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U.S. Ultimatum to Pakistan See Pages 9

Year 1  Issue 10  Thursday, 22.09.11



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Islamophobia in Europe

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Lord Nazir asks London police to share findings on Imran Farooq murder Scotland Yard Offer reward of £20,000 for information

Holland Bans Niqab

Lord Nazir Ahemed has asked the London police to share its findings on Imran Farooq murder case with him, requesting a report from the Scotland Yard.

Meanwhile, The Scotland Yard on Thursday issued a video appeal and a reward of £20,000 for information in relation to the murder investigation of Dr Imran Farooq, the Muttahida

France banned street prayers

The Dutch government said on Friday it will ban face-covering veils worn by some Muslim women because these flout the Dutch way of life and culture. Prime Minister Mark Rutte also announced tougher rules for immigrants and asylum-seekers wanting Dutch nationality who, in future, must show they have earned income and have not received financial assistance or benefits for at

least three years.

The country’s reputation as relatively easy on immigration has changed over the past decade, reflecting voter concerns over the large number of Muslim immigrants.

“The government believes the wearing of clothing that completely or almost entirely Continued on page 02 >>

Head Covering or Hijab in Christianity Continued on page 15 >>

Qaumi Movement’s Convener who was attacked and killed outside his home .

Men ‘planned’ Dr Imran Murder.

The murder of a Pakistani politician in north London a year ago was “carefully planned”, Scotland Yard has said, as it offered a £20,000 reward for details.

Detective Chief Superintendent Neil Basu, Borough Commander of Barnet, said in the video appeal: “Dr Imran Farooq was Continued on page 06 >>

2 Continued from page 01 >> covers the face is fundamentally at odds with public life, where people are recognized by their faces,” the government said in a statement on Friday.

“Face-covering clothing prevents this and goes against the principles

of equality between men and women, especially women.” The new measures reflect the influence wielded by populist politician Geert Wilders, whose anti-Islam, Publisher Salah Bu Khamas (UAE) Sabha Khan (UK) UK Office 10 Courtenay 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.

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South Asia Tribune I Thursday 22 September 2011

Holland Bans Niqab anti-immigration Freedom Party is the third-largest in parliament.

Wilders has a pact with the minority coalition government to provide crucial support in parliament in

religious freedom, female equality, secular traditions and even fears of terrorism. The tide of Islamophobia is running strongly on the European right at the moment.

Muslim Frenchwomen wear the niqab in public.

PARIS: A ban on praying in French streets came into effect on Friday, with thousands of the

exchange for tougher policies on Islam and immigration from nonWestern countries.

The Liberal-Christian Democrat coalition government has already faced tough opposition from Wilders’ Freedom Party over its support for euro zone bailouts, and needs to keep it on side in order to push ahead with crucial budget cuts. The government said it did not consider the ban on face-covering veils a restriction of religious freedom, but that even if it was, it was “necessary and justified in the interest of protecting the character and way of life in the Netherlands.”

The proposals will first be presented to the council of state, the administrative court, and then to parliament. No time frame was given, but Wilders has said he hopes to introduce the ban on face-covering veils this year or next. Arabic-style niqabs which leave the eyes uncovered and Afghan-style burqas that cover the face with a cloth grid are far less commonly seen on the streets of the Netherlands than Muslim headscarves which leave the face

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been trumpeting the failure of multiculturalism for months, and British Prime Minister David Cameron recently added his voice to the chorus. It is only a cynical political stratagem, but it could have real consequences.

nation’s Muslim faithful being moved to temporary alternative spaces for their day of prayer.

FRANCE

From Paris to Marseille, Friday’s midday prayers will be led from disused barracks or other temporary buildings, after the question of Islam’s visibility became a political issue under right-wing president Nicolas Sarkozy.

France, home to Europe’s largest Muslim population, this year banned the burqa and earlier this week interior minister Claude Gueant warned that “from September 16 there will be no more prayers in the street”.

“If anyone happens to be recalcitrant we will put an end to it,” Gueant said, suggesting police could be brought in. “Prayers in the street are unacceptable, a direct attack on the principle of secularism,” Gueant said, citing the government’s defence of the republic’s secular values as reason for the new policies.

In Paris, a former barracks just north of the city limits has been designated the new prayer area for those living in the multi-ethnic

exposed.

The Islamic veil across Europe Countries across the continent have wrestled with the issue of the Muslim veil - in various forms such as the body-covering burka and the niqab, which covers the face apart from the eyes. The debate takes in

France imposed a ban on burqas last year and on Friday banned street prayers.

It is a solution to a problem that does not exist. There are around five million Muslims in France, about 8 percent of the population, but only a couple of hundred

Goutte d’Or neighbourhood.

The praying faithful at the Goutte d’Or’s two mosques have overflowed into the streets since a nearby mosque where 4,000 people could pray closed years ago, sparking the ire of French rightwing and anti-immigration parties.

NETHERLANDS In 2006, the Dutch government considered but abandoned plans to impose a ban on all forms of coverings that obscured the face from burkas to crash helmets with visors - in public places, saying they disturbed public order and safety. Lawyers said the move would likely be unconstitutional and critics said it would violate civil rights.

The government suggested it would instead seek a ban on facecovering veils in schools and state departments, but no legislation has yet been passed.

Around 5% of the Netherlands’ 16 million residents are Muslims, but only around 300 are thought to wear the burka.

The neighbourhood’s mosques are to be closed for at least the coming three Fridays in order to encourage those wanting to pray to go to the renovated barracks, one of the mosques’ preachers, Sheikh Mohammed Hamza, said.

“Most of the organisations running

mosques managed to find solutions allowing them to avoid this kind of practice (praying in the street),” Marseille police said. Mr Sarkozy has said veils oppress women and are “not welcome” in France.

A French parliamentary committee earlier recommended a partial ban inside public buildings - such as hospitals and schools - and on public transport.

The State Council - France’s highest administrative body warned that such a law might be unconstitutional and violate European human rights laws.

However, a ban in public places such as schools, hospitals and law courts could be justified for security reasons, to combat fraud and to meet the needs of some public services, it added.

A ban on Muslim headscarves and other “conspicuous” religious symbols at state schools was introduced in 2004, and received overwhelming political and public support in a country where the separation of state and religion is enshrined in law.

BELGIUM

Managing Editor & CEO Mohammad Shahid Khan Group Editorial Managers Gulzar Khan (India) Abdul Khalique (Pakistan) Editorial Board UK Frances Brunner FYI Tribune team Adrian Fellar Misbah Khan Reema Shah Rohma Khan Keziah-Ann Abakah Art Department UK Ali Ansar (Art Director) Md. Reazul Islam

The lower house of Belgium’s parliament has passed a bill to ban clothing that hides a person’s identity in public places such as parks, buildings and on the street.

The bill still needs approval in the

Continued on page 05 >>

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 22 September 2011

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WikiLeaks Cables surface US fears over Afghan approval of ban on cluster bombs

W

hen Afghanistan ratified an international treaty this week banning the use of cluster munitions, it became the 62nd government worldwide legally committed to destroying stockpiles of the weapons and assisting those wounded by them.

But before the Kabul government decided to sign the treaty in late 2008, it was pressed against doing so by American officials, who feared that implementation could impede the ability of US forces to use cluster munitions in Afghanistan, according to

diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks.

Cluster munitions, fired from air or land, are designed to explode into multiple bomblets before raining down on an enemy. But some of the bomblets don’t always explode — and when they land in areas populated by civilians, they are liable to later detonate much like landmines.

In Afghanistan, the Soviet Union used cluster munitions during the 1980s; Afghan forces deployed them during the civil war in the 1990s; and U.S.-led coalition

forces used them against the Taliban in 2001 and 2002. There are 24 areas still contaminated by unexploded cluster bombs, mostly in residential and agricultural areas, and 40 people have been reported killed by them since 2001.

For years, those opposed to cluster munitions have campaigned for their elimination, citing the risks to civilians.

And for years, the United States, which is not a signatory to the treaty, has argued that they are legitimate weapons when used

properly. American military officials had pressed for the right to retain the munitions as part of their arsenal, including in Afghanistan, even if they were not commonly used.

The cables released by WikiLeaks underline American concerns that Afghanistan would approve the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Afghanistan was among dozens of countries where U.S. diplomats attempted to minimize the impact of a growing global campaign to outlaw cluster bombs.

A cable sent from London

details a request from Britain, which is a signatory to the treaty, for the United States to remove American munitions from British territory, including the Diego Garcia military base, where some were stored.

The cable says that top British officials had authorized temporary, case-by-case exceptions, an agreement intended to allow British lawmakers to say “that they have requested the [U.S. government] to remove its cluster munitions by 2013, without complicating/muddying the debate by having to indicate that this request is open to exceptions.”

Pak military firms expelled India, UK sign from London arms show defence research pact

Two Pakistani military firms were expelled from a London arms show and their stalls shut down after it emerged that they were advertising cluster bombs, the event’s organiser said.

The stands of the Pakistan Ordnance Factory and Pakistan’s Defence Export Promotion Organisation Pavilion at London’s Defence System and Equipment International exhibition were permanently shut after organisers were informed they had promotional material for cluster bombs.

“Defence and Security Equipment International can confirm that the Pakistan Ordnance Factory stand and Pakistan’s Defence Export Promotion Organisation pavilion have both been permanently shut down after promotional material was found on both containing references to equipment, which after close examination, was found to breach UK Government Export Controls and our own contractual requirements,” said a statement from the show’s organiser.

The British government “fully supports the decision” to close the stands, the statement said. Defence and Security Equipment International, the show’s organiser, said it was “investigating how this breach of our compliance system occurred.”

Caroline calls for London arms exhibition to be shut down after cluster bombs promoted

promoting cluster munitions at the Pakistani stands.

Britain is a signatory to the

Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas found cluster munitions openly being promoted by both the Pakistan Government and Pakistan companies at the Defence System and Equipment International Exhibition (DSEi) being held in

international convention on cluster munitions, which prohibits the use, production, stockpiling or transfer of weapons such as bombs or shells which shower large areas with shrapnel or mini-explosives.

Lucas told the media she had found brochures for 155 mm artillery-fired cluster bombs at Pakistani stands.

Official sources in Islamabad told the reporter’s that the closure of the Pakistani stalls at the arms exhibition was a “political decision” and claimed the country had never violated any UN convention.

The sources contended that Britain had taken the step in pursuance of the Oslo Convention of 2007 that Pakistan is yet to ratify.

Caroline Lucas London, in breach of UK law.

The show’s organiser acted after Green Party parliamentarian Caroline Lucas said she had found brochures

India and the United Kingdom Friday signed a letter of arrangement (LOA) that will facilitate collaboration a n d cooperation in the field of defence research and development.

India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Director General V.K. Saraswat signed the letter with United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence Chief Scientific Advisor Sir Mark Welland in London.

The cooperation between India’s DRDO and United Kingdom’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, will make the best use of respective research and technology development capability through joint projects, collaborative research and industry and academia participation, a DRDO release said here.

Saraswat is currently on a visit to the United Kingdom on the

invitation of its defence ministry.

“The signing of LOA marks an important milestone in the technical collaboration between the t w o countries and a number of projects are being planned to commence in the coming months,” the release said.

Welland thanked Saraswat for his efforts towards strengthening the relationship between India and the United Kingdom.

“Indian and British defence scientists will be working together on technologies to face their country’s defence and security challenges, thanks to the new agreement,” Welland said.

Saraswat, in his address, was hopeful that LOA will further strengthen technical collaboration and mutual relations.

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EDITORIAL Europe’s hostility towards Muslims

T

he Dutch government said on Friday it will ban face-covering veils worn by some Muslim women because these flout the Dutch way of life and culture.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte also announced tougher rules for immigrants and asylum-seekers wanting Dutch nationality who, in future, must show they have earned income and have not received financial assistance or benefits for at least three years.

From Paris to Marseille, Friday’s midday prayers will be led from disused barracks or other temporary buildings, after the question of Islam’s visibility became a political issue under right-wing president Nicolas Sarkozy.

Continuous repetition of the Islamophobic terminology as a means of populist, propagandist strategy to reshape public discourse through unjustified stereotyping, demonizing and social profiling is not uncommon; the media frenzy against “Sharia Law”, the issue of the burqa and the construction of a Muslim Community Center near Ground Zero, among others, can notoriously serve as vivid examples to advocate the idea of exclusion of Muslims.

This notorious use of Islam to achieve political gains is a violation of human rights of all Muslims, as set out in a resolution adopted on March 26th 2009 by the U.N. Human Rights Council on Defamation of religion. “Defamation of religious is a serious affront to human dignity leading to a restriction on the freedom of their adherents and incitement to religious violence,” read the resolution, adding that “Islam is frequently and wrongly associated with human rights violations and terrorism.”

Europe’s hostility towards Muslims has reached an unprecedented level; the praised slogans of equality, multiculturalism and free society have proved to be biased, partial and hypocritical. Otherwise, how can we explain the promptness of mainstream media in spreading all negative, misunderstood and false statements about Arabs and Muslims?

Why aren’t there laws that protect Muslims from hate crimes and verbal harassments as punishable as antiSemitism for example? The last terrorist attacks on Norway committed by Anders Behring-Breivik showed how unfair and ironic mass media worldwide was in dealing with this news.

Most, if not all, news outlets jumped into the conclusion that those assaults bear the signs of Islamic terrorists. The same outlets abstained from describing the attacks as acts of terror as soon as the mass murderer was reported to be Norwegian who described himself as Christian.

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 22 September 2011

Dewani case moved to High Court

The family of honeymoon murder victim Anni Dewani claimed victory in their battle to have alleged killer Shrien Dewani, her widower, extradited.

Her father, Vinod Hindocha, has been told there are only “limited issues” to consider before Home Secretary Theresa May rubber-stamps a decision to hand the millionaire Bristol businessman over to South African detectives.

Swedish-born Mrs Dewani, 28, was shot dead and her body found in a taxi near Cape Town in November last year. Her new husband, 31, claimed two gunmen hijacked their cab as they toured poor township area, bundled him out and drove off with her.

The man accused of firing the shot that killed honeymoon bride Anni Dewani appeared in the Wynberg Regional Court on Tuesday.

The trial of the alleged killers of newlywed honeymooner Anni Dewani was moved on Tuesday to the High Court in Cape Town, where proceedings will start in February, a magistrate ruled.

“A pre-trial conference will take place there on February 10 next year,” said magistrate Jackie Redelinghuys.

Defendant Xolile Mngeni was helped up the stairs into the dock by his co-accused after undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumour in June, but was ordered back into custody ahead of the high court appearance.The postponement is the latest in the November 2010 murder, in which Anni’s husband Shrien is accused of masterminding her death in a botched car hijacking while the couple were honeymooning in Cape Town. A London

court ruled last month that Dewani can be extradited to South Africa where prosecutors want him to face murder charges alongside the two accused, but Britain’s interior minister is to make a final decision in the matter next month.

Three men were originally charged with the killing but the couple’s driver Zola Tongo was jailed for 18 years after turning state witness and pleading guilty.

He claims Dewani had ordered the carjacking and paid him. Questions were raised if Mngeni would stand trial as medical reports last month warned that his condition could kill him and that he would not be able to answer charges even if he completed treatment, local media reported.

He and the second suspect, Mziwamadoda Qwabe, were both remanded in custody. Dewani was thrown out of a car and his wife abducted and shot dead on November 13 after the

newlyweds were allegedly hijacked in a poor township on the outskirts of Cape Town. The businessman is being treated in a mental hospital for depression and stress and has denied all wrongdoing.

Xolile Mngeni, 23, who has undergone surgery for a malignant brain tumour, could be declared unfit to stand trial, The New Age reported last week.If Mngeni failed to appear with his co-accused, Mziwamadoda Qwabe, 26, all charges against him would be provisionally withdrawn, the daily reported.He would then immediately be freed from Pollsmoor Prison, where he has been held for the last year while awaiting trial.

Dewani’s body was found slumped on the backseat of a taxi, which had abandoned in Khayelitsha, on November 13.

Her husband Shrien Dewani has been accused of masterminding the murder and faces deportation from the United Kingdom to stand trial in Cape Town.

If Mngeni is released on medical grounds, he will remain a free man for the rest of his natural life, unless his medical condition improves enough for him to be declared fit to stand trial.

Mngeni and Qwabe are two of four people arrested for the murder.The others are middleman Monde Mbolombo, who turned state witness against Qwabe and Mgeni, then implicated Shrien Dewani and taxi driver Zola Tongo.

Tongo is serving 18 years for his role in the murder and hijacking, which he claims was masterminded by the UK businessman.

Dewani is expected to appeal against a UK court’s extradition order, if it is approved by British Home Secretary Theresa May in mid-October.

Mngeni has been undergoing extensive chemotherapy and craniospinal radiotherapy at Groote Schuur Hospital for the past month.

Mirza addresses anti-MQM rally in London He requested the British Pakistanis to campaign for the imposition of ban on MQM

LONDON: Activists of various political affiliations gathered outside the international secretariat of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to protest against its leadership.

The protestors were addressed through telephone by Dr Zulfiqar Mirza who repeated his volcanic allegations against the MQM leader Altaf Hussain and demanded of the British govt to “deport” the MQM leader. The protest was organised by Friends of Lyari, MQM Haqqiqi, Balochistan Political Forum and a breakaway faction of PTI. Imran Khan’s spokesperson in London said the party has nothing to do with the protest and the main PTI stayed away from the protest. Many of those

who assembled were from PPP. Mirza said the ball was now in the court of the government and the people of Pakistan after “I have done my job of

exposing the true face of the MQM.” He requested the British Pakistanis to campaign for the imposition of ban on the party and its leadership should

be expelled from Britain. He called on the British government to look into his request and open an investigation into the activities of the MQM based in London.

Zulfiqar Mirza spoke for about 7 minutes and blamed the MQM for nearly every problem in Pakistan. The other speakers also called for an end to the violence in Karachi and repeated calls for opening of probe into May 12 killings.

Meanwhile: Altaf Hussain takes back remarks about Asfandyar Wali Leader MQM, Altaf Hussain retracts his remarks about Asfandyar Wali, in which he had accused him for taking dollars from US as bribe.

S Asia child death rates second-highest in world

The region with the second-highest death rate in the world is South Asia – 1 in 15 – which it defines as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

About 12,000 fewer children under five are dying every day than in 1990, according to the latest estimates

on worldwide child mortality rates published this week.

The levels and trends report, published on Thursday by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (IGME), which is led by Unicef and the World Health Organisation, finds that over the past two decades, the number of children

under five dying each year fell from more than 12 million in 1990 to 7.6 million in 2010.

Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region with the world’s highest child mortality, but the annual rate of decline has doubled from 1.2% between 1990 and 2000 to 2.4% in the following 10 years, to 2010. But one in

eight children still does not make their fifth birthday, more than 17 times the average for developed regions – 1 in 143 – according to the IGME. The region with the second-highest death rate is southern Asia – 1 in 15 – which it defines as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 22 September 2011

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French businessman to pay ‘burqa’ fines in Netherlands too T

the organisation Touche Pas à Ma Constitution or Don’t Touch My Constitution. The organisation will also help Dutch women if the ban is introduced. “Dutch women who get fined can phone me.” Mr Nekkaz says. “My number is on

he Netherlands is about to ban burqas in public.

In doing so it is following the example of France and Belgium.

Rachid Nekkaz, a Muslim with an Algerian background, has set up a milion-euro fund in France to pay the fines.

He thinks burqa bans violate European constitutional rights and fundamental freedoms, which is strange because personally he believes burkas do not help integration: “Personally I am against burqas, because I don’t think wearing a niqaab helps the integration of these women into French society.”

After the introduction of a burqa ban in France, Mr Nekkaz set up

Continued from page 02 >> Senate.

Although the legislation does not specifically refer to full-face Islamic veils, it would outlaw the use of garments such as the niqab and the burka.

The bill enjoys cross-party support and is expected to be passed, which would make Belgium the first country in Europe to ban the wearing of such Islamic garments.

Currently, the burka is banned in several districts under old local laws originally designed to stop people masking their faces completely at

carnival time.

In Antwerp, for example, police can now reprimand, or even imprison, offenders. They say the regulation is all about public safety.

SPAIN Though there are no plans for a national ban in Spain, the city of Barcelona has announced a ban on full Islamic face-veils in some public spaces such as municipal offices, public markets and libraries.

At least two smaller towns in Catalonia, the north-eastern region that includes Barcelona, have also imposed bans.

Barcelona’s city council said the ban there targeted any head-wear that impeded identification, including motorbike helmets and balaclavas, rather than religious belief.

It resisted calls from the conservative

a lot of money, but it is nothing if it enables you to defend civil liberties.

The cabinet will decide on the ban today. Then it still has to go through parliament, but it is

He says one million euros may be a lot of money, but it is nothing if it enables you to defend civil liberties. the internet.”

And it is not just an empty promise. The rich 38-year-old entrepreneur has already paid fines for two girls in Brussels. He says one million euros may be

Holland Bans Niqab Popular Party (PP) to extend the ban to all public spaces, including the street.

BRITAIN There is no ban on Islamic dress in the UK, but schools are allowed to forge their own dress code after a 2007 directive which followed several high-profile court cases.

Schools Secretary Ed Balls said in January 2010 it was “not British” to tell people what to wear in the street after the UK Independence Party

called for all face-covering Muslim veils to be banned.

Ex-UKIP leader Nigel Farage, who leads UKIP’s 13 MEPs in Brussels, said the veils were a symbol of an “increasingly divided Britain”, that they “oppressed” women, and were a potential security threat.

UKIP is the first British party to call for a total ban, after the antiimmigration British National Party had already called called for the veil to be banned in Britain’s schools.

TURKEY For more than 85 years Turks have lived in a secular state founded

by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who rejected headscarves as backwardlooking in his campaign to secularise Turkish society.

Scarves are banned in civic spaces and official buildings, but the issue

is deeply divisive for the country’s predominantly Muslim population, as two-thirds of all Turkish women - including the wives and daughters of the prime minister and president - cover their heads.

In 2008, Turkey’s constitution was amended to ease a strict ban at universities, allowing headscarves that were tied loosely under the chin. Headscarves covering the neck and all-enveloping veils were still banned.

The governing party, with its roots in Islam, said the ban meant many girls were being denied an education.

But the secular establishment said easing it would be a first step to allowing Islam into public life.

ITALY The north-western town of Novara is one of several local authorities that have brought in rules to deter public use of the Islamic veil, passing a bylaw in January 2010.

In 2004 local politicians in northern Italy resurrected old public order laws against the wearing of masks, to stop women from wearing the burka.

Some mayors from the antiimmigrant Northern League have also banned the use of Islamic swimsuits.

DENMARK In 2008, the government announced it would bar judges from wearing headscarves and similar religious or political symbols - including crucifixes, Jewish skull caps and turbans - in courtrooms.

That move came after pressure from the Danish People’s Party (DPP), known for its anti-Muslim rhetoric, which has since called for the ban to be extended to include schoolteachers and medical personnel.

After a Danish paper published a controversial cartoon in 2005

depicting the Prophet Muhammad as a bearded man with a bomb in his turban, there were a series of protests against Denmark across the Muslim world.

GERMANY In September 2003 the federal Constitutional Court ruled in favour of a teacher who wanted to wear an Islamic scarf to school.

However, it said states could change their laws locally if they wanted to.

At least four German states have gone on to ban teachers from wearing headscarves and in the state of Hesse the ban applies to all civil servants.

RUSSIA

A century-old mosque that survived the Soviet crackdown on religion was demolished in downtown Moscow on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The destruction was carried out on the instructions of Russia’s top muftis, The date for the demolition — 10 years to the day after the four terrorist attacks

already clear that a parliamentary majority backs the measure.

In Belgium, legal proceedings have been taken against the ban (which includes the niqaab). The court’s verdict is expected soon.

by Islamist militants on the United States — “provokes bewilderment,” said Albir Krganov, first deputy head of the Central Spiritual Board of Russian Muslims.”They unexpectedly destroyed it without consulting the Muslim community,” Krganov said by telephone.

Last week, Talgat Tadzhutdin, head of the Central Spiritual Board of Russian Muslims, asked Mayor Sergei Sobyanin in an open letter to prevent the demolition, Russia’s Supreme Court has overturned a 1997 interior ministry ruling which forbade women from wearing headscarves in passport photos.

AUSTRIA Austria’s Women’s Minister Gabriele Heinisch-Hosek has said a ban should be considered

in public spaces if the number of women wearing the veil increases dramatically.

SWITZERLAND In late 2009, Swiss Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said a face-veil ban should be considered if more Muslim women begin wearing

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South Asia Tribune I Thursday 22 September 2011

India reacts strongly to British parliamentary debate on Kashmir

UK Parliament discusses human rights situation in J&K

A demand for resolving the Jammu and Kashmir issue through selfdetermination by the Kashmiris was made in the British Parliament even as India asserted that there were effective mechanisms within its democratic framework to address any grievance.

Participating in the debate, prominent Labour MP Barry Gardiner noted that plebiscite for such condition did not exist any more as Pakistan failed to withdraw its forces from the territory.

Gardiner, who was previously the chairman of the Labour Friends of

light of democracy in the region,” he said.

Gardiner said that India continued to stand for tolerance and human rights inspite of repeated attacks by groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).

Meanwhile, India said it has taken

the UK House of Commons…., which we believe is an initiative of backbencher MPs and does not reflect the position of the UK government.

“Our views in the matter are known to the UK. Suffice it to say at this juncture that India is a vibrant democracy which

Initiating a general debate in the House of Commons on human rights in the Indian sub-continent, Steve Baker, Conservative MP, demanded that an international commission should investigate alleged human rights violations in Kashmir.

India, said, “There is far greater cause or human rights violations in India’s neighbouring countries including, Pakistan and Sri Lanka where some of the worst human rights violations had happened in the recent memory.” “On the other hand India stood as a beacon

“due note” of the UK Parliament discussing the issue of human rights in Jammu and Kashmir and said there were effective mechanisms within its democratic framework to address any grievance or any aberration.

“We take due note of the….Debate in

fully respects rule of law and human rights,” Official Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs Vishnu Prakash said in New Delhi.

“Civil liberties and freedoms are enshrined in the Constitution of India as fundamental rights and are exercised

>> Continued from page 1 killed in a brutal manner outside his own home and his death has left the community with a deep sense of loss.

“We still believe there are people out there who hold vital information that could assist the investigation, and have not yet come forward. We would urge you to call the police, or Crimestoppers anonymously.

We need your help to catch those responsible for his murder and to bring them to justice.”

Scotland Yard appeal said: “The reward is for information leading to the identification, arrest, and prosecution of those responsible for Dr Farooq’s murder. Officers from the Specialist Operations Counter Terrorism Command retain an open mind as to a motive. They believe there are people who hold vital information about the murder and have urged them to come forward to help bring those responsible to justice.

“The attack would have required careful planning. Police believe his killers may have had help from other people, some of whom may

by each and every citizen of this country of 1.2 billion people,” he said.

“Should there be any aberration, there are enough mechanisms, effective mechanisms within our system, democratic framework to address any grievance or any aberration,” government sources said here.

Shabana Mahmood, Labour MP, who hailed from Mirpur district of Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK), said “All sides including India and Pakistan must pursue vigorously to find a solution to the Kashmir issue.”

“The plight Kashmiri people needs our attention,” she said.

Lee Scott, Conservative MP, said “We must get justice to Sri Lankan Tamils.” He pressed for independent international investigation into the killings of Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Several other MPs including Ian Austin, Labour MP, Jonathan Lord, Conservative lawmaker and Andrew Griffiths, Conservative MP, said that right to self determination was the only way to resolve the issue.

Lord Nazir asks London police to share findings on Imran Farooq murder have innocently provided assistance.

Detectives want to hear from anyone who was asked for information about Dr Farooq and his routine, or who was asked to help buy items, such as knives similar to those used in the murder, or mobile phones around the time of his murder.”

Vehicles seen A silver-coloured seven-seater and a dark-coloured moped or scooter were seen around and outside the politician’s home in Green Lane at the time of the killing, the Met said.

The politician was followed on the day of the attack, officers believe The two-wheeler was also seen in Grove Road on the same day.

Following the attack both vehicles drove north up the Green Lane, police believe.

Police believe two kitchen knives - one branded Ausbein Messer with a five inch blade and one branded Schinken Messer with a five-anda-half inch blade - were used in the attack.

The blades were recovered from the

scene and officers believe they come from the same set. A house brick was also used in the fatal attack.

Anyone who can help are asked to call the police incident room on 020 8721 3784 or contact the police by email at SO15Mailbox-.

DrFarooqMurder@met.police.uk.

If you wish to remain anonymous please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 within the UK or 00800 900 44 056 in Pakistan. Alternatively use the Crimestoppers untraceable online form to pass on information at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

• In December a 34-year-old man was arrested in Camden on suspicion of the murder. He has been bailed to return in November.

Earlier in August daily Dawn and other of Pakistan newspapers reported Two men were arrested at Karachi airport a few days ago in connection with the killing of MQM leader Imran Farooq in London in September last year. The suspects are said to be affiliated to a political party.

Officials privy to details told this correspondent that the arrested men had travelled to UK on student visa, stabbed Dr Farooq to death and then flown to Sri Lanka.

They were apprehended soon after they came out of the airport in Karachi after having travelled from Colombo.

It is learnt that they were arrested on a tip from British intelligence and other sources.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) tersely urged the media to refrain from spreading “unfounded speculations” about arrests made in Dr Imran Farooq’s murder case. A statement issued

by MQM’s coordination committee said that news reports on two people being arrested at the Karachi airport were “devoid of truth, baseless and concocted.”

Lord Nazir Ahemd in a letter to police commissioner said that he had read much about Imran Farooq murder in the press, including reports of some people having been arrested at

Karachi airport.

He said latest video conference from MQM leader Altaf Hussain could provoke more violence in Karachi as Altaf had threatened journalists.

Lord Nazir said as member of British Parliament he was entitled to inquire about Scotland Yard investigation into circumstances of Imran Farooq murder.

7

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 22 September 2011

Taleban to be “brought in from the cold” Adrian Felaar

T

en years have elapsed; the death of nearly 3 000 American civilians in a mass murder operation; the world’s biggest manhunt in time memoriam; 2 613 coalition force deaths and, since 2003, the deaths of 9620 Pakistani civilians (Source – SATP). It is consensual – 9/11 has branded the world with a lasting impression.

The terror sown on that foreboding day not only bore fruits of war, but also dictated the foreign and security policies of many nations in the global village. Additionally the terrible shadow of prejudice still clouds the mind of many and it is well known that ignorance breeds fear.

However the United States has taken a revolutionary step, one which may be perceived as a strategic manoeuvre

by Washington to eventually heal the scarred psyche of Americans.

The media is overwhelmed with reports that Washington has given its approbation to the opening of a Taleban embassy in the Gulf Emirate of Qatar. If all goes according to the blueprint, representatives of the Taleban will be situated in Qatar by the close of this year.

The opening of the Taleban’s embassy will hopefully serve as a precursor to formal peace talks with the West and the Afghan presidency.

The proposition comes after a year’s failure to begin peace talks between the West, Afghanistan and the Taleban.

Yet it is noteworthy that the power of the Taleban’s embassy will be limited to an extent and will not function as a conventional consulate. It will

Marisa Paulson Her strains of pleading were without a doubt agonising, but I was sorry, I couldn’t stop until I was close to making most of her pain transpire.

With a cloth drenched in water, lemon juice, saltwater and vinegar – my uncle’s recipe – I carried on pressing it into her eye, deeply hoping that the acidic juices would begin to heal the wound I inflicted onto her. Yes, this was the only way, and her screams this time were in fact a good thing: it meant it was working. For quite some time she threw outbursts of excruciating pain, which eventually resulted in her breathlessness as she came eased.

I helped her up as she staggeringly

provide an address for the Taleban to be recognised as a political entity.

As The Times reported on the 12/9/2011, the Taleban will not be sanctioned to use this office for “fundraising or in support of their armed struggle”.

Notwithstanding there may be political obstacles to hamper these overtures of peace; nonetheless a glimmer of hope transcends the ranks of the Taleban from one of its most feared and eminent members of its hierarchy.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, leader of the notorious Haqqani network, speaking of the Taleban’s ruling “Quetta Shura” pledged his insurgency militia to the decision of the shura members: “We would support whatever solution our

shura members suggest for the future of Afghanistan”.

With prominent Al-Qaeda veterans lending their support to the wagon, it

of peace with possibly the world’s largest organised terror unit is as unfathomable and stupefying as the answer to the origins of the cosmos.

Notwithstanding there may be political obstacles to hamper these overtures of peace; nonetheless a glimmer of hope transcends the ranks of the Taleban from one of its most feared and eminent members of its hierarchy. would appear that peace is not to far off from the Eastern horizon.

Still, the gestation of the concept

To recall all the bloodshed of innocent people, it would now appear that the Taleban is getting off lightly.

SORRY FOR YOURSELF sauntered over to her bedroom, falling onto it as she slept. Gazing upon her distraught yet content, I twiddled with her hair, tucking her in then I headed out of the room, down the stairs to the lounge, and awaited her awakening.

Eyelids that became lightened by an invisible white ray, the faintly chirps of birds I overheard in the distant from where I was sitting, the heating of my skin as something insulated my surface, and shivers as smooth blows of wind hurled in my direction awoke me. In total bliss I blinked rapidly and stretched, exhaling in relief for a blind second before coming to

terms with the incidents that took place last night. In panic I made an exit up the stairs to Anna’s bedroom and halted. Perplexed I viewed my surrounding, further contorting as she was nowhere in sight. I walked over towards the bed rummaging through the covers to see if she was playing hide and seek as she always had done, but there was nothing, nobody. My heart banged and I ran in and out of all rooms only to become unsuccessful in her finding.

I clutched to the ends of my hair at the back of my head, panting, sweat dripped from the roots of my hair, I coughed, cleared my throat and puffed as I reattempted my

search for her. Downstairs: nothing.

Upstairs: nothing. The backyard: nothing. Sudden realisation hit me and I flew outside, pacing up and down the blocks near—she wouldn’t have been able to get far, searching intensely into every female resembling her.

The sound of a speeding car, hunted enraged in my direction.

Alert I turned around. My eyes widened, my heart jumped out.

I yelled. The pressure of the tires as it made contact with the ground traumatised me, the driver desperately and desirably stamped onto his breaks – I presumed – for nothing but the face of the

There has been no sign of retribution or remorse – only intentional injury.

They have fought an ideological battle with civilians who have had no interest. Now they are free to retire into the shadows of history. Is this justice?

What is interesting is that America seems only to happy to settle for this arrangement. It should be considered that the US-led war in Afghanistan and the surrounding peninsulas was not a typical war; the battlefield was always tipped toward the phantomlike and elusive Taleban.

This was guerrilla warfare and no one ever emerges the victor in such a case. The last decade surely has wearied America and its allies and – along with domestic economic pressures – the realisation must have dawned that there is little objective in continuing the war.

The apparent death of bin Laden must have come as a consolation prize to some and may even have been a catalyst for US withdrawal.

After a decade of bombings and terroristic activity, a bloody age in earth’s history could be drawing to a close. Perhaps in a couple of years, Al Qaeda will be a vague memory of an embittered past.

Reconciliation between the West and the Taleban, no matter how inconceivable, can restore stability to the world, especially the Middle East region.

Integrating the organisation into the political sphere could also exacerbate Al Qaeda’s objective. Yet, a world without Al Qaeda, terror threats and accompanying alerts?

Unimaginable but the thought is politically tantalising! car bumped me. Chirping birds screamed, chirping birds roared and chirping birds muttered, a soundless bird breathed. The angered driver hammered his horn into my ears, spitting such words I’d rather not repeat. The aching surreal moment shocked me, waking me up into the truth that Anna departed.

Saltwater tears I once pressed into Anna’s eyes were now unleashing out of mine—vaguely. Quite ironic it was, but that irony wasn’t enough to bring her back. Denying her departure, I ran back home, legs slowly averse as we both gave up. I slammed the door, saw a note, read, and bellowed the fury which would remain.

Continue next week.

8

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 22 September 2011

DEBATE

Impossible is two words too long enforcement, each of which are perfectly admirable career paths but put into context these children are being told to stop chasing a dream (the impossible) and live practical everyday lives (the possible).

There was once a sixteen year old boy who dreamed of having a better life. He left school at sixteen, sold electronics from the back of his van and is now known to the world as the entrepreneur Sir Alan Sugar. There was once a girl who dreamed of becoming an international superstar and spent most of her childhood singing and dancing around her house, to the world she is now known as Beyonce Knowles.

There was once a young boy with a growth hormone deficiency and a passion for playing football, to the world he is now known as Lionel Messi.

Once upon a time people thought it was impossible for the world

Keziah-Ann Abakah IMPOSSIBLE, the text book definition of the word is that which cannot be achieved.

In a day and age where two people on opposite sides of the world can communicate with a touch of a button, where television can be watched from your phone and car’s can operate without keys is there anything that is really and truly impossible?

The average child amuses the average parent with dreams of becoming a race car driver, a singing sensation or a millionaire.

Not wanting to shatter their Child’s dream the parent tells them that they can be whatever they want to be. Later, when life deals its hand and fate intervenes these same children are told to pursue practical ambitions.

They are told to put aside their dreams and become doctors, teachers or members of the law

to be spherical, now it has been shown that the world is not flat and people have been as far as the moon. Once upon a time people believed that it was impossible to travel faster than by horse, now we have cars that can travel as fast as 267 miles an hour. And once upon a time it was believed that if you were incapable of having children you would remain incapable of having children, but now we have a little thing called IVF. The world has come a long way and it has further still to go.

What people once believed to be impossible has now become possible. I am not telling you to quit your job or encourage your children to quit school and do whatever they feel like doing instead I am telling you this.

There is nothing in this world that is well and truly impossible.

Impossible is simply two words too long.

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Leonardo DiCaprio wants to stop acting Leonardo DiCaprio wants to stop acting, to become a Director A disappointment to us all, Leonardo DiCaprio has decided to stop acting and switch to becoming a Director.

Leonardo is one of the Hollywood’s biggest stars, till today he has many fans. DiCaprio wants to follow the footsteps of llegendary actorturned-director Clint Eastwood.

The actor recently told GQ , he imagines acting to be a “game of deciding what to keep your attention on, as opposed to the 20 other things I’m sure people want you to pay attention to”.

Eastwood announced Leo’s seal of approval, and believes that as Leo is an actor he would take the right approach, and he understands the necessities of the actors and the whole film-making process.

All fans are awaiting the future as Leo reveals his creation.

By Rohma Khan

ADVICE Dear Miss R I am 16 years old and trying to decide what I want to do in the future as a career. My parents desperately want me to go into Medicine or Law however I am interested in none of these and I’m not quite sure what direction I want to head in. I have a passion for art and thought I may want to go into interior or fashion designing, but whenever I even mention that I get frowns. My parents are already disappointed with my GCSE grades and I don’t want to disappoint them any further. I’ve picked the three sciences and art for A levels however I am not enjoying the sciences, there is still time to change them however I’m not sure how well my parents would take this. What should I do?

Laura

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Dear Laura First and foremost, your parents are trying to do what they think is best for you however you need to let them know that you are not interested in these careers and that you won’t be happy with doing them in the future. Explain to them that your passion is in art and possibly show them your art work as they will see how happy it makes you and how good you are at it. Also show them how successful you can be as a designer. As for you’re a levels, you should pick subjects which you enjoy and want to learn about so you do better in them whilst being happy with your own choice. Good luck!

Miss R

9

aarc S

Saarc international I Thursday 22 September 2011

Charity begins at home See Page 15

international

Thursday, 22.09.11

U.S. Ultimatum to Pakistan Must cut ties with a leading Taliban group and help eliminate its leaders Earlier China warns US against war with Pakistan T

he Obama administration has sharply warned Pakistan that it must cut ties with a leading Taliban group based in the tribal region along the Afghan border and help eliminate its leaders, according to officials from both countries.

In what amounts to an ultimatum, administration officials have indicated that the United States will act unilaterally if Pakistan does not comply.

The message, delivered in high-level meetings and public statements over the

past several days, reflects the belief of a growing number of senior administration officials that a years-long strategy of using persuasion and military assistance to influence Pakistani behavior has been ineffective.

White House officials and Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta are said to be adamant in their determination to change the approach, according to officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity about internal administration deliberations.

Although he declined to provide details, Panetta told reporters at the Pentagon on Tuesday that “we are going to take whatever steps are necessary to protect our forces” in Afghanistan from attacks by the Haqqani network, which has had a long relationship with Pakistan’s intelligence service.

As Panetta spoke, new CIA Director David H. Petraeus was holding an unpublicized private meeting in Washington with his Pakistani counterpart, Lt. Gen. Ahmed

Shuja Pasha.

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who met with Pakistan’s army chief in Madrid on Friday, said that the “proxy connection” between Pakistani intelligence and the Haqqani network was the focus of those discussions.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pressed Pakistan in 3.5-hour talks on Sunday to attack the Haqqani network Continued on page 10 >>

Major earthquakes can hit South Asia: experts Parts of the Himalayas has the potential to generate large earthquakes any time.

Sikkim earthquake unusual, say geologists Indications are strong for major earthquakes to strike South Asia, geological experts observe, a day after a 6.9 magnitude quake in Sikkim rattled the region, killing 71 people in India and Nepal.

A number of below-surface cracks, geologically known as faults, have made the region the most quake-prone in the world, with Bangladesh seen as the top-risk country.

While in silence, which geologists see as the lull

before the storm, the faults accumulate energy over hundreds of years for release. The longer they stay calm the deadlier they get before going off.

The Main Boundary fault in the Himalayas just broke its silence, releasing some of its energy that sent a chill through parts of India, Bangladesh and Nepal on Sunday.

Experts, however, worry more over the silence of the Continued on page 10 >>

NEWS

10 Continued from page 9 >> militant group Washington blames for a recent attack on the U.S. embassy in Kabul, A senior U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the issue of counterterrorism in general and the Haqqani network in particular were the first and last topics discussed by Clinton and Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar. The

Saarc international I Thursday 22 September 2011

U.S. Ultimatum to Pakistan

Haqqani network has al-Qaeda and Taliban links fighting U.S.-led NATO and Afghan troops in Afghanistan. Insurgents in a bombladen truck occupied a building in Kabul on Tuesday, raining rockets and gunfire on the U.S. embassy and other targets in the diplomatic quarter of the Afghan capital, and battled police during a 20-hour siege,

killing 16 people including five Afghan police.

Cameron Munter, the U.S. ambassador in Islamabad, bluntly cited evidence Saturday linking the Pakistani government to the Haqqani network, blaming the group for the Kabul siege. Clinton warned that Pakistan is fast losing friends in Washington, according to one official deeply familiar with the

session. Clinton left the meeting with Pakistan’s assurance that “they recognize that these people are threats to Pakistan as well, and that no one should think that their relationship with the Haqqanis was more important than their relationship with the United States,” a senior administration official said.

Earlier China warns US against war with Pakistan

Earlier in May this year China has officially put the United States on notice that Washington’s planned attack on Pakistan will be interpreted as an act of aggression against Beijing. This blunt warning represents the first known strategic ultimatum received by the United States in half a century, going back to Soviet warnings during the Berlin crisis of 1958-1961, and indicates the grave danger of general war growing out of the US-Pakistan confrontation.

“Any Attack on Pakistan Would be Continued from page 9 >>

Construed as an Attack on China” Responding to reports that China has asked the US to respect Pakistan’s sovereignty in the aftermath of the Bin Laden operation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu used a May 19 press briefing to state Beijing’s categorical demand that the “sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan must be respected.” According to Pakistani diplomatic sources cited by the Times of India, China has “warned in unequivocal terms that any attack on Pakistan would be construed as an attack

on China.” This ultimatum was reportedly delivered at the May 9 China-US strategic dialogue and economic talks in Washington, where the Chinese delegation was led by Vice Prime Minister Wang Qishan and State Councilor Dai Bingguo.1 Chinese warnings are implicitly backed up by that nation’s nuclear missiles, including an estimated 66 ICBMs, some capable of striking the United States, plus 118 intermediate-range missiles, 36 submarine-launched missiles, and numerous shorter-range systems.

Major earthquakes can hit South Asia

other quake-makers in the region, of which three are in Bangladesh-the Modhupur fault (60km) in Tangail, the Dauki (230km) in Sylhet-Mymensingh and the Eastern Boundary fault (900km, Sitakunda in Chittagong to the Nicobar Islands). Then there are the 1,600km Western Region fault along India-Bangladesh-Myanmar border and the broken IndianBurmese mass below the surface (geologically known as plate) to worry about.

Except for causing tremors occasionally, these faults have been silent for about 400 years.

The three faults within Bangladesh have been assessed as capable of producing temblors of up to 8.5 magnitude. Different surveys have found the Modhupur fault the riskiest, which can cause 7-7.5 magnitude earthquakes.

Though the Sikkim quake has spared Bangladesh this time only with jolts for nearly two minutes, the future looks grim for the densely-populated country with unplanned urbanisation on underdeveloped lands.

A 7.5 magnitude quake in Modhupur can wreak havoc in Dhaka, only 50km away. “It can destroy 30 percent of the buildings in Dhaka, kill about two lakh people and trap another three lakh in no time,” said Prof Humayun, spurring the government on disaster preparedness.

Modhupur apart, both the Dauki and Eastern Boundary faults can cause quakes of 8.5 magnitude.

As part of its disaster management plans, the government has decided to train about 62,000 people on rescue operation.

Humayun, however, thinks the government and the media should focus more on an extensive awareness campaign, telling people about the do’s and don’ts during earthquakes. “First, people should learn how to protect themselves.

Rescue comes later,” he added.

The earthquake that rocked Sikkim Sunday is unusual in terms of its magnitude and nature of origin, say leading geologists.

“There is nothing surprising in this earthquake as the region north of

The leader of the Haqqani network, the most feared faction fighting Nato troops in Afghanistan, has pledged his group would support the Taliban leadership in any future peace talks.

The statement was made by Sirajuddin Haqqani, the son of the legendary Mujahideen leader Jalaluddin Haqqani and now commander of the most ruthless insurgency militia. The United States has put a $5 million reward on his head.

His faction has been blamed for some of the most damaging assaults on Nato forces in Afghanistan, and his statement in an interview with Reuters has caused a wave of excitement among

Afghanistan analysts and diplomats.

The Haqqanis had been thought to be opposed to recent talks between the representative of Taliban leader Mullah Omar, Tayeb Agha, and American state department officials in Qatar and Germany earlier this year.

Sirajuddin Haqqani said his group had rejected direct approaches for peace talks and offers of government positions if he abandoned his group’s insurgency.

They had been aimed at dividing the Haqqanis from the Taliban’s Quetta Shura leadership, he said.

Diplomats feared there was a divide between the Kandahar-centred Taliban leadership behind Mullah Omar, and

Sikkim, which forms the outliers of Tibetan tectonics, is known for moderate earthquakes in the past,” C.P. Rajendran at the Indian Institute of Science here told IANS. But what makes it different is its “unusually greater magnitude”.

These earthquakes are different in the sense they are along the somewhat north-south structures trending transverse to the east-west Himalayan axis, Rajendran said.

They are different from the usual Himalayan thrust earthquakes that are caused by the collision of the Indian plate with the Eurasian plate.

Vineet Gahaulat at the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) in Hyderabad said: “The (Sikkim) earthquake highlights the presence of the role of transverse features in the Himalayas.”

“This 6.9 magnitude earthquake possibly occurred on a northwestsoutheast trending almost vertical fault through strike slip motion.”

“This is what we generally do not expect in the Himalayas,”

Gahaulat said. “We expect large magnitude earthquakes on the detachment having thrust motion on gently dipping planes - like the 1999 Chamoli and 1991 Uttarkashi earthquakes.”

Gahaulat said the role of transverse features in segmenting the Himalayan arc and accommodating some of the convergence of the India-Eurasia plates have been talked about earlier.

“But this one (Sikkim quake) makes it clearer as this is possibly the largest magnitude earthquake of this type in the Himalayas.”

Gahaulat is also surprised at the fewer number of aftershocks only two to three aftershocks of magnitude greater than 4.5. “So where are all the aftershocks gone?

Are they yet to occur in the following days,” he asked.

According to Gahaulat, “we need to be careful” if, in the coming days, the aftershocks occur southeast of the main shock epicentre - the way two aftershocks have occurred.

“The region where the main shock occurred has very low population

density, but further southeast, population density is higher,” he cautioned.

“The occurrence of this earthquake does not lower down the threat from the great earthquake which we expect in the Himalayas,” the NGRI scientist warned.

The one (or more) which is expected will be a thrust type earthquake on the detachment which will be much more devastating than this one, he said.

“We need to treat each and every earthquake in a special way, you just need to turn it around and it will tell a somewhat different story.”

Rajendran, however, does not think this particular event in Sikkim can be treated as a precursory signal to any major earthquake that may occur in future along the Himalayan arc.

“Having said that, the fact remains that some historically earthquakedeficient parts of the Himalayas has the potential to generate large earthquakes any time, irrespective of the present earthquake,” he cautioned.

Feared Haqqani network announce support for Taliban peace talks

the Haqqanis, who have been seen as an increasingly independent militant faction with close links to both the Pakistan government and al-Qaeda commanders.

But in the interview, Haqqani states his unequivocal support for the Taliban’s

ruling ‘Quetta Shura’ and implies he supported the aborted exploratory talks between the United States and the Taliban Qatar and Germany earlier this year.

“They offered us very, very important positions but we rejected and told them they would not succeed in their nefarious designs. They wanted to divide us,” he said by telephone from an undisclosed location.

“We would support whatever solution our shura members suggest for the future of Afghanistan,” he added.

He denied American claims that the Haqqani Network uses Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal area as a safe

haven and launch pad for attacks on Nato forces in Afghanistan.

Intelligence analysts regard this comment as a propaganda ploy to ease pressure on Islamabad, which is suspected of regarded the group as a strategic ally against Indian influence in Afghanistan. Senior analysts have been trying to establish the Haqqanis’ attitude to the recent exploratory peace talks for some months amid suspicions of a deep split within the urgency.

Sirajuddin’s comments however have given them some hope that the Quetta Shura’s key figures are united, disciplined, and capable of delivering a credible peace if terms can be agreed.

11

Saarc international I Thursday 22 September 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF AFGHANISTAN NEWS

Minister accused of hampering fight against insurgents

Members of British and Afghan special forces were seriously injured during last week’s Kabul siege after Afghanistan’s interior minister barged onto the scene at 3am and ordered the cowards to rush the final assault, Afghan and international officials say.Even as fighting raged on the upper floors of a 12-storey condemned building site that insurgents had used to fire missiles at the US embassy, Bismillah Khan Muhammadi, a 50-yearold cabinet minister, marched into the ground floor at around 3am and ordered a new team to be thrown into the fight.

Well-informed sources have painted an extraordinary picture of a senior official who not only remained in the building while fighting continued, but also accused commanders of being cowards and threatened to sack them unless they hurried up. A shocked official from Nato’s International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said that by bypassing the established chain of command Muhammadi sent the mission into disarray, spoiling what had until that point been a painstaking and careful effort by Afghan forces.

“The troops that he sent in were not properly briefed or prepared, which may well have led to them taking casualties.

By taking complete command of the entire operation he undermined all levels of command below him, rendering them ineffective,” the official said.

Five Afghan commandos from the reserve unit Muhammadi had ordered into the building were injured as they raced up the building. Another had been wounded earlier in the operation, which took 20 hours to complete.

In addition five British special forces soldiers, most likely from the Special Air Service who were mentoring the Afghans, were wounded by grenades

thrown in the abandoned building site.

Another Isaf official said the British casualties were taken to a Nato medical facility where at least one man, suffering shrapnel wounds to his chest, was operated on.

The Ministry of Defence refuses to comment on either special forces operations or on injuries sustained by troops, but all the wounded are said to be recovering.

John Allen, the US general in overall command of the international forces, was said to be furious with Muhammadi’s interference in the operation, which Isaf officials believe may have added hours to the final outcome, giving insurgents extra time to prepare for the final assault.

An Isaf spokesman refused to comment on Allen’s view of events, or on details of the operation.

A group of opposition MPs have called for the resignation of Muhammadi and other ministers with security portfolios in the wake of the day-long fight in the capital. In a statement the interior ministry denied the claims of security and diplomatic sources, saying the minister had stayed 600 metres away from the building and respected the chain of command.

‘Violence affecting Afghan children’s mental health’ Human rights officials in Afghanistan have endorsed earlier findings suggesting that endemic violence is inflicting considerable psychological trauma and distress on children in that country, RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan reports.

Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission in Kabul told RFE/RL that many Afghan children have witnessed acts of violence, seeing people being killed in bomb attacks or seeing dead bodies on the streets.

A 2009 study by England’s Durham University, the first largescale survey of Afghan children’s mental health, reported that one in five children suffers from psychiatric disorders, including anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Children have been some of the worst victims of Afghanistan’s nearly three decades of war.

According to UNICEF, more than 30 percent of children of elementary-school age are working on the streets in Afghanistan and are often their family’s sole breadwinners. That means that millions of children are not going to school.

Cameron converses with Saudi diplomats left Afghanistan German defence minister visits Karzai on telephone

David Cameron Prime Minister of Britain had telephonic conversation with President Hamid Karzai discussing the peace process in Afghanistan.

Both sides emphasized on the peace process of Afghanistan and called it a necessity and evaluated different dimensions of peace.

They also exchanged views on mutual relations between the two

Afghanistan

nations and their participation at the 68th UN General Assembly.

Barack Obama, Hamid Karzai to meet in New York

US President Barack Obama will meet Afghan President Hamid Karzai on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, the White House said Friday.

The encounter, announced by US deputy national security advisor Ben Rhodes, will come amid sometimes testy relations between the Obama administration and the Afghan leader and follows a rise of Taliban violence in Kabul.

“This will be the first meeting the two presidents have had since the president laid out his plans for a US transition earlier this year,” said Rhodes.

“They will have the opportunity to discuss how the transition is going,” ahead of a NATO summit that Obama is hosting in Chicago next May, he said.

All Saudi diplomats have left Afghanistan over security concerns, Arab diplomatic sources said in Islamabad on Saturday. The move comes after last week’s brazen attack by a group of heavily-armed Taliban fighters and suicide bombers in the heart of Kabul.

Taliban militants succeeded in occupying an under-construction multi-story building in a highsecurity zone and fired rocketpropelled grenades at the US embassy, Nato headquarters and other key buildings. Their fight with security forces lasted for almost 20 hours.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid was quick to claim responsibility. He said the attack had inflicted heavy casualties on foreign and Afghan forces and “also proved to be a serious political and

psychological” setback for US and Nato forces.

The attack raised questions in diplomatic circles as to how Taliban fighters, laden with heavy equipment, crossed security hurdles and reached so close to highly sensitive areas.

A total of 20 Saudi diplomats and other Saudi staff members secretly left their embassy hours later after consulting their government, diplomatic sources said.

The Saudi embassy is located near Kabul’s Abdul Haq Square, where the Taliban used the nine-story building to target the US embassy, just 300 yards away from the attack site.

Sources said the Saudi diplomats did not inform the Afghan Foreign Ministry before leaving the capital Kabul and told their Afghan staff members to stay at home until their return.

German Defence Minister Thomas de Maiziere arrived in the Afghan town of Mazar-i-Sharif early Sunday for a visit aimed at preparing his country’s gradual troop pullout.

“The most important thing of course is to talk with our soldiers to get an idea of how they see the situation on the ground,” he told reporters on the plane taking him to Afghanistan.

The minister is expected to discuss the phased pullout of Germany’s troops from Afghanistan, which is

expected to be completed by 2014.

He is also expected to hold talks with US officials and other members of the International Security Assistance Force deployed in Afghanistan.

With more than 5,000 troops deployed in the comparatively quiet north of the country, Germany is the third contributor of troops in coalition operations, behind the United States and Britain.

12

Saarc international I Thursday 22 September 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF BANGLADESH NEWS

Flash flood leaves 20,000 marooned

F

lash flood hit Kalmakanda upazila of the district again leaving around 20 thousand people in 20 villages marooned.

Waters of the hill rivers Goneshwary, Ubdakhali and Mongalashwary have crossed danger levels while heavy rain in the last two days and onrush of hill water from across the border triggered the flood, Netrakona Water Development Board(WDB) sources said.

The flood affected villages are Hat Gobindapur, Kharnai, Bishwanathpur, Bawsham, Sanyashipara, Baruakona, Langura, Rangchati, Goradoba, Borkapon,

Chowhatta, Gobindapur, Rikha, Baitha, Isobpur, Korolapur,

Boroiund, Chamti, Jatrabari and Keshobpur, Kalmakanda upazila

nirbahi officer (UNO) Mohammad Abdullah said.

The flood waters damaged newly planted aman on more than 500 hectares in those areas, agriculture officials said.

Erosion by the rivers took a serious turn while floodwater washed away at least 200 thatched houses at different villages of the upazila, locals said.

Floodwater also damaged vegetables on several hundred hectares and most aman seed-beds in the affected areas.

At least 30 more dwelling houses and 200 hectares of cultivable land at Keshobpur and Igrampur villages were devourd by the Ubdakhali River in the last two days, locals said.

‘Indian PM’s visit to Dhaka Bangladesh to become solar energy nation in 10 years had positive outcomes’

The two-day conference that began here Saturday seeks to assess the outlook for ties between Bangladesh and India following Manmohan Singh’s visit earlier this month, the first by an Indian prime minister in 12 years.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s recent visit to Dhaka was “successful” and gave an “unshakable momentum” to the development of collaborative ties between the two neighbours, top officials from India and Bangladesh gathered here at a coneference have said.The two-day conference that began here Saturday seeks to assess the outlook for ties between Bangladesh and India

Bangladesh ‘6th most disasterrisk country’

Bangladesh is the sixth among countries that are most vulnerable to natural disasters including typhoons, earthquake and tsunamis, a new report says.

Among the Asian countries, Bangladesh ranked second, after the Philippines in the World Risk Index 2011, jointly conducted by United Nations University (UNU), Germany and the Institute of Environment and Human Security.

In the recently published 2011 Global Assessment Report by the UNDP, Bangladesh was found to be one of the most vulnerable countries to disasters.

The report assessed 173 countries based on their exposure, susceptibility, coping capacities and adaptive capacities to disasters. Based on appropriate indicators in the components, Bangladesh gained 27.52 percent, 44.96 percent, 86.49 percent and 58.77 percent respectively, the UNU website says.Relating to the risk index, Bangladesh’s overall points were 17.45.

following Manmohan Singh’s visit earlier this month, the first by an Indian prime minister in 12 years.The conference, called “Bangladesh-India Relations in the Age of Globalisation”, was inaugurated at Dhaka University

by Gowher Rizvi, adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who said it was time to say goodbye to the politics of confrontation and suspicion that dogged relations between the countries for decades and fetched no results, either diplomatically or politically.”Time has come to look for comprehensive solutions to problems rather than take a piecemeal approach that got stuck and hindered overall

bilateral development to the detriment of people of both countries,” Rizvi said.He said it was time for both to think big and go beyond bilateral transit issues to the larger process of regional connectivity and integration that extended beyond Bangladesh and India to Myanmar, Nepal and China.

Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes called the Manmohan Singh visit on Sep 6-7 “eminently successful” and called for “reninventing bilateral relations” with an “intellectual leap”, and said conferences like this should provide ideas not just for physical connectivity, but connectivity of ideas, culture and business.

Bangladesh has given a significant thrust to tapping of solar energy and is set to become a ‘solar energy nation’ within the next 10 years. A huge number of ‘green jobs’ will also be created, a leading expert said in Dhaka yesterday.

Former Grameen Shakti managing director Dipal Chandra Barua said, “We’re moving ahead to lay out a mission,

‘Bangladesh Solar Mission’. We’ll analyse the global perspective, engage experts from home and abroad and take support internationally to make Bangladesh a solar energy nation,” Barua said. Barua is now president of Bangladesh Solar and Renewable Energy Association and founder and chairman of Bright Green Energy Foundation.

Ministers to be fired if found corrupt: PM

P

rime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said ministers would be fired if graft allegations against them are proved.

Reiterating that her government has zero tolerance for corruption, she said, “Ministers will be sacked if anyone comes up with documents or other evidence proving their corruption. But no verbal statements alleging corruption will be accepted.”

Hasina, also president of Awami League, was addressing a joint meeting of AL Central Working Committee and Advisory Council at her official residence Gono Bhaban.

The latest political developments and organisational matters were among the issues discussed at the meeting.

The prime minister said many have lately been addressing rallies in Shaheed Minar accusing ministers, particularly the communications

minister, of corruption.

“I will request them to bring specific documents detailing in which areas corruption took place.

I assure them the minister will be removed and actions will be taken,” she said.

She claimed the government did not indulge in corruption in any sector in its last two and a half years.

“Had there been any corruption, we would not have been able to clock a GDP growth of 6.7 percent and generate over 2,200 megawatts of power.”

At the meeting, some of the leaders criticised Finance Minister AMA Muhith for stockmarket collapse and Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain for dilapidated roads and highways. A few of them also questioned AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam’s inactiveness in the party, meeting sources said.

AL lawmaker Abdur Rahman

told the meeting that the image of the government has been badly tarnished due to sharemarket scam.

He suggested steps should be taken immediately to bring the market back on track.

In response, Muhith said a vested quarter has been working to destabilise the stockmarket. He also assured his party colleagues that the market will return to normality

within a month or two, said party insiders.

Abul Hossian said they could not repair roads in time because of a lack of fund.

Turning to the media criticism of her administration, Hasina said a section of the press sometimes slates the government with false and fabricated information. “But when we criticise them, they react sharply,” she said adding that the media too should be able to take the flak.

She said she hopes the media would do constructive criticism to help the government move forward.

“The government often corrects its mistakes from criticism.”

Saying that her administration remains committed to implementing the election manifesto of her party, she directed the AL leaders and workers to stand beside the common people and work for their welfare.

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Saarc international I Thursday 22 September 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF BHUTAN NEWS

One death, a few injuries, many cracks

A 43-year old woman, who was on her way to fetch water, died on the spot in Lumithang village under Darla gewog, Chukha, after the earthquake last evening triggered a landslide that buried her.

Gedu police and medical team, mobilised to check on any casualties following the quake last night, found, on digging out the woman’s body, that she had been struck by a boulder before she was buried.

The mother of four is the only casualty reported in Chukha dzongkhag that witnessed numerous structural damages in most of its gewogs.

Of the 11 gewogs, most reported

damage such as wall collapse, cracks on school buildings, lhakhangs,

residential houses and buildings among others.

The highly and the lowly paid

A

s the last of the living Buddhist societies in the world, Bhutan has unabashedly basked in the attention showered by outside world.

The country’s development philosophy of Gross National Happiness is being extensively marketed at international forums.

At the core, as a philosophy, GNH carries the two immutable tenets of social equity and justice. And yet, the silent rumbles of inequality – particularly the yawning chasm in the income of the people at various levels – are begging to be quietened.

The talks are about the corporate sharks and the lowly private beggars, between who falls a long distance of Nu 145,000.

Today, the corporate heads in the country are paid high salaries. The list is led by the chairperson of Druk Holdwing and Investments (DHI).

Most corporate CEOs earn more than the ministers. And even the working

staff members in these corporations are paid much higher than their colleagues in other sectors.

And then there are those who live on a monthly income as low as Nu 2,000, which is Nu 1,000 below the national wage rate. For a typical household, annual average cash income in 2010 was calculated at Nu 121,455 where non-monetized goods and services could fulfill a large part of household needs.

Powerful tremor rock western Bhutan

A wave of panic gripped people across the country when tremors from an earthquake measuring 6.8

on the Richter scale hit Bhutan last evening around 6.40pm.

They lasted for less than a minute and was felt more in western Bhutan. It sent people pouring outdoors and kept them out for hours in fear of aftershocks.

According to reports, it was milder in the east.

The quake’s epicentre was 64km from Gangtok, Sikkim, India, the tremors of which were also felt 160km away in Thimphu. It’s reported that at least 15 people are feared dead and 100 injured.

While no casualties have been reported so far in Bhutan, cracks to buildings were reported in some parts of the country.

The 2010 GNH survey, however, found that average annual household cash income, excluding nonmonetized goods and services that households produce, ranges from Nu 50,000 in Lhuentse to Nu 300,000 in Thimphu.

Against the backdrop of such levels of cash earning, the president of Centre for Bhutan Studies, Dasho Karma Ura, said a steep rise in the level of salaries in higher echelons of the government, particularly in the public corporations, will set a tendency for income inequality between the salaried people and the rest.

Chukha dzongda Tshewang Rinzin said such damages were aplenty, with some structures suffering major ones, while others suffered partial damages.

A team from the corporation moved out immediately to carry out preliminary assessments. The regional road safety and transport authority office suffered major cracks both inside and outside the building.The office was called off for a day yesterday.

Regional transport officer Sonam Gyeltshen said the building might fall apart should another earthquake strike.The massive landslide on the way to the hospital that fully

blocked the road and partially buried a Chevrolet spark car couldn’t be cleared yesterday.

Meanwhile, travellers from Phuentsholing to other western dzongkhags were stranded until 3.30pm yesterday, with the Phuentsholing-Thimphu highway remaining blocked at Sorchen, Kamji, Ganglakha, Takti, Wangkha, Chukha, Damchu and Watsa.Following the earthquake, many Phuentsholing residents spent the night around the Zangtopelri lhakhang premises, the football ground and near the royal insurance office building. Some slept in their cars.

Bhutan king to marry Indiaeducated bride on Oct 13

The date is set for a royal wedding.

Bhutan’s 31-year-old king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck will tie the knot with his India-educated bride, Jetsun Pema, Oct 13, an official of her alma mater here said Friday.

Jetsun is an alumna of the prestigious Lawrence School in the Kasauli hills here and her younger sister Serchen Doma is still studying here. The family has sought leave for her to attend the wedding.

“Jetsun Pema, who was with us three years back, is going to wed with Bhutan’s king Oct 13,” her teacher Deepak Bahuguna told IANS. He said an e-mail in this regard was received by the school authorities from her mother two days back.

“She informed us about Pema’s wedding and requested the school authorities to allow her younger daughter to travel to Bhutan to attend celebrations,” he added.

Bhutan’’s PM says meeting with Kuwait PM “very good”

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rime Minister of Bhutan Jigmy Y. Thinley said Monday his meeting with the representative of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad AlAhmad Al-Sabah was “very good.

“I have a very good meeting with His Highness the Prime Minister of Kuwait. We discussed matters of bilateral nature, among others,” Thinley said in a statement to KUNA and Kuwait TV following the meeting.

“I thanked His Highness for

the support that the Kuwaiti Government has extended to

Bhutan over the years, in particular for the very generous assistance that we received in the aftermath of a very severe cyclone and earthquake two years ago in Bhutan,” he said.

Thinley added that they also talked about continuing collaboration and cooperation both at the multi-lateral level as well as in the bilateral area.

The Kuwaiti Prime Minister is in New York to represent His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to the UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) 66th session.

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Saarc international I Thursday 22 September 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF INDIA NEWS

100 killed as rescuers race to reach South Asia quake villages R

escue workers raced Monday to clear roads blocked by mudslides as they scrambled to reach remote villages cut off after a powerful earthquake killed at least 53 people in northeast India, Nepal and Tibet.

Hundreds of paramilitary soldiers and local police working through the night cleared away concrete slabs, bricks and mud to rescue scores of people trapped under the debris of houses that collapsed after a 6.9-magnitude quake struck the mountainous Himalayan region Sunday evening.

At least 25 people died in the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim, where the quake was centered near India’s border with Nepal, police said.

Paramilitary soldiers had pulled out 18 bodies and had located seven others buried under mounds of

concrete in Gangtok, Sikkim’s capital, said police Chief Jasbir Singh. At least 50 people, some of them with serious injuries, were hospitalized, he said.

Another 11 people were killed the neighboring Indian states of Bihar and West Bengal. Seven people died in Nepal and China’s official Xinhua

NIA probing Kerala link to Delhi blast Sleuths are trying to extract details from some of the Lashkar-eTaiba (LeT) operatives including Thadiyanatavide Nazir and Sarfaraz Nawaz, both lodged in the Bangalore Central Prison.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), probing the Delhi High Court blast case, suspects sleeper

cells of the Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HuJI) and the Indian Mujahideen in Kerala could have had a hand in the terror strike.

Their interrogation, following their arrests, had already revealed how a transnational terror module operates in some South Asian countries linked to Gulf nations.

Setback to Congress as allies stand united The Congress’s three key allies in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, the Trinamool Congress, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (DMK) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), joined hands.

The Congress’s three key allies in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, the Trinamool Congress, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (DMK) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), joined hands on Friday to block a cutback on the supply of subsidised LPG, forcing a deferment of a meeting of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM).

They also lent ballast to the Opposition parties with the Trinamool and the DMK endorsing the demand for a rollback of the petrol price.

The NCP, while expressing unhappiness at the hike, said it would not oppose that decision as it was in the government.

On Friday, the Congress fielded its newest spokesperson, Rashid Alvi, at its official press briefing. Mr. Alvi admitted that the price hike “was a burden” on the ‘aam aadmi’ but stressed that the Congress expected the government would “find a way out.”

news agency reported seven deaths from Tibet.

Most of the deaths occurred when houses, already weakened from recent monsoon rains, collapsed due to the force of the quake.

Heavy rains and landslides hampered rescue workers as they

worked through the night to pull people from under the rubble, Singh said.

At least 400 paramilitary soldiers carrying rescue equipment and food supplies were stranded in the closest airport in Bagdogra, as the main highway linking Sikkim was blocked

at two places due to landslides, Singh said. Efforts were now on to airlift them to Gangtok, he said.

In Gangtok, police evacuated and cordoned off the office of the top elected officer after the building developed cracks and was severely damaged in the quake, Singh said.

Dialogue, democracy to Manmohan Singh to meet resolve Kashmir: Singh unlikely Obama at UN

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cautions against revived terror camps in Pakistan and told a conference of senior police officials that the security environment in the country remained “uncertain”.

Claiming that New Delhi had initiated a process of broad-based consultations to find a way forward in the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir, he said there was no room for complacency by the security forces. “We need to give the processes of dialogue and democracy a chance to secure a just and honourable settlement that meets the aspirations of all sections of the people,” Dr Singh said.

“Despite these positive developments,

there is no room for complacency on the security front in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. There are reports of cross-border camps for terrorists being reactivated, and of attempts to induct fresh batches of militants into the country.”

He directed the police chiefs to ensure that such attempts were foiled through smooth and coordinated functioning

“I think that it is our expectation that the president will be able to see in his travels later this year, including to the East Asia Summit and other forums, he’ll have opportunities to engage with Prime Minister Singh,” he said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Barack Obama are unlikely to meet during the UN General Assembly session in New York next week, but may meet at other international forums later this year. “We don’t have any bilateral meetings planned at this point” with South Asian leaders, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, Ben Rhodes told reporters Friday previewing Obama’s schedule at the UN.

India welcomes US decision on Indian Mujahideen

India has welcomed the United States declaring the Indian Mujahideen (IM) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.“The U.S. designation reflects our shared commitment to combat terrorism as well as the strong and growing bilateral counter-terrorism cooperation, which is an important component of the India-U.S. strategic

partnership,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vishnu Prakash said on Friday.

India noted that the designation recognised that the IM had links with Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Harkat ul-Jihad-I-Islami (HuJI) and the IM was responsible for dozens of bomb attacks throughout India since 2005,

including playing a facilitative role in the 2008 Mumbai attack carried out by the LeT, causing the deaths of hundreds of innocent civilians.

The Secretary of State’s designation noted that the IM had significant links to Pakistan and its stated goal was to carry out terror actions against non-Muslims in furtherance of its ultimate objective – an Islamic Caliphate across South Asia.

Saarc international I Thursday 22 September 2011

SPECIAL FEATURE

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Head Covering or Hijab in Christianity

Introduction A common misconception is that Muslim women are the only ones who cover their hair. It may be true that Islam is the only religion in which most women follow its directives to cover the hair, but it is not the only religion to have such directives.

It is particularly interesting to look at the case of Christianity, since Christianity is the predominant religion in the West, and it is Westerners, including observant Christians, who are often the first to criticize Islam because of the hijab (modest dress, including headcovering).

Is Covering the Hair a Religious Commandment for Christian Women?

There can be only one answer to this: yes, it is! Simply open the Bible to the First Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 11. Read verses 3-10.

But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying with his head covered, disgraces his head. But every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered disgraces her head, for it is the same as if she were shaven. For if a woman is not covered, let her be shaven. But if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head. A man indeed ought not to cover his head, because he is the image and glory of God.

But woman is the glory of man. For man was not created for woman, but woman for man. This is why the woman ought to have a sign of authority over her head, because of the angels.

The meaning of this passage is plain enough. We can make the following syllogisms: Syllogism 1 Praying with an uncovered head is a disgrace Having a shaved head is the same as praying with an uncovered head Therefore, having a shaved head is

a disgrace Syllogism 2 If it is a disgrace for a woman to have a shaved head, she should cover her head It is a disgrace for a woman to have a shaved head – see syllogism 1 Therefore, a woman should cover her head In other words, the passage means what it says. Have you ever wondered why Catholic nuns dress like they”re wearing hijab (Muslim hijabi women, have you ever been mistaken for a nun? I have, more than once).

Have you ever wondered why Mary the mother of Jesus (peace be upon them both) is always depicted in Christian art with her hair covered?

Did you know that until the 1960s, it was obligatory for Catholic women to cover their heads in church (then they “modernized” the service)?

There are some interesting points that can be made about the Christian directive.

1) The explicit purpose of the Christian woman”s head covering, as stated by Paul, is that it is a sign of man”s authority over woman.

The explicit purpose of Islamic hijab

is modesty. Strange how so many Westerners think that the purpose of hijab is a symbol of male authority.

2) The Christian woman is to cover her head whenever she is praying, whether it be at the church service or just personal prayer at home. This may mean that if she is not praying at home, she is uncovered around male guests who are not related to her; or if she is praying at home, that she is covered around her own husband and family. If any more proof were needed than Paul”s own words that the Christian head covering is not about modesty, this must certainly be it!

This puts hijab (head covering) in a whole new perspective, doesn”t it!

To my non-hijabi Muslim sister who feels that hijab is a sign of oppression for the Muslim female, please do read the above and then read the Quran.

Believe me, if Allah SWT meant for hijab to be a sign of male authority, the Quran would be as unambiguous about it as Paul is in the Bible. Isn”t this difference the kind of thing that attracted you to Islam in the first place?

Do Any Christian Women Today Cover Their Heads?

It is true that most Christian women do not, and many don”t take other teachings of the Bible (against premarital sex, adultery, etc) literally either. However, there do seem to be a growing number of Christian women out there who are committed to following the Bible as it is written.

Charity begins at home When calamity strikes our part of the world, it strikes with a vengeance.

Even the forces of nature have no mercy left for a land misruled for decades. Nature’s

Murtaza Razui

Tribune Comment fury too unleashes itself on the hapless victims of bad governance; it leaves the poor destitute and the miserable wretched. This is no divine intervention, rest assured. We have elected our own leaders to lord over us. It is they and not God whose intervention we need most in bettering our affairs.

Praying to God to alleviate the sufferings of the flood victims in Sindh and those laid infirm by the Dengue virus in Punjab, as President Zardari so earnestly requested the nation on the eve of his departure for England, was clearly the only panacea left with his government in the face of the crises at hand. Prime Minister Gilani, while also on a trip abroad, chose the other option: he carried with him the begging bowl to Iran and got it filled with some 10 million dollars. Ads appearing in newspapers on his behalf also request

“My people” to contribute to his relief fund. So are we running a country or a cult here? And defying the gods that be thereby.

Some 10 million people are displaced by the floods in Sindh while Dengue epidemic in Lahore alone has reportedly affected nearly 4,000 people, forcing the Punjab government to shut down all educational institutions in the province for ten days.

There are well-founded fears that the virus could spill into the neighbouring provinces too as Punjab borders every other province in the country, and the mosquitoes do not necessarily discriminate between the people of one or the other province.

However, they seem to mind the Indian border with due diligence and have not ventured 14 miles east of Lahore to plague Amritsar, for instance. The Indians must have done something right to keep them at bay.

To a large extent, the flood and Sindh and Dengue in Punjab are both man-made disasters. They could have been prevented or at least contained within manageable limits with some proper planning. The problem of salinity and water-logging in Sindh is well documented and has consistently increased in terms of the areas it affects over the years; yet, nothing was done all these years to contain the

growing menace despite last year’s harrowing floods. If it’s not the rivers overflowing and bursting their banks this monsoon season, it’s simply the rain that’s wreaked much more havoc in rural and urban Sindh alike. Had the drainage system been cleared and streamlined ahead of the rainy season this year, Sindh would not have drowned the way it has.

Not that it wasn’t put on paper (like

(marked ‘For government use. Not for sale.’) in the open market. But there shall never be any accountability for this or that lapse because it is just not the done thing here. Year after year it’s the same story.

The jet-set leadership has to put its feet back on the ground to experience first hand the misery their misrule has unleashed on those they have the

so many ghost schools out there). The accountant general will undoubtedly tell you that the allocated funds were indeed released to the authorities concerned in Sindh for the very purpose, just as enough anti-Dengue virus spray was provided to the Lahore municipality which instead of spraying the city streets sold the stock

audacity to call “my people”. Whether it is ill-gotten or hard earned money, the fact remains that leaders from the Zardaris to Gilanis to the Sharifs, Khans and the rest of them ruling this country are filthy rich; many have got only richer over the years. It’s only fair that before carrying the begging bowls abroad or asking the

world to help, they too should make some individual monetary contribution to the relief effort.

If PIA employees can contribute a day’s wages, what is deterring the elected representatives from making some such token effort?

In fact, people like the president, the prime minister and the chief ministers and their party chiefs can help by simply cutting down on their state-paid seven-course meals which they devour themselves and shamelessly offer to stunned foreign dignitaries whom they beg for help at the same time. Why not enforce a one-dish menu for their royal lunches and dinners in a country whose internal and external debt is now going straight up to its ears?

Charity should really begin at home. While Nawaz Sharif is right when he says we need to break the begging bowl, it is time he too coughed up some of his golden coins to alleviate the misery over which his heart bleeds. Maybe by doing so the opposition leader can shame the president and the prime minister into making similar donations — even if they be to their own relief funds — which, alas, have little credibility with Pakistanis and foreigners alike.

The writer is a member of the staff at Dawn Newspaper.

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South Asia Tribune I Thursday 22 September 2011

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 22 September 2011

Floods a repeat of last year?

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or a multitude of reasons perhaps, the floods that have devastated Sindh have not received the attention they deserve.

Yet the evidence that is beginning to emerge as humanitarian agencies begin to respond is that the disaster may, in terms of magnitude, be on the same scale of the one we saw in 2010. Already, some 5.3 million people have been affected, 1.2 million homes swept away, over 1.5 million acres of crops destroyed and over 250,000 people are now reported by the Sindh government to be displaced, with close to 300 dead so far.

Furthermore, thousands of cases of malaria have been reported as well and it is quite likely that other diseases will follows, especially cholera and dysentery because of the shortages of clean drinking water. Add to this, the epidemic of dengue fever in parts of the country, which is slowly but surely making its way to Sindh, and we have the makings of a potential major health catastrophe.

This of course is the bigger picture, encapsulated, if you will, from a distance.

Zoom in closer and one will find images of unrivalled misery (and correspondingly, massive official neglect and ineptitude); there are the families who lack anything to eat; the babies and young children stricken with illness and those who search desperately for missing family members or food and clean drinking water.

Those affected have now been complaining for the past few days that they have received too little help and in some cases been left to fend entirely for themselves. The task the Sindh government has faced has of course been no easy one either – with all 23 districts of the province affected.

Worse still is the news from the weather forecasters that the rains are not likely to stop anytime soon, and that the torrential downpours Sindh and parts of south Punjab have seen, may continue till mid-October.

It is almost unbearable to imagine what kind of suffering this will inflict on people who are already helpless and have lost their means of livelihood, watching standing

crops destroyed and livestock taken away by churning flood waters that have surrounded villages with the Navy now called in to rescue marooned people.

As agencies bring in their experts and the World Food Programme starts distributing urgently needed food aid, there are already some assessments coming in, which suggest the challenges posed are even worse than what confronted aid workers last year.

In the first place, it is being said that since people are not assembled in specific places but are widely scattered, makes it harder to deliver aid to them. While camps have been set up, facilities are poor, and many people, uncertain of where to go, are simply camping along roadsides.

This state of affairs makes it harder to deliver to them the food, clean water and sanitation that they so desperately need, raising the threat of disease in the future. In such circumstances the most vulnerable are of course at worst risk, with Unicef expressing great concern about the welfare of some 2.5 million children.

Some have still to recover from the calamity of 2010 and are thus less able to face the new perils that have swamped them, driving entire villages into a nightmarish scenario they had hoped they would never see again.

The question is, could all this have been prevented? Before the monsoon rains began to fall this year more than one major agency had warned that the lack of disaster preparedness placed people at risk. This, of course, is true.

We need better planning, more efficient means to evacuate people and the ability to establish camps swiftly in key places.

But perhaps what we need most of all is a major overhaul in policy planning and a diversion of funds away from defence, debt servicing and administration so that we are able to spend more on people, offering them better housing, nutrition, healthcare and other basic amenities of life.

Doing so would help them immeasurably in coping with the national disaster that they keep having to face again and again.

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NEWS

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Saarc international I Thursday 22 September 2011

The terror web

THE designating of the Indian Mujahideen (IM) as a “foreign terrorist organisation” is a clearcut sign of the growing realisation in the US that it can no longer be indifferent to the continuing terror attacks in India because these have a bearing on the entire world.

Terror organisations are seamlessly enmeshed and the US just cannot afford to target only those which pose a direct challenge to its country and citizens. Besides putting IM on

terror blacklist, the US has gone on to describe it as a terrorist group with “significant links to Pakistan”. That underscores the point that its patience with Pakistan’s antics is running out.

IM maintains close links with other US-designated terrorist entities like the Pakistan-based Lashkar-eToiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Harkat ul-Jihad-i-Islami (HuJI). A US Congressional report had recently identified IM as an example of dangerous growing trend

of indigenous Islamist terrorism in India.

Besides carrying out dozens of bomb attacks throughout India since 2005, IM also played a facilitative role in the 2008 Mumbai attack carried out by LeT that killed 163 persons, including six Americans. The slapping of sanctions means that all American citizens will be prohibited from knowingly providing material support or resources to, or engaging in other transactions with, IM, and

the freezing of all property of the organisation that are in the US or come within the US, or the control of US persons.

How one wishes the US had been that firm with all tentacles of terrorism right from the beginning.

Even now it has a long way to go.

Ms Lisa Curtis, a leading South Asia expert who is Senior Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, told a Congressional hearing on USIndia counter-terrorism cooperation

recently that downplaying connections between al-Qaida and India-centric terrorist groups was counter-productive. By choosing to view their activities through a separate lens, US officials had failed to hold Pakistan accountable for dealing effectively with terrorists located on its territory. Indian officials also believe that the US has withheld information on al-Qaida terrorist operatives suspected of having ties with Kashmiri militants.

Afghans protest Rabbani Gunmen kill 29 Shia pilgrims in two attacks in Pakistan assassination * Gunmen order Iran-bound pilgrims off

Afghan People have held a demonstration against the assassination of the country’s Peace Council chairman, Burhanuddin Rabbani.

Hundreds of protesters gathered near the peace council chief’s home in the capital Kabul to condemn his assassination, The protest follows an earlier call by Afghan lawmakers

for a full investigation into the terrorist attack that occurred at Rabbani’s home during a meeting held with Taliban commanders.

According to police, a Taliban militant that hid explosives in his turban killed Rabbani and several other Afghan officials.

Government forces have stepped up security in the diplomatic zone near Rabbani’s home and the US embassy.

The Taliban has not yet claimed responsibility for the deaths.

Meanwhile, Afghan President Hamid Karzai cut short his trip to the United Nations in New York following the incident.

Rabbani, 71, was also Afghanistan’s president from 1992 to 1996.

As head of Afghanistan peace council, Rabbani was in charge of Afghan-Taliban talks aimed at reintegrating militants that are willing to lay down their arms.

The initiative to form a peace council was adopted at a traditional gathering, or Jirga, in June 2010 following the failure of the US-led forces in establishing peace in Afghanistan.

Lanka to focus on dengue eradication Sri Lanka will take concerted efforts to eradicate dengue fever during the National Health Week declared from 3rd to 9th October.

The Minister of Health Maithripala Sirisena has instructed the officials to carry out dengue eradication work on all five days excluding the first and the final day of the

National Health Week, the staterun TV reported.

Health and the National Defence Ministries will be launching joint mosquito eradication programmes during the week.

The Health Ministry says the dengue epidemic is under control in most districts except the districts

in Western Province.

According to the latest statistics released by the Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry, so far this year in Western Province, there were 7,041 reported cases of dengue in Colombo district, 2,749 cases in Gampaha district and 948 cases in Kalutara district.

their bus, line them up and opened fire * Lashkar-i-Janghvi claims responsibility * President, PM condemn killings

At least 26 Shia pilgrims were killed and six others sustained injuries in Ganjidori area of Mastung, about 30 kilometers from Quetta, when a group of armed men attacked a passenger bus carrying Shia pilgrims from Quetta to Iran.

According to eyewitness Khushal Khan, the driver of the bus, the passenger bus, carrying 45 passengers, an overwhelming majority of whom were Shia pilgrims, was on its way to Taftan, a town shares border with Iran, from Quetta when intercepted by

assailants armed with sophisticated weapons and rocket launchers. “The assailants asked the passengers to come out, lined them up and then opened fire on them. I fled the scene along with other passengers,” Khusal told the reporters.

The banned outfit Lashkar-iJanghvi claimed the responsibility for the attack and its spokesperson who introduced himself as Ali Sher Haideri said his organization will continue to target people from Shia community.

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Saarc international I Thursday 22 September 2011

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Saarc international I Thursday 22 September 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF PAKISTAN NEWS

Taliban hit list: Battleground shifts from headquarters to home

“We claim responsibility for the attack. Aslam Khan has killed a number of our colleagues and also

arrested and tortured many more,” TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told reporters in a phone call from an

undisclosed location.

A senior police officer, infamous for his tough measures against notorious

criminal elements, survived yet another suicide blast – this time at his residence – early Monday morning in Karachi. While the high-intensity assassination attempt was unable to take the life of the officer, it resulted in the deaths of eight others – including a schoolteacher and her son.

In a display of alarmingly desperate determination, militants, who have borne the brunt of Superintendent of Police (SSP) Crime Investigation Department (CID) Chaudhry Aslam Khan’s efforts as of late, sent a double-cabin vehicle carrying 300 kilogrammes of explosives hurtling into the officer’s residence in the upscale Defence Housing Authority Phase VIII – an area that also houses

a number of schools.

Having suffered intense infrastructural damage, the schools have been closed until their buildings are repaired.

Khan’s family is reported safe, while those dead include his police guards, his cook, and the son and driver of a neighbour.

UAE President Shaikh Khalifa orders team to deliver Pakistan aid

Pakistan ‘wants undisputed ties with US’

Foreign Office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua said Pakistan and the United States are in close contact with each other. Janjua was talking about Cameron Munter’s statement, in which he said that Pakistan is having strong links with the Haqqani Network.

She said Pakistan wants an undisputed relation with US and authorities on both sides shall avoid giving undue statements.

Janjua was talking about Cameron Munter’s statement, in which he said that Pakistan is having strong links with the Haqqani Network.

As reported earlier, the US ambassador to Pakistan, Munter

said the Pakistan-based Haqqani militant network was behind last week’s Kabul siege and there is evidence linking the group to the Pakistan government.

In blunt comments broadcast

by Radio Pakistan on Saturday, Ambassador Munter said: “Let me tell you that the attack that took place in Kabul a few days ago that was the work of the Haqqani network.

Janjua said that extensive

dialogue is the need of the hour to strengthen the relations between the two countries. Janjua added that Munter’s recent statement would be brought under discussion in the upcoming ministers meetings.

Charity organisations to begin providing emergency relief aid to people affected by floods Abu Dhabi: President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan ordered setting up a team comprised of various UAE charity and humanitarian organisations to coordinate the delivery of emergency aid to people affected by the floods in the Sindh Province of Pakistan.

The order is in line with Shaikh Khalifa’s keenness to help brotherly and friendly countries during natural disasters and crises.

Rs5bn raised last year Some workers of MQM, Musharraf, landlords, ISI, political parties involved in 12 May incidents, Sattar informs US counsel general still lying unused

According to sources, the fund set up for collecting donations last year still has Rs5 billion and despite efforts made by the National Disaster Management Authority the government is reluctant to release the amount for relief and rescue operation.

The government, through the United

Nations, has launched an appeal for $356 million international assistance for the people of rain- and flood-affected areas despite the fact that it has not utilised Rs5 billion collected for flood victims last year. Bureaucratic hitches are said to be the main reason behind non-utilisation of the funds. When contacted, former

NDMA chairman Gen (retd) Nadeem Ahmed confirmed that an amount of Rs5 billion not used so far was lying with the government and because of bureaucratic hitches it was not being provided to the authority to expedite its operation in the affected areas. “I brought the issue to

the knowledge of decision-makers but the funds were not released,” he said.

The government, the NDMA and the UN launched an appeal to the international community, on Sunday, seeking $33.2 million as rapid response to the disaster so that the money could be spent on water and sanitation, food and shelter.

Wikileaks disclosed that Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Dr Farooq Sattar told the US Consulate in Karachi that along with some workers of MQM, former President Pervaiz Musharaf, landlords, ISI and other parties were involved in the incidents of 12 May 2007 in Karachi.

Farooq Sattar agreed with the suggestion to de-weaponise the armed group of his party and said that his party would think about this suggestion.

According to a secret diplomatic cable released by Wikileaks, the Charge D Affairs of US Consulate Peter Boday

in a letter wrote on 17 May 2007 said that he had a telephonic talk with MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar in which he told that the incidents of 12 May damaged the reputation of MQM, adding that to review the situation an emergency meeting of the party have been summoned in London.

The report said that Farooq Sattar claimed that some workers of MQM are involved in the incidents of 12 May, while it was worry some that the armed wing of MQM was more active, adding that Farooq Sattar agreed with this suggestion that

his party should think about deweaponisating the armed wing.

The report also said that in 40 minutes long telephonic conversation DR Farooq Sattar leveled allegations of involvement of former president Pervez Musharaf, landlords, ISI and other parties in 12 May incidents.

Farooq Sattar claimed that he had tried more than one time to contact the leader of Awami National Party Asfandyar Wali Khan, meanwhile Asfandyar Wali Khan on 16 May told the US Consulate that he had tried to contact with Farooq Sattar on 12 May but he was not able to contact.

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Saarc international I Thursday 22 September 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF MALDIVE NEWS

President has held discussions on Human Rights in the Country

President Nasheed has met with senior representatives of the world’s main international human rights NGOs to discuss human rights in the Maldives, the Maldives’ work in the UN Human Rights Council, and

the upcoming SAARC Summit.The NGOs at the meeting were Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Cairo Institute, Association for the Prevention of Torture, and the Asia Forum on Human Rights.The NGO

leaders congratulated the Maldives on its leadership at the Human Rights Council on issues ranging from human rights and the environment to Emergency Sessions on Libya and Syria. They also congratulated the

14MPs signed for Oil barrels aboard boat PPM- Mahloof destroyed in fire: MNDF Ahmed Mahloof, the interim Spokesperson of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) which is spearheaded by former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, has revealed that more than 14 members of the Peoples’ Majlis have signed up for the new party.

Speaking at the office of PPM, Galolhu Dhekunu MP, Ahmed Mahloof said that a total of 20 MPs are expected to join the new party when the Peoples’ Majlis opens for a new session.

Speaking to Miadhu Daily, Mahloof said that apart from himself, VilliMaafannu MP Ahmed Nihan, Gemanafushi MP Ilham Ahmed, Vaikaradhoo MP Ali Arif, Nilandhoo MP Ahmed Muhsin Hameed, Ungoofaaru MP Dr. Afrasheem Ali, Inguraidhoo MP Hamdhoon Hameed, Jamaal Abu Bakr have signed up for the party.

The 120 oil barrels aboard the boat that ran aground and caught fire yesterday were destroyed in the fire, which badly burnt two crewmen and an armed forces officer, Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) said today.

The barrels, however, caught fire in the afternoon while armed forces were

trying to rescue the boat.

Captain and boat owner, Ahmed Rashaad from Raa atoll Meedhoo, an expatriate crewman and an armed forces officer aboard the boat received serious burns in the fire. The remaining expatriate crewman on board, however, escaped without serious injuries.

Challenges to freedom of Judiciary will be rejected: Chief Justice

Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz Hussein has said that anything that challenges the independency of

the Judiciary will be rejected.

Speaking at the ceremony held at Dharubaaruge convention center

to celebrate the anniversary of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice, Ahmed Faiz Hussein said that there will be no room for that which challenges the independency of the Judiciary.

Faiz said that he believes that challenges and criticism against the judiciary is inevitable but no opportunity will be given to anyone to threaten the independency of the judiciary.

“I agree that there will be challenges. I agree that there will be criticism. But still with the independency given to us by the constitution we will not step back.

Rather we will move forward every passing day,” he said.

President Nasheed on his speech to the UN on Peaceful Protest and the Muslim Awakening.

Beginning with the domestic situation, President Nasheed informed the NGOs that the Maldives’ democratic transition is still very much a work in progress. Much remains to be done, especially in terms of strengthening the country’s democratic institutions and embedding human rights principles in society.

He welcomed the scrutiny of international NGOs as such pressure helps focus minds in the Maldives.

Internationally, President Nasheed said that the Maldives does what it can, despite its limited geopolitical reach.

Govt does nothing to expand labour market: DRP The main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) has said that the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s government is doing nothing to expand the labour market in the country to solve the increasing rate of unemployment.

Speaking at the press conference held at DRP’s main office, DRP Deputy Leader Ibraheem Shareef (Mavota) said that government has not done anything to address the increasing rate of unemployment.

Shareef raised alarm over the increasing rate of unemployment in the country, noting that unless urgent steps are taken to address the situation, the nation’s economy will degenerate into another round of economic crisis.

Social activists take buses as protest

Social activists took to the buses in capital Male yesterday to tell the people that MPs should not be given the Rf20,000 committee allowance approved by the parliamentary Finance Committee. The campaign started around 5pm from the bus stop at the Hulhumale ferry terminal.

Hamza Haleel said the campaign was aimed at telling the people that MPs should not be provided with the Rf20,000 committee allowance in the current economic situation and to increase public participation in the movement.

“Our volunteers travelled in buses and were stationed at some bus stops in order to provide information about the issue to the public. We distributed more than 1,000 information leaflets today [Friday],” he said.Hamza stressed that it is of high injustice that MPs be paid an extra allowance while the amount reduced from civil servants’ salaries have been included in the annual budget but not paid.A court

case was also filed on Thursday seeking a court order over the Finance Ministry to halt the budget to provide the Rf20,000 committee allowance to MPs. The parliamentary Finance Committee also decided that MPs will receive a lump sum of Rf140,000 as the outstanding committee allowance for the past seven months – a decision which would cost the state Rf10 million.The Finance Committee approved the policy on distributing the Rf20,000 committee allowance on August 9.According to the policy, MPs are eligible to receive the Rf20,000 committee allowance only if they attend 75 percent of the meetings.

The policy states that members with less than 50 percent attendance will not receive the allowance while half of the allowance will be given to members with 50-75 percent attendance.

Members have the right to choose not to receive the allowance, the policy says.

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Saarc international I Thursday 22 September 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF NEPAL NEWS

Quake wake: A trail of destruction; toll 11 S

unday’s earthquake left a trail of destruction in different parts of the country. The temblor measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale caused over 46 deaths and inflicted damage to property, mainly in the hilly districts of eastern Nepal and the northern Indian state of Sikkim, the quake’s epicentre.

While there are reports of the the toll mounting to 39 in Sikkim on Monday evening, the number of quake related deaths in Nepal climbed to 11 from the earlier six.

Five more deaths were reported from Taplejung (1), the district closest to the epicentre, Sankhuwasabha (1), Sunsari (2), Bara (1) and Jhapa (1).

The Home Ministry, however,

put the death toll at six till Monday evening. Three died in Kathmandu when a British embassy wall collapsed

on Sunday evening. Officials said the damage in the eastern districts, which are closer to the epicentre,

could be higher than what has been reported initially.

The Taplejung District Natural Disaster Relief Committee said the quake destroyed 136 houses and injured 10 people in the district alone.

Yamfudin, Sangu and Sinam VDCs saw large scale property damage.

All the 47 schools in Taplejung were damaged in the quake.

Landslides triggered by the quake, meanwhile, blocked the trail leading to the Kanchanjunga Base Camp. The actual figure of property damage in Taplejung could be more, as officials were not done collecting data from all the 50 VDCs as of Monday, a Nepal Red Cross official said.

Ministries not to be allowed PM’s 45-day plan in limbo to hold back on spending P

F

inance Minister Barsha Man Pun on Monday said that he would not allow any ministry to hold back on spending the budget it has been allocated amid concerns that such a trend in some government offices had hindered development spending.

Pun said that the unspent portion of the budget of one project would be transferred to other projects that are performing well.

“We will not have any ministry complaining that projects under it could not be implemented due to lack of funds,” said Pun. The finance minister

said that proper implementation of the budget was his main priority.

For the first time in the last three years after the Constituent Assembly (CA) election, the annual budget was passed on time with the parliament endorsing it on Sunday.

The early endorsement of the budget is expected to give much needed time for the government to implement its programmes and projects.

The delayed budget presentation and delayed endorsement by the parliament in the past three years had hampered capital expenditure badly.

rime Minister Baburam Bhattarai’s plan to complete the “fundamentals” of the peace process within 45 days seems impossible with the Special Committee failing to make a breakthrough on contentious issues.

The second meeting of the crossparty committee led by Bhattarai ended inconclusively on Sunday delaying the beginning of former combatants’ regrouping into integration and rehabilitation groups.

The prime minister had wanted to see the agreement to begin regrouping

before his departure to New York to attend the UN General Assembly.

The second meeting of the cross party committee dwelt on contentious issues--integration modalities, numbers, norms, rank determination and rehabilitation package--to pave the way for the regrouping process.

“The prime minister proposed beginning the regrouping process by settling differences case by case to which we urged him for resolving contentious issues under a package deal,” said Nepali Congress leader and Special Committee member Ram Sharan Mahat.

PM Bhattarai‚ Prachanda discuss army integration Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai and Chairman of the UCPN-Maoist Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ met at the latter’s residence at Nayabazaar in the Capital on Sunday.

During the meeting, the two leaders held discussions on the modality on army integration, Maoist chairman Prachanda’s Personal Assistant Samir Dahal said.

According to Samir, the meeting was held with an objective of finalising some issues regarding the peace process prior to Prime Minister Dr. Bhattarai’s departure for the United Nations General Assembly.

Dr. Bhattarai is likely to present a proposal at the meeting of the Army Integration and Management Special Committee, scheduled to be held on Sunday evening.

The PM, who is leaving for New York today to attend the 66th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), also discussed the issues to be presented in the Assembly with the Maoist chairman.

Similarly, Inspector General (IG) of the Armed Police Force Shailendra Kumar Shrestha also met with Prime Minister Dr. Bhattarai at Nayabazaar and discussed about the law and order situation in the country.

Earthquake death toll reaches 9

Government move to revise budget

Under pressure from coalition partners, the Madhes-based parties, the government has decided to make changes to the budget.

Including the possibility of adding a new pork-barrel development expenditure earmarked for each electoral constituency--a day before the budget is up for parliamentary endorsement.

It wasn’t immediately clear what the amount of the development spending will be reallocated for the pork-barrel projects, but the documents being circulated by Madhesi parties suggested that this will be a discretionary spending, perhaps to be administered only by the discredited all-party mechanism at the local level.

The Rs. 384.9 billion budget that was initially scheduled to be endorsed by the Parliament on Sunday without any revision could now see an incorporation of 13-point Madhesi demands.

The decision to this effect was reached at meeting in Singha Durbar on Saturday evening between the Maoists and Madhesi Morcha.

The death toll from Sunday’s earthquake that rocked several districts of eastern Nepal has reached nine on Monday. Lila Paudel, 65, of Gathatar, Bhaktapur breathed her last at Nagarik Hospital while undergoing treatment. She was admitted to the hospital after felling unconscious due to the earthquake last evening.

Similarly, Pavitra Devi Mandal, 50, of Hariharpur VDC, Sunsari also

died while undergoing treatment this morning.

Likewise, the bodies of Pradeep Rai, 5, of Shankhuwasabha and Madhu Karki of Falate-5, Dhankura were recovered on Monday morning, according to the polcie.

Earlier yesterday, five cases of death were confirmed. Three persons were killed when a wall at the British Embassy at Lainchour, Kathmandu collapsed while two

others were killed in Dharan district after their house caved in due the earthquake.

It is likely that the toll will shoot up as reports are yet to be received from the rural areas in eastern hilly districts. Meanwhile, former King Gyanendra Shah has issued a press statement and expressed sadness over the loss of life and property in the earthquake.

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Saarc international I Thursday 22 September 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF SRILANKA NEWS

T

City uplift not at citizens’ expense

he measures at beautifying Colombo would not be at the expense of city dwellers,President Mahinda Rajapaksa said Sunday.

The President noted that an external facelift to the city would not be sufficient without uplifting the people’s living standards.

President Rajapaksa added that measures to conserve and create a pleasing environment in the city would go hand in hand with efforts at meeting people’s expectations and needs to keep

them contended and happy.

Addressing a large gathering of

Muslim citizens who had come to meet him at Temple Trees with

UPFA candidate for Colombo MC Azath Sally, the President said that the government had no plans to evict tenement dwellers from the city. He added that the government’s intention was to uplift their living conditions by providing them with better equipped housing units at the same locations they are now residing in. He urged the tenement dwellers not to be misled by false rumours spread by certain political activists to gain petty mileage. President Rajapaksa recalled that when the

LTTE forced mass evictions of Muslims from their native villages in the North and East in the not too distant past, those now claiming to be saviours of the community, had failed to utter a word against the atrocities.”All evicted Muslims had been resettled in their native places.

The properties they lost have been restored,” he added. The President recalled that Muslim religious places which were abandoned in these areas have also been restored and handed back to the people.

Allegations of war crimes Sri Lanka US funds on Lanka women’s issues Amnesty slams LLRC

Amnesty International has slammed the method of inquiry conducted by the Sri Lankan government into the civil war as it was “fundamentally flawed and provides no accountability for atrocities”. The report of Al -When will they get justice?

It is “exposed the shortcomings” of the inquiry commission -- the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation

Commission (LLRC), appointed by the Mahinda Rajapakse government in May 2010, it said.

The LLRC had failed to properly pursue allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity levelled against both government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Amnesty’s Asia-Pacific Director Sam Zarifi said in its website: “The Sri Lankan government has, for almost two years, used the LLRC as its trump card in lobbying against an independent international investigation. Officials described it as a credible accountability mechanism,

Lankan Airlines launch flights to Moscow

Sri Lanka’s national carrier, SriLankan Airlines today launched flights from Colombo to Moscow.

Moscow is SriLankan Airline’s 52nd destination.

Russian Ambassador of Sri Lanka was among the first group of passengers that flew to Moscow in the flight that took off from the Katunayake Bandaranaike

International Airport at 7:00 a.m. today.

The flight to Moscow through Dubai will initially operate with two flights a week, on each Thursday and Saturday, SriLankan announced.

Meanwhile, Aeroflot, Russia’s national carrier is scheduled to resume flights to Colombo from November 1, 2011.

able to deliver justice and promote reconciliation. In reality it’s flawed at every level: in mandate, composition and practice.” LLRC’s mandate fell far short of international standards for such inquiries.

An analysis by the Amnesty International of the LLRC’s publicly available transcripts found it failed to appropriately investigate credible allegations of systematic violations by both sides to the conflict, including illegal killings and enforced disappearances, widespread shelling of civilian targets such as hospitals, and use of civilians as shields.

The United States has provided funds to two institutions to support projects concerning two important issueswomen’s entrepreneurship and the prevention of gender-based violence -that affect Sri Lankan women.

Two grants of $100,000 each, provided by the U.S. Department of State and administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will support two projects at the Hambanthota District Chamber of Commerce (HDCC) and the national NGO Women in Need (WIN).

The grant to HDCC will support training and start-up funding for budding female entrepreneurs in the South and the funds received by WIN will be used for

training and curriculum development on gender-based violence in the North, according to a press release by the U.S. Embassy in Colombo.

The two grants were awarded through the U.S Secretary of State’s Office of Global Women’s Initiatives (S/GWI), a fund established to support organizations working for the betterment of women’s social, economic and political status.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

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Saarc international I Thursday 22 September 2011

The “superpowers” of dolphins Researchers found that cetaceans have a high capacity for healing and a sort of sixth sense to hunt for food

by Maria Ziegler Recent studies show that dolphins have features that could be compared to the powers of comic book heroes. In addition to the animal’s capacity for quick healing, which can inspire human medications, scientists discovered that they are able to detect electric fields around them, making it easier to obtain food both in the open sea and in the seabed.

The researcher, Michael Zasloff, Georgetown University, USA, was impressed when hearing ten years ago that dolphins were massively attacked by sharks and many still did not die. “For me, it seemed impossible that a mammal could survive a wound that size in the ocean,” he said.

Zasloff discovered that the secret

Scientists discover 12 new frog species in India

ears of combing tropical mountain forests, shining flashlights under rocks and listening for croaks in the night have paid off for a team of Indian scientists which has discovered 12 new frog species plus three others thought to have been extinct.

It’s a discovery the team hopes will bring attention to India’s amphibians and their role in gauging the health of the environment.

Worldwide, 32 percent of the world’s known amphibian species are threatened with extinction, The discoveries - published in the latest issue of international taxonomy journal Zootaxa bring the known number of frogs in India to 336. Biju estimated this was only around half of what is in the wild, and said none of India’s amphibians are yet being studied for biological compounds that could be of further use in science .

of survival of the dolphins is to accumulate large amounts of a chemical in their body fat. Thus, dolphins are able to quickly recover from shark bites with apparent indifference to pain.

He explains that when the dolphin is attacked, this substance is

released by acting as a good antibiotic. “A wounded dolphin is not infected with pus or redness. In humans, an injury of this type would be infected by bacteria in the mouth of the shark, something very difficult to treat with antibiotics we have.” Zasloff

said that the study results have been published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

When attacked by sharks, they do not bleed to death. This is because with these fat components in the body, the healing process of the dolphins is quite different from

humans. Another difference is that the animals also use a good strategy to stop the bleeding.

“They make a deep dive after being bitten, which interrupts the flow of blood to the periphery of the body of the animal and allows clots to form,” he said.

Documentary highlights Maldives sinking It’s a late-night party at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Mohamed Nasheed is trying to stifle a yawn. It’s been a long week. Nasheed flew in from the Maldives, the island nation in the Indian Ocean of which he is the leader, and attended the premiere of the documentary The Island President. (“I thought it was excellent,” he says.) Fighting jet lag, he is now moving among the guests at the after-party, talking about the

becoming visible: a disappearing shoreline and fallen palm trees.

The Maldives is one of the lowestlying nations in the world - the average elevation above sea level is 1.5 metres - and Nasheed has become a leader in the fight to lower the carbon emissions that warm the air that’s raising the ocean waters.

If things unfold the way scientists say it might, what will happen to its 400,000 people? Where will they

other world leaders salvaged the summit.

Nasheed - who came to the filmfestival party with an entourage that included plainclothes security guards - said it was helpful to watch the movie, because he gained perspective on the compromises that were necessary.

“It is only through compromise that we will actually be able to move forward on climate-change

The Island President also provides a kind of tour of the Maldives its impossibly blue waters and pristine, if disappearing, beaches - and of its history. The country was a dictatorship under Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, and Nasheed was a pro-democracy advocate who was once held for 18 months in solitary confinement in a small metal shack.

He was arrested 12 times over 20 years and tortured twice. He went

problems of global warming that threaten to flood the entire nation in 40 or 50 years.

“It’s getting worse and worse, and we are having to spend more money on it, on water breakers and embankments and so on,” says Nasheed. When he returns to the Maldives this week, his first job is to build an embankment on one of the 1,200 islands - 200 of them inhabited - that comprise the tiny country. The Maldives is a tourist mecca, a place of luxury resorts, but even there, the effects of erosion are

go? “They won’t go anywhere,” says Nasheed. “They’ll die. That’s what’s going to happen.”

The Island President was directed

by Jon Shenk (Lost Boys of Sudan), an American documentarian who followed Nasheed through his first year of office, ending at the 2009 Copenhagen climate conference.

There, the diminutive leader of the small nation became a driving force for a compromise agreement, the first ever signed by the U.S., China and India. His stirring speech to

negotiations,” he said, sitting at a small bistro table at a hip downtown restaurant. The Island President notes that carbon emissions have actually risen since the Copenhagen meetings, but Nasheed maintains his hope: “It perhaps would have gone up much higher, if not for Copenhagen. People could have been very mindless about opening new power stations. Lots has changed, even in developing countries. They’re mindful of what they’re doing, even if they’re doing it.”

into exile and returned in 2005 to the cheers of crowds yelling his nickname, Anni.

“It won’t do any good to have democracy if we don’t have a country,” he says in the film. At one stage, in order to draw world attention to the impending disaster, Nasheed holds an underwater cabinet meeting, with ministers wearing scuba gear.

The country has raised taxes so it can afford to build the embankments and seawalls that are protecting it from the rising waters.

Saarc international I Thursday 22 September 2011

SHOWBIZ

Βollywood 100millions films earning Rs 107 crore. (Bollywood Hungama)

Bodyguard

The third Salman Khan film which crossed the Rs 100 crore mark has been Khan’s latest offering, ‘Bodyguard’.

Replete in his now signature masala blockbuster style, the film focussed around strong action sequences, cult dialogues and Kareena Kapoor as a damsel-in-distress to Khan’s macho Bodyguard act. It has till now earned Rs 200 crore.

Will ‘Bodyguard’ break the record set by ‘3 Idiots’? Watch this space for more. (Bollywood Hungama)

3 Idiots

Ready

Though most critics were disappointed with Salman’s followup to the blockbuster ‘Dabangg’, ‘Ready’, his fans ensured that the film became a resounding success, in accordance with the numbers game.

‘Ready’, billed on Salman’s star presence, earned Rs 130 crore.

(Bollywood Hungama)

Aamir’s next film was as different from the revenge and action fuelled ‘Ghajini’ as possible.

The mean physique gave way to a gawky engineering student, with a different way to perceive the world. Added to this were dollops of laughter, fun and emotions. And the brew worked!

3 Idiots clocked in an as-yetunbeaten Rs 315 crore, officially bringing the Rs 100 crore mark into existence.

25

7 Movies That MUST Bank Over $100 Million Movie ticket sales are down some 3.7% year-to-date, due to a slow first quarter when films like Mars Needs Moms disappointed.

However, a resurgent Hollywood should post nearly 9% year-over-year growth this holiday season on $2.78 billion in ticket sales.

So says Barclay’s analyst Anthony DiClemente, who is forecasting robust sales even as attendance is expected to fall to 1995 levels.

Hollywood has high hopes for a handful of blockbusters, which must perform in order for the industry to meet revenue targets.

Here are seven movies expected to gross over $100 million and the publicly-traded companies that are counting on them.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked • Projected Gross: $130 million • Release Date: December 16, 2011 • Distributing Studio: 20th Century Fox, a division of News Corp

The Adventures of Tintin • Projected Gross: $132 million • Release Date: December 23, 2011 • Distributing Studio: Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom

Happy Feet Two • Projected Gross: $144 million • Release Date: 11/18/11 • Distributing Studio: Warner Bros.

Pictures, a division of Time Warner

Singham

After a long stint of multi-star comedies, including the ‘Golmaal’ series and ‘All the Best’, when Rohit Shetty decided to return to his action roots, the audience took note of it.

Sticking with his lucky mascot, Ajay Devgn, Shetty’s action offering ‘Singham’, about a beefed up Marathi cop against the system, became one of the big hits of 2011,

Golmaal 3

Ghajini

When Rohit Shetty found his manna with the surprise success of the first ‘Golmaal’ film, he stuck true to the formula, churning out sequels like ‘Golmaal 2’ and ‘Golmaal 3’.

The third edition proved to be the biggest hit for him - it earned Rs 110 crore! (Bollywood Hungama)

100 crores - This is the new benchmark for success in Bollywood these days! Here is a look at all those films who have broken this barrier The phenomenon began with the success of Ghajini, which raked in Rs 140 crore, thanks to Aamir Khan pumping his biceps in pursuit of revenge.

Miss Soniyeh…THE VIDEO! Here’s the video for the addictive summer sensation ‘Miss Soniyeh’ by the music masters Panjabi Hit Squad.

Taken from their fourth studio album World Famous it has all the trademarks of the classic Hit Squad sound fusing current commercial House and Dubstep with the Panjabi vocals of Harleen Akhter and the squad’s very own Dee. The album is well on its way and features global artists including Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Alyssia, Raghav, Krishna (Maula Mere from the film Chak De India), Richa Sharma (Sajada from My Name Is Khan), Saini Surinder and Jaspinder Narula!

Get more on Panjabi Hit Squad

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo • Projected Gross: $153 million • Release Date: December 21, 2011 • Distributing Studio: Sony Pictures, a division of Sony Corp.

Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol • Projected Gross: $154 million • Release Date: December 21, 2011 • Distributing Studio: Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows • Projected Gross: $175 million • Release Date: December 16, 2011 • Distributing Studio: Warner Bros.

Pictures, a division of Time Warner

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1

by following them on www. twitter.com/PanjabiHitSquad

or www.facebook.com/ PanjabiHitSquad

• Projected Gross: $275 million • Release Date: 11/18/11 • Distributing Studio: Summit Entertainment Source: Barclays Capital

BUSINESS

26

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 22 September 2011

India, China growth good for world economy: US Washington, The United States wants to see growth in major emerging economies like India and China over a sustained period of time as it strengthens the world economy and benefits the US too, Indian media reported on Tuesday.

“I think one of the great strengths of the world economy, looking forward, is the prospects of a long period of very rapid growth in the major emerging economies, including China, India, Brazil, Russia,” US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner told Indian journalists.

“And it’s very important that you see-we want to see that growth happen over a sustained period of time,” he said at a White House briefing when asked about what he saw as an appropriate role of BRIC nations in the global economic sit-

uation, especially in Europe.

“We will benefit as a country from the realisation of those very optimistic long-term growth prospects.

We’ll export more. We’ll see more

jobs created in the United States,” Geithner said.”And we expect to be major beneficiaries as a country of that long boom we’re seeing. We want to see them contribute to glo-

India raises rates after inflation rises

India has responded to near doubledigit inflation by raising benchmark lending rates for the 12th time since March 2010 as its central bank prioritises reining in high prices at the cost of higher economic growth.India has the highest inflation of any big emerging market, and has struggled to bring it down in the past two years by relying heavily on monetary policy.

Fears are growing about the lack of a supply-side and fiscal response as inflation – initially triggered by high food prices – has spread across Asia’s third-largest economy in the past year.

Bhutan to host major tourism event in 2012 The third Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Annual Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference will be held in Paro in February next year.The theme for the event will be High Value Tourism – Low Impact Footprints. “We are honored to host the PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart in Bhutan for the first time,” said Kesang Wangdi, director general of the Tourism Council of Bhutan.“I am confident that such an international conference will help broaden the understanding of tourism and stress its positive impact on society.”At the event, international, regional and local speakers will share experiences and provide insight into existing and future travel trends in adventure tourism.

During the event, a buyer-seller oriented mart will help target limited number of relevant high quality buyers primarily from Japan, Taipei, Western Europe, Australia, USA, Canada and the Asian cities of Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

The Reserve Bank of India on Friday raised the repo rate – the rate at which the central bank lends to commercial banks – 25 basis points to 8.25 per cent. The move was widely expected by the majority of economists, though some predicted a pause after weak industrial production figures this week.

The RBI’s latest tightening of monetary policy comes at a time of a worsening global economy with worries about the possibility of debt defaults in some eurozone countries and a faltering recovery in the US.The RBI’s critics say it was too slow to act against the inflationary threat. Some leading industrialists complain about the rising cost of capital and warn that India now competes with global rivals on the cost of labour but little else.India’s inflation rate accelerated to a 13-month high of 9.78 per cent in August, highlighting the dilemma facing policymakers as they wrestle

with the challenges of rising prices and a slowing economy.Rajiv Kumar, director-general of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, warned that India was taking a perilous road by targeting inflation at the cost of economic growth.He said highly aspirational Indians had shown a resilience to higher prices but would respond more fiercely to stagnating economic growth and weakening job creation.“If we had good growth then we could have inflation,” he said. “If employment and growth fall then we risk the possibility of social unrest.”Kalpana Kochar, the World Bank’s chief economist for south Asia, said rising core inflation across industrial sectors was becoming a greater concern.“The RBI is in an extremely difficult position right now,” she said. “There was a supply shock a couple of years ago. Then, it suddenly spread out into inflationary expectations.”

bal growth, and to do so in a way that’s more balanced and fair,” he said.However, Geithner noted “they’re going to face different policy requirements than we in the

United States because they’re in a very different situation.”

“But again, they’re a great source of strength for the global economy, and the faster they grow in the future, the more we’ll benefit as a country and the more balanced the global economy will be.”America had a huge stake in helping Europe find a “more effective strategy” to tackle its financial crisis, Geithner said asserting that Europe had the will to combat its challenges.

“We have a huge stake as a country in helping them deal with those challenges. We have a huge economic stake, financial stake.

“So we are working very closely with them and being very supportive and as they try to craft a more effective strategy. Is there political will there? I believe there is.” he added.

Sensex closes 376 points higher

A benchmark index for the Indian equities markets rallied on Tuesday to close 376 points higher, led by gains in heavyweight stocks like Reliance Industries, Infosys and HDFC. The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 16,768.63 points, closed at 17,121.53 points (provisional) -- up 376.18 points or 2.25 per cent

from its previous close at 16,745.35 points. The Sensex had lost 188 points on Monday. The 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange was also trading in the green at 5,148.35 points, up 2.31 per cent.

Broader markets also ended in the positive. The BSE midcap index closed 0.93 per cent higher, while the BSE smallcap index was up 1.29 per cent.

Two ton shipment of new five rufiya notes “routine”, says MMA A shipment of newly-printed five rufiya notes brought in last week is part of a “routine” process and not intended to finance either the fiscal deficit or government expenditure, the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) has said.According to a press statement issued by the MMA yesterday, the stock of five rufiya notes was running low and the new notes would be stored at the state treasury.“This is routine work, every now and then we print different notes when the stock runs low,” explained MMA Executive Director Abdul Hameed Mohamed. “We print notes as often as is necessary.

We are surrounded by water,

fishermen handle it, it gets lost and sometimes we have to replace these old notes.”Abdul Hameed stressed that the new notes would have “no effect on circulation” as it will be stored in the treasury and that there would be “no increase in the money supply.”“As you know, the central bank in any country always prints money to replace damaged notes,” he said.

“Replacing notes is something we do daily.”

Local media reported today that the shipment of new notes was brought in 40 boxes weighing 2.4 tons on an Emirates flight that landed on the morning of September 13.

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 22 September 2011

BUSINESS

27

Bank deposits decline

During the current week, commercial banks deposits showed a fall of Rs34.1bn over the week to Rs5350.4bn, against preceding week’s Rs5364.5bn. Specialised banks deposits stood at Rs14.3bn.

ON September 14, the State Bank conducted auction of Pakistan Investment Bonds. It received bids worth Rs37.984 bn for PIBs of various tenors and accepted bids worth Rs26.119 bn.

For 3-year PIBs the SBP accepted on amount of Rs6.6 bn at a cut off yield of 13.1230 per cent, for 5-year PIBs It accepted Rs6.675 bn at 13.1412 per cent, and for 10 year PIBs it accepted Rs12.844 bn at 13.0192 per cent.

According to the weekly statement of position of all scheduled banks for the week ended August 30, deposits and other accounts of the scheduled banks decreased in the current week and stood at Rs5364.7bn, lower by Rs14.1bn over preceding week’s figure of Rs5378.8bn.

Compared with last year’s corresponding figure of Rs4605.2bn, the current week’s figure is larger by Rs759.5bn.

During the current week, commercial banks deposits showed a fall of Rs34.1bn over the week to Rs5350.4bn, against preceding week’s Rs5364.5bn. Specialised banks deposits stood at Rs14.3bn.

Borrowings by all scheduled banks decreased in the week. It rose to Rs632.4bn over preceding week’s figure of Rs654.2bn, or by Rs21.8bn. Compared to last year’s corresponding figure of Rs528.6bn, current week’s figure is higher by Rs103.8bn.

Commercial banks borrowings

Barred to Bhutanese exporters

The Royal Monetary Authority served a reminder yesterday that it is illegal for Bhutanese to maintain bank accounts outside Bhutan.

According to existing regulations relating to the possession of assets and properties outside Bhutan by Bhutanese citizens, no Bhutanese citizens are allowed to open, maintain and operate accounts outside Bhutanese territory without permission from RMA. The rule does not apply to Bhutanese students studying

outside, trainees, diplomatic officials and workers in regional or international organisations.

It allows them to maintain and operate accounts during their stay there.

This rule is mainly to ensure that Bhutanese exporters do not maintain accounts in India while exporting to India, Bhutan’s largest trading partner.

Deposit rates are comparatively higher in India than in Bhutan, encouraging Bhutanese to keep money in Indian banks.

Beginning next year, financial institutions that give credit will have to set a minimum lending rate derived from their overall cost of funds.

Called the base rate in financial terms, it will be set, using a formula that will take into account the institution’s cost on deposits, on maintaining liquidity and reserve ratios (SLR and CRR), and overhead costs.

Since cost of funds will differ, lending rates will also differ across institutions. This would mean customers would have a choice to borrow from any financial institution they deem cheaper.

After the banks set the rates, it must be submitted to the royal monetary authority for certification and approval.

The move is basically to stir healthy competition in the financial sector.

Deputy governor of RMA, Eden Dema, said differences in lending rates would ensure transparency, since it will be determined by taking account of different variables.

If an institution’s base rate is higher, that particular institution will have to re-look its cost of funds and improve efficiency to compete with those, whose rates are comparatively lower.

It will also mitigate the practice of giving preferential treatment by banks to their elite clients, she added.

Interest rates were liberalised and left to market forces in 1999.

This was expected to bring about competition in interest rates.

Banks to set own base rates

fell to Rs557.8bn against previous week’s Rs579.6bn, or by Rs21.8bn.

Borrowings by specialised banks stood at Rs74.6bn.

Gross advances stood at Rs3411.8bn in the week under review, a fall of Rs4.7bn over preceding week’s figure of Rs3416.5bn.

Compared to last year’s corresponding figure of Rs3313.7bn, current week’s figure is larger by Rs98.1bn.

In the week under review, advances by commercial banks decreased to Rs3297.2bn against earlier week’s figure of Rs3302.5bn, or by

Oil prices increased again in Bangladesh

The government increased for the second time this year the prices of all fuel oils, including diesel, by Tk 5 per litre and that of furnace oil by Tk 8 a litre with effect from Sunday midnight under heavy pressure from the International Monetary Fund. The price of diesel and kerosene has been raised from Tk 46 to Tk 51 a litre, furnace oil from Tk 42 to Tk 50, petrol from Tk 76 to Tk 81, and octane from Tk 79 to Tk 84.

The latest price adjustment comes four and a half months after the previous fuel price hike by Tk 2 per litre on May 6. Although energy officials said that the government raised the fuel oil prices between 6.33 per cent and 19.05 per cent to offset its losses due to the global oil price rise, finance minister AMA Muhith had hinted at the price hike last week after a meeting with a visiting delegation of the IMF.

Rs5.3bn. Advances of specialised banks stood at Rs114.6bn.

Investments of all scheduled banks stood at Rs2657.3bn, against preceding week’s figure of Rs2659.9bn, a fall of Rs2.6bn.

Compared to last year’s corresponding figure of Rs1796.3bn, current week’s figure is smaller by Rs861bn. In the current week, commercial banks investment stood at Rs2638.0bn, against preceding week’s figure of Rs2640.8bn, a fall of Rs2.8bn.

Specialised banks investment stood

at Rs19bn.

Cash and balances with treasury banks of all scheduled banks decreased by Rs7.6bn during the week to stand at Rs474.5bn against earlier week’s Rs482.1bn. Current week’s figure is higher by Rs66.1bn compared to last year’s corresponding figure of Rs408.4bn.

In the current week, the figure for commercial banks stood at Rs471.9bn against preceding week’s figure of Rs479.4bn, a fall of Rs7.5bn, while of specialised banks it stood at Rs2.5bn.

Investors go on rampage

Retail investors of the Dhaka Stock Exchange on Monday ran amok in the Motijheel commercial area, vandalising at least 11 cars and a few brokerage houses, in protest against the relentless fall in share prices over the last nine months.

The demonstrators had locked in a clash with the police for about one hour from 1:00pm that left a number of people injured.

Traffic movement on the road from Ittefaq crossing to Biman office had remained suspended during the pitched fighting, when law-enforcers detained at least 10 people, most of them agitating investors.

As the DGEN, the general index of the bourse, had lost 98 points by around 11:20am, investors rushed out of different brokerage houses on the street in front of the DSE building.

They set fire to heaps of paper and wooden materials in front of the DSE building and blocked the road from Shapla square to Ittefaq crossing.

The agitating investors vandalised a few brokerage firms including Rapid Securities housed in the DSE Annex building and Shakil Rizvi Stocks in the Madhumita building and smashed the door and signboard of the DSE Training Academy.

The demonstrators also brought out processions in regular intervals that paraded the road from the DSE building to the Bangladesh Bank head office, shouting slogans against prime minister Sheikh Hasina, finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur Rahman, and DSE president Shakil Rizvi for their failure to stabilise the capital market ailing for long.

New loans to private sector Rs. 210.6bn to end July

Private sector credit growth slowed down in July with the domestic banking sector generating new loans amounting to Rs. 27.3 billion during the month, as against Rs. 33.1

billion in June.The total of new loans generated during the first seven months of this year amounted Rs. 210.6 illion, latest data released by the Central Bank showed.

Total new loans from the domestic banking system to the private sector amounted to Rs. 290 billion for the whole of 2010. During the first seven months of this year, nearly 73 percent of this has been generated.Year-on-year credit growth for July 2011 indicates that the public sector is looking more towards foreign sources for their credit needs.

Net credit to the government amounted to Rs. 731.2 billion, up 6 percent from Rs. 689.8 a year earlier and comprises credit from the Central Bank Rs. 96.6 billion, down 18.8 percent, credit from domestic banks Rs. 495.6 billion, up 5 percent and foreign banking sources Rs. 139 billion, up 40.7 percent.

ECONOMICS

28

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 22 September 2011

IMF warns Greece that more The 11 Most Unemployed States In America action is needed on debt The IMF told Greece on Monday that “additional measures” were required to reduce its budget deficit ahead of an urgent consultation with the EU and the country’s finance minister, Evangelos Venizelos (pictured), on more rescue funds.

Greece will have to do more to cut its budget deficit, the International Monetary Fund warned on Monday as the IMF and EU headed for a crisis teleconference with the Greek finance minister.

“Additional measures will be needed in order to reduce the budget deficit,” the IMF repre-

sentative to Greece Bob Traa said at a symposium in this seaside resort near Athens in the presence of the Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos.

Speaking at a conference between the IMF and Greek business leaders organised by The Economist magazine, he said that Greece should launch urgent reforms of its tax administration and warned the government against constantly raising taxes. His remarks came shortly before a teleconference between the minister and auditors from the eurozone and IMF who have yet to decide whether Greece has repaired broken promises enough to warrant the release of rescue funds urgently to avoid bankruptcy early next month.

U.S. employers added no new jobs in August. Since then President Obama unveiled his $447 billion jobs plan and the Republicans have pushed for their own.

While Washington continues to bicker, the latest report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on regional and state unemployment shows that 26 states reported a month-over-month increase in unemployment.

We’ve highlighted the 11 states with the worst unemployment rates and compared it with figures from the previous month, and a year ago.

Note: August unemployment rate and numbers are preliminary. All data is seasonally adjusted.

11 Alabama (tie)

Pakistan to end IMF programme

The finance minister and his team are off to Washington to preside over the end of the current IMF programme. Of the nine programmes that Pakistan got into with the Fund, eight have been unsuccessful.

The government’s inability to implement three major economic policy commitments — limiting

fiscal deficit to 4.7 per cent of GDP, introducing integrated value added tax (VAT) and power sector reforms — will lead to technical completion of an unsuccessful $11.3 billion programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on September 30, according to Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh.

This is the eighth programme with the IMF to conclude on an unsuccessful note. On the eve of the departure of Pakistan’s economic team for Washington to attend annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank, the finance minister told journalists that Pakistan would not waste its energy on revival of the incomplete programme or seek a fresh programme owing to a comfortable external balance of payments position.

He, however, said the government would stay on course on power

sector reforms and macroeconomic adjustment and stabilisation programme and take steps so that it has reasonable credibility to return to the IMF programme with ease in case of any difficulty with external account.

The economic team will remain in the United States till September 27, another official said. The

government had secured a $11.3 billion programme in 2008 and got disbursements of about $7.6 billion, but failed to get the remaining $3.7 billion due to slippages in performance criteria, leading to suspension of the programme since May 2010. The programme was extended for nine months until September 30, but disbursements were not resumed owing continuous non-observance of agreed measures.

Officials said the government might have to increase electricity tariff by 10-12 per cent if it succeeded in pushing forward the power sector reforms to reduce subsidies. The Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Dr Nadeem ul Haque, said he could not even imagine the quantum of tariff increase required to be introduced in case reforms failed to progress because the power sector’s financing gap stood

at about Rs250 billion this year.

Officials said the government had committed to the IMF to contain the fiscal deficit below 4.7 per cent of the GDP after the last year’s floods, which was later revised to 5.3 per cent of the GDP. However, the government could not meet even the revised fiscal deficit limit which officially exceeded 5.9 per cent at the end of the financial year on June 30 this year.

The government also could not introduce the value added tax in an integrated form and then it could not show a good performance on power sector reforms which also contributed to higher than anticipated fiscal deficit.

The official said both the government and the IMF understood that spending energy on revival of existing programme for a couple of billions of dollars were of no use.

The government’s comfortable feeling stems from anticipated $37 billion earnings from a five per cent growth in exports and strong workers’ remittances during the current fiscal year, enough to meet the country’s foreign exchange requirements with a current account deficit of about 1-2 per cent.

The officials said the government would have to repay $1.2 billion to IMF during the current year in two instalments and it estimated a gap of $500 million to a maximum of $2 billion during the year.

The finance minister tried to explain how the government could remain fiscally responsible in the absence of an IMF programme when elections were fast nearing. Reminded that the previous government had given up the IMF programme prematurely which later led to a freezing of power tariffs and buildup of oil-related subsidies and that the current government was also following the same path ahead of elections to leave a poor economy for the next government, the minister said elections were never discussed in any official meeting.

Unemployment rate: 9.9% Number of people: 213,400 Alabama’s unemployment rate is down from 10% in July, but up from 9.1% a year ago.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

10 Illinois (tie)

Unemployment rate: 9.9% Number of people: 653,000 The unemployment rate in Illinois is up from 9.5% in July, but a little lower that 10% a year ago.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

9 Georgia

Unemployment rate: 10.2% Number of people: 482,300 The unemployment rate held steady from a year ago, but is up from 10.1% in July.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 22 September 2011

NEWS

29

FURTHER LESSONS FROM

THE ZIONIST ATTACK ON LIBYA

Explaining this lesson one more time It is so sad that the few critics who commented negatively on my last essay on Libya studiously avoided commenting on or responding to my most serious charge against those Muslims who participated in/ supported the well-armed and longplanned insurrection that toppled the Libyan government in the capital city of Tripoli.

I brought to public attention Allah’s command in the Qur’ān which sternly prohibited Muslims from entering into precisely that alliance with NATO with which those misguided Muslims were eventually able to achieve their immediate objective in Libya of seizing the capital city of Tripoli and then claiming recognition as the new government: “O you who have faith (in Allah) do not take (such) Jews and (such) Christians as your friends and allies who themselves are friends and allies of each other. And whoever from amongst you turns to them (for friendship and alliance) now belong to them (and not to us). Surely Allah does not guide a wicked people.”

(Qur’ān, al-Māida, 5:51) They must know that the Qur’an does not here refer to individual friendship between a Jew and a Christian. Rather, the Qur’an anticipated more than 1400 years ago the mysterious reconciliation that was forged between most European Christians and European Jews - a reconciliation in which the Vatican played a strategically important role by way of exonerating Jews from responsibility for the crucifixion of Jesus the true Messiah (‘alaihi alSalām).

As recently as a few months ago Pope Benedict released a new book in which he cleverly argued that “there is no basis in Scripture for the

argument that the Jewish people as a whole were responsible for Jesus’ death”. How could the Jewish people as a whole bear responsibility for the crucifixion when there were

Shiekh Imran Hossein

Tribune Comment many Jews who accepted Jesus as the Messiah and hence had no part in the demand for his crucifixion?

Did they cease to be Jews when they believed in Jesus as the promised Messiah?

The Pope’s comments concealed the community of Rabbis who rejected Jesus’ claim to be Messiah – and who to this day still reject that claim – and who were most certainly responsible for demanding his crucifixion. Unless succeeding generations of Jews publicly dissociate themselves from the manifestly sinful conduct of those Jews who (in the name of Jewish law) demanded his crucifixion, and unless they condemn that sinful Jewish conduct, they will continue from generation to generation to share in responsibility as Jews for that foul Jewish deed. If they do not believe me, then let them just wait and see what happens in the grave for example, when they seek shelter behind the Vatican’s bogus declaration proclaiming their nonresponsibility!

Please note that Christians believe that Jesus was in fact crucified, while the Qur’an revealed that which no one previously knew, i.e., that Allah Most High made it appear

Dengue forces National T20 shift to Karachi Continued from page 32 >> national T20 championship out of Lahore.

Zardari’s advice came during a meeting he held with senior sports officials to discuss fund-raising matches for the flood victims in the Sindh province. Over the last 48 hours, more than 1,000 patients have been diagnosed with dengue virus, while people are flocking to hospitals in Lahore.

“Everyone suggested that because of the dengue fever outbreak in

Lahore the event should be held in Karachi and the President agreed,” Javed Miandad, the board’s director general in the board, told reporters.

“The President also felt having the tournament in Karachi would allow the board to showcase it and raise awareness for the assistance required by the flood victims.”

The dengue outbreak started in August, since when around 30 people have died from the disease in Lahore.

that he was crucified when in fact, he was not.

Reconciliation between European Christians and European Jews paved the way for the emergence of the Zionist Judeo-Christian alliance which is now waging war on Islam and Muslims on Israel’s behalf, and which has NATO as its military arm.

I have identified that Zionist alliance with Gog of the Qur’an (see my book entitled ‘An Islamic View of Gog and Magog in the Modern World’).

The misguided Muslims who entered into that prohibited alliance with the American-led NATO in order to topple the Libyan government must know that they have lost their Islam, and that unless they make Tauba (repentance) they will die as a part of the Zionist alliance which has the word KAFIR written on its forehead.

I pray that this essay might Insha Allah wake them up from their misguided conduct and that they will hasten to make Tauba and return to Islam before it becomes too late to do so. I fear that their Zionist friends will inevitably turn their guns on them in order to clear the way for the coming Zionist attack on Egypt. Was this not the fate which befell Pakistan’s President Zia ul Haq and Saudi King Faisal (rahimahumullah) who both dared to defy them after having previously submitted to them?

Russia China Libya and the UN Security Council We ended the last essay with the following paragraph: There remains one part of this puzzle which defies explanation.

Why did Russia and China support the UN Security Council resolution which permitted NATO military intervention in Libya? Were these two States really that dumb that they

could not foresee the consequences of their support for the resolution?

Or is there more to this than meets the eye?

Russia and China are well aware that the Zionist West is obsessed with the completely irrational goal of delivering to Israel the rule over the whole world. I believe that they are also both well aware that the Zionist 9/11 false-flag attack on America was meant to facilitate the launching of wars that would reduce the Arab and Muslim worlds into a state of submission to Israel. The Islamic eschatological explanation for the pursuit of that irrational goal was provided in my book entitled ‘Jerusalem in the Qur’an’.

That obsession has caused the Zionists to lose the capacity for rational strategic thought. Russia and China are not only both nuclear-armed, but are also both proud nations that would never submit to Jewish Israeli rule over them. The Zionists can neither intimidate Russia and China, nor can they succeed in bribing them into submission. The suspiciously clumsy Zionist effort made in Georgia in 2008 at the height of the American presidential election campaign to bait Russia on John Mc Cain’s behalf ended in embarrassing failure. Let us not forget that Putin gave the Zionists a bloody nose in Georgia and in so doing also gave notice of how Russia will respond the next time around.

It seems to me that the Russian and Chinese refusal to veto the Security Council’s resolution concerning Libya was no accident. Rather I want to suggest that Russia and China decided, coldly and deliberately, to sacrifice Libya. As a consequence there was no obstacle delaying or preventing Russian recognition of the post Gadhafi government. If I am correct, then that deliberate sacrifice provides startling new evidence, like nothing else ever before, of their

long-term strategic planning of allowing NATO to be sucked even deeper into what will eventually become a Middle East quagmire (i.e., a military grave-yard or cemetery) from which there will be no escape for NATO. Perhaps the Russian strategy is to wait until NATO is in the most vulnerable military position before it launches its attack. When Russia does attack, that will be the war of Gog and Magog which Christian and Jewish scholarships have both been grappling to understand, and which only Islamic scholarship can accurately explain.

Islamic eschatology provides ample explanation of that end-time clash of the titans which will result in their mutual destruction. More importantly, it will leave Israel completely defenseless (see my book entitled ‘An Islamic View of Gog and Magog in the Modern World’).

I expect that nuclear clash of the titans to take place within the next 20-30 years, and when it does take place it will result in the Dukhān (i.e., smoke) that is one of the Signs of the Last Day. Before the clash can take place however, the world will witness the Zionist-controlled NATO continue its pig-headed obsession by biting even more in Pakistan, Egypt, Iran etc., than it can ever possibly chew and swallow, and Jesus (‘alaihi al-Salām) must return. Putin is smart. Truth will triumph. Truth is in Islam. ***** [PS Several of my books on Islamic eschatology, all written in English, have already been translated to many other languages and can be downloaded free-of-charge from my website www.imranhosein.org.

Those who wish to purchase books may send an email to inhosein@ hotmail.com for a complete list of books as well as prices. Our online bookstore will soon be operational Insha Allah. Until then, we have no online bookstore.]

Seminar of “Islam- disintegration of the Ummah” on the 27th September 2011 London based charity organisation ETHOS UK organise a seminar and presentation on: “Islam—disintegration of the Ummah” on the 27th September 2011. The main objective of the presentation is to share last Hajj speech of Prophet Mohammad (pubh). Standing on the Mount Arafat He spoke to a gathering of the newly formed Muslim community known as Ummah. He imparted many valuable advices which included the statement, “Oh my followers (Ummah) listen to my words, for I may not be alive

to see all of you again next year. Do understand what I say and pass it on to those who are not here. Remember that all Muslims are one people, brothers unto one another. No Arab is superior to a non Arab or a non Arab to an Arab.

Similarly no white man is superior to a black man, or a black man to a white

man.”

Presentation will also discuss, how this unity started to break down and what is the present Stand of Muslim Ummah in this unrest world.

Seminar includes: *Presentation:14.00 to 15.30 hours which will include panel discussion and question and answer *Lunch to be served at the courtesy of Ethos UK from 13.30 till 14.00 hours. *Social networking from 12.30 till 13.30 hours. *The event will close at 15.30 hours.

-Press Release

SPECIAL FEATURE

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South Asia Tribune I Thursday 22 September 2011

‘In Command’ Gaddafi: Nato Killing Hundreds

C

olonel Muammar Gaddafi’s spokesman has declared the Libyan leader is personally directing loyalist fighters - and claimed that the latest Nato air strikes killed 354 people.

Moussa Ibrahim told reporters Col Gaddafi was in command as the former dictator’s forces held back provisional government troops at his remaining strongholds in Libya.”

He is leading all aspects of this struggle. He is talking to the people, he is lecturing, he is discussing, he is looking after all matters of the resistance,” Mr Ibrahim said.The spokesman continued that Col

Gaddafi was in Libya and confident of victory.

The result is more than 354 dead

and 89 still missing and almost 700 injured in one night.”We will be able to continue this fight and we have enough arms for months

and months to come,” Mr Ibrahim said. The spokesman also said air strikes on Friday night in the pro-Gaddafi city of Sirte hit a residential building and a hotel, killing 354 people.

His statement could not immediately be verified as the location has been largely cut off from communication since the fall of Tripoli. Nato was not immediately available for comment.

Mr Ibrahim said: “Nato attacked the city of Sirte with more than 30 rockets directed at the city’s main hotel and the Tamin building, which consists of more than 90

Time for reflection Timothy BancroftHinchey

Tribune Comment The world community has one chance to redress the wrongs of the first decade of the Third Millennium, putting the lid on an imperialistic approach to international affairs and opening a new chapter, following a collective policy based upon dialogue and not stealing resources, implementing one law with an equal set of weights and measures for all.

September 19, 2011 is one of those deciding moments in history, tests which our collective sociodevelopmental vectors place in our path, trials we face and ordeals we have to overcome. Judgement as to how we performed comes much later and is written in the history book.

In the Libya Question, we have a clear choice: it is a choice of good over evil. It is also a chance to implement international law with the same set of weights and measures for all, it is a chance to close the chapter of imperialistic and colonialist adventures, it is a test as to whether the world community is mature enough to implement a multilateral approach to crisis management and resolution of disputes.

Whether or not we pass this test and come through the ordeal with pride depends on the UN Security Council meeting as NATO’s deadline runs out.

History will tell us whether the rest of the world stood idly by watching NATO collectively, and

Britain and France in particular, launching a murderous assault upon a sovereign nation, yet again based upon lies and false flag events (the terrorists themselves committed the “massacres” and the Libyan Armed Forces did not bomb civilians - the one bombing civilians and committing massacre after massacre is NATO).

The future will tell us whether the western hemisphere’s two Queens of Imperialism - Britain and France - whose collective histories are synonymous with countless massacres across the globe as they

conflict scenario? How do you protect civilians by arming terrorists - in Britain’s case, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office even lists one of the groups it is helping (the LIFG Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, al-Harakat alIslamiya al-Libiya) as a terrorist organization, in direct conflict with the UK’s own anti-terrorism laws. How do you help Africans by insulting the entire continent, aiding and abetting racists, which is what many in the TNC are?

Let us not forget that the African holocaust was slavery - and guess

banks.

True, these projects go against the selfish interests of Britain and France, for whom it is cheaper to launch this war than to help Africa develop. If on Monday September 19our representatives allow NATO’s murderous terrorist attack to proceed, then we can only conclude that they do not represent the hearts and minds of the world community and that it is time to put a stop to this violation of right and reason by a clique of corporate elitists who represent themselves and the few thousand

“civilised savages” with the Bible and the Bullet, were allowed to pursue a murderous policy based upon self interest and sheer greed.

The Libya Question is not about freedom and democracy - why did Britain’s David Cameron and France’s Nicolas Sarkozy refuse the Jamahiriya’s offer of a free election? The Libya Question is not about protecting civilians - how do you “protect civilians” by bombing them, destroying their water supply “to break their spirit”, strafing their civilian infrastructures with military hardware to guarantee rebuilding contracts in a post-

who was behind that?

Tuesday September 20 will show us whether we wake up from this nightmare, in which two former imperialist powers launched a murderous terrorist attack based upon lies to stop Muammar alQathafi’s developmental and humanitarian projects (for which he was set to receive a UN prize) in the African continent, projects which have already benefited millions, launching telemedicine programmes, opening e-learning centers and future schemes which would free Africans from crippling interest rate repayments to foreign

policy makers, not us.

Yet they reside among nearly seven billion members of the world community, for whom many options remain open to build a world which is not only just but which follows international law and implements it equally.

On September 19, the world community has the obligation to terminate NATO’s adventure, to use the UNO to implement a process of dialogue in which the Libyan people - including the Jamahiriya - sit down to construct a peace and reconciliation process. It would not be difficult, given that NATO’s

residential flats.”

The result is more than 354 dead and 89 still missing and almost 700 injured in one night.”Meanwhile, Libya’s ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) forces have been regrouping after being repelled by pro-Gaddafi forces in Bani Walid on Friday. Following hours of heavy fighting, the NTC men fled from the city, saying they had been ordered to retreat after facing stout resistance.

It was a major setback to a new government trying to exert its control over all of Libya and capture remaining bastions of the man who ruled it for 42 years.

terrorist forces number at most between twenty to thirty thousand, including many mercenaries and foreigners and represent the political will of a small fraction of the Libyan people (which is why Cameron and Sarkozy and Obama refused to allow a humiliating democratic referendum, in which the Jamahiriya would certainly win a landslide victory).

On September 19, we will see whether the world community exists. If not, then we can conclude that international law does not exist. If not, the fighting will rage on in Libya, many more thousands of people will be killed, tribal fractures will become irreparable and the conflict will escalate into a regional one. France will lose any influence it retains in the area, Britain will see the tap granting it lucrative contracts in the African continent firmly closed off.

Moral of the story: If an intruder enters your home, rapes your wife and kills your kids, you fight back.

Only if you are Cameron, Obama or Sarkozy to you hand him the keys. Moral 2: it has become obvious that the only way to avoid a cowardly terrorist attack by NATO is to arm yourself to the teeth and put yourself in a position whereby retaliation would be numbered in the hundreds of thousands, not a few dozen victims. Is this the world we want?

September 19, 2011. Trial by ordeal. Let us see whether the days of judging someone’s guilt or innocent is still based upon the precept of the witch-hunt or whether we have finally managed to evolve into something more noble. This time around, doing nothing and sitting on the fence is paramount to taking part.

Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey Editor of the English version of the Russian online journal Pravda.Ru and director and chief editor of the Portuguese version

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 22 September 2011

COMMENT

31

Hey Pakistani, you the Terrorist!

Hey Pakistani, you the terrorist!

This was what I heard on the second day of my stay in Beijing in April this year and the soft voice came from a tiny country named Dominican Republic in the Caribbean.

Karishna Methew, a presenter of the state-run TV of Dominica, knew nothing about the plight we face because of the war on terror nor why and who imposed this on us.

Another lady from Vanuatu, a South Pacific country -- which many of us may not know where to locate on the map -- came to me and asked ``how you people live in Pakistan when there is always bomb blasts and suicide attacks’’.

During the 20-day stay in Beijing I kept on clarifying to journalists from 21 countries attending a seminar for developing countries arranged by the Chinese government. Even the Chinese were worried as I landed there just after a day of the Abottabad operation by US Navy Seals in which Osama Bin Laden was killed.

Who knows that most Pakistanis are peace-loving, want to get rid of terrorism and want peace in the region but are helpless.

We were partners with the United

States when today’s terrorists were named jihadis and praised for all their acts against the former Soviet

Asmatullah Niazi

Tribune Comment Union as the U.S. was following its containment policy against socialism and communism. But, after the fall of the Soviet Union

policy against the Muslims has led to a surge in anti-U.S. sentiment as here in Pakistan even an average Pakistani believes that all that is happening in the region is because of the irresponsible behavior of western powers after the Geneva Accord on Afghanistan in 1988, when they left the Stinger Missile-equipped Jihadi groups unattended; leading to infighting in these groups.

Security experts will agree that after every war big or small, such groups are neutralized by providing them training and jobs so that they can play a positive and productive role in society, but the U.S. after achieving its set goals not only disappeared from the region, but also imposed sanctions

Beside terrorism Pakistan is facing serious threats of sectarian and ethnic violence, and Karachi has been facing a spate of violence that has consumed more than 1000 lives in just seven months.

US has devised a new containment policy, which is against the Muslim world .

This unannounced containment

against Pakistan in the shape of the Pressler Amendment.

After 9/11, the situation further worsened, particularly for Pakistan

due to the war on terror which was imposed on Pakistan by the western powers led by the United States and the United Kingdom. United States has become a safer place to live as claimed by President Obama on the 10th anniversary of the terror attack on the World Trade Center, but the rest of the world -- particularly Muslim countries -are in deep trouble.

For 3000 people killed in the 9/11 attacks, 9620 civilians, and 3443 security personnel have lost their lives since 2003 for the war that is said to be ours. Apart from suicide attacks in major cities of Pakistan, a new dilemma has been caused by the drone attacks. US drone attacks have more than tripled since January 20, 2009, when Barack Obama took over the Presidency.

A BBC report of July 24, 2010, indicated that there were 25 drone strikes between January 2008 and January 2009, in which nearly 200 people were killed. Year 2010 saw at least 90 attacks by US drones, killing more than 831 persons, as against 46 such attacks killing 536 in 2009.

The annual report of the Conflict Monitoring Centre released on January 1, 2011 revealed that while a total of 2,043 people, mostly

civilians, were killed in US drone attacks during the preceding five years, 929 of those causalities were reported in FATA alone in 2010.

Beside terrorism Pakistan is facing serious threats of sectarian and ethnic violence, and Karachi has been facing a spate of violence that has consumed more than 1000 lives in just seven months.

Pakistan also faced shocking financial losses due to the war on terror. Foreign investment has evaporated investors are losing patience. The July 2010 IMF Report suggests, Pakistan has incurred a loss of Rs2.082 trillion in exports, foreign investment, industrial output and tax collection during the last five years due to the war on terror.

When the situation is in such a bad shape how can a common Pakistani support the war on terror or raise slogans in favor of the United States and its western allies. And why wont people from countries like Dominica and Vanuatu ask the kind of questions they did to me, a Pakistani.

Everyone here in Pakistan wonders why the diktats of the West should be followed and when this drama of war on terror will be reach its logical end.

Pakistan: This disaster should not have been unexpected

By Neva Khan It’s often the unexpected things that cause the most impact. My five day visit to Sindh province in southern Pakistan in the first week of September proved to be no exception.

The trip had been planned for weeks; I was going to visit our local partners and projects in the province to see the progress being made in helping flood ravaged communities to recover after the catastrophic 2010 floods. What I hadn’t anticipated was that I would find myself in the midst of another flooding emergency.

Driving through Badin province I encountered major highways flooded, search and rescue activities and floodwaters that were well over a metre deep as far as the eye could see.

The roads were lined with people who had fled their homes with what few possessions they could salvage and were now living under dirty plastic sheeting, ripped tents or any kind of covering they could improvise. We visited a camp where the conditions were shocking; people had no spare clothing, little food and poor hygiene facilities. Children ran bare foot on filthy corridors which were scattered with open fires where women were taking the little flour that they had to bake chapatti – the only food their families would eat perhaps for the next few days.

The impact on me was strong; these

people were in desperate need and Oxfam would have to launch a response.

But this disaster should not have been unexpected, and its impact should not have been so huge. It’s true the rains have been unseasonably heavy but this alone does not explain the extent of the devastation. Poorly designed

in what were at that point less badly affected areas of Sindh (although that has regrettably now changed for the worse) where Oxfam along with local partners had been working with communities that had been totally washed away in the 2010 floods.

Communities together with Oxfam and our partners RDF and SAFCOW

resilience against future disasters.

Latrines and water pumps were being built on low ground and houses were being rebuilt from mud and straw so that, heaven forbid, if the floods were to come again these would be the first thing to be washed away.

Pakistan is a country that is highly prone to disasters. But while such events will inevitably cause destruction, they don’t always have to be so devastating on the lives of

to minimise future impacts. As a recent Oxfam report noted, an initial investment of $27 million in disaster risk measures such as early warning systems, flood control and more resilient housing could have greatly reduced the estimated $10.9bn to the government cost of last year’s historic floods. We are yet to see how much loss of property and life could have been prevented this time round.

When I think about the communities

Communities together with Oxfam and our partners RDF and SAFCOW were rebuilding their homes, learning good hygiene practices, and preparing themselves to minimise the impacts of future disasters.

and maintained flood protection infrastructure has yet again failed with numerous breeches occurring in Southern Sindh. The result has been gallons of saline water saturating Badin and the surrounding provinces, sweeping away people’s houses, killing cattle and crops and cutting off access roads. Many are calling this season’s flooding a ‘man made disaster’.

The tail end of my trip brought more positive sights. We visited villages

were rebuilding their homes, learning good hygiene practices, and preparing themselves to minimise the impacts of future disasters. I was proud to see Oxfam’s achievements, but that was dwarfed by how impressed I was with the ingenuity and determination of the communities themselves.

But again, I found myself disheartened to see that many of the other villages we drove past were being rebuilt without any thought for ensuring their

women, men and children they effect.

In Oxfam’s projects, we are always planning with future disasters in mind. We have long been arguing for the incorporation of disaster risk reduction (DRR) principles into construction, planning and infrastructure design in Pakistan. To me, it seems insane for the government, the donor community and NGOs to be constantly reacting to one crisis after another, when with a little forethought and bold, proactive investment the Government with the support of the international community can help

that we visited down in Sindh, I know that I can have hope that those living in villages rebuilt by Oxfam and other organisations who plan ahead for future disasters will still have homes and villages to return to when these flood waters eventually recede. But for those people in the villages that have been made and remade of straw and mud, I fear that I can’t be so hopeful.

Let’s make sure that we all give them a better chance next time.

Oxfam works with others to overcome poverty and suffering. Neva Khan is the Country Director for Pakistan.

32

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 22 September 2011

SAT

PCB wants meet with BCCI officials on Indo-Pak cricket

Sports

LAHORE, Sept 19 (Online); The Pakistan Cricket Board says “everything is in the air” as far as resumption of bilateral series with India is concerned and it does not expect any progress on the issue until the BCCI holds a formal meeting with its officials.

“The truth is right now everything is in the air.

And frankly speaking even our policy on resuming bilateral cricket ties with India would only be made once we get a formal invitation from the Indians for a meeting or for next year’s series in India,” PCB Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmad told PTI.

Tendulkar’s proposal on 50-over cricket rejected COLOMBO: International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Haroon Lorgat has ruled out changes to 50-over cricket despite a proposal put forward by Indian great Sachin Tendulkar.

Despite the success of the World Cup earlier this year Tendulkar, the most prolific batsman in one-day internationals, wrote to Lorgat last month suggesting four 25-over innings rather than the traditional 50-over format.

However, Lorgat said the ICC saw no reason to change.

“I was engaged with Sachin a long time back on his thinking on the 50-over format,” Lorgat said at the launch of the ICC’s Twenty20 World Cup which

BCCI forms special committee to probe England tour debacle N. Srinivasan, who took over as the new president of BCCI, said the Indian team will bounce back from its defeat in England. “We have had just one bad series,” he said.

The BCCI has formed a special committee to look into India’s debacle on the England tour, the board announced on Monday.

N. Srinivasan, who took over as the new president of BCCI, said the Indian team will bounce back from its defeat in England. “We have had just one bad series,” he said.

India’s first World Cup winning team member Mohinder Amarnath, who once called the selection

committee a bunch of jokers, and former Indian captain Anil Kumble will head the panel. Earlier,

sources told Headlines Today that Amarnath might replace Yashpal Sharma as the representative from the north zone in the BCCI selection committee.

Srinivasan also clarified that the Indian team had not received any specific invitation in London for the ICC Awards event that had created quite a row after M.S. Dhoni’s men skipped the ceremony. The BCCI chief also said former captain Sourav Ganguly will replace Sunil Gavaskar as the technically committee head.

“We are yet to get his (Sourav’s) consent. I hope he agrees,” Srinivasan said.

will be hosted by Sri Lanka next year.

“I met with him during the World Cup and he gave me a written proposal which we took to the cricket committee in May. “The cricket committee considered the proposal. But the view of the committee which was supported by the Board was that the 50-over format was sound now and there was no need for dramatic changes to make at this stage.”

Tendulkar’s letter also proposed changes in voluntary Powerplays — the fielding restrictions brought in to make the game more exciting in the 1990s.

Dengue forces National T20 shift to Karachi

A outbreak of dengue fever in Lahore has led the Pakistan cricket Board (PCB) to shift its premier domestic tournament to the southern city of Karachi.

The PCB announced its decision on Wednesday after President Asif Zardari, who is also chief patron of the board, had advised to move the Continued on page 29 >>

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