SAT Issue 01

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Kasab The Movie PAGE 22

Year 1  Issue 1  Thursday, 21.07.11

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This issue is dedicated to those very brave journalists who paid the ultimate price in the pursuit of truth Journalists from South Asia who have paid the ultimate price

Benazir Bhutto: The Movie PAGE 23

Our special youth section, packed full of comment and opinions.

SEE PAGES 12-13

EXCLUSIVE

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Guess Who?

George Galloway writes for The Tribune

he media kaleidoscope has been shaken, its pieces are in flux. No-one knows how they will fall, but some things seem certain.

Rupert Murdoch will not be allowed to takeover BSkyB. He and his family and top executives just fail the “fit and proper” test - at least in a democracy.

David Cameron the prime minister

may be a friend of that family but no premier is going to lay down his political life for such friends. And thats what he would be doing.

To reward the outfit that hacked Milly Dowler’s telephone as she lay dying, and deleted messages to make way for other, potentially more newsworthy messages, inadvertantly causing her parents to think that she must be alive if her messages

were being deleted is inconceivable, surely?

The Public Inquiries - plural - the government has been forced to set up can only mean more trouble for the press.

The depths to which the Murdoch Empire sank may still have more capacity to shock than we realised Continued on page 2 >>

South Asia is a dangerous place to be a journalist. Since 1992, 39 journalists have been killed in Pakistan, 27 in India, 19 in Sri Lanka, and 22 in Afghanistan. Here are a few of the more notable and recent cases.

Syed Saleem Shahzad (3 November 1970 – 31 May 2011) was a Pakistani investigative journalist. He wrote extensively about the Taliban, Al Qaeda, the Pakistani military, and global security issues. He wrote for both national and international publications, and was the Pakistan Bureau Chief of Asia Times Online.

He was kidnapped on the evening of May 29, 2011, while en route to a television appearance in Islamabad.

He was found dead two days later, in a canal in northeast Pakistan, showing clear signs of having been tortured. Journalists in Pakistan immediately accused the Pakistan intelligence agency of his killing.

He leaves behind a wife and three children.

Jyotirmoy Dey (1955 – 11 June 2011) was an Indian journalist who wrote for the Indian tabloid Mid Day. An expert on the Mumbai underworld, he also wrote two books on the subject. He has done many reports on Indian mafia dons Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan, who have been implicated in international terrorist plots in addition to their underworld activities. Dey was shot to death on June 11, 2011 by four men on motorcycles. Investigations which are still underway.

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NEWS 440,000 crimes by suspects on bail NEARLY half a million crimes have been committed by suspects released on bail over the past three years as they are given the ‘green light’ to re-offend.

Ministry of Justice statistics show that between 2008 and 2010, 442,906 offences were committed while people were on bail from either the police or the courts.

Shipley Tory MP Philip Davies said, ‘That gives them a green light to commit more offences. If there are more offences to be considered that will delay their trial and unless they do something more serious then the offence they’ve already been charged with the likelihood is they won’t get anything added to ’ their sentence.

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 21 July 2011

George Galloway writes for Tribune << Continued from page 1 - on the basis that surely there can be nothing worse than hacking the telephones of Britain’s dead soldiers looking for stories?

But Rebekka Brooks the company’s CEO has told the workforce to brace themselves for as she put it, worse news to come. You’d have to be an imaginative person to begin to think what that could be.

But the Inquiry (s) will not stop at the News of the World. Had not these practices spread to the Sun? Its not far after all - they all worked under the same roof for the same employer.

And what about the rest of what we called Fleet St? Had these practices been somehow stopped at the barbed wire of Wapping? We shall see..

There is a role for subterfuge in journalism but there must be strict conditions. The editor must know and approve it - and take full responsibility for it. It must be deployed only where a clear “public interest” can be demonstrated and not, merely, something that would be of interest to some section of the public.

It can be used only in the full realisation that once public

knowledge the subterfuge will meet the test of public parliamentary and regulatory approval. The Daily Telegraph’s exposure of cheating MPs and their expenses met that test.

The News of the World hacking dead murder victims does not.

But in this rush to judgement on the press sight should not be lost of the vital neccessity of a free media, untramelled by censorship by state regulation by the government in the newsroom. That is the road to dictatorship.

Britain has some of the worst newspapers in the world. But it also has most of the best. The News of the World is dead, but.. Long live the news. Especially the news which is inconvenient to the rich and the powerful - like the news youre going to find every week in the South Asia Tribune.

Buckingham university has the best employment record of any institution, statistics show.

The equivalent data for the class of 2006 show that just over 71% were employed or combining work and study after six months. Nearly 62% of graduates were in work and a further 7% were combining work and further study, the figures show.

A total of 14.5% were in further study only, just over 3% were not available for employment and a similar percentage did not answer the question.

The latest figures show an improvement on last year when just over 66% were either in work or combining work and study, but indicate that the graduate job market has not yet returned to pre-credit crunch levels.

became British journalism’s most famous figure - but you never saw his face. He admits that when trying to break into journalism as a 17year-old he exposed a family friend

But he contends that ‘without members of the Muslim community willing to shop their own, and without investigative journalists joining the fight against terrorism, the world will be a less safe place.’

What has he to say about some of his more notorious ‘investigations’, such as the false allegations against men he alleges plotted to kidnap Victoria Beckham, his failure to entrap George Galloway, and his relationship with a Kosovan informer named Florim Gashi?

For over 20 years, he helped catch a string of big names like Sophie, Countess of Wessex, as she tried to cash in on her royal status while making a series of indiscreet remarks. Princess Michael of Kent also mouthed off as she served the Sheik tea and scones after he flew in by chopper to her country home.

No wonder GQ magazine listed the

Publisher Salah Bu Khamas (UAE) Sabha Khan (UK) UK Office 10 Courtney Road, Wembley, Middlesex, HA9 7ND UK Phone: +44 20 8904 0617 Fax: +44 20 8181 7575 info@satribune.co.uk India Office Satya Infomedia Pvt. Ltd. C/O Satya Group.

1st Floor, Avenue Appt., Near Sheth. R. J. J. High School, Tithal Road, Valsad - 396001 Gujarat, India Phone +91 2632 222209 / 222211 Fax: +91 2632 222212 Post Box No. 98 /108

when everything and anything was done in pursuit of the perfect crime news story. The allegations being made about dubious journalistic practices at the News of the World

United Arab Emirates Office S.K. Group of Companies P.O. Box 9021, Karama Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 4 2659970, 3359929; Fax: +971 4 2659971, 3341609 www.sk-groupofcompanies.com

Dubious journalistic practices made News of the World shut down

Group Managing Editor & CEO Mohammad Shahid Khan Director Finance / Marketing Burhan Jamil Group Editorial Managers Sanjay Kalvani (U.A.E ) Gulzar Khan (India) Abdul Khalique (Pakistan) Editorial Board UK Nayab Chohan (Editor) Frances Brunner (Assistant Editor) Reazul Islam (Production) FYI Tribune team Adrian Fellar Misbah Khan Reema Shah Rohma Khan Keziah-Ann Abakah Art Department UK Ali Ansar (Art Director)

Nearly 9% of 2010 graduates unemployed

NoW reporter Mazher Mahmood claims he has exposed crime, but the morally and ethically distasteful way in which he did it almost ruined lives of many innocent people.

The 168-year-old English newspaper, the News of the World, has finally published its last edition on Sunday. The newspaper is closing amid a major scandal over phone hacking and alleged payments to police officers, but once upon a time, journalists went even further to get the ultimate story. There was a time

are shocking and immoral if proven to be true.

“The good things the News of the World does have been sullied by behaviour that was wrong. Indeed, if recent allegations are true, it was inhuman and has no place in our company…The News of the World is in the business of holding others to account. But it failed when it came to itself,” said James Murdoch. The former news editor and current chief reporter of News Corp.’s News of the World newspaper in the UK have been arrested. “As a result, the News of the World and News International wrongly maintained that these issues were confined to one reporter. Mazher Mahmood

in Birmingham for video piracy. “My father was furious and threatened to throw me out of the house,” In Confessions of a Fake Sheik: ‘The King of the Sting’ Reveals All, “undercover supremo” Mazher Mahmood writes, “I was surprised by my father’s reaction; as a journalist himself, he had always wanted his two sons to follow him into journalism... But he claimed my work at News of the World had ‘blackened the family name’, ‘shamed the community,’ and that I would be seen as a ‘traitor’. He agrees that he has often suffered ‘a massive backlash from the Asian community, who regard me as a traitor for exposing my own people.’

Fake Sheik as Britain’s 45th most powerful man - ahead of Prince Charles.

The current allegations surrounding the News of the World including phone-hacking and reporters’ investigations into the families of murder and terrorism victims, as well as slain soldiers, can be seen in the light of the actions of hacks from 60 years ago.

He has been dubbed as ‘Britain’s most notorious undercover reporter.’ News of the World claimed he brought over 250 criminals to justice.

The News of the World published a story in May 1997 headlined ‘’Labour Continued on page 4 >>

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 21 July 2011

EDITORIAL A New Era Welcome to the exciting new concept of Saarc International News and the South Asia Tribune.

We aim to bring harmony friendship, understanding and cooperation between neighbours in South Asia.

We support the charter of the South Asia Association of Regional Cooperation as being an independent private company from Saarc International Ltd. We completely condemn all forms of terrorism in any name or ideology which seeks divide and destroy humanity.

We are friends on each border of the region, and we should think about uniting so that we can strengthen each other, because only through unity can we all prosper and grow as a community of nations in a free and fairer world.

We do not need nuclear weapons or a balance of power with the thought of destruction at any moment, rather we should live to appreciate tolerance, both religious and political. Through this we will all be an independent and united South Asia, like the European Union.

The News of the World Until now, everyone has been looking into hacking and the downfall of the Murdoch empire, but no one has looked at the already victimised and harrassed community that is Muslim under the name of the socalled war on terror.

For decades, one man has posed as a fake sheikh and has used other dubious tactics to bring shame to journalism.

This man - who is Asian- has contributed to the break up of fmailies and the destruction of many reputations from politics to business, to international and brought shame to the community, especially Muslims.

Some have already been the victim of so-called extremism, fundamentalism and jihadi slogans that he has used to paint a picture which is leading to the break up of the society as a whole.

We are determined under the banner of South Asia to being accurate and providing true stories, keeping journalism code of ethics and morals intact.

We will endeavour to keep to this simple and clear path so South Asians in Europe will always regard our newspaper as their own. Welcome!

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Comment Pakistan, China and Bin Ladin

nd so they scurry around in a vain attempt to save themselves by reaching out to embrace the Saudis who are as guilty as themselves in lust for Yankee pleasures.

The rich secularised westernized elite who control decision-making in Pakistan’s government as well as the Armed Forces have long looked down with disdain and contempt at scholars of Islam whom they scornfully dismiss as Mullahs! They control the Pakistani news media and use it to propagate and promote whatever is deviant, false and corrupt while steadfastly covering the truth.

They would be scandalized by our firmly-held belief that the Qur’an and Sunnah should play pivotal roles in the conduct of state as well as in the formulation of foreign policy; and they yet persist in the frivolous and absurd claim that the Pakistan over which they rule is an ‘Islamic’ Republic.

Deaf dumb and blind they have consistently found it expedient to ride (first class) on a USDollar (Green-Back) rainbow while traveling back and forth between Islamabad and Washington and formulating pro-American policies and taking pro-American decisions on matters pertaining to strategic affairs.

As a consequence they now have the blood of hundreds (maybe thousands) of innocent Pakistanis on their hands – killed in bombing raids still being conducted by US drones and by the Pakistan Air Force on behalf of their Zionist paymasters. An independent investigation will certainly confirm the innocence of the overwhelming majority of

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those so killed.

They consistently and disgracefully thwarted every effort that Muslims of Pakistan made throughout that country’s history to

Shiekh Imran Hossein

Tribune Comment enforce Allah’s Law which prohibited, among so many other things, Riba (i.e., money being lent on interest). They would most probably stare with uncomprehending eyes in response to any claim that the Pakistani Rupee, like all other paper money in the world today, is utterly bogus, fraudulent andHaram, and functions as an instrument of legalized theft of the wealth and sweat of the masses.

Time has now run out for them. The horrendous evil implications of their godlessness, their misguided conduct of state, as well as their evil choice of foreign policy now stares them in their bloated faces as the miserably poor suffering and enraged masses prepare to lynch them for their utter betrayal of both Islam and Pakistan.

The sense of desperation that was so clearly exposed in the recent comical American

announcement of the assassination of Usama bin Ladin in Pakistan indicates that those who have been waging unjust war on Islam for the longest while have now run out of options in their zealous irrational obsession to deliver to Israel the rule over the world.

It is now almost certain that they will exploit this so-called Bin Ladin event to launch a long-planned brazen attack on their so-called ally. The attack would be launched primarily for the purpose of destroying Pakistan’s nuclear weapons and nuclear plants so that Israel can launch without fear of any nuclear threat, her pre-planned wars to subdue the Arabs and Muslims.

But the attack on Pakistan would also be meant to lure China into a war to protect a Chinese-constructed (soon to be naval) port at Gwadar on the Pakistani coast facing the Gulf of Oman. In fact war with China would offer opportunity for USA to both demonetize the US dollar, as well as impose an oil blockade that would prevent China’s access to Arab and Iranian oil, thus delivering two crippling blows to the Chinese economy.

Is it possible that pragmatism will prevail, and that despite the recent Chinese declaration of support for Pakistan, China will accept the loss of Gwadar as well as massive investments in Baluchistan and stay out of a war with NATO when Pakistan is attacked?

If she does so however, China may well be eventually confronted with a US Naval Base in Gwadar as the first fruit that NATO will reap from an independent Baluchistan. Such a naval base would certainly reduce China economically and militarily to a status far less

than a super-power.

The diplomats and generals in Islamabad who have less than a passing acquaintance with the Qur’an and Ahadith are unlikely to have any knowledge of Islamic eschatology, and as a consequence they probably would not know of the end-time prophecy of Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) in which he prophesied an Islamic alliance with Rum (i.e., modern-day Russia). Nor would they know that the Prophet declared that the ‘horns of Satan’ were located in the Najd from whence the Saudi rulers have emerged. And so they scurry around in a vain attempt to save themselves by reaching out to embrace the Saudis who are as guilty as themselves in lust for Yankee pleasures.

The Qur’an has declared quite firmly that Allah Most High does not intervene to change the condition of a people, regardless of who they may be and how bad their condition, unless and until they, the people, bestir themselves to change their own condition (Qur’an, al-Ra’d, 13:11). As a consequence it should be clear that unless Pakistanis take immediate steps to rid themselves of their corrupt secular westernized political and military leaders, and then follow the sensible and intelligent examples of Turkey and Iran in attempting to build a collective strategic alliance with Rum (i.e., Russia), Pakistan’s moment of bitter truth would have arrived.

A Russian declaration of support for Pakistan similar to the Chinese declaration, will certainly force NATO to pause yet again in its never-ending quest to deprive the world of Islam of a nuclear deterrent.

The Enigma of Terrorism

he contemporary world has experienced unparallel advances in the field of technologies for the services and betterment of human kind. However, like all civilizations, these advances have created its own antithesis in order to block the road of this unbridled and unrivalled progress.

This antithesis in the present day emerged in the phenomenon of terrorism which has engulfed the entire world in no time. The traditional wars used to be fought on the battleground. However, the proponents of terrorism have very successfully changed the entire dimension of warfare.

Their war tactics rely more on implicit modes like gorilla warfare by carrying out terrorist activities on their targets. This change in tactic is understandable as these terrorist organisations are quite conscious of their own limitations. They understand the availability of unlimited resources and prowess in the hands of their rivals in traditional war. These groups attempt to carry out terrorist activities to bring maximum collateral and colossal damage on their rivals and simultaneously to avoid casualties on their part.

Anecdotally, these terrorist activities had always been on the scene with their boundaries restricted to individual countries such as those mainly concentrated in the

African, Asian and a few European states.

Besides, these organisations were mainly engaged in liberation movements and were targeting the installations of colonial powers, who have occupied their countries.

But the recent wave of terrorism is propelled by completely different motivational factors with religion providing the main fuel. This war is championed by a group of Muslims commonly known as ‘Al Qaida and Taliban’ which they have declared against all those who do not conform to their ways of life.

But why is Pakistan considered to be the place of choice and fertile breeding ground for raising this monster? This all started with the intervention of the erstwhile USSR into Afghanistan.

The 9/11 attack completely changed the entire dimension of this war as this was brought right into the heart of the only superpower and subsequently a horrific sequence of events started to unfold. First we saw the Iraq invasion, followed by war in Afghanistan. However, it would be far from knowledge to say at this time that these wars will end with a victory of one over the other in the foreseeable future.

Furthermore, we need to understand that these declared wars contain individual yet distinct meanings to their perpetrators, not very easy to understand. These meanings are deeply ingrained in the philosophy of the core belief system which they espouse.

Dr Tahir Saeed

Tribune Comment The complexity of this issue lies within the nature of belief in itself, as by definition beliefs are strongly resistant to change. And this belief is special in the sense that its edifice is built on the life hereafter. A very simplistic explanation of this belief system would be its focus on the rewards delivered in the hereafter which has a direct bearing on the surrendering of your wishes and desires in the present world. The more desires you wilfully forgo, the better place you will have in the hereafter is the underlying motivating factor of this belief system.

This carries a strong and very attractive message especially for people who are struggling in this world. These have-nots can easily be attracted to these messages as they can find some solace and consolation with a ray of hope for getting rid of their ultimate sufferings.

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This may be the only chance for them to have an ‘easy access’ to the blessings of Allah and have a comfortable life hereafter. So does this mean that these terrorists are mainly from only deprived classes? No, not all of them, as poverty and inequality can partly explain this phenomenon but could not be considered as the only and sole contributor.

There are other underlying issues such as injustices in the society, frustration, aggression, and of course the trends of the education system. Unfortunately, the education system in Pakistan has to be blamed entirely for not creating an environment whereby children are equipped with a philosophy of peaceful coexistence with various facets of culture, religion and race.

Children at school and at home are given proud accounts of such events as ‘the Battles of Pani Put’ and ‘the attacks of Ghaznavi on temples’ not realizing the serious consequences and the effects of this on a child’s developing self and its everlasting effects on the little psychological mind.

We need to teach our children how to love and remain peaceful by teaching them the philosophy of great Sufis and spiritual leaders such as Ameer Khusro, Data Gunj Bakhsh, Ajmer Sharif, etc. Readers!! It is left to you to decide what route you would like your next generation to take. tsaeed10@yahoo.com

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South Asia Tribune I Thursday 21 July 2011

Review from USA Newspapers Here is a review of the stories appearing in major American newspapers, concerning the affairs and the people of South Asia.

In the latest news, General David Petraeus, who has been heading the U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, handed over his command so he can become head of the CIA. He will be succeeded in his post by Marine General John Allen, who is credited for turning Sunni insurgents against al-Qaida in Iraq. Allen will be responsible for beginning the troop withdrawal in Afghanistan. Allen intends to maintain the intensity of the campaign despite the drawdown, which started earlier this month. He made a dig at Pakistan in a recent speech, saying that counterterrorism efforts were more difficult “when the enemy can exploit sanctuaries outside the country.”

A graphic video clip depicting the brutal firing-quad-style execution of 16 Pakistani men created a big stir in this week’s news. On the video, a man makes a speech in Pashto stating that the 16 are Pakistani policemen who are guilty of executing six children in Swat. The stony-faced men, hands tied behind their backs, are then gunned down.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is heading to India, her plans not deterred by the recent attacks in Mumbai. This visit represents a move on the part of the United States to cement bonds with India and its booming economy. Clinton hopes to cover a variety of topics, from expanding military and intelligence ties to educational and high-tech projects. Clinton is expected to urge India to build positive relations with Pakistan, in light of the tense relations

between Washington and Islamabad, and the drawdown in Afghanistan.

Mrs. Clinton’s visit is part of a 12-day trip in which she is visiting several countries, including Indonesia, Turkey and Hong Kong.

Former legal counsel for the CIA, John A. Rizzo, is being sued by three Pakistani tribesmen. The men are suing Rizzo for approving drone attacks, and it is alleged that he approved a monthly list of people to be killed. Shahzad Akbar, attorney for the tribesmen, is trying to get an international warrant for Rizzo. The suit is not expected to have an impact on the drone program.

The trial of Mohammed Wali Zazi is set to begin in Brooklyn. Zazi’s zon, Najibullah Zazi, was arrested for a planned attack on the New York City subway system in 2009. He had received training from al-Qaida in Pakistan in 2008. The elder Zazi is on trial for obstruction of justice and evidence tampering. It is alleged he lied to investigators and tampered with evidence to cover up his son’s thwarted plans.

In the latest news on the attacks in Mumbai, no group has yet come forward to claim responsibility, but experts say that the bombers were trained in the assembling and handling of explosives, and may have used timers to synchronize the bombs.

Investigations have been hampered by driving rain, making it difficult to gather evidence. Officials are refusing to speculate on the identity of the perpetrators, although a number of people are being questioned.

The man alleged to be responsible for the 2009 Sri Lankan cricket team has been freed on bail in Pakistan. Malik Ishaq was showered with rose petals

by his supporters as he left the jail.

Ishaq has been imprisoned since 1997 on a variety of terrorism charges.

Ishaq is a member of Lashkar-eJhangvi, notable for its struggle against Shiites. The group is believed to have been involved in a number of terrorist attacks in the Pakistani province of Punjab. Ishaq’s trial date has not yet been set.

A suicide bomber detonated a bomb hidden in his turban at the funeral service for the brother of Afghan president Hamid Karzai. Hundreds were gathered to pay last respects to Ahmed Wali Karzai. At least three people died in the attack, not including the bomber. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, possibly because it took place in a mosque. Although the president was not present at the service, having returned to his duties in Kabul, many high government officials were present.

Oommen Chandy, Chief Minister of Kerala in India, has his own solution for the people’s desire for transparency in government. He has installed a webcam in his office. Visitors to his website can view his chambers, and they can also look at the office where his staff members sit. The webcams are online 24 hours a day, and close to 300,000 people have logged on to watch the goings-on in Mr. Chandy’s office. India has been plagued by one corruption scandal after another, leading to a lack of confidence in public officials. Mr. Chandy’s webcam, although just a token, as there is no audio feed, has been well received, and some residents feel that live webcams should be put in other public places, such as police stations and welfare offices, and similar places

where officials demand bribes to do routine work.

The Indian state of West Bengal has signed an agreement which grants greater autonomy to Gorkhas, in the hopes of ending their often violent agitation for a homeland in the Himalayan foothills. The government of West Bengal has mediated the agreement with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, or Gorkha Peoples’ Freedom Front. Although this is a step in the right direction, activists still want to form their own separate state, and are waiting for a committee to be set up to discuss the issue.

More and more Indian students are applying to study in Canada, a country which is attractive not only because of the high standards of education, but also the lower cost of its universities and a more lenient visa system. The cost of living is also much lower. Many people want to send their children to Canada so they will be ready to meet the demands of the Indian economy, which will require many more professionals in coming years. The number of students granted visas to study in Canada has quadrupled since 2008.

Officials are continuing their investigation into the bombings in Mumbai, and new clues point to bombers who have had some training in making and handling explosives.

It is believed that timers were used to detonate the bombs, pointing to some level of sophistication on the part of the attackers. Investigators are considering every possibility, and every potential terrorist organization is being considered. The intelligence community has stated that there was no warning that the attack would occur, and the operation was carried

EU rejects restrictions News of the World shut down on Press TV Ltd. << Continued from page 2

Britain’s National Westminster (NatWest) Bank has frozen assets belonging to independent television production company Press TV Ltd. The European External Action Service (EEAS) has rejected Britain’s restrictive measures against independent television production company Press TV Ltd. Responding to a letter written to the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton about restrictions imposed on the

company, the EEAS confirmed on Wednesday that the London-based Press TV Ltd. ‘is not targeted by the UN Security Council’s sanctions against Iran.’

However, the EU department, which functions as the EU’s foreign ministry and is under Ashton’s authority, said it could not ‘influence the decisions of EU private operators taken in view of such restrictive measure.’

The long-awaited letter advised Press TV Ltd. to convey its complaint to the European Court of Human Rights.

MP in election bribe scandal’’. Govan MP Mohammed Sarwar went along with a false story to explain away allegations that he had paid a £5000 bribe to a rival election candidate.

In September 2004, he posed as a Muslim extremist to “expose” three men who were trying to buy radioactive material for a suspected Muslim terrorist group seeking to carry out attacks in the United Kingdom.

The men were later found not guilty following a trial at the Old Bailey, with the judge criticising the News of the World for not checking the credibility of the story before printing.

On 30 March 2006, the politician George Galloway claimed that Mahmood and an accomplice ‘sought to implicate me in what would be illegal political funding and sought my agreement to anti-Semitic views, including Holocaust denial’.

Galloway wrote to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Force, Sir Ian Blair, and the Speaker of the House of Commons about the incident, saying: ‘I believe this attempt to subvert the political process constitutes a breach of parliamentary privilege.’ In his letter to the Speaker’s office, Galloway also claimed that Mahmood had in the past deceived Diane Abbott and had sought a meeting with Jeremy Corbyn, both also prominent anti-war MPs. The News of the World tried to secure a High Court injunction preventing publication of photographs of Mahmood, even on weblogs, but was granted only a temporary injunction, which expired on 7 April 2006.

Galloway sought to thwart this tactic by brandishing a photograph of Mahmood during an interview on Channel 4 news. Mahmood’s name came into the limelight once again when, in August 2010, he posed as

out in a very clandestine manner.

In Bangladesh, Australian batsman Stuart Law was recently appointed head coach of the Bangladesh cricket team. Officials are hoping he will be able to pull the team up in the international rankings. Law signed a two-year contract.

The economic situation in Pakistan has become more complicated with the resignation of Shahid Kardar as head of the Central Bank. Mr. Kardar is the third person to resign from this position in the past three years, increasing the lack of confidence in Pakistan’s economic system. The government of Pakistan has been borrowing increasing amounts of money from the Central Bank to pay huge subsidies on oil consumption and other commodities. This move has raised annual inflation to about 13%. One criticism is that Pakistan’s elite pay some of the lowest taxes in the world, further increasing the deficit.

Zaveri Bazaar in Mumbai, scene of one of last week’s blasts, has been the center of the diamond trading market in India for the past two centuries. It is customary for the traders to keep the diamonds on their person, in small envelopes. Many traders lost their entire stock of diamonds, equalling thousands of dollars, in the chaos following the bomb attack. These traders are now demanding that the police provide more security, and that surveillance cameras be installed and monitored. They are also asking the government to make land available to them so that they can expand their facilities. It is estimated that 1.5 million people are employed by the jewelry industry in Mumbai alone.

the “Fake Sheikh” to expose a cricket bookie by the name of Mazhar Majeed.

Majeed claimed Pakistani cricketers Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif, Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal had committed spot-fixing during Pakistan’s 2010 tour of England; the team was accused of deliberately bowling three no-balls, in an incident that veteran Richie Benaud described as the most distressing revelation in his 52 years of watching cricket.

The immense pressure on tabloid journalists to ‘push the envelope’ and use every method necessary to get their scoop has not changed, as the current scandal shows. But the News of the World has not been the only culprit, and these are practices which have undoubtedly been systemic in the British tabloid world generally for decades. The situation now at the News of the World seems to be the straw that finally broke the tabloid camel’s back.

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Tragedy hits Shahid Afridi’s family

NEWS

aarc S

Full story on page 16

international

Friday, 24.06.11 saarc.co.uk

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister on page 16

US steps up push for aid recognition in Pakistan

REVIEW

ISLAMABAD: Desperate to win hearts and minds in Pakistan, the US has begun pushing aid organizations working in the country’s most dangerous region along the Afghan border to advertise that they receive American assistance.

The new requirement has disturbed aid groups, which fear their workers providing food, water, shelter and other basic needs to Pakistanis will come

Gen David Petraeus steps down as US commander in Afghanistan under militant attack if they proclaim their US connection.

This fear exists throughout Pakistan but is especially acute in the tribal region, which is the main sanctuary for Taliban and alQaeda fighters in the country.

But US officials in Pakistan are under increasing pressure from Washington to increase the visibility of the country’s aid effort to counter rampant anti-American sentiment that can feed support for militants targeting the West.

The focus on branding has become even more intense in the wake of the US Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden in a Pakistani garrison town on May 2. The covert operation infuriated Pakistanis and strained the relationship so much that the US decided to suspend $800 million in military aid to Pakistan.

Gen Petraeus handed over command to John Allen, a general who made his name in Iraq by striking alliances with Sunni leaders.

The handover took place at a change of command ceremony in

Kabul, just hours after a key adviser to Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, was shot in during a raid on his home in the capital.

Gen Petraeus, who served as commander of the US-led international force for one year,

has claimed some progress against the Taliban with NATO-led troops stabilising parts of the south as Afghan security forces prepare to take over.

The general is leaving to take charge of the CIA.

Kabul’s bodybuilders aim to be next Schwarzenegger The Afghan capital is a muscleman’s haven, with more than 200 gyms across the city and others sprouting up every day.

They are arguably a little primitive compared to the chrome-plated body temples of the U.S. and Europe. More than two decades after the end of the Soviet occupation, many of the gyms remain littered with bizarre and rusting machines from that era. Battered “gira” — a Soviet form of dumbbell resembling a cannonball with a handle — also remain common.

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Saarc international I Thursday 21 July 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF

AI crash victims to get compensation The families of victims of the Air India Express crash in Mangalore last year are entitled to a minimum compensation of Rs 75 lakh each, the Kerala high court held on Wednesday.

Suhail Hindustani arrested in cash for vote scam Delhi Police made the second arrest in the 2008 ‘cash-for-votes’ scam by taking into custody Suhail Hindustani, who had allegedly acted as a liaison between Amar Singh and BJP MPs who sought to be bribed.

‘US visa issuance to Indians good indicator of thriving ties’ For the past four years, Indians have received about half of all H-1B visas issued worldwide, and more than 44 per cent of all L1 intra-company transfer visas.

Mumbai blasts: Arrested IM agent bares pact with Taliban Crime branch officers, who arrested a key IM operative, Danish Riyaz, in June claim to have unearthed details of the joint venture between IM and Taliban.

Digivay demands probe of all terror groups Accusing RSS of spreading terrorism in the country, Congress leader Digivay Singh called for the investigation of all terror cells, including Hindu ones.

Hazare to seek SC support for fast Activist Anna Hazare will ask the Supreme Court to assure that the government doesn’t suppress his fast on the Lokpal issue. He is invoking his right to democratic protest.

CBI to interrogate Raja again on 2G Permission was given by a Delhi court allowing the Central Bureau of Investigation to requestion Andimuthu Raja and two others accused in the 2G scam case.

Terrorists can’t destabilise India Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters, “If the terrorists feel that they will be able to destabilise India, then they are utterly mistaken. We will overcome the challenge.”

Mumbai bombing condemned

by Obama US President Barack Obama led a strong American condemnation of yet another terrorist attack on India’s financial capital Mumbai.

Just Dance hosted by Bollywood heartthrob - HrithikRoshan, launched on the 18th of June globally on Star Plus has taken off to a fabulous start. This is the first time Star pulled out all stops to scout for talent internationally inviting aspiring dance Every Sattalents to showcase their moves on this global reality dance competition.

Sun 9:00 p.m.

US exposes ISI subversion E d i t o r i a l of Kashmir cause The Fifth Estate FBI arrests US-based lobbyist

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hen the state either fails its duties or oversteps its bounds, what recourse do the people have? The answer has been taking shape over the past few years - and the Mumbai blasts have made its outlines clearer.

Within a couple of hours of the incident, a spreadsheet was afloat on Twitter with the phone numbers and Twitter handles of hundreds of people who were offering aid to victims and their families of every kind - from blood to car rides and even air tickets.

The intersection of new media and social networking has been redefining our lifestyles for the past decade now. Mumbai has shown once again that when taken from the private sphere to the public, this shift towards a non-linear, all-at-once type of communication and processing of information can empower citizens to do what a lumbering, inefficient state often cannot.

The flip side of this paradigm shift - that it can also help citizens push

WASHINGTON: Federal authorities on Monday arrested a prominent US-based pro-Pakistan activist associated with the Kashmiri separatist movement, accusing him of funneling money from the Pakistani spy agency ISI to lobby US decision-makers.

In the process, the Obama administration’s law enforcement brigade also blew open the Pakistan and its spy agency’s two-decade long subversion of the so-called Kashmir cause.

The FBI swooped down on the Virginia residence of Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai, a well-known representative of Kashmiri

separatists in the US and detained him on charges of ‘’participating in a long-term conspiracy to act as agents of the Pakistani government in the United States without disclosing their affiliation with the Pakistani government as required by law.’’ Or simply put, he served as a frontman for ISI’s Kashmir agenda.

Another individual, Zaheer Ahmed, like Fai a US citizen, was also similarly charged, but he is at large and believed to be in Pakistan, according to US authorities.

The FBI affidavit alleges that, although the KAC held itself out to be a Kashmiri organization run by Kashmiris and financed

by Americans, ‘’it is one of three ‘Kashmir Centers’ that are actually run by elements of the Pakistani government, including ISI.’’ The two other Kashmir Centers are in London, England, and Brussels, Belgium.

Indian-origin girls get top honours at Google Science Fair

Air India to get Rs 532cr for VVIP flights

Two Indian-origin girls have emerged winners at Google’s inaugural Science Fair, impressing thousands at the internet giant’s California headquarters with their projects on ways to improve ovarian cancer treatment and bettering air quality for the benefit of asthma patients.

NEW DELHI: Financially troubled Air India got a small breather on Monday when a group of ministers set up for the airline cleared payment of Rs 532 crore to the Maharaja on account of the VVIP flights operated by it.

The airline, whose combined debt, losses and dues are almost Rs 87,000

Indian stock returns as good as China’s: Bank of Montreal Even as critics at home talk about an Indian economic slowdown and policy paralysis, a top Canadian bank is urging investors to enter the Indian market to benefit from the world’s second fastest growing economy.

India’s economic march is unstoppable and Canada should be a key partner in its growth, said speakers at the roundtable organized by the Bank of Montreal (BMO), one of the top five banks in Canada.

“We believe that the ongoing impressive expansion of the Indian economy will mean continued strong returns for those seeking to invest in its markets,’’ said Serge Pepin, head of investments at BMO Investments Inc, at the CanadaIndia Trade and Investment Media

Roundtable.

He said, “India offers long-term returns on stocks that are as good, if not better, than China’s. India is still quite under-invested. It has the potential for growth that China has already had.

Stressing the importance of ongoing talks between the two countries to sign a free trade agreement, Canada-India Business Council president Rana Sarkar said India and Canada should continue the momentum to reach the deal.

“80 % of the India of 2030 is not yet built. Something very profound is happening, with growth taking off over the next decade. This is the chance for Canadian investors and businesses to get access to the opportunities this brings,’’ Sarkar said.

crore at present and needs Rs 6,000 crore immediately to survive, also got an in-principal approval from the GoM for equity infusion of Rs 1,200 crore this fiscal. Apart from VVIP flights, AI was given the Rs 532 crore relief for evacuating Indians from Egypt. Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee-led GoM discussed the airline’s poor financials.

back at an oppressive regime - has become equally clear. In the Middle East, social networking sites have played a crucial role in the Jasmine Revolution, and before it, the Iranian uprising. The evidence was there at Egypt’s Tahrir Square when Hosni Mubarak faced the wrath of crowds numbering over 50,000, gathered via online communication to protest and eventually put an end to 30 years of dictatorship. In Syria, Facebook is being used to facilitate ‘secret hospitals’ where injured protesters are given medical attention by a band of doctors who are keeping their identities concealed for fear of arrest. The most significant aspect of this kind of information flow is that it bypasses the traditional middlemen who control conventional media altogether. It comes from and through the ‘aam admi’, and in the process, empowers the people.

Immediate, immense and impactful, social networking websites may just be on the way to becoming the fifth estate.

Mumbai blasts: FIR filed against two suspects

UP police have ordered a probe by the STF into the mysterious call from Iran to a meat trader, offering him money to engineer blasts in the city.

India begins construction on new nuclear plant

RAWATBHATA, RAJASTHAN: Moving ahead with its nuclear programme India on Monday began construction of its 25th atomic power plant.

Harbhajan slaps notice on Dhoni The off-spinner and his lawyers have served a legal notice over a commercial for McDowell’s No. 1 Platinum featuring Dhoni.

The McDowell’s No. 1 Platinum commercial shows Dhoni ridiculing Harbhajan’s role in a commercial for rival Pernod Ricard’s Royal Stag.

McDowell’s No. 1 Platinum and Royal Stag are competing whiskey brands, coming in the same price band.

Since liquor brands are not allowed to advertise in India, the surrogate commercials are for McDowell’s No. 1 Platinum soda and Royal Stag cricket gear, respectively.

Harbhajan’s lawyers have sent the legal notice to top UB Group officials including its owner Vijay

Mallya on Saturday (July 16), stating that the McDowell’s No. 1 Platinum commercial makes a mockery of Harbhajan, his family and the Sikh community.

The legal notice seeks an “unconditional public apology to Bhajji’s family in all widely read newspapers as well as television channels prominently” and withdrawal of the commercial within three days of receiving it.

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Saarc international I Thursday 21 July 2011 X Factor gives every individual an opportunity to showcase their talent regardless of age, background. The widely popular X Factor - which now has versions in every country and boasts of a unique format which allows every contestant over the age of sixteen to enter the auditions

WEEKLY REVIEW OF

It’s a virtual treasure trove at Prasanthi Nilayam A virtual treasure trove running into tens of crores of rupees was unearthed at the Poornachandra Auditorium, erstwhile residence of the Sathya Sai Baba, besides in the Yajur Mandir complex.

2G case: Court allows CBI to Editorial quiz A. Raja, two others Little learned from 26/11

B

Redress system in place, order recalled The Supreme Court has recalled its order directing the Defence Ministry to set up an armed forces grievances redress commission after the Centre informed it that a comprehensive mechanism has in place.

Union Home Minister unaware of surveillance Union Jome Minister P. Chidambaram was unaware that the office of Union Finance Minister Pranb Mukherjee was being bugged. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stated that it wasn’t necessary to inform him.

Dey murder weapon may have come from Nepal Mumbai Police Commissioner revealed that the gun used to murder journalist Jyotirmoy Dey may have come from Chhota Rajan’s network in Nepal.

PM Singh fields reporters’ questions PM Manmohan Singh answered questions on a variety of subjects, including scandals, unearthing black money, and asked them to consider the ‘world of uncertainty’ under which the United Progressive Alliance was operating.

Tata Motors obtains stay in land return deal The Supreme Court granted “interim protection” to Tata Motors. Farmers seek the return of land after Tata Motors abandoned plans to build a factory.

A Delhi court on Monday allowed CBI to interrogate afresh former Telecom Minister A. Raja and two other accused in the 2G case in the Patiala House court complex.

U.S. wants IAEA to vet Indian liability law Adding a new element to the ongoing Indo-U.S. nuclear saga, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday “encouraged” New Delhi to “engage” with the International Atomic Energy Agency to ensure that the Indian nuclear liability law “fully conforms” with the international Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC) for Nuclear Damage.

Indian officials told The Hindu that any suggestion that Indian law would have to be adjusted on the basis of the IAEA’s opinions was not acceptable. The Agency was only the depository of the CSC — essentially a clearing house for countries filing their ratification of the treaty — and can have no role in vetting a sovereign law.

New Delhi considers the Indian

liability law to be in conformity with the CSC and is committed to ratifying the Convention before the year is out.

The U.S., on the other hand, thinks Section 17(b) of the Indian law, which expands the scope of the operator’s right to compensation from nuclear suppliers in case of an accident due to faulty equipment, violates the CSC. U.S. companies have also opposed Section 46 of the Indian law, which implicitly allows accident victims to file tort claims.

Indian officials maintain the CSC cannot proscribe the operation of ordinary tort law in India and that the only forum which can pronounce the Indian law incompatible with the CSC is the Indian Supreme Court and not the IAEA.

Tripartite accord for Darjeeling hill council signed

SIT on black money is judicial overreach: Centre The Centre asked the Supreme Court to recall its order directing that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) be formed to probe the black money case. It described the order as ‘judicial overreach.’

Vote-buying scam probe shoddy: court The Supreme Court reprimanded Delhi Police for its shoddy probe into the July 2008 cash-for-vote scam in Parliament. Justice Aftab Alam said, ‘We are not satisfied with the status report.’

21 killed, 141 injured as terror strikes Mumbai Blasts rocked crowded areas of Mumbai, killing 21 persons and injuring 141. The powerful blasts, caused by IEDs (improvised explosive devices), occurred at Zaveri Bazaar, Kabutarkhana, and the Opera House.

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elieve it or not, in the hours since the murderous terrorist bombings in Mumbai, the ruling dispensation has been busy congratulating itself on the robustness of its counter-terrorism policies.

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi told journalists in Bhubaneswar that the United Progressive Alliance’s police and intelligence reforms had succeeded in stopping “99 per cent of terrorist attacks” — a claim startling for its arithmetical precision as much as its empirical innocence.

Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram underlined the fact that there had been no terrorist strike on Mumbai since November 2008 — even though there is no evidence that policing deterred a single planned attack.

He explained the absence of intelligence this time by noting that the perpetrators of this carnage had “worked in a very clandestine manner.” Responses like this are of a piece with a longstanding official tradition: after each tragedy, cities are promised that gaps in policing will be filled, and lavishly praised for their spirit of resilience.

The same resilience marks the lives of peoples in Karachi or Beirut, surely not models we should emulate.

The unpleasant truth is that the much-vaunted police modernisation effort the government began after 26/11 has just not delivered.

Not one of the five urban terrorist attacks that preceded the latest Mumbai bombings has been solved.

India’s intelligence services believe all these attacks are linked — and probably carried out by different modules of the Indian Mujahideen, the Lashkar-e-Taibaaffiliated group responsible for bombings that claimed hundreds of lives between 2005 and 2008. Key leaders of the Indian Mujahideen escaped a successful police crackdown in 2008; the testimony of the

Pakistani-American jihadist David Headley has corroborated earlier suspicions that several remain active in Pakistan, harboured by elements of its intelligence services.

Indian intelligence operations targeting these networks remain deficient.

Emergency response capabilities have not improved significantly since November 2008. In Mumbai on Wednesday, the injured were evacuated, like cattle, on trucks and other readily-available transport; hospitals ran short of blood; traffic snarled and rumours proliferated.

Mr. Chidambaram has correctly pointed out that India is located in one of the most dangerous regions in the world. That makes it all the more imperative to develop the capacities our police and intelligence services desperately need: better training, better skills, better working conditions.

Instead, the focus of the post26/11 effort has been on raising special forces and acquiring cutting-edge technology, assets which the existing system simply does not have the foundations to use to good effect. It is disturbing that two years after 26/11, India does not have a national centre of excellence for education in investigation and intelligence-gathering, a world class centre that can produce trainers for State police forces.

The nation’s counter-terrorism establishment needs to stop focussing on appearing impressive on television, and buckle down to the task of serious, system-wide reform.

Police seek permission Terror infrastructure to quiz Amar Singh, is still intact, says BJP Ashok Argal The Bharatiya Janata Party

The historic tripartite agreement for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was on Monday signed to resolve the vexed Darjeeling problem amidst protests and bandhs in the Terai and Dooars areas.

After the arrest of Sanjeev Saxena in the cash-for-votes scam over the weekend, the Delhi Police have approached the Union Home Ministry for permission to question Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh and Lok Sabha member Ashok Argal of the BJP

has strongly condemned the serial terror attacks in Mumbai Wednesday night, saying, “We have to take even more effective steps against terrorists. The infrastructure of terrorists remains intact.’’

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Saarc international I Thursday 21 July 2011

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Mumbai blasts: FIR filed against two suspected HUJI militants An FIR was on Monday filed against two suspected Harkatul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI) members on charges of violating the Foreigners Act even as police were probing.

CID orders inquiry into death of Faiz Maharashtra DGP Parasnis ordered a CID inquiry into the death of a man who died in police custody while being questioned about the Mumbai blasts.

Ahmedabad man arrested with bombs Police in Ahmedabad conducting the search of a home discovered ten bombs and bomb-making materials. The man was turned in by his wife. Others are being interrogated in the case.

Digvijay can’t rule out Sangh in blast BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad condemned a statement by Digvijay Singh that he hasn’t ruled out Sangh nationalists as responsible for the Mumbai blasts. Prasad said such remarks could destabilise the nation.

Narendra Modi says Centre weak on terrorism Modi said that if Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel were alive today, terrorists would have been hanged by now. He accused the Centre of being weak on terrorism.

Raj Thackeray helping divisive forces: BSP Criticising MNS chief Raj Thackeray blaming migrants for spurt in crime rate in Mumbai, BSP on Friday alleged that he was helping divisive forces through his “irresponsible” comments.

India successfully launches GSAT-12 India successfully launched its latest communication satellite GSAT-12 onboard a powerful variant of homegrown Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C17, from the spaceport.

Omar: Don’t make premature accusations Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today criticized BJP, who blamed Pakistan for the bomb blasts in Mumbai.

Abdullah said that investigations should be completed before laying blame on any party.

Congress engaging in secret talks with KCR The Congress high command is said to have engaged in private talks with Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrasekhar Rao in private talks.

Andhra Pradesh is a sensitive area due to the continuing issue of statehood.

India, US join hands to fight Indian restaurant adjudged best cyber crime, sign MoU South Asian restaurant in UK

With Internet becoming a new tool for terrorists, India and the US on Tuesday today decided to promote closer cooperation and timely exchange of information to fight cyber crimes.

According to a statement by the US Embassy here, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard.

The agreement was signed by Jane Holl Lute, Deputy Secretary for the US Department of Homeland Security

At least 6 suspects involved in planting explosives: Maha ATS Maharashtra ATS, probing the 13/7 serial blasts, believes that at least six newly recruited terrorists could have been involved in placing the explosives at three sites and also suspect that they might have links with Gujarat and West Bengal.

(DHS) and India Department of Information Technology Secretary R Chandrashekhar.

The MoU will establish the best practices for exchange of critical cyber security information and expertise between the two governments through the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERTIn) and the US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT).

CERT-In is the India’s nodal agency for responding to cyber security incidents.

No nod for cops’ London trip, so CCTVs got stuck

A critical electronic surveillance project to install 5,000 CCTV cameras across Mumbai, proposed after the 26/11 terror attacks, has remained stuck because some Mumbai Police officers wanted to visit London to study the system being used there, but the state government was not in favour of the trip.

The most powerful Indians in 2011 The 2011 Indian Express power list has 30 new names. That’s less churn than in our 2010 power list, which had 36 new entrants. But look closer,

the churn this year is more intense.

The top 30 in this year’s power list and their ranks tell us a big

story — power has partly shifted, from a weakened government to a stronger Opposition and watchdog institutions, from India Inc. to sophisticated activism.

There are establishment figures who are far less or far more powerful this year compared to 2010. Therefore, the usual order could no longer apply when we picked the names. And it’s not just in the top 30, there are some fascinating changes elsewhere on the list. These big changes were what our jury — excluded from this list — sought to identify when they sat down to the tough job of picking the 100 most powerful people in a country of 1.2 billion.

More treasures found at Sai Baba’s chamber More treasures were found today as an inventory being made of articles inside the Poornachandra Chamber, one of the personal chambers of the late Sathya Sai Baba in Yajur Mandir, continued for the second day.

“During the inventory process yesterday, officials found 34.5 kg gold, 430 kg silver besides cash worth Rs 1,90,53,899,”media coordinator of the trust A Anantharaman said.

The inventory was conducted at the second building of Yajur Mandir and four rooms of Poornachandra Chamber in the presence of Anantapur district collector V Duradas and other revenue officials.

An Indian eatery in Britain has been adjudged as the best South Asian restaurant in the country.

‘The Taj Mahal’, a popular restaurant in St Leonards, South West of the UK, has won the Lyca Tiffin Cup 2011, a competition held every year to find the best south Asian restaurant in the country.

The competition is held by the Lyca Tiffin Club, which was established to celebrate culinary diversity.

The restaurant boasts of having an open kitchen where the presentation of the gourmet meals

can be viewed live.

The Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow presented the award to the head Chef of the hotel, Maheshwari here last night.

“The Taj Mahal’s objective is to provide high quality affordable food without compromising on taste,” the chef said after receiving the award.

Keith Vaz, an Indian-origin Labour MP, who launched the Tiffin Club seven years ago said: “South Asian restaurants have made a fantastic contribution to the British food industry.”

We will continue to press Pak ‘hard’ on terror : Clinton

admitting that counter-terrorism was ‘first and foremost’ on its minds after last week’s Mumbai bomb blasts, the US today pledged ‘full’ support to India’s efforts to protect itself from terror attacks, and said it will press Pakistan as “hard” as it can on terror.

Sports:

Business:

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is unlikely to use the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) in its upcoming ‘home’ series in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

According to the Express Tribune, the board’s 140.5 million dollar deal with its broadcaster (Ten Sports) does not include the provision of the technology.

The deal will expire in 2012. The International Cricket Council (ICC) Executive Board had earlier made the UDRS mandatory for Tests and ODIs. With the contrasting timeline of the host broadcaster’s contract, the ICC had also recommended that the member boards should keep the provisions of the UDRS technology in mind when signing a fresh contract.

Milind Deora has been given the charge of the Telecom Department and his peer, Sachin Pilot, will take care of IT and Postal issues.

Last week, the 34-year old Deora, a two-time Congress MP from South Mumbai, had taken charge as Minister of State for IT and Communications.

Minister for IT and Communications Kapil Sibal has decided the responsibilities of both Ministers of State, official sources said.

While taking charge, Deora had said there is scope for improvement in the telecom sector, while emphasising on maximising telecom penetration in the country. He had said he would identify the areas which require improvement.

PCB unlikely to use Newly appointed Minister of UDRS for ‘home’ State for IT and series in UAE Communications

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Sketch won’t be published; man dies in jail Police have prepared a sketch of a suspect in the Mumbai bombing, which will not be released to the public. Also, Fayaz Usmani died in hospital after being questioned.

His family alleges torture.

Petitioner in temple vault case dies

World on edge as US on the brink

Big-name inmates fear jail van High profile inmates in Tihar, including Suresh Kalmadi, V.K. Verma, and Lalit Bhanot have expressed fear of being transported in the jail van. They fear being attacked by other inmates.

Terrorists may have used safe house near blast sites Investigators believe the terrorists who planted the bombs in Mumbai may have used a safe house near the sites to manufacture the explosive-a deadly cocktail of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil.

CBI interrogates again in 2G Andimuthu Raja and two others will be interrogated again by the Central Bureau of Investigation regarding their involvement in the 2G scam.

Counsel objects because the bureau hasn’t disclosed the questions.

ATS to question suspected IM members Widening its probe into Wednesday’s serial bombings, Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorist Squad is planning to question suspected members of the Indian Mujahideen regarding their involvement in the terror attack in Mumbai.

Lawyers protest, Jaya skips function Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa didn’t attend a function at Madras High Court today. A section of lawyers protested her sharing the dais with judges, stating that it was not appropriate in light of her recent summons in a disproportionate assets case.

PM says Govt will work to prevent future attacks Prime Minister Manmohan Singh forcefully condemned the ‘barbaric’ bomb blasts in Mumbai, and promised to tirelessly work to apprehend the guilty parties and inflict swift justice.

Home secretary : IEDs were sophisticated Union Home Secretary Singh said that the improvised explosive devices used in the Mumbai attacks indicate some level of sophistication. The Maharastra Anti-Terrorist Squad, police and forensic teams are investigating.

Editorial

July 17, 2011 : Police cover Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Trivandrum, Kerala - AP T.P. Sundarrajan, whose legal battle led to the opening of the long-shut vaults of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple here where priceless treasures have been found, died in the wee hours today.

A bachelor, Sundarrajan was 70. He had been suffering from fever for the last two days, relatives said.

A former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, Sundarrajan had also served in the Intelligence Bureau and security staff of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He later quit IPS and settled down here.

It was Sundrrajan who initiated the legal battle for transparency in preservation and protection of the assets of the temple, managed by a trust under the erstwhile Travancore royal house.

The case took a decisive turn with the

Kerala High Court in February ordering the state take over the temple.

Later, the Supreme Court, while considering an appeal by the trustees, ordered interim stay of the High Court decision but asked the temple cellars to be opened and the priceless wealth stored there, whose value was believed to be over Rs one lakh crore, to be inventoried.

Following this, a seven-member panel of observers including two former Judges of the Kerala High Court was formed to go about the job of opening the secret chambers.

Sundarrajan, whose father was a legal advisor to Travancore royal family, had been staying in a house close to the temple complex for the last few decades.

The Supreme Court had on Friday reserved its interim orders on the question of permitting inventory of one more vault of the temple which is yet to be opened.

Business: AI faces Rs Police prepare 67,000 crore worth suspect’s sketch, losses and debt man dies in custody Facing a massive cumulative loss and debt burden totalling about Rs 67,000 crore, Air India hopes the government would take an expeditious decision to infuse more funds to boost its rapidly dwindling financial position.

What is worse is that the ailing national carrier would have to repay a whopping Rs 20,415 crore worth of loans before the end of this fiscal year.

If it defaults, the amount would invite loan loss provisioning which the banks may oppose, official sources said.

Latest estimates show that the ailing carrier was facing a net cumulative loss of Rs 20,320 crore between April 2007 and March 2011.

Its debt burden stood at Rs 46,950 crore - Rs 20,185 crore worth of aircraft loans, Rs 22,165 crore working capital loans and over-dues of Rs 4,600 crore.

Its cumulative loss and debt burden comes to a whopping Rs 67,270 crore.

To overcome this financial rut, Air India is seeking an upfront equity infusion of Rs 6,600 crore from the government for immediate relief and another Rs 5,736 crore to fund cash deficits spread over ten years till FY 2021.

Looking for clues, Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorism Squad has fanned out teams to various locations across the country and prepared a sketch of the suspect based on eyewitness accounts. In a related development, Fayaz Usmani, brother of 2008 Gujarat blast suspect, Afzal Usmani, died in hospital after being questioned by police in connection with the blasts in Mumbai. The postmortem report says that he had a heart attack and there were blood clots in his brain.

Assam on high alert after train bombing A massive alert was sounded on Monday across Assam after the overnight separatist bombing that derailed a passenger train and left more than 100 people injured, 20 of them critically.

Business: AI faces Rs 67,000 crore worth losses and debt

This coming week will be critical both for America’s economic future and also for the already struggling fragile global economy. A miffed US President, Mr Barack Obama, has set the American Congress a July 22 deadline to decide on raising the statutory debt ceiling so that the government can borrow to pay off its debts and not default on existing liabilities.

He would like to reduce the deficit from between $1.7 trillion and $4 trillion in the next 10 years, while raising taxes to boost revenues, but many Republicans — particularly those elected with “Tea Party” movement support — are adamant on not burdening the rich with additional taxes. By law, the US national debt cannot exceed a ceiling of $14.29 trillion, which it has already reached, and which can only be raised by Congress. The Republicans want a saving of $2.4 trillion, but with no new taxes. As is usually the case wherever there is a financial crisis, it is society’s most vulnerable sections which are hit first. Since May, when this ceiling was reached, the government has stopped payments to some federal pension schemes and liquidated some assets elsewhere. If the ceiling is not raised

by July 22, Medicare and unemployment benefits in the US could face cuts.

The world is watching with trepidation as both parties in the US Congress trade charges and indulge in name calling instead of putting their country first. The Moody’s credit rating agency has already put the US on negative watch, while Standard & Poor has warned that it would cut America’s triple-A rating (AAA), that it has enjoyed since 1917, to D (the bottom) — as they have little confidence that an agreement would be hammered out by the

squabbling Congressmen in time. It is worth remembering that these rating agencies had not hesitated to reduce Greek bonds to junk even though that country had not yet defaulted in payments.

They are, however, going a lot softer on the US, still the world’s largest economy — around which almost every country’s trade revolves. If the US were actually to default on payments to its creditors, it would be a devastating commentary on the state of American politics and the state of its finances.

It is felt in some quarters that such a situation will never materialise; that the Republicans are famous for their brinkmanship and have done this before when Washington almost had to down shutters some months ago. They have been giving President Obama a hard time at almost every opportunity.

This is not a crisis of Mr Obama’s making: he had inherited massive debts from his predecessor, who merrily blew up money on unnecessary wars and lavish military contracts, while at the same time cutting taxes on the rich with abandon. It is estimated that almost 60 per cent of the deterioration in US finances is due to the contraction in revenues following the economic slowdown, and 40 per cent due to the stimulus package, which the government had to announce as the private sector was not spending. The global financial markets are not very optimistic about America at this juncture, particularly creditors who are apprehensive about repayments.

Moody’s was the first to raise the red flag, jolting America and much of the world. China, which is America’s largest creditor, is urging Washington to act to protect investors’ interests.

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10

Saarc international I Thursday 21 July 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF

Bhullar, Afzal, Kasab must be hanged : Gill Former Punjab DGP KPS Gill said the death sentence given to Devender Pal Singh Bhullar by the Supreme Court and rejection of his mercy petition by the President of India was being politicised by the parties keeping in view the assembly elections in Punjab though people of the state were against terrorism.

Mumbai: Clues from CCTV aid police Surveillance cameras have yielded solid clues in the Mumbai blast case, and sketches of suspects are being prepared. A frame-byframe analysis is in progress.

CM doesn’t want to disarm police Chattisgarh CM Raman Singh doesn’t want to disarm the special police officers who constitute Salwa Judum. Although the Supreme Court has ordered it, he is concerned with the safety of the officers.

India launches new satellite A new GSAT-12 communications satellite was launched, which will improve the availability of transponders for a variety of communications uses, including telemedicine and tele-education.

Gorkhas get more autonomy E d i t o r i a l in Bengal Maximum restraint Mumbai carries on

T

July 18: Ending two decades of uncertainty in the Darjeeling hills, a historic tripartite agreement for a new council with more powers was signed today even as the West Bengal government ruled out any division of the state.

Business:

Consumer Affairs ministry for a ceiling of 49 pc July 18: The Department of Consumer Affairs while broadly supporting the proposal to allow FDI in multi-brand retail has suggested that the FDI level should be restricted to 49 per cent.

Terrorist attack in Mumbai: three blasts Three simultaneous blasts rocked Mumbai, targeting Zaveri Bazaar, the Opera House, and Dadar.

The explosions left 21 dead and injuring 141. No group has claimed responsibility; police are interrogating suspected terrorists.

Kumar: I will punish corruption Pradeep Kumar, the new commissioner of the Central Vigilance Committee, pledged to fight corruption on all levels. He said that prosecution must not be used to settle personal scores.

ble behaviour when the July 2005 blast shook Britain. The media did not overreact.

Mumbai is repeatedly targeted perhaps because the impact here is the maximum both in terms of casualties and media publicity. In fact, no city is safe, given the haphazard growth, crowded and chaotic bazaars and lanes littered with randomly parked vehicles everywhere.

Once the dust settles down, the government will be — and should be — held to account for the frequent loss of innocent lives. The anti-terrorism strategy needs a review. A lot has been done but there are still shortcomings: shortage and poor training of policemen and lack of Centre-state intelligence coordination.

A National Intelligence Grid was proposed after 26/11 but it is yet to materialise. Some people see the grid as an affront to privacy. Some of the people who make maximum noises at terrorist attacks are also those who resent security checks. If the US has avoided another incident after 9/11, it is partly because their VIPs willingly submit themselves to police searches. The public mindset here needs a change.

’84 riots: Sajjan Kumar denies charge of inciting mob

Delhi Police blamed for careless probe Delhi police were criticized by the Supreme Court for its sloppy investigation of alleged bribes paid to MPs for the trust vote taken in the Lok Sabha in 2008.

Clinton will brief India on Taliban talks Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit India on July 18. Planned topics include counterterrorism, the nuclear program, the U.S. dialogue with the Taliban, and American draw-down strategy in Afghanistan.

(L-R): Gorkha People’s Liberation Front supremo Bimal Gurung, Home Minister P. Chidambaram and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee after signing an ‘historic’ deal. — PTI

he general reaction to Wednesday’s three blasts in Mumbai, coming after 31 months of the 26/11 attacks, has been one of restraint, which is remarkable. Despite the grave provocation, Mumbaikars have kept their cool and resumed normal life, defeating the terrorist design of targeting the city’s social cohesiveness and peace. Since the immediate investigations were inconclusive, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister did not jump to conclusions or point a finger at Pakistan.

However, BJP leader L.K. Advani could not hold himself. He blamed the UPA policy on terrorism and questioned the rationale of pursuing Indo-Pakistan talks. Rahul Gandhi could have kept quiet to avoid the kind of response he has got.

The terrorists got ample support from TV channels, which gave Mumbai nonstop coverage accompanied by visuals of the devastating happening and unguarded comments. This is certainly not the opportune time for fault-finding.

Let the public in general and the grieving families in particular first come to terms with the tragedy. The police needs public support, not criticism.

Londoners set an example of responsi-

Congress leader Sajjan Kumar (C) leaves after appearing in a court in connection with the 1984 riots’ case, in New Delhi on Monday. He vehemently denied the allegations that he had incited a mob to slaughter Sikhs. He emphasised that he did not even visit the area of occurrence of the crime on the fateful night. — PTI

US committed to N-deal : Hillary Dey murder: New Delhi, July 19 : Even as she described Pakistan as a key ally in the fight against terrorism, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today expressed Washington’s frustration with Islamabad for its failure in bringing to justice the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

The US has forcefully made it clear to Pakistan that it has a special obligation to “transparently, fully and urgently” bring the masterminds of the Mumbai attacks to justice. “Obviously, there is a limit to what both the US and India can do but we intend to continue to press (Pakistan) as hard as possible,’’ she said at a joint press conference with External

Arms supplier arrested

Affairs Minister S M Krishna at the end of the second India-US strategic dialogue here.

Asserting that counter-terrorism was “first and foremost” on Washington’s mind after last week’s Mumbai bomb blasts, she pledged “full” support to India’s efforts to protect itself from terror attacks.

July 19 : Deepak Sisodia, who allegedly provided weapons to the murderers of journalist J Dey, was arrested today by a joint team of Mumbai and Kumaon police at Haldwani in Uttarakhand. IGP (Kumaon region) RS Meena said Sisodia was nabbed on the lead provided by Satish Kalia, one of the accused in the case.

Hillary reaches India for talks

New Delhi, July 18 : US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived here tonight on a three-day official visit to hold the second India-US strategic dialogue with External Affairs Minister SM Krishna tomorrow.

India’s Tour of England

‘Fletcher advantage for India’ July 18: England’s middle-order batsman Ian Bell feels Duncan Fletcher’s

presence as the coach will be a massive advantage for Team India in the upcoming Test series against England. England batsman Ian Bell

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11

Saarc international I Thursday 21 July 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF

Sri Lankans in UK protest against Channel 4 War-torn North gears The protesters carrying placards shouted slogans calling Channel 4 activities against Sri Lanka as unethical, malicious and biased.

Independent observers noted that there were over 3,000 Sri Lankans took part in this protest which lasted for four hours.

‘Sri Lankans in the UK’, a broad, volunteer coalition of Sri Lankan associations and individuals in Britain held a massive demonstration on Sunday against the Channel 4 TV, which produced and broadcasted a documentary, named “Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields”, in front of the TV station in London.

The protesters carrying placards shouted slogans calling Channel

Money-laundering warning from India

After cautioning Indian markets about possible money laundering and terror-funding risks from Iran and North Korea, market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is to issue a warning for funds from eight more countries, including Sri Lanka.

We don’t need advice from other countries

President Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday that the government had no intention of taking advice from Europe or any other power to resolve the country’s problems.

up to restore democracy

4 activities against Sri Lanka as unethical, malicious and biased.

Some of the placards read “Channel 4 creates hatred between Sinhalese and Tamils”, “Sri Lanka Killing Fields C4 Contract for

LTTE” and “Channel 4 Official LTTE Mouthpiece”. Independent observers noted that there were more than 3,000 Sri Lankans took part in this protest which lasted for four hours.

Amnesty to recover 500,000 unlicensed weapons The survey had also revealed that most of the unauthorized firearms are in the hands of underworld gangsters and police said weapons were a major obstacle in the maintenance of law and order in the country.

A recent survey reveals that a staggering 500,000 unlicensed firearms are circulating in the country and according to the police the government is expected to declare an amnesty for the handing over of these weapons. Police said island-wide raids would be carried out at the end of the amnesty to

recover the unauthorized fire arms.

The survey had also revealed that most of the unauthorized firearms are in the hands of underworld gangsters and police said weapons

staggering 500,000 unlicensed firearms were a major obstacle in the maintenance of law and order in the country. Police said the use of unauthorized firearms had spread throughout the country during the war.

Elections will be held for 16 Pradeshiya Sabhas and three Urban Councils in the Jaffna district, three Pradeshiya Sabhas in the Kilinochchi district and one Pradeshiya Sabha in the Mullaitivu district.

Sri Lanka’s Northern Province is preparing to restore democracy in the war-torn land when local government elections are held next Saturday, July 23, after a lapse of three decades, to elect members for 23 local bodies.

Elections will be held for 16 Pradeshiya Sabhas and three Urban Councils in the Jaffna district, three Pradeshiya Sabhas in the Kilinochchi district and one Pradeshiya Sabha in the Mullaitivu district.

Elections for two Pradeshiya Sabhas in the uncleared areas of the Mullaitivu, Puthukudiyiruppu and Maritime Pattu, have been postponed due to the delay in demining process.

All major political parties, ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UFPA), major opposition party United National Party (UNP) and major Tamil party Tamil national Alliance (TNA) are contesting for all local bodies.

According to Jaffna Government Agent Mrs. Imelda Sukumar all arrangements are in place for over 43,000 voters to cast their ballots on Saturday. The government agent has said that measures have been taken and security has been tightened to ensure free and fair election.

The Commissioner of Elections has

sent a three-member team of election officials from Colombo to the North to meet government officials, election officers and representatives of political parties to ensure that all election laws are observed.

The ruling UPFA and the Tamil party TNA are both conducting aggressive election campaigns in the North where the government has poured in billions of dollars for the post-war development.

Political analysts in the country say that voters are divided between the ruling party, which provides the much needed economic development in the region to uplift the livelihoods and living conditions, and the TNA, which is fighting to ensure the freedom and rights of the Tamil community.

In addition to the polls in the North the Sri Lankan voters will be casting their ballots elsewhere in the country to elect members for 42 local bodies.

According to the Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya, 5,688 candidates are contesting for 875 slots in 65 local bodies. A total of 2,630,985 voters are eligible to cast their votes at 2,226 polling booths.

Sri Lanka held elections for 234 of the 335 local authorities in the country on March 17 this year. Elections for 34 localities were not held due to the hosting of Cricket World Cup and elections for another 67 councils were postponed due to legal challenges against rejection of nominations.

southasianmedia.net

Umar files case against Establishing ties with Israel President at PG’s Office is unacceptable : Dr. Mauroof

Dismissed Deputy Leader of the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), Umar Naseer has filed a case against President Mohamed Nasheed at the Prosecutor General (PG)’s Office.

He files case for his alleged irresponsible speech regarding drugs in his address on the International

Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. “(Drug addicts) need it (drugs). They need to use. They must use. We have to come to know and understand this,” the President said in his address on the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. In light of this statement, Umar Naseer said in a letter addressed to PG that the President Nasheed trivialized the issue of drug abuse in this speech and consequently encouraged the youth and the drug addicts to abuse drugs.

He said that President Nasheed was known for his stance to decriminalize drug abuse and show compassion towards the act. He said that it is ridiculous for the President of a Muslim country to make such statements.

Deputy President elect of the Adhaalath Party, Dr. Mauroof Ahmed has said that strengthening relations with the Zionists State of the Jews is unacceptable.

Dr. Mauroof said that this in his address to visiting foreign

dignitaries at the inauguration of the 2nd National Assembly of the Adhalaath Party held in Dharubaaruge yesterday evening.

Speaking at the assembly, Dr. Mauroof said that establishing relations with Zionist Israel,

which is challenging the United Nations and Muslim countries and continuously perpetrating such inhuman and ruthless crimes against the innocent and helpless people of Palestine, would wipe out Islam from the country and negatively affect general welfare and peace of the people.

The Deputy President of Adhaalath Party said that the will fully support the government in the Maldives’ journey to democracy.

Dr. Mauroof said that the party will however never compromise the Islamic religion in this journey to democracy.

Furthermore, in his address Dr. Mauroof said that Adhalath Party is the fastest growing political party in the Maldives.

Work displayed in this page is a review of Daily Mirror for Srilanka And southasianmedia.net for Maldive. The information on this page is for information purposes only. The South Asia Tribune and SAARC International Ltd. assume no liability for any inaccurate, delayed, or incomplete information, nor for any actions taken in reliance thereon. The full story can be viewed at www.tribuneindia.com & www.southasianmedia.net

12

Saarc international I Thursday 21 July 2011

Bin Laden was not Al-Qaeda Adrian Fellar

S

ince I can recall the reports of the global media, the organization known as “Al –Qaeda” has dominated headlines and its deluge of terroristic activity has delivered a combination of a deathly blow to the security systems of the international community; terrorism has tested how effective our security mechanisms are and has exposed lapses in these mechanisms, especially at “Intelligence” levels.

Yes, the notion that this cartel of organized terror is harmful to international peace is well accepted. Nonetheless, ten years after the United States and the United Kingdom launched “Operation Enduring Freedom” in October 2001 (with the stated goal of “dismantling” Al-Qaeda and eradicating the group from their base in Afghanistan), the goal posts have shifted further apart and the ideal of establishing peace in the politically-turbulent East has become an increasingly difficult aspiration to realise.

One cannot help but feel that the War in Afghanistan has only strengthened the terror organization and its purpose; it has given AlQaeda a greater platform from which to sow its misconstrued gospel. From all the bloodshed and the loss of innumerable lives, peace in the region surrounding Afghanistan and Pakistan has not been procured. Now it is heard that Obama and Cameron are planning to soon

withdraw troops from the country of Afghanistan. Withdrawing troops prematurely could potentially cause more damage than good; this would be similar to being on a course of antibiotics, stopping the course before all the bacteria had been killed and allowing the microorganisms to grow back with more potency.

Thus the USA and UK risk taking few a steps in the backwards direction and, more importantly, risk jeopardising the safety of the Afghan nation.

Another issue for Governments opposed to Al-Qaeda is that the ideology of the organisation has now spread throughout the world, primarily focusing on the Middle East and the Horn of Africa. The ideology of Al-Qaeda, its mission, has been so successful in appealing to young sympathisers who are disgruntled with the way in which the West has dealt with the issue.

Herein lays a grave danger! If the terror organization can continue to inspire youngsters, of a similar age to us, it will have accomplished to unlock a sinister fountain of youth that will always be willing and more so fit to carry out the dreadful work that must be done.

We ourselves as

privileged teenagers must feel sorry for these impressionable young men as they are normally enlisted at the age when they are in their formative years (the commencement of the teen years) – a stage during which the mind is very volatile and open to various beliefs. These young people are simply seeking what we have and often take for granted: peace.

Unfortunately they believe that the only way to secure their wishes is by force. If history has taught us anything it is that very little is brought about by force or by warring. The World Wars may have been avoided if all conflicts started with Potsdam Conferences before resorting to the use of weapons.

Even though its founder and initial leader, Osama bin Laden, is

SPORTS

DEBATE “Too technical to touch” Keziah-Ann

T

he twenty first century has bought with it the invention of some incredible and some not so incredible things .For example you have the EBook, Self-Service tills and Nintendo Wii’s [the incredible stuff] and then you have Books, Bicycles and customer service [the not so incredible]. Or is it the other way round?

If there‘s one thing our generation can be credited for it’s the clarity in which we have been shown how life is supposed to be lived. Why turn the pages of a book when you can scroll down a screen which can store thousands of books you can switch between at a moment’s notice?

So what it if it will draw you short of a hundred pounds and then some, just think of how much easier reading will be. Why exercise patience and queue to pay for something when you can use a supersensitive machine which nine out of ten times leaves

you looking like a Moron because it doesn’t detect what you’ve scanned a mishap follows and then your left waiting for someone with superior knowledge to come help you out.

So what if that machine is replacing a job which could be filled by one of the thousands of unemployed, the rates of unemployment won’t go down but the rates of easy living will sore.

Why enjoy Mother Nature? Why learn to pick yourself up after you fall down when you can literally knock down your fellow man from the comfort of your own home. So what if your belly expands further than the belies of your peers just think of how comfortable you’ll be.

We’ve now been raised in a society where the most paramount of all our concerns is how easy and comfortable we can make life. No one wants to live in a world where you must strive for something when it is accessible at the touch of a button.

Every twenty for hours equals the

said to be interred at sea, his legacy continues to be embodied in the organization. The American president, along with many others, may have thought that with bin Laden out of the way Al-Qaeda would begin crumbling internally.

Yet, the organization has shown its true ingenuity by proving to be a heavily-decentralised group – thus if the head of the organization were to be dispensed with, the other bodies within the group can still continue. Contrary to popular belief, bin Laden was not Al-Qaeda: he was merely its face.

We as the future generation of this planet are surely to inherit this issue. To any budding Foreign Secretaries or Prime Ministers, we must all accept that although routing out Al Qaeda carries much gravitas, it is not paramount.

Rather we must look to nullify its influence on the innocent and impressionable youth.

They see no other alternative – we need to step up as an international community and offer another way out of this calamitous cycle.

Then we should look to rebuild the regions which have so terribly been scarred by events, building bridges to empower people. If politicians in the West do not change their strategy on Al-Qaeda, who will? In the grand scheme of things we can only hope that we, the future of this world, can succeed in putting an end to this organisation’s reign of terror.

sum of a day and in that sum of the day somewhere in the world another product to aid the leisurely lifestyle we mankind crave is born. Be it a phone where the screen can be touched as opposed to straining our fingers in the act of pushing a button.

Be it a device where thousands of songs can be transferred in a matter of seconds as opposed to making a strenuous trip down to HMV [which might I add is going bankrupt] and purchasing a CD. Or be it a Robot designed and structured to look identical to human beings as opposed a little thing I like to call procreation.

The fact is everyone wants to live a life where you don’t have to work anything the generations to come will not learn what it means to strive for what they want. Video tapes, Cassettes, Books and even CDs will be objects classified for Area 51. The next time you get a chance put on Transformer or good old I Robot.

Then ask yourself...

Has technology gone too far or far enough?

CRICKET : England beat Sri Lanka

England innings 268 for 9 (50.0 overs) Sri Lanka innings 252 all out (48.2 overs) FOOTBALL : England's Women out of world cup after losing to France 1-1 (3-4 penalties) TENNIS : Andy Murray beat Gilles Muller to seal victory for Great Britain in their Davis Cup BOXING : Former two-weight world champion, Ricky Hatton announces retirement at the age of 32

Saarc international I Thursday 21 July 2011

ENTERTAINMENT

PROFILE Shabir Khan (Born 10 November 1985) is an English-born Pakistani international footballer who plays for Worcester City, having progressed through their youth system. He joined Gloucester City on a one month loan deal in December 2006.

Club career Born in Worcester, England, to a Pakistani background, Khan came up through the youth system at Worcester City, and broke into the first team in 2004, making his debut against Cambridge City in February that year. On 7 December 2006 he joined Gloucester City on loan. He made his debut for the tigers on 9 December 2006 in a 2–0 defeat to Cheshunt.

International career Khan was called to represent the Pakistan national football team for the SAFF Cup 2009 in Bangla-

The must see movie of the summer…

desh in December 2009.

Honours Worcester City • PASE Youth League Northern Division (1): 2003–04 • Worcestershire FA Youth Player of Season (1): 2003–04

By Reema Shah

SUPER 8 In the summer of 1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries to uncover- something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.

Director by J.J. Abrams from his original script, the Amblin Entertainment and Bad Robot production film is produced by Steven Spielberg, Abrams and Bryan Burk.

The film stars Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Ron Eldard, Noah Emmerich, Gabriel Basson, Joel Courtney, Ryan Lee, Zach Mills and Amenda Michalka Super 8 is at Cinemas August 5.

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By Misbah Khan

Dear Miss R, My dad got a job in a different city and we plan on moving. My parents already decided on a new school. It’s very different from the school I’m currently attending. The curriculum’s harder too. The reason my parents put me and my brother in this tough school because of one word: scholarship. They think it’s easier to get one because this school’s curriculum is great. I know they want me to have a good future and I completely understand that however I just turned 14 and have not given my future a thought. I thought I could just do what I love but they’re not really stable jobs. I just don’t want to disappoint my parents and fail in life. They really want me to become a doctor or open my own business, but I am scared of the sight of blood and am awful at business. What do you think I should do? Do what I want and fail in life or do what I hate and have a steady future?

From, Anon To, Anon At 14, you don’t have to make up your mind about a career right now. You may think you have to choose between doing what you love (and failing in life) and doing what you hate (and having a steady future). It’s okay to not know what you want to do with the rest of your life at 14. There are also a lot of options besides what your parents want you to do and the jobs you want right now. One of them is probably something that’s stable, but that you would also enjoy, but you definitely have time to figure out what that is. For now you should just try to do well in school and keep an open mind about what you might be interested in.

Yours Truly Miss R

14

Saarc international I Thursday 21 July 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF

US ‘encouraged’ by IndiaPakistan dialogue: Clinton Clinton held talks with India’s national security adviser and foreign minister and will later meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

$10bn of US financial support unaccounted for First Asian hockey

Champions Trophy from September 3

Sufi Mohammad charged with murder, treason A court on Monday charged a radical cleric, who once brokered a Taliban peace deal in the Swat valley, with treason and murder, lawyers said.

Drone victims seek CIA arrest ISLAMABAD: Relatives of victims of a covert US drone war against Al-Qaeda in Pakistan on Monday filed a complaint with police in the capital, seeking the arrest of a now retired CIA official.

Israeli weapons coming into Karachi: Malik Rehman Malik said that foreign elements are playing a role in the deteriorating situation in Karachi.

UN removes 14 Taliban from blacklist Fourteen Taliban members have been removed from a UN blacklist to support Afghan efforts to engage a reconciled Taliban in a dialogue that will foster peace and security in Afghanistan.

MQM files petition The MQM filed a petition asserting that it would be unconstitutional to abolish the local government system.

Zardari : Mirza’s remarks uncalled for President Asif Zardari warned Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza, who made remarks maligning Urdu speakers, causing mass protests and leaving seventeen dead.

Around $10 billion of US financial support provided over the past 10 years is missing in Pakistani official calculations.

According to the US Congressional Research Service, $18.76 billion was disbursed to Pakistan for losses incurred in the war against terrorism, but Pakistani officials claim to have received only $8.76 billion, including the military’s share of $1.63 billion.

The records in Islamabad show that the country has filed claims of only $13.3 billion, speakers at a discussion on `The US assistance to Pakistan: A critical appraisal` held on Friday at

the South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (Sassi) said.

They said there was a discrepancy of about $6 billion in claims by

This money cannot be accounted for both governments because the US reimbursed Pakistan for amounts that had not been claimed.

“This money cannot be accounted for and perhaps the US can best explain where it was spent when Pakistan never asked for it,” the institute’s Director

Business

Pakistan seeks financial adviser for Iranian pipeline project

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has invited expressions of interest (EOI) from national and foreign banks for the construction of a proposed $1.2 billion pipeline to pump Iranian natural gas to the energy-starved country, government officials said on Tuesday.

The Inter State Gas System (ISGS), a company set up by the government to act as project manager, has set a deadline of August 20 for the submission of expression of interest (EOI) from the banks for financial advisory services, according to a document published on Tuesday.

Military aid cut due to reduction in trainers The Foreign Office said that the U.S. cut $800 million in aid over Pakistan’s reduction in the number of U.S. military trainers, and all operations should be suspended at Shamsi air base.

CIA vaccination trick kindles fear in parents Officials are concerned that the vaccination program used as a cover for CIA intelligence gathering might prevent parents from having their children immunized.

Petraeus and Kayani meet in Islamabad Gen. Petraeus & U.S. commander Lt. Gen. John Allen met with top military leaders in Pakistan.

Petraeus will be the new head of the CIA.

Pakistan’s tour of Europe was a waste : Samiullah KARACHI: Hockey legend Samiullah Khan slammed the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) for not making use of the team’s trip to Europe by fielding a large number of tried and tested seniors.

“Pakistan hardly gained anything

from the tour of Europe with 80 per cent old players in their lineup,” Samiullah told APP in an interview on Tuesday.

“PHF wasted a golden opportunity to test and groom young talent against the European teams and build them for London 2012.”

General Dr Maria Sultan said.

The brief, prepared against the background of the recent suspension of $800 million US military aid to Pakistan, was based on comparative analysis of US congressional reports and Defence authorisation bills, and Pakistani economic surveys and annual reports.

LAHORE: Pakistan will face Malaysia in the opener of the first men’s Asian Hockey Champions Trophy to be held in China from Sept 3 to 11.

Secretary Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Asif Bajwa said besides Malaysia and Pakistan, India, China, Japan and South Korea are the other teams scheduled to participate in the continental contest. Meanwhile, the organisers also announced the schedule of the Asian Champions Trophy.

Matches schedule: Sept 3: South Korea v Japan, India v China, Pakistan v Malaysia.

Sept 4: Japan v India, South Korea v Malaysia, Pakistan v China.

Sept 6: China v Malaysia, Pakistan v Japan, India v South Korea.

Sept 7: Malaysia v India, China v Japan, Pakistan v South Korea.

Editorial

A

Pakistan-India talks

S tragic as Wednesday’s triple blasts in Mumbai were, no headway has as yet been made into to identify the perpetrators. What is welcome, though, is that the Indian government has ignored the knee-jerk reactions of some of the hawks in the opposition and the media who have pointed a finger of blame at Pakistan without evidence, and has decided to go ahead with the foreign ministers’ talks scheduled later this month.

In an atmosphere where terrorism has often derailed the peace process, it is a positive sign that India has risen above the blame game. The shift in the Indian policy was highlighted

by Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao who, speaking in a television interview earlier this month, said that Pakistan had ‘altered’ its stance on terrorism and that disengaging with Islamabad after the November 2008 Mumbai attacks had not been a productive course of action.

Following the earlier Mumbai attacks, Pakistan-India relations had hit a new low as Pakistanbased militants were accused of masterminding the atrocity. It took a meeting between prime ministers Yousuf Raza Gilani and Manmohan Singh in the

Bhutanese capital of Thimphu on the sidelines of a SAARC summit in April 2010 to melt the ice. Another positive step was the meeting in Mohali on the occasion of the Pakistan-India cricket World Cup semi-final in March. Talks between the interior secretaries, which took place around the same time, kept the momentum going while the foreign secretaries’ meeting in Islamabad last month paved the way for the upcoming foreign ministers’ meeting. However, the last time the foreign ministers met in Islamabad in July 2010, the meeting was far from successful.

The bottom line is that the peace process must continue.

Neither government can afford to play into the hands of nonstate actors. Meanwhile, if, for argument’s sake, a link to Pakistan is established, it would be best to handle the matter at an official level rather than indulging in mudslinging or engaging in media diplomacy. A firm date for the meeting should be announced and it is hoped that bold decisions on ‘less contentious’ issues-such as Siachen and Sir Creek-are taken at the ministerial meeting in Delhi. This is also an excellent time to focus on a joint anti-terror mechanism.

Work displayed in this page is a review of The Dawn. The information on this page is for information purposes only. The South Asia Tribune and SAARC International Ltd. assume no liability for any inaccurate, delayed, or incomplete information, nor for any actions taken in reliance thereon. The full story can be viewed at www.dawn.com

Saarc international I Thursday 21 July 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF

“CIA to resume activities in Pak; 87 visas approved” WASHINGTON - CIA will resume its normal operations in Pakistan in return for the US spy agency sharing with the Pakistanis more information, according to The Washington Post.

The Four Man Show on Prime TV (Friday) 20:00 UK- 21:00 EUR The show is sharp and witty aindepicying our shortcomings as a nation with a flip side to it! For them

US to ‘hard’ press Pakistan on terror

Benazir’s cousin kills real brother A cousin of former PM and PPP Chairperson Shaheed Benazir Bhutto killed his younger brother in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh here on Monday. According to details, cousins of Benazir Bhutto, former Nazim Union Council Ashfaq Bhutto had a land dispute with his younger brother Aftab Bhutto.

Aqueel under one-day remand Tight security surrounded the court appearance of Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) MNA Anjum Aqeel, He surrendered or was apprehended after being sprung from jail when his supporters stormed the police station.

Tehran: Zardari discusses currency trade Meeting with Ahmedinejad in Iran, President Zardari proposed exchanging currency to strengthen bilateral trade, a proposal he has also made to Turkey, Sri Lanka and China.

Control of Shamsi must be ceded: Senate The Senate committee on foreign affairs ordered that Shamsi Airbase be reclaimed from the U.S., currently using the base for operations.

Relations improving between gov’t, MQM Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ebad plans to resume his position as Governor of Sindh.

The party will not rejoin the government, but the move represents a turning point in relations between the PPP and the MQM. Haqqani : US and Pak need one another Pakistan’s Ambassador to the U.S., Husain Haqqani, denies that the partnership between the two countries has declined. He stated that they need each other, and share many ties in common.

Last chance to respond : LHC Lahore High Court Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed expressed anger over the delayed reply by the federal government to a petition requesting an end to US drone attacks in Pakistan and the rerouting of NATO supplies.

HRC demands withdrawal of case Cases have been registered against four Mianwali journalists for involvement in protests against loadshedding. The Human Rights Comission of Pakistan claims that harassment violates the right to peaceful protest.

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NEW DELHI: Admitting that counterterrorism was “first and foremost” on the minds after last week’s Mumbai bomb blasts, the US Tuesday pledged “full” support to India’s efforts to protect itself from terror attacks, and said it will press Pakistan as “hard” as it can on terror.

After the second round of Indo-US Strategic Dialogue with her Indian counterpart External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pointed out that the issue of homeland security and counterterrorism was given a special emphasis, saying both sides were exploring ways to protect the two countries from the scourge of terrorism.

Asserting that it has been made clear to Pakistan that confronting violent extremism of all sorts is in its interest, Mrs Clinton said: “We do not believe that there are any terrorists who should be given safe haven or a free pass by any government, because left unchecked the consequences of that kind of terrorist activity or intimidation can become very difficult to manage and control.”

At a joint press conference with Krishna, she said in the aftermath of the attacks of 2008 in Mumbai, the US had made it very clear that there was an absolute international responsibility to cooperate to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The US has made that equally forcefully clear to Pakistan that it has a special obligation to do so transparently, fully and urgently, Mrs Clinton said.

“And it is US policy, we believe the perpetrators need to be brought to justice and have urged Pakistan to do so. Obviously, there is a limit to what both the US and India can do but we intend to continue to press as hard as possible,” she said.

She was replying to a query about Pakistan failing to bring to justice the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai

terror attacks, raising questions on US’ claim of pressurising Pakistan on India-directed terror issue.

Maintaining that the US was encouraged by the discussions between India and Pakistan, Clinton said, “We think this

not only sharing of information but also very clear operational discussions, planning and investigation, she said “...Lot of the terrorist networks that threaten you also threaten us.”

So this is a mutually cooperative and

underlying problem of terrorism is the most promising approach to encourage both sides to build more confidence between them and work to implement the kinds of steps that will demonstrate the improved atmosphere that is so necessary for us to deal with the underlying problem of terrorism.”

Both Krishna and Hillary also underscored the importance of elimination of terrorist sanctuaries in Pakistan for regional stability and security and for Pakistan’s future, according to a joint statement after the meeting.

The US secretary of state said Pakistan was a ‘key ally’ in the fight against terrorism and that the US has made the point repeatedly to its Pakistani colleagues that terrorists threaten both of them. “We recognise that Pakistan must act on its own behalf first and foremost to protect its own territory and sovereignty and to protect the lives of the people of Pakistan,” she said.

She said the US has made it clear that it wants a long-term relationship with Pakistan based on common interests including a mutual recognition that they cannot tolerate a safe haven for terrorists anywhere and when we know the location of terrorists whose intentions are clear and need to work together in order to prevent those terrorists from taking innocent lives and threatening institutions of state.

Pointing out that there was a great deal of cooperation between the US and India with respect to counter-terrorism

essential operational relationship and in the meantime, the two countries are going to increase our cooperation in this area, she said.

Hillary pushed for nuclear deals and deeper security cooperation with India.

Mrs Clinton is on a three-day trip to India, lobbying for US commercial interests while seeking to balance the delicate relationships Washington maintains with violence-wracked South Asian countries.

She singled out civil nuclear energy as an area where the countries “can and must do more” amid frustrations that private US nuclear energy firms are losing out in India to their state-owned French and Russian competitors.

Despite the diplomatic efforts of Washington to push through the deal, privately run US firms such as Westinghouse and General Electric have been unable to land contracts to build new reactors. “Many of us worked very hard for that (nuclear) agreement, but we do expect it to be enforceable and actionable in all regards,” Hillary said, voicing frustration that US firms still faced regulatory difficulties.

Krishna meanwhile reminded Mrs Clinton that India, which has spent billions of dollars on aid to Afghanistan, had much to lose by instability in the country as a result of the planned US troop withdrawal.

The United States has announced plans to withdraw 33,000 surge troops by the end of September 2012, with the first 10,000 due to depart this year.

Editorial

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Shamsi’s control

t has been probably overdue to take control of the Shamsi airbase from which the USA flew drones to attack Pakistan’s own tribal areas. However, the takeover itself has given rise to questions of crucial importance for the future.

Perhaps, the first would be why the Army has only taken over partial control, and not full control.

The taking over of an airbase should be simply a matter of the occupying force intimating when it would vacate, and the force supposed to take over, doing so. At a stretch, this should not occupy more than a morning.

The excuse being made is that the base was leased by Pakistan to the UAE back in 1992, and it was the UAE which gave the USA the base, and the takeover from the UAE is taking time.

Again, this should not occupy any party for long, with the important thing to note is that while the UAE might have a role

in the allied paperwork, it cannot have a physical role in the matter.

Of course, it should be noted that it is still to be found out whether a country which has received a base from another on a lease, can give it away to another.

Another question exercising Pakistani minds has probably got an answer, that of whether the drone attacks would cease their almost routine violations of Pakistani sovereignty, and the accompanying death they rain on Pakistani citizens in the tribal areas, in the process causing a sentiment of vengeance directed against the USA and its perceived allies, such as the Pakistan government, to arise among the survivors.

The answer is that the base is shifting to Nangarhar province in Afghanistan. In short, the USA plans to keep up the drone attacks on the tribal areas, but from Afghan soil, not Pakistani.

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Editorial

Govt looking for Kardar’s successor ISLAMABAD - Hectic consultations are underway at the top government level to appoint a successor to Shahid Kardar, the State Bank of Pakistan governor who recently resigned from office.

Positive developments

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Video shows militants killing policemen: Officials PESHAWAR - Pakistani police said Monday that a video was released of policemen being executed by a firing squad after being captured.

Zardari choses Ch Abdul Majid to be next PM of AJK ISLAMABAD - PPP AJK leadership has decided to nominate Ch. Abdul Majid as Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir and President Zardari has also given green signal to Ch.Majid in this respect.

Hina Rabbani elevated as FM PM Gilani on Monday approved a summary to elevate Hina Rabbani Khar, minister of state for foreign affairs as a full-fledged foreign minister ahead of crucial talks with India next month, official sources said.

Qayyum hints CIA hand in Mumbai blasts CIA may be complicit in the Mumbai attacks, according to Lt General (retd) Abdul Qayyum.

This may be a move to pressure Pakistan to allow military trainers.

Qureshi must be reinstated: SC The SC ordered the reinstatement of FIA Additional Director General Zafar Qureshi, but the government has yet to act. Qureshi was the lead investigator in the NICL probe, a land fraud case.

PML-N members assail police station PML-M members fired on a police station to release Anjum Aqeel, who was being held on charges that he sold a plot but never turned it over to the buyer. Some of those involved have been arrested.

Kaira condemns Mirza’s statement Qamar Zaman Kaira, information secretary for the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has condemned Zulfiqar Mirza’s statement.

India-Pakistan talks will go on Talks planned between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan will go on at the end of July, and not be cancelled due to the triple blasts in Mumbai.

Nawaz Sharif: no to politics of revenge PML chief Nawaz asked all parties to refrain from revenge politics. Sharif stated, “The government should take immediate steps to ease the prevailing crisis in the country.”

THURSDAY AT 7:30 PM

Saarc international I Thursday 21 July 2011

Hina Pakistan’s first woman FM ISLAMABAD - Hina Rabbani Khar became the country’s first foreign minister as Acting President Farooq Naik administered oath to her at a simple ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Tuesday.

The oath-taking ceremony was attended by ministers, parliamentarians, federal secretaries, diplomats and senior officials of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

On the advice of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, President Asif Ali Zardari had decided to elevate Hina as federal minister. Hina took oath as the country’s twentysixth minister of foreign affairs.

She has the distinction of being the youngest and first woman foreign minister of the country. Hina will proceed to Indonesia later this week to lead the Pakistan delegation to the 18th ASEAN Regional Forum

where she is expected to have meetings with Chinese Minister for Foreign Affairs Yang Jiechi, and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

• On her return, Hina would proceed to India for the ministerial-level dialogue where she would interact with her Indian counterpart SM Krishna.

After removal of former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in February this year, the Foreign Ministry was being run on an ad hoc basis by the government and Hina who was the minister of state for foreign affairs. However, special support by Gilani and President Zardari’s obsession of appointing women to important government slots helped Hina’s elevation to the top slot of the Foreign Ministry.

Uninterrupted dialogue: Later, in a meeting with Indian High

SPORTS :

Amir in breach of ban again LAHORE: The ICC is investigating claims that Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir breached his ban by playing in a hallway cricket game at a family gathering in his hometown of Changa Bangyaal.

Amir took 22 wickets and made the game’s top score of 9, leading his side to an overwhelming victory against the opposition, who mainly comprised overweight men above 45 trying to teach their daughters how to play. “We are investigating and awaiting a reply,” ICC official Gareth Harris was quoted as saying by Cricinfo.

“Amir’s ban is absolute. He can’t play for a national team, regional

side, club, or for friends and family.

He can’t play any cricketthemed computer games, no book cricket with classmates, he can’t even think about cricket.

In fact, if he happens to find a cricket on his clothes while camping, he just has to ignore it or else he is defying our ban.”

Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal, who called on the new foreign minister at the Foreign Office, Hina said the Indo-Pak dialogue process should be uninterrupted, uninterruptible and result oriented.

She expressed satisfaction over the resumption of the dialogue and progress made so far in the peace process, according to a Foreign Office statement.

She said the dialogue process should help build trust between the two neighbours.

Hina said ensuring cooperative relations with regional countries was at the forefront of Pakistan’s foreign policy.

Sabharwal said the Indian external affairs minister looked forward to Hina’s visit to India. He agreed that the dialogue process was as much about building trust as about resolving all issues.

Shahid Afridi’s father passes away

KARACHI - Former captain of Pakistan Cricket team Shahid Afridi’s father passed away on Wednesday.

The family members of the cricketer told the reporters that Sahabzada Fazul Rehman Afridi succumbed to illness.

Afridi’s father was not keeping good health for the past many days, that is why, the all-rounder returned home after canceling his foreign tours.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, MQM chief Iltaf Hussain, Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and several others condoled Afridi over his father’s death.

he lay of the land in the region has always ensured that Pakistan and Iran’s state interest have been interlinked on multiple levels necessitating cooperation. Both political and strategic imperatives have led to a history of both the countries working to consolidate ties despite the fact that there has been a divergence of outlook on certain regional and international issues.

The recent visit of President Zardari to Iran was a very positive development. Iran’s concerns about the developments in Afghanistan and Iraq, countering Saudi influence in the region and the scourge of sectarian violence within our country have always formed the perpetual context within which our relations operate. It was, thus, encouraging to see the countries move above and beyond these issues and work towards increased economic and political cooperation.

Amidst the run-of-the-mill announcements about terrorism being the common enemy, and the like, there were other key announcements, especially on the economic front. Not least amongst them that Tehran would complete its part of the Pak-Iran gas pipeline by next year and, indeed, it couldn’t get here soon enough. There were also talks of a currency swap agreement, import of electricity and raising the volume of trade to $4 billion. Let’s hope that the diplomatic mandarins ink out some agreements in this regard as they could be fruitful for our shambolic economy.

There was also talk about an integrated border management regime which could not only be helpful in tackling the militancy and terrorism but could also aid in curbing the trafficking (both human and narcotic) alongside the shared border.

All this cosying up with our friendly neighbourhood nation will ring alarm bells in the power corridors of Washington. Indeed, Khameini didn’t have kind words for our ally numero uno. But last we checked, the US had 50 states and we could still decide our own foreign policy imperatives and how we balance them. We understand that the US has concerns – to mildly put it – about Iran but we have our own history with Iran and friendly relations with it our not only in our national interest but also conducive to regional peace and stability.

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Wasan: killings targeted PPP Home Minister Manzoor Wasan called the murder of PPP activists Aamir Shah and Khalid Jageerani a target killing. He offered his condolences to the bereaved families and promised to swift justice.

Five government officials kidnapped in Sorange

Editorials

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Thar Coal field needs $1.20 bn investment Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the infrastructure development in Thar Coalfield requires $1.20 billion in next five years. China is keen to invest.

Zardari, Ahmadinejad to meet in Iran President Asif Ali Zardari is due to meet today with Iranian officials, including President Ahmadinejad. They are expected to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues.

Farmers demand withdrawal of tax Representatives of farmers, fertilizer producers, and other agricultural-related sectors have demanded that the government repeal a 16 percent general sales tax. They are worried about the collapse of the fragile rural economy.

Kardar’s resignation affects investors The already troubled banking sector is concerned about the resignation of Shahid Hafiz Kardar, Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). This move may delay talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and contributes to uncertainty among investors.

Washington committed to Pak economy The United States says it will support educational, economic and energy development in Pakistan, despite cutbacks in military aid. A U.S. State Department spokesman said civilian assistance will continue.

Wind corridor slated for Sindh Wind turbines are expected to be approved by the Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB). Pakistan wants to become less dependent on oil and gas, and augment its electricity supply.

Problems in pharma industry The Punjab government may issue an NOC so changes can be made in the regulation of the pharmaceutical industry. A recent tax imposed on pharma equipment means increased prices to the consumer.

SORANGE: Tribal rebels have kidnapped five government officials in Sorange to demand an end to military operations in the area, officials said Sunday.

The kidnapping took place early Sunday in Sorange district, the capital of Balochistan.

The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility, saying the kidnapping was in retaliation for fresh military operations against the Baloch

population in the Kohlu district.

“Five officials of Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation including its Project Director were abducted by armed persons from their residential colony,” provincial home secretary Zafarullah Baloch told AFP. The officials have been taken to an unknown place and teams have been sent to search for them, Baloch said.

Shab-e-Barat being marked

Pakistan’s FY10/11 current account surplus at $542mn

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s current account surplus for the 2010/11 fiscal year (July-June) was a provisional $542 million, compared with a deficit of $3.946 billion in the 2009/10 fiscal year, the State bank of Pakistan (SBP) said.

Kardar’s resignation casts ‘harsh light’ on govt: Moody’s

ISLAMABAD: The resignation of State Bank of Pakistan Governor Shahid Kardar last week reflects badly on the government’s management of the economy, a senior vice president at Moody’s Investor Service said.

Record remittances

n a year that will be remembered for a number of unfavourable economic trends, home remittances have emerged as a bright spot to ward off pressures on external sector of the economy and protect its solvency.

According to the latest data released by the State Bank on 9th July, overseas Pakistanis remitted a record amount of $11.2 billion during FY11 that ended on June 30, showing a huge jump of about 25.8 percent or $2.3 billion when compared with $8.9 billion received during the preceding year (2009-10).

At this level, remittances are expected to be around 45 percent of the exports for the full year. It was also encouraging that during June 2011, an amount of $1.105 billion was received which was the highest-ever amount remitted in a single month and compared

very favourably with $841.44 million received in the same month last year. Besides, it was the fourth consecutive month of the outgoing fiscal year when Pakistani workers had remitted over $1 billion.

Earlier, they had remitted $1.05 billion, $1.03 billion and $1.05 billion during March, April and May, 2011 respectively. Over 58 percent of the remittances were received from the Middle Eastern countries during FY11 and the inflow from Saudi Arabia was the highest at $2.67 billion followed by UAE ($2.60 billion), USA ($2.07 billion), GCC states ($1.31 billion), UK ($1.2 billion) and European Union ($345 million). The increases from these countries/regions ranged between $69 million and $753 million.

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Shab-e-Barat being marked

KARACHI: Shab-e-Barat, the blessed night of 15th of Shabaan, is being marked with due fervour.

Religious congregations are being organised in mosques of the metropolis in this connection.

A large number of people are visiting the graveyards to lay floral wreaths on the graves of their near and dear ones and offer Fateha.

Special arrangements for lighting and traffic have been made at the graveyards by the local administration.

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Only Foreign Office should issue visas to foreigners: NSC ISLAMABAD: The parliamentary committee on national security told Foreign Ministry that process of issuance of visas to foreigners should solely be handled by the Foreign Office.

Bugti murder case: ‘Evidence against Musharraf lost’ All documentary evidence against former president Musharraf in the Nawab Akbar Bugti murder case has been lost, the lawyer pleading on behalf of Akbar Bugti’s eldest son has told.

Brig. Khan chooses court martial After being informed that allegations against him were substantiated, Brig.

Khan decided to accept court martial.

He is charged with having links to Huzbut Tahrir (HuT).

Shah’s murder targets PPP Eight suspects were arrested in connection with the murder of PPP affiliate Amir Shah. He was killed when his car was fired upon by assailants.

Zardari in Teheran for meetings President Zardari is meeting with top Iranian officials. He was in Tehran last month for a counter-terrorism summit, where an anti-terrorism effort between Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan was discussed.

LeJ bigwig got monthly allowance from Punjab Malik Ishaq a monthly stipend from the Punjab government during his imprisonment. No court order was in place for the anonymous payments.

Ishaq has been implicated in cases involving 70 murders.

ISI, US officials have productive meeting A meeting was held in Washington between ISI Director-General Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha and CIA Acting Director Michael Morrell.

National security and intelligence cooperation were among the topics.

Zardari takes Dasti to task for anti-PPP remarks President Zardari ordered an investigation into remarks made

by MNA Jamshed Dasti against PPP leadership. Dasti said he had reservations about the ‘Prime Minister’s personal bureaucracy, who is answerable to no one.’

Pakistan will continue to break up spy rings: Pasha ISI chief Lt-Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha will meet with CIA officials tomorrow.

He intends to communicate clandestine CIA networks will not be allowed to operate in Pakistan.

Gilani UK trip Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg hold a meeting with chief executives of NGOs Islamic Relief, Save the Children UK and Oxfam at Lancaster House on Tuesday.

LONDON: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on Tuesday called for a solution for peace in Afghanistan, generated from within, with the combined support of the United States, the United Kingdom and Pakistan.

The British Deputy PM termed Pakistan’s role as “most important” in ensuring peace in Afghanistan after the gradual withdrawal of the US and NATO forces.

Addressing a joint press conference at the Lancaster House, Gilani and Clegg agreed that Afghanistan had the capacity to deal with the situation at its own, but insisted that support from the US, UK and Pakistan was important for its future.

Gilani said Pakistan and Afghanistan had realized that both the countries had suffered a lot in the fight against terrorism.

He added that the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan had affected Pakistan adversely. The international community was well aware of the sacrifices rendered

by Pakistan during the last three decades, he said.

He said Pakistan favoured engaging with the Afghan leadership and committed to process that was Afghanled and Afghan-owned.

Zardari, Karzai firm on continuing fight against terrorism

KABUL: President Asif Ali Zardari and Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday reiterated the need to continue the fight against terrorism and extremism till the restoration of regional peace.

The one-on-one meeting between the two leaders at the presidential palace, focused on a range of issues including bilateral relations and regional situation with specific reference to Afghanistan’s scenario after start of leaving of US troops.

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Dhaka, Delhi for transit, regional connectivity : Moni Foreign Minister Dipu Moni said on Monday that Bangladesh and India have taken a “political decision” on transit and establishing all modes of connectivity in the region.

Editorials

6 students beaten dead in Savar Locals beat dead six college and university students and injured another youth suspecting them to be robbers when they went to take drug to a secluded place in Aminbazar on the outskirts of the capital early Monday.

he fifth population census has found the country’s population to be at 14.23 crore, with a slightly improved annual growth rate of 1.34 percent. The sex ratio gap has improved by 5.73 percent and stands at 100.3 males against 100 females. This, along with a decline in population in some areas, has been attributed to migration.

Increased rural-to-urban migration, which has intensified the strain on urban resources and facilities, is a trend which needs to be addressed, however.

The preliminary results of the census -- subject to a five to seven percent increase following verification and adjustment -come amidst some confusion following the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)’s 2010 world population report in which Bangladesh’s population was put at 16.44 crore, which has now been revised.

A census is said to be the most accurate means of determining a nation’s population, which will in turn be crucial in shaping national policy and development activities, food production and economic indicators such as Gross Domestic Product and per capita income, among others.

It is thus vital that the census has been conducted and will be finalised to utmost accuracy.

Kamal wants to amend constitution Dr Kamal Hossain on Sunday urged the government to form a committee of judges and civic leaders to amend the constitution.

He said that this in what the public wants.

Government closer to bringing back killers The government is coming closer to bringing back six men who were convicted in the killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The convicted men are hiding in different countries to avoid extradition and the death penalty.

PM visits crash victims in Mirsarai Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited the survivors of a deadly crash, offering comfort and support. She donated Tk 100,000 to each family who lost a child, and Tk 50,000 to the families of the injured.

Demonstration planned today

by BNP BNP has planned demonstrations today to be held countrywide, to protest the arrest of Seior Vicechairman Tarique Rahman in the August 21 grenade attack. They feel it’s a vendetta by the Prime Minister.

BNP on mission caretaker govt BNP is mounting an opposition to resist the next parliamentary elections under the coalition g overnment, led by the Awami League. They want to continue the caretaker government, and have already contacted likeminded parties.

Middlemen profit from foreign workers Undocomented Bangladeshi workers are being exploited by middlemen who want to exploit them as Malaysia announces amnesty plans. Unscrupulous agents are profiting from workers, demanding fees much higher than agreed upon by the government.

Population census

Accuracy will determine the way forward

Embankments collapse in Sirajganj, Satkhira as two rivers swell

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orkers of Water Development Board throw concrete blocks and sand bags at the breached portion of Sirajganj town protection embankment at Hard Point on Monday night, right, locals wade through a flooded area after the embankment at Shushilgati on the

Ichhamati River in Debhata upazila of Satkhira district collapsed on Friday.

Two river embankments--one in Sirajganj and the other in Satkhira-collapsed on July 15 and 18 as water level in the Jamuna and Ichhamati swelled due to heavy rain.

Business: Credit info goes online Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman inaugurates the online services of Credit Information Bureau at Ruposhi Bangla Hotel in Dhaka yesterday. Bangladesh Bank yesterday launched online services of its Credit Information Bureau (CIB) to provide quick reports to banks and non-bank financial institutions.

Sri Lanka-Bangladesh musical collaboration in the cards

A press conference to announce a Sri Lanka-Bangladesh musical collaboration was held at Thirty3 Restaurant on New Baily Road, Dhaka on July 18, 2011.

The joint venture has been initiated by Maharaja Entertainments (Private) Limited (MEPL), a noted Sri Lankan record label.

UK assistance sought for combating climate change in BD DHAKA: President Zillur Rahman has sought more British assistance in facing the impacts of the climate change in Bangladesh, one of the most vulnerable nations to the global warming. The President sought the cooperation when outgoing British High Commissioner Stephen Evans paid a farewell call on him.

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Following this, a clear approach towards population control and strengthening of relevant bodies such as the Directorate General of Family Planning which is severely understaffed; effective implementation of policies -- including awarenessraising campaigns; and proper monitoring mechanisms will be essential in determining the success of population control programmes.

Despite the fact that Bangladesh is the third most populated country in South Asia, following India and Pakistan, a 1.8 crore population growth in 10 years is not significantly high in terms of incremental growth.

Increased literacy, social awareness and perhaps urban influence, have contributed to the relatively less alarming growth in population.

These trends must be kept up, however, and, with renewed vigour in our population control and family planning programmes akin to that of the 1980s and 1990s, we can hope to see more stimulating results over the years. We hope the government will take the opportunity of the recent census to further develop its population policy based on a clearer vision and effective approach towards bringing the country’s spiralling population under control.

These trends must be kept up ...

Bangladesh to spend $6.17 bn. on oil imports 18 Jul 2011 : Bangladesh will spend $6.17 billion on importing oil in the 2011-12 fiscal year, more than double the previous year, as it buys more fuel at higher cost to fire up new power plants aimed at easing electricity shortages, a senior energy official said.

“This year (July-June) the staterun Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) will import 7.03 million tonnes of fuel oil, up from 5.4 million in 2010-11,” BPC chairman Mohammad Muqtadir Ali told Reuters on Sunday.

“The cost of the import at current

prices is estimated at $6.17 billion, against $3 billion last year,” he said.

The government has allocated 224.7 billion taka ($3 billion) as a subsidy in various sectors including agriculture and for fuel in the 2011-12 budget, compared with 194 billion taka the previous year, said an official of the finance ministry.

“The import cost and subsidy are going up because of price rises in the international oil market, and for additional imports to run oilfired power plants.”

BPC is the sole oil importer and distributor in the country.

Muqtadir said the fuel import would increase mainly due to the setting up of about 30 oil-operated power plants.

In the last two and a half years, the oil price has nearly tripled in international markets. In December 2008, oil was trading at $34 a barrel. It is now hovering around $97.

The subsidy in the energy and power sectors increased about 280 percent last year, a document of the finance ministry showed.

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WEEKLY REVIEW OF

SKY 844 Bail set for red passport KATHMANDU: District Court on Sunday set Rs 50,000 bail for Prithivi Chhantyal, who is one of the accused in the misuse of diplomatic passport of suspended lawmaker BP Yadav.

Mumbai blasts: sketch being prepared Police in Mumbai are preparing a sketch of the suspect, based on eyewitness accounts. No group has claimed responsibility for the terror attacks.

Government talks of new Maoist team The UCPN-Maoist brass is considering putting a new team in place.

The party has formed a five-member team to set the criteria for selection of candidates.

Muslim Ittehad lauds Muslim Commission Nepal Muslim Ittehad Organisation welcomed the government’s decision to form a National Muslim Commission. General Secretary of the organisation Taj Mohammad Miya lauded the government decision.

Four killed in Pyuthan jeep plunge At least four persons were killed and three others injured in a road accident in Pyuthan district on Saturday. The cause of the fatal accident was not known.

Education budget not sufficient

Indian cabs eat into local business If business is slow, Phuentsholingbased taxi drivers are fuming that Indian private vehicles, once inside the Bhutan gate, are doubling as taxis and eating into their business.

Youth unemployment at 9.2% The lack of skills and experience accounts for the high rate of unemployment among youth between the ages of 15 and 24, with most jobs going to those between 25 and 64 years of age.

Lighter caseload in the courts 16th: In the Dungkhag Court of Sakten, crime is declining.

Finance Minister should step down

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he Ministry of Education (MoE) today complained that the budget allocated for the sector was not enough to implement various programmes.

The government has allocated Rs 63.91 billion for the sector this fiscal year which is 16.61 per cent of the national budget.

Janardan Nepal, spokesperson, MoE, today said, “We need at least 20 per cent of the total budget, but we got only 16 per cent.”

He stated that though the budget showed the commitment of government towards education, the amount was not sufficient

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Koirala, Dahal discuss contemporary political issues

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to execute programmes smoothly.

According to Nepal, total share of government in education budget is 76.16 per cent and foreign aid is 23.84 per cent. Last year, the share of government in education budget was 77.51 per cent and foreign aid stood at 22.49 per cent.

Dr Bidhya Nath Koirala, educationist, said that the programmes incorporated in the budget this year were mere repetition.

WEEKLY REVIEW OF 72-year-old apprehended on suspicion of rape Villagers turn dung into biogas The United Nations Development Program has funded a scheme to turn cow dung into biogas. Fifteen stations are up and running.

Residents can refill their biogas cylinders.

Fulfill your goals with the right values His Majesty the King advised graduates from colleges under the Royal University of Bhutan who are attending their convocation to aim high, use time wisely and work with wisdom and courage.

The Himalayan Editorial

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epali Congress (NC) President Sushil Koirala and Unified CPN (Maoist) Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal held meeting Tuesday morning, taking stock on peace process, constitution drafting and contemporary political situation of the country.

In the meeting that took place at Koirala residence at Maharajgunj, NC vice-president and Parliamentary Party leader Ram Chandra Poudel and General Secretary Krishna SItaula were also present while Dahal was single from the Maoists side.

Discussions were focused on to expedite dialogue among the political parties to speed up the peace and constitution drafting

His Majesty graces graduate convocation

olice in Monggar have apprehended a 72-year-old man on suspicion of raping a 57-yearold woman. The victim is speech impaired.

The incident supposedly took place last month but it was reported to the police only last week.

According to the victim’s sister, the man committed the crime on the verandah of their house after the victim refused to go inside the house.

The act was reportedly witnessed by a few students. According to police the 72-year-old man has confessed to the crime and said that he was under the influence of alcohol.

Government cares for accident victims

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ncreasing numbers of cars and insufficient regulations have caused many traffic accidents. The government is faced with the burden of caring for the permanently disabled. More funding and public policies need to be put into place.

at a time when frustration is looming large among the members of general public because of the stagnation in the processes, it is learnt.

The leaders also discussed on the implementation of five-point deal struck earlier. The talks were focused on to start holding discussion between the NC and Maoists in the beginning and with other political parties simultaneously regarding the implementation of the fivepoint deal.

On the occasion, President Koirala inquired Chairperson Dahal about the non-progress surfaced in the peace building and constitution making processes due to internal rift in the UCPN (Maoist).

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is Majesty the King advised graduates from colleges under the Royal University of Bhutan who are attending their convocation to aim high, use time wisely and work with wisdom and courage.

This is the first joint convocation to be held for graduates from various colleges under the university. In the past, the convocations were held separately with the graduates travelling to their respective colleges to attend the ceremony.

His Majesty the King, who is also the Chancellor of the Royal University of Bhutan, was accompanied by the would-be Queen Jetsun Pema.

His Majesty asked the graduates to serve the country with dedication saying they can do much to ensure a better future for both themselves and the country.

One thousand and eighty eight university graduates of 2008, 2009 and 2010 attended the convocation. The convocation ended with Tashi Moenlam from the Tsula Lopen of the Zhung Dratshang, the graduates and the faculty members of the member colleges.

he parliament was in uproar over the leaking of budget information. The budget was displayed in an official government website prior to budget presentation by the Finance Minister and this information also appeared in the mainstream media.

Opposition lawmakers, who interrupted the Finance Minister to voice their concerns, consider this as a serious financial crime as well as disrespect to the parliament and interference in the parliamentary prerogatives.

In Nepal, the budget is normally a final document, and indicative of House confidence for the government can fall if the House votes against it.

The parliament usually has a prerogative to learn about the budget first.The budget could not be presented as scheduled on Thursday due to threats of obstruction by the United Democratic Madhesi Front consisting of five Madhes-based parties.

The partisan political activism by the UDMF, although not directly responsible for the breach of budget secrecy, helped create a confusion that facilitated exposure of budget information for the content of the budget was readied for distribution yesterday and sealed letters sent to all offices under the finance ministry, including customs and tax authorities.

Governments in other countries used to go to the extent of electronic encrypting of budget documents and escorting reporters in order to maintain budget secrecy.

However, many countries are now changing their secretive budget policy in order to get feedback from the public. As a result many details of the budget are available to the public before it is presented in the parliament.

While parliamentary norms are specific to each country, the practice of maintaining budget secrecy is more relevant when it comes to preventing financial crime.

Traders and businessmen could make monetary gains by knowing the budgetary provisions in advance.

Early information enables individuals to make profit from government fiscal policy. This, in turn, could lead to capital losses of billions of rupees for the government.

Work displayed in this page is a review of The Himalayan & The Kuensel. The information on this page is for information purposes only. The South Asia Tribune and SAARC International Ltd. assume no liability for any inaccurate, delayed, or incomplete information, nor for any actions taken in reliance thereon. The full story can be viewed at www.thehimalayantimes.com & www.kuenselonline.com

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Saarc international I Thursday 21 July 2011

Agencies must stop harassing journalists Imtiaz Alam Excerpt from Friday Times

Tribune Comment

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he appointment of a judicial commission to investigate the Saleem Shahzad murder case and related issues is in itself a welcome development that will, in a way, discourage those who are in the habit of intimidating the media. It is a test case for investigating agencies, and an exceptional opportunity to break with the culture of impunity. But there are other related macro issues that need to be deliberated upon to preempt such heinous crimes and uncalled for confrontation between the media and the government and its security agencies.

The suspicion of ISI’s involvement in Saleem Shahzad’s murder might not have held ground had the same officer not made threatening calls to various other journalists, including myself The case should be evaluated in the broader context of a pattern of intimidation and arm twisting of the media; freedom of expression; the right to know; security of whistleblowers, messengers, reporters and analysts, especially those covering or commenting on conflict; the professional hazards of conflict reporting, and the media-military relations.

Being a journalist and a media rights activist, the objective of my appearance before the commission is not to malign any person or the institution that I regard as the most pivotal bulwark of our national security, but to help the commission look at the broader picture and recommend ways to safeguard journalists and the sanctity of their profession on the one hand, and help various government agencies evolve a procedure to coordinate with the media that is lawful, useful and honorable and in conformity with fundamental human rights, civil and political rights and Johannesburg Principles, on the other.

Saleem Shahzad’s brutal murder took place at a time when the armed forces had come under greater critical scrutiny.

Event after event - from Abbottabad to Mehran base, Kharotabad to Karachi, and then Saleem Shahzad’s gruesome murder - kept the media’s focus on the conduct of law enforcement agencies

and the defence apparatus, to the annoyance of powers that be. A very tough statement issued after the 139th Corps Commanders meeting saw it as an attempt to “drive a wedge” between the armed forces, organs of the state and the nation, and resolved to “put an end” to it. I understand the kind of pressure being built on our armed forces and appreciate the difficulties they are facing in the nation’s fight against terrorism. They need our fullest and unflinching support to root out this scourge.

Mr Shahzad’s kidnapping and death due to torture sent a wave of anger and fear across the media community which came out on the streets to demand a probe into the ghastly act. Although the ISI denied the allegations that it was involved, fingers were pointed towards the agency because the deceased had himself expressed fear it might harm him. The suspicion of ISI’s involvement might not have held ground had the same officer not made threatening calls to various other journalists, including myself, regarding their views and reports, which he thought to be inimical to Pakistan’s interests.

Pakistan has a long history of unconstitutional military rules, censorships and both intimidation and cooption of media by dictators.

Post-9/11, the war against terrorism expanded to far flung regions, and conflict reporting became the major preoccupation of the media -both print and electronic. A large number of journalists found reporting the conflict a dangerously flourishing undertaking.

That is why, as in other conflicts, the casualties of journalists peaked in our country and it became the most dangerous place for journalists in the world. Given the vulnerability of journalists in conflict reporting and their professional urge for a story from the battlefield, they felt the need to get embedded into various parties to the conflict (including the jihadi outfits and the military and its agencies).

Musharraf’s policy of appeasing both the camps in the war on terror sent confusing signals to the world, the jihadis and his own establishment.

It also sent conflicting signals to journalists who were either embedded with certain groups or had in their professional zeal tried to expose the real face of various parties to the conflict.

Most journalists, who were caught in the crossfire or lost their lives in target killings by state or non state actors, became victim of this deliberately confusing war theatre. As the battlefield expanded and the confusion grew, the intelligence agencies tried to take more and more media persons and

organisations on board. Some of those who were embedded with the wrong side became victims when they broke with the line, and most of those brave journalists who remained loyal to their professional code fell to the guns of mercenaries.

Two lessons are to be drawn from this experience: One, that journalists should seek information from wherever it is coming, but should neither become part of, nor spy for one warring group or the other, including security organisations and militant outfits. They must adhere

and murder of Saleem Shahzad and question all suspects with the cooperation of various agencies.

3. The ISI must clear its name in Saleem Shahzad case in its own enlightened interest and investigate into the conduct of its often-named media handler and others who have been threatening journalists. Other agencies must also explain their conduct with the media.

4. The armed forces, paramilitary forces, and their intelligence agencies, the IB and other secret agencies must evolve a clear policy and code

Two lessons are to be drawn from this experience ... to their professional code of conduct while taking all safety measures. But it still remains a professional hazard to report conflict objectively, fearlessly and impartially.

Two, the security and intelligence agencies should also draw a clear line, and decide not to exceed their lawful limits, because that brings a bad name to their professional institutions.

The ISI must deflate its larger than life image, focus on its mandated job and evolve a transparent policy on its relationship with the media. It should drastically rethink its mediaengagement policy and stop keeping an army of pseudo-journalists on its payroll who have proved to be good for nothing. It must stop those elements within who indulge in any manner in unlawful acts of harassing citizens and journalists. I hope the ISI under General Pasha’s able and credible leadership will take all possible measures to clean up the institution of all unscrupulous elements and stop dreaming of controlling the uncontrollable - the media of the new cyber age.

I propose the following: 1. Besides investigating Saleem Shahzad’s murder, the judicial commission must expand its mandate to address the pattern of intimidation of journalists, the media-military relationship, secret funds to manipulate the media, issues of freedom of expression and the right to know, security of and insurance coverage for media persons, and some institutional arrangement, such as an ombudsman, to provide protection to journalists under threat. The commission should open its proceeding to public.

2. All cases of target killings of journalists must be investigated and the culprits must be brought to the book. The commission must supervise the investigation into the kidnapping

of conduct for embedding journalists and must keep out of the business of controlling the media. In their own institutional interest, they should critically rethink media-military relations while respecting freedom of expression and the people’s right to know. There are better ways of doing things than adopting rough and counter-productive tactics.

5. The Media Code of Ethics must be observed by the journalists reporting conflict.

6. Journalists should be provided

risk and life insurance coverage by both the government and their employers.

Training in conflict reporting and safety measures should be provided by security agencies.

7. Freedom of expression must be respected in the light of Johannesburg Principles (1995) and all state functionaries should be sensitised about them. The proposed Freedom of Information draft law should be presented before the Parliament for approval and rules should be made immediately.

8. Ombudsmen may be appointed at federal, provincial and FATA levels with the powers of Supreme Court/ High Court judges to entertain all complaints regarding harassment and killing of journalists. Similarly, all media organisations must also appoint an autonomous and effective ombudsman to entertain all complaints against media persons.

9. The interference of agencies in the media profession must be stopped by the leadership of the armed forces and complaint cells be created in all security agencies to entertain the complaints of citizens against the excesses of their officials.

10. All secret funds held by Information Ministry, other ministries and secret agencies related to the media should be regularly scrutinised by a joint committee of the parliament.

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Showbiz

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 21 July 2011

SACF honours forgotten Indian cinema legend Niranjan Pal The South Asian Cinema Foundation is to launch its final events by inaugurating an exhibition, releasing a book and screening a documentary on the life and works of Indian scenarist, screenwriter and filmmaker Niranjan Pal. As part of a year-long Indo-British Film Heritage project, SACF has been organising major events between 6 June–14 August, 2011 at the Watermans, Nehru Centre, BFI Southbank and Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan.

These event mark the culmination of a unique project to research a forgotten legend of Indian cinema, Niranjan Pal, so far ignored both in India and the west. Niranjan Pal not only remains till date, the most successful Indian in West End Theatre of London but was also the prime mover in the making of classic silent films like Light of Asia, Shiraz and A Throw of the Dice that made him a symbol of Indo-British collaboration in cinema.

The SACF book Niranjan Pal – Light of Asia edited by Social Historian Kusum Pant Joshi with help from SACF heritage volunteers, has input from Dr Luke McKernan, Lead Curator, Moving Image Sound & Vision at The British Library and Joyojeet Pal the great grandson of Niranjan Pal, Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan.

SACF’s Director and film historian Lalit Mohan Joshi’s documentary Niranjan Pal – A Forgotten Legend will explore the fascinating journey of Niranjan Pal from a revolutionary nationalist to a playwright, filmmaker and celebrity screenwriter who gave Bombay Talkies great films like Achhut Kanya and Janmbhoomi, and Devika

Lalit Mohan Joshi

Director/Editor, SACF Rani, Himansu Rai, Najmul Husain and Ashok Kumar some of their best roles.

The event will be attended by the film academics, scholars, film students from SOAS, the University of Westminster and representatives from the British Film Institute. Descendants of Niranjan Pal – his granddaughter (Melita Malewar) from Chennai, his Cinematographer grandson (Deep Pal) from Mumbai and his great-grandson

(Dr Joyojeet Pal) from USA have also cooperated with and responded warmly to our project and are expected to attend.

The South Asian Cinema Foundation (SACF) is a not-for- profit film organisation open to people of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds. SACF was set up by Indian Film Historian, critic and former BBC Broadcast Journalist Lalit Mohan Joshi and Social Historian, Researcher and Community Worker Kusum Pant Joshi in January 2000 with support from Indian film archivist P.K. Nair and British film critic Derek Malcolm. It has an active group of committed volunteers and works in collaboration and with the support of the Indian High Commission, British Film Institute (BFI), various London Universities and a network of film lovers and students and teachers of cinema.

The South Asian Cinema Foundation has been playing a unique role by projecting and highlighting meaningful cinema from the Indian subcontinent, and developing a positive film culture among diverse audiences, linking cinema with society, politics, and local communities in creative ways.

They provide a discussion forum for filmmakers and film audiences, and research and document South Asian

film history and heritage, especially in the UK. Currently, they are developing web resources to reach out to a wider audience and building film resources and archival material.

Every year, SACF holds an annual thematic film festival, conducting discussion of significant films linked to a specific theme. They also organize special events to honor and Indian fillmakers. Their journal, South Asian

Cinema, gives a venue for the analysis of films, scripts, lyrics, actors and composers. They also organize film workshops and hold the Dada Saheb Phalke Memorial lecture on cinema.

Lalit Mohan Joshi is the director and editor of the South Asian Cinema Foundation. For further information, or to enquire about their programs, see http://www.southasiancinema.com.

Kasab on celluloid

Avirate Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2011 Stephanie Siriwardena is all smiles after winning the crown at the pageant held at the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Colombo. First runner-up Hiranthi Warusavitharana(on her left) and Second runner-up Angela Jayatissa (on her right) are also in the picture. Pic by Manoj Ratnayake

AKHIL KUMAR As India deal with the latest terror attacks in Mumbai, actor-director Ajit Varma relives the horror of 26/11 in a new film Even as thousands of Mumbaikars are trying to come to terms with grief owing to the loss of their loved ones in the recent serial attacks that occurred in Mumbai, director Ajit Varma is going to release Operation Mumbai, a movie which revolves around the life of Ajmal Kasab.

He is the Pakistani terrorist who was involved in the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the only attacker captured alive by police and is currently in Indian custody.

“The focus should not only be on punishing the terrorists but to unearth the minds that motivated them to commit such an inhuman and heinous massacre. These terrorists were probably brainwashed and made to believe that their cause was righteous, so they sold their souls for materialistic compensations. This is the message

I want to convey through my film,” explains Varma who also plays the role of the dreaded terrorist besides doing screenplay.

The film shows the events preceding the firing at the CST Station by Kasab and other terrorists even though the director claims to have done no research for the film.

The entire cast and crew of the film appeared for the press conference in New Delhi wearing black armbands to condemn the recent blasts in Mumbai and to pay their tributes to the deceased and the injured.

Even though the movie revolves around a very sensitive topic, the lack of research and funds is evident with many of the crew members themselves acting in the film. “We faced many obstacles during the production of the movie like the funds, clearance for shooting at the original sites and clearance from the censor board, etc. The release date was postponed but we are very pleased to say that we stood the test of time and present it to the audience finally,” asserts Kulwant Singh, the film’s producer.

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South Asia Tribune I Thursday 21 July 2011

Gilani seeks Britain’s assistance Benazir Bhutto : The Movie for access to EU markets International release on August 14. Directed by Zaid Aziz

LONDON: Prime Minister of Pakistan Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani urged increased trade and market access for Pakistani products into the European markets to stabilise country’s economy and address issues of poverty and unemployment.

PM Gilani was talking to British

Foreign Secretary William Hague who called on him on 19th July to discuss matters pertaining to Pakistan-UK bilateral relations.

Gilani who arrived in London on 18th July to hold meetings with British leadership apart from his private engagements.

Taliban killed Karzai adviser, member of Afghan parliament

A senior adviser to Afghan President Hamid Karzai and a member of parliament were killed in Kabul on Sunday night, dealing a blow to an administration still reeling from last week’s assassination of Ahmed Wali Karzai, the president’s half brother.

A senior adviser to Afghan President Hamid Karzai and a member of parliament were killed in Kabul on Sunday night, dealing a blow to an administration still reeling from last week’s assassination of Ahmed Wali Karzai, the president’s half

brother. The attack took place in the apartment of Jan Mohammad, a Karzai adviser and former governor of Uruzgan province, according to an Afghan security official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Images from Afghanistan: July 2011: Continued photo coverage of life and war in Afghanistan.

Three gunmen wearing explosives killed Mohammad and Hashem Watanwal, a parliament member and Karzai ally from Uruzgan.

Several security guards were also killed, according to the official, who did not say whether the men were shot or killed in an explosion.

The Taliban, through spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid, quickly asserted responsibility for the attack. “We’ve been following Jan Mohammed for a long time to carry out such an attack,” Mujahid said.

A new documentary about the life of Benazir Bhutto is scheduled for international release on August 14. Directed by Zaid Aziz, the film will provide insight into the life of Benazir Bhutto, and her tragic and untimely death. Extensive interviews with Benazir are shown, including interviews of Shaheed Mohtarma’s relatives and friends.

Several prominent celebrities who knew Benazir are also intereviewed in the film, including some Western heads of state.

Benazir Bhutto: The Movie explores the life of Benazir, from her return to Pakistan to her final resting place next to her father, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh. The Docu-film is shot like a movie with re-enactments of major episodes of her life. In the film she narrates her life story, and the hardships that changed her life after the brutal hanging and assassination of her father, the first democratic leader of Pakistan, ZA Bhutto. Former prime minister and head of the leading opposition party, Benazir Bhutto plans to begin her historic return flight to Pakistan from Dubai, ending a self-imposed exile of more than eight years. In Pakistan, her party members set up a reception filled with pomp and circumstance. Little do they know that her arrival will be the cause of terrible bloodshed.

But it will not stop the ‘Daughter

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of the East’, as she was called, from continuing her journey across Pakistan to motivate the masses.

With the national elections

scheduled for January 2008, her Pakistan People’s Party is poised for a victory that will make Bhutto prime minister of Pakistan for the third time. Only a few weeks before the election, the horror strikes again. This time, she will follow her father’s footsteps to martyrdom.

Her assassination comes at a time when Pakistan’s social fibre is in a fragile state and in desperate need of a political leader with not only a wide exposure to politics but the charisma and power to spark a true change in the system.

For further information, visit www.bhuttothemovie.com, or email contactvoxvisionpk@gmail. com. The website has a link to the movie trailer.

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Sports

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 21 July 2011

Afridi is immature, says Gambhir

Pakistan to play India a three match football series in England NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan are to play a threematch football series in England starting on August 25 in fixtures designed to tap into support among migrant supporters.

The games will be played in Manchester, Coventry and London, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) said in a statement.

“The tour would provide the Indian and Pakistani nationals based in England to witness their native teams in action at the ‘Home of Football’,” said Ahmer Kunwar, of organisers TouchSky Sports (TSS).

LAHORE: Indian batsman Gautam Gambhir has criticized former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi, terming his comments about Indians not being large-hearted.

Afridi had lashed out at the Indians three months back, saying that the Indians are not as large-hearted as the Pakistanis after Gambhir dedicated India’s World Cup triumph to the victims of 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. “It looks like Afridi is still behaving in the manner as if he is still the 16-year-old making his international debut. He is still immature.

It was my personal wish to pay tributes to the 26/11 victims,” Gambhir said. On his verbal skirmish with Afridi in an ODI during Pakistan’s 2007 tour of India after which Gambhir was banned for a match, the opener said: “I now realise that I should not lose my temper on small issues.

It was a personal thing. He had hurled abuses at me, which I do not want to talk about.” Gambhir also charged Pakistani wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal of having the habit of making loud comments during play and raising frivolous appeals. “Not

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only Kamran, but most of the Pakistanis have this habit of appealing. Most of the wicketkeepers are unlike Kamran.

Dhoni never shouts while keeping the wicket,” he told a TV channel during a chat show. Gambhir also added, “I always feel happy scoring runs vs Pakistan. Not only me, the entire nation becomes aggressive during an Indo-Pak match.

It’s fun playing against Pakistan. Gambhir rubbished former captain Bishan Singh Bedi’s remark that he tried to hide his injury during the IPL.

Will Sachin hit Hundred

Hundreds at Lords?

Sachin Tandulkar has hit 99 international centuries and can One Hundred Hundreds next week in the First Test at Lord’s. His scoring 99 hundreds is a phenomenal achievement.

Tendulkar made his India debut at 16 in 1989 and at 38 he is stronger than ever. In his last Test series against England, he scored a match-winning

century in Chennai in December 2008. Tendulkar has never scored a Test century at Lord’s and says he is not anxious about his imminent landmark.

Play Well

He said: “I’m not thinking of records. If I enhance my enjoyment then, naturally, the standard of play becomes higher. If I play well, things can happen. “I don’t need to go chasing them.”

India and Pakistan are lowly footballing nations but maintain a ferocious sporting rivalry in cricket and hockey.

“Playing Pakistan is always special,” said AIFF president Praful Patel. “It’s a positive sign that we will play a bilateral football series against Pakistan.

I’m sure all sporting fans are eagerly looking forward to it.”

Venues for the games have yet to be announced.

The last three-match football series between the two nations was held in 2005 in Pakistan.

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