newspaper pakistantoday

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Pakistan reassessing cooperation with US, says Gilani

Faltering hopes for economic growth, says central bank

UK isolated as Europe moves ahead on fiscal union

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PROFIT | PAGE 01

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Rs15.00 Vol ii no 163 22 pages Karachi edition

Saturday, 10 december, 2011 Muharram-ul-Haram 14, 1433

I’ll be back: Zardari g

g

Journalist says president told him his enemies and detractors will be disappointed Mystery continues to shroud Zardari’s ailment, sources say it might be TIA

Spare no aggressor, Kayani told g

ISLAMABAD

P

MiAn AbrAr

RESIDENT Asif Ali Zardari was on Friday said to have emphatically brushed aside rumours about his health, saying he was completely alright and would return to Pakistan soon and disappoint his detractors.

“I was born in Pakistan and I will die in Pakistan,” in an interview with PTV, senior journalist and television anchor Hamid Mir quoted President Zardari as saying. Mir said he had a conversation with Zardari on Friday morning, during which the president told him that speculation and rumours about his health were baseless and completely wrong.

He said the president talked to him for a long time and enquired about the well-being of other journalist friends, and also talked about the situation in Pakistan.

“Those that run from the country run with their kids. My son is in Pak-

istan. I left him there,” Mir quoted the president as saying. He said Zardari time and again said he was all right and had undergone checkups for some problems, and now the tests were clear and he would return to Pakistan in a few days.

The doctors had advised the president to rest, Mir said. The president remarked that perhaps many of his enemies do not want him to return to his country, said Mir. “They think that I have fled but escape is not an option. I will never leave as I was born in Pakistan and I will die in Pakistan. God Willing, I will return in a few days and my enemies will be disappointed,” Mir quoted the president as saying.

Mir also said that during his conversation with the president, he got the impression that he had deeply studied Urdu literature as he quoted some verses from Faiz Ahmed Faiz to him. The president also talked about the media and his critics, he added.

Haqqani asks SC to recall order, dismiss Nawaz’s petition

ISLAMABAD stAFF rePort

In response to Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif’s petition seeking a probe into the memogate controversy, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani, who is a main respondent in Sharif’s plea, filed a concise statement in the Supreme Court on Friday raising preliminary objections to the plea and seeking a recall of the court’s December 1 short order in the case, but the apex court’s Registrar Office rejected the application. The application contended that an adverse order was passed by the court on December 1 without giving an opportunity to Haqqani of being heard, which had resulted in serious infringement of the constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights of the respondent under Articles 4, 9, 10-A, 15, 18 and 25 of the constitution.

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Pakistan deploys additional troops, anti-aircraft guns at Western border ISLAMABAD sHAiQ HUssAin

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US vacates Shamsi airbase MonItorIng DeSk The United States has vacated the Shamsi airbase and also moved five drones to Afghanistan and other locations, Geo News reported on Friday. It is expected that UAE officials will take control of the airbase today (Saturday).

Citing sources, the channel said American barracks at the base had also been destroyed and FIA officials were present to check the immigration of US citizens. The Americans had also expanded the runway of the airbase in order to allow the landing of large aircrafts.

Terrorist sanctuaries in Pakistan: Dempsey There are terrorist sanctuaries in Pakistan which need to change along with the country’s influence on Afghanistan, the head of US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey said on Friday said. According to Geo News, the US general said the NATO attack in Mohmand Agency was not intentional. “We did not attack the Pakistani checkpost and are waiting for the results of the investigation… what did we have to gain from this attack?” Dempsey asked. Dempsey said the US was considering alternate supply routes for coalition forces in Afghanistan. Monitoring Desk

As Pakistan upgraded its defense system on the Afghan border with the deployment of additional troops, anti-aircraft guns and shoulder-to-air missiles, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said on Friday no attack on the country’s sovereignty would be allowed and any attempt in future would definitely meet a detrimental response.

The prime minister was talking to Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, who called on him here at PM’s House. The prime minister and army chief discussed matters pertaining to national security in the backdrop of the Mohmand Agency incident, according to an official statement. The army chief told the PM about the steps taken on the western borders to revamp the defence capabilities aimed at effectively countering the recurrence of an incursion into Pakistani territory. Gilani said the democratic government would not allow a similar attack on the country’s sovereignty again and any such attempt in future would be met with a detrimental response.

An official privy to the meeting said Gen Kayani also briefed the prime minister on steps being taken to beef up security arrangements on the country’s western border in the aftermath of the NATO air strike on border posts in Mohmand Agency. “Gen Kayani told Gilani that the border defence system was upgraded and additional troops were being deployed on the Afghan border. The army chief told the PM that more anti-aircraft guns had been deployed there along with shoulder-to-air missiles, and the troops had also been ordered to take every possible step on their own to protect the country’s sovereignty in the face of any external threat,” the official said. In addition to that the radar system had also been upgraded, he said further. A security official seeking anonymity said alarmed by the covert US strike in Abbottabad on May 2 to kill Osama bin Laden, Pakistan was already upgrading its border defences but the NATO strike brought acceleration to the process. “First came the May 2 incident and we were shocked and forced to take certain measures [at the border], but then came the NATO air strike and we had to accelerate the process of the border defence system. Earlier, we were not expecting any such incident at the Western border because allied troops were stationed on the other side, but that is no longer the case,” the official said.

The Pentagon said it was aware of the developments on the Pak-Afghan border, but that upgrading defence arrangements was Pakistan’s internal matter.

Blast kills three Rangers in Karachi kArACHI stAFF rePort

A bomb targeting a Pakistan Rangers vehicle left three personnel dead and four others injured in Karachi on Friday.

The explosives were reportedly planted near the Safoora Chowrangi in Gulistan-e-Jauhar and detonated as the Rangers vehicle passed through the area at around 7:30am.

The deceased were identified as Abdul Rashed, the driver, Mohammad Ibrahim and constable Ijaz Ahmed, while the injured were named Azam, Mohammad Afzal, Nawaz and Fazil. Police said that about five kilo-

grammes of explosives were used in the blast.

“Three personnel from Pakistan Rangers were killed and four were injured … it was a remote-controlled bomb,” Manzor Wassan, Sindh home minister, said.

The Bomb Disposal Squad said the bomb had been planted besides a tree in the area.

Sources said the bomb was planted exactly at the place where Rangers officials used to set up a checkpoint everyday, but on Friday, the personnel parked their vehicle a few meters away from the usual spot, avoiding heavy casualties.

The funeral prayers for the deceased were offered at Bhittai Rangers Headquarters.

KARACHI: Relatives mourn the killing of three Rangers personnel in a bomb attack on Friday. ONLINE

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02 News Today’s

Saturday, 10 December, 2011

lAHoRE

NEWS

eunuch group dancing to PMl-n tunes

Don’t forget Pakistan’s flood victims: Prince Charles the sick man of Pakistan

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WoRlD vIEW

Quick Look

HEC announces 30% pay increase for TTS academics Lahore: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) notified on Friday an increase of 30 percent in the salaries of Tenure Track System (TTS) Public University teachers. The salary increment despite a dismal economic situation was lauded by academics. Sources said the increment took place after a pressure from TTS teachers and efforts from HEC officials.

The TTS system was introduced four years ago which kept a terminal degree or Phd degree a minimum qualification. The HEC notification increases the minimum salary of Professor from Rs 180,000 to Rs 234,000 and maximum salary from 312,000 to 405,600. Similarly an Associate Professor’s minimum salary was increased from Rs 120,000 to 156,000 and maximum salary from Rs 225,000 to 292,500. Assistant Professor’s minimum salary was increased from Rs 80,000 to Rs 104,000 and maximum salary from Rs 162,500 to Rs 211,250. HEC Executive Director Sohail told Pakistan Today that an old demand of TTS teachers was met due to HEC efforts. He denied HEC lacked the recurring budget for salaries though he accepted that the development budget had been facing cuts over the past few years. He said any Phd or terminal degree holder can apply for the post of assistant professor under TTS scheme whereas Associate Professors and Professors need to fulfill certain requirements to apply for their respective posts under TTS, requirements which include a specific amount of experience and research papers. He said the HEC could not afford to lose Phd scholars and had designed a good salary package for them. He said the salary was a lump sum which included all sorts of allowances. Sohail clarified no HEC foreign scholar had been called back due to the shortage of funds. HEC funds TTS whereas Basic Pay Scale (BPS) system is paid by the respective Government. TTS teachers demanded salary increments after the BPS teachers received a 50 percent salary increment last year. As TTS teachers work on a contractual basis and the HEC developed a mechanism to review the performance of the teachers after a specific time period. University teachers lauded the HEC decision and said that the step would encourage people aiming to become academic scholars. HAssAn siDDiQUe

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‘Government should review regularisation of PIA employees’ g g

BOMB CHECK...AFTER THE BLAST: A Rangers’ official uses a sniffing dog to search the site of a roadside bomb blast in Karachi on Friday. AFP

PIA MD claims PIA losses equal Rs 160 billion Says 23 out of 39 PIA aircraft ‘worn out’ ISLAMABAD stAFF rePort

Terming the regularisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) employees, working on daily wages, on the orders of President Asif Ali Zardari an additional burden, members of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Defense on Friday said the decision should be reviewed.

National Assembly Standing Committee met with Abdul Ghani Talpur in the chair to discuss the PIA losses, flight delays, the Hajj operation, the presence of cockroaches on planes and PIA flight rates. The Committee was informed about the details of aircraft to employee ratio, the financial position of PIA and viability of the present fleet.

PIA Managing Director Nadeem Yusufzai told the committee that PIA losses stood at Rs 140 billion and fulfilling the regularisation orders of President Zardari would cost Rs 61.4 million. He said while no one had been regularised so far, PIA had planned to keep workers on daily wage for two more years prior to reg-

ularisation. PML-N MNA Sardar Mahtab Abbasi and other PML-N MNAs expressed reservations over PIA’s ability to bear the regularisation of daily wage employees and asked for the decision to regularise such employees to be reviewed.

Moreover, the committee was told that out of a PIA fleet of 39 aircrafts, 23 were nearly worn-out and cost more in terms of maintenance and consumed more fuel. Yusufzai said PIA planned to replace aircrafts from March or April next year and all planes would be replaced by 2020. He said PIA, as national airline, could not stop operating on loss-making routes since it would trouble people traveling to these destinations. On the Hajj flights delay, the PIA MD told the committee PIA was not solely responsible since other factors such as the availablity of space on terminals in Saudi Arabia was beyond PIA’s control. Meanwhile, the committee directed the Ministry of Defense Secretary to submit a report on the issue of delay in the schedule and cancellation of flights after a through probe in the next meeting of the NA body on December 23.

Anjum Aqeel, co-accused sent Bal Thackeray’s granddaughter marries Muslim on judicial remand MonItorIng DeSk

IsLamabad: Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PMLN) Member National Assembly (MNA) Anjum Aqeel Khan and his co-accused in the National Police Foundation (NPF) land scam were sent on judicial remand on Friday.

The accused persons were not produced before the court on Friday as they were under medical treatment at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS). Civil Judge Mahmood Haroon who held the hearing of the case against PML-N MNA Anjum Aqeel, expressed annoyance on the absence of the accused persons, questioning how all the accused were ill after they were completely healthy at the time of their arrest. stAFF rePort

Extremist Hindu party Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s granddaughter Neha Gupta married a Gujarati Muslim in Mumbai on December 4, media reports said. Neha is the daughter of Bal Thackeray’s eldest son late Bindumadhav.

Neha, 25, has married Muhammad Nabi, 27, son of an old friend of Bindumadhav and Raj Thackeray. The marriage has further cemented the

family’s bond with the MNS leader. The entire family, excluding Bal Thackeray, attended the wedding at Hotel Taj Lands End. Neha’s mother Madhavi Thackeray welcomed guests like Manohar Joshi, Ram Kadam, Ashish Shelar, Gopal Shetty, Nitin Sardesai and wife Swati, Mangesh Sangle, Shirish Parkar, Shishir Shinde and others. Raj Thackeray, too, attended the reception, along with his wife and sons, reports said.

Thousands rally in Colombo against NATO’s Mohmand attack CoLoMBo online

Thousands of people on Friday rallied against last month’s NATO attack on Pakistan’s military checkposts in Mohmand that killed 24 soldiers and injured 13.

The Sri Lanka Pakistan Friendship Association organised the demonstration after Friday prayers outside the Devatagagha mosque in Town Hall.

The demonstrators condemned the blatant NATO/US-ISAF aggression and the unprovoked attacks and called for impartial inquiry.

Western Province Governor Hon Alvi Maulana, several government ministers, including Minister Mervin De Silva, the deputy mayor of Colombo Municipality and several high profile personalities participated in the peaceful protest against the blatant violation of Pakistan’s air and ground space.

People from all communities of Sri Lanka gathered in an exceptional display of solidarity with Pakistan - which has assisted Sri Lanka in its testing

times throughout its history.

The organisers of the demonstration, ministers and representatives of political parties addressed the protesters and called for a resolute stand against the aggression.

“Stop terrorising Pakistan,” the protestors chanted.

The speakers of the rally were of the opinion that the US had begun an undeclared war on Pakistan and its drones had killed thousands of innocent citizens in the Tribal Areas in the name of collateral damages.

Meanwhile, various civil society organisations and unions joined the peaceful rally and recorded their protest against the NATO attack. A heavy contingent of police provided security to the protesters and no unwanted incident took place throughout the protest.

The demonstrators said the US was pressing Sri Lanka to inquire into the recently-ended 30-year-old civil war, while on the other hand, it was killing innocent people in the name of democracy and peace.

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Saturday, 10 December, 2011

FoREIgN NEWS

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

SPoRTS

‘Us drone penetrated 250km into iran’

is Jackie shroff gay?

Hafeez, taufeeq put Pakistan on top

News 03 CoMMENT Clarity It’s a good thing in a democrat.

escalating tensions

The US and Pakistan need to cool it.

Arif nizami says:

Rumour run amok: As in our hapless republic, rumours are wont to.

White lies: Had it been a country/democracy sensitive to public opinion, a simple statement about President Zardari’s medical condition from the otherwise publicity happy and often combatant media managers would have been promptly issued. In that case we would have been spared the range of speculation and sheer gossip on the subject. It all started last week with the breaking news that President Zardari had suddenly left for Dubai for a medical check up.

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Articles on Page 12-13

President has a clot in his neck, Awan tells CJ, then backtracks Zardari to return within 2-3 days: Sindh CM KaraChI: Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah claimed on Friday that President Asif Ali Zardari was returning to Karachi from Dubai within two to three days. He was speaking at a news conference after presiding over a meeting of the Sindh Council at the Chief Minister House. He regretted the media speculations and statements of political opponents regarding President Asif Ali Zardari’s illness. The chief minister said that members of the Sindh Council expressed confidence in leadership of President Zardari. On the occasion, the chief minister announced a public holiday in Sindh on December 27, the death anniversary of Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) assassinated leader Benazir Bhutto. The PPP has decided to hold a large public gathering on Benazir Bhutto’s death anniversary due to the current political situation, especially to counter former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s public meeting held in Ghotki

ISLAMABAD

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stAFF rePort

H E government on Friday continued confusing the situation regarding the health of President Asif Ali Zardari, with top PPP leader Dr Babar Awan first saying the president had developed a clot in a veing in his neck, but later backtracked from his comments.

At tea after a full court reference in the Supreme Court, Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry inquired after the health of the president from Awan, who, putting a finger on his neck, said the president had developed a medical complication

due to a clot in his neck.

Before Awan could utter another sentence, the CJ hurriedly said it was a complicated ailment, adding that late Akbar Bugti had developed a similar complication and went to the US for treatment that took a lot of time.

The chief justice, however, prayed to Allah for speedy recovery of the president.

Later, a reporter asked Awan if his conversation with the chief justice could be run on the media, to which the PPP lawyer said, “You can do that on your own behalf.”

However, when the news of conversation was aired, Awan rejected it, saying no such conversation had taken place.

last month and Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif’s political show in Larkana scheduled for Saturday. “Participation of the people in death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto will be immense,” the chief minister remarked, adding that President Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and PPP Co-chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will also participate in the even. brItIsh hC to vIsIt ZardarI today: In a significant development in the backdrop of the controversy regarding the fate of President Asif Ali Zardari, British High Commissioner in Islamabad Adam Thomson is going to Dubai to meet the president.

According to the diplomatic sources, the high commissioner will leave Islamabad for Dubai today (Saturday). The UK has become active to clear the confusion regarding President Zardari’s condition, the sources said. stAFF rePort

He said president had been shifted from the ICU of the hospital to a VIP room and all medical test results had been declared normal by doctors.

About eight to 10 lawyers and five media persons were present when the actual conversation between Awan and the CJ took place. rehman maLIK forCed to dIsmIss CouP rumours: Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rehman Malik was on Friday forced to dismiss rumours that a coup could overthrow the government, saying that unnamed “people” would foil any attempt to dislodge the president.

Malik spoke to reporters outside parliament amid a frenzy of speculation over the health of President Asif

No obstructions to judicial independence will be tolerated: CJ FC stops more than 40 ATT containers in Chaman CHAMAn APP

On the directives of the Frontier Corps (FC) Balochistan inspector general, law enforcement agencies on Friday stopped over 40 Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) containers in Chaman which were apparently loaded with supplies for NATO forces stationed in Afghanistan.

Col Tanvir of FC told reporters that they received information that some containers loaded with goods for NATO forces wanted to enter Afghanistan on the pretext of Afghan Transit Trade. “On the instructions of the FC IG, we have stopped over 40 such containers and searched them” he said. He said search of such containers and trucks would continue as there was a ban on NATO supplies. Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister Aslam Raisani has called for the immediate removal of NATO oil tankers from the province.

ISLAMABAD stAFF rePort

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Friday said no obstructions towards independence of judiciary and rule of law would be tolerated in performing the sacred duty of administration of justice.

Addressing a full court reference at the Supreme Court on the eve of retirement of Justice Muhammad Sair Ali, the CJ said it was incumbent upon the judiciary to respond to cases of violation of fundamental rights and give authoritative opinion on issues and question of law and public importance.

“The apex court will continue using its powers in the best interest of nation and within well defined parameters set by the constitution”, the CJ said.

He said, “We are aware that after the historic judgment of July 31, 2009, which declared the November 3, 2007 emergency as unconstitutional, many consequences have flown including the removal of judges from the superior courts. Many incumbent judges of the superior judiciary were made to leave, while in case of Balochistan, the entire High Court stood vacant. But this is the price one has to pay for establishing the

rule of law and supremacy of the constitution.”

The CJ said since the restoration of the present judiciary, all judges of the Supreme Court and high courts had been performing their duties to the best of their ability and with great alacrity and legal acumen.

“Despite the challenges faced in view of massive backlog of cases, present judges stretched themselves hard to achieve remarkable object of disposal of cases and have authored many landmark judgments on important constitutional and other judicial matters.”

“I look forward to the continued persistence and cooperation of my brother

judges for dispensing our constitutional duties in a most appropriate manner”, the CJP said. He said events triggered by the November 3, 2007 action of a military dictator, the resistance of the judges, the historic movement of lawyers’ community, watchful media, informed civil society, followed by the landmark judgment of Sindh High Court Bar Association vs Federation of Pakistan pronounced on July 31, 2009, declaring the action as ultra vires, indeed marked a watershed in the political and the constitutional annals of Pakistan.

“For the first time in the chequered history of this nation, the superior judiciary got confident enough to exercise its jurisdiction, call a spade a spade and follow the command of the constitution and enforce it in letter and spirit,” he said.

Justice Iftikhar said present day superior judiciary had emerged as a true custodian of the fundamental rights of the people and the guarantor of the constitutional dispensation in the country.

He said it had been noted with concern that constitutionally ordained obligations of the court to exercise its jurisdiction and take notice regarding infringement of fundamental rights were being projected in a negative light by some individuals.

Ali Zardari, who has been in a Dubai hospital for three days with a heart condition.

Zardari faces a major scandal over what extent he may have been involved in alleged attempts by his ambassador to Washington — since forced to resign — to seek US help to limit the power of Pakistan’s powerful military. “We understand that the people have given us a mandate for five years through elections and votes, and if someone tried to do something to the government, people would foil such attempts,” Malik said. “The situation is not as complex as you are viewing it,” he said in response to a journalist who said the crisis facing the government was serious.

Pakistan reassessing cooperation with US I s L a m abad: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani told reporters at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on Friday that Pakistan was reassessing its cooperation with the United States by redefining terms of engagement with the NATO and ISAF forces. The premier said Pakistan wanted to improve its relations with the US as there had been ups and downs in the ties.

Responding to a question about the NATO attack on Pakistani security forces, Gilani said the matter was referred to the Parliamentary Committee on National Security to formulate recommendations to redefine relations with the US. “These recommendations will be presented at the joint session of parliament, which will revisit and redefine terms of cooperation with the US and NATO forces in future,” he added. “We are also holding an enquiry into the incident,” he added. Earlier, the prime minister visited PIMS to observe a cataract operation being conducted by Chinese doctors under a programme of the Chinese government titled “Bring Light Tour”. Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Liu Jian accompanied the prime minister. stAFF rePort

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Saturday, 10 December, 2011

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Saturday, 10 December, 2011

New and improved Khayaban-e-Saadi at your service Inauguration 07

Don’t miss the KESC jolts 2 top ‘colourful’ lunar industrialists with eclipse tonight Rs 1bn ‘electric shock’

■ last lunar eclipse of the year from 5:46 pm to 9:18 pm

■ Serves defamation notices to current and former KCCI presidents, Mian Abrar and Siraj Kasim Teli kArACHI

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stAFF rePort

HE Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) has served legal notices to the current and former presidents of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) – Mian Abrar and Siraj Kasim Teli, respectively – demanding an unconditional apologies and damages up to the tune of Rs 1 billion for defamatory and offensive remarks against the power utility in the print and electronic media.

The defamation notices asks the two industrialists to refrain from acting in an irresponsible manner since the KCCI itself had signed an agreement on November 26 along with KESC and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) in the presence of the Sindh

governor and federal petroleum minister for gas load management during peak winter season.

According to the KESC, the power company had already complied with the relevant provisions [of the agreement], including payment of Rs 2 billion to SSGC on November 29, but the gas utility has not started supplying the agreed quota of 180mmcfd to date.

“The KESC was dismayed to come across the negative remarks published in the media by the two KCCI presidents, after signing the agreement with KESC and SSGC,” it was stated in the notice.

It was also pointed out that Abrar and Teli were violating the government’s Natural Gas Allocation and Management Policy, 2005 which gives priority to domestic consumers, the KESC and WAPDA, over captive power

producers like the industrialists themselves. “In fact, captive power producers are illegally accessing the gas supply meant for power utilities without lawful excuse and have therefore contributed to the current shortfall in gas supply to all consumers,” it was claimed.

In the event of failure of the two industrialists in providing an unconditional and full apology within seven days, the KESC has provided clear instructions to commence legal proceedings against them for defamation and damages, the legal notice warned.

It was stated that the defamatory and offensive remarks made by the two individuals have brought into disrepute “the good name and professional reputation of KESC, which has taken innovative and pioneering steps since the present management took over in September 2008”.

kArACHI AMAr gUriro

oil tankers parked at the Shirin Jinnah Colony terminal on Friday. ASIM REhMANI

Astronomy enthusiasts alert! If you love to watch celestial bodies and natural phenomena, get ready to be dazzled by a colourful lunar eclipse tonight as the moon comes under the complete shadow of earth for the second and the last time in 2011.

The total lunar eclipse is expected to be accompanied with a range of wonderful colours adorning the sky that mostly will remain reddish and remain visible for about 50 minutes throughout the province, including Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana and Sanghar districts, and almost the whole country – weather permitting.

The phenomena will also be visible in other countries including Australia, China, India, Iran, Malaysia, Philippines, Saudi Arabia and eastern European countries, including Turkey, Russia, and also in northwest America.

According to the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), the eclipse will start at 5:46 Pakistan Standard Time (PST) with the total eclipse beginning at 7:06 pm.

At 7:32 pm, the moon will be completely under the earth’s shadow and remain there for around 50 minutes before coming to an

end by 9:18 pm.

On June 15, the first lunar eclipse of the current year was also the longest lunar eclipse of the past 11 years that continued for around 100 minutes and was witnessed in Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.

In 2000, a total lunar eclipse had lasted for about 107 minutes.

Today’s eclipse has a treat in offer for astronomy enthusiasts, as according to astronomers, the moon will noticeably darken and a flare of different colours will brighten up the sky as the earth blocks the sun rays, refracting rays of light through the atmosphere.

They also said that people can watch the phenomena without any protective equipment or a telescope.

An astrology pundit, Maharaj Giyanchand Soniki, claims of positive changes in politics and the general law and order situation in the country after the lunar eclipse. “The eclipse is falling on Saturday, which is governed by Lord Shani [Saturn].

Normally, Shani gets angry when an eclipse falls on a Saturday, but recently Shani left the zodiac constellation of Virgo and entered Libra, due to which the upcoming situation will remain peaceful overall, despite some political tremors,” the guru said.

Back in business: a ‘different’ NSF gears up for re-launch ■ Not to become a ‘pawn of any political party’, NSF Karachi to restart its activities by organising a reception for new KU students kArACHI AAMir MAJeeD

The National Students Federation (NSF) has decided to come out of the closet after more than 20 years of slumber and re-launch its activities in Karachi – from where the revolutionary left-wing students group started its journey in 1956.

Announcing the start of its activities from the University of Karachi (KU), the NSF Karachi wing has decided to hold a welcoming reception for the students admitted to the university in the new academic session starting from January, where the student organisation will also invite the

newcomers to join the revolutionary group.

Talking with Pakistan Today, NSF Karachi organiser Khurram Ali said the preparations for organising the welcome party are almost complete and it would announce the launch of the revived students’ group.

“This time, the NSF will not serve to be the student wing of any political party,” he said. “It will be a pure student organisation, as the members have reaffirmed their stance of remaining a students’ group rather than a student’s wing of any particular political party.”

“On November 26, the NSF Punjab circle organised a great

convention in Faisalabad after 20 years,” Ali added.

In 2010, it was decided to relaunch the NSF as a political wing of the Mazdoor Kisan Party but later the student group reiterated to be just a student organisation without any political influence.

Since then, efforts were geared up for the comeback and now the NSF Karachi is in a position to restart its activities after a prolonged gap.

“The NSF is back with the cause to provide a platform to students with progressive thinking to gather for a socialist system in the country,” the federation’s city organiser said.

To a question, he replied that the revived NSF would only focus on student politics and not on country’s politics. “[However], if we are able to gather enough students and likeminded people in the future, we may launch a political party itself. We stand firm over our stance of not becoming a part of any political force that later uses NSF as a tool for achieving its goals, as in the past,” he maintained.

Ali said a core-committee has been formed with representation from all NSF provinces circles, while all NSF circles have chalked out their own strategies and policies for the comeback.

To another question, he said that different strategies does not imply that the different wings are not on the same page but rather they have devised their own policies keeping in view the situation in their respective areas. “All circles have their representation in the core committee and everything is being done with its approval.”

“The NSF has also extended its support to Baloch Students Organisation (BSO), Pakhtunkhwa Students Organisation, Jammu and Kashmir National Students Federation, Jammu and Kashmir People’s National Students Organisation (JKPNSO) for build-

ing their presence in their respective areas,” the NSF Karachi organiser added.

Quoting the example of BSO, he said the Baloch nationalist group had asked NSF for helping to build their presence in Balochistan. Likewise, the NSF extended support to JKPNSO for establishing the socialist federation while overlooking influence from India and Pakistan, he added.

Ali further said the NSF has also started contacting the neglected populace of rural areas.

“The [NSF] members have started working in rural areas for helping the people to prove themselves as stakeholders at a national level.”

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PakistaN today

06 karachi

Saturday, 10 December, 2011

Kidnapping the family of a ‘kidnapper’?

■ SHC asks AvCC to explain murder of man in ‘fake encounter’ and his family’s ‘illegal detention’ kArACHI

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stAFF rePort

HE Sindh High Court (SHC) has asked the Anti-Violent Crime Cell (AVCC) to clarify its position in the case of a man’s murder in a “fake encounter” and his family’s “illegal detention”.

Hasan Khan - father of Shahid Khan who was shot by the police for his “involvement in kidnapping for ransom” - has filed an application in the SHC, pleading the chief justice’s help for the release of Shahid’s wife and his infant son from police’s custody.

“We, after reading the report of Shahid’s encounter in a newspaper, met with Anti-Violent Crime Cell (AVCC) where an officer Ghulam Subhani made us hear the screams of our daughter-inlaw and grandson and demanded Rs 1 million for their release,” read the application, a copy of which is available with Pakistan Today.

Meanwhile, Chief Justice Mushir

Alam is said to have referred the petition to the MTI-II asking for an explanation from the AVCC officer, nominated by Hasan in the petition.

“Our son (Shahid) along with two others was declared Taliban and killed in a fake encounter four days back,” Ahsan pleaded in the petition No 7270/2011.

The application also accused Subhani of having threatened Hasan of killing his other family members should he fail to bring the money.

“I, being a poor mason, have nothing to do with kidnapping for ransom. And my son (Shahid) was a gentleman and not a kidnapper, something my neighbours would authenticate,” the old man said in the application.

Talking to Pakistan Today, Hasan said “Shahid telephoned us a week before his murder and said that he and his family have been arrested. He also asked us to pray for their well being.” He also claimed that the law enforcers killed his son in a bogus encountered on Wednesday after keeping him in custody for a week.

Clarification Apropos a story titled “Ditching classrooms for newsrooms? Get set for the axe”, published in Pakistan Today’s December 9, 2011 edition, Imdad Ali Soomro, bureau chief of Kawish in Lahore, has clarified that he has neither worked as a government teacher, nor served in any other government department. Therefore, his name was erroneously mentioned in the story.

All THAT glITTERS ISN’T golD: A man applies finishing touches to decorative catering dishes in the PIB Colony.

IMRAN ALI

PMl-N’s larkana human rights show today kArACHI

authoritieS at work

Haq Parast MNA Abdul Waseem, MPA Khawaja Izharul Hassan and MQM New Karachi Sector In-charge Ali Raza at a camp set up by MQM’s New Karachi Sector to welcome Muharram 10 processions.

MPA Abdul Mueed Farooqi, Baldia Central Administrator Mohammad Nazeer lakhani and Municipal Commissioner Kamal Mustafa inspect the development work at Qalandaria Chowk in North Nazimabad zone.

QAzi AsiF

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders and activists from different districts have started reaching Larkana for their public meeting on Saturday (today) where party chief Nawaz Sharif will speak.

Leaders of the PML-N Sindh have left no stones unturned to make the rally a success.

It will be staged at a ground outside the Babu Sarfraz Jatoi House on the Airport Road that has a capacity to seat 25,000 people.

“We have also arranged 18,000 chairs for the rally. The people of Larkana city are very excited about listening to Nawaz Sharif,” PML-N Sindh leader Ismail Rahu told Pakistan Today on Friday.

PML-N’s central and provincial leaders, including Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Rana Mashaud, Ismail Rahu, Ghous Ali Shah, Saleem Zia, Imdad Choliani and Babu Sarfraz Jatoi, are already in Larkana.

“We were not supported by any political party for the public meeting. It is a sole show of the PMLN. An impression was given that the PML-N arranged this public meeting with the help of other political parties that oppose the Pakistan People’s Party and that is wrong,” Rahu added.

In another development, the Sindh People’s Students Federation (SPSF) Larkana staged a protest rally against Nawaz Sharif at Pakistani Chowk in Larkana city. The demonstration was led by SPSF district president Ghani Jatoi

lessons for youth kArACHI stAFF rePort

Awareness of human rights creates unity between us, whatever our belief, religion, political views, gender or race may be, said Fareeda Abbassi Bulbrook, chairperson of the Youth Together for Human Right Education (YTHRE).

“This unity and mutual respect are essential to gain a peaceful, creative and en-

joyable future,” she said while speaking at a seminar was organised by the Women Media Centre (WMC) in collaboration with the YTHRE. According to a press release issued on Friday, the main purpose of the seminar was to create awareness among youth about 30 rights granted by the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the current situation of human rights in Pakistan.

“The youth remain the most vital forces to bring positive change in society. Our job in the field of education remains to provide the youth with guidelines for living and working well with all others,” said Bulbrook.

Speaking on the occasion, Fuazia Shaheen, executive director of the WMC, said that the media can play a vital role in creating awareness through various means.

At the end of the seminar, packages made by the participants of the 10-day electronic media course on “Ethnic Rivalries and Sectarianism” were screened, following which they were awarded with certificates.

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Saturday, 10 December, 2011

karachi 07 PakistaN today

govt gets 3 days to solve Afaq issue ■ otherwise the Sindh High Court will decide the matter on its own kArACHI stAFF rePort

Sindh High Court (SHC) directed the Sindh government on Friday to resolve the issue of the detention of Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi chief Afaq Ahmed within three days; otherwise the court will decide the matter on its own. An SHC division bench including Chief Justice Musheer Alam and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar observed this while hearing two petitions about the detention of Ahmed under the Maintenance of Public Ordinance (MO), imposed by the Home Department. One petition was filed by Amjad Shafqat, brother of the detained Haqiqi leader, and the other by human rights activist Iqbal Kazmi. Counsel and party leader Advocate Khurram Maqsood, while terming Ahmed’s detention as illegal and violation of court orders, said that his client has been behind bars for the last seven years and eight months in different cases, even after the court has acquitted him in all cases. “The Sindh government, on the wishes of its collation partner the Muttahida Quami Movement, first detained Ahmed on September 28, 2011 under the MPO and after a week, the authorities informed the court that the Haqiqi chief was an absconder in a 10year-old case. Maqsood said that on the October 29 hearing, when Ahmed was granted bail in that last case and a release order was issued, the Sindh government again detained him under the MPO, even though the Sindh advocate general had assured the court that Ahmed would not be detained again. Earlier on Thursday’s hearing, Advocate General Fatah Malak presented a written statement on behalf of the Home Department regarding Ahmed’s detention under the MPO, arguing that the petitions are non-maintainable because the government has right to detain any citizen on grounds of safeguarding peace and tranquillity under the West Pakistan Maintenance Ordinance 1960. Chief Justice Musheer Alam on the occasion said that maintaining peace and arresting criminals is the primary responsibility of the government.

Too HoT To HANDlE? With no one at the Clifton beach, the camel owner takes a nap in the shadow of his camel.

New and improved Khayaban-e-Saadi at your service ■ Reconstructed road inaugurated ■ Rebuilding process took Rs 75 million kArACHI

T

stAFF rePort

HE reconstructed Khayaban-e-Saadi, located near the Boat Basin in Clifton, was inaugurated on Friday.

Giving details about the reconstruction process, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation Administrator Muhammad Hussain Syed said that the 3,700 feet long and 40 feet wide road has been rebuilt at a cost of Rs 75 million using a new technology to protect it from seawater. “A drainage system and service road has also been constructed alongside the road,” he added.

“Seven big development schemes in Karachi are presently under way while some other projects worth over Rs 6 billion are in the approval stage including the construction of flyover at Corridor-IV and the projects of SignalFree Corridor-V.” Syed informed the media that the decisions made in a meeting chaired by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan would open a new chapter of progress and development in Karachi.

He also quoted Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah as expressing his desire that “more and more development projects should be started in Karachi”.

Speaking on the occasion, Sindh Local Government Minister Agha Siraj Khan Durrani, who inaugurated the road, said that over the years, many problems have emerged in the city for want of resources. “However, all possible efforts are being taken for swift and prompt completion of development projects,” he added.

ASIM REhMANI

VERIFICATION OF VOTER LISTS

govt urged to use varsity teachers and students for better results kArACHI rAzzAk Abro

Speakers at a meeting of the Shura Hamdard Karachi chapter unanimously urged the government to utilise the services of teachers and students of 130 universities of the country in order to establish the authenticity of lists of voters which is very essential for clean and transparent general elections.

The meeting held on the “Importance of authentic lists of voters and election of honest candidates in general elections” was presided over by former chief justice of the Federal Shariat Court, Haziquel Khairi.

Speaking on the occasion, Hamdard University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Nasim A Khan said that if the checking and scrutinising of voters lists is done by universities’ teachers and students, it would definitely make them authentic. ”This work should be started from Karachi’s 27 universities and if 1,000 students and teachers are taken from each university, the number would go to 27,000 people and if one person checks the papers of 20 voters daily, the checking of 900,000 voters would be completed in around six months,” he said.

“In the same manner, the work of checking of all lists of the country would also be finalised in one and a quarter of a year with the help of the remaining 103 universities as this is the only way to get reliable lists of voters. If needed, the number of students could

be increased.”

Khan also suggested that likeminded political parties should form a coalition before the elections to avoid political concessions against their principles in making a government after the general elections.

Haq Nawaz Akhtar, former chairman of the Pakistan Steel Mills, suggested that an institute for social economic and political research be formed in which teachers and students of universities be included to scrutinise the voter lists for transparent elections.

Justice (retd) Haziqul Khairi said that the only way to make general elections free and transparent was to make the Election Commission a powerful, independent and complete autonomous body.

Mahdi Masud, former diplomat, said that with help of an independent Election Commission and the cooperation of political parties, the judiciary and the law enforcement agencies, a mechanism should be put in place which should ensure that a financial limit is strictly adhered to in an election campaign. Intimidation and pressure should not be used against voters in rural or urban areas and enforceable legal framework all negative appeals, based on caste, baradari system, provincialism, ethnicity and sectarianism should strictly be prohibited.

Prof. Dr Akhlaque Ahmed, former pro vice chancellor of the University of Karachi, proposed making a council in each district to scrutinise the voter lists on district level.

Nasreen Haque KPT chief only till 12th ■ gPA Chairman Aslam Hayat to replace her kArACHI isMAil DilAWAr

The minister said all major roads in Karachi will be made beautiful and clean and they will also be reconstructed, if need be. He said considerable improvement would be observed with the coming of the new local government system.

Touching upon the issue of financial crunch acting as a hurdle for de-

velopment projects, he said that funds are issued by the federal government and the provincial Finance Department releases these funds directly to the local bodies. “The government is trying to ensure timely disbursement of salaries to all employees and completion of all development projects in time,” he added.

Nasreen Haque, the first female civilian chairperson of the Karachi Port Trust (KPT), would no longer run the affairs of the country’s largest port operator from December 12 (Monday), Pakistan Today has reliably learnt.

According to well-placed sources, Aslam Hayat, chairman of the Gwadar Port Authority (GPA), would replace Haque.

The spokesman for the KPT remained tight-lipped on the issue saying Haque is “still in the chair”.

However, the chairperson did not hesitate to speak. “Yes! As per the formal procedure, Mr Aslam Hayat would replace me,” she confirmed while talking to Pakistan Today on the phone.

A highly-placed source told Pakistan Today that the Ministry of Ports and Shipping had forwarded a summary for the replacement to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, where it has been approved.

The mystery, however, revolves around the question as to why Haque is being ousted. According to the sources, the chairperson has completed her three-year average term at the KPT.

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PakistaN today

08 karachi WEATHER UPDATES

30°C High

Clear skies

18°C low

19% Humidity

SUNDAy

MoNDAy

TUESDAy

30°C I 16°C

29°C I 16°C

30°C I 17°C

PRAyER TIMINgS Fajr 5:45

Sunrise 7:05

Zuhr 12:25

Asr 3:24

Maghrib 5:44

Isha 7:05

Starting time in Karachi

CITy DIRECToRy EMERgENCy HElP PolICE 15 BoMB DISPoSAl 15, 99212667 FIRE BRIgADE 16, 99215007, 99215008 EDHI 115, 32310066-2310077 KHIDMAT-E-KHAlQ FoUNDATIoN 36333811 RED CRESCENT 35833973 govERNoR’S HoUSE 136 CHIEF MINISTER’S HoUSE 99202051 MoToRWAy PolICE 130

HoSPITAlS ABBASI SHAHEED CIvIl JINNAH NICvD AgA KHAN TABBA

99260400-09 99215749, 99215960 99201300-39 99201271-6 34930051 36811841-50

Saturday, 10 December, 2011

‘Sluggish response to flood disaster worrying’ ■ Ngos point out global financial crisis, government’s late appeal for international aid and limited media coverage as the main reasons for slow funding kArACHI

R

stAFF rePort

EPRESENTATIVES of leading national and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), donor organisations, civil society groups and the media have expressed serious concern over the sluggish response of the humanitarian community to the devastating disaster in Sindh caused by heavy rains and floods this year.

The issue was raised at a roundtable conference arranged by the Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) on Friday where participants said that thousands of people in the affected areas are still suffering from lack of services and their basic needs are not being met because of the sluggish response by the humanitarian community. They pointed out the global financial crisis, the government’s late appeal for international aid and limited media coverage as the main reasons for the dull response.

“The funding to this disaster has been extremely sluggish. The aid efforts of the UN agencies, the Pakistani civil Society, the government of Pakistan and humanitarian agencies are under threat as funds are depleting fast and news contributions are not coming in at a rapid pace,” said OGB Country Director Neva Khan.

“To date, the UN appeal of $357 million is still only 37 percent funded. Pakistan faces several problems and challenges, i.e. rule of law, problems with corruption, political tensions with neighbours and other countries,” she added.

SPO Chief Executive Naseer

last year,” he explained.

Talking about late appeal, he said the government first gathered data and then asked for the donations.

“As Pakistan is prone to face more floods in the future, we don’t want to waste resources. We want permanent shelters, not temporary ones,” he added.

The SPO is one of the leading NGOs working in 40 districts across the country including Azad Jammu and Kashmir on the thematic areas of democratic governance, social justice, peace and social harmony, emergency and disaster response.

The organisation has successfully created a group of “social change

agents” through the formation of civil society networks throughout the country where the organisation is geographically and thematically present. These change agents lead the whole process of capacity building and awareness among the grassroots tiers up to the top by advocacy at policy level on social issues.

sUbJeCtiVe PHotogrAPHY (ii)

18: FoUrtH AlUMni ColleCtiVe

PHotogrAPHY eXHIBItIon UntIL DeCeMBer 15 VenUe: VM Art gALLerY

PHotogrAPHY eXHIBItIon UntIL DeCeMBer 15 VenUe: goetHe-InStItUt

Art eXHIBItIon UntIL DeCeMBer 31 VenUe: IVS gALLerY

Part One of ‘Subjective Photography’ is running until December 15 at the VM Art Gallery. Call 34948088 for more information.

Part Two of ‘Subjective Photography’ is running until December 15 at the Goethe-Institut. Call 35661633 for more information.

‘18: Fourth Alumni Collective’ is running until December 31 at the Indus Valley Gallery. Call 35861039 for more information.

Memen said that the delayed appeal by the government, economic slowdown in the Euro zone and the US, lack of efficiency and transparency on part of the government and lukewarm coverage by the international media are the key reasons for the poor response by the humanitarian aid community.

“The government underestimated the scale of disaster and the appeal for international aid came too late when millions were already shelter-less. Now, the sluggish response by humanitarian ads community is causing severe stress on relief activities,” he added.

“We should join hands to support the affected people and salute their spirit, their courage, their resilience.”

NDMA Director Idrees Masud said Pakistan is facing the problem of climate change and Sindh has received unexpected rainfall. “One of the reasons for the international sluggish response was the government’s massive response. The government has spent more than it did

BlooD BANK HUSSAINI FATIMID PWA

32238405-8 32225284, 32258656 99215740, 32735214

CoMPlAINT KESC PTCl KWSB CDgK SUI gAS

118 1218 1339 134 1199, 99231603

RAIlWAyS INQUIRy CITy STATIoN CANTT STATIoN

117, 99213565-6 99213538 99201118

AIRPoRT FlIgHT INQUIRy PIA RESERvATIoN

114 111786786

CollEgES / UNIvERSITIES KARACHI UNIvERSITy NED UNIvERSITy FUUAST DUHS SMIC FAST-NU SZABIST IoBM IBA IvS

99261300-06 99261261-8 99244141-9 99215754-7 99217501-3 111128128, 34100541-7 111922478 35090961-7 111422422 35861039-40

sUbJeCtiVe PHotogrAPHY (i)

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Saturday, 10 December, 2011

Gilani, Khar discuss agenda of upcoming envoy’s conference

News 09

ISLAMABAD

F

Brother of rape victim shot dead in Karak kArAk

stAFF rePort

stAFF rePort

OREIGN Minister Hina Rabbani Khar called on Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani at the Prime Minister’s House on Friday and discussed him the agenda of the upcoming envoy’s conference scheduled to be held in Islamabad from December 13 to 14.

“The foreign minister requested the prime minister to chair the concluding session of the conference and share his vision on the foreign policy objectives,” said a Foreign Office statement. The envoys’ conference is being held in the wake of the NATO airstrike on Pakistani border posts in Mohmand Agency to review the policy on future ties with Washington. Pakistan demanded fresh terms of engagements with the US after the NATO strike as it resorted to the suspension of supplies meant for the US-led foreign troops in Afghanistan through its border and also asked the US to vacate the Shamsi Airbase before December 11.

The conference of ambassadors from important world capitals would give its recommendations to the government on how to reshape the ties with the US in the line with the national interests.

Khar, munter dIsCuss PaK-us reLatIons: US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter called on Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Friday and discussed the current status of bilateral relations. The foreign minister said relations between the two countries must be based on mutual respect, adding

Army chief witnesses low intensity conflict training

rawaLPIndI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani visited Kharian in relation to the operational and training activities, the Inter-services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Friday. The COAS witnessed the low intensity conflict training at Pabbi Hills and appreciated the standards achieved by the troops. Later, he took an overview of the operational preparations with the local commanders, the ISPR said. On arrival, the COAS was received by Mangla Corps Commander Lieutenant General Tariq Khan. online

Don’t forget Pakistan’s flood victims, Charles asks donors

LonDon AFP

Britain’s Prince Charles urged the world not to forget the victims of the Pakistan floods of more than three months ago,

saying their suffering was being overlooked.

The Pakistan Humanitarian Forum, a network of the 41 largest international charities, says more than five million people were affected by the floods.

Around 700,000 people remain displaced, at least six million acres were ravaged and 2.3 million acres of crops lost, it said last month.

Charles, the heir to the throne, hosted a dinner Thursday night for the Pakistan Recovery Fund (PRF) at the Natural History Museum in London.

The prince said: “Despite the scale of devastation, the level of suffering and the level of need, the story seems to vanish all too quickly from the headlines as the world’s attention turns to disaster and destruction elsewhere. Yet the suffering in Pakistan goes on.”

Charles, 63, is patron of the PRF, which seeks funding for communitybased initiatives to help resolve the crisis.

Charles and his wife Camilla visited Pakistan in 2006.

Suniya Qureshi, executive director of the British Pakistan Foundation, said the cricket corruption scandal had contributed to poor public opinion of Pakistan in Britain.

However, the “misbehaviour” of a few should not detract attention from the needs of the rest of the population.

She said Charles was “highlighting the plight of 187 million people”.

that the recent incidents had led to reevaluation of the terms of engagement with the US. The US ambassador assured the foreign minister of an early conclusion of the investigation into the tragic incident of November 26 and of working with the government of Pakistan to normalise the relationship at the earliest.

Alamzeb, brother of rape victim Uzma Ayub was shot dead by armed men in front of civil court at Takhti Nusrati in Karak district on Friday.

So far no one was formally charged for the murder but locals said they included close relatives of three police officers, who were charged with gang raping Uzma.

The local people said the armed men opened indiscriminate firing on Alamzeb in front of the civil court.

Alamzeb had approached the court soon after the relatives of policemen, who were behind the bars after cancellation of their bails, staged a sit in. Uzma had approached the provincial government and the Peshawar High Court charging three policemen of raping her. In response, the high court directed the government to take swift action.

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10 News

Saturday, 10 December, 2011

Mosque suicide attack kills six in Afghanistan ASADABAD AFP

A suicide bomber on Friday attacked a mosque in eastern Afghanistan, assassinating a district police chief and killing at least five other people, a government official said. The attack happened as worshippers were leaving the mosque after the main Friday prayers in the Ghazi Abad area of the eastern province of Kunar, which borders Pakistan, said provincial governor Fazullulah Wahidi. “The target of the attack was the district police chief and the attacker blew himself up at the gate of the mosque,” the governor said. The district police chief, an intelligence officer, two police and two civilians were among the dead, with eight other people wounded, he added. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. Kunar has been a flashpoint in the Taliban’s 10-year insurgency against the Western-backed government and 140,000 US-led foreign troops.

Spokesman for the militia, Zabiullah Mujahid, claimed in a text message to reporters that the district police chief had been the target of the attack and that “six policemen” had been killed.

tHe Dog WHo got AWAY: A dog shelters itself from bullets and fire near a nAto container as several oil supply tankers were attacked by militants near kharotabad. ONLINE

Punjab S&GAD opposes engaging professionals from private sector LAHore

T

gni

HE Punjab Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD) has opposed the move initiated by the Chief Minister (CM)’s Secretariat and routed through the Punjab Law Ministry to change the legislative mechanism or Rules of Business for engagement of eminent professionals from the private sector on an honorary basis.

“No legislative mechanism or change of rules of business is required,” comments S&GAD Secretary (Regulations) Muhammad Ilyas in his remarks on the concept paper forwarded by the CM’s Secretariat through the Law Ministry.

The Regulations Wing says the administrative departments are required to

perform the functions as reflected in the Rules of Business 2011 and “in case any technical support is required, the administrative department may hire the consultants as per Consultant Selection Guidelines (CSG) issued by the P&D Department”.

It suggested the government to constitute a “Study Group” from which the administrative departments would benefit according to their requirements. The proposed Study Group would co-opt any professional in the relevant field who may be compensated adequately keeping in view the nature of assignment. The members of the Study Group may also be compensated upon completion of the task.

The CM’s Secretariat had forwarded the concept paper to the Law Ministry and Punjab advocate general with the di-

rections of the chief minister to examine and evaluate it to devise an enabling mechanism and rules of business.

Contrary to the opposition of the Regulations Wing, which is responsible for framing of policy regarding human resources required by the Punjab government, the law department suggested that mechanism/rules of business should be devised to engage eminent professionals from the private sector on an honorary basis.

The Law Ministry pointed out that public agencies in most countries were operating effectively by borrowing the services of professionals and adopting the management approaches of the private sector.

However, in Pakistan no measures had been taken to benefit from the latest management techniques implemented by

the private sector, therefore, the gap between public service delivery and expectations of the public was increasing day by day.

It also pointed out that Pakistan in general and Punjab in particular was endeavoring to bring about changes in the culture of civil service in order to achieve the goals of good governance, however, despite numerous reforms the goal had remained elusive. In order to ensure improved services delivery, it is imperative that appropriate skills and expertise of eminent professionals from private sector is engaged to perform the functions efficiently. The trend of hiring eminent professionals on a high salary may be discontinued and only secretarial support may be provided to enable them to perform the assigned functions on a voluntary basis.

veteran PPP leader moves court against Tv channel PreSS reLeASe Senior Supreme Court advocate and Senator (R) Iqbal Haider on Friday rejected allegations against veteran PPP politician Meraj Mohammad Khan levelled by the host of Dunya News’s programme ‘Cross Fire’. The host, Mehar Bukhari had uttered highly unwarranted, wholly fabricated, insulting, provocative, slanderous and defamatory allegations against Mr Meraj Mohammad Khan, a very highly respected veteran politician of Pakistan, and a founder prominent member of PPP, who was declared by Mr. Bhutto as his political successor,” a statement said. Senator (r) Iqbal Haider has served notices on Mian Amir Mehmood, CEO, Meher Bukhari, anchorperson and Imran Shafqat, senior producer at Dunya TV dated November 28, 2011, calling upon them to withdraw all their concocted defamatory remarks against Meraj Mohammad Khan and offer an unqualified apology for the said broadcast and present a programme with the same prominence and duration on the lifelong struggle of Meraj Mohammad Khan and/or pay jointly or severally a sum of Rs 100 million as damages within 10 days of the receipt of the said notice.

Mistrust between Islamabad and Kabul at its peak SITUATIoNER sHAMiM sHAHiD

The Afghan government’s allegations regarding Pakistani militants’ involvement in the latest terrorist acts in the war-torn country and the subsequent response from Islamabad has become a ‘war of words’, which is the outcome of distrust between the two neighbouring countries.

Most peace-loving people from both countries want trustworthy relations between the two neighbours, which could help them acquire their goals of stability, progress and prosperity. But unfortunately, certain elements from within the region and the rest of the world are not allowing the two nations to have close links with each others.

No one could neglect the fact that the rulers from both Pakistan and Afghanistan have been at loggerheads since long. Despite hectic efforts to resolve the rifts, mistrust is on the rise on both sides. Along with the ‘war of words’,

cross-border violence has increased in frequency, which is affecting efforts aimed at handling the terrorism issue politically and strategically.

On the eve of Ashura, two tragic explosions rocked both Kabul and Mazare-Sharif, killing scores of people. The violent acts occurred when President Hamid Karzai was abroad for the Bonn Conference. Soon after the tragic incident, a section of the media circulated statement of an unknown man named Abu Bakkar Mansoor claiming to be the spokesman of the “Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Al-Alami”. The group is already banned in Pakistan.

A spokesman of the Taliban timely disowned the statement and denied involvement in both tragic acts. But President Karzai, soon after landing in Kabul, not only condemned the terrorist acts but even said: “We are carefully investigating the matter and would talk to Pakistan in this respect.”

Though President Karzai did not blame Pakistan directly, but his statement regarding “talks with Pakistan” was time and again highlighted by media.

However, Interior Minister Rehman Malik has avoided commenting on President Karzai’s statement, saying: “We are determined to act if the Afghan government gives us some evidence.”

On the other hand, certain sections of the media and self-styled analysts have twisted the statement and reaction of President Karzai and other high-ups in the Afghan government.

Almost two weeks before the Ashura attacks in Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif, a NATO strike against Pakistani troops in Mohmand Agency killed two dozens soldiers. The NATO strikes occurred near Nawa Pass, where the Regional Coordination Centre (RCC) comprising high ranking security officials of both countries is located. The basic purpose of the RCC is to share information regarding militant activity and help each other in strikes against them.

Unfortunately, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, on the eve of his April 14, 2011 trip to Kabul along with Chief of Army Staf General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Interior Minister Rehman

Malik and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt General Ahmad Shuja Pasha, give away a ‘blank cheque’ to President Karzai to resolve the rifts and misunderstanding, and in response he received a positive reply from Karzai and his associates.

But after such developments, violence intensified throughout Afghanistan, taking the lives of hundreds of people. Peace Commission Chairman Prof Burhanuddin Rabbani, Wali Karzai, Jan Mohammad Khan, Dr Abdullah Jan and several others were prominent amongst the victims.

“Mysterious violent acts” have led to the sabotaging of peace initiatives between the two countries since 2004, when South Waziristan became a hotbed for militant activity.

The second US drone attack occurred at midnight on June 17 against Commander Nek Mohammad, just when Pakistani authorities had inked a peace agreement with him. Similar was the fate of another peace deal with militants in Bajaur, when US drones targeted a madrassa in early 2007. Likewise, a cou-

ple of other initiatives for ceasefire between the government and militants not only in Pakistan but also in Afghanistan failed because of such incidents.

Now it is no longer a secret that the ‘US-sponsored war on terror’ is another part of the ‘Great Game’, initiated with the landing of former Soviet Union troops in Afghanistan on December 27, 1979.

With the passage of time, partners and rivals have changed. Apart from three main stakeholders, certain others, especially western and regional countries, are also making heavy investment in the ‘Great Game’ to safeguard their own interests.

Both Pakistan and Afghanistan are not only suffering in the so-called war on terror but they are being made each other’s rivals by certain ‘mysterious forces’. Now it is time for the leaders of both countries to realise their responsibilities at this crucial juncture. By entering trustworthy relations, rulers of both countries could easily foil such plots and could evolve a fruitful strategy to return peace and stability to the region.

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Saturday, 10 December, 2011

Editor’s mail 11

on the verge of destruction Since beginning humans have tried to develop and enhance ways to communicate and interact with others. Instinct guides human behaviour in this but naturally that behaviour ranges from pure good to pure evil from person to person based on their mentality.

God occasionally sent prophets who defined for the people rules to follow. Then there came from time to time intellectuals and philosophers too that preached their own version of ethical values. These rules and values were meant to determine people’s course of lives and it was expected that they will not diverge from this righteous path.

Ethics is the branch of philosophy that deals with questions about morals – what is good and what is bad in our everyday intents, decisions and actions. Societies documented them in

legislative books and made constitutions. Law enforcement agencies were established to ensure rule of law. Some followed the teachings of prophets exactly while some amended them. Some followed philosophers.

Different sources influence the ethical values and laws prevailing in a society. Without getting into the debate of which is the better source; aim has always been to have a set of values that controls people’s actions and wins them the title of being truly civilised.

Rules and values that are documented in books of corporate governance are termed professional ethics or business ethics.

The aim is not to let business mistreat the client and at the same time to safeguard the veracity of profession.

Both clients and the people belonging to that profession benefit from this.

Most professions have devised some

Maligning Pakistan sort of codes that people belonging to them must follow.

It is expected from a true practitioner that they will adhere to the standards set by these codes. This also makes sure that professionals who act in accordance with these standards will not be undermined commercially by those who are ethically less enlightened. Moreover, it helps in maintaining public’s trust in that profession.

Today one of the major issues affecting our Pakistani society is lack of ethics and standards that has led us to a place where we see no hope. We have become apathetic society – not a nation anymore rather a mob of people in which everyone is pulling others’ legs just to meet their own desires.

Socially dead, economics ruined, identity lost; we are living ugly lives with deplorable minds harvesting vile thoughts. The only things we all are

running after like hungry animals are money and power. Voraciousness has taken over our minds and souls. We are more concerned with money and possessions instead of spiritual, emotional, or cultural values.

The only way to end this rat race is to eradicate ethical misery. We need to live lives we were supposed to live as human beings, not what we are living right now. And this can only happen if men of good moral values group and strive together. We should not let ethics be limited to books only; rather their practice must be stressed.

Our interaction with fellow humans must be subjected to ethical values like humanity, love, respect and sincerity. We will have to step up, assimilate and adhere to our religious beliefs to get back what we have lost.

HANNAN KHALID Rawalpindi

Sincere politicians “Zardari goes abroad for medical check-up”, reads a news item on 6 December.

In fact, he is getting closer to Swiss banks and that is where the cure lies.

Wish he could have this time trusted and preferred Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology Rawalpindi. Sooner or later, he will end up there (or a few miles away near GT Road in class ‘A’ with his friend Haqqani).

By the way, Bilawal met PM the other day. He should have been with his father but you know love for country comes first. With such loyal and sincere politicians, who cares for the Memogate anymore?

TARIQ RANA Islamabad

Restructure PTv

“The Texas governor says Islamabad should not be sent a single penny until it clearly shows that they have American best interest in mind”.

Maybe, we need to boot someone from an important position in Islamabad to send the right signal to our US overlords?

Z A Kazmi Lahore

The regression in the national television affairs has now echoed through the parliament. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan told the National Assembly that the state-run corporation was facing severe financial constraints and that it was finding it difficult to compete with private sector channels.

To questions by lawmakers on the state of affairs in that national institution, the minister said that she could offer no answers to the members as the PTV managing director gave a fig to her instructions. The minister also lamented that she really did not know to whom the PTV MD was accountable.

Before finding out the causes of the decay and decline, I must say that the minister fully knew as to how the affairs of the public-sector institution were managed over the years and where the actual authority rested.

As far as the financial constraints of this once self-reliant and earning corporation are concerned, one need not learn rocket science to understand the causes of its recent nose-diving performance vis-à-vis private channels. The one and only reason is sheer mismanagement.

The organisation is overstaffed.

PTV has enjoyed monopoly for about four decades. Now it is in competition with private channels. Administrators of these channels know as to how programmes can be produced with minimum possible staff.

For getting rid of the present financial constraints, the PTV will have to follow this strategy, besides doing away with maladministration.

MOHAMMAD AZIZ Karachi

simply a well-connected PakistaniAmerican businessman.

In fact, it is known for its reluctance to comment on sensitive matters, or at least for taking time before responding.

The quick response in this case was a clear signal of support for Pakistan’s civilian administration.

And the context that cannot be forgotten in any evaluation of recent Pakistani or US moves is that both governments are facing severe political opposition in the run-up to elections.

Republican candidates for the presidency are in attack mode as their primaries inch closer, and President Obama’s calculations will inevitably include domestic political risk through this stage and over the next year as he fights the chosen Republican con-

tender.

At home, PML(N) Chief Nawaz Sharif has joined his party officials in the fray, with his complaint to the Supreme Court over Mr Ijaz’s memo being only the latest display of his political intentions.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan’s PTI makes quick use of any perceived kowtowing to the US. The next year, then, is going to be qualitatively different for US-Pakistan ties than the last three years have been. Both administrations will have to strike a delicate balance between being sufficiently nationalist for domestic audiences and cooperative and sympathetic enough to save whatever alliance remains.

MOHAMMAD JAHANZEB Karachi

Why thank the Taliban?

Ashura of Moharam-ul-Haram was observed with piety and peace with no untoward incident being reported from any part of the country.

Instead of appreciating the law enforcing agencies who worked round the clock and left no stone unturned in maintaining peace in most sensitive areas, Dr Rehman Malik has thanked the Taliban for maintaining peace within the country.

Is it not a shame for us that the writ of the government has been shifted to the hands of the Taliban and that the same has been acknowledged by our Interior Minister?

IFTIKHAR MIRZA Islamabad

Ideals for success In his historical speech at Lahore, Imran Khan had rightly started with the Quranic prayer, seeking Allah’s guidance for the success of his mission to end the present endemic corruption, which is the most important element in the present bad governance.

This has been proved during the past six decades that the parliamentary system, borrowed from the 1935 Act of the British colonials, is the root cause of political corruption and unsuitable in the present environment.

The costly election itself leads to the urge to reclaim the investment in election through foul means of corruption.

This is apart from the fact that it is repugnant to the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet and his first four Caliphs who adopted the Islamic presidential system, appointing ministers and governors on pure merit of high reputation and capabilities and not on the highest votes and support of the corrupt people. If you depend on the opinion of all peoples, including non-believers and even mischief mongers, they will surely take you to the wrong path.

Thus, the only way left to end corruption to save Pakistan from its present poor condition of a failed state is to implement the Islamic presidential system which is easily possible through Article 2A of the Constitution of Pakistan itself, without requiring any amendment.

S M H RIZVI Karachi

Mansoor Ijaz’s recent interview regarding Memogate seems to be still another stunt to malign Pakistan and any institutions therein which might stand in the way of US imperialist designs in the region. A banker like Mansoor Ijaz speaking about technical intelligence stuff at a level that could affect Pakistan’s security gravely is absurd. Every country’s intelligence affects it’s elections in one way or the other. America’s very own elections have been highly controversial recently. Further, almost all Pakistani election results sooner or later turned out to be far from public expectations and in favour of US policy. Does that mean ISI manipulated elections for the US? If so, what’s all the fuss about?

Mr Ijaz has referred to the ISI’s role in Afghanistan. The US first used ISI for its own cause against Russia and local lords. After their military invasion, they tried to sideline ISI and Pakistan in regional affairs. It did not work more for the reason of their incompetence, miscalculations and local temperament than lack of cooperation from Pakistan. It is just that Karzai administration and their Nato allies always find a scapegoat in Pakistan to put all the burden of their failures on.

Regarding ISI and army not in government control; there has been an utter lack of sincerity among political leadership for which governments have always been selfish, short-sighted and weak.

This has created a power vacuum that is filled by security institutions like army.

The time to change this is now.

IMRAN HOTIANA Lahore

My assets, your assets Imran Khan’s recent press conference about his assets was a needless spectacle thrown together in true showman style. Come every election, each and every politician is supposed to declare his/her assets with the Election Commission of Pakistan and is bound to do so by law. Imran Khan just staged this to grind the massive axe that he has with PML(N) and PML(N) did not disappoint by falling for his bait and Ch Nisar conducting an immediate press conference in its reply.

We cannot deny that clean politicians are the need of any

House in goR There are surely discrepancy and anomaly in allotment of houses to government officers in Punjab by the concerned authorities. I was appointed as pharmacist after selection through Punjab Public Service Commission in BS 17 in 13-02-1990.

I applied for the allotment of a house in Government Officer Residence (GOR).

But I was shocked to know that even though there are many doctors and other health professionals already living in GOR, there was no policy to allot a house to a pharmacist. When I referred to the other doctors availing the facility, it was

healthy democracy but corruption is a structural malaise that is not as widespread as some would have us believe. It can be combated by doing and not just loud rhetoric. If Imran Khan really wanted to flex his muscles on some issue, maybe he should have done so on some substantive policy matter rather than engage PML(N) in this battle for cheap populist rhetoric.

NASEER BADAR Lahore

informed that only Chief Minister Punjab could allow such an allotment.

May I dare ask the worthy Chief Minister Punjab what is the fault of an officer if he had no access to his good office?

Only hand picked people can enjoy the privilege and all other amenities of life.

Does it conform to the Islamic principles of equality, equity and fair-play?

Should every aggrieved person knock the door of courts to get his right? It is a fact that only influential officers can enjoy the service in this country. There are many officers who are occupying their residences because of their links with higher authorities even after their transfer or retirement. I request the Chief Minister

Punjab to please intervene and issue orders for allotment of a house.

FAROOQ BASHIR BUTT Lahore

US interests

Signs of a patch-up Last week’s phone call from President Obama to President Zardari sent another signal that the US is actively trying to defuse tensions after last month’s Nato strike.

It follows other high-level communications, including a call from the Secretary of State to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. These have been condolence calls, without apologies. And President Obama hasn’t, likely for domestic compulsions having to do with the Pentagon and US elections, followed reported State Department advice to offer a videotaped statement.

That said, his reaching out, including a commitment to a full investigation, should be acknowledged as an effort to lower the temperature. US officials’ attempts to convince Pakistan to

attend the Bonn Conference should also be welcomed as recognition of the country’s importance in brokering an Afghan settlement.

Registering loud and quick protest against the Nato strike was the right move, but at this point some reciprocity would be the constructive way forward.

Pakistan may have refused to formally join the investigation but it should at least cooperate to the extent it can.

Another positive signal was the White House’s denial of Mansoor Ijaz’s latest claim that the Pakistani president and prime minister were aware of the Osama bin Laden raid before it took place. The US government did not need to respond to an allegation made by someone who is neither a security official nor a well-regarded analyst but

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

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12 comment Clarity yes, but on all fronts

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n certain issues, there can be no nuanced approach. It’s a with-or-against deal. It is heartening to know that PML(N) chief Nawaz Sharif minced no words at a meeting with senior journalists and columnist recently where he declared his categorical stance against martial law.

Is that enough, though? Because between the states of democracy and military rule, there are a lot of mutants. A neither fish nor fowl “national government”, for one. The rise of technocrats (a scary word that conjures up images of a futuristic dystopia) in certain parts of the world, the west even, has emboldened pundits here to harp along those lines.

Selling unequivocal statements about opposition to martial law more than they are worth is setting the bar really low. The real test for born-again democratic statesmen like Nawaz Sharif is the stance taken when it comes to shades of grey, that most cruel of colours.

How open is he to a disempowerment of a democratically elected government because of a perpetual siege laid by other institutions, including the media. He has the right - nay, duty - to oppose the government because of his position as leader of the opposition but how much is crossing the line? It is here, perhaps, that his tightrope walk is even tougher than the government’s.

His party filed a petition in the Supreme Court over the memo affair. As citizens, they have all the right to do so. It would be helpful, however, to speak up on another petition filed in the apex court by Senator Zafar Ali Shah, an N-League member himself. That petition that challenged the toppling of the second federal PML(N) government through a military coup. If the court can pick and choose petitions, should the League be playing along? The League has been around the block for a while now and understands the importance of timing. Does it think the memo issue was the right windmill to tilt at?

Rumours run amok A flurry of palpitations…

T

By Arif nizami

Escalating tensions Both countries stand to lose

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s if the older disputes were not enough, the US and Pakistan have added a new one to the list.

Differences over the reasons leading to the NATO attack on two Pakistani posts in Mohmand that killed 25 Pakistani troops have exacerbated misunderstandings and given birth to new suspicions. Pakistan has now concluded that the air strikes were a pre-planned conspiracy on the part of NATO/ISAF. The US claims that before ordering the action, it had checked with the Pakistan military to see if there were friendly troops in the area and it was told there were not. This claim has led to outrage and has been questioned. It is now being suggested by Islamabad that the CIA was behind the mischief. As the role of the American spy agency has increased in the conduct of war in Afghanistan, the charge may not be out of place.

The recall of some of the liaison officers from two border coordination centres by Pakistan was seen as an act of escalation by the US. On the other hand, the hint

by Washington of the risk of another such incident occurring in the absence of the centres was taken as a concealed threat. Pakistan has now upgraded its air defence system on the Afghan border to make it capable of shooting down aircraft making any threatening move. Reportedly, the system has also been upgraded to immediately respond after detecting any hostile aircraft or helicopter. This will increase, rather than reduce, the possibility of a clash between the two sides.

Another bloody incident on the Pak Afghan border is bound to have horrendous consequences both for Pakistan and the US. Pakistan will find it hard to replace any military aircraft lost in the combat thus ending up weakening its own defence. The US will face an unprecedented backlash of hostile public opinion in Pakistan. What is more, its capacity to fight the extremists in Afghanistan will be badly affected. Any hostilities on the Pak-Afghan border could lead to a long term ban on the Nato supply convoys while ending whatever assistance the two countries provide each other in the struggle against extremist militants. It is in the interest of both the countries to de-escalate confrontation and give diplomacy a chance.

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36298305-10 Fax: 042-36298302 Karachi – Ph: 021-34330811-3 Fax: 021-34330900 Islamabad – Ph: 051-2287414-6 Fax: 051-2287417 Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Saturday, 10 December, 2011

here is never a dull moment in Pakistani politics. Just when the ubiquitous media pundits and discussants hopping from one electronic channel to the other were having a field day over Memogate came the news of President Zardari’s illness and his sudden departure for Dubai.

The news was manna for Zardarihaters who have been praying for and predicting his downfall for a long time. The section of the media that has never hidden its hatred for the ailing president has run amok at his expense. The PPP propaganda machine in its typical ham-handed fashion has added to the confusion.

According to one media report, Zardari had a mild stoke and bleeding in the brain. Another report buttressed by the US-based Foreign Policy magazine’s scoop that the president was incoherent while talking to President Obama on the phone suggested that he had a nervous breakdown.

The president’s spokesman strongly refuting these reports claimed that he had gone to Dubai for a routine check-up. The PM house underplaying the president’s ailment suggested that he had mild chest pains and had gone to Dubai only on the insistence of his family.

Whatever the truth about his real ailment and condition, it is certain that the president had not gone abroad for a routine medical checkup and his illness, although not critical, is cause for serious concern.

The fact that the prodigal son Bilawal Bhutto arrived in Islamabad on the eve of the president’s departure raised eyebrows. Under normal circumstances, Bilawal, just 22 years old, would have been installed by his father. Based in London and Dubai, Bilawal is gradually being groomed for the job.

Under the supervision of Pakistan’s high commissioner in London Wajid Shams ul Hasan, he was being taught to read, write and

speak Urdu. The undue haste shown to install him betrayed a certain sense of emergency pregnant in the situation.

Some reports claim that the president will be back in a couple of days. Most indicators, however, suggest otherwise. The President meeting Chairman Senate Farooq Naek just before his departure probably means that he himself was envisaging a longer absence from the country.

Contrary to speculations and wishful thinking in certain quarters, Zardari has not thrown in the towel as yet. Short of impeaching him, for which the opposition lacks the necessary numbers, there is no easy way to get rid of him.

However, there is no denying the fact that his illness came at a time when he was beleaguered from all sides. The tension permeating the air probably contributed to the medical episode.

According to speculations, the proactive role being played by the apex court in Memogate and upholding its earlier NRO verdict has exponentially increased the stakes for the PPP-led coalition. The whistleblower US-based businessman Mansoor Ijaz has proved to be a one man demolition squad, the proverbial bull in a china shop.

He claimed that he had gone to town on Haqqani when he saw US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen’s name being sullied by Pakistan. And as a US citizen, he could not take it lying down.

In a revealing interview with Fareed Zakaria on CNN, Mansoor Ijaz lambasts the ISI to no end claiming the “S Wing” of the intelligence agency and the Pakistani military operates in very nefarious ways, not only in Pakistan but by intervening in Afghanistan as well.

When asked by Zakaria that the net effect of what Mansoor had done was to undermine the democratically elected branch of the (Pakistani) government and empower the very people he claimed to be opposed to, he lamely replied that “a strong Pakistan would emanate from this.”

There is a lot wrong with the ISI and its invasive role in Pakistani politics and in promoting jihadists in the past. When Pakistani politicians like Nawaz Sharif or

media persons criticise the ISI for the sake of reform, it is welcome. However, when mavericks like Ijaz go to town on Zardari, ISI and Pakistan itself it should not be bought hook, line and sinker by the establishment, the politicians and, for that matter, the courts.

Ijaz has also made the fantastic claim that Zardari and Haqqani had prior knowledge of the US Navy SEALS raid on Abbottabad on May 2, vehemently denied by the US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter. According to Ijaz, the plan to send the memo was made by none other than Zardari himself. It is obvious who the ultimate target of the maverick US-based Pakistani businessman is. It is not Haqqani, Zardari, the military and the ISI but Pakistan itself.

Nawaz showed undue haste in going to the Supreme Court for a probe of Memogate and as former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Asma Jehnagir said, got immediate relief without the accused party even being heard.

The apex court will hear the case on 17 December hopefully with the consciousness of the implications of its verdict on the future of Pakistan. It will be interesting to see the written statements of the COAS and the ISI chief. A lot will depend on the decision.

Bruce Riedel, the US expert who helped Obama in formulating policy towards Pakistan, has predicted that “the façade of a civilian government with very little power is likely to continue in Pakistan.” According to the former CIA official and Clinton aide, the army is installing a new military dictatorship without even resorting to a coup.

Nawaz Sharif in his latest statement has said no to military rule in Pakistan, claiming that country cannot afford another martial law. His commitment to democracy will come under severe test in the days to come. Independent courts, a vibrant opposition and a free media are the biggest guarantee for a stable democracy. Easier said than done, under the circumstances.

The writer is Editor, Pakistan Today

whitelies H

By Ess Aich

ad it been a country/democracy sensitive to public opinion, a simple statement about President Zardari’s medical condition from the otherwise publicity happy and often combatant media managers would have been promptly issued. In that case, we would have been spared the range of speculation and sheer gossip on the subject. It all started last week with the breaking news that President Zardari had suddenly left for Dubai for a medical check-up. One channel even dispensed the information that it was a routine check-up, nothing serious, and he actually walked down the steps of the aircraft on arrival at Dubai Airport.

This gave rise to the obvious question, a routine check-up for which Pakistani medical facilities were not good enough? Now we were told, by a speculative media, that it was nothing serious but the President wanted to combine a medical check up with meeting his children who are all in Dubai. At this point son Bilawal was spotted in Islamabad, Sindhi topi and ajrak clad, calling on PM Gilani. More top up on the story followed. Actually it was not the first kids but Dr Hashmi, the president’s personal physician who was in Dubai and the latter had to be consulted about a heart condition related to a procedure carried on President Zardari in the US (by another cardiologist) years ago. Again we were informed by “informed sources” that the President was fine but was put in the ICU so that he could be protected from visitors though the UAE princes were allowed in, not to discuss the Shamsi Base matter we are certain.

By now, Foreign Policy magazine had jumped into the fray with the piece of news that a White House source revealed that when President

I

t seems that the US ambassador has come to the conclusion which his predecessors reached a lot earlier. That he is actually the Viceroy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Having realised that, he is seen taking his responsibilities very seriously. He was heard quite openly and perhaps a little undiplomatically expressing his opinion that the civilian

Obama rang President Zardari to offer his condolence on the killing of 24 Pakistani soldiers at a Pakistani checkpost by NATO forces, he found the latter quite incoherent. In fact, Obama could not understand what AZ was saying. At this point, the talking shops and drawing room politicians went wild. Many seemed to know some one in the presidency who had actually witnessed “a heart attack” or “a stroke” or “very odd behaviour” or even better “bipolar disorder”.

Can we have the facts on this one please before it snowballs into a major medical conspiracy with CIA, RAW and ISI thrown in as a dressing?

government in Islamabad has no authority and that the cabinet is merely a rubber stamp for the military establishment. Well if the viceroy says so, it must be true. *********** e hear that the Punjab Club elections last week took an interesting turn. There were eight seats for which there were 11 candi-

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dates. With the skill matched only by those who know how to maintain their monopoly, a consensus was reached. A few candidates quietly stood down. Now there were eight candidates for eight seats which meant there was no actual contest. Not surprisingly, the President elected happens to be a member of another very elitist club also known as APTMA.

For feedback, comments, suggestions and, most importantly, tips, contact us at whitelies@pakistantoday.com.pk

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Saturday, 10 December, 2011

A reluctant leader is the young one up to the task?

By Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

B

ilawal has been prematurely thrust into the frontline politics by two circumstances: the death of Benazir in 2007 and the sudden illness of Zardari this week. The PPP’s peculiar culture which requires a Bhutto as top leader to command everyone’s loyalty is also responsible for burdening a 23year old novice with responsibilities that require skills that he has yet to develop and a political maturity that he has yet to display.

Since Benazir’s departure, tasks have been set for Bilawal by Asif Ali Zardari. At times, he showed reluctance to comply but mostly accepted the role he was required to play. He was appointed the chairman of the PPP at the age of 19 while he was still an undergraduate at Oxford.

Bilawal declined to attend the meeting addressed

by Zardari in Birmingham in 2010 to introduce Bilawal.

When in July this year, Zardari announced that his son would be Lyari’s future MNA, Bilawal was quick to tweet that he did not plan to contest in the next elections.

Two months earlier, when Hakim Ali Zardari died, Bilawal was declared by his father to be the next chief of the Zardari tribe in his place.

Interestingly the dastar bandi did not take place. Was it due to reluctance shown by Bilawal who did not want to be involved in the rigmarole?

The biggest handicap Bilawal suffers from is that he did not have the opportunity to pass through a period of apprenticeship. He had no time to reveal his strong points. His drawbacks are

well-known. Unlike Benazir who had had all her pre-graduation education in Pakistan, Bilawal has had his entire education abroad. While he is required to lead a major mainstream party, he speaks no Pakistani language and thus cannot communicate with the masses. He has seen no local school, hospital, village or slum and thus his knowledge of the conditions prevailing on ground in this country is second hand.

Bilawal’s public exposure is limited. As compared to him, Rahul Gandhi, a scion of the Ganhi family, has gone through the rough and tumble of politics for seven years.

Despite the Congress being in power, he preferred working at the grassroots level rather than aspire for a cabinet post.

With Begum Bhutto as party chair person, even Benazir had a period of hard apprenticeship, partly spent in detention. Bilawal’s exposure consists of a few close door meetings like the one in August 2009 when he addressed some two score party workers in Islamabad. He spoke three sentences in Anglicised Urdu and then rattled off a declamation in English, recounting the sacrifices rendered by his mother, maternal grandfather and even his father who he said had spent years in jail as he refused to support a dictator.

Bilawal has inherited a rich legacy. To retain the legacy, however, he has to prove that he really deserves it. In case of Zardari remaining active, Bilawal will have time to learn the ropes. He can develop a first hand knowledge of the realities faced by Pakistanis that he has so far only read about, and develop a better understanding of his own party, its allies and opponents. The task will be daunting in case the ailing co-chairman was to fade out of the political scene at this stage.

In Zardari’s absence, Bilawal will be called upon to resolve the internal differences within the party ranks.

With some of the party dissi-

dents in Sindh strongly opposing the alliance with the MQM and threatening to gherao the Provincial Assembly if concessions were given to it over the local bodies issue, the PPP faces an unprecedented challenge from its traditional stronghold.

Bilawal will have to ensure that the party remains united. A highly divisive issue he would be required to settle is the awarding of party tickets for the Senate elections due in March. As different lobbies in the PPP would have different favourites, the final decision will finally have to be made by the party chairman. Soon after, the party will have to settle the issue of the candidates it has to launch in the next general elections for the National Assembly and the four provincial assemblies.

Bilawal will be the youngest leader in his party.

He will be surrounded by party veterans with decades of parliamentary experience.

For a while, the Bhutto legacy will help him but after a while he will be judged by his ability to command the party.

The PPP culture requires the party chairman to be the chief executive also. Gilani was asked during a PTV programme last week whether he would be the PPP’s prime ministerial candidate in the presence of Bilawal in the 2013 election. "It is up to the party... our Chairman should be the Prime Minister and I am with him," he replied uneasily.

Or will Bilawal show the dissident streak in him and try to change the culture? He could empower the party organisation, bringing the decision making bodies of the party out of the shadow of the chairman. Bilawal with his limited experience and untested clout provides the PPP a chance to develop party institutions with a democratic working. This will be a healthy development.

The writer is a former academic and a political analyst.

comment 13

The plot thickens A system corrupted beyond cure?

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vile premonition has followed the incumbent government each day of its four years in the halls of power. And there is really nothing it has done to cast it away. On the contrary, much of the stuff strutted in the name of democracy has been nothing more than bitter ‘revenge’ heaped upon an aghast people.

The trail of misadventures of the PPP-led government can be easily traced to hell itself. Every project its mafia dons have dipped their fingers in has started smelling foul. Even its ministers have been forced to cough up billions of ill-gotten money, yet they have continued to enjoy the comforts of their offices and the confidence of their leader.

Wearing the albatross of the NRO, the government stutters from one misadventure to the next adamant that it solely deserves the credit for the induction of democracy in the country and cites with unending pride the sacrifices its leaders rendered towards the cause.

The duplicity its leaders have consistently practised with regard to the armed forces and the security agencies and the webs of woeful deceit they have woven to weaken them defies description.

Every time they have been caught in the act, they have taken to wearing the cloak of democracy and crying hoax. But, while each such failed attempt added to their frustration, it also drove them to taking more desperate measures to perform their part of the NRO quid pro quo, leading Pakistan to subservience to the US diktat. The reason they have failed in doing so is inherent in the manner and the extent to which the military, the national security institutions and the people are generally sensitised to the defence reBy raoof Hasan quirements of the country.

Their lesser sins apart, the May 2 incident near Abbottabad sparked off a trail of reactions immeasurable in its intensity. Immediately, there were widespread concerns expressed that the ruling political leadership may have been in the know of things. This doubt received credence through the publication of an oped in a leading US paper the very next day in the name of President Zardari and the warm felicitations extended on the floor of the parliament by the PM on the successful completion of the get-Osama operation on Pakistan’s soil. The concerns with regard to blatant infringements of the national security and sovereignty were completely overlooked as they were not reflected in the initial reaction of the government.

The stealth operation elicited a bitter reaction from all sections of the society.

The concerns expressed centred round the vulnerability of our security and the possible complicity of some of the leaders in facilitating the night assault. Pakistan’s High Commissioner in the UK Wajid Shamsul Hasan, speaking to the BBC, CNN and NDTV on May 3 and later, acknowledged that “the Pakistan government was in the know of certain things”

Candid Corner

adding that “whatever happened, happened with our consent. Pakistan was not totally in the dark”.

On another occasion, he said that “the Pakistan government was throughout cooperating with American intelligence”. The mystery was further compounded by the 6-hour visit of the now deposed Pakistani Ambassador Haqqani to the UK. Why was he in the British capital on that eventful day and what were his engagements there? Who all did he meet and what was discussed?

Fast forward to the memo that was ostensibly dictated by former Ambassador Haqqani to the US government promising to incorporate wide ranging structural and functional changes in the way the military and the security agencies operated in the country. It also outlined the contours of specific initiatives that would be undertaken to make the governmental system more compliant with the US interests and requirements. The promises encompassed the disbanding of Section ‘S’ of the ISI and the prospect of accepting the US boots on ground to conduct necessary operations to capture or kill militants on Pakistani soil.

The allegation was immediately met by the customary rejection of the existence of the memo. That stance could not stick for long as the US intermediaries including Admiral Mullen and General Jones acknowledged the existence of the memo which had been delivered to the US authorities as carte blanche offer of unbridled cooperation in exchange for their assured support to the incumbent government in battling the influence of the military and the security agencies. That’s when the dots were traced back to May 2 and the puzzle began to untangle. The matter was given a potentially fatal twist when it was taken to the Supreme Court with the plea for initiating a comprehensive and transparent enquiry. The move was berated by the PPP leadership as another assault on democracy.

As pressure mounted and the fingers were pointed in the direction of Mr Zardari, he needed to strategise an escape from the incriminating fallout of the twin-debacle. Health concerns came in handy and he took off for the ‘safer’ environs of Dubai and the (symbolic) American Hospital where, understandably, he may be negotiating his ‘exit’ strategy in an environment ripe with rumours of a ‘soft coup’ or judicial intervention. While none of his close stalwarts was willing to give a definitive date of his return, interestingly, it was the US Foreign Secretary Clinton and the US Ambassador in Pakistan Munter who confirmed that he would indeed return to Islamabad.

When there are doubts expressed about the commitment of the highest national leadership, the art of politics should take a backseat. December 19 is the date when the SC tackles the memo issue again which, understandably, would chart the course that Pakistan is to take in battling the cancer of subservience to foreign diktat filtering through a dubious leadership and a system that has been corrupted beyond cure.

The writer is a political analyst and a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. He can be reached at raoofhasan@hotmail.com

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14 Foreign News

Saturday, 10 December, 2011

UK isolated as Europe moves ahead on fiscal union g

Block on EU treaty change ‘tough but good’ decision, says Cameron Croatia ‘warmly welcomed’ as it signs EU accession treaty g

BrUSSeLS

E

reUters

UROPE divided on Friday in a historic rift over building a closer fiscal union to preserve the euro, with a large majority of countries, led by Germany and France, agreeing to forge ahead with a separate treaty, leaving Britain isolated. Twenty-three of the 27 leaders agreed to pursue tighter integration with stricter budget rules for the single currency area, but Britain said it could not accept proposed amendments to the EU treaty after failing to secure concessions for itself. After 10 hours of talks, all 17 members of the euro zone and six countries that aspire to join resolved to negotiate a new agreement alongside the EU treaty with a tougher deficit and debt regime to in-

sulate the euro zone against the debt crisis.

Sweden, Hungary and the Czech Republic said they needed to consult their parliaments. “Not Europe, Brits divided. And they are outside of decision making. Europe is united,” Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said in blunt English on arriving for the second day of the bloc’s eighth crisis summit this year. One senior EU diplomat called British Prime Minister David Cameron’s negotiating tactics “clumsy”.

Active ECB support will be vital in the coming days with markets doubting the strength of Europe’s financial firewalls to protect vulnerable economies such as Italy and Spain, which have to roll over hundreds of billions of euros in debt next year. brItaIn outsIde? Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy had wanted to get the whole EU to agree to change the Lisbon treaty so that stricter budget and debt rules for eurozone states could be enshrined in the bloc’s basic law.

But Britain, which is outside the euro zone, refused to back the move, saying it wanted guarantees in a protocol protecting its financial services industry, roughly one-

tenth of the country’s economy. Sarkozy described Cameron’s demand as unacceptable.

Sarkozy and Merkel said the intention was to forge an intergovernmental treaty among the euro zone countries and any others that wanted to join. They indicated that could be up to 25 countries in all, with only Britain and perhaps Hungary left outside the tent for now.

“This is a summit that will go down in history,” said Sarkozy. “We would have preferred a reform of the treaties among 27. That wasn’t possible given the position of our British friends. And so it will be through an intergovernmental treaty of 17, but open to others.”

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister David Cameron said Friday he took a “tough but good” decision to block a change to the EU treaty presented by France and Germany as the way to resolve the eurozone debt crisis.

“Where we can’t be given safeguards, it is better to be on the outside,” Cameron told a news conference after demands termed “unacceptable” by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. “It was a tough decision,

South Africa, Brazil join climate alliance

lieberman praise of Russian vote ‘appals’ Israel JerUSALeM

US, China, India yet to endorse proposal for a mandate for a new accord embracing all major carbon emitters g

DUrBAn AFP

Brazil and South Africa have joined calls for a new global climate pact, leaving China, the United States and India still to come on board, Europe said Friday as the UN talks went down to the wire.

The two emerging giants rallied to a proposal supported by the European Union, least-developed countries and vulnerable small-island states, said European Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard.

“Brazil (is) also in favour, South Africa OK for a legally binding deal,” she told journalists in Durban.

“That is half of BASIC, now we are waiting for the other half,” she added, referring to India and China, the first and third largest carbon polluters in the world.

They, along with the number two emitter the United States, have not endorsed the European proposal for a mandate for a new accord embracing all major carbon emitters. “Although there are these encouraging signs, we are definitely not there yet and time in Durban is now really short,” Hedegaard said, adding that closed-door discussions would now pick up after breaking off at 4.00am. (0200 GMT).

Earlier Friday, the EU said it had

but a good one.” Amid fears Britain could be sidelined by his decision not to go ahead with the closer integration signed up by 23 other EU countries, Cameron said he had insisted that European institutions would continue to work for all 27 members.

Unable to convince his peers that Britain should be given veto power over any changes to financial regulation that could affect the powerful City of London, Cameron said he would not sign up to an EU-wide treaty change.

Meanwhile, Croatia signed an EU accession treaty Friday, a move paving the way for the former Yugoslav republic to join the bloc in mid-2013, after almost a decade of long and often fraught negotiations.

“You are warmly welcomed in the European family,” said EU president Herman Van Rompuy. The signing ceremony attended by European Union leaders was the culmination of a long-held ambition.

Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor and President Ivo Josipovic signed the legal paperwork alongside the EU’s 27 heads of state or government. Croatia will then take up observer status at the EU summit.

formed an alliance with some 85 of the world’s most vulnerable nations to push for the new global pact on greenhouse gases.

“The least developed countries, the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and the European Union are united in their desire for an ambitious outcome in Durban,” the three blocs said in a joint statement.

“We believe that the world has had a lot of time to think. What we need is not more thinking. What we need is more action.” But Hedegaard cautioned that the gap in positions remained wide and did not rule out a breakdown.

“If there is no further movement from 4.00am then I don’t think there will be deal in Durban. That is what we are faced with,” she said. The EU is calling for a new round of pledges under the Kyoto Protocol, and a “robust mandate and roadmap for a legally binding instrument.”

Going into the talks, Kyoto - the only international curb on greenhouse gases was hanging by a thread.

Key countries had announced their refusal to renew carbon-cutting pledges at the end of next year when the treaty’s first round of cuts expires. The EU said it would renew its vows, but only if major emitters - including the US and China - would commit to forging a new climate deal by 2015.

AFP

DURBAN: An activist protests on Friday, as UN climate talks entered their second week entangled in a thick mesh of issues with no guarantee that negotiators and their ministers will be able to sort them out. AFP

Israeli officials squirmed in embarrassment on Friday over Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s ringing endorsement of Russia’s contested parliamentary elections as “free and democratic.”

Lieberman’s comments, which were reported by Russian news agency ItarTass, come as Moscow struggles with a wave of protests over allegations of vote rigging in last Sunday’s elections.

Top world diplomats have also expressed grave concerns over the outcome of the vote, which observers say was marred by widespread irregularities.

“Such praise is appalling and deeply embarrassing. These remarks in no way reflect our official position,” a senior government official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Such comments give “an extremely bad impression” he said, adding that the Moldovan-born former bouncer had made his remarks “without consulting” with other Israeli officials.

In a televised meeting with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier this week, Lieberman said he had been briefed by a small delegation of Israeli observers, including an MP from his ultranationalist Israel Beitenu party.

“Their answer was quite clear: The elections were absolutely fair, free and democratic.

This is my opinion because I rely on our observers,” he was quoted as saying.

Syrian forces poised for assault on homs: SNC Italy tax chief g

Protesters rally despite warnings of a ‘massacre’ by regime forces nICoSIA AFP

Thousands of regime forces and loyalist militias have encircled the Syrian city of Homs, poised to launch what may be a final assault to crush dissent, the opposition warned on Friday.

The Syrian National Council said in a statement that President Bashar al-Assad’s regime was using the pretext of what it called a “terrorist” attack on an oil pipeline to overrun the central protest hub. “The regime (is) paving the way to commit a massacre in order to extinguish the revolution in Homs,” said the SNC, the principle umbrella organisation drawing together opponents of Assad’s regime.

Syrians meanwhile, took to the streets of Homs despite an opposition warning of a “massacre” by thousands of regime forces and militias who encircled the protest hub for a final assault to crush dissent. Local rights

turkey-Syria relations worsen ANKARA: Turkey is taking new economic measures against the Syrian leadership and will suspend a free trade agreement already frozen by Damascus in retaliation for sanctions by Turkey, a minister said on Friday. “We have submitted to (cabinet’s) signature a decree drafted by the economy ministry suspending (the) free trade agreement with Syria,” Customs and Trade Minister Hayati Yazici said. Damascus had announced it had suspended the free trade pact with Ankara after Turkey followed the Arab League by announcing a raft of punitive measures targeting President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Ankara is also planning entirely to bypass Syria as a transit route for regional trade with Middle Eastern countries. Turkey cannot stand by and watch if Syria’s crackdown on a popular uprising puts security in the region at risk, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Friday. While Ankara has no desire to interfere in Syria’s internal affairs, it has a duty to tell Damascus “Enough!” if it puts Turkey’s security at risk by fighting its own people and forcing people to flee the country, he said. Turkey, which has become increasingly critical of its one-time ally, fears an all-out civil war based on sectarian lines in Syria could spill across its borders and spark tensions among Turkey’s own people. AgenCies groups reported later that forces killed at least six people, including two children, when they fired randomly on protesters in Homs, one of many areas where peo-

ple rallied after the main weekly Muslim prayers. Pro-democracy activists had called on citizens to take to the streets across the troubled country in support

of a “dignity strike... which will lead to the sudden death of this tyrant regime.”

Homs, an important junction city of 1.6 million residents mainly divided along confessional lines, is a tinderbox of sectarian tensions that the SNC said the regime was trying to exploit.

“The regime also took a significant step... in burning oil pipelines in the neighborhood of Baba Amr to blame what the regime calls ‘armed gangs; in an attempt to crush the peaceful uprising on the pretext of a war on terrorism.”

Witnesses on the ground in the city have reported a buildup of troops and pro-regime “Shabiha” militiamen backed by armoured vehicles who have set up more than 60 checkpoints, said the SNC. “These are all signs of a security crackdown operation that may reach the level of a total invasion of the city,” it said in the statement.

“We warn of the consequences of committing such a crime that could result in a massive number of casualties.”

wounded in letter bomb blast roMe AFP

The head of Italy's tax collection agency was wounded to the hand and eye by a letter bomb on Friday, two days after Italian anarchists claimed responsibility for a bomb sent to the head of Deutsche Bank. Equitalia's director general Marco Cuccagna detonated the device when he opened a letter at the agency's headquarters in Rome and has been hospitalised.

Prosecutors said they were launching an inquiry for suspected terrorism and were looking into a possible anarchist link.

A police spokesman said that the letter bomb had arrived by regular post.

Prime Minister Mario Monti issued a statement expressing "solidarity" and defending the activity of Equitalia at a time in which his government is proposing a series of painful tax increases and pension reforms.

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Saturday, 10 December, 2011

Foreign News 15 virginia Tech shudders after new shooting WASHIngton AFP

KolKATA: A fire fighter evacuates a patient from a hospital after it caught fire on Friday, killing at least 89 people. REUTERS

‘US drone penetrated 250km into Iran’ g

Japan extends sanctions against Iran, while EU leaders to call for more teHrAn / tokYo

T

AgenCies

HE US drone which Iran said it shot down penetrated 250 kilometres inside the Islamic republic’s airspace, state television’s website reported on Friday.

In a letter of protest to the United Nations, the government said “the American RQ-170 spy plane violated 250 kilometres inside Iranian airspace before confronting the reaction of Iran’s armed forces,” the website reported.

“Provocative and secret actions by the American government against the Islamic republic in recent months” have been on the increase, it charged.

It said Tehran had lodged “a strong protest against this violation of international rules by the US government” and warned against any “repetition of such actions.”

Iran called for the United Nations to condemn “this violation,” in the letter addressed to the UN secretary general as well as the presidents of the Security Council and General Assembly.

State television also aired footage of what it said was the captured drone, showing what appeared to be an RQ-170 Sentinel aircraft with little visible damage. The Pentagon said American experts were analysing the footage.

The footage showed a cream-col-

ored aircraft being examined by two commanders of Tehran’s elite Revolutionary Guard Corps, who are in charge of the country’s air defences.

Aerospace unit Brigadier General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh said the drone had been captured through a cyber attack.

The RQ-170 Sentinel is a high-altitude stealth reconnaissance drone made by Lockheed Martin whose existence was exposed in 2009 by specialised reviews and later confirmed by the US Air Force in 2010.

Iranian media said on December 4 that the unmanned aerial vehicle was shot down after making an incursion into the airspace of eastern Iran, which borders Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Japan on Friday decided to extend its sanctions on Iran after similar moves by other nations to beef up international measures against Tehran’s nuclear programme.

The cabinet said it would increase the number of Iranian people and organisations subject to Japanese sanc-

IRAN: A grab taken from the Iranian state-run Press Tv shows what Iranian officials claim is the US RQ-170 Sentinel high-altitude reconnaissance drone that crashed in Iran, displayed at an undisclosed location. AFP

tions, said Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yukio Edano.

The government added 106 organisations, one individual and three Iranian banks to its sanction list, bringing the total number to 267 organisations, 66 individuals and 20 banks.

The move will not add to restrictions on imports of crude oil from the Islamic republic, the fourth-biggest oil supplier to resource-poor Japan.

European Union leaders will call for more sanctions against Iran at a summit in Brussels on Friday, in an effort to ratchet up pressure on Tehran over its nuclear programme, draft conclusions of an EU summit showed.

They are not likely make an explicit call yet for an embargo on Iranian crude oil, which EU diplomats have began discussing this month as a way to strengthen Europe’s response to mounting Western concerns that the OPEC producer has worked to design a nuclear weapon.

An EU diplomat with knowledge of conclusions prepared for the summit of EU heads of state in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, said governments will reiterate plans to develop new sanctions in the coming weeks.

EU leaders will call for preparations of sanctions to take place as “a matter of priority” and for them to be adopted by the next meeting of EU foreign ministers in January, the diplomat said.

Moscow braces for record anti-Putin rally MoSCoW AFP

Tens of thousands of Russians prepared Friday to hold their biggest protest yet over a contested election that has sent Moscow’s relations with Washington spiralling to a three-year low.

Saturday’s rally in Moscow - sanctioned by the police after days of talks with the opposition - is expected to draw around 30,000 peo-

ple to a square across the river from the Kremlin following last weekend’s legislative polls.

But the opposition is also organising rallies in at least 13 other major cities in a rare outpouring of mistrust in a system put in place by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin when he first became president in 2000.

Sunday’s vote was narrowly won by Putin’s ruling party but accompanied by a

flood of video footage shot by ordinary Russians and posted on the Internet appearing to show ballot stuffing and other widespread manipulation.

The protests that followed have posed a surprise challenge to Putin and saw the Russian strongman on Thursday launch a lacerating attack on US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for her expressions of concern.

City authorities have al-

lowed up to 30,000 people to gather on a square facing the Kremlin across the Moscow River after capping capacity to 300 at the original site requested by the opposition.

But some protest organisers have vowed to show up at the first location and then stage a march through central Moscow - a threat that drew an immediate warning from Russia’s interior minister.

“Any attempts to stage

unsanctioned events and to impede order will be thwarted by interior ministry personnel in accordance with the law,” said Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev.

Around 1,600 people have already been arrested in three days of protests in Moscow and Putin’s native city of Saint Petersburg - a cultural capital with a tradition of opposition thought going back to pre-Soviet times.

Virginia Tech was in shock Friday after a school police officer and another person were shot dead in a chaotic scene on the campus where the deadliest school shooting in US history unfolded in 2007.

Police refused to confirm reports that the second fatality might have been the shooter himself, as the 31,000-student university lifted an afternoon-long lockdown and declared there was no longer an “active threat” late Thursday.

But when asked if the gunman was at large, Virginia State Police spokesman Bob Carpentieri cryptically told reporters: “Investigators feel confident that they have located the person.”

Slain police officer Deriek Crouse, 39, a four-year veteran of Virginia Tech’s own security force, was shot and killed during a noon-hour “routine traffic stop” in a parking lot near a sports facility. “Tragedy again struck Virginia Tech in a wanton act of violence where our police officer, Deriek Crouse, was murdered during a routine traffic stop.”

Virginia Tech was the scene of the deadliest shooting incident by a single gunman in US history in April 2007, when an English major, Seung-Hui Cho, 23, killed 32 people before taking his own life. Twentyfive others were wounded.

gazan killed, 20 injured in Israeli strike gAZA CItY AFP

A Gaza civilian was killed and at least 20 others wounded, among them seven children, when an Israeli air strike hit a home next to a militant training ground, medics said Friday.

The raid destroyed a home in eastern Gaza City, killing Bahjat al-Zaalan, 37, and injuring many of his family members, more than half of them children, emergency services spokesman Adham Abu Selmiya said.

The strike, which targeted a Hamas militant training ground nearby, caused the house to collapse, and several other houses nearby were also partly destroyed or burned.

The Israeli military issued a laconic statement confirming it carried out two overnight raids on “terror activity sites,” one of which was in northern Gaza, but made no mention of the civilian casualties.

lebanon blast hurts 5 French UN troops, 1 civilian tYre AFP

A powerful roadside bomb struck a UN peacekeeping patrol in the Lebanese coastal town of Tyre on Friday, wounding five French soldiers and a civilian, a security official said. The official, who requested anonymity, said the bomb was hidden under dirt on the side of the road and was detonated as the soldiers were driving by in a Jeep at an intersection in the eastern part of the southern town. Two of the wounded soldiers were taken to hospital while the three others - a woman and two men - were seen standing by their badly damaged vehicle with bandages on their heads. One of them had a bloodied face. It was unclear how badly injured the Lebanese civilian was.

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16

Saturday, 10 December, 2011

US director makes first

A NIGHT OF FIRSTS

smartphone movie LoS AngeLeS

A

AFP

N independent US filmmaker has made what is believed to be the first feature-length movie shot with a smartphone, to be released next week — with actress Gena Rowlands in the starring role. ‘Olive’, is about “a little girl who transforms the lives of three people without speaking one word,” and was filmed using only a Nokia N8 cellphone, with a high-resolution camera adapted with a 35 mm lens to give added depth of field.

“Technology is moving so quickly and cellphones are really going to be the thing that does everything eventually,” director Hooman Khalili told AFP in an interview ahead of the US theater release of his movie on December 16. “They already do so much, and in January 2010 I came up with this idea and I saw there was nothing out there that existed,” added the 37-year-old, who began pre-production of the movie last year.

The first five minutes of ‘Olive’, viewable at www.olivethemovie.com, have already set tongues wagging in Hollywood, where the movie industry is gearing up for its annual awards season. Set for release in Los Angeles next week, the movie is eligible to be nominated for the Oscars in February.

In pictures posted on the Flickr photosharing website, the filmmaker, who also hosts a radio show in San Francisco, holds a cellphone taped to the 35 mm lens and mounted on a tripod, with a viewfinder sticking out one side. “This is groundbreaking technology. You know someone is gonna be first, and there’s something special about being first. And yeah, our lens might be big and clunky, but this is how first generations of new technology are.

And the second and the third generation become slicker and better,” he said.

The movie cost less than $500,000 —

a fraction of a typical Hollywood budget — and is financed by Chris Kelly, an executive with social network giant Facebook, and William O’Keeffe, a San Francisco-based philanthropist. Strangely, Finnish cellphone giant Nokia has had no particular input into the film. “They sent me a phone,” said Khalili, adding: “After March of 2011 I never heard from Nokia again, they disappeared.” Technology aside, the film boasts the involvement of the twotime Oscar-nominated 81-year-old actress Rowlands. “We sent her the script, and she said to me: ‘I read six scripts a week and I maybe do one movie a year. This script is so good, (but) I need you to convince me to do this movie,” Khalili said.

“We knew that it doesn’t matter how amazing the technology is. If the story isn’t good, nobody is going to watch it,” said Khalili, who worked with co-director Patrick Gilles. “I thought, how great would it be to have a central character that doesn’t speak but you understand everything she is trying to communicate,” said the filmmaker. That inspired the story of a 10-year-old girl who “transforms” the lives of three characters: an old, bitter woman — played by Rowlands — an obese man and a foreigner adjusting to life in the United States. “Every single one of us at one time of our lives is down in a ditch...

The way you get out of that ditch is by having someone reach you with their hand and pull you out,” said Khalili.

The film will be screened from next Friday, for a week, at the Laemmle’s Fallbrook 7 movie theater in West Hills, northwest of Los Angeles. Khalili said they are hoping to raise the $300,000 needed — via the micro-financing website Kickstarter — to show the film on 100 screens before Christmas. So far they have $30,000, but they hope publicity will help generate the extra income. “We need a little bit of a miracle,” Khalili said.

CAlIFoRNIA: Actress and musician Rainey Qualley is presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as Miss golden globe 2012 for the 69th Annual golden globe Awards at “A Night of Firsts’.

Fergie from 'Black Eyed Peas'

hrithik to turn Associate Director with ‘Krrish 3’ mumbaI: Due to his back injury and ongoing treatment Hrithik Roshan is not acting in the first schedule of ‘Krrish 3’. After this schedule that features his co-stars Vivek Oberoi, Priyanka Chopra and Kangana Ranaut gets over, he will be joining them to reprise his role as ‘Krrish’. A complete workaholic Hrithik preferred to be behind in the camera instead of taking a break. He co-directed few shots and actively got involved in the creative decisions. Hrithik has previously assisted his father in ‘Koyla’ (1997) and ‘Karan Arjun’ (1995). He is currently recovering from his back injury and a physiotherapist and nutritionist are helping him recover faster. ‘Krrish’ is one of the most widely speculated films for 2012 which will also release in 3D. The film has been in news for the casting of the female mutant who plays antagonist Vivek Oberoi’s love interest. Kangana Ranaut will be finally playing the role. AgenCies

Motherhood has not stopped Ash from signing new films MUMbAi: Rumour has it Ash has already signed a couple of films.

Motherhood spells doom for any woman; not for Mrs Bachchan supposedly. Just weeks after giving birth to a baby girl, the 38 year old beauty is already tired of resting at home. So, when her director friend, Sanjay leela Bhansali paid her a visit to discuss a movie, Ash was overwhelmed with joy and she immediately agreed to start working on a film with him.

Sources reveal that the yummy mummy has one other project in the works, namely, Raj Kumar Santoshi’s ‘ladies and gentlemen’ co-starring with her better half, Abhishek Bachchan. If rumours are to be believed then Ash is already in a fit to shed her pregnancy weight and look her best in her upcoming movies. We aren’t surprised at all that the lady is ready to get back to business already. After all, she didn’t let marriage (which often spells doom for any actress’ career) stop her from being one of he highest paid actresses in Bollywood. Just a few months after her marriage she started working on her Hollywood Project ‘Pink Panther 2’ and ‘Enthiran/Robot’; the latter went on to become an enormous hit at the box office.

2010 became a whirlwind year for the former Miss World with back-to-back releases: Mani Ratnam’s ‘Raavan,’ Sci Film ‘Enthiran/ Robot,’ the Akshay Kumar starrer ‘Action Replayy’ and finally the critically acclaimed film ‘guzaarish,’ in which she played a nurse to a quadriplegic, Ethan Mascarenhas (Hrithik Roshan). AgenCies

Jamie Chung from 'The Hangover 2'

Genesis Rodriguez from 'Man on a Ledge'

Anupam Kher’s

Ashley Bell from 'The Last Exorcism 2'

Kareena

tryst with De Niro inspired

los Angeles: Anupam Kher has just concluded a five-week shooting stint in Philadelphia. It is perhaps the most significant role for any Indian actor in a mainline Hollywood production, ‘The Silver linings Playbook’. A Weinstein company production directed by David o Russell (who also helmed The Fighter), the film is about a teacher - played by Bradley Cooper - who after having spent four years in a mental institution, now returns to society. Kher plays his Indian-origin therapist. And the legendary Robert De Niro, with whom Kher shares screen space, plays Cooper’s father. The film is slated for a 2012 release.

Kher says that to work with De Niro, whom he idolises, has been his dream for decades. “I always believe that dreams come true and this film reaffirms my

faith,” says the veteran actor. According to Kher, the five weeks have been one of the most challenging and satisfying times in his 26-year long career. “I have learnt a lot about the professional approach Hollywood brings to a project. I was impressed with the dignity of labour they all display,” says Kher. He says he was totally absorbed and would shut himself for hours from the outside world to concentrate on his role. De Niro and Cooper personally gifted autographed posters for Kher’s acting school, and De Niro had a message for aspiring actors too.

“He said that one should stay focused and enjoy acting; and if one did become a star in the process, it was a bonus,” says Kher.

AgenCies

by Vidya’s role in ‘The Dirty Picture’

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17 Posthumous Winehouse album

‘reflects chaotic life’ LonDon

A

Chris Cofer from 'Glee'

Ariel Winter from 'Modern Family'

AFP

posthumous album by Amy Winehouse, a rough and ready assortment of alternative versions of hits, unreleased tracks and covers, has been hailed as a poignant snapshot of the singer's troubled life. Critics said that ‘Lioness: Hidden Treasures’ perfectly reflects the chaotic final years of the artist, whose death in July aged 27 after years of drug and alcohol abuse shocked the music world. “The random scrappiness of this collection of alternative takes, covers and sketchy new material is made poignant by the context in which it has been released,” wrote critic Helen Brown in the Daily Telegraph. “And as with that exposed and emotional pavement collage of bottles, candles, ashtrays, scrawled notes and battered guitars. It lays bare what made her both such a unique and such a troubled artist.” Her fans appear to agree, almost 100,000 copies have been sold since its release Monday in Britain and the album is set to roar to number one at the weekend, according to the Official Charts Company. But, as so often with posthumous records hastily thrown together, there were questions about its quality -- and whether Winehouse herself would have approved of releasing tracks she had decided to leave on the editing room floor.

“There are early recordings that would probably never have seen the light of day had the artist lived,” wrote the Guardian daily's Alexis Petridis about the album which comprises 12 tracks recorded between 2002 and March this year. “For someone who was seemingly cursed with fatally lousy judgement in most areas of her life, Winehouse was remarkably prudent when it came to

the matter of releasing records.” Winehouse's second album, ‘Back to Black’ released in 2006, propelled her to international stardom and became Britain's biggest-selling album of the 21st century following her death, although it has just been overtaken by Adele's ‘21’. Petridis singled out a cover of ‘The Girl From Ipanema’, and asked what Winehouse would have made of the wider world being exposed to a “ho-hum version” of the bossa nova classic. Nevertheless, the critic conceded that the record did offer an invaluable insight into the life of the artist, who an inquest found was five times over the British drink-drive limit at the time of her death at her London home. “The shift in her vocals from the careful enunciation of her early material to the smeared, ragged voice on her later recordings is pretty striking,” he wrote.Most striking for many fans will be the hints at Winehouse's often anguished personal life, such as on the second track ‘Between the cheats’. “I would die before I divorce ya I'd take a thousand thumps for my love,” she sings in the track recorded in 2008, a year after her marriage to Blake Fielder-Civil.

The pair had a violent relationship and divorced in 2009. The album saves the most poignant, heart-wrenching track for last. Winehouse laments in anguished tones a relationship that broke down, and appears all too aware that she may not have much time left. “And when my life is over, remember, remember, when we were together and I was singing this song for you,” she sings.

Video game to be based on

MUMBAI AgenCies

Peter Facinelli from 'Breaking Dawn'

MUMbAi: Kareena Kapoor has always been respected for her dedication to her work and it appears Kareena is turning to The Dirty Picture for inspiration. Kareena was spotted at a special screening for the film and its is rumored that Bebo was so zapped by vidya’s performance that she has given permission for Madhur Bhandarkar to go all out for her new film Heroine. It is believed that Heroine follows similar lines of The Dirty Picture chronicling the rise and fall of Bollywood actress.

A source close to the production revealed that there had been some scenes earlier that the actress had felt uncomfortable about but since seeing vidya’s dare-bare performance, she has now given the go ahead for all such sequences to be filmed. The source goes on to say “She doesn’t want to hold back. Initially her approach was quite mellow, but after watching vidya, she feels the need to do better.” After news spread of Kareena’s observations of vidya’s performance and source from Kapoor’s team told a leading news paper that it is not Bebo’s intention to copy vidya in anyway but simply to admire her critically aclaimed performance and to gain some inspiration for herself. The Dirty Picture is currently in cinemas while Kareena is currently filming for Heroine which is expected to release in 2012. AgenCies

After ‘RA.One’, Shah Rukh Khan-starrer ‘Don 2: The King is Back’ is set to be turned into a video game and director Farhan Akhtar says this would allow fans a personal dose of action and adventure. “I felt that this could be an interesting yet fun way to let people have their personal dose of action and adven-

ture,” Farhan said in a statement.

Farhan and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment has collaborated with Gameshastra, one of the largest game service companies in the country, to launch a console game. The firm is developing a third-person action adventure console game where a players gets to play Shah Rukh and does actions similar to those done by Don in the movie. There will also be a social game called ‘Don -

loS ANgElES: Tom Cruise has revealed that he might be reprising his role of lt. Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell in a possible sequel to ‘Top gun’ after 24 years. According to MTv News, the 49-year-old actor said that he and the film’s director Tony Scott were “working on” getting a ‘Top gun 2’ off the ground. last year Scott had confirmed that he would direct the sequel. Cruise said that he has been eager to make another film with the 67-yearold director for some time now. “I said to Tony I want to make another movie with him,” the Daily Mail quoted the actor. “He and I haven’t made a film since Days of Thunder [in 1990]. We never thought that we would do it again. Then, they started to come to us with these ideas of where it is now. I thought, ‘Wow, what we could do now’” he stated. The ‘Mission: Impossible’ star said that the sequel will pertain the same style of original box office hit. “I hope we can figure this out to go do it again,” the actor said. “If we can find a story that we all want to do, we all want to make a film that is in the same kind of tone as the other one and shoot it in the same way as we shot ‘Top gun’,” he added.

The mega-successful 1986 original launched Cruise onto Hollywood’s A-list and earned 350 million dollars worldwide. AgenCies

Tom Cruise to reprise his famous

The Social Mobsters Game’, which will be launched on the Facebook and is being developed by Mango Games.

The game will be available on Android, iOS, and PSN for PS3 platforms. While the game on Android and iOS will be released along with the movie, the console version of the game will be released in March next year.

“This is the first time a game is based on an Indian film that will be launched on four platforms. When I saw the creative of the game, I was very excited because the visuals were as real as the characters in the film. For an iconic character like Don, I think this was the best way to keep the hysteria going amongst his fans,” said Ritesh Sidhwani, producer of ‘Don 2’. Mohan Raju, director and founder of Gameshastra, said: “We are proud to be associated with Excel and their ‘Don’ franchise and the success of this title will mark the beginning of many more joint endeavours with major studios in India.”

I’m a

‘Top Gun’ role says Lady Gaga los Angeles: lady gaga says she feels like a gypsy at heart and does not fear being homeless. The singer, who is yet to buy her own home, admitted she is still “homeless” because she thinks it would be a “waste of money” to splash out on a property when she spends most of her time on tour, reports contactmusic.com. “I’m a gypsy, you know. I can’t plan my life out like that so much. Then I think well, gosh what a waste of money to buy a place and I`m on the road,” gaga said on ‘The Ellen Degeneres Show’. “Even though it might not seem like a big deal because I`m a pop singer or whatever, it still hurts to hand over that much.

It`s a lot of money,” she added.

AgenCies

is Jackie shroff gay?

MUMBAI AgenCies

He started his career with ‘Hero’ and did a number of roles that were macho, mostly gun-toting cops, street-smart taporis and tough guys who occasionally did cry.

Over the years Jackie Shroff’s presence on the big screen waned, and he was last seen playing a godman in a sort-ofbiopic. We heard stories of his battle with the bottle, his whimsical nature in his small screen appearances and various theories on why he wore his head covered in a colourful bandanna all the time. Now comes a shocker – Jackie Shroff, all-male, studsy, girlmagnet, et al, told a website that he is gay. The site claims that the actor was chatting casually with a coterie of journalists and told them that he prefers men, “a natural feeling”, he said, which developed fairly recently; all through the 80s and 90s he was attracted to women, but that has now changed, it is reported. Jackie apparently wept as he insisted he would be moving abroad without his family, to somewhere that his sexual orientation would be respected as he did not have faith in the Indian society and its way of dealing with homosexuals.

The actor married longtime girlfriend Ayesha Dutt in 1987. The couple have two children. Interestingly, Jackie’s son Tiger will soon be launched in Bollywood by Aamir Khan. We wait to hear Jackie’s official statement on this issue and to find out whether the website is next heard of in court.

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Saturday, 10 December, 2011

Panesar gets England recall for Pakistan series Page 22

Hafeez first Pakistani spinner to open bowling

FirSt teSt, day one

Hafeez, Taufeeq put Pakistan on top

Pakistan unlikely to get new coach before next year kArACHI

stats corner

AgenCies

S. PerVeZ QAISer Bangladesh were dismissed for their third lowest total against Pakistan (135 in 51.2 overs) on the opening day of the first Test match at Zahur Ahmed Chowdury Stadium.

Bangladesh's lowest against Pakistan is 96 in 33.5 overs at Peshawar in 200304 while 134 in 41.1 overs at Multan in 2001-02 is their second lowest. n Mohammad Hafeez became the first spinner in 42 years, and the first ever from Pakistan, to bowl the opening over of a Test. The move was sound, given Mohammed Hafeez had dismissed Tamim Iqbal for two ducks in the one dayers.

Misbah’s decision to bowl came a few hours after Australia had sent New Zealand in to bat at Bellerive Oval, Hobart, the first time in six years that they chose to field after winning the toss. The last spinner to open the bowling in a Test match was India's Motganhalli Jaisimha. The off break bowler opened the bowling in the Test match against New Zealand at Hyderabad in 1969-70. n Shahriar Nafees received his third duck in 39 innings of 20 Test matches. It was first duck in the first innings against Pakistan in Tests. n The 132-run undefeated stand between Mohammed Hafeez and Taufeeq Umar is the best opening stand for Pakistan against Bangladesh and third best overall.

The 100-run partnership between Shabad Kabir and Taufeeq Umar at Dhaka in 2001-02 was the previous best opening stand in Bangladesh for Pakistan. This was the fourth century stand between Mohammed Hafeez and Taufeeq Umar in 25 innings. n Shakib Al Hasan became the ninth Bangladeshi player to appear in 25 or more Test matches. The left hand middle order batsman and slow leftarm orthodox bowler from Magura, Jessore, who made his debut against India at Chittagong on May 18, 2007, took four years and 206 days to reach this landmark.

bAnglADesH’s loWest totAls AgAinst PAkistAn in tests sCore 96 IN 33.5 134 IN 41.1 135 IN 51.2 148 IN 56.4 148 IN 41.1

VenUe PESHAWAR MUlTAN CHITTAgoNg CHITTAgoNg MUlTAN

seAson 2003-04 2001-02 2011-12 2001-02 2001-02

CHITTAgoNg: Undefeated openers Taufeeq Umar (R) and Mohammad Hafeez (l) leave the field at stumps. AFP CHIttAgong

M

AFP

OHAMMAD Hafeez and Taufeeq Umar cracked unbeaten half-centuries to put Pakistan in command after Bangladesh crashed to 135 on the opening day of the first Test on Friday.

Pakistan made a strong reply to reach 132 for no loss in their first innings at stumps, with Hafeez hitting nine fours in his 74 not out and Umar seven boundaries in his unbeaten 53.

Umar gave a chance in the last over of the day bowled by left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan, but Shahadat Hossain failed to hold on to the ball at mid-on.

Left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman earlier finished with 3-9 and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal with 3-40 as Bangladesh were dismissed in just 51.2 overs after being put in to bat in Chittagong. Pacemen Aizaz Cheema and Umar Gul also gave a good account of themsleves as they wrecked the hosts’ top order before finishing with two wickets each.

“When we sent Bangladesh into bat after winning the toss, we had a plan to bowl them out at as low a score as possible,” said Rehman. “In the morning, the captain and the coach told us to

sCoreboArD bAnglADesH 1st innings: 9 tamim iqbal c Akmal b Cheema Mohammed nazimuddin c Hafeez b gul 31 0 shahriar nafees c Younis b Cheema 1 Mohammad Ashraful c Akmal b gul Mushfiqur rahim lbw b Ajmal 4 shakib Al Hasan c Hafeez b rehman 8 Mohammad Mahmudullah lbw b Ajmal 18 nasir Hossain c Azhar b rehman 41 elias sunny c Younis b Ajmal 2 shahadat Hossain b rehman 8 rubel Hossain not out 3 10 extrAs (lb9, nb1) 135 totAl (for all out; 51.2 overs) Fall of wickets: 1-17 (tamim), 2-19 (nafees), 3-20 (Ashraful), 4-28 (rahim), 5-47 (shakib), 6-71 (nazimuddin), 7-81 (Mahmudullah), 8-97 (sunny), 9-118 (shahadat), 10-135 (nasir). boWling: Hafeez 3-1-9-0, gul 13-5-33-2 (nb1), Cheema 114-35-2, Ajmal 18-5-40-3, rehman 6.2-2-9-3.

PAkistAn 1st innings: Mohammad Hafeez not out 74 taufeeq Umar not out 53 extrAs (lb3, nb2) 5 totAl (for no loss; 38 overs) 132 boWling: shahadat 4-1-21-0 (nb1), rubel 6-0-25-0 (nb1), Mahmudullah 12-3-46-0, shakib 6-2-19-0, sunny 9-2-17-0, nasir 1-0-1-0. toss: Pakistan UMPires: billy Doctrove (Wis) and shavir tarapore (inD) tV UMPire: enamul Haque (bAn) MAtCH reFeree: Javagal srinath (inD)

maintain a good line and length and at the end of the day we got the result.”

Bangladesh also had their shot-selection to blame for their dismal batting display against Pakistan’s pace-spin combina-

tion as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Lower-order batsman Nasir Hossain top-scored with 41 with the help of one six and seven fours before being the last man out. Debutant opener Mohammed Nazimuddin also offered some resistance as he batted more than a session for his 79-ball 31 with the help of five fours before he was caught by Hafeez in the slips off Gul. Mohammad Mahmudullah (18) was the other batsman to reach double-figures.

“We didn’t play the best cricket. It’s very disappointing as our batsmen gave away their wickets cheaply,” said Bangladesh coach Stuart Law. “It’s not the lack of skill as we have got very talented players, but it might be a kind of mental block. I really can’t explain it. The wicket was not bad to bat on.”

Pakistan, playing their first Test in Bangladesh in almost a decade, put the hosts in deep trouble in the morning when they took five wickets for 47 runs in the opening 23 overs. Cheema rocked Bangladesh with two quick wickets while Gul, Ajmal and Rehman each took one wicket after the tourists had won the toss and elected to field.

Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq opened the attack with off-spinner Hafeez, but had to rely on his fast bowlers to jolt the hosts on an easy-paced track.

Pakistan’s cricket team is unlikely to get a new coach before the Test and ODI series against England in the United Arab Emirates next year in January.

Insiders in the board also said while Dav Whatmore was a leading candidate to take over as head coach of the team, there were still some other candidates in the run who had not been identified.

“It seems unlikely that the PCB will appoint the new coaching staff before the series against England. Since the committee appointed to shortlist, interview and recommend the final list of coaches for appointment has yet to complete its work,” one well-informed source said.

The source expressed surprise over a recent statement from one of the committee members, Colonel Naushad Ali who is also associate manager of the Pakistan team in their ongoing series against Bangladesh.

Naushad had told the media that the committee, which is headed by Intikhab Alam, had finalised its candidate for the position of head coach and for the other specialist coaching positions for batting, bowling and fielding.

“This seems unlikely because the word in the board is that the committee is yet to finalise its list of coaching staff. Even negotiations with Whatmore have not been held for quite a few days now,” the source said.

The names of Julian Fountain, Aaqib Javed and Mohsin Khan are being touted to be appointed on the coaching staff under the supervision of Dav Whatmore.

But the source pointed out that the PCB itself was facing a dicey situation.

“The team is doing well at present under the supervision of Mohsin Khan the interim coach. There is uncertainty over whether it would be a good idea to change a winning management combination before a crucial series like the one against England and bring in a new coaching set-up,” the source disclosed.

Even Pakistan’s former captain Shahid Afridi, on returning home after the oneday series in Bangladesh, supported retaining the same management and coach for the series against England insisting that Mohsin had done a good job.

The source said that it was most likely that the board Chairman Zaka Ashraf will have a word with the players and officials on a planned visit to Bangladesh on the coaching issue.

“Ashraf is due to visit Bangladesh for the test series and he will most certainly have a word with the captain, coach, manager and other senior players on the coaching issue,” the source said.

Indian cricket headed for a little bit of turbulence exPert CoMMent

HARSHA BHoglE

P

OWERED thus far by a seemingly insatiable consumer and a buoyant economy, Indian cricket might just be headed for a little bit of turbulence. Television ratings are down, stadiums aren't as full as before, the social media are giving voice to unrest at

the way the game is being offered, and television companies are cutting costs.

The cricket world must hope that all will be well again soon, and that possessing a ticket to a big game will again be seen as a status symbol.

To be fair there is no challenger to cricket in sight, not yet, but this was supposed to be the bumper year for fans and television networks. In the space of 12 months, India were to host the World Cup, the IPL, travel to England and finally to Australia. Outside of India v Pakistan, those are the four biggest events in Indian cricket. But if it didn't turn out to be the year it was meant to be, it was because, apart from all those, fans also had the Champions League, two series against West Indies, and a set of one-day games against England.

There was biryani on offer but there was

too much of it.

Meanwhile football grows in popularity every day, and while the numbers aren't challenging cricket yet, they are notching up impressive growth. Formula 1 was accepted with great excitement and there is a hockey league in the pipeline that deserves to be successful if not for anything else, to remind arrogant officials that an alternative exists.

Marketers, though, are looking beyond, at what engages today's youth, and social media and music are emerging as pretty likeable pastimes. Cricket cannot exist, and proclaim itself to be unchallenged, in the narrow definition of sport; it must reign in the wider world of entertainment. The Economic Times this week did a lead feature on alternatives to cricket; at lower price points, it seems marketers are willing to buy into them.

This is not meant to be an obituary, just a wake-up call. A reminder that seemingly unchallenged product categories and brands can suddenly be threatened. Kodachrome is gone, Nokia has been to the brink, and American Airlines is threatened. The euro is being looked at anew, countries are mulling their existences, and the 140-character statement is rampant. The owners of cricket need to be vigilant too, need to constantly review their product offering for relevance and quantity. And be ready for the inevitable dip in viewership once Sachin Tendulkar retires.

It means the game needs to be marketed in India. Only the IPL did that in recent times, reaching out to people and offering an entertainment package. The BCCI needs to be aware that coming to stadiums is currently a cumbersome

process for spectators, and television companies will have to be careful to see that the telecasts they produce are the best possible. We sat on concrete steps once, five sitting where three were meant to, and didn't complain. The younger generation, the current custodians of the game, aren't going to be as patient. And they shouldn't have to be.

Already the Test championship is gone, not because the ICC is insensitive but because it didn't justify the rights amount attached to it. It was a shootout with a one-day tournament and the Test championship lost. It is unlikely the next set of ICC rights will attract the kind of numbers that exist now, and the latest television rights to cricket in India showed no increase over the earlier set.

It has implications for the development of the game in other parts of the world.

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Saturday, 10 December, 2011

sports 19

BenaZir Bhutto Shaheed international Boxing

Amir, Tyson to visit Pakistan

Shafiq, Matloob front runners in Quaid-e-Azam golf LAHore

LAHore stAFF rePort

kHAWAJA PerVAiz sAeeD

ORMER world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and current WBA and IBF lightwelterweight champion Amir Khan, who will be defending his titles later this month, would attend the upcoming 2nd Benazir Bhutto Shaheed (BBS) International Boxing Tournament starting from December 20 at Islamabad’s Sports Complex.

Pakistan Boxing Federation president Doda Khan Bhutto informed in a press conference that Amir is sure to come while Tyson have taken the dates of the event and the likely chances is that he may come for the opening or closing ceremony of the second edition of the championship.

PBF secretary Mohammad Akram Khan, PBF associate secretary and secretary Punjab Boxing Association Yousuf Butt, Shaheer Bokhari of LXG marketing and Umer Toor of Nedia Guru were also present on the occasion along with Goher of music band JAL, who would be singing the theme song of the event involving local and foreign boxers.

Giving details of the event Bhutto said that the PBF has sent invitations to over 200 countries and around 50 are expected to participate. “Right now 25 countries have confirmed participation and another dozen have requested for a return tickets

The 97 professional golfers of Pakistan competing in the 1st Quaid-e-Azam Open Golf Championship at the Lahore Gymkhana Golf Course and supported by Shezan International as the title sponsors, faced a real tough time on their favourite golf course and a large number of them saw their hopes of glory shattered as they could not show consistency in their shot making and putting. There were others however, who touched the heights of excellence and their scores are a vindication of their winning spirit, as they managed to force themselves to the higher levels of the game with barely any shortcomings.

Shafiq Masih of Lahore Gymkhana is an upcoming champion of immense talent and he made his mark on the first day with a round that is oozing with birdies, nine in all, achieved through strategic shots that can simply be labelled as shots of beauty, devoid of any flukes. Shafiq birdied holes 1, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15 and 18 and yes there were strokes lost on holes 4, 5 and 13 but all of them due to aggressive play. His card for the day of 66, six under par got him a pat on the back from M. Sharif Janjua, the inspiration behind this championship who has promised a huge back up to support his efforts. The other champion who touched the highest level of excellence in the round was Matloob Ahmed who matched Shafiq's brilliance with a similar card of gross 66, six under par. Matloob is the senior of the two and currently ranked number two in national rankings. Quiet by nature he competes rather unassumingly but always makes an impact through extremely steady play. Here again he is the front runner with a score of 66, made possible by eight birdies, five of them on holes 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 coming in a row. Along the route of excellent play he did encounter two bogies on holes 3 and 14 but they in no way marred his brilliance. Some others who look accomplished are Waheed Baloch (Karacki) with a round of gross 67, followed by M. Afzal (Okara), gross 68, Amjad Yousaf (Karachi), 69, Latif Rafiq 70 and M. Munir at 71. Six players are placed at par 72 and they are M. Tariq, M. Nazir, M. Siddique, Shakeel Fayyaz, M. Safdar and Nisar Hussain. Though a few shots in arrears these players look determined to challenge Shafiq and Matloob over the remaining two rounds. As for the senior professionals, they had a tough time on Thursday as five of them ended the 18 holes competition at a score of gross 74 and had to go for sudden death play off. It was the experienced Manzoor Ahmed who emerged as the successful one with Shafiq Ahmed as the runners up followed by Dr. Aminurrehman and Ghulam Nabi.

F

Pakistani-American buys football club LAHore stAFF rePort

Pakistani American businessman Shahid Khan has bought football club Jacksonville Jaguars. According to reports received here, owner Wayne Weaver agreed to sell the Jaguars to Shahid, an owner of auto parts maker Flex-N-Gate Group. Financial terms weren't disclosed, but a person familiar with the deal put the sale price at about $750 million. At a press conference, Weaver said that the sale was "not about money, but finding the right partner to continue the legacy we've started here." Weaver said that Shahid Khan, who is based in Illinois, will buy a home in Jacksonville, and that he believes the new owner is serious about keeping the team in northern Florida. "I will always be grateful for Wayne's trust and confidence in my commitment to the Jaguars, the NFL and the people of the Jacksonville community," said Mr. Khan.

lAHoRE: PBF President Doda Khan Bhutto with other officials addresses the press conference. STAFF PhOTO for two of their boxers and an officials.

“We are trying to arrange funds for their visit to Pakistan and hopefully it would be arranged,” he maintained.

He further informed that about 50 to 60 million rupees would be required to hold the championship and there is no support from the government or either the multinationals.

“Had there been good quality sponsors the PBF would have been holding several international events,” he added.

He further stated that even during the

holding of the 2010 event government finances came after the event was over and even this time round if there were no government or multinational support the PBF will sure hold the tournament on the given dates. The 10 day tournament will begin from December 20 till 30. The event will kick off with performance from JAL, the official band of the event and there will also be cultural dances and march past of the participating teams.

"Asian and African countries have confirmed their entries while boxers of Sri

Lanka, Kenya and Nepal are already in Islamabad training for the tournament. But we have also sent a request to Poland, France and some other European countries," he said.

The winner will be given $5000 with the losing finalist getting $ 2500 and the bronze winners receive $ 1000.

Top security arrangements are to be finalized in a meeting with the officials and maximum protection will be given to the boxers and other sports dignities planned to visit Islamabad during the event.

hughes out cheaply after NZ rout sCoreboArD HoBArt AFP

Pressure mounted on Phil Hughes after he again failed with the bat as Australia chased New Zealand’s modest 150 on an eventful opening day of the second Test at Bellerive Oval on Friday. The under-fire opener lasted just five balls before he was again caught in the slips off Chris Martin for four, as Australia reached 12 for one before rain ended play early. For the third straight time in the series Hughes was caught by Martin Guptill off Martin’s bowling, scoring just 21 runs in the process, heaping pressure on his Test place ahead of this month’s series with India.

A total of 11 wickets tumbled in 50 overs on a bowler-friendly Bellerive wicket with Michael Clarke winning perhaps the most crucial toss of his eight Tests as Australian captain and sending the Black Caps into bat. At the close, David Warner was on seven and Usman Khawaja, who had lived dangerously, was on one. Martin had 1-12 off 2.2 overs. Kiwi

Australian paceman James Pattinson (R) bowls New Zealand batsman Chris Martin (l). AFP skipper Ross Taylor set three slips and three gullys for Hughes, who now has been caught behind the wicket in 20 of his 30 Test dismissals, raising questions over his technique. Pace newcomer James Pattinson earlier starred with five wickets for the second consecutive innings as New Zealand were skittled out in 45.4 overs.

neW zeAlAnD 1st innings 16 b. McCullum c Haddin b Pattinson M. guptill c Haddin b siddle 3 J. ryder lbw b Pattinson 0 r. taylor lbw b siddle 6 k. Williamson c Haddin b starc 19 56 D. brownlie b Pattinson 0 r. Young b Pattinson D. bracewell c Clarke b siddle 12 18 t. southee b starc t. boult not out 0 C. Martin b Pattinson 0 20 extrAs (b2, lb12, w1, nb5) 150 totAl (all out, 45.5 overs) Fall of wickets: 1-10 (guptill), 2-11 (ryder), 3-25 (taylor), 456 (Williamson), 5-60 (McCullum), 6-60 (Young), 7-105 (bracewell), 8-146 (southee), 9-150 (brownlie), 10-150 (Martin) boWling: Pattinson 13.5-3-51-5 (5nb, 1w), siddle 13-3-42-3, starc 11-4-30-2, lyon 8-4-13-0 AUstrAliA 1st innings 7 D. Warner not out P. Hughes c guptill b Martin 4 U. khawaja not out 1 extrAs 0 totAl (for 1 wkt, 4.2 overs) 12 Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Hughes) boWling: Martin 2.2-0-12-1, boult 2-2-0-0 rain ended play at 5:20pm (0620 gMt), toss: Australia, UMPires: nigel llong (eng) Asad rauf (PAk), tV UMPire: Aleem Dar (PAk), MAtCH reFeree: Andy Pycroft (ziM)

A tale of two cities g

Manchester mourns in Unison as london returns to centre stage in Europe EPL CrystaL BaLL kUnWAr kHULDUne SHAHID

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.” Charles Dickens said this about the times of the French Revolution; how aptly it fits the English football picture in the current season. English football, as things stand, is at the crossroads of ambiguity and the yoyo-ing fortunes of two cities intrigues us all.

When the season kicked off it seemed as if Manchester United were going to conquer all before them, and along with a resurgent Manchester City side, the two looked like being the sole contestants for the Premier League title and indeed being England’s vanguards in the UEFA Champions League. Then City took over as the domineering side in England after the ‘Six

and the City’ episode, but there was no question as to which two teams were going to be the top dogs. Arsenal had the worst start to their season in recent memory, and Chelsea – coping with the rigorous demands of managerial changes – were formulating a stop-start season of their own.

And now in the preceding midweek, the two London sides have qualified as group leaders whereas the Manchester duo are dumped into the second tier that is the Europa Cup. The fact that the top two sides in England were knocked out when mighty APOEL Nicosia qualified as group leaders is one of the many reasons why we all love football!

VillAs-boAs’ strong retort Chelsea were under the gun over the past month or two and Andre Villas-Boas was indeed feeling the pressure. It was clear that his future hinged on his team’s result against Valencia. Needing a win to guarantee qualification to the knockout rounds, Chelsea turned back the clock towards their halcyon days and exhibited an awe-inspiring brand of football. Drogba, Mata and Sturridge combined seamlessly and one gets the feeling that the latter two are going to be the face of Chelsea’s attack for years to come. Back to back 3-0 wins against Newcastle and then against Valencia have brought Chelsea’s season back on track, and have restored self-belief in the side. There was a very palpable sigh of relief in Villas-Boas’ retort in the post

match press-conference.

gUnners going greAt gUns Even though Arsenal lost their last group match on Tuesday, but they did so by fielding a second string side and after having earned the liberty to field such a side owing to the fact that they had already qualified as group leaders. After threatening to nosedive into obscurity in and around September, Wenger’s side are on an upsurge. Soaring up the league table, and in the pot for the Round of 16 draw there is every cause for optimism at the Emirates. There was a fear early on that Arsenal might not even be able compete for the top four in the EPL – well they’ve turned that impression around; and how!

CitY’s brieF UCl renDezVoUs Many of the superstars signed by City were lured to the Etihad Stadium by the pull of Champions League football. And now with that gone, one fears there could be a dip in morale. City conjured up 10 points in the UCL group – normally considered good enough to filter through to the next round; not so this year. Even though they found themselves in the toughest group in the competition, had they replicated something bordering on their domestic form in Europe they would’ve qualified without a shadow of a doubt. Although as a team they were a newbie in the tournament but players like Yaya Toure, Aguero, Dzeko, Kompany,

Nasri, Silva et al have had Champions League experience. City’s league form could see a dip after this, or they could have even more of a reason to go full throttle at the league title this year. Either way, the players have a job to do in picking themselves with a big game coming up on Monday.

CoMPlACenCY killeD tHe DeVil United’s group stage exploits in the Champions League this year have smacked off unprecedented arrogance and complacency. On paper their group was a cakewalk; how they managed to mess that up is mind-boggling! After Basel nearly did them in at Old Trafford, one felt that Sir Alex would’ve known better and played his fullstrength sides there onwards – wasn’t to be. On Wednesday night United’s central midfield – quite often their Achilles’ heel – consisted of a 38-year old veteran winger, a young central defender and Park Ji-Sung – another question mark over Sir Alex’s midfield policy. United missed Michael Carrick – the perennial scapegoat – in the middle of the park, and most of the ‘established senior stars’ didn’t play ball on the night. It seems as if most of United’s brigade have had more success than they could digest. The fact that barring a couple of youngsters and Ryan Giggs no one seemed up for the task divulges everything.

Maybe Thursday night expeditions around Europe might do good for some of them.

big MAtCH PreVieW: CHelseA Vs MAn CitY A contest between two teams off the back of contrasting fortunes, and that might translate into matters on the pitch. Chelsea should look to persist with the same lineup that got the better of Valencia. The front trio of Drogba, Mata and Sturridge is an apt mélange of youth, experience, pace, power, ingenuity and finishing.

Young Romeu in midfield is also going from strength to strength and his run in the first team should be prolonged. Their defense has also beefed up off-late. However there is a chance that Frank Lampard’s experience might be recalled for this massive game. The spirits must be down in the City ranks, and that is not when you’d want a trip to Stamford Bridge – especially now that Chelsea are back in the groove. City should play all of the usual suspects, with Aguero and Balotelli leading the line, well supported as always by David Silva.

Balotelli is going to be the key man in the match since words like morale, spirit, disappointment and form might not be present in his dictionary. City need a maverick who wouldn’t ponder over the midweek events and their aftereffects and pulls out a surprise when need be – Balotelli fits that bill perfectly. However, betting against Chelsea is difficult at the moment, since they are riding a confidence wave. A win against City would not only bolster their top four ambitions, it could signal a return to the title race for them as well.

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I’ll be back: Zardari Continued fRoM page 1 Mir said Zardari seemed to have recovered completely and said he would meet him after coming to Pakistan.

MYSTERY: Meanwhile, for the third consecutive day after Zardari was flown to Dubai for treatment, mystery continued to shroud the actual cause of the president’s ailment as the Presidency refrained from making any clear comment on whether the president’s indisposition was related to his brain, as being speculated in the media and political circles.

When approached for comments, Presidential Spokesman Farhatullah Babar avoided making a specific comment on the nature of the health problem being faced by the presi-

dent. “Commenting on health issues is the personal physician’s prerogative.

As spokesperson I refrain from commenting on speculative health reports,” he said when asked to comment on the nature of the disease ailing the president.

Meanwhile, an Emirati daily newspaper reported on Friday that President Zardari is to remain under medical observation in Dubai and it could be weeks before he returns.

“It can take two days or even more than two weeks, it all depends on what doctors advise him,” Gulf News said, citing one of Zardari’s close aides at the hospital. “He may leave the hospital and rest in his house under observation of doctors, but we want him to stay here

because he needs rest,” the aide said. tIa: Zardari likely suffered a transient ischemic attack (TIA), sources said, which can produce stroke-like symptoms but no lasting damage to the brain. A TIA occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain stops for a short period of time, and can produce “stroke-like” symptoms for up to two hours.

“The MRI is clear, but we suspect it may have been that (a TIA),” said one party official who asked not to be identified by name.

Zardari also called Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Friday and told him about his condition. The president said he would return home soon after recovering completely.

News 21

PPP Punjab MPA joins PTI ISLAMABAD online

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Malik Khurram Ali Khan on Friday announced to join Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI).

Addressing a press conference at the National Press Club (NPC), he announced to tender his resignation from the PPP membership and the provincial assembly seat PP18 (Attock). He said that Pakistan was passing through the worst economic and political situation in the country’s history, adding that the problems were a result of the wrong policies by the PPP leadership, which had failed to provide any relief to the people. Khurram said that he had joined the PPP due to the political sagacity of Benazir Bhutto (late), however, her successors did not follow her vision in true spirit. He said further that his decision to join PTI came after consultations with the voters of his constituency and at the voice of his conscience. Khurram served as tehsil nazim from 2001 to 2005 and was elected as the Punjab MPA in the general elections of 2008 after securing 56,000 votes. He has also worked as the Standing Committee on Colonies chairman.

PML-Q vows to support govt as memogate dogs it ISLAMABAD stAFF rePort

As the memo issue continues to dog the Presidency and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government, with political uncertainty also increasing with every passing day after President Asif Ali Zardari’s sudden departure to Dubai for health reasons, two political allies of the PPP — the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and a group of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) parliamentarians — on Friday assured their full support to the PPP leadership through thick and thin.

The Chaudhrys of the PML-Q, in a meeting with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, assured that their party would not abandon the PPP leadership in

time of crisis as the PML-Q’s alliance with the Bhutto’s family was on a long-term basis.

They also discussed the current political situation in the country.

“The meeting of the PML-Q leadership with the prime minister and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was primarily meant to express solidarity with the PPP leadership amid rumours of President Asif Ali Zardari’s stepping down from presidency,” said a senior leader of the PML-Q. According to a press release issued by PM’s House, the Chaudhrys assured the prime minister of their resolve to continue working together to strengthen the democratic system in the country.

“Chaudhry Shujat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi enquired after the health of President Zardari from Bilawal, who was also

present in the meeting,” the press release added.

During the meeting, President Zardari telephoned the prime minister, who informed him about the presence of both PML-Q leaders.

The president expressed his gratitude to the Shujaat and Elahi for enquiring about his health and for their prayers, the press release said. A source in the PML-Q said the Chaudhrys assured the PPP leadership that the PML-Q would stand by the government and the president on the memo issue. The PPP leaders thanked Shujaat for his recent statements defending the president and the government over the memogate scandal.

Separately, the parliamentarians from FATA also assured the prime minister that all tribal areas’ MPs would extend their full support to the government come what

may.

On the request of the FATA MNAs, the prime minister directed the Finance Ministry and the Planning Commission to ensure the release of Rs 15 billion during the current financial year to complete the development projects in FATA to eradicate poverty and illiteracy.

It was, however, pointed out by the Planning Commission and the Finance Ministry that the release of funds for FATA was on time as compared to other parts of the country. The lawmakers had called on the prime minister at PM’s house to express their best wishes for President Zardari and prayed for his swift recovery. Gilani thanked the MNAs and said the president had now been moved out of intensive care and was making satisfactory progress so far as his health was concerned.

Haqqani asks Supreme Court Continued fRoM page 1 He said the court placed him on the Exit Control Lost despite the fact that the petitioner did not seek any such action.

Rejecting the application, the Registrar Office noted that any order of the apex court could not be recalled, however a plea for review of the order could be filed. The office asked the applicant to file a proper review petition against the order if he had any objections to it. In his application, filed through his counsel Asma Jahangir, Haqqani had said that in the interest of justice, the December 1 order may be recalled to enforce his fundamental rights, and requested the court to dismiss Sharif’s plea because it was beyond the scope of Article 184(3) of the constitution, which mandates the apex court to only take up matters of public importance requiring enforcement of fundamental rights. The application stated that Sharif’s plea did not disclose any infringement of any fundamental rights by Haqqani as enumerated in Part 1, Chapter 2 of the constitution, nor had it sought any relief in terms of enforcing any of the fundamental rights, thus on this ground too, it deserved to be dismissed. He stated that the petitioner had all the opportunity to invoke the apex court for the enforcement of fundamental rights being violated every day, including in terms of national security, however he did not do so until now, which proved that the petitioner was biased against the respondent. It said the petition was not maintainable and liable to be dismissed as it involved a controversy where there was a lack of judicially discoverable and manageable standards to resolve the controversy raised in the petition. It stated that the issues raised in Sharif’s petition were primarily political in nature and jurisdiction of the courts was barred under the Political Question Doctrine. Through the statement, Haqqani categorically denied any connection to the controversial memo.

His statement said the Blackberry Messenger conversations reproduced with the petition did not in any way refer to the alleged memo and the record of these conversations annexed with the petition was not a transcript of any oral conversation, rather it was an alleged exchange of Blackberry Messages. The statement said the name of Haqqani was never mentioned in the article written by Mansoor Ijaz in the Financial Times on October 10, 2011.

However the name of President Asif Ali Zardari was mentioned in the article. It said a legal team was thus sought on behalf of President Zardari from a reputed US law firm, which advised that in case of defamation proceedings, the matters relating to the working of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) might come up for discussion in the US or the UK courts as the ISI was central to the subject matter of the article in question. Thus the matter was not proceeded against in foreign courts purely out of national interest and with the sole intention of avoiding any adverse media attention, which would tarnish the image of the country, said Haqqani’s statement.

Dr Fauzia condemns govt policies QUettA stAFF rePort

Dr Fauzia Siddiqui, the sister of imprisoned Dr Aafia Siddiqui, on Friday condemned the government for towing pro-American policies and urged the people to fight for their rights. Addressing a press conference at the Quetta Press Club, she said that the government had adopted an apologetic attitude towards NATO regarding the murder of 24 military personnel. She said that it would be an insult to the Pakistani nation if the NATO supplies were resumed after a mere apology. Dr Fauzia said that five military operations had been conducted in Balochistan in which innocent people and leaders were killed, adding that she had come to Balochistan to express solidarity with the Balochi people and the families of the missing persons. She said that the missing persons were in the custody of the government agencies. She demanded that if these people have committed any crime then they should be produced before the court of law, instead of being confined to illegal detention.

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Nawaz rules out en masse resignations g

PMl-N president does not want clash between state institutions

LAHore

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ULING out en-bloc resignations from the parliament and provincial assemblies, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) President Nawaz Sharif said his party would resume its “Go Zardari Go” movement from Sindh with greater enthusiasm, adding that there should be no clash between state institutions.

Talking to reporters after presiding over a meeting of his party leadership at Jati Umra, Nawaz said the government, not democracy, was failing. He said the Supreme Court had been moved on the “memogate” issue because the current government had made the parliament ineffective.

He said the option of resigning from the assemblies would not be workable unless other parties joined the move.

The PML-N decided that Nawaz would resume the “Go Zardari Go” movement from Larkana today (Saturday).

The party meeting also discussed initiating contacts with Sindhi nationalist parties to bring them to mainstream politics. Nawaz said the PPP would not be allowed to play the Sindh card and the PML-N would fight for the right of Sindhis.

PmL-n muLLIng Pm’s request for son’s by-PoLL Contest: Meanwhile, Online news agency reported that Nawaz had referred a request of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, to not field any PML-N candidate against his son Musa Ali Gilani in the by-election, to the party’s consensus committee.

Sources said the prime minister had especially telephoned Nawaz yesterday to inform the PML-N president that he desired his son, Musa Gilani, to contest the NA-148 by-polls on a seat vacated by former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and wished for Musa’s “unopposed victory”. While expressing his inability to decide the issue on his own, Nawaz said he could only make a decision according to the party’s consensus.

Nawaz is said to have summoned Multan-based party leaders, including Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Rana Mahmoodul Hasan and others for consensus over the issue.

Kolkata hospital fire kills 89 koLkAtA AFP

Nearly 90 people were killed when a fire engulfed patients at a hospital on Friday in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata, with officials accusing senior staff of abandoning those in their care. The fire broke out at around 3am at AMRI Hospital when the vast majority of the 160 patients inside the privately-run, five-storey facility were asleep. Kolkata Joint Police Commissioner Damayanti Sen told reporters that 89 people had been confirmed dead. Initial investigations suggested the blaze had started in the basement, and most of the victims were patients who suffocated on the thick, acrid smoke that quickly filled the wards on the floors above. By 9am, the blaze had largely been brought under control, but smoke continued to billow from shattered windows for hours, as firemen struggled to reach those still trapped inside. A number of immobile patients were evacuated down the side of the building using ropes and pulleys. It was the second fire in three years at the same facility and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who visited the site, promised a full investigation.

KOLKATA: A rescue worker evacuates a patient after a fire engulfed the Advance Medicare And Research Institute in this eastern Indian city. AFP

Militants abduct 12 people in Khyber kHYBer AgenCY stAFF rePort

At least 12 people were abducted by armed militants from the village of Sheen Pokh in Shalman near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Khyber Agency on Friday.

Tribesmen and officials said over a dozen militants had entered the village from the adjoining Mohmand Agency. They raided a hujra and abducted five people, including a tribal

elder named Malik Sultan.

Later they abducted another seven people, most of them passersby and labourers.

So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping but officials and tribesmen believe Taliban or Taliban-linked militants are responsible for the incident.

The Shalman area of Khyber Agency is adjacent to Palosa in the border areas of Mohmand Agency, where the militants have hideouts and compounds.

Bilawal steers PPP on bumpy political road ISLAMABAD tAHir niAz

As rumours about Asif Ali Zardari’s fate as the president of the country continue to make rounds across political and social circles inside and outside the country, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman and president’s son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has formally taken the driving seat of the party, yet a long and bumpy political road lies ahead without “airbags” inside, particularly when it comes to the Bhutto family.

The “political ring” of the country has always been cruel to the Bhutto family. Be it PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, daughter Benazir Bhutto or son Mir Murtaza Bhutto, all three met a sad end, leaving many to mourn.The PPP is the largest political party of the country. The party was launched at its founding convention on November 30, 1967 in Lahore and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was elected its first chairman by the participants. Only time will tell whether the entry of Bilawal in politics was by design or PPP had no other choice in the ‘extraordinary’ situation.

As Bilawal has stepped into his father’s shoes and taken over the reins of the party, the months ahead are likely to be bumpy

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi called on Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday. ONLINE

and unpredictable in the context of the prevailing political crisis in the country, particularly in the backdrop of the memo scandal.

At a time when the “beleaguered” president is admitted to a hospital in UAE with heart trouble, Bilawal formally made his entry into the political arena with a meeting with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on December 7 and also jointly presided over a meeting of the senior party leadership along

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with the PM. The very next day, Gilani’s sons Syed Abdul Qadir Gilani MPA and Syed Ali Musa Gilani called on Bilawal, suggesting that in the absence of his father, Bilawal was ready to take on the challenges.

Neat and clean as a newborn on the political horizon, Bilawal may prove a right choice by the PPP to frustrate the PML-N’s anti-Zardari drive. The PML-N targeted Zardari for being the president and co-

chairman of the PPP at one time, saying he was really at the helm of affairs of the country and calling the shots. With Bilawal holding the PPP reins, the PML-N would lose justification in its ‘Go Zardari Go’ movement, as Zardari would now be the president only. On the other hand, the move will also satisfy the courts which objected to President Zardari’s holding the dual offices of president and the PPP co-chairman.

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

Sindh govt unlikely to let PTI rally near Quaid’s mausoleum kArACHI AFtAb CHAnnA/AAMir MAJeeD

The Sindh government has decided in principle not to allow the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaaf (PTI) to hold a public gathering near the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah scheduled for December 25, Pakistan Today learnt on Friday.

The decision was made a few days ago in a high-level meeting of officers of law enforcement agencies and was presided over

by Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Wassan.

Sources said the PPP and its coalition partner, the MQM, reached a mutual understanding that the PTI would not be allowed to hold a public gathering in Karachi, and agreed that the Home Department would impose Section 144 in the city to restrict the PTI rally.

They said that the Sindh government had asked the PTI to postpone its rally in the city and hold the gathering on some other day at some other venue, and in case Imran Khan insisted on holding the public gathering in the city, the Home Department would ban his entry into the province for some time.

The PTI Sindh leadership meanwhile vowed that the public gathering would be held at the scheduled venue at all costs.

PTI Sindh President Naeemul Haq said the PTI had written to the Sindh chief secretary asking for the permission to organise a public gathering in the ground adjacent to Quaid’s mausoleum but the chief secretary replied after more than 20 days that holding a public gathering at the mausoleum was against Quaid-eAzam Trust Resolution. The PTI then wrote an application to the Quaid-eAzam Trust chief engineer, who in turn wrote to Quaid-e-Azam Trust Chairwoman Samina Khalid but no clear reply had been received so far.

PTI leader Israr Abbasi said the party had gone through the trust’s resolution and had found no clause barring a public gathering in the premises.