaks volumes of its universality, vitality and vibrancy. Attempts to sidetrack the traditional literary profile of Urdu by various aberrant ideologies which were a byproduct of Renaissance affected Urdu only marginally and for a short time and the literary profile of Urdu got on to its original tract not to restore bigotry but to restore the nature of man for the benefit of mankind. The movement of Adab Bara-e-Adab, which was promoted to create “thinkers” out of dummies, by divesting literature from the role of character building and even permitted these dummies to present their thoughts without assessing the literary content or moral implications of it. This movement was largely ignored by mainstream Urdu literature, even though it had the patronage of powerful people. So also the Taraqqi Pasand movement inspired by the communist ideology to pit haves against have-nots did not create a dent into the Romantic and yet Realistic fabric of Urdu or sidelined the original Urdu thought as it did with many other languages associated with socialist and communist countries. It is not that the Urdu-speaking community is free of its share of inhumanity and immorality, and is not without its share of writers and thinkers like Marques Desade, who try to spread the virus of selfishness and immorality into the mainstream population, but the body of mainstream Urdu literature and laureates isolated such writing and writers as a healthy body isolates its diseased part. They succeeded in doing so by following the guidance given by the Qur’an in verse 15-20 of Chapter 24. When Sahib Bahadurs referred to by Colonel Muhammad Khan took over the reins of administration of their countries from the colonial powers they relegated the study and advancement of Urdu as they saw the economic gains in English and English alone. Now with Chinese, German and Japanese joining the clique of economic competitors they are scrambling ad hoc strategies to maintain economic status even if it comes to compromising the culture. The result is that Urduspeaking people were disconnected from their mooring and drifted into corruption and inhumanity and the blame was put on English and their language for the shortsightedness of our own leaders. Dr Anad Gulzar Zutshi, a Kashmiri Pundit, and an SSO with CSIR in India, was also an Urdu poet. When he visited Mysore in the late-sixties on official work to CFTRI he attended a congregation of Urdu poets. One of the couplets of his ghazal which he presented at a congregation was: Na Karda Gunahon Ki Jazaa De Jo Khudaya Mangoonga Khuda se main Muqaam e Urdu. Meaning: If God rewards me for saving the world from the sins that I did not commit, I will ask Him to restore the status of Urdu in India. This goes without saying that Urdu was discriminated
Ansari complaining about him because of his association with Adb e Islami. Before introducing the personality and poetry of Hafeez Sahib to my readers I will present them with few of his couplets which represent his positions on some of the burning subjects of our time. On the topic of domestic violence he writes: Ye Kya Sulook Muhab-bath se Aadmi Ne Kiya Libas e Gul Mein Gayi Thi Kafan mein Aayee hai. A girl goes to her husband’s house in flower in the hope of getting love and making family/It is shameful that a man violates this trust and mistreats her and sometime sends her back in coffin. Even though every country and its leaders swear about the equality of all before law, the fact remains that the weak are always ill-treated in every country irrespective of the type of government they have. Alluding to this Hafeez Sahib says:
against in India and only God could restore it and God has done it. Love, hate, compassion, cruelty, greed, contentment, sharing, exploitation, and such other opposite traits are in the nature of man so that he understands the good values from the bad ones after experiencing both; and is thus able to discard the evil in favor of the good. When God became a figment of imagination, religion became the opium of the poor and morality became irrelevant and relative due to evil genius of our rulers, evil gained an upper hand in our mind and confused us about the basic question of what is our true Nature. Poets like Hafeez Meeruthi (1921-2001) have spoken about all these virtuous and wicked traits of man in poetry candidly and lucidly to make us aware of our true nature and come back to it. Poetry is not a jugglery of words to rhyme one sentence with another and lose the thought in the process. Those who did not have the capacity to save the thought with rhyme rhythm, started what is called nazm. Some great ideas came in this form, but a whole poem had to be read to get this idea which was not suitable for the time in which “Time was money”. The traditional lovers of Urdu poetry continue to enjoy ghazal in which the two lines of a couplet are packed with a whole meaning which gives them more bang for the buck. This was the explanation given by Hafeez Meeruthi about his preference of ghazal over nazm in one of his interviews. Nayeem Siddiqi, another great Urdu scholar, poet and critique has written about the effectiveness of Urdu ghazal thus: A poet presents his feelings, his experiences and his state of mind in a couplet through words. But the words which make the body of couplet become alive through a process in which the poet blows the spirit of his imagination (Nafakh e Takhay-yul) and makes
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this inert body of words alive to kick the readers’ imagination. This spirit of imagination creates in the reader a vision and an understanding where the word “tear” appears like candescent light, and the word “wound” appears like a flower that is being tendered with care. The words are astonished to know about the meanings that they had beyond the conventional definition of lexicon and which were brought to life by the poet who had blown the spirt of his imagination into them. A successful poet is one who has this capacity, and Hafeez Meeruthi had this art says Nayeem Siddiqi. He quotes this couplet in support of his statement: Mud-dathon Phool Smajhthi Rahi Unko Dunya Hum Ne Tho Zakhm Bhi Rakhe The Saja Kar Kithne. Alluding to the tragedies he was facing in his life Hafeez Sahib says in the above couplet: That those who were enjoying the beautiful thoughts in my poetry were unaware of the wounds that I was suffering because I was presenting them to the audience of my poetry in a way the people offer flowers with utmost care. I have chosen the Urdu poet Hafeez Meeruthi as an example to illustrate the mainstream Urdu thought because I knew him by virtue of spending two evenings with him and listened to his poetry in three congregations of poets called Musha-era (which is from the word shaoor, meaning awakening of consciousness). I had read about the tantrums which the established poets throw on their fans in biographies of poets like Firaq Gorukhpuri and Josh Maleehabadi etc., but Hafeez Sahib was a simple down to earth man with a knack of ruling over heart without controlling your mind. Perhaps one should have a pure heart and a sound mind to do this; and to see and feel this quality in him. I have heard some people like Zoai
Daad di-jay Ke Hum Ji Rahein Hain Wahan Hain Muhafiz Jahan Qatilon Ki Tarah Roshni Kab Thi Ithni Mera Shahr Mein Jal Rahein Hain Makan Mash’alon ki Tarah. Meaning: We should be applauded that we continue to survive in a place where those who are supposed to protect us, kill us, those that should provide us electricity to light our houses burn our houses to bring light to cities. He further says in the following couplet: that we are not supposed to complain against our leaders for suppressing us like this. Zikr Chid Jaye Agar Qaum ki Bad-bakhthi Ka Rah-numaon ki taraf Koi Ishara na Karo. Talking about the role of media he says: Even before we can understand the crime for which we are punished, the media declares a guilty verdict against us, in the following couplet. Hum Abhi Jurm bhi Samajh na Sakay Faisala Bhi Suna Gayi Dunya. As a result of the infinite ability of oppressors to continue their atrocities and keep the oppressed silent has degraded the human race as it was never seen before and man is thinking of how to dispose this mankind, says Hafeez Sahib in the following couplets: Is say Pehlay Aadmi Ki Ithni BayKhadri Na thi Sochti Hai Aaj Duniya Aadmi Ka Kya Karay Hafeez Sahib laments about the plight of mankind which is supposed to be the most evolved creation on face of the earth in the following verse. Ye Hasil e Hayath hai Ye Fakhr e Kayenath Ai Aadmi Mazakh Na kar Aadmi kay Saath (To be continued)
COMMENTARY
NOVEMBER 6, 2015 – PAKISTAN LINK – P23
Building Bridges: John Esposito Talks to OnIslam n By Inas Younis
P
fact against the constitution, well that is an incredible comment on where we have come. And this is coming from a guy who is too bright to be stupid. I am sure he is a great humanitarian when it comes to his surgeries. But when it comes to his cultural approach, he contributes to the disease. Ironically he contributes to a social disease, meaning Islamophobia.
OnIslam US Correspondent
rofessor Esposito talks to OnIslam. net about his new center, appropriately titled Bridges.
Salt Lake: The Wall Street journal called Professor John L. Esposito “American’s foremost authority and interpreter of Islam.” With over 40 years devoted to the field of Islamic studies, Esposito is well known as one of the world’s most influential bridge builders of understanding between the East and the West. In this interview, Professor Esposito talks to OnIslam.net about his new center, appropriately titled Bridges, the media and public perceptions, as well as the latest controversies surrounding Bill Carson’s recent comments.
Can you comment on any future trends for Muslims everywhere?
You are one of the world’s leading experts on Christian-Muslim Relations, so what do you think is the greatest theological misconception that Christians have about Muslims? Well, it depends on which Christians. Your really hard liners, Franklin Graham, would wind up saying things like, Islam is evil or they might say the God of Christianity is not the God of Islam. But you also get people who do not go out of their way to bring it up, but who, with an almost matter of fact presumption, believe that Islam is a particularly violent religion relative to other religions. It’s ironic because it’s almost as if they never bothered to read the Old Testament or looked at Christian history post Constantine, when Christianity became imperial. What is the greatest theological misconception that Muslims have about Christianity? That depends on the range of Muslims. From a theological point of view, there are some Muslims who just cannot get their head around the trinity. Even though Christians say that there is only one God. Also, for some Muslims there is also this excessive emphasis, in terms of memory on the crusaders. If Islamaphobia is an irrational fear of the threat of Muslims and Islam, what is a rational fear that Muslims and nonMuslims should have, given the rise of Muslim extremism. A rational fear is the increasing and almost metastasizing with regard to the nature of extremism, the breadth of it, and also with regard to the increase in Islamophobia. And also the extent to which extremism is a significant factor in the potential breaking up of large areas in the Middle East. As well as how the governments, including but not just Iran and Syria, but now even some of the Gulf States, each in their own way, are feeding and exacerbating a kind of Sunni-Shiite dimension, and also exacerbating confrontation and levels of violence. When American Islamic scholar and editor in chief of the Oxford Encyclopedia of Islam and Law, Jonathan Brown, was asked why moderate Muslims are not speaking out against extremism, his response was, “What universe are you living on?” Many Muslims share his frustrations with this line of questioning and even non-Muslim, like yourself, who know the facts to be different than the perceptions. And yet this idea that we are not speaking out persists. Why do you think this is the case? It persists for a variety of reasons. Well, first it persists because the media tends to not report this kind of thing. For example,
post 9/11 you had almost immediately Muslims speaking out internationally. But that did not prevent Tom Friedman from saying on a number of times that Muslims don’t speak out. The fact is there have been lots of statements by Muslims speaking out after 9/11. And certainly in regards to ISIL, they are increasingly speaking out. The reality is, the media chooses not to report. In my own speaking and writing, I point out one major study done by Media Tenor. Between 2001 and 2011, nine hundred and seventy five thousand pieces of media coverage were looked at and the results were just as you might expect. In 2001, two percent of media was covering extremism and only 0.1 percent was covering ordinary Muslims. You jump to 2011, the two percent jumps to 25 percent, but the coverage of ordinary Muslims remains at 0.1 percent. Well with that kind of gap. Then you look at the last ten years, more important than the mass media is the role that social media has played. The amount of money that the Center for American Progress and also CAIR [the Council on American Islamic Relations] show in their studies of philanthropic support for Islamophobic authors and websites was found to be 42.6 million dollars. Over ten-year period and the other looked at three-year period and found something like 119 million dollars. When you get that kind of money being pumped into putting out negative messages, to which the average person is exposed to, then you get the perception that Muslims are not speaking out. What gets buried here is the discussion of domestic terrorism with the concern about home grown Muslim terrorism, not to deny that there should be serious concerns and that there have been threats and actions that have taken place. But if you look at the recent FBI reports and you look at the Southern Poverty Law Center’s report of two years ago, both wind up identifying that the primary domestic terrorism threat of today is basically home grown anti-government movements, having nothing to do with Islam. The president of the Southern Poverty Law Center just recently pointed out that they have grown incrementally since Obama’s election. And I think that this is a result of the racism and other things like the anti-immigrant wave. They also point out that there has been one major event done by these movements once every month in churches and schools. But those stories get passed over. What is your response to those who have accused you of being an apologist
for Islam? I think that shows just how screwed up we are. When I first became an academic nobody cared. Muslims could not understand why I did it and neither could nonMuslims. Islam was not even on our map. When you start calling people names then that is when you begin to see a shift.
The good news is that there is a critical mass of Americans who understand more about Islam and Muslims and see them as fully integrated into society, and I mean the very fabric of society. Also the Muslim community itself is getting stronger every day. But the forces, in terms of media, are still very disproportional If you say someone is an apologist for Islam, it’s like somebody saying to a Western scholar you are an Orientalist. They just use that sort of blanket blame. Actually that’s one of the better names I have been called. I have been called a stealth and so on. Sadly, what it shows is that we have people who are undermining the very principles and values of our country, in terms of equal citizenship and equal rights, civil liberties and freedom of speech. It’s getting increasingly difficult to say that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Things are getting worse on a lot of the hard issues; the attitude towards immigrants in America and certainly the Islamophobia and even the growing anti-Semitism. What is interesting is that things usually get worse when we invade a country and even more when we have elections. When you go back and look at the presidential elections of 2008 and 2012 and the congressional elections of 2010, and now the current elections, you see an uptick in issues and irrationality, whether it’s between the two candidates Trump and Carson. Or you see a spike in stats, for example of people who believe that Obama is a Muslim. Collin Powell said it when Obama first ran, “So what if a president is a Muslim.” Then when Ben Carson, or whatever the heck his name is, doesn’t seem to have heard that. Carson’s refusal to step back from that, even when it was pointed out that this is in
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The strength of the Islamaphobic forces, as well as those who are fellow travelers, and what I mean by travelers is that when you have Jihad Watch or others publishing stuff, it gets picked up in front pages everywhere. It gets picked up by other fellow travelers at times; by Pajama media, American Thinker, Family Security. And with all that going on with the Shawn Hannity’s and O’Reillys of the world, the risk is that things could get much worse. So the bad news is that those who view Muslims favorably have dropped from 35 percent to 27 percent. The good news is that there is a critical mass of Americans who understand more about Islam and Muslims and see them as fully integrated into society, and I mean the very fabric of society. Also the Muslim community itself is getting stronger every day. But the forces, in terms of media, are still very disproportional. We started a center, the Bridge, and our theme is to protect pluralism. The main thrust is to protect pluralism. By protecting pluralism we are combating Islamophobia. We do not have a lot of projects on Islamophobia. The funding and human resources are nothing compared to the forces of evil and that is what they are. - OnIslam PROGRAMS FROM P15
tal. These investors are businessmen, lawyers, bankers and other professionals.” Perhaps the most sought is the US Green Card. The US Immigration Investor Program, known as the EB-5, allows investors to obtain citizenship after five years against investment of between $500,000 and $1 million in a new venture or a troubled enterprise. The initial residency and green card is available between 20 and 24 months after the investment. But Pakistan has dual nationality arrangements with only 16 countries, including the US, Canada, UK France and Belgium. To acquire the citizenship of any country outside this list, a Pakistani would have to give up his or her nationality. The list does not include Hungary, Portugal, Grenada, Malta, Cyprus, St Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda, which have been promoting their citizenship-by-investment programmes. However, it is not often that high networth individuals who have capital and interest in Pakistan would want to renounce their nationality. Concerns have started to emerge about the kind of capital these investment programmes are attracting, especially as governments struggle to battle money laundering and tax evasion. Lalani insists intensive due diligence (countries charge clients between $2,000 and $7,500 for the purpose) filters out bad money from the good. The transactions are made through banking channels which follow all compliance requirements. “An investor has to disclose his source of wealth. He needs to shares detail about where the investment money is coming from and how he earned it. It has to be legit.” But a money transfer agent said these schemes also allow tax evaders and those with ill-gotten money to get away. “Who knows how much has been accumulated in offshore accounts. And there is always some new way of making the black money white,” he said.
COMMENTARY
P24 – PAKISTAN LINK – NOVEMBER 6, 2015
Factories Show Increased Bullish Hiring - 2 n By Saghir Aslam Rawalpindi, Pakistan
(The following information is provided solely to educate the Muslim community about investing and financial planning. It is hoped that the Ummah will benefit from this effort through greater financial empowerment, enabling the community to live in security and dignity and fulfill their religious and moral obligations towards charitable activities) Similarly, news that shoppers spent 11.3percent less this year over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend sent a chill through investors, perhaps contributing to a rapid fall in the value of Apple shares. Cyber Monday, a day in which many retailers try to spark online shopping with sales, also looked slightly disappointing, according to industry projections. There is an old adage of investing: Never bet against human ingenuity. Don’t take risks based on the idea that a given commodity will remain just as scarce, or a given business model just as defensible against competition. Now to be clear, all of these surfeits are very good things if you NAWAZ FROM P4
as articulated by an establishment loyalist NY Times, is on Pakistan to “limit” its nuclear arsenal—the one factor that gives Pakistan the comfort of an ultimate Equalizer if Delhi becomes nasty and overly-belligerent. The bottom line that Pakistan needs to remember is that its relationship with Washington is one not between equals. Washington sees itself as the master, and Pakistan the minion that must jump without demur when so ordered. But a greater tragedy is that Pakistan, for as far as one can remember, has been under the writ of rulers who see no harm in being snubbed, humiliated and shrugged off by their masters in Washington. The script hasn’t changed much in more than 60 years. For Nawaz, of course, it wasn’t a journey of disappointments, entirely. His ‘First Daughter’ was invited to the White House by First Lady Michelle Obama and hailed in the media, dotingly, as heir-apparent-in-grooming to Nawaz. Nothing could regale King Nawaz more than his American masters fawning on his chosen successor. Rejoice, Pakistan. Mughal splendor is all set to return to Pakistan. A new ruling dynasty is waiting in the wings to take to the national stage. The drama is about to begin; hold on to your seats. (The writer is a former ambassador and career diplomat) K_K_ghori@hotmail.com HUMA FROM P6
Hillary Clinton, who when faced with a more serious case of overt marital infidelity of her husband when he was president decided to stay in the marriage. More recently, Huma Abedin has been targeted by attacks of a different nature. Five right-wing Republicans Congressmen claimed, without any substantiation, that her late father, mother, and brother were members of the Muslim Brotherhood organization, and she represented a security
want to heat your house or order olive oil over the Internet. But they are just not very helpful to those who already have made investments in the way crude and extra virgin have traditionally been obtained or distributed. Retail has seen its own revolution, one which is far from finished, as bricks and mortar give way to the bits and bytes of the Internet. While this has spawned all sorts of strategies among retailers, the common denominator is that it has made times continually tough, with tight margins and omnipresent competitors and fair-improved price transparency. Investors have reacted to this new landscape by assuming it is just a replacement for the old, run on the same lines. Poor Black Friday sales are a reminder that this may be a mistake. risk to the United States. These allegations were reminiscent of the events in the fifties, when Senator Eugene McCarthy accused many innocent Americans of having covert communist sympathies and being Soviet spies. These false allegations proved to be baseless. Nevertheless, the careers and reputations of many innocent victims were tarnished. Fortunately, we now live in a more enlightened era than the fifties. A number of Senators, notably Senator John McCain, forcefully denounced attacks on Abedin, praising her as a loyal, patriotic American. While the accusations against Abedin belonging to Muslim Brotherhood were quickly dismissed, her tormentors soon found another issue. She was accused last July by one of the powerful US senators of collecting salaries from several sources simultaneously while working at the State Department, and that she inappropriately received nearly ten-thousand dollars in back and vacation pay after she retired from Government service. Abedin and her attorney have vigorously denied these allegations and nothing further has happened. It is difficult to judge how much animus against her is grounded in her status as an influential Muslim woman, and how much of it reflects attempts to get at her mentor Hillary Clinton indirectly, who is currently a front runner for the Democratic Party nomination. She clearly offers an easier target, and Republicans may be hoping that by besmirching her reputation they can also influence public opinion against Hillary Clinton, who herself is under attack for using her private e-mail for conducting official business whilst she was Secretary of State and not protecting the American embassy at Benghazi, Libya. TANGO FROM P7
have to live with the consequences of the lame ducks’ tango in Washington. (The writer can be reached at mazdaki@me.com and he tweets @ mazdaki)
Any kid with a new idea has a much better chance of putting it in place. Some might compete directly with Facebook or Amazon, but some indirectly, by attracting attention. We as investors have a historic psychological bias towards expecting advantages to be persistent. We look at Facebook now just a bit like we foolishly looked at Barnes and Noble or Sears 30 years ago. We look at a business and we get excited by its growth and revenues without truly comprehending how different the world has become. Abundance is justly celebrated, but can be dangerous to your wealth. (Saghir A. Aslam only explains strategies and formulas that he has been using. He is merely providing information, and NO ADVICE is given. Mr Aslam does not endorse or recommend any broker, brokerage firm, or any investment at all, nor does he suggest that anyone will earn a profit when or if they purchase stocks, bonds or any other investments. All stocks or investment vehicles mentioned are for illustrative purposes only. Mr Aslam is not an attorney, accountant, real estate broker, stockbroker, investment advisor, or certified financial planner. Mr Aslam does not have anything for sale.)
Pakistan Earthquake
Donate Zakat & Sadaqah for families affected by Earthquake.
Donate online at: www.hidaya.org Donate by Phone: 866.244.3292 Mail Checks Payable to: Hidaya Foundation PO Box 5481 Santa Clara, CA 95056
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thankful (to God) is in fact thankful for his own self. But if anyone is ungrateful, God is self-sufficient and free of all needs” (Qur’an 31:12) We thank God for giving us, to live and prosper in a land of freedom and opportunities where ‘the weak and oppressed could migrate to. (Qur’an 4:97) .We should thank God by remembering Him, not on just one day in a year but every day in our daily life. “Remember Me, I will remember you, thank Me and reject Me not” (Qur’an 2:152). The Bible also has many inspiring verses on expressing thanks to God. “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His loving kingdom is everlasting “(Chronicles 16:34).” Enter His gate with thanksgiving and His court with praise. Give thanks to Him and bless His name’ (Psalm 100:4).” I will praise the name of Lord with song, and shall glorify Him with thanksgiving: (Psalm 69:30) Every breath of life we take should be a reason to thank God. As a physician, I thank all my patients who trusted me for their health care, my teachers who taught me and my colleagues and my co-workers for their compassion. I thank my family and my friends for their love. (The author is a physician and lives in Carmel, Indiana) PARTIES FROM P13
Democratic Institute (NDI). Former US secretary of state, Madeleine Albright, is the chairperson of NDI’s Board of Directors. The NDI awarded sub-agreements to the US-based International Republican Institute (IRI) and to Pakistan’s Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO). The IRI, in turn, made an award to the Institute for Public Opinion Research (IPOR), also a Pakistani organization. Influential Republican Senator John McCain is the Chairman of IRI’s Board of Directors.
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Buying Rs.
USA UK S.Arabia Japan Euro UAE
Selling Rs.
105.50 161.50 27.94 0.8641 115.30 28.65
105.70 162.50 28.14 0.8841 116.30 28.85
(*4 November, 2015) US VISA BULLETIN ON NOVEMBER 2015 For Pakistan, Bangladesh & India Compiled by Hasan Chishti FAMILY SPONSORED PREFERENCES
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1st Unmarried sons & daughters of U.S. Citizens
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2-A Spouses and unmarried children of permanent residents
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2-B Unmarried sons & daughters (21 years of age or older) of permanent residents
Feb., 8, 2009
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RELIGION
NOVEMBER 6, 2015 – PAKISTAN LINK – P25
Issues and Questions
Zakat, Umra, Settlement Money in Car Accidents n By Dr Muzammil H. Siddiqi
Q
From the translation by Muhammad Asad (Leopold Weiss) About the translator: Muhammad Asad, Leopold Weiss, was born of Jewish parents in Livow, Austria (later Poland) in 1900, and at the age of 22 made his first visit to the Middle East. He later became an outstanding foreign correspondent for the Franfurter Zeitung, and after his conversion to Islam travelled and worked throughout the Muslim world, from North Africa to as far east as Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. After years of devoted study he became one of the leading Muslim scholars of our age. His translation of the Holy Qur’an is one of the most lucid and well-referenced works in this category, dedicated to “li-qawmin yatafakkaroon” (For people who think).
. Is it allowed to give Zakat money to a Muslim who is very poor but is not very religious? He does not offer prayers regularly, nor does he observe fasting in Ramadan. Please advise.
A. Primarily Zakat is to help the poor and needy Muslims. It can also be given to “those whose hearts are to be reconciled to Islam” (Surah al-Tawbah 9:60) This means that even a nonMuslim can receive some Zakat, if there is a hope that he/she can be guided to the truth of Islam. Similarly, if you think that by giving Zakat, you can win the heart of a misguided Muslim and bring him back to Islam, then Zakat can be given to him. According to some jurists such people also come in the category of “mu’allafutul qulub”. You help him with Zakat and remind him to follow his religion. Perhaps by this good treatment he will come back to Islam. Very often we Muslims give da’wah to others, but we do not take care of their physical and financial needs. Poverty sometimes pushes people to neglect their faith. The Prophet - peace be upon him - called some poverty “an evil that sometime make people forget Allah” (faqran munsiyan, see al-Tirmidhi, Hadith no. 2228). However, we should also be careful in giving Zakat. We should not give Zakat to any one who may use it to indulge in sins or to rebel against Allah and His deen. Q. Is it Halal to receive settlement money from a car accident in which I was injured? A. Yes, it is permissible to make claim and to receive settlement money for personal injury or property loss due to auto accidents. One can make claim against the person who caused the injury or against his/ her insurance company. However, it is Haram to make false claims and/ or to exaggerate the loss in order to collect more money. A Muslim has to be honest whether dealing with Muslims or non-Muslims. Q. Do I have to pay Zakat on my profit sharing that I have not
Gems from the Holy Qur’an
withdrawn? I have earned this profit sharing for the last five years in certificates, not in a form of money. A. If these certificates are cashable and you have the option to cash them any time, then they are like cash and you have to pay Zakat on them, provided their value reaches the Nisab of Zakat. You should pay Zakat on them for all the past five years also. The ratio of Zakat will be 2.5%. Q. I have a loan of $115,000 on my home which I am servicing monthly. I have some cash and jewelry worth over $10,000. If I just look at the cash and jewelry, I have to pay Zakat. If I consider the home loan, then I am under a debt of around $110,000. Is Zakat obligatory on me in this situation? A. If you pay off your $10,000 cash towards your loan, then there is no Zakat on you. But if you keep the cash with you and pay a small monthly amount towards your loan, then you have to pay the Zakat on your cash savings. For long-term loans, which require a small payment through installments, only the amount of the monthly or yearly installments can be deducted. Zakat should be paid then on any balance in savings after paying the monthly payments.
Q. What is the concept of ‘Umra? How did it start, and what is its purpose? A. The word ‘umrah means visiting or attending. ‘Umra is an act of worship. It is mentioned in the Qur’an. Allah says, “Perform the Hajj and ‘Umra for Allah… (al-Baqarah 2:196) The Prophet - peace be upon him - performed the ‘Umra after the treaty of Hudaibiyah and he explained to people how to do it. It is to enter the city of Makkah with Ihram with the intention of ‘Umrah and then to perform Tawaf around the Ka’bah and Sa’y between the mountains of Safa and Marwa. This was the ancient practice from the time of Prophet Ibrahim - peace be upon him. Its purpose is to allow Muslims to visit the city of Makkah during the year whenever possible. It is to keep the Ka’bah visited not only during the Hajj but to keep it visited throughout the year by Muslims. According to Muslim jurists, those who can afford, it is obligatory upon them to make at least one ‘Umra in their life, either with or before Hajj or any other time during the year. Q. My brother used to work in the Middle East. He was very well off then. When he came back to Pakistan, he invested the money he saved, but unfortunately that was all lost because of business failure. He is now working somewhere but has very low income to support his family. Some people say that he is not eligible for Zakat, due to the fact that he has his own house and all necessities of life like TV, r e f r i g e r a t o r, telephone, etc., at his home. Keep in mind that all this was bought when he
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was working in the Middle East. Is he eligible for the Zakat? Should he sell his household things to support his family? Please advise. A. The Shari’ah has allowed Zakat for the Fuqara’ and Masakin (see Surah al-Tawbah 9:60). According to jurists Fuqara’ are those who do not have anything and Masakin are those who have some things, but they are not sufficient for their needs. In Surah al-Kahf, Allah called a group of people Masakin (plural of Miskin) although they owned a boat. See alKahf 18:79. The Shari’ah also considers the changed conditions of time and place. The needs of people change according to the standards of time and place. The living standards of the people have changed very much now. What was considered a luxury at one time is now a necessity. Thus TV, refrigerator or telephone are now common things in many households. A person is not considered rich if he has these things. Thus if a person has these things, but his income is not sufficient for his basic expenses, he is eligible for Zakat. Q. My question is in regard to women shaving parts of their body, such as the legs and underarms. Clearly these parts of the body are not seen in public, but it may be more pleasurable to the husband and the woman herself if they are maintained. What is the current Islamic ruling on this practice? A. According to several Ahadith of the Prophet - peace be upon him - it is a Sunnah for both men and women to remove the underarms and pubic hairs. As far as removing the hairs from legs are concerned, there is no ruling about it in the Qur’an and Sunnah. The basic thing in matters (other than the acts of worship) is that everything is permissible, unless it is forbidden. If a woman wants to remove the hair from her legs for herself or for her spouse, it is not prohibited for her to do so. But if she does this to show her legs in public, then her sin will be double. Her one sin will be for showing the part of the body that she is forbidden to show and the second sin will be for removing her hair with this wrong intention.
Chapter 89, Al-Fajr (The Daybreak), Verses 27-30 [But unto the righteous God will say,] “O thou human being that hast attained to inner peace! Return thou unto thy Sustainer, well-pleased [and] pleasing [Him]: enter, then, together with my [other true] servants – yea, enter thou My paradise! Chapter 90, Al-Balad (The Land), Verses 4-20 Verily, we have created man into [a life of] pain, toil and trial. Does he, then, think that no one has power over him? Have we not given him two eyes, and a tongue, and a pair of lips, and shown him the two highways [of good and evil]? But he would not try to ascend the steep uphill road…. And what could make thee conceive what it is, the steep uphill road? [It is] the freeing of one’s neck [from the burden of sin], or of feeding, upon a day of [one’s own] hunger, of an orphan near of kin, or of a needy [stranger] lying in the dust – and being, withal, of those who have attained to faith, and who enjoin upon one another patience in adversity, and enjoin upon one another compassion. Such as they that have attained to righteousness; whereas those who are bent on denying the truth of Our messages – they are such as have lost themselves in evil, [with] fire closing in upon them. Chapter 91, Ash-Shams (The Sun), Verses 1-10 Consider the sun and its radiant brightness, and the moon as it reflects the sun! [ 1 ] Consider the day as it reveals the world, and the night as it veils it darkly! Consider the human self, and how it is formed in accordance with what it is meant to be, and how it is imbued with moral failings as well as with consciousness of God! To a happy state shall indeed attain he who causes this [self] to grow in purity, and truly lost is he who buries it in darkness. ______________________ Translator’s Notes [ 1 ] Literally, “as it follows it”, i.e., the sun. Accoding to the great philologist Al-Farraa, who lived in the second century after the hijrah, “ the meaning is that the moon derives its light from the sun” (quoted by Raazii). This is also RaaGhib’s interpretation of the above phrase.
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NOVEMBER 6, 6, 2015 2015 –-PAKISTAN LINKLINK – P27 NOVEMBER PAKISTAN
Misbah-ul-Haq Urged to Continue Pakistan Safe for Holding Int’l Events: ICC President Playing Till Australia Series
ISLAMABAD: Former Test opener and chief selector Mohsin Khan reckons skipper Misbah-ul-Haq is fully fit and therefore he should continue playing till the away series in Australia scheduled for next year. Mohsin, it seems, agrees to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan's view
that team need Misbah for some very important Test series in the near future. Pakistan are scheduled to tour England for a four-Test series next summer. Later in 2016, Pakistan will be visiting Australia for a threeTest battle. The green-shirts' highprofile series against India in
December this year, however, doesn't like to materialise, at least in the present circumstances. "If a batsman scores a century in one innings then he is [regarded] a world-class batsman. But if the same batsman fails in the next few innings media starts criticising him," Mohsin said while talking to a private news channel. Presently, Mohsin underlined, Pakistan needed experienced pros like Misbah and Younis Khan in the cut-throat Test arena, arguing the duo forming the team's backbone gave stability to a fragile-looking middle order. "Playing [Tests] against England in England won't be an easy task and [in these testing circumstances] batsmen like Misbah and Younis will provide much needed stability to our team," he emphasised. Speaking on Indo-Pak series, Mohsin said Shaharyar Khan on his recent visit to India had tried his level best to restore the contests, but regretted that the BCCI didn't treat him properly. J
LAHORE: International Cricket Council (ICC) President Zaheer Abbas has said that Pakistan is a safe country to host any kind of sports activity. Talking to the reporters here at the National Hockey Stadium on Monday, Zaheer, flanked by Punjab Minister for Sports and Education Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, DG SBP Usman Anwar and PCB COO Subhan Ahmed, said: "Pakistan is safe enough to organise any kind of sports activity both at national and international. Pakistan has honour to organise several cricket and hockey world cups in the past. "The three editions of Punjab Youth Festival (PYF) are fresh example when millions of youth featured in grand sporting activity and
these mega events are a big proof to prove Pakistan can organise all international events without any trouble," he added. To a query regarding next PYF, Zaheer, who is also former Pakistan skipper, said that Punjab Youth Festival should be orgsanised consistently. "This mega event has served Pakistan sports in many ways and really made us proud and this kind of gigantic sports event must be organised regularly in Pakistan. The ICC president also visited social media, CC TV control room and other departments at National Hockey Stadium and expressed his satisfaction on the security arrangements made by Sports Board Punjab for holding of national and international sports events. J
Sania, Hingis Clinch WTA Finals Title
SINGAPORE: Pakistan's "Bhabi"Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis capped off a sensational 2015 season with yet another doubles title recently. The Indo-Swiss pair
brushed aside Spaniards Gabrine Muguruza and Carla Suarez Navarro 6-0, 6-3 to capture the WTA doubles title. The top-seeded pair took a little over an hour to win their ninth title of
the year. Mirza and Hingis completely outclassed their Spanish counterparts. Having raced through the first set 6-0, Muguruza and Navarro showed some fight, winning three games. However, the effort wasn't enough to dethrone the pair who just a day before, secured WTA Year-End World No.1 Doubles Ranking presented by Dubai Duty Free. They dropped serve only once through the match and broke their opponents five times to wrap up a comprehensive victory. Mirza and Hingis didn't give away a single set in the tournament. Hingis and Mirza are 9-1 in finals this season, with two Grand Slam titles (Wimbledon, US Open), five WTA Premier titles (BNP Paribas Open - Indian Wells, Miami Open, Family Circle Cup - Charleston, Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open, China Open - Beijing), and one WTA International title (Guangzhou International Women's Open). They have now stretched their unbeaten streak to 22 matches. "I feel like it was a perfect day," Hingis said. "Sania just played out of her mind she was everywhere today, getting everything back and playing incredible tennis." J
I'm the Best, not Messi: Cristiano Ronaldo LONDON: The Portugal international insists he is not bothered by his rival's achievements in 2015 and says his mentality has allowed him to become one of the world's greats Cristiano Ronaldo believes that he is the best player in the world ahead of Lionel Messi. The Real Madrid forward has been battling for top spot with the Barcelona star and has won the Ballon d'Or ahead of the Argentine for the past two years. Messi heads into this year's ceremony having won the treble with Barcelona, but when asked about his rival's achievements, Ronaldo told El Pais: "It doesn't bother me. "If you look back over my past eight years, I've always been at the peak; and that is difficult. Name me someone else who has done it? After that, being No.1 or No.2 is a matter of small details, such as if you win tro-
phies or not. "Perhaps for you, Messi is the best; in my head, I am the best - and everyone should think that about ourselves. That is why I have been able to
achieve so much in my career. "It was hard for me to watch Messi picking up several Ballon d'Ors. I'd be thinking, 'Why should I go to the gala?"
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PCB Annouces 16-Member Squad for ODI Series Against England LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently announced 16-member squad for One-Day International series against England. The PCB's Selection Committee has also decided to include veteran cricketer Younis Khan in the team. Anwar Ali, Mohammad Irfan,
Mohammad Rizwan have also been called in for the 4-match series. Other team members included Shoaib Maqsood, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Azhar Ali, Muhammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, Bilal Asif, Aamir Yamin, Rahat Ali and Zafar Gohar. J
Govt Seeks Explanation From PCB on Indian Misadventure ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials' recent misadventure in India has taken a fresh turn as the Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) has sought an explanation from the board on whether its ill-planned trip was backed and supported by the authorities concerned in Pakistan. In an explanation letter addressed to the PCB, IPC Minister Mian Riaz Hussain Peerzada has taken serious notice of the PCB Chairman Shaharyar M Khan and other officials' recent trip to India. The letter sought an explanation from the Board's top brass, asking them to furnish details as to whether the board had prior permission from concerned authorities, including the prime minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Ministry of IPC, to undertake such a tour. Only the other day, during the Tajjamul Abbas tennis prize distribution ceremony in Islamabad, the minister to a question promised to check the details of the ill-planned trip to India that resulted in Hindu extremists sabotaging the meeting between the two cricketing board heads. A Ministry of IPC handout issued on Monday said that the ministry had
taken serious notice of the PCB chairman's planned meeting with the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Shahsank Manohar in Mumbai which could not take place. "The ministry has sought an explanation along with the details of the incident from the Pakistan Cricket Board. The PCB management has been asked to clarify as to whether or not the Foreign Office was consulted beforehand. Furthermore, whether prior permission from the prime minister (Patron-in-Chief of PCB), was taken or not. It is a serious matter and needs to be explored thoroughly." Mian Riaz Hussain Peerzada said that in the backdrop of tensions between the two countries, such decisions should only be taken after due deliberations with all the stakeholders. "Before such high level negotiations, the PCB leadership should have taken into account the hostile Indian environment and possible security threats." He said that the ill treatment of PCB top officials by the BCCI was utterly undesirable and had brought disgrace. "It was the responsibility of the BCCI management to pre-empt a protest or any attempt of disruption." J
PAKISTAN
P28 – PAKISTAN LINK – NOVEMBER 6, 2015 SALEEM FROM P13
Those who target journalists will one day be held to account for their actions,” he said. The United Nations marks November 2 as the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, to reaffirm its commitment to advocate for the safety of journalists throughout the world. The day serves to remind us of unresolved crimes against journalists and draws attention to unsolved cases where violence has been used against journalists who are simply exercising their freedom of expression and duty of reporting. According to RSF, nearly 800 journalists have been killed in connection with their work in the past ten years, 48 of whom were killed since the start of 2015. The organization is calling for the appointment of a special representative to the UN Secretary General on the safety of journalists. FALCONS FROM P13
of Balochistan surfaced. The foreign ministry, in a communication of October 12, informed the embassy of Saudi Arabia about the issuance of the permit and said the authorities concerned had been requested to facilitate the export. Copies of the letter have been sent to Wildlife Conservator of the climate change division Umeed Khalid, the chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue and the foreign ministry’s deputy chiefs of protocol in Karachi and Islamabad. The sources recalled that Prince Fahd had been issued two export permits — one for eight falcons and the other for 10 birds — by the federal government last year. The sources said that earlier permits for houbara bustard hun¬t¬ing and falcon export carried the names of the foreign ministry’s officials issuing the permits. But Prince Fahd’s current permit does not carry the name of any official. They said the precaution had been taken to avoid complications because a few weeks ago the Supreme Court had ordered the government not to issue houbara bustard hunting permits. The export, trading and trapping of saker and peregrine falcons has been banned under the provincial wildlife protection laws. The country has no designated market where the birds can be bought and sold as falcon trapping is also banned. In the absence of a designated falcon market, an underground market is thriving, according to the sources. The price of a falcon ranges between Rs10 million and Rs100 million. Pakistan is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora and the Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). The latter is an intergovernmental treaty aimed at conserving terrestrial, marine and avian species across their migratory range. Recently the Saker Falcon Global Action Plan was adopted by CMS signatories at a meeting in Ecuador. A federal law — the Pakistan Trade Control of Fauna and Flora Act 2012 — also restricts any trade in falcons. Conservationists have called for cancellation of the falcon export permit issued to Prince Fahd. FAFEN FROM P15
be acquired, various violations of electoral procedures took place. These included breach of secrecy of voting, canvassing inside polling
stations, presence of security personnel inside polling stations and incidents of interference by security and election staff in the voting process. There was little action taken by the ECP to enforce its code of conduct on political parties and candidates which were promulgated well ahead of elections, the report said. Delayed opening of polling stations was reported from 10 (4pc) stations in four districts — Bahawalnagar, Lahore, Lodhran and Kasur. According to the report, party or the candidates’ campaign material was present inside 10 (4pc) of the polling stations. Fafen observers also reported violation of secrecy of voting at 10.8pc of the polling stations. They reported a number of incidents where candidates, politicians, political workers, influential persons or security personnel were found persuading voters to vote in favor of a specific candidate or party. In its report for Sindh, Fafen said that in some constituencies polling could not begin on time due to late arrival of election staff. Some irregularities were observed during polling but there was no report in which a polling station was occupied by a group as was reported in previous elections, the report said. However, there were some reports of halting of the polling process in Larkana, Sukkur, Ghotki and Jacobabad and delaying in counting of votes. WAHAB FROM P20
something about the manner in which Wahab has imposed himself on a series apparently designed for careful batsmen and probing spinners. The talk ahead of Sunday’s third Test in Sharjah is about the kind of pitch that awaits England’s attempts to square the series. Wahab, you feel, won’t particularly care. The Daily Mail VERB FROM P20
develop talent? I encourage our trainers and researchers to gather data to study the question, “At what age can kids begin to play tackle football without exaggerated physical risks?” I suggest that age 5 is too young, but we need data to make an informed decision. (Dr Gary L. Welton is assistant dean for institutional assessment, professor of psychology at Grove City College, and a contributor to The Center for Vision & Values. He is a recipient of a major research grant from the Templeton Foundation to investigate positive youth development) TRANSFER FROM P18
between 9:00am and 12:00pm. This event is open to all veterans, as well as guard, reserve and active service members. Attendees will receive information on career opportunities available to military members, as well as useful career advice on resume tips, successful interviewing techniques, how to translate military skill and build an effective LinkedIn profile. HEALTH FROM P18
included application of new and innovative technologies. She said an office of DICE comprising bio-medical engineers, scientists, researchers and entrepreneurs of Pakistani-origin presently settled abroad, had been established at the DUHS’ Ojha campus. Earlier, at the inauguration ceremony, Prof. Masood Hameed Khan
stated, “Exhibition is combine blend of competition, scientific sessions and continued medical education program. Students working in the field of medical, engineering and biomedical will be showcasing their projects. The Dow University will also showcase its innovations. The exhibition will motivate professionally educated youth to generate innovative ideas and utilize currently available state of art technologies and software, for practically possible development of health related products and services”. The VC shared his experiences of his recent visit to Cuba: These days Cuba is very much in media because of the fact that they invested in biological technology extensively. Their biological technologists have produced 300 PhDs, who are producing world class vaccines including a vaccine for lung cancer treatment; because of this vaccine President of United States of America visited Cuba, despite the US sanctions on Cuba and had tense relations … soon after the US opened its foreign office in Cuba; this is the strength of knowledge.” He also informed the audience about products and projects DUHS was ready to market including, RIBA water, food and high energy biscuits, institute of rehabilitation, fabricating artificial limbs, non-alcoholic hand sanitizer. Dr. Khurshid Qureshi, Chairman DICE, informed the audience about one very interesting product at the exhibition: Concentration monitor – with the help of that device one could measure their level of concentration in the work they do, as their concentration varied from time to time. While talking about the progress of South Korea, Dr Qureshi added, “Sixty years back South Korea was poorer than Pakistan but today, if you go there, 70% cars are Korean-made. At one time in the USA and in Pakistan as well there was a craze to buy SONY televisions but now people prefer to buy Samsung (Korean brand) televisions.” He further informed about the objectives of establishing DICE, an organization of Pakistani expatriates working hard to bring innovation and entrepreneurship to Pakistan. He said, “One of the key objectives of DICE, in addition to creating a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, is capacity building – improving our knowhow using expertise and experience of expatriates all around the world, so that Pakistan can make its own indigenous innovative products. We are the lowest cost tractor producer in the world; we could beat China as well.” CENTER FROM P17
viewpoint. She said that rising global incomes are also increasing global food demand and the importance of dissemination of information to farmers has become important as has the need for more research to meet these demands. Last but not least Marwa Zafarullah, an AIP student from Pakistan who is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree on a scholarship through this program, gave a passionate speech about where she came from and where she is today thanks to the encouragement and support that she received from her family, and especially her father and many others. Life is not about stopping. It is about following your dreams and ambitions, she said. Great job, young lady! To conclude, the following individuals (the list unfortunately is not complete) need to be recognized for their contributions to making this effort possible: James E. Hill, Associated Dean (now Emeritus); the late Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef; Dr Bob Kerr and Dr Bill Lacy all from UC Davis; Dr Iqrar A. Khan, Vice Chancellor, Dr Bashir Ahmed, former Vice Chancel-
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lor and Dr Asif Ali Khan from the UAF; Dr Khalid Ejaz plus other officials from the Pakistan Consulate in Los Angeles and last but not least members of the Pakistani-American community in the region including Rashid Ahmad, Dr Muhammad Aslam, Dr Sajid Hussain, Dr Akhtar Khan, Kamran Malik and Bashir Chaudhry. A big “Thank You” is in order to all of them and to USAID for making this center a reality. AID FROM P1
fled insurgency and violence in the region since 2008. The United States has provided more than $1 billion in development assistance to FATA since 2009, making it the largest bilateral donor to date. Earlier in July, China had also given a grant of $10 million in cash to support the government of Pakistan in the rehabilitation of residents in Fata and to promote subsequent social development in the region. PLEDGE FROM P1
chief agreed that both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia “share great history of cordial relations and deep spirit of brotherhood which transforms into enduring partnership”. The Saudi dignitaries told the army chief that the kingdom holds Pakistan Army in high esteem and appreciates the military’s achievements in the ongoing operation Zarb-i-Azb. INVESTORS FROM P1
achievements in attracting foreign investment, the PM cited the landmark China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project and said that it will not only connect South and Central Asia but also create a number of employment opportunities and a favorable environment for economic progress. “Pakistan has entered into an agreement with Russia for the establishment of a $2 billion North-South gas pipeline and is also working on a similar project between Nawabshah and Gwadar port,” the PM claimed. Encouraging the investors, Nawaz said that his government is committed to provide a safe and sound working environment to investors belonging to the private sector, both foreign and local. “People’s trust in the present government is evident from the result of local government elections,” the PM said. He told the prospective investors that his government is providing loans to the unemployed youth and the projects to end load shedding by 2017 are already under construction. “International financial and monetary groups and observers have termed Pakistan’s progress satisfactory for investment,” said Nawaz. The conference is aimed at attracting foreign and local investors to invest in different sectors of national economy. Business delegations from over 29 countries are participating in the two-day conference. OSCAR FROM P1
18-year-old girl who is a survivor of an honor killing attempt. Honor killing is a pressing issue in Pakistan as more than a 1000 women fall prey to this practice each year, usually at the hands of their own family members. The film, which brings to light the plight of oppressed women, is very close to Sharmeen herself. “A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness is a film that resonates with me deeply. It’s a film about the kinds of choices we women have in
the world and how our lives are impacted by the decisions taken by others,” said Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. The film has been jointly produced by journalist Tina Brown and documentary producer Sheila Nevins. This is not the first time that Sharmeen’s work has caught the attention of The Academy. She became the first Pakistani to win an Oscar for her documentary Saving Face in 2012. One of her recent documentaries Song of Lahore, in which she shares directorial credits with Andy Shocken, received a standing ovation at Tribeca Film Festival. She has also won an Emmy award for her documentary Children of Taliban. The film is set to air on HBO next year. KASHMIR FROM P1
maintained that Kashmir was India’s “integral part” and Pakistan was in illegal occupation of a part of that “Indian state”. Diyar Khan exercised his right of reply and forcefully asserted, “The Security Council resolutions had also clarified that no electoral exercise conducted by Indian authorities in Jammu and Kashmir could be accepted as substitute to a free and impartial plebiscite under the UN auspices.” TEST FROM P1
on Thursday for a series-levelling win while Pakistan will fancy a 2-0 victory by capturing the remaining eight wickets. Pakistan won the second Test by 178 runs in Dubai while the first ended in a draw in Abu Dhabi. It was Malik, due to quit Test cricket after this match, who provided Pakistan’s early breakthroughs, trapping Moeen Ali (22) leg-before and then bowling Ian Bell (nought) in successive overs. Cook and Root survived confident leg-before appeals off Zulfiqar Babar in the dying moments, much to the relief of the England camp. England’s best chase in all Test cricket is the 332 they made against Australia at Melbourne in 1928 while they have not reached more than a 209-run target in Asia, achieved against Bangladesh at Dhaka five years ago. Determination: It was only through Shafiq and Srafraz Ahmed’s 55-run stand for the seventh wicket that Pakistan’s lead soared over 250, as the pair batted with determination. Spinner Samit Patel dismissed the Pakistan wicketkeeper for 36 before Broad had Shafiq to leave Pakistan at 354-9. England took the second new ball after 81 overs with Pakistan at a lunch score of 229-4 and Broad struck in the fifth over, trapping Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq leg before for 38. Misbah hit two fours and a six and became Broad’s 50th wicket in the calendar year in 13th Test, the best in 2015. Misbah and Hafeez added an invaluable 93 runs for the fifth wicket. Hafeez, dropped by Broad off his own bowling when on 113, drove Anderson for two to reach the 150mark, his fourth 150-plus in Tests, but a run later holed out to spinner Ali at long-on where Bell took a simple catch. Hafeez batted for 380 minutes, faced 266 balls and hit 15 fours and three sixes. He said he was pleased with his contribution.
CLASSIFIED & MATRIMONIAL
NOVEMBER 6, 2015 – PAKISTAN LINK – P29
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WOMENS WORLD
OCTOBER 30, 2015 - PAKISTAN LINK
WOMEN
P30 – PAKISTAN LINK – NOVEMBER 6, 2015
By Samina Shaheen
W
ith so many brands and designers entering the fashion industry, there is a great demand for talented new models. But the fact is, modelling is not just about having a pretty face. It also requires one to have charisma, a strong personality, a great walk and camera presence. To make sure the fashion industry finds someone who is a combination of all the above qualities, a modelling contest has been taking place for the past five years. Yes it's the Veet Super Model contest we are talking about here. The show that auditions, grooms and trains beautiful young ladies is back and recently announced the winner of 2015 in a grand finale. You! takes a look... Let's dress up: Let's face it, it's fashion shows that teach us what is in and what is out. Hence, it is very important to notice each and every single trend that is introduced at a fashion show beginning from the hair to the shoes. Read on to find out more about the latest trends... Hair affair: The hairstyles of the season as seen on the ramp are loose curls and the windblown look. Yes, you need to let go of those tight curls that take all over your hair and instead opt for the natural kind of look with slight curls at the end. The trick is to look as natural as possible. In case of up-dos, the models carried off messy buns with a few strands of hair left loose. This kind of look has a very princessy effect and makes your features look soft and pretty. Those who like sporting straight hair can continue to do so as long as they add edgy bangs to their cut. Colour me pretty: As far as the makeup is concerned, we noticed that the look of the night was smokey eyes with nude or pink lipstick. Yes, we all love the red lip but there are times when you want your dress to do the talking, hence it's better to lay low on dark lips. If you want to add more focus to the shape of the eyes then go for cat eyeliner and a nude shade for the lips. Also, the current look of the season is a slight glowy face that appears natural. So say goodbye to those cakey foundations and head to the store to purchase a good highlighter. This season contouring and highlighting is the way to go! The fashion element The finale of the show may have been a platform to announce the winner
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but it was also a doorway to the fashion trends of the season. All the upcoming models walked the ramp in different creations by Ali Xeeshan who truly outdid himself with a variety of designs. East meets west: The first trend we noticed was the fusion of East and west when it comes to bridal/wedding wear. The trend of lehenga choli seems to be ruling the runway; however the slight alteration is in the cut of the lehenga. Are you one of those girls who were crazy about the gowns Disney princesses wore? Well then, this is the time you can bring your childhood fantasies to life as the poofier the lehengas, the better. Yes, those slim fitted lehengas are completely out and if you want to stay with the trend then opt for this gown meets lehenga cut. Also, plain lehengas are the talk of the old days and nowa-
days the only way to get noticed at a wedding is to opt for printed lehengas. However, there seems to be some experimentation going on with the texture of the cloth so take your pick from chiffon, pure silk, satin and banarsi. Go western: As far as western attire is concerned, models all over the world have been spotted wearing printed pants on the runway. The collection by designer Ali Xeeshan also highlighted this trend as he paired up printed silk pants with a velvet top for one of the models. While others were seen flaunting plain silk gowns in colours like blue and white. Some had exquisite lace patterns while others stood out because of their flowy cuts. Jewel factor: All the outfits were accentuated by the use of prominent and funky statement jewellery such as necklaces, bracelets, earrings and head pieces. One thing all fashionistas need to take note of is that the jewellery shouldn't be too blingy if your clothes are heavily embellished. Go for heavy ornaments if your outfit is simple. The key is to emphasise either on the dress or the jewellery. The show The event organised by Body Beat started off with a glimpse at the past where some of the previous winners of Veet Miss Supermodel Abeer Rizvi, Areeba Habib, and Beenish Khan took the stage. The three divas stated how the platform is contributing to the fashion industry by introducing new talent and letting young girls fulfil their dreams. The upcoming models then walked the ramp with their mentors Cybil Chaudhry, Mehwish Hayat and Faiza Ansari. The show then moved on from fashion to music as Goher Mumtaz took the stage followed by a performance by Zoe Viccaji. The evening came to an end with the announcement of Jasmine Kiyani as the winner of the contest. The evening was attended by a number of celebrities including Nadia Hussain, Komal Rizvi, Momal Shiekh, Fahad Hussain, Kiran Khan, Gumby and many more. Without a doubt every year the talent that the contest brings in seems to be improving and we hope the show continues for years to come to give us top models to be proud of. After all, it is this platform that gave us the current popular models like Sadaf Kanwal and Sana Sarfaraz.
NOVEMBER 6, 2015 - PAKISTAN LINK
ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE
ENTERTAINMENT
NOVEMBER 6, 2015 – PAKISTAN LINK – P31
T
he recently night has passed us, and it's safe to say that Nabila's Halloween party was among the best for celeb spotting.
Some of our favs were looking truly fantastic in their costumes, while others were...not. We'll let you decide. Host Nabila looked quite stunning. Asim Raza's Shiv Sena outfit gets our vote for costume of the night - that placard! Forget Wasim, his wife Shaniera Akram looked devilishly hot in red Sadaf Kanwal and Fauzia Aman No ganja here but NYC has made Mehwish a tad more creative
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P32 – PAKISTAN LINK – NOVEMBER 6, 2015
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