South Asia Tribune by SAARC International Ltd

Tribune South Asia

2011: Those who bid adieu See page 16-17

available from all newsagents

Year 1 Issue 24 Thursday, 29.12.11

www.satribune.co.uk

Fatal shooting may have been racial attack

Price: 90p

Clegg message warns of ‘challenges’

Fourth arrest made after Anuj Bidve shot dead in Salford ‘We have lost faith in everything’: Family’s tribute to student shot dead in ‘random’ street attack. Two teenagers held in custody for questioning about Boxing Day murder

Indian Lancaster University student, 23, had been staying in Manchester over Christmas

Devastated family say it had been the victim’s ‘dream’ to go to the UK

Group were walking into city when apparently unprovoked attack happened

Gunman shoots him at pointblank range

Armed police stopped and searched youths as the hunt for Anuj Bidve’s killer was stepped up. Ofﬁcers, carrying machine guns and hand guns checked men on the Ordsall estate. Those stopped were ordered to give their names and in some cases made to remove their shoes. A 16-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder by police investigating the death of Anuj, 23, who was shot in the side of the head in Ordsall Lane early on Boxing Day. A 17-year-old boy was arrested earlier and continues to be questioned by detectives. Anuj was in Ordsall Lane, Salford, with eight friends when he was blasted in the side of the head early on Boxing Day. Armed response units were called to an address in Salford, Greater Manchester, at about 1:35am following reports a man had been shot near a McDonald’s restaurant. His family in India have been informed. Greater Manchester Police said initial inquiries suggested he had been with a group of friends when the incident happened. The group were approached by two men who were on foot.

One produced a handgun and shot the victim at close range before the pair ﬂed towards Asgard Drive. It is not thought the two men were known to either the victim or his friends. Initial witness statements have been taken from the other eight students who are now “in a safe place”, being cared for by police until they return to university. Tributes have been left on Facebook, including one page set up by a fellow Lancaster student which plans a ‘peace march’ in the young man’s memory. According to the page, set up by Sonakshi Saran, Anuj ‘was killed for not answering a simple question - What’s the time?’. But Greater Manchester Police have not disclosed what was said during the short conversation between the killer and victim. The student’s father, Subhash, a branch manager with an energy company, has called on the UK government to speed up the process of returning Anuj’s body to India. In a message on his son’s Facebook wall, he said: ‘Please help in Continued on page 26 >>

Next year poses “many great challenges” for everyone in Britain, Nick Clegg has warned in a gloomy new year message. The Deputy Prime Minister said the UK had been “pulled back from the brink” but the “economic rescue mission” remained the coalition’s number one priority. In a video message to Liberal Democrat activists, he insisted the actions being taken as part of a powersharing Government were “not easy” but were right. And, in an attempt to rally the grassroots, he claimed it was the Lib Dems who had ensured the Government was helping people get through the tough times. “We have had to make some very difficult decisions, but they’ve been the right ones for the long-term good of our country. A country that was at risk of falling prey to the international markets has been pulled back from the brink. We only need to look at what is happening in countries on our European doorstep to see what we could have ended up dealing with in 2011. “But that economic rescue mission is not over yet and there is much more we must do. That’s why, thanks to the Liberal Democrats, the Government has been helping people get through these difficult times with measures to make life fairer and easier.” Deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats Simon Hughes told BBC Radio 4 that the party had to “hold its nerve”. He said: “I take the message (from the party’s electoral results) as I predicted a year ago we would have a very difficult year. Government is always more difficult than opposition. “Everyone knows that in the coalition you can’t get everything in your manifesto and you have to let go of some of those things and you get punished for that. But we have achieved about two thirds of the things we went into the last election saying we wanted to do.” Mr Hughes said his party was signed up for the full five years of government and had “stepped up to the plate” to ensure the country recovered from the economic crisis fairly.

NEWS

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 29 December 2011

Quake emergency declared in Tuva The intensity of a powerful earthquake that rocked the southeastern part of Siberia on Tuesday reached 9.5, Russian Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu said at a teleconference in the early hours of Wednesday. “The earthquake’s intensity in the epicenter has been estimated at 9.5. A state of emergency has been declared in Tuva, Central Siberia, close to the border with Mongolia. An earthquake of magnitude 6.7 on the Richter scale hit the area in the early hours of Wednesday. The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry has dispatched extra units to the region to deal with the aftermath of the quake, as well as the aftershocks which have occurred. Inhabitants of the region remain upbeat, joking about the coming of the often predicted end of the world. About 16 thousand people are checking houses on the ground and from the air, as well as electricity stations and other essential facilities, 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

and are helping the people of Tuva. The republic was hit by the most powerful quake in its history, on the night of Wednesday. Estimates put the quake’s magnitude at 6.7 and 9 in the epi-center, which lies 100 kilometers east of the regional capital of Kyzyl,

morning, the magnitude of the quake had come down to 4.7. Seismologists report several smaller quakes of low intensity near the epi-center. Oleg Starovoit, deputy Director for scientiﬁc work at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Geophysics

“Earthquakes of such force are rare in Tuva, and therefore, it cannot be called a typical phenomenon. Quakes of smaller forces do occur in the region”, Oleg Starovoit said, Residents of the neighbouring regions of Khakasia, Krasnoyarsk and Altai

at a depth of 10 kilometers. Several aftershocks have been reported. In the

Service says that nobody expected an earthquake of such a magnitude.

region, Irkutsk, Kemerovo and Tomsk felt the aftershocks. Seismologists

With a grin and a wave, Russia’s Putin rejects talks with opposition duke heads home

India Ofﬁce Satya Infomedia Pvt. Ltd. C/O Satya Group. 1st Floor, Avenue Appt., Near Sheth. R. J. J. High School, Tithal Road, Valsad - 396001 Gujarat, India Phone +91 2632 222209 / 222211 Fax: +91 2632 222212 Post Box No. 98 /108 United Arab Emirates Ofﬁce S.K. Group of Companies P.O. Box 9021, Karama Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 4 2659970, 3359929; Fax: +971 4 2659971, 3341609 www.sk-groupofcompanies.com 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

have analyzed the seismic state of Tuva for the past 20 years, and they have concluded that a shift in the earth’ crust in the region is possible within a month, but no serious damage will occur. Meanwhile Two minor earthquakes shake west Turkey Two earthquakes occurring three hours apart caused a short-lived panic in the Kuşadası district of Aydın, a western province in Turkey near the old biblical city of Ephesus. The quakes, which registered 4.3 and 4.0 in magnitude, did not cause any loss of life or property damage. The Kandilli Observatory at Boğaziçi University and the Earthquake Research Institute said that the magnitude 4.3 tremor occurred at 7:59 on Tuesday morning. The second quake occurred at 9:51 a.m. The tremors were felt in Kuşadası, Selçuk, central Aydın and in the city of İzmir. “No negative consequences were suffered as a result of the earthquakes,” Kuşadası District Governor Mustafa Esen said. He also called on the relevant authorities and the press to refrain from statements that might cause panic in the public.

The Duke of Edinburgh is back with the Royal Family at Sandringham after he was discharged from hospital following a four-night stay. Prince Philip, 90, was in the front passenger seat of a dark Range Rover as he began the hour-long drive to Sandringham at 9:25am yesterday. After thanking the staff who cared for him over the Christmas period, the duke smiled and waved as he left Papworth Hospital in Cambridgeshire. Two other Range Rovers carrying royal protection ofﬁcers followed him. He was yesterday able to rejoin his family at the Queen’s private Norfolk estate where he is said to have been advised by doctors to rest. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “On departure, Prince Philip

thanked the staff at Papworth for the excellent care he has received during his stay. “He is very much looking forward to rejoining his family.” Scores of police ofﬁcers began combing the hospital’s grounds in the early hours of yesterday morning in preparation for the duke’s departure. It is not yet clear how active the duke will be when he arrives at Sandringham, or whether he will attend Sunday’s service at St Mary Magdalene church on the estate. He missed the Christmas Day service, which the Duchess of Cambridge attended for the ﬁrst time. The duke was taken to Papworth near Cambridge on Friday night after he complained of chest pains.

Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has rejected the possibility of talks with opposition leaders who drew tens of thousands of people to protest rallies across the country. The prime minister told Russian news agencies on Wednesday that “there’s no one to talk to” among the leaders. Putin’s authority was dented by a recent parliamentary election in which his party lost 25 per cent of seats despite widespread allegations of vote-rigging in its favour. The vote fraud triggered the country’s largest protest rallies in 20 years that demanded a rerun of the vote and

Putin’s resignation. Putin on Tuesday ﬁrmly rejected the protesters’ demands. Putin served as Russia’s president in 2000-2008 and is now seeking a third term in ofﬁce.

China says design ﬂaws caused fatal bullet train crash

A long-awaited government report said design ﬂaws and sloppy management caused a bullet train crash in July that killed 40 people and triggered a public outcry over the dangers of China’s showcase transportation system. A former railway minister was

among 54 ofﬁcials found responsible for the crash, a Cabinet statement said Wednesday. Several were ordered dismissed from Communist Party posts but there was no word of possible criminal penalties. The crash report was highly anticipated by the public.

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 29 December 2011

NEWS

Russian court rejects ‘ban Gita’ plea A Russian court on Wednesday rejected a petition, described by India as “patently absurd”, which had sought a ban on a translated version of the Bhagvad Gita, bringing cheers to followers here as well as those across the world. The court’s decision not to ban the sacred book brought to an end a keenly contested six-month old case that had caused anger among believers around the world and forced New Delhi to take up the matter with Moscow. “We have won the case. The judge has rejected the petition,” Sadhu Priya Das of ISKCON, Moscow, who is also Chairman of newly formed Hindu Council of Russia, said. External Affairs Minister SM Krishna welcomed the judgement and thanked the Russian government for its support. The Ministry in a statement said: “We appreciate this sensible resolution of a sensitive issue and are glad to put this episode behind us. We also appreciate the efforts of all friends in Russia who made this outcome possible. “This demonstrates yet again that the people of India and Russia have a deep understanding of each other’s

cultures and will always reject any attempt to belittle our common civilisational values.” Prosecutors in the Siberian city of Tomsk had argued that the Russian translation “Bhagavad Gita As It Is” promotes “social discord” and hatred towards non-believers. The text is a combination of the Bhagvad Gita, one of Hinduism’s holiest scriptures, and commentary by AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, that is commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement, ISKCON. The prosecutors had asked the court to include the book on the Russian Federal List of Extremist Materials, which bans more than 1,000 texts including Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” and books distributed by the Jehovah’s Witness and Scientology movements. Russian lawyers Mikahil Fralov and Alexander Shakhov argued strongly against the petition. “This judge’s decision shows that Russia is becoming a truly democratic society,” Shakhov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. “We are very excited

about this victory.” Reacting to the judgement that came at about 4:30 pm IST, ISKCON spokesman Brajendra Nandan Das told PTI in New Delhi that, “We are very happy”. ISKCON members have alleged that

the Russian Orthodox Church was behind the court case as it wanted to limit their activities. The case had created a storm back in India and even the Parliamentary proceedings had been affected by it. Speaking in Parliament, Krishna

had said the lawsuit was the work of “ignorant and misdirected or motivated individuals.” He also called the complaint “patently absurd”. Krishna had summoned the Russian Ambassador in New Delhi, Alexander Kadakin, yesterday and told him that Moscow should provide all possible help to resolve the issue that has been in the court for the last six months. He had also conveyed to the top Russian diplomat the sensitivities involved with the issue. Kadakin had assured Krishna that the Russian Government will do all it can within its power. The trial began in June and was scheduled to conclude on December 19, just after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s two-day visit to Russia. However, ofﬁcials in Tomsk agreed to hear further testimony from experts and the Russian ombudsman for human rights and postponed the court decision till today. The judge, after reviewing the petition from the state prosecutors and the responses against it, dismissed the plea.

Swedish Prof Hints At Israeli Link To BBC prepares for Tony Blair’s death: Report Slaughter of 77 By Breivik In Norway

A Swedish academic has come under ﬁre in Norway after writing an article suggesting that Israel played a part in the July 22nd massacre carried out by Anders Behring Breivik that claimed 77 lives. Swedish-born Ola Tunander is a research professor at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)…who received his PhD from Linköping University in 1989. Prof. Tunander, in a recent article,

seeks to discover what might have driven Brevik to set off a car bomb outside government ofﬁces in Norway and gun down 69 people at a summer camp for young Labour Party supporters. His observations has prompted the head of PRIO, (Kristian Harpviken) to distance himself from the piece. Tunander’s article reaches the conclusion that terrorist acts of such magnitude are seldom possible without the involvement of state forces, “and we can’t rule out that being the case this time too.” Tunander lays out a “simple chronology” detailing the fractious diplomatic relationship between Norway and Israel in the months before the massacre, with Oslo

indicating it would be willing to recognize a Palestinian state. On two occasions, Prof. Tunander notes the signiﬁcance of the date of the attacks. First, he travels back to 1973, when members of the Israeli spy agency Mossad were arrested on July 22nd after a botched operation in which they assassinated the wrong person on Norwegian soil. He also calls to mind the bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem by Zionist paramilitary group Irgun, which took place on July 22nd 1946. “We have discussed the right-wing extremist Israeli and Judeo-Christian side of Breivik’s network, Israel’s interest in disciplining Norway, and Israel’s celebration of bomb attacks. In this respect, Breivik’s attack appears to resemble a new king David Hotel attack: July 22nd,” he writes. Tunander told Norwegian news agency NTB it was unfair to conclude from his article, that he wished to link Israel to the worst atrocity in Norway’s peacetime history. Oyvind Strommen, a Norwegian writer, stated: “Does he (Prof. Tunander)insinuate that Israel was behind July 22nd, or was in some way involved? The answer, unfortunately, is yes”

Former British prime minister Tony Blair is just 58 years old, but the BBC has started ﬁlming his obituary. The “ghoulish” decision to ask former cabinet colleagues to contribute to the programme about Blair’s life has shocked some within the Labour party, the Sun reported. “It seems in pretty poor taste that the Beeb is already preparing for Tony’s death....He is still a

relatively young man who I’m sure has got a lot of years left in him yet,” said a Labour party source. Blair, who was premier for ten years, did have a minor heart scare while being in ofﬁce. But he is known to keep himself in shape. He and wife Cherie “who already had three children” had baby son Leo in 2000 when he was the prime minister. “We don’t comment on obituaries,” said a BBC spokeswoman.

To advertise call 020 8904 0619

NEWS

EDITORIAL “obvious motive”!!! Fourth arrest over death of student Anuj Bidve

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 29 December 2011

Iran Rejects Court Ruling It Worked with Al-Qaeda in 9/11 Attack

WE’VE LOST FAITH IN EVERYTHING Anuj was a loving son, a super caring brother and first and forever a friend for many. It is thought he was shot after two men approached Mr Bidve and several other students and asked for the time before attacking him. A senior police source revealed Mr Bidve had responded ‘politely’ and said there was no apparent reason for the shooting. Police in Greater Manchester say there was no “obvious motive” behind the fatal shooting on Boxing Day of a student who was visiting Salford for Christmas. police investigating the killing of Indian student Anuj Bidve by a white man is not ruling out racism as a motive for the incident. Friends of the 23-year-old described how two white men approached him and asked for the time. After speaking to Mr Bidve for a moment, one of the men was seen to pull out a handgun and shoot the student in the side of the head at point blank range. Chief Superintendent Kevin Mulligan, divisional commander for Salford, said a racial motive for the killing was not being ruled out. “We are investigating every possible aspect.” All four suspects, who include two teenage boys aged 16 and 17, currently remain in custody for questioning. Bidve, who hailed from Pune, was a postgraduate student at Lancaster University studying Microelectronics. His father Subhash pleaded on his son’s Facebook to help bring his body back to India. Officers have appealed for witnesses to come forward with information about the “awful attack”. “If it was your brother, son, husband or friend who was killed, while visiting another city you would want justice, so please help us do the same. Sadly, there are still people out there with access to guns and as this tragic incident shows, it takes just a second for someone with a gun to “You need to surrender yourselves to the police as soon as possible. This was an awful attack which appeared to be unprovoked on a young student who was just going about his business.” The university said : “Lancaster University can confirm that the man killed in Salford early this morning is a 23-year-old Indian postgraduate student, who was studying microelectronics. “Our thoughts are with his family at this time, and counselling and support has been organised for his fellow students, who are deeply upset.” The family of Anuj Bidve condemned Britain’s moral decline yesterday saying: “We have lost faith in everything.”

A US judge has signed a default judgment ﬁnding Iran, the Taliban and al-Qaida liable for the September 11, 2001 attacks. Judge George Daniels in Manhattan signed the judgement a week after hearing evidence in the 10-year-old case. The signed ruling came in a $100 billion lawsuit brought by victims’ families. He directed a magistrate judge to preside over remaining issues, including ﬁxing compensatory and punitive damages. On Sunday, Iran rejected a ruling by Judge George Daniels in

Manhattan that it is responsible along with al-Qaeda and the Taliban for the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington. In December 23, the federal court ruled ruled that Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah materially and directly supported al-Qaeda in the September 11, 2001, attacks and are legally responsible for damages to hundreds of family members of victims who are plaintiffs in the case. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast characterized the court decision as

“clumsy scenario-making” by the United States. He said al-Qaeda has no presence in Iran and that it is quite “evident” that the United States created al-Qaeda and supported it. The U.S. State Department says Iran is harboring Syrian-born Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil, aka Yacine al-Suri, described as a high-level al-Qaeda “facilitator” who it claims has operated from inside Iran since 2005 “under an agreement between al-Qaeda and the Iranian government.” The U.S. claims al-Suri moves money and recruits across the

Middle East into Iran, and then on to Pakistan, in support al-Qaeda’s senior leadership. It would be near impossible to collect any damages, especially from the Taliban or al-Qaida. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly denied any Iranian connection in the Sept. 11 attacks or with alQaida. Saudi Arabia had been knocked out of the lawsuit, but lawyers ﬁled papers to reinstate Saudi Arabia as a defendant. Lawyers for the plaintiffs did not immediately return telephone calls seeking comment.

Iran: We will cut oil flow if West imposes economic sanctions Saudi Arabia and other Gulf producers were ready to step in if necessary. He did not say what other routes the Gulf nations could take to ship the oil if the strait was closed off. The official spoke late Tuesday on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the issue. They slipped back on Wednesday in thin trade and as the market dismissed it as rhetoric. “The threat by Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz supported the oil market yesterday, but the effect is fading today as it will probably be empty threats as they cannot stop the flow for a longer period due to the amount of US hardware in the area,” said Thorbjoern bak Jensen, an oil analyst with Global Risk Management. A third of all sea-borne oil was shipped through the Iran-controlled Straits of Hormuz in 2009, where U.S. warships patrol area to ensure safe passage. Iran’s first vice-president warned on Tuesday that the flow of crude will be stopped from the crucial Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf if foreign sanctions are imposed on its oil exports, the country’s official news agency reported. “If they (the West) impose sanctions on Iran’s oil exports, then even one

Oil climbs amid Middle East tensions

drop of oil cannot ﬂow from the Strait of Hormuz,” IRNA quoted Mohammad Reza Rahimi as saying. About a third of all sea-borne oil was shipped through the Strait in 2009, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), and U.S. warships patrol the area to ensure safe passage. Tensions over Iran’s nuclear program have increased since the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on Nov. 8 that Tehran appears to have worked on designing a nuclear bomb and may still be pursuing research to

that end. Iran strongly denies this and says it is developing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Iran has warned it will respond to any attack by hitting Israel and U.S. interests in the Gulf, and analysts say one way to retaliate would be to close the Strait of Hormuz. Most of the crude exported from Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq - together with nearly all the liqueﬁed natural gas from lead exporter Qatar - must slip through a 4-mile (6.4 km) wide shipping channel between Oman and Iran.

Crude oil prices rose on Tuesday supported by supply disruptions and political turmoil in the Middle East, but the gains were capped by economic weakness in Europe. The market found support in the oilrich region of the Middle East and north Africa after Syria confirmed for the first time publicly that it had cut oil production sharply due to the impact of a European Union oil embargo. Moreover, Iran started 10 days of naval war games near the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping gateway for the region’s oil output. Meanwhile, analysts were worried about the recent wave of terror attacks in Iraq. In afternoon trading, ICE February Brent, the global benchmark, rose 36 cents to $108.32 a barrel. Nymex February West Texas Intermediate rose 69 cents to $100.37. Sufian Alao, Syrian oil minister, revealed over the weekend that Damascus had cut oil production to 260,000 barrels a day, down from a pre-crisis level of 380,000 b/d. “We have reduced our production by 30 to 35 per cent until we resume exports,” he told reporters on the sidelines of an Arab oil ministers meeting in Cairo on Saturday.

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 29 December 2011

NEWS

Neutralizing Mullah Mohammed Omar Mullah Omar was never on most wanted list: FBI WASHINGTON: The US capital was abuzz with claims and counterclaims since Tuesday morning that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has removed the name of

Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar from its list of ‘most wanted terrorists’. The report, attributed to unidentified officials but not backed by reliable sources, claimed that the US decision to remove his name from the list reflected Washington`s desire to improve ties with the Taliban insurgents. Al-Qaida leadership almost wiped out in Pakistan, British officials believe Senior members of al-Qaida are feared to be moving to north Africa to open up a new front after being weakened in Pakistan. British officials believe that a “last push” in 2012 is likely to definitively destroy al Qaeda’s remaining senior leadership in Pakistan, opening a new phase in the battle against Islamist terrorism. So many senior members of the organisation have been killed in an intense campaign of air strikes involving missiles launched from unmanned drones that “only a handful of the key players” remain alive, one official said. British and US intelligence sources told the The Guardian that there are an estimated 100 “al Qaeda or al Qaeda-affiliated” militants in Afghanistan, of whom only “a handful” were seen to pose a threat internationally to the UK or other western nations. However, well-informed sources outside government and close to Islamist groups in north Africa

said at least two relatively senior al Qaeda ﬁgures have already made their way to Libya, with others intercepted en route, raising fears that north Africa could become a

new “theatre of jihad” in coming months or years. Mullah Omar, who ruled Afghanistan during the Taliban regime in mid-90s, was never on the FBI’s most wanted list but continued to be on a list of the State Department, which has declared “up to $10 million” on his head. “So there is no question of him being removed from our list,” said a spokesman for FBI, which maintains a list of most wanted terrorists responsible for attacks inside the

Pakistan-based (and The New York Times-owned) The Express Tribune, where we first heard the news.” It also noted that The Express Tribune has “unceremoniously” pulled its story from its website. Speculation was earlier rife about Mullah Omar’s removal from the list given that the US was reportedly holding talks with the Taliban. While FBI clarified that he never figured in its list, Mullah Omar continued to be on the State department’s Reward for Justice (RFJ) programme list. Earlier in December Sara A. Carter The Washington Examiner’s national security correspondent reported that The Taliban can never be brought into the political process in Afghanistan as long as Mullah Mohammed Omar is still a fugitive. With Osama bin Laden dead, finding and neutralizing Mullah Mohammed Omar, the reclusive leader who has headed the Taliban since the mid1990s, has become a top priority for American military and intelligence officers. Mullah Omar’s death would be as important to securing Afghanistan’s future as killing bin Laden was to

US. His remarks came when asked about news reports appearing in Pakistani media that one-eyed Mullah Omar’s name has been quietly removed from the most wanted terrorist list of the US. The story originated in the Pakistani media with reports like the one from

destabilizing al Qaeda, U.S. ofﬁcials told The Washington Examiner. The U.S. lists Mullah Omar as a terrorist and there is $10 million reward for information leading to his capture or killing. Targeting Omar could require operations inside Pakistan. That would create huge diplomatic challenges because of severely

strained relations between the countries. Bruce Riedel, a former CIA ofﬁcer and senior adviser to three U.S. presidents, said if the U.S. and Afghanistan have any chance to reconcile with members of the Taliban, Mullah Omar would have to be removed. “Omar is an ISI (InterServices Intelligence: Pakistan’s intelligence agency) trained fanatic who dreams of ruling again,” said Riedel, who is now a senior analyst

at the Brookings Institution. “But he is not alone. Many of his lieutenants are fanatics too and the Pakistani army, at least for now, also opposes political reconciliation. Like Omar they want to win.” ‘Obama’s biggest challenge to contain terror syndicate in Pak’. The US needs to reset its policy toward Pakistan to contain the ambitions of the powerful army, the ISI and the ﬂourishing syndicate of terror, like the LeT, they sponsor, a former CIA analyst has said, terming terrorism as the “toughest challenge” for President Barack Obama. Describing the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people, including six Americans, as the ﬁrst major international crisis after Obama’s electoral victory, Bruce Riedel said, “The President made good on his pledge to “disrupt, dismantle and defeat” al Qaeda. But the jihadist threat endures.” He called terrorism the biggest menace in 2012. Reidel, a Foreign Policy fellow at Brookings, a Washington think tank, wrote “Al

Qaeda is on the defensive in Pakistan, but its many allies and affiliates are on the march,” he added. “Indeed, they enjoy the support of Pakistan’s army and the patronage of its spy service, the Inter Services Intelligence Directorate, or ISI.” “They are flourishing,” Riedel said, citing this month’s openair rally in Lahore. Pakistani officials deny that they are protecting Mullah Omar. “To say that Mullah Omar was trained by the CIA and ISI during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan is probably right,” said a Pakistani official, who asked not to be named. “During the time Mullah Omar was head of the Taliban government, we were following our own policy and there were disagreements between our governments. It is absolutely not true that Pakistan is protecting Mullah Omar.” Meanwhile Final arrangements have been put in place for the opening of a Taliban mission in the state of Qatar , Indian diplomatic sources have told The Hindu the mission will be designated as a political office for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, as the Taliban calls itself, and have the privileges but not the formal protection of a diplomatic mission. Taliban envoy Tayyab Agha, former private secretary to Mullah Omar, met representatives of the United States in Qatar last week to hammer out details on the role of the office, the sources said. Shahabudin Dilawar and Sohail Shaheen, both former Taliban diplomats, accompanied Mr. Agha.

NEWS

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 29 December 2011

UK faces bleak 2012 and risk of recession’s return, warns thinktank Britain’s economy is facing a “bleak” new year, with a real risk of returning to recession during 2012, a think tank is warning. The only good news for consumers is an expected fall in inﬂation, which will ease the squeeze on spending power in those households which remain in work, says the centre-left Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). The Institute for Public Policy Research says the only good news for consumers is that inﬂation will fall and so the squeeze on households’ spending power will end – “at least for those who keep their jobs”. The thinktank’s chief economist, Tony Dolphin, says during 2011 growth was lower than expected, unemployment higher and public sector borrowing greater. Looking ahead, he sees no obvious way to shore up the economy. “In the short term, economic policy has become a matter of hoping that something turns up – and that is why, for the UK economy, 2012 is unlikely to be a happy new year.

The spluttering UK economy will grow at less than half the pace forecast by the Government’s independent watchdog in 2012 as the nation faces up to its most brutal year since 2009, experts warned today. A survey of leading economists by the Independent forecast growth of 0.3% next year on average – less than half the 0.7% pencilled in by the “optimistic” Ofﬁce for Budget

Responsibility. An even worse outcome looms large if Europe’s debt crisis takes a fresh turn for the worse. The Centre for Economics and Business Research has warned that the eurozone could shrink by 2% if leaders fail to get to grip with the lingering sovereign debt woes – wiping some €200 billion off the single currency bloc overall and crippling the UK’s biggest trading

partner. The dramatic impact of the continent’s woes on the UK’s prospects is underlined by comparison with the beginning of 2011, when the same experts were forecasting far healthier 2% growth for 2012 on average. More disappointment on growth would throw up yet more headwinds to Chancellor George Osborne’s efforts to cut the deﬁcit.

IHS Global Insight’s Howard Archer said: “The OBR forecast for 2012 is looking increasingly optimistic and that there are major downside risks to the forecast – obviously events in the Eurozone being one.” Since the summer’s turmoil, the Bank of England has begun to pump cash into the economy again and dole queues have climbed sharply. Most pundits expect the Bank to print at least £100 billion more during the first half of 2012. HSBC’s chief UK economist Simon Wells warned: “It’s a brave person that isn’t putting Europe at the top of the watch list. In terms of our central case we’re assuming Europe kicks the can down the road – although there are huge downside risks.” But pundits also found some optimism. The Bank of England’s rate-setters are expecting the inflation pressure on household finances to ease quickly as the cost of living falls back from its current highs of 4.8%. Last January’s rise in VAT to 20% falls out of inflation figures, while energy prices have also stabilised.

British Red Cross worker, 32, killed in Christmas Beak wide shut: No freedom of tweet for Taliban? Day attack at holiday resort in Sri Lanka • ‘He was a very committed member of the team’ • Colleague in intensive care with ‘serious injuries’ A British national has been killed following an attack at a Sri Lankan tourist resort, according to reports. Local police said the victim, named as Kuram Shaikah Zaman, was killed in Tangalle early on Christmas Day. A friend who asked not to be named said Mr Zaman was on leave from his job in the Gaza Strip, where he worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross as a physical rehabilitation programme manager. “He provided prosthetics for people who have lost limbs,” his friend said.

Mr Zaman and a Russian woman were attacked following an argument with a man at a hotel, according to reports. Four men have been arrested in connection with the incident, including Sampath Chandra Pushpa Vidanapathirana, 24, the chairman of Tangalle village council, Sri Lankan police told the BBC. A post-mortem examination showed Mr Zaman had been attacked with a sharp weapon and shot, according to reports. The Russian woman, named as 23year-old Victoria Alexandrovna, was

being treated for serious injuries in a hospital intensive care unit, according to reports. Tangalle is a popular tourist destination about 100 miles south of the capital Colombo. The Foreign Office said: “Next of kin have been informed and we are providing consular assistance.” The Foreign Office said: ‘Next of kin have been informed and we are providing consular assistance.’ A spokeswoman for the Jerusalem office of the ICRC said the organisation was ‘grieved’.

Evidence suggests China already hacking into U.S. drone ﬂeet networks A rash of new clues surrounding the Sykipot computer virus having its way with the U.S. drone ﬂeet suggests the malware originated in China, and explains how it has been used. Mathew J. Schwartz of Information Week reports the virus appears to have been designed with the sole purpose of stealing UAV data using “zeroday” vulnerability in Adobe Reader. A zero-day attack is launched using a vulnerability unknown to a software’s developer and shared among attackers

who exploit the fault before a patch is put in place. The virus was inserted into the military’s network using infected PDF ﬁles and speciﬁcally targeted to look for information on the Boeing

X-45 unmanned combat air system and the Boeing X-37 orbital vehicle. The X-37 recently had its classiﬁed mission extended nine months leading to speculation about its orbital activities. China, too, seems to have questions regarding its mission. This most recent attack seems to have begun in August 2011, but another variant of the Sykipot virus goes back to 2006. The older version used clouded script ﬁles, taking advantage of an Internet Explorer vulnerability.

A US senator is pressuring Twitter to block the accounts of Taliban supporters. The micro-blogging service is reported to be resisting the attack on online freedom of speech, saying the tweets are news feeds, not pro-terrorist propaganda. ¬Twitter is the latest target for Joe Lieberman, chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, in his wide campaign to eliminate what he calls terrorist propaganda from the Internet. The feeds the senator wants gagged are used by the Taliban to boast about their attacks on NATO troops in Afghanistan or to post links to their statements, according to The Telegraph. Some of them have several thousand followers and the information given ranges from obviously fabricated stories to accurate and up-to-minute news. Naturally, the Tweets brand the coalition forces as “cowards” and “occupiers” while Taliban militants are “heroes” and “martyrs”. Occasionally, Twitter account users clash with press services of the NATO forces in Afghanistan, challenging and rebufﬁng each other’s statements. Lieberman’s attack on the Taliban’s Twitter feed follows an earlier move to have Google remove pro-AlQaeda videos from YouTube. The company partially met the demand, removing content which did not

comply with the site’s terms of use. That has mostly consisted of open calls for violence and terrorism, says Jeffrey Rosen, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and frequent contributor to The New York Times Magazine and The New Republic. “Twitter’s even more pro-freespeech than Google – it doesn’t have a terrorism exception; it will only remove content that is illegal or promotes violence. And since they concluded that these tweets were pro-Taliban newsfeeds that didn’t promote imminent violence, they refused to remove them,” Rosen said in an interview. The Telegraph adds that Twitter cites the fact that the Taliban is not on the State Department’s list of foreign terrorist organizations as a reason why the demand to block it from the service should not be met.

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 29 December 2011

NEWS

Schools head hails ‘magic’ of learning via smartphone Adrian Felaar Traditional textbooks will disappear in the age of electronic devices, says Girls Schools’ chief Pupils can beneﬁt from ‘magic’ of smartphones and e-readers in class, says new schools chief... but they could spell the ‘death’ of the textbook Hard copies not necessary,says incoming Girls’ Schools Association president The death of classroom textbooks is predicted today by the new leader of the country’s top girls’ schools. In future, pupils will access texts through smartphones and e-readers, Louise Robinson, the incoming president of the Girls’ Schools Association, said in her ﬁrst interview. “Taking on board the fact that textbooks will be on your mobile, whatever shape, name or type of fruit your mobile relates to... anywhere, any time, any place – it’s a huge possibility,” she said. Pupils could learn more from the “magic” of using smartphones and tablets than from simply reading a book, she argued. In addition, they can access information in advance of lessons. “If you say: ‘The next lesson is going to be on the skeleton’, what you can see online now in terms of the skeleton and where you can go with it makes children have far more

Marisa Paulson [Previously: ... ‘It’s highly unlikely that these are the same bruises inﬂicted onto him by Mr Worthall Anderson? If so this would’ve required police investigation a long time ago... these are different Simona...no bone fracture? None at all? Anthony has been a boy with an immensely superior immune system compared to other boys his age. The tissues could have regenerated themselves during the course of his unconsciousness. But it’s unlikely...ECA. That’s all he needs...yes, the ECA, as soon as possible...’ I gave Vace my turn on the console while I watched the two

control over their learning that they ever could do before. One click and you’re into another world,” she added.

in that information, the way that they absorb it and reﬂect it back at you is just wonderful.” Mrs Robinson, who is head of

the real smell of a very old book – I’m not going to throw them on the bonﬁre at all. I do believe that there will be a time and a place for going

However, children would have to be taught how to access information properly online, she cautioned. “You and I wouldn’t send a child into a library and say ‘Go and have a look’,” Mrs Robinson said. “You’d actually help them, show them where the information is to access and which bits they should be looking at for their age and stage.” She continued: “When you see a young child on their tablet, or internet, the magic they are seeing

Merchant Taylors’ Girls’ School in Crosby, Liverpool, added: “I can understand the concept that there’s

to look at an old book – but when you’re doing class reading, why buy

“If we are going to move to postqualiﬁcation applications, it would take away not quite the need but the emphasis on AS-level results, and it would mean that we wouldn’t have to spend so much time preparing for them,” she added.

SORRY FOR YOURSELF compete. Sitting with my legs stretched on the ﬂoor, leaning back into my arms thinking about my departure from the emergency wing. I remembered as we passed different wards, wings, ﬁlled with other patients in the emergency rooms. I caught a familiar guy, about same age, hell, he looked bad. I saw his mom, dad, sister and brother, his name was Candall. He was close friends with Hank. I thought I had an idea of who the guy was. That guy had it worst than me. All of them were stressed, tired – whimpering – trying to remain strong and supportive of his remaining

lifespan. My mother and dad, Hank and even Stewie were the same; they cared about me just the same. I crossed my legs, tensing and relaxing my ﬁsts, laughing at Shang who lost. I guessed if sending me to the ECA made my mom feel better about my strange...thing, then hell, I was glad. And if that guy was who I thought he was, then jeez, that made it all the ‘more weird’. I had my go versus Vace. Flicker. Flicker. Flicker. Wake. The room was white rays all surrounding, like that typical scene when a baby was brought into the world, or the scene when

an unlucky fellow was meeting death, like me. My sight was hazy and dreamlike but I knew all too well that this unfortunate event was real; real to the...it just was real. That familiar silence when everybody thinks you were dead was the silence that I happened to awake to. My mouth was dry, my body: in indescribable pain, feet bound to the edge of the bed that suffocated me in place, and still that occasional hammer on my arm, my wrist. Slowly I endeavoured to tilt my head both sides, I screwed and groaned. How did this

the hard copy?” Seemingly unafraid of causing controversy in her new position, Mrs Robinson said she thought the AS-level exam would become increasingly irrelevant if students were able to apply to university after they had received their A-level results. Proposals to move towards applying post-results were outlined by UCAS earlier this year. The new system could be in force as early as 2016. Mrs Robinson said that at present universities often scrutinise AS-level results because they are the only hard information available post-GCSE of a student’s ability. “From a student’s point of view, ASlevels are good in terms of a break in learning, and for ﬁnding out halfway through whether they’re on target,” she said. “What I’m not so clear on is why universities are placing so much credibility on AS results. We are spending an awful lot of time making sure they do as well as possible in those exams. “If we are going to move to postqualiﬁcation applications, it would take away not quite the need but the emphasis on AS-level results, and it would mean that we wouldn’t have to spend so much time preparing for them,” she added. The Girls’ Schools Association represents most of the country’s leading independent girls’ schools.

happen? The pain in my head was crazy! Like a brick or of some kind plummeted into it. My eye movements were slow, but I noticed plastic medical straps eating away into my skin, my arms...my wrist, it was a hospital, made sense. I shut my eyes, narrowing bemused. Nothing made sense to me anymore. Again I forced my head to move to the centre of the pillow: the bed wasn’t even comfortable, again, more nails pressed in. I whinged and grunted, much louder than before, there was no way on earth this was a dream; nothing would ever make sense to me anymore, and how comes nobody was here?

NEWS

Gklih{l For what it’s worth Keziah-Ann Abakah In the hustle and bustle leading up to one of the most anticipated days of the year (Christmas) a prominent feat is forgotten, pushed to the back of our minds and neglected as it is on all the other three hundred and sixty four days of the year. The forgotten feat is the true origin of manufactured products and the question...What’s it really worth? I can imagine and try to visualise the numerous number of women and men alike who hit the shops this past Monday and immersed themselves in the chaos and madness that was the Boxing Day sales but I would fail for the number is too great. What I can imagine and visualise is the number of people who spared a seconds

thought to those who put their blood, sweat and tears into manufacturing these products only to end up with pay that wouldn’t be sufﬁcient to buy a three course meal let alone support a family for this number is not so great. Millions upon millions of stores across the world rely on the labour of people in countries great lengths away to make mass upon mass of items that will be sold for triple the amount of money paid to the workers and triple the amount of money the items are truly worth. These workers have families, aspirations and desires they have to set aside in order to accommodate the demands of the western world in the hopes that their pay will be sufﬁcient enough to support themselves and their loved ones. We cannot forget that such is

not the case with all high brand companies but it is the case we a very large majority of them. To most none of what has been read will new information or facts that have not been shared before and the purpose of giving this information was not to make those who are reading feeling guilty, neither was it to drag down the joy of Christmas nor gain the sympathy vote the purpose was simply this. The next time you purchase a pair of trainers, rush to the stores on Boxing Day or squeal over the luxurious clothing you’ve purchased spare a though to those who created it. Support organisations such as Fair trade, Global Exchange and Project Hope & Fairness. Be appreciative of what one person slaved over for you to obtain and think to yourself what’s it really worth?

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 29 December 2011

ENTERTAINMENT

A Star Is Born N-Gill - the new

2012 promises to be an exciting year for the young Dubai based singer and songwriter N-Gill, as he prepares to unleash his talent on UK audiences. ‘Aundi Nahi Awaaz Kade’ is the beautiful debut song from the new star that is

FASHION

destined to set woman’s hearts on fire! This ballad draws you in with its superb lyrics and haunting melody. Born in Jalandhar, India, N-Gill is a prolific artist who started his musical journey at the tender age of three when his father bought him a tabla. At four, started singing shabads and songs in front of large audiences and by the age of 12 he was writing his own songs. From shabads and a collection of awards from school singing competitions, N-Gill moved on to listening to Bryan Adams and a newfound role as lead singer in a rock band while completing his baccalaureate degree! Inspired and influenced by the legendary Gurdass Mann, N-Gill says of his music: “My inspiration and lyrics come from what is around me, but what we often forget and take for granted. I want my music to touch people’s hearts and just remind them that there is hope and happiness. In this busy and hectic life that we all lead we often overlook those important little things like our dreams, hopes and aspirations.

ADVICE

Feast Your Eyes on these JEWELS BY SOGOL! Racing heartbeat, palpitations, sweaty hands, uncontrollable shrieks of excitement...I don’t often get the fashion shakes but I had a major attack of them when I discovered Jewels by Sogol...I had been seeing pieces by the gorgeous American-born, Iranian jewellery designer Sogol Zabihi popping up in various issues of Harper’s Bazaar Arabia and when I heard she had launched the Jewels by Sogol website I jumped to open it with glee to ﬁnd a treasure trove of covetable statement rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings...and I want every single piece please

Dear Miss R I am currently doing my A levels and I understand it’s important to revise and study but my parents are taking it to the extreme and won’t let me go out at all. During the holidays I am expected to revise all day and night. I understand that they want the best for me but I miss going out and also spending some time with my friends who I have barely spoken to recently. My parents know the best for me but I feel as though I have no freedom and maybe this isn’t the best way to do great in the future. What should I do? > Shreya Dear Shreya Your parents are right when they say you need to revise especially for A levels as they are hard but with plenty of revision you will do great. However not going out at all isn’t healthy for you as you need to take breaks and relax a little so you have the motivation to work too. It’s recommended that you should do between 8-9 hours a day of revision but also to take 1/2 days off in a week from it. Talk to your parents and tell them you feel under pressure and need to have a break once in a while. Possibly make a time table so you don’t go out too much and revise in moderation; you could even get together with some friends and revise. Good luck! Miss R

aarc S

Saarc international I Thursday 29 December 2011

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

international

Thursday, 29.12.11

Anna to end his fast, calls off ‘jail bharo’

Lok Sabha had passed the Lokpal Bill last night with voice vote

Lokpal Bill a threat to democracy: Team Anna Terming the Lokpal Bill passed by the Lok Sabha as “a threat to democracy”, a key member of Team Anna said here Wednesday that it would not serve any real purpose. Bitterly criticising the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, India Against Corruption founder Arvind Kejriwal alleged that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his government had “completely betrayed Anna Hazare, his team and people of the country”. “We have completely rejected this bill which has been passed. It is a threat to democracy,” Kejriwal told reporters in the evening as Hazare announced the end of his oneand-half-day-long hunger strike in Mumbai. Kejriwal also questioned why the country’s armed forces were being kept out of the purview of the Lokpal Bill. It appears there is another twist in the Lokpal tale. The government has now decided to move and debate the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill, 2011 in Rajya Sabha only on Thursday.

Putting an end to all speculations, Anna Hazare announced that he will end his fast on Wednesday and in another surprising development called off the ‘jail bharo andolan’. He also said that he will continue his agitation at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan from December 30. Anna Hazare said that the ‘jail bharo andolan’ is not appropriate now. “We will not embark on ‘jail bharo andolan’, it’s not appropriate. We will embark to educate voters of the country,” he said. “My fast will be over today,” Anna said while addressing the crowd on the second day of his 3-day protest at the MMRDA ground in Mumbai.

Criticising politicians for passing a ‘weak’ Lokpal Bill, Anna said that dictators are ruling this country. “Our ﬁght is for the common man. We want justice for him. Even after the departure of Britishers, we are struggling for good governance. It has become difﬁcult for comman man to survive,” he said. Giving an indication to his future course of action, he said, “We should be ready to go to jail. But we don’t have to be violent. We have shown power of non-violence on August 16 in Ramlila Maidan.” “We will campaign against the government in the upcoming state Continued on page 10 >>

Congress President Sonia Gandhi has asked her party MPs to be present in the Rajya Sabha during voting on the Lokpal Bill to counter the BJP. Earlier on Wednesday, Gandhi blamed the BJP for the defeat of Constitution Amendment Bill on Lokpal, saying it exposed its “real face”. Gandhi said the BJP had actually committed itself to supporting Constitutional status to Lokpal in the Standing Committee deliberations. “But yesterday, we saw their real face. The strength we wanted to give to Lokpal Bill, they did not want it and voted against it,” Gandhi told reporters in New Delhi. The government faced an

embarassment in Lok Sabha last night as it could not muster the requisite two-third majority for passing the bill that provides Constitutional status to Lokpal and Lokayuktas. There was some confusion in the morning regarding when the bill will be placed in the Upper House for voting as the amended bill needed president’s approval. President Patil later in the day gave her nod to the amended Lokpal Bill paving the way for its introduction in the Rajya Sabha. It is now up to the government to decide if it wants to introduce the bill in the upper house on Wednesday afternoon or Continued on page 10 >>

Pakistan turning away from bald eagle and towards red dragon Pakistan is turning away from the US and looking east for its future partnerships, with the president now ﬁrming up the country’s friendship with China. Asif Ali Zardari hailed the strengthening ties between the two countries on Saturday as he met with Chinese State Councillor Dai Bingguo. The senior ofﬁcial was visiting Pakistan to mark the 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations and the conclusion of the China-Pakistan Friendship Year.

The visit came shortly after Beijing and Islamabad ﬁnalized a $1.6 billion currency swap agreement which will allow the two countries to boost their trade relations and decrease the involvement of the dollar. Currently China-Pakistan trade stands at $10 billion a year, but Dai has called for that ﬁgure to be increased to $15 billion over the next three to four years. China is strengthening its role as a regional Continued on page 27 >>

SAARC

Saarc international I Thursday 29 December 2011

Indo-Pak talks on nuclear CBMs open ISLAMABAD: Expert-level ofﬁcials of India and Pakistan discussed conventional and nuclear conﬁdence-building measures as part of a peace process between the two neighbours, as two-day talks began on Monday in Islamabad. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Additional Secretary Munawwar Saeed Bhatti represented Pakistan, while Ministry of External Affairs Joint Secretary YK Sinha headed the Indian delegation. Last week, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said that Pakistan was committed to pursuing a constructive, sustained and resultoriented process of engagement with India, which would include the issue of Kashmir.

Despite Pakistan’s troubled relations with the US and neighbouring Afghanistan, its

relationship with India is showing improvement. In November this year at the sidelines of the

Pak Army chief Kayani absent from dinner hosted by Zardari

ISLAMABAD: Amidst strains between the civilian government and the military, Pakistan Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani was conspicuous by his absence at an ofﬁcial dinner hosted by President Asif Ali Zardari. The powerful army chief stayed away from the dinner hosted by Zardari on Saturday in honour of China’s top diplomat, State

Councillor Dai Bingguo, ofﬁcial sources said. Kayani was among those invited to the event, the sources said. Kayani and other senior ofﬁcers of the army’s General Headquarters did not attend another banquet hosted on Saturday by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani for Dai and his entourage. However, Joint Chiefs of Staff

Committee chairman Gen Khalid Shameem Wynne and the air force and navy chiefs attended the event. The army chief was invited to yesterday’s banquet but his ofﬁce informed the Prime Minister’s House that he would be unavailable. The Chief of General Staff, Lt Gen Waheed Arshad, was to represent Kayani at the event but he could not travel to Islamabad from Rawalpindi as the highway connecting the two cities was blocked people protesting against a shortage of gas. The presence or absence of the top military leadership at events organised by the civilian government is closely watched by the media and in political circles, as it is considered a reﬂection of the state of relations between the army and the government.

Continued from page 9 >>

Anna to end his fast, calls off ‘jail bharo’ assembly elections and Lok Sabha elections. We will ask people not to vote these people,” he said. He said that his Team will soon work out campaign schedule for the ﬁve poll-bound states. “After this fast we will go to all ﬁve states going to poll. We will tell people not to vote parties who don’t want a strong Lokpal. This country will improve only through ballot box. We don’t have to vote corrupt and wrong people,” he said. Blaming the Home Minister for his arrest in Delhi, he said, “P Chidambaram was behind my arrest. They wanted to release me early 6 AM but I refused. They wanted to take me to Pune in Air Force plane.” “The government opposed Lokpal from day one. They opposed Joint drafting committee also. I request all brothers, sisters and youth to contact us. So that we can coordinate for our next programme. I am thankful to all those who are here from last two days,” he said. On going against Congress in 5 poll-bound states, Anna said, “We want to save the country rather than destroying it further. We won’t protest against any other party. Congress protested against Jan Lokpal Bill and cheated the public for one year. Congress has cheated us the maximum.”

SAARC summit in Maldives, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Manmohan Singh, pledged

to open a ‘new chapter’ in the otherwise fragile relations between Islamabad and New Delhi.

India lauds Lankan report to heal ethnic conflict wounds The report recommends measures to heal wounds of the conflict in the island nation even as it again underlined the need to ensure that an independent and credible mechanism is put in place to investigate alleged human rights violations in the country. India welcomes Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) report, which recommends measures to heal wounds of the conflict in the island nation even as it again underlined the need to ensure that an independent and credible mechanism is put in place to investigate alleged human rights violations in the country. The foreign ministry said in a statement that it expected Sri Lanka to “act decisively” to achieve meaningful devolution of powers to its provinces in the backdrop of the military operation against the LTTE in its first comments on the report just made public. “The LLRC report has underlined that the present situation provides a great window of opportunity to forge a consensual

way forward towards reconciliation through a political settlement based on devolution of power,” external affairs ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said. Pointing out that the LLRC report expects the government to provide leadership to a political process, he said India hoped that Sri Lanka “recognizing the critical importance of this issue acts decisively and with vision in this regard”. Prakash emphasized the implementation of the assurances given in the LLRC report to ensure speedy resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDP) would mark a major step forward in the process of reconciliation. “Implementation of assurances to ensure speedy resettlement and genuine reconciliation, including early completion of the process of the return of IDPs and refugees to their respective homes, restoration of normal civilian life in affected areas would mark a major step forward in the process of reconciliation,” he said.

Lokpal Bill is passed in Lok Sabha with the clauses of the bill passed by Lok Sabha.

Thursday. There are reports that the bill will be tabled at 2pm on Wednesday though it is not clear when the voting will take place. Even though the govt gets some time before the Lokpal Bill is voted upon in the Rajya Sabha, the role of SP and BSP remains very important as the UPA does not have the required numbers. The UPA has 99 MPs in the Upper House and the opposition has about 131. If the SP and BSP abstain from voting in Rajya Sabha on the lokpal bill - as they did in Lok Sabha on Tuesday - the government stands in with a chance to get the legislation passed, but with a wafer-thin majority. The government does not seem to have the numbers in the Upper House if the two Uttar Pradesh parties join hands with the opposition parties led by the BJP and the Left on key amendments. Such a scenario would see the bill falling in Rajya Sabha or passing with amendments that would be in conﬂict

A fallen bill in Rajya Sabha would imply either a joint session to get it passed, or reconsideration of the amendments by Lok Sabha, or the bill going into cold storage like the women’s reservation bill. The BJP had been counting on ﬁnding common ground with the Left, SP and BSP on some amendments, but the SP and BSP’s walkout in Lok Sabha threatens to pour cold water on its plans. “We are trying to make common cause with the Left, SP and BSP on some key amendments, including an independent CBI, safeguarding MPs, making lokayuktas optional for states in the interest of the federal structure, broad basing the selection of the CBI director among other issues,” a BJP leader said on Tuesday. “We are also convincing ally Shiv Sena, anyway opposed to the lokpal, to vote with us on our amendments.” An abstention by the SP and BSP, the leader feared,

Saarc international I Thursday 29 December 2011

SAARC

WEEKLY REVIEW OF AFGHANISTAN NEWS

Iran-Afghanistan trade in 2011 tops $2bn Iran’s Industry, Mine and Commerce Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari says trade volume between Iran and Afghanistan have reached $ 2 bn since the beginning of 2011. Iran represents the higher share of trade with its exports to Afghanistan totaling USD 1.5 billion during the period, added the Iranian minister. Ghazanfari made the remarks

on the sideline of a meeting with Afghanistan’s Minister of Commerce and Industries Anwarul Haq Ahadi in Tehran on Saturday. He went on to say that Iran’s exports to Afghanistan have increased 30 percent, adding that currently, about 110 technical and engineering projects worth USD 360 million are being implemented by Iranian experts in Afghanistan.

American troops in Afghanistan get into Christmas spirit Amid headlines about the end of the war in Iraq and the many happy, tearful homecomings of their fellow soldiers, the American troops serving in Afghanistan were surely pining to be at home for Christmas with family and friends. As battle in Afghanistan continues on, however, there were still more than 90,000 troops stationed in the country on the holiday. That said, it was a major milestone for the Afghanistan operation as 10,000 troops were sent off the front lines a week earlier than expected. President Obama was undoubtedly happy to hear that his goal of sending that segment of troops home by year’s end was met a week early, just in time for the ﬁghting men and women to spend the holidays with their families. Administration ofﬁcials now say are now 91,000 troops in the country- a

marked improvement from the alltime high of 101,000 in June. The President expects for all American soldiers to be out of Afghanistan by 2014. While nothing is quite as good as being at home, a number of different groups aimed to help the soldiers celebrate the season. The warm climate and lack of snow did not help to remind the residents that it was Christmas, but large Christmas trees and holiday

decorations ﬁlled that void. One of those ways was to enact Operation Merry Christmas in order to spread some holiday cheer. Technical Sargent Jason Guillory spearheaded a plan to get folks in the U.S. involved in the festivities even though they are thousands of miles away by encouraging them to write Christmas cards to the troops. And encourage he did: the ﬁnal total was over 10,000 cards were

delivered to troops. Mr Guillory called upon his home town church, Angel Heart Ministries in Little Rock, Arkansas, to start the initiative and it spread like wildﬁre, so much so that he received three whole boxes full of cards. Guillory is amazing. He is very selﬂess and has been talking about this for three months trying to gain support, Master Sargent Krista Cooley said of the project’s ringleader to the Air Force’s website. Mr Guillory handed out the cards himself to anyone he saw wandering

around Bagram Air Field in the week leading up to Christmas. In keeping with the stories of the season, he enlisted the help of some fellow service members as elves. Though the messages were written out to any service member, the lack of individualization did not hurt the sentiment. ‘It’s good to receive things from back home. Especially when you ﬁnd out that people who don’t even know you care about you and thank you for what you do. They do appreciate the sacriﬁces that we make,’ Mr Guillory said.

10,000 US troops leave Afghanistan as planned

Afghanistan kicks off its first rugby tournament Afghanistan kicked off its first official rugby tournament on Friday, with organisers hoping the game will one day be as popular as buzkashi, a kind of polo played with the carcass of a headless goat. Cricket and football have already gained a strong following, and regional sporting success has offered a rare glimmer of hope in the war-wracked country. But enthusiasts believe Afghans, who have faced decades of conflict and hardship, are even better suited to the rough and tumble of the rugby field, which is more akin the national sport buzkashi, without the need for horses. Ten teams from four different provinces gathered in central Kabul for the sevens competition, the first since the Afghan Rugby

Federation won affiliation from the Asian Rugby Football Union last month. “It’s becoming popular and soon it will replace cricket and football,” said Asad Ziar, the ARF’s chief executive officer. “We’re a rough, tough people. We’re physically set for this game, which is very energetic and fast. “It’s the new buzkashi. Our people love that game -- but we can’t afford to buy a horse for every player.” With just 220 players registered with the ARF, rugby has a long way to go before it can claim to be anywhere near as popular as buzkashi, football or cricket. A small group of onlookers stood on the sidelines Friday, many watching the rugby for the first time.

“What’s the name of this game? Why is the ball shaped like that? Why is the goal so high?” asked 15year-old Abdul Rassol. “I like this game, it’s fantastic. But where is the goal keeper?” The UK embassy is sponsoring the two-day tournament and the players were confident that -- given the right support -- rugby can take off. “Afghans love war, that’s why they love rugby. The Afghan people are not scared,” said Mohammad Edris, 25, a dentist from Kabul. “But if we are going to be successful we need support.” Taking a break from refereeing, Steve Brooking, 47, from Bristol, England, said finding coaches who understand the game is one of the difficulties.

The US military has withdrawn 10,000 troops from Afghanistan before a year-end deadline set by President Barack Obama, ofﬁcers said Friday, the ﬁrst step in a planned drawdown of combat forces through 2014. The withdrawal left about 91,000 American troops on the ground in Afghanistan, spokesman Commander Bill Speaks told AFP. Obama announced a surge of 33,000 forces in December 2009 to turn the tide in the war. After declaring major progress against the Taliban insurgency, Obama has since promised to withdraw the reinforcements in two stages: 10,000 by the end of this

year and another 23,000 by the end of next summer. “They have met the ﬁrst target of recovering 10,000 of the surge forces by the end of the year,” Speaks said. US and coalition partners in Afghanistan plan to hand over security for the whole of the country to Afghan forces by the end of 2014, allowing the withdrawal of combat forces. US administration ofﬁcials and military commanders are debating the pace of further troop withdrawals in 2013 but have already suggested the Afghan mission will shift from direct combat to an advisory role next year.

SAARC

Saarc international I Thursday 29 December 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF BANGLADESH NEWS

Charges against Mojaheed, Kamaruzzaman returned Quader Molla’s charges taken into cognisance, order on taking Nizami’s charges into cognisance Jan 9 The International Crimes Tribunal Wednesday returned to the prosecution the charges of crimes against humanity brought against Jamaat-e-Islami leaders Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed and Muhammad Kamaruzzaman saying that the charges were not properly arranged and classiﬁed. The tribunal also directed the prosecution to resubmit the charges against Jamaat Secretary General Mojaheed by January 16 after rearranging those properly. It also ordered the prosecution to reorganise the charges against the party Assistant Secretary General Kamaruzzaman and resubmit those by January 14. Meanwhile, the three-member tribunal headed by its Chairman Justice Nizamul Huq took the charges against another Assistant Secretary General of the party Abdul Quader Molla into cognisance.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami, Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed and assistant secretaries general Muhammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader MollaStar

It ﬁxed January 29 for starting the hearing on charge framing against Molla. The court also asked the prosecution to submit relevant documents and papers relating to the charges brought against Molla to its registrar ofﬁce by Sunday so that the defence could collect those for

taking preparation. The tribunal ﬁxed January 9 for passing order on whether it will take the charges brought against Jamaat Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami into cognisance. During the day’s hearing that started around 10:30am on Wednesday, the tribunal said it took time for examining

the charges that the prosecution brought against Nizami. Advocate Tajul Islam, a counsel for accused Jamaat leaders, told reporters that the prosecution has brought the charges against his clients aiming to harass them politically, destroy their political careers and defeat them

politically. Earlier in the morning, the four detained leaders were brought to the tribunal’s prison for their alleged involvement with crimes against humanity which they had committed during the country’s Liberation War in 1971. The prosecution submitted formal charges against Nizami, Mojaheed and Kamaruzzaman before the tribunal on December 11 while the charges against Quader Molla were submitted on December 18. The tribunal is also scheduled to hold cross-examination of sixth prosecution witness Manik Poshari against another Jamaat leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee relating to his involvement in crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War. Jail authorities are supposed to produce Sayedee before the tribunal on Wednesday in this connection.

Political parties join hands Thousands pay respect to Abdur Razzak against power tariff hike

Different political parties yesterday strongly protested the government’s decision of increasing price of power and said it will intensify the sufferings of the common people. Different political parties yesterday strongly protested the government’s decision of increasing price of power and said it will intensify the sufferings of the common people. They said the government took the decision without removing corruption and mismanagement in the power sector, which will put the national economy into jeopardy. Bangladesh National Awami Party (NAP) held a protest meeting in the party’s central ofﬁce in this regard yesterday. The party’s general secretary, M Golam Mostofa Bhuiyan, told the meeting that the 21.28 percent increase in power price is an arrogant and unfair decision of the government. In a written statement, the Revolutionary Workers Party of

Bangladesh general secretary Saiful Haque said the decision will create negative impact on industry and agriculture. He said the power and energy crisis is not removed as the important energy sectors like oil, gas, and mineral resources are controlled by the foreign companies. Addressing a protest rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club, the leaders of Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal said the people will be in peril when they are already leading miserable lives due to increase in transport fare, house rent, and prices of everyday commodities. They demanded the government contain transport fare, house rent and withdraw the increased price of power and called for the people to wage a mass movement against the government’s undemocratic move. The increase in the price of power was also protested by Ganosanghati Andolon.

People in their thousands, including leaders of different political parties, paid respect to the late Abdur Razzak, a political luminary and Awami League advisory council member, after his body arrived in Dhaka from London on Sunday. A Biman Bangladesh Airlines special ﬂight carried the body of Razzak to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at about 12:20pm from London. His family members including wife Farida Razzak and two sons accompanied the cofﬁn. Senior leaders of the Awami League

and its allies received the body at the airport. AL leaders Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Abdul Jalil, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Obaidul Quader, Sahara Khatun, Shahjahan Khan, Faruk Khan and Jahangir Kabir Nanak received the cofﬁn. The body was taken straight to his Gulshan residence from the airport by an ambulance. President Zillur Rahman, prime minister Sheikh Hasina and speaker Abdul Hamid paid tributes to the late leader by placing wreaths at the cofﬁn

at his Gulshan house. They stood in solemn silence for a few minutes as a mark of respect to the departed soul. People from walks of life, including politicians, lawmakers, lawyers, academics, different socio-cultural activists and students streamed into the Central Shaheed Minar premises and AL headquarters on Bangabandhu Avenue, where the body was kept for public view, to pay homage to the late leader. Mourners also poured into Jatiya Eidgah and South Plaza of Jatiya Sangsad to attend his Namaz-eJanaza.

25 hurt in Khulna BCL-JCD clash

At least 25 people including five policemen were injured in a fierce clash between the activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) and Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) at Azam Khan Govt Commerce College here yesterday over receiving the admission seekers. Of the injured, four JCD leaders -- Rakibul, Saiful, Prince and Lubin -- were admitted to Khulna Sadar Hospital and Khulna Medical College Hospital with bullet wounds. Witnesses said the brawl broke out around 11:00am when some members of the two rival student organisations were receiving the admission seekers on the college campus. The newcomers yesterday took a test for admission in the first year honours class under National University. Later the supporters of both the organisations resorted to vandalism from Commerce College Road to PTI Road damaging

at least 20 cars and three-wheeler auto-rickshaws. During chase and counter chase, they also vandalised a few roadside shops and broke some windowpanes and doors of Sandhani Clinic just opposite to the college. Police ﬁred two shots to bring the tense situation under control around 12:30pm. The admission test, though, ended without any interruption. Among the other injured are Khulna city JCD general secretary S M Kamal Hossain and his fellow activists Rakibul Hasan Khan, Mujahidul Islam, G M Mahiuddin Shimul, Abdullah Al Mamun, Saiful Islam, Yunusur Rahman, Shahriar Babu and Bellal Hossain Prince. The wounded policemen are naik Alamgir Hossain, constables Shakin, Abdur Rahim, Imrul and police van driver Makbul Ahmed.

Saarc international I Thursday 29 December 2011

SAARC

WEEKLY REVIEW OF BHUTAN NEWS

Changjiji to tackle issues head-on Changjiji has a host of problems. Gang ﬁghts, burglary, and vandalism to name a few. To tackle these problems, the residents have now formed an association. Initiated by the National Housing and Development Corporation Limited (NHDCL), the association will be working with NGOs with the sole objective of making Changjiji a better place. Its 25 newly appointed members recently met with NGOs to brainstorm ideas. They have

decided to open a library, establish a community hall, set up information communication facilities and build a park for the youth. “We need recreational facilities in changjiji. If we can keep the youth meaning fully engaged, there will be fewer problems,” said Dolay, an association member. Another member, a health worker, wants to conduct awareness campaigns among the youth on sexually transmitted diseases.

The satellite clinic in Changjiji where he works has recorded a rise in sexually transmitted diseases in the area. Rinzin hopes to “prevent sexually transmitted diseases by providing information, education and communication on safe sex.” Ugyen Chewang, the managing director of NHDCL said “we don’t want just to provide housing. We want to provide a home.” The Changjiji housing colony has an estimated 5,000 residents.

King addresses problems Thromde notiﬁed to freeze transactions concerning democracy

My fellow Bhutanese, it gives me great joy to speak to you on this auspicious occasion 104 years since Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuck ascended the Throne, in 1907. Our nation has been blessed with the benevolent reigns of four monarchs since. It is exactly ﬁve years since I became King. In these ﬁve years, we have made a successful transition to democracy. The elected government, bureaucracy and government agencies have implemented important development activities effectively and we have continued to achieve impressive socioeconomic growth. Bhutan’s relations with other nations have grown more diverse and strong. I am extremely proud of these achievements and the people and I are deeply grateful to the government, dratshang, civil service and private sector. In October, I married Jetsun Pema. I am grateful for the warmth and affection with which, all our Bhutanese people came together to celebrate with me. I deeply appreciate the efforts and preparations made by the government, bureaucracy and volunteers; the prayers of the Zhung Dratshang and religious community; the good wishes and blessings of our senior citizens; the joy and happiness with which the youth embraced the occasion and the wholehearted love and support of the

people of the 20 dzongkhags. The strength of your love and kindness towards me leaves me deeply humbled. As a young King, I have not yet been able to serve you as my father has done but my greatest desire is that I must repay your love, loyalty, support and trust. I pledge that it shall be my lifelong endeavor to do so. My dear citizens, while I am deeply satisfied with the progress of our nation, it is my duty as King to contemplate, every single day, on the challenges that lie ahead for our nation. My deepest concerns today are: Democracy – we have made a unique transition to democracy. What makes this transition even more extraordinary is the short span of time within which we have done so. Yet, the true test shall be whether we have the will and commitment to sustain a well functioning and strong vibrant democracy for all time to come. Further, we have a strong, committed parliament today, but my worry is, in the future, whether our best and brightest people will come forward in order to serve the nation through politics. After all, for democracy to succeed, we will always need strong and capable people in parliament. Education – the government over the decades has built schools in remote areas and trained teachers to man these schools. It has made immense efforts to build a strong education system. However, is the education our youth are receiving attuned to needs of the nation? And once educated, will our children find employment and realize their full potential? Corruption – will we allow it, as in so many developing countries, to spread throughout society and destroy everything? Or will we meet the challenge and overcome it no matter how difficult it might be? In fighting corruption, will we remember to also fight waste, unnecessary expenditure and complacency?

The Thimphu thromde was notified by a dratsang land verification task force to freeze ‘any transaction’ from the Tensoi Lapon, Dasho Wangchuk’s thram in the Thimphu thromde. The notification sent on November 24 follows another notification from the task force comprising members from the land commission secretariat, dratsang and the Thimphu thromde, which was formed to verify dratsang land after officials from the dratsang

complained to the thromde about their land being dislocated, displaced or missed from the structural plan. The task force’s notiﬁcation on November 22 notiﬁed Dasho Wangchuk to adjust the satsab (land replacement) for a 50.87 decimal and 32 decimal land belonging to the dratsang, which was acquired by the government to develop the Chang Jiji lower income housing project. The last date was November

30. Dasho Wangchuk , after writing to the ﬁnance ministry, received the cash compensation for the land on a condition that he would provide the satsab. Dasho Wangchuk was also told that, if the land is not adjusted, an equivalent size would be adjusted from his land in Jungshina. A source said that he was given enough time and the ﬁnance ministry had written to him since 2009 to replace the land.

Dr. Avtar Lit

Asif Ghazali

CEO Litt Corporation Ltd

Kismat Radio

• Tune in on 1035 AM in Greater London • DAB Digital Radio in West Yorkshire • Nationally on Sky 0173 • Listen live at www.kismatradio.com Launched in February 2005, Kismat Radio is the UK’s only 24 hour Asian talk radio station. We provide the UK’s Asian community with a platform for discussion and debate on all sorts of issues. We bring educational and informative programming speciﬁcally tailored to the needs of the Asian community, as well as playing the best range of music for the discerning listener. Our listeners know and trust the Kismat name and brand, which gives us a loyal, involved, and growing audience.

SAARC

Saarc international I Thursday 29 December 2011

Defence secy ﬁrst target for the govt Earlier, a series of meetings were held at the Presidency to carefully analyse the situation emerging in the wake of the loaded political speeches delivered by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. Coalition partners and the top Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leadership agreed on Friday to adopt a safe route and take action against Defence Secretary Lt General (r) Naeem Khalid Lodhi to build pressure on the military top brass, rather than initiating any steps to penalise the army chief or Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)director general. “After the consultation process, the government has decided that rather than going for a head-on collision with the army, it will take on the defence secretary in the ﬁrst step and later, action would be taken against others if necessary,” said a source privy to the details of the day-long consultation processIn the

morning, President Asif Ali Zardari hosted a luncheon for the Pakistan’s new Ambassador to the US Sherry Rehman and had a detailed discussion with her on her new assignment. A source told Pakistan Today that former ambassador Husain Haqqani also joined the meeting for some time, which was held at the Presidency. He briefed Rehman on the challenges the country was facing in

Washington. He also gave his input to the new ambassador on a host of other issues, the source added. Later on, the president moved to his ofﬁce and attended a meeting of the PPP top brass, also known as its Core Committee. The source said that during the meeting, some enthusiastic PPP leaders wanted action against the leadership of the security establishment. However, things

Pakistan Army rejects US report on airstrikes

The Pakistani Army has rejected a U.S. investigation that concluded mistakes on both sides led to American airstrikes last month that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers and severely damaged the already strained relationship between the two countries. The response indicates the report will do little to ease tensions, a worrying development for the U.S. because Pakistan’s cooperation is critical for the Afghan war. The Pakistani Army has said its troops did nothing wrong and claimed the attack was a deliberate act of aggression. Pakistan has retaliated by closing its Afghan border to supplies meant for NATO troops in Afghanistan and kicking the U.S. out of a base used by American drones. NATO ofﬁcials have said the closure of the supply route has not affected operations so far, but it would eventually if not reversed. The Army “does not agree with the ﬁndings of the U.S./NATO inquiry as being reported in the media,” the force said in a short statement sent to reporters shortly after Friday midnight. “The inquiry report is short on facts.” The Army will provide a detailed

response after officials receive the report, it said. Pakistan refused to cooperate in the investigation. Even though U.S. officials on Thursday accepted some of the blame for the attack on two Army posts along the Afghan border, they did not apologise for the incident, as many Pakistanis have demanded. Instead, the U.S. said its forces were fired on first and acted “with appropriate force” in selfdefence. Brig. Gen. Stephen Clark, an Air Force special operations officer who led the investigation, also said in a Pentagon briefing that U.S. forces did not know that the two relatively new Pakistani outposts spare structures constructed with stacked gray stones had been set up on the border. The Pakistanis have disputed both of these points, saying its troops did not fire first and that it had given NATO maps that clearly marked where the outposts were located on a mountain ridge in the Mohmand tribal area. Brig. Gen. Clark acknowledged that the U.S. had not informed Pakistan that American and Afghan commandos were conducting an overnight operation

in Afghanistan on November 25-26 when the attack occurred. U.S. and NATO commanders believe that some of their military operations have been compromised when they’ve given details and locations to the Pakistanis, he said. There is “an overarching lack of trust between the two sides” that keeps them from giving each other specific details on troops or combat outpost locations, Brig. Gen. Clark said as he went through a blow-by-blow account of the incident. He also said U.S. forces failed to determine who was firing at them and whether there were friendly Pakistani forces in the area because they used inaccurate maps and mistakenly provided Pakistan with the wrong location where the fighting was taking place. Pakistan could seize on these admissions to lower the temperature on the crisis, but it may be difficult for the army to walk back from the categorical positions it has taken. The attack has enraged the Pakistani public, especially anti-American hardliners. Over 30,000 Islamists staged a rally against the attack on Sunday. Pentagon officials said on Thursday that military leaders had spoken by phone to Pakistan Army chief Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani about the report’s conclusions, but have not yet given him a detailed briefing. In Kabul, Defence Ministry spokesman Mohammad Zahir Azimi said the Afghan government would not comment on the U.S. report. The deadly incident was the latest blow to the relationship between Pakistan and the U.S., which has been hit by a series of crises this year. A CIA contractor shot and killed two Pakistanis in the eastern city of Lahore in January, setting off a storm of antiAmerican protests.

calmed down significantly after news of Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani’s statement that there would be no military coup reached the meeting, which the PPP top brass appreciated. The source said Senator Raza Rabbani said it would not be wise to take action against the army chief and ISI chief in the start, and it would be more advisable to issue a notice to the defence secretary, who had stood by the army leadership in the memo case. “Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani also supported this idea and said under the law, the defence secretary was responsible for adhering to the orders of the chief executive but he did not follow his orders, so he should face the music first,” said the source. The source said most of the leaders agreed to Rabbani’s proposal. “In view of the proposals, the Core Committee authorised the president and prime minister to give final shape to its recommendations in

consultation with the leadership of the coalition parties,” the source added. A participant quoted President Zardari as telling his colleagues that after the prime minister’s hard hitting speeches, despite recovering from illness, he had slept well on Thursday night. Following the meeting, Pakistan Muslim LeagueQuaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Senior Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi joined the president and shared their views about the situation. Another source said both PML-Q leaders advised the president to resolve the situation with political acumen and avoid any head-on collision with the army. “Shujaat told the president that the army was a strong institution and any animosity against the institution may damage the PPP-establishment relations, which may take decades to repair,” the source added. Awami National Party (ANP) President Asfandyar Wali Khan and leader of FATA parliamentarians group Munir Khan Aurakzai also met the president separately and shared their views on recent political developments. Brieﬁng reporters about the meeting, Presidential Spokesman Farhatullah Babar said the PPP leaders’ meeting that lasted for about two hours reviewed the overall political situation in the country with special reference to the most recent developments. The prime minister gave a comprehensive brieﬁng on the overall situation.

With ifs and buts, Kayani quells coup rumours On Friday, army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani categorically denied rampant speculation that the military is planning to oust the civilian government, calling the rumours ‘misleading’ and an attempt to divert focus from the ‘real issues’ at hand. It appears the turn of the year will not witness a coup d’état, though there has been much coup de théâtre. His unprecedented remarks came just a day after Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani launched a rare public attack on the army, accusing ‘conspirators’ of plotting to bring down his government. Kayani made the statements during a visit to forward posts in Mohmand and Kurram agencies on Thursday – but his comments were released by the military 24 hours later. The army chief unambiguously silenced talk of a coup. He said that the Pakistan Army had and will continue to support the democratic process in the country. “The army is fully cognisant of its constitutional obligations and responsibilities,” he insisted. Despite his dismissal of the rumours, Gen Kayani stressed that issues of national security need to be considered on merit alone. In

remarks interpreted by some as an indication the army is still keeping its options open, Kayani also emphasised that national security should never be compromised. In fact, sources hint at further distrust between the army and the government. A military ofﬁcial told The Express Tribune that the Pakistan Peoples Party-led government wanted to become a ‘political martyr’ by spreading talk of a possible coup. According to the ofﬁcial, who asked not to be named, the real cause of the government’s ‘frustration’ is the army’s tough stance on the secret memo sent in May seeking Washington’s help to rein in the country’s security establishment.

Saarc international I Thursday 29 December 2011

SAARC

WEEKLY REVIEW OF INDIA NEWS

Competent mathematicians badly inadequate: Manmohan

Declaring 2012 as the ‘National Mathematical year’ as a tribute to maths wizard Srinivasa Ramanujan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday voiced concern over the “badly inadequate” number of competent mathematicians in the country. He also said that the perception that pursuit of mathematics does not lead to attractive career possibilities “must change.” “It is a matter of concern that for a country of our size, the number of competent mathematicians that we have is badly inadequate”, he said at a function to here mark the 125th birth anniversary of Ramanujan. Dr. Singh also declared December 22, the birthday of Ramanujan, as ‘National Mathematics Day.’ Students have not pursued mathematics at advanced levels over more than three decades, which has resulted in a decline in quality of mathematics

teachers at schools and colleges, Dr. Singh who is on a two-day visit to the state, told a galaxy of academics at Madras University. “There is a general perception in our society that the pursuit of mathematics does not lead to attractive career possibilities. This perception must change. This perception may have been valid some years ago, but today there

are many new career opportunities available to mathematics and the teaching perception itself has become much more attractive in recent years”, Dr. Singh said. The Prime Minister said the mathematical community has a duty to ﬁnd out “ways and means” to address the shortage of top quality mathematicians and reach out to

the public, especially in the modern context, where mathematics has tremendous influence on every kind of human endeavour. Noting that the Central government has pursued a policy of encouraging scientific activities of diverse kinds, the Prime Minister said, “Given our traditions, we naturally attach special importance to mathematics...in many ways, mathematics can be regarded as the mother science“. He said Ramanujan overcame formidable difficulties to reach the pinnacle of greatness, illustrating the inadequacy of University evaluation system in the early decades of the last century, while at the same time showing the system displayed enough flexibility to take care of mavericks like him. “There have been many reforms since those days but there would still be talent which would elude proper evaluation. Our institutions of higher

learning must be sensitive to this problem.” “A genius like Ramanujan would shine bright even in the most adverse of circumstances, but we should be geared to encourage and nurture good talent which may not be of the same calibre as that of Ramanujan”, Dr. Singh said. Honouring Professor Robert Kanigel, who has written a biography of Ramanujan, Dr. Singh said this book has made Ramanujan well known to the public at large all over the world. He said the country was proud of Ramanujan and Tamil Nadu has a special claim on him for he was a Tamilian. “Along with C V Raman and Subramanyam Chandrashekhar (both Nobel laureates), he is among the three great men of science and mathematics that Tamil Nadu and India have given to the world of modern times”, he said.

Parliament to decide ﬁnal Court’s ‘no’ to Team Anna shape of Lokpal Bill: Pranab

Ahead of Anna Hazare’s fast demanding a ‘strong’ Lokpal Bill, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday said it is for Parliament to decide what should be the ﬁnal shape of the legislation. “It is the job of Parliament to legislate. We (government) had several rounds of discussion with him (Anna Hazare) and his team. We know their viewpoints. About nine rounds of meetings have already been held with them. Thereafter also, through interlocutors some discussions also took place with them,” Mr. Mukherjee told reporters at his south Kolkata residence. Asked for his comments on Mr. Hazare’s threat of going on fast and Tuesday’s debate in Parliament on

the legislation, he said, “It is for Parliament to decide what should be the ﬁnal shape of the legislation. “We brought legislation for the consideration of the House. I can’t make any premature comment on what members will do and respond to various provisions of the legislation. You will come to know of it later,” Mr. Mukherjee said. Mr. Hazare is set to hold his threeday fast at the MMRDA Ground in Mumbai against a ‘weak’ Lokpal Bill from tomorrow. Team Anna had on Sunday shot off an open letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and MPs wanting enactment of “real and best possible” anti-corruption law which should also provide for an

independent investigative wing for the ombudsman. Keywords: Lokpal Bill, Team Anna, Hazare fast, UPA-II, Parliament debate, anti-corruption movement In an open letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, India Against Corruption (IAC) which is backing Anna Hazare, protested the shape of the proposed Lokpal law and hoped that the parliamentary debate would give the ombudsman more teeth. “While we are on record with our displeasure over the current draft of the bill, we are also keen that the best possible law should now emerge from the debate in the people’s Houses,” (IAC) said. Reiterating the demand of Team Anna that the investigations wing of the CBI be merged with the Lokpal, the letter also demanded that the anti-corruption bureaus and vigilance departments in the states be merged with the Lokayuktas. However, should this not be possible the Lokpal and Lokayuktas should have their own investigative wings which should have exclusive jurisdiction over cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act, the letter suggested. The third option suggested in the letter was handing over administrative and ﬁnancial control of the CBI to the Lokpal.

The Bombay High Court on Friday did not give any relief to Team Anna in hiring Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority ground on the Bandra-Kurla Complex here free of cost for Anna Hazare’s three-day fast beginning on December 27 on Lokpal issue. The court also rejected Team Anna’s plea for a directive to the State government to open all the gates of the Azad Maidan for the protest, saying it did not have the jurisdiction to do so. Disposing of a petition ﬁled by Jagrut Nagrik Manch and Praful Vora, an activist of India Against Corruption, a Division Bench of Justices P.B. Majmudar and Mridula Bhatkar said it could not consider the plea for allotment of the ground free of cost. “This organisation is not even a registered institution [as a charitable trust],” the Bench said. The MMRDA said the petitioners’ application could be considered only if they applied again in the name of a registered trust.

The petitioners wanted the court to direct the authorities to give the MMRDA ground free of cost for Mr. Hazare’s protest. The court said it could not even ask the government to open all the gates of an alternative venue at Azad Maidan. The petitioners prayed that alternatively, the government be directed to open all the gates of Azad Maidan to accommodate more than 50,000 protesters. The Mumbai Police was willing to allot 1,200 metres of the ground for the protest, but the area was sufﬁcient only for around 3,000 people. Assistant Government Pleader Uma Palasule Desai said that since the rest of the area was managed by the Mumbai Cricket Association, if the permission was given, the protest would cause an irreparable damage to the 22 pitches there. She also showed a letter from the Deputy Director of Sports Authority, denying permission for allowing Team Anna to use the rest of the ground.

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 29 December 2011

The Biggest News Stories Of 2011

It’s that time of the year when everyone looks back on the last 11 months with a mix of despair and nostalgia; glad it’s over, but already missing it before it’s really gone. OSAMA BIN LADEN’S DEATH:

August :England rioters ‘poorer, younger, less educated’

EU FISCAL CRISIS:

He’d been the world’s most-wanted terrorist for nearly a decade. In May, the manhunt ended with a night-time assault by a helicopterborne special operations squad on his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Bin Laden was shot dead by one of e raiders, and US claimed within hours his body was buried at sea.

JAPAN’S TRIPLE DISASTER:

A 9.0-magnitude earthquake off Japan’s northeast coast in March unleashed a tsunami that devastated scores of communities, leaving nearly 20,000 people dead or missing and wreaking an estimated $218 billion in damage. The tsunami triggered the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl after waves knocked out the cooling system at a nuclear power plant, causing it to spew

Michael Jackson Doctor Trial:

ARAB SPRING:

It began with demonstrations in Tunisia that rapidly toppled the long-time strongman. Spreading like a wildﬁre, the Arab Spring protests sparked a revolution in Egypt that ousted Hosni Mubarak, fuelled a civil war in Libya that climaxed with Muammar Qadhaﬁ’s death, and fomented a bloody uprising in Syria against the Assad regime. Bahrain and Yemen also experienced major protests and unrest.

“We the jury ﬁnd the defendant, Conrad Robert Murray, guilty.” Two years after Michael Jackson died, jurors convicted his personal physician of involuntary manslaughter. Weeks later, a judge sentenced him to four years in prison.

The European Union was hit with relentless ﬁscal turmoil. In Greece, austerity measures triggered strikes, protests and riots, while Italy’s economic woes toppled Premier Silvio Berlusconi. France and Germany led urgent efforts to ease the debt crisis; Britain balked at proposed changes.

U.S. ECONOMY:

By some measures, the U.S. economy gained strength as the year progressed. Hiring picked up a bit, consumers were spending more, and the unemployment rate finally dipped below 9 percent. But millions of Americans remained buffeted by foreclosures, joblessness and benefit cutbacks, and investors were on edge monitoring the chain of fiscal crises in Europe.

The government figures show 13% of those arrested were gang members. In terms of ethnicity, 42% of those charged were white, 46% black, 7% Asian and 5% were classified as “other”. The Met Police admitted in a separate report it did not have enough officers available on the first night of riots.

Pakistan floods: over a million homes destroyed after heavy QADHAFI TOPPLED IN LIBYA: monsoon rains After nearly 42 years of mercurial and often brutal rule, Muammar Qadhafi was toppled by his own people. Antigovernment protests escalated into an eight-month rebellion, backed by NATO bombing, that shattered his regime, and Qadhafi finally was tracked down and killed in the fishing village where he was born.

radiation that turned up in local produce. About 100,000 people evacuated from the area have not returned to their homes.

Among the news events falling just short of the Top 10 were the death of Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs,

Pakistani soldiers evacuate ﬂoodaffected villagers and their livestock by boat following heavy monsoon rains in Pangrio in the ﬂood-hit Badin district of Sindh province

Iraq War Ends:

After eight years, and thousands of U.S. casualties, the White House ordered virtually all troops out of Iraq. “It’s good to know that I’m part of history and it’s good to know that I’m leaving Iraq a more stable country,” said a soldier.

North Korea:

In mid-December, the death of yet another tyrant. North Korean state television reported the leader Kim Jong Il died of a massive heart attack.

FISCAL SHOWDOWNS IN CONGRESS:

Partisan divisions in Congress led to several showdowns on fiscal issues. A fight over the debt ceiling prompted Standard & Poor’s to strip the U.S. of its AAA credit rating. Later, the so-called “super committee” failed to agree on a deficit-reduction package of at least $1.2 trillion potentially triggering automatic spending cuts of that amount starting in 2013.

India had quite a few reasons to cheer in 2011.

OCCUPY WALL STREET PROTESTS:

It began Sept. 17 with a protest at a New York City park near Wall Street, and within weeks spread to scores of communities across the U.S. and abroad. The movement depicted itself as leaderless and shied away from speciﬁc demands, but succeeded in airing its complaint that the richest 1 percent of Americans beneﬁt at the expense of the rest. As winter approached, local police dismantled several of the protest encampments.

On a more upbeat note, the Royal Wedding,

a brieﬂy-wedded celebrity, a Twilight ﬁlm and a TV series arguably in the twilight of its existence all topped the list of “fast-rising” searches in the UK, according to Googlelatest “Zeitgeist” lists.

Out of these, the phenomenal World Cup victory shall remain etched forever in our mind. In the Final that was played at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on April 2, India defeated Sri Lanka to lift the most-coveted trophy in world cricket after a 28-year-long hiatus. And this victory sparked celebrations all across the country. ‘Captain Cool’ MS Dhoni showed courage in the face of adversity and at the crucial juncture went for bust sending the ball ﬂying in the stands to bring up the winning runs. BCCI announced an award of 1 crore each for every player and 25 lakhs for every selector. The year witnessed the demise of many legends, who left indelible marks in their ﬁelds of expertise. M.F. Husain, Elizabeth Taylor, Steve Jobs, Dev Anand, Wangari Maathai and Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi were some prominent personalities whose passing away left the world shocked in 2011

COMMENT

Saarc international I Thursday 29 December 2011

Blame it on Iran …. Shabana Syed

More than 10-years after the September 11 attacks on the twin towers, a New York judge has signed a judgment that finds Iran, along with the Taliban and al-Qaeda liable for the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks. It appears every time America wants to start another war it resorts to fabricating evidence linking 9/11 to whichever country it is planning to attack. For the past few years Israel has been mounting pressure on the American administration to attack Iran along with Syria. The war on Afghanistan had started because they had implicated the Afghanis for 9/11 when no Afghani was involved; the war on Iraq also started after President Bush and Prime Minister Blair introduced a dodgy dossier which it was later revealed had fabricated evidence linking Saddam Hussein to 9/11, initiating a war where over 3 million Iraqis died and are continuing to die after the illegal use of depleted Uranium they left behind. However the first group to be blamed was the Palestinians when the western media showed footage that was taken in 1993 of Palestinians celebrating, inferring that they were celebrating the success of the attacks they had planned. Israel has been urging for war with Iran for many years, after attempting to use the findings of the IAEA report on Iran to urge for war, it was thwarted in its efforts by Russia who slammed it arguing “The authors juggle the facts to create the impression that Iran’s nuclear program has a military component.” According to many critics like Joshua Blakeney of Scholars for 9/11 Truth the day that the real culprits who attacked the twin towers are revealed is a day that America led by Israel will lose the pretext for continuing wars. Blakeney who is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth student graduate scholarship and has studied 9/11 for 4 years states: “I can concur with Professor Fetzer that the official story is provably false.” He explains: “When President Ahmadinejad, did his speech at the United Nations, an exemplary speech in September 2011 with his engineering background, he implied that the official story of 9/11 must be false, especially the notion that airplanes brought down towers. And we were then told that alQaeda were angry at President Ahmadinejad, that al-Qaeda were miffed that Ahmadinejad was trying to steal their thunder for the crime that they allegedly did. Now we are told that President Ahmadinejad is collaborating with al-Qaida and with the Taliban”.

Which according to Blakeney is foolish as everyone knows that “the Taliban are no friends of the Iranian government, being Sunni, while the Iranian government is Shia and so if it wasn’t for the fact that this was a harbinger of a storm, a harbinger of wars to come, yet more wars, massacres in the Middle East, we’d have to laugh.”

Who Did 9/11? Through emotive heart rending stories that explain how 9/11 was committed by “Islamic terrorists”, no media organization ever addresses the hundreds of valid questions from professionals who argue that the official government story does not fit into the laws of physics and nature. If the official story is examined closely, the initial reports should have already started alarm bells ringing. We are expected to believe that two aluminum built aeroplanes smashed into the Twin Towers turning steel columns into dust, and in the hot burning rubble a Saudi passport belonging to the hijackers was found unscathed with a copy of the Qur’an. The FBI Director Robert S. Mueller didn’t take long to point out that that all the identified hijackers were from Saudi Arabia. However on Sept. 23 David Harrison of the Telegraph newspaper revealed: “The men — all from Saudi Arabia — spoke of their shock at being mistakenly named by the FBI as suicide terrorists. None of the four was in the United States on Sept. 11 and all are alive in their home country.” The dissenting voices against the official 9/11 narrative, originally a whisper have become a roar; professionals from every sphere of life are demanding to know the truth. Today many groups demanding 9/11 truth like architects and engineers, scholars, pilots, actors, artists, fire fighters, lawyers, military officers, all have irrefutable scientific evidence that the towers were blown up demolition-style after many months of precision planning that could not be executed without the collusion of government and intelligence agencies The respected journalist Robert Fisk, in an article in The Independent titled, “Even I question the truth on 9/11” states: If it is true, for example, that kerosene burns at 820C under optimum conditions, how come the steel beams of the Twin Towers whose melting point is supposed to be about 1,480C - would snap through at the same time? (They collapsed in 8.1 and 10 seconds.) What about the third tower - the socalled World Trade Center Building 7 (or the Salmon Brothers Building)

- which collapsed in 6.6 seconds in its own footprint at 5.20 p.m. on 11 September? Why did it so neatly fall to the ground when no aircraft had hit it? Another bafﬂing incident occurred on that fateful day that puts into question the integrity of news outlets; Jane Stanley while reporting live on BBC announces the collapse of the Salomon building (World Trade Center 7) a half hour before it actually did, the footage shows the building behind her is still up undamaged. Which means she must have been given a pre written script to read out. The question is who knew before hand that the building was going to be pulled down? Veterans Today, a military and foreign affairs website, has highlighted a previously suppressed video which shows that the Pentagon which was supposed to have been hit by a plane (a Boeing 757) was not hit by

used dangerous methods to silence whistleblowers. Facts that have highlighted Israel’s involvement in 9/11 are many; however one fact stands on its own, and that is, just before 9/11 over 140 Israelis connected to Mossad had been arrested for espionage. WikiLeaks on Aug. 28 has details of the growing alarm of American ofﬁcials that “Organized crime in Israel now has global reach, with direct impact inside the United States.” According to news reports, after 9/11 there was a lot of activity in the Twin Towers involving Mossad agents posing as art students and removal men. Also that police and FBI had discovered two white vans around the area; one had box cutters (the same tools the hijackers were supposed to have used), $4700 cash stuffed in a sock, and foreign passports.

a plane but by a cruise type missile. According to the evidence, no plane could fly so low and if by miracle it had as it was claimed, there were no plane debris on the ground like tail, voice recorder, wings, seats and luggage. Jesse Ventura, a former Navy Seal and former governor of Minnesota, has made a documentary with evidence gathered over 9 years by experts from the field of engineering, pilots, intelligence and military officers, and through scientific evidence and testimonies has put forward a criminal case tying Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and officials throughout the US government with complicity in planning and execution of the 9/11 attacks. US Intelligence Asset Susan Lindaur in her book “Extreme Prejudice: The Terrifying Story of the Patriotic Act and the Cover-ups of 9/11 and Iraq” provides evidence that CIA affiliates were aware of Moss ad’s involvement in 9/11 and how the US government heavily influenced by pro- Israel Zionists like Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld were willing to kill thousands of its own citizens and

The apprehended men posing as Arabs were found to be Israeli spies, they and their van tested positive for explosives; the men were working for a moving company which was a front for Mossad. Another van which was found to have traces of explosives had a large mural on its sides depicting an aeroplane hitting the towers. Early morning on 9/11, ﬁve Israelis were ready poised with video cameras aimed at the Twin Towers. According to reports, the ﬁve made such a spectacle, by dancing and cheering when the towers were hit that bystanders felt compelled to call the police. The group now labeled as the “dancing Israelis” explained on Israeli TV that “our purpose was to document the event”. Which means they were ready with cameras knowing an event was about to take place. The Washington Post on Sept. 27, 2001 reported that two Jewish workers at the Israeli owned Company Odigo had received text warnings about attacks on Twin Towers, two hours before it happened. It was also reported that four

thousand Israelis were warned via text message of impending attacks in the New York area by the same company. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 9/11 said: “It’s very good...Well, it’s not good, but it will generate immediate sympathy (for Israel)” In a well-researched referenced article, “9/11 Israel’s Grand Deception” writer activist Jonathan Azaziah explains that the reason why all the Israeli agents who had been caught were allowed to leave the country quietly was because of one man, Michael Chertoff. He writes: “Chertoff, a dual-citizen of the illegal Zionist state like most of the criminals connected to the plot on 9/11, is the son of impassioned Zionists” “Prior to becoming the second secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff was chief of the criminal division of the Justice Department from 2001-2003. It was Chertoff who blocked the efforts of several agents across the FBI’s ranks to investigate the hundreds of Mossad spies detained in connection with the attacks on 9/11. He also supervised the destruction and conﬁscation of evidence that would have linked Israel and the US to the attacks like videotapes, eyewitness accounts, written testimonies and debris from Ground Zero.” He argues that in order to take attention away from the massive Israeli spy ring, “Chertoff orchestrated the capture of 1,100 Muslim citizens, tourists and immigrants, falsely labeling them as suspects connected to the Sept. 11 attacks. These innocent people were physically abused in secret facilities, denied the right to legal counsel, psychologically abused in secret military tribunals before they were deported, or released.” As Israel continues to urge for war, once again the 9/11 pretext is being used to drag America and the West into a war that is of much greater interest to Israel and its expansionist plans. It will also possibly lead to thousands and maybe millions of innocent deaths as a result of fabricated truths with the complicity of governments and Zionist media to continue to hide the real facts that reveal who really did 9/11. The American and British governments answer to those questioning the events as “conspiracy theorists” is weakening against the rising tide of those who want to know the truth, also we owe to the thousands who lost their lives on that tragic day and the millions who died and are continuing to die as a result of the illegal wars urged on by Israel and its expansionist agenda.

Saarc international I Thursday 29 December 2011

SAARC

Multan to Karachi :Banday Hamaray Jhanday Tumharay. (our people and your ﬂags) !!!! Two prominent politicians who have joined Khan’s party in recent months include the former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who had a falling out with the ruling Pakistan People’s party (PPP), and Javed Hashmi, who was a key member of the main opposition party, Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N). Shah Mahmood Qureshi home constituency is Multan NA-148, which he shares with PML-N leader Makhdoom Javed Hashmi. With what is being billed as a show of strength in the country’s commercial centre, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has staked its claim for a place in the violence-wracked city’s political arena. Earlier when Imran Khan arrived Karachi he was asked if there was any understanding between the PTI and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement as there were reports that Mr Qureshi and Mr Hashmi had contributed to making the MQM rally a success in Multan in lieu of mustering support for the PTI rally in Karachi, Imran Khan said every political party had the right to hold public meetings anywhere in the country and people were at liberty to attend any rally they liked. He said if MQM supporters came to his rally they were welcome and asked the media not to try to pit the PTI against

the MQM. On August 8, 1986, Altaf Hussain led ﬁrst public convention of the party at Nishtar Park in Karachi. Then Altaf Hussain said there are only two powers one is Army and other is PPP and now on 23rd December 2011 he said Only the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan’s military are capable of defending the country. “The MQM praises the statement of Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and his stance on supporting democracy in Pakistan. We salute the sacriﬁces made by the armed forces and the people of Pakistan,” Altaf told a public gathering organised by his party in Multan on Friday. Still unable to attract Pakistan People’s Party heavyweights from Sindh, the PTI has yet to prove it can, when push comes to shove, translate its popularity into electoral success in the province. Not many people remember that in

May this year PTI chief Imran Khan had led a two-day sit-in in Karachi near the Native Jetty bridge in protest against the US drone attacks, but at that time public participation had not been as much as it was on Sunday. It is a widely held view that the participation of people in large numbers in the public meeting must have set alarm bells ringing in other parties in the city, particularly the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, whose voters might be attracted by a new entrant like the PTI in Karachi politics. However, background interviews with certain political players indicated that the Sunday show of strength became possible only after a tacit understanding between the PTI and the MQM and

that the ANP was worried about its political future in the metropolis. There are 20 national assembly and 42 provincial assembly seats in Karachi. At present, the MQM dominates Karachi politics with 17 national assembly seats. The remaining three seats were bagged by the PPP in the 2008 general election. Similarly of the 42 provincial assembly seats in Karachi, the MQM got 34, the PPP got six and the ANP, for the very ﬁrst time, secured two seats. One of the important stakeholders in the city, the Jamaat-i-Islami, had boycotted the 2008 general election. But it had contested the 2002 general election from the platform of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, a six-party

fact that the Jamiat Ulema Islam, a component of the MMA, had contested the 2008 general elections from the platform of the MMA on 10 national assembly seats in Karachi, but failed to get success or even considerable votes. It had bagged a total of 21,481 votes, as the loyal voters of the JI did not cast their votes. However, one of the reasons behind this dismal performance was a last-minute seat adjustment with the MQM on certain national assembly constituencies. The ANP ﬁelded candidates on six national assembly seats in the 2008 general election and lost. The party bagged merely 38,957 votes on these seats. It had entered into a seat adjustment

general election. It had contested the 2002 general election and ﬁelded candidates on 14, out of 20, national assembly seats in Karachi, and lost. The poor performance could be gauged from the total number of votes (26,560) it secured in the 14 national assembly constituencies. While nine years have passed since the 2002 general election and the efforts of Imran Khan have turned his party into a force to be reckoned with, the MQM, the PPP and the JI still dominate the Karachi political scene and it remains a distant dream for the PTI to get electoral success on its own. An electoral alliance between the PTI and the JI could not only jeopardise the MQM dominance in the city but

the latter would have been given prior assurances that Mr Khan or any other leader of his party would neither say uncharitable things about Altaf Hussain nor would they challenge the electoral dominance of the MQM. Mr Khan had phoned the MQM chief in March this year to praise his stance on national issues. Similarly, Mr Hussain became the ﬁrst political leader to congratulate Mr Khan and PTI leadership for the success of their public meeting in Karachi on Sunday. The MQM believes that Mr Khan cannot dent its vote bank, which largely comprises Urdu-speaking people in Karachi and Hyderabad, but he is capable of snatching the support or votes of the Pakhtun people from the Awami National Party (ANP) and some religious parties. While the Pakistan People’s Party appears relaxed and unthreatened by the PTI show in Karachi, certain press statements issued by the ANP provincial leadership in which they spoke against the “agents of establishment” showed

alliance, which won not only ﬁve national assembly seats but also six provincial assembly seats in Karachi. The total number of votes the MMA had bagged while contesting the election on the 20 national assembly seats in Karachi was 484,098. The importance of the JI factor in city politics could be gauged from the

agreement with the PPP, which supported the ANP on certain provincial assembly seats, and as a result, two of its 14 candidates contesting election on as many provincial assembly seats had emerged victorious. In all, over 67,000 votes were secured by the ANP on the 14 provincial assembly seats. The PTI had also boycotted the 2008

could also challenge the PPP in certain constituencies. Although the JI is in favour of an alliance with the PTI, at present Mr Khan appears unwilling because he thinks the liberal segment of his party would distance itself from him in case of an alliance with a rightwing party like the JI

SAARC

Saarc international I Thursday 29 December 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF PAKISTAN NEWS

Government will complete five year term: PM “It’s an honour for the present government that it has completed its 45 months and it will complete the five-year term given to it by the people of Pakistan”, he said. The elected government has been following the principles of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and is taking all decisions through consultation with the elected representatives, said Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani while addressing a federal cabinet meeting on Sunday. The 100th session of the federal cabinet meeting was held in connection with the 135th birth anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The prime minister assured the cabinet that the parliament will complete its five years term as this will strengthen the democratic institutions. He added that it is the first federal cabinet of a democratic government in the history of the

country that had held 100 meetings in 45 months, and termed the achievement as “the best way to pay homage to the Quaid-e-Azam”. He said the government took all the decisions

with consultation in the parliament and added that the elected parliament is performing its job and is taking all the decisions through mutual consultations within the parliament to ensure this process will continue. The prime minister said the democratic government ensured the freedom of press and independence of judiciary. He said there is no political prisoner in the country today. He also said the government has due reverence for the independence of judiciary and gave respect to its decisions by accepting them with an open heart. Gilani said: “It is the credit of this democratic government that it took the decision to constitute the National Finance Commission, passed 18th constitutional amendment and restored the 1973 constitution in its original form unanimously through the parliament.” He said following the principles of Quaid-e-Azam

Muhammad Ali Jinnah the government took decisions to strengthen the democratic institutions and took the decisions on all important issues through mutual consultation. He said President Asif Ali Zardari, who surrender his powers to the parliament also addressed three times to the joint session of the parliament. This is another record in the parliamentary history as none of his predecessors had fulﬁlled this constitutional requirement. Referring to the foreign policy, Gilani said in line with the principles of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the democratic government adopted the policy to have relations with all the countries including its neighbours with honour and dignity. On the Kashmir issue, the prime minister said, “The government has very clear policy on Kashmir issue and wants to resolve it in accordance with the aspirations of the people of Kashmir.”

Red warrants issued for Shahbaz CJ assures transparent Bhatti’s assassins memo case hearing

“The two assassins are activists of the banned outﬁt Sipah-e-Sahaba. They managed to reach Middle East. However, we are making efforts for their arrest and will bring them back to the country,” Malik added. Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Sunday that red warrants for assassins of former Federal Minister for Minority Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti had been issued and soon they would be brought to justice. He was talking to the media after a Christmas cake cutting ceremony at Fatima Church. Malik said Bhatti sacriﬁced his life for principles and that his services for interfaith harmony would long be remembered.

Earlier this year, Bhatti was killed in the I-8/3 area of Islamabad by three unidentiﬁed gunmen as he left his house, when his car was intercepted by a white Suzuki Mehran. Assailants, dressed in shalwar kurtas, ﬁrst took the minister’s driver out the car and

then shot 25 bullets at Bhatti. According to initial reports, the Tehriki-Taliban had claimed responsibility for the attack. In August, investigations took a twist when police investigators attributed the attack to a property dispute between relatives. They had concluded it was not a religiously-motivated murder despite the fact that the Taliban had claimed responsibility for the assassination. ‘PPP considers Christians as brothers, not minority’ Speaking at the ceremony, Malik felicitated the Christian community on Christmas and said,”Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) considers Christians their brothers and not a minority.”

Javed Hashmi CIA suspends drone missile of PML-N strikes in Pakistan: report joins the PTI

Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, the political central leader of Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) joined the Pakistan Tehrik-iInsaaf (PTI) on Saturday, DawnNews reported. Javed Hashmi disclosed his decision to join the PTI while leaving for Multan airport to head towards Karachi. Formal announcement would be made during the mass rally of PTI which would take place in Karachi on December 25 near the Jinnah Mausoleum. Javed Hashmi said he had joined the PTI because of similarity of thoughts.

The US Central Intelligence Agency has suspended drone missile strikes on gatherings of low-ranking militants in Pakistan due to tensions with that country, The Los Angeles Times reported. Citing unnamed current and former US ofﬁcials, the newspaper said late Friday the undeclared halt in CIA attacks is aimed at reversing a sharp erosion of trust between the two countries. US-Pakistani relations deteriorated last month after a series of US air strikes killed 24 Pakistan soldiers near the border with Afghanistan. A joint US-Nato investigation concluded that a disastrous spate of errors and botched

communications led to the deaths. Pakistan has rejected the findings. The pause in the missile strikes comes amid an intensifying debate in the administration of President Barack Obama over the future of the CIA’s covert drone war in Pakistan, the paper said. Some officials in the State Department and the National Security Council say many of the airstrikes are counterproductive, The Times said. They argue that rank-and-file militants are easy to replace, and that Pakistani claims of civilian casualties, which the United States dispute, have destabilized the government of President Asif Ali Zardari.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry on Wednesday said the investigations into Memogate scandal will be more transparent under the judiciary. The Supreme Court commenced its proceedings in the memo scandal with the arguments of Asma Jahangir, counsel of former Pakistani ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani, who prayed to the court to call AmericanPakistani businessman Mansoor Ijaz to appear before the bench. “We are raring to cross-question him (Mansoor Ijaz),” she added. The Chief Justice said only Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and InterServices Intelligence (ISI) chief Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha acknowledged the existence of the memorandum allegedly written to the US government against the Pakistan Army. The Chief Justice further noted that Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani also did not deny its presence, adding that although President Asif Ali Zardari did not submit his rejoinder, it does not mean he denied the existence of the memo. Asma stressed that if the President

is responsible for this, then a case regarding his impeachment comes into the question, saying, “If Haqqani is involved in its writing, then it is a criminal case against him.” This does not pertain absolutely to the basic rights of anyone, she added. “The investigations under our supervision will be more transparent,” the CJ remarked. Asma said, “If the trial is to take place at the apex court, then Mansoor Ijaz should be called here. We are geared up to cross-question him.” She further stressed her client, Hussain Haqqani, shouldered his diplomatic responsibilities under extremely difﬁcult conditions, as he had to contact a host of people in the wake of May 2nd incidents. “And, the conversation with Mansoor Ijaz was in this very perspective,” she added. Justice Shakirullah Jan said the high-level meetings and Haqqani’s resignation signify the presence of the memo. Asma Jahangir argued, “You look at the matter in legal perspective and the media will view it for purpose of press trial.”

Saarc international I Thursday 29 December 2011

SAARC

WEEKLY REVIEW OF MALDIVE NEWS

Press Secretary denies FM Inaz’s resignation Finance Minister Ahmed Inaz has not resigned from his post despite the resignation SMS sent to President Mohamed Nasheed last evening, the President’s Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair said today. “Minister Inaz has not resigned from his post as an ofﬁcial or electronic document at the President’s Ofﬁce does not show his resignation,” he said. Ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) activists confronted Finance Minister Ahmed Inaz last night claiming that he held a “secret” meeting with Mulaku MP Abdulla Yamin. Inaz was taken to the party’s camp

where he was forced to send a resignation SMS to President Nasheed, who is currently in Sri Lanka on an ofﬁcial visit. Zuhair, however, cited legal issues

in verifying SMSs received via international telecommunication networks. “[Resignations] will only be accepted when sent ofﬁcially through the proper

Maldives ‘considering’ ban of alcohol, pork The government yesterday revealed its plan to completely ban alcohol and pork in the Maldives following the demands made by religious protestors on Friday. The President’s Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair told journalists that the government is considering imposing a nationwide ban on alcohol and pork in response to the demands made by religious protestors on Friday. “As you are aware of, more than 400 locals are living in some large resorts whereas the population of an island consists of only 200-300. Therefore, the government is looking into ways to completely ban the sale of alcohol and pork throughout the Maldives,” he said. Five demands were put forward at the protest organised by the civil society coalition and opposition parties on Friday. The demands include removing the SAARC monuments in Addu, condemning UN human rights chief Navi Pillay’s comments about Islamic Sharia, not allowing Israeli airlines to operate ﬂights, closing down the brothels in Male and a reversed decision on declaring areas of inhabited islands uninhabited in order to permit alcohol sales. Zuhair said the government will close down massage parlours in the country as such places are suspected of being run as brothels.

“Those places are not operated with a special permission from the government, but the government has now begun inspecting and classifying those places,” he said. Zuhair noted that the government will not obstruct any decision made by Addu City Council to remove the SAARC monuments set up in Addu. Referring to the demand made to President Mohamed Nasheed to condemn the comments made by UN human rights chief Navi Pillay in Maldives, Zuhair said no controversial statements were made during the “courtesy call” she paid to the President. He said the parliament could only respond to the comments she made at the parliament on ﬂogging of women convicted of extra-marital sex, as the government did not arrange her to speak at the parliament. The Press Secretary further stressed that the businessmen involved in the tourism sector will have to play a major role in preventing Israeli national airline from commencing operations to the Maldives. “When tourists want to come they will ﬁrst book the resort before booking the airline and if the resorts cancel their bookings they will not come to the Maldives. The airline will stop operations because it cannot run the business if there won’t be any passengers to travel,” he said.

Nasheed to be jailed in Maldives Deputy President of the opposition Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), Dr. Mohamed Jameel has said that President Mohamed Nasheed will be the ﬁrst President to be jailed in Maldives. Former Civil Aviation Minister and Justice Minister, Dr. Jameel said that the President shows no respect to the constitution. Dr. Jameel said that President Nasheed’s end is near and that he would be defeated in the President elections of 2013. He said that he is the most notorious and most oppressive tyrant to have ruled the country. “2013 will bring an end to the dictatorship of this despot. There is no doubt that he will be the ﬁrst President of Maldives ever to be sent to jail on account of his crimes during his presidency,” he said.

administrative means. There are things we need to verify whenever we receive something,” he said. Zuhair stressed that the meeting is believed to have been held “under an initiative of honourable Abdulla Yamin”. Politicians, however, should follow the proper ways in meeting with fellow political ﬁgures, he added. “I notice that it lacks the noble practices and guidelines that should be followed in such matters. There are ways for politicians to meet with other political ﬁgures,” he said. Eyewitnesses told Haveeru that Inaz and Yamin met around 12am inside

Yamin’s car parked near the Ekuveni grounds and that Inaz came out of the car after MDP activists gathered around it. “A large number of MDP activists circled around Inaz, demanding his resignation and alleging that he was making secret deals with Yamin,” the person said. “It is believed that they followed Inaz after learning about the meeting. They reportedly surrounded Inaz after about two hours.” Haveeru journalists at the area say that the activists “dragged” Inaz from the area.

President urges MDP to follow Islam President Mohamed Nasheed has called the members of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) not to strike back even if the “In defense of Islam” protestors strike at them. President Nasheed said this at the ceremony held to inaugurate health insurance for all Maldivians project. The President urged the members of the ruling party who would be coming out to counter protest to demonstrate and voice their concerns peacefully. “I urge all supporters of ‘moderation’ from MDP and the government to not do anything that might cause mischief during the protest. I don’t want anyone among us to argue and confront the protestors,” he said.

SAARC

Saarc international I Thursday 29 December 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF NEPAL NEWS

NC’s CWC meet likely to focus on govt formation The Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting of Nepali Congress that begins tomorrow at the party headquarters in Sanepa, will in all likelihood focus on the issue of forming a new government. The Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting of Nepali Congress that begins tomorrow at the party headquarters in Sanepa, will in all likelihood focus on the issue of forming a new government and senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba’s proposal of changing the

Parliamentary Party (PP) leader. Party President Sushil Koirala will bring agendas related to internal issues such as amending the party regulation, forming 28 departments, nominating the party’s parliamentary board and other positions and holding the general conventions of the party’s sister wings including Tarun Dal and Nepal Student Union, according to sources. However, CWC members are preparing to raise issues of current

national politics, including government formation and PP leadership change. The Deuba-led faction is all set to raise the issue of changing the PP leadership. The camp is threatening to bring a noconﬁdence proposal if PP leader Ramchandra Paudel does not resign voluntarily. Deuba held consultations with CWC members of his camp today at his residence in Budhanilakantha on pressurising

the party leadership on the issue. Koirala, Deuba and Paudel had held separate meeting on Saturday on the issue. Koirala had suggested that the two ﬁnd a middle way to resolve the issue. “The middle path means Paudel should resign to clear the way for Deuba as per the understanding reached between Koirala and Deuba while nominating Paudel as vice president in April,” said a leader close to Deuba. CWC member Narahari Acharya

said, “Deuba can be ﬁelded as the PM candidate if other parties prefer him. Change in PP leadership is not necessary for that.” A senior leader close to Deuba said that the Deuba camp would reject it if the establishment side brought the proposal of ﬁelding Deuba as PM candidate without changing the PP leader. “If party wants unity, it should embrace the principle of ‘one man one position’ and Paudel should quit PP leadership,” he said.

Govt set to withdraw cases against 130 Dahal document opposed

The government is all set to withdraw over a dozen cases involving more than 130 individuals accused of being part of serious crimes including murder, arson and robbery. The withdrawal process initiated in line with the four-point deal signed between the ruling UCPN (Maoist) and the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) could come into effect at an “appropriate time”, a highly-placed government source said. Three of the cases were forwarded last week to the Ministry of Law and Justice for withdrawal at the request

of the Morcha. Nine other cases were processed at the request of the Maoist party immediately after PM Baburam Bhattarai assumed ofﬁce in August. Most of the accused are close to the ruling political parties, but some are also close to the main opposition Nepali Congress and the Chure Bhawar Party. The NC and the Chure Bahwar Party have recommended withdrawal of a robbery case involving nine individuals. The Makawanpur District court has already issued arrest warrants against these accused and one of them is in police custody. The recent cases processed for

withdrawals include two arsonists from Madhesi Janadhikar ForumLoktantrik. In one of the two cases, Shyamlal Sharma and 40 other individuals have been charged with arson in Morang. The district court has already released the three in bail while the rest are at large. An arson case in Mahottari involving 11 individuals including Rabindra Thakur is partly a political case as it happened during the 2007 Madhes uprising, said a senior government ofﬁcial. All 11 accused are at large as they still face police warrants. The Morcha has recommended a robbery case from Nawalparashi for withdrawal. Filed by one Devendra Raj Kandel, the case involves 13 persons. The Maoist party has several cases pending in different courts in Tanahun, Dhankuta, Dhanusa, Rasuwa, Makawanpur, Taplejung and Baglung districts (see table). Sources said the government could withdraw them immediately after or just before the formation of a national unity government. The cases are yet to be tabled in the Cabinet for a ﬁnal decision.

29 years on, Baitadi road still incomplete Twenty-nine years after construction started the Patan-Pancheshwor road in Baitadi district is still awaiting completion. Of the proposed 64-km stretch linking 15 VDCs along the Mahakali river, only 10 km has been completed so far. Financial irregularities and lack of monitoring are blamed for the delay. Social activist Prem Chand of Melauni said a huge amount of budget is spent on the construction every year. “However, the construction never picked up pace,” he said, adding that Rs 150 million was spent in the construction

since 1995 alone. Of the total Rs 15 million allocated for the road last year, more than half the budget was frozen due to delay in the construction. Former Vice-president of the District Development Committee Bishnudatta Joshi said institutional ﬁnancial irregularities are rampant in the project. “The highway is just 64 km away. The road would have given the people in the VDCs the much needed respite from the food insecurity they have to face,” he said. CPN-UML leader Mahadev Bhatta said

the documents of the project show that only a 12-km stretch of the road has been dug so far. “Funds are pocketed by showing the completion of the construction work only in paper. Thirty percent of the commission is taken by project ofﬁcials,” he claimed. He said a written request for an allparty meeting to have the construction accelerated and the irregularities stopped has not been heard. “We have urged the leaders time and again. We can do nothing but mount pressure as the project is handled by the centre.”

Hardliner faction in the Uniﬁed CPN-Maoist is preparing a political document to counter the one presented by Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Saturday accusing the chairman of leading the party towards rightist opportunism. The meeting scheduled for Monday, however, is likely to be postponed because of the 119th Mao’s birth anniversary celebration to be inaugurated by General Secretary Ram Bahadur

Thapa at Basantapur. Secretary CP Gajurel said Dahal’s document would promote division in the party. Mohan Baidhya said it smacked of rightist opportunism.

Saarc international I Thursday 29 December 2011

SAARC

WEEKLY REVIEW OF SRILANKA NEWS

Rapes and molestations India expects Lanka of women rising in Lanka to act LLRC report The Sri Lanka Police have recorded 1,636 cases of molestation of women in the last 11 months and authorities believe the ﬁnal total for this year would be high once records of the incidents that had taken place this month are added. Rapes and molestations of women, especially underage girls are alarmingly rising in Sri Lanka since 2007, according to statistics. Police Spokesperson Superintendent of Police Ajith Rohana says the number of cases recorded from island wide so far this year was much higher than previous years.

According to the current statistics, about 5 rapes and molestations of women take place every day. Statistics have revealed a steady increase in rapes and molestations of women in the country. The number of

incidents has seen a massive increase since 2007. The number of incidents that stood at 542 in 1995 has risen to 1,397 in 2007. There were 1,582 cases in 2008, 1,624 in 2009 and 1,854 in 2010.

SL maintains positive economic growth -Governor The Central Bank yesterday reaffirmed that Sri Lanka’s financial systems would remain stable and resilient, despite Fitch Ratings in a recent report including Sri Lanka in a high risk category. Sri Lanka was listed by Fitch Ratings as among a group of high-risk financial systems in Asia, which also include India and China, in a report released last week. Rejecting the claims, Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal said that Sri Lanka continues to maintain a strong financial stabilization and a positive economic growth. “The country ended the third quarter recording an 8.3 percent economic growth,” he said. The Governor pointed out that the countries categorized as high risk, Sri Lanka, India and China, had all achieved high growth. “Both India and China recorded an economic growth of over seven percent

while we have grown over eight percent,” he added. He said that there is a global economic down turn in most of the western economies and that they are performing very low and asked what the Fitch rating has to say about those countries. The Governor said that Sri Lanka’s foreign direct investments recorded an all time high of US one billion clearly stamping the investor conﬁdence towards the country. In addition,

foreign remittances for 2011 are expected to increase over US $ 5.2 billion. The Governor yesterday also predicted that earnings through exports would increase. He said that the government has created a very conducive environment for the growth of exports. He also predicted that the Sri Lankan economy would grow by over eight percent next year. The Governor said that the country has been getting its economic fundamentals right and there is always a risk element in any economy. Cabraal said “ there could be risks, but they are compensated elsewhere. That is how economies are managed”. Several high ranking ﬁnancial authorities reacting to the Fitch report, yesterday said that it appears the Fitch had not taken all factors into consideration in arriving at the above conclusion.

While welcoming the public release of the report of Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, India on Sunday expressed hope that Sri Lanka would act decisively on the devolution of powers and national reconciliation issues with a vision. Issuing a statement in response to a question the ofﬁcial Spokesperson of India’s External Affairs Ministry said the Indian government will remain engaged with the Sri Lankan government through the process of reconciliation and offers their support “in the spirit of partnership”. Noting the Sri Lankan government’s initiative to set up a mechanism to carry out further investigations relating to instances of alleged human rights violations and civilian deaths, the Spokesperson underscored the need to put in place an independent and credible mechanism to investigate allegations of human rights violations in a time-bound manner. The Sri Lankan government tabled the 400-page report of the LLRC in the parliament on December 16. The Spokesperson said India is still studying the report but can share some initial comments on the report. Indian government has taken note of the assurance given by the Sri Lankan government in parliament about implementation of many of LLRC’s recommendations.

The Spokesperson detailing various constructive measures proposed by the LLRC to foster a process of lasting peace and reconciliation in the island nation said they have noted the assurance given by the Sri Lankan government in Parliament that it will ensure the withdrawal of security forces from all aspects of community life and confine their role exclusively to security matters. Among the measures proposed by the LLRC are the investigation of cases of disappearances and abductions, promotion of a trilingual policy, deployment of Tamil-speaking officers in all offices, curbing activities of illegal armed groups, reduction of high security zones, return of private lands by the military and demilitarization, including phasing out of the involvement of the security forces in civilian activities and restoration of civilian administration in the Northern Province. Further, the implementation of assurances to ensure speedy resettlement and genuine reconciliation, including early completion of the process of the return of Internally Displaced Persons and refugees to their respective homes, restoration of normal civilian life in affected areas would mark a major step forward in the process of reconciliation, the Spokesperson emphasized.

Exports fall, trade deficit doubles Export earnings fell, for the first time this year, in the month of October, while the cumulative trade deficit for the first ten months of this year doubled, the Central Bank revealed yesterday. Releasing the External Sector Performance for the month of October 2010, the Central Bank showed that export earnings fell for the first time, down 4.9 percent year-on-year to US$ 882.2 million. The import bill grew by 41.4 percent to US$ 1,751 million. The trade deficit had expanded 179.9 percent to US$ 868.9 million. The country’s major export markets the US and European Union have been battling to revive their economies. Standard Chartered

Bank in a recent report said export earnings could weaken further in 2012 if the economic slump engulﬁng the West continued unabated.

Total export earnings for the ﬁrst ten months of this year slowed down to 23.4 percent to US$ 8,702.1 million while the import bill grew at a much

faster pace, up 50.7 percent to US$ 16,436 million. The trade deﬁcit had expanded by 100.6 percent year-onyear to US$ 7,733.9 million. Commercial bank dealers said the import demand continues to be severe and strong credit growth is also fuelling this demand in part. The Central Bank continues to defend the exchange rate, and this is squeezing rupee liquidity in the banking system. Together with growing credit, this is putting pressure on rupee interest rates. The Central Bank yesterday pumped in Rs. 15 billion to the system to ease pressure on overnight interest rates, which have eased since peaking a few days ago. The rupee closed at 113.89/90

yesterday (23) and dealers said the Central Bank had sold US$ 560 million to defend the exchange rate since the rupee was devalued by 3 percent in November 22. From July to August, the bank had sold US$ 1.1 billion to defend the exchange rate. Fitch Ratings has said the country is among the highest-risk ﬁnancial systems in the Asia Paciﬁc Region, and that the trade account was structurally weak. (See Financial Review). Economists have urged the Central Bank to allow the rupee to depreciate which should limit import demand. Failing to do so in a prolonged basis would put pressure on rupee interest rates and the balance of payments.

SPECIAL FEATURE

Saarc international I Thursday 29 December 2011

Dismal Pakistan in 2011 By Imtiaz Gul If we look back, the picture for 2011 has remained bleak; politicians are at each others’ throat. Together they are gunning for the military establishment. And the establishment, so is the perception, is keenly expecting the Supreme Court to ﬁx erring politicians. The theatre of political intrigues at its best; the kings and the princes at daggers drawn for power. And what happens to their subjects, the hapless teeming millions; on Dec 19, tens of thousands of residents of Rawalpindi and Islamabad spent hours on Murree Road and Islamabad because of agitation against gas load-shedding. We witness similar protests – power, gas and water riots - in other cities such as Karachi, Multan, Lahore and Faisalabad. One third of the PIA ﬂeet is grounded;

Pakistan Railways is facing its worst ever crisis, and the authorities have announced to resume longer hours of power outages from next week. And the latest State Bank of Pakistan annual report tops it all by underlining

that institutional weakness at all tiers of the government — judiciary, civil services, law enforcers, regulatory bodies and accountability agencies — are directly responsible for poor economic growth in the country.

The report, released on Dec 19th, also expresses multiple concerns surrounding the economy, attributing the institutional weakness to the extremely poor governance indicators and to the deteriorated business environment.

slipping from 75th in 2010 to 83rd in 2011. The survey had listed Singapore as the best country in the world for business, and Chad the worst. The SBP reports also draws on the IFC-WB survey to underscore the need for drastic measures to ﬁx some of the most pressing problems that

public sector enterprises which “continue to haemorrhage and drain scarce ﬁscal resources.” “Railways, PIA and Pakistan Steel are classic examples of the heavy cost of poor governance to the economy.” “Pakistan’s political leadership must take credible steps to stop the slide,”

This way, says the report, Pakistan performed the poorest of all South Asian neighbours. According to the “Doing Business 2011 – Making a Difference for Entrepreneurs” survey carried

Pakistan faces. “Both domestic and global factors are responsible, but we believe that domestic issues are more decisive and chronic. These include the collapse of ﬁxed investment, acute

the SBP suggested. But who listens to the State Bank of Pakistan, and who is interested in stemming the slide when the status quo promises enrichment of a few? Why would double nationality-

out by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation ((IFC, ofﬁcial website, July 20, 2011), Pakistan dropped 8 places in the list of best countries for doing business,

energy shortages, urban violence and lawlessness, poor physical infrastructure and institutional fragility,” observes the report. It also points to the loss-making

holders – US, British Passports, Green Cards – be committed to the interests of Pakistan or its hapless people? If they were, there would most probably be:

a) No rental power plants. b) TTC, involved in Reko Deq project, wouldn’t face cancellation of its mining and processing licence and forced to go for arbitration. c) No shadow ministers and heads of government entities to cut shady deals. d) Far less load-shedding. e) Far greater and serious attention to streamlining internal security mechanisms rather than obstructing the trafﬁc of goods and people through concrete barriers. f) Better management through professionals rather than cronies. g) People-focused policies to protect them from the food and oil cartels that have contributed to the crushing inﬂation. h) No compromises with religiopolitical bigots who are responsible for much of Pakistan’s political isolation and infamy across the globe. i) Far more attention to harmonizing the school curricula. j) Far greater and sincere effort to subject private schools and the religious seminaries and mosques to regulations (like in most Muslim countries). Pakistan’s multiple political and economic crisis will not end until the ruling elite puts an end to squabbling for personal gains. It will only aggravate the country’s socio-political adversity if it continued courting the religio-political alliances such as the MMA, people who have little concern for the common man. Pakistan’s mighty military establishment has messed up with politics. It must not any more. Nor should it cut unholy deals for short-term gains. Nor must politicians act like vultures who are slicing away whatever is left of the land called Pakistan Imtiaz Gul is the Executive Director of the independent Centre for

Research and Security Studies, and is currently a Fellow of International House of Japan/Japan Foundation, Tokyo Email: imtiaz@crss.pk

Saarc international I Thursday 29 December 2011

ENTERTAINMENT

President Zardari vows to defend federation; Constitution President Asif Ali Zardari has harshly criticized the Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry for what he said taking up the petitions against the government and paying no heed to the petition sent by him, seeking revisit of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto case. An embattled but defiant President Asif Ali Zardari used the fourth anniversary of the death of his wife Benazir Bhutto to say he would not resign in the face of numerous crises building around him. “We want to make history, not headlines. I tell you, politics — which we have left to our prime minister and the cabinet — is the art of the possible,” he told a rally of tens of thousands of supporters. “But making a nation is the art of the impossible and I believe I’m doing the art of the impossible.” The president in his fiery speech said that democracy was still in its infancy in the country, and it will take time to grow stronger. We will only fight for democracy, he said. I am a constitutional president, added President Zardari, and (Gilani) is a constitutional prime minister. In a jab at the Supreme Court, which is currently pursuing several corruption cases against Zardari, who currently enjoys immunity as head of state, he asked about the as yet unsolved case of his wife’s assassination. “People ask what happened to Benazir Bhutto’s case,” he said. “I ask (Chief Justice) Iftikhar Chaudhry: what happened to Benazir Bhutto’s case?” Taking a jibe at Pakistan Tehriki-Insaf’s rising popularity, which Imran Khan terms a political “tsunami,” the president said it was not a “tsunami”, but a “Zoonami”. “We were compared to countries like Singapore,” said President Zardari, commenting on Imran Khan’s speech two days earlier. “Look at their population, and look at ours.” “We do not want to enter into any theatre of war. We are friends of all. Nobody can dictate who we trade with and who not,” he added. Police estimated Tuesday’s crowd at more than 70,000. Colourful banners sprouted from the throng, which spread out beneath the graceful, white marble mausoleum that contains the bodies of Pakistan’s most

famous political family. Speaking from behind bulletproof glass, Zardari appeared relaxed and healthy, which would likely calm rumours of his ill health. Zardari “struck a deﬁant note, but refrained from attacking the military establishment”, at the rally, said security analyst Imtiaz Gul. “This comes a day

and not on the behest of any other country.President Zardari stressed the need for new trade blocs with regional countries including China, Russia and Central Asian Republics.He clariﬁed that these would not be the blocs of aggression but of mutual trade. President Asif Ali Zardari Tuesday said his young daughter Aseefa Bhutto

said Ali Gohar, 45, a PPP worker from the town of Sukkur who had come to pay homage to Bhutto. “The PPP has the blood of martyrs in its foundations and we will support it as long as we live.” “We want to make history, not headlines, said a very energetic President, adding, that the PPP government had

after Gilani also backed down, and based on that this smacks of some sort of ‘backdown’ on the part of the government.” President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday said that Pakistan had decided not to be part of any international war game. Addressing the mammoth gathering at the mausoleum of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto on her 4th death anniversary, the President said, “we have decided not to join any ‘theater of war’ which has nothing to do with us,” adding that rather trade would be the top priority with international community.He categorically stated that Pakistan would enter into trade pacts with other nations of its choice,

will continue the journey of Benazir Bhutto Shaheed by picking up the flag of her slain mother.Addressing a huge gathering at the mausoleum of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto on her fourth death anniversary, the President said Aseefa will be the flag bearer of the party and will carry on the family tradition of serving the people of Pakistan. PPP is not a party of inheritance, but regretted that the country had no leader after the death of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, he added. Party members on the scene were upbeat. “The army or the Supreme Court can do nothing to the government and our party,”

given identity to Pakhtuns and run the country appropriately during two ﬂoods in the country. President Asif Ali Zardari joined a large number of people from across the country to offer dua for the departed soul of former Prime Minister Shaheed Benazir Bhutto here.Special dua was offered on the occasion of 4th death anniversary of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto at Ghari Khuda Baksh and President Zardari was sitting at the stage along with other party leaders and

workers.First woman prime minister of the Muslim world, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was martyred at Liaqat Bagh in Rawalpindi on Dec 27, 2007 when she was leaving the venue after addressing historic public meeting. According to some independent estimates around 500,000 people had thronged the venue. Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday said there existed no possibility of clash among the state institutions provided they all worked within the ambit of the Constitution.In a brief interaction with media persons after offering fateha at the mausoleum of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, Gilani said the Parliament was supreme and would take decision on all issues of national importance. He said the supremacy of the Parliament would be ensured. To a question whether any conspiracy was being hatched against the government, the Prime Minister said Pakistan Peoples Party was not an ordinary party and was strong enough to confront any conspiracy. Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday said the investigation into the case of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto’s assassination was almost complete and its details would be revealed in due course of time. In response to queries by media at the mausoleum of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, Gilani said the matter was subjudice and he could not further comment on it.“I don’t want the inquiry to be affected in any manner,” he said, adding that her martyrdom was an international tragedy.

To advertise call 020 8904 0619

COMMENT

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 29 December 2011

Fatal shooting may have been racial attack Continued from page 01 >> getting Anuj Bidve’s dead body back to India. He was shot in Manchester today morning. We appeal to all his friends in UK and India to help spread the word. Please help us get Anuj back. Please share this message.’ Mr Sonawane said he had tried to contact the Indian High Commission in London but it has been shut for Christmas. He added: ‘We are asking the UK government and the Indian Embassy to expedite the return of Anuj’s body to his family at the earliest opportunity.’ A dedicated family liaison ofﬁcer is providing support to the man’s family who live in India to keep them fully updated with the progress of the investigation, and neighbourhood ofﬁcers are

working closely with Indian communities across Greater Manchester to provide reassurance and safety advice. Chief Superintendent Mulligan added: “We know this murder has caused shock not just in Salford, but across Greater Manchester. “There is obviously speculation about why this young man was killed but at this stage it would be wrong to rule anything out or comment on that speculation while the investigation is in its infancy. “Clearly, there are communities across Greater Manchester who have seen what has happened and are anxious. We are working very closely with a number of different agencies and key partners within those communities to provide reassurance.”

A fourth person has been arrested following the shooting of Lancaster University student Anuj Bidve. A third person has been arrested in connection with the shooting of a 23-year-old student from India in an “unprovoked attack” in Salford. The latest arrest, a man held on suspicion of murder, came after two boys, aged 16 and 17, were held over the killing of Anuj Bidve on Monday. Rakesh Sonawane, Bidve’s brother-in-law, told the BBC on Tuesday that Bidve had long dreamed of living in England, and his family was “equally disturbed and shocked” by the killing. Bidve, who hailed from Pune, was studying a postgraduate course in microelectronics at Lancaster University in northern England. He arrived in Britain just three months ago.

He was taking a festive break with a group of nine friends when he was shot. Police said a white man aged in his 20s had stopped the student and spoken with him brieﬂy, before producing a gun and shooting him at close range. Sky News spoke to Sheetal Patel who was one of the ﬁrst people on scene after Bidve was shot. “He was alive, holding his hands, talking to him, reassuring that help was on the way,” she said. “We just thought, fair enough, he’s going to be picked up from the ambulance, they’re going to clean his wound up and he’s going to be alright. That’s why I’m shocked,” she added. Anyone with information is asked to call the incident room on 0161 856 5448 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

American defense expert openly calls for free Balochistan Continued from page 28 >> 50 years that there is really nothing in second place. Among the most obvious recent examples (apart from the former Soviet Union) are North and South Sudan, Kosovo, Eritrea, Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, East Timor and Bangladesh. An independent Baluchistan would, in fact, solve many of the region’s most intractable problems overnight. It would create a territorial buffer between rogue states Iran and Pakistan. It would provide a

transportation and pipeline corridor for Afghanistan and Central Asia to the impressive but underutilized new port at Gwadar. It would solve all of NATO’s logistical problems in Afghanistan, allow us to root the Taliban out of the former province and provide greater access to Waziristan, to subdue our enemies there. And it would contain the rogue nuclear state of Pakistan and its A.Q. Khan network of nuclear proliferationfor-proﬁt on three landward sides. The way to put the Pakistani genie back in the bottle and cork it is to help the Baluchis go the way of the

Bangladeshis in achieving their dream of freedom from tyranny, corruption and murder at the hands of the diseased Pakistani military state.

M. Chris Mason is a retired diplomat with long service in South Asia and a senior fellow at the Center for Advanced Defence Studies in

Washington. This map was prepared by LieutenantColonel Ralph Peters. It was published in the Armed Forces Journal in June 2006, Peters is a retired colonel of the U.S. National War Academy. (Map Copyright Lieutenant-Colonel Ralph Peters 2006). Although the map does not officially reflect Pentagon doctrine, it has been used in a training program at NATO’s Defense College for senior military officers. This map, as well as other similar maps, has most probably been used at the National War Academy as well as in military planning circles.

10th Anniversary Magazine of

Masjidun Noor We need advertisement for the Magazine Unquestionably reader would gain knowledge of the history of SLMCC and ﬁnd thought provoking materials & analysis from prominent scholars.

SLMCC (UK) is making arrangements to publish a magazine to mark the 10th Anniversary of its Masjid (Masjidun Noor in Harrow). This will contain valuable articles in English and Tamil from various professional scholars on important Islamic subjects and on Muslim issues. This will also include vital information and messages from prominent scholars and leaders of communities and few important people. Around 2000 magazines will be published and Insha Allah this magazine will reach more than 5000 people. This will remain as a memorable souvenir and remembered lifelong by many people. We would be very much grateful if you could please provide your advertisement to publish in this Magazine which would enable us to promote your business. All proceeds of this will go to Masjidun-Noor. Management, Masjidun Noor, SLMCC(UK)

• How to Live a Healthy Life By Dr. Muzakir Majeed -Practicing GP • Sex and Relationship Education in State Schools By Yusuf Patel - Association of Muslim Governors-AMG • Some Reﬂections on Challenges Muslim Youth Facing in the West By Shaikh Rafeek Naleemi,- PhD Candidate (Muslim Minority Law) at Portsmouth University, Arabic Qualiﬁed Muslim Chaplain • Instilling an Islamic Personality in our children By Ms Fowzia Reddy - Head Teacher Ash-Shaksiyyah alIslaamiyah School • Some Tenets of Muslim Believes From Imam Tahawi’s Creed By Mufti Ibrahim Teymori • Education of Women in Islam By Prof: Dr. Al Haj Moulavi. H. Salahudeen (Bari) • The objective of Islamic Finance By Ash-Sheik Moulavi Murshid (Humaidi) - Consultant Islamic Finance to Amana Takaful

• SLMCC & Its Contributions to the Sri Lankan Muslim Community in the UK By Dr. Rifai PhD University of London • Massage from As Sheik M.I.M Rizvi Mifthy President of All Ceylon Jamiathul Ulama, one of the pioneer scholars in Sri Lanka • Sri Lankan Muslims History By Ash Sheik Al Haﬁz Moulavi M. J. Abdu Khaliq - vice president of ACJU Sri Lanka • Guard your tongue to enter the paradise By Ash - Sheikh Athaur Rahman • How I became a Muslim? By Revert Sister Wahidah Duenas • British Muslims of Sri Lankan Origin MCIOB, CEnv.,Arch.Licen(S.L),Int’l Assoc.AIA • Dhawa is an Amana... By Amanaths - President of Daruth Thaqwa Girls Arabic College Sri Lanka • Towards Hereafter... (TAMIL) By As Sheik Moulavi Yahya - Member of Fathwa committee ACJU Sri Lanka • Beautiful life style of Prophet

Muhammad (Pbuh) (TAMIL) By As Sheik Mafaz Mufthy -Principal of Ibnu umar Arabic College Sri Lanka) • Sex at a glance... (TAMIL) AS Sheik. A. C. Agar Muhammad -Deputy Director of Jamia NaleemiaSri Lanka • Islamic Brothehood (TAMIL) By As Sheikh A.A. M Kamil (mufthy)Senior Lecturer of Al Hashimia Arabic College -Sri Lanka • Jummua Sermon By AshSheik Moulavi Anas Cassim - Chief imam Of Masjidu Noor - London

Messages & Wishes From • President of SLMCC - J.M. Mubarak • Harrow Council Mayor • Conservatries MP • Labour MP • Sri Lankan High Commissioner UK • Secretary of SLMCC - Dr. Jawahir • Treasurer of SLMCC - M. C. M Mansoor

• The President of Al Falah Education centre – S.M. Raseen • The principal of Al Falah Education Centre – Al-Haﬁz M.J. Monawar • Dawah Centre • Sri Lanka Islamic Forum UK • Sri Lankan Muslim Community - East London • Sri Lankan Muslim Association –Slough • Crowley Sri Lankan Association • Association of Sri Lankan Muslims – Reading • Milton Keynes Sri Lankan Community • Sri Lankan Integrated Cultural Association – Manchester • Leicester Sri Lankan • Hamel Hampstead Sri Lankan Community • Pakistan community • Indian Community • Libyan community • Somali community • Afghan community

SPECIAL FEATURE

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 29 December 2011

Imran gaining foreign media’s attention Imran Khan, the cricketer-turnedpolitician who has made headlines on front pages in Pakistan in recent months, has also attracted the attraction of foreign media. Newspapers abroad gave much importance to the public meeting Imran’s Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf organised on Sunday in Karachi which many said was one of the biggest held in recent years. Guardian reported over100,000 people attended the public meeting which strengthened the perception that his strength in the political arena is increasing by the day. The newspaper said the reasons for his rising popularity was his stance against corruption and the United States’ war on terror. Guardian said Khan is very popular in urban middle class and most of the youngsters that attended the Sunday gathering wore western dresses. The British newspaper said his rising popularity is a cause for concern for US because of his criticism of US policies, particularly the drone attacks in Pakistan’s tribal areas. Guardian, however, said it was not clear how much electoral success he can achieve. Telegraph, another British newspaper, said the Karachi meeting has made Khan’s position in Pakistan’s politics more prominent. Los Angeles Times called the public meeting in Karachi impressive and said Khan has emerged as a force in the anarchic political situation of Pakistan. It said Imran’s campaign has gained momentum at a time when the ruling PPP is facing a lot of problems. The newspaper said Khan’s pace shows he can win the elections. Top Indian news paper including “Hindustan Time”, “The Hindu” and “Times of India” have also given prominent coverage to Imran massive rally in Karachi. Moreover

many Indian papers also published articles and columns over Imran popularity in Pakistan while many Hindi channels also covered the rally live from Karachi.

But a solid agenda is still missing That Imran could manage to hold what is being described as the largest public meeting in Karachi’s history is a testimony to his rising popularity. That he could perform the feat in MQM’s traditional stronghold is all the more signiﬁcant. While he has succeeded

meeting in Lahore on October 30, there has been a signiﬁcant thaw in otherwise tense relations between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). Immediately after his jaw-dropping power show in the heart of provincial capital, MQM supremo Altaf Hussain issued a statement through Nine-Zero, congratulating the PTI chairman for his successful rally. In return, Imran has also considerably softened his stance against MQM and in a news brieﬁng here at his party’s central secretariat on December 04, he almost parried

in recruiting a number of wellknown political ﬁgures from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, what should worry him is that there was not a single widely known leader from either Sindh or Balochistan on the stage. After Imran Khan’s large public

a question about the Muttahida. “I will like to talk more on those who have been in government turn by turn instead of commenting on a party that has 20-25 seats in the National Assembly,” quipped Imran, when a journalist asked him about the fate of his application he

Imran’s pie in the sky

had filed with the Scotland Yard against MQM leader Altaf Hussain for his alleged indulgence in killings in Karachi. By this sea-change in his approach towards the MQM, Imran directly or indirectly has deliberately tried to send a positive signal to Altaf’s party, as he knows well, holding a successful public meeting without Muttahida’s blessing may be very difficult if not impossible. In his Karachi rally No Karachi specific issues. Why is Imran Khan reluctant to talk about terrorism and its deadly toll on the average Karachiite and Pakistani? No mention of MQM’s bhatta operation either – political expediency has led to Altaf Bhai and the MQM being forgiven for the mayhem in May 2009. And again Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief (MQM) Altaf Hussain congratulated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s leader Imran Khan and his party members on carrying out a successful rally in Karachi. The roadmap for revolutionary change promised by Imran is likely to give birth to a lively debate in days and weeks to come. While some of the goalposts set by him might be useful as a distant ideal, they are simply impracticable unless Pakistan develops into a highly industrialised and prosperous country which is not possible during the five-year tenure of the

next government, irrespective of the party or the alliance that comes to power. Foremost among these is his peculiar concept of an Islamic welfare state which is based on the British model of the welfare state of the early 70’s. Economic crunch has already led to the curtailment of the welfare programme in Britain. PTI chief has made promises to provide free quality education, access to medical facilities and legal aid to all in the country. Small farmers have been assured that they would get cheap power and fertiliser and free seeds. Imran has also vowed to end the country’s dependence on foreign aid. He plans to achieve all this by making everyone pay taxes and luring foreign investments by improving law and order. A dedicated administration can no doubt bring about changes of the sort. As things stand, these would be incremental rather than revolutionary. It is simply hyperbolic to promise that his party would “control and ﬁnish corruption in 90 days.” There was nothing concrete in Imran’s programme to address the concerns of the smaller provinces and minorities. While he promised to divert funds for the development of Balochistan, he took no notice of forced disappearances and killings in the province which are a source of deep concern for the Baloch as well as people in other provinces.

Pakistan turning away from bald eagle and towards red dragon Continued from page 9 >> leader, and Pakistan is among key targets for Beijing’s inﬂuence building strategy. It is investing in a number of big construction projects in the country, including the Karakorum Highway and Gwadar Port, both of which will improve China’s transport links with energy-rich Gulf nations. It will also help Pakistan develop its nuclear power industry. The Chinese army also regularly performs joint war games with Pakistani forces. Islamabad is seeking China’s military support against its long-time rival, India, while China needs a stable and well-defended Pakistan to stop any future incursion into its territory of extremists from volatile Afghanistan. The visit comes as Pakistan distances itself from its long-time strategic ally, the US. The year 2011 was a difﬁcult one for relations between Islamabad and Washington, with a number of incidents contributing to the deterioration. The downward spiral started in January when a CIA contractor killed two men but later evaded

punishment because families of the victims were paid blood money. The case caused anger in Pakistan when the US said the perpetrator had diplomatic immunity and demanded his release. In May, US commandos raided Pakistan’s territory and killed Osama bin Laden, who had been living in the country for several years. Islamabad was given no warning of the operation, which angered the Pakistani military. Washington said if it had informed Pakistan’s government in advance, the Al-Qaeda leader would have been alerted, enabling him to escape. In November, a US air strike on a Pakistani border post killed 24 troops who were mistaken for Taliban militants. It took the Pentagon a month to reluctantly admit their part of the blame for the deadly mistake and offer apologies. However, the Pakistani military do not appear to consider the case closed. The Americans also have their share of grudges against Pakistan, from the alleged embezzlement of military aid to alleged support for Taliban attacks in Afghanistan, to harboring bin Laden. With relations between the allies deteriorating, Pakistan has more and

more incentive to turn away from the US as its key partner and side with China, which challenges American influence in the region. Joseph Chang, a professor of political science at Hong Kong City University, believes the alliance is beneficial to both sides. China, an ally of Pakistan against India and Soviet Union during the Cold War, now sees the benefits of a partnership with Pakistan as primarily economic. “Pakistan has been Beijing’s best ally throughout the history of the People’s Republic of China,” he told RT. “Increasingly, Pakistan has a certain strategic value to China because of the completion of the Karakorum Highway, as well as the almost-completion of the Gwadar port. China certainly hopes that it can, through land links to Pakistan, then open up sea links to the Indian Ocean and bring oil through this route, avoiding the overcrowded Straits of Malacca.” Chang believes Pakistan could also profit from the alliance: “China is always very helpful in terms of trade, investment as well as military and economic aid. So having an ally like China will help to much strengthen Pakistan’s bargaining power with Washington DC.”

COMMENT

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 29 December 2011

When would the Muslims make and alliance with Rum, Is Rum the Rome in Italy? Question: When Israel Wages Her Big Wars Would That Be The Time When Muslim Will Make An Alliance With Rum? Is This Rome, Italy? “Nabi Muhammad (SA) has prophesised that ‘You will make an alliance with Rum’. Indeed there is a... Surah of the Qur’an which is entitled Surah ArRum. And in that Surah, in the ﬁrst Ayah, Allah speaks about Rum being defeated. If you believe that Allah (SWT) was referring to a city in Italy then you should buy a one way ticket to Disneyland. When the Qur’an says that Rum has been defeated, was referring to a city in Italy called Rome? Oh come one, what kind of scholarship is that? And when the Qur’an refers to Rum you translate it as Romans? Is that the correct translation, Romans? Rum in the Qur’an is easy to identify. It is the ‘Eastern Orthodox Christian Church’; which had established the Byzantine Empire with Constantinople as its capital... Prophet (SA) said ‘You will make an alliance with Rum’. The Byzantine Empire has disappeared today, but the ‘Eastern Orthodox Christian Church’ has not. If we want to ﬁnd

Rum, where is the ‘Eastern Orthodox Christian Church’ today? Answer, the headquarters is now in Russia. If I am wrong I invite you to correct me. And so when the Prophet

Shiekh Imran Hossein

Tribune Comment

From among the Jinn and the men) It is inspiring or puting thoughts and ideas into the heart and as a consequence these people believe that these are their own thoughts. He (Dajjal) does this (communicates to his followers) through Shayatin. Shayatin is plural of Shaitan (Satan). Prophet (SA) said that the Shayatin are going to be raised with Dajjal. This Hadith is in Kanzul Ummal. And these Shayatin are going to do something very interesting. They are going to take forms of human beings who died.... From this Hadith we know the link with Dajjal and Shayatin.”

How do we combat Riba? (SA) said, ‘You will make an alliance with Rum’, my answer is its going to be an alliance with Russia. How Does Dajjal Communicate And Give Orders To His Followers From Another Dimension of Time? “At the very end of the Qur’an Allah warns us about ... ‘Allazee Yuwaswisu Fee Soodurinnas. Min-alJinnati Wannas.’ (Who whispers into the hearts of men.

“There are two forms of Riba that must be recognised. One is lending of money on interest. And the other would be a transaction based on deception which delivers a gain or a proﬁt to which,... one is not justly entitled. That is the elegant way of describing a rip-off. The greatest rip off that has ever occurred in human history is the rip off of the monetary system that we now have, of bogus and fraudulent and utterly Haram paper currencies and the electronic currency which is now taking over from the paper

currency. What do you do? Answer, when you have abandoned the Qur’an and Sunnah, make Tauba and return to the Qur’an and Sunnah. Meaning return to the Gold Dinar and the Silver Dirham. Do you know that Israel tomorrow is going to mint... In fact I think they have already minted the Gold Dinar and Silver Dirham. And Israel would be using that. Why would Israel have to do it? If you study ‘Ilmu Akhir-Az-Zaman (Islamic Eschatology) you can answer these questions. ...Every Jew knows, only that money can be used in the temple which does not have any human figure on it. The Roman coins at the time of Nabi Isa (A) were Haram to be used in the Temple; because they had graven images... And so the Temple (at that time) used to mint its own coins, gold and silver. And the people came to the temple if they wanted an animal to be Zabiha (sacrificed); you got to pay for it. And no one could sacrifice the animal except the Rabbi. Therefore the temple got some revenue. So you had to pay the temple in this money which was Halal (gold and silver coins). So when Dajjal stands up in Jerusalem

tomorrow, and he has not brought back that Halal money, no Jew will accept him as the Messiah. This is why I believe that Israel has already minted her gold and silver coins so that these can be introduced before Dajjal makes his appearance. So that’s the ﬁrst thing you can do; bring back the Gold Dinar and the Silver Dirham as money. Can you do it in downtown KLCC? I’m not stopping you. If you want to try, go ahead. It is my opinion based on my study on Surah Kahf of the Qur’an that the only place you can bring back the Gold Dinar and Silver Dirham as money in the market, is in the remote country side. And in those micro markets we will not accept your paper money. In so far as money lent on interest is concerned; make Tauba if you have borrowed money on interest to buy your car, or to buy your house. Make Tauba because if you die with that Riba, there is no way you can enter into Jannah. Why? Because the curse of the Prophet (SA) is upon you. Get out of that Riba. Sell the car. Sell the house. Pay the bank. When you try do to that... you will know what kind of snake there is in the bank. Make Tauba and never again borrow or lend money on interest.”

American defense expert openly calls for free Balochistan

Solve the Pakistan problem by redrawing the map Published in The Globe and Mail of Canada. Relations between the United States and Pakistan have reached an alltime low. The Khyber Pass is closed to NATO cargo, U.S. personnel were evicted from Shamsi airbase and Pakistani observers have been recalled from joint co-operation centres. Much more importantly, senior ofﬁcials in Washington now know that Pakistan has been playing them

false since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and understand that Pakistan was sheltering Osama bin Laden a few hundred yards from its version of West Point. The recent shelling of Afghan troops inside Afghanistan by the Pakistani army, and the NATO counterstrike, cleared in error by Pakistan, has further embarrassed the Pakistani military. It should be obvious by now that Pakistan has no intention of doing what the United States has wanted for the past decade. The combination

of wishful thinking, admiration for the emperor’s new clothes and $10billion in payments to the Pakistani military have accomplished nothing. Admiral Michael

M. CHRIS MASON

Tribune Comment Mullen was not wrong when he testiﬁed recently that the terrorist Haqqani network is operating as an arm of the Pakistani army. He might have added that the Taliban is the Pakistani army’s expeditionary force in Afghanistan. Pakistan shelters, funds, trains, supplies and advises the Taliban. The simple fact is that Pakistan is the world’s No. 1 state supporter of terrorism. In Afghanistan, Pakistan will never

be happy unless it has a puppet regime in Kabul and can run the country like a colony. Islamabad does not intend to allow the current Afghan constitution to remain in effect, and as soon as NATO pulls out, it will push the Taliban into an allout civil war in Afghanistan designed to return it to power. All of which has led to a lot of hand-wringing in Washington, accompanied by a revolving-door procession of senior U.S. ofﬁcials going to Islamabad to read a toothless riot act the Pakistanis can now recite by heart. The permanent solution to the Pakistan problem is not more of this chest-beating appeasement. The answer lies in 20th-century history. In 1947, when India gained independence, a British Empire in full retreat left behind an unworkable mess on both sides of India – called Pakistan – whose elements had nothing in common except the religion of Islam. In 1971, this postcolonial Frankenstein came a step closer to rectiﬁcation when Bangladesh, formerly East Pakistan, became an independent state. The answer to the current Pakistani

train wreck is to continue this natural process by recognizing Baluchistan’s legitimate claim to independence. Baluchistan was an independent nation for more than 1,000 years when Great Britain notionally annexed it in the mid-19th century. The Baluchis were never consulted about becoming a part of Pakistan, and since then, they have been the victims of alternating persecution and neglect by the Pakistani state, abuse which escalated to genocide when it was discovered in the 1970s that most of the region’s natural resources lie underneath their soil. Since then, tens of thousands of Baluchis have been slaughtered by the Pakistani army, which has used napalm and tanks indiscriminately against an unarmed population. Changing maps is difﬁcult only because it is initially unimaginable to diplomats and politicians. Although redrawing maps is the deﬁnition of failure for the United Nations and the U.S. State Department, it has, in fact, been by such a wide margin the most effective solution to regional violence over the past Continued on page 26 >>

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 29 December 2011

NEWS

Britain Refuses to Boost IMF Aid for Euro Crisis ‘Recession to tear Britain apart’ EU finance ministers wanted to raise 200 billion euros to boost the International Monetary Fund’s firepower in the euro crisis, but they only raised 150 billion on Monday, largely due to resistance from Britain. Germany, meanwhile, will have to rework its 2012 budget to help finance the new permanent euro rescue fund. European Union leaders had decided at their Dec. 8-9 summit to boost the resources of the International Monetary Fund by €200 billion ($260 billion) to help it tackle the euro debt crisis. But in talks on Monday, EU finance ministers only managed to raise €150 billion because the United Kingdom refused, at least for the time being, to contribute its share of around €25 billion. Following a conference call, the ministers said in a statement that the Czech Republic, Denmark, Poland and Sweden, which are in the EU but not in the euro zone, would also grant loans to the International Monetary Fund to help rescue the currency. But the EU said those countries must first win parliamentary approval. “Euro area member states will provide €150 billion of additional resources through bilateral loans to the fund’s general resources account,” the EU statement said. “The EU would welcome G-20 members and other financially strong IMF members to support the efforts to safeguard global financial stability by contributing to the increase in IMF resources.” Reuters cited British Treasury sources as saying that Britain had decided not to contribute to the increase. The EU statement was more diplomatic, saying London would decide on the issue early in 2012 in the framework of the

Financial Stability Fund (EFSF), more ﬂexible in how it tackles the debt crisis, and is bringing forward

political analyst in London. Banbury called on the UK ofﬁcials to “put welfare ahead of warfare,”

A “government of bankers,” and “rich individuals,” have put the interest of London before everything else and they are responsible in large part for driving the world into recession, he added. The analyst predicted that in 2012, the UK will witness “a growing wave of resistance,” as the British government has already created “the biggest social upheaval in 30 years; the biggest student movement in 30 years; and the biggest trade union demonstration and biggest strike in 30 years.” He urged the UK ofﬁcials not to go ahead with austerity measures to tackle the country’s economic crisis, as the approach has proven to bring about mere economic depression. Germany May Have to Double

the launch of the permanent bailout fund, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), to 2012 from 2013. At the EU summit this month, all the member states apart from Britain also agreed to move towards closer ﬁscal coordination and greater budget discipline by enshrining binding debt rules in a new treaty. “A new recession will rip British

and avoid from following the US footsteps to engage in military adventures and spending billions on replacing.

ESM Contribution Meanwhile, the German newspaper Die Welt reported on Tuesday that Germany will probably have to

Reuters cited British Treasury sources as saying that Britain had decided not to contribute to the increase. The EU statement was more diplomatic, saying London would decide on the issue early in 2012 in the framework of the Group of 20 economies. Group of 20 economies. The increase in IMF resources is part of a strategy to strengthen the euro zone’s ﬁre-ﬁghting capability. The euro zone is also making its existing bailout fund, the European

society apart; a banking crisis that will impact right across Europe and as that gets worse … I predict we will see further wars as a result of this economic crisis in 2012,” said Chris Banbury, a prominent

pay €8.6 billion, twice as much as originally planned, into the European Stability Mechanism in 2012. The newspaper cited an unnamed high-ranking member of government as its source. The first German tranche for the fund was to have been €4.3 billion, and would not have been due until 2013. But the decision to launch the ESM will force Berlin to make its contribution sooner. The ESM is to receive a total capital base of €80 billion, with Germany contributing a total of €21.5 billion. Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble will now have to draw up a supplementary budget next summer. The payment to the ESM will increase the German government’s net new borrowing in 2012 unless it makes corresponding savings in other areas. Schäuble has so far planned for a budget deficit of €26.1 billion in 2012. The EU has had to bring forward the launch of the ESM because investor confidence in the permanent rescue fund, the €440 billion EFSF, has been waning. Ratings agencies have threatened to cut the credit ratings of many euro zone countries, including Germany and France, the biggest contributors to the EFSF. Such a downgrade would lessen the worth of the guarantees that nations have pledged to the EFSF, and would therefore affect its own creditworthiness.

Germany more than 2 trillion euro in red: data Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, had debt totalling 2.028 trillion euros ($2.65 trillion) at the end of the third quarter of this year, according to provisional official data published on Tuesday. That represents a fractional increase of 0.5 percent or 10.4 billion euros over the figure recorded for the end of the second quarter, the national statistics office said in a statement. The lion’s share of the debt, or 1.289 trillion euros, was attributable to the federal government, while the regional states had debt totalling 610 billion euros and the municipal authorities had debt of 129 billion euros. The total figure represents more than 80 percent of Germany’s gross domestic product of 2.5 trillion euros in 2010, way above the 60-percent ceiling laid down by the European Union. Nevertheless, the German debt ratio is better than many other eurozone countries. Italy’s, for example,

stands at 120 percent, and the eurozone average at more than 85 percent.

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 29 December 2011

‘Today, Salman is invincible’ Salman Khan, steps into his 46th year. And this is perhaps his most signiﬁcant birthday. December 27, 1965

“As you get older you are supposed to look younger, look ﬁtter, be more energetic and do action and romance even better. It’s strange, but there is a lot more

Rukh and Salman), he was the actor - whose personal life (the black-buck case, his relationship with Aishwarya Rai and the accident on Hill Road) - got more

and Hum Aapke Hain Kaun..! (1994) overshadowed the records of many of his rivals and can rightfully occupy a place on the list of evergreen hits like Sholay,

The actor, who is currently shooting on Ek Tha Tiger, is said to be celebrating his birthday in Dubai.

responsibility out here for us now,” he said. This has been Salman’s year at the movies. Ready and Bodyguard, his two releases this year, are among the top ﬁve grossers of all time. Originally considered the weakest of the three Khans (Aamir, Shah

media mileage than his career. Sometimes, one wonders whether it was a red herring “planted” by his detractors to camouﬂage the fact that Salman has been actually ruling the roost from the start of his career. Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), his second ﬁlm outing,

Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and 3 Idiots. However, the mistake Salman made was with his ‘I-care-adamn’ attitude towards the media, and his scant respect for the big daddies of cinema, be it Aditya Chopra or Karan Johar.

“Hey Salman, Here’s wishing u a very very Happy Birthday! May all things wonderful big and small always come ur way. Love ya (sic),” tweeted Jaan-e-man co-star Preity Zinta. Dabangg star Sonu Sood, said: “Wishing my bro Salman Khan a very happy birthday. Will see you today at the farmhouse bhai. Keep ruling..” Sonakshi Sinha, who also starred with Khan in the 2010 project, referenced his character name, posting: “Happy birthday Pande ji.” Khan said in August that the older he gets, the more audiences expect from him.

In fact, the fourth estate took it upon themselves to cheer on his peers more than necessary just to belittle him. But did any of this really stop the onslaught of Salman? Not really. After Wanted in 2009, the actor just went from strength to strength. What’s more, he turned his charm on the media, and had them eating out of his hands. “Today, Salman is invincible. The public always loved him, now even the media loves him.” Once considered the joker in the pack, Salman became the King of Aces when Dabangg (2010) found itself a place in the highest grossers of that year. He followed this with two blockbusters Ready and Bodyguard - this year. Bodyguard’s first day’s collection of `22 crore is unheard of in the history of Hindi cinema. If you take the sum total of Salman’s box office collections over the last three years, you are bound to come to a mindboggling figure. Yes, he is the most bankable star today. Aamir Khan, Salman’s best friend, has said, “Salman deserves all the success because he is a simple guy at heart. It is his simplicity that makes him such a favourite with the masses.” Of course, 2011 also brought Salman his share of misery. His tryst with trigeminal neuralgia showed the vulnerable side of the star. A trip to the US

has sorted out his health issues as of now. As he blows out the candles on his birthday cake today and pops the champagne, one sincerely wishes Salman good health and more cheer.

‘Agneepath’ Hrithik Roshan and KJo’s ﬁlm the most awaited 2012 release There’s just about a month to go for the release of Karan Johar’s ‘Agneepath’ remake, and it looks set to be the movie to beat in 2012. Reportedly, tracking among audiences as well as trade analysts indicates that the Hrithik Roshan starrer will, in all probability, cross the Rs100 crore mark. The ﬁlm, produced by KJo, has also been voted the most awaited release of 2012 in a poll by Ormax Media. In the poll, ‘Agneepath’ was followed by Yash Chopra’s directorial project starring Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma; on the number three spot was Salman Khan’s ‘Ek Tha Tiger’, next came Sallu’s ‘Dabangg 2’, and number

ﬁve was Akshay Kumar’s ‘Rowdy Rathore’. The buzz is that the satellite rights of ‘Agneepath’ have already been sold for a jaw-dropping Rs41 crores, believed to be the highest ever for a Hindi ﬁlm. Hrithik is still riding high on the success of ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’, and this movie, where he’s the sole hero, will give fans that much more of him.

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 29 December 2011

India gain ground after Aussie collapse Sharma to bowl. However, it was captain Michael Clarke (1) who became Ishant’s victim when he got an inside edge that went on to hit his leg stump. At 27 for 4 Australia were staring down the barrel, but seasoned campaigners Ponting and Hussey came to the team’s rescue with a counter-attack that produced 115 runs for the fifth wicket. Ponting was the aggressor earlier on but it was Hussey who grabbed eyeballs with his strokeplay. Watching all his ploys to dislodge the partnership fail, Dhoni brought back his spearhead Zaheer Khan who responded with Ponting’s wicket, the former Australian captain splicing a drive straight to Virender Sehwag at gully. Inevitably, one wicket led to another as the left-armer got rid of Brad Haddin (6) soon after Ponting’s dismissal. The ball was reversing by now, prompting Dhoni to bring back Yadav for a final spell. The move paid off as the speedster got his fourth wicket when Siddle (4) poked an angling delivery to Dhoni who pouched a superb take. Dhoni persisted with R Ashwin from one end and it almost struck gold. However, Rahul Dravid - the leading catcher in Test cricket - made a hash of a simple slip catch offered by Hussey when he was 69. Ashwin delivered the eighth wicket when he trapped Nathan Lyon on the backfoot for 0, but Hussey and James Pattinson negotiated the remaining overs to take Australia to stumps with two wickets in hand. Earlier on Wednesday morning, it was Dravid’s dismissal off the second ball of the day that triggered an embarassing collapse. Dravid’s off stump was sent cartwheeling. by Hilfenhaus without the No. 3 adding to his overnight 68. Siddle then removed VVS Laxman in his first over of the day to make it 221 for 5.

SPORTS

Continued from page 32 >>

Aaqib returns as Pakistan’s bowling coach team on and off since 2009, ﬁrst as bowling coach and then as assistant coach, before he was removed from that position ahead of Pakistan’s tour of Zimbabwe earlier in the year. According to Cricinfo, Aaqib was part of the coaching staff when Intikhab Alam was Pakistan’s tour manager, and both were replaced prior to the tour of Zimbabwe. He is in contention to take the role of bowling coach on a full-time basis, as the PCB’s search committee is believed to be interested in hiring home-grown batting and bowling coaches. Ijaz Ahmed, the former Pakistan batsman, has been named ﬁelding coach for the series against England while Mohsin Khan will continue as the interim head coach. Aqib a member of Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup winning team

was sacked by PCB after West Indies trip. Except for Col (Retd) Naushad Ali, PCB retained the rest of management which was named for the series against Sri Lanka in UAE and against Bangladesh in Bangladesh. The PCB kept Mohsin Khan as interim coach for next month’s series against England as the search continues to ﬁnd a permanent replacement for Waqar Younis.

Khan, 56, was appointed after Waqar quit on health grounds in September, and later helped Pakistan win a clean sweep over Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. “Khan will be the coach for the series against England next month,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said. Pakistan plays three Tests, four one-day internationals and three Twenty20s against England in the United Arab Emirates between January 17 and February 27. Pakistan team management: Naveed Akram Cheema (Manager), Mohsin Hasan Khan (Chief Coach), Ijaz Ahmed (Fielding Coach), Aqib Javed (Bowling coach), Saboor Ahmed (Trainer), Faisal Hayat (Physiotherapist), Col. (retd) Waseem Ahmed (Security cum Assistant Manager), Umar Farooq (Analyst).

Pakistan recall Riaz for England series is one of them,” Ilyas told a press conference. “Riaz has done well and that’s why he is in the team.” Left-armed paceman Riaz’s name reappeared in the spot ﬁxing trial which ended in jail terms for Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif in Britain last month. Pakistani media reported Riaz was once again under scrutiny. Riaz was initially not charged by Scotland Yard in the scandal during Pakistan’s tour of England in 2010. Riaz was interrogated by Scotland Yard in September last year but was allowed to play without being banned by the International Cricket Council. Pakistan and England start the three Test series in Dubai from January 17. The second Test will be played in Abu Dhabi while the third will again be played in Dubai. Middle order batsman Umar Akmal also returns to the squad after being left out for the two Tests against Bangladesh earlier this month. But his elder brother Kamran Akmal and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria

were not selected after failing to get clearance from the PCB integrity committee as both are under suspicions of fixing. Ilyas said the best possible team was selected. “We have chosen the best possible team and cricket is a funny game so if we play to our potential then we can beat England,” said Ilyas of their opponent who became the world’s top Test team by beating India 4-0 in August last year. Also brought back into the squad is left-arm paceman Junaid Khan who injured his abdominal muscle in the one-day series against Sri Lanka and missed the Bangladesh tour. Former captain Shoaib Malik was also left out after being part of squads against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Pakistan squad: Misbah-ul Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Taufiq Umar, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Adnan Akmal, Umar Gul, Junaid Khan, Aizaz Cheema, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Talha, Saeed Ajmal and Abdul Rehman

Sehwag completes 8000 runs in Test cricket He is the 23rd batsman in history of Test cricket to complete 8000 Test runs. Dashing opener Virender Sehwag became the ﬁfth Indian batsman to complete 8000 runs in Test cricket when he reached an individual score of 20 against Australia in the ﬁrst cricket Test at the MCG. Before Sehwag, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman are the Indian players who have reached the coveted milestone. He is the 23rd batsman in history of Test cricket

to complete 8000 Test runs. Sehwag completed the feat in his 93rd Test match and by guiding Peter Siddle to deep ﬁne leg. Prior to the Melbourne Test match, Sehwag has hit 22 centuries at an average of over 52.

The city of Dubai is built on foundations that are steeped in history and tradition. From the evocative Dubai Museum to the spectacular Jumeirah Mosque, and from the breathtaking Bastakiya to the imperious Heritage Village. There are many mysteries waiting to be unravelled. Explore Dubai at your pace and relive great traditions from day gone by.

DEFINITELYDUBAI.COM

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 29 December 2011

SAT

Aaqib returns as Pakistan’s bowling coach Former fast bowler Aaqib Javed has returned as the national team’s bowling coach for the series against England in the UAE that starts in January. Aaqib will be part of a nine-man support staff for the series. He has been involved in

coaching within Pakistan for almost a decade now, having started at the Lahore Regional Academy and then had stints as Pakistan Under-19 coach and head coach at the National Cricket Academy. He was with the national Continued on page 31 >>

Sports

India gain ground after Aussie collapse 1st Test: Australia 179/8, lead by 230

Veteran Mike Hussey showed his ﬁghting qualities with an unbeaten 79 to guide Australia to 8-179 at stumps on day three of the ﬁrst Test against India. Australia hold an overall lead of 230 with two second-innings wickets in hand after a day of drama at the MCG. A total of 15 wickets fell on Wednesday’s third day of play in front of 40,556 fans. On a day when the pitch was

supposed to be best for batting, 15 wickets fell for 247 runs to put the opening Test match between Australia and India in the balance with the hosts 179 for 8 at stumps, leading by 230 runs. India, who started day three with the prospect of taking the lead, lost seven wickets for 68 runs in the morning session to slump to 282 all out, conceding a first-innings lead of 51 runs. Ben Hilfenhaus made a successful comeback to the Australian Test squad with figures of 5 for 75, while Peter Siddle took the last wicket to fall, ending with figures of 3 for 63. India then made a remarkable comeback through Umesh Yadav who ran through Australia’s top order with 4 for 49, and despite a century stand for the fifth wicket between Ricky Ponting (60) and Michael Hussey (79 not out), India grabbed eight wickets to set up a fascinating fourth day. Yadav removed David Warner (5) and Shaun Marsh (3) who chopped their attempted drives onto the stumps, while Ed Cowan (8) was trapped lbw by him while padding up an incoming delivery. With Ponting early at the wicket, MS Dhoni brought his nemesis Ishant Continued on page 31 >>

Pakistan recall Riaz for England series Pakistan recalled Wahab Riaz for their Test series against No.1 ranked England despite the paceman being implicated in an ongoing spot-ﬁxing scandal. The 26-year-old Riaz was not included in any of the three Tests against Sri Lanka in October and was excluded from the one-day series against the same opponents before being omitted for this month’s tour of Bangladesh. However, he has been selected to

return against England in the series in United Arab Emirates starting on January 17. Chief selector Mohammad Ilyas said Riaz had had been cleared by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and had performed well in the recently concluded ﬁrst class season. “We have selected all those players who were cleared by the PCB and Riaz Continued on page 31 >>

Published by Saarc International Ltd, Suite 101, 10 Courtenay Road, London HA9 7ND. UK Telephone:020 8904 0619 Fax: 020 8181 7575 E-mail: info@satribune.co.uk www.satribune.co.uk, www.saarc.co.uk. Printed at Webprint UK Ltd, Unit B1 Eastern Approach, Alfred Way, Barking, IG11 0AG