Mansoor Ijaz won`t be coming after all

Transcription

ISB 24-01-2012_Layout 1 1/24/2012 7:38 AM Page 1
Zardari doesn’t need
to move court for
immunity, says Aitzaz
Senate resolves to
arrest Pervez
Musharraf on arrival
PAGE 03
PAGE 22
g
g
Counsel says Ijaz is open to
testifying from London or Zurich
polls on unverified lists will be unjust: sC | page 22
STAFF REPORT
Petrol price likely
to be increased by
Rs 5.45 per litre
MASOOD REHMAN
Continued on page 04
ISLAMABAD
Massive
increase likely
in POL prices
from February
ISLAMABAD
T
tuesday, 24 january, 2012 safar 29, 1433
US-Iran standoff to send fuel
prices through the roof
g
HE memo drama takes a new turn as the
government finally succeeded in scaring away
Mansoor Ijaz, who has decided not to appear
before the three-member judicial commission
probing the controversy, saying he was ready to
depose before the commission in Zurich or London
instead of coming to Pakistan.
The counsel for Ijaz, the Pakistani-American
businessman at the centre of the memo controversy,
expressed his reservations on the security arrangements
meant for his client’s appearance before the judicial
commission, saying his client would be ready to record
testimony before the commission either in London or
Zurich. The commission had told Ijaz to appear before it
personally to record his statements on January 24. His
counsel, Akram Shaikh, told reporters at the Supreme
Court building that he had held a teleconference with his
client after meeting the Islamabad Police inspector
general and had briefed him on security arrangements
that had been made for him for his appearance before
the commission. The statement from Shaikh ended
speculations about Ijaz’s appearance before the
commission today (Tuesday). Sheikh said his client
underlined that he had been given no assurance by any
person on behalf of the Pakistan government towards
his apprehensions about his security. Later on, Shaikh
also filed an application in the judicial commission’s
secretary office to record Ijaz’s testimony outside
Pakistan with a plea that the apex court had given a clear
mandate in its order to the commission to collect
evidence within and outside Pakistan according to
prevailing laws on the subject.Prime Minister Yousaf
Raza Gilani had told reporters during his recent visit to
Lahore that it seemed as if Ijaz was some viceroy who
was coming to Pakistan and the government had to
arrange for his security as subservient people, also
making it clear that the government would not spend
billions on his security. Gilani categorically stated that
under the constitution and under the system, it was the
duty of the Interior Ministry to provide Ijaz security.
Shaikh added that Ijaz’s arrival under protection of a
station house officer (SHO) as announced by the prime
minister on Sunday was highly deplorable, adding that Ijaz
had a concrete fear that electronic evidence in the memo
case could be completely destroyed or tampered with.
Shaikh added that Ijaz was also concerned that Pakistan’s
money should not be wasted and thus did not want law
enforcement agencies to waste their money on him. “So, he
wants to record his statement while sitting in his office in
London. He is ready to tell the truth and present all grafts
to the commission.” Days before Ijaz’s planned visit to
Pakistan, the Parliamentary Committee on National
Security, which too is investigating the memogate, had
issued summons to Ijaz to appear before it on January 26.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik had said if the committee
desired, Ijaz’s name could be included in the Exit Control
List (ECL). “It seems like a well-orchestrated trap to hold
Mansoor Ijaz indefinitely in Pakistan after his deposition
before the commission, therefore, Ijaz has decided to make
a request to the commission to record his statement in
strict compliance with the order of the Supreme Court of
Pakistan... in London or Zurich,” said Shaikh. He added
that his client had decided to file an application to the
commission to record his statement outside Pakistan after
reviewing security arrangements for his planned visit.
PAGE 16
pakistantoday.com.pk
rs15.00 vol ii no 208 22 pages islamabad — peshawar edition
Mansoor
Ijaz won’t
be coming
after all
British woman
claims new
Antarctic solo record
Consumers will be faced with a massive increase in the prices of petroleum products because of the
brewing crisis between Iran and the
United States on the Strait of Hormuz, as the Oil and Gas Regulatory
Authority (OGRA) has estimated an
increase of Rs 3 to Rs 6.45 per litre
on different POL products for the
month of February.
An official source said an increasing trend in POL prices was
witnessed during the last few days
because of the intensification of
statements between Iran and the
US. He said usually POL prices
started falling from January
but this year, an increas-
ing trend was witnessed because of
the confrontation. He said the initial
estimates of OGRA pointed out that
the price of motor spirit (petrol)
would have to be increased by Rs
5.45 per litre, High Octane Blended
Component (HOBC) by Rs 6.45 per
litre, High Speed Diesel (HSD) by Rs
3.13 per litre, Light Diesel Oil (LDO)
by Rs 3.87 per litre and kerosene by
Rs 2.98 per litre. OGRA would be
making its final recommendations
after a meeting to decide on the inland freight equalisation margin
scheduled to be held on January 27.
OGRA had earlier notified an
increase in petrol price by Rs 1.65
per litre to Rs 89.54 per litre and
HOBC by Rs 5.13 to Rs 111.91 per
litre with effect from January 1,
2012. The prices of HSD, LDO
ECP snubs SC’s
‘electoral jurisdiction’
and kerosene were retained at last
month’s level of Rs 98.82, Rs 86.78
and Rs 89.24 per litre respectively.
To save the people from the negative impact of high inflation resulting from the increase in POL prices,
OGRA had recommended lowering
the Rs 10 per litre petroleum levy
(PL) on POL products. However,
the Finance Ministry had rejected
the proposal. The government collects Rs 23 billion per month on
taxation of POL products, Rs 16 billion per month in sales tax on POL
and another Rs 7 billion as PL.
The source said the Petroleum
Ministry was stressing on reducing
the levy on diesel so that its prices
could be brought at par with
the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) sector
to reduce the demand
there. Nearly 3.5
million vehicles run
on CNG in Pakistan
with a consumption estimate of
290 mmcfd.
No more chances
for Ijaz please,
pleads Haqqani
ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Says if SC insists on delaying by-elections, it would be
against the law and constitution g Secretary says ECP has
no Aladdin’s lamp, can’t complete electoral rolls before May
g
ISLAMABAD
KASHIF ABBASI
The Election Commission of
Pakistan (ECP) asserted its independence on Monday by snubbing the Supreme Court and
telling it not to interfere in its
constitutional jurisdiction, and
announced that the electoral
rolls could not be completed before May.
Staying several by-elections,
the apex court had asked the
ECP to finalise the electoral lists
by February 23. However, the
ECP also challenged the
Supreme Court order, taking a
position that delaying by-elections would be unconstitutional.
The ECP also said if the Supreme
Court insisted on delaying byelections, it would do so but this
would not be in accordance with
the law and the constitution.
“The outside interference in
the matters of the ECP will be
against the principle of trichotomy,” Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (r)
Hamid Ali Mirza said at a consultative meeting of the representatives of political parties held here
at the ECP. He said Article 224 of
the constitution clearly made it
mandatory for the ECP to hold
elections within 60 days of a seat
becoming vacant.
The CEC said if any other institution of the state was to hold
elections, as the ECP saw sometimes such desire on part of
some
quarters
expressed
through media, then the right
course was to amend the constitution. He said responsibilities of
every institutions were chalked
out clearly in the constitution
and unnecessary interference in
the ECP’s matters meant negation of the constitution.
The meeting was attended by
representatives of 14 political
parties. Prominent among the
participants were Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q)
President Chaudhry Shujaat
Hussain, Jamiat Ulema-e-IslamFazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur
Rehman, Pakistan Muslim
League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader
Iqbal Zafar Jhagra and Jamaate-Islami (JI) leader Liaqat
Baloch. A source who attended
the meeting told Pakistan Today
that PML-N and JI strongly opposed the ECP’s stand on electoral rolls. Later, addressing a
press conference, ECP Secretary
Ishtiak Ahmed said it would be
unfair to prepare the new voter
lists in urgency. He said new
electoral rolls to hold the 2013
general elections could not be finalised before May this year. He
said the ECP was unable to comply with the Supreme Court’s orders to finalise the electoral rolls.
He said the task of making electoral rolls should remain with
the ECP without interference
from any institutions. He said the
National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) would
print preliminary lists in March
that would be published for three
weeks on at least 65,000 display
centres across the country.
As the main character in the memo case –
Mansoor Ijaz – has declined to appear
before the judicial commission in Pakistan
due to security concerns, former
ambassador to US Husain Haqqani has
asked the commission to refuse another
opportunity to the former to appear and get
his statement recorded before the
commission. In a letter submitted by
Haqqani’s counsel with the memo
commission, Haqqani said: “The attitude
and conduct of Mansoor Ijaz clearly shows
that he is playing with the sentiments of the
nation and also wasting the precious time
of this honourable commission, despite the
fact that this honourable commission has
acceded all his requests/demands on all
issues. Even the High Commission of
London granted him visa after office hours
to facilitate his appearance before this
honourable commission.” “Mansoor Ijaz
(American national), wanted to record his
statement before the Honourable
Commission, for which, he sought number
of adjournments through his counsel Mr
Akram Sheikh i.e. 9.1.2012 and 16.1.2012,
but today, he has also not attended the
proceedings of honourable commission
without lawful reason or excuse. It is on
the record that Mr Mansoor Ijaz through
his counsel requested to the Honourable
Commission for his security in Pakistan
and grant of visa to enter Pakistan without
any condition.
02 News
Tuesday, 24 January, 2012
NeWS
ISlAMABAd
FoReIGN NeWS
ITP introduces one-window operation for driving licences Nawaz, Zardari playing with country’s future: Imran
Today’s
Islamists take centre stage in Egypt parliament
Quick
Look
Story on Page 05
Story on Page 0 7
Story on Page 17
WB links Pak economic growth
with water, electricity availability
ISLAMABAD
ONlINE
The World Bank has linked the economic growth and development of Pakistan with the availability of water and electricity and underlined the need of
better management, cost recovery and reducing subsidies.
According to the World Bank, continued investments in both rehabilitation of
strategic assets (storage, barrages, irrigation systems) as well as new investments to shift the energy mix towards lower cost sources was essential. “The
importance of water goes far beyond the development of hydropower. Pakistan has the world’s largest contiguous water system – the Indus. This Indus
Basin Water System (IBWS) is considered the backbone of the country’s
economy and is the sole source of water supply supporting life and livelihoods. In addition to providing water for irrigated agriculture, these resources also support the development of major cities, industry, and growth
centres. Considering the country’s strategic location at the cross-roads of
South Asia, Central Asia, China and the Middle East and its large working age
population, this untapped wealth can help unleash the country’s economic
potential,” said the World Bank, adding that the huge development needs of
the 21st century required a strategic approach to boosting growth and addressing the existing challenges.
Commission to decide further
on Mansoor Ijaz testimony: AG
ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Attorney General for Pakistan Maulvi Anwarul Haq has said that if Mansoor
Ijaz did not appear before the judicial commission on memo probe for recording his testimony, it would be the discretion of the commission to decide further on the issue. He said all arrangements had been finalised for the security
of Mansoor Ijaz and an officer of the police had been deputed, adding that
“but in my opinion, he does not want to come”.
Talking to reporters at the Supreme Court building, he said Pakistan was a
sovereign state and the security arrangements for Mansoor Ijaz had been
made according to the constitution. He said the government had ensured
foolproof security arrangements for Mansoor Ijaz and the Islamabad inspector general of police had briefed his counsel Akram Sheikh about the arrangements on Sunday night. He said Akram Sheikh was expressing dissatisfaction
over the security arrangements regarding his client, but he did not spell the
shortcomings in the arrangements. The AG said now the commission would
decide how the statement of Mansoor Ijaz could be recorded. To a question
about Akram Sheikh, the AG said: “I can only say that he utters words that
come to his mind and does not think to whom he is talking.” “The government has finalised all arrangements relating to the security for Mansoor Ijaz
in pursuance of the judicial commission’s directions as well as under the limits of the law,” the AG said.
‘Register treason case against Mansoor’
ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Punjab Opposition Leader Raja Riaz on Monday demanded registering a treason case against US national Mansoor Ijaz for his anti Pakistan lobbying, saying that by refusing to appear before the memo commission, Mansoor has
proved that he wants to spread anarchy in the country.
Talking to journalists at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) after submitting his
application to the judicial commission, Riaz said that stern action must be
taken against Mansoor who had accepted playing a role to topple the PPP-led
government in 1996 and also hatched a conspiracy against the country’s
agency by writing against it this time around. “A case of high treason should
be registered against Mansoor because he is a liar and conspirator against
Pakistan,” Riaz alleged. Replying to a question that the army chief and ISI
chief had also submitted affidavits in court testifying the US national’s claim,
the Punjab opposition leader said that he did not read their affidavits but Ijaz
was surely contriving against the PPP’s democratic government.
HYDERABAD: Scavenger boys
wrestle at a green belt. INP
WhO OWnS IndUS AIR?
NA body to investigate
Indus Air ownership
Reports linking president’s sister Faryal Talpur to airline to be investigated
g Committee chair himself linked to soon-to-be-launched airline
g
ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
T
HE National Assembly (NA)
Standing Committee on Defence on
Monday took notice of ‘misreporting’ by electronic media on the
issue of ownership of Indus Airlines and constituted a sub-committee to probe the issue.
Media has reported repeatedly that President Asif Ali Zardari’s sister Faryal Talpur
owns the new airline – a claim yet to be contradicted either by the PPP or anyone else.
However, the subcommittee tasked to
probe the matter will be chaired by PPP MNA
Nawabzada Malik Amad Khan, despite the
fact that he was being linked by media as
being amongst stakeholders for the new airline. The committee also discussed and approved the Airport Security Force
(Amendment) Bill, 2011 besides being briefed
on the progress of the new Benazir International Airport Islamabad.
The committee was informed the total
cost of the project was Rs 63 billion and the
first phase had been completed while the second phase will be completed by September
this year. The meeting was informed that the
world’s fourth biggest construction company,
a Chinese organisation, was constructing the
airport’s terminal.
It was told the cargo operation could
begin in December, 2012 and the main problem faced by the project was a road network
being completed by the National Highway Authority (NHA). The committee directed NHA
officials to complete the project urgently and
put up a summary under PSDP for approval.
The committee was briefed on the current status of all airport runways. It was told the CAA
was facing problems in moving the heavy machinery from Badin to Mitthi due to a dam-
aged road network for the Thar Airport. The
Saidu Sharif Airport operation can begin on a
one-week notice. On a request by committee
members, the CAA managing director (MD)
ensured that two flights to Sehwan Sharif will
be available within thirty days,
The committee condemned and took notice of the manhandling by Sindh Police of a
PIA official for not delaying a flight for IG Police Sindh on 14/01/2012. The committee decided to discuss the issue on February 3. The
committee was briefed on security measures
adopted at small airports and the present status of vehicles brought in by foreign dignitaries through small airports in Pakistan.
The committee was chaired by Dr Aira
Fazal Peehuho and attended by Shahid Khaqan
Abbasi, Nawab Abdul Ghani Talpur, Dr Abdul
Wahid Soomro, Shagufta Sadiq, Malik Nauman Ahmad Langrial, Capt (r) Rai Chulam
Mujtaba Khural and other officials concerned.
ARTS & eNTeRTAINMeNT
SPoRTS
Veena Malik’s horror film to release in May
Ajmal very hard to track, says Adnan
News 03
CoMMeNT
Preposterous demands:
Is security for Mansoor Ijaz justified?
The right’s wrongs:
Votes mean something.
Dr Faisal Bari says:
Value-chain issues: Is there a problem somewhere?
Syed Hassan Belal Zaidi says:
Where’s your nikahnama? But who is Maya Khan?
Today’s
Quick
Look
Rabia Ahmed says:
The PM’s trial: ...and the cost of security.
Story on Page 15
Story on Page 18
Articles on Page 12-13
ARMY LAnd GRAB
SC directs Swat DRO
to retrieve citizen’s land
ISLAMABAD
E
MASOOD REHMAN
xPRESSING annoyance over the defence
secretary for not submitting reply on the alleged occupation of a
land of a citizen in Swat by the security forces, the Supreme Court on
Monday directed the district revenue
officer (DRO) to give the grabbed
land to the applicants and submit a
report by January 27.
A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhry, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain
and Justice Tariq Parvez also ordered
that no concerned authority would interfere in the process of retrieving the
occupied land of the citizen.
Pakistan not being run
like own country: CJ
The court was hearing a petition
filed by Abdul Ghaffar seeking permission to enter his property, allegedly occupied by the Pakistan
Army for the last three years.
The court noted that the defence
secretary did not submit the report to
the petition, which indicated that the
Defence Ministry had nothing to say
in its defence, therefore, the petitioner was entitled to get relief.
When the court resumed hearing
on the petition, instead of the defence
secretary, a section officer of the Defence Ministry appeared before it,
upon which the chief justice expressed severe dismay asking the attorney general: “We had summoned
the defence secretary, but a section
officer has been sent.”
“Is this the respect being given to
Mansoor’s revelations are
a publicity stunt: Malik
ISLAMABAD
ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
STAFF REPORT
Terming Mansoor Ijaz’s revelations as a ‘publicity stunt’,
Interior Minister Senator Rehman Malik on Monday rebutted Mansoor’s lawyer Akram Sheikh’s allegations that
the US national was being trapped by the federal government. He was talking to journalists outside the Parliament
House. “Mansoor Ijaz himself made statements against the
army, ISI and about toppling Benazir Bhutto’s government.
We (the government) as a stakeholder have the right to
form a commission and investigate into these issues,”
Malik said. The minister said that the nation was demanding an explanation of all claims made by Mansoor. On the
US national’s statements that he was at war with Malik, the
minister said that he had been fighting against terrorists
and other enemies of Pakistan for the last four years and if
Mansoor wanted to join those ranks, he was most welcome.
Malik said that Mansoor had refused to come to Pakistan because he was scared. “If Ijaz was an honest and
brave man, he would have come to testify in the memo
case,” the minister said, adding that he would not allow
Hearing a suo motu notice on the illegal allotment of 4000 plots amongst Capital Development Authority (CDA) employees, Chief
Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on
Monday remarked that Pakistan was not
being run like our own country.
He said the SC is criticised but no one thinks
about the mentally-retarded child who had
been languishing in jail for 12 years. He was
heading a three-member bench comprising
Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq
Parvez. He said the illegal allotment of 4,000
plots by CDA had caused the national exchequer a loss of billion of rupees.
CDA counsel Ramzan Chaudhry informed the
court about the relevant rules and allotment
process of plots to employees and officers on
the deputation. The court, however, directed
him to submit the rules related to plot allotment to CDA employees. Iftikhar said that it
appears Pakistan is a foreign country under
our rule. He asked CDA to pursue the case in
its own interest. The hearing was adjourned
for one week. According to media reports,
CDA illegally allotted 3,192 plots worth Rs 70
billion in the settled sectors of Islamabad.
Six missing students
recovered from Peshawar
PESHAWAR
INP
Police recovered six missing students of a private school of Rawalpindi from Peshawar on
Monday. The six students went missing on January 19 during a recreational trip to Murree.
Sources said that the students were traced
through mobile phone data but details and
causes of their disappearance were yet to be disclosed. The missing students, including three
boys and three girls of 9th and 10th classes,
studied at a private school situated at Chaklala
Scheme-3 in Valayat Colony.
the judiciary by the government?” he
maintained. To a court query that
what type of terrorism was the petitioner involved, the section officer
could not reply.
However Sanaullah Zahid, counsel for the petitioner, denied that his
client was a terrorist and claimed that
in December 2011, some of his property had been leased out through auction. He contended that his client was
not involved in any illegal or antistate activity, which he said was also
acknowledged and conceded before
the court by the deputy attorney general. He said his client had been a
member of the local chapter of the Jamaat-e-Islami and had later become
the president of the Swat Kissan
Board. The court adjourned further
hearing until January 27.
Four arrested in Kot
Addu over foreign NGo
workers kidnapping
MULTAN
REuTERS
Kot Addu police arrested four people in connection with last week’s kidnapping of two
Western aid workers, local police officials
said on Monday.
Gunmen stormed the workers’ residence on
January 23 in the town located in Punjab
province and drove away with the two aid
workers — an Italian national and a German
national. Punjab IG police Javed Iqbal said
that the aid workers, who were working on a
project in southern Punjab, are being held
for ransom.
“That is all we can confirm, that they were
abducted for ransom. At the moment, we
cannot provide any more details or say anything about who is behind it,” Iqbal told reporters in Lahore.
“The four suspects were under observation
since the kidnapping. We traced some calls
back to them,” another police official said.
Criminal gangs often target foreign aid
workers in Pakistan in hope of securing large
ransoms for their release. Pakistani officials
say militant groups such as the Taliban are
also involved in kidnappings.
Gunmen kidnapped a British doctor, working with the International Committee of the
Red Cross (ICRC), in the southwestern city
of Quetta on January 5.
American aid worker Warren Weinstein was
kidnapped from the central Pakistani city of
Lahore in August last year. Al Qaeda claimed
responsibility for Weinstein’s abduction in
December. In July, a Swiss couple was kidnapped from the southwestern Baluchistan
province by the Pakistani Taliban.
Afaq indicted
in murder case
KARACHI
APP
anyone to insult Pakistan and its people. He said that
Mansoor’s attempt to befool the people had failed.
The minister said that it was his ministry’s responsibility to provide security to the US national. He said that
the Islamabad IG had assured Mansoor’s client of full security. Malik said that army security would be provided to
Mansoor if needed.
Malir Additional District and Sessions Judge
Munawar Sultana framed charges against
Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H)
chief Afaq Ahmed in the Farooq Baig murder
case on Monday. Afaq had pleaded not
guilty. The judge ordered issuance of notices
to prosecution witnesses for February 12 and
adjourned the hearing. Farooq, a MQM activist, was shot dead in 2011 and Afaq was
nominated in the case while in jail.
Zardari doesn’t need to move court for immunity: Aitzaz
PPP’s legal ace criticises Justice (r) Ramday’s interview on immunity issue
g Says it will be better for Ramday to keep mum otherwise Pandora’s box can be opened against him
g
LAHORE
STAFF REPORT
Former Supreme Court Bar Association
president and PPP leader Barrister
Aitzaz Ahsan on Monday said President
Asif Ali Zardari enjoyed complete immunity in criminal cases and he did not
need to approach the court for it.
“The immunity under the constitution is not for the person but for the
constitutional office that the president
is holding so he has immunity until he
is in the office of the president,” Aitzaz
told reporters at the Lahore High Court
(LHC).
He said Article 248 of the constitution could be objectionable. However,
parliament alone had the authority to
change it through constitutional
amendment. He said the president enjoyed immunity in the Swiss courts as
well, adding that the government had
not committed any contempt of court
by not writing a letter to the Swiss authorities.
Reacting to Justice (r) Khalilur
Rehman Ramday’s interview with a
private TV channel against the presidential immunity, Aitzaz said it would
be better for Ramday to keep mum on
the issue as a Pandora’s Box could be
opened against him regarding what he
did as a judge of the LHC. “If I open
my mouth against Ramday, I may expose his past which is not very like-
able,” Aitzaz said.
“It is surprising that Justice Ramday has started politics before completion of his two years period after
retirement as SC judge,” Aitzaz said,
hitting at the political bias of the retired judge against President Asif Ali
Zardari.
Aitzaz said the building of the Lahore High Court was witness to Ramday’s one-sided judgements.
“It is odd on the part of the exjudge that he is trying to predict what
arguments I will be giving in the SC in
defence of the immunity to president,”
he said.
Talking about his decision to defend the prime minister and the presi-
dent before the Supreme Court, he said
it was everybody’s constitutional right
to hire a counsel of his choice.
Aitzaz said before agreeing to defend the prime minister, he had laid
down some conditions including not
staging a rally of party workers to the
SC and avoiding giving statements
against the SC or its verdicts to the
media.
About member of the lawyers
community who were opposing his decision of appearing in the court as the
prime minister’s lawyer, Aitzaz said
the lawyers did not yet know the logic
of his decision and once the crisis facing the country was averted, all
lawyers would approve of his decision.
04 News
Forex ruckus in Karachi
As plain-clothed FIA officials raid a foreign exchange firm without notice,
security guards open fire at them considering them bandits
g
KARACHI
why they raided the money
exchange firm and if their action is legal or not,” he said.
“The police will definitely investigate the firing incident
and the case has been handed
over to the Tipu Sultan police.”
“The guards involved in
the firing can be arrested if
the FIA proves that the action
was legal and they showed
their identity,” Rind added.
Talking with Pakistan
Today, the firm’s owner,
Malik Bostan, claimed that as
the FIA team had no notice or
warrants, their action was illegal. “After the Khanani and
Kalia case, the FIA has made
a business out of harassing
money exchangers and demanding extortion.”
“When I asked them to
prove their identity, they refused and manhandled me
and my staffers,” he said.
“The guards mistook them for
bandits and opened fire at
them.”
Bostan – also the chairman of Exchange Companies
Association of Pakistan
(ECAP) –announced that
against the illegal action of
the FIA, money exchangers
all over the country will keep
their firms closed today
(Tuesday). “I have called an
emergency meeting of the
ECAP today (Tuesday) to discuss our future strategy,” he
added.
He said that he would
lodge an FIR against the FIA
officials and go to the court
for action against them. “The
money exchangers would
protest against the FIA outside the Parliament House,”
he added. Bostan said the
money exchangers would also
approach Federal Interior
Minister Rehman Malik and
President Asif Ali Zardari to
apprise them about the highhandedness of the FIA personnel.
Meanwhile, the FIA
Sindh Director assured that
action would be taken against
the FIA officials involved in
raiding at the foreign exchange company.
Pakistan will take Army rejects US enquiry
forward MFN status Continued from page 22
promise: Sharma
which has been acknowledged
in the US/ISAF report was the
direct and clear responsibility
of US/ISAF, who were, by
their own admission, carrying
out a near-border operation,”
it also said.
“Positive identification
could very conveniently have
been done by a simple Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Aircraft sweep,
which the US Investigation
Report itself has also recommended,” said the army.
It said the US/ISAF violated all mutually agreed procedures with Pakistan for
near-border operations put in
place to avert such uncalled
for actions. “It is increasingly
obvious to Pakistan Military
that the entire coordination
mechanism has been reduced
to an exercise in futility, is
more for the purposes of optics and that it has repeatedly
been undermined,” it said.
PENTAGON REJECTS:
Meanwhile, the United States
rejected the findings of a Pakistani probe into the NATO air
strikes, saying the investigation ignored the fact that
“mistakes” were made on
both sides.
At a press briefing, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby
said the Pakistani army had officially delivered during the
weekend a copy of the report
conducted by Islamabad on the
November 26 strikes against a
Pakistani border post.
“The statement that this
was an unprovoked attack by
US forces is simply false,” said
Navy Captain Kirby. “It was
not an unprovoked attack,” he
said. “There were errors made
by both sides here.”
Kirby said the Pentagon
was “100 percent” behind the
findings of the investigation
report released last month by
the US military.
Captain Kirby regretted
that Islamabad refused to
participate in the investigation initiated by the US military. He called on Pakistan to
reopen supply routes for
NATO troops in Afghanistan,
which were closed after the
bombing.
“We want to get past all
this and we want to build a
good cooperative relationship
with the Pakistani military,”
he said.
AAMIR MAJEED
P
ANDEMONIUM
broke out on the
main Shahrah-eFaisal on Monday
when
plainclothed Federal Investigation
Agency (FIA) officials raided
a foreign exchange company
without notice and the private firm’s security guards
mistook them for bandits.
A seven-member team of
FIA Crime Circle had raided
the money changer located
near the Nursery Bus Stop on
reports that the company was
involved in illegal transfer of
money
through
“hawala/hundi” system.
When the company’s
owner asked the FIA team to
show any legal notices, arrest
warrants or any substantial
evidence to prove that the
company is engaged in illegal
financial transfers, the law
enforcement personnel tried
to arrest the owner. However,
when the FIA team asked the
NEW DELHI
NNI
After agreeing in principle
last year to grant Most
Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India, Pakistan should
now keep its promise and implement the new trade regime
soon, Indian Commerce and
Industry Minister Anand
Sharma said on Monday.
“I am sure that what they
have said they will be in a position to take it forward and
do it,” Sharma told reporters
in the Indian capital when
asked whether Pakistan was
going back on its promise to
grant India MFN status.
Sharma was talking to reporters on the sidelines of a
SAARC Business Summit organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce
and Industry (FICCI). The
Pakistani cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on
November 2, 2011, had decided in principle to grant
MFN status to India. However, Commerce Minister
Makhdoom Amin Fahim said
last week the decision was
still under process and had
not yet been implemented.
Once the MFN status is
granted, Pakistan will have to
treat India on par with its
other favoured trading partners. India has already
granted MFN status to Pakistan and is treating it on par
with other trading partners.
eCP snubs SC
Continued from page 1
He said the ECP was unable to
comply with the Supreme
Court’s orders to finalise the
electoral rolls. He said the task
of making electoral rolls should
remain with the ECP without
interference from any institutions. He said the National
Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) would print
preliminary lists in March that
would be published for three
weeks on at least 65,000 display centres across the country.
money exchange proprietor
to surrender for arrest, the
private guards opened fire at
them, resulting in bullet injuries to an FIA official, identified as Gulsher Mugheri.
The firing inside the
money exchange firm created
panic in the surrounding area
and the resulting chaos, lead
to a traffic jam on one of the
city’s busiest thoroughfare.
A heavy contingent of police reached the spot and cordoned off the area. However,
the situation calmed down
after the FIA officials introduced themselves to the police.
Talking to reporters outside the foreign exchange
company, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) East
Khadim Hussain Rind said
that there are two issues; one
is whether the FIA team has
permission to launch raids
without warrants or not; and
the second of the guards’
opening fire at the law enforcement personnel.
“The FIA should explain
In addition to giving a detailed response to the US enquiry report, Pakistan Army
also said some additional details were required which
should be provided in order
for the army to complete its
analysis and assessment. It
said full and complete classified version of the US investigation report should be made
available to it.
The army also asked for
the provision of intelligence
surveillance and reconnaissance picture of the complete
incident along with all aerial
platform videos and record of
radio transmissions and communication between the
crew(s) of the aerial platforms
involved in the incident.
The army’s detailed perspective on the US investigation report on Monday led
some observers to believe that
the rejection of Washington’s
enquiry into the NATO air
strikes reflected clearly that
swift resolution of the current
Pakistan-US standoff was not
likely, and improvement in
their relations would take a
long time.
However, diplomatic circles here said the army’s detailed response was supposed
to be made public, as despite
its desire for improvement of
ties with Washington after the
US administration’s assurance that Pakistan’s sovereignty would not be violated
in future, Islamabad would
still want to make its point
clear that it still differed with
the findings of the American
probe and believed that it was
devoid of facts.
The US report was received by General Headquarters (GHQ) of the Pakistan
Army on the December 24,
2011. According to the army’s
perspective, the report received was the same unclassified version as available on
the US Central Command
(CENTCOM) Website. “The
analysis of the ‘US Investigation Report’ has been carried
out by Pakistan Military with
a view to reiterate facts and
correct the perspective,” said
the Pakistani military.
“The US Investigation Report is structured around the
argument of ‘self defence’ and
‘proportional use of force’, an
argument which is contrary to
facts,” it said. “Continued engagement by US/ISAF despite
being informed about the incident at multiple levels by
Pakistan Military within minutes of initiation of US/ISAF
fire, belies the ‘self defence’
and ‘proportional use of force’
contention. Affixing partial
responsibility of the incident
on Pakistan is, therefore, unjustified and unacceptable,”
the army’s statement said.
It said that apart from
being factually incorrect, the
US enquiry report also
brought to the fore the larger
issue of lack of trust of
US/ISAF towards the Pakistani military.
The army said that unfortunately, this was not the first
incident of this kind as
US/ISAF/NATO had been involved in at least four similar
incidents in the past, after
each of which US/ISAF regretted the incident and resolved to prevent recurrence.
“Not only did the recurrence
of incidents continue but as
far as we know, no one was
ever actually held accountable,” it said.
“Pakistan has noted
US/ISAF acceptance of its
failures, which Pakistan believes were deep, varied and
systemic. There have been
several similar, though not as
grave, US/ISAF failings in the
past. Despite promises of
thorough
investigations,
US/ISAF failed to hold anyone accountable after each of
these incidents,” it said.
“There have clearly been
several failures on the part of
US/ISAF/NATO (as acknowledged in the US Investigation Report),” it said. The
army’s response said further
that “Pakistan expresses its
regret over the mandate and
terms of reference given to
the Investigating Team,
which was not mandated to
determine or affix responsibility for the incident”.
“Establishing
positive
identification of the Pakistani
Posts which was lacking and
Pasha advised
Musharraf not to
return: report
MONITORINg DESK
Inter-Services Intelligence
(ISI) chief Lt Gen Ahmed
Shuja Pasha held a secret
meeting with former military
ruler Pervez Musharraf in
Dubai and advised him not
to return to the country, according to Dawn News on
Monday.
“Gen Pasha, who has remained very close to the former president, held a
meeting with (Musharraf) in
Dubai and advised him not
to return to the country as
the situation is not conducive
for his return,” a source was
quoted as saying by Dawn
News channel.
The channel quoted its
sources as saying that Pasha
“strictly advised” Musharraf
not to return to Pakistan
from self-exile. The report
said it was not clear whether
the meeting was held on the
directions of the government
or if it was a private meeting.
The report said Musharraf,
after meeting Pasha, convened a meeting of his All
Pakistan Muslim League
party on January 25 for reviewing his decision to return to Pakistan.
The media report coincided
with a resolution passed by
the Senate that demanded
the arrest of Musharraf on
his return to Pakistan and
the registration of a case of
high treason against him for
abrogating the Constitution.
Ancient Jewish
scrolls found in
north Afghanistan
KABUL
REuTERS
A cache of ancient Jewish
scrolls from northern
Afghanistan that has only recently come to light is creating a storm among scholars
who say the landmark find
could reveal an undiscovered
side of medieval Jewry.
The 150 or so documents,
dated from the 11th century,
were found in Afghanistan’s
Samangan province and
most likely smuggled out – a
sorry but common fate for
the impoverished and wartorn country’s antiquities.
Israeli emeritus professor
Shaul Shaked, who has examined some of the poems,
commercial records and judicial agreements that make up
the treasure, said while the
existence of ancient Afghan
Jewry is known, their culture
was still a mystery.
“Here, for the first time, we
see evidence and we can actually study the writings of
this Jewish community. It’s
very exciting,” Shaked told
Reuters by telephone from
Israel, where he teaches at
the Comparative Religion
and Iranian Studies department at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The hoard is currently being
kept by private antique dealers in London, who have
been producing a trickle of
new documents over the
past two years, which is
when Shaked believes they
were found and pirated out
of Afghanistan in a clandestine operation. It is likely
they belonged to Jewish
merchants on the Silk Road
running across Central Asia,
said T Michael Law, a
British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow at Oxford University’s Centre for Hebrew
and Jewish Studies.
Afghans hit by food price hikes
as Pakistan shutdown bites
KABUL
REuTERS
With snow piled deep in front of
his small Kabul shop and a border shutdown enforced by Pakistan driving up food prices and
severing a vital lifeline into
Afghanistan, Asmatullah is having his own winter of discontent.
Since Pakistan closed supply routes to NATO forces in
Afghanistan after the coalition
killed 24 soldiers in a cross-border air attack in November, ordinary Afghans and foreigners
alike are feeling the impact of
soaring food costs. “I have lost
50 percent of my customers,”
Asmatullah says, somehow
managing a smile as he surveys
his empty shop, surrounded by
cartons of eggs and milk, boxes
of cigarettes, drinks and crates
of bottled water, now frozen
solid on the icy pavement outside. “Everybody has less income now, so people are just
not able to buy. When the border is closed, the prices go up,”
he said, huddled in a black hat
and leather jacket to try and
keep one of the most biting
winters for years at bay.
The border shutdown,
which Pakistan has promised to
lift at a time still to be decided,
underscores Afghanistan’s re-
Mansoor Ijaz
Continued from page 1
Shaikh claimed that even Pakistan Army had backed out on
assurances regarding the provision of security to Ijaz.
He claimed that these assurances were given during a
meeting of the army’s corps
commanders held on January
12, adding that he had also met
the Islamabad police chief to
discuss the security arrangements for Ijaz. Deputy Inspector General of Police Mujibur
Rehman was made the focal
person for these arrangements
and police officials had said
that they would seek assistance
from the armed forces only if it
was necessary, Shaikh added.
Referring to these developments, Shaikh said Ijaz was
“not willing to fall in the trap
laid by the government” and
appear before the parliamentary panel. He said legal experts had also advised Ijaz that
the parliamentary committee
could not summon a foreigner,
however, he pointed out that
the parliamentary committee
could record his (Ijaz) statement in London or Zurich or
use any testimony he gave to
the judicial commission.
“Ijaz decided in Pakistan’s
best interests that his statement should be recorded outside Pakistan. He is not a
criminal that he has to appear
before a court. He offered to
cooperate on a voluntary basis
and no court or commission
has the power to summon a
foreigner,” Shaikh asserted.
HAQQANI
PLEADS:
Meanwhile, former ambassador to US Husain Haqqani has
asked the commission to refuse another opportunity to
Mansoor Ijaz to appear and get
his statement recorded before
the commission.
In a letter submitted by
Haqqani’s counsel with the
memo commission, Haqqani
said: “The attitude and conduct of Mansoor Ijaz clearly
shows that he is playing with
the sentiments of the nation
and also wasting the precious
time of this honourable commission, despite the fact that
this honourable commission
has
acceded
all
his
requests/demands on all is-
liance on food imports through
its mountainous eastern border, rather than from Iran in
the west and longer, more
costly, routes north through exSoviet Central Asia. Most food
imports come from India,
Dubai and Pakistan, and are
trucked into the landlocked
country from Karachi, entering
Afghanistan through turbulent
southern Kandahar province,
in Spin Boldak, and Torkham,
in eastern Nangarhar province.
Since the Pakistan border
closure, the cost of trucking or
flying supplies into the country
for US forces has soared from
$17 million a month to $104
million, figures from the Pentagon in US media showed this
month. At the three-storey
Finest supermarket, popular
with foreigners and locals and
the target of a deadly suicide
bomb last year, owner Matiuddin says the cost of importing a
container of food has soared
from $8000 before the border
closure to around $23,000.
“It’s a huge problem.
Everybody is yelling. If they
don’t solve it soon we are going
to have to close our business,”
Matiuddin said in his cramped
office, slamming his hand on
an ageing fax machine in frustration.
sues. Even the High Commission of London granted him
visa after office hours to facilitate his appearance before this
honourable commission.”
“Mansoor Ijaz (American
national), wanted to record his
statement before the Honourable Commission, for
which, he sought number of
adjournments through his
counsel Mr Akram Sheikh i.e.
9.1.2012 and 16.1.2012, but
today, he has also not attended the proceedings of honourable commission without
lawful reason or excuse. It is
on the record that Mr Mansoor Ijaz through his counsel
requested to the Honourable
Commission for his security in
Pakistan and grant of visa to
enter Pakistan without any
condition. On which, honourable commission has accepted all his demands and
even the dates are being fixed
on the desire of his counsel Mr
Akram Sheikh Advocate.
Learned Attorney General and
government of Pakistan has
arranged fool-proof security
arrangement in compliance of
the order of this august commission dated 9.1.11 and
16.1.11,” the letter added.
Haqqani said the act of
non appearance by Mansoor
Ijaz was based on malafide, ulterior motives and all his statements
published
in
newspapers and aired through
TV channels (national and international) were fake, bogus
and untrue, which were also
against the interests of Pakistan, which was why he had
not come to Pakistan to
face/attend the proceedings of
the commission despite orders.
“That in such circumstances, the justice demands to
close the right of recording the
statement of Mr Mansoor Ijaz,
so that further proceedings
may be conducted accordingly
in order to finalise the proceedings within time frame
given by the Honourable
Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Under the above said submissions, it is most respectfully
prayed that Honourable Commission may kindly accept the
instant application and refuse
to afford another opportunity
to Mr Mansoor Ijaz to appear
and get his statement recorded
before the commission,” the
letter concluded.
News 05
Nawaz, Zardari playing with country’s future: Imran
P
LAHORE
STAFF REPORT
TI Chairman Imran Khan has
said President Asif Ali
Zardari and PML-N chief
Nawaz Sharif have their bank
accounts in foreign countries
and they were playing with the future of
the nation for their conman interests.
Addressing a press conference at his
Zaman Park residence on Monday, he
said in the current circumstances, his
party was relying on the Supreme Court
(SC), as the SC was the only pledge of survival of the country.
A number of politicians announced
joining the PTI during the press conference, including Aftab Khichi, Mumtaz
Khichi, Aurangzaib Khichi and Imranullah Gujjar.
A group of former nazims and councilors also joined the PTI.
Imran said President Zardari’s 60
millions dollars were present in Swiss
banks, while Nawaz Sharif also had foreign bank accounts, adding that once he
got to power, he would bring the money
back in the country and spend it on the
education and the health of the people.
He said law and order of the country
was at its worst and condemned the
PML-N rulers for failing to control the
crime rate.
Imran also condemned the Punjab
government for the death of innocent citizens due to substandard medicines pro-
vided at Punjab Institute of Cardiology
(PIC).
He said the PML-N came to power
five times in the Punjab but it did not give
anything to the people and they were now
demanding another opportunity.
Imran said those who disappointed
the nation in the past could do nothing in
the future and the leaders who had their
money in foreign countries could not
change the fortune of the nation.
He said Punjab’s rulers wasted billions of nation’s money under the sasti
roti scheme and also destroyed the education sector of the province.
The PTI chief said schools across the
province were sufferings due to a lack of
facilities and the Punjab CM wasting
money on Danish schools.
Imran also criticised Prime Minister
Yousaf Raza Gilani, saying he wanted to
destroy the Supreme Court. He said the
nation wanted a decision on the memo
scandal as it was a conspiracy against the
army of our country.
He said his party had always opposed
the presence of NATO forces in
Afghanistan, as they were killing innocent people.
To a question, Imran said his party
was not a club or any NGO. “It is a democratic party that is based on an ideology
and anyone can join it, but in the elections his preliminary boards will give
tickets to only those peoples who will be
neat and clean.”
PM to allure
investors at WeF
meeting
ISLAMABAD
GNI
Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani,
who will attend the of the World
Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting
in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, said on
Monday that Pakistan was well-placed
to convince international investors to
invest in Pakistan, as it was the best
destination to do business. The PM said
this in a meeting with Foreign Minister
Hina Rabbani Khar. Gilani’s meetings
with other leaders of various countries,
including engagements with investors,
businessmen and international media
organisations were also discussed. He
said that the WEF offered a good
opportunity to project Pakistan’s
economy, which had staged a comeback,
as most indicators suggested that the
economy was performing well despite
the global recession. Hina briefed the
PM on the overall regional situation
with special reference to relations with
Afghanistan and the US. She referred to
the recommendations of the Envoy’s
Conference and the Parliamentary
Committee on National Security
regarding formulation of new rules of
engagements with the US and ISAF. The
PM will leave on a five-day visit to
Switzerland from January 25.
Kenyan aid
worker missing in
Naushero Feroz
ISLAMABAD
AFP
A Kenyan aid worker working for an
international charity and his Pakistani
driver are missing, feared abducted in
flood-hit Naushahro Feroz district in
Sindh, police said on Monday.
Police official Saqib Ismail said the
Kenyan works for Care International and
that his car was found abandoned in
Naushahro Feroz on Sunday, about three
hours after he and his driver set out from
the town of Sukkur. Since then, there has
been no news of their whereabouts. Six
foreigners, four of them aid and
development workers, have already been
abducted since July in the country, where
US forces last year killed Osama bin
Laden and which stands on the frontline
of a Taliban insurgency. Javed Suharo
Jaskani, police chief of Naushahro Feroz
said a foreigner aged around 40 who had
been working in Pakistan for about a year
was missing. “He left (the town of)
Sukkur for Dadu (part of the floodaffected areas) yesterday and his car was
found abandoned at Naushahro Feroz,”
said Jaskani. “We believe local bandits
have kidnapped him for ransom,” Jaskani
said. Nothing appeared to have been
taken from the vehicle, with the
foreigner’s laptop and bag containing his
personal effects left behind, he added.
“We are hopeful he will be recovered,”
Jaskani told AFP by telephone. Osman
Ibrahim, Kenya’s acting high
commissioner to Pakistan, told AFP that
the mission was working to confirm
whether the foreigner is Kenyan.
ISlAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani talks to Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, who called on him at Prime Minister’s House on Monday. ONLINE
MOOn-SIGhtInG ROW
Senate body decides to draft
Ruet-e-Hilal Constitution
ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
In a bid to resolve the conflict on Ramadan and Shawal moon-sighting
among followers of different sects of
Islam, a sub-committee of the Senate
Standing Committee on Monday decided to draft a constitution for the
Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee which
had failed to do so since its establishment in 1974.
“Though the Central Ruet-e-Hilal
Committee was set up in 1974 under a
resolution passed by the National Assembly, no rules and regulations for
the functioning of the committee had
been drafted in writing. Finally, the
committee has decided to draft a constitution to streamline all matters of
the moon-sighting body. This will
help evolve a consensus between the
clerics of different sects over the
moon sighting for Ramadan and
Shawal,” Senator Dr Khalid Mahmood
Soomro, the convener of the committee, said.
He said the focus of the constitution would be to evolve consensus for
sighting of moon and to simplify the
fasting process besides celebrating
Eidul Fitr on same day across the
country.
The committee would hold talks
with the followers of various sects.
The first interaction in thies regard
would be held in Peshawar in which
prominent clerics from Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa would be invited to submit their recommendations to resolve
the issue amicably, he added.
“It is unfortunate to note that in
past 39 years, neither the ministry
nor the committees took any step to
remove flaws from the moon sighting
procedure being followed on verbal
directives of its central chairman,” he
added.
The committee members also
grilled the officials of the Ministry of
Religious Affairs, asking why had the
number of Ruet-e-Hilal Committee
members been increased from nine to
15. They also observed that most of
the Ruet-e-Hilal members were not
prominent clerics, which was a violation of the 1974 resolution passed by
parliament.
The members also objected to the
prolonged tenure of Central Ruet-eHilal Committee Chairman Mufti
Muneebur Rehman, who was presiding
for almost 12 years. “This is also a violation of the minitsry’s decision taken
in 1974 as under the law… a chairman
can be appointed for a period of three
years only,” Soomro said.
He said a questionnaire would be
prepared following the next meeting in
consultation with the clerics which
would be sent to the central, district
and zonal Ruet-e-Hilal committees,
heads of Wafaq-ul-Madaris and prominent religious leaders belonging to various schools of thought for their
suggestions.
“Following their proposals, a consensus draft of the constitution would
be prepared and sent to the concerned
quarters for its approval,” he said. Minister for Religious Affairs Khursheed
Shah and Mufti Rehman could not attend the meeting due to their other engagements.
Senator Zahid Khan also attended
the meeting besides Mufti Shahabuddin of Jamia Masjid Qasim Ali Khan,
Peshawar, Ministry of Religious Affairs
Secretary Shaukat Hayat Durrani, representatives of the Ministry of Science
and Technology and the Meteorological Department attended the meeting.
Shaukat Durrani said the Religious
Affairs Ministry only facilitated the
Ruet-e-Hilal committees in holding
meetings for moon sighting.
Two arrested
over 2011
Mumbai blasts
MUMBAI
AFP
Indian police on Monday said they had
arrested two people in connection with
triple blasts in Mumbai in July last
year which claimed 27 lives.
The two suspects from the eastern
state of Bihar are accused of taking
orders from the alleged mastermind
Yasin Bhatkal, who has not been
arrested, and aiding with the attacks
in two of the three locations.
“They were entrusted with the task of
collecting the explosives and
detonators used in the blast,”
Mumbai’s anti-terrorism police chief
Rakesh Maria told reporters, adding
that the financial trail to fund the
attack had also been detected.
The triple bomb blasts rocked
Mumbai’s packed gold and jewellery
quarter, a diamond trading hub and
the south central residential and
commercial district of Dadar.
No one has claimed responsibility for
the attack. Alleged mastermind
Bhatkal has been linked by police and
the local media in the past to the
Indian extremist outfit the Indian
Mujahideen, which claimed a series of
attacks across the country in 2008.
06 News
US and Afghan
officials flexible on
peace: Hizb-e-Islami
KHOST
REuTERS
SIAlKOT: A butcher sells meat in unhygienic conditions on Pasrur Road on Monday. ONLINE
Three criminals, two
Khasadar personnel
killed in Jamrud raid
JAMRUD
AKMAl QADRI
Hoti approves land for
university in Karak
KP chief minister says provincial govt following policy of generalising
higher education facilities across the province
g
At least two personnel of Khasadar Force
and three alleged criminals were killed
during a clash in Jamrud area of Khyber
Agency on Monday.
The killed personnel of Khasadar Force
included a naib subedar. Four people,
including two children, were also injured
as the security forces clashed with the
criminals involved in kidnapping for
ransom. Per reports, the Khasadar
Force, Peshawar Police and Frontier
Constabulary launched joint action
against criminals, especially those
involved in kidnappings for ransom. The
criminals offered a stiff resistance and
the clash continued for couple of hours.
The criminals also took hostage a police
officer, Rajab Ali, but the forces later
succeeded in freeing him. The officials
said that during the clash, two personnel
of Khasadar forces, Meer Maat Khan and
Yousaf, were killed, while four people,
including two children, were injured.
The officials confirmed killing three
criminals and arresting two others.
Meanwhile, four policemen were injured
in an Improvised Explosive Devise (IED)
blast targeting a police van in
Nowshehra on Monday.
PESHAWAR
K
STAFF REPORT
HYBER
Pakhtunkhwa
Chief Minister Ameer
Haidar Khan Hoti has approved the provision of
land for setting up of a
university in Karak and urged the federal government to undertake measures for realising the project.
The chief minister was chairing a
meeting at his office on Monday, in
which matters pertaining to two options – setting up of a sub-campus of
Kohat University of Science and Technology and a separate university –
were discussed in detail and the option
of a separate university was approved.
The chief minister said his government was following the policy of generalising higher education facilities in
every nook and corner of the province,
adding Abdul Wali Khan University in
Mardan and its sub-campuses in various districts proved the fact. He as-
sured provision of land for construction of the university in Karak and undertaking of the required legislation.
The meeting decided upon the location of the university. It was told that
purchase of the land would be provided
by the provincial government as well as
from the royalty of oil and gas equally.
As Karak has emerged as the oil
and gas producing zone of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, people from all over the
district have unanimously demanded a
separate university.
Hoti said people of Karak and associated districts would benefit from the
higher education facility and it would
help eradicate illiteracy from the area.
Meanwhile, chairing a separate
meeting regarding the Tanzeem Lissail
Wal-Mahrom, the CM stressed the extension of services of the organisation
to more needy people and directed the
adaptation of more effective and active
procedures in this regard.
Project Director Syed Kamran Shah
highlighted the purpose, administra-
Public holiday
in Peshawar on
Ghaffar’s anniversary
PESHAWAR
STAFF REPORT
tive structure, funding, goals, successes, expenses and other matters of
the organisation in detail.
India sails new nuclear submarine home
NEW DELHI
AFP
Indian navy personnel will take command of the
country’s first nuclear-powered submarine in two
decades on Monday after collecting the vessel near
the Russian port of Vladivostok, an official said.
Moscow offered the Russian-built Chakra II to
the Indian navy on a 10-year lease, a move that
has angered Pakistan. The Akula II class craft is
the first nuclear-powered submarine to be operated by India since it decommissioned its last Soviet-built vessel in 1991. “INS Chakra II is being
handed over to Indian personnel in the east, near
Vladivostok,” a senior navy source in India told
AFP, asking not to be named because Russia is to
formally announce the transfer. The 8,140-tonne
submarine, capable of firing a range of torpedoes
as well as nuclear-tipped Granat cruise missiles,
is to sail under the Indian flag to its base at
Visakhapatnam in the Bay of Bengal. India is currently completing the development of its own Ar-
ihant-class nuclear-powered ballistic submarines
and the Russian delivery is expected to help crews
train for the domestic boat’s introduction into
service next year.
The submarine was originally due to be
handed over to India in 2009 but has been hit by
various problems during testing. During trials in
the Sea of Japan in November 2008, 20 sailors
were killed when a fire extinguisher released a
deadly chemical that had been accidentally loaded
into the system. The INS Chakra was commissioned by India in 2004 and has seen the South
Asian giant pay $650 million in construction
costs. Earlier newspaper reports in India said New
Delhi may end up paying as much as $900 million
under the terms of the deal. Russia’s RIA Novosti
news agency valued the contract at $920 million.
Russia supplies 70 percent of India’s military
hardware but New Delhi has been unhappy about
delays to arms orders from Moscow and has
looked to other suppliers including Israel and the
US in recent years.
US and Afghan officials have shown
flexibility in secret talks with one of
Afghanistan’s most notorious insurgent
factions in the hope it will help end the
country’s long war, a negotiator for the
outlawed Hizb-e-Islami group said on
Monday. Ghairat Baheer, the son-in-law
of Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar,
told Reuters that he had in recent weeks
held exploratory talks with CIA director
David Petraeus, the former commander
of coalition forces in Afghanistan.
Despite Hekmatyar’s branding as a
“terrorist” by the US State Department
eight years ago for supporting Taliban
and al Qaeda attacks, Baheer said he had
also met face-to-face in the last three
weeks with US Ambassador Ryan Crocker
in Kabul, as well as current commander
of NATO forces in Afghanistan, US
General John Allen.
“We had exchanges of views with the
people and it was productive. We are fully
open to any peace efforts and our aim is
to bring peace and stability in
Afghanistan,” Baheer said by phone from
Pakistan. A spokesman for the US
embassy in Kabul declined to confirm any
American involvement in the talks.
“We have a broad range of contacts
across Afghanistan and the region to
support Afghan reconciliation efforts. I’m
not going to get into the details of those
contacts,” he said in response to Baheer’s
claims. The US has been holding
exploratory talks with the Taliban – seen
as the best chance of ending the war that
began with the US-led invasion of the
country 10 years ago - for more than a
year. Hizb-e-Islami, which means Islamic
Party, is a radical militant group which
shares some of the Taliban’s antiforeigner, anti-government aims, and has
widespread national support.
Hekmatyar, a former Afghan prime
minister, is a fierce rival of the Taliban’s
one-eyed leader Mullah Mohammad
Omar, and became a hero to many
Afghans while leading mujahideen
fighters against the Soviet occupation of
the country in the 1980s.
The Peshawar district coordination
officer (DCO) announced on Monday that
there will be a public holiday in the city
on January 26 on Pakhtun leader Khan
Abdul Ghaffar Khan alias Bacha Khan’s
24th death anniversary. To
commemorate Bacha Khan’s and Khan
Abdul Wali Khan’s death anniversary, the
Awami National Party (ANP) had
planned a public gathering at Shah
Tehmas Football Stadium in Shahi Bagh,
Peshawar on January 26.
Smoking thrills but kills
PAGe 08
City’s first parking
plaza now partially
functional
RAWALPINDI
APP
Public service vehicles’ stand (Suzuki
Stand) in Rawalpindi city’s first parking
plaza at Fawara Chowk in Raja Bazaar has
gone partially functional. However, the
whole project would be inaugurated by
Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif during
his visit to Rawalpindi on Feb 4. Construction and renovation work of the parking
plaza was completed recently as this initiative is going to mitigate the problems of the
motorists who visit the busiest bazaars of
the town. The Punjab chief minister had
taken keen interest for the construction of
the parking plaza to fulfil a long-standing
demand of the public. The parking plaza
has been constructed on 4.5 kanals land
and it will have total five stories and a
basement. It is located in the heart of the
city at the crossing of Liaquat and Jinnah
roads near Fawara Chowk.
Police foil
robbery bid
ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
ISlAMABAD: A beautiful view of a temple at Saidpur model village in the capital territory. ONLINE
US to help
boost Pakistan
agri exports
ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The US government launched a series of
workshops across Pakistan on Monday
to help increase Pakistan’s agricultural
exports.
The workshops will bring together Pakistani government representatives, private businessmen and farmers to
discuss international standards for agricultural exports and identify ways for
improved manufacturing, processing
and packaging of agricultural goods for
international markets.
These two-day workshops will take place
in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, and
Quetta, says a press release.
“Pakistan’s share in the world’s agricultural and food exports depends on its
ability to increase agricultural productivity, to identify strategic market opportunities, and to compete with other
suppliers,” said Dr Andrew Sisson, the
director of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission in
Pakistan.
“The U.S. Government is committed to
working with the people and government
of Pakistan to unleash Pakistan’s potential for agricultural export growth.”
Pakistan Agriculture Research Council
Senior Director Dr Azeem Khan, Trade
Development Council of Pakistan Director Omar Hameed and LKMR Technology
Consulting General Manager Haroon
Sharif of also spoke at the opening of the
Islamabad workshop.
Nearly two-thirds of Pakistan’s population is directly or indirectly linked with
agriculture for their livelihood. However, this sector currently accounts only
for 21 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. Similarly, agricultural
exports constitute less than 18 percent
of the country’s total exports. Pakistan’s
share in the top five import markets for
agricultural goods constitutes only 0.1
percent of these markets. These statistics suggest a tremendous potential for
growth, both in the agricultural production and in exports.
IMMInEnt PRIvAtISAtIOn
IESCO employees lock
head office in protest
ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
A
large number of Islamabad
Electric Supply Company
(IESCO) employees on Monday locked the head office of
the power distribution company in
protest against the expected privatisation of Water and Power Development
Authority (WAPDA) and induction of
private employees on high posts.
The workers serving in the twin
cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad
gathered in front of the head office and
recorded their protest against the government and IESCO Board of Directors
(BoD). Though, the government has assured the WAPDA employees that it has
no plan to privatise the institution but,
according to the employees, it has been
inducting private employees on senior
most posts in all DISCOs just to act
upon its plan of privatizing the
WAPDA. An office bearer of WAPDA
Hydro Electric Union Azmat Awan said
the government did not provide any
written assurance to them that it had no
plan of privatising the company. “Why
the government has been appointing
private officials on hefty salaries despite
the presence of compatible officers in
the company,” he said.
He feared that the government was
appointing private officials on contract
basis to privatise the WAPDA by deceiving regular employees. He said he
government had formed Board of Directors (BoD) of every DISCO just for
the sake of the political benefits.
Senior IESCO official Wajid Ali
Kazmi told Pakistan Today that the all
the members of BoD are not competitive and it was beyond thinking that the
people who had no knowledge of
WAPDA are making its decisions. He
said that the businessmen and politicians were included in BoD, which was
making political appointments in all
DISCO’s including IESCO.
The protestors said they had given
several chances to the government to
shelve the plan of privatising the power
units, adding that the government after
a demonstration a couple of months
ago had announced not to privatise
WAPDA, Lesco, PEPCO and other
power companies, but the private company secretary and consultant taxation
had now been appointed in a bid to
strengthen its position for privatise the
power units.
The IESCO workers also chanted
slogans against the government. They
also asked not to appoint a private CEO
of WAPDA and threatened to continue
their protests against appointments of
outsiders on hefty salaries and to shut
powerhouses all over the country.
The Sabzi Mandi police said on Monday
they foiled a robbery and arrested two dacoits who were trying to escape after
snatching money from a trader in sector I11. According to details, Jehangir Abbasi, a
trader, was coming to Sabzi Mandi from
Murree along with Mubashir Amin, truck
driver and conductor Shah Nawaz.
They were intercepted by two armed men
near a wheat warehouse and asked to drive
the truck toward a slum. The robbers then
snatched Rs. 3, 50,000 from the trader and
injured the truck driver A police team
headed by Sabzi Mandi police station SHO
Abid Ikram and including ASI Asif Hussain
Shah and other officials reached the scene
and cordoned off the area. Another police
patrolling team which was in the vicinity at
the time of the incident also came to assist
the Sabzi Mandi police. The policemen
managed to arrest the two dacoits, identified as Qaiser Mehmud and Asmat Ullah.
The looted cash, a pistol and a dagger were
also recovered from their possession.
HEROIN SEIzED: The city police on
Monday arrested four outlaws from various areas and seized 1.6 kilogram of
heroin, two 30-bore pistols and cash from
their possession. A police spokesman said
said the police nabbed two drug pushers,
Gul Zaman anad Raj Wali, during special
checking of the city and recovered 1.16kg
heroin and one 30-bore pistol from them.
In another raid, the CIA police nabbed a
dacoit, Kashif, and recovered one 30-bore
pistol from him while ASI Asif Hussain
Shah arrested a pickpocket and recovered
cash from him. Separately, Aabpara police
arrested two youngsters, Asad Latif and
Qasim Ali for their alleged involvement in
one-wheeling.
ITP introduces one-window operation for driving licences
ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) has
streamlined the process of obtaining
driving licences by introducing a onewindow operation at its office.
The one-window operation block
was formally inaugurated by Inspector
General of Police Bani Amin Khan on
Monday. SSP (Traffic) Dr Moeen Masood, SP (Traffic) Mirvais Niaz Khan, SP
(Sadar) Sajid Kiyani and other officers
were also present on the occasion.
The IGP said that utmost efforts
were being made to facilitate licence
seekers and the whole process had been
made easy through the one-window facility after opening a NADRA CNIC ver-
ification centre, NBP booth, blood test
and medical examination centre.
Bani Amin Khan said that fee was
deposited with the booth of the NBP
under the relevant head of accounts allocated by the Ministry of Finance,
adding this facility would be further upgraded for the convenience of the licence
applicants. He said all requirements
were being met under this new one-window licensing system and the process
would be further streamlined. He further said every possible effort would be
made to facilitate licence seekers.
Later, the IGP met with licence
seekers and sought their suggestions to
improve the system. He assured them
of taking every possible measure to facilitate them.
08 Islamabad
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PRAyeR TIMINGS
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CITy dIReCToRy
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eMeRGeNCy HelP
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Campaign kicks off to warn people of hazardous effects of tobacco use
World Cancer day to be observed on February 4
ISLAMABAD
PolICe eMeRGeNCy
AMBUlANCe
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BoMB dISPoSAl
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9250488
2827844
9270698
16
9262830
HoSPITAlS
MAHRooF INT
PIMS
Poly ClINIC
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SHIFA INTeRNATIoNAl
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UlTRASoNIC ClINIC
Holy FAMIly
2222920
9261170
9218300
9221334
4603666
4444435
5556311-14
2824862
9290319
Blood BANK
PIMS Blood BANK
Poly ClINIC Blood BANK
9261272
9209123
CoMPlAINT
WAPdA
SUI GAS
111-000-118
1199
RAIlWAyS
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117
9273614
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114
111-786-786
S
MAHTAB BASHIR
MOKING causes a slow death which kills
a person by damaging his internal organs one after another. Smokers not just
harm themselves, as they also affect
their co-workers, family members and
others surrounding them by smoking. Passive
smoking has now been directly linked with various
kinds of cancer.
Tobacco use continues to be the leading global
cause of preventable death. It kills nearly 6 million
people around the world and causes hundreds of billions of dollars of economic damage worldwide each
year.The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 84 million people will die of cancer between 2005 and 2015 without intervention.
Low-income and medium-income countries are bit
harder by cancer than the countries rich in resources. Tobacco in any form such as cigarettes, cigars and pipes are such a harmful thing that
everyone should get rid of it. The immediate effects
of over 4000 damaging chemicals including tar, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, metal, nitrogen
oxides, ammonia and several radioactive elements
can cause oral (mouth), throat and lung cancers besides heart diseases and mucous cough.
Right now, a large number of people are addicted to smoking and this ratio is increasing day by
day. According to a WHO report, “By the year 2030,
mortality from smoking related disease is expected
to rise 10 millions and over 70 percent of these
deaths will be in the developing countries like Pakistan where smoking is rising day by day.”
People, businesses, governments and non-profit
organisations will work together on ‘World Cancer
Day’ to be observed on February 4 to aware and help
the general public learn more about the different
types of cancer, how to watch for it, treatments and
preventative measures.
Shifa International Hospitals has already
launched a campaign to fight against cancer under
which a string of activities including hiking, walk,
soccer matches, and free resting and screening from
January 22 to February 6, with an aim to create
awareness among public about the disease. The
Charter of Paris designated February 4 each year as
World Cancer Day. The Union for International
Cancer Control (UICC) is responsible for coordinating World Cancer Day globally. It receives support
from various partners and organizations, including
the WHO, the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA), and other international bodies. The UICC
organised the first World Cancer Day in 2006.
According to the WHO report on “The Global
Tobacco Epidemic”, Warning about the Dangers of
Tobacco 2011”, most of these deaths occur in lowand middle-income countries, and this disparity is
expected to widen further over the next several
decades. If current trend continues, tobacco will kill
more than 8 million people worldwide each year by
2030, with 80 percent of these premature deaths
among people living in low and middle-income
countries. Over the course of the 21st century, tobacco use could kill a billion people or more, unless
urgent action is not taken. The WHO reports that
tobacco use is the second highest cause of deaths
globally after hypertension and is currently responsible for killing one in ten adults worldwide.
The death rate for oral cancer is higher than that
of cancers which we hear about routinely such as
cervical cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, laryngeal
cancer, cancer of the testes, and endocrine system
cancers such as thyroid, or skin cancer. It is not because of the fact that it is hard to discover or diagnose, but due to the cancer being routinely
discovered late in its development. According to National Institute of Health (NIH) report, more than
100,000 people in Pakistan die due to use of tobacco
while lungs, neck, heart and lungs related diseases
are also affecting the lives of youth because of excessive tobacco usage.
The report says 22 to 25 million people use tobacco in any kind and thus annually 82 billion cigarettes are consumed in the country on average.
According to the report, Pakistan is one of the
countries where the use of smokeless tobacco is a
culturally accepted habit. Studies from Karachi have
shown that 21 per cent of men and 12 per cent of
women use betel, for both men and women 7.3 percent use pan, 6.7 percent chalia, 7.5 percent gutka,
14.6 per cent naswar and use of chewed tobacco is
20 percent and 17 per cent respectively.
In Pakistan, tobacco use is not limited to cigarette smoking. Other common forms of tobacco include water-pipe tobacco (sheesha in modern form),
chewing tobacco and snuff. Over one-third of smokers are reported to use tobacco in other forms. Estimates show that nearly 25 per cent of adults smoke
in Pakistan whereas the number of male smokers is
about four times the number of female smokers.
The oncologists are of their views that tobacco
is not only resulting in lungs cancer but also causing
prostate, bladder and cancers in other reproductive
organs among males and females in the country.
They said quitting tobacco use, which include both
smoking and tobacco-chewing, could result in increase in the average lifespan. The oncologists
claimed that oral cancer is the most common disease among tobacco users. Other causes including
occupational hazards, pollution, obesity, inadequate
intake of fruit and vegetables and too much exposure could also result in causing other cancers.
Oral cancer is particularly dangerous because in
its early stages it may not be noticed by the patient,
as it can frequently prosper without producing pain
or symptoms they might readily recognise, and because it has a high risk of producing second, primary
tumours. Oral cancer is any abnormal growth and
nUMUn 12
spread of cells in the mouth or oral cavity, including
lips, tongue, inside of the lips and cheeks, hard
palate (roof of the mouth), floor of the mouth (under
the tongue), back of the throat, gums and teeth.
Oral cancers are diagnosed very late (Stage III
and IV) in Pakistan leading to dismal prognosis. It
needs not whether the patient is educated or not but
awareness about the symptom is the key to prevent
this deadly diseases. My brother, Moazzam Bashir,
who was serving as an additional commissioner of Income tax in FBR, was diagnosed with oral cancer in
2007 at 3rd stage and he disappeared to meet his
maker in January, 2008 after battling valiantly for
months against the noxious tentacles of squamous cell
carcinoma. Cancer can be treated in three ways: surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Moazzam went
through all these three treatments yet neither the
skills of surgeons nor the prayers of saints help him to
delay his transition from this world to another, mainly
because of lack of awareness and late diagnose.
Surgery is the art, practice or work of treating
tumor by operative procedures. Chemotherapy is
the treatment with drugs that kill cancer cells or
make them less active. Radiotherapy is the use of
high energy radiation to treat cancer. Out of these
three techniques radiotherapy is the cheapest and
most curative and palliative ways for various types
of cancer. Usually combined therapy is mostly implemented in certain types and stages of cancer.
Talking to Pakistan Today, Dr Kamran
Rasheed, a consultant oncologist, said there was an
immediate need for creating public and professional
awareness regarding the early signs and symptoms
of oral cancer so that patient present early and medical professionals diagnose oral cancers early.
Rasheed said excessive smoking and usage of gutka
in particular was the main cause of oral cancer and
stressed that the thousands of units preparing the
substance used in it must be exposed and banned.
The oncologist also warned against the chewing
of chalia imported from India, saying this too was a
very dangerous habit. He pointed out that by the
time patients come to a hospital, it is too late as they
have already contracted oral cancer. He also
stressed on the imposition of this ban all across the
country, adding that the spitting out of Gutka was
also causing environmental pollution.
Talking about the signs and symptoms of oral
cancer, he said sores in the mouth that do not heal
within 2 weeks, dark red or white patches in the
mouth, lumps located on the lips, tongue or neck,
bleeding in the mouth, and sore throat and difficulty
with swallowing are the symptoms of mouth cancer.
“There are many factors that can increase risk of developing oral cancer. If patient is over 40, he has
Human Papillomavirus (HPV), uses tobacco products, especially if combined with high alcohol consumption, regularly drink a lot of alcohol, are the
few of main causes of oral cancer or risk factors,” Dr
Rasheed concluded.
thE WAY
OUR LEGACY
ColleGeS / UNIVeRSITIeS
INTeRNATIoNAl ISlAMIC UNIVeRSITy 9260765
BAHRIA UNIVeRSITy
9260002
NUMl
9257677
QUAId-e-AzAM UNIVeRSITy
90642098
ARId AGRICUlTURe UNIVeRSITy
9290151
FJWU
9273235
RIPHA INTeRNATIoNAl UNIVeRSITy 111510510
NCA RAWAlPINdI
5770423
PUNJAB lAW ColleGe
4421347
dATe: JANUARy 26 — 29, 2012
VeNUe: NUST, H12 oPPoSITe To PolICe lINe
VeNUe: GAlleRy loUVRe
After two highly successful Intra-NUST
episodes, NUST now invites you to its first
ever All Pakistan event- NUMUN 2012. This
January, we'd like to welcome you here at H-12
and change all that you know about this place
for the better.
duo show, Gallery louvre Islamabad invites you to
“The Way” an exhibition of a unique art combination
by Tariq and Natalia Kakar. "The way" is showcasing
sculptures work by Tariq in different mediums of both
abstract and realistic figures while Natalia show casing
her abstract landscapes paintings
VeNUe: JHARoKA ART GAlleRy ISlAMABAd
our legacy – The history of Mughal empire
Water Color Paintings by MUHAMMAd SHAFIQ
Mr. TAQI SAdeGHI Cultural Council, Islamic
Republic of Iran will inaugurate the
exhibition
Islamabad 09
Hospital employees plan massive rally today
g
PIMS, Poly Clinic and NIRM staff will gather at Parade Avenue to press their demand of implementing old service structure under BPS system
ISLAMABAD
MAHTAB BASHIR
T
HE staff members including
doctors, nurses, paramedical
and clerical staff of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences
(PIMS), Poly Clinic and National Institute of Rehabilitative Medicine (NIRM)
have planned to stage a massive rally and
sit-in today (Tuesday) at Parade Avenue
(D-Chowk), which will be a part of their
ongoing strike against the non-implementation of the Basic Pay Scale (BPS)
system.
“As concerned authorities have failed
to pay a heed to our demands against implementation of Health Personnel Pay
Scale (HPS) announced in National Assembly, while over two weeks of protests
and sit-in by the staff of health institutions went unheard, the Joint Action
Committee (JAC) has decided to stage a
massive rally and sit-in on Tuesday,”
member JAC Raja Ilyas said while talking
to Pakistan Today.
Ilyas said the staff members of Capital Development Authority (CDA) and
people belonging to minorities would also
taken on board to stage a protest-cumsit-in. “Chaudhry Yasin of CDA and
Nobel Peace Prize nominee and former
federal minister Julius Salik will lead the
protest as over 80 percent of employees
of these health institutions are against
the implementation of new Health Personnel Pay Scale (HPS) package,” Ilyas
maintained.
He claimed that over 5,000 employees were expected to participate in the
protest to press their demands.
The JAC member, said it was ironic
that on the assurance of the government
officials, including federal minister Syed
Khursheed Shah, Senator Nayyer Bukhari
and Cabinet Secretary Nargis Sethi, that
they will do every effort not to implement
Health Personnel Pay Scale (HPS), but
the bill had been tabled in National Assembly.
“The non-medical staff along with
doctors, and nurses also rejected the new
HPS and preferred to remain in the old
service structure of BPS.
“They are demanding the service
structure for promotion to higher grade
for all non-medical gazetted and nongazetted staff as approved for paramedics
and nurses; existing pay scales with all
other rights under Civil Servants Act 1972,
instead of proposed HPS; payment of
salary out of voted budget (recurring
budget allocation) through AGPR as already adopted; all existing facilities, perks
and privileges as admissible from time to
time; and grant of monthly Hospital
(health) Risk Allowance equivalent to running basic pay,” Raja Ilyas further said.
He said till Monday (January 23) no
one from concerned authorities had
taken notice of two weeks strike while the
patients coming from far-flung areas continued to suffer. “It seems, government is
not willing to solve this issue and wants
to privatise these hospitals but the staff
would not let them do so,” he said.
Ilyas added that over 1800 Poly Clinic
employees were in favour of the BPS system, while118 favoured the HPS system.
He said the personnel would not quit
fighting for their legal rights. Ilyas said
further the PIMS and Polyclinic hospitals’
executive directors are also favouring the
PBS system.
Raja Ilyas said according to the law,
the Cabinet Division could not pass any
ordinance without consulting relevant organisations such as the Capital Adminis-
tration and Development Division
(CADD) or Islamabad Capital Territory
(ICT), but all these bodies had been bypassed “to serve some vested interests.”
Earlier on Monday, over 3000 medical and non-medical professionals of
PIMS, Poly Clinic and NIRM gathered at
Argentina Park, near Melody Market, for
a protest demonstration and chanted slogans in favour of their demands. On the
occasion, JAC decided to hold another
protest and sit-in in front of parliament
house on Tuesday as no breakthrough
has taken place.
On the occasion, All-Non-Medical
Health Employees Association President
Manzar Abbas Naqvi expressed serious
reservations over the unjustified distribution of power among the medical and
non-medical staff. “The influential status
of medical staff compelled us to go on
strike,” Naqvi said.
‘ANP democracy’s
biggest supporter’
ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Analysing the ongoing clash of the country’s institutions, speakers at a seminar
on Monday said the way the contradictions between the formal constitutional
structure and the actual practice of
democracy in Pakistan are resolved
would shape the future of democracy in
Pakistan.
Third World Solidarity Chairman Mushtaq Lashari, minority rights activist
Julius Salik, ANP Islamabad Wing President Malik Riaz Bangash and ANP activist Tahira Begum expressed their
views at a seminar ‘The Future of
Democracy in Pakistan’ organised by the
Third World Solidarity at the National
Press Club.
Lashari said: “The three features of Pakistan’s governance underlie the current
institutional instability and political
chaos. First the civil-military rivalry in
the process of governance, second the
government-judiciary stand-off in defining the constitutional limits of judicial
authority and executive power and third
the imperative of political parties to
stand united against any imminent military intervention.”
He added that within the constitution’s
formal structure the military is subordinate to the elected civilian authority.
However, the real power structure is one
in which the military has historically
dominated governance during most periods of civilian rule. Elected governments were removed from power by the
military, either through a military coup
or indirectly through manipulation politics and media. “Pakistan is a democracy
of two hundred million people. But the
common Pakistani has no say in the
country’s governance. The true spirit of
democracy cannot be observed in Pakistan and democratic norms have not
been allowed to thrive in the country,”
he stated.
Salik urged Lashari to contest the forthcoming elections to materialise his vision about a democratic Pakistan. He
said that the military had massacred
democracy and called upon the three
pillars of the state to not exceed their respective limits, adding that an uninterrupted democratic process was a
prerequisite to bringing the country out
of the crises faced by it.
Bangash said: “We believe in the supremacy of law. The repeated military
intervention did not allow democracy
and political culture to flourish in Pakistan.” He condemned the military’s
extra constitutional steps, saying they
eroded institutional stability. He said
the Awami National Party was democracy’s biggest supporter.
Tahir Begum said the aspiration for
freedom, human dignity, fraternity and
equality is deeply rooted in Pakistani
people and that the country’s depended
on providing its people health care, education, justice and freedom. She added
that the ongoing political chaos could be
resolved in a democratic way and the
military should remain in its defined
constitutional limits.
ISlAMABAD: Prime Minister’s Special Assistant and Focal Person on Polio Eradication Shahnaz Wazir Ali addresses a roundtable conference on polio at a local hotel. STAff PhOTO
PNCA and Lok Virsa: promoting
art and culture or corruption?
g
Institutes granting irregular extensions to retired subordinates
ISLAMABAD
MAHTAB BASHIR
The Pakistan National Council of the
Arts (PNCA) and Lok Virsa are allegedly
involved in administrative malfunctioning.
Defying all rules and even a Supreme
Court warning that granting extensions
or re-appointing officials would be punishable, the PNCA director general
Tauqir Nasir and Lok Virsa executive director Khalid Javed have been granted
extensions following their retirement on
a contract basis without any prior approval of the Ministry of National Heritage and Integration or any other
department concerned.
Pakistan Today collected official
documents from both offices and found
a number of similarities regarding administrative irregularities in both the
cultural organisations.
The chiefs of both organizations
were granted a two-year extension at the
end of 2011 and both have re-hired retired personnel in their offices without
prior permissions.
The employees of both the organisa-
tions retire at the government appointed
age of 60, but make efforts for their reappointment. It is speculated Nasir was
granted an extension as he belonged to
southern Punjab-Prime Minister Yousuf
Raza Gilani’s native area.
Hassan Abbas Raza, who has been
working as a performing arts division director and receives Rs 60,000 in
monthly salary, retired on November 18,
2011 but the PNCA DG moved a summary for his extension to the Ministry of
National Heritage and Integration secretary. Similarly, in Lok Virsa, administration and accounts director Shamim
Akhtar’s service tenure expired in December 2011 but he continues to hold the
post after being re-appointed by Khalid
Javed. Several PNCA deputy directors
and directors’ posts are vacant but the
administration has failed to advertise for
them. Meanwhile, the re-appointment of
retired officers has been the norm for
several years.
According to sources many PNCA
employees have been reappointed, including Major (retd) Owais as a project
officer, Agha Sehar Tanvir as Light and
Sound incharge, Zarqa Chaudhary as a
dance teacher for National Performing
Arts Group (NPGA) and Muhammad
Shahid as a transport officer.
The Lok Virsa retired officials include Saeed A Khan who has been reappointed against the regular post of
director development sales in (BPS-19),
Salik Mehmood reappointed as project
accountant, Zobia Sultana as deputy director, Naseemullah Rashid as media
centre director and Azeem Iqbal as museum designer.
The PNCA and Lok Virsa staff said
favouritism was a norm since senior officials like PNCA research officer Amber
Shah and Lok Virsa programme executive (publications) Muhammad Ali have
not been promoted despite being due for
promotions.
PNCA junior photographer Ishtiaq
Hussain, acting publication officer
Anjum Sajjad Gohar, publication officer/ designer Sobia Rehman, and publication officer/designer Tanveer
Akhtar filed a joint petition in Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the outof-turn promotions of two females from
their basic pay scale (BPS) 16 to BPS17, on March 14, 2011.
Talking to Pakistan Today, Khalid
Javed while talking about the illegal extension of Shamim Akhtar, said the National Heritage and Integration secretary
gave directions for the reappointment.
When asked about Zobia Sultana, who
was transferred to Pakistan Academy of
Letters (PAL), and is now getting salary
from the both offices, Javed admitted
she has been transferred to PAL but was
also working for an ongoing PNCA research project. “This is the government’s
decision,” he said.
He said the employees were re-hired
because of their expertise on an assignment basis. “We gave them assignments
in their respective fields, and they are
being paid for it,” Javed said.
PNCA Director General Tauqir Nasir
when contacted about his statement on
the matter, he did not receive the call.
When asked why PNCA does not advertise for the vacant posts, Hassan
Abbas Raza said the government has put
a complete ban on new hiring and recruitment. “Yes, there are a lot of vacant
posts these days, and as soon as ban on
recruitment is lifted, new recruitments
will be made,” he said.
10 Islamabad
College teachers
mulling series
of protests for
promotions
ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The teachers of the federal government
colleges who have been waiting for their
promotions for the last one year have
planned a massive rally and protest as
the Capital Administration and Development Division is paying no heed to promote them in line with Prime Minister
Yousaf Raza Gilani’s directives.
The prime minister announced to upgrade the teachers on October 8, 2010.
Later, the Capital Administration and
Development Division (CAAD) issued a
notification for the promotions of teachers through time-scale formula and notified that the teachers would be given
promotions after the departmental promotion committees’ meetings. Only
schoolteachers were have, however,
been promoted so far.
Talking to Pakistan Today, Professor
Tahir Mahmood of H/8 College said
“The college teachers are still uncertain
about their promotions, which looks like
a dream. The CAAD officer concerned is
delaying the matter on several pretexts.”
The teachers’ community held weekslong protests, including boycott of
classes. According to the CADD notification, the teachers having experience of
five years will be promoted from BS-16
to 17 while those with an experience of
five years in BS-17 and 10 years in BS-16
and BS-17 will be promoted to BS-18.
The teachers having experience of seven
years in BS-18 or 12 years in BS-17 and
BS-18 will be promoted to BS-19 while
others with seven years experience in
BS-19 or 19 years in BS-17 and above
will be promoted to BS-20. The teachers
having five-year experience in BS-20 or
24 years in BS-17 and above will be promoted to BS-21.
The promotion of teachers was a part of
the package announced by the prime
minister on October 8, 2010.
Professor Tahir said that whenever the
teachers contacted the CAAD officer
dealing with the matter, he told every
one that a notification was being issued
shortly. Another college teacher, Yasmeen Bukhari, said that due to delay in
promotions anxiety was mounting
among the teachers’ community. She
said the teachers were mulling to hold a
series of protests against delay in their
promotions.
ISlAMABAD: CDA gardeners busy planting saplings in the greenbelt of 9th Avenue. STAff PhOTO
Training for ORIC’s staff begins at NUST
ISLAMABAD
T
STAFF REPORT
HE Higher Education Commission (HEC), in collaboration with the British Council,
launched on Monday a fiveday capacity-building programme for the staff of the Offices of
Research, Innovation and Commercialisation (ORIC) of 14 universities.
As many as 45 directors and
mangers of universities across the country are attending the training being held
at the National University of Sciences
and Technology (NUST), Islamabad.
NUST Rector Engr Muhammad Asghar
and Dr Nils Tomes, director, Education
for South Asia, British Council, chaired
the opening ceremony.
The purpose of the programme is to
train the managers of ORIC to run these
offices effectively and efficiently. The
HEC aims to develop and sustain a dynamic and internationally competitive
research sector in Pakistani universities
that make a major contribution to the
community, economic prosperity, national wellbeing and the expansion and
dissemination of knowledge. Establish-
ment of ORIC at the universities is a step
towards achieving this goal.
Speaking on the occasion, the rector
thanked the HEC and the British Council
for providing NUST with the opportunity
to host the training. He highlighted the
role of the universities and the steps taken
by his university for accomplishment of
these goals. Dr Tomes told the participants that the British Council was keen to
contribute and support the HEC in its role
for promotion of higher education and
knowledge exchange in Pakistan.
In her welcome remarks, HEC
(R&D) Deputy Director Noshaba Awais
highlighted the new role of the universities and its impact on leadership, community and economy. She said research
and development, and knowledge economy were the only solution to development and prosperity of the country.
“Promotion of research is one of the
core strategic aims of the HEC. Through
the programme and the initiatives
launched by the HEC for strengthening
research and the process of knowledge
creation, the quality and research output
emanating from the universities and institutions in the country had shown
tremendous improvements,” she said.
SOME LIGht MOMEntS
Underprivileged children
enjoy ‘Rio’ at local theatre
RAWALPINDI
MAHTAB BASHIR
The joy and ecstasy could be felt over
the innocent faces of 1,000 boys and
girls living in the orphan houses in the
Rawalpindi and Islamabad when they
visited a theatre for the first time in
their life on Monday afternoon at Shaheen Cinema Rawalpindi.
A non-profit organisation Bardasht
arranged the programme in collaboration with the Central Film Censor
Board, Shaheen Cinema, Coca Cola and
Savour Foods.
The popular animated film ‘Rio’
was screened specially at the cinema
for the special guests from the Anjuman Faizul Islam, SOS Children Village, Ashiana, Saba Homes, Sweet
Homes and some other organisations.
The 3-D animated adventure ‘RioThe Movie’ was premiered in Pakistan
about a year back and became hotfavourite for the children of all ages,
said Senator Nilofar Bakhtiar.
“Since then I was planning to
arrange a special screening of the film
for the special guests. However, it was
delayed due to unclear political situa-
tion in the country over the year.”
Nilofar Bakhtiar, who is also the
chairperson of Bardasht, was very
happy to see all smiles on the faces of
her ‘special guests’. “Rare are the moments when I genuinely feel happy.
Today is the one. The glittering faces
reflect the sheer joy these children have
had, surely for the first time. I wish I
could arrange the special screening of
the children-movies for these unprivileged ones that our children enjoy on
DVDs at home-theatres.
“Rio-The Movie” is a Twentieth
Century Fox’s animation venture from
the Blue Sky Studios, the makers of the
super-hit animation film for children
Ice Age. The Rio is a comedy adventure
about taking a walk on the wild side.
Anne Hathaway, Jamie Foxx, and Jesse
Eisenberg voice birds in familyfriendly, G-rated animated comedy.
It is set in the wonderful city of Rio
de Janeiro as well as the incomparable
rainforest of Brazil; the humorous journey focuses on Blu (a parrot), an infrequent macaw who believes that he is the
only remaining of his type. When Blu
finds out there is another - and that the
other one is a female, Blu foliage the
luxuries of his cage in very small town
Minnesota and moves to Rio. But it is
far away from love at first sight among
the tamed and flight inhibited Blu and
the very self-sufficient, highflying feminine, Jewel. Suddenly chucked with
each other, they begin a journey of a life
span, where analyse friendship, adore,
daring and becoming offered to life’s
numerous wonders. Barrister Shahnwaz Noon, the General Secretary of the
Bardasht said, “We need to groom the
unprivileged children to make theme
active citizens for the society. It is our
common responsibility to share the best
with them including our time, and what
we like for our children.”
Several children while talking to this
scribe paid tanks to the organisers for
affording them the opportunity to watch
the film on the big screen in cinema.
Children of the SOS Village said, “It was
out firm time to the cinema, and perhaps, the last one.” Many of the children
said no one cares about their outdoor
activities. A girl child of the Saba Homes
said “we should be taken to hiking and
outdoor adventures as well as for several
other activities including visit to galleries and museums and parks.”
Editor’s mail 11
defying the rules
Sanctity of the court
Schools all around the world are entrusted with the responsibility of teaching the children manners and instilling in
them the characteristics of obeying rules,
especially state rules. I have studied in
four countries and can recall 10 schools
that I have attended and in all those
places the schools taught patriotism and
instilled in us the characteristics of obeying rules.
This mindset of schools can be attributed to the direct success and progress of
the countries. We can see India, a nation
that will soon become a superpower, has
a population of a billion patriotic people
that are ready to do anything for the
progress of the schools. The school system there teaches the children the importance of obeying rules be it bad or good,
and makes them love their country.
However, the schooling system in our
beloved country Pakistan has become a
victim of social disparity that exists in
our society.
The majority of the public schools
here portray an empty look with students
or teachers being absent on a consistent
basis, and we have private schools with
lots of students and teachers but they
teach nothing substantive to help them
become better citizens.
The private schools here often have
well connected sources to have influence
over the local authorities to expand their
school and defy the rule at their convenience.
One such school that has been at its
zenith in terms of defying the rule has
been a new private A-levels school in the
posh area of DHA, Karachi. This school
has been able to host a multitude of extracurricular activities ranging from a
fashion show in an Islamic country involving students to holding concerts in
its vicinity which is in the midst of a residential area.
The school has sort of captured and
taken over the whole area. The residents
around the school have become helpless
with the local authorities being incapable
of stopping the school’s activities in any
way. The school in the name of security
has barred cars from being parked in
front of the houses irrespective of the
cars being of the guests coming to visit
the houses nearby.
The school does not even respect the
notices of the government. It stays open
even on the days the government has announced a public holiday, be it Shah
Abdul Latif’s Urs or Begum Nusrat Bhuttos’ funeral, the school stays open. The
school may be good in imparting knowledge to its students but the regular defiance of state rules and laws does not give
a good impression to the kids. In a country already short of patriotism, such acts
can further the problems for the government.
Schools are there to play a dual role,
impart knowledge and make the children
better citizens, and if the school itself is
defying rules, we can imagine what the
children would do.
AFFAN
Karachi
Too late
Arfa Karim Randhawa, the world’s
youngest Microsoft Certified Professional
from Pakistan, has left for heavenly
abode. May God rest her soul in peace!
After almost two weeks of her death, our
political leaders, including Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, found time to go
to Arfa’s house to pay condolences to her
parents. The government has announced
a commemorative postal stamp in memory of Arfa. PM Gilani has said that the
government was considering awarding
late Arfa the highest civilian award.
All this is nothing but an eyewash.
These statements are nothing more than
adding insult to injury of Arfa’s parents.
Where were these politicians when Arfa
was struggling for her life in a hospital
and that Bill Gates had to come to her
rescue? Pakistan has a history of awarding recognition to its heroes after their
deaths.
Geniuses like Arfa are born in centuries and don’t need commemorative
stamps and civilian awards for recognition. Arfa was a star that will keep shining in the sky and the world will watch
and remember her. Bill Gates rightly
said: “Today is the black day of my life
and same for Pakistan because I lost my
princess colleague and Pakistan lost her
Pakistani.”
We salute you, Arfa.
M RAFIQUE ZAKARIA
Karachi
The new Food Street
The new Food Street in Lahore on
Fort Road is very beautiful and an attractive spot for tourist from all over the
world. But the thing that is worrisome is
that the PML(N)-led Punjab government
has demolished two old Food Streets,
launched by the previous government,
only for a political score and so that Chief
Minister Punjab Mian Shehbaz Sharif
could say that this is his Food Street.
What a political hypocrisy and complete waste of already established resources of revenue, tourism and
entertainment.
MUBASHIR MAHMOOD
Karachi
The sanctity of the Supreme Court of
Pakistan was violated by few lawyers,
who raised slogans within premises of
the court.
These men had no business to be
there, nor can they deny to Aitzaz the honour and prestige he has earned for himself by standing up to a military dictator,
when many others were quietly going
around their business appearing before
Dogar courts and being handsomely rewarded for such services. It was Aitzaz
who dared to defend Mukhtaran Mai, a
poor woman raped and humiliated by a
tribal jirga.
Every citizen of Pakistan has a right
to be represented by a lawyer of his
choice. Those who are raising issues of
morality questioning Aitzaz for defending this government tainted with allegations of corruption, had no hesitation to
take up cases defending others, who had
defrauded national exchequer.
The sanctity of Supreme Court was
also violated by a handful of jiyalas who
managed to squeeze in and chant slogans, as it was grossly violated previously
by a fake PhD holding controversial
lawyer, responsible for pitting this
regime on confrontational path with superior judiciary.
If these lawyers’ group who raised
slogans against Aitzaz have no political
motives then they must be seen defending common citizens who cannot afford
to hire their services, although they have
been denied their rights by state organisations or powerful feudal and traders. It
is time the Supreme Court delivers justice to people of Pakistan, instead of
being entangled in technicalities, since it
alone has jurisdiction to do so and set
precedents for other courts to follow.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
Street lights
The king and his subjects
On 19 January, 2012, when our PM appeared in the
Supreme Court to defend his case, more than 70 ministers,
chief ministers of all provinces and big shots of all the coalition
parties accompanied him.
If someone could calculate the expenditures and wastage of
money that they did when by appearing in the court with pomp
and glory, one could easily see that they have done no favour to
the public; instead, they have just made a mockery of them.
They wasted financial resources, time which they were supposed to use in solving the problems facing the public, fuel,
electricity, human resources and many other things. Our representatives must feel ashamed of their behaviour; people of this
country do not even have fuel, electricity, bread and basic necessities of life while they go n wasting them without any care.
ZAHID RASHID
Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir
Following in Asma's footsteps
The Supreme Court summoned
Prime Minister of Pakistan Syed Yousuf
Raza Gilani on 19 January in a contempt of court case. Barrister Chaudhry
Aitzaz Ahsan was the counsel for PM
Gilani to represent him in contempt
case.
It appears that Chaudhry Aitzaz
Ahsan has decided to follow in the footsteps of Asma Jehangir who was ap-
pointed as counsel to represent Pakistan's ambassador to United Sates Husain Haqqani in Memogate scandal.
Despite knowing that evidence collected so far against Husain Haqqani
carried weight, she decided to represent him and finally ended vomiting
venom against the judiciary.
People like Aitzaz Ahsan and Asma
Jehangir are respected not only in Pak-
istan but elsewhere in the world for
their professionalism and honesty.
Why they agree to represent in
cases of mass corruption of the government is anybody's guess. Sooner or
later, Aitazaz Ahsan will meet the same
fate as that of Asma Jehangir’s. Let’s
wait and watch.
M RAFIQUE ZAKARIA
Karachi
Apart from the energy crisis in the
country it surprising to see bright street
lights turned on during the day hours. At
one hand, we are ready to come to streets
for the unscheduled loadshedding
whereas on the other hand we never
bother to close the street lights during
the morning hours when they are not
needed.
There are many areas where these
lights remain turned on all day, like the
DHA. Neither the people living here realise their responsibility to look after the
street lights nor the management of DHA
care to monitor them.
A small act of responsibility can
bring change to the people facing distress, you never know.
RIZWAN JAMIL JAFFERY
Karachi
Send your letters to:
Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today,
4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan
Fax: +92-42-36298302
E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk
Letters may be edited for length and clarity.
It would be appreciated if letters were addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively.
Re-engaging with America
By Sajjad Malik
P
akistan is trying to redefine
the terms of engagements
with the US after last year’s
devastating NATO air attack at a
border outpost in Mohmand tribal
agency, killing 24 servicemen. The
Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) tasked to
set the guidelines for future relations with the sole superpower has
finalised a list of 35 recommendations, which will be implemented
as baseline for ties with America
after formal approval by the parliament in a joint sitting.
The process adopted for
thrashing out the policy principles
for reengaging with the US are of
immense political importance for
Pakistan. It started when the government convened a two-day
Envoy Conference in Islamabad in
December. Senior military officials
like ISI chief Lieutenant General
Ahmad Shujaa Pasha also participated in it. The recommendations
of the conference were sent to the
PCNS, where all parties sitting in
the parliament are represented, for
in-depth discussion. It was for the
first time in the recent decades
that elected representatives were
involved to formulate the foreign
policy which was considered an exclusive domain of the armed forces
and the intelligence agencies.
Though, different stakeholders,
like security institutions, were
given a chance to provide input
and later they also got an opportunity to discuss it during the meeting of Defence Committee of
Cabinet (DCC), they were not essentially the sole arbiter of what
should be included or excluded. If
taken to its logical end, as it appears that the government will ensure, we will have a truly
home-made recipe for our ailing
ties with Washington.
We do not know at this point
in details about the final contours
of the recommendations but the
most important aspect of the new
policy is its emphasis on openness
and transparency in relations,
based on written agreements, contrary to past practices of secret and
verbal understandings which the
US officials loved to forge with
Pakistani dictators. Lack of documented proof about the nature of
cooperation in post-9/11 era with
the United States created a lot of
troubles for Pakistan. In the name
of security the government of military ruler Pervez Musharraf allowed the foreign powers to violate
the sovereignty of Pakistan, creating serious security issues due to
presence of CIA contractors and
nobody had a clue as how to control them.
The committee has also reportedly proposed that new revised tariffs should be imposed on
the NATO containers carrying supplies for Western troops fighting
Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants in
Afghanistan. The supplies were
suspended after Mohmand incident and the government has refused to reopen the route despite
direct and indirect pressure until
the new policy is approved by the
parliament. The seriousness can
be judged from the fact that the
government refused to receive AfPak envoy Marc Grossman, saying
it was still reviewing the policy towards the US. Earlier, the military
leadership showed clear reluctance
to meet senior US military official
who wanted to visit Pakistan. They
even declined to get a briefing
from the US side about a probe
into the attack.
There are also reports that the
new policy has asked for complete
cessation of drone attacks as they
are considered as the most prominent symbol of violation of na-
tional sovereignty. But this recommendation needs re-evaluation
about their efficacy after reports
that Taliban chief Hakeemullah
might have been killed in one of
the two drone attacks carried out
in North Waziristan after Pakistan
asked US to vacate the Shamsi
airstrip, supposedly used to fly
drone missions in tribal areas.
There are also unconfirmed reports that one of important AlQaeda leaders was also among
those targeted by drones on January 10. Interestingly, no statement
against these drone attacks was issued either by the government or
the military.
Though, the drone attacks
have become an emotive issue,
courtesy of a ceaseless campaign
by the religious right, believed to
be sympathetic to Islamic militants, but the government should
consider its impediments to strike
at the heart of militants near
Afghan border before standing
against the strikes. It would be better to work out a formula to use
drones as the last resort to take on
militants considered out of reach
of our armed forces. Any such attacks should be based on mutual
agreements and there should be
clarity about the targets and objectives.
Pakistan desires that the future relation with Washington
should be based on "mutual respect" and should be conducted in
cooperative atmosphere which
should be beneficial for both nations. The government may not be
able to entirely end the "relationship of a client state" but the re-engagements will not be based on the
presumptions of Musharraf era. As
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani
told CNN in an interview after the
attack: “Business as usual will not
be there, therefore we have to have
something bigger so as to satisfy
my nation, the entire country.”
The writer is an Islamabadbased senior journalist working
for an international newswire
and a PhD scholar at NDU.
12 Comment
Preposterous demands
does Mansoor Ijaz deserve it?
I
t is highly irksome to continue to comment on the
preposterous demands of an ordinary American
citizen, declared as such by the US embassy in
Pakistan which has declined to provide him any
security. For anyone with courage of conviction that he
pretends to possess, Ijaz should have been content with
the type of security promised by the interior minister.
The issue has highly significant political implications. In
case Ijaz’s unreasonable plea is accepted, this would raise
several disturbing question. Many will question why no
army battalion was detailed to secure the life of Benazir
Bhutto, twice Prime Minister of Pakistan? There is need
on the part of the tribunal also to ponder over the matter.
Several leaders of the PPP and ANP are on the declared
hit list of the militants. The army has never been asked to
provide them security, nor has it ever considered offering
them the service. Judges sentencing terrorist leaders and
bosses of criminal gangs have a stronger case for military
protection. Pakistan army doesn’t have enough
battalions to look after each and every deserving case.
Once the precedent is set, the courts would find it hard to
adjudicate the cases filed by so many genuine applicants
in need of special security.
While a TV channel has reported the arrival of Ijaz in
Dubai, his counsel has said he has been advised not to
come to Pakistan in the absence of proper security and
the fear that he might be detained in the country. The
Parliamentary Committee on National Security has
directed Ijaz to send his statement and present himself
before the body. This was quite appropriate because the
prestigious committee is also probing the issue of the
memo. What is wrong with putting Ijaz on the ECL till he
presented himself before the prestigious parliamentary
committee?
The Defence Committee of Cabinet is meeting today
with the memo case as one of the items on its agenda. It
is time the committee looks into the grievous
implications of providing the type of guarantees being
sought by a foreign citizen with a seedy reputation.
Value-chain issues
A lack of structural development policies and practices
By Dr Faisal Bari
P
akistan is the fourth or fifth largest
producer of milk in the world. Yet,
we import powdered milk and face
milk shortages, while we only
process a small fraction, some estimates put it as low as four percent or so, of the
milk we produce in the country. Should we
not have been self-sufficient, if not exporters
of milk? Is there a problem somewhere and
why are markets and/or governments not able
to resolve the problems?
Pakistan produces, according to the billboards on the Motorway, some of the best citrus of the world, and though the world market
for orange juice is very large, even for frozen
or powdered concentrate, yet we do not figure
in any appreciable way in this market. We
have some of the best mangoes in the world,
and while we export some mangoes, the export is not even near where our potential puts
us. We have the perfect land for producing
some of the best tomatoes and potatoes that
can be, and the demand for both, or derivative
products, is very large. But we have not been
able to develop these markets either. We have
some of the best rice in the world, and we do
export quite a bit of rice, but we do not get the
price of a brand name or export the volume
we could.
There have been a number of large and/or
multinational players in the milk market for a
fair number of years in Pakistan now. And
these players have made efforts to raise milk
from certain areas of the country, but the fact
remains that despite the efforts of these companies, we still have the bulk of milk production remaining un-processed and milk
market, by and large, remains fragmented and
local. Milk being unprocessed, perishable and
bulky to transport, the market cannot be but
local.
Some of the issues in milk sector are clear.
People usually have a few animals each so that
milk production is not concentrated and milk
collection has to take place over a geographic
spread and from many suppliers. This means
transportation and storage costs. We need ve-
The right’s wrongs
Votes mean something
I
n the heyday of Taliban rule in Swat, Sufi
Muhammad, the obscurant-in-chief of the TNSM,
addressed a large gathering at the Grassy Ground.
He said that the present political system – he did
not mean just the political parties but the system of
representative democracy itself – was anti-Islamic and
was the calling of infidels. This was a little too much,
even for the JI. Even though the latter had been, till then,
vocal in support of the TNSM, this shot at anyone
participating in the democratic process was too big a slur
to let slide by. JI Amir Munawwar Hassan, not otherwise
known for his sense of humour, quipped that this meant
Sufi Muhammad – who had once contested,
unsuccessfully, for the berth of a councillor – was a bit of
an infidel himself.
It was heartening to know how parties as right wing
as the JI accepted their place in the positive framework
of the state and considered any swipe at the political
class as a whole as an aspersion on their own character.
Any celebration of that seems to have been unfounded if
one were present at the Difa-e-Pakistan rally in
Rawalpindi the other day. JI Amir Munawwar Hasan
talked about how the political process can only bring
about some cosmetic changes in the lives of people; that
the real deal is a full-on revolution. The Amir, along with
several other leaders of the far right, threatened to lay
siege to the parliament were the government to reverse
its decision on the closure of the Nato supply routes.
Till press-time, this was a democracy and there is no
way a non-representative body like the DFC could
determine national policy through high-handed armtwisting. Parties like the Jamaat might be able to bring
out an impressive rally or two but fall short of getting any
representation in parliament. They have to respect that.
Whatever one might make of the 2002 elections, it gave
the Jamaat its first share of political power in the staterecognised framework sense. One would have thought
that experience would have strengthened the party’s
resolve in the political process.
True, democracy also means freedom of speech and
the lot at the DFC exercised theirs. But the media, ever
ready to pounce on centrist and centre-left parties,
should question the anti-people stance of these parties
with an equal, if not greater, vigour.
Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami
Arif Nizami
Editor
Lahore – Ph: 042-36298305-10 Fax: 042-36298302
Karachi – Ph: 021-34330811-3 Fax: 021-34330900
Islamabad – Ph: 051-2287414-6 Fax: 051-2287417
Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk
hicles in which milk can be collected and kept
safely for sometime and we need chillers in
rural areas where collections from the area
can be kept. These vehicles and chillers need
to have basic facilities for checking quality of
milk and the people operating them need
skills as well.
In some places where milk availability
density is high, it is possible for milk companies to either set up their own collection systems and chillers, or they can do longer term
contracting with a local person to set up the
system for the company (given weak property
rights and even weaker enforcement, this option will be problematic in Pakistan) but in
areas where collection is thinner, setting up a
chiller and collection mechanism, in the hope
that better prices will eventually elicit a supply
response of more production, requires an initial investment which companies might find
difficult to do but have a public good element
and the local governments could consider.
There are other issues in the milk market
that might require state attention as well. In
areas where milk companies are working, they
do provide support to farmers on animal husbandry: it is in their interest to do so to ensure
a certain quality and quantity of milk. But they
would have little or no interest in extending
the services to other areas or people who are
not dealing with the companies as potential or
actual suppliers. Furthermore, some areas,
such as availability of proper feed, knowledge
on breeding and stock management, and veterinary services, especially inoculation and
disease prevention services, require state provision also as there are public good and sunk
cost elements here too.
Do these issues explain the relative lack of
development of the milk sector in the country? The gains from having a more developed
milk sector are clear: in terms of higher incomes for cattle farmers and for the rural population, more jobs in rural areas, higher milk
supplies for the entire population, especially
the urban dwellers, higher profits for the corporate sector, possible exportable surplus or
at least reduction in imports, and higher
growth and income for the country overall. If
it is issues given above and/or similar issues
that are holding the sector back, why have the
milk companies, in collaboration with
SMEDA and other concerned/responsible
bodies not been able to resolve them?
The saddest part is that the basic ingredients and the potential is all there, and all can
see it and appreciate it as we keep hearing of
the impending ‘white revolution’, but it has
not happened for the last many years.
In fruit export, we see similar issues. Fruit
exports require cold chains and on-time delivery, they need good quality assurance, grading
and certification mechanisms, and we need to
ensure compliance with importing country’s
regulations regarding pesticide use and other
practices. But all of these have been done, in
pockets, by other developing countries too.
Why has it been so hard for us to do it? Similarly, the juice markets have not developed, almost at all. There are many juice producers
and retailers in Pakistan but most of them,
barring a couple, are small. And even the
larger ones, with locally known brand names,
have not been able to break into the mainstream export markets. Where are the bottlenecks in this industry? Some years back the
Ministry of Industries had undertaken valuechain studies in a number of industries. These
studies, if completed, must have identified the
bottlenecks. Why has the state/government
been unable to address them?
We have talked most of those agri-product
areas here which seem to have a lot of untapped potential and about whom we know
quite a bit already. In these areas, it is not a
question of ‘developing’ comparative advantage as that seems to be already present. But
if we still cannot break into export markets in
these products, it should be of major concern
to the finance and industries ministries at federal as well as provincial levels. And given the
state of the economy there should be a sense
of urgency in dealing with such issues.
Last, but not least, I do want to mention
another topic. But I will come back to it another day. There are some large consortiums
that have recently started operating in Pakistan, for buying the crop straight from the
farm and eliminating the middleman. The
governments need to see that these companies do not rip the farmers of their profits
through fine print on legal documents and
also that such export be regulated properly in
order to calculate local demand, so that shortages do not result.
Large multinationals are also pushing for
genetically modified seeds to be used in Pakistan. The industrialised world, especially European Union and Canada, have very
stringent rules against GMO crops. Government regulators need to ensure that the foreign consortiums together with local partners
do not introduce genetically modified crops,
because not only will it be counterproductive
for our exports in the long run, they will also
compromise the quality of crops grown by
sustainable farmers and be ruinous for our
environment.
The writer is an Associate Professor of
Economics at LUMS (currently on leave) and
a Senior Advisor at Open Society Foundation
(OSF).
He
can
be
reached
at
fbari@sorosny.org
Not a meek coach
Conidering how he has formulated a winning team
By Ahmed Yusuf
T
actical nous seems to be underrated, or at least not talked
about as much, in cricket. Perhaps even more underrated is the
ability to man-manage. Tomorrow
might be the second last Test
Mohsin Hasan Khan will coach
Team Misbah in Tests, but for the
time he’s spent in the dressing room,
Pakistan is grateful to Khan.
Pakistan has traditionally
worked well with strong captains,
who in turn have advised the board
on the selection of the coach. The appointments of Richard Pybus and
Geoff Lawson were both made on
recommendations of the captains of
the time. In practice, good coaches
have had to take a backseat to their
captains, much like Bob Woolmer
and even Waqar Younis had to. In
the case of the former, Inzi developed into an autocrat of sorts. In the
latter’s case, one of his captains fell
to the spot-fixing saga, another to
perceived marginalisation from
team selection matters. Consider
this: of the four Pakistani players to
have ever been found guilty of fixing,
two were captains. Their coaches
were assumed to be bystanders.
Khan’s greatest ally throughout
his tenure as interim coach is his
ability to keep up the meek coach
routine, though meek is far from
what he has been. Khan had run into
squabbles with Shahid Afridi and
Waqar Younis over selection matters
in 2010, while he also painted Misbah-ul-Haq’s installation as captain
as a choice made out of necessity
since Younis was unavailable to lead
Pakistan. Karachi’s cricket association accused him of anti-Karachi
bias while Abdul Razzaq spoke of an
anti-senior conspiracy, but Khan
rode that pressure out. Perhaps it is
because of the impermanence of his
position, perhaps because of the personal confidence reposed in him by
a new board chief that Khan managed to pull the selectors and the
captain in the same direction. A
record of no lost series has become
an outcome borne out of practice,
not simply logic or luck.
Assuming that the PCB reinstalls
Khan in his role of chief selector –
after all, he was interim coach and
should still have his old job – there
is a larger debate over how much influence a captain and coach have
over selection matters. In 2010, before the South Africa series in the
UAE, the Pakistan squad was announced without consulting the captain or the coach. At the time, Khan
had argued that while he preferred
that the captain and coach’s input
were sought, nowhere did it state in
the PCB constitution that the coach
and captain “must have a say in the
selection of any squad." Afridi and
Waqar had protested the decision,
while Misbah had simply been told
that about the squad he was supposed to pick a team from.
But along with Misbah, Khan
has managed to create a Pakistan
that is pragmatically exciting. While
Misbah may lap up the plaudits despite his dour style, the core was created
by
Khan.
Identifying
Mohammad Hafeez and Taufiq
Umer as a long-term opening partnership in Tests, and subsequently
persisting with them, the elevation
of Azhar Ali to No 3 and a chance to
learn from Younis and Misbah, the
axing of Umer Akmal on the pretext
of poor temperament, persisting
with Adnan Akmal, and of course
the three-spinners strategy have all
been decisions taken together with
the captain. The underperformers
have been sent home and a new hungrier bench has been identified. Letting Misbah choose his own
lieutenants (Hafeez and Saeed
Ajmal) was a masterstroke too; no
captain wants to be a dummy and instead, wants to stamp his own mark
on the team.
Once Khan returns to his chief
selector post, a liaising link between
the incoming coach, captain and selectors will have to be created. While
all seems to be set for Whatmore to
be named as Pakistan’s next coach,
the question is how to go forward
without rocking the boat and disturbing this upward trajectory. The
Australians, ever on the forefront of
coaching and technological innovation, recently handed their captain
and coach great license in team selection. Khan’s greatest legacy will
be leaving a settled combination and
team. Whatmore’s mandate will be
to improve on this. Perhaps the Australian solution is a roadmap Pakistan will need to adhere to.
The writer is a Karachi-based
journalist. Connect with him on
Twitter @ASYusuf
Where’s your nikahnama?
Maya Khan is not the culprit here. She is a puppet in the hands
of the rating-mongers. Stop watching this trash and they’ll stop
airing it.
Mighty Obvious
By Syed Hassan Belal Zaidi
I
n a sprawling metropolis
known to the heathen as
Karachi, a new kind of malevolent despot has reared her notso-ugly head. Maya Khan, the host
of SAMAA TV’s flagship morning
show, has stepped up to the plate
and become the most notorious TV
personality in recent memory, almost overnight. That her descent
into notoriety is swifter even than
her erstwhile counterpart, Meher
Bukhari’s was, is cause for little
concern. What does matter is that
the well-endowed lass is now the
target of a social media witch-hunt
and has invoked the ire of whitecollar bourgeois individuals from
Gilgit to Gadani. The delectable
damsel, whose only crime so far
has been the mobilisation of the
Conglomerate Of Concerned
Karachiites Bullying Lovers Out of
Clifton Karachi’s Enormous Recreational Sites, is now being billed
an Antichrist.
But who is Maya Khan? And
how can she make otherwise selfrespecting women run full pelt
through a public park, under the
watchful eyes of several cameras,
as if this were a taping of an
episode of Baywatch? To answer
this question, we may have to go
back to the beginning. A time
when Nadia Khan, the ‘Happy To
You’ queen, ruled the airwaves.
Many pretenders, such as Juggan,
Noor, Sana Tariq etc tried to emulate her seemingly-inane formula,
but to no avail. For every scantilyclad aerobics instructor and random-segment-host that the others
managed to scrape together, Nadia
did one better.
This game of one-up(wo)man-
ship continued until the day that
Nadia got her ample posterior
booted out of the Jeem Group, for
godonlyknowswhat. With the
queen out of the picture, the pretenders queued up to replace her.
In the battle for morning show supremacy, there was nothing that
these women did not try. Live TV
weddings, matchmaking, stories of
heartbreak, reuniting lost family
members and long-lost lovers and
even busting the occasional cuckold; it was all a no-holds barred affair. Then, somewhere in the year
2010, Maya Khan Rind, a pleasantly-attired well-meaning lady
from the ranks of the landed gentry, took to the airwaves at the ungodly hour that is 8:00am.
While I can proudly say that
I’ve never woken up early enough
to catch the show itself, I’ve seen
more than my fair share of repeat
telecasts. It also helped that I was
once employed by the same channel that currently retains Maya’s
services and was, therefore, intimately involved with the day-today disasters and bloopers that
comprised this particular morning
blend. And to be honest, I found
the show to be rather mundane:
she talked about the same old issues that everyone else did. She
laughed, cried, wailed, shouted,
became infuriated and seemed
helpless like all the rest of us. She
was, and probably still is, quite
human. This was the charm
which, in my opinion, lured many
a viewer to her show every morning.
Things started to go her way
and in the span of a few short
months, ‘Subah Saveray Maya
Kay Saath’ became the envy of
morning shows across the country
and everyone wanted a piece of the
fair maiden who was serenading
the people of Pakistan so sweetly.
Then, one fine day in the year
2011, SAMAA TV ran a news package on couples who go out on
dates in public parks. They did not
invent the subject, mind you, as
reports on public displays of affection in places such as the Mazar-eQuaid in Karachi and the
Lawrence Gardens and Model
Town Park in Lahore had been
urban myths since the beginning
of time. But nobody bothered.
Mostly because all producers, TV
personalities and their cameramen
have, at one time or the other, indulged in what we affectionately
call ‘parking’.
However, when this lady, having led a perfectly sheltered life,
brought her rightist upper-class
sensibilities to the small screen, it
was a recipe for disaster. You see,
contrary to popular opinion, there
is no great oversight on content
when it comes to shows of a ‘soft’
nature. Morning shows too, are
considered ‘soft’ viewing, therefore, nobody on the top rungs of
the corporate ladder pays much attention to their content. As long as
the ratings are coming in and the
people get what they want, nobody
has any problems.
The lady in question, apparently, also did not have any
qualms about marketing herself as
the siren of SAMAA, dressing up
as an Arab dancing girl and riding
magic carpets as the tune from
‘Bewitched’ played in the background. Everyone was cashing in
on the Maya bandwagon because
her formula seemed to work. So
when she started going around
public parks, asking people for
their nikahnamas, you can imagine how surprised people were.
From being the darling of young
men and women everywhere (she
did run a matchmaking service on
her show for some time), she became an evil home-wrecker, out to
rob parents and children of their
right to privacy and a good time,
not to mention a healthy relationship.
Why would any sane individual do such a thing? Maybe because in her mind, she is doing the
right thing. Right by her employers, that is.
The truth is, you can report
Maya Khan to PEMRA. You could
get 100,000 signatures on a petition calling on SAMAA to kick her
out. But that would not accomplish anything. Like it or not,
Maya Khan is not the culprit here.
She is a puppet in the hands of the
rating-mongers. Stop watching
this trash and they’ll stop airing it.
Follow @mightyobvious on
Twitter for more incoherence in
160 characters or less
Comment 13
The PM’s trial
...and the cost of security
A
small lizard fell into my soup last
night. As I jumped back the lizard
with a huge effort flopped out
again, leaving a wriggling tail behind.
The soup was cold anyway without gas to
heat it. As it gurgled down the kitchen
sink, the electricity went too.
Our stolid prime minister has declared that Pakistan’s gas and electricity
shortage problems will end within six
months. It is possible he knows something the rest of us don’t, being something of a gaseous anomaly himself. Or
maybe he was referring to an ingenious
agreement just entered into with neighbouring Afghanistan.
Under the terms of this agreement
Pakistan, itself in the throes of a crippling power shortage, is to develop
Afghanistan’s water storage and hydroelectric generation systems on the River
Kabul. In a stroke of brilliance it is
agreed that any surplus power thus generated is to be re-imported into this
country.
There is, however, one glitch: according to a report in this newspaper,
most of the water in the River Kabul is
fed into it by the River Kunhar, which
originates funnily enough in sada apna
Chitral. We appear therefore to be grabbing our nose by reaching around the
head. Water storage on the River Kabul
is also likely to cause water shortage in
the River Indus, leading to a
further drop in Pakistan’s caBy Rabia Ahmed
pacity to produce power itself.
This capacity is almost solely
reliant on the availability of
water which is increasingly
scarce as a direct result of the
ineptitude and failure of successive governments of Pakistan in providing – you got it
– adequate water storage.
Such masterly examples of
planning naturally render extrinsic enemy plots quite redundant.
Meantime, this week saw
the same stolid and longest
self-serving democratically
elected prime minister of Pakistan in the courts, on charges
of contempt, aided by the
inimitable Aitzaz Ahsan.
Jo lawyer bhi hain shaair
bhi, dono hi bohat khoob
Long March ka maqta
laikin Ahsan ko na bhaya
The prime minister’s appearance in court seems to
have been a carefully orchestrated affair. He was escorted
by a large coterie of chanting
followers in their cars, speak-
ing evidence of his terrific popularity
which excused their blocking all traffic
for hours. Also accompanying him were
several obligatory hysterical security
men, bullet proof vehicles, as well as a
gunship helicopter which flew over and
around the route and Supreme Court
building that whole morning. It was most
impressive.
The PM, demurely dressed, appeared
driving himself and his barrister in a
chaste white car. This further evidence of
his being the people’s representative
must have brought a tear to many a susceptible eye, especially when he began
his statement by quoting the pioneer
Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s line:
“Dukhaan di mari jindri aleel hai.’’ He
went on to assure the court of his undying devotion to the constitution and the
law of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
One incongruous detail then: it appears that the license plate on the PM’s
car, LRZ 786, once again chosen no
doubt with an eye to its devout overtones, did not belong to any car owned
by him. It belongs instead to a random
citizen, now wandering bemusedly
around the streets of Lahore who has no
known connection whatsoever to the
prime minister or his car. Therein lies a
tale, I’m sure, and it is wriggling to be
told.
The country and its people now await
events following the arrival (or not) of
Mr Mansoor Ijaz. Further evidence, if
any is required, of our government officials being all on the same page has been
provided as ever by the inimitable Mr
Rehman Malik who has promised to provide complete security for Mr Ijaz, to the
extent of a securing a suite for him on the
premises of the Home Ministry. He cannot, however, promise that Mr Ijaz will
not be arrested as soon as he sets foot in
the country. Was he, maybe, referring to
a maximum security cell?
The PM, on the other hand, has said
quite firmly that security will not be provided for Mr Ijaz when he visits Pakistan
to give evidence in court. It isn’t, he said
sternly, as though Mr Ijaz were a viceroy
visiting the country. In case anyone
failed to understand him he clarified further that security was worth billions, and
would therefore not be provided for Mr
Ijaz’s person.
Ah, so that must be it then. If security costs billions, that of course is why
members of the government down to
every tinpot official moves in those perpetual clouds of bullet proof cars, security men, ambulances, and even gunship
helicopters, and why the common man of
Pakistan, being a citizen of such a poor
country, lacks it so utterly.
14
Worst films to be ‘honoured’ by
in limelight
Razzie awards
on April Fools’ Day
LOS ANgELES
T
BBC
HE Razzies,
which honour
the
year’s
worst films,
are to be
given out on 1 April, organisers have announced.
The spoof prizes, formally
known as The Golden
Raspberrys, have traditionally been awarded the
day before the Oscars.
Nominations will be announced on ‘Oscar Eve’-25
February-with the main
awards handed out April
Fools’ Day. Organisers
said moving the awards
would allow its voting
members more time “to
see the drek they will
eventually nominate”. In a
statement, they said:
“John Wilson and Mo
Murphy, co-owners of the
Razzies, saw a unique opportunity to do something
they’ve wanted to do since
their awards were created
in 1980: emphasise (its)
comedic intent by unveiling the “winners” of Tinsel
Town’s Tackiest Trophy
on April Fools’ Day.” It
added the new schedule
MUMBAI: Sonam Kapoor gestures during
an event for the ‘Hello! Classic Race’. AfP
would also allow for more
input from the moviegoing public before the
contenders are determined. Organisers suggested Adam Sandler
could top the list of nominees at this year’s awards
for his roles in ‘Just Go
With It’, ‘Bucky Larson’
and ‘Jack and Jill’. He
could also be a frontrun-
ner in the worst actress
category for playing Jill in
the latter film. M Night
Shyamalan’s ‘The Last
Airbender’ won the most
prizes at last year’s awards
with five including worst
director. Ashton Kutcher
was named worst actor for
Valentine’s Day while his
co-star Jessica Alba won
worst supporting actress.
MUMBAI: US actress and singer Amy Johnson poses with Pratiek Babbar
during a photo shoot for their forthcoming film ‘ek deewana Tha’. AfP
SÃo PAUlo: Ashton Kutcher attends the 2012
Winter collection fashion show of Colcci
during the Sao Paulo Fashion Week. AfP
Meera ka vivah, for real
The scandal queen of Pakistan, Meera will
tie the knot with a Pakistani-American
pilot Naveed Parvez on 19 February.
Meera is hoping to get second time lucky
with Parvez after facing a long run
controversy involving her ex-husband
Atiq-ur-Rehman and then smashing
the hearts of 13 contestants of
‘Kaun Banega Meera Pati’. Parvez
is an airline pilot. The wedding
ceremony will take place in Lahore
where Meera will invite some of
her close friends both from
Pakistan and India. Meera and
Parvez have been friends for three
years but have now decided to get
hitched. Meera says she will
continue her acting career after
her marriage. NEWS DESK
PARIS: A model presents a creation by Swedish
fashion label Acne as part of his Fall/Winter
2012-2013 Men’s ready-to-wear collection. AfP
Ranbir turns stuntman for
‘Barfee’
SÃo PAUlo: Models present designer creations during the Sao Paulo Fashion Week. AfP
Katrina-Ali to cut an
NEWS DESK: Ali zafar’s dream has finally
come true. It looks like Ali zafar is having a
great time in Bollywood. last year he had a
big role in the Imran-Katrina starrer ‘Mere
Brother Ki dulhan’. He also worked with
david dhawan in Chashme Buddoor. Now,
the Pakistani actor-singer has another
feather in his cap – he is all set to work on
an album with Katrina Kaif. Ali and Katrina
hit it off well on the sets of ‘Mere Brother Ki
dulhan’ and rumours were rife that he had
requested her to collaborate with him on an
album
album. Now it seems his dreams are finally
coming true. Sources say Ali has already
composed the songs that he wants to do
with Kaif. She too has approved them and
all that's needed is for her to record the
numbers. Ali had wanted Kaif to be part of
the composing process, but their schedules
didn't allow it. Katrina, when approached
didn’t comment on her new venture while
Ali cleverly put the onus on Kat to clarify it.
Well, whenever the album is out, we can
say it will be a sure-fire hit!
loNdoN: Simon Cowell is reportedly
visiting an addiction clinic to help beat
his 15-plus a day cigarette habit. It has
been revealed that the 52-year-old music
mogul, who has admitted he started
smoking at age eight, is seeking help at
the top london facility after friends and
family begged him to stop smoking.
According to The People, he has a family
history of lung cancer. “Simon made it
his New year resolution,” the daily Mail
quoted a source as telling the
publication. “He's been smoking since a
very young age and feels the time is
now right to try and stop. He has no
major health issues at the moment but,
as always, he is under a lot of pressure
with his work schedule. Simon's mother
and some of his closest friends have
been nagging him for some time about
trying to stop smoking. His grandfather
Robert was a heavy smoker who died of
lung cancer. His father suffered a heart
attack. It's made Simon think long and
hard about his own health now,” the
source said. The TV magnate, who is
busy with 'Britain's Got Talent' auditions
is often pictured aboard his yacht, lazing
in the sun with a cigarette in his mouth.
“Simon is a very healthy guy who looks
after himself diet-wise very well,”
Cowell's spokesman Max Clifford said.
“But he has made a New year's
resolution to give up, or at least
significantly cut back, on his smoking,”
he added. AGENCIES
15
UTAH: Richard Gere
speaks to media during
the ‘Arbitrage’ Premiere
during the 2012 Sundance
Film Festival. AfP
leBANoN: Mr
lebanon 2012
Rodolphe Abu
Nader poses
with his trophy
after winning
the beauty
contest. AfP
Veena Malik’s horror film
to release in May
V
NEWS DESK
EENA MALIK, who has been
making headlines over the
last few months, is now all set
to star in a 3D horror film,
‘Mumbai 125 KM’. It’s being
directed by Hemant Madhukar who has to
his credit last year’s superhit Telugu movie,
Vastadu Naa Raju. The film is expected this
May. “After a smashing hit, many questioned my decision to make a Hindi 3D
movie. But I haven’t forgotten Chota
Chetan (1998) that I watched as a kid,” says
Madhukar, who two years ago had directed
another ghost story, ‘A Flat’ (2010) which
proved to be a BO debacle. ‘Mumbai 125
KM’ revolves around five friends who are
stranded on a highway one dark night. The
director refuses to divulge any details beyond this. All he promises is that it wil be a
“treat” for the audience. The film also stars
Vedita Pratap Singh and Karanveer Bohra,
but Veena is undoubtedly the star. Isn’t
Madhukar taking a risk by casting the errant actor in his chiller-thriller? The director admits that when even though Veena fit
the role to the T, he was hesitant about
signing her. “But she promised me that she
would give the challenging role her best
shot. And after working with her, I’ve realised that she’s a dedicated actor. I’m sure
people’s opinion of her will change after my
film releases,’ he says. It was recently reported that Veena was having problems
with Indian immigration officials, who had
refused to process her visa following numerous controversies. Madhukar is not
worried: “When I last spoke to her she said
that she was returning to India in the first
week of February. I am confident she will
keep her promise.”
Toni&Guy showcase
their styling prowess in grammathon 2012
NEWS DESK
Toni&Guy were excited and
proud to participate in Grammathon 2012 held at LGS 1-A1 on the 14th January.
Grammathon was organised as
a fashion show with students
presenting their original creations and modelling them in
front of a panel of expert
judges. The event was billed as
a light hearted and fun event
for students to showcase their
creativity and enjoy an evening
without schoolwork in these
difficult times. Toni&Guy’s
style director Juju Haider, was
part of the judging panel for
the fashion show. Grammathon brought together over
50 participants from 47 different schools, organised into private teams and school teams.
Other judges on the panel included model and style icon
Sabina Pasha, dynamic designer duo Nickie and Nina
and well known fashion photographer Rizwan (DeeVees).
Toni&Guy gave free makeovers
to the winners of the best female and male models and
also styled the host school’s
fashion show participants.
Under the guidance of owner
and creative director Shammal
Qureshi, Toni&Guy demonstrated their innovative techniques and creative styles. LGS
1-A-1 opened the 5 day event
and had Alyzeh Gabol as their
show stopper. Designer Hassan Shehryar Yasin also held a
fashion seminar and the fashion show ended with a concert
by Pakistani band Noori.
All eyes on Kareena’s film with a new Khan;
‘Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu’
MUMBAI
AGENCIES
The trailer of this year’s valentine release, ‘Ek Main Aur Ekk
Tu’ has been creating quite a
buzz as Imran Khan and Kareena Kapoor appear together
on screen for the first time.
After recently winning an
award for being the most profitable actor, Bebo feels a lot of
responsibility on her shoulders
for this Karan Johar production. Whether it’s Amir,
Salman or SRK; name her jori
with any Khan and Kareena
has generated revenues over at
least Rs.100 crore. (Not to forget her real life hero is also a
Khan). Now that the actor is
currently juggling the on-going
promotions for the Imran
Khan-starrer ‘Ek Main Aur
Ekk Tu’ and is working on the
postproduction of Aamir
Khan’s ‘Talaash’, she has two
fold responsibility of living up
to the Khan-jori -success reputation. Says Kareena, “They
both are adorable as co-stars.
It’s a pleasure working with
them. I have already worked
with Aamir in ‘3 Idiots’ (2009).
Shah Rukh and Ajay:
Simon Cowell
starts addiction
treatment
Clash of titans?
MuMBAI: The sizzling on-screen chemistry
between his wife and Shah Rukh Khan has
held viewers in awe for many years now.
But there’s no love lost between Ajay devgn
and Shah Rukh Khan. The cold war
between the two is almost on its way to
becoming a full-fledged war. The clash
between the two biggies of Bollywood has
been in the air for quite some time.
Rumours, they say, have some truth in
them. This one, apparently, has a bit more.
Ajay devgn has preponed his own home
production, ‘Son of Sardar’ in order to take
on Shah Rukh’s yash Chopra film slated to
release this diwali. Rumours abound that
devgn is not happy about the release of
‘Tezz’, originally scheduled for december
last year, being pushed to April this year,
to avoid clashing with King Khan’s release.
Apart from ‘Tezz’, Ajay’s film has had to
accommodate Hrithik’s and Saif’s releases
as well. And now he is wary of
meandering around and believes that his
film being moved around too many times is
sending wrong signals in the industry. Ajay
has finally decided that he doesn’t want to
NEWS DESK
be labelled as the one whose films are
tweaked to adjust to the convenience of
others. So will there actually be a ‘Clash
of Titans’ in film industry? or will we
have to settle down with something way
more innocuous? Time, as they say, will
reveal all! ZEENEWS
I love both of them equally.”
The film looks like an adaptation of Hollywood movie ‘What
Happens In Vegas’ where the
couple gets drunk and marries
under the effect of alcohol. But
Karan Johar has insisted it's
an original script. Still audience are looking forward to
seeing the film in cinemas on
10th of Februaury as the trailer
starts with the couple in an attorney office, getting a divorce,
not a very usual Bollywood
rom-com beginning. This film
is being distributed in Pakistan
by IMGC Global. Encyclomedia PR is running it’s publicity
campaign for Pakistan.
Mallika Sherawat
Vidya Balan
MUMBAI: Actress Mallika Sherawat
has beaten Vidya Balan to the finish
line of the ‘Sexiest Vegetarian
Female’ poll conducted by PETA. The
announcement has come as quite a
shock as all hopes were pinned on
Vidya Balan - especially after her ‘The
Dirty Picture’ act - to win the coveted
title. However, the representatives of
PETA insist that the verdict is solely
based on the votes collected. Vidya
Balan is known to have re-defined
‘sexy’ and ‘hot’ after her popular
‘dirty act’. But we guess people had
their reasons to vote for the oomphy
Mallika Sherawat. Dhanush
successfully bagged the Sexiest
Vegetarian Male award, a tag
previously enjoyed by Shahid Kapoor.
His ‘Kolaveri Di’ number took the
world by storm. However, the simple
Dhanush says: “I’m anything but
sexy. But if people think I am, I don't
know what to say.” AGENCIES
Kesa which is Lala Textile’s new summer
collection brand will be launched on
Tuesday the 24th January. Kesa is
inspired by the richness of Japanese
culture and its name is derived from the
Japanese word for Buddhist monk’s
prayer robes. The designs reflect
Japanese subtleties and design
aesthetics. Kesa combines the intricacies
of art and design while retaining the
best in fabric and embellishment, while
representing Islamic and Oriental art
designs in floral and geometric patterns
in a variety of colours accentuated by
embellishments, panels and
embroideries. Currently the label is
available nationwide at all stores.
Heidi Klum and Seal
call it quits
LOS ANgELES
ABC
“One day you’re in, the next day you’re
out.” Heidi Klum’s catchphrase on her
hit reality competition show ‘Project
Runway’ may now have sad implications
to her love life, as it has been confirmed
that she is splitting with her husband,
pop star Seal. The news that the power
couple’s nearly seven year marriage is
officially over was confirmed in a
statement first released to People
magazine. “While we have enjoyed
seven very loving, loyal and happy years
of marriage, after much soul-searching
we have decided to separate,” the couple
said in the statement. Together the
couple has two sons, Henry, 6, and
Johan, 5 and one daughter Lou, 2. One
insider said one of the issues the couple
was facing was that distance was really
tearing them apart, they both have very
busy careers. The couple has so far
released only a few details on their split,
merely stating, “We have had the
deepest respect for one another... but
we have grown apart.”
16 Foreign News
British woman
claims new
Antarctic solo record
LONDON
AFP
A British explorer, Felicity Aston, claims
to have become the first woman to cross
Antarctica on her own, after skiing more
than 1,700 kilometres across the ice in 59
days. The 33-year-old’s arrival was
announced with a Twitter message
saying: !!!Felicity has reached her
destination - Hercules Inlet - after 59
days !!!Congratulations to the 1st female
to traverse Antarctica SOLO. V proud.”
Several hours later, she tweeted: “Sitting
in my tent in the middle of Hercules Inlet
waiting for a plane to come and pick me
up. I’ve been promised red wine and a hot
shower.” Aston, from Kent in south-east
England, began her trek on November 25
at the Ross Ice Shelf and, after a stop-off
at the South Pole, finally reached
Hercules Inlet on the Ronne Ice Shelf on
January 22 — a distance of 1,744 km. She
battled freezing temperatures and winds
to make the trip, dragging two sledges
containing her food and equipment
behind her as she skiied up hills and
towards endless empty horizons. In an
emotional message recorded shortly
before her arrival, she said: “It feels
amazing to be finished but yet
overwhelmingly sad that it’s over at the
same time. “I can’t quite believe that I’m
here, and that I’ve crossed Antarctica.”
Saudi female
driver defies ban,
has fatal accident
JEDDAH
AFP
A Saudi woman who defied a driving ban
in the kingdom was injured and her
companion killed when their car
overturned in the northern Hael province,
a police spokesman said on Monday. “One
woman was immediately killed and her
companion who was driving the car was
hospitalised after she suffered several
injuries” when their four-wheel-drive
vehicle overturned late on Saturday, said
police spokesman Abdulaziz al-Zunaidi.
Ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia is the
only country in the world where women
are not allowed to drive. However, they
get behind the wheel in desert regions
away from the capital. There have been
several incidents reported in recent years
of women being killed in accidents while
driving despite the ban, one of a host of
restrictions imposed on women in the
kingdom. In November 2010, a Saudi who
defied the driving ban was killed along
with three of her 10 female passengers
when her car overturned in a crash. A
group of activists launched an Internet
campaign last year urging Saudi women
to defy the ban on driving. The icon of the
campaign, Manal al-Sherif, a 32-year-old
computer security consultant, was
arrested on May 22 and detained for 10
days after posting on YouTube a video of
herself driving her car around the eastern
city of Khobar. Since then, women
regularly get behind the wheels of their
cars, according to the activists.
SHANGHAI: Thousands of people visit a lantern festival to celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Dragon on Monday. AfP
Nigeria’s Kano prays for
peace after deadly attacks
KANO
N
AFP
IGERIAN officials and
clerics said peace
prayers in Kano Monday after a wave of
bomb-and-gun attacks
claimed by Islamists left more than 160
dead and raised fresh fears of civil unrest. Nigerian President Goodluck
Jonathan, facing his worst crisis since
winning April polls amid a surge in attacks by Islamist sect Boko Haram and
mounting social discontent, vowed to
beef up security.
Several bombs were set off and gun
battles raged in coordinated attacks
that were launched after Friday prayers
in Nigeria’s second largest city and
lasted several hours. Jonathan, after
visiting the city on Sunday, said that
some suspects had been arrested and
that his government would track down
the masterminds.
“We will strengthen the security in
Kano and other parts of the country,”
he said, vowing to track down Boko
Haram’s sponsors. As the ancient holy
Muslim city of about 4.5 million people
still reeled from one of Boko Haram’s
bloodiest attacks, some 200 Muslim
clerics and political leaders gathered
for special peace prayers. “I will pray to
God that we should never re-live the
catastrophe that resulted in the deaths
and maiming in our city,” Kano State
governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso said.
The emir Ado Bayero told the clerics: “I enjoin you to continue praying
for peace and stability in our city. I call
upon you to use any religious fora to
pray for peace in our land.” A purported spokesman for Boko Haram
claimed responsibility for the attacks,
saying it was in response to a refusal by
the authorities to release its members
from custody. Some detainees being
held at a police station in the city were
thought to have been freed during the
attacks which targeted mainly police
buildings. Senate president David
Mark said he and the speaker of the
House of Representatives Aminu Tambuwal, had ignored security to travel to
Kano. “We want to ensure that a few
misguided Nigerians who have been
led into this action don’t take this country hostage... it is not about religion,
this affects the entire nation,” he told
the state governor and his officials.
Jonathan is battling the worst crisis of
his nine-month tenure as the violence
has raised fears of an all-out civil war
in Africa’s most populous nation and
top oil producer.
He has said some of the Boko
Haram members have infiltrated government — from the security agencies
to the legislature and the executive arm
of government. Former president
Olusegun Obasanjo however tried to
downplay the crisis. “Even though it is
a big challenge to the Nigerian people
and its government, it is not one that...
shakes Nigeria to its foundation,”
Obasanjo said in Banjul late Sunday
after meeting Gambian President
Yahya Jammeh. Jonathan imposed
emergency rule in parts of Nigeria’s
north on December 31 after a wave of
violence blamed on Boko Haram, including attacks on churches on Christmas Day. But Kano, which had escaped
the worst of the violence in recent
months, was not among the areas covered. Relief workers said the overall
death toll was at least 166 but a doctor
at a major hospital said the toll could
soar to 250. Around 50 people were
gathered outside a main hospital
morgue awaiting to collect remains of
loved ones for burial on Monday.
Unilateral sanctions
on Iran ‘do not
help’, says Russia
MOSCOW
AFP
Russia said Monday it viewed the European
Union’s oil embargo on Iran as
counterproductive and would continue to
defend Tehran against further sanctions over
its nuclear programme. “Unilateral sanctions
do not help matters,” Russian news agencies
quoted Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as
saying in response to the EU decision. “We will
restrain everyone from making harsh moves.
We will seek the resumption of negotiations.”
Lavrov added he was confident that talks
between Iran and the Western powers could
be resumed soon. “Moscow believes that there
are fairly firm prospects for the resumption of
talks in the immediate future,” he said. “These
opportunities exist despite an entire series of
recent steps, including those taken by the
IAEA director general.” Russia has been
fiercely critical of the United Nations’ nuclear
watchdog for issuing a report in November
claiming it had “credible” intelligence showing
Tehran’s interest in acquiring nuclear
weapons. Lavrov has argued that the report
contained nothing new and insisted that any
sanctions beyond the four rounds approved
already by the UN Security Council only
threatened to harm the Iranian people. “Since
we have already adopted collective sanctions
in the UN Security Council, everyone should
be keeping to that line, adding nothing and
taking nothing away from the common
position,” Lavrov said.
Yemen president en route to US, foes remain wary
SANAA
AFP
President Ali Abdullah Saleh was en
route to the United States for medical
treatment, Yemen’s state news agency
said on Monday, after delivering a
dramatic farewell speech that left his
opponents wary.
The announcement came a day
after Saleh in a televised address
apparently marking the end of his rule
appealed for forgiveness from the
Yemeni people for “any shortcomings”
during his 33 years in power. “The
president ... is on his way to the United
States to continue what is left of his
medical treatment” for wounds
sustained in a June bomb attack on his
compound, SABA news agency said on
its website. The US State Department
said on Sunday that Washington
approved a visit by Saleh for medical
treatment but stressed it was on the
understanding that he would stay only
for a “limited time.”
Saleh left late on Sunday for Oman
with his five youngest children and his
wife, according to a source close to the
now “honorary president” of Yemen for
the next month. In his speech, Saleh
said he would return to Yemen but not
as president, signalling the veteran
leader aims to implement a Gulfbrokered transition plan which calls for
his ouster. “I will go to the United
States for treatment and will then
return as head of the GPC,” he said
referring to his General People’s
Congress party. After the election, “our
brother Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi (the
vice president) will move into the
presidential residence and Ali Abdullah
Saleh will pack up his bag, bid farewell,
and go home,” he said implying that his
role as president has come to an end.
However, the thousands of
protesters who have been camped out
at Sanaa’s Change Square, the
epicentre
of
a
pro-democracy
movement calling for Saleh’s ouster
over the past 12 months, cautioned it
was too early to celebrate. “We are still
concerned that this latest move might
be one of Saleh’s games ... We will stay
in the square until election day on
February 21,” said Walid Ammar, a
youth leader, remaining sceptical.
“That is the day that Yemen’s future
will be decided,” he said.
Foreign News 17
Islamists take centre stage in Egypt parliament
CAIRO
I
AFP
SLAMIST MPs took centre stage
on Monday as Egypt’s parliament
met for the first time since a popular uprising ousted Hosni
Mubarak, while their supporters
massed outside to cheer the historic event.
A year after the uprising, many Egyptians see the new parliament as the first
sign of democratic rule, in sharp contrast
to the previous legislature dominated by
Mubarak’s party. Egypt’s first free parliamentary elections, which were held in
phases between November and early January, saw Islamists clinch nearly threequarters of the seats. Outside the People’s
Assembly, hundreds of Islamist supporters
had greeted the MPs as they entered the
parliament, in scenes unimaginable just a
year ago when most Islamist movements
were banned.
And in their first act, the deputies in
the lower house began voting for a speaker,
with leading Muslim Brotherhood member
Saad al-Katatni expected to win. But the
exact role of parliament remains unclear,
with power remaining in the hands of the
generals who took power from former
president Mubarak. “How can we read this
oath when we don’t even know if we will be
a presidential system or a parliamentary
system?” one MP asked during the swearing in. Later, protesters set off for parliament from across Cairo to press deputies
to implement the goals of the revolution,
including an end to military trials of civilians, social justice and the trial of officials
found guilty of abuse.
They were to join hundreds who were already chanting outside the parliament
against the ruling military council and its
chief Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, who
served as Mubarak’s defence minister for two
decades. The military has come under intense criticism in recent months for rights
abuses and stifling dissent. Activists accuse
the generals of seeking to maintain political
control despite assurances by the army that
it will cede power to civilian rule when a
president is elected in June. The packed and
sometimes chaotic first session was chaired
by parliament’s most senior member, Mah-
mud al-Saqqa of the liberal Wafd party. The
deputies were sworn in one by one, pledging
to “preserve the safety of the nation and the
interests of people and to respect the constitution and the law.” In a sign of the Islamists’
increasing assertiveness, one ultra-conservative Islamist MP insisted on adding a religious reference to the oath. When lawyer
Mamduh Ismail took the microphone vowing to also “abide by the law of God,” he was
sharply rebuked by the chair, Saqqa.
“Please stick to the text,” an angry
Saqqa urged Ismail, asking him to repeat
the oath several times. “Mr Ismail, my
friend, please stand up and read the oath,
and stick to the text.” Others tried to add “to
protect the goals of the revolution” to the
oath and received a similar rebuke, during
the animated first session which saw several
deputies don yellow sashes calling for “an
end to military trials of civilians.” The longbanned Muslim Brotherhood won a crushing victory with 47.18 percent through its
political arm, the Freedom and Justice
Party. The ultra-conservative Salafist AlNur party came second with 24.29 percent,
with the liberal Wafd party finishing a distant third. The liberal Egyptian Bloc —
which includes the Free Egyptians party of
telecom magnate Naguib Sawiris who faces
trial on allegations of insulting Islam —
came fourth with around seven percent. The
508-member assembly was dissolved in
February by the Supreme Council of the
Armed Forces that took power when
Mubarak was forced to step down.
Syria rejects Arab
league call
for power change
DAMASCUS
AFP
Syria on Monday rejected an Arab League
plan for President Bashar al-Assad to
transfer power to his deputy and clear the
way for a national unity government, as the
EU slapped new sanctions on Damascus.
“Syria rejects the decisions taken which are
outside an Arab working plan, and
considers them an attack on its national
sovereignty and a flagrant interference in
internal affairs,” an official said on state
television. The Arab League on Sunday
asked the United Nations to support a new
plan for ending the bloodshed in unrestswept Syria that would see Assad
transferring power to his deputy and a
government of national unity formed
within two months. The plan was detailed
in a statement read out by Qatar’s premier,
Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani, at the
end of a meeting of Arab foreign ministers
in Cairo to determine the fate of their
observer mission in Syria. “If this initiative
is not put in place (by Damascus), we will
go to the (UN) Security Council, where the
decisions will be taken,” Sheikh Hamad
warned. Deployed since December 26 to
oversee an Arab League peace plan, the
observer mission has been widely criticised
for its failure to stem the government’s
bloody crackdown on pro-democracy
protests. Saudi Arabia said at the Cairo
talks that Riyadh was pulling out its
observers from the mission because the
Syrian government had “not respected any
of the clauses” of an Arab peace plan. The
League agreed, however, to extend the
mission and boost the force from its
current number of about 165 observers on
the ground, according to the final
statement of Arab foreign ministers. On
Monday, EU foreign ministers voiced
support for the Arab monitors and adopted
more sanctions against Syria’s military
brass, adding security officials on a new list
of people and firms hit by a travel ban and
asset freeze. “We call again for the violence
to stop, for the (Arab League) monitors to
be able to do their job unheeded,” said EU
foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton,
whose bloc is already enforcing an arms
embargo and oil imports ban on Syria.
eU adopts new sanctions
on Syria’s top brass
BRUSSELS
AFP
The European Union adopted fresh
sanctions against Syria’s military brass on
Monday, adding more security officials on
a growing list of people and firms hit by a
travel ban and asset freeze. EU foreign
ministers, who renewed their call for
President Bashar al-Assad to step down,
targeted 22 people and eight companies in
this 11th round of EU sanctions to protest
the ongoing repression in Syria. “Today’s
decision will put further pressure on those
who are responsible for the unacceptable
violence and repression in Syria,” said EU
foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. “The
message from the European Union is clear:
the crackdown must stop immediately. We
will continue to do all we can to help the
Syrian people achieve their legitimate
political rights,” she said.
CAIRO: Saad al-Katatni, secretary general of Egypt's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), gestures after being nominated by the FJP for the post of the parliament speaker during the
newly elected parliament's first session in Cairo on Monday. AfP
france calls for calm
ahead of genocide law vote
PARIS
AFP
France appealed for calm after a furious Turkey threatened “permanent”
sanctions if French senators pass a
bill later on Monday to outlaw denial
of the Armenian genocide.
The French lower house drew a
first wave of Turkish ire last month,
when it approved the bill which
threatens with jail anyone in France
who denies that the 1915 massacre of
Armenians by Ottoman Turk forces
amounted to genocide. Ankara froze
political and military ties with France
and has promised further measures if
the bill is passed by the Senate or is
approved by President Nicolas
Sarkozy, whose right-wing UMP party
put forward the bill.
“We appeal for calm,” said French
foreign ministry spokesman Bernard
Valero. “Turkey is a very important
partner and ally of France,” he said,
with senators due to vote on the diplomatically fraught bill later Monday.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu, who cancelled talks with
European Union foreign ministers in
Brussels on Iran’s nuclear drive to
deal with the crisis, said that Ankara
had already prepared its response.
“We have previously determined the
steps to be taken if the bill is finally
adopted. No one should doubt it,”
state-run Anatolia news agency
quoted Davutoglu as saying.
Davutoglu said on Saturday that
the law would result in “permanent
sanctions” arguining that it goes
against European values and would
not help Turkish-Armenian relations.
Trade between France and Turkey
was worth 12 billion euros (15.5 billion dollars) in 2010, with several
hundred French businesses operating
there. Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan accused France of
hypocrisy and Sarkozy of pandering to
the vote of France’s estimated
400,000 voters of Armenian origin
three months ahead of a tough reelection battle.
“I hope the Senate will not make
France a country contradicting its
own values,” Erdogan said. “This is a
debate which is entirely against the
freedom of thought. This is merely a
step taken for the upcoming elections.” Around 15,000 Turks from
France, Belgium, The Netherlands
and Luxembourg rallied peacefully on
the streets of Paris on Saturday to
protest the law. Turks and Armenians
began gathering to stage demonstra-
tions outside the Senate ahead of the
debate, set for Monday afternoon,
with police keeping them some distance apart. In a bid to defuse the crisis, Sarkozy sent a conciliatory letter
to Erdogan, released by the French
embassy in Ankara on Friday.
“I hope we can make reason prevail and maintain our dialogue, as befits allied and friendly countries,”
Sarkozy wrote, adding that the measure “is in no way aimed at any state or
people in particular.” But the bill has
not won universal support in the government, where some ministers fear it
will hurt diplomatic and trade ties
with a NATO ally and major economic
partner. Even Sarkozy’s Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has admitted the bill
is “untimely.” A Senate Laws Commission on Wednesday rejected the bill,
but their vote is not expected to prevent it from becoming law.
Armenians say up to 1.5 million of
their forebears were killed in 1915 and
1916 by the forces of Turkey’s former
Ottoman Empire. Turkey disputes the
figure, arguing that only 500,000
died, and denies this was genocide,
ascribing the toll to fighting and starvation during World War I and accusing the Armenians of siding with
Russian invaders.
ICC denies deal
for Gaddafi son to
be tried in Libya
THE HAgUE
AFP
The International Criminal Court
denied Monday that it had agreed that
Seif al-Islam, slain Libyan dictator
Moamer Gaddafi’s most prominent
son, can be tried in Libya. “The ICC
has made no decision on this matter,”
court spokesman Fadi el-Abdallah
told AFP in response to a claim by
Libya’s Justice Minister Ali H’mida
Ashur that Seif would be judged by a
Libyan court. The ICC said earlier in a
Twitter message that it had received a
reply from the Libyan authorities to
questions asked by its judges by a
Monday deadline. “The ICC has
accepted that Seif al-Islam will be
tried in Libya by the Libyan
judiciary,” Ashur told AFP. “The trial
will take place in Libya. The Libyan
justice is competent and we gave the
file (on Seif) to the ICC on Friday,”
Ashur added. Seif, 39, who was
arrested on November 19, is in the
custody of the military council of
Zintan, a town 180 kilometres (110
miles), southwest of Tripoli. He is
wanted by the ICC on charges of
crimes against humanity allegedly
committed during the conflict in
Libya. Libya’s National Transitional
Council had already told the ICC in a
letter published on November 24 that
Tripoli wanted to try him.
Sharapova battles through
after lisicki scare
Page 21
Ajmal very hard to track, says Adnan
ABU DHABI
P
AFP
AKISTAN'S young wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal on Monday
admitted
England's
destroyer Saeed Ajmal was difficult to judge from behind the
wicket and he needed extra workouts to be
successful. Ajmal took a career best 7-55 in
the first innings and then 3-42 in the second to help Pakistan rout England by ten
wickets in the first Test in Dubai, giving
them a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series.
But despite the difficulty the 26-year-old
Adnan finished with seven catches in the
match and his valuable knock of 61 helped
Pakistan gain an important 146-run lead in
the first innings. Adnan, who replaced his
more experienced elder brother Kamran
Akmal in Pakistan line-up in 2010, said
Ajmal was difficult to keep wickets on. "I had
some trouble keeping on Ajmal's doosra (the
second one)," Adnan, refering to Ajmal's delivery which turns the other way than the
normal off-break, said ahead of the second
Test which starts here from Wednesday.
"I worked with Ijaz Ahmed (fielding
coach) and the work out and the drills
helped me a lot. That came as a great benefit for me and helped me in the match,"
said Adnan, 26. "It's a bit different and difficult to keep off Ajmal. You know how to
ABU dHABI: Adnan Akmal (l) warms up as team coach Mohsin Khan (C) looks on during a practice session at the Sheikh zayed Stadium. AfP
dilshan quits as Cook aims for special 100th with partner Strauss
Sri lanka skipper
ABU DHABI
AFP
COLOMBO
Alastair Cook is hoping he and opening partner Andrew Strauss will provide England with a good platform
when they walk for a 100th time together in the second Test against
Pakistan starting here from Wednesday. Cook and Strauss will become
the fourth opening pair to complete
100 or more innings together in all
Tests -- behind West Indian Gordon
Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, Sri
Lanka's Marvan Atapattu and Sanath
Jayasuriya and Australia's Matthew
Hayden and Justin Langer.
But Cook and Strauss face a
huge challenge from Pakistan
bowlers who restricted them to
stands of ten and six during their
ten wicket annihilation in the first
Test in Dubai last week. Pakistan
lead the three-Test series 1-0.
Strauss fell to off-spinner Saeed
Ajmal for 19 and Cook was dismissed by Mohammad Hafeez for
three in the first innings while paceman Umar Gul accounted for Eng-
land openers in the second innings.
Strauss made six and Cook five.
Cook said openers failed to provide
the kind of begining the pair are
used to giving in the past.
"It's a great thing to work now,
I didn't know that it's our 100th
time," Cook said on Monday as
England prepare to avoid their first
series defeat since going down 1-0
to the West Indies in the Caribbean
in 2009. "He's got a great record
and proved that over a number of
years, it's our job with top of the
order to lay out the platform, we
didn't do that in Dubai and that's
why we didn't get good totals," said
Cook of England's low scores of 192
and 160. "It's always nice to our stability with Strauss at the top of
order. We have had some great moments. We are pretty similar in
character and we do enjoy batting
together and hopefully on the 100th
time we will do something special,"
said Cook. Cook, who hit a century
in England's two wins in their leadup games to the series, blamed poor
shot selection by the batsmen.
keep wickets on the off-spin that it will
come in and one that goes out, so its difficult. Every time I keep wickets I watch his
hand and have practised a lot," said Adnan.
Adnan denied he has set any signals
with Ajmal on which delivery will come
next. "It's only after a lot of practice that I
am doing better on his bowling. I have set
no signals because if you set signals then
it's no use being keeper," said Adnan.
Adnan, who made his debut against South
Africa in 2010, said batting is his plus point.
"My effort is always to give my best for Pakistan, for my team so every time I want to
give benefit to the team. I enjoy keeping but
batting is my plus point," said Adnan.
When asked about Ajmal's mystery delivery -- teesra (the third one) -- which the
spinner had claimed to unveil against England -- Adnan said he had found no different delivery. "I never felt any difference,
they were normal deliveries like I have
been keeping on in the last ten twelve
matches, he was bowling in the same manner. It may be different for the batsmen but
I did not feel any difference," said Adnan.
Adnan said Ajmal's outstanding bowling forced England's batsmen into submission. "I think we bowled very well, they are
better batsmen than us. I don't know what
happened. It was Allah's blessings and
that's why we won the match. Ajmal was
outstanding in the match."
Talha out of
england series
ABU DHABI
AFP
ABU dHABI: Alastair Cook plays a shot during a
practice session at the Sheikh zayed Stadium. AfP
Pakistan's fast rising paceman Mohammad
Talha was Monday ruled out of the remaining two Tests against England after
developing spinal disc problems. The 23year-old, who did not feature in Pakistan's
ten wicket win in the first Test in Dubai
last week, will return home once his pain
subsides. "Talha developed back problems
and in the MRI scan it was revealed that he
has a disc problem and when his pain subsides in the next two three days he will return home," team manager Naveed
Cheema told AFP. Cheema said Talha
needed ten to twelve days rest. Pakistan,
who play the second Test here from
Wednesday, require no replacement,
Cheema said. Talha took four wickets in
the warm-up match against England as
part of the Pakistan Cricket Board xI. England won that three-day game by 100 runs.
Talha has played one Test, against Sri
Lanka in Karachi in 2009 and is regarded
as one of the future prospects for Pakistan.
AFP
Tillakaratne Dilshan resigned Monday as
the Sri Lankan cricket captain in all three
forms of the game, following the team's disastrous tour of South Africa, officials said.
Sri Lanka lost both the Test and one-day
series in South Africa. Dilshan, 35, took up
the captaincy on a series-to-series basis
after Kumar Sangakkara stepped down
after Sri Lanka's defeat in the 2011 World
Cup final against India. "Dilshan has resigned as captain in all three formats of the
game," Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said, without naming a successor. Under Dilshan, Sri
Lanka lost Test and one-day series against
England, Australia, Pakistan and South
Africa."Members of the executive committee take this opportunity to thank Dilshan
for his commitment and dedication during
his tenure as the national captain," the
board said. "We also wish him well as he
continues to represent Sri Lanka as a national player." While Dilshan's own batting
form suffered during his reign, he led the
team to a historic Test win in Durban this
year, Sri Lanka's first on South African
soil. There was no immediate comment
from Dilshan, who has so far scored 4,662
runs in Tests and 5,896 runs in one-day
internationals. Local media have speculated that former captain Mahela Jayawardene could be Dilshan's replacement.
Spinner Lyon replaces Starc in Australia team
ADELAIDE
AFP
Australia will play spinner Nathan Lyon instead of paceman Mitchell Starc in this
week's fourth and final Test against India,
captain Michael Clarke said on Monday.
Clarke said Lyon's inclusion for the Adelaide match would give Australia an improved chance of sweeping the series 4-0
against India, who suffered heavy losses in
the opening three Tests. "We think that is
the best xI to give us every chance to win
this Test match," Clarke said ahead of
Tuesday's match. "I think the experience of
the other three quicks will play a big part in
these conditions. "The wicket looks really
good and I think reverse swing is going to
play a huge part in this Test match."
Clarke said the ease of Australia's
quick-fire victories inside the scheduled
five days had reduced the workload on his
bowlers and he had no intention of resting leading pacemen Peter Siddle and Ben
Hilfenhaus. "I have said from the start
that we want to win every Test match that
we play and this series is no different,"
Clarke said. "Winning the last two Test
matches in less than five days has helped
everyone recover as well so all the guys
are fighting fit and ready to go."
Lyon, who was left out of the team for
the third Test in Perth, has had minimal
impact in the series to date, taking 2-180
off 50.5 overs in his two matches. It will
be Lyon's 10th Test and first at his
home ground, where he is a former groundsman. Australia's
bowlers ran through India's
big-name batting line-up twice
inside three days in Perth and
Clarke is expecting a flat batting wicket in Adelaide
with the match likely to
run its full five days.
India have only won
once in nine Tests
at Adelaide Oval.
The match in the
2007-08 series between the two
sides was a highscoring affair, with
India racking up 526 in
their first innings and Australia replying with 563.
Sehwag rates Australian
bowlers the best
ADELAIDE: Stand-in skipper Virender Sehwag said Monday he rates Australia's bowling attack as the best he has faced as India battle to restore some pride in the final Test
in Adelaide this week. The tourists face the humiliation of another 4-0 series wipeout
if they lose against Australia in the fourth Test starting at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday. Sehwag leads the beleaguered tourists after regular skipper M.S. Dhoni was
suspended for slow over rates in India's crushing innings defeat inside three days
in the third Test in Perth. Australia, spearheaded by Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus, have dismissed India's big-name batting line-up four times for under 200
and have prevented Sachin Tendulkar scoring his elusive 100th international
century. "It's everybody's responsibility to score runs, especially outside India,"
Sehwag said. "Unfortunately, on the last two tours the batsmen didn't get those
runs. "Yes, the openers need to make a good start but other batsmen need to
score too." Sehwag, who has been one of India's worst performing batsmen with
118 runs at 19.66, paid tribute to the strength of the Australian bowling attack.
"They are bowling in good areas, they are not giving up
easy balls to hit boundaries," Sehwag said. "I think
that's the best bowling attack I've ever seen, especially against Australia. "Generally, when I played the
fast men at Adelaide Oval, I'd get a couple of balls I could
hit for boundaries. But in this attack I hardly get any balls." Sehwag
said hapless India would be playing for pride, out to prevent an eighth consecutive away Test defeat after last year's 4-0 series drubbing in England. AFP
Sports 19
BEnAzIR BhUttO WOMEn’S CRICkEt ChALLEnGE
Punjab, ZTBL, Federal Areas advance
Serena loss blows
draw wide open
MELBOURNE
AFP
lAHoRe: Punjab Governor latif Khosa and Mrs Bushra Aitzaz give the player of the match award to Mariam Hassan Shah of Federal team while (R) zTBl bowler balls to the Balochistan
batswoman (not in picture) during their Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Cricket Trophy match at the Kinnaird College ground. NAdEEM IjAZ
LAHORE
P
STAFF REPORT
UNJAB, Federal Areas and
ZTBL won their matches on day
two in the 1st Shaheed Mohtarma
Benazir
Bhutto
Women’s Cricket Challenge
Trophy here on Monday. Punjab Governor
Latif Khosa was the chief guest of the day
and presented the player of the match
award to Federal team player Mariam Hassan Shah. Mrs Bushra Aitzaz and other
PCB officials were also present on the occasion. Punjab beat Khyber PK by five
wickets here at the Gaddafi Stadium while
Federal Areas also registered a win against
KPK. Thus KPK lost both of their matches
of the day and also lost their chance of
making to the top.
Punjab allowed KPK just 78 runs and
later achieved the score losing five wickets.
Komal Feroz was named the player of the
match while in the other match Marium
Hasan Shah of Federal Areas not only remained not out but was also name the
player of the match with his 52 runs innings that led her team to a big 10 wickets
win over KPK. At Kinnaird College, ZTBL
beat Balochistan by six wickets with major
contribution coming from Nain Abdi. She
remained unbeaten at 39 for ZTBL.
SCORES: Khyber PK 78-8 in 20 overs: (Sukhan Faiz
53*, 62 balls, 6x4s, Hina Azam 2-10, zeba Manzoor 16) v – Punjab 79-5 in 18.4 overs: (Komal Feroz 45*, 60
balls, 7x4s, Uzma younas 3-2).
Player of the match: Komal Feroz (Punjab), Result:
Punjab won by 5 wickets, Toss: Khyber PK, Umpires:
Samera Aftab & Riffat Mustafa.
Match referee: Aziz-ur-Rehman, official Scorer:
zahoor Alam.
Khyber PK – 101-4 In 20 overs: (Arifa Hasan 35*, 52
balls, 3x4s, Sukhan Faiz 21, 25 balls, 3x4s, zainab Khan
18, 20 balls, 3x4s, Hina Shafiq 2-18, Saima Maqsood 2-16)
v Federal – 104-0 in 12.1 overs: (Marium Hasan Shah 52*,
36 balls, 10x4s, Fareeha Mehmood 38, 37 balls, 7x4s).
Player of the Match: Marium Hasan Shah (Federal), Result: Federal won by 10 wickets, Toss: Khyber PK, Umpires: Shakeela Rafiq & Afia Amin, Match Referee:
Sohail Khan, official Scorer: Azhar Hussain.
At Kinnaird Collage Ground, Balochistan – 109-7 in 20
overs: (Arman Khan 49, 43 balls, 4x4s, 3x6s, Naheeda
Khan 20, 22 balls, 1x4, 1x6, Sadia yousaf 2-11, Nida dar
2-17) zTBl – 113-4 IN 18.4 oVeRS: (Nain Abdi 39*, 51
balls, 2x4s, Sana Mir 31, 20 balls, 3x4s, 1x6, Bismah Maroof 20, 25 balls, 2x4s, Sabah Nazir 2-16)
Player of the match: Nain Abdi (zTBl), Result: zTBl
won by six wickets, Toss: Balochistan, Umpires: Humaira Farah & Kausar Shah, Match Referee: Pervaiz
Akhtar, official Scorer: Muhammad Arif Sr.
Kamran wants Pakistan players to be part of IPL
LAHORE
STAFF REPORT
Cricketer Kamran Akmal has said that
the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) must
sort out its differences with India so
that the country’s players can take part
in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Akmal, who was a member of the
Rajasthan Royals squad that won the
inaugural IPL in 2007, has not featured
in the event since 2008.
Akmal expressed the hope that
cricket between India and Pakistanm
would begin soon and that Pakistan
cricketers would soon be able to take
part in the IPL.
“Playing for Rajasthan was a wonderful experience. Having the opportunity to play under the leadership of
Shane Warne was fantastic and it was
a real eye opener. After that first tournament, we Pakistani players have not
been invited back to play in the IPL and
I don’t really want to go into the whys
and wherefores of that, but I do feel
Adnan has given Pakistan
security behind the stumps
Comment
T
SIMON HUgHES
HE unsung hero of Pakistan’s humiliating defeat of England was their
wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal. He took
seven catches in the match and contributed
a resourceful and at times impudent 61 to
convert a slender lead into a substantial one
for Pakistan. He has supplied the glue to
Pakistan’s outcricket where before there was
only grease. Irrespective of the adversity
they bring upon themselves, Pakistan always seem to find bowlers who create
chances. What they have always craved was
a wicketkeeper who could cling on to them.
Now they appear to have found one.
Adnan’s emergence is more than a touch
ironic since it was his older brother, Kamran,
who was one of the culprits of Pakistan’s lamentable performances in England 18 months
ago. Kamran had cymbals for gloves and he
made such a hash of keeping wicket that his
misses were into double figures by the end of
that 2010 series. They were crucial misses, too,
like the two drops and a missed stumping at the
outset of the fifth-wicket stand between Paul
Collingwood and Eoin Morgan at Trent Bridge.
They eventually put on 219 and England,
helped by more error-prone fielding, secured
an easy victory. Such insecurity has a psychological impact on a bowling attack who know
they will have to generate about 15 chances for
every 10 wickets taken. After this match they
will feel different. Adnan’s impact was immediate. In the sixth over of the game, bowled by
off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez, Alastair Cook,
who has made permanent occupation of the
crease his vocation, edged an attempted cut.
Akmal held the awkward, low chance and Pakistan had an immediate opening which
widened when he collected a miscued leg
glance from Jonathan Trott. A sharp catch off
Ian Bell’s outside edge accounted first ball for
the man who averaged more than 100 last year.
Three prized scalps and England were in disarray at 43 for five. After his perky fifty on Thursday, speckled with carving drives and
outrageous reverse sweeps, he was back in
business behind the stumps again, holding
chances from both Cook and Strauss down the
leg side, clinging on to a difficult edge from
Morgan, when he was just beginning to look
settled, and finally seeing off the adhesive Trott
with an agile take in front of first slip. All of his
seven victims were of top-order players. The
Pakistan bowlers can rest easier now, knowing
they have a gloveman they can trust, but Adnan
will not take anything for granted. In keeping
with the general erratic nature of Pakistan
cricket, his international career has had as
many twists and turns as a Stieg Larsson novel.
In spite of the late Bob Woolmer first identifying him as the best keeper in the country in
2004, brother Kamran was unexpectedly preferred for several years. Adnan owed his eventual Test debut not to Kamran’s mistakes but
to the sudden desertion of his successor,
Zulqarnan Haider, seeking political asylum.
Then, after taking eight catches in a Test,
Adnan was inexplicably dropped, before being
recalled last year. The fundamental prerequisite of a Pakistan cricketer is to live in the present and not look too far ahead. For the
moment they can revel in their all-round expertise, particularly in the field. Aside from
Ajmal’s wiles, they can also be proud of Umar
Gul’s forceful bowling, using the bouncer intelligently, knowing that it will come off the
pitch at different heights and speeds if banged
in hard, Abdur Rehman’s subtle, old-fashioned
probing and Misbah ul Haq’s calm and astute
captaincy. And he will know that England will
not be fooled so easily again. (Telegraph)
that sportsmen shouldn’t suffer due to
‘outside’ matters and Pakistani cricketers should be included in the IPL,”
Pak Passion quoted him, as Akmal, as
saying.
“India and Pakistan should regularly play against each other in cricket
and that is something that the fans of
both nations want to see. Indian fans
want to see the Pakistani cricket team
tour India and likewise Pakistani
cricket fans want to see the Indian
team tour Pakistan.”
The Australian Open women's draw was
thrown wide open Monday after Russia's
Ekaterina Makarova shocked Serena
Williams in the fourth round, as Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova won in
straight sets. Makarova, the world number
56, reached a grand slam quarter-final for
the first time when she stunned a belowpar Williams 6-2, 6-3 and will now face
former champion Maria Sharapova, who
battled back from a set down to progress.
Stunning Nishikori
inspired by li Na
MELBOURNE
AFP
Kei Nishikori shocked Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to
become the first Japanese man to reach the
Australian Open quarter-finals for 80 years
Monday, but defeat for Zheng Jie ended
China's hopes. Nishikori roared back from a
set down to stun the powerful 2008 finalist
in five sets and set up a last-eight tie with
Britain's Andy Murray, showing the form
that has seen him rocket up the rankings.
Zheng, however, crashed out in straight sets
at the hands of Italy's Sara Errani to end
China's singles interest on Chinese new
year's day -- and a day after last year's runner-up, Li Na, went out to Kim Clijsters.
20 Sports
Shoukat wins
Mr Pakistan title,
WAPdA lift trophy
ABU DHABI: Pakistan’s cricketer
Junaid Khan (2nd R) delivers the ball
as coach Mohsin Khan (2nd L) looks
on during a practice session. AfP
LAHORE
STAFF REPORT
Shoukat Shahzad was declared the Mr
Pakistan while Ruh Ullah was adjudged Junior Mr Pakistan after the
60th competition was held here at Alhamra.
WAPDA won the National Championship winning eight gold medals and
Railways were placed second while
Punjab secured third position.
The Pakistan Bodybuilding Federation
organised the 60th Junior Mr and Mr
Pakistan contest and the National
Bodybuilding Championships and
after the two days competition, Ruh
Ullah from Balochistan won the Junior
Mr Pakistan trophy and Rs 25000 cash
award while Shoukat Shahzad
achieved the title of national champion
Mr Pakistan 2012 out of 10 weight categories and was awarded Rs 50000
with champion trophy.
Overall WAPDA gave excellent performance during the Championship
and got 1st Position in team trophy
with 195 points winning 8 gold, 5 silver and 3 bronze medals, the second
position went to Railways with 67
points and Punjab secured the third
Position with 61 points.
President POA, Lt. Gen (R) Syed Arif
Hasan, was the chief guest on the occasion. He distributed medals among
the 1st, 2nd and 3rd position holders
and the team. Other guests of honour
were Ch. Mahboob Alam, CEO GEPCO,
Chaudhary Guftar Ahmed President
Wapda Sports Board, Muhammad
Khalid Mehmood, DG WAPDA Sports
Board, Muhamamd Jhangeer, President PKF, Ch. M. Asghar Secretary
General, PWF, President of Sindh
Bodybuilding Association Mr. Sohail
Anwar, Secretaries of KP and Baloshictan Bodybuilding Associations and
other formers Mr. Pakistan and Secretary General, Pakistan Bodybuilding
Federation Sh. Farooq Iqbal.
FINAl THREE SEEDING
WT CT 1ST WAPDA 2ND RAIlWAY 3RD PuNJAB
55 KG
19
6
13
60 KG
15
12
4
65 KG
22
6
10
70 KG
12
21
1
75 KG
31
6
80 KG
25
5
85 KG
16
6
15
90 KG
25
4
2
100 KG
15
1
6
ABoVe 100 KG 15
10
TOTAl
195
67
61
MEDAlS TABlE
uNI
WAPdA
RAIlWAy
PUNJAB
HeC
KPK
BAloCHISTAN
G
8
1
1
0
0
0
S
5
1
2
1
1
0
B
3
2
1
2
0
1
WAPdA down NBP in National junior hockey final
LAHORE
STAFF REPORT
WAPDA registered a solitary goal win
over NBP to claim the 31st U-21 National
Junior Hockey Championship that concluded on Monday here at the National
Hockey Stadium with SSGC getting the
third position.
On Monday, final and classification
matches were played and WAPDA and
NBP remained locked on an even game
until the former got their winning goal in
the 43rd minute of the match. SSGC got
3-2 win over Punjab Colours to earn the
third position. The final started with the
pace it should have been and despite sev-
eral attempts none of the teams’ players
could find an open house to get the goal.
The first half passed by without a score
and as the match entered the second half,
WAPDA got a penalty corner in the 43rd
minute and Asad ensured that his team
gets a lead. That one goal lead remained
in tact till the final whistle was blown.
However, the third position match
between SSGC and Punjab went into
extra time after the teams played a twoall draw in the given time and it was
Hammad Butt who scored the golden
goal in the 73rd minute of the match.
Punjab got ahead in the second
minute of the match when Nohaiz Zahid
who converted both the goals of his team,
found an opening. But that was lead
short-lived when Mohammad Zahid responded for SSGC in the same fashion in
the 13th minute. Nohaiz took Punjab
ahead once again in the 42nd minute but
Waseem Abas responded for SSGC to
push the match into extra time where
Hammad produced the golden goal to get
WAPDA the third place.
Secretary General Pakistan Hockey
Federation Olympian Muhammad Asif
Bajwa was the chief guest of the final.
Tournament Director Saghir Ahmed,
Arshad Ali Chawdhry member PHF National Selection Committee, Olympian
Zaka-ud-Din, Manager national team
Khawaja Junaid, Olympian Tauqeer
Ahmed Dar, Miss. Parveen Sikandar
Gill, Olympian Muhammad Sarwar and
officials of DHA Lahore were also present on the occasion.
The winners WAPDA pocketed the
purse of Rs 50,000 and the trophy while
NBP received runner up trophy and
cash prize Rs 30,000 and SSGC got the
third position Trophy and Cash Prize Rs
20,000.
RESulTS: (3rd & 4th Position)
SSGC beat Punjab (C) 3-2 (extra Time), 2-2 (Full
Time), 1-1 (Half Time)
SSGC: M. zahid 13th minute (FG), Waseem Abbas
56th minute (PC) & Hammad Butt 79th minute (FG).
Punjab (C): Nohaiz zahid 2 Goals 26th & 42nd minute (FG).
Final: WAPdA beat NBP 1-0 (Full Time), 0-0 (Half Time)
WAPdA: Asad 43rd minute (PC).
AUStRALIAn OPEn dIARY
Mixed day for Aisam as he crashed out of doubles
FROM ALI AKBAR IN MELBOURNE
I
T was a mixed
day for Pakistan's Aisam
Qureshi at the Australian Open on
Monday. He and his
partner Jean Julien
Rojer crashed out of the
men's doubles in the round of 16.
Later in the day, on Margaret
Court Arena, Aisam and partner
Andrea Hvalackova advanced in
the mixed doubles against Bernard
Tomic and Jelena Jancovic, winning
decisively, in straight sets 6-3, 6-3.
Aisam and Rojer were outclassed by
the American Brazilian combination of
Eric Butorac and Bruno Soares. Rojer's
serve was particularly vulnerable as he was broken three of the four times he served. Aisam held on
to all of his service games. Although the team performed creditably, winning the first two matches
comfortably, the pairing did not look strong enough
to trouble the top teams and win a major title. The
IndoPak Express was good enough to do that and
had reached the US Open final. Aisam will have to
keep his eyes open for a partner who can help take
him to the very top of the doubles game.
Aisam's Czech partner in the mixed doubles played
a very good supporting role as the pairing completely
outclassed the highly touted Tomic and Jancovic.
Tomic looked listless and played as if he did not care.
Perhaps the previous night's lesson by Roger Federer
had exposed some of the weaknesses in his repertoire.
Tomic has a big future and should reach top ten in a
couple of years. He has an instinct for dismantling his
opponent's games by subtle off speed balls, but Federer, after he had figured things out, was much too
good and the result was never in question.
Thomas Berdych was involved in a controversy
where he did not shake his opponent Nicolas Almagro's hand following their titanic battle on the
Hisense Arena. Berdych had hit a drop shot and then
was camped at the net. Seeing no way out, Almagro
aimed the ball at Berdych, hitting him on the arm.
Berdych fell and did not respond to Almagro's apologies. After the match, Berdych completely ignored Almagro. The booing that ensued was so loud that it
completely drowned out his interview. Tennis players
hit the ball directly at each other many times, espe-
cially in doubles. When
Berdych had shut off all
opportunities for Almagro by moving in close
behind the drop
shot, then Almagro had every
right to hit the
ball through
his opponent.
Berdych is a
nice enough fellow, but will certainly regret
his actions. Juan Martin Del
Potro booked hi place in the
quarter finals with an impressive
display and will play Federer for a
place in the semis. Berdych takes on
Nadal, another player with whom he has
had problems in the past. Lleyton Hewitt
takes on Novak Djokovic, a task that will
surely prove beyond him, but Hewitt
is one of the really great competitors and will leave
everything out on
the court.
Sports 21
Djokovic roadblock
in Hewitt’s path
MELBOURNE
L
STAR SPORTS
Australian
Open Tennis
05:30AM
ESPN
Sports Center
08:00PM
REuTERS
OCAL hero Lleyton Hewitt's surprising run to the
last 16 of the Australian
Open looks certain to come
to an end when the 31year-old meets world number one
Novak Djokovic on Monday. Defending champion Djokovic will not let
sentimentality stand in the way of a
place in the quarter-finals and the
crowd on Rod Laver Arena are likely
to leave disappointed as they did on
Sunday when Roger Federer unmanned Bernard Tomic.
Former world number one Hewitt fought his way past young gun
Milos Raonic in the third round but
Djokovic, coming off the season of his
life and in ruthless form in the first
week, is an altogether tougher proposition. Women's second seed and
bookmaker's favorite Petra Kvitova
kicks off the second week of the year's
first grand slam in an intriguing clash
against a resurgent 2008 French
Open champion Ana Ivanovic.
Five-times champion Serena
Williams is also in action against unseeded Ekaterina Makarova, while
another Russian in fourth seed Maria
Sharapova meets German Sabine
Lisicki in the first match of the
evening session.
Men's fourth seed Andy Murray
is likely to already be in the quarterfinals by then as he meets world
number 92 Mikhail Kukushkin, the
Kazakh one of two Asian men aiming
to get into the last eight.
The other is Japan's Kei
Nishikori, who faces in-form sixth
seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried
Tsonga - losing finalist here in 2008
when Djokovic won his first grand
slam title.
Hassan clinches
Mobilink Indigo
Golf title
LAHORE
STAFF REPORT
MElBOuRNE: Novak djokovic of Serbia hits a shot against lleyton Hewitt of
Australia in their match. AfP
Kvitova makes a hash of smash
MELBOURNE
REuTERS
MelBoURNe: Petra Kvitova of the Czech
Republic waves to celebrate her victory
over Ana Ivanovic of Serbia. AfP
wATch IT LIve
Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova stood
head bowed, red faced, praying for the
ground to open up and swallow her. There's
nowhere to hide when you hit the worst shot
of a tennis grand slam. The world number
two had her racquet raised and ready to
snash home a winner against Ana Ivanovic
in the fourth round of the Australian Open
on Monday and as the ball dipped closer the
Czech coiled in anticipation.
What should have been a routine smash
will undoubtedly become an Internet sensation as Kvitova slashed into thin air, the
ball slapped off her hip, hit the ground and
bounced over the net. "I really don't know
how I missed it," she told Reuters in an interview. "I stood on the spot, saw the ball
and it just missed my racquet. But this is
tennis, this can happen. "I'm not the first
and won't be the last to miss a shot. It's not
really that horrible." The Czech recovered
from the embarassment to win 6-2 7-6 but
smiled sheepishly when asked if she could
remember hitting a worse shot.
"I don't know if it's the worst (shot) of
my career," Kvitova said, shaking her
head. "I know that it looked really strange
when I missed it. But anyway ... I won,
that's the important thing." The 21-yearold returned to her chair after the miss,
wrapped her head in a towel and tried to
focus on her next service game but was so
rattled she dropped it to love, giving
Ivanovic the sniff of an upset. However,
Kvitova pulled herself together to win the
set in a tiebreak and secure her place in
the last eight. Kvitova's role model Martina Navratilova said the fact that she did
not fall apart completely after the clanger
showed that she could cement her place as
one of the top women in the world.
"Today she hit a whiff on the overhead,
embarrassed as heck," Navratilova said.
"Shanked like six balls in a row, but got it
together, held serve. In years past, and even
last year, she would lose those matches or
lose her concentration. "But now she gets it
back together. She's tough. I'm glad I'm not
the on the other side of the net.
"With the absence of Serena
(Williams) playing enough, we need some
superstars that you really feel like they're
holding their own. I think Petra has that
possibility." Kvitova says she is flattered to
be compared with Navartilova, who won
18 grand slam singles titles. "She is a legend. She won many grand slams and was
originally from the Czech Republic. She
was my idol growing up and it's nice to
have that (comparison)," she added.
Dr. Hassan clinched the 5th Mobilink Annual Club Indigo Golf Invitational Tournament trophy after an exciting golfing event
organised at the Islamabad Golf Club.
The day saw some sterling performances
from the golfers, making for a well competed event. The winners for the ladies’
tournament were Ami Qin (Gross) and
Sadia Afsar (Net), while Dr. Hassan
bagged the trophy for the men’s round in
the Gross category and Maj. Gen. Tahir
Masood won the trophy for Net.
Irfan Akram, Vice President Customer
Care at Mobilink said, “We are glad to have
been able to end the tournament on a high
note in Islamabad. We are indeed thankful
for the support of Club Indigo’s golf enthusiasts in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad
for making it a truly enjoyable event. On
our part, Mobilink will continue to nurture
golfing talent in Pakistan through such
tangible efforts in the years to come.”
The Club Indigo Golf Invitational has been
organised nationwide since 2007, and has
become one of the most prestigious corporate golf tournaments in Pakistan, with the
18-hole tournament attracting golfing enthusiasts from across the Mobilink Indigo
customer base. The Tournament is a continuation of Mobilink’s commitment towards supporting healthy recreational
activities and sports events in Pakistan.
Mobilink has taken this initiative to raise
awareness about golf in Pakistan, and enhance the quality of golfing in the country.
Stunning Nishikori
inspired by li Na
MELBOURNE
AFP
Kei Nishikori shocked Jo-Wilfried
Tsonga to become the first Japanese
man to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals for 80 years Monday, but defeat for Zheng Jie ended China's hopes.
Nishikori roared back from a set down
to stun the powerful 2008 finalist in
five sets and set up a last-eight tie with
Britain's Andy Murray, showing the
form that has seen him rocket up the
rankings. Zheng, however, crashed out
in straight sets at the hands of Italy's
Sara Errani to end China's singles interest on Chinese new year's day -- and
a day after last year's runner-up, Li Na,
went out to Kim Clijsters.
Sharapova battles through after Lisicki scare
MELBOURNE
REuTERS
Maria Sharapova hammered her way into
the quarter-finals of the Australian Open
on Monday but only after some tense moments in a third-set decider when Germany's Sabine Lisicki had her hanging on
by her finger nails. The fourth-seeded
Russian had to blunt the powerful ground
strokes and blistering service returns of the
14th seeded Lisicki and fought off five break
points in the third game of the final set to
turn the match her way. The Russian's confidence grew enough for her to break
Lisicki's serve in the sixth game of the set,
which essentially sealed the victory and she
ran out a 3-6 6-2 6-3 winner.
The 24-year-old had walked onto Rod
Laver Arena a heavy favourite having conceded just five games in her previous
three matches and spent only three hours,
29 minutes on court. In contrast, Lisicki
MelBoURNe: Maria Sharapova returns a shot to Sabine lisicki of Germany.
had been hampered by an abdominal injury that forced her to withdraw from the
Auckland Classic quarter-finals and out of
Sydney altogether. Knowing that old rival
REUTERS
Serena Williams would not be waiting for
her in the quarter-finals after the American was bundled out earlier by Ekaterina
Makarova, Sharapova raced out to a 3-0
lead and seemed destined for another
early night. Lisicki, however, finally found
her range and reeled off six successive
games to win the first set when Sharapova
blasted a backhand service return well
over the baseline.
A nervous looking Sharapova, well
aware that if she did not stop the momentum she would be joining Williams on an
early flight home, was in danger of losing
her first service game of the second set before she attacked the net twice and managed to fight off the German and hold serve.
She then began to control the pace of
the match, stopping Lisicki's high-paced
game to seal the second set in 42 minutes.
"She's a really solid player," Sharapova
said of Lisicki, who she beat in last year's
Wimbledon semi-finals. "If you play to
her strengths, if you give her time that's
what she really does best, she gets a good
strike on the ball and can hit a good winner from any side of the court.
MelBoURNe: Sabine lisicki plays a shot during
her fourth round women's singles match
against Maria Sharapova. AfP
22
Senate resolves to arrest Musharraf on arrival
Senators also want govt to institute case against former president under Article 6 g discuss resolution suggesting
government take immediate steps to declare Urdu as official language
g
ISLAMABAD
T
TAHIR NIAZ
HE Senate frustrated former
president General (r) Pervez
Musharraf’s dream to return
home as the governmentdominated Upper House of
parliament on Monday unanimously
passed a resolution asking the government
to arrest General Musharraf immediately
upon arrival in Pakistan and the federal
government institute a case against him
under Article 6 of the constitution for twice
holding the constitution in abeyance and
bringing disrepute to the judiciary.
The resolution moved by Senator Raza
Rabbani said Musharraf removed,
ridiculed and arrested judges of the
supreme judiciary. He aided, abetted and
was an accomplice in the murders of Benazir Bhutto and Akbar Bugti, the resolution said. It said Musharraf committed
numerous crimes. His policies and use of
state force in Balochistan led to the loss of
innocent lives and further sponsored dis-
appearances of its citizens, the resolution
said, adding that he also compromised
vital national security interests through
clandestine deals and unwritten agreements with foreign governments.
URDU: Earlier, the senators discussed a
resolution, which suggested the government take immediate steps to declare Urdu
the official language of the country in pursuance of Article 251 (1) of the constitution.
Professor Khurshid Ahmad moved the resolution in the House.
Though the resolution asked the government to take immediate steps to declare
Urdu as the official language of the country
but most of the senators, including Naeem
Hussain Chattha, Prof Ibrahim Khan,
Khalid Soomro, Dr Abdul Malik, Abdur
Rahim Mandokhel and Hasil Bazenjo were
more concerned about the regional and
mother tongues. They lacked clarity of
views as they built up their arguments, simultaneously supporting the regional languages to be declared as official languages
and also advocating for Urdu to be used as
a medium of interaction at the national
level. Soomro was of the view that mother
tongues should be declared national languages. Dr Malik said Urdu, as a language,
was not facing any existential threat,
pleading at the same time that English was
“required by the people of the country”.
Mandokhel said the medium of instruction should be the mother tongue but
at the same time said Urdu should be the
official language. However, Senator SM
Zafar asked the senators to approach the
respective provincial assemblies if they
wanted promotion of regional languages
as has been prescribed in the constitution.
He said the senators could not apprehend
the resolution properly and told his colleagues that it only demanded the government take immediate steps to declare
Urdu the official language of the country
and nothing more. He said there was no
bar on the provincial governments in promoting regional languages. Senator Abdul
Khaliq Pirzada and Sajid Hussain Zaidi
also endorsed the view point of Zafar.
Pirzada said Urdu came into being
after “conquering” over
450 other languages. He said, “Urdu is the
daughter of Arabic” and asked his colleagues to raise their voice in the
provinces if they wanted promotion of regional and
other languages. Senator
Hasil Bazenjo said he
did not oppose the
resolution, adding
that Urdu was made
controversial
by
Urdu-speakers who
migrated from India.
On the other hand,
he said, Bengalis
had also declined
to speak Urdu.
Later, the resolution was deferred as the
mover wanted
some amendments in it.
Army rejects US enquiry
report as ‘factually incorrect’
g
Resents affixation of partial responsibility on Pakistani forces
ISLAMABAD
SHAIQ HuSSAIN
CAIRO: Egyptian members of Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party celebrate as they arrive to the parliament
on Monday. Egypt’s lower house of parliament held its first session since a popular uprising ousted veteran president
Hosni Mubarak, with Islamists dominating the assembly for the first time. AfP | ANOThER PICTURE & STORY ON PAGE 17
drone
kills five
in nWA
PESHAWAR
Polls on unverified
lists will be unjust: SC
ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
STAFF REPORT
At least five suspected
militants were killed and
several others were injured
when a US drones fired
missiles at two different
targets in Datakhel, North
Waziristan on Monday. The
drones targeted a vehicle in
the Deegan area and a
compound in the
Mohammadkhel area of
Datakhel Tehsil with two
missiles each
simultaneously. Officials in
Miranshah, the headquarters
of North Waziristan Agency,
told Pakistan Today that five
suspected militants were
killed in the strikes,
however, some tribesmen
said the number of
casualties could increased
as a number of suspected
militants were grievously
injured. The identity of
those killed and injured
could not be immediately
ascertained but tribesmen
believed they included
several foreign fighters
associated with al Qaeda
and its affiliated militant
groups from Central Asia.
In response to a statement by the chief
election commissioner (CEC) and the
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)
secretary, the Supreme Court on Monday
said elections on basis of unverified voter
lists could not be termed just, fair and in
accordance with the law, as required
under Article 218(3) of the constitution.
A statement issued by Supreme Court
Registrar Dr Faqir Hussain said the ECP
was free to hold by-elections subject to
what had been observed by the Supreme
Court. However, he clarified that an erroneous impression was created during the
meeting of the CEC with political parties
as well as by the statement of the ECP secretary, giving an impression as if the
Supreme Court had stayed the holding of
by-elections in the country.
He said the relevant para of the
Supreme Court’s January 19, 2012 order
showed that the court directed the ECP
not to hold by-election on the basis of polluted/unverified voter lists, after deleting
37,185,998 unverified voters by NADRA
per their statement before the Supreme
Court on July 4, 2011, in the case of Imran
Khan vs ECP. He said the court order
added that the ultimate focus should be
on verified/valid electoral list in order to
meet the requirement of the constitution
under Article 218 (3) which stipulated
that elections should be conducted hon-
Pakistan Army rejected on Monday the findings of a US probe into the NATO air strikes
on border posts in Mohmand Agency in November last year, saying it did not agree with
several portions and findings of the investigation report as they were factually incorrect.
The army also expressed its annoyance
that in its enquiry report, the US military had
considered Pakistani military in an “adversarial role” and not as a friend. “Pakistan does not
agree with several portions and findings of the
Investigation Report as these are factually not
correct,” said the army, in its “Perspective on
the US Investigation Report”, released here to
the media by Inter-Services Public Relations
(ISPR). Noting that the US investigating
team’s mandate was to “conduct an operationally focused fact-finding investigation into
the circumstances surrounding the engagement between friendly forces and PAKMIL
(Pakistan Military)”, the statement said it was
implicit in this mandate that “Pakistan was
considered in an adversarial role and not part
of friendly forces”.
“The fundamental cause of the incident of
estly, fairly and justly in accordance with
the law. To fully explain the matter, the
court reproduced the relevant para of the
order, which says: “It has been informed
that the ECP has announced by-elections
in some of the constituencies on the basis
of prevailing/uncorrected/un-amended
electoral lists. It may not be out of context
to note that on 4th of July, 2011 NADRA
reported before this court that 37,185,998
unverified voters have been removed
from the database and thereafter the
court directed on the same day to the ECP
to expedite the correction of the electoral
list and a schedule for the same was also
given by it but the ECP failed to do so.”
However, the court said that the date of
February 23, 2012 had been fixed. “Therefore, we direct the ECP and NADRA not to
hold by-elections against the casual vacancies on the basis of polluted voter list, having 37,185,998 unverified voters as the
elections of these constituencies are necessary to be held under the constitution.
Therefore, ultimate focus should be on the
verified/valid electoral list for the purpose
of holding the said elections and elections
should be held on the basis of the same in
order to meet the requirement of the constitution given under Article 218(3) thereof,
which commands that the elections shall be
arranged by the ECP honestly, justly, fairly
and in accordance with the law. The demand of the constitution can only be fulfilled if there is a verified voters list free
from any bogus votes,” the court noted.
Published by Arif Nizami for Nawa Media Corporation (Pvt) Ltd at Plot # 7, Al-Baber Centre, F/8 Markaz, Islamabad.
26th November 2011 was the failure of
US/ISAF to share its near-border operation
with Pakistan at any level. This obviously was
a major omission, as were several others, like
the complicated chain of command, complex
command and control structure and unimaginative/intricate Rules of Engagement as well
as lack of unified military command in
Afghanistan,” it said. Contrary to Pakistan
Army’s response, the US enquiry report released on December 22 last year had found
that both American and Pakistani troops were
to be blamed for the strikes on Pakistani outposts. Pakistan had responded to the NATO
strikes by blocking supplies for US led NATO
forces in Afghanistan and forced the United
States to vacate an air base that was used to
launch drone attacks in the tribal areas.
The army said in its response: “In addition
to the foregoing, US/ISAF violated all mutually agreed procedures with Pakistan for nearborder operations put in place to avert such
uncalled for actions. It also carried out unprovoked engagement of Pakistani Posts located
inside Pakistan violating the US/ISAF mandate which is limited to Afghanistan alone.”

Mansoor Ijaz won`t be coming after all

Transcription

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