Khi 27 09 2013 layout 1 by Profit Epaper

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Friday, 27 September, 2013 Zil Qa’ad 20, 1434 Rs 17.00 Vol IV No 88 16 Pages Karachi Edition

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opp's criticism over quake relief irks nisar

pM meets Un special envoy gordon Brown

Ostensibly angry over the criticism being faced by the government over its delayed response to rescue and relief operations in earthquake-hit Balochistan, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Thursday lashed out at the opposition as well as the media accusing them of playing to the galleries over a natural calamity. Terming the opposition’s walkout from the House the other day as a media publicity stunt. page 06

Dollar reaches Rs113 before dropping back to Rs 106 story on page 12

Dengue spreading like wildfire in swat

nandipur power plant to start generation in 2014

Dengue virus claimed two more lives raising the death toll to 25 in Swat district. Both the victims, 22-year-old Muhammad Zahid, a resident of Charbagh and 30-year-old Gohar Alam, a resident of Malukabad died in Saidu Sharif Hospital, said sources. An administration official said that dengue is expected to reduce in October due to weather change. page 05

The Sub-Committee of Senate Standing Committee on Water and Power on Thursday was informed that the first unit of 425-525 MW Nandipur Power Project would start generation in May 2014. The Senate body which met with Moula Baksh Chandio in the chair reviewed reasons for Nandipur Project cost escalation and details of clearing Rs480 billion circular debt. page 03

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Religion is more than life. Remember that his own religion is the truest to every man even if it stands low in the scales of philosophical comparison — Mahatma Gandhi

N NEWS

Friday, 27 September, 2013

iNDia, afghaNistaN iNvolveD iN BalochistaN uNRest: RepoRt report contains proof against inDia anD afghanistan in facilitating Baloch separatists intelligence official says Blf Militant was traineD in inDia ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Investigators on the trail of insurgency in Balochistan for years have found evidence showing India and Afghanistan facilitating the insurgent organisations in spreading terrorism in Pakistan. A report prepared by the country’s prime intelligence agency contains proof against India and Afghanistan in connection with providing facilities to the Baloch separatists as well as the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) to carry out terrorist activities in Balochistan and other parts of the country. Sharing some contents of the report with Pakistan Today, an intelligence official said a Baloch separatist [Mengal], who was a permanent resident of Quetta and presently living near football stadium Kandahar (Afghanistan) was affiliated with the BLF and was head of the Mengal tribe in Afghanistan. This person, he said had obtained Afghan identity card (Tazkra) and passport using fake name, Emal Khan. Talking about his involvement in anti-Pakistan activities, the report read that Mengal was affiliated with the BLF as a representative of Brahamdagh Bugti and had got training in India to handle remote-controlled devices. According to the report, in December 2010, Mengal visited New Dehli on fake Afghan documents and was received by Sonu – a code name of RAW handler at New Delhi airport. He was provided with a vehicle/driver and lodged in a flat in New Delhi, the report also read. According to the report, in India he was provided with 300 sets of transmitters and receivers/detonators to be used in improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and on return to Kabul, those items were cleared through customs by the National Directorate of Security (NDS) officials. The official said Mengal was a close friend and associate of Riaz Gul Bugti (deputy commander of Brahamdagh Bugti in Afghanistan). He visited India three times for getting training in IED handling and was mostly found in Kabul and Kandahar, he said. He said Mengal was the front man of Brahamdagh and was carrying out militant activities on his behalf while operating mostly from a Gulf state and Afghanistan. Mengal, the report read, reached Afghanistan on May 25, 2007 and succeeded in getting an Afghan passport and Afghan identity card with a fake name.

AVARAN: Pakistan Army troops shift injured survivors of the earthquake through helicopter for medical assistance during rescue & relief operation in affected areas. ONLINE

NothiNg’s goNNa stop us Now! INDIAN PM SAYS PEACE TALKS WITH PAKISTAN TO CONTINUE DESPITE KASHMIR ATTACK NEW DELHI/ SRINAGAR

AGENCIES

BJP SAYS MANMOHAN SINGH SHOULD NOT HOLD TALKS WITH NAWAZ AT ALL through a process of dialogue.” A group of militants dressed in Indian Army uniforms killed eight people in the raid near the border, Indian officials said. Just a day before the attack, Singh said he would meet Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly for highly anticipated talks. On the other hand, the Bharatiya

NDIAN Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said attack by militants on a police station and army camp in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) would not derail efforts to pursue peace through This is one dialogue. more in a series of “This is one more provocations and in a series barbaric actions by of provocations and the enemies barbaric acof peace tions by the enemies of peace,” Singh said in a statement. “Such attacks will not deter us and will not succeed in derailing our efforts to find a resolution to all problems

Janata Party demanded that Singh call off his meeting with Nawaz Sharif in New York on Sunday in the wake of twin terror strikes in Indian-held Kashmir. Condemning the attacks, BJP President Rajnath Singh alleged that Pakistan was continuing with its strategy to strike at will through proxy war of terror. “The PM is in a hurry to start dialogue with Pakistan. There should be no talks with Pakistan unless there is a conducive environment,” Dr Singh said on a Twitter post. “I strongly condemn the terrorist attack on the police and security forces in Jammu. The terrorists have attacked India almost at will,” he added. The BJP has opposed the talks between the two prime ministers. BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said the prime minister had himself assured the nation through both Houses of parliament after Mumbai attack and after beheading of two soldiers that India would not hold talks with Pakistan until it takes minimal action against terror. “But what are we seeing today that Pakistan land is being used to attack and conduct terror attacks in India,” he said. “We condemn the twin dastardly attacks. This shows that Pakistan continues on its strategy to strike at will through this proxy war of terror,” he said. Another BJP leader Yashwant Sinha maintained that the prime minister should not hold talks at all with Nawaz.

NDMa chief escapes Rocket attack KHUZDAR INP

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If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you — Steve Jobs

Nawaz to visit white house oN octoBeR 23 SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT NEW YORK

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will visit White House on October 23 at the invitation of US President Barack Obama The White House issued a statement on Thursday saying Obama will welcome Nawaz for broadranging talks. The statement was released as Secretary of State John Kerry met with the prime minister in New York, where Nawaz is heading a delegation to the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The White House spokesman said the visit would “highlight the importance and resilience of the US-Pakistan relationship and provide an opportunity for us to strengthen cooperation on issues of mutual concern, such as energy, trade and economic development, regional stability, and countering violent extremism.” “The president looks forward to discussions with Prime Minister Sharif on ways the US can advance shared interest of a stable, secure, and prosperous Pakistan,” it added. According to the Foreign Ministry spokesman, during Kerry’s call on the Pakistani leader, the two sides reviewed the state of bilateral relationship and agreed to intensify the engagements in the coming weeks and months to further expand and deepen bilateral cooperation in all areas. It was also agreed to convene meetings of the various Working Groups under the revived Strategic Dialogue mechanism. Nawaz noted that improvement in security, revival of economy and overcoming the energy crisis were the key priorities of his government. The prime minister also emphasised that greater trade between Pakistan and the US would contribute to the economic prosperity of the people of Pakistan and help in evolving a mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries. Kerry said the US leader would welcome Nawaz to the White House next month for talks on bilateral relations.This high-level interaction, Secretary Kerry stressed, would provide the necessary impetus to move towards a long term Pakistan-US engagement.The prime minister’s first visit to Washington takes place in the wake of improvement in USPakistan ties, which nosedived in 2011.

NEWS

Friday, 27 September, 2013

nawaz calls for renewing gloBal consensUs on nUclear DisarMaMent NEW YORK

AGENCIES

RIME MINISTER Nawaz Sharif on Thursday called on the world community to renew the global consensus on nuclear disarmament, nonproliferation and promotion of cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Speaking at a high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly, the prime minister said such a consensus should be based on equity, balance, restraint and cooperation among all states. He called on the UN General Assembly to convene a special session in this regard. Nawaz affirmed Pakistan’s readiness to make its contribution to this consensus-building exercise. The prime minister also drew attention to the pursuit of policies based on discrimination and double standards,

underscoring that such policies had damaged the integrity of treaties and norms of non-proliferation. He called for an end to nuclear discrimination. Outlining the salient features of Pakistan’s nuclear policy, the prime minister stressed its guiding principles of restraint and responsibility. He said Pakistan did not want an arms race in South Asia, because consequences of conflict with nuclear weapons would be horrendous. “Pakistan would therefore continue to adhere to its policy of the Credible Minimum Deterrence, while remaining fully alive to the evolving security dynamics and imperatives of deterrence and strategic stability in South Asia.” In the broader context of energy deficit in Pakistan, the prime minister called for the need to acquire energy from all sources including nuclear energy. He underscored that Pakistan fully qualified

to have full access to civil nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. In this regard, he said Pakistan looked forward to international cooperation in nuclear energy under IAEA safeguards. The Non-Aligned Movement, comprising a grouping of 120 developing countries, last year took the initiative of convening this first ever High Level Meeting on Nuclear Disarmament. Apart from several heads of state and governments including foreign ministers, the president of the UN General Assembly, the UN secretary general and Dr Hassan Rouhani, as

Chairman of NAM, delivered statements at the meeting.

lt coloNel aMoNg 12 DeaD iN attack oN iNDiaN aRMy caMp SRINAGAR AGENCIES

In Indian-held Kashmir‚ as many as 12 people, including 10 Indian troops and police personnel, were killed in an attack on an army camp near a police station in Kathua District on Thursday. According to reports‚ militants dressed in Indian Army uniforms entered the army camp in Hiranagar and killed as many as six Indian troopers, including a Lt colonel and four police personnel. Two civilians were killed by the Indian troops on the occasion. Over a dozen people have also been injured. Separately, a police constable has also been killed at Naina Batapora in Pulwama District.

citizeNs’ coopeRatioN vital to eliMiNate teRRoRisM: kp ig PESHAWAR INP

Inspector General Police (IGP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Nasir Khan Durrani on Thursday said that security forces alone cannot tackle terrorism without cooperation of citizens. Talking to media, Durrani admitted that foreign terrorists were present in KP. He said that the number of sniffer dogs to detect explosives material would be increased to deal with the situation. “We will closely watch if locals are involved in terror activities as foreign terrorists target innocent people,” he added. The IGP stressed the need of further legislation against terrorism and extremism. He said the police are authorised to obtain calls record of any suspect in order to trace terrorists.

GWADAR: A large number of people visit the newly formed island near Gwadar after the devastating earthquake. ONLINE

All issues wont be addressed in Nawaz-Singh meeting: Khurshid NEW YORK INP

With the stage set for a meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh, India has said it will ask its neighbour to address the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack that left 166 people dead. In a statement to the media, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said, “The work that we have done on this meeting (between Singh and Sharif) includes conveying that there would be accountability for 26/11 and the people who were involved in planning and executing the attack would be held

there willbe accountability for 26/11 attacks and the people who were involved in planning and executing the attack will be held accountable

accountable”. Khurshid voiced caution and said that the meeting between the two Prime Ministers should not be expected to address all issues and concerns. “For

us to expect that we will get complete satisfaction in one meeting obviously would be too much to expect but we are hoping there is movement on issues that are of great importance both to the government and people of our country,” said Khurshid. Khurshid said India has facilitated the visit of an eightmember Pakistani judicial commission which will cross examine Indian witnesses and it expects that the evidence collected would now be admissible in Pakistani courts. He also described the decision by Pakistan to appoint a new prosecutor to replace late Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as a “good signal”.

NaNDipuR poweR plaNt to staRt geNeRatioN iN 2014 ISLAMABAD: The Sub-Committee of Senate Standing Committee on Water and Power on Thursday was informed that the first unit of 425-525 MW Nandi Pur Power Project would start generation in May 2014. The Senate body which met with Moula Baksh Chandio in the chair reviewed reasons for Nandi Pur Project cost escalation and details of clearing Rs480 billion circular debt. Briefing the committee, Managing Director Nandipur Power Project Muhammad Mehmood said that project would take 16 months for completion and it would fully be operational by December 2014. He said that physical work on the project site had already begun and it would cost around Rs.56 billion. Sharing the details of the project, he said that the plant would generate 425 MW if run with furnace oil and 525 MW with gas. He said that the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) had approved the project in December 2007 and although its scheduled completion time was 2011, the project was delayed and would now be completed in December 2014. APP

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Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans. — John Lennon

NEWS Friday, 27 September, 2013

six-yeaR giRl MolesteD iN gujRaNwala

ISLAMABAD: JUI-F chief Maulana Fazal ur Rehman speaks during session of Three Day Interactional Conference on Participatory Federalism and Decentralization Framework. inp

GUJRANWALA, INP

A six-year-old girl was raped in the suburbs of Gujranwala late on Thursday. The According to police, the incident took place in a village neighboring Gujranwala city where the accused molested a minor girl and then fled the scene. The dwellers of the area reached the scene after hearing the cries and screams of the girl. The girl was shifted to District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital. The police registered a case and have started investigation against the accused said to be the girl’s neighbour.

two teeNage giRls shot DeaD iN gujRaNwala GUJRANWALA: INP

sc oRDeRs pRoviNces to holD lg polls afteR MuhaRRaM ISLAMABAD INP

The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday directed the provinces to hold local bodies elections after the holy month of Muharram. The SC bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was hearing the case pertaining to LG polls on Thursday. During the proceedings, the CJP remarked that everyone was giving different dates for local bodies elections. He ordered the provinces to hold the polls after the month of Muharram else be ready to face the music. The chief justice termed it fine to order the revival of old system in case the LB polls were not conducted. The advocate generals of Punjab and Balochistan said their governments were ready to hold local government elections on December 07. Justice Jawwad S Khawaja asked to name those elements who were delaying the elections. The chief justice remarked that only the Sindh government was serious in holding the LG polls. The court sought the reply from the federation and Sindh and adjourned the hearing until submission of replies from the Sindh and the federal government in this regard.

Us offers assistance to pakistan for quake relief WASHINGTON

AGENCIES

HE United States offered to assist Pakistan in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that hit Pakistan’s remote south-west province of Balochistan killing over 350 people, the White House said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Pakistan, and we always stand ready to assist in any way we can in a terrible situation like that, a natural disaster,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, told reporters. “It is certainly the case that Pakistan has suffered more than its fair share of natural disasters,” Carney said in response to a question. The 7.7-magnitude quake struck on Tuesday afternoon at a depth of 20km (13 miles) north-east of Awaran, the US Geological Survey said. The number of injured exceeded 500 and people rummaged through rubble for possessions. The devastating quake flattened many houses and thousands of people had to spend the

night in the open. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan informed the National Assembly that so far there are confirmed reports of 348 deaths and 530 injured in quake-hit areas. Giving a policy statement the minister said the government has mobilized all civil and military institutions to ensure quick and effective relief efforts in Balochistan. He said quake -hit area is quite large and population is spread out in small spots. He said logistics is a real challenge in spotting affectees, however, the government will ensure that every person receives relief. Talking about some troubled areas, the minister said it is sad that there are certain elements who were interrupting the relief operation. Nisar said now the government is initiating an aerial supply operation, through which quake affectees would be provided with food, shelters and medicines through C130. He said Awaran and Kech Districts of Balochistan, which were quite remote areas, were vastly hit by the earthquake. Giving the details of damages, the minister said 305 deaths have been reported in Awaran and 43 in Kech so far. He feared an increase in

deaths and injured as soon as the situation crystallizes. He said large numbers of houses are destroyed. Nisar said over thousand army and 300 FC personnel were taking part in the rescue and relief operation. He said another team of army has departed from Khuzdar to Awaran. He said doctors and paramedical staff is also deployed on ground. The minister said so far 1000 food packets, 4000 flour bags and 200 tents have been distributed among the affectees while NDMA has made 7000 food packets and 7000 tents available in Awaran and Karachi camps which will be distributed among the affectees. The minister said the PDMA Punjab has dispatched 5000 tents, equal number of food packets and 400 blankets for Baloch brothers. Five health kits enough for 5000 patients have also been sent to Balochistan. He said three trucks of medicines and teams of paramedical staff and doctors have been sent from the Sindh government to the earthquake hit areas. He informed that Red Cross has provided two tons of medicines. The 7.7 magnitude earthquake has rendered 21,000 families homeless mounting the death toll to 348 .

The bodies of two teenage girls were recovered from near Madan Chak on the outskirts of a village in Gujranwala on Thursday. According to police, the two girls aged between 14-15 years had been shot dead near Madan Chak where five bullets were also recovered from the site. One girl was wearing a school uniform whereas the other wore jeans and a shirt. The dead bodies were shifted to District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Gujranwala for post-mortem.

saRtaj aziz DeNies DauD iBRahiM’s pReseNce iN pakistaN NEW YORK ONLINE

Advisor to Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz exchanged views with Indian Minister for External Affairs Suleman Khurshid on a set of issues including bilateral ties in an informal meeting here on Thursday. Talking to media men after the meeting, Suleman Khurshid said the bilateral matters would be deliberated in the upcoming meeting between the premiers of both India and Pakistan at New York. The meeting will not lead to address the problems but will serve as first step towards the resolution of the problems, he underlined. Sartaj Aziz denied the presence of Indian underworld Don Daud Ibrahim in Pakistan. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will meet his Indian counterpart ManMohan Singh on September 29 on the margins of UN General Assembly session.

graDUation cereMony helD at paf acaDeMy risalpUr Fazl calls Imran’s Taliban RISALPUR: The graduation ceremony of 111 non-GD course of college of flying training was held at PAF Academy Risalpur. Air Marshal Athar Hussain Bukhari was the chief guest on the occasion. The graduating cadets, belonging to engineering, logistics, information technology, education, accounts, meteorology, and medical branches of the PAF were awarded with branch insignias. Officer Cadet Raheel was awarded the trophy for best overall performance in the course.While addressing the graduating cadets, the chief guest said,” You must be aware that Pakistan Air Force is in the process of transitioning from

office suggestion ‘childish’ ISLAMABAD INP

the legacy systems to modern and Hi-tech equipment. A number of new platforms and weapon systems have already been inducted. While the PAF’s actual potential is its human resource, who operate and maintain the state-of-the-art equipment, your contribution

towards the overall mission of PAF counts a lot”. The chief guest also said, “I must stress that professional competence, skilful application of knowledge, teamwork and above all, a positive attitude towards service is extremely important for you to meet the

challenges that lie ahead.” The ceremony was followed by an exhilarating aerial display by the PAF Academy Aerobatics team Sherdils. Earlier, the chief guest was received by Air Vice Marshal Rashid Kamal, PAF air officer commanding academy, Risalpur. STAFF REPORT

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman on Thursday called PTI chief Imran Khan’s suggestion to allow the Taliban for opening office as ‘childish’. Speaking to the media, the cleric said martyrdom of a major general and attack on church have prompted reaction from the military, the government and political parties. He said Imran’s suggestion for allowing the Taliban to open office is lack of knowledge about the ground realities. He said the situation

would be reviewed after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s return.Fazl said it seemed that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had started working on its real agenda over the issue of blasphemy law. He said no one should think about amendments in it, however, debate on how to stop its wrong utilisation should be held. Commenting on the local bodies’ polls, Fazl said the elections were a constitutional requirement. Meanwhile, addressing reporters in Lahore, the PTI chairman said if the all parties conference (APC) had de-

cided on dialogue, then everything should be done to uphold that decision. He said the dialogue with Taliban would be within the ambit of the constitution of Pakistan if people were serious and imposed ceasefire immediately. Asked about who would serve as mediators, he said the people in the Tribal Areas could be counted on to do the job. “The government had successfully entered into an agreement in 2004 before former president General Pervez Musharraf sent military into the area,” he added.

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Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other. –Ronald Reagan

KARACHI Friday, 27 September, 2013

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PRAYER TImINGS Fajr Sunrise Zuhr Asr Maghrib isha 5:06 6:21 12:24 3:50 6:27 7:42

eDucatoR falls pRey to cRiMe, iNjuReD iN guN attack

KARACHI: Minister of State for Commerce and Textile Industry Khurram Dastgir Khan being briefed by Acting Chairman POF Board Riaz Ahmed about POF products during his visit to Pakistan Expo 2013 organised by TDA at Expo Center. inp

law enforcers strike, apprehend shahid ‘Bikik’ Malik KARACHI ONLINE

KARACHI INP

Professor of Islamia College was shot and injured during an attempted robbery on New MA Jinnah Road in Karachi on Thursday. According to SSP Pir Muhammad Shah, two unidentified robbers riding a motorbike attempted to snatch the victims’s mobile phone at which the professor resisted and was thus shot and injured by on of the criminals who managed to flee from the scene. He was rushed to hospital, where doctors said that two bullets had hit him in chest and his condition was precarious. Shocked by the incident, Sindh Professor Association (SPA) President Professor Iftikhar announced to observe strike across the province on Friday. Educational activities would remain suspended on the occasion. Karachi, a city of 18 million people, has a long history of violence, much of it associated with criminals, militants, extortionists and gangs linked to the city’s main political parties. The government recently launched a wide-ranging crackdown in Karachi using paramilitary forces, but such operations have failed in the past to provide a lasting solution to the violence. In March this year, poet and former principal of Liaquatabad College Professor Sibte Jafar was shot dead in Karachi. He too was gunned down by unidentified men riding a motorcycle. In June, Professor Azfar Rizvi, along with his driver, was gunned down by unknown assailants in the city.

RIME Investigation Department (CID) blockaded the Super Highway and arrested Lyari gangster Shahid Malik alias Bikik on Thursday. According to CID sources, Shahid Malik was arrested during a raid that was carried out on the Super Highway while he was enroute to Nawabshah from Karachi. Shahid aka Bikik is the prime accused of the Lyari gang war and was also reportedly involved in the attack that killed Bilal Sheikh, the chief security officer of ex-President Asif Ali Zardari. The accused was also wanted in various cases of murder, attempted murder, extortion and robbery.

Bilal Sheikh was killed in a suicide blast targeting which targeted his vehicle in the Gurumandir area of Karachi on July 10, 2013. It may be mentioned here that personnel of an intelligence agency apprehended another accused of the gang war, Sheraz Comrade and his two accomplices from Lahore when they were trying to escape to Dubai from the Allama Iqbal International Airport on Tuesday. The arrested persons were shifted to an unidentified location for interrogation. The other two accomplices of ‘Comrade’ were identified as Zakir Mogheeri and Awais Tipu. The agency personnel hit a residence outside the premises of the Lahore airport on a tip-off and arrested them minutes before they were about to depart for Dubai.

Comrade was wanted by the LEA in more than 100 cases of target killings, extortion and kidnappings for ransom. The Sindh government had fixed Rs5 lakh as head money for the arrest of the outlaw. Soon after the arrest of Comrade, police and other LEAs raided in different parts of the city to arrest other criminals and their facilitators on the pointing of arrested accused persons. It is worth mentioning that the Lahore Police had arrested a notorious target killer, Amin Baleedi a couple of days prior to the arrest of Comrade. The lawenforcement agencies have gone into overdrive since the criminals of the Lyari gang war have started fleeing to different parts of the country after the launch of targeted operation against criminals in Karachi.

law abiding citizens to suffer as arms licences issuances stopped KARACHI INP

The Sindh government has banned the issuance of new arms licenses in the province. The provincial government has decided to run a drive against illegal weapons, while the record of arms sold during the last five years has also been called in for review. During the ongoing operation in Karachi, Rangers and police have seized huge caches of illegal arms and ammunition. The Supreme Court while hearing the Karachi law and order case took notice of ports in the city being used to smuggle illegal weapons and ordered immediate curtailing of the practice.

libraries and archives revamped KARACHI APP

194 outlaws busted, rangers nab 26 KARACHI APP

Karachi Police in their on-going actions against criminals, arrested 194 accused from different parts of the metropolis during the last 24 hours. A police official said on Thursday that these included 101 absconders and 34 proclaimed offenders and those allegedly involved in murders, robberies, extortions and crimes of heinous nature. He said that 44 weapons of varying calibres were recovered from the possession of the

accused. Meanwhile, at least 16 people were arrested during police operation conducted overnight in the area of Ghausia Colony. The locality was raided in search of miscreants involved in Wednesday’s smoke attack on Karachi Central Jail. The attack took place when an investigation team was interrogating miscreants involved in Justice Maqbool Baqir attack case. Rangers personnels launched raids at hotels and inns located around Cantt Stations in search of the suspected people; however, no arrests was confirmed.

The Rangers also continued their operation against criminal elements. The paramilitary in its action rounded up another 26 suspected criminals involved in heinous crimes. Weapons including grenades were recovered from the accused. According to the spokesman of the Pakistan Rangers‚ the suspects had been arrested during raids in Usmanabad‚ Teen Hatti‚ Dirgh Rod‚ Lyari‚ Chanessar Goth‚ Pehlwan Goth‚ Green Town‚ Nishtar Road‚ Awami Colony‚ Hassan Noman Colony and Nazimabad.

The microfilming of books by the Sindh Department of Archives would be completed soon. This was stated by the Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon. He was presiding over the meeting of the Department of Archives on Thursday. The minister said that for the preservation of record and documents at the archives department, latest technology would be utilized. This would help the common man access research work of scholars and the intelligentsia especially in Sindh. He also directed the officers to speed up the projects of the said department within the stipulated time period. Sharjeel said that the website of the archives department would soon be updated. This would be beneficial for those conducting research especially the students, he added.

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Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility. –Sigmund Freud

KARACHI Friday, 27 September, 2013

KARACHI: Helicopter of Sindh Red Crescent seen ready to carry team of doctors and medicines for the earthquake affected people in the areas of Balochistan. ONLINE

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( a cry to hUManity

13-year-old raped, left for dead

13-year-old girl was killed after being sexually assaulted after the non-payment of ransom on Thursday. As per reports, Neha, 13, daughter of Riyasatullah, resident of Bhangoria Goth, was kidnapped from her school by unidentified persons three days ago. On Thursday, the body of a girl, bearing marks of torture was recovered from Sea View which later identified as Neha. Muttaheda Qaumi Movement (MQM) claimed that Riyasatullah, the father of victim girl, was a sympathizer of the MQM. The party demanded the government to bring the culprits behind the bars and award them exemplary punishment. With this, the MQM also issued directive for parents of school-going children to pick and drop their children by themselves to avoid such incidents in future. “The parents of Neha came to police station after their daughter disappeared and failed to return home,” Azizabad SHO Asif said. “After some time, they received a phone call from the extortionists and who demanded a ransom for her release,” he added. “We have registered an FIR on complaint of parents and started search of the girl but today the body of girl was recovered from Sea View,” he maintained. “We are trying to trace the culprits behind the crime,” Central SSP Aamir Farooqui said. “We have mobilized the entire machinery of police department to catch the criminals,” Farooqui said, adding that “It would be premature to announce any group responsible immediately.” “We have done the postmortem of the girl and it was proved that she was indeed assaulted sexually and later murdered,” Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC) Emergency Services Director Dr Seemi Jamali said. “I do not want to share more

details of the report,” Dr Jamali said, adding that “We have sent DNA samples to Islamabad for further test. The girl was buried following fullfillment of religious rites at Shuhada Graveyard, Yaseenabad, A large number of residents and MQM workers and sympathisers participated in the funereal prayer. Meanwhile, MQM Central Coordination Committee has strongly condemned brutal killing and has demanded of the exemplary punishment for those involved in the crime. The party expressed its astonishment that despite of the ongoing targeted operation by law enforcement agencies in Karachi against criminals, extortionists, terrorists and elements involved in kidnapping for ransom,kidnapping of a girl for ransom and her brutal killing after rape is a matter of serious concern. The Central Coordination Committee said that the ruthless culprits do not deserve to have any sort of concession who not only kidnapped the innocent baby girl for ransom but also killed her brutally after making her the prey of their lust and threw her dead body to the sea side. The committee expressed heartfelt condolence and sympathy with the bereaved parents and family members and prayed to the Almighty, to rest her soul in peace. The committee demanded that the Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudry Nisar Ali to take stern notice of the sad and tragic incident of raping, kidnapping and killing of the girl and provide justice to the parents of the aggrieved parents. The MQM committee has appealed to the administration of schools to keep an eye on suspicious elements to curtail such incidents.

partly cloudy weather forecast KARACHI APP

The Met office on Thursday forecast fair/partly cloudy weather with chances of light rain in the metropolis during the next 24 hours. The maximum temperature will remain in the range between 38 to 40 degrees Celsius, the weather report said. It said that scattered rain/thundershower with isolated heavy rainfalls is likely to occur at a few places of Mirpurkhas, Hyderabad and Sukkur divisions of Sindh. Chances of light rain may be occurred in Karachi division of Sindh. Hot and dry weather is likely to prevail elsewhere in the region, it added. Light to moderate rain has occurred at an isolated place in Northeast Balochistan and at isolated places in lower Sindh during the last 24 hours, the weather report said.

two profiteers jailed, 87 challaned KARACHI APP

As many as two shopkeepers were jailed while 87 were challaned during a crackdown to check profiteering and violation of price list of essential items in different markets in the metropolis. The daily crackdown against profiteers is being supervised by Deputy Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners in their respective areas, on the directives of

Commissioner Karachi, Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqi, said a statement on Thursday. It said that 20 milk sellers, 12 fruits sellers, 12 vegetable sellers, six grocers, 32 chicken sellers and three flour sellers were challenged and penalty amounting Rs 1,57,800 was also imposed on the shopkeepers on violation of price list. The two shopkeepers were sent to jail for their continuously violating the price list of basic items.

Microfilming of books to complete soon KARACHI: The microfilming of the books of the Sindh Department of Archives would be completed soon. This was stated by the Sindh Minister for Information and Archives, Sharjeel Inam Memon. He was presiding over the meeting of the Department of Archives here on Thursday. The Minister said that for the preservation of record and documents at the Archives Department, latest technology would be utilized. This would help a common man access the research work of the scholars regarding the history of Sindh. He also directed the officers to speed up the on-going projects of the Archives department within the stipulated time period. Sharjeel said that the website of the Archives Department would soon be updated. This would be beneficial for those conducting research especially the students, he added. APP

HYDERABAD: Vehicles passing through rain water accumulated on the road after rain in the city. INP

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History is nothing if not an epic tale of missed opportunities — Graydon Carter

NEWS

Friday, 27 September, 2013

NDMa chief escapes Rocket attack

Earth quake victims being treated at PNS SHIFA,

KHUZDAR INP

china to close sino-pak in BoMB Blasts in BaghDaD BorDer for 10 Days BAGHDAD: Bombings hit two markets in Baghdad province, killing at least 23 people, while armed men have killed five members of one family south of the capital, officials say. Three bombs went off simultaneously in the Shia village of Sabaa alBour, about 30 kilometres north of the Iraqi capital. Police said the explosions, two at the market entrance and one inside the shopping area, went off as the place was packed with shoppers, killing 16 people and wounding 41 there. Three women and two children were among those

killed in the village market, according to police and hospital officials. Several shops and cars were damaged in the blast. The attack came shortly after a bomb blast hit the al-Athorien market in Baghdad’s southern neighbourhood of Dora. Police said that seven people, including two women, were killed in the Sunni area and 17 people were wounded. Armed groups in Iraq often bomb areas where crowds of people gather, and have struck markets, football pitches, cafes, mosques, weddings and funerals. AGENCIES

DengUe spreaDing like wilDfire in swat PESHAWAR: Dengue virus claimed two more lives raising the death toll to 25 in Swat district. Both the victims, 22-year-old Muhammad Zahid, a resident of Charbagh and 30-year-old Gohar Alam, a resident of Malukabad died in Saidu Sharif Hospital, said sources. An administration official said that dengue is expected to reduce in October due to weather change. The official said the government was providing every possible health facility to the patients. He said the government had also launched a campaign to educate and spread awareness among the masses. The official said that special teams were sent to the affected areas to assess the situation. Over 29,500 houses were searched where dengue eggs and larva were found in over 6,000 houses. According to other sources, 169 more cases were registered in hospitals including one in Peshawar Hospital. Some of these patients were in critical condition. However, political leaders from opposition parties criticised Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for failing to control the situation and urged the government to take effective measures against the outbreak. STAFF REPORT

HUNZA APP

The Chinese government has decided to close the Sino-Pak border for 10 days as part of stringent security measures ahead of the National Day of China celebrations. According to Hunza Nagar Police, a notification received from the Chinese government said the Khunjrab border will be closed from September 28 to October 7. Trade and traffic between the two countries will remain closed during this period. The Chinese government has expressed concerns about threat of

terrorist infiltration through Khunjrab border in the past. Such measures are routinely taken to guard the country against anti-state elements involved in

subversive activities in the Xinjiang autonomous region, where sections of the Uyghur communities have been involved in a struggle against the government.

Prime minister meets UN Special Envoy Gordon Brown NEW YORK INP

United Nations (UN) Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown called on Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York. Gordon Brown was accompanied by Malala Yosufzai. The PM thanked Gordon Brown for his continued support to government’s efforts to promote education in Pakistan. He said that education was of high national priority and that his government was committed to achieve all Millennium Development Goals (MDG) including the goal of universal primary education. “The government considers promotion of education at all levels imperative for realising socio-economic development of Pakistan,” he said. The PM said that his vision was to build an education system that promotes knowledge economy, creativity, critical thinking and innovation. “Pakistan appreciates and welcomes international cooperation including the support of initiatives like Global Education First,” he said. Moreover, the PM also attended a meeting on ‘Education for All’ hosted by Gordon Brown with different heads of UN agencies including UNICEF, UNESCO, UNFPA as well as bilateral and multilateral entities such as USAID, AUSAID, DFID, World Bank, European Commission and NGOs engaged in promotion of education.

Gordon Brown committed to provide continued support to the government efforts to promote education in Pakistan. He said, “International community has expressed readiness to work with the new government to ensure provision of education for all in Pakistan.” The participants, including UN agencies, development partners and civil society organizations presented their proposals and suggestions to facilitate the government’s efforts in the field of education. However, the discussions would be followed up in another meeting in Pakistan later this year.

National Disaster Management Authority Chairman Major General Saeed Aleem escaped a rocket attack in Balochistan on Thursday, when he was monitoring devastation in recent earthquake through a helicopter. Unidentified militants fired two rockets at his helicopter near Mashkay area when he was monitoring the trail of disaster in 7.7 intensity quake in Awaran region of the province. The rockets missed the target and the aircraft was unharmed. Abdur Rasheed, Awaran deputy commissioner, said the helicopter was carrying the head of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Seeking anonymity, a security official said the militants fired two rockets at the helicopter in Mashkay tehsil of earthquake affected Awaran district. “The NDMA chairman is safe,” the official added. There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack. Major General Samraiz Salik was also accompanying the NDMA chairman when rockets were fired. Relief and rescue workers have been facing difficulties while reaching out to the earthquake survivors and security threats loom over security forces engaged in a massive relief and rescue operation in Balochistan’s Awaran district. “There are long distances and security threats,” Jan Buledi, the Balochistan government spokesman told a TV channel. Awaran is considered to be one of the most sensitive and troubled districts of Balochistan. It is also the hometown of Baloch guerrilla commander, Dr Allah Nazar Baloch. Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch has already made an appeal to Baloch leader Dr Allah Nazar Baloch to cooperate with aid agencies to support the earthquake survivors. “If there was no cooperation on the part of Dr Allah Nazar, the survivors would die of hunger,” Dr Baloch said. Security forces blame Nazar for carrying subversive activities in different parts of Balochistan.Moreover, the defunct Baloch Liberation Front, which is known for targeting security forces and vital national installations, is also active in the area. The latest incident comes two days after the militants opened fire at a vehicle at Mashkay check post near Awaran. There was no loss of human life in either attack.

afghaN solDieR kills Nato ally iN ‘iNsiDeR’ attack KABUL AGENCIES

An Afghan soldier on Thursday opened fire on his NATO trainers, killing one and wounding several others in the country’s east, officials said. Attacks in which Afghan forces turn their guns on their international partners have killed scores of US-led troops, breeding mistrust and undermining efforts to train local forces before NATO combat troops withdraw next year. The latest shooting was at a military training facility and base in the eastern province of Paktia, known to be one of the hotbeds of the Taliban insurgency, an Afghan official said. The soldier attached to NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was inside the base when attacked, Rohullah Samoon, the local administration spokesman, said from the provincial capital Gadez. ISAF said the attacker, described as “wearing Afghan national security forces uniform”, was killed in return fire from other troops on the ground. ISAF did not provide further details including the exact location of the incident or the nationality of the victim. Attacks of this nature, locally known as “insider” or “green on blue” are common in Afghanistan where Afghan troops, some of them reportedly affiliated to insurgent groups, turn on NATO and US allies. An Afghan soldier shot dead three US soldiers during a training exercise in Paktia last Saturday.

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Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right — Henry Ford

08 N

NEWS Friday, 27 September, 2013

opp's criticisM over qUake relief irks nisar WARNS OPP, MEDIA NOT TO 'PLAY TO THE GALLERIES OVER NATURAL CALAMITIES' ISLAMABAD

mIAN ABRAR

STENSIBLY angry over the criticism being faced by the government over its delayed response to rescue and relief operations in earthquake-hit Balochistan, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Thursday lashed out at the opposition as well as the media

SAYS TERRAIN IN QUAKE-HIT AREAS STILL INACCESSIBLE TO RELIEF WORKERS accusing them of playing to the galleries over a natural calamity. Terming the opposition’s walkout from the House the other day as a media publicity stunt, Nisar said that the opposition had staged a drama just for “political point-scoring” in spite of the fact that the treasury benches had allowed them to move a resolution in solidarity with the quake-hit people. The opposition’s walkout and protest and subsequent media reports had prompted

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to send his interior minister to Balochistan to personally supervise the relief and rescue operation. “Rather than playing to the galleries over a natural calamity, the opposition should have helped in the humanitarian response. This was not a man-made disaster. But if they (opposition) want to go for pointscoring, I can submit the parliamentary record to expose the negligence of the previous government,” said Nisar, adding that if the opposition did not behave, the government would have to respond to it in the same language, as it knew their weaknesses. SHAH, NISAR LOCK HORNS: The minister’s remarks ignited a heated debate in the House. Opposition leader Syed Khurshid Shah took exception to

Nisar's comments, saying that the opposition only wanted to highlight the plight of the quake victims as the relevant officials were being indifferent to their situation. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi termed Nisar's speech as “provocative”, saying that the opposition's walkout was meant to shake the government out of slumber. With the question hour ending, the interior minister took the floor to brief the House on the situation in calamityhit areas of Balochistan. The minister said

that 348 people had so far been reported killed in the tragic incident and the death toll could increase due to the difficult terrain as the affected areas were still inaccessible to army and civilian administrations.

the strUggle pakistan Does not want reporteD KARACHI AGENCIES

ABDUL Razzaq Baloch worked nights. After dinner, he would start his shift as a proofreader at the Daily Tawar, a newspaper published on a shoe-string from a cramped office in Pakistan's commercial capital. At 2 a.m., the 42-year-old would make the short journey home on his new Super Star motorbike. One night in March, Baloch did not return. His phone was switched off and his bike was missing. His family made enquiries with the police, then hospitals, and finally in the lanes of Lyari, the gritty neighborhood where they live. The word on the street was that Baloch had been kidnapped, his relatives said. He had last been seen as he was bundled into a white SUV with a blanket over his head. Speaking to a foreign news agency two months later, Saeeda Sarbazi, Baloch's outspoken sister, was in no doubt as to the identities of the culprits: Pakistan's intelligence services. "This case is like a bombshell - nobody we go to wants to touch it," Sarbazi said at the family home in Lyari, where his wife and four children awaited his return. "People are scared that the agencies will harm them." On August 21, Baloch's body was found dumped amid the brambles overrunning wasteground in Suranji Town, a scrappy neighbourhood. A piece of paper bearing his name had been stuffed into his pocket. His hands were tied; he had been strangled. Pakistan's military, which has repeatedly denied involvement in extra-judicial killings, did not respond to a request for comment on Baloch's death. Baloch's associates believe his disappearance and murder was linked to the Daily Tawar's coverage of a separatist guerrilla campaign in Balochistan, a huge Pakistani province bordering Afghanistan and Iran, where his family has its roots. The Daily Tawar supports independence for the province, and according to several of his friends, Baloch himself belonged to a pro-independence party. In the past three years, the bodies of hundreds of members of pro-independence political parties, student groups and even poets have been discovered on desolate verges or patches of scrub. Baluch activists say the bodies are evidence that the military is pursuing a systematic "kill-and-dump" campaign to crush dissent - a charge the army denies. Under growing pressure from Pakistan's increasingly assertive judiciary to explain the disappearances, military officers have speculated that a range of armed groups or criminal gangs active in the province may be to blame. But Baloch's death has hardened a belief among Baluch that the security forces - far from softening their stance - have sharply expanded their crackdown this year in a drive to extinguish the uprising once and for all. In a new trend, the bodies of the disappeared have begun to turn up beyond Balochistan's borders in Karachi, a city of 18 million people and the motor of Pakistan's economy. The discovery of Baloch's remains, alongside those of another man, brought the total number of bodies of missing Baluch that have been found in the city to 18 since the start of this year, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). Although Baloch vanished in Karachi, many of the others had been reported missing hundreds of km

away in Balochistan itself. Asked to comment on Baloch's disappearance, a security official said he had no specific knowledge of the case but added that the military would have no reason to detain an obscure proofreader. "Unknown journalist. Unknown newspaper with a very limited or no following at all. Why should we go and pinch him and make him part of the news?" the official said. "It doesn't serve us." Virtually sealed off to foreigners, Balochistan is potentially one of Pakistan's most prosperous regions, endowed with copper and gold. Iran's government hopes a planned $1.5bn pipeline project will one day snake across its rocky wastes to export natural gas to Pakistan and India to help Tehran circumvent US sanctions. China wants to import oil via Balochistan's deepwater port of Gwadar. But none of that is likely to happen as long as the unrest in Balochistan continues. Speaking to Baloch living inside and outside the province over the course of several months, Reuters has been able to gather testimony from witnesses and relatives over what they describe as three apparent cases of "killand-dump." Reuters submitted a dossier of testimony related to the disappearance of Abdul Razzaq Baloch, the journalist, and two other alleged "kill-and-dump" cases within Balochistan to the army on June 10. The military said it had pursued the query but had not yet been able to obtain any information. Reuters also wrote to Pakistan's government seeking permission to visit Balochistan to meet military officers but received no reply. The Interior Ministry did not offer an explanation, but officials have previously said that journalists travelling to Balochistan may face risks from armed groups. The lack of access makes collating data on disappearances difficult and there is a risk that some of those reported missing may have gone into hiding. Taking these caveats into account, one online database of abductions run by a group of activists in the United States who track media reports, suggests the pace of disappearances has increased sharply. The group says 247 Baluch were reported abducted in the first six months of this year, compared with 214 in the whole of 2012, and 206 in 2011. "Anyone remotely linked to Baluch (separatist) politics is targeted," said Jeeand Baloch, a leader of Baloch Students Organisation (Azad), a proindependence group. "If they go into hiding, their families are punished." The allegations come at a sensitive time for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whose new government has pledged to rein in abuses as a prelude to seeking negotiations with insurgents to usher the alienated province into the national fold. Whether he can succeed will be an early test of his authority over Pakistan's powerful military, whose commanders exert far greater influence in Balochistan than the feeble provincial administration. "LINES YOU CAN'T CROSS": Baloch, the missing journalist, lived with his extended family in an apartment in Lyari, a warren in old Karachi where police tread warily and gangsters make the rules. His family and friends described him as a bookish man who socialized little and prided himself on his role as bread-winner. The proofreader was a member of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), a separatist party, according to several people who knew him and party officials.

Although it espouses peaceful protest, the BNM's stance marks its members as traitors in the eyes of the security forces, still haunted by the loss of East Pakistan, which broke away to form Bangladesh in 1971. The separatist message was one shared by Baloch's newspaper. Founded a decade ago, The Daily Tawar had a circulation of a few thousand copies within Balochistan, but its pro-independence stance earned it a loyal online following among the Baluch diaspora in Europe and the Middle East. The paper whose title means "Call" in Balochi - has regularly reported on allegations of enforced disappearances by the military and its editors have said they received repeated threats. Several of its reporters had been murdered. In early March this year, a little over two weeks before Baloch disappeared, the Daily Tawar reported the discovery of the body of Abdul Rehman Baloch, a senior member of the BNM who had disappeared in Balochistan in February. His remains were discarded in

this case is like a bombshell - nobody we go to wants to touch it," sarbazi said at the family home in lyari, where his wife and four children awaited his return. "people are scared that the agencies will harm them bushes in the eastern Steel Town area of Karachi in March. Pakistan's military has always denied involvement in disappearances. According to a source in BSO-Azad, the Baluch students' movement, Baloch was among those who went to a hospital to retrieve Abdul Rehman's bullet-ridden body. In an angry editorial published the next day, The Daily Tawar accused security agencies of using Karachi as a dumpsite for bodies in the hope the discoveries would go unremarked because of the city's high murder rate. Two weeks later, on March 24, Baloch left his house just before evening prayers, saying he was going to buy new sandals. He was wearing a cream-colored loose fitting shirt and trousers. His wife cooked fish biryani, his favorite, and waited for his usual call of "I'm home." When the proofreader did not return, his family assumed he had gone straight to work. Later they heard that he had been pushed into the back of one of two white SUVs spotted prowling Lyari after dark. Although Baloch's relatives say they are certain he was picked up by security agencies, they have produced no hard evidence. They said it was impossible for Reuters to meet the people who reported witnessing his abduction since they were too scared to discuss the incident. On April 6, almost two weeks after Baloch vanished, a group of men ransacked the Daily Tawar office in the early hours of the morning and set

fire to files, according to the Committee of Pakistan Newspaper Editors. Baloch's family said the intruders took his computer. The Daily Tawar's staff went into hiding. The paper has stopped printing but still posts stories online. "There are lines you can't cross as a journalist in Karachi," said a Baluch reporter. "Maybe he crossed one of those lines." "NO WAY TO PAY" A week after he went missing, Baloch's sister Sarbazi saw her brother's number flash up on her cell phone. A man she did not know demanded 10 million Pakistani rupees ($100,000) for his release. She could hear laughing in the background. Another call followed and the amount dropped to 1 million. Then, nothing. Several Karachi journalists told Reuters they suspected Baloch had been taken by Pakistani intelligence. The police officer in charge of the Baloch case rules out kidnapping for ransom, a common practice in Karachi. "The family has no way to pay," said Senior Superintendent of Police Niaz Ahmed Khosa, one of the city's most respected investigators. He declined to offer an alternative theory. Raja Irshad, a lawyer who has represented the military, said security forces faced a dilemma since the judicial system was too weak to prosecute suspected separatist rebels. "To my mind, these missing persons, they are militants. When they fight with the security forces, they get killed," Irshad said in Islamabad. "Not a single innocent person in Balochistan has been taken away by the security agencies. No unarmed young man gets killed." News Baloch's body had been found broke on Vsh, a Balochi channel. The family's television was out of order and word only reached them at midday; relatives rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital to identify his body. At first they insisted there had been a mistake: Baloch's face was so badly bloated it bore scant resemblance to the man they knew. Only the next day did Sarbazi confirm it was him, after a careful examination of the only part of his body that was not badly disfigured - his feet. He was wearing the same cream-colored shirt he had donned on the day he vanished. "TORTURED WITH A DRILL" Baloch's disappearance is not unique. Reuters has gathered testimony from several witnesses and relatives about two other alleged "kill-anddump" cases in Balochistan itself, one in April this year and one in May. Haji Mohammad Anwar Baloch, a senior member of the Baluch Republican Party, which also supports Baluch independence, said he fled Pakistan in July 2011, after security forces repeatedly raided his house. He settled in Switzerland; some family members, including his son Zaheer, remained in Balochistan. Anwar said security forces raided his house in the province's Panjgur District at four a.m. on April 22, and took away 32-year-old Zaheer, who had a masters in biology and worked as a volunteer teacher. Zaheer was also active in his father's party, participating in rallies and strikes. Zaheer's body was found in the Suranji Town area of Karachi in early June, the same district where Baloch's body would be dumped. Zaheer's body was accompanied by a paper bearing his name and the phone number of one of his friends: a common pattern with dumped Baluch bodies. Anwar said relatives had showed him images of the body via Skype. "He was tortured with a drill - an elec-

trical drill to make a hole in the wall," Anwar told Reuters in Geneva, running his finger from the base of his throat down to his stomach to demonstrate the path of the wounds. Police said bodies of Baluch had been routinely dumped in Suranji Town this year; they could not provide details of each case. The military did not respond to a request for comment. "WHERE IS ASIM?" On February 2, a young man named Asim Faqir left the Balochistan town of Turbat on a packed minibus, with his wife Hanifa Baloch and their infant son. Hanifa said members of the Frontier Corps stopped the bus near a village called Nodez. They asked the driver to identify Faqir, who Hanifa says had no political affiliation. When the driver refused, soldiers beat him. The paramilitaries then demanded other passengers identify Faqir; they also remained silent. The soldiers beat the driver again until he glanced at Faqir, whom they took away, Hanifa said. Pakistan's military, which handles media for the Frontier Corps, did not respond to a request for comment. On May 26, a convoy of Frontier Corps arrived at Faqir's village of Nazarabad, according to his sister and another resident who declined to be named. As the sister, Zareena Baloch, stood watching, the paramilitaries searched their compound. "Where is Asim?" one of the men asked. "You should know. You people abducted him four months back," Zareena replied. The soldiers searched the house of Azim, Asim Faqir's older brother. They emerged carrying framed photos of both men and set the house on fire. As the soldiers left, Zareena heard a burst of gunfire which she took to be celebratory shots. Shortly afterwards, members of a local police force arrived bearing Asim Faqir's body. "I couldn't recognize him at first," Zareena said. "But then I knew it was him. I touched his face." Another resident of Nazarabad corroborated part of Zareena's account, saying residents had emerged from their houses after hearing the shots and found Faqir's body. One bullet had pierced his left eye, Zareena said. Relatives provided what they said was a photo of the body, in a pool of blood, to Reuters. Another relative of Faqir who lives outside Pakistan said: "They (the intelligence services) have long arms. If you talk about freedom, if you talk about anything, they will come and get you." Long ignored in Pakistan, the allegations of abuses in Balochistan have begun to be heard. Last year, Pakistan's chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry held a series of hearings over the disappearances and subjected the head of the Frontier Corps to a rare public grilling. Sharif's new government has also begun to talk more openly about the accusations of extra-judicial killings in Balochistan. Abdul Malik, a veteran Baluch politician who was chosen by Sharif to head the provincial administration, has called on the military to end human rights violations as a prelude to talks. "We will all together, me and Nawaz Sharif, tell the security establishment that these things have to end," Malik told Reuters in Islamabad in June. "We have to create an environment in which we are in a position to invite insurgents for negotiations."

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Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company. –Mark Twain

COMMENT Friday, 27 September, 2013

who is minding the store?

links in the same chain of terror The TTP’s tactics are Islamic militants’ trademark in other countries too

PML-N government: Marked by lack of focus

HE rupee continues to remain in a state of free fall while the government silently watches the situation. On Wednesday it traded as low as Rs 109 against the US dollar in the open market. Some of the experts maintained that the government was doing little to shore up the nose-diving rupee and the consequences could be dire for the economy. The country being dependent on vital imports, as their prices shoot up, it would impact the price of virtually every commodity used by the common man. This would hit not only the poorer sections of society but also the middle class. The prices of various commodities have already increased between 10 to 15 per cent percent in the first 90 days of the present dispensation. With the current rate of increase these are likely to double within a year. Over the last five years the growth has hovered around 3.0 per cent. It is feared that with the present of IMFdriven, growth-choking policies it might remain at the same level for another five years. This would affect job creation, while the huge pool of the young and restless unemployed is still looking for opportunities ever more are bound to be added to the horde, fanning social unrest. After clearing over Rs562 billion circular debt through cash payments, bonds and book adjustments, the government is not out of the woods yet as Rs130 billion have again accumulated in only three months. The government has issued advertisements for vacant positions of CEOs for about 40 staterun enterprises, including the PIA, PSO, PSM, WAPDA, PPL and OGDC. Unless these organizations have permanent heads they cannot function properly. When would these posts be filled? There is yet no decision with regard to the privatisation of state enterprises that are bleeding the economy white. A package of Rs2.9 billion was approved for Pakistan Steel to disburse the payments for the last two months to the employees. Ad hoc measures of the sort cannot deliver. Despite the holding of the APC on terrorism, things remain as they were. One day the country is told that the government and the nation was unable to proceed any further on the proposed dialogue with the Taliban and that the space for talks with the militants was shrinking, the other day there are assertions of being firm on holding talks. The militants meanwhile continue to launch attacks single-mindedly, the latest on the under construction Mohmand dam killing the contractor and two others. Nawaz Sharif had believed that the impressive election victory will give him a chance to improve the economy, create jobs, end power and gas outages, inflation and bad governance. As things stand there seems to be a loss of focus. The most worrisome aspect of the affair is that few are available to explain or defend the government’s policies as most of the ministers are generally absent from the NA sessions.

Restarting the process Despite the militants’ monkey wrench

HE prime ministers of Pakistan and India have been meeting each other but not really often enough. When Dr Manmohan Singh meets Mian Nawaz Sharif on Sunday in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly’s annual gathering, this would be the fourth time in as many years that an Indian PM shall have parleys with his Pakistani counterpart – but this meeting has come after an interregnum of three years since the SAARC summit in Thimphu, Bhutan in October 2010. Another post Mumbai feature: such one-on-one between the PMs has only been on the sidelines of one international summit or another – the other two instances being Yekaterinburg and Sharm-el-Sheikh. After multiple incidents of killings on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) in recent months that each army blames on the other, and the double militant attack on a police station and an army post in Jammu on Thursday that killed at least nine people, there was much speculation that the summit will not take place at all. The timing of the latest militant attack smacks of a sabotage. Such unpleasant episodes have been taking place with frightening regularity whenever there was some prospect of a positive, forward movement in Pakistan-India relations – and have mostly been successful in blowing away the thaw, reversing it to deep freeze. The double Jammu strike by militants definitely looks like an attempt at throwing a monkey wrench at the anticipated New York tête-à-tête. It is a good thing that this time round the Indian PM has turned a deaf ear towards the belligerent elements in Indian polity and media and refused to shy away from the rendezvous. While condemning “the heinous terrorist attack”, Dr Singh’s stance was: it “will not deter us and will not succeed in derailing our efforts to find a resolution to all problems through a process of dialogue”. Yet the incident is bound to cast its shadow on the talks. Will there be a substantive headway in putting the composite dialogue – suspended since the Mumbai terror attack – back on the rails is a point of conjecture. Most likely it will not. Talking to the media at the UN, the Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid said: “Primarily we will see whether the dialogue process that started between the two countries, that stopped and got derailed, can that be brought back on track.” Before the Indian elections, little headway is expected on major issues, for the Congress would not like to surrender its slim of prospect of returning to power for the third time on the bounce to a resurgent BJP, which electorally thrives over its aggressive anti-Pakistan posture. But the meeting is significant despite it being a given that anything dramatic in the context of improvement of relations cannot realistically be expected. Attempts in that direction however must continue, and the best way to stay on that path is for leaders of both countries to keep on talking.

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor

Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad Joint Editor Lahore – Ph: 042-36375963-5 Fax: 042-32535230 Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9 Fax: 021-35381208 Islamabad – Ph: 051-2287273 Fax: 051-2818125 Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

AzIz-ud-dIN AhmAd

HE terrorist activity engulfing Pakistan is by no means an isolated phenomenon peculiar to us alone. It would be the height of ignorance to characterize the militants’ inhuman acts that include killing innocent men, women and children as a reaction to Pakistan’s flawed policy of supporting the war on terror. What the militants are doing is to dismantle the state and to replace it with a rogue state that allows them to launch attacks on other countries. The TTP has never made a secret of its agenda. It wants to enforce through use of arms what it can never achieve through the power of the vote. Its peculiar version of the Islamic system in Pakistan is unacceptable to the common man. No concessions can stop the terrorists from continuing to unleash this dance of death across the country. They terrorists have a well thought out strategy: to break the will of the people and coerce the state into submission. One needs only to analyse the three major attacks this month in two other countries as well as Pakistan to find the commonalities. On September 19, Boko Haram, an Islamic militant network shot dead at least 87 innocent people in one fell swoop in Borno, Nigeria. Disguised in military uniforms, the militants set up checkpoints outside the town of Benisheik and shot dead those trying to flee. Boko Haram, which wants to create an Islamic state across Nigeria, has waged a deadly insurgency since 2009. It has killed hundreds of peaceful civilians, police and army personnel in the last four years. The militant group has no excuse for the attacks. Nigeria had nothing to do with the American war on terror, nor there were any drone strikes conducted on the Nigerian territory. On Saturday Al Shabaab Islamic militants from Somalia crossed into Kenya’s capital Nairobi. Here they forced entry into an upscale shopping mall, shooting right and left, and took scores of people hostage. This was a rerun of the Mumbai terrorist attacks in 2008. By Tuesday when the five terrorists were finally shot down they had killed 67 innocent people, Kenyan as well as visitors from other countries.

Editor’s mail

On Sunday the all too familiar suicide bombers attacked All Saints Church in Peshawar, killing at least 83 worshippers. Earlier on September 15, the Swat Taliban – an affiliate of the TTP – killed Swat GOC Maj Gen Sanaullah Khan, along with a lieutenant colonel and another soldier in the Upper Dir district. The general was returning from an outpost near the Afghan border. Now a little on the background of Boko Haram and Al Shabab and their resemblance with the TTP, making it evident that all three have the same objectives and employ the similar tactics. Going through their activities gives one a sense of déjà vu. Jamā’a Ahl al-Sunnah li-Da’wa wa al-Jihād, is better known by its Hausa name Boko Haram, which means “Western education is sinful”. Boko Haram is a militant organisation based in the northeast of Nigeria founded by Mohammed Yusuf in 2001. The network seeks to overthrow the government by force to establish sharia law in the country. The militant group is opposed non-Sharia legal systems, and whatever it considers ‘Westernization’. Its sweep of don’ts is rather: starting from the sartorial, wearing of shirts and trousers, to modern education, elections and democracy it is opposed to everything under the sun. And what it doesn’t approve must not happen or else… The group has no tolerance for religious or cultural diversity. One of its many targets is religious minorities in northeast Nigeria, Christians being the topmost on the elimination roster. The group has launched several attacks on the minority community besides targeting its churches. On June 1, 12 church goers were killed in Bauchi. Later on in the same month suicide attacks by the militant network killed several Christians in a number of churches in the Kaduna region. Muslim clerics differing with Boko Haram’s use of violence have also been killed. This would remind some of the suicide attack on Dr Sarfraz Naeemi and the killing of several other ulema by the TTP for preaching moderation. The Nigerian militant group has attacked mosques where the prayer leaders dared to condemn their activities. On August 12 it gunned down 44 people who they perceived as vigilantes praying at a mosque in Konduga town in northeast Nigeria. Like other Islamic militant groups Boko Haram targets the state. It has attacked army and police personnel and their HQs. In June 2011, the group bombed Nigerian police HQs in Abuja. In February last year its suicide bombers demolished army HQs in Kaduna. What drives this group is hatred. It is alien to debate and discussion and depends on the gun as the sole arbiter to settle differences. This explains its antipathy to democracy. The Harkat Shabaab al Mu-

jahidin, widely known as Al Shabaab, or youth, was originally the militant wing of the Somali al-Ittihad al-Islami, one of the many extremist groups formed in the country in the 1980s and 1990s. It became prominent as a member of the resistance to the Ethiopian invasion of the country. The rise of Al Shabaab is due to the instability that has plagued Somalia during the last three decades and resulted among other things to an invasion by Ethiopia. After coming under Al Qaeda’s influence, the Al Shabaab became committed to global jihadism. It eschews peaceful means to achieve power, opposes democracy and modernity. Al Shabaab is the only self-proclaimed branch of Al-Qaeda to have gained acceptance and praise from Ayman al-Zawahiri. A common ideology unites the TTP, Boko Haram and Al Shabaab. The last two came into existence in societies far less exposed to modern influences and with weaker institutions of state compared to Pakistan. Pakistan is much more socially advanced than Northern Nigeria or Somalia. Educated women have played a part in Pakistan’s politics since the inception of the country. Pakistan was the first Muslim country to install a women prime minister in office in the late 1980s. They have acted as ambassadors, heads of important state institutions and are now in the army and air force. There are tens of thousands of professional women in the country. Pakistan inherited elected local bodies and assemblies from the British period. Here even religious parties take part in elections. Political parties headed by leaders with western education have defeated parties led by clerics. The extremist outfits in Pakistan have had no independent growth. They were assembled together by the agencies of the state to achieve political objectives, such as an unrealistic yen for strategic depth in Afghanistan being one and launching the extremist outfits to fight a proxy war in Kashmir another. In between the Salafist Saudis, consumed by their own vendetta tussle with Shia Iran, helped create monsters of their own that are playing havoc with our peace. No attempt at appeasing the TTP will ever succeed. It would be interpreted by the militants as a sign of the weakness of the state. The TTP wants a ceasefire to sneak into Swat, Dir, Tirah and other agencies regained after great human and material sacrifice. They want to reestablish a foothold in the agencies to again start destroying schools, bridges, closing down music and video shops, killing and hanging the opponents’ bodies on the trees. That is not to mention using the terrain as a springboard to spread their vicious and deadly tentacles across the country. The writer is a political analyst and a former academic.

Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. Fax: +92-42-32535230 E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively

taliban’s office I am thrilled at reading the brilliant idea of one emerging politician that Taliban’s office/s should be allowed in Pakistan. Is it for the reason that when a terrorist activity happens, we do not have to go far to ask who did it. My suggestion for the consideration of cricketer-convert politician is to have branch offices of Taliban at district, if not tehsil, level. The approach will be a lot easier. Secondly, we must have 30 percent of our cabinet filled with Taliban. Cabinet meetings should decide the schedule of

suicidal attacks and other nefarious activities. And thirdly, a deputy COAS should be inducted in the army from the Taliban of Mullah Omar faction so that statistics is handy on those killed by Taliban. I do know what material and human damage has been caused by Taliban since 9/11 or even earlier, but I am convinced of one fact and that is that our politicians have gone bonkers due to pressure of work and inefficiency. By the way, let me humbly advise this politician that once Taliban are here, they might not even cut him any slack. AMJAD HABIB MIRZA Lahore

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A smart man makes a mistake, learns from it, and never makes that mistake again. But a wise man finds a smart man and learns from him how to avoid the mistake altogether. –Roy H Williams

COMMENT

Friday, 27 September, 2013

No time for jubilation Washington will only continue its crimes

Dialogue among civilisations A way to contain sectarian strife

GhOLAmALI KhOShROO

ODAY, political and cultural trends and processes in the Middle East region and the world clearly show that the dialogue among civilisations is not merely a moral recommendation, but a vital necessity. Sectarian strife in addition to ethnic and tribal massacres, on the one hand, and the continued hostility toward the Islamic world by the West and even the East (as witnessed quite recently by the massacre of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar), on the other hand, further highlight the urgency of this necessary idea. Any kind of constructive and meaningful dialogue would hinge on respectful interaction as well as two-way communication. In no form of dialogue, the negotiating parties make humiliation, threat and subduing the other party their main goals. “Dialogue” is tantamount to the use of wisdom and foresight to understand the meaning, discover the realities, and gain a different understanding through language, logic and empathy. “Dialogue” is a kind of spiritual experience aimed at discovering the “self” and “others.” It is both a journey inside oneself and a journey in the company of the other party to the dialogue. In doing so, the parties to a dialogue carefully and avidly listen to each other; a listening which is aimed to explore meanings and goes quite deep in this regard. In this interaction between the two sides, listening, the interval between dialogue sessions, or even adjournment of talks to get fresh energy for the continuation of the dialogue are not boring. During “dialogue,” finding common grounds and shared ideas enjoys the same degree of importance as attention to the existing rifts and differences in viewpoints. In the plural world of today, it is through the acceptance of diverse cultural identities that other cultures are recognised. Therefore, negation of the diversity will lead to the annihilation of culture in essence. Mutual cultural relations guarantee the survival, endurance and prosperity of any specific culture and work as a factor to promote peace and friendship in the world.

The main objective of those who advocate dialogue is to find the best way to deal with differences and discrepancies. They neither totally negate the existing differences, nor make them a breeding ground for war and violence. The human essence of every person will be better manifested under divisive conditions. The extent to which constructive interaction and civilised dialogue processes get under way would depend on the extent to which the involved parties resort to wisdom, forgiveness, and tolerance when they face divisive conditions. The human life is intermingled with differences and conflicts. Nobody can lead a healthy and successful life in this world on his/her own. Everybody’s happiness, in fact, depends on the happiness of other people. The points of division cover a wide range of human activities, including economic, political, social and cultural. It is quite possible to zoom in on every single one of these differences, both in personal and social life, and even on national and international levels, to beat the drums of war, violence and hatred, and use them as a ground to stoke unrest and conflict. However, such a state of affairs will certainly end in the clash of civilisations and increase tension in relations among nations. The vital necessity and moral need of the modern human beings is the promotion of the dialogue among civilisations as a means of facilitating the establishment of a free and justice-based society. Those who consider themselves superior to others, consider themselves as rightful in every respect due to their material power, and also try to impose their own values and methods on others through force and threat, only serve to foster violence and hatred while eroding the civilisational foundations of their own societies. Mutual trust, respect for peoples’ votes, compliance with the principles of ethics and wisdom, and commitment to promoting friendship and peace are main factors which pave the ground for dialogue and an honourable human life. As extremism continues to thrive and the culture of dialogue is in decline, sectarian conflicts have afflicted all parts of our region. This situation has its roots in a petrified way of thinking, sticking to crude and primitive ideas, and violence. Frequent armed attacks on mosques, people’s houses, convoys of pilgrims, and funeral ceremonies have turned into a repetitive and heinous show. Such anti-Islam measures have tarnished the general image of Muslims in the world with blood and violence. This form of

heightened violence is, in fact, a tool in the hands of regional and trans-regional powers which use it to achieve their political and strategic goals. At present, an uncountable number of women and children are virtually waiting in the death row as violence is escalating in the name of various denominations of Islam at the hands of brainwashed youths who are ready to lay down their lives for goals which actually serve the interests of hegemonic powers. The world of Islam is seeing part of its body on fire through violent incidents which take place before the eyes of the entire world and are in total contrast to the core tenets of Islam as the religion of peace and friendship. As if the Islamic world is actually heading toward a big mass suicide. It is now incumbent on the ulema, scholars and intellectuals in the Muslim world to play the important role and mission that weighs upon their shoulders in order to prevent that mass suicide from happening. Since 2001 when Iran’s proposal for the promotion of dialogue among civilisations was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, the flames of war have been raging all around the country. The blaze of war is currently consuming Syria as well as certain countries in North Africa. In the meantime, the people of Iran voted for the necessity of applying rationality and moderation to domestic and foreign relations through their high turnout in the presidential election. That election proved without a doubt that Iran is a stable country enjoying a high degree of peace and security. The political developments in Iran and the warm welcome given to the new administration of “hope and foresight,” presage a bright future outlook for the country. In this way, interaction and rationality is prevailing over confrontation and crude thinking. The revival of the discourse of moderation and dialogue can not only bolster domestic unity, but also improve foreign relations with other countries. It can also bring sectarian and global violence under control and provide people with a happy and prosperous life. It is only through a discourse of dialogue that the injustice and tyranny, which has become inherent to international relations, can be contained while promoting peace and friendship at national, regional, and global levels.

The revival of the discourse of moderation and dialogue can not only bolster domestic unity, but also improve foreign relations with other countries.

The writer is the Senior Editor of the Encyclopaedia of Contemporary Islam and Former Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Islamic Republic of Iran (2002-2005).

WILLIAm C LEWIS

ERPETUAL mass-media deception and pervasive surveillance encompass a never ending train of abuse that won’t end any time soon. As long as armaments factories continue producing weapons of death for the fortune 500 Wall Street elite who reside in US capitalist society, war and threats of war will continue to expand and take on an ever deadly character. Over 1000 military bases stationed, world-wide, nuclear weapons, a nuclear, first-strike posture by US anti-ballistic missile systems and thousands of tanks, planes, bombers, armadas, special forces killer teams, hundreds of proxies and the Central Intelligence Agency that massacres civilians in Pakistan with drones on a routine basis, not because the missiles are missing their targets as claimed but because slaughtering civilians is a rapacious and depraved tool of the US war mongers and their imperial war machine–that includes the civilian CIA, for resource control against Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia and any other nation the US bombs to sustain its militarised war economy and claim to control the world’s most coveted petroleum resources in the Caspian Basin and Africa. No other power in the world divides sections of the globes into various coms–Africom, Centom, Eucom, Pacificom and Southcom, among others. CIA uses the corporate war military complex tools of surveillance and an informant network to understand who it is slaughtering and the people who are hit by the missiles are seen as associated with the “target,” whoever this person is. It is not an accident, but a tool of state terrorism that is used in all counter-guerilla or counterterror wars run by CIA and military to target friends, associates and family of those who are an impediment to US imperial control or a convenient enemy for the military industrial complex to ratchet up domestic armaments spending and perpetuate the standing armies in the Pentagon branches with hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer money. That CIA funds the Pakistani ISI and ISI, in turn funds the Taliban doesn’t really matter in the make-believe-media world of War on Terror that permanently threatens civilian slaughter against innocent bystanders whose personal relations are somehow tied up in this internecine web of war and deception based upon racism, fear lies and conformity to sustain the fortunes of the Wall Street ruling class, the CIA, the military and armaments industry. Nor does it matter that the CIA organised the airlifts for weapons transport via Saudi, Qatari and Jordanian military aircraft that put weapons into the hands of NATO backed Sunni-terrorist groups, including Al Qaeda to destabilise Assad. It also doesn’t matter that there are fewer than 50 Al Qaeda in Afghanistan according to former CIA director Leon Panetta and that the Taliban had nothing to do with the 911 attacks. The US must occupy militarily permanently to sustain the war industry and keep its finger on the tap of Caspian Basin oil. Various authors are claiming that because the United States and Russia are coming to an agreement on the chemical weapons of Bashar Al Assad that this somehow represents progress. But this is a mere farce and at best unfounded optimism due to the current, media staged US posturing. The armaments industry still controls the United States. COINTELPRO is currently in full operation against those who oppose the US war machine. This war, foreign and domestic doesn’t just end–and people shouldn’t attempt to fool themselves or others. Just because one slaughter/attack was temporarily eluded, and look at how it is done, through an international, disarmament-policing mechanism, a smaller power is compelled to agree to give up their weapons to a more dominant body, which in turn dominates every one and the people doing it are largely guilty of war crimes. How does this represent a progress? The United States doesn’t need to use violence everywhere anymore. It has become so powerful that merely threatening to do so achieves the same results. It has hundreds of thousands of military and private contractors, JSOC not to mention CIA in Afghanistan, CIA in Pakistan, troops stationed in Korea, Germany, special-forces killer teams in over 120 nations, a spy network that spans the entire domestic United States with over 800,000 employees in the secretive domestic national security state that records and monitors US citisens phone calls and e-mails, people employed in private prisons to warehouse the massive population of unemployed black male, many of whom are prisoners for non-violent crimes in the counter-insurgency style war on drugs that is a boon to the US private prison industry and the US uses cut-throat killer mercenaries in Syria who have murdered hundreds of thousands of innocent people. It isn’t even proven that Assad used weapons against his people and so the US and Russia now negotiate how Assad will disarm, yet the greatest purveyor of violence in the world–the United States government remains armed to the teeth after it obliterated 3 million people in Vietnam, millions in Iraq and burned to death 300,000-400,000 civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and is now threatening Russia that it will back out of negotiations to include Syria within the Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) if Russia doesn’t include Chapter 7 of the UN Charter into the US-Russia accords, essentially allowing a NATO/US military attack against Syria if it is seen as “not complying,” according to the D.C. war criminals’ corrupt, hypocritical standards. All of this when it is obvious that Assad’s use of weapons against civilians two days after UN inspectors arrived in Damascus would have been a completely irrational act and completely unlikely. Various left commentators want to continuously point out that Assad has committed crimes, including torture, but the instigator of the secret rendition program that snatched and locked away detainees in the imperialist police state war on terror was George W Bush, not Assad. Speaking about the crimes of the designated official enemy Assad for past crimes committed with CIA collaboration when the US war, surveillance assassination machine spans the globe and is not ruling out another massacre, when it already massacres and knocks off civilians and enemies of US empire via drone hits designed to inflict terror and maintains a vast diplomatic, military and intelligence occupation world-wide and war criminals belonging to the capitalist ruling class who used Assad as a torture proxy reside free of punishment seems a bit hypocritical. This is no time for jubilation. No victory has been won. The writer is a journalist, researcher and book collector from Pasco, Washington, USA.

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Anytime you're away from your home filming, it messes with your head. –Jennifer Lawrence

chRistiaNa aguileRa siNgs foR the ‘huNgeR gaMes’

arts Friday, 27 September, 2013

fiRefighteRs vaNDalise wateR paRk, Defecate oN flooR

No one likes a party pooper. Two volunteer firefighters in upstate New York face multiple charges for allegedly breaking into and vandalizing an amusement park earlier this month. Eric Frisbie and Jacob Williams face burglary, criminal mischief and petit larceny charges after they allegedly stole frozen food and stuffed animals, and vandalized an arcade at Enchanted Forest Water Safari Park in Old Forge, N.Y. on Sept. 14. According to ABC affiliate WHAM, the firefighters -who are no longer with the department -allegedly damaged an animated band that was more than 30 years old, and one of the men reportedly defecated on the floor of the building. The park claimed the men caused $4,800 in damage, according to CNYCentral.com The Wayne County Times reports that the firefighters were in town with others from the Sodus Point Volunteer Fire Department for an annual training weekend, an event which it claims is no stranger to rowdiness. The men were arrested at a nearby inn following the incident. Eric Frisbie's brother, John Frisbie, was pepper sprayed after police said he interfered during the arrest, according to the newspaper. Frisbie's girlfriend told WHEC that her boyfriend "made a mistake... [and] understands the effects of what he did." Sodus Point Fire Chief Mark Jones Sr. told The Wayne County Times that “the situation has been taken care of,” but offered no further comment. Frisbie was the department's Firefighter of the Year in 2012, according to its Facebook page. Requests for comment from the department were not immediately returned. NEWS dESK

attack of the ooMpa looMpas!

Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn at the Espace Foundation in NYC.

HRISTINA Aguilera proved she's a "Fighter" years ago, so it makes perfect sense that the fivetime Grammy winner has recorded a track for the upcoming Hunger Games: Catching Fire soundtrack. The Voice coach made the announcement via Twitter on Wednesday, Sept. 25. "Love the underlying message of @TheHungerGames," she wrote. "'We Remain' is special new song, its message to my fans & how I connect w/ the movie, alike." The message was retweeted several thousand times, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. "this is so

unexpected. I need to pee omg," one fan tweeted. Another follower wrote, "@xtina I can't wait to hear it! I know it'll be extraordinary. Xo." No word yet on when Aguilera plans to release the song. "We Remain" joins the previously released piano ballad "Atlas," written and performed by Coldplay, as well as The National's "Lean." The same day Aguilera, 32, shared her news online, the official Hunger Games Twitter account announced that advance tickets for the sequel go on sale Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 12 p.m. ET. The film, starring Jennifer Lawrence as heroine Katniss Everdeen, arrives in theaters Nov. 22. NEWS dESK

A look at ‘Numm’ The story of ‘Numm’ too has cleared up quite a bit and I must say this is one entertaining drama. Wali wanted a bargain, he wanted to obey all medieval traditions just to ensure all the available material comforts for himself. Little did he know that he will end up paying even more for the storm that Neelum is. The last episode showed how entertaining Neelum, the new bride can be. She lives in her own bubble and although she might think she has the upper hand, I think she is in for a big shock. This haveli holds more secrets and demons than young Neelum can handle and I wonder how she manages to survive purely on her childish behavior. In the first episode, it seemed that Wali and Mahjabeen (Saia Saeed) share a cold relationship. However, now it is quite clear that they do not. Mahjabeen has practically raised her own husband from a child and she knows him very well. Wali too, finds solace in the calm, collected nature of Mahjabeen and a silent understanding lays bneath their cold exteriors. Their relationship is not that of a husband

and wife, it is quite complex and borders between that of a mother-son, husband-wife and confidant. Although the story was not quite clear in the first episode, we got a very good understanding of all the characters of the drama. This episode seemed slower

and since the personalities of the characters was already quite clear, the story didn’t move forward with the pace that it should have. Overall, this was another good episode that makes the drama well worth watching. NEWS dESK

alec BalDwin all set to get controversial Two men have been sentenced in a British court for attacking a man while they were dressed as Oompa Loompas. Louis Gelinas and Matthew Wright pleaded guilty to "affray" – or disturbing the peace – at an earlier hearing for their role in the attack in December 2012 that left a 28-year-old man with cuts and bruises. Prosecutor Stephen Spence noted it was ironic the two were dressed as "peaceable characters" employed by Willy Wonka "to keep them away from trouble" in the novel "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Spence said "far from keeping out of trouble" the pair – both 20 – got into an abusive altercation. Gelinas was sentenced Wednesday to 240 hours of community work and Wright was sentenced to 10 months in a young offenders' institute. NEWS dESK

Alec Baldwin is courting controversy already. "I want exciting, fizzy, dynamic people. I want interesting people," the actor told The Hollywood Reporter in a recent interview, discussing the vision he has for his new MSNBC talk show, Up Late With Alec Baldwin, premiering Oct. 11. "I want controversial people. I don't want to get a bunch of wonks together and just wonk-ify some issue." Asked if anything will be offlimits, the Emmy winner and now former podcast host admitted he didn't know just yet how it would all play out. "I guess we're going to find out," Baldwin said. "It's a news network, so as long as it's not indecent, we can say just about anything." That sounds like an important advantage for MSNBC, considering another popular, hour-long, sayjust-about-anything show—Real Time With Bill Maher—also airs on Fridays at 10 p.m. over on HBO (where Bill really can say just about anything—and with F-bombs!). "Let's face it: This is a very saturated market," Baldwin also noted to

THR. "It's something I had tremendous hesitation about and still do. We're doing longer-format [interviews] with our guests to try to replicate the podcast on TV, but the minute you put a camera on people they become somewhat self-conscious."

Baldwin also has someone new to think about the next time he might be inclined to get hot under the collar in 140 characters or less. "The thing I like about [MSNBC president Phil Griffin] is, he's going to tell me exactly what's on his mind," the actor otherwise known as @ABFoundation said. "So if anything happens [on Twitter] that Phil is unhappy with, he'll tell me." Asked about what it feels like to join the cablenews universe, the father of infant Carmen and 17-year-old Ireland said that he doesn't really see himself as "part of anything," per se. "The people at MSNBC said, 'We want you to do something different, with a different tone,'" he recalled. "I think they're trying to diversify what they have. It's highly unlikely that it's going to be me exhorting people at the end of some commentary. The show may change, the show may grow, but we're not going to do any of that. " Well, count us among those who can't wait to see what Baldwin is going to do! NEWS dESK

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Anyone who doesn't believe in miracles is not a realist. –David Ben-Gurion

ARTS Friday, 27 September, 2013

12 A

NakeD No MoRe!

Meet the New Miley S

ORRY, y'all—Miley Cyrus can't be naked all the time! The 20-year-old "Wrecking Ball" singer tweeted a cute picture of of herself all bundled up in a (presumably fake) fur coat on Wednesday, Sept. 25. The leopard print jacket looked soft and snuggly, as did the trim on the hood pulled up around Miley's face. She captioned the pic simply, "You supposed to be with a snow bunny." In another not-quite-a-selfie shot, the Queen of Twerk pulls a Miley (tongue out, obviously!) while a friend puts up bunny ears behind her. Wearing multiple chains and oversized heart shape earrings, she writes that she hearts KTZ Official, a popular clothing label in the hip-hop community, for sending along "all my gooooodies." And while Miley certainly looks cute in all these clothes and accessories, she really prefers her birthday suit. In an interview with Rolling Stone's Oct. 8 issue, Liam Hemsworth's ex-fiancée admits she's "still kind of a semi-nudist, because I never had clothes on." Well it's pretty clear that's still the case. Between naked magazine covers, naked music videos, nip slips and everything in between, Miley seems to have no problem putting her assets on display! NEWS dESK

Miley Cyrus’ $10,000 camera

Turns out, Miley Cyrus has a lucrative side gig as an eBay seller. (No, seriously.) The 20-year-old pop star—whose estimated net worth is a reported $150 million—is selling her old camera on the online shopping site. And while the starting bid began at a very reasonable $26, the price has since skyrocketed, after Cyrus alerted her over 14 million Twitter followers that her Nikon N80 35mm SLR film camera is up for sale. "BUY MY OLD CAMERA!," the "Wrecking Ball" singer tweeted Wednesday with a link to the product page, although she removed the tweet from her feed minutes later. But the deleted tweet didn't stop her loyal Smilers from heading over to eBay to start bidding on the "barely used" camera, with the top bid currently being $10,100 as the price continues to increase at a rapid rate. (There's still 6 days left to place your bids!) While the camera probably doesn't come with any sexy selfies, it does come with a 28-90mm Lens Kit and "is fully operational and functions as intended," according to the item description. But what's even more surprising than the starlet's eBay sale is the fact that she's been a member of the site since Nov. 2007 and has sold 16 items under the username "getit555." Cyrus keeps her identity secret on the page, which is common for many eBay sellers, although she clearly let the cat of the bag with her latest 140 character request. She also has 100 percent positive feedback on the site, with numerous buyers calling the pop star an "excellent eBayer" (one user did have a complaint over a shirt purchased from Cyrus back in 2010, saying the "shirt was not a women's medium, but child's size"). Still want a piece of Cyrus, but worried her camera will break your bank account? Well, you're in luck, because the performer is also currently selling her Apple iPhone 4, with the current bid being just $61. (We're sure that number's gone up by now.) Clearly, that product didn't get a promotional tweet. NEWS dESK

season of separation? richard gere, carey lowell splitting up Richard Gere seems to have lost his pretty woman. The 64year-old Hollywood star and 52-year-old actress Carey Lowell have separated after 11 years of marriage, People reports. Meanwhile, Gere's rep tells E! News, "We are not releasing a statement nor commenting." According to Page Six, which first broke the news, the two are "planning on filing for divorce." The paper added that they have "been spending time apart for quite some time."Gere and Cowell tied the knot in 2002. They have one son together, 13year-old Homer. NEWS dESK

Josh Duhamel looks for a ride at LAX.

Man reenacts gta v, gets BUsteD As realistic as "Grand Theft Auto" looks on a video screen, it wasn't as interactive as Zachary Burgess hoped. So Burgess allegedly decided to take matters into his own hands, by stealing a pickup truck, kidnapping a woman and crashing nine parked cars, all in an attempt to feel like a character in "Grand Theft Auto," according to WDSU-TV. The real-life crime spree took place early Saturday morning in Baton Rouge, La., when Burgess, a lacrosse player at Auburn University, was in town to see his team take on Louisiana State University in football. Burgess, 20, was in the parking lot of a bar when the owner of a truck drove up and got out of the truck, leaving it running with a female

passenger, Monique Jiarusso, inside. At that point, the suspect got in the vehicle and attempted to flee the parking lot with the woman, according to Baton Rouge Police Cpl. Don Coppola. “When he tried to flee the parking lot there were several cars blocking the way,” Cpl. Coppola told NBC33tv.com. “He began ramming into the parked cars.” Burgess quickly abandoned the car a few yards from the crime scene and a group of witnesses held him until officers arrived. The female passenger told police that Burgess "forcibly" held her captive in the truck, but she was able to jump out of the vehicle and get to safety, Coppola said. When officers questioned Burgess, they say he

explained his rationale for the alleged theft, kidnapping and attempted hit-and-runs. "One of his statements was that, he wanted to see what it was to be a Grand Theft Auto individual, what it felt like," said L'Jean McKneely with the Baton Rouge Police Department told KTRKTV. "I guess to take a car and strike several vehicles at a high rate of speed." Burgess was arrested and charged with theft of a motor vehicle, nine counts of hit and run and simple kidnapping, WWMT-TV reported. He was released Sunday after posting $80,000 bond, which Dumb As A Blog pointed out was a lot more expensive that simply playing "Grand Theft Auto" on a Playstation. NEWS dESK

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SPORTS Friday, 27 September, 2013

pakistan selectors face tough job ahead of south africa series

Other sports play once a week but this sport is with us every day — Peter Ueberroth

Dhoni’s 63 off 19 sets Up csk win S URESH Raina’s fine knock of 84 and Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s brutal hitting took Chennai Super Kings to 12-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Group B clash of Champions League T20 2013 at Ranchi on Thursday. The clash of the Indian Premier League (IPL) sides was dominated by Chennai for most parts of the match as they continued their unbeaten streak in the tournament. Having been set a target of 203 runs to win, Sunrisers began their chase comfortable scoring at a rate above nine runs an over. Parthiv Patel started off the innings with a crisp boundary and continued to hit cracking shots. He put on a quickfire partnership for the opening wicket with skipper Shikhar Dhawan to lay a strong platform for the middle order to launch a fiery assault. Their partnership got a longer rope when Dhawan was dropped by Jason Holder in the eighth over. The two lefthanders were cruising along well at 87 for no loss at the end of the ninth over. However, it was a day when Dhoni could do no wrong. He introduced Suresh Raina, who first effected a run-out of his own bowling aafter a confusion occurred in the middle to bring an end to a strong partnership between the openers and then bowled JP Duminy in the last ball of the over. The match turned on its head from thereon. Sunrisers skipper Dhawan was caught behind in the next over off Ashwin’s bowling while he looked well set on 48. However, by that point, they were already left far behind in the chase. Apart from Darren Sammy’s slogs that landed beyond the ropes, there was little for Sunrisers to cheer for. Wickets fell at regular interval as victory seemed just a formality for Chennai. Sammy battled through hamstring injury to hit a halfcentury in 24 balls before getting dismissed. The knock included two boundaries and five huge sixes to keep Sunrisers in the chase. Even before the match had began, it was not surprising to know why the Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium (JSCA) witnessed a rather good crowd as compared to the other stadiums during the tournament. Even before the start of the match, Dhoni and his hairstyle was a bigger talking point than anything else in the stadium. It was a critical toss that Sunrisers skipper Shikhar Dhawan won as the dew was expected to play a crucial role in the match. Although the ground staff had applied the anti-dew spray on the grass; it wasn’t good enough to stop dew from forming even before the match began. With temperature around 26 degree Celsius at the

LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Pakistan national selectors will have a tough job at hands when they sit on Friday to pick the national cricket squad for the upcoming “home” series against South Africa in UAE, commencing on October 14. Cricket fans, former players and experts have been extremely critical of the team management including the head coach Dav Whatmore, Test and One-Day International (ODI) captain Misbah-ulHaq and Twenty20 (T20) skipper Mohammad Hafeez, besides the selectors after Pakistan lost a one-day and a Test match to lowly ranked Zimbabwe in Harare recently. “For the national selectors it is a dicey situation because they don’t want to take too many risks against the world’s top Test team, South Africa even though conditions in UAE is expected to favour Pakistan,” a well informed source told PTI. The caretaker chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Najam Sethi has spent a busy time this week holding meetings with Whatmore, Misbah and Moin Khan, the team manager for Zimbabwe

For the national selectors it is a dicey situation because they don’t want to take too many risks against the world’s top Test team tour. “Sethi has held detailed discussions with Whatmore, Misbah and Moin to find out the reasons for Pakistan’s recent lacklustre performances. He is a worried man because the pressure is growing that Pakistan cricket needs to move forward with new players.” “There have also been speculations about Misbah, Whatmore and Hafeez not giving fair chances to the players,” the source said. However, it was more or less clear that the selection committee would retain Misbah as the captain of both the Test and ODI sides. “One thing is clear that Misbah will be retained as Test captain and even talks off replacing him with Shahid Afridi as skipper of the One-day squad has also been put aside for this series,” he informed. “The reason is, the chairman feels that Misbah needs to be given confidence and that he has led Pakistan ably in the past,” the source added. Pakistan will playing two-Test series, followed by five ODIs and two T20s matches. The source said the selectors were likely to drop Hafeez and Azhar Ali and include Umar Amin, Imran Farhat and Haris Sohail in the Test squad. Although they are uncertain about including too many new players. Pakistan had whitewashed the then number one Test side, England 3-0 in the UAE in early 2011.

SCOREBOARd

RANCHI

AGENCIES

0 m Vijay c dhawan b Steyn 23 mEK hussey c †Patel b duminy SK Raina c Perera b Steyn 84 S Badrinath c Steyn b duminy 13 mS dhoni* not out 63 dJ Bravo not out 6 13 EXTRAS: (w 12, nb 1) 202 TOTAL: (4 wickets; 20 overs) dId NOT BAT: RA Jadeja, JA morkel, JO holder, R Ashwin, mm Sharma FALL OF WICKETS: 1-0 (Vijay, 0.2 ov), 2-45 (hussey, 6.2 ov), 3-115 (Badrinath, 14.1 ov), 4-175 (Raina, 18.2 ov) BOWLING: dW Steyn 4-0-23-2,I Sharma 4-0-40-0, JP duminy 40-27-2,A mishra 2-0-13-0,NLTC Perera 3-0-60-0,dJG Sammy 3-0-39-0 SuNRISERS hYdERABAd PA Patel run out (Raina) 37 48 S dhawan c †dhoni b Ashwin 0 JP duminy b Raina 12 NLTC Perera c Vijay b Bravo 50 dJG Sammy b holder 3 A Ashish Reddy c †dhoni b Bravo KV Sharma c Vijay b holder 11 10 dW Steyn not out Gh Vihari not out 5 EXTRAS: (w 8, nb 6) 14 TOTAL: (7 wickets; 20 overs) 190 dId NOT BAT: A mishra, I Sharma FALL OF WICKETS: 1-87 (Patel, 9.2 ov), 2-89 (duminy, 9.6 ov), 391 (dhawan, 10.6 ov), 4-106 (Perera, 13.1 ov), 5-137 (Ashish Reddy, 15.1 ov), 6-169 (KV Sharma, 18.2 ov), 7-175 (Sammy, 18.4 ov) BOWLING: mm Sharma 4-0-41-0,JA morkel 2-0-19-0, R Ashwin 40-32-1, JO holder 4-0-39-2,SK Raina 1-0-3-1,dJ Bravo 4-0-34-2,RA Jadeja 1-0-22-0 mATCh dETAILS TOSS Sunrisers hyderabad, who chose to field POINTS Chennai Super Kings 2, Sunrisers hyderabad 0 PLAYER OF ThE mATCh SK Raina (Chennai Super Kings) umPIRES BNJ Oxenford (Australia) and RJ Tucker (Australia) TV umPIRE S Ravi mATCh REFEREE RS mahanama (Sri Lanka) RESERVE umPIRE S das

start of the match and expected to fall from thereon, it was obvious that the team batting second would hold a clear advantage. Ian Bishop, who did the pitch report stated that the pitch was quite damp. Although there was enough grass on one end, the Pavilion End was devoid of the green cover and god enough for the ball to hold on. Earlier, Raina took Chennai Super Kings to 202 for four in 20 overs with a superlative innings of 84. The authoritative 57-ball innings was laced with nine hits to the fence and a huge six as he crossed the 500-run mark in CLT20. It was also Raina’s 25th half-century in the shortest format, apart from two centuries. However, it was the Chennai skipper Dhoni who stole the limelight with some brutal hitting towards the end of the innings to the entertainment of his home crowd as he brought up the fastest fifty in CLT20. His 16-ball effort overtook Kieron Pollard’s 18ball 50. Dhoni finished with an unbeaten 63 in 19 balls. The Chennai skipper didn’t wait too long to entertain the crowd as he used his strong wrists to muscle a straight six of just his second ball. From thereon he was dealing mostly in sixes, as he smashed seven more in his 19-ball innings, the biggest of them crossing 101 metres, including five sixes in the 18th over off Perera. His unbeaten knock of 63 helped Chennai go past the 200-run mark.

Hafeez has no problem playing alongside Malik, Razzaq LAHORE

presiDentpcfto attenD cycling Meetinginitaly LAHORE STAFF REPORT

STAFF REPORT

Mohammad Hafeez has made it clear that he does not have any problem playing along side the senior cricketers. “I have always said that I would respect the selectors and the team that they give me. As a captain, it is up to me to get the best out of the players that I am given. And the fact that we have moved from nine to the second spot in the Twenty20 world rankings is evidence from the fact,” Hafeez told reporters in Lahore. Both Malik and Razzaq had recently met with the caretaker chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Najam Sethi and are believed to have complained that they had not been given fair chances by Hafeez and Misbah-ul-Haq, who is one-day and Test skipper. Razzaq, out of favour since last September, had openly

blamed Hafeez for his ouster from the team. Hafeez said he was mentally prepared to be axed from the Test squad, which will take on South Africa in a two-match “home” series in the UAE, starting on October 14. The senior player, who has struggled with the bat in recent Tests, is expected to be dropped from the Test side and Hafeez said he wouldn’t complain and accept the decision gracefully. “These things happen with

every player and one has to accept it and work harder,” Hafeez said. Insisting that lack of First-Class cricket has added to his problems, Hafeez said he himself was disappointed with his batting form in the longer version of the game as he managed to average just 12 in five Tests this year as an opener. “But I personally believe that I just need one big innings to get back into the groove and establish myself in Test cricket,” he said. Hafeez also said despite trying his

best, luck had not been favouring him. “It’s not a matter of technique, the ball is coming on to my bat but I am not able to play a big innings. It happens with any big cricketer.” He added that Pakistan playing less Test matches and not at playing at home like other countries had contributed to his woes. Hafeez, however, admitted he was satisfied with his form in other formats of the game and hoped the selectors would keep that in mind while taking a decision.

President, Pakistan Cycling Federation, Munawar Baseer left here on Thursday for Italy to attend the congress of International Cycling Federation being held today, Friday in Florence. The congress is taking place on the side lines of the UCI Road World cycling championship, said a spokesman of PCF . “ President PCF will highlight various important issues relating to cycling in Pakistan in the meeting “, he said. The congress is taking place on the side lines of the UCI Road World cycling championship, said a spokesman of PCF . “ President PCF will highlight various important issues relating to cycling in Pakistan in the meeting “, he said. “ President PCF will highlight various important issues relating to cycling in Pakistan in the meeting “, he said

KHI 27-09-2013_Layout 1 9/27/2013 2:12 AM Page 16

Pro football is like nuclear warfare. There are no winners, only survivors. –Frank Gifford

14 S

SPORTS Friday, 27 September, 2013

venus battles past eugenie Bouchard

Michael claRke eageR foR BattiNg help SYDNEY: Australia's captain and best batsman Michael Clarke has endorsed the team performance manager Pat Howard's instigation of a forum to address the nation's batting ills in Sydney next month, though he admitted to being totally unaware of plans for the event. Highly unlikely to make the ODI tour of India that precedes the home Ashes series due to his chronic back troubles, Clarke may be in Sydney at the time of the forum, which Howard has aid will be a key event for the new Centre of Excellence high performance batting coach Graeme Hick. Initially reacting with surprise about the idea and saying he knew "nothing about it", Clarke responded positively once informed of the search for answers to the deterioration of Australian batting in recent years, something exposed mercilessly on the tours of India and England this year. "I have a lot of thoughts about batting but I'm right in the midst of it as well," Clarke said. "I need to make sure I'm scoring more runs. I look forward to hearing what the other experts have to say and hopefully have some advice that can help us. "We've got quite a good mix of youth and experience with our batting group and I think we continue to learn daily, but we're certainly open to anybody who can provide us with some feedback that's going to help us get better. What you try to do every day is to become a better player, so if Pat's organised a forum for some past players who've had a lot of success to come and help us that'll be great for the group." As for his fragile back, Clarke said he had been juggling Cricket Australia sponsorship commitments with multiple daily treatment sessions to give him the best chance of making the plane to India. Though Clarke remains adamant that he can be fit in time, CA medical staff will be hesitant to send him to the subcontinent if it is likely to set back his Ashes preparations. "It's getting there slowly, but how slowly, I won't know," Clarke said. "I'll probably have until the end of this week or early next week to see how I pull up, having treatment two or three times a day at the moment to give myself the best chance of being right for the tour. "We're not planning on having scans right now, we're going to push me as far as I can go and see how I pull up, and if I pull up fine then great I'm on the plane. If I don't then I might have to have scans. But that's dictated by the experts who know a lot more about the problem I have than myself." Clarke was speaking at the New South Wales season launch, where his Test vice-captain Brad Haddin was named as the Blues' captain for 2013-14. The new chief executive Andrew Jones and the new coach Trevor Bayliss were also acknowledged at the start of the domestic season. AGENCIES

VENUS CONTINUES HER FORM REVIVAL WITH A BATTLING THREE-SET VICTORY OVER CANADIAN PROSPECT EUGENIE BOUCHARD IN TOKYO BANGKOK

AGENCIES

T 46 in the rankings Bouchard went into the quarter-final clash 17 places above her opponent, who continues to fight an auto-immune disease. However, it was the American who finished the stronger in a match that lasted just over three hours after Bouchard had extended matters by levelling via a second set tie-break. But Williams, who was backing up her shock defeat of top seed Victoria Azarenka, raced into a 5-2 lead in the decider before closing out the match 6-3 6-7 6-3. "It's hard to believe it's my first semi-final in Tokyo after all these years," said Williams. "Hopefully I can win it in a little less time. That's the goal."She will take on either Svetlana Kuznetsova or Petra Kvitova in the last four after both won their third round matches on Thursday in straight sets. Two-time Grand Slam champion Kuznetsova, now ranked 27th in the world, saw off 15th seed Sorana Cirstea Romania 7-6 6-1. Meanwhile Kvitova, seeded seventh, cruised past Madison Keys of the United States 6-2 6-2. There was also a win for Caroline Wozniacki. The Dane came from a set down to beat Lucie Sarafova 2-6 6-3 6-2.

siMoN stoRMs thRough iN BaNgkok BANGKOK: Frenchman Gilles Simon celebrated winning the 300th match of his career Thursday after dominating Australian Bernard Tomic 6-4, 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals of the Thailand Open. Simon, who flew to Asia immediately after defeating compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to win the Metz title at the weekend, admitted that he did not know that he was on the cusp of a personal milestone. "I must be getting older, I want to get to 400 now," joked the 28-year-old, who became the ninth Frenchman in the post-1968 Open era to win at least 300 matches in Tour play. Simon began with an early break, carrying that margin through the opening set, which he won in 43 minutes. In the second set, the French player earned the break for 6-5 as Tomic put a return wide. He closed out victory a game later, following another error from the Australian, after 79 minutes. Simon, whose second child was born this month, said it took a big effort to get up for his noon start in the second round against Tomic after an opening-round bye. On Friday, the ATP number 14 will face Dutchman Igor Sijsling, whom he defeated in their only previous meeting indoors in Metz three years ago. Simon's win was his second against Tomic, who he beat on grass last summer in an Eastbourne quarter-final. Simon has now reached the quarter-finals or better nine times this season after winning his 34th match of the season against 20 losses. AGENCIES

HICK PREACHES AUSTRALIAN BATTING PATIENCE SYDNEY AGENCIES

Graeme Hick believes shifting the mindset of Australia’s young batsmen away from a Twenty20 focus and back towards long, patient first-class innings will be key to his new role within the Australian setup. On Wednesday, Hick was named as the fulltime replacement for Stuart Law as high performance coach at the Centre of Excellence, where he will oversee the creation of a national batting programme. Although Hick will largely work with Under-19 and Under-17 squads, he will also mentor the annual intake of Centre of Excellence scholars, which often includes batsmen on the fringes of national selection. It is with those men that Hick will need to instil a patient approach, given the lack of big scores and competition run tallies coming from Sheffield Shield batsmen over the past few seasons. Last summer, the only batsmen to score three Shield hundreds were the veterans Ricky Ponting and Chris Rogers, while the only others to make two tons were Test players Phillip Hughes and Brad Haddin, and the promising young duo of Joe Burns and Jordan Silk. Precisely what has been ailing Australia’s first-class batsmen has been a matter of debate for several years, but Hick believes the first thing to address is the desire to play long, dour innings instead of short, electrifying ones. “I don’t know if they’re not willing, but players don’t seem to be spending as much time at the crease in the four-day

games. We’re not seeing as many big scores as we used to. That’s something I need to have a look at and hopefully I can make a difference. “In England I think maybe the younger players come through in the first-class system and play more four-day cricket. They’ve got more fixtures. Here you get your 10 Shield games and that’s it, so that may have a little bit to do with it. I just think in general, everyone is wanting everything to happen a lot quicker.” If patience is the aim, Australia could hardly have chosen a more fitting mentor than Hick. Over a 25-year first-class career he scored 41,112 runs, placing him 15th on the all-time tally, and he is one of only eight men in history to score a quadruple-century

in first-class cricket, his unbeaten 405 for Worcestershire against Somerset in 1988. No living player has scored more first-class triple-centuries than the three made by Hick, and Mark Ramprakash is the only man alive to have made more first-class double-hundreds (17) than Hick’s 16. Long innings came naturally to Hick and although he fell short of becoming a great Test player, he was unquestionably one of first-class cricket’s finest batsmen of all time. The struggle for Australia’s batsmen to play for time has been evident not only in Shield cricket but in the Test team over the past few years. No Australian has scored a Test double-century away from home since Jason Gillespie’s 201 against

Bangladesh in 2006, and in this year’s Ashes, Chris Rogers was the only Australian in the top five batsmen of the series based on balls faced. “I think it’s maybe just educating them on the decisions they’re making during their innings,” Hick said. “You can certainly play both [short and long formats] quite comfortably, it’s just the decisions you choose to make during your innings. When you’re approaching 30s and 40s it’s about making sure you carry on. “That was highlighted in this Ashes series and maybe the difference in the result was that England had the bigger innings. I’m not saying those players can’t do it, they maybe just need to look at their decision-making when they’re out there.”

I think there is a little shift in the mindset more towards Twenty20 and the one-day game and the faster forms of the game. graeMe hick

Although Hick will not be directly working with the national team - coach Darren Lehmann and batting coach Michael di Venuto remain in charge there - he will be charged with implementing a national batting programme that will be discussed by former players and current coaches at a forum in Sydney next month. Hick’s primary task is to help the new batch of young Australian batsmen and in that regard, he is still preparing to play the long game. “That’s very exciting for me,” he said. “If I’m able to be sitting and watching a Test match in five or ten years and realise that I’ve had quite a big influence on some of the players walking out on the park, that will be great. If that is the case I’ll feel very proud of it, but at the end of the day you can only guide them and they have to do the hard work.” Although he is now officially in the Australian camp, Hick believes England’s batting depth will hold them in good stead for the upcoming Ashes in Australia, given their 3-0 victory in England in a series in which only a couple of their key men were at their best. “I’m a little bit surprised by one or two of the comments that have come out from the Australian team, because at the end of the day England scored more runs and won the series 3-0,” Hick said. “That was without all their batsmen firing. There might be a bit of banter going around preAshes, sowing a few seeds there. Cook, Pietersen and Trott didn’t really fire - KP scored the one hundred but he wasn’t at his best. That could be worrying for Australia.”

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You know they're not going to lose 162 consecutive games. –Harry Caray

SPORTS

Friday, 27 September, 2013

league cup 4th round ties announced LONDON

AVIER Hernandez’s second half strike at Old Trafford clinched a 10 third round win over Liverpool on Wednesday and just minutes after full-time David Moyes’ men learnt they will host the Canaries in the last 16 in the week commencing October 28. “You always want a home draw if you can get it,” manager David Moyes said. “Norwich are a good side, they

DaviD Moyes MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER

PTV SPORTS LIONS V MUM INDIANS

7:30 PM

Manu oust liverpool from league cup

DRAW FOR THE FOURTH ROUND OF THE ENGLISH LEAGUE CUP MADE ON WEDNESDAY

AGENCIES

Norwich are a good side, they have got a good manager (Chris Hughton) and we will give them every respect.

wAtCh it Live

Sunderland VS Southampton Leicester VS Fulham Birmingham VS Stoke ManU VS Norwich Burnley VS West Ham Arsenal VS Chelsea Tottenham VS Hull Newcastle VS Manchester City

ALL TIES TO BE PLAYED WEEK COMMENCING OCTOBER 28 have got a good manager (Chris Hughton) and we will give them every respect.” Arsenal’s young team held their nerve to beat West Bromwich Albion on penalties at the Hawthorns on Wednesday and that set up a mouth-watering London derby against Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea, who won 2-0 at

Swindon on Tuesday. Manchester City have been handed a trip to Newcastle, who beat Leeds 2-0 on Wednesday. Birmingham ousted holders Swansea 3-1 and have been handed another home match in the last 16, this time against Stoke, who won 2-0 at Tranmere on Wednesday. Tottenham take on

Hull at White Hart Lane, while managerless Sunderland, who sacked Paolo Di Canio this week, play host to Mauricio Pochettino’s Southampton. West Ham face Championship opposition in Burnley at Turf Moor, while Martin Jol’s Fulham are also on the road at second tier Leicester.

DefeNDiNg chaMpioNs BayeRN Reach cup last 16

aRseNal thRough to Next RouND afteR peNalty shootout

BERLIN: Holders Bayern Munich made light work of Hannover 96 with a 4-1 victory on Wednesday that put them into the last 16 of the German Cup. Thomas Mueller grabbed a brace while Claudio Pizarro and Franck Ribery also found the net in a comprehensive victory for last season’s treble winners. Didier Ya Konan struck for Hannover, who also lost 2-0 to Bayern in the league earlier in the season. In the night’s other clash of top flight teams Freiburg knocked out Stuttgart with a 2-1 victory. Schalke 04 had a comfortable night at third division Darmstadt, winning 3-1, but Hertha Berlin crashed 3-1 at second division Kaiserslautern. On Tuesday Borussia Dortmund required extra time to advance as they won 2-0 away to 10-man 1860 Munich. The Bundesliga leaders dominated their second-tier opponents were made to wait until the 105th minute before they broke the deadlock through a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang penalty after Dominik was sent off. AGENCIES

LONDON: Arsenal’s young guns held their nerve to win 4-3 on penalties after 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion. Denmark forward Nicklas Bendtner returned to the Arsenal team for the first time in more than two years as manager Arsene Wenger made nine changes, giving game-time to a host of youngsters. Wenger’s side took the lead when Bendtner’s defence-splitting pass gave Thomas Eisfeld a clean run on goal and the German youngster slotted home in the 61st minute. But Burundi-born England Under-21 striker Saido Berahino rose to head the equaliser from Steven Reid’s cross 10 minutes later. In the shoot-out, Arsenal’s German teenager Serge Gnabry saw his spot-kick saved by Luke Daniels, but Craig Dawson and Morgan Amalfitano both missed the target for Albion and Nacho Monreal drove in the winner. AGENCIES

LONDON: Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez ruined Luis Suarez’s long-awaited return from suspension as the Mexican clinched a 1-0 win against Liverpool in the League Cup third round on Wednesday. Suarez was making his first appearance of the season following the completion of his 10-match ban for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic in a Premier League clash last term. But the controversial Uruguayan’s presence in the Liverpool starting line-up wasn’t enough to galvanise his team to victory at Old Trafford as Hernandez bagged the winner for United less than two minutes into the second half. David Moyes’s team were on course to bounce back from Sunday’s painful 4-1 derby defeat at Manchester City, and also avenge a 1-0 loss against Liverpool in the league this season, when Wayne Rooney’s corner picked out the unmarked Hernandez to volley home in the 46th minute. Suarez, who had angered Liverpool with his failed attempt to engineer a move to Arsenal during his suspension, hit the bar with a freekick in the closing stages and also went close when his powerful strike rippled the side-netting, but United held on to move into the fourth round. “The movement is great for the goal, that’s what Chicharito (Hernandez) is all about. He finds space so well,” Moyes said. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers added: “I can have no complaints. One lapse of concentration has cost us. “I thought Luis Suarez was excellent. You could tell he’d been out for a long time as he tired at the end. But he’s obviously a threat.” AGENCIES

HISTORIC WIN FOR USA IN AMERICA’S CUP SAN FRANCISCO AGRNCIES

Oracle Team USA completed one of the greatest comebacks in sporting history on Wednesday to clinch the America's Cup with victory over Team New Zealand in a decisive duel for the 162-year-old trophy. The defending champions crossed the finish 44 seconds ahead of challenger New Zealand to claim the coveted prize 9-8, having fought back from 8-1 down in the series. "Man oh man, what a race," said USA skipper Jimmy Spithill. "Facing the barrel of the gun at 8-1 and what do these guys do? They didn't even flinch." Cheers erupted from flag-waving fans on the shore of San Francisco Bay and the US team exchanged hugs as the catamaran zipped past the pier next to the finish. Billionaire yachtsman Larry Ellison, owner of the US team, hopped on board from a chase boat and took part in popping the champagne. "The engineering team, the guys on the water finally broke the code and figured out what to do," Ellison said, giving much of the credit to Kiwi sailing legend and the team's chief executive Russell Coutts. "He talked about sailing lower and

faster instead of higher and slower. Russell Coutts has never lost an America's Cup, not a bad record. As long as Russell wants his job we are glad to have him." But the result was greeted with despair in New Zealand where a one-word tweet from Prime Minister John Key summed up the mood of a nation: "Bugger." The two rivals crossed the start of Race 19 almost even, and the Kiwis slipped around the first marker with a lead as the American's flubbed

the turn, dunking their bow. New Zealand defended a narrow lead around the next marker and into the critical upwind third leg. The Americans split the course and engaged in a tacking duel that ended with the defending champion seizing a lead that grew all the way to the finish. The dramatic win culminated an epic rally by the Americans, who battled back from seven points down while the Kiwis were poised on match point. "Hollywood

would have said this is not possible; it's an unbelievable script," regatta director Iain Murray said of the riveting drama played out on the Bay. The Kiwis struggled for seven days on match point, with victory staved off by Oracle and fickle winds that caused races to be postponed or abandoned. "It is obviously very hard to fathom," said New Zealand skipper Dean Barker. "We didn't get the last one we needed to take it back to New Zealand. It is hard to swallow." Adding to New Zealand's frustration, it had solid leads races that were abandoned, either because of too much wind or too little. "I don't know what went wrong," said New Zealand team chief executive Grant Dalton. "We weren't quick enough in the end. My job is to support the guys because they are just really smashed...well the country is really devastated." The regatta stretched to 19 days, the longest in the 162-year history of the America's Cup. Wednesday's finale capped an eventful competition which saw AC72 catamarans dueling with daring high-speed tacks in weeks of dramatic on-water theater. The move by Ellison to use high-tech catamarans with towering main sails was the subject of safety concerns before the regatta. "There was a lot of criticism about

these boats," Ellison said. "I felt I should keep my mouth shut and let the boats and the sailors demonstrate whether the vision was right or wrong. "It was the most beautiful regatta I've ever seen." Holding onto the Cup lets Ellison dictate where the next regatta will play out. He said they already had a challenger of record for the 35th America's Cup and would soon reveal who it is. "I'd love to come back to San Francisco; I have a house here," Ellison said. But, we are going to sit down and talk to the officials in San Francisco to see if it is possible to come back." The technology industry titan, whose personal fortune is estimated at some $40 billion (30.6 billion euros, 26.3 billion pounds) first took the Cup by beating Swiss catamaran Alinghi three years ago in Valencia, Spain. Ellison brought the regatta to San Francisco, setting it "in-shore" on the San Francisco Bay. Adding to his team's stunning comeback was the fact that they had to win 11 races while the Kiwis needed to rack up just nine to take the Cup. The Americans were docked two points after it was discovered that the team made illegal modifications to boats it sailed in the America's Cup World Series.

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BACK PAGE Being homosexual, 6 aircraft, 37 helicopters on indian progressive or perverted? pM’s $ 5 billion shopping list in Us Friday, 27 September, 2013

PTA BLOCKS COUNTRY’S FIRST HOMOSEXUAL WEBSITE

NEW DELHI ONLINE

ISLAMABAD AGENCIES

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) blocked access to the country’s first website designed to help homosexuals meet and support each other. The website, namely www.queerpk.com, Pakistan’s first online platform for homosexuals, bisexuals and transgender to network and share views opened in July–a move hailed as a step forward for the long-silent community. The website on Thursday said it had been shut down by PTA. “The government will ban anything that is progressive and talks about the rights of minorities,” the website said in an emailed statement. However, PTA declined to comment on the issue. The website is still available outside Pakistan and features the slogan ‘Don’t hate us, know us!’ Being homosexual is not only unIslamic but also illegal in Pakistan. The PTA frequently blocks pages it deems as pornographic or against blasphemous.

NDIA is set to buy American defence equipment worth 5 billion US dollars and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who left for the United States, is carrying a long shopping list, Indian media reported on Thursday. Among the hardware that India is looking to purchase are six additional C-130 J Hercules Medium Lift Aircraft, 22

Apache Attack Helicopters, 15 Chinook Heavy Lift Helicopters and about 140 M-777 ultra-light towed Howitzers. Contracts for all of these are expected to be signed before the current financial year is over. The US-made Apache Attack helicopters will replace India’s ageing fleet of Russian-made M35 helicopters and will cost India about $1.4 billion. Although the US lost the $15 billion tender for the supply of Medium Multi-Role Combat Air-

craft or MMRC to France in 2011, it has in the last decade sold weapons systems worth $8 billion to India and is poised to edge out Russia and Israel as New Delhi’s biggest defence equipment suppliers. The US has recently proposed co-producing aircraft like the C-130 J Hercules and the number of joint military exercises that India has carried out with the US in the last 10 years too now exceeds those with traditional defence partners like

Russia, UK and France. It was perhaps this apparent closeness that provoked Victor Komaradin, who headed a Russian delegation at Aero-India 2013, to observe that “although Russia has virtually created Indian Defence industries in the 1960’s and 70’s, little attention is being given to the Russian contribution in building India’s defence capabilities.” The big purchase order also underscores the fact that despite claiming to be a regional power,

India still imports about 70 per cent of all its weapons and equipment. According to a March 2013 report of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute - an independent research body that specialises in conflict and arms sales - New Delhi replaced Beijing as the world’s top arms importer accounting for 12 per cent of global arms transfers between 2008 and 2012. China accounted for about six per cent.

NEW YORK: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif meeting US Secretary of State John Kerry. INP

japan offers help for quake victims TOKYO: Japan has expressed deep grief over the earthquake in Awaran district, Balochistan which caused numerous casualties. A Foreign Ministry spokesman, in a statement extended heartfelt condolences to those affected by the earthquake. He said that Japan stands ready to offer necessary assistance to the afflicted people as quickly as possible if there was any request from the Pakistani government. INP

we are ready to oﬀer assistance if asked by pakistan: foreign ministry spokesman

is putin the richest man on earth? new sudan riots after 29 dead in 3 days RUSSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER SAYS PUTIN HAS ABOUT 20 HOMES, FOUR YACHTS AND 58 AIRCRAFT MONITORING DESK Move over Bill Gates there’s a new rich kid on the block. Vladimir Putin could be the world’s richest man if estimates of his wealth prove correct. The thing is, when you’re dealing with the ex-KGB president of a notoriously secretive nation with a seat on the UN Security Council and nuclear weapons at his disposal, it’s really hard to know. Theories about Putin’s wealth are wrapped up in leaked diplomatic cables and shell companies. Most reports around the issue site a 2007 interview that German newspaper Die Welt conducted with a member of the Moscow high soci-

ety, Stanislav Belkovsky. In the interview, Belkovsky claimed Putin controlled 37 per cent of oil company Surgutneftegaz and 4.5 percent of natural gas monopoly Gazprom, giving him a fortune of about US$40 billion — the market price of these stakes at the time, Bloomberg reports. Belkovsky has since said Putin’s stake could now be worth between $60-70 billion, putting him in contention with Bill Gates, the wealthiest man in the world with a

$72 billion fortune. However there is no evidence Putin actually does own a stake in the companies. The Russian leader denied it when asked in 2008, telling reporters it was just “chitchat, nonsense, nothing to discuss,” according to Bloomberg. “They picked it out of their noses and smeared it on their pieces of paper,” he said. However others just can’t get their head around the fact the Russian president has a collection of luxury watches, yachts and palatial homes, despite declaring an income of less than $200,000 a year and a few paltry properties as assets, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism reports. Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov has also written a book on the subject, saying Putin has about 20 homes, four yachts and 58 aircraft, meaning the money must be coming from somewhere. But seeing as he’s got the KGB and some of the world’s largest oil and gas reserves at it disposal, who’s really going to argue? We wouldn’t want to pick a fight.

KHARTOUM APP

New protests broke out in Sudan on Thursday as medical officials said 29 people were killed in three days of rioting sparked by a government decision to scrap fuel subsidies. As the protests escalated, the largest since President Omar al-Bashir seized power in 1989, the leader wanted for war crimes and genocide cancelled a planned trip to the UN General Assembly. The latest protests began in the Inqaz district south of Khartoum where some 3,000 people marched on the main road and hurled stones at passing cars, witnesses said. Police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets, the sources said, but no casualty figures were immediately available. Earlier on Thursday, a hospital source in Khartoum’s twin city of Omdurman said “we have received the bodies of 21 people” since the protests first broke out on Monday, adding that all were “civilians”. Another eight people were killed in other regions, witnesses and families said. The new protests in the capital came after anti-riot forces deployed from the early morning at major road intersections. There was rioting in several Khartoum districts on

Published by Arif Nizami at Plot No 79, Sector 24, Korangi Industrial Area Karachi.

Editor: Arif Nizami

Wednesday, some near the city centre, and public transport ground to a halt. The demonstrations continued late into Wednesday night and spread to new neighbourhoods. “Freedom, freedom!” and “The people want the fall of the regime!” shouted protesters, many of them students, borrowing the refrain of the Arab Spring protests which toppled several governments in 2011. “We came out, we came out against those who have stolen our sweat,” they chanted, according to a video uploaded on YouTube. Protesters tried to torch a tourism ministry building in southern Khartoum, witnesses said, adding that its exterior was scorched. The protests first erupted in Wad Madani in Gezira state south of Khartoum, the scene of the first death on Monday. They have also spread to Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state. Many students have been reported as taking part in the trouble, and the education authorities have announced the closure of schools until September 30. Internet access remained cut on Thursday, users said, but it was still not known if this was a technical failure or a deliberate move by the authorities. The American embassy urged its citizens to avoid flashpoint areas, saying it had received “regrettable” reports of casualties and warning of further protests.