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Saturday, 21 September, 2013 Zil Qa’ad 14, 1434 Rs 17.00 Vol IV No 82 16 Pages Lahore Edition

stories on page 02

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draft bill recommends swift proceedings in terrorism-related cases rangers given shoot-atsight orders in Karachi story on page 03

story on page 06

punjab govt forms body to review private schools’ syllabus

orders seizure and deletion of lgs-55 main’s comparative religion syllabus story on page 04

business rival slaughters christian, uses blasphemy as pretext A Christian man was killed by a Muslim fellow worker in Karachi’s Liaqatabad Jewellers Market on Sept 14 for allegedly blaspheming against the Holy Prophet (PBUH) but the deceased’s family and police say that the killing was the

story on page 06

result of a business rivalry, Pakistan Today learnt on Friday. George Masih told Pakistan Today on the telephone from Karachi that his father, 58-yearold Boota Masih, worked as a gold scavenger in the Liaqatabad Gold Market for 30 years, and that the killer, identified as Muhammad Asif, also gathered gold dust from jewellers’ rugs or work carpets at the market. “We were told that Asif kept shouting that my father was an infidel and had spoken derogatory words against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as he mercilessly stabbed him and then slit his throat with a dagger,” Masih said. pag e 03

captain irfan faiz admits:

story on page 04


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The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time. –Mark Twain

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Saturday, 21 September, 2013

Sibi blaSt injureS 7 Security perSonnel

pM, arMy Say no to ttp terMS for talkS

QUETTA: At least seven security personnel were injured on Friday when a blast occurred near their convoy which was passing through Sibi. According to police, a bomb, possibly an improvised explosive device (IED), went off near the security forces’ convoy, injuring seven, including a Sibi Security Scouts commandant. A security vehicle was also damaged in the explosion. Rescue teams took the injured to hospital as the police cordoned off the area. ONLINE

pti activiSt aSSaSSinated in peShawar PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activist was killed and four others injured on Friday in an attack on Jalozai refugee camp office on the outskirts of Peshawar. Mullah Khel, an active PTI member and tribal elder from Khyber Agency was present at the office in the office at Jalozai along with some other men from Bara when armed motorcyclists opened fire on them, killing Mullah Khel on the spot. The injured were taken to hospital and their condition is stable. Khel, who played an important role in the establishment of a peace lashkar against Taliban, is the first PTI member to become a victim of terrorism since the PTI government came to power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). STAFF REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif holds a meeting with Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Kayani and ISI chief Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar and Sartaj Aziz are also present in the meeting. INP

ISLAMABAD ONLINE

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he top civil and military leaderships on Friday resolved not to submit to pre-conditions set by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for peace talks. The resolve was expressed in a meeting between Prime Min-

ister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani. Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam was also present in the meeting. According to reports, the PM held consultation with the army leadership over Taliban’s terms and conditions. The PM and military top brass also reviewed progress regarding decisions taken

in all parties conference held earlier this months in the which politicians urged the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-led government to initiate dialogue with the Taliban in a bid to restore peace across the country, especially the Tribal Areas. The Taliban have demanded the government announce ceasefire before starting the dialogue process and release their colleagues

ARMY, GOVT AT LOGGERHEADS OVER TALIBAN TALKS ISLAMABAD AGENCIES Disagreement over how to handle an escalating insurgency has put the country’s all-powerful army on a collision course with the government, with the military increasingly vocal in its criticism of civilian leaders, officials and diplomats said. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who came into power in May has promised to tame militancy through negotiations, but four months on, talks have yet to start and attacks continue daily. The army has avoided open confrontation with Nawaz and his government but tension is on the rise. “The army chief … is thinking: ‘Mian Sahib (Nawaz Sharif), enough is enough’,” a senior army officer serving in the strife-plagued tribal areas along the Afghan border said during a visit to

Islamabad. The military-civilian discord has been the source of tension throughout Pakistani history but Nawaz’s election has raised hopes the government would get a larger say following Pakistan’s first transition between civilian administrations. Nawaz promised to hold talk with the militants during the election campaign, a welcome vow for many Pakistanis who, while abhorring the bombers, have never been convinced of the necessity of joining the US-led campaign against militancy. The army, which keeps thousands of troops in the tribal belt, opposes talks with the Pakistani Taliban, saying previous attempts to bring the militants to the negotiating table yielded no results. Frustration spilled into the open on Sunday when a roadside bomb killed a

general and another officer near the Afghan border, just days after government officials promised to launch peace negotiations with the Pakistani Taliban soon. “This incident has dealt a serious blow (to the peace process),” Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan told parliament this week. “We have come to a standstill.” The tension comes at a crucial time when speculation is mounting over who will replace the army chief, General Ashfaq Kayani, who is due to retire in November. The army put out a toughly worded statement this week. “While reaffirming the army’s support for the political process, (Kayani) also said, unequivocally, that terrorists will not be allowed to take advantage of it,” it said. “The army has the ability and the will to take the fight to the terrorists.” The United States, Pakistan’s biggest

donor, is pushing Islamabad to step up its campaign against groups such as the Haqqani network which regularly attacks US forces in Afghanistan from hideouts in Pakistani mountains. “The absence of a strong government narrative on how to counter terrorism is quite disturbing for everyone, including the army chief,” said a senior Western diplomat in Islamabad. The Pakistani Taliban are a fragmented alliance of factions with no coherent voice. Some within the

detained by Pakistani authorities. According to sources, all the participants agreed unanimously that dialogue process was imperative for peace and peace should be given a chance through the political process, but at the same time vowed not to cave in to the TTP’s demands. During the meeting, PM also offered condolence over the demise of top army officers in Upper Dir incident.

group have announced preconditions, while others have denied this. The government would not say who would talk to whom, where and when. “Until they (government) say out loud who the enemy is, there can be no policy and there can be no results,” said the senior military officer. The army says it would not agree to any preconditions, particularly the withdrawal of troops from tribal areas. “They are saying: ‘Get out of here and let us be kings’,” another army source also serving in the tribal belt said of the Pakistani Taliban. “That’s not an option.” ISPR REJECTS REPORT: A spokesman of ISPR categorically rejected the report, saying it was regrettable that the report has quoted an anonymous military source to attribute remarks to the army chief. The story is baseless and has a mala fide intent, the spokesman added.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who came to power in May has promised to tame militancy through negotiations, but four months on, talks have yet to start and attacks continue daily.


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And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. –Paulo Coelho

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Saturday, 21 September, 2013

More powerS to criMe buSterS DRAFT BILL RECOMMENDS SWIFT PROCEEDINGS IN TERRORISM-RELATED CASES ISLAMABAD MIAN AbRAR

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N a bid to further equip and empower law enforcers to fight the menace of terrorism, the federal cabinet on Friday approved a draft of amendments to the anti-terrorism laws, recommending swift proceeding in cases related to terrorism, prosecution powers to the security forces and also provision of security to witnesses in such cases. The approved bill would be laid in parliament for enactment as law and the government aims at doing so during the

Zafar baloch'S father accuSeS MQM'S nabil Gabol of Son'S Murder

TERROR SUSPECTS TO BE HELD IN CUSTODY FOR 90 DAYS BEFORE BEING PRESENTED IN COURT

current session of both houses of parliament, a source in the government told Pakistan Today. The move is aimed at curbing the menace of terrorism and giving special powers to security forces, including the Rangers, which are involved in a targeted operation in the economic hub of Karachi. The bill also provides ensuring protection of witnesses in terrorism cases. De-facto law minister, Zahid hamid, presented the bill during the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The bill, which calls for terrorists to be held accountable at

ORDERS CAMPAIGN TO PURGE KARACHI OF ILLEGAL ARMS KARACHI The Supreme Court on Friday ordered Karachi police to immediately arrest over 33,000 criminals absconding in the city and to start a campaign for recovery of illegal arms. After two days of hearing the Karachi law and order implementation

The father of slain political activist and Peoples Amn Committee leader Zafar Baloch has demanded that the murder case of his slain son should be registered against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Nabil Gabol, a private TV channel reported. In his statement to the police, Baloch’s father Mohammad Ali said that the MQM leader had been sending threats for some time now. he claimed it was on orders from Gabol that four armed men gunned his son down earlier this week. Senior Superintendent Police stated that the case had been registered against Nabil Gabol and four unknown armed men on motorcycles, as per Mohammad Ali’s wish.

all costs, was approved by the cabinet members. The bill includes amendment(s) to help swift proceedings in terrorism cases. It allows for suspects in such cases to be held in custody for 90 days before being presented in court. Under the proposed draft, formation of special courts for swift proceedings and early disposal of terrorism cases within 30 days has been recommended. "The amendments will help security forces by providing them special prosecution powers in cases related to terrorism. Under the draft bill, eye-witnesses

and prosecutors would also be provided security while intelligence and security agencies can be requested to provide support during the interrogation of terrorism suspects," the source added. The federal cabinet also decided to constitute a special committee to review the proposed bill for local bodies system in the federal capital. In his remarks, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed satisfaction over the targeted action by Rangers in Karachi, saying that it had given some satisfaction to the common man. he also asked the law minister to ex-

Releasing an accused involved in serious crimes on parole is equivalent to giving him a license to commit more crimes. The crime rate in Karachi is 66% compared to crime rate in other cities, which is 34% Justice Jawwad s KhwaJa

SEEKS REPORT ON ARRESTS MADE SO FAR IN THE ONGOING TARGETED OPERATION

LAHORE ASHER JOHN

A Christian man was killed by a Muslim fellow worker in Karachi’s Liaqatabad Jewellers Market on Sept 14 for allegedly blaspheming against the holy Prophet (PBUh) but the deceased’s family and police say that the killing was the result of a business rivalry, Pakistan

tend all possible cooperation to Sindh government to improve law and order in the country’s business hub. The cabinet also approved a recommendation seeking extraordinary powers to the Sindh Rangers to control the law and order in Karachi. During the meeting, it was recommended that Rangers be given shoot-atsight authority against criminals. This includes extortionists, target killers and kidnappers. The extraordinary powers were granted to the Rangers for their own self defence and protection of residents of Karachi.

case, the five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justices Jawwad S Khawaja, Khilji Arif hussain, Amir hani Muslim and Azmat Saeed ordered immediate arrest of criminals wanted in various crimes, including terrorism. In its interim order, the bench also ordered authorities to start a campaign for recovery of illegal arms in the city. The court also ordered police to present details about arrests made so far in the on-going targeted operations in Karachi. Moreover, the court also sought details about slain police officers who were involved in the 1992 and 1996 Karachi operations. The court orders came after Prosecutor General Shahadat Awan informed the court that over 33,000 absconders had been at large in Karachi, and nearly 1,500 of them were wanted in terrorism cases. During the proceedings, the chief justice remarked that crime rate could have come down had the police shown a little sincerity. “All this would not have taken place had the government purged police of politics,” he observed. On Thursday, the Sindh chief secretary, advocate general, IGP, Rangers chief and other officials submitted their reports to the apex court. During proceedings, prosecutor general Sindh presented a report on Karachi situation. According to the statistics presented in the report, there were over 110,000 absconders in Sindh of which 33,665 were in Karachi. Moreover, there

KARACHI: Supporters of the Muhajir Qaumi Movement shout slogans against ‘no-go areas’ in the city during a protest rally from the Karachi Press Club to the Supreme Court Registry on Friday. ONLINE

were pending cases of 1,486 absconders in the anti-terrorism court. Justice Khilji remarked how citizens could remain safe in a city when there were 33,000 absconders on the loose. On the occasion, the CJ inquired about the absconders who took advantage of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). The Sindh prosecutor general told the bench that there were a total 12,734 accused who availed the NRO. The CJP then asked about the accused who were freed during 2008-2013 as their cases were disposed of as A-class. To this, the prosecutor general said there were a total 17,961 cases that were disposed of as A-class. CJP Iftikhar then remarked that in the presence of so many absconders in his area, no ShO could remain eligible. Justice Jawwad said releasing the accused involved in serious crimes on parole was equivalent to giving them the license to

business rival slaughters christian, uses blasphemy as pretext BOOTA MASIH WAS A GOLD SCAVENGER WHO WORKED AT KARACHI’S LIAQATABAD GOLD MARKET

RANGERS GIVEN SHOOT-ATSIGHT ORDERS IN KARACHI

SC orderS arreSt of 33,000 abSCoNdiNg CriMiNalS STAFF REPORT

MONITORING DESK

PROSECUTION POWERS TO SECURITY AGENCIES, PROVISION OF SECURITY TO WITNESSES PROPOSED

MURDERER ALLEGEDLY WALKED AWAY FROM CRIME SCENE IN PRESENCE OF A CROWD, WAVING HIS DAGGER Today learnt on Friday. George Masih told Pakistan Today on the telephone from Karachi that his father, 58year-old Boota Masih, worked as a gold scavenger in the Liaqatabad Gold Market for 30 years, and that the killer, identified as Muhammad Asif, also gathered gold dust from jewellers’ rugs or work carpets at the market. “We were told that Asif kept shouting that my fa-

ther was an infidel and had spoken derogatory words against Prophet Muhammad (PBUh) as he mercilessly stabbed him and then slit his throat with a dagger,” Masih said. “A large number of people, including four policemen and private security guards of the market, witnessed the entire scene, but no one tried to stop the killer, who walked away waving the dagger in his hand,” claimed Masih. Masih said the family had registered case No. 226/13 with the Liaqatabad Police Station, but that police were making little effort to arrest the murderer. “We asked everyone in the market if my father had said or done anything to deserve such a brutal death, but not one person complained against him,” he said. “They all said that he was a humble man and

had never committed blasphemy as alleged by the killer. But if my father was innocent, why did the people just stand there and watch him being killed in this manner?” he added that when police came to the murder scene, no one came forward to record a statement. “even if my father had said something to offend the killer, is this how he should have been punished?” he said. “The entire market testifies to his humility, but not one of them has come on the record to bear witness to the crime.” Masih said that the police attitude had not changed, as officers had yet to make an arrest. “After my father’s killing in the presence of so many people, it is quite clear that any Muslim can get away with murder just by claiming that they had killed a blasphemer,” he

commit more crimes. he said that crime rate in Karachi was 66% as compared to the crime rate in other cities, which was 34%. The apex court also sealed Rangers’ report pertaining to extortionists and target killers in Karachi. The CJP appreciated the performance of the law enforcement agencies during the last 15 days, and instructed them to continue with the operations. he said he had read the report regarding the murder of Wali Khan Babar and it seemed as if the entire team was involved. The CJP further said that cases should be heard on a daily basis and disposed of as soon as possible. The SC also directed that a campaign be initiated in a day or two to recover illegal arms in the port city. The court said legislation should be done to issue licenses and said that a session judge could be appointed in the absence of district magistrate.

said. Liaqatabad Jewellers Association General Secretary Muhammad Faraz indicated Boota Masih was likely killed out of jealousy. “I was not present at the crime scene, but all of us are sure that Masih was not a blasphemer,” Faraz said. “Asif was apparently jealous of Masih because most jewellers only allowed the Christian to scavenge gold particles from their shops. he was a humble man and liked by everyone, which probably provoked Asif to kill him. We condemn the killing of an innocent man in the name of our holy Prophet (PBUh).” Sub-Inspector hamid Ali Gondal, who is investigating the case, told Pakistan Today that investigations showed that Asif had used the blasphemy accusation against the Christian as a pretext to kill Masih. “Asif is absconding since the murder – we have made several raids and also taken some of his relatives into custody to pressure him into surrendering,” he said. “Only when we arrest Asif will the real reason behind Masih’s murder be revealed,” he added. “Only when they arrest Asif will we come to know why he killed my father,” George said. “My younger brother and I have stopped going to work, fearing someone will kill us just like they killed my father.”


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I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone. –Bill Cosby

NewS Saturday, 21 September, 2013

ppp names justice (r) ajmal for nab chief NAWAZ, SHAH LIKELY TO REACH CONSENSUS ON NAB CHIEF TODAY

PTI CRIES FOUL FOR BEING IGNORED BY SHAH IN NOMINATION ISLAMABAD

SM ZAFAR SAYS AJMAL'S APPOINTMENT DOES NOT VIOLATE JUDICIAL POLICY

consulted her party for the nomination of Justice (r) Ajmal, alleging that the decision was arranged between Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif and Shah. Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) spokesman Wasay Jalil also complained that Shah had not consulted his party while making the nomination. The PTI has long claimed that the PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have struck a secret deal and that the PTI

MIAN AbRAR

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ATIONAL Assembly (NA) Opposition Leader Syed Khurshid Shah on Friday nominated Justice (r) Mian Muhammad Ajmal for the slot of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary Information Dr Shireen Mazari said Shah had not

leaders have been ignored by the opposition leader while making major decisions. The post of NAB chairman has been vacant since May 28 after a Supreme Court (SC) bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, dismissed former NAB chairman Fasih Bokhari. Justice (r) Ajmal’s nomination was made during a meeting between the PM and Shah at the PM Office. Following the meeting,

Shah said that the prime minister did not propose any name for the NAB chairman. he said that the prime minister and opposition leader would meet again on Saturday and it is expected that a consensus will be made on the appointment of NAB chairman. A source told Pakistan Today that the prime minister has sought comments from the Law Ministry over appointment of the nominee. According to the source, “The prime minister wants to resolve the matter quickly due to the SC's orders and this is why he did not make any nomination in this regard. he is likely to accept the proposal made by Shah if there is no legal hitch.” Justice (r) Ajmal is a Pe-

shawar high Court (PhC) former chief justice and a former judge of the SC. he was nominated by the Awami National Party (ANP) leadership for the post of chief election commissioner in 2012 and is considered close to ANP Chairman Asfandyar Wali Khan. however, his name was rejected by the then PM Yousaf Raza Gilani. NOMINATION VIOLATION OF NJP: Apparently, the nomination of Justice Ajmal is in violation of the National Judicial Policy 2009 which, in order to ensure and maintain independence of the judiciary, clearly indicates that superior court judges shall not accept appointments which are lower to their status and dignity. Clause 2 of the

lhc cJ asks punjab govt to give final date for lg elections

CoNSeNSuS over New Nab Chief likely LAHORE NAdEEM SyEd

With the name of Mian Muhammad Ajmal, a former judge of the SC from Peshawar, under serious consideration, it seems both the government and opposition are inching towards evolving consensus over the appointment of NAB chairman. Both Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Opposition Leader Khursheed Shah resumed their consultation over the search for ever elusive

ppp to Make bilawal’S birthday a biG Show

NAB chairman on Friday at Prime Minister Secretariat. Talking to reporters, Shah said he proposed the name of Justice (r) Mian Muhammad Ajmal for the slot. Interestingly, no name was proposed by the prime minister on this occasion. Sources in the PPP said the name of Mian Ajmal was under consideration right now, though no decision had yet been taken. It is learnt that the two sides would meet again to finalise the name. Nawaz Sharif is expected to

Comparative Religion studies banned in Punjab PUNJAB GOVT FORMS BODY TO REVIEW PRIVATE SCHOOLS' SYLLABUS

ORDERS SEIZURE AND DELETION OF LGS-55 MAIN’S COMPARATIVE RELIGION SYLLABUS

LAHORE ASHER JOHN

LAHORE NAdEEM SyEd

The PPP is all set to make 25th birthday of party’s patron-in-chief Bilawal Bhutto a big show today (Saturday). Party sources disclosed that Bilawal was likely to address party leaders and workers all over the country from Dubai through a video linkage to mark his 25th birthday which is also a suitable occasion for his launching in politics. In case all things go as per plan, then Bilawal will make some policy announcements in his address keeping his eye both on the national issues as well as party’s affairs. here in Lahore the PPP leadership from Punjab is looking forward to hear what message their patron-in-chief delivers on this occasion. It is learnt that PPP leaders are planning a gathering at the residence of party’s General Secretary Latif Khosa. Those invited on this occasion are Manzoor Wattoo, Qamer Zaman Kaira, Samina Ghurki, Nilam hussain and other PPP leaders from local and provincial chapters.

consult party leaders on the proposed names. It is also possible that the PML-N would like to consult with some other leaders before finalising a name. Mian Ajmal is a former chief justice of Peshawar high Court. he also remained a judge of the Supreme Court. PPP leaders said he must not be confused with Ajmal Mian, who was part of apex court presided over by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and who was part of efforts to remove Shah after his clash with then prime Minister

Taking notice of an electronic and social media campaign against one of the most prominent private schools in Lahore for introducing ‘Comparative Religion’ as a subject in its syllabus, the Punjab government on Friday ordered authorities to seize and eliminate all reading material related to the course. The provincial government also constituted a committee to review ‘objectionable material’ in the syllabi of all private educational institutions across the province. The committee is headed by Secre-

tary education (Schools) Abdul Jabbar Shaheen and comprises Punjab Textbook Board Chairman Nawazish Ali and Punjab Curriculum Authority Chairman Saleem Akhtar Kiani. Addressing a press conference, Punjab education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan said the committee would propose necessary modification in the current syllabus being taught in different institutions at school level. “No one would be allowed to change the basic ideology of the education system of Pakistan and stern action would be initiated against the people behind such a conspiracy,” said the minister. BACKGROUND: The controversy

Independence of Judiciary chapter of the policy states: “No retired judge of the superior court shall accept an appointment which is lower to his status and dignity...” however, noted legal wizard SM Zafar said, “In its judgement in Asfandyar Wali case, the court had termed the office of NAB chief as important, stating that this agency had quasi judicial powers. In my opinion, the nomination of Justice Ajmal is not a violation of the judicial policy.” he agreed that the actions of the NAB chairman may be questioned by the SC but added that the court may also question any decision made by PM and federal cabinet and may summon them to court.

Nawaz Sharif. earlier, the name of Justice (r) Javed Iqbal was making rounds in the political and legal circles. Sources disclosed that Justice Javed Iqbal probably was not suitable for both the PPP and PML-N and was not under consideration right now. The office of the NAB chairman fell vacant after the exit of Admiral (r) Fasih Bokhari on orders of the apex court. The SC has asked the government and opposition to fill the post or face consequences.

started when a branch of the prestigious Lahore Grammar School (LGS-55 Main), introduced a subject titled ‘Comparative Religion’, which aims to “educate about Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and hinduism”. The course received considerable backlash, gaining mainstream attention following an episode of in a local TV channel’s talk show on September 16. The school was accused of attempting to convert students to other religions, as well as ridding Islamiat from the curriculum following the sixth grade. Clarifying the school’s stance on the subject following the backlash, Mrs Nasreen Shah, the principal of LGS-55 Main, posted a message on the official Facebook page of the school: “Our institution believes in inculcating values such as tolerance and empathy in all our students. ‘Comparative religion’ is essentially a ‘history of religion’. It is NOT merely comparing religions; we aim to educate about Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and hinduism – and their fundamental teachings. Doing so, we believe, will enlighten our students about the importance of ‘peaceful coexistence.”

LAHORE STAFF REPORT

The Lahore high Court chief justice has asked the Punjab government to give the final date for holding local government elections by September 25. During the hearing of a petition against the holding of local government elections on non-party basis on Friday, LhC Chief Justice Umer Atta Bandial asked Punjab Acting Advocate General Mustafa Ramday as to why Punjab was holding local government elections on a non-party basis whereas the other three

provinces were doing so on the party basis. Petitions against non party elections were filed by PTI’s Sobia Kamal and the Majlis-e-Wahadat-e-Muslameen. Ramday submitted before the court that as the chief minister was out of the country, he could not get directions. he requested for the deferment of the case until next month. The LhC chief justice made it clear that no delay in the local government elections would be tolerated and directed him to get the final date from the Punjab government by September 25.

Youths kill brutal fathers in Karachi, Bahawalpur KARACHI/BAHAWALPUR: A young girl killed her father in Bahawalpur and surrendered herself to the police on Thursday. According to the police, the girl’s father, Ayub, was a criminal and a cruel person. The girl killed him to save her honor. Ayub had married thrice and he had previously been sentenced to life imprisonment for the triple murder of his first wife and her parents in Tehsil Ahmadpur Sharqia of Bahawalpur. He had managed to evade the imprisonment after a few years in custody.

He used to torture his wives and children. On the day of the incident, he tried to dishonor his daughters but one of his daughters shot him and then appeared in the local police station with the murder weapon, the police said. In another incident, a youth killed his father on Thursday in North Nazimabad Town Karachi. Per details, 22-year old Saeedul Islam hit his father on the head with an iron tool to stop him from torturing Saeed’s mother, which resulted in the man’s death. INP

irfan faiz admits: ‘i was drunk’ PIA PILOT WAS DRUNK FOUR TIMES OVER ALCOHOL LIMIT LONDON AGENCIES

Irfan Faiz Chishti, 54, had been due to captain a flight to Islamabad on Wednesday night and was carrying out pre-flight checks when staff at the airport noticed he was “unsteady on his feet and smelt of intoxicants”. The plane had 180 passengers on board. The Pakistan International Airlines pilot, who was chewing gum and had consumed mints to hide the odour, admitted one charge of carrying out "an activity ancillary to an aviation function while impaired by drink".

LAWYER SAYS IRFAN FAIZ REGISTERED 41MG OF ALCOHOL PER 100ML WHEN BREATHALYSED – WELL OVER THE LEGAL LIMIT FOR FLYING OF 9MG Martin Townend, prosecuting, told Leeds Magistrates' Court, “he did gain access to the cockpit of the aircraft when he was stopped by managers, who contacted police, who arrested him.” "There was a potential for the plane to have been piloted by a drunk pilot. That would have been dangerous for the passengers, and people living in the UK, as that plane could have potentially crashed." Yousuf Khan, representing Faiz, told the court that Faiz registered 41mg of alcohol per 100ml when breathalysed – well over the

legal limit for flying of 9mg – but said his client had an unblemished record as a pilot. Faiz, who has been flying for 25 years, faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison. he was remanded in custody and will be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on October 18. Magistrates told Faiz he had “breached the trust of the public”, adding that “the consequences could have been serious loss of life". A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority told the BBC, "A pilot attempting to fly while under

the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs is a major threat to flight safety.” "At UK airports the police

have legal powers to test pilots for drink and drugs. Such incidents, however, are very rare."


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You cannot have development in today’s world without partnering with the private sector. — Hillary Clinton LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Dengue has left no stone unturned in playing with the health of the citizens. At least 15 more patients of dengue fever surfaced across Punjab during the last 24 hours as the disease has been increasing with the passage of the time in the province. According to Punjab health department, 28-year-old Tauquir, Naveed, 27, Shagufta, 50 and Fiaz, 35 have been admitted to Mayo hopital, while four others are being treated in private hospitals. Another patient named Tayyab, 11, is being treated at Services hospital. Besides, two patients hailing

lahore Sturday, 21 September, 2013

WeAther UpdAteS

300C high

220C

more suffer of from dengue

punJab govt asKed to submit report over anti-dengue medicine fraud

from Multan, two from Sheikhupura, one from Rawalpindi and another from

Bahawalpur have been tested positive with dengue virus. LHC SEEKS PUNJAB GOVERNMENT’S REPLY: The Lahore high Court on Friday sought reply from Punjab Government and health Department on a civil miscellaneous application demanding enquiry against officials allegedly involved in embezzlement of millions of rupees. Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial passed the orders on the application filed in a petition pending since 2011 regarding government failure in controlling dengue outbreak. The petitioner’s counsel on Friday alleged that millions of rupees had been embezzled in purchase of anti-dengue medicines from January 2012 to

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three SuSpected terroriStS arreSted LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Police officials and law enforcement agencies on Friday arrested three suspected terrorists from Shahdara. According to sources, the law enforcement institutions conducted a joint operation and nabbed three alleged terrorists from the office of a property dealer, Anwar Ali. They also recovered arms from their possession. The suspects were shifted to an undisclosed location for further investigation. ROBBERS SNATCH CAR, ABDUCT DRIVER: Four robbers snatched a car from hamdard Chowk, Quaid-e-Azam Industrial estate in Kot Lakhpat on Friday. The driver Danish Mahmood, an army officer, was passing from hamdard Chowk in his car, a Toyota Corolla holding registration number GY 844, when four robbers stopped him and abducted him along with the car. The robbers later threw him on Jaranwala Road in an unconscious state and escaped with the car. Robbers also snatched Rs 22,000 in cash and cellular phone from the victim. The police have registered an FIR against unidentified men.

aneela SalMan iS the new pef Md LAHORE APP

Aneela Salman has assumed charge as Punjab education Foundation (PeF) managing director. She is a senior member of Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) with 13 years of work experience on different posts. According to a press release, she recently completed her PhD from Rockefeller College, University of Albany under Fulbright Scholarship. earlier, she won Chevening Scholarship in 2005 and was also awarded Netherlands Fellowship Programme Scholarship (2005) for a course on Public Private Partnership at UNeSCO-Ihe Institute of Water education, Delft, Netherlands. On Friday she met with the department heads and chaired different meetings.

stir fry some culture in the true lahori spirit, garnish it with a pinch of faith and you have a devotee who will travel miles for the fulfillment of his wishes. casting away of a boat appears to be a surety enough for the devotees of ghos pak who come every year at the river ravi for ‘fulfillment of their wishes’. the event, dedicated to sheikh abdul Qadir Jilani, is held on the banks of the river ravi every year. scores of people gathered up last thursday at the ravi with self made boats to commemorate the miracles of ghos pak. “ghos pak will fulfill all our wishes and take us out of our miseries,” said an elderly woman zeba who had come at the ravi to pray. “i came here last year and prayed for a son. my wish has been fulfilled! i have come this year to cast away a boat in the name of the saint to express my gratitude,” said ali, talking to Pakistan Todaywhile holding a delicately decorated boat at the river. PHOTOS by MuRTAzA ALI

September 2013. he submitted that news clippings had been attached with the application to apprise the court over the issue. he added at least 71 dengue cases were reported on September 4 which were increasing every day. he also alleged that the department officials and some government high ups were also involved in purchase of substandard antidengue medicines. however, enquiry against the officials have been conducted, the lawyer added. The petitioner prayed to the court to issue directions to the respondents to hold a transparent enquiry against officials involved in money embezzlement. however, after hearing the initial arguments the chief justice issued notice to the respondents to file their reply till October 23.


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lahore Sturday, 21 September, 2013

Men are only as good as their technical development allows them to be. — George Orwell

lhc turns down progressive group’s petition PIAF-FOUNDERS ALLIANCE APPLAUDS DECISION AND TERMS IT A VICTORY OF RULE OF LAW LCCI ELECTIONS FROM SEPTEMBER 23 LAHORE

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STAFF REPORT

he Lahore high Court (LhC) on Friday turned down the petition filed by Progressive Group against placement of names in candidate list and directed to contest the upcoming LCCI elections according list. The candidates list has been already published and displayed on the website by Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI). As per details, the Progressive Group moved a petition in the LhC seeking placement of the names of candidates at their place of choice. The judge

ASWJ protest for release of its leaders

government should identify the real terrorists rather than detaining noble religious leaders Maulana Shams-ur-Rehman

heard both the parties and disposed off the petition. The PIAF-Founders Alliance lauded the court’s decision and termed it a victory of democratic forces and rule of law. Meanwhile, PIAF-Founders Alliance has pledged to serve the business community to the best of its abilities for the sake of early economic revival of the country. Alliance leaders including Mian Anjum Nisar, Mian Muhammad Ashraf, Iftikhar Ali Malik and Muhammad Ali Mian, while addressing a luncheon reception hosted by Clearing Agents Association at Lahore Dry Port on Friday said that all trade and industrial associations are standing firm behind the PIAF-Founders Alliance for its services for the business community in the past years. They said that after winning the LCCI elections, the Alliance would ensure participation of the business community in the policy making process at government level and

consult all stakeholders to achieve desired results. The leaders thanked the members of Clearing Agents Association for their support to the PIAF-founders candidates in the upcoming LCCI elections scheduled to be held on September 23 and 24. Iftikhar Ali Malik and Muhammad Ali Mian said that the business community should unite to resolve everyday challenges being faced by the country. They said that not only the industrial estates were supporting the Alliance but businessmen from

LAHORE: Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) held a protest rally outside the Lahore Press Club on Friday demanding release of its leaders detained under terrorism charges. earlier, Majlis wahdat-ul-Muslimin (MWM) also held a rally demanding release of its leaders allegedly involved in terrorist activities. The ASWJ workers condemned the arrest of ASWJ General Secretary Dr Khadim hussain Dhilon. The rally was held after Friday prayers and was attended by a large number of ASWJ workers. The representatives of the party said that that the government should not test their

different leading market sectors have extended full support to the Alliance candidates. Furthermore, they said that a roadmap would be provided to business

delegations and exporters would be given their due share in it. Traders of Paper Market, Urdu Bazar, Anarkali, Ferozepur Road, Azam Cloth Market, Akbari Mandi, Steel Sheet Market, Landa Bazar, Lahore Cantt, DhA, Chamberlian Road, Camera Market, hide Market, Brandreth Road, Bilal Ganj, Model Town, Garden Town and Mall Road have announced their full support for the PIAF-Founders Alliance candidates. JUDGES TAKE OATH: Six new judges of the Lahore high Court (LhC) took oath of their office on Friday. LhC Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial administered oath to the judges in a ceremony held at the LhC judges’ lounge. The ceremony was attended by LhC judges, law officers, LhC staff, families of the judges and senior lawyers. Those who took oath include Justice Abdul Sami Khan, Justice Ibad-ur-Rehman Lodhi, Justice Shujaat Ali Khan, Justice Ayesha A Malik, Justice Shahid Waheed and Justice Ali Baqar Najfi. The strength of LhC judges now stand at 33 with the inclusion of the newly confirmed judges.

patience and that they have nothing to do with terrorism activities in the country. The ASWJ leaders including Maulana Shams-urRehman Moawia, Muhammad Jamil Moawia, Maulana hussain Ahmed and Maulana Usman Qasmi and others joined the protest. Maulana Shams addressing the rally said that the arrest of ASWJ workers without any reason is irritating the workers and government should identify the real terrorists rather than detaining noble religious leaders. The ASWJ leaders further stated that a bigger protest will be held if their demands were not fulfilled. STAFF REPORT

lawyerS beat kidnapper LAHORE INP

Lawyers on Friday tortured a man accused of kidnapping in court premises after an exchange of hot words. According to details, a resident of Girjaghar from Gujranwala suburbs registered a case regarding kidnapping of his daughter against Ramail. The court extended the pre-arrest bail of the accused to Friday. Ramail exchanged hot words with the petitioner’s lawyer after leaving the courtroom. The lawyer started beating him and was joined in by other lawyers but was rescued with the intervention of the police. The incident drew criticism from the public for taking the law into their hands and beating the accused despite the court’s decision of extending his bail. They also urged the authorities to take notice of the incident and take action against those responsible.


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If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain. –Maya Angelou

india cloSe to clinchinG civilian nuclear deal with uS: Menon NEW DELHI INP

India is "close to" clinching the commercial aspect of its civil nuclear deal with the US and is addressing the concerns of US suppliers over its nuclear liability law, National Security Adviser (NSA) Shivshankar Menon said on Friday. Menon, asked if India was close to clinching the commercial negotiations between the Nuclear Power Corporation (NPCIL) and Westinghouse for setting up nuclear power reactors in India, said: "We are close, yes." But he did not specify if the negotiations that have been going on for long would be concluded ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to the US next week. To a question on nuclear liability law that puts the onus on suppliers in the case of an accident, Menon said in the matter of the civil liability law, it was not just the US but also domestic suppliers who had been asking questions on how the law would affect them. "And they need to know, in order to do business. We are in the process of addressing those concerns," Menon said, during a talk on "India and the US" organised by the Aspen Institute India at the WWF auditorium.

pakiStan, india urGed to reSuMe dialoGue proceSS ISLAMABAD AGENCIES

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ARLIAMeNTARIANS of Pakistan and India have called upon the two governments to resume dialogue process for sustainable peace in the region. The call was made in a joint communiqué, issued at the end of their two-day talks in Islamabad on Friday. The lawmakers of the two countries agreed to continue parliamentary level contacts. The two sides expressed satisfaction over progress on different issues including visa and trade. Chairman Senate Defence Committee Senator Mushahid hussain, at the start of the talks earlier on Thursday, called for cooperation between India and Pakistan to “create new regionalism.” Addressing Pakistan India Parliamentarians' Dialogue, a fifth in the series of dialogue initiated by PILDAT in 2011, he said: “Today, a greater South Asia is emerging as a

new geo-economic entity which is not limited to SAARC countries but includes China, Myanmar, Iran and Afghanistan.” “This New Regionalism should be knit together by cooperation in economy and energy, railway, roads and pipelines.” The chairman, Defence Committee pointed out that the most important regional challenge is the upcoming US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014 and which would have spill over impact on the region. he stated that it is crucial that India and Pakistan work together to make bold decisions which may be unpopular yet are necessary. “We should not repeat the mistakes of the past in future by carrying out proxy wars and revival of a cold war mindset that is detrimental to all regional players.” he warned that a new cold war in the region would be destabilising for regional cooperation. he endorsed the sentiments of Mani

Shankar Aiyer, member Indian Congress who was heading the Indian delegation, that the parliamentarians and common people on both sides should work together to create an atmosphere of good will and dialogue. Senator Mushahid hussain reiterated that the dialogue process should be fostered by the parliamentarians, political leaders and the media; a task that is beyond the capabilities of bureaucrats who are trapped in their traditional and outmoded mindset. he extended full support, on the behalf of the Senate Defence Committee, in cooperation on any possible dialogue with its Indian counterparts, similar to the two dialogues conducted by the committee in Afghanistan and China this year. Mushahid hussain Syed argued that peace was indivisible and cannot be compartmentalised; hence, peaceful and just settlement of the Kashmir dispute would be a major plus for peace.

QUETTA: An elderly pilgrim reads a booklet at the Haji Camp on Friday. INP

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india tellS pakiStan to Make ‘SoMe beGinninG’ on concernS INDIAN FM SAYS DISMANTLING OF TERROR INFRASTRUCTURE IN PAKISTAN ‘IS A CRITICAL POINT’ NEW DELHI ONLINE

India has asserted that there has to be “at least some beginning” by Pakistan in addressing its serious concerns including terror infrastructure, a day after Pakistan said a response was awaited from Indian side on a possible meeting between their Prime Ministers in the US. Both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif are travelling to New York to attend 68th session of UN General Assembly next week. “We have serious concerns on many things that we have conveyed to Pakistan over a period of time. We need some satisfaction. We need some deliveries. We need some indications that there is seriousness on the items that we have indicated to them.” “Dismantling of terror infrastructure is a critical point. Accountability for what happened in Mumbai is another critical point. At least some beginning has to be made,” external Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said when salman Khurshid asked whether there would be a meeting between Singh and Sharif on the margins of the UNGA. however, Khurshid said a final decision on the meeting would be taken by the prime minister. Noting that there was no decision yet on the meeting between the two prime ministers, Pakistan diplomatic sources in Islamabad on Thursday said they were yet to hear from India, insisting Islamabad was very keen to have such a meeting. Asked about the possible meeting, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman Aizaz Chaudhry said: “The two governments are in touch with each other on the matter. We will confirm the meeting after a decision has been made.”

We have serious concerns on many things that we have conveyed to Pakistan over a period of time. We need some satisfaction. We need some deliveries. We need some indications that there is seriousness on the items that we have indicated to them

drone StrikeS infrinGe pakiStan’S SovereiGnty: un envoy GENEVA ONLINE

apns concerned over financial crisis facing newspaper industry KARACHI PRESS RELEASE

The All Pakistan Newspapers Society has said that the Ministry of Information has arbitrarily included the names of the office bearers of the APNS as employers’ representatives despite the APNS letter dated May 24, 2013, clearly stating that the Ministry of Information had no right and jurisdiction to nominate APNS Office Bearers on the 8th Wage Board. “The ministry has no power to act

on behalf of an independent organisation,” the members noted. The executive committee through a resolution, asked the Ministry of Information to withdraw the notification immediately. The executive committee noted with concern that the federal government has decided to issue tender notices on websites which tantamount to deprive the print media from a sizeable quantum of advertisements and also deprive the prospective bidders of their access to such important public information. The executive committee advised its mem-

bers not to publish any advertisement containing the information to visit website for display of tender notices etc. The APNS executive Committee also expressed its concern over the exacerbating financial crisis of the newspaper industry caused by the non-payment of advertisement dues by federal and Sindh provincial governments. The members noted that the situation has resulted in collapse of newspaper economies and many small and medium sized newspapers are at the verge of closures while their employees

are agitating for wages and salaries. The executive Committee urged upon the federal government to clear the long pending dues of advertising agencies for the advertisements published in newspapers to bailout the fourth estate. The members noted that due to the default of payment by the federal government, ministries and departments, many advertising agencies had failed to clear the dues of member publications. The members in view of this situation considered the proposal for default restructuring by M/s Midas (Pvt.) Ltd. and accepted the schedule of payment and direct settlements. The executive Committee decided to restore Midas (Pvt.) Ltd. and evernew Concepts (Pvt.) Ltd provisionally. The executive Committee also decided to restore the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on its assurance to clear the dues in the next week.

Pakistan has called for cessation of US drone strikes on its soil through urgent and intense dialogue. Speaking during a UN Security Council debate on the situation in Afghanistan on Friday‚ Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations Masood Khan said “drone strikes infringe our sovereignty‚ violate international law and cause civilian casualties”. he said drone strikes were also detrimental to the combined efforts of fighting terrorism. The Pakistani envoy noted that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during his recent visit to Pakistan had also pointed out the adverse consequences of the use of armed drones. he said the all parties conference in Islamabad had also recommended raising the drone issue at the United Nations. Khan said Pakistan was facilitating the Afghan reconciliation process‚ but progress was attainable only if all stakeholders shared the goals of the peace process. he assured the government and the people of Afghanistan of Pakistan's continued commitment to a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan.


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Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them. –William Shakespeare

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NewS Saturday, 21 September, 2013

‘authorise targeting of taliban, haqqani leaders in pakistan’ RETIRED US GENERAL SAYS PRIORITY BE GIVEN TO HAQQANI SANCTUARY ‘BECAUSE SECURITY SITUATION IN THE EAST IS NOT AS STABLE AS THE SOUTH’ WASHINGTON INP

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S the US prepares to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan, a top retired American general on Thursday called for targeting the Taliban and the haqqani network's safe havens in Pakistan. Testifying before the house Armed Services Committee, General (r) John M Keane, told lawmakers that one of the ways to reduce the risk post-2014 was to "authorise the targeting" of the Taliban and haqqani leaders in the sanctuaries in Pakistan. "Priority is to the haqqani sanctuary because the security situation in the east is not as stable as the South," he argued. "This would be an extension of the mission the OGA is conducting against the al Qaeda in the FATA. Once systematic targeting commences, the sanctuary will cease to exist as we currently know it, a place where strategy, training, operational oversight, intelligence and lo-

gistics is executed, routinely, in safe haven," he said. "These functions will suffer significantly which will positively impact operations in the east," he added. "Additionally, it will be a huge morale boost for the ANSF," the retired general argued. Keane also recommended a residual force of 20,000 US soldiers in Afghanistan post-2014. “This includes 8,000 for counter-terrorism, 5,000 trainers and 8,000 enablers,” he said. Meanwhile, another former US ambassador to Kabul, called for warning Pakistan that any disruption in the next years general elections in Afghanistan would be considered a hostile act by the Obama administration. Ronald e Neumann, the former US ambassador to Afghanistan and presently president of American Academy of Diplomacy, said the US should be pressing Pakistan to reinforce the border. he said the US should also press Pakistan to help plan for election observers, institute a brief increase in air support to enhance Afghan ability to secure the vote and publicise American support for election training. "We should also be clear on consequences if the electoral calendar is significantly breached or the election is disastrously mishandled," he told lawmakers. "We should press the Pakistan government to deploy large numbers of troops to the border to reduce infiltration during the election. They have done this before and it helped," Neumann said. "We should be prepared to

Mullah baradar will be freed today

be clear, initially in private, that failure to do so will be a hostile act resulting in serious reductions of aid and that we will compensate for a lack of Pakistani troops with increased air strikes in border areas whether approved by Pakistan or not," Neumann said.

We should press the Pakistan government to deploy large numbers of troops to the border to reduce infiltration during the election. They have done this before and it helped ronald e neumann FORMER US AMBASSADOR TO KABUL

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Detained Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar will be released today (September 21) in an attempt to facilitate the Afghan reconciliation process, stated a Foreign Office press release on Friday. Baradar is one of the four men who founded the Taliban movement in 1994 and is believed to be a trusted aide of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar. Baradar was captured from Karachi in February 2010. Afghanistan has been pushing Pakistan for Baradar’s release, saying it would prove useful in negotiations with the Taliban militants prior to the 2014 United States and NATO forces withdrawal from the war-torn nation.

taliban ambush Kills 18 policemen in afghanistan KUNDUZ AGENCIES

QUETTA: Patients and their families roam in the deserted out-patient department of the Civil Hospital as doctors remained on strike on Friday in protest against the abduction of cardiologist Dr Munaf Tareen. ONLINE

Taliban militants in northeast Afghanistan killed 18 police in an ambush, the government said Friday, as security forces struggle against the rebels with decreasing assistance from international troops. The police convoy was caught in a firefight on Wednesday in the remote province of Badakhshan when officers were returning from an anti-insurgent operation. “A group of Afghan police forces on their return from a clean-up operation on the outskirts of Warduj district faced an enemy ambush and it resulted in the killing of brave Afghan policemen.” Local officials confirmed the death toll to news agency AFP. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in Afghanistan’s mountainous northeast, a region far from the insurgents’ southern heartlands and generally relatively peaceful.

Nawaz’s effort to seek peace with taliban off to rocky start: report TALIBAN REMAIN ON THE OFFENSIVE

PM HAS FAILED TO LAY OUT A CLEAR VISION FOR HOW COUNTRY WOULD HANDLE MILITANT GROUPS

WASHINGTON ONLINE

efforts by Pakistan’s new government to reach a peace deal with the country’s Taliban insurgents have quickly run into trouble, a sign of how difficult it will be to end a conflict that has threatened the stability of the nuclear-armed nation. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif campaigned last spring on a platform of engaging the domestic Taliban to end years of violence that has claimed the lives of an estimated 50,000 people, including 5,000 Pakistani soldiers.

The effort is crucial to his goal of jump-starting Pakistan’s lifeless economy. Perhaps more importantly, it could remove a potential source of support for the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan at a time when US forces there are preparing to pull out. Three months after taking office, Sharif scored a major victory last week when the country’s 12 major political parties endorsed talks with the Pakistani Taliban. Within days, the insurgent group’s leaders said they had released three Pakistani security officials in exchange for six

militants, to encourage the peace process. The army denied that the release was related to future talks, but many commentators suggested it could help lead to negotiations. Regardless, by Sunday, the peace effort was in trouble — before it had ever really begun. The Pakistani Taliban’s Supreme Council released demands for a cease-fire — including the release of all its imprisoned militants and the withdrawal of the army from all tribal regions — that some government leaders called unrealistic. even more problematic, a twostar army general and two other military officials were killed later that day by a roadside bomb in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near the border with Afghanistan. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the explosion,

which Sharif called “gutless.” Shahidullah Shahid, a spokesman for the insurgents, said attacks would continue. “We have not yet accepted the government offer for talks, and we are at war, as there is no ceasefire,” he said in a phone interview. On Monday, Pakistan’s powerful army chief, Ashfaq Kayani, warned that the country’s 520,000member army would not be bullied. “No one should have any misgivings that we would let the terrorists coerce us into accepting their terms,” Gen Kayani said, adding the “army has the ability and the will to take the fight to the terrorists”. Former and current government officials have criticised Nawaz Sharif for not yet laying out a clear vision for how the country should handle its more

than 40 militant groups, many of them comprised of Islamist extremists. “Nobody is saying we can’t talk, but talking from a position of weakness is never the way forward,” said Sherry Rehman, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States. “We can’t afford this Alice-in-Blunderland approach to crucial national security issues.” The uneven start to Pakistan’s peace process comes just months after the Obama administration attempted to start a dialogue between Afghan President hamid Karzai and Afghan Taliban leaders. In late June, a day before State Department officials planned to meet with Taliban representatives in Qatar, a Taliban rocket attack killed four US service members in eastern Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Karzai became enraged that the Taliban had hoisted its banner over its temporary offices in Doha. The planned discussions fell through, although the Obama administration is hopeful they will occur at some point. The Afghan and Pakistani Taliban claim to be unaffiliated. But there is considerable cross-border movement, and the Afghan insurgents are believed to have havens inside Pakistan. Some analysts worry that the Pakistani Taliban might help Afghanistan’s insurgents in trying to topple the government in Kabul after the departure of US forces in 2014. Another concern is that members of the Afghan Taliban could be flushed out of their country and flood into Pakistan. Rustam Shah Mohmand, Pakistan’s former ambassador to Afghanistan, said Nawaz Sharif and Afghan officials will have “to work in a concerted way” with goals and a strategy if they expect to bring Taliban leaders on either side of the border to the bargaining table. “In a situation as complex as this, things don’t just happen,” he said.


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There has not yet been a major ground offensive battle... There are, we know, negotiations going on between the opposition forces and the Taliban leadership for surrender. –Peter Pace

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dialogue of the deaf Halfhearted measures will not do

CoMMeNt Saturday, 21 September, 2013

tougher new anti-terrorism law The Bill goes to the NA

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he Anti-Terrorism Act of 1977 has subsequently undergone amendments because of radical changes in the security situation during the last 36 years. The period saw the expansion of extremism and militancy in the country as never before. Groups of sectarian killers which emerged after 1983 could easily dodge the law as they acted from the shadows. even when the intelligence agencies caught the terrorists, witnesses declined to cooperate on account of fear while investigators were constantly under pressure. Again, there was no law to punish the financiers. The sectarian outfits thus played havoc in the country. Militant outfits that came into existence after 9/11 further added to the anxiety level of the law enforcement agencies and courts. This led to a demand for changes in the existing law to make it more comprehensive and stringent. The efforts in the direction were however slow and inadequate. early this year the parliament passed a bill introduced by former law minister Farooq h Naek which made three additions to the Anti-Terrorism Act. The first empowered the government to take action against elements involved in financing terrorism. The punishment proposed for the financers of the terrorists was the confiscation of their property. A second amendment disallowed the revival of banned groups under new names while the third amendment barred courts from granting bail for offences punishable with death or more than 10 years in prison. A major complaint that has recently emerged is about the inadequacy of security arrangements for the prosecution witnesses and the prosecutors. The first issue was highlighted by the killing of three witnesses in Wali Khan Babar case in 2011. The FIA prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar’s murder, while investigating Benazir Bhutto’s killing in May this year, highlighted the issue of the insecurity of prosecutors. The new proposals approved by the cabinet on Friday try to address the issue of security that had been neglected in the earlier amendment. Another proposal is aimed at providing the security forces and LeAs special prosecution powers in terrorism related cases. The intelligence and security agencies can after the passage of the amendments be requested to provide support during the interrogation of terrorism suspects. The proposed bill also includes an amendment that requires swift disposal of cases of terrorism within 30 days through special courts. In order to be efficacious laws, have to change in line with the ground realities. In the case of Pakistan the development in anti-terrorism laws has been slow and less than satisfactory. What is more, the laws meant for controlling terrorism have been misused to harass political opponents. Whenever an attempt has been made to make the terrorism laws stiff it has given birth to fears of their misuse. As the bill goes to the NA, it is bound to be analysed from this angle also.

the bear’s energy embrace Pakistan must respond to Russia’s overtures

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USSIA has made Pakistan an offer it can’t refuse, though not in the mafiosi sense of the phrase. In a meeting with Pakistan’s minister for Planning and Development, Ahsan Iqbal, the visiting Russian deputy minister for energy hinted at a whole range of benefits which could accrue to the energy-starved nation in case of increased cooperation between them in this vital field. Foremost among these was the export of up to 5,000 MW of electricity through Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan. Apart from this, the other mouth-watering offerings included massive Russian investment in Pakistan’s energy infrastructure, as for instance in converting the prohibitively expensive oil and gas based power producing plants to coal–fired ones encompassing modern technology. As a corollary, this would of course imply Russian investment in the mining and unlocking of our astronomical Thar coal reserves, which remain unutilised due to our perpetual paucity of funds, at least for projects of such national importance. The export of LNG and Russian expertise and roubles in oil exploration also figure in the catalogue. The Russian deputy minister reportedly also offered 100 per cent technical and financial assistance for the Jamshoro and Muzaffargarh power plants and was also favourably inclined towards investing in the Gaddani Power Park. This appears on paper to be the panacea for all of Pakistan’s energy ills. That the delegation included representatives of all the leading Russian energy companies is an indicator of Russian seriousness in the recent exchanges between the two ministers. Pakistan would do well to respond to these welcome overtures in a similar spirit of cooperation and resolve, unlike the (presumably) ill-fated Pak-Iran pipeline, which still remains only a pipe dream. It should cut out the red tape and fast-track the Russian suggestions and offers. however, all the well laid plans will ultimately depend on the regional ground realities existing after the American exit from Afghanistan in 2014. Can the Afghan government and military weather the expected Taliban storm, or will the unfortunate country descend once again into chaos, with local infighting between different groups, the rise of warlordism and an arena for geopolitical rivalries, as in the not too distant past? Russia’s renewed interest in Pakistan is in direct proportion or relation to what happens in Afghanistan. President Vladimir Putin, who has slowly resurrected Russian armed might and international influence after the downfall of the Soviet Union, has remarked that Afghanistan is a ‘matter of direct concern for our national security’. The thaw in the relations between Russia and Pakistan is now an established fact. In the 1970s the Russian’s built our only steel mill (about which the less said the better at this time), now they have increased contacts between the military high commands of the two nations and recently initiated the first Strategic Dialogue with Pakistan in Moscow initially at the foreign secretaries level, for closer political, diplomatic, economic and military relations. But much remains to be done especially on our part, so that the present two-way trade volume of a paltry US $542 million is raised to its rightful figure in the billions.

ARIF NIzAMI

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INCe the APC (All Parties Conference) on terrorism, the official mantra has been talks with the Taliban. Just a week or so down the line however, we are at a loss with whom to talk to and on what agenda? The killing of GOC Swat Maj Gen Sanullah Niazi threw a spanner in the works. Unlike the political leadership that predictably came up with a weak-kneed response – perhaps with the sole exception of Asif Zardari who condemned the incident in unequivocal terms – Gen Kayani vowed that the army would not submit to the militants’ terms. The COAS while lamenting the death of his comrade in arms at the hands of the terrorists strongly rejected in any preconditions for talks with the militants. Now Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan, who was the sole PML-N attendant at the slain general’s funeral prayer, has grudgingly admitted that that moves for peace talks with the Taliban have run aground. The moot question is: Were they ever destined to take off? The Taliban spokesman has enthusiastically owned the ghastly assassination of the GOC and his colleagues. Claiming that no one had contacted them for initiating talks, the spokesman at the same time spelled out the Taliban’s’ preconditions for the parleys. Obviously the military laying down its arms, declaring a unilateral ceasefire and releasing Taliban prisoners are terms that cannot be acceptable. Nonetheless soldiers of fortune in the political realm and their apologists in the media are bent upon creating confusion by counselling unconditional talks. One Javed Piracha, a former PML-N legislator belonging to Kohat has claimed that that he is in touch with the TTP chief hakimullah Mehshud for release of the Taliban prisoners from Pakistani jails. The self-styled interlocutor was disowned by the militant’s spokesman. however, the government took its time but finally the prime minister too renounced him. even so he cornered a few hours’ worth of limelight on various talk shows. Ostensibly to evolve a workable strategy to counter terrorism, by now

it is obvious that the APC was a halfhearted, ill-conceived and badly prepared exercise. The military despite knowing that it will not work in the forlorn hope of civilians joining it on the front went along with this ‘consensus-building’ endeavour. Now, after months of much ado about nothing more than running after the phantom of peace-throughtalks, we are back to square one. In fact this is where we were all along. While the enemy is playing its cards very adroitly, the civilian and military leadership is not even on the same page. While the military favours a noappeasement policy, the civilian leadership – in the government as well in the opposition – is clueless on what to do. In the absence of a roadmap, capitulation and pacifying the hydra-headed monster is the order of the day. Imran Khan in alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami is stuck on a one-point agenda: stopping drone attacks and disengaging from the US. he is assuaged with the assurance that Pakistan will move the drone issue at the UN Security Council. The PML-N is content with its silent understanding with the TTP Punjab and its cohorts. As a result Punjab albeit threatened, is virtually terror free. As for the military, Gen Kayani in his statements is perhaps more vociferous about the existential threat of terrorism, but it is still not willing to make strategic moves to combat it. Diplomacy in the end analysis is the only way to cut a deal among the protagonists. But talks can only be held from a position of strength. Right now we do not know whom to talk to and on what agenda? The government has not even formally named its team of negotiators. Another critical point that has remained unsettled: What the talks are going to be about? The declaration of the APC does not even make a cursory mention of the constitution of Pakistan! The Taliban apologists in the media however say that there is no need for making allegiance to the constitution a cornerstone for negotiations. In any form of negotiations there must be an agenda with a modicum of agreement on some issues. Reaching an understanding on the less thorny issues can serve as bedrock to tackle the intractable problems. So far as the Pakistani state and the TTP are concerned, there is hardly any agreement or consensus

Now we are back to square one. In fact this is where we were all along. While the enemy is very adroitly playing its cards, the civilian and military leadership are not even on the same page.

whiteLIES

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

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NOWN gourmand. eccentric dresser. Meticulous host. Scion of one of Pakistan’s press royalty families. And, oh, also our former representative to the United Nations. Abdullah hussain haroon got his gig at the UN because of his proximity to the now

former president. he was even being considered for caretaker PM. But he quit one day. And became vocally caustic of the government even before he actually quit his post. Now that he is back in Karachi, rumour has it that he hasn’t even called

The writer is Editor, Pakistan Today.

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ApoLLo

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

on anything. Primarily terrorism in the name of religion is the basic philosophy of the Taliban. An emirate based on a narrow and self-serving interpretation of Sharia is their ultimate objective. Ironically not Afghanistan but Pakistan is their coveted prize. Obviously paying allegiance to the constitution of Pakistan is an anathema for them. It is common knowledge that Obama after being hostage to the Pentagon, the CIA and his White house cabal has miserably let down those who were striving for a diplomatic solution to the Af-Pak imbroglio. his much-touted COIN strategy that worked in Iraq has dismally failed in Afghanistan. The US is all set to cut and run come next year. The above factors do not put Islamabad in a commanding position vis-à-vis its existential enemy. Imploring that the United States will leave Afghanistan to its devices and Pakistan will be left with the mess it leaves behind, Gen Kayani once famously ominously said, “We cannot wish away our enemies.” Now at the twilight of his double-tenure, he is leaving behind a chaotic Afghanistan, an increasingly hostile India and a belligerent Pakistani Taliban. What a legacy! In the final analysis, talks can only succeed from a position of strength – and that is obviously lacking. The Taliban have clearly spurned half-hearted offers for negotiations. Killing a general and vowing to deal in more of the same is a slap in the face of the appeasers. The only way to deal with the problem is unleashing the iron fist. Unless a scorched earth policy is adopted in our badlands where the terrorists are ensconced, talks would only translate into surrender of the most abject variety. even to meet a modicum of success talks should be clearly goal-oriented and from a position of some strength. Whether Gen Kayani will be able to walk the talk in his last few weeks in uniform is yet to be seen. Probably not. The mantle will be passed on to his successor. Meanwhile Mian Nawaz Sharif should show some leadership in the face of terrorists rampaging across the country. half-hearted measures based upon opportunistic compromises will simply no longer do.

his benefactor, the president even once. I’m angry, you were good to me?

WO BBC reports on the country. One that says Lahore is the country’s liquor capital, with the hooch flowing like the Ravi. Scratch that, better than the unfortunate river. Another paints a San Francisco-like picture of Karachi, labelling it the country’s gay capital, replete with gay “marriages” of sorts and orgies to boot. All this is hogwash, of course. Because Karachi has its share of alcoholics and Lahore its share of queers as well.

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


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I think leadership is service and there is power in that giving: to help people, to inspire and motivate them to reach their fullest potential. –Denise Morrison

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Saturday, 21 September, 2013

Moral policing: what are pta’s priorities? Texting is not the problem, the mindset is

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the russian factor Syria’s new game

RAMzy bAROud

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ANY US media commentators were fairly accurate in labelling some of the language used by Russian President Vladimir Putin in his recent New York Times article as ‘hypocritical’. But mainstream US media should be the last to point out anyone’s hypocrisy as it has brazenly endorsed every military intervention unleashed by their country since World War II. Putin’s statement “we must stop using the language of force and return to the path of civilised diplomatic and political settlement,” merits serious scrutiny. Considering that violence has been a readily available option in Russia’s own wars from Afghanistan, to Chechnya and Georgia, the language of dialogue and civilised political settlements have been rarely exercised. But, independent from that context, Putin was surely correct in his assessment of US behaviour. It was indeed difficult to point out any palpable inaccuracy in Putin’s NYT’s article published on the 12th anniversary of September 11. “It is alarming that military intervention in internal conflicts in foreign countries has become commonplace for the United States,” Putin wrote. “Is it in America’s long-term interest? I doubt it. Millions around the world increasingly see America not as a model of democracy but as relying solely on brute force, cobbling coalitions together under the slogan ‘you’re either with us or against us.” (Interestingly, this was the same conclusion reached by the China Daily in its editorial the next day.) Putin’s statement was not just true, but precise, highlighting the very essence that has defined US foreign policy since the end of the US-Soviet Cold War, and the US-led military

campaign against Iraq in 1990-91. The model of ‘cobbling coalitions together’ was used then as the US emerged as the lone superpower. This allowed it the space to reconfigure the world’s geopolitical scene in any way it deemed necessary and suitable to its own, but also Israeli interests. It had done so repeatedly and with little hesitation. Its invasion of Iraq in 2003 was the pinnacle of that model. Millions of people were left dead and maimed while millions more were forced to franticly run for their lives. The US-invited horror was hardly mentioned when western ‘liberal’ commentators cleverly called attention to all of Putin’s and Russia’s perceived failures. Simon Tisdall tried to take Putin to task on his piece in the British Guardian on Sep 12 by offering readers selected ‘translations’ of the Russian president’s text. Using an intellectually demeaning approach of ‘translating’ what could be obviously understood by any average reader of world affairs, Tisdall even contended with Putin’s statement that “it is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation … We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord’s blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal.” “Translation: this passage takes the biscuit for sheer chutzpah,” Tisdall wrote. But what is Tisdall’s view on the very ‘sheer chutzpah’ of invoking American exceptionalism at every turn by the US’ own leaders – from warmongers like George W. Bush to Nobel Peace Prize winners like Barack Obama. hasn’t American exceptionalism cost the world so dearly? A lethal assortment of shocks and awes and unmanned drone warfare is all being sold in the name of human rights, democracy, and of course, in the name of God. Putin is not exactly a peacenik, but his country has indeed succeeded in breaking, at least for now, a predictable pattern of American military interventions in the Middle east which are mostly aimed at ensuring Israel’s military and political supremacy and suppressing its foes or potential enemies. This is in addition to safeguarding US energy supplies and keeping economic contenders at bay. For this reason it was of little surprise that the first country that US Secretary of State John Kerry planned to visit following his talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Geneva on Sep 14, was Israel. Kerry and Lavrov met to discuss, and later agreed to the details of the dismantling of Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal, which was understood as the only viable way to avert a US military strike. The proposal was fully Russian, thus Putin’s

public relations campaign, and his NYT article. The US, alienated after years of warmongering, had to accept the Russian proposal. Any other option would have had unpredictable, but likely catastrophic outcomes. Tellingly, Kerry opted for a meeting to debrief Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before conversing with his eU allies. Of course, Israel will now try to influence the pursuit of Syria’s chemical arsenal the same way the US and its western allies manipulated the UN inspectors’ work to dismantle Iraq’s non-existent nuclear weapons program. It must have been a major disappointment for Israel’s neoconservative friends and lobbies in the US that neither war nor ‘surgical strikes’ are in the offing. It goes without saying that the lives of 100,000 Syrians or the plight of six million refugees are not a factor in their discontent. Middle east expert and author Jeremy Salt had a lot to say about the “carefully crafted (and) deceitful campaign,” unleashed by the Israeli lobby. In “Israel’s Lobbyists Pushing hard for another War in the Middle east,” and after a careful examination of their public statements, Salt explains the new approach used by the Israel lobby, which carefully avoided any reference to Israeli interests. The major point of the campaign is that this war is “not about Israel (but) about America’s national interest (and) about punishing a government which has used chemical weapons on its own people…” Israel has killed too many Arabs to worry about the death of some more, and the brutality of the Syrian government or its opposition has never been a concern to Israel and its lobby. For them, another American war is yet another opportunity to knock down an old adversary, engender further chaos and bask in the glory of being ‘the only democracy in the Middle east’ among a sea of tumultuous, unruly neighbours. however, lack of appetite for intervention has thwarted the plan for now, leaving the US and Israel searching for new options to maintain their relevance in a region of quickly shifting balances. The anger directed at Putin’s article has a lot less to do with Putin’s own legacy as a leader, and much more to do with the frustration that new players in the Middle east are now successfully involved in a ‘game’ that has for decades been dominated by if not reserved for western powers and their allies. Ramzy Baroud is editor of PalestineChronicle.com. He is the author of The Second Palestinian Intifada: A Chronicle of a People’s Struggle and My Father Was a Freedom Fighter: Gaza’s Untold Story.

AKISTAN, of late, can boast of an assortment of rape. We have every kind that’s been known to man, and it’s practically available in all manners of horror. No one is safe here. We can rape little girls and evidently little boys are no different. And while female rape cases have doubled in the last two years, we have no numbers on how many men are being violated. While this fiasco unfolds the very people speaking against LuAvuT zAHId rape would rather it be called sexual violence to tone down the effect that the harsh word has. Sexual violence can stem from a number of reasons. A play for power is one of the primary aspects, but a lack of empathy and focus on sexual education, is an even more important factor. But of course we have trouble talking about sex or educating anyone about anything coitus related. Pakistan’s official government bodies can’t seem to figure out how to handle sex. First the PeMRA banned a condom advert and now the PTA thinks it’s their duty to school people on the moral and decent ways of texting. This would make a little bit of sense if they were cracking down on minors, but no, the PTA’s true targets are adults, 18 and above, who are interacting with members of the opposite sex in a manner which the PTA finds deplorable. This is while initiatives, such as those of the NGOs, are mass protested against and shut down. If shutting them down isn’t enough, we further drag organisations through court for trying to educate people about sex. It’s not surprising that Pakistan is a country where you can consummate your relationship with a complete stranger subsequent to a signature that your father or mother decided you would be penning down. however, texting is a grave problem, one which merits intervention at the government level. Only a couple of days after five-year old Sumbul’s case came to light we found out about another seven-year old who was raped in Faisalabad. And then another four-year old boy who was gang raped by a cleric and his friends. Instead of focusing on people’s private texts, why doesn’t the PTA try to grab sexually violent people? Modern psychology tells us that rape is more about the power than the sex, and a rapist often boasts of his disturbing accomplishments. Why can’t the PTA track their immoral, unethical, inhumane and disastrous communication instead? On an average basis the number of terrible things that the PTA can actually sift through is overwhelming. Why they instead choose to focus on what goes between two people – who could be married, could be engaged, could be anything that’s none of the PTA’s business – is beyond me. how about finding out where Sumbul’s rapist is? Maybe he’s asked someone for help since his pictures have been plastered all over the city of Lahore. how about looking into the cleric, the patron of morality, and figuring out who he was talking to before he destroyed a little boy. Maybe try and find out if there are men planning on sexually assaulting their wives? All of that is also related to sex. All of that also points towards the morally corrupt. But our moral policing and our priorities are far too distorted to focus on what’s really wrong with the country and its people right now. And while we’re at it, what is next? First you track people’s text, next you’ll install cameras in their cars? A lot of people rejoiced when rumours surfaced that Imran Khan would be making the hijab mandatory in KP. That’s brilliant because Hijabis don’t ever get sexually violated! They’re the safest people on the planet. Will we be getting rid of co-education next? Should we start a fund for Maya Khan to go run around some more parks and antagonise and judge people? There should also be a movement against employees of the opposite sex coordinating at work. We should shut down all cafes and eateries too. Texting is not the problem, our mindset is. Why is there no word from the PTA on any of the rape cases? The number of rapes that go unreported is ridiculously high. There are cases of child abuse as well which never make it to a police station. Take that into perspective when you consider the fact that we’re hearing about several incidents of sexual assault and violence almost every day now, and things are only going to get worse from here. What horrible numbers would we stand to face if we found every single instance of such behaviour? And instead of teaching our people something of value, like empathy or being humane, we’re instead teaching them how to say “haw haye” and move on. Sumbul’s case is not unique; it’s just one that we know about. There are countless others, they happen in cities and they happen in villages – they’re everywhere. Our responses to most are to figure out just how the victims went wrong. When we couldn’t figure out how to blame Sumbul because she was just a child, we shifted our focus to her parents who couldn’t take care of her. The blame game continues. Pakistan is in trouble. We have a whole host of other problems, there’s no water (which for some reason no one seems to care about), our food resources are limited, we’re failing when it comes to investment and energy, and we almost always manage to find our way to the brink of collapse, right before we crawl back a few notches. To expect that all the nation’s problems will be tackled with swiftly is a fool’s idealism. however, when multiple government bodies have the resources to intervene and interfere with what regular people do, at the micro-level, one has to start wondering just why those resources can be directed elsewhere to places they’d actually matter. So I’ll ask again: why can’t the PTA find the real perverts, instead? The writer is a journalist based in Lahore. She can be emailed at luavut@gmail.com. She tweets @luavut


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A celebrity is one who is known to many persons he is glad he doesn't know. –Lord Byron

arts Saturday, 21 September, 2013

affleck and tiMberlake’S broMance Aw, these two are so cute! It looks like there's a new bromance in Hollywood, since Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck had nothing but the sweetest things to say about each other at the Runner, Runner premiere in Las Vegas last night. "I love Justin. Being around Justin is inspiring, he works really hard, he's incredibly gifted," Affleck told E! News of his costar. "There's nothing the guy can't do. I really am the biggest fan of his. I'm trying to win tickets to the show. I love Justin." Did you hear that, Justin? Hook a brotha up! Meanwhile, Timberlake explains that working with such a great actor, like Ben Affleck, has been so rewarding. "I feel really lucky to work with Ben this time in his career. He's seized a movie from every angle, I'm sure he's probably always done that, but that's been justified in a way for him, and so, to work with him at this time, it was extremely helpful for me. I think it made my performance a lot better," he said. J.T. also mentioned, "Honestly, I just go from project to project, you don't know how anything's gonna be received. But, to work with Ben, Gemma [Arterton], Anthony [Mackie], just the cast was great. I love this movie. I've never been in this type of genre of a movie, so it was really fun." NEWS dESK

miley cyrus tweets

lorde amid itunes battle

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ILEY Cyrus may be duking it out with Lorde on the iTunes charts, but it's the pop star's fans who took the battle to Twitter. After Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" was knocked out of the top spot by Lorde's "Royals" on Thursday, Sept. 19, the former Hannah Montana star's fans waged war on the New Zealander. "Kill yourself you crusty old hag," one user told Lorde. Another added, "Your eyes are too far apart." Lorde, 16, was the first to admit that the tweets were a little alarming. "wo #1 on US itunes. even if it lasts an hour i feel HAPPY," she wrote. "downside is all these miley fans telling me they're gonna stab my rotting corpse." Ironically, just last month,

Lorde praised Cyrus' second single from Bangerz, writing, "new miley is SO on point with verse and pre-chorus melodies." Cyrus, 20, addressed her fans' behavior on Sept. 19 by tweeting at Lorde directly. "why r people so mean???" she asked. "Ps your music is awesome." She's not the only one who thinks so: Lena Dunham praised the pop star on Monday, Sept. 16, tweeting, "Wait, Lorde is 16!? She MAY still be a royal! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW AT THAT AGE." Lorde asked the Girls star if she was being mean, to which Dunham replied, "Not at ALL. I'm massively impressed by you and what you do and when I found out how old you are I almost fell over. Brava!" NEWS dESK

Natalie Portman & Benjamin Millepied ook stunning on the red carpet for the New York City Ballet 2013.

New oN the airwaves, KaNKar F

OR the first time in the history of Pakistani drama, the audiences stand divided on the issue of domestic violence. It’s not an issue that is new either to our masses or our media. It has been discussed on many forums and countless dramas has been produced based on this issue. The audiences have always related with the victim and have unanimously condemned the abuser but for the first time, a considerable number is not only defending the abuser but is also justifying his motives and reasons. What is the reason behind this shift ? For those of you who aren’t following this drama, this is the story of Kiran and Sikender. Kiran belongs to the lower middle class and Sikender comes elites financially well off family, their paths cross and they end up getting married to each other before they even get a chance knight to know each other. Initially every thing goes well but as soon as conflicts start arising, Sikender responds to Kiran’s arguing by hitting her. She is shocked and confronts him later on for his behavior, he apologises and assures her, it will never happen again but the promise doesn’t last long. Now Kiran is faced with the tough question, is she willing to sacrifice her self- respect for the sake of her marriage ? The main reason whey our audiences and especially female audience is having mixed feelings for Sikender is simple. This is an unprecedented phenomenon. The usual wife beating husbands that our viewers are familiar with, mostly belong to either

the lower class or lower middle class, they are rude, loud, illiterate, shabbily dressed, critical. They are so easy to dislike and even hate but kudos to Umera Ahmed for breaking that myth and bringing to our screens a complicated and complexed character like Sikender. At first glance he is a well dressed, soft spoken, cultured and highly educated

guy, in short a thorough gentleman. But behind the mask of a charming young man is a monster, whose temperament can get out of control at any moment and then you can expect the worst from him. Adding to this already complicated situation is the out spoken, stubborn, emotional and immature Kiran. If she had been a typical mazloom , satti saw-

itre, naik parveen, khamoshi say her zulm ko apne qismat ka likha samag ker qabool karnay wale mashraqi larki, then Kankar would have been a very average and repetitive story. Initially I had dismissed this serial as one such drama but leave it to Umera to present ordinary stories in an exceptionl manner. Kiran is a college girl, emotional and immature

but she will not compromise on her self esteem and self worth. She knows domestic abuse is not to be put up with even if the guy is proclaiming his love for you afterwards. If he is showering you with luxurious gifts after every beating instead of just sitting down with her and trying to find some common ground. She is being highly criticized, partly the audiences are justified . Her age and lack of both experience and proper guidance is further making matters worse. Like I said, Umera has done a brilliant job in bringing to light the issue of domestic violence and particularly showing a completely different aspect of it. Hopefully, the audiences will soon realize that it takes two to tango, if Kiran is provocative there are still other options for her husband on how best to handle her. Beating your suppose does not solve anything, it only increases the distance in a marriage. Kiran is also a character that our audiences aren’t used to watchinonion our dramas. They are still at a loss, whether to paint her as a victim or a rebel. The only attraction for me in this serial are these two complicated characters, hid they were painted in black and white, the story would have been very boaring. Hopefully, the story will end on a positive note and the audiences will dfare to come out of their comfort zone and view this story from another perspective, rather than the one they are used to. Hopefully, this serial will open the eyes and the minds of many people. NEWS dESK


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There are things one must do for oneself. –Robert Mugabe

artS Saturday, 21 September, 2013

do not fear, the celebritieS are here! Narendra Modi seeks SRK’s, Salman’s and Aamir’s aid With the 2014 elections coming up, BJP's official PM candidate Narendra Modi is perhaps one of the most net savvy politicians of India. The Gujarat Chief Minister has turned to Bollywood via micro blogging site Twitter to help him encourage the youth to vote. NaMo as he is nicknamed, turned to Bollywood celebrities Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone, Akshay Kumar, Preity Zinta, Priyanka Chopra, Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan and Shahrukh Khan ( to name a few) on Twitter and requested their help in encouraging the youth of India to vote! He was quoted saying, "let's encourage voter registration among 18-24 yr olds. Large number of them unregistered. EC drive presently underway". Will Bollywood respond to Narendra Modi's request? Tell us what you think by commenting below! COuRTESy TOI

anuraG apoloGiSeS for controverSial tweet Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has apologised for posting an incorrect tweet about legendary actor Dilip Kumar. The "Gangs of Wasseypur" helmer had earlier taken to Twitter to condole the death of Kumar, 90. But he was quick to correct his mistake, which he attributed to text messages he received and deleted the tweet. "Apologies for the Dilip Saab tweet... I panicked because of three back to back messages, he is fine and the news is not true," Kashyap posted. COuRTESy TOI

next stop, hollywood! mahnoor baloch amazing debut M

AHNOOR Baloch will star in Hollywood movie “Torn”, media reports said on Thursday. According to reports the movie is directed by Jeremiah Birnbaum. She has been signed for Birnbaum’s project, along with Farhan Tahir. Besides Baloch and Tahir, the movie cast features Dendrie Taylor, Sharon Washington, and John Heard. According to reports Mahnoor is playing the role of a mother. “Torn”, is produced by Michael Richter, Jeremiah Birnbaum, James Burke, Shoieb Yunus, and Jawad Qureshi. The movie is expected to be released sometimes in 2013. NEWS dESK

Lea Michele looks glam after leaving a hair salon in Beverly Hills.

Nadeem and Shravan back in action The musician duo are all set for a second stint in the industry. They were the golden boys of the Bollywood music scene during the 90s but the Nadeem-Shravan twosome has been missing in action for a long time now. Nadeem Saifi is now based in London after being accused in the Gulshan Kumar murder case and though he and Shravan Rathod continued to collaborate on films like 'Raaz', 'Kasoor' and 'Dhadkan' despite the long distances, they finally called it quits in 2005. The music created by them for films like 'Aashiqui', 'Saajan' and 'Phool Aur Kante' still remains popular and now the duo is reuniting for Guddu Dhanoa's next 'Deewana'. Interestingly this is the same team that gave us the Shah Rukh Khan, Divya Bharati starrer of the same name in the

90's. The return is in full swing as the Bhatts too have offered them their next project. It all began when Shravan approached Dhanoa and told the filmmaker that he wants to work with Nadeem for 'Deewana' again as they had created the music for the original 1992 hit. Dhanoa then contacted

Nadeem and the rest followed. "We are in advanced talks with Nadeem and Shravan. They have consented in principle. We are working out the modalities. I am perfectly happy if Nadeem works from Dubai or London or wherever he is. They really know what melody is all about," Dhanoa told TOI. Talking to us from Dubai, Nadeem confirmed the development, "We did a lot of work even after my case but I was very hurt because we didn't get awards for those very popular numbers, except just one. There is a child in every artiste who wants recognition, so I decided to quit." "I want to make music again, those lilting tunes which signify love. Mukesh and Mahesh Bhatt are family, ditto for Dhanoa. So I had to say yes to them.I may do one of the projects solo," he added. COuRTESy TOI

ioS7’S fatal flaw F

ORGET the debate around the security or insecurity of the iPhone 5s’s fingerprint reader. The latest version of the iPhone’s operating system currently offers a gaping hole in its old-fashioned passcode lockscreen. Jose Rodriguez, a 36-year-old soldier living in Spain’s Canary Islands, has found a security vulnerability in iOS 7 that allows anyone to bypass its lockscreen in seconds to access photos, email, Twitter, and more. He shared the technique with me, along with the video above. As the video shows, anyone can exploit the bug by swiping up on the lockscreen to access the phone’s “control center,” and then opening the alarm clock. Holding the phone’s sleep button brings up the option to power it off with a swipe. Instead, the intruder can tap “cancel” and double click the home button to enter the phone’s multitasking screen. That offers access to its camera and stored photos, along with the ability

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to share those photos from the user’s accounts, essentially allowing anyone who grabs the phone to hijack the user’s email, Twitter, Facebook FB

+0.61% or Flickr account. I tested the technique on an iPhone 5 running iOS 7, and it worked. Rodriguez’s video shows it working on an iPad, too. It’s

not yet clear if the same exploit can bypass the lockscreen of an iPhone 5s or 5c, but Rodriguez tells me he believes it will. I’ve reached out to Apple for comment and I’ll update this post if I hear from the company. Update: A spokesperson from Apple tells me that the company “takes security very seriously and we’re aware of this issue. We’ll deliver a fix in a future software update.” Rodriguez has a track record of finding lockscreen bypass bugs in iOS, many of which he says he dug up while killing time in his old job as a driver for government officials. “I had a lot of time to look at the scenery, break the phone or write poetry while waiting for my boss, and I don’t write poetry and already knew the landscape by heart,” he tells me via instant message and Google translate. So he spent hours “trying everything that goes through my head…I submit my iPhone to cruel methods of torture.” NEWS dESK

aGGrieved dianna aGron deScribeS cory Monteith’S ‘Surreal’ deMiSe Though it's been two months since Cory Monteith died of an accidental drug overdose, the Glee star's passing hasn't fully resonated with those who knew and loved him. During a Sept. 13 appearance on Katie, his costar Dianna Agron was asked how she's coping after the 31-year-old's tragic death. "It's one of those things that still doesn't seem real," said Agron, 27. "You just take out a new lease on life and you realize that he's smiling down on us." The Family star added, "We all have nothing but the truth, which is he was one of the most amazing people that I've ever met— generous, loving, kind—and that's how he'll always be remembered." Monteith and four other actors will be more prominently featured during the Emmy Awards' "In Memoriam" tribute on Sunday, Sept. 22. During a conference call with reporters earlier this week, show producer Ken Ehrlich and CBS executive Jack Sussman defended their decision to highlight Monteith. "It was a rather personal choice, but Cory's appeal was to maybe a little different generation than some of the others we're honoring," Ehrlich explained. NEWS dESK


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Mohsen leads in punjab Golf LAHORE: Mohsen Zafar of Royal Palm Golf Club managed to edge past his club mate M.Rehman with a decent looking first round gross score of 72,and appear as the leader at the end of the first day of this title bearing three days Punjab Amateur Golf Championship,in progress at the Lahore Gymkhana Golf Course. A few others who played well on the first day are Sardar Murad,Zulfiqar Ali,Tariq Mehmood and Ghazanfar Mehmood and they are all bracketed at a gross score of 75,three strokes behind the leader.The triplet comprising Amer Mehmood,Muhammed Sharif and Khalid Mehmood displayed good golfing skills,but are placed further behind at a gross score of 76 and were seen strategising about unsettling the top ones by some superb all round play during the remaining two rounds. As for Mohsen Zafar,the leader of the first day he had four birdies on holes 1,2,6 and 7,pars on 10 holes and suffered stroke losses on holes 3,10,11 and 16.The bogies neutralised the birdie excellence and he had to be content with a par round.His nearest challenger,M.Rehman also had his good moments and with just one stroke deficit,looks determined to capture the lead in the second round on Saturday. The really depressed and disappointed ones at the end of the first round were the champions from Karachi.Ali Hai who is known for his dominant play looked feeble when it came to putting.Another champion and national team member,Waseem Rana said,"I simply lost the rhythm of my swing and will spend the evening thinking over what cramped me".Capt Ansar Mahmood of Pakistan Navy,felt that the challenge of the Gymkhana Golf Course was just too much."I should have come a few days earlier and practised". STAFF REPORT

hanif Mohammad's grand-son diagonised with ‘incurable’ cancer

LAHORE: Ayaan, the six-year-old grand-son of Hanif Mohammad and son of Shoaib Mohammad as been diagnosed with incurable cancer. This was revealed by Little Master's younger son Shahzeb Mohammad. Speaking exclusively over his mobile from London on Friday, he said, "Shoaib's youngest six year old is hospitalised for the last three weeks with inoperable brain tumour. His cancer is called DIPG (Diffusive Pontine Glioma) and incurable lethal cancer with prognosis of max 12 months". "Shoaib and I kept it as a secret as our parents are very close to Ayaan Mohammed. He was diagnosed with brain cancer last year with radiation in November". "Normally survival after radiation is six to eight months for DIPG. This condition is so painful to watch that it is death everyday for the family". STAFF REPORT

There are almost no sports within which mortal accidents are not a reality. — Dietrich Mateschitz

MiSbah deliverS

CONSOLATION WIN FOR FAISALABAD MOHALI

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ISBAh-UL-hAQ starred in Faisalabad Wolves' 10-run win over Kandurata Maroons in the second-last Qualifier match of the Champions League 2013 at Mohali on Friday. Both the teams came into the match knowing that the result held little consequence. There wasn’t much except pride that the two Asian teams were playing for. however, despite Mohali’s heat setting in and the temperature hovering around 35 degrees Celsius, the sparse crowd at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium witnessed an entertaining encounter. After being set 147 for victory, Kandurata’s chase didn’t begin easily. Samiullah Khan troubled opener Upual Tharanga with the early

movement. After being squared time and again, Tharanga came back to hit three consecutive exquisite boundaries off the next over. however, Asad Ali, bowling the second over came back to scalp the wicket of Thilina Kandamby, who missed a flick walking across to the off-stump and was dismissed leg-before. In company of Kumar Sangakkara, Tharanga put Kandurata in a comfortable position. They controlled their attacking instincts and scored at run-a-ball picking up easy singles and twos. however, ehsan Adil’s introduction into the attack worked well as he picked up two wickets in two overs. First it was the dismissal of Tharanga, who gifted an easy catch to Asad Ali against the run of play. Skipper Lahiru Thirimanne too followed the pattern and lost his wicket in a similar fashion. Walking down the track, he too gifted an easy catch to Asad. Faisalabad didn’t capitalise on their chances as they made a mess of the chances that were thrown at them by the Faisalabad batsmen. Sangakkara was given two lifelines — at 17 and 36.

however, as the runs dried down, Sangakkara couldn’t help but take his chances and was soon caught at deep midwicket for 44. It was unlike Misbah, who made the most of the opportunity presented to him by Tharanga while he was batting on seven. The match was headed to a close finish as Kandurata's lower order threw their bat at virtually everything. With two overs to go and 27 runs to win, it was Kandurata who lost their nerves first. They managed to score just two runs off the penultimate over bowler by Asad Ali. however, the match belonged to Misbah-ul-haq, who struck his third consecutive half-century of the match. his 60-ball innings of 93 not out included six boundaries and five huge sixes. The halfcentury was Misbah’s seventh in his last 10 innings across various formats. earlier in the day, Kandurata skipper Lahiru Thirimanne won the toss and elected to field. The Sri Lankan franchise made two changes to their side. They brought in Lahiru Jayaratne and Milinda Siriwardana in place of Kaushal Lokuarachchi and Shehan Jayasuriya. On the other hand, Faisalabad Wolves fielded an unchanged team. To the excitement of players and the sparse crowd that had gathered, Ammar Mahmood lofted the first ball of the innings just above the head of the fielder stationed at mid-on. The batsman followed it up with a similar shot over mid-off. however, the second time, he didn’t get enough elevation, but the fielder ensured that he was lucky to survive. In the fourth ball of the same over, Mahmood survived a close legbefore appeal and scampered through for a single. Nonetheless, his opening partner Ali Waqas wasn’t as lucky as he edged his first delivery to the wicketkeeper and was dismissed for a Golden Duck. Both Dilhara Lokuhettige and Nuwan Kulasekara used the heavy wind to their advantage to get movement off the air.

otago wiN three out of three MOHALI AGENCIES

Otago Volts' skipper Brendon McCullum (67 not out) helped his side maintain an unbeaten record in the Champions League T20 qualifiers with an unbeaten half-century and led his side to a five-wicket win over the Sunrisers hyderabad in Mohali. Chasing a modest total of 144, the Otago Volts started on a confident note. Opener Neil Broom hit Dale Steyn for a boundary in the second ball of the innings. he followed that up with a boundary over mid-on and a powerful flick over square leg for a six off Ishant Sharma. Steyn managed to peg back the Volts by getting Broom caught behind in the third over. Shikhar Dhawan was quick to bring on Karan Sharma as Brendon walked out to bat at 35 for one in four overs. The wily leg-spinner started well but finished his first over by conceding two

consecutive boundaries to hamish Rutherford. McCullum kept the attacking intent going when he welcomed Darren Sammy with a six over deep square leg. Dhawan mixed his bowlers around and brought back Ishant. At the end of the powerplay overs, the Volts were on course with 54 for one. Once the fielding restrictions were relaxed, the seasoned campaigner Amit Mishra was introduced in a bid to curb the run flow and pick up a wicket or two to bring the match back in the balance. however, McCullum was in no mood to let the leg spinner settle as he danced down the track and hit him for a big six over long-off. Mishra came back well with a well-disguised wrong ‘un which McCullum failed to read. Dhawan employed spin from both ends, bringing back Karan. But McCullum was in the zone to go after the spinner and slammed a six and a four of two consecutive deliveries. Karan came close to seeing the back of

SCOREbOARd SuNRISERS HydERAbAd PA Patel† b NL McCullum 12 S dhawan* c ten doeschate b NL McCullum 12 bb Samantray c bracewell b beard 8 JP duminy not out 57 CL White c bb McCullum b Wagner 25 dJG Sammy c broom b beard 26 EXTRAS: (lb 1, w 1, nb 1) 3 TOTAL: (5 wickets; 20 overs) 143 dId NOT bAT: A Ashish Reddy, Kv Sharma, A Mishra, dW Steyn, I Sharma FALL OF WICKETS: 1-20 (Patel, 2.5 ov), 2-25 (dhawan, 4.3 ov), 3-45 (Samantray, 7.4 ov), 4-85 (White, 13.4 ov), 5-143 (Sammy, 19.6 ov) bOWLING: NL McCullum 4-0-23-2,N Wagner 4-0-25-1,JdS Neesham 4-0-26-0,Nb beard 4-0-31-2,RN ten doeschate 4-0-37-0 OTAGO NT broom c †Patel b Steyn 16 Hd Rutherford c †Patel b Steyn 27

bb McCullum* not out 67 RN ten doeschate b Mishra 3 JdS Neesham c dhawan b Sammy 21 NL McCullum run out (duminy/†Patel) 1 dC de boorder† not out 1 EXTRAS: (lb 6, w 2) 8 TOTAL: (5 wkts; 16.2 overs) 144 dId NOT bAT: MG bracewell, SR Wells, N Wagner, Nb beard FALL OF WICKETS: 1-27 (broom, 2.6 ov), 2-80 (Rutherford, 9.4 ov), 3-85 (ten doeschate, 10.5 ov), 4-136 (Neesham, 15.2 ov), 5-143 (NL McCullum, 16.1 ov) bOWLING: dW Steyn 3-0-13-2,I Sharma 3-0-40-0,Kv Sharma 3.2-0-29-0,dJG Sammy 3-0-30-1,A Mishra 4-0-26-1 MATCH dETAILS TOSS Otago, who chose to field POINTS Otago 4, Sunrisers Hyderabad 0 PLAyER OF THE MATCH NL McCullum (Otago) uMPIRES vA Kulkarni and PR Reiffel (Australia) Tv uMPIRE RK Illingworth (England) MATCH REFEREE AJ Pycroft (zimbabwe) RESERvE uMPIRE PG Pathak

SCOREbOARd FAISALAbAd WOLvES 10 Ammar Mahmood c Tharanga b dilhara 0 Ali Waqas c †Sangakkara b Kulasekara Asif Ali c †Sangakkara b Kulasekara 10 Misbah-ul-Haq* not out 93 7 Khurram Shehzad lbw b Mendis Mohammad Salman† c Jayaratne b dilhara 21 Imran Khalid c †Sangakkara b dilhara 0 Saeed Ajmal not out 1 EXTRAS: (lb 1, w 3) 4 TOTAL: (6 wickets; 20 overs; 89 mins) 146 dId NOT bAT: Ehsan Adil, Asad Ali, Samiullah Khan FALL OF WICKETS: 1-5 (Ali Waqas, 0.5 ov), 2-20 (Asif Ali, 3.3 ov), 3-22 (Ammar Mahmood, 4.3 ov), 4-56 (Khurram Shehzad, 9.3 ov), 5-130 (Mohammad Salman, 18.1 ov), 6-131 (Imran Khalid, 18.3 ov) bOWLING: KMdN Kulasekara 4-0-34-2,LHd dilhara 4-0-213,PLM Jayaratne 4-0-13-0,TAM Siriwardana 2-0-20-0,bAW Mendis 4-0-27-1,S Randiv 2-0-30-0 KANduRATA MAROONS 25 Wu Tharanga c Asad Ali b Ehsan Adil 0 SHT Kandamby lbw b Asad Ali KC Sangakkara† c Ammar Mahmood b Imran Khalid 44 HdRL Thirimanne* c Asad Ali b Ehsan Adil 4 LPC Silva st †Mohammad Salman b Imran Khalid 25 LHd dilhara run out (Ali Waqas/Ehsan Adil) 15 19 TAM Siriwardana b Ehsan Adil 0 KMdN Kulasekara not out 4 EXTRAS: (lb 2, w 2) 136 TOTAL: (7 wickets; 20 overs) dId NOT bAT: S Randiv, PLM Jayaratne, bAW Mendis FALL OF WICKETS: 1-14 (Kandamby, 1.6 ov), 2-43 (Tharanga, 7.2 ov), 3-55 (Thirimanne, 9.1 ov), 4-83 (Sangakkara, 14.1 ov), 5-108 (Silva, 16.6 ov), 6-130 (dilhara, 19.3 ov), 7-136 (Siriwardana, 19.6 ov) bOWLING: Samiullah Khan 3-0-15-0,Asad Ali 4-0-24-1,Saeed Ajmal 4-0-33-0,Ehsan Adil 4-0-26-3,Khurram Shehzad 1-0-90,Imran Khalid 4-0-27-2 MATCH dETAILS TOSS Kandurata Maroons, who chose to field POINTS Faisalabad Wolves 4, Kandurata Maroons 0 PLAyER OF THE MATCH Misbah-ul-Haq (Faisalabad Wolves) uMPIRES RK Illingworth (England) and vA Kulkarni Tv uMPIRE PR Reiffel (Australia) MATCH REFEREE AJ Pycroft (zimbabwe) RESERvE uMPIRE PG Pathak

however, with the pitch playing true, the ball came at a good pace to the bat. After bowling the first over from the Pavilion end, Kulasekara was taken off the attack and brought in from the City end to take the best advantage of the wind. The move worked immediately as Asif Ali was dismissed after he poked his bat out to an away going delivery. Ali was looking good with his wristy 10-ball 10 run play.

we are targeting the title, says Manzoor LAHORE STAFF REPORT

McCullum but a missed stumping chance from Parthiv Patel gave the Volts’ skipper a reprieve. With the runs coming at a brisk pace, Dhawan brought back Steyn in the hope of getting a vital breakthrough. The South African pacer gave his captain just that as Rutherford tried to guide a ball down the leg side but couldn’t get it past Patel behind the stumps. At this stage, the Volts were on 80 for two in 10 overs, needing 64 from the remaining half of the innings. With Ryan ten Doeschate and McCullum in the middle, the Volts would have enough reasons to believe that they would take their side home. But, a delightful googly from Mishra bamboozled Ten Doeschate to go on and crash onto the stumps. Jimmy Neesham walked out with Sunrisers hoping to pull things back and force a surprise victory. With a new batsman in the middle, Dhawan brought back Ishant.

Pakistan junior hockey team’s new head coach Manzoor-ul-hassan said on Thursday that his colts are going to win the title of Sultan of Johor Cup Invitational Junior hockey Tournament. “We have some players who also play for the senior national team, so we will be going in the tournament not only to play well but also to win the title,” Manzoor said before leaving for Malaysia. The tournament is scheduled to run from September 22 to 29 in the Malaysian city of Johor Bahru. South Korea, team is Great Britain, India, Argentina and hosts in good and defending shape and champions Malaysia will also be seen in i am very action during the hopeful of eight-day tournament. Skipper Mohammad a good Umar Bhutta said that show his team learned a lot from the new coach, which would help the team put up good performance. Umar said that his boys were eager to feature forcefully in the tournament. he said that he and his team would try their best to clinch the title. Pakistan will open their campaign against Korea on September 22 and the next day they will take on Great Britain. Squad: Mazhar Abbas, Amin yousuf, Mohammad Khalid, Mohammad umar bhutta (captain), Syed Kashif Shah (vice-captain), Mohammad Faisal Qadir, Mohammad Rizwan Jr, Mohammad Tousiq, Mohammad Kashif Javed, Ammad Shakeel butt, zohaib Ashraf, Muhammad umair, Mohammad dilber, Ali Shan, Mohammad Suleman, Arslan Qadir, Ahmed zubair, Ayub Ali.


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I don't gamble at all, all my life. I am only interested in sports. –Stanley Ho

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durhaM winS county chaMpionShip title DURHAM WON THEIR THIRD COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE IN SIX YEARS AFTER COMPLETING AN EIGHT-WICKET VICTORY OVER NOTTINGHAMSHIRE LONDON

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AIN washed out the third day’s morning session but when play resumed after lunch at Chesterle-Street, northeast county Durham’s headquarters, the hosts needed just 62 more runs to win with all 10 second innings wickets left. They took just 16 overs Thursday to reach their target, and although they lost Keaton Jennings and Scott Borthwick along the way, Mark Stoneman’s 35 not out saw Durham to victory, the opener sealing the title in style with a boundary off Paul Franks. Durham, captained by former

england batsman Paul Collingwood — one of several locally-produced players in their side — bucked the trend among county teams by opting to do without an overseas star this season. They also were without the input of long-serving coach Geoff Cook for much of the season after he suffered a heart attack. Durham’s latest Championship title to set alongside their 2008 and 2009 triumphs continued a run of success all the more impressive given it is only 21 years since they played their first match as england’s 18th first-class county. Victory in this match was all but assured after england seamer Graham Onions and fellow paceman Chris Rushworth shared six wickets between them as Nottinghamshire were shot out for just 78. having ended the first day on 207 for eight, with Collingwood 53 not out, Durham just did enough to get past 250 to claim a second batting bonus that meant a win would give them the title regardless of the result of nearest rivals Yorkshire’s match against Sussex. Collingwood, leading from the front, finished on 88 not out in Durham’s total of 256. Australia’s David hussey made a fifty in a much improved Nottinghamshire

auStralia could have loSt aSheS 5-0, SayS broad LONDON: England fast bowler Stuart Broad on Thursday dismissed claims by Australia coach Darren Lehmann that the tourists were unlucky to lose this year’s Ashes series. Lehmann said after England’s 3-0 victory that Australia could have won at least two Tests, after the third Test at Old Trafford fell victim to rain and the fifth Test at the Oval was ended by bad light. However, Broad believes that the series could just as easily have finished with an England whitewash. “Lehmann said it could have been

3-2 to Australia, but it could have been 5-0 to us,” he said, in comments reported by the British press on Thursday. “And anyway, that’s not how sport works, is it? It’s a resultsdriven business. Sure, Australia had chances to win Test matches in England, but they won none. That’s the bottom line.” Broad will be the focus of attention when the return series begins in Australia in November, after his contentious decision not to walk during the first Test at Trent Bridge. AGENCIES

second innings total of 246 but that still left Durham with a meagre victory target. had Durham asked for the extra half hour at Wednesday’s scheduled close,

something the umpires in any case would have had to authorise, they might just have had enough time to wrap up victory inside two days.

But given the huge amount of time left in the match, Durham decided there was no need to rush and their patience was rewarded on Thursday.

kohli aPPoiNted aS braNd aMbaSSador of bSf NEW DELHI AGENCIES Indian cricket team’s batting mainstay Virat Kohli will soon be appointed as the new brand ambassador of the country’s second largest paramilitary force Border Security Force (BSF). Kohli has been roped in by the BSF in order to bolster the appeal of the 2.5lakh personnel strong force which is primarily tasked to guard two crucial Indian borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh. The ace right-handed batsman will be honoured at a special event in the national capital and brought into the BSF family later this week, sources said. BSF chief Subhash Joshi and other senior officials of the force will officially welcome him as an ambassador even as the young cricketer will talk to the men and

officials of the force about his strides in the game and hardwork. This is the first time that a central paramilitary force has appointed a brand ambassador. A senior BSF officer said Kohli’s remarkable

achievements on the cricketing field and the forces’ indomitable work image for ensuring the security of the country will attract the youth of the country and evoke an appeal towards the working and dedication of the force. The 25year-old cricketer made his debut in a Test series against the West Indies in 2011 and is going strong since then including playing a vital role in India’s World Cup win in 2011. The BSF, under the command of the Ministry of Home Affairs, is also tasked for conducting anti-Naxal operations in the country besides rendering a variety of roles in maintaining internal security.

this is the first time that a central paramilitary force has appointed a brand ambassador

razzaQ, maliK hope to earn national team recall LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Senior cricketers Abdul Razzaq and Shoaib Malik have stepped up their campaign to earn a recall to the national team after Pakistan's dismal show in their recent tour to Zimbabwe. Pakistan lost second Test against a lowly-ranked Zimbabwe to level the twomatch series 1-1. They had also lost a game in the three-match ODI series earlier on the tour. With the axe likely to fall on a number of players, who were a part of the team during the Zimbabwe tour, both Razzaq and Malik have met with the caretaker chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Najam Sethi in Lahore and pleaded their cases. While Razzaq, after razzaq his meeting, told blamed reporters that he hafeez and had been assured of being given a Misbah for fair chance and him not be considered for getting a fair selection for the upcoming South chance from Africa series, the Malik said he just selectors informed the board and the selectors about his form and fitness. "I am not the sort of player who will sit on television channels and plead my case for selection. I believe in performing and letting the selectors do their task," former Pakistan

captain Malik said. Razzaq said he was keen to play for Pakistan again. "I have been involved in cricket and have been training regularly. I still have a lot to give to Pakistan cricket. The selectors have assured me of a fair chance and said 'I should go and concentrate on my game'," he said. Sources in the PCB said Razzaq had told Sethi that he had not been treated fairly by the selectors, who had ignored him for national selection since last September. Razzaq had publicly blamed the two

for his ouster from the team and for being continuously ignored after he last played in a World T20 Cup match against Australia in Sri Lanka in September 2012. The experienced allrounder was fined by the board and was cautioned last year after he told the media upon returning from Sri Lanka that hafeez should be questioned about his captaincy decisions. Razzaq had also refused to play for the Lahore Lions team in the last national super eight T20 tournament in Lahore because hafeez was captaining the side.

don't Sack MiSbah-ul-haQ, chanGe hiS captaincy approach, SayS Moin khan LAHORE: Insisting that stripping him of the captaincy won't do any good, Pakistan cricket team manager Moin Khan instead said the Test and one-day skipper Misbah-ul-Haq should change his approach. Former Test captain Moin met the caretaker chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Najam Sethi in Lahore and submitted his report of Pakistan's recent tour to Zimbabwe. "I don't think making changes all the time is good for our cricket. What needs to be done is to change Misbah's approach," Moin said. Misbah and head coach Dav Whatmore came under fire after Pakistan lost the second Test to a lowly-ranked Zimbabwe to level the two-match series 1-1. Pakistan had also lost a game in the three-match ODI series earlier on the tour. Moin, however, indicated that there were no intentions of changing Misbah or Whatmore for the forthcoming series against South Africa despite the hue and cry raised after the national team's disastrous performance in Zimbabwe. Moin said Misbah was ready to made amends. "I've spoken to Misbah and he is positive about bringing an improvement," Moin, who captained Pakistan in 13 Tests and 34 ODIs, said. Pakistan are scheduled to play three Tests, five ODIs and two T20 games against South Africa in October-November. Misbah has so far maintained silence on his future as captain and is scheduled to return home from India as his side Faisalabad Wolves failed to qualify for the main round of the Champions League Twenty20 2013 tournament. Misbah had flown straight to India from Harare after Pakistan had lost the second Test. An official in the Board, meanwhile, said Moin had been critical of the way Misbah and Whatmore had handled the team in Zimbabwe in his report submitted to the PCB. STAFF REPORT


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The more violent the body contact of the sports you watch, the lower the class. –Paul Fussell

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SwanSea, tottenhaM win europa cup encounters SWANSEA PRODUCED A REMARKABLE PERFORMANCE ON THEIR EUROPA LEAGUE DEBUT TO THUMP VALENCIA 3-0 IN SPAIN, WHILE TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR ALSO GOT THEIR CAMPAIGN OFF TO A WINNING START

wAtCh it Live PTV SPORTS ROYALS V MUM INDIANS CHAMPIONS LEAGUE T20

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button SayS ferrari SiGninG May backfire

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WANSeA'S Group A trip to the Mestalla was, on paper, the standout of all those played in the europa League on Thursday, but few could have

it was the perfect start and was important to score three points straight away

imagined it would be so one-sided. A Swansea side coached by former Real Madrid and Barcelona star Michael Laudrup and featuring six Spaniards, including captain Angel Rangel, punished opponents who played 80 minutes with 10

men to run out thoroughly deserving winners. Valencia were already wobbling before French centre-back Adil Rami was sent off with 10 minutes on the clock for hauling back Wilfried Bony as the Ivorian striker headed towards goal. Soon after, the lively Bony converted a Michu cutback to give Swansea the lead, and Valencia, who have lost their last three matches in La Liga, never looked like recovering.

braZil SayS it can’t handle world cup druG teStinG PARIS: With one lab suspended and its replacement unfinished, Brazil won’t be able to handle drug testing for the 2014 World Cup alone and is looking overseas for help, the executive director of the country’s anti-doping authority said Thursday. In an interview, Marco Aurelio Klein told The Associated Press that Brazil’s new drug testing lab in Rio de Janeiro should be up and running a year ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games. But it won’t be ready for the 2014 World Cup from June 12-July 13, he said. The existing Rio lab that Brazil was expecting to use for football’s showcase competition had its accreditation revoked last month by the World Anti-Doping Agency. WADA cited “repeated failures” by the facility. Without accreditation, the lab isn’t authorized to do WADArecognized anti-doping activities. Klein called the lab’s loss of accreditation a “disaster”. “Actually, it’s a problem of the

new building. The new building will be completed, will be ready, at the end of April, beginning of May of 2014. Of course, it’s no time for the World Cup because you need to move the equipment, the people,” he said. “But we have no problem for the Olympic Games,” he stressed. With the existing lab suspended and the new lab unfinished, Klein said Brazil now is proposing that accredited labs elsewhere set up branches in the country to oversee the testing of World Cup blood and urine samples. Under the proposal, the testing would still be done using Brazilian equipment and facilities but would be overseen by WADA-accredited labs from overseas, he said. He suggested that the WADA-accredited lab in Lausanne, Switzerland, could oversee the testing of blood samples. Brazil could turn to labs from Europe or the United States for help with the urine sampling, he added. AGENCIES

A section of the Valencia support staged a walkout in protest at their teams' recent form at the start of the second half, before Spanish duo Alejandro Pozuelo and Michu combined for the latter to double Swansea's lead after 58 minutes. When Jonathan De Guzman beat Vicente Guaita with a stunning free-kick five minutes later, the home supporters could only applaud, and Swansea might even have won by a greater margin. It was a stunning victory for a club that lost 8-0 to Monaco in their last european tie in the Cup Winners Cup in 1991. "It was a fantastic game," Laudrup said afterwards. "Of course the red card was an influence - but we dominated from the first minute to the last. "It could have been more than three and I'm very pleased to beat a club like Valencia. It was our fifth game in europe -- and we were facing a big team." The win was only the second by a Welsh side against Spanish opponents in european competition, after Cardiff City beat Real Madrid 1-0 in the Cup Winners Cup quarterfinal, first leg, in March 1971. Cardiff lost 2-0 in the return. having taken apart the 2004 UeFA Cup winners and two-time Champions League finalists, Swansea will next play host to St Gallen of Switzerland, who beat Kuban Krasnodar of Russia 2-0. Meanwhile, Tottenham also won by a 3-0 margin, although their victory against Norwegian top-flight strugglers Tromso in Group K was a little less dramatic.

SINGAPORE: McLaren’s Jenson Button said Ferrari may have inadvertently given a boost to their rivals by re-hiring former world champion Kimi Raikkonen to join current lead driver Fernando Alonso. Button, speaking ahead of Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix, said the decision was “great for us” and predicted difficulties at Ferrari as next season progresses. The 33-year-old Briton said rather than being a dream pairing, two-time world champion Alonso and “Iceman” Raikkonen, who won the 2007 title with Ferrari, may find it difficult to cooperate. “We’ll definitely be watching their situation,” Button told AFP. “Ferrari for many years has had two drivers in the team that have been very quick but when it gets to a point in the season, it seems one driver helps the other driver. “I don’t think that will be the case with Kimi and Fernando — I don’t think they’ll be trying to help the other driver. A guy that’s achieved what they’ve achieved will not want to be helping out his team-mate.” AGENCIES

bolt could postpone 2016 retirement plan ARIF-LED POA TRYING TO SEND JAMAICAN SPRINT ATHLETES TO ISLAMIC GAMES SENSATION USAIN BOLT SAYS, HE MAY NOT RETIRE IN 2016 AND IS ALSO HOPING TO COMPETE AT NEXT YEAR'S COMMONWEALTH GAMES IN GLASGOW LONDON AGENCIES

The six-time Olympic champion had previously suggested that he would bow out after the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, but he hinted that he could elect to continue in the sport for one extra year. "I think that my sponsors and everybody wants me to continue so I've really sat and

thought about it and maybe I will go on for one more year, and just make everybody happy," he said. "My fans also are saying I should go on, so I think I might do another year." Bolt also expressed enthusiasm to take part in the Commonwealth Games, having never previously competed in the quadrennial event for nations from the former British empire. he was due to compete in the 2006 event in Melbourne, two years before his global breakthrough at the Beijing Olympics, but had to withdraw due to a hamstring injury. "I have said to my coach that I would love to go to the Commonwealths," Bolt said. "It's something that I haven't done before. It's up to him, but I have said

fans are saying i should go on, so i think i might do another year

to him that I want to be a part of it. My coach will think about it and we will see what he says. I am not 100 percent sure. We will discuss and see what he says." Bolt was speaking at a book signing for his new autobiography, 'Faster than Lightning', which drew hundreds of fans to a department store in central London. The 27-year-old, who claimed gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m at this year's World Championships in Moscow, said he hoped the account of his personal trials and tribulations would strike a chord with readers. "For me it's all about inspiration," he said. "I want to inspire people, to let people know with hard work anything is possible, so for me it was just important to share my story with them.”It wasn't easy. Starting off was really hard and I had throughout my seasons -- even throughout my great seasons -- some ups and downs, injuries and stuff like that, so I have worked really hard to get back on top. "That's why I want to share my story, to explain to people that sometimes life throws curveballs at you, but you have to be strong and focused and just work hard at what you really want."

LAHORE

STAFF REPORT

After the government-backed Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) failed to send its contingent to Indonesia for the 3rd Islamic Solidarity Games due to the recognition problem, the Arif hasan-led POA is trying to send a slim contingent for token participation in the slots, starting at Palembang in South Sumatera on Sunday. The Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF) is in direct contact with the Arif hasan-led POA, a source close to the organising committee of the Games confided to ‘The News’ on Thursday. But because of the immense pressure from the government the contingent, which is not likely to exceed 15 people, may proceed to Indonesia in small batches. Departmental players are highly unlikely to become part of the contingent. Sources said that the Ministry for Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) had written to the departments not to issue NOC

to their players for featuring in the Games. This correspondent also learnt through highly reliable sources that the four weightlifters of WAPDA who are scheduled to depart for Indonesia on Friday (today) have not been issued NOC by their department. Abdul Ghafoor, Shehzad, Yasir Ali, Sufyan and coach Mohammad Ilyas are the ones whose entries have been confirmed. Normally departments issue NOC to their players a month or at least ten days before the team’s departure, but this time it seems that the weightlifters will not be issued NOC and their departure to Indonesia can be cancelled. WAPDA has previously supported Arif hasan as its players featured in the 32nd National Games in Lahore. This correspondent has learnt that Pakistan’s contingent would get their visas and accreditation cards on arrival. Swimming, taekwondo and karate are the other disciplines in which Pakistan is expected to participate in the spectacle, which will last till October 1.


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Saturday, 21 September, 2013

Published by Arif Nizami at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore.


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